Soprano 1 Victory Video

Congrats again, sopranos! (music by Jim Croce)

Soprano 1 Victory Lunch

Check out the slideshow here.

For Music Appreciation: Spivey Hall

Thursday Concert at Spivey Hall #1


Friday Concert at Spivey Hall #2

For Music Appreciation: Organ Recital Info

Offertory: Chorale Prelude on “O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde groß,” BWV 622, from the Orgelbüchlein - J. S. Bach

Sonata in A, Op. 65, No. 3 - Mendelssohn
I. Con moto maestoso
II. Andante tranquillo

Prelude and Fugue in A, BWV 536 - Bach

Prelude on “I Love to Tell the Story” - Whitworth

Suite gothique, Op. 25 - Boëllmann
I. Introduction–Choral
II. Menuet gothique
III. Prière à Notre-Dame
IV. Toccata

Putting it Out There

I heard about this guy tonight from a friend in the School of Education. He's a cell phone salesman and went on Britain's version of American Idol: Britain's got Talent" with Simon Cowell as a judge. There is something really special about this clip . . . the guy isn't much to look at and he's under a lot of pressure on the world's stage.

He starts singing, and the beautiful girl in the middle starts to look at him a different way. The audience applauds at the first sound of his voice--a bit of a thrill right there. He hits the high note in the aria and the beautiful judge in the middle is visibly moved . . . the audience goes crazy with applause . . .

It's the power of great music, a great voice, and an intersection of opportunity and talent. It gives me hope for true art and pride in great music.

Do you think it is as special as I do?

NY Times article on the video, the event, and the singer here.

2007 College Choral Festival Date Selected

Choir,

I've updated the calendar just a bit.

The 2007 College Choral Festival will be Thursday, November 1 at 2007.

It is also likely that Trinity Methodist Church will be the church we sing at on October 14, 2007. (both services)

Look here for the full list of dates.

Fanfare For the Common Man

Famous work by Aaron Copland. Performed in Carnegie Hall.

Leonard Bernstein Strainvsky's The Rite of Spring rehearsal

Two benefits:
1. Watching a master conductor work with a young orchestra
2. Hearing and seeing an orchestra perform Stravinsky.

A Documentary on Igor Stravinsky

More music appreciation. Listen close.

Rudolf Nureyev Pierrot Lunaire G.Tetley

For my music appreciation students, and anyone else who might be interested to see a little close up of a dancer moving to Schoenberg.

Barnes&Noble @ UAB

Interesting news for you:

Book retailer Barnes & Noble has entered a contract with UAB to manage the university bookstore in Hill University Center beginning July 1. The deal includes plans by the retailer to make physical and technological upgrades to improve customer service and a commitment to provide scholarships for textbook purchases.

Richard Margison, UAB vice president for financial affairs and administration, said the university has observed the emerging trend for large booksellers to contract for the operation of on-campus bookstores. “The sellers have the systems in place to provide optimal service to our customers,” Margison said.

“We will bring a Barnes & Noble trade and reference books section to the center of UAB and a variety of school spirit and unique gift items as well,” said Brian Stark vice president of stores.

Barnes & Noble also will invest $600,000 in physical and technological upgrades to provide better service to the UAB community, and by spring 2008, students should be able to electronically purchase books at the time of online class registration that correspond with their classes.

Additionally, Barnes & Noble also is providing $25,000 annually to assist UAB students with the cost of books, and UAB is working to establish the process for applying for these scholarships, Margison said.

Barnes & Noble welcomes students to apply for employment opportunities at the bookstore.

Final Music Appreciation files

Unit 21
Unit 22
Unit 23

Facebook in 40 Years

I know that my social networking students will love this.

Women In Art

You may enjoy this.

Brahms 2008 and other dates

Choir,

Getting a few of the 2007-2008 dates to you early in this post.

We are doing the Brahms Requiem with the Alabama Symphony and Birmingham Concert Chorale.

Rehearsal dates:
Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 7-9:30
Friday, Feb. 15 8 p.m. CONCERT
Saturday, Feb. 16 8 p.m. CONCERT


Other dates:
August 20, 2007 3:00 p.m. Choir Placement Auditions (all singers required to attend)
August 25, 2007 All day (one possibility is to have an all day work day on this saturday and eliminate friday rehearsals--more info later. feel free to give me your thoughts now!)
September 22, 2007 9:00 a.m. UAB Concert Choir sings at UAB Scholars Symposium (Saturday Morning)
October 14, 2007 UAB Concert Choir at some church - Trinity Methodist (made definite on July 6, 2007) We'll sing for both services!
October 20, 2007 Fall Choirs Concert
November 1, 2007 ACDA College Choral Festival (added 6/27/2007)
December 8, 2007 Dress Rehearsal: Christmas at the Alys
December 9, 2007 Christmas at the Alys
January 12, 2007 Sing at UAB Honor Choir

Brahms Requiem Week. Rehearsal times:
Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 7-9 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 7-9:30
February 15 8 p.m. Brahms Requiem
February 16 8 p.m. Brahms Requiem

February 25, 2008 ACDA Invitational Choir Festival
April 18, 2008 UAB Spring Choir Concert

Opera in Atlanta

See this website.
Directions.

2007 Harrower Summer Opera Workshop Scenes Performance
Friday, June 22, 2007 - 7:30 PM
W. Dwight Coleman, artistic director

The three-week Harrower Summer Opera Workshop (June 4-24, 2007) concludes with performances of opera scenes on Friday, June 22 and Sunday, June 24. The Friday performance will feature the premiere of Bluebeard's Waiting Room, a new opera by Milton Granger, with piano accompaniment, as well as scenes from Charpentier's Louise, Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Don Giovanni, Bizet's Carmen, Monteverdi's L’Incoronazione di Poppea, and Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel.

Venue: Balzer Theatre at Herren's, 84 Luckie Street
Cost: $20 general admission, $10 students with ID
Contact: 404-651-1326

2007 Harrower Summer Opera Workshop Scenes Performance
Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 3:00 PM
W. Dwight Coleman, artistic director

The three-week Harrower Summer Opera Workshop (June 4-24, 2007) concludes with performances of opera scenes on Friday, June 22 and Sunday, June 24. The Sunday performance will feature scenes from Misha V. Stefanuk's Wolfy (premiere), Hoiby's Summer and Smoke, Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street, Britten's The Turn of the Screw, Janácek's The Cunning Little Vixen, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte and Le nozze di Figaro, Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe, Argento's Postcard from Morocco, Blitzstein's Regina, Strauss' Die Fledermaus, and Barber's Vanessa.

Venue: Balzer Theatre at Herren's, 84 Luckie Street
Cost: $20 general admission, $10 students with ID
Contact: 404-651-1326

Organ Recital

For the music appreciation class and anyone else who wants to go:

"The Greatest Organ Recital of the Century" on Sunday, June 24 at 6:00pm.

Event: The Greatest Organ Recital of the Century
What: Concert
Host: Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church
When: Sunday, June 24 at 6:00pm
Where: PRBC

Directions

Music appreciation 16-20

Unit 16
Unit 17
Unit 18
Unit 19
Unit 20

It's tough to be a singer.

From the blog "A Singer's Life" by Michelle Bennett

You'll enjoy this insight into the life of a professional singer:

Do you want to be a singer? Consider this first:

1. Absolutely no guarantee of appreciation, recognition or work. Guarantee of criticism and numerous failures which are sometimes very public.

2. Filling out endless applications for money, schools, competitions, auditions and jobs with little or no success. Rejection.

3. Perpetual lack of money. Having to scrounge to pay for coachings, lessons, travel, sheet music, language training, body work, etc. Sometimes having your telephone turned off, health insurance cut, with no way to pay the rent. Or else making the decision to prostitute your soul and life time in a day job in order to pay for the things which fulfill you on the side.

More here.

Francesca speaks

For you old timers, you remember the witty Francesca. Rosko

For those who don't know her, she's hilarious. She can sing, too. And . . . . she taught us how to stand like a choir should.

Check out her blooper tape.

More from Francesca here. Nearly every day.

More files for Music Appreciation

Upcoming units:

Unit 7
Unit 9
Unit 10
Unit 11
Unit 12
Unit 13
Unit 14

Recordings come when I do them

Choir,

I know you want to hear recordings from our sessions, but they aren't ready yet. I've not done them. You need patience, because it's not likely I'll do them soon.

Enjoy your summer! Check the blog occasionally. When I begin updating it frequently, it will be frequent. If you have questions, email me.

Four files for Music Appreciation

Unit 1
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 6

still alive

i proclaim the blog still alive . . . .