Artists
Last weekend, Chicago a cappella had a special performance, along rather unusual lines. A longtime patron was having a big birthday, and his wife hired us to go the Unitarian Church of Evanston for a surprise party and concert.
Sometimes it's hard to know if you're affecting someone, but this was not one of those times. The fortunate birthday boy, Craig (who was turning 50) sat up in the front row, enjoying all of it. One of the requests was the hilarious song by Paul Carey, "Mashed Potato/Love Poem" from the cycle "Play With Your Food!" We hadn't sung it in a few years, and it was wonderful to once again witness that song's effect on an audience.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
He's back in Chicago (for now!) but go to
ChicagoOperaTheater.org to read about where he's been and where's he's going.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Tue, 07/03/2007 - 10:41am.
This week's blog comes to us courtesy of Jean Cook and Justin Jouvenal, and is a continuation of last week's posting Think Digitally, Broadcast Globally. They work with the Future of Music Coalition, an education, research and advocacy nonprofit focused on the intersection of independent music, technology, and policy.
Though interest in podcasts and Internet radio is growing exponentially, these formats have a long way to go before they 
supplant old-fashioned terrestrial radio. Traditional radios are ubiquitous, everyone knows how to use them, and we all grew up listening to them.
More than 275 million Americans listen to radio, and, according to a recent report by the Knight Foundation, radio is the most popular way for classical music consumers to hear the music. Until now, getting on the radio required building a strong relationship with your local station or being a major symphony orchestra or opera company with an NPR deal. But this year, it could also involve owning and programming a radio station in your hometown.
This October, for the first time in more than a decade (and probably for the last time ever), the FCC is giving nonprofits licenses to create and operate new radio stations. In a few years, we'll hear niche music on the radio again, on stations built by a handful of nonprofit organizations. Will yours be one of them?
Owning a radio station can give you the opportunity to bring your programming to an even broader audience, furthering your mission and bringing about many new fundraising opportunities. In Albany, one presenter is already creating synergy between live performances and radio. The WAMC Performing Arts Studio (PAS) brings a variety of music, dance, theater, and film to live audiences in and around Albany, New York, and is operated by WAMC, Northeast Public Radio, which promotes and broadcasts these performances. Recent performers to live audiences in Albany and listeners in the greater Hudson Valley region include jazz guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, reedman David "Fathead" Newman, and gothic cello quartet Rasputina. The PAS also serves as a community hub, with locals attending daytime events such as town meetings, lectures, children's programs, and Sunday matinees. The PAS hosts a youth media project for high-needs urban and rural high schools in the New York Capital District Area and arts-in-education projects with neighborhood elementary schools.
Interested in learning more? Any nonprofit can apply for a radio station. Though the opportunity is limited to smaller metropolitan and rural areas, there are some great opportunities in places like Buffalo NY, Phoenix AZ, Minneapolis MN, Milwaukee WI, Las Vegas NV, Alberquerque NM, Baton Rouge LA, Richmond VA, Huntsville AL, Flint MI, and Canton OH. To find out if you're in one of the 2,500+ qualifying zip codes, visit GetRadio!.
For more about how to apply for a license, check out the Future of Music Coalition fact sheet.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
There is really nothing like commissioning a new piece of music. Late last week I was blessed to find, in my inbox, a PDF of the newest piece we have commissioned for Chicago a cappella. Stacy Garrop, a huge talent, has written her own take on "Hava Nagila," and it is a barn-burner.
I won't give away too many details, but there is a gradual speeding up of tempo, at one point reaching eighth note = 264! (The only time I can remember moving that quickly was last week, when I went on the bobsled ride in Park City, Utah, at the Utah Olympic Park.) There are some semi-improvised sections in some of the voice parts in this piece, while others carry a more conventional momentum.
It is so cool to have someone who knows our voices well -- Stacy Garrop has been coming to hear us regularly for some time now, and we've performed one of her pieces on two of our programs. She knows our strengths and how far she can stretch us. She also knows that we like to have fun.
Stay tuned, and I hope to see you at the "Days of Awe and Rejoicing" concerts in October, three weeks after Yom Kippur!
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
It's programming time. This is the phase of a program's life when I cast a wide net. The aim is to get MORE repertoire at hand than I will actually need for "Days of Awe and Rejoicing," and then I start to plan and winnow and see what will make the most compelling through-line of music. It's a totally different process from rehearsing or performing.
I am jealous sometimes of those conductors who just have to say, "Okay, let's do Brahms 3 and Beethoven 8 and Rach 2 with a great pianist." I suppose I brought it on myself because of the sorts of programming that Chicago a cappella does. Our concerts tend to include about 20 short pieces -- an hour and a half, including intermission.
So finding cool Jewish classical music includes:
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
The envelope, please...
I am happy to announce that we finished our recent round of callback auditions, and I have offered a spot on the Chicago a cappella roster to both of the talented baritones who made it to the final round.
Brian Streem will sing the first and fourth programs in our 07-08 season, and Michael Boschert will sing the middle two.
For more on the upcoming season, take a look at:
http://www.chicagoacappella.org/concerts/Brochure_200708.pdf
I hope that each of you will have a chance to hear the ensemble as constituted with these terrific baritones.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
I guess I shouldn’t be offended. Someone named Nunpuncher posted a strange and funny blog on Tiny Mix Tapes NEWS about The Decemberists upcoming orchestral tour, one concert which is here at Millennium Park with the Grant Park Orchestra. It seems that Mr. or Ms. Nunpuncher thinks the band’s orchestral tour is a serious problem, and worse, next they’ll be abusing cocaine. 
The blog blends genuine criticism with tongue and cheek humor, and actually is fun to read, but really, explain WHY you think concerts with orchestras are insanity. You even had to whisper the word “orchestra”, it seemed so offensive.
And lastly, I know it must be a generational thing, but really, the name Nunpuncher? As a product of 12 years of Catholic education, I’d never say or do it! Sisters, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
Callbacks are second-round auditions. At Chicago a cappella, they have one primary aim: to make sure that a singer will blend well with the other people in his/her section.
This is harder than it may seem at first glance. True, our first round weeds out most people. However, even a singer with the right "chops" for the ensemble may not have a voice that blends particularly well with the other person in the section.
One cannot predict with much accuracy (at least I cannot) how well a given pair of voices will blend. I realize--well, I really should say, I have learned primarily by hard knocks--that two-to-a-part is the very hardest sort of blend in the world. Wishing has nothing to do it; the ears don't lie!
So last Wednesday we had auditions for the two finalists who emerged from first-round auditions.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
I am eagerly anticipating the
Chicago Opera Theater’s opening night performance (tonight) of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Schönberg’s Erwartung. Wearing my Chicago and COT cheerleader outfit today, here are my top eight reasons you should see these operas:
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
From time to time a singer will audition and simply blow me away. This happened twice yesterday. In neither case was the singer auditioning for an actual vacancy; we just have open auditions now, so people came and showed their stuff, knowing that if an opening comes up down the road, they will be considered for a slot in the ensemble and will be brought in for a second-round callback at that time.
Twice yesterday, a singer came in and simply took over the room. The two of them were different in temperament. One was supremely confident - she just exuded that she was in charge, not in an arrogant way, just that she was being asked to be the soloist, and she did. What a treat! The other was a little more shy but no less compelling, with a voice that filled the room and rang and rang, with pure line and terrific emotion and a voice that I didn't really want to stop hearing.
I know I probably sound like an old fart in saying this: it is simply one of the most refreshing things in the world for me to hear a singer who totally knows what she or he is doing.
Click here to continue reading
Posted in
