I Need To Learn How To Do What?

My latest article for Music Teacher's Helper looks at the types of ways that music teachers can upgrade their skill-sets:

Skill Upgrades for Music Teachers

What Makes a Fabulous Audition Pianist?

The yearly audition tour at Wolf Trap Opera is underway, and Kim Witman's observations on the audition process are once again required reading for both singers and pianists. Kim's latest post on the subject looks at important things to consider when choosing and working with an audition pianist:

We realize that the audition pianist is a variable that changes from company to company, from day to day, from location to location. Safest to let go of whatever expectation you may have. Control the variables you can. The pianist is not one of them. So, best to think slightly conservatively.

If you're kind of new at this audition stuff, you don't need a lot of curves thrown at you. Bring a pianist (preferably a good one, please...) if some of your rep is non-standard. But be sure that your pianist can play your rep better than a typical company-provided pianist. I've seen too many singers undone by their own colleagues.

Your Audition Partner at the Piano

H1N1 Precautions for Piano Teachers

I recently received a forwarded email with some useful information from Ian Fennell, President of JJH McLean Pianos in Winnipeg regarding how piano teachers can disinfect their studio pianos:

In response to a growing concern regarding the H1N1 flu threat in Manitoba, J.J.H. McLean & Co. Limited has been recommending to teachers, families, and institutions to use a 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water solution to clean their piano keys on a regular basis. This tried and true (and old) mixture can disinfect both plastic and ivory keys. The store has been very diligent in cleaning its in-stock inventory keys on a very regular basis now since early July and is encouraging all to practice this very easy preventative measure.

Sarah Luebke on the MTH blog also lists some useful precautions:

• Wipe down piano keyboard
• Wipe down music stands
• Wipe light switch
• Wipe doorknobs and entrance

In my studio, I've been noticing that students are canceling more often at the first sign of sickness. Ironically, there are fewer sick students at lessons than  in previous years (so far at least). 

Should piano teachers receive the H1N1 vaccination? Since the facts aren't yet fully known on the effectiveness of the first and second generation vaccines currently available in Canada and the U.S., I won't comment on this issue until there is more information available.

What are your thoughts on the H1N1 threat as it applies to the busy studios of piano teachers? Do you have any further thoughts on how to make your studio a cleaner environment?

Call for Pianists: The Canadian Operatic Arts Academy

If you're an emerging collaborative pianist looking to gain some valuable skills in the field prior to launching your career, you might want to check out the Canadian Operatic Arts Academy at the University of Western Ontario. About the COAA's Pianist Program:

The Canadian Operatic Arts Academy offers an international program for pianists who aspire to excel in the world of opera. Pianists will gain experience as repetiteurs playing for masterclasses, musical rehearsals, staging rehearsals and private coachings with singers. In addition, pianists will have the rewarding opportunity of working with our distinguished faculty pianists in private lessons and classes to become skilled at the art of vocal coaching and more proficient in their operatic keyboard technique. This year we are thrilled to welcome as our special guest the internationally renowned pianist Martin Katz. This program provides an invaluable opportunity for pianists with a vocal accompanying background to further their training and prepare for professional opportunities in the operatic world.

The piano faculty includes Carolyn Herrington, Martin Katz and Mark Payne.

Application deadlines are coming up (Nov. 1 for live audition and Nov. 15 for DVD audition), so make sure you get your materials sent to UWO in time.

Canadian Operatic Arts Academy Home Page
2010 Season brochure

2010 Pianist Program brochure

Celebrating Canadian Composers: The Canadian Music Centre's 50th Anniversary

The Canadian Music Centre is 50 years old this year and will be celebrating the event in style at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on November 9. Here is the complete CMC press release:

October 22, 2009, TORONTO, ON – The Canadian Music Centre is proud to celebrate its 50th Anniversary this year. In honour of this milestone year, the National Arts Centre and its Orchestra are partnering with the CMC to present a special all Canadian concert and birthday celebration on Monday, November 9th 2009 in the NAC’s Southam Hall.

In appreciation of this historic event, the CMC is recognizing 50 outstanding Canadian performers and conductors who have played exceptional roles in shaping the Canadian music scene and raising the profile of Canadian music. The CMC will honour these individuals, who will come from all across Canada to attend the special 50th Anniversary concert and celebration, at the NAC in Ottawa.

Congratulations to the following CMC Ambassadors:

Lydia Adams – Robert Aitken – Colleen Athparia – Karin Aurell – Mario Bernardi – Louise Bessette – Walter Boudreau – Isabelle Bozzini – Jeremy Brown – Kathryn Cernauskas – Lawrence Cherney – Robert Cram – Lise Daoust – Julie-Anne Derome – Eve Egoyan – Victor Feldbrill – Salvador Ferreras – Judith Forst – Peter Gardner – Rivka Golani – Janet Hammock – Ian Hampton – John Hess – Gwen Hoebig – Beverley Johnston – David Kaplan – Elaine Keillor – Gary Kulesha – Veronique Lacroix – Marie-Chantal Leclair – Robert Leroux – Bill Linwood – Eduard Minevich – Mary Morrison – Marie-Danielle Parent – Alex Pauk – Heather Pawsey – Joseph Petric – Christina Petrowska Quilico – Barbara Pritchard – Olga Ranzenhofer – Shauna Rolston – Jacqueline Sorensen – Wayne Strongman – Sylvia Shadick-Taylor – Bramwell Tovey – Alain Trudel – Owen Underhill – Lorraine Vaillancourt – Pauline Vaillancourt – Jon Washburn

The evening’s all-Canadian program will feature the National Arts Centre Orchestra under the direction of maestro Jean-Philippe Tremblay, theGryphon Trio, flautist Robert Cram and pianist Andrew Tunis, clarinetist Kymball Sykes and pianist Jamie Parker performing works by Canadian composers who span the history of the CMC. These composers include Louis Applebaum, Steven Gellman, Denis Gougeon, Christos Hatzis, Alexina Louie, Phil Nimmons, Abigail Richardson, and Harry Somers.

The Canadian Music Centre and its Board of Directors gratefully acknowledge the tremendous dedication from its supporters both nationally and globally. We are truly humbled by their commitment to the CMC and Canadian new music. We are privileged to celebrate this milestone year with them, and we now enthusiastically look forward to what the next 50 years will bring.

Tickets to Celebrating Canadian Composers: The Canadian Music Centre’s 50th Anniversary are available in person at the NAC Box Office or by calling 613.947.7000 ext. 343

Congratulations to all 50 CMC Ambassadors and I'm proud to have worked with many of them over the years!

(Thanks, Heather!)

The Vocal Coach, Defined

If you're looking for a clear explanation of the difference between a voice teacher and vocal coach, look no farther than Elizabeth McDonald's recent post on the subject:

The voice coach (aka: collaborative pianist) is the person who deals with the musical, language and dramatic demands of the vocal repertoire. They are pianists who have done training in diction, repertoire, collaborative piano and opera. The goal of the vocal coach is to serve as the other half of the music (piano part or orchestra reduction) and help the singing put everything together. They expect a singer to arrive with notes learned, language translated, and an idea about how the song should be presented. From there the coach is the musical "mirror" for the singer and reflects back what they hear and makes suggestions on how to make any necessary changes.

I like the mirror comparison a lot, which I had never considered. I've also previously written about the difference between voice teacher and coach.

Iolanthe Review in Opera Canada

Wendy (who played the Fairy Queen in TOT's Iolanthe a few months ago) just got a very favorable mention in the Fall 2009 issue of Opera Canada. From Geoff Chapman's review:

The best voices belonged to baritone Andrew Tees as the rigid Coldstream Guardsman eyed by the Queen of the Fairies and mezzo Wendy Hatala Foley, who was in comfortable, majestic voice throughout.

4th Birthday Ticket Contest Winners

The ninth hour has struck, the contest is over, and we have two winners! The first winner was already announced on Monday morning and has the following answer to the question "Who is your favorite opera heroine? Why?":

Iphigenie, of course. As a child the story of Abraham’s willingness to kill his son consumed me. When I discovered the story of Iphigenie, her heartsicknesses at sacrificing the man who is her brother resonated with me as the more magical, fantastical version of the Abrahmic myth of obedience.

The final winner, with the best comment, is another anonymous commenter (actually neither are anonymous to me, as they disclosed their names to me in the entry email) with the following choice:

I choose Magda Sorel from Gian Carlo Menotti's The Consul. She is my favourite opera heroine not only because she is a strong, sympathetic character whose perseverance and devotion is breathtaking (and who is all the more real and sympathetic for her tragic end), but because she is fighting not only for herself, not only for her husband, but also for her baby - and for the freedom of the people who share her life in their state of political oppression.

Menotti's writing vividly highlights the drama of the situation and the characters' emotions. I absolutely cannot listen to a recording of the opera without crying at the end.

Thanks to everyone for competing I hope both winners enjoy their free tickets to Opera Atelier's upcoming production of Iphigénie en Tauride. I would also like to thank Opera Atelier for making these tickets available to readers of the Collaborative Piano Blog.

4th Birthday Ticket Contest: Opera Atelier Will Give Away 2 Pairs of Tickets to Iphigénie en Tauride in Toronto

On November 7, the Collaborative Piano Blog will be celebrating its 4th birthday. To mark this event, Opera Atelier will be giving away 2 pairs of tickets to its upcoming Toronto production of Iphigénie en Tauride at the Elgin Theatre running from October 31 to November 7.

OA's production of Iphigénie en Tauride will feature Peggy Kriha Dye in the title role, as well as Kresimir Spicer as Oreste, and Thomas Macleay as Pylade. Andrew Parrott will lead the Tafelmusik Orchestra playing on period instruments.

To win a pair of free tickets to Iphigénie en Tauride, answer the following questions:

Who is your favorite opera heroine? Why?

There will be two winners: one for the first entry and one for the best entry.

Here's how it works...

Competition Rules and Regulations

1. Answer the question "Who is your favorite opera heroine? Why?"

2. Once you've answered the two questions, you have to do two things:

a) Email it to me at collaborativepiano [at] gmail dot com - this is so I can reach the authors of the winning entries.

b) Leave it as a comment on this posting so readers can follow the contest entries as they appear.

3. As soon as the first entry is received in both my inbox and on the blog comments, I'll announce the first winner and put them in touch with OA so they can receive their free tickets. Whoever wins the prize for first entry will be ineligible for the prize for best entry.

4. The deadline for entries is Thursday, October 22 at 9pm EDT. After that I'll go over all the entries (except for the first), choose the best entry, announce them in a separate post, and forward the winner's name and email address to the Opera Atelier office so they can be contacted by an OA staff member about how to pick up their free tickets.

5. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can either comment anonymously or invent a nom de plume for your comment. Just be sure to send me your real email address when you submit your entry to my email address (see 2a) Be sure to email me your answer before you submit it as a blog comment.

Thanks for following the Collaborative Piano Blog and I look forward to reading your submissions!

Update: Both winners have been announced, and their entries can be read here.

Collaborative Piano Blog 4th Birthday Giveaway Contest Starts Tomorrow

On November 7, the Collaborative Piano Blog will be celebrating its 4th birthday. In anticipation of the event, I am pleased to be offering another contest, so be sure to drop by this blog tomorrow at 8am EDT for details. Early risers will be rewarded with a gatecrasher prize! In the meantime, watch this video...

Opera Atelier's Iphigénie en Tauride from Opera Atelier on Vimeo.

Collaborative Pianists in the News

Here are some recent mentions of collaborative pianists from various press outlets:

• Che Anne Loewen and Michel Ross talk about music and poetry in the Varsity
• Jake Heggie in recital with Frederica von Stade at the Royal Conservatory's Koerner Hall
• Greg Granoff, Shao Way Wu, and Aber Miller at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts in Eureka, Califonia
• Tim Cunniffe appears with John Michael Swinbank in a program of cabaret favorites in Prahran, Australia
• Rira Lim's preview of her Carnegie Hall concert at the Ada Arts and Heritage Center in Ada, Oklahoma
• Brian Ray in recital at the Rhodes College Faculty Concert Series
• Corazon Bisda performs with baritone Giuseppe Spoletini and soprano Stephanie Tennill at the Greenville Community Church Recital Series in Scarsdale, New York
• Jennifer Carter performs the first recital in her new north London series with clarinetist Shelly Ezra
• Andreas Kern in recital with Measha Brueggergosman this Saturday in Toronto
• Jessica Paul hosts the Art Song Jamboree at Luther College
• Finally, congratulations go to Ruth Shipman Morawetz, winner of the Community Service Award from the University of Western Ontario Alumni. Some of Ruth's accomplishments:
  

  Morawetz has excelled as a collaborative pianist, working with many distinguished musicians and actors, including Maureen Forrester, Martha Henry, Ben Heppner, Adrianne Pieczonka, Louise Pitre, Rosemarie Landry, Mark Pedrotti, and Frances Ginzer.
  
  Morawetz’s volunteer contributions are a testament to her dedication to the arts. She organized 178 Preview Lectures with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; booked and chaired 88 programs for the Toronto Arts and Letters Club; coordinated the Jean A. Chalmers Awards for the Canada Opera; was a Board Member and Co-chair of the Rubies Award for Opera Canada Magazine; and has organized numerous fundraising galas over the years.

More collaborative pianists in the news can be found here.

Some New Blogs of Note

Although the classical blogosphere is thriving and holding its own these days, it doesn't seem to be growing as quickly as it was a few years ago. Perhaps it's our current dependence on social media (read: Twitter and Facebook) that changed things from the veritable linkfest that was classical blogging when I first started four years ago. Or perhaps it's still growing, but I haven't got my ear to the ground in the right places any more. Nevertheless, here are a few relatively new blogs that I'm tracking these days and which are definitely work subscribing to:

• Unquiet Thoughts, the new blog of Alex Ross located on the New Yorker site. It seems that the granddaddy of classical music blogs, The Rest is Noise, has run its course, but will still remain intact for readers to peruse its archives. Best of luck to Alex with this new venture.
• The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy blog, curated by Linda Christensen. This is more a music education blog than a classical music one, with lots of links and videos that showcase the cutting edge of piano pedagogy.
• Canadian Opera, a blog on all things operatic and Canadian by the fabulous bass Gerrit Theule, who will soon be moving to Winnipeg. If you want to keep up with the healthy and growing Canadian opera scene, Gerrit's blog is the place to do it.

For a list of the classical music blog heavy hitters, check out Invesp's ultimate ranking, in which the Collaborative Piano Blog figures prominently.

Of course, this list wouldn't be complete without a non-music blog of note. One fascinating blog that came to my attention only last week is Vivian Maier - Her Discovered Work, featuring recently discovered photos of mid-century Chicago from a previously unknown street photographer.

What recent classical music blog startups would you recommend?

Aleksandr Hrustevich Plays the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto 3rd Movement on Accordion

Playing a reduction of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto 3rd movement is hard enough on piano. Aleksandr Hrustevich plays both the violin and the orchestra parts on a button accordion:



(Via Paul Pisano)

Quote of the Day

The unnamed pianist in this Twitter status update certainly put their foot in their mouth, as ShellyAnnSings tweets:

Accompanist said "I'm sorry, I was counting like a singer"The chorus booed, & thedirector informed us that there'd be stones available after

Pedaling 101

Hugh Sung, as part of his continuing Clair de Lune from Scratch series, has created a very informative video on how to connect notes through pedaling. Notice how seamlessly he incorporates technological tools into the thread of his core teaching process. Hugh's digital illustration of correct hand vs. foot coordination around 5 minutes in is right on the money.

An Evening With Measha Brueggergosman and Andreas Kern on October 17 in Toronto: All Proceeds Will Go To AMREF Canada

On Saturday, October 17 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, in recital with pianist Andreas Kern, will be making her only 2009 Toronto concert appearance in a benefit for the African Medical and Research Foundation. The performance will start at 5pm, and the evening's festivities will be presided over by Jian Ghomeshi, host of Q on CBC Radio One.

This is a very important fundraising event for AMREF Canada, whose mission is to raise funds in order create and build health infrastructure in African communities. All revenues from this event will be going to AMREF Canada, so your support will be able to help sustain and build on the vitally important work that this organization does in improving the health of African communities.

Tickets for the recital are $125/60, or $175 including an invite to the VIP reception following, with students receiving a 50% discount on all tickets.

This will also be a prime opportunity to hear the playing of German pianist Andreas Kern. From the AMREF press release:

Pianist Andreas Kern is Measha’s co-host on “Arte Lounge”, a TV show that promotes classical music in Germany. Mr. Kern flew in specifically for this concert. He studied at the Privatinstitut für pianistische Studien in Dusseldorf and later on at the renowned Hochschule der Künste. As a soloist, Andreas has performed in concerts around the world, including in Germany, Italy, India and Japan. He has performed with several orchestras, including the Hannover Philharmonie, Kottmann Stringorchestra and the Aachen Youth Orchestra. He has also performed contemporary music for a radio concert series for the German radio station, WDR. Since 1999 he has been the artistic director of Sommernachtstraum Arts Festival in Berlin. A versatile performer, Andreas recorded film scores composed by Christian Biegai for the upcoming DVD release “Croatian Fairytales from Long Ago”, directed by Helena Bulaja. In 2004, he was the collaborative pianist for the acclaimed Sasha Waltz Dance Company in the South of France. In the same year he performed Mozart at the “Wiener Festwochen“. He was also been invited to serve on the Jury of the prestigious Steinway Competition for 2006 in Berlin. In the same year he produced his own classic show for Arte TV which was aired in May 2007. He also performed twice his new show of "Dolce&Ciabatta" for the German EU-Presidency.

Full AMREF Canada concert listing
Facebook event listing for An Evening with Measha Brueggergosman

Donate to AMREF Canada

Piano Stairs

Not enough people take the stairs these days. The solution: turn stairs into a piano keyboard, as this video by the Volkswagen fun theory initiative shows.

(Via Adrienne McKinney)

Opera Atelier at First Canadian Place

Below are some pictures from yesterday's Opera Atelier lunch-hour concert at First Canadian Place where I performed with soprano Ambur Braid, mezzo soprano Cassandra Warner, as well as dancers Jeanette Lajeunesse Zing and Nathaniel Kozlow.

As you can see, the keyboard I played on was hardly an authentic instrument - such are the difficulties of performing an outreach concert in the middle of downtown Toronto. Nevertheless, yesterday's event was an excellent way to reach an audience often new to early music, as there was not one, but three short mini-concerts geared towards people in transit who might not be able to stay longer than a few minutes.

Opera Atelier's season begins with Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride, opening October 31 and running through November 7 at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. If you're looking to score some free tickets, be sure to check out Opera Atelier's Twitter feed for a daily ticket giveway. You can also see more singers and dancers (and me) performing at OA's fall salon next week at the Toronto Board of Trade (more information to come in a few days).

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Chris Foley's Posterous

What is Music Teacher's Helper? A Quick Feature Rundown

It's no secret that one of the online services for musicians that I get most excited about is Music Teacher's Helper. I both use and promote this product and have found that it makes a world of difference in the management of both my performing and teaching activities.

But with a service that offers such depth of management tools, the most common questions I get about MTH are what it is and what it does.

To put it simply, Music Teacher's Helper is a web-based computer service that integrates studio scheduling, communications, marketing, invoicing, and income/expense tracking under one roof. Here are some of the features that are available through MTH:

• the ability to build and customize your own website with both public and login-only areas (using SSL encryption to protect your student's data)
  
• integration with your email client so you can easily communicate with individual students/parents, groups, and the studio as a whole
• online registration (still the holy grail of registration features that most schools of music and studios lack)
• online scheduling with the ability to sync with Google Calendar
• student invoicing, both manual and automated (with multiple payment options including credit cards via PayPal)
  
• income/expense tracking
• student progress tools, including lesson notes, download capability, a practice log, and lending library

You can find a complete feature list here. But what I find creates the most value in my studio with MTH is not just the depth of tools, but the fact that they are all integrated with one another, can all be easily accessed once you've logged in to the site, and can be customized to fit your agenda as a teacher.

These two videos give an excellent introduction to the service:





If you have any more questions about Music Teachers's Helper or wish to share your experiences using it, feel free to leave a comment below.

The Tri-Chromatic Keyboard

Roy Pertchik's revolutionary Tri-Chromatic Keyboard rethinks the way that the notes of a keyboard are layed out: 

I wonder how this type of keyboard layout would work on a piano?

More information and reviews of the keyboard layout and prototype vibraphone
Try a whole-tone keyboard (without color-coding)

(Thanks, Jamie!)

Professional Pianists vs. Cheap Pianists

Why, even in 2009, do audition organizers insist on hiring cheap pianists who don't know the rep? These lines from Susan Eichhorn Young's Is It Asking Too Much for a Decent Pianist? made me stand up and cheer:

Good and great pianists are worth EVERY PENNY they charge!!! They provide knowledge, support, understanding, musicality, sight reading skills, improv skills, and an incredible asset to both the singer auditioning and the people sitting at the table!!!

Don't just look at what something costs people - but look at what it is WORTH!!!

A good and great pianist is worth far more than what they charge for a day of auditioning. The difference between a poor pianist who doesn't play for singers or for auditions regularly or doesn't coach or know the repertoire and a great pianist is worth their weight in GOLD!!! It can make the audition day go smoothly - singers are happy and can relax and do their best work; the audition panel can sit back and really hear what the singer is capable of instead of guessing around the incompetence of a poor pianist...

But remember, singers, if there's a house pianist playing at auditions that you would rather not work with, you can always pay and bring your own, especially if you're auditioning with difficult songs or arias. Money spent on high-calibre pianists is always money well spent...

Stephen Harper Performs with Yo-Yo Ma: Canada is Governed by a Collaborative Pianist

Collaborative pianists are slowly taking over the western world. First there was former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Now it's Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. From the National Arts Centre last night:



(Via Canadian Opera)

Happy World Teachers' Day 2009

Monday, October 5 is World Teachers' Day 2009, a day on which we can celebrate and consider the importance that teachers play in our global society. Patricia Silver's letter to the editor in today's Toronto Star contains one of the most eloquent tributes I've seen regarding the role of music teachers in particular:

The teachers' contributions to the development and enrichment of the arts community is...a city and country full of amateur and professional musicians who create a cultured society, attend concerts, lobby for government arts support, pass on the music appreciation to their children and grandchildren, and overall, make us a better society.

More from UNESCO's World Teachers' Day site:

It is critical, during these difficult times, to seek mechanisms that protect the teaching profession. It is also crucial, despite the crisis, to ensure that investment in teachers is sufficient and proportionate to the demands made upon them. It is the teaching force with its knowledge, experience and foresight which can bring new insights to global solutions. Join us in celebrating this!

What are some of the qualities that your most memorable teachers have brought to you? How have they influenced your subsequent development?

Harpsichord Collection at the Royal Conservatory

These are some pictures I took earlier today at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. The first shot is looking west in front of Ihnatowicz Hall towards west wing and Conservatory Theatre (the multipurpose room on the second floor). The harpsichords are on display in the atrium. The skinny instrument on the second photo down is a John Shortridge harpsichord from Washington. The square harpsichord on the next photo down was built by Habbard and Dowd in 1952. I couldn't identify the instrument on its right. The harpsichord in the bottom photo was built in 1752 by Jacobus Kirchman in London.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Chris Foley's Posterous

Quote of the Day

Always construct a written payment contract between you (the pianist) and your collaborator containing the fee amount and when that amount is expected to be compensated.

--Michael Yenny, from the wall of the Collaborative Piano Blog Facebook Page

Thanks for this important reminder, Michael. Comments are welcome below. Are there situations where oral agreements are more appropriate, or are written agreements (even in email exchanges) the most reliable method to ensure terms are agreed upon?

Recording Session

Earlier today, I played in a recording session with dramatic soprano Susan Tsagkaris at Donway United, with recording engineer Timothy Minthorn presiding. Susan sang the last two songs from the Richard Strauss Four Last Songs, Měsíčku Na Nebi Hlubokém from Dvorak's Russalka, Hojotojo! from Die Walkure, and the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.

For those of you that haven't seen me in a while, yes, I've lost a fair amount of weight - nearly 40 pounds since the end of June. Because of the weird change in weather over the last few days, the Kawai was a bit pitchy - we'll see how much the climate-related tuning woes of the piano affect the final cut of Susan's demo tape once Tim is finished editing.

You can find more pictures from today's session here, here, here, and here.

Posted via email from Chris Foley's Posterous