A Music Educator for President?

Found here.

A Music and Arts Education Advocate Runs for President

This morning, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee announced his plans to run for President of the United States. You will know from reading this blog that Governor Huckabee has been an unwavering supporter of music and arts education and has used his position of power and influence to help educate others on the critical role music and arts education plays in the development of our children.

He has pledged to continue to keep this issue in the public eye and bring it into the campaign debate - just as he did today on Meet the Press:

GOV. HUCKABEE: This is from Memphis, by the way, yeah.

MR. RUSSERT: Now, I believe that song is “Born To Be Wild.” Is that your inner self?

GOV. HUCKABEE: It probably would be born to be mild would be a better one for me. I love music. One of the things that I’m very passionate about is music and art and education because it was life-changing for me. I think in a creative economy we’ve got to have a whole group of kids coming up and a generation whose left and right brains are stimulated. It’s something I pushed for as a governor in Arkansas where we are one of the few states that required both music and art education. I’m a musician, I’m passionate about it, but I think this, this country has made a huge mistake in cutting music and art out of school budgets. And it’s something we’ve got to address because the future economy is dependent upon a creative generation.

MR. RUSSERT: Governor Mike Huckabee, he’s announced for president. Thank you for sharing your views, and we’ll be following your campaign.

I Hear America Singing

Don't miss this.

Libera and "Going Home"

Composer Amy Scurria pointed me (and the rest of the choral world) to a recording she heard on NPR today, "Coming Home" by Anton Dvorak by the choral group Libera. I had never heard of the choir before, but they have quite a few recordings.

It is a particularly angelic recording that she pointed out, and I will be looking it up later.

Update on Yale Case

Look here.

How does a fight between brawling college-age males become a national story? When it involves the sons of prominent, well-connected individuals at an elite East Coast university and news organizations only too happy to propel a dreamy plot line sure to grab headlines.

But an accurate portrayal has been hard to come by, or at least difficult to get into print. Even the mighty New York Times bought into the hype, running a story over the weekend that parroted a lot of the initial reports — preppies attacked by jealous thugs while police drag their feet — which officials working on the case say is a calculated manipulation of the truth.

One would certainly have a tough time finding a better story than a group of halo-wearing a cappella singers being attacked after singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.’’ But that early report has been debunked by police sources who say the fight was much more of an alcohol-fueled brawl that erupted after much taunting at the premises of two veteran police officers — neither of whom was around during the melee. But that hasn’t stopped Leanna Dawydiak or Reno Rapagnani from painting the story as a faulty investigation by the SFPD — with the suggestion being that perhaps the police are dragging their feet because there’s still bad blood over Fajitagate.

bomb hoax

So it was a fake bomb that shut down our streets . . .

Police were called to the 1300 block of 10th Avenue South just after 4 p.m. on reports of a suspicious package, said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Henry Irby. Birmingham and UAB police closed several blocks around the area to allow bomb squad members to investigate the package, which they detonated about 6:30 p.m. Police said the package contained some wiring and resembled an explosive device.

“Whatever the purpose of the device, we don’t know,” said Irby.

No one was injured and the device was turned over to the federal Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for investigation.

Personal Reflections on Verdi's Requiem

No . . . not my personal reflections on the Verdi, but you may be interested in reading up on how one person named Liam felt about singing this work.

A few excerpts:

I still have chills remembering my very first rehearsal of Requiem, starting with this section. The group with which I first sang this piece was together for only one intense week before the performance. We were 235 voices, but we all had learned the piece before coming together. Like most, I had listened scores of times to recordings of the piece for months beforehand. At the first rehearsal, the conductor gave us background on the piece, explained to us what he was aiming for, and then signaled the accompanist to begin. After 6 bars of intro all the male voices, over 100, sang the one word "Requiem" in such quiet, strong solemnity that I was stunned into awed silence and had to collect myself before being able to continue singing.

And on the Libera Me:

Verdi substantially based this section on a Libera Me written some years before for an unfinished collaborative memorial piece for Rossini. Into it he weaves threads from previous sections and combines them in this final segment. We hear plainchant again. Here’s a reprise of the Dies Irae. He repeats the very first words and melody, “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.” Sections where the soprano and chorus sing together have elements of sweet sadness similar to what we heard in the Lacrymosa. Then Verdi gives us another fugue, this time not jubilant but more strident and at times almost desperate, begging for liberation from eternal death (“Libera me de morte aeterna”).

Verdi was an admitted agnostic. Nonetheless, to the end of this dramatic masterpiece he alternates between portraying an almost frantic pleading for rescue from damnation and a confident reliance on God’s tender and merciful salvation. He supplies us with no answers, no sunny “Amen” but leaves us to walk away and to supply them each on our own.

Beautiful Saviour

A video I found on YouTube. Wonderful scenes to accompany the fine singing.

Anthony Sets the Bar Higher

Fliegt der Schnee mir ins Gesicht,
Schüttl' ich ihn herunter.
Wenn mein Herz im Busen spricht,
Sing' ich hell und munter.

Höre nicht, was es mir sagt,
Habe keine Ohren;
Fühle nicht, was es mir klagt,
Klagen ist für Toren.

Anthony's recital last night was a remarkable accomplishment. Few undergraduate students will attempt the work; far fewer will present the work with as much class and musicianship. As far as I could tell (and I paid close attention), Anthony didn't miss a single German syllable in the entire 24-song cycle.

It's not just that he did it . . . it was how he did it. His consonants were splendid. You could tell that he carefully studied each word and each phrase. He sang the message of each song with understanding and careful nuance.It was a wonderful evening of messages and music.

Thanks, Anthony.

If the snow flies in my face,
I shake it off again.
When my heart speaks in my breast,
I sing loudly and gaily.

I don't hear what it says to me,
I have no ears to listen;
I don't feel when it laments,
Complaining is for fools.

What Choir Meant to One--Thanks Mr. Shaw.

Don't miss this post about Ipods, Robert Shaw, and the power of choral music.

An excerpt:

I remembered these things, of course, but I had filed them away in the back of my mind until one day recently I decided to find them on I tunes and download them. I was walking across the parking lot to Sears, as a matter of fact, when I plugged into my Ipod and the first bars of "Christ on the Mount of Olives" came in. I still remembered most of the alto part. But what struck me then was the memory of my mother sitting in the audience (my sister wasn't interested, and my dad stayed home with her). For the first time, I thought about what it would have been like to be her at that moment, and to hear that amazing music, and to see her daughter up there on the stage helping make it. I could put myself in her place, and if it had been me, watching one of my own daughters, I think my heart would have burst. Maybe hers did.
. . . . .
The gift Mr. Shaw gave me was not just the gift of music, which would have been rich enough; it was the gift of a kind of spiritual insight which it took years--decades--to ripen in me. Now I am 51, and I suffer from depression, and in recent months it's been particularly bad (with brief episodes of lucidity). But the consolation of music is not just a phrase; it's real. It is balm to my soul; it is water on arid soil. Mr. Shaw did not condescend to us; the works that he chose for us to sing appear on some of his best-known recordings, sung by some of the best voices ever assembled in one place. They are also, many of them, about pain that is impossible to put into words: the longing for peace, the longing for transcendence. Ecstasy. In a dark time, these are pieces of light.

Did you read about the Yale beating?

A Cappella News has some fun with it.



I found more of the story here, but it was quite a popular news item a couple of weeks ago.

Members of the Baker's Dozen, the renowned, all-male a cappella singing group from Yale, are pummeled outside a New Year's Eve party after singing "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The attackers allegedly include graduates from Sacred Heart Cathedral, one of the city's oldest and best-known private schools.

The attack happens outside the home of two prominent San Francisco police officers -- former mayoral bodyguard Reno Rapagnani, now retired, and his wife, Leanna Dawydiak -- who were both accused and later cleared of leaking internal SFPD personnel documents during the Fajitagate debacle.

As if that weren't enough, the dean of Yale College has weighed in, as has one of the victim's fathers, Sharyar Aziz -- a prominent New York banker whose son's jaw was busted in two places. He has not only called the mayor's office and police chief -- he's also retained the law firm Gonzalez (as in former mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez) and Leigh to keep the heat on the cops and make sure "the individuals behind this heinous assault (are) apprehended."

As Rapagnani tells it, his 19-year-old daughter was hosting a New Year's Eve party at the family's Richmond District home for the Baker's Dozen, who were in town as part of a West Coast tour.

The 16 singers showed up late to the party wearing preppy sport jackets and ties, and launched into "The Star-Spangled Banner."

A couple of uninvited guests started mocking them, and allegedly the words "faggot" and "homo" were tossed -- and so were a couple of punches.

UAB Wind Symphony was Fantastic

I heard two concerts last night and the second one was superb!

Sue Samuels and the UAB Wind Symphony did an outstanding job in their performance at the Alabama Music Educator's Association Thursday night concert. They represented us very well on some very difficult music. Also featured were two of our faculty: Jay Evans on trombone and Leonard Candelaria on trumpet.

The Wind Symphony features several members of our UAB Choir:

Aaron did a marvelous job on several oboe solos.
Robert Brooks was superb on baritone solos.
Chris Bales did a great job in the saxophone section, which was featured several times. Did I miss a solo, Chris?

Sing in Choir: Be Happier, Healthier, more ALERT

A great post from another blog:

When our voices blend and merge into one glorious sound, our egos dissolve too into a sense of oneness. Singing with others is a humbling experience: no voice should stand out from any other.

A survey (for the Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health) found that, of the choral singers questioned:

* 93 per cent said that singing made their mood more positive
* 89 per cent reported feeling happier;
* 79 per cent said it helped to reduce stress
* 78 per cent felt calmer.
* 74 per cent were more energetic
* 76 per cent more awake and alert.
* 74 per cent agreed that singing was “good for the soul”

New Versions of Old Recordings

I discovered how to amplify some old recordings of ours. This is from May 4, 2005:

Alleluja (Karai)
Mate Saule
Salmo
He's Got the Whole World
I Thank You Jesus

How to download mp3 files in firefox browser (scroll down about halfway down the page to view how to do it in advanced options). Basically, you go to Tools, then Options, then select the CONTENT tab. Then, pick "manage file types" and then choose "save to disk" rather than "open in Quicktime" or whatever you have.

For Internet Explorer, try this:

You might also try opening up the Windows Explorer

1. Go to Tools / Folder Options / File Types
2. Scroll down to the file Extension want to change
3. Click on the Advanced button
4. Check Confirm after download

"But . . . I have a degree in vocal performance."

I'm not sure how many of you caught American Idol tonight, but it was quite a show. The girl in the picture thought she deserved a spot because she was a HUGE fan of the show and she had a Degree in Vocal Performance.

Wow. She came on after the "rocker" who had an apple pie face and a radiohead voice:



Interesting show.

Ah, Christmas Money

Today was the day I spent that Christmas money:



I'm hoping the 80 g will hold it all.

Some thoughts on Saturday

The Concert:

Overall I was pleased with the concert. Charles Henry had good things to say about the overall impact but I'll let him make his observations to you. Linc had good things to say on his blog.

Individual pieces:

Nunc: Very good over all. Had a funny start in the 1st soprano part--the first note sort of slid up . . . "Domine . . . " Nick and Lauren said the fast section was too fast. That would be my fault but that's the way I felt it at the time, I guess.

Ave Maria: A good job.

Deep River: Beginning chord was a little unsure. We absolutely must fix this issue. I have a suspicion that our shaky first chords in concert are a result of our rehearsal process. How to solve:

1. Practice starting with pitch pipe MUCH MORE frequently. Sadie, bring the p.p.
2. People in sections must ABSOLUTELY KNOW their first notes and how they relate to the pitch given.
3. You have to know what piece we are about to sing before you know how your first pitch relates to the pitch given by pitch pipe. (i don't think that was a problem Saturday but it was before)
4. Confidence. Professionalism. Attitude. In the end, it comes down to you being focused enough to execute. I know you can. Now you must.

There were some events that surrounded our performance that, quite frankly, must never happen again:

1. A mistaken date
2. Schedule conflict with performance date
3. Extreme tardiness.
4. Unprofessional behavior in the concert warmup.
   

I spoke the mantra once on Saturday:

To be early is to be on time.
To be on time is to be late.
To be late is unacceptable.
(you must incorporate this mantra into your behavior)

Everyone makes mistakes, I know that. If we don't watch out, however, our "mistakes" are so much a part of how we function every day that that is who we are.

I'll use the section leaders to help with the problem at our next performance, so be ready, section leaders.

BCC Rehearsal Tonight

A reminder:

Birmingham Concert Choir rehearsal tonight if you can make it.

Time: 7:00 (be early)
Place: Briarwood Presbyterian Church
Bring your music, of course!

Here's a map.

Friday rehearsal in Band Room

Choir,

We'll be in the band rehearsal space today (not our regular room).

See you at 2:00!

Three Great Anthems and Texts

Some of my posts on this blog are for the benefit of other choral musicians using a search engine to find a text, a date for a composer, or something else like that. Here are three texts for great anthems to help other church musicians:

And The Father Will Dance
Words Zephaniah 3:14,17, Psalm 34:2,4; Music by Mark Hayes

And the Father will dance over you in joy!
He will take delight in whom He loves
Is that a choir I hear singing the praises of God?
No, the Lord God Himself is exulting over you in song!
And He will joy over you in song.
And He will joy over you in song (Repeat)

My soul will make its boast in God
for He has answered all my cries
His faithfulness in me is as sure as the dawn of a new day.

Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul! Awake, my soul, and sing!
Let my spirit rejoice. Let my spirit rejoice. Let my spirit rejoice in God!

Sing, O daugther of Zion, with all of your heart!
Cast away fear for you have been restored!
Put on the garment of praise as on a festival day
Join with the Father in glorious, jubilant song!

And He will joy over you in song.
And He will joy over you in song
And the Father will dance over you in joy!
He will take delight in whom He loves
Is that a choir I hear singing the praises of God?
No, the Lord God Himself is exulting over you in song!

God rejoices over you.
God rejoices over you.
God rejoices over you in song!

Who At My Door Is Standing?
Arr. K. Lee Scott

Who at my door is standing, there patiently drawing near,
who entrance is demanding? Whose is the voice I hear?
Sweetly the tones are falling: “Now open the door for me!
If thou wilt heed my calling, I will abide with thee.”
Within, the rooms are darken’d, all filled with dust and sin;
how shameful, how unworthy for Christ to enter in.
Yet, the tones are falling: “Now open the door for me!
If thou wilt heed my calling, I will abide with thee.”
Door of my heart, I hasten! Thee will I open wide.
Though he rebuke and chasten, He shall with me abide.
Sweetly the tones are falling: “Now open the door for me!”
Lord God, I hear thee calling, come now, abide with me. Dear Lord, abide with me!

Jesus, Savior, Blessed Friend
Words and Music by Deborah Govenor

Whom have I, O Lord, beside you?
What have I except your love?
Where is home if not for heaven,
there to dwell with you above?

Who are you, if not my Savior?
Who am I if not your own?
What are you if not my shelter,
Christ, my rock and cornerstone?

Jesus, Savior, blessed friend,
I will love you without end.

Who will share my earthly sorrow?
Who will heal my broken heart?
Who will hold my life together
when it seems to fall apart?>

When the fears are far too many,
and the joys are far too few,
who will comfort and defend me?
Only you, Lord only you.

Jesus, Savior, blessed friend,
I will love you without end.

Where, O Lord, when life is over,
can I go, but home to you?
What have I except the promise
where you are I shall be too?

When at last I reach the comfort
of that bright celestial place,
there with joy will I behold you,
gaze upon your glorious face.

Jesus, Savior, blessed friend,
I will love you without end.

In the Womb: Multiples [TV-PG]

multiples, originally uploaded by philipco.

For obvious reasons, I'm quite excited about this television show on Sunday night. (note: that's not my kids in the pic . . . it's a computer generated drawing)

Details of the show:

In the Womb: Multiples [TV-PG]
Sunday, January 14, 2007, at 08P

Egg and sperm meet and spark a perilous journey of fetal development, but what if there are two, three or even four along for the ride? In the Womb: Multiples, a two-hour world premiere special, utilizes groundbreaking technology to take viewers into theextraordinary world of twins, triplets and quadruplets as they develop in utero. The special follows the stories of three expectant mothers from conception to birth and travels inside the womb to see the tiny fetuses begin to interact with each other.

Google calendar addition to the right

It was Katie's idea, and a good one. See the ADD EVENT to GOOGLE CALENDAR button to the right.

And if you can't tell, I'm a little technically infatuated with Google Calendar. I found a program yesterday that will sync it with my Pocket PC named GOOSYNC. If you do the PocketPc or calendar on your phone, you may be interested in this program. All I can say is . . . it works. (and that is saying alot when it comes to syncing anything)

A recommended Verdi recording

Here is an ITUNES link to a recording of the Verdi Requiem that I like. I downloaded it and it sounded great. Tempos are a little slow according to the review below, but that might help you learn it.

(Review From Amazon.com)
Harnoncourt's Verdi Requiem stresses the "spiritual" aspects of the work and downplays its theatrical elements. He's aided by the wonderful playing and singing of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir. Both give Harnoncourt precisely what he wants. It's doubtful though that what results in a recording competitive with the best. Pacing is agonizingly slow, without the rhythmic life that allows other versions that stress the score's religious aspects (Guilini for EMI and BBC, Fricsay for DG) to retain their classic status. The slow tempos do allow Harnoncourt to explore details often overlooked by others, so the huge outbursts of the "Dies Irae" section have the kind of precise articulation and carefully observed instrumental details rarely heard. But the slow speeds also come at the cost of pushing his miscast, light-voiced solo quartet far beyond their limits. Their singing is full of carefully refined tonal shadings that seem out of place in this work, as well as afflicted by intrusive vibratos. Verdi completists and the curious will want this; others will be content with such longtime favorites as the Giulini, Solti (Decca), and Toscanini (RCA) versions. --Dan Davis

What American accent do YOU have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Northeast
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Google Calendar

I'm working at adding Google Calendar functionality to this blog. All choir dates are on this calendar.

I do it this way: I keep my normal calendar on Google, then I ADD the UAB Choir Calendar to it. Play with it--maybe you can figure it out!

You can subscribe to the UAB Choirs Calendar here: (please let me know if this works)

A revolutionary technology for college men

Saw this today and realize it could really make a difference in the lives of college men everywhere.

Self-Cleaning Underwear Goes Weeks Without Washing

Self-cleaning fabrics could revolutionize the sport apparel industry. The technology, created by scientists working for the U.S. Air Force, has already been used to create t-shirts and underwear that can be worn hygenically for weeks without washing.

The new technology attaches nanoparticles to clothing fibers using microwaves. Then, chemicals that can repel water, oil and bacteria are directly bound to the nanoparticles. These two elements combine to create a protective coating on the fibers of the material.

Spring Dates 2007

Important Dates for the Semester:

January 13
UAB Honor Choir Performance (3:00 p.m.)

January 29
Verdi Requiem Rehearsal (Briarwood Pres., 7:00 p.m.)

January 30
Verdi Requiem Rehearsal, Jemison Concert Hall (7:00 p.m.)

February 1
Verdi Requiem Rehearsal (7:00 p.m.)

February 2
Quink Masterclass (Quink is a professional vocal ensemble)
Verdi Requiem Performance #1 (8:00 p.m.)

February 3
Verdi Requiem Performance #2 (8:00 p.m.)

February 26
ACDA Invitational Choir Festival (UAB Choral Ensembles perform several times during the day . . . . TBA) (February 26 is a Monday)

March 5
UAB Concert Choir performance, Miles College (during class time)

March 7 -10
ACDA National Convention (Copeland out)

Monday, March 5 Concert at Miles
Tuesday, March 6 No Class
Wednesday, March 7 No Class
Thursday, March 8 No Class
Friday, March 9 No Class

March 11-17
UAB Spring Break

April 12
UAB Opera

April 13
No Class (Copeland Out)

April 17
Choir Recording Day (2:00 – 4:00 Bluff Park Methodist)

April 20
UAB Choirs Spring Choral Concert (8:00 p.m.)

April 24
Choir Recording Day (2:00 – 4:00 Bluff Park Methodist)

April 25
Last Day of Class

Apr 26
Weather Make-up Days

Apr 27
Weather Make-up Days

Apr 28 - May 4 Final Exams

May 3
Choir Recording Day (2:00 – 4:00 Bluff Park Methodist)

May 5
Graduation/Diploma Date

Sunday performance Spring 2007

No church has been scheduled yet, but I'm planning on us singing at a worship service on the Sunday following Easter. It's a good time for us as a choir to sing then and the church musicians don't mind as much since the High Holy Day is over.

So, mark it down: April 15 will be a UAB Choir Sunday.

Black Sheep

If someone can find the official story behind this song, let me know.

Recordings for you to embrace:

First Choir
Second Choir

Your internet settings may play them through your internet browser. If you want to download it, look here to change the settings.

(Hint: If you are using Internet Explorer, select "Save Target As." If you are using Netscape or Firefox, select "Save Link As." Save the file to the location of your choice.)

Enjoy!

Quasi-Lock-In Update

Working with the movie company (Rave Motion Pictures) got complicated today and the early possibility of going to a private showing doesn't look like it will work out.

I think we can still accomplish what I wanted to accomplish with a revised schedule:

1. A significant beginning on the Verdi Requiem
2. A group activity for the choir

What we would do:
1. I provide Pizza and Salad and Drinks
2. We dismiss in time to go to a late movie (but it would be an "on your own" event and you could choose not to participate--but I hope you do!)

Revised Schedule:
Friday, January 5
5:30 - 7:00 rehearsal
7:00 dinner (Verdi seems to dictate pizza)
7:30 - 10:00 rehearsal (broken up into reasonable segments)
10:25 Movie

A Movie and Reading Around the Internet

Leigh and I saw "Night at the Museum" tonight. It was . . . OK. Not great. Cute. Maybe it was just me, but I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

I had a more productive time reading this touching story about a fallen soldier's 200 page journal to his young son and seeing 13 photographs that changed the world. Here's one:

As era-defining photographs go, "Migrant Mother" pretty much takes the cake. For many, Florence Owens Thompson is the face of the Great Depression, thanks to legendary shutterbug Dorothea Lange. Lange captured the image while visiting a dusty California pea-pickers’ camp in February 1936, and in doing so, captured the resilience of a proud nation facing desperate times.

(that was from a quote in the article)
I don't know if you know about Digg.com but it is taking me to some wonderful stories.

Saw Robert and Katie at the Vestavia Starbucks . . . it was good to see you guys again. Looking forward to Thursday! (and Friday)

In the News

newspaper, originally uploaded by philipco.

Reviewing 2006

It seems appropriate to review the past year for the choir as we look forward to 2007. It might be said that 2006 was full of notable achievements for the choir:

• Participation in the ASO's Martin Luther King recognition with "If I can help somebody."
• Concert Performance at Southern Division ACDA (West Virginia)
• Joint Concert with Birmingham Concert Chorale in Mozart's "Solemn Vespers."
• New York trip and performance at Carnegie Hall
• Bach's "Singet"
• New organization of Women's Choir and Men's choir. (perhaps better described as a new "approach" to Women's Choir and Men's Choir.)
• Outstanding performance at Alabama Collegiate Choral Festival.
• Best "Christmas at the Alys" since I've been here.

Congrats and thanks to all who work so hard to make our choir great.

Auld Lang Syne

Some call it "Ole Lang Syne" or a number of other titles, but here it is with it's proper title. Happy 2007 everyone. Wikipedia has a great history of the song.

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?
And here's a hand, my trusty friend
And gie's a hand o' thine
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne