Speedlinking - 22 December 2011

As the year winds down to a close, here are some interesting links from the news and blogosphere that are worth a look over the next few days:

• Guttural or alveolar? Norman Lebrecht looks at the proper way to enunciate one's r's in German. 
• It all starts with us - Nicole Murphy writes about developing a studio concert culture.
• I met pianist and conductor Kevin Class some time ago in Holland - hear what he has to say about collaborating with a conductor. 
• Are you from a small town and study or work in the big city? Lachlan Glen shows how to get back to your roots with a musical thank-you concert.
• Collaborative pianist, teacher, and writer Ashley Danyew (see her play here) writes her own version of The Night Before Christmas, choir-style.
• Kennith Freeman shares what he has learned from his first semester as staff accompanist at Union University.
• Erica Sipes gives some advice gleaned from playing for loads upon loads of juries.
• And finally, congratulations go to Tracy Cowden, whose discovery of a little-known book of poetry in the Virginia Tech library led to both the commissioning of a new song cycle by Daron Hagen and a debut in New York City. 

Meme of the Day

Another Useful Accompanist Career Guide

The Music Council of Australia's Music Career Wiki has just published a very informative career guide on the Accompanist, with sections on skills, prospects, training, and more. The rundown of specialist skills was particularly informative, as was the wording on interpersonal skills:

Accompanists need good interpersonal skills, because their clients are not always very good players or singers, and they may have personality traits that do not appeal to the accompanist. An even temper and extreme patience are required to produce the best possible outcome for the client. Nerves of steel are needed in concert or other performance situations if the client loses his/her place in the music — the accompanist has to be able to make the necessary adjustments to save the performance from disaster.

I also like this comment from Jilliane Stoll at Opera Queensland:

Surely there is no greater joy than to be making music WITH someone. The likelihood of a pianist ever “making it” as a soloist is virtually nil. So one must consider either teaching or accompanying as a career path. Just think about the diversity of musicians/singers that one can play for: individuals, big groups, small groups, theatre/ballet groups … a rewarding collaboration, both musically and socially! Accompanying is fun — so become an accompanist. You won’t regret it.

What You Need to Know About Marking for Singers

Today's guest post was written by soprano Elisabeth Turchi. Based in Central Pennsylvania, Elisabeth has sung with the PittsburghOpera, Opera Delaware, Opera Camerata of Washington D.C., Atlantic Coast Opera Festival,Harrisburg Opera, New Opera Festival of Rome, and Gotham Chamber Opera. Ms. Turchi’snumerous concert engagements include Handel’s Messiah at Massachusetts’ Mechanics Hall anda European tour of Haydn’s Creation. Elisabeth's guest post arose out of a conversation with NY-based vocal coach Jennifer Peterson about maintaining vocal health through a busy rehearsal schedule.



In every singer’s life, there comes a time when we must mark.Marking is a way of singing quietly during rehearsals in order toprotect one’s voice. Reasons for marking are varied: perhaps youdidn’t get enough sleep, or maybe you didn’t have the opportunityto warm up sufficiently. But what if you have only one rehearsalwith a pianist for a very important audition? You have just onechance to prepare your work together, and you’re not up to a full-voiced session. So, go ahead – mark.

The question is: how do you communicate everything necessary toa pianist when you mark?

The key to successful marking is to always give your colleagueswhat they need to do their job. Whether your colleague is anothersinger, a pianist, instrumentalist, or conductor, you must give themclear cues. They need crisp diction, clean entrances, and clear cut-offs. Yes, you can sing quietly, and yes, you can drop down theoctave, but the energy level must remain high. Often when singersmark, they slow the tempo, change the length of notes or rests, andgive very dull interpretations. If your intentions are not clear, yourcolleagues will not know what you want from them. Keep yourinterpretation alive so they will know when to swell to a forte withyou, diminuendo with you, and breathe with you.

You want to give the best you can. Give them what they needto do their best as well, and you’re on your way to a successfulcollaboration! Cheers!

Meme of the Day

In case you don't get the BSG reference, you can find a full explanation of the Someone to Watch Over Me episode here and the iconic musical moment here.

The Piano Guys' Lightsaber Duel

The Piano Guys' Steven Sharp Nelson (previously seen in a brilliant David Guetta cello/piano cover) is back, this time in a cello duet duel with two....lightsabers.

Backstage at the Fern Hill Christmas Show

Here's the keyboard setup I used earlier this evening while playing for the Fern Hill School Christmas Show at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. Yes, that's a triangle on the left side, and this was my debut doubling on that noble instrument. Shown faintly on the iPad is the running order of the show - there was only one program on stage left so I took a shot of it with my iPad's camera.

Also in the band were Lord Bubba on bass guitar, Jeremy Kelly on guitar, and Riley O'Connor on drums. I don't get a chance to play much rock or jazz these days, so it was a great pleasure to work with these guys, and it's a great experience for the kids at Fern Hill to work with a professional band, all under the guidance of musical directors Amanda Nelli and Chris Cigolea.

Meme of the Day: Piano Squirrel

Mid-December Linkfest

The last few weeks have been some of the busiest of the year for me, with recent highlights including delivering the 2010-11 financial report for the Royal Conservatory Faculty Association, examining in Boston for the Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory Achievement Program, watching Wendy in an awesome performance of the Ruckert Lieder with the Oakville Symphony, and rehearsing for Fern Hill School's Christmas Concerts this week. All this is in addition to a career-high 54 students so far this year, thanks to the publicity generated by 31 Days to Better Practicing. And you wondered why I gave away my ebook for free.

Several articles from around the blogosphere have provided food for thought, and I don't just mean Classical Music Humor or Occupy the Practice Room on Facebook, nor Jeremy Denk's #OccupytheProgramNote (even though it was somewhat preposterous for the unfortunate program note author to have called K. 415 an "odd bird").

Aaron Gervais' Why Composers Should Drop Out of University (and What They Should Be Learning) is a wake-up call for all those who have been lulled into thinking that academia is the center of the musical universe. What he says about the composition industry could equally apply to performance field as well:

Even at the best of times, the rela­tion­ship between acad­e­mia and the cre­ative arts (com­pos­ing, film­mak­ing, lit­er­a­ture, chore­og­ra­phy, visual arts, etc.) has been prob­lem­atic. Today, it’s even more so—many schools have an overt inter­est in pro­duc­ing unsuc­cess­ful artists. It’s not that there’s some nefar­i­ous grand agenda, it’s just that the eco­nom­ics of art and of art school are very com­pli­cated, and well-meaning edu­ca­tors haven’t found a bet­ter solu­tion. The many “fail­ures” end up sub­si­diz­ing the few super­stars. From the per­spec­tive of the stu­dent, it’s a bad deal, but maybe it’s the best deal there is. When they real­ize this, most stu­dents become dis­il­lu­sioned and cyn­i­cal and choose one of three paths: (1) drop out of music alto­gether; (2) carve out their own bunker within acad­e­mia; (3) look for alter­na­tive ways to make music.

Part 2 of the article is also worth the read, and offers some solutions.

I've been talking about ornamentation a lot recently, and Nicholas Phan's The Rules provides a useful perspective on keeping your head in the right place when dealing with the often conflicting needs of historical authenticity, tradition, and artistic license:

A few years ago, I was rehearsing with a pianist for an upcoming concert, and I couldn’t remember what the rule was regarding whether to approach a trill from above or directly on the note when singing a certain composer’s music. I asked her if she remembered the rule, and she said to me, “I don’t do rules.”

While her response seemed hilariously rebellious at first, I came to see a lot of logic to her point. Much like Italian cuisine, which varies so much from region to region, so do people’s ideas of “rules” in music. Encounter an Italian from one region of Italy, they will tell you that unequivocally you do not use garlic when preparing a certain sauce. Travel just an hour south, and ask an Italian from that region about said sauce, and they will tell you unequivocally that you MUST use garlic when preparing that sauce. Both are equally convinced that they are telling you the rules, despite the fact that they are telling you the opposite.

So maybe you don't have to worry so much about these guys coming after you when rendering those upper mordents.

Because at the end of the day, it's what you're comfortable with. Even if you would prefer to be called an accompanist. Even if you need to change direction when the need arises. Because just beneath the surface, your brain knows more than you realize.

Meme of the Day

2P4H Is Held Over Until December 4

At the Toronto run of 2 Pianos 4 Hands a few weeks ago, I can't remember having laughed so hard. After teaching for 8 hours that day, watching a play whose first act essentially pokes fun at piano pedagogy had me gasping for air many times. 2P4H is now held over until December 4th, so if you haven't seen this hilarious, sad, wonderful, and heartbreaking celebration of piano playing, it's definitely worth the trip. Here's just a taste of the gags that Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt are up to:

Is This the Future of Practicing?

Even for a tablet desk slated <cough> to retail at $1,299, this video of the upcoming EXOdesk failed to excite me. Until the :39 mark, when my jaw hit the floor. Yes, that would appear to be a Bechstein-branded piano app. If a the screen sensitivity of this type of device could be finely honed to respond to minute changes of touch, you might just be looking at the future of keyboard instruments.

(Via Mashable)

Meme of the Day: Prepared Piano Edition

If you've ever played the John Cage Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano and had to go through the arduous process of collecting all the screws, bolts, nuts, and rubber mutes and meticulously measured exactly where to put them, these sentiments will be familiar...

Huge Archive of Free Video Game Piano Arrangements on PDF

Whether your game of choice is Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Castlevania, Shadow of the Colossus, or Super Mario Brothers, you can find a huge number of video game selections arranged for solo piano on Mark Andrews' Ninja Pumped. Teachers might find these free sheet music PDFs a godsend for young students who may have heard these songs dozens of times while gaming. Being able to play them might just be a way to rekindle their interest in the piano.

Here's Mark (aka RigorMortis999) playing Legends of Azeroth from World of Warcraft:

Sign or Resign at Shorter University

If you're a faculty or student at a university, what happens if your personal beliefs conflict with a school's corporate agenda? And what do you do when your employer enforces the terms of their agenda?

Shorter University in Georgia is doing precisely that - all students and staff must now sign a Personal Lifestyle Statement, whose Principles of Personal Conduct might be offensive to some (see #3):

I agree to adhere to and support the following principles (on or off the campus): 

1. I will be loyal to the mission of Shorter University as a Christ-centeredinstitution affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention. 

2. I will not engage in the use, sale, possession, or production of illegal drugs. 

3. I reject as acceptable all sexual activity not in agreement with the Bible, including, but not limited to, premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality. 

4. I will not use alcoholic beverages in the presence of students, and I will abstain from serving, from using, and from advocating the use of alcoholic beverages in public (e.g. in locations that are open to use by the general public, including as some examples restaurants, concert venues, stadiums, and sports facilities) and in settings in which students are present or are likely to be present. I will not attend any University sponsored event in which I have consumed alcohol within the last six hours. Neither will I promote or encourage the use of alcohol.    

A Times Free Press article looks at the difficult decisions facing many faculty and students at Shorter, including collaborative pianist and vocal coach Ben Harris:

To Harris, DiPillo and others, the gay portion of the statement is the headline maker, but not the crux of a culture change they fear will diminish the school that has produced two Metropolitan Opera winners and an 85 percent student acceptance rate to medical schools. 

“For me, my conduct should show my faith. Now I have to come up with a phony document to insert Baptist doctrine into opera training and singing. We’re here to educate, not to have prayer at the beginning of each class,” Harris said. 

Harris is an instructor of collaborative piano and a vocal coach in Shorter’s School of Fine and Performing Arts. He assumes that because he has spoken out, he won’t get the option of signing the statement of faith when faculty contracts are extended in the spring.  

Harris said if his contract isn’t renewed, he and his wife and two small children will move to Texas to work on his father’s ranch.

The Shorter University situation is also a fascinating example of the conflict between a university's right to manage its affairs and the need of its academic community to assert intellectual independence.

Meme of the Day: The Urtext Police

Practice More Effectively, Not Necessarily Longer

For the last few days, I've been thinking about a recent Study Hacks article on the surprisingly relaxed lives of elite achievers. According to a study conducted at the Universität der Künste in Berlin, the practice habits of music students considered to be elite performers were contrasted with the practice habits of merely average students. The amount of practice time between the two groups was roughly even, but the type of work utilized in the practice time was what differentiated the groups:

The difference was in how they spent this time. The elite players were spending almost three times more hours than the average players on deliberate practice — the uncomfortable, methodical work of stretching your ability.

The scheduling of practice time was also different between elite and average players:

The average players, they discovered, spread their work throughout the day. A graph included in the paper, which shows the average time spent working versus the waking hours of the day, is essentially flat.  

The elite players, by contrast, consolidated their work into two well-defined periods. When you plot the average time spent working versus the hours of the day for these players, there are two prominent peaks: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  

In fact, the more elite the player, the more pronounced the peaks. For the best of the best — the subset of the elites who the professors thought would go on to play in one of Germany’s two best professional orchestras — there was essentially no deviation from a rigid two-sessions a day schedule.

Assuming that the students that faculty had picked to be "elite" or "average" actually corresponded to those who went on to have careers (a completely different question), we can draw the following conclusions on how to rise to a high level of playing:

• Pick the best times of day to practice and stick to them. Every day.
• Take the time to do the detail work. Hands separately. Slowly with metronome. Multiple repetitions. Work at problem spots until they're fixed.

Apparently those who do the work and do it consistently actually have more relaxed lives than those who don't. Considering how difficult a life in the arts can be, a relaxed attitude towards life is a very noble aspiration indeed. 

Meme of the Day

If you've ever had a studio teacher put the lid all the way down after you play the first chord, approach you a dress rehearsal saying "Please, a little bit less", or worse yet, put the dust cover on the piano while you play, this meme of the day is for you.

Meme of the Day

For those of you who are often a bit too eager to overbook and then end up having too much music to learn at the last minute...

The Paul Schoenfield Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano

From the Sala Sinfónica del Auditorio de Castellón, here are Jose Franch-Ballester, José M. Blumenschein, with pianist Amy Yang (who has an amazing website best viewed in widescreen) playing the Freylakh movement of the Paul Schoenfield Trio for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano:

Meme of the Day

The Arts and Entertainment Plan is a Medical Benefits Program for Candadian Performing Artists

One of the really tough things about being a Canadian performing artist is that it's next to impossible to get extended medical benefits unless you work as an employee at a medium to large arts organization that offers benefits for your level of pay. Since that rules out the vast majority of working artists, many of us make do with only basic provincial medical health insurance, which, depending on which province you live in, can either cover a lot of procedures or very little.

The Arts and Entertainment Plan is a program for providing prescription drug care, extended health care, and dental care to individuals and families who are members of participating organizations, namely ACTRA/UBCP, Recording Artists' Collecting Society, and the Canadian Federation of Musicians (aka Musicians' Union locals in Canada). If you think this might be an option for you, take a look at the program handbook, as well as details of the program and enrollment.

The Arts and Entertainment Plan is underwritten by the ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society, and here is an interesting statement about the plan from the FAQ page:

The Arts & Entertainment Plan is now available because it's the right thing to do: workers in the artistic community are not afforded the same benefits as their public and private counterparts. A 2010 study by the Cultural Human Resources Council notes that only only 20% of those working in the cultural sector have access to dental benefits and only 20% of those working in the cultural sector have access to dental benefits and only22% have a drug plan. The Arts & Entertainment Plan is doing their part in making benefits a reality for those within the artistic community who otherwise would be without this safety net. 

Against the Grain Theatre Presents La Bohème at the Tranzac Club in Toronto Dec. 1-3

Against the Grain Theatre is a Toronto-based collective of artists who have a penchant for interesting repertoire and unique venues. Their latest project is a production of Puccini's La Bohème at the Tranzac Club in the Annex. Under musical director Christopher Mokrzewski, many of my favorite Toronto singers are appearing, including Miriam Khalil, Ryan Harper, Justin Welch, Lindsay Sutherland-Boal, Neil Craighead, Gregory Finney, and Keith Lam.

Here's a clip from Against the Grain's Super Villains show earlier this year at the SMASH Furniture Store in the Junction (feat. Ambur Braid w/ Topher on piano):



Buy your tickets online
Against the Grain Theatre on Facebook

(Thanks, Nancy!)

Meme of the Day

For all you fans of Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz...

(Via Classical Music Humor on Facebook)

David Guetta's Without You (Piano Guys remix)

The Piano Guys are Jon Schmidt on piano and Steven Sharp Nelson on cello. I think these guys are going to be doing some awesome things in the next while, so you can check them out on YouTube and Twitter, as well as their Founders' page.





(Via @kickassical)

Heather Schmidt's Midnight Violin

Heather Schmidt's BravoFACT film Midnight Violin features Heather as composer, writer, director, and pianist in a narrative about an out-of-body experience. The film also features violinist Scott St. John on violin and actors Jessie Withers and Ashleigh Craig.



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Valentina Lisitsa Plays Für Elise

What I like about Valentina Lisitsa's playing is not only her ease of motion and beautiful sound, but the sense that the focus of the performance is not on her, but on the music. Yes, she is arguably the most popular classical pianist on YouTube, although it depends on your definition of what comprises classical music. Her rise to stardom happened through the acclaim of YouTube viewers, who obviously found a pianist that they found genuinely engaging on computer and smartphone screens. I've played the following video for many of my students who are learning that pesky Für Elise, and in spite of the fact that she is probably a little exhausted (after having just played the Grieg Concerto with the Seoul Philharmonic) I find that she captures the style and mood of the piece most wonderfully.

The Secret Wonder of a Brain on Music

An excerpt of David Eagleman's Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain in Discover Magazine got me thinking about how much the workings of the music-making process might be something just underneath the surface of consciousness, something we can honor without knowing exactly how we actually do it:

The ability to remember motor acts like changing lanes is called procedural memory, and it is a type of implicit memory—meaning that your brain holds knowledge of something that your mind cannot explicitly access. Riding a bike, tying your shoes, typing on a keyboard, and steering your car into a parking space while speaking on your cell phone are examples of this. You execute these actions easily but without knowing the details of how you do it. You would be totally unable to describe the perfectly timed choreography with which your muscles contract and relax as you navigate around other people in a cafeteria while holding a tray, yet you have no trouble doing it. This is the gap between what your brain can do and what you can tap into consciously.  

The concept of implicit memory has a rich, if little-known, tradition. By the early 1600s, René Descartes had already begun to suspect that although experience with the world is stored in memory, not all memory is accessible. The concept was rekindled in the late 1800s by the psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, who wrote that “most of these experiences remain concealed from consciousness and yet produce an effect which is significant and which authenticates their previous existence.”  

To the extent that consciousness is useful, it is useful in small quantities, and for very particular kinds of tasks. It’s easy to understand why you would not want to be consciously aware of the intricacies of your muscle movement, but this can be less intuitive when applied to your perceptions, thoughts, and beliefs, which are also final products of the activity of billions of nerve cells.

How much of the following delicate musical skills are processes that are completely conscious, and how much are they skills that, once learned, we are able to access from our mental toolkit just underneath the horizon of conscious thought while we focus on what's going on in the present moment:

• Following a singer's vocal line from the piano, being in the present moment so much that we can react to their every nuance, hesitation, and forward motion based on the play of consonants and vowels.
• Following a violinist's bow, either watching or merely listening, and being able to tell exactly when, in the space of a microsecond, the bow slows down, stops, and changes direction for routine bow changes. Being able to perceive these bow changes is integral to being able to play together with a string player, especially a very good one who freely uses rubato.
• Being able to walk the fine line between the composer's intentions and our own musical instinct.
• Becoming so comfortable with the technical demands of a work that the hours upon hours of work spent learning the notes allows us to make the work a part of us while we concentrate on the present moment of the music. 
• Being able to sight read a piece of music for the first time, making on-the-fly decisions about quality of sound, phrasing, and musical style.

What are some musical abilities that you've worked hard for, achieved, and learned to rely on once you internalized them?

Meme of the Day

For all the repertoire-learning ninjas out there, this one's for you...

Anderson and Roe Play Der Erlkönig...in the Steinway Factory

From their upcoming album on the Steinway label, here are Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Roe playing Franz Schubert's Der Erlkönig arranged for piano duet:





More Erlkönig on the Collaborative Piano Blog:

Anne Sofie von Otter with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Rammstein
Erlkönig Hacks for the Schubertian Pianist

The Intervals in Inversion Song

What a great way to learn the intervals. A huge thanks goes to David Newman for writing this:

(Via Iman Habibi)

Meme of the Day

Win Two Tickets to 2 Pianos 4 Hands in Toronto November 4

Today's guest post was written by Liz Parker, a publicist who also teachers piano. Sometimes she traumatically frightens her students. You can find out more about Liz at LIZPR.

I am sitting at CBC Radio during a break after a sound check for “Q”. I’m here on a PR run with Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt the creators of the play 2 Pianos 4 Hands, which debuted fifteen years ago in Toronto. It was a smash hit then, and judging by the media interest, will be, again. It’s being re-launched by Mirvish Productions and opens at Panasonic Theatre October 30.

I’m so appreciative of all the media that Ted and Richard are doing – including getting up gross-early (like today) to do sound checks, knowing they have to wait around for an hour before going live on air, plus doing a full media day this past Tuesday that Mirvish set up for them. I was thinking “wow, they’re so discplined about this.” Of course, we all know where that discpline came from.

Both Ted and Richard grew up on a steady diet of piano practice. It was non-negotiable. Either practice or all privleges were suspended. Growing up with a Tiger Mother myself, it was pretty much “practice or throw yourself on that samurai sword right now.”

The whole issue of practicing is one of the most difficult things to deal with if you’re a music student. It is equally one of the most difficult things to enforce as a music teacher or parent. The biggest resentment for kids is practicing, despite refusing to quit. This applies not only to piano, violin, or, god forbid, viola. It applies to other things too: soccer, figure skating, law school, or pre-med. I know I hated my parents big time for denying me the chance to go sledding on a rare snowfall in Vancouver; for denying me a night at “Circuit Circus” to play Ms. Pac Man with my friends; the chance to see films like “Sixteen Candles” on the weekend. Also, if a birthday party, Halloween, or anything fun conflicted with my piano or theory lessons, too bad – music came first, end of discussion. Don’t argue, or you don’t get any dessert. At the time I thought it was pure hell and I was pretty resentful and pulled out the “YOU ALWAYS FAVOURED JACKIE” line a few times because it always seemed fitting to do so (my older brother who won every damn piano competition he ever entered). 

Looking back on it, I can’t get OVER the sheer dedication and endless support my parents gave me. All that nagging to practice paid off. I do understand what it means to commit to something and mean it. I understand that to do well, you have to work your tail off – and it helps if you pick something you do love despite the dreaded practice invovled. All those years of practicing means I can now apply my music skills elsewhere – I work with musicians for a living. I write about them, style them for photo shoots, and understand where they’re coming from. I also teach piano kids on the side – one could say it’s payback – and I’m startled to discover I’m turning into my mother, and at times, my own traumatically frightening piano teacher.  My musical life has come full circle.  

2 Pianos 4 Hands sums up the lives of anyone who either studied a musical instrument or had a dream that didn’t quite work out.

Here's how to win two tickets to 2P4H on Friday, November 4:

Leave a comment after this post stating what you hated most about practicing in 100 words or less. [CF: once you've left a comment, email me at collaborativepiano at gmail dot com with the same comment so Liz and I will know how to contact you. Good luck everyone!]  The deadline will be at 5pm on Tuesday, November 1, with winners announced the following day.

2 Pianos 4 Hands will run at the Panasonic Theatre in Toronto from October 30 – November 20. Visit www.mirvish.com or call TICKETKING at 416 872 1212.


Update: Congratulations to tjhewer, who has just won 2 tickets to Friday's performance!

Daria van den Bercken Takes Handel on the Road

Who ever said that the pianos need to be stationary while you play them? Daria van den Bercken's Handel at the Piano project exists as both preparation for her upcoming Handel recording and a unique outreach project to bring the keyboard works of Handel to a larger audience...out of doors.

Here's Daria giving George Frederich Handel's music some fresh air in the Netherlands:




You can also follow Daria's project on Facebook, as well as make a donation.

(Via All Piano)

The New York Festival of Song Presents In The Memory Palace

Part of the art song recital's enduring wonder is its ability to mix artists, national styles, time periods, and genres in new and interesting ways. The New York Festival of Song's In the Memory Palace celebrates at a kaleidoscope of songs by Gabriel Kahane, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Enrique Granados, Frank Bridge, and others, with two shows this week in New York City. Soprano Michelle Areyzaga, mezzo soprano Rebecca Jo Loeb, tenor Paul Appleby, and baritone Stephen Garland are joined by pianists Steven Blier and Michael Barrett.

You can really get a sense of the collaborative music-making energy from Steven Blier and company in these two NYFOS promotional videos:





In The Memory Palace will be showing at 8pm on October 25 and 27 at the Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufmann Center on West 67th. Tickets are $55/40/15.

Full program
Facebook event listing

Open Comment Thread: Student Poaching

Consider the following professional situations:

1. A teacher leaves a community to serve a one-year term at a university. At the conclusion of the contract, he/she returns to their previous musical community, calls up his/her old students, offers them a discount on what their current teachers are charging them, and rebuilds his/her teaching practice.

2. A teacher gives a workshop for a local registered music teachers' association. One of the performers in particular plays at an exceptional level. At the conclusion of the class, the teacher has a word with the performer's parents, expressing concern about the student's current teacher, and offers a place in his/her own studio in order to correct certain issues in the student's playing. The parents, honored to have their child offered a place in such a prestigious studio, then change to the new teacher.

3. A Sessional faculty member has an exceptional freshman student. At the conclusion of the student's freshman year, an Assistant Professor in the same department has a word with an administrator, and the student is then placed in the Assistant Professor's studio for their sophomore year.

Many of you with experience in the music teaching field may agree that these types of situations happen all the time.

These types of actions are also highly unethical.

From MTNA's Code of Ethics under the sub-heading of Commitment to Colleagues:

• The teacher shall respect the integrity of other teachers' studios and shall not actively recruit students from another studio. 
• The teacher shall participate in the student's change of teachers with as much communication as possible between parties, while being sensitive to the privacy rights of the student and families.

From NATS' Code of Ethics under the sub-heading of Ethical Standards Relating to Colleagues:

• Members will not, either by inducements, innuendoes, or other acts, proselytize students of other teachers.

But let's face it, we live in an educational system that values excellence and achievement above all else, and these aggressive recruiting practices are what can help build a studio to a high level. On the other hand, building a studio at the expense of other teachers left in one's wake can cause long-standing resentments in the profession and is clearly unethical as set out in the membership guidelines of educational organizations.

How do you feel about poaching practices by music teachers? Should teachers be held to the highest levels of professionalism towards their colleagues or is this an old-school gentleman's code to be forgotten in the high-stakes world of music education?

Opinions both for and against are welcome, and I'll play the devil's advocate wherever possible. Comments on the Collaborative Piano Blog are always moderated, and allegations towards specific teachers and institutions will be ruthlessly deleted. On the other hand, if you fear for your reputation in talking about this issue, feel free to comment anonymously.

Straight Talk on Learning and Freelancing

I'm a huge fan of Penelope Trunk's blog. She pulls no punches, speaks her mind, and isn't afraid to make enemies. Two of her recent articles are worth reading if you're a professional freelance musician or music teacher:

1. How School Affects Future Earnings looks at some current thought regarding what's important in a child's education. Trunk's emphasis is on striving, confidence, goal-setting, doing the work, and unconventional solutions for each child. I also like the importance she puts on finding a mentor.

Let's face it - individualized instruction is not part of a successful business plan in the education sector. Class instruction is what pays the bills, and most schools simply can't afford to give students private instruction, even in cases where special education needs require it. Which is where private music teachers come in. It is impossible to develop any decent level of proficiency in a musical instrument without hours upon hours of individual lessons. Therefore, private music lessons might be the only one-on-one time that a child ever gets with a teacher (Elissa Milne has also stated this several times in her blog). This puts music teachers in a unique position to have a tremendous influence on a child's development, not just in terms of their progress in learning an instrument, but in their overall attitude towards self-confidence, work, achievement, and finding their true calling. Penelope says it very well:

I coach so many people who want advice about their career, but so often, these people really just need to learn how to figure out what they want: experiment, find what might be fun. Try it for a bit. People need coaching on how to take risks and not worry if they fail. People need coaching on how to find a mentor who is invested in their particular path. I see that all these things are related to earning power, and all these things are what kids learn when they direct their own curriculum.

2. Every freelance collaborative pianist should read Finance Tips for the Self-Employed. Being a freelancer in an urban music scene can be rough. You might rarely have access to your own dedicated studio space. You might go your entire career dragging a backpack around a school of music. You'll often make insane amounts of money from February through April, but have trouble making ends meet in September. Penelope's article won't change any of that, but will help you deal with the difficult stuff. Two of Penelope's points in particular are applicable to many people's freelance work:

4. Have one great client.
5. Self-employment stability requires doing stuff you hate.

Yet Another Piano Lesson Scam Email

A few days ago, many of the teachers in my area received the following email:

Hello,
    I need a patient teacher who loves teaching music to students of all ages for my daughter (Angela) who is coming for an holiday season in your area, i got your advert while searching through your area and i really want my 16 yrs old daughter to be taught by you as you are with tutoring Experiences {Angela} is a beginner and easily catch up.Although,i came to understand that you are in (CANADA} but I've arranged with my client (son's Nanny) living there in the CANADA that my daughter is coming to stay with her for the period of tutoring and she has agreed with me, But we personal reside in Belgium..kindly get back to me with the required information below.

Musical education?

Level of experience?

Personality?

Studio atmosphere?

Type of programme offered?

What is you Charges for an hour?

Your total charges for 6 weeks private lesson (60 MINUTES EACH, 2 TIMES PER WEEK)?

Full name and Address?

Your cell and home phone number?

Regarding where the lesson will be holding,i hope if you don't have a studio where you can tutor,it will be better if the lesson can take place in public facility or in local library in your area.i think that could be okay.I think you just have the option of where to make the lesson available while you hope it will be a successful lesson for you and my daughter.

Thank you very much, I hope to read from you as soon as possible so that the private lesson can commence immediately.

Regards.
Micheal Woods

In case you're unfamiliar with these types of scams, the sender inquires about lessons and solicits a great deal of information. When you respond with the requested information, they immediately send you a cheque for several thousand dollars, followed by an immediate request for the return of part of that amount. The original cheque will bounce, and you'll be out of pocket for the amount of money you sent.

The only way to avoid any fraud attempt is to ignore these emails. The giveaway is the terrible spelling and grammar, as well as what looks to be a cut and paste job on the target country.

Please beware. I know people who have fallen victim to these scams. It isn't fun.

Speedlinking - October 16, 2011

Here are some interesting reads from around the blogosphere:

• Erica Sipes is equally proficient at piano and cello, but chooses one over the other. Here's why.
• Leila Viss talks about why having an EASY button in your studio can make your students work harder.
• Gretchen Saathoff looks at what goes on in a vocal coaching.
• Musical Assumptions' Elaine Fine recently called it quits on her blog, then promptly changed her mind and continued blogging as usual. Thank goodness, as MA is one of the top classical music blogs there is.
• Those darned orchestral reductions are no problem for Eileen Huang.
• Eloy Casas Muñoz is in the process of writing a Spanish-language blog which contains an exhaustive list of international pianists. 
• Ever wonder why the best bloggers don't fall into the proper mold of corporate professionalism? Because crazy people make better bloggers.

Who Accompanies Whom in Mozart Violin Sonatas?

Ever take a look at the title page on an urtext edition of Mozart violin sonatas? The title reads "Sonaten für Klavier und Violine". Yes, Mozart's early piano/violin sonatas started out as piano sonatas with optional violin obbligato. Throughout the course of his compositional career, he gradually gave the solo violin part more prominence and independence. Susan Tomes weighs in on the subject en route to a November 11 concert in Scotland's brand-new Perth Concert Hall:

Piano and violin, I hear you say? Isn’t it ‘violin and piano’? Well, not according to Mozart who called them ‘sonatas for piano and violin’. In his letters, he mentions playing the piano parts himself ‘with the accompaniment of a violin’. That was how they were perceived until the nineteenth century and the age of the celebrity violinist, when things flipped around. These works, and many others like them, started to be listed as ‘violin sonatas’, and the piano part was suddenly ‘the accompaniment’. Even today the violinist is often the one with their photo on the record cover, the one whose name is in bigger font in the programme, or the only one whose name is mentioned at the end of the radio broadcast. 

Why does this matter? It matters because the re-labelling tricks people into perceiving things falsely. They expect the violin part to be the leading voice, when in fact the meat of the musical narrative is in the piano part. If you approach these works expecting the violin part to be pre-eminent, you experience a kind of cognitive dissonance as you listen: often the violin is doing something quite modest, and you sense that the piano part is full of interest and information, but you don’t understand why such prominent material should be relegated to ‘the accompaniment’. The answer is that it isn’t an accompaniment. If you switch to hearing the music as piano with violin, everything falls into place. Of course you still need an excellent violinist, and perhaps even more importantly, an excellent musician, both of which I’m fortunate to have.

Here is pianist Alex Zhang accompanied by violinist Alicia Ciccone in the first movement of Mozart's Sonata for piano and violin K. 304:

Supernumerary FAIL

It doesn't look like that dancer in the lion costume will be hired back for the next production...

(Via Classical Music Humor on Facebook)

The Real Problem With Classical Music

Robert Schumann, proof that
emo haircuts can indeed be
effective on 19th-century dudes.

When choosing repertoire for my students, I always give them a few choices so that they can pick a new piece that seems to fit them best. Last week, one of my students had trouble picking a sonatina. After a few questions, she finally confessed to what her misgiving was: composers for the most part have weird names that none of her friends would ever have these days. In her words, "Why aren't there any composers named Jennifer?"

Let's look at the first names of a few famous composers to see if she has a point:

• Frederick
• Ludwig
• Wolfgang
• Gioacchino
• Arnold
• Antonin
• Jean-Philippe
• Felix
• Johann
• Johannes

Now let's look at the first names of a few currently popular recording artists:

• Adele
• Selena
• Christina
• Wayne
• David
• Niki
• Katy
• Britney
• Justin
• Bruno

More than a slight difference, to be honest. There are a few composers with normal names such as Robert, George, and Richard (pronounced with a "k"). There are also a few pop artists with exotic names such as Rihanna and Gaga. But for the most part, my student was correct, and to make matters worse, the great composers are almost always middle-aged men with crazy hair and/or wigs.

Maybe part of the process of composers being accessible has a lot to do with their names sounding, well, normal. Unpretentious. 

We finally agreed on a sonatina by Samuel Arnold, as I was able to convince my student that he would have almost certainly been called Sam by his 18th-century London bros.

Finally, I would like to set the record straight with my student, who needs to be assured that there are indeed composers named Jennifer. Here is part of the second movement (aka Fiery Red) of Jennifer Higdon's Piano Trio played by violinist Ryoko Arai, cellist Yuiko Arai, and pianist Gloria Shih: 

[Update: Casey McCann has written a very elegant response to this post, which you can read here.]

Cow Piano

This bovine piano scene was spotted in the wild by twistedbydesign on Flickr. If you have any dreadful puns that you would like to share, leave them in the comments...

Memorizing for Adults

One of the recurring themes for my adult students is the sheer difficulty of memorizing music. As they age, pianists who once memorized works without a second thought have difficulty in managing those same feats in middle age. The solution for my adult students seems to be developing an organized and systematic approach to memorization, as opposed to the near-instantaneous recall that younger pianists are capable of. Joy Morin has some resources on Color in my Piano that are worth a look:

• 12 Tips for Memorizing Piano Music
• Thoughts on Memorization: A Skill Integral to Piano Playing?
• Practicing, Learning, and Memorizing for Piano Teachers (the diversity of comments are also instructive)

Also take a look at chapters 13-15 in the 31 Days to Better Practicing ebook for my own ideas on the subject.

But there's another thing I've also noticed about older pianists - sight reading gets easier and more natural. Whereas young students generally tend to need poking, prodding, inspiration, and constant reminders to work on their sight reading, older learners often develop this skill without any undue effort. Could it be that the brain as it ages tends to de-emphasize memory accuracy in exchange for better visual processing? 

What You Need To Know About Buying a Piano

Many of the families in my studio are in the market for buying a piano this fall. Like any major purchase, they need objective information before they buy, a commodity that can be somewhat difficult to find. I recently stumbled on Kendall Ross Bean's Guide to the Piano World (Part 1 and Part 2) at Piano Finders, with plenty of information on price vs. quality, factors to look for, construction materials, brands, and vintage. The hour or so you spend reading Kendall's article is well worth it if you're looking to buy a piano. I particularly liked the detailed comparisons of European vs. Asian pianos in the second part of the article, as well as the sections on what to look out for when purchasing:

Often a dealer will resort to a device I call "artificial urgency" to induce you to buy his piano, at his price, today. Events such as fairs; armory, truck, or warehouse sales; "factory outlets;" clearances; and, most recently, the "University sale" (see below) are only a few of the many schemes designed to generate a feeling of urgency about buying right now. Since these events last only a day, or at most, three (if you're lucky), there is an incredible amount of pressure to make a quick, and often, ill-advised, decision. If you buy at one of these events, rest assured that the price that you are paying is above, or at best, equal to what you would probably normally pay for the piano at the dealer's, and that it only seems like you are getting a great deal. It is a common practice at these events to mark up the suggested retail price. Remember too, that if you purchase an instrument while under pressure to make a quick decision, the chances of your contracting that illness known as buyer's remorse are much higher. If you want to buy at a sale, it is best to have already done your homework, to know what you're looking for and what it usually costs for comparison, and to also know your personal values. It might also be wise to have an expert on hand, one who is not in cahoots with the store sponsoring the event.

Collaborative Piano Studies at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University

This guest post is from Elizabeth Temple, Professor of Piano and Collaborative Piano Coordinator at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University, located in Winchester, Virginia. Shenandoah's piano faculty also includes Elizabeth Caluda, Karen Walker, and Distinguished Artist-in-Residence John O'Conor. You can read more about Shenandoah's collaborative piano programs here.

The Collaborative Piano Performance degree programs (BM, MM, DMA) at Shenandoah Conservatory provide students theopportunity to work closely with a thoroughly professional faculty who are active performers and who bring a wealth ofexperience in every genre of collaborative repertoire. The undergraduate and graduate degrees include a thorough backgroundin music theory, music literature, and analytical and artistic performance techniques. Weekly private applied study emphasizesspecific pianistic musical and technical development as well as comprehensive collaborative repertoire development from duosonatas and art songs, to any combination of voice and/or instruments with piano. In addition, participation in AccompanyingEnsemble provides weekly coaching of collaborative ensembles by artist teachers. Performance opportunities exist at local,regional, national and international levels.


Bachelor of Music in Collaborative Piano

(Advisor, Elizabeth Temple, Professor of Music)

The Bachelor of Music in Collaborative Piano curriculum is designed for the talented pianist seeking a career in the fields of chamber music performance and vocal accompanying. The student aspiring to college teaching or concertizing as a collaborative pianist should realize the exacting standards required for such careers. The student who hopes to achieve professional status should plan to continue study at the graduate level.

Program Objectives

Students completing the Bachelor of Music in Collaborative Piano will be expected to:
• demonstrate musicianship in solo and ensemble performance;
• perform a variety of repertoire and styles;
• perform in a variety of instrumental and vocal chamber music settings;
• demonstrate the ability to lead a rehearsal;
• demonstrate knowledge of opera literature, vocal literature and piano chamber literature;
• demonstrate basic knowledge of classical music languages and diction as encountered in standard vocal repertoire;
• demonstrate knowledge of music theory, music history, world music and music technology;
• demonstrate the ability to express ideas orally and in writing;
• attend a variety of public performances and events.

Audition Information

A live audition on campus is encouraged. Applicants who live more than 250 miles from the Shenandoah University campus may request approval in advance from the Conservatory Admissions Office to submit a recorded audition via Citizen Groove through the Shenandoah Conservatory Audition Dropbox. Audition repertoire should include at least 10 to 15 minutes of a major instrumental work or works (e.g., duo, trio, quartet) with piano (no orchestral transcriptions); 8 to 10 minutes minimum of piano/vocal art song
repertoire, which may include an example of operatic recitative & aria; a solo piano work or works (8 to 10 minutes) by memory. The applicant is responsible for obtaining support performers for the audition and is responsible for the overall quality of the performance. A demonstration of sight reading is required as is a thorough performance knowledge of major and minor scales and arpeggios.

Entrance Examinations

International students must take the TOEFL examination and earn a minimum score as published by the Office of Admissions. Complete information regarding the requirements for non-native speakers of English is available from the Office of Admissions. Placement examinations in music theory are given to all applicants.


Master of Music in Collaborative Piano

(Advisor, Elizabeth Caluda, Professor of Piano)
(Program Coordinator, Elizabeth Temple, Professor of Piano)

The Master of Music in Collaborative Piano curriculum is designed for pianists who wish to further refine their ensemble performance skills. The curriculum provides a foundation of studies in performance and interpretation supported by a knowledge base in historical and analytical areas.

Program Objectives

Students completing the Master of Music in Collaborative Piano degree will be able to:
• demonstrate musicianship and leadership in rehearsal and performance settings;
• perform in a variety of instrumental and vocal chamber music settings;
• demonstrate a knowledge of music theory and music history;
• demonstrate knowledge of solo, vocal and chamber music literature;
• demonstrate practical knowledge of languages and diction of standard vocal repertoire;
• demonstrate the ability to research and write.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants to the Master of Music in Collaborative Piano curriculum must possess a baccalaureate degree in music, or the equivalent, with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) prior to admission into the program. The credits presented from baccalaureate level study must parallel those required in the Bachelor of Music in Collaborative Piano curriculum at Shenandoah Conservatory. Applicants must present an audition recital, with a printed program, of at least 30 minutes in length including a solo performance of 5 to10 minutes with memorization preferred. The remainder of the recital includes both chamber and art song
repertoire. Complete chamber works (all movements) are required. The applicant is responsible for obtaining support performers for the audition and is responsible for the overall quality of the performance. A demonstration of sight reading is required at the on-campus audition. Applicants who live more than 250 miles from the Shenandoah University campus may submit a recorded audition via Citizen Groove through the Shenandoah Conservatory Audition Dropbox.

Transfer of Credits

Up to nine credits may be transferred into this curriculum when earned at an accredited institution and when the credits fulfill required courses or appropriate electives. Students who enroll in a second master’s degree at Shenandoah Conservatory may transfer up to nine credits from the first degree completed into the second degree when those credits fulfill curricular requirements.

Degree Requirements

The degree requirement is 30 credit hours with a grade point average of 3.0 and includes:
• 4 semesters of applied collaborative piano study
• 2 successful completions of a Graduate Performance Recital
• Bibliography and Research
• Graduate Theory Seminar I & 2
• Music Electives with the following recommended:
• Vocal Literature,
• Choral and Opera Literature,
• Piano in Chamber Literature,
• Piano Duet/Duo Repertoire,
• Language and/or Lyric Diction,
• Physiology and Mechanics of Piano Technique,
• Accompanying Ensemble


Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance (Collaborative Piano)

(Advisor, Charlotte Aiosa, Professor of Music)
(Program Coordinator, Elizabeth Temple, Professor of Piano)

The Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance curriculum emphasizes artistic development in a specific performing medium at the highest professional level. Historical and theoretical knowledge support the artistic development of each student. Competencies also include broad knowledge of repertoire, music literature and pedagogical studies. Career objectives for students in this curriculum include performance and teaching at the collegiate level or in studio and other professional settings.

Program Objectives

Students completing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance (Collaborative Piano) degree will be able to:
• demonstrate advanced musicianship and leadership in instrumental and vocal ensemble rehearsal settings;
• perform a variety of advanced level repertoire;
• perform in a variety of settings at a professional level;
• demonstrate advanced knowledge of music theory, music history, and music literature;
• demonstrate advanced skills in language and diction as appropriate to vocal repertoire and performance.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants to the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance program must possess a baccalaureate degree in music, or the equivalent, with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale). In addition, completion of a master’s degree in music, or the equivalent, with a grade point average of 3.25 from a regionally accredited institution, or the equivalent, is required. A resumé documenting professional experiences in performance, research and teaching is required. Two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s performance capabilities must be submitted.

Audition Requirements

Collaborative Piano applicants must present an audition recital, with a printed program, consisting of approximately 50 minutes of music and including a solo performance of 10 to 15 minutes with memorization preferred. The remainder of the recital must include both instrumental chamber music and art song repertoire. Complete chamber works (all movements) are required. The applicant is responsible for obtaining support performers for the audition and is responsible for the overall quality of the performance. Sightreading is included at the audition. Doctoral students must audition in person with the exception of international applicants residing outside the United States. Non-resident 
applicants must submit a video prepared following the Shenandoah Conservatory Audition Guidelines and submitted via Citizen Groove through the Shenandoah Conservatory Audition Dropbox.

Degree Requirements

The degree requirement is 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, 30 of which may be presented in the form of a completed master’s degree from an accredited college or university when the work relates to the degree. Reconfiguration of this curriculum is in progress to reflect increasing emphasis on applied study, collaborative recitals, repertoire development, collaborative career preparation, etc. Diagnostic exams in music theory, literature and history at the beginning of study assist in determining course work.

Marc-André Hamelin Plays Doucet's Chopinata and Isoldina

Here are two lovely novelty treatments of classical music warhorses: Chopinata and Isoldina by Clément Doucet. Marc-André Hamelin plays them superbly, and if you're interested in playing any works of Doucet, you can find the sheet music on IMSLP. [Update: it looks like the scores are blocked on IMSLP because of pending copyright issues] The Isoldina in particular is sure to get more than a chortle out of most audiences.




(Thanks Dimitra!)

Michael Kelly and Jonathan Ware To Premiere Ben Moore's New Song Cycle October 24 at Merkin Hall

Joy in Singing will be presenting both its first Debut Artist Competition winner and a new American song cycle on October 24 at Merkin Hall in NYC. Baritone Michael Kelly and pianist Jonathan Ware will be premiering Ben Moore's Love Remained as part of their recital. Some information about Love Remained from the event's press release:

Ben Moore's Love Remained, explores the personal, social and political struggles of homosexuals through the texts of notable gay rights speeches by Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns, evangelist Oral Roberts' grandson Randy Robert Potts, both contributors to the It Gets Better Project, and renowned activist/politician Harvey Milk. The third song, from which the cycle takes its name, is a setting of a poem by Michael Kelly.

Mr. Kelly describes the cycle as, "...a love letter to the gay rights movement, a plea to young gay men and women to hold on and a thank you to all the people who work hard to spread that message."

Moore's cycle begins with the text, "It gets better" a powerful message and evident connection to the project started by relationship columnist Dan Savage, inspiring hope for young people facing harassment.

You can find a small clip of the cycle's second song Hold On at this Dropbox link.

The rest of the program features songs by Franz Schubert, Francis Poulenc, and other American composers. Tickets are $25, $15 for seniors, with students admitted free.

(Thanks Nate!)

Opera Briefs, the 2011 Edition

One of the busiest times of the year has just wrapped up for me, with the final show of Tapestry New Opera's Opera Briefs 2011 ending last night at Theatre Passe Muraille. This was one of the most engaging Opera Briefs that I can remember, and here is a quick rundown (with spoilers) of the brand new mini-operas that we staged this year with a few words on what they were about:

• The Theory of Everything by Sheldon Rosen and Elisabeth Mehl Greene. A man hits on a woman in a restaurant, whom he mistakenly takes to be the author of a book on string theory.
• Guitar by Norman Yeung and Elisabeth Mehl Greene. A young guitarist leaves her Portland lover en route to a new career as indie artist in NYC.
• Noor over Afghan by Anusree Roy and Christiaan Venter. A dying Afghan bride convinces her sister to take her place on her wedding day.
• Lost and Found by Sharon Bajer and Elisabeth Mehl Greene. A seduction scene plays out in fragmented English.
• The Drawing Class by Sheldon Rosen and Christiaan Venter. A drawing teacher in Terezin does her best to inspire her students in the face of terrible odds.
• Leaving by Sharon Bajer and Darren Russo. A woman with post-partum depression leaves her husband and child.
• Merk's Dream by Nick Carpenter and Elisabeth Mehl Greene. The last conversation between the loving but aging father and his mentally challenged woman on the eve of her departure for an institution.
• The Golden Boy by Anusree Roy and Darren Russo. A single mother attempts to convince her son that his absent father still loves him.
• The Last Life by Sharon Bajer and Katya Pine. A farmer tends his cow, who happens to harbor past-lives memories of the two of them.
• Tea at Three by Sheldon Rosen and Katya Pine. A woman walking to the fridge at 3am meets the spectre of her departed sister.
• All of the Sky by Sharon Bajer and Christiaan Venter. Two boys in a Pakistani carpet factory endure their harsh lives and dream of a better place.
• Perfect Night by Nick Carpenter and Jana Skarecky. A middle-aged couple's romantic getaway is spoiled by a mosquito.

The scenes were performed by soprano Xin Wang, mezzo soprano Krisztina Szabo, tenor Keith Klassen, and baritone Ben Covey. Sue Miner directed and Kimberly Purtell designed the lighting. Jennifer Tung and I shared the pianistic and musical director duties. 

Of course the most interesting thing to watch for after an Opera Briefs run is the future life of both the mini-operas and their composer/librettist partnerships, some of which will now grow into a much larger creative process as their creators move forward with new project ideas.

Piano Cake

I'm not one to read subtext into custom baked goods, but that pianist is looking mighty exasperated. More cake awesomeness can be viewed at Eldriva's photostream on Flickr.

Brahms 2nd Piano Quartet at Ravinia

These recent videos of the inner movements of the Brahms 2nd Piano Quartet Op. 26 feature Kobi Malkin on violin, violist Adeliya Chamrina, cellist Michael Katz, and Mei Rui on piano. Interestingly enough, Mei Rui, in addition to her career as a pianist, teaches organic chemistry at the City University of New York.

Gifted or Gritty?

What if our current obsession with talent, achievement, and parental engagement has little bearing on whether or not students go on to actually succeed in life? Paul Tough's NY Times article on the relationship between failure and success in children looks at how our emphasis on coddling kids might be hampering them later in life:

The most critical missing piece, Randolph explained as we sat in his office last fall, is character — those essential traits of mind and habit that were drilled into him at boarding school in England and that also have deep roots in American history. “Whether it’s the pioneer in the Conestoga wagon or someone coming here in the 1920s from southern Italy, there was this idea in America that if you worked hard and you showed real grit, that you could be successful,” he said. “Strangely, we’ve now forgotten that. People who have an easy time of things, who get 800s on their SAT’s, I worry that those people get feedback that everything they’re doing is great. And I think as a result, we are actually setting them up for long-term failure. When that person suddenly has to face up to a difficult moment, then I think they’re screwed, to be honest. I don’t think they’ve grown the capacities to be able to handle that.”

Now that it's 17 years and counting since finishing graduate school, I've had a chance to see which students succeeded and which didn't, I would have to say that those who went the farthest were by no means the most gifted. They were the ones who worked the hardest and learned the lessons that allowed them to advance in a difficult and changing world. They were also the ones who never gave up.