Why would I want to read or listen to someone talk about something they didn't take the time to research, develop, and write? Ugh.

Wow all your copyright. That's a lot. Curious what others will say. I would be cautious too.

The result was a fun, adventurous art song in the mythic style of Tolkien, with a text by one of his classmates, Geoffrey Bache Smith. Have a listen! www.ianschipperbass.com/about-5

Thank you to Ian Schipper and Elizabeth Caswell for their gorgeous and magical performance of "By Candlelight" on Ian's debut album, "Und grüne fröhlich" (And grow happy). A few years ago, Ian and I were matched up as part of Cascadia Composers In Good Hands collaboration.

"If starlight be" was commissioned by National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) as part of their Composer Mentorship Program. Many thanks to Tom Cipullo for his guidance as I wrote the piece.

Alissa and Anja are so vibrant and powerful in this performance and I am so deeply grateful to them for recording & sharing the song.

If Starlight Be

I'm so honored to share this recording of "If starlight be," Felicia Zamora's and my art song, performed & released by Art Music Society's Alissa Roca and Anja Arko!

open.spotify.com/album/1tC804...

Scene 1 of The Velevetren Rabbit Opera complete!
#composer

Thank you! Let me know how it goes!

Do yourself a favor and subscribe to this amazing podcast. The community Eric builds around music making is supportive, inspiring, and genuine. The pod is worthy of being part of your regular listening!

The importance of joy and re-connecting with the love that brought you to music in the first place

Topics we covered:

Portfolio careers & following multiple passions - it's possible, even though academia really makes you think it isn't!

How to feed your own creativity, while maintaining a music studio that supports you with steady income

Follow Your Curiosity: Designing a Sustainable Music Career with Dr. Lisa Neher

Thanks to Eric Branner for having me on The FourForty Podcast to talk about Designing a Sustainable Music Career!

open.spotify.com/episode/0NDh...

All Classical Radio | All Classical 89.9 KQAC FM Portland, Oregon, 88.1 KQOC FM Gleneden Beach, 90.1 KQHR FM Hood River, 88.1 KQDL FM The Dalles Classical Radio for Northwest Oregon, Southwest Washing... Non-commercial, classical music radio and fine arts information in Portland, Oregon. Free world-wide stream. 89.9 KQAC FM Portland, Oregon, 88.1 KQOC FM Gleneden Beach, 90.1 KQHR FM Hood River, 88.1 K...

The piece we will perform is "Wherever You Are," setting a poem by @dekinesoul . It's a piece about holding two truths at the same time. Likewise, Sabina's beautiful portal paintings contrast two landscapes.

All Classical Radio | All Classical 89.9 KQAC FM Portland, Oregon, 88.1 KQOC FM Gleneden Beach, 90.1 KQHR FM Hood River, 88.1 KQDL FM The Dalles Classical Radio for Northwest Oregon, Southwest Washing... Non-commercial, classical music radio and fine arts information in Portland, Oregon. Free world-wide stream. 89.9 KQAC FM Portland, Oregon, 88.1 KQOC FM Gleneden Beach, 90.1 KQHR FM Hood River, 88.1 K...

I'm honored that my music will be shared with art by Sabina Haque as part of this collaboration.

Tune into Thursdays @ 3 on 89.9 FM locally or online at allclassical.org! You can also listen to an archive of the broadcast for 2 weeks.

This Thursday, catch Dianne Davies and I performing with Cascadia Composers on @allclassicalradio.bsky.social 's Thursdays @ 3!

We will be previewing music for our March 8th Concert Mosaic program, which is a collaboration between local composers, visual artists, and performers.

Siren Snarl by Jodi Goble and Basil Considine YouTube video by Lisa Neher

Imagine - you finally find a man worth spending time with...and your sisters EAT him. That's a day in the life of a Siren!

Jodi Goble & Basil Considine's aria "Siren Snarl" from Sirens vs. Amazons is darkly hilarious and so much fun to sing!

youtu.be/eWPodPK5WPo

Gratitude as always to Stephanie Thompson at the piano and Nicholas Emerson for recording!

Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris from Vivaldi's Gloria YouTube video by Lisa Neher

Vivaldi's Gloria is a perennial favorite! The repeated pleas to have mercy on us remind me how we all make mistakes and that part of our work as humans is to learn to admit those mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and make reparations.

youtu.be/EmG3XV8zOIc

Amazing!!

Woe unto them who forsake him from Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn YouTube video by Lisa Neher

One of my favorite oratorio arias: "Woe unto them who forsake him" from Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah.
It's a warning against abandoning God and a song of frustration and grief at the frailty of humankind.

youtu.be/jXGdcMNptOA

#mezzo

I have 2 days left in the return period, so maybe...

Oh great. My new laptop with an advertised 7 hours of battery life has a battery life of...
...wait for it...
1 hour.

❤️ Stranger Things!!

Oh interesting! My experience is definitely skewed to my demographic cohort, 30-40 year old singers (ish).
I love the show, but there are not enough roles for sopranos & mezzos.

Totally.

🤣

Soprano/Mezzo run opera companies are contributing to the exclusion of their voice types when they keep doing shows like Amahl exactly as written.

Be a part of the solution. Create opportunities, not just for you to sing a leading role, but for other brilliant and often overlooked singers.

But what does that do to our fellow soprano & mezzos?
Nothing. It ignores their talents and excludes them from casting -- relegating them to the tiny shepherd/shepherdess chorus and denying them a chance to shine.

Most small companies are run by sopranos & mezzos --because we have to be innovative and entrepreneurial in this field to work. And understandably, they LOVE the role of the Mother in Amahl--it's a deliciously juicy theatrical role. So they produce the show and get to sing the Mother.