A Useful Lieder and Art Song Resource Guide

Rebecca Belford has created a large Lieder and Art Song Resource Guide, with lots of links, books, and ideas about listening, reference, bibliographies, translations, scores, and literature. I particularly like Rebecca's Quick Start guide, with a lot of quick call number hacks that everyone should know when perusing their friendly local university music library:

In the library collection at the music library, scores for vocal works both with and without accompaniment are shelved together in the section with call numbers beginning with M 71. Compilations by multiple composers begin with M 71 A3. Following compilations, scores are shelved alphabetically by composer's last name.

Quote of the Day

"No matter what side of an argument you're on, you always find some people on your side that wish you were on the other side."

--Jascha Heifetz

Il est doux from Ravel's Chansons Madécasses on YouTube

The third song from Marice Ravel's Chansons Madécasses as performed by mezzo-soprano Maren Engelhardt, flautist Eva Skrinjaric, cellist Christine Hu, and pianist Francis Perron, in an Arthouse Videoclip directed by Wolfgang Rupert Muhr and filmed/edited by Christian Haake.

Introducing Polls

Thanks to a new feature on Blogger in Draft, I am pleased to announce a bi-weekly poll where you can share your opinions on collaborative issues of interest. The first question: What do you prefer to be called? The poll closes on July 8, so register your vote today and let's see what the consensus is regarding what to call those pianists who prefer to perform with others.

What Do You Look For In An Accompanist?

An article by Michelle Bennett entitled What Do You Look For in an Accompanist? examines some of the criteria that go into a singer choosing a pianist. This is definitely required reading for all singers and pianists, and here are some thoughts on Michelle's list based on my own experience:

• Ditto on professionalism as a deciding factor. I recall talking to an exasperated singer asking for pianists I could refer her to. ________'s words: "I don't even care if they're great players, as long as they're reliable." Our art is often one where reliability and consistency are often valued more than mere genius.
• Being able to comment intelligently on matters of poetry and drama as it relates to the music is another ability that is highly valued.
• Being able to comment on suitability of repertoire is also something that singers need, although not every pianist is at the stage where they know voices enough to be able to do this. When talking rep with singers, often there are some tough choices to be made. When I was younger, I used to hold my tongue and play the diplomat when working with singers preparing unsuitable rep (18-year-old tenors singing Nessun dorma, 17-year-old sopranos singing The Trees on the Mountain). Now I just say what I feel and damn the torpedoes. If singers don't agree with my opinions they can choose to work with someone else.
• Singers also need to find a pianist/accompanist/vocal coach/recital partner whom they get along with. There are so many elements to perfect in the art of singing, much of it dealing with integrating work in one's own body, and how much more pleasant is the experience working with a pianist if they are a positive force.
  

The singers who can potentially get the most out of Michelle's list are developing singers at the pre-college level who stand to gain the most working with pianists and coaches that are genuinely knowledgeable about the singer's art, thus speeding the process of artistic development (and improving one's chances of landing a spot in a top-flight school).

EVEolution with Heather Pawsey and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa

An upcoming program by soprano Heather Pawsey and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa is definitely something to check out for those of you able to travel to Wells, British Columbia (just east of Quesnel). Here's the full press release:

Very first woman, and mother of us all,
Temptress of Adam? Cause of the Fall?
Eternally blessed, eternally cursed,
Curious at best – defiant at worst.

Cast of Characters:

God Adam
Eve The Serpent
Lilith All of us

Plot:

You think you know.

The garden, the tree, the apple, the Fall .... and we’ve been searching
for Eden ever since. Mad Eve, bad Eve, blame it all on sad Eve – but
what if there’s another story?

Soprano Heather Pawsey and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa strip away
millennia of misogyny and misunderstanding to look at Eve through a
multi-prismed and oftentimes humorous lens in a penetrating musical
exploration of this most mysterious - and fascinating - woman, and the
story that began it all. From French composer Gabriel Fauré’s lush
Romanticism to American Jake Heggie’s jazzy, syncopated rhythms,
through Canadian chris wind’s evocative soundscape and Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra Composer-in-Residence Jeffrey Ryan’s evocative
imagery, to noted B.C. composer Leslie Uyeda’s visceral and compelling
new song cycle The First Woman (with poetry by Lorna Crozier),
EVEolution ..... Another Look at Eden exposes a multiplicity of Eves,
compelling us to ask: who, really, is she? Symbol? Saint? Or Slut?

EVEolution ..... Another Look at Eden runs July 20-22 at 8:00 p.m.
(2:00 p.m. Sunday matineé), at the Sunset Theatre – British Columbia’s
most recently restored heritage, professional theatre – in Wells (1
hour west of Quesnel on Highway 26) in the heart of the Cariboo gold
fields. Tickets are $12.00 for adults / $10.00 children and seniors,
and are available at the door (cash only) or in advance from the Wells
Hotel, Wells Visitor Centre and the Bear’s Paw Cafe.

Vancouver-based soprano Heather Pawsey, First Prize winner of the
Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, has sung opera, oratorio,
chamber, symphonic and contemporary music across North America, Europe,
Russia, Singapore and Australia. Vancouver-based pianist Rachel Kiyo
Iwaasa holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of British
Columbia, and is particularly noted for her interpretations of
contemporary repertoire. Lighting is by Jessie Richardson Theatre
Award-winning designer Gerald King. The historic Sunset Theatre was
built in 1934 by Anderson/Stromberg in the gold rush town of Wells,
B.C. Completely renovated and restored by owners Karen and Dave
Jeffery, it offers a full program of professional theatre, live music
and films.

EVEolution .... Another Look at Eden runs July 20-22 at 8:00 p.m. (2:00
p.m. Sunday matineé) at the historic Sunset Theatre in Wells, B.C. (1
hour west of Quesnel on Highway 26). Tickets: $12..00 (adults) /
$10.00 (children and seniors), available at the door, the Wells Hotel,
Wells Visitor Centre and the Bear’s Paw Cafe.

The Two Most Boring Words In the English Language?

Anne Midgette writes in today's New York Times about whether or not chamber music needs redefining in order to reach a wider audience.

Link (Via artsJournal)

Back in Maine

After a long drive somewhat shortened by an onboard DVD player and my new Nintendo DS Lite game system, the four of us finally got into Brunswick last night. For the next six weeks I'll be here at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, one of the biggest chamber music festivals in North America.

Aoua! Music Video on YouTube

The Arthouse Videoclips series of Maurice Ravel's Chansons Madécasses by Wolfgang Rupert Muhr and Christian Haake continues with this interpretation of Aoua!, still with no mention of the performers performed by mezzo-soprano Maren Engelhardt, flautist Eva Skrinjaric, cellist Christine Hu, and pianist Francis Perron (thanks for the update, Christian!).

Introducing Collaborator's Corner

A new addition to the collaborative piano online world was launched last week by University of North Texas faculty member Steve Harlos, whose Collaborator's Corner is one of the classical music blogs to watch this summer. Although only in his second week, Steve has already posted some useful articles, including Practicing Pointers and Wynton Marsalis on Practicing. Collaborator's Corner joins the growing list of blogs on the sidebar.

Edward Gates on Slow Practice

An article by Edward Gates in the May 1998 Piano Pedagogy Forum has some worthwhile insights on those interested in the benefits of slow practice. An excerpt:

I understood immediately that the hurrying mind, rushed in its thinking, is the bane of practicing - and of performing as well. When the mind is hurried it does not have time to notice what is really happening. It does not focus well and many of the details of the music go by unnoticed. One has only the feeling, "I got it," but the experience of the music is shallow.

Anderson & Roe Play Barber's Pas De Deux on YouTube

Those of you who enjoyed the Anderson & Roe duo's performance of Libertango may also enjoy this piano duet version of Samuel Barber's Pas de deux on YouTube, with more awesome camera angles and gnarly edits. Those interested in playing the solo piano version of the Pas de deux can find it in the RCM Grade 10 repertoire book, listed below.

Celebration Series, The Piano Odyssey: Piano Repertoire 10 By Rcm Examinations. For Piano. This edition: 3rd. Celebration Series, The Piano Odyssey. Advanced. Level: Grade 10. Book. 168 pages. Published by The Frederick Harris Music Company. (CSR10) See more info...

10 Ways To Get A Fresh Start With Summer Practice Assignments

As the summer is almost upon us, now is the time when I give all my students their summer learning assignment and try to give them a solid nudge towards what they can achieve in the next year. Each student invariably gets their own customized assignment, and here some examples:

1. Next level, please. I steer my piano students toward examinations with RCM Examinations (the National Music Certificate Program [updated 7/2/12] the Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory Achievement Program in the US), and most of them do their exams in June. Their level of preparation reaches a peak in early June, and after their exams are finished I try to give them a head start on the next grade level while they're still hot, rather than wait until September and start from scratch. My RCM-level students traditionally get 3 new pieces, mostly of their choice, to independently learn for September.

2. New style, please. Why work in only one musical style? Learning another can open your musical horizons. In the field of piano alone there are plenty of styles to explore beyond classical, including ragtime, American jazz, Cuban jazz, Brazilian jazz, rock, contemporary, new age, and popular to name only a few. Your journey through a new style can often answer questions and correct problems you might have had in your primary style.

3. Singers--strive for five. Many professional or semi-professional singers work on a large number of arias to build them into their voice. The summer can be an ideal time to perfect those five arias for the coming audition season coming up around the corner.

4. Hit the festival circuit. I'm a big fan of summer music festivals (this summer will be my 14th at the Bowdoin International Music Festival), which combine intensive work with beautiful locales and loads of new friends to create the critical mass for further development.

5. Take a theory course. Learning the fundamentals of musical theory can be a fun and stress-free way to deepen your practice during the year. Knowing how music is put together will go a long way to helping you integrate all aspects of your playing and understand music better.

6. Learn the music of your country. Many of us learn the traditional repertoire without regard to what is being created in our own countries. Take the time to explore the musical output of where you came from and you can go a long way toward finding your identity as well as discovering a lot of interesting music.

7. Learn the music you've been dying to learn all year. Students are often told what is the proper music to learn without regard to what they actually have a desire to learn. Summer is a great time to put your teacher's recommendations aside and do your own exploration for the repertoire that truly resonates for you.

8. Perfect your technique. Without the pressure of upcoming concerts, summer is a fine time to go that extra mile and get a proper handle (Handel?) on your technical facility. Even taking the time to perfect your RCM technical requirements or learn Hanon will show results in the coming season.

9. Learn to sight read. In small doses, take the time to learn how to sight read every single day over the course of several weeks. I recommend Frederick Harris Music's Four Star Sight Reading and Ear Tests by Boris Berlin and Andrew Markow that integrates with the RCM levels. Each week's sight reading is clearly laid out, and leads to mastery of the ear training and sight reading components of each relevant RCM grade level.

10. Recharge your artistic batteries. So you've had a busy year and did a lot of playing, perhaps too much. Now take time to build the complete artist. Read that great novel, go to a gallery, keep a journal, take an acting course, go on a wine-tasting tour, hike in the wilderness, climb a mountain. These are activities that our artistic self needs in order to work at maximum levels of inspiration!

New Additions To The Collaborative Piano Store

Last month, I created The Collaborative Piano Store, an online resource that would contain many of the core books used by those in the collaborative piano profession in a wide variety of relevant categories. In the last few days, I've added a few more categories--Collaborative Piano/Accompanying, Chamber Music, Novels about Musicians, and College Guides. Do bear in mind I am limited to titles carried by Amazon. However, if you know or have written any titles that you feel should be included, please leave a comment or email me!

Nahandove Music Video on YouTube

This video of Maurice Ravel's Nahandove (from Chansons Madécasses) was directed by Wolfgang Rupert Muhr and filmed and edited by Christian Haake as part of their student work at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Unfortunately, there is nothing on their YouTube page listing who the four performers (voice, piano, flute, cello) might be. Their YouTube page has recently been updated to list the performers: mezzo-soprano Maren Engelhardt, flautist Eva Skrinjaric, cellist Christine Hu, and pianist Francis Perron (thanks for the update, Christian!) What I find interesting about this video is the progression from morning to night that parallels the passage of time hinted at in Evariste de Parny's text.

112 Concerts in 15 Days at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival

This summer's Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, one of the world's leading chamber music festivals, features a massive lineup of concerts and performers from July 21 to Aug 4 in various venues across Ottawa, Canada. The festival's mandate is "to make classical music accessible and affordable to everyone and to introduce new audiences to classical/chamber music."

O Mio Babbino Caro With the GrooveBarbers and Inna Dukach on YouTube

A barbershop version of O mio babbino caro, with surtitles.



(Thanks, Jean)

Arias For Soprano Compiled by Robert L. Larsen. Collection for soprano voice and piano. 204 pages. Published by G. Schirmer, Inc. (HL.50481097) See more info...

New Music Strategies' Mission To Demystify Music And Technology

Via a post on Freelance Switch, I stumbled upon New Music Strategies, a blog that I think should be recommended reading for everyone in the musical field. Written by Andrew Dubber, NMS discusses the changing the landscape on which the music industry stands, or tries to stand. From Andrew's manifesto:

01. The music industry has not changed. It is changing.
One of the biggest mistakes music businesses make when trying to adapt to the online environment is to acknowledge the changes that have happened online and then set about adapting to accommodate those changes. In fact, those changes are still underway, and it is a process of navigation, not a process of conversion from an old model to a new one. By the time you have adapted you will be obsolete again. Develop a strategy for keeping up.

Among NMS's resources are a list of articles, a music industry newswire, and the free downloadable ebook 20 Things You Must Know About Music Online.

Saturday Night Opera Links

Here are some opera links from a variety of places.

• From the New York City Opera, a list of synopses and articles, as well as opera myths debunked.
• A large list of opera companies on the web (email for additions/updates at the bottom of the page.)
• Soprano Central!
• Great Russian Voices
• Opera Glass, with a huge list of synopses, libretti, and other historical goodies.
• Impress your friends and sound cultured with the Opera Pronounciation Guide.
  
• Opera postcards
• Timeline of American Opera
• And finally, Opera Games from Arizona Opera. Includes the flash games "Opera is not Trivial", "Opera Karaoke", and "Whack a Tenor".

Comparing Piano Brands

In case you're in the market for a new or used piano and are somewhat bewildered by the variety of brands on the market, you might want to check out Martha Beth Lewis' article on Piano Brands. She offers information on different sizes, critiques on dozens of brands, and further hints on piano shopping. Among her caveats:

Stencil brand pianos (sometimes called store brands) are common in the US. These are like the house brands at a grocery store. A piano store (usually a nation-wide or at least a regional piano company) buys these from a factory and puts a name on it. Therefore, many "different brands" of pianos - - at varying price points - - are actually from the same factory. And could, in fact, be the same model except for the brand name!

(Via Josh Nemith)

More Practice Resources For Students And Parents

Catherine Schmidt-Jones has written a Guide to Great Home Practice, a Home Music Practice Checklist, as well as a Parent's Guide to Music Lessons that offer some interesting insights, all available on the collaborative educational site Connexions. From the parent's guide:

Probably more students take piano than any other instrument. There are a couple of reasons for this. A beginner can get a good tone and play in tune easily. (But be advised, it takes just as much work to become very accomplished on the piano as it does on French horn or oboe.) Piano is also a wonderful instrument to use to begin learning about music, because the basic theory and practice of music are so easy to see on a keyboard. The student can see very clearly that scales follow certain predictable patterns and that intervals have a certain size. They become familiar with chords and harmonic structure in a way that is not as easily available on other instruments.

Organize Your Practice Time Like a Stage Director

In the last few years, I've played for quite a number of operatic productions. In each of them, one of the first things I notice is the deadline of opening night that looms over the entire rehearsal process (and has tens and often hundreds of thousands of dollars riding upon its success). Everything that happens is geared towards preparing for the opening. So when I arrive on the first day of rehearsal, I nearly always receive a detailed production schedule of the entire show from the first musical rehearsal to closing night.

After several years of working by this type of schedule in the theatre, I began to think--what if one were to schedule practice time in this way, with preparation for the public performance the ultimate guideline for where all the other steps begin from?

Here is a step-by-step, top-down process of how you could schedule your practice time in this way. In the real world, performers have a large number of rotating works and performances to prepare for but for this list we will include only one program for performance (oh, the luxury).

1. Determine all the performance dates for the program. These are the written-in-stone deadlines that will determine everything that happens before.

2. One week before the first performance of the program will be designated "tech week", in which the finishing touches will be applied, remaining problems fixed, and you do the dress rehearsal of the program. In many theatre productions, there is also a preview process--you can do this too by performing the program for a casual audience at least once to test out the program before the real thing. When I was at Eastman, Jean Barr insisted on not one, but three dress rehearsals before each doctoral student's lecture recital. Sure enough, her students excel.

3. Determine how long a time period you will need in order to learn and rehearse the entire program. In professional productions, rehearsals usually start 2-4 weeks before tech week, depending on the level of company and their operating budget. For your program, you should be thinking of starting to learn the music 4-12 months ahead of the first performance in order to adequately prepare.

4. Once you have the performance times and final rehearsals in place, write up a schedule for the steps in the process, ie. memorize 1 month before concert, all pieces learned 3 months before, music chosen 6 months before.

5. Once you have all the steps planned out, now you can allow yourself time to immerse yourself in the process of learning, discovery and exploration that are essential to moving forward artistically in addition to climbing the steps of the recital mountain.

In other words, the quality of the process is as important as the final product--having the steps mapped out can ensure your enjoyment of both getting to the final destination and enjoying the ride there.

Once you're a professional (even before that for collaborative artists), you'll need to be able to map out this type of process dozens of times in a season, with a multitude of overlapping concert dates both for yourself and your students.

Sanctuary Song at the Distillery this weekend

My performing season winds up this weekend with two public readings of Sanctuary Song by Marjorie Chan and Abigail Richardson.

From the Tapestry website: "Developed in partnership with Theatre Direct Canada , this engaging multimedia opera for young people is inspired by the true story of an Asian circus elephant, an unlikely friendship and her remarkable journey to freedom."

Sanctuary Song is still at the workshop stage and will hopefully be going into full production somewhere in 07-08 as part of the Theatre Direct season. This workshop features Xin Wang as Sydney, Justin Walsh as James, Frank Cox-O'Connell as the Hunter, Ringmaster, and Sanctuary Worker, and Sharmilla Dey as Penny and a girl.

This opera is based on the lives of Shirley and Jenny, two elephants who after living long lives in circuses and zoos, were sent to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. (The names of the elephants in the opera are changed to Sydney and Penny) The amazing reunion between Shirley and Jenny, who had known each other decades previously and were reunited by chance at the Sanctuary is one of the most heart-warming animal stories of all time and proves that elephants really never forget. Carol Buckley's account of the reunion:

Jenny came into the barn for the first time since Shirley's arrival at around 7:00 p.m. There was an immediate urgency in Jenny's behavior. She wanted to get close to Shirley who was divided by two stalls. Once Shirley was allowed into the adjacent stall the interaction between her and Jenny became quite intense. Jenny wanted to get into the stall with Shirley desperately.She became agitated, banging on the gate and trying to climb through and over. After several minutes of touching and exploring each other, Shirley started to ROAR and I mean ROAR -- Jenny joined in immediately. The interaction was dramatic, to say the least, with both elephants trying to climb in with each other and frantically touching each other through the bars. I have never experienced anything even close to this depth of emotion.

Justin Welsh plays the role of James, a zoo worker who looks after Sydney and develops an unlikely friendship with her for 22 years (based on Solomon James, who looked after Shirley at the Louisiana Zoo).

Here is the creative team:

Lynda Hill, Director
Wayne Strongman, Music Director
Kelly Wolf, Design
Movement, Viv Moore
Luisa Quintavalle, Video
Kathryn Westoll, Stage Manager

The orchestra:

Christopher Foley, piano
Michael Schulte, violin
Ryan Scott, percussion

Although Sanctuary Song takes place in the Distillery, which is currently hosting many events for the Luminato festival, this workshop (in the Ernest Balmer studio) is actually part of the Seedling Festival, which is showcasing new theatrical work for young audiences. The final show in the workshop begins tomorrow at 3pm. Tickets are $10/5.

(Image by exfordy)

Bathroom Divas Alumni: Paul Abelha To Appear At Opera Hamilton Fundraiser

Bathroom Divas finalist Paul Abelha will be appearing at an Opera Hamilton fundraiser June 20 at LIUNA station. At the beginning of the evening's festivities he will be making an appearance for photos and autographs, and later in the evening gala-goers can auction on the chance for an evening at the opera with Paul.

Also:

Paul Abelha on YouTube
The Black and White Album

Degree and Diploma Programs in Piano Pedagogy

Here is a listing of universities, colleges, and conservatories that offer degrees, concentrations, tracks, diplomas, and certificates in piano pedagogy. As in the case of my list of Degree Programs in Collaborative Piano, this list is also not complete, since piano pedagogy is a growing field with an ever-increasing nuumber of programs available, only some of which have proper web documentation. If you have any schools to add (which will be constantly updated as new information comes in), feel free to either post a comment or email me.

University of Adelaide
Arizona State University
Baylor University
Belhaven College
Belmont University
Bob Jones University
Butler University
California State University-Northridge
Cambellsville University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory (The Achievement Program)
The Catholic University of America
Cedarville University 
The University of Colorado at Boulder
Columbus State University
Converse College
East Carolina university
Florida State University
George Mason University
Hood College
University of Houston
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana State University
University of Iowa
Kansas State University
University of Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana State University
Malone College
Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Marylhurst University
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Meredith College
University of Miami
University of Michigan
Michigan State University
University of Missouri-Columbia
Mount Royal College
University of Nebraska-Kearney
Northland Baptist Bible College
University of North Florida
University of Northern Iowa
Northern Kentucky University
University of North Texas
Northwestern University
Ohio University
Ohio State University
University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma City University
University of Oregon
University of Ottawa
Penn State University
Pensacola Christian College
La Positas College
The Royal Conservatory of Music (through RCM Examinations)
The College of St. Catherine
Saint Cloud State University
University of St. Thomas
San Diego State University
Muzička Academija Sarajevo
University of South Carolina
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
University of Southern Maine
Southern Methodist University
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Temple University
Texas Christian University
Texas Tech University
University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Toronto
Utah State University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
University of West Georgia
Westminster Choir College
Weber State University
Wheaton College
University of Wisconsin-Madison


I have once again not added links to these schools, given that the web documentation for these programs ranges from excellent to unloadable. As a believer in due diligence, especially regarding one's education, I would rather have this list as a starting point for the further exploration of programs. A full list of things to consider when choosing a program will include:

• Finding the right teacher
  
• Finding a good school
• Educational philosophy
  
• Curriculum
• Financial aid
• Track record of graduates

Greg Anderson plays Bach/Petri on YouTube

Two previous videos posted here have generated quite a deal of interest in the work of pianist Greg Anderson. Here is yet another in the series, the Egon Petri arrangement of Bach's "Sheep May Safely Graze". To get the full effect, watch his video of the Ligeti Devil's Staircase Etude first--the Bach is a kind of antidote to the Ligeti and its cinematography is quite different.

Quote of the Day

"The more technical our world becomes, the more essential it is that we see the whole of life as an art form, protecting the creative nature of mankind from an exclusively symbiotic existence with electronics. We need to protect nature's provision for the individual's right to fulfill his own spiritual growth along with his physical development. With the passing of time there may be fewer areas for the rugged individualist to explore...The situation is much different with one's inner space. No sooner is it explored than it wants to yield up new territories potent with new discoveries resulting in ever changing ways of viewing life around us. We find ourselves relating differently to all we know as a result of these journeys within."

from Improvisation: Music From The Inside Out by Mildred Portney Chase

Wordplay at the Distillery June 6-8

This week Tapestry New Opera Works is hosting Wordplay, a festival of libretto readings to be held at 7:30pm June 6, 7, and 8 at the Ernest Balmer Studio. The works to be read include the one-act operas of Opera To Go 2008, listed below:

cha cha
by Anna Chatterton & Andrew Staniland
The Translator
by Leanna Brodie & David Ogborn
...Ants?
by Lisa Codrington & Kevin Morse
She Sees Her Lover in the Light of the Morning
by Leanna Brodie & Craig Galbraith
Destruction Myth
by Krista Dalby & Kevin Morse
Piece of My Heart
by Dave Carley & David Ogborn

Also being read are two full-length works in development, The Enslavement and Liberation of Oksana G by librettist Colleen Murphy and composer Aaron Gervais, and Netsuke by librettist Jill Battson and composer Rose Bolton.

Tickets are $10/5
For tickets call 416.537.6066 x221

The Top Classical Music Blogs in Canada

I've been following a number of classical music blogs written by Canadians for quite a long time now. Most of them have been mentioned on previous occasions and are listed on my blogroll. However, in light of Scott Spiegelberg's list of the top 53 classical music blogs on Musical Perceptions, I have decided to do a separate ranking of Canadian classical music blogs. In this respect, I am indebted to Scott for his choice of using Technorati in order to rank blogs in this niche. I have used the same type of format that he uses, but have added locations where known. Since Technorati is not a perfect ranking system, I briefly thought of including feed readership but decided against it, as inbound list and feed readership stats are like apples and oranges--a subscription account represents one person while an inbound link might result in hundreds or even thousands of visitors over time.

In addition to blogs written within Canada I decided to include expatriate blogs written by Canadians living out of the country. Campbell Vertsei's blog was the only one I could find that fit into this category.

A special mention must be made of the now defunct Chicago Canadienne written by Erin Wall in Chicago, certainly the most-read Canadian blog in this niche, ever. Although Erin stopped writing her blog and removed it from public viewing well over a year ago, Chicago Canadienne was an inspiration to me and others. Perhaps her negative experience is why nearly half the authors on the top 11 list are either anonymous or use a nom de plume.

As I mentioned on my list of the top 50 classical music feeds on Bloglines, this type of activity is not an awards ceremony to show which blogs are "better" than the others but a springboard for further reading of the sites on the list whether they are ranked or not.

Finally, I would like to put forward the idea that the classical music blogosphere in Canada represents the performers, teachers, and listeners who choose to write about their stories, views and experiences, is an integral part of the cultural life of this country, and should have the potential to be valued as much as publications in other media.

The Top 11

(blog title, Technorati ranking as of noon June 4 2007, author, location)

1. The Collaborative Piano Blog: 33 Chris Foley (Toronto/Oakville)
2. Campbell Vertesi--Bassus Canadensus: 21 Campbell Vertesi (Cincinnati)
3. PianoKnits: 7 eusebius (unknown location)
4. My Other Life: 6 soundtrk (Vancouver)
4. The Transcontinental: 6 Otto van Karajanstein (unknown location)
6. Willy or Won't he? 3 Willym (Gatineau)
7. Help! I'm a Postmodernist: 2 Margaret (Toronto)
7. Urban Flute Project: 2 Jamie Thompson (Toronto)
9. Eugene Chan on Violinist.com: 1 Eugene Chan (Burnaby)
9. s55ael: 1 anonymous (St. John's)
9. The Resonant Life: 1 Rebecca Hass (Victoria)
9. Atelier S: 1 Stuart Graham (Toronto)

Unranked on Technorati at time of writing:

Keywerx: RCM Community School Keyboard Faculty (Toronto)
CBC Radio Two Blog: various CBC hosts (across Canada)
Kelsey Z. on Violinist.com: Kelsey Z. (Okanagan)
Rhiannon Schmidt on Violinist.com: Rhiannon Schmidt (Salmon Arm)

Please note: this list includes blogs I have found over 19 months of blogging, as well as my own. It doesn't include any French-language classical music blogs written in Quebec. If you know of any other blogs that you feel should make the list (especially on MySpace or LiveJournal), please contact me either through email or comment. I'll be updating as information comes available.

Quote of the Day

"...in the French mélodie the singer and the pianist must succeed in combining precision with lyricism. But it must be controlled lyricism, for just as the French composer never gives way to sentimentality or emphasis and abominates overstatement, so in the same way his interpreters must have a sense of moderation of expression, a critical capacity, which after all is no more than one of the most vigorous forms of intelligence."

from The Interpretation of French Song by Pierre Bernac

More practicing links

Michelle Bennett at A Singer's Life has written an illuminating series on the development of her practice process based her own experience. Here are links to her entire Pratice and Discipline series:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

10 Ways To Compete With The Lowest-priced Piano Teachers In Town

As the summer is upon us, now is the time when studios and schools begin to think about recruiting for the coming school year. As interested parents and students navigate the world of music teachers via advertisements, flyers, referrals, word of mouth, and AdSense ads, the inevitable question is eventually asked: "How much do you charge?"

The rate differences for piano teachers can vary drastically in an area. In Toronto, they vary from between $30 and $120 an hour. My rate through the Royal Conservatory of Music Community School is $62 per hour and $31 for a half hour, which puts me in the mid-priced range $100 per hour, which puts me near the top of the price range in Toronto. At my Oakville home studio, my private rate is a slightly more reasonable $60 per hour.

However, the toughest part of each year is competing with teachers that charge less than $35 per hour, many of whom are drastically under-priced for what they offer. My yearly battle has resulted in this guide on how to compete with the lowest-priced.

I'll start with a few words of wisdom from Martha Beth Lewis, who has written about this subject extensively on her site. On the subject of what fees actually are, she writes:

Here's what we should be thinking: our lesson fees are tuition.

• They reserve a space in our schedule for a specific student.
• Music instruction is an on-going thing.
• It is an investment in time and effort, as well as money.

Here's what we should -not- be thinking:

• Our lesson fees are payment for services rendered.
• They are a flat fee for a product delivered.
• They are fees paid for the duration of the buyer's interest.

As for the perils of charging too low a fee, she writes:

Charging a low fee - possibly because you think students will be unable to pay you more - typecasts you as a cheap teacher. An unspoken assumption among buyers is that you are not a very good teacher because if you were better you'd be more expensive! As a low-fee teacher, generally you will tend to draw from the pool of students who consider music instruction as a short-term activity and who consider what they pay you as money given for a one-time service rendered (like baby-sitting or a haircut). This kind of family tends to be cavalier about lesson attendance, cancellation, timely payment, and continuation in lessons.

I partially disagree with Martha on this one. In our find-the-lowest-price culture, parents are looking for a service, are willing to pay as little as possible for it if they can, and usually don't have the skills to equate price with quality unless they have prior experience accessing private education. On the other hand, a teacher with a higher rate often tends to have students with a commitment towards working hard and for a longer time period.

Therefore, here are some ways to compete with teachers that charge less:

1. Advertise your education. Teacher, institution, and program. If you have a high-quality education, that can certainly affect your fees, and a teacher with a graduate degree in music is entitled to charge more than one that doesn't.

2. Advertise your professional network. If you are a member of MTNA or a local registered teachers' association, you have access to professional development, student performing opportunities, and professional publications that non-members don't. In addition, many local associations have minimum rates for their members.

3. If you teach at an institution, broadcast their curriculum, related courses, and financial aid. Part of a teaching institution's value is in offering a wide umbrella of courses for different types of students. For example, at the Royal Conservatory of Music Community School where I teach, students have access to a large number of programs for all age levels, performing opportunities, and financial aid based on both merit and need.

4. Advertise your performing career. Not every teacher is up to the level where they can actually perform for an audience and make money from it. If you perform regularly, that reflects a depth of experience you can bring to the teaching studio that can be reflected in your fee.

5. Advertise with better materials. Cheaper teachers rarely go to the expense of creating high-quality materials, but this is one of the most effective ways of looking professional. Simple things like high-quality business cards and attractive-looking flyers can make a big difference.

6. Offer online registration and support. You don't have to go to the expense of creating a huge server infrastructure in your own home to do this. Music Teacher's Helper offers a full range of options, including online registration, automatic billing, website integration, and student progress reports all for a reasonable monthly fee.

7. Performing opportunities for students. Not every teacher develops their students to the level where they can actually present their work for an audience. If you are a teacher that regularly puts your students in recitals and festivals, that shows a level of commitment that goes beyond the ordinary and should be reflected in your price.

8. Have a professional-looking studio with high-quality grand or upright piano. Merely having a large and spacious studio with grand piano is not the sign of a great teacher, requiring only money and good design sense, but it can be reason to charge a higher rate since it is a better learning environment.

9. Have an extensive library of scores in your studio. It is equally important to advertise your score collection and is the sign of a teacher that has a long-term commitment to acquiring the core materials of your field.

10. Advertise your articles and publications. If you have taken the time to create articles, books, publications, authoritative websites, or methods, this shows that you are an authority in your field and one that creates and builds rather than simply imitates, and is one of the primary indicators of one who could qualify for a high-end teaching rate.

Some options that are mandatory but didn't make the list because they are ubiquitous these days, can be faked, and shouldn't really figure into your rate:

• Creating a website. They are so easy to make these days and cost very little if anything, depending on type and location. Everyone seems to have a great picture and bio and it's hard to put yourself in front of the pack unless you truly distinguish yourself in this department by taking the time to offer something the others don't in terms of content or features, lovingly maintained and updated over years rather than days.
• Statement of teaching philosophy. Although this is a standard question asked of prospective teachers by parents the world over, statements of this sort can be faked. How can a dedicated teacher encapsulate their entire teaching philosophy in one sound bite? However, you still need to know what to answer and have something worthwhile to say when asked the question.
• Student accomplishments. Also can be faked and I've seen it done many times. I've also seen teachers raise their rates to exhorbitant levels based on the success of one student, rather than long-term quality and commitment to teaching excellence.

In case you are concerned you might be charging too little, Freelance Switch has a list of 10 ways to tell. Two of them are listed below:

3. You never run out of work, yet you are subsisting on baked beans and 2 minute noodles.
8. Even though you work 80 hour weeks your income level qualifies you for welfare payments.

Bathroom Divas Alumni: Laura Landauer in Celine Speaks

Fans of Bathroom Divas might be interested in Laura Landauer's newest project: a one-woman play cowritten with Sue Miner entitled Celine Speaks, slated to run this July as part of The Fringe in Toronto.

Here is Laura's description of the show:

It isn't easy being the world's greatest pop diva goddess saviour. Laura Landauer (Bravo!'s Bathroom Divas 2007 finalist!) not only portrays Celine Dion - she IS Celine Dion. Hear Celine's classic hit songs and join her for an intimate event where she shares her unique insights on such topics as femininity, vitality, identity, and humidity.

Celine Speaks runs at the George Ignatieff Theatre at 9 Devonshire Place on the U of T campus. Here are the show times:

Fri, July 6 @ 5:15 PM
Sun, July 8 @ 10:30 PM
Mon, July 9 @1:30 PM
Tue, July 10 @ 7:15 PM
Wed, July 11 @11:15 PM
Thu, July 12 @3:30 PM
Sat, July 14 @ 9:15 PM

Tickets are $10. For more info, call The Fringe's hotline at 416-966-1062.

Steinway & Sons Moves Into Audio

Steinway & Sons and high-end audio manufacturer Peter Lyngdorf have entered into a partnership to produce the reference quality Model - D Music System. Price tag? $150,000.

Link to Steinway press release
Link to review on Wired