Thursday, February 25, 2016

LCA will be on Friday Live this week!

Every concert I have the great opportunity to join Genevieve for a conversation about our next endeavor. 


Friday Live is a weekly arts and humanities program hosted by NET Radio’s Genevieve Randall The program usually broadcasts from The Mill coffee house in Lincoln's Historic Haymarket district on Fridays at 9:05 a.m. 

LCA will be on Friday Live this week! I will be joined by Jennifer Ripp, singer and Gala coordinator, for the Great Gatsby Gala. You can listen statewide on NET Radio or stream online at the NET website. For more information, click here: http://bit.ly/1PQcCVy

If you can't catch the show in person, on the radio, or on the web, it is available later the same day on demand, or you can subscribe to the podcast for Friday Live and the Friday Live Extra


Thursday, February 11, 2016

Women's (sub) Choir and solos- Dividing and conquering!

Play to your strengths... Divided we fall... Power in numbers... The Power of one... Be All You Can Be... An Army of One...













These are all slogans or cliches that seem to contradict each other. Are we stronger as a group when we come together? Should we be striving for more individualism? Do we consider the needs of the many over the needs of the one?










Choirs are unique groupings of select people (either self selected or auditioned) that come as individuals to strive for an overall goal that seems to unite  not just voices, but efforts and abilities. Yet another cliche would be better than the sum of its parts, Choirs seem to consistently prove this notion.













For our next concert we are definitely dividing to conquer. The women will be featured on song written for three voice parts and it will include solos. Two soloists in the group will sing portions of a SATB mixed choir arrangement of "Summertime."  A small ensemble will sing a couple medleys that reflect the era of the 1920s and 30s. We are featuring the gifts of singers both in solo songs, solo instrumental selections, and piano accompanying. This diversification will definitely be a unique format and is a "Great" but fun challenge for me and the main group of volunteers who are organizing our Great Gatsby Gala.


I know we will show our incredible talents as individual. I know the choir will perform well on the full choir anthems. I know the audience will have a blast at the event. But will they know why, will a "non-traditional" format serve as a good experience for the audience essentially connected to the ensemble by more traditional choir concert styles? We don't know.

Our Downton Abbey Affair Gala last year was  great success. In many ways it was still a concert. But we added some variety. This year is similar, but our location is even more different in a museum and spread out among different floors.

In this world of 3D and hands-on sensory and participatory performance events, choral concerts can be and should be a part of this expanding dynamic in live performance. The traditional "stand up and sing" concert, though important, can be expanded simply by selecting a unique venue for performance. My thoughts, insights, and experiences on "out of the box" venues can add to the experience of a live choral concert. These opportunities to have a discussion  about experiences (good and challenging) in all types of performance venues, from concert halls to church sanctuaries and more non-traditional spaces is a joy. The variety of non-traditional performance spaces in all cities opens groups up to exposure by singers and communities of all ages. I think this should be explored by choral and instrumental ensembles as they prepare for future seasons

I don't know how many people reading this blog think about the things I do. But I hope this topic serves you in some way.