Open Intervals

Video Summary: Helmuth Rilling 2014 from the Teatro del Lago

The Teatro del Lago has posted a video about the Academia Internacional 2014 and it gives a fantastic impression of the work we did on the St. John Passion, the lectures and concerts, and how much we were all moved by this experience.

The video shows clips from rehearsals, interviews with participants and audience members, and a few shots from outside rehearsal (and lots of laughter, of course!). And several breath-taking shots of the Lago Llanquihue and the Teatro del Lago, of course. Loads of …

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The Best Pencil for Musicians: Paper Mate Clear Point Elite

Confession:  I'm an office supply geek.

Disclaimer: Some, but not all, of the links in this post are Affiliate links and are followed by: (Affiliate link). That means if you click through that link and make a purchase, I may receive a small portion of that purchase, for which I thank you. I don't see who bought what, only what was purchased. Read the full disclaimer here.

yellow-pencil.hi

Having the right writing utensil is a goal for me (and I know a lot of other people who are like this, too). Having just …

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Yep, insane is right! InsaneViolin

Words fail to describe this, really, you just need to watch. Sit back, turn up the speakers, and watch the whole thing.

The one thing you need to know:  this piece is a theme and variations, so it's a musical theme (a melody) that's presented and then Herr Roman Kim plays multiple variations on that theme. You'll still recognize parts of the original theme, but it might be played higher, lower, or with 'extra' notes within the same melody.

Think of it as one car (the theme) with lots of options …

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A Love Letter to the Teatro del Lago, Frutillar, Chile

Querido Teatro del Lago,

I had no idea how hard it would be to get to you, and it was worth every painful moment. First the 2 1/2 hour flight to Dallas, then 9 more hours to Santiago, where I had to wait all day (allbeit distracted by downtown Santiago and a delicious Peruvian steak lunch), so we could soldier on another 2 hours on a flight en route to Puerto Montt, where all of us, close to tears for lack of sleep, boarded a bus to ride another half hour to the hotel. Only to be given the news …

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Highlights of Chile and the Academia International Teatro del Lago

Arriving in Chile last week was a pleasure and exciting because no man has schlepped me further around the world and to more places than Helmuth Rilling. He probably doesn't know that, he sees probably thousands of choral singers every year, but really, it's all his "fault." ;)

Or maybe I can give Kathy Salzman-Romey some of the responsibility for this, because she's a mastermind of choral creation.

When I lived in Germany and sang with the Gächinger Kantorei we went to Italy twice (once St. Mat…

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Academia Teatro del Lago - Frutillar, Temuco y Santiago, Chile

St. John Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach

April 16-21, 2014

 

I'll be joining the chorus to sing this masterpiece under the baton of Helmuth Rilling.

Here is the schedule of events:

April 16th:  Masterclass

April 17th:  Masterclass

April 18th:  Lecture Concert, Frutillar

April 19th:  Concert, Teatro del Lago, Frutillar

April 20th:  Lecture Concert, Temuco

April 21st:  Lecture Concert, Santiago

 

A couple of numbers:

This will also be my 1st visit to Chile, 2nd visit to South America…

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Apply for this: 2014 Composer-Librettist Studio

In 2010 I was honored to be a part of a Composer-Librettist Studio, a life-changing 2 weeks of making music as part of a truly collaborative thinktank. (You may remember that Maybe So came out of the C-L Studio.)

Now the Composer-Librettist Studio is happening again and here is your turn to participate as a composer, a librettist, or a singer. Read below and get on it--applications are due on April 18th!

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Here's the short version:

NAUTILUS MUSIC-THEATER ANNOUNCES 2014 COMPOSER-LIBRETTIS…

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You Don't Always Get Your Ideal Fee.

Some organizations just don't have a large budget, yet they offer great concerts, wonderful experiences, and provide wonderful resume-builders for singers. And we should, for all reasons, sing them and bring music to people. That is, after all, the whole point. So let's look at a few ways that organizations offer and singers accept gigs that are perhaps lower on the pay scale but high on education, respect, and worthiness.

a/k/a How to ask a singer to sing your concert when you't have much money…

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Myth: "Exposure" is Legitimate Payment for Singing. BUSTED!

It’s time to mythbust [insert dramatic music here] “Singing for Exposure!”

(N.B. this is not singing for free according to the Singing Donation Budget or when you take a lower-paying or free gig because it makes you happy and proud even when it doesn’t fill your pocketbook; this is concert presenters who ask you to sing for a lot of hours for dirt cheap.)

More and more frequently people offer ‘exposure’ as a benefit for professional musicians to sing a gig that’s poorly paid (or not paid at al…

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