Monthly Archives: November 2009

Cool new stuff

I’m always on the prowl for cool new stuff, and the Eigenharp certainly fits the bill. It takes the idea of a composite instrument and takes it to a new level (the range of sounds seems limitless) – I especially … Continue reading

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FutureClassics Redux

This year’s edition of the Composer Institute is now a week behind us, but those of you who missed the FutureClassics concert and want to hear some of the music that we were blogging about can now hear it online, … Continue reading

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Happy Thanksgiving!

A little feel-good story for you this gray (at least here in the upper Midwest) Thanksgiving Day; Placido Domingo signed autographs post-performance last night until nearly 2 am. A wonderful thought, on two levels: 1) that an artist of his … Continue reading

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Fighting For The Right To Complain

This past week, an honest-to-God US Congressman introduced a measure on the floor of the House which would designate the day before Thanksgiving “Complaint Free Wednesday.” His heart was probably in the right place, but honestly. The economy’s in the … Continue reading

Posted in fun, singers and singing | 1 Comment

I’m not a witch, I’m your wife

(Yes, cinephiles, that is indeed a “Princess Bride” reference) While Sam and the Orchestra have been occupied with the Composer Institute this week, I’ve been preoccupied with Humperdinck…well, actually, this Humperdinck. I’m always surprised how well-known Hansel and Gretel is … Continue reading

Posted in opera, score study, women in music | 3 Comments

The Art of Self-Destruction

Okay, so there’s this dancer/performance artist in the UK who is planning to purposefully induce in herself an epilectic seizure in front of a paying audience. Not only that, the Arts Council of England has apparently endorsed this seemingly insane … Continue reading

Posted in music and health, polling blog readers | 1 Comment

Fightin’ Words

UPDATE, 11/18: Composer Institute participant Spencer Topel’s latest blog entry is up over at NewMusicBox. This time around, Spencer’s pondering just how far composers will travel to hear the music they’ve written, and how that ties into Americans’ sense of … Continue reading

Posted in composers, new music, stirring the pot | 2 Comments

Monday time-waster

You’ve gotta try this out; it’s a web widget that allows you to type in a sentence which is then played back using those same words culled from a library of popular songs. Perfect 2-minute break on a manic Monday.

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Readying For The Composer Invasion

Our annual Composer Institute starts up again next week, and since Sarah and I have blogged about it quite a bit in past years, I won’t rehash the basics. But I wanted to quickly draw attention to NewMusicBox, the much-respected … Continue reading

Posted in composers, new music | 2 Comments

Orchestra hero?

Yes, please! (and do take a listen to the soundclip towards the end of the article…)

Posted in fun, music and technology | 2 Comments