I work in an “open office” environment that has no cubicle walls so everybody can see everybody else in their immediate vicinity. (Yeah, I was skeptical at first but it actually works really well thanks to white noise generators and the overall demeanor of the folks I work with. If the intent was to get […]
The abstract from this thesis, emphasis added by me: “Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living is a recent composition that is quickly gaining attention in the choral world. The work exhibits unique aspects of Forrest’s compositional voice in his Requiem, including his textual changes from an original Requiem, formal designs and overall organization, melodic and rhythmic […]
Hanging out with some friends near a beachfront store where I worked I was shocked to see someone untying the surfboards on top of my car (’71 super beetle, no passenger seat and a piece of plywood on the floor so water wouldn’t splash up when it rained…a true collector’s item). As you might imagine […]
“The primary purpose and mission of the Windward Choral Society is to promote the joy, love, appreciation and value of multi-cultural choral music within the Windward O‘ahu community through a non-auditioned community-based chorus made up of mixed voices (SATB) from high school ages and up who are residents throughout the Island of O‘ahu.” You’d be […]
I’m not usually much for warm-fuzzy-new-age-feel-good stuff but sometimes you have to go (at least partway) there. I’ve been reading a choir director’s blog on “choral ethics” and had no idea what was out there. I’ve sung in some less-than-loving choirs but WHOA. Here’s a sample of what she’s written about and my take on […]
Ever since the old “Colbert Report” folded up the tent (no longer on the DVR) and Stephen moved to the “Late Show” (a regular on the DVR) the Blogmeisters rarely miss the show. I’m a big fan of satire and his interviews are not the same “tell me about your new movie” fluff. The other […]
Kona Choral Society member Karen Valentine posted the following on the Chorus Connection site following the KCS concert in honor of African-American History Month, “Guide My Feet: A Celebration of African-American Gospel and Spirituals.” Regardless of what in the world is spinning around you, a moment of reflection on the depth and power of music is […]
The human animal is in essence a pretty simple thing when you peel away all the leisure suits and sunglasses. It’s really just stimulus and reaction that you can break down into five basic pieces: Stimulus: thirsty Reaction: drink Stimulus: hungry Reaction: eat Stimulus: cold Reaction: seek shelter Stimulus: big animal looking at me knows […]
Last week I talked about the rhythm part of sight reading, this week it’s time to dive into the arcane world of notes. No, no, don’t run away…it’s not as scary as you think. As Maria Von Trapp presented it, “Let’s start at the very beginning” with the simple DO-RE-MI scale. (Back when I was […]
Back in the stone age of mankind when dinosaurs ruled the earth (right before the comet wiped them out) I was fortunate (lucky) enough to perform in the All-New England Choir for two years during high school. Crazy good fun, there was always a big-time guest conductor and I got to travel to new places […]