“Don’t play what’s there; play what’s not there.” – Miles Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer.

ダンスがメインの劇場、Sadler’s Wells Theatre（サドラーズ・ウェルズ劇場）で開催中のSvapnagata Festivalの演目、「Akram Khan & Nitin Sawhney: Confluence」を見た。友人が、一緒に見る予定だった人が突然来れなくなったというので、講演の前日に誘ってくれたのだ。前から数列目と言うとても良い席で、パフォーマンスを目の当たりにできた。

Svapnagata（サンスクリット語で「Dreaming（夢見ている）」の意） Festivalは、２週間に及ぶインド音楽とダンスのフェスティバル。Confluence（26〜28日）はそのトリを務める公演で、世界初演となる。Confluence（合流、群衆、集合）は、Zero Degrees（ゼロ度・2005年）やBahok（バホーク・2008年）でも共作した、バングラデシュ系イギリス人のダンサー／振付師であるAkram Khan（アクラム・カーン）とインド系イギリス人の作曲家・Nitin Sawhney（ニティン・ソーニー）がコラボ。彼らのルーツである南アジアの文化的・精神的影響を探る作品だ。

ゼロ度は、私たちの好きなイギリス人アーティスト・アントニー・ゴームリーが製作した人形を舞台で使っているというので、同じくサドラーズ・ウェルズで見たのだが、その時に、カーンのダンスに初めて出会った。Confluenceでも彼の魅力は充分生かされ、北インドの古典舞踊カタック（Kathak）の踊り手でもあるカーンの、しなやかで力強いダンス、流れるような手の動き、ぶれない高速旋回、そして足に鈴をつけて踊るカタックの見事なステップが、半透明のスクリーンに幽玄的にぼんやりと浮かび上がる、スクリーンの後ろで演奏するミュージシャンたちの奏でるソーニーの美しい音楽と見事にマッチしていて、観客を魅惑・熱狂させた。古典舞踊とコンテンポラリー・ダンス、そして伝統的音楽と現代音楽を融合させた、素晴らしいパフォーマンスだった。残念だったのは、1時間ちょっとという短い公演時間。もっと見たかった！

I went to see “Akram Khan & Nitin Sawhney: Confluence“, a part of Svapnagata (meaning ‘dreaming’ in Sanskrit) Festival, two-week festival of Indian music and dance, at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre which specialises in dance. My friend asked me to join her the day before, as she got a spare ticket because her friend couldn’t make it. She got great seats which were only few rows away from the stage and we could see the performance up close.

Confluence (Nov 26 to 28), which was the festival’s climaxes and its world premiere, is a joint creation by Bangladeshi-British dancer/choreographer Akram Khan and Indian British composer Nitin Sawhney, who also previously collaborated in Zero Degrees and Bahok. In Confluence, Khan and Sawhney explore their cultural and psychological mix of influences.

I went to see Zero Degrees at the Sadler’s Wells because British Artist Antony Gormley was also involved in the creation, and it was my first experience with Khan’s mesmerizing dance. Khan, also a dancer of Northern Indian classical dance Kathak, showed us his elastic but powerful dance, streaming hand movements, stable high-speed turns, and beautiful steps of Kathak and the sound of the bells worn around his ankles, and these perfectly matched with Sawhney’s beautiful music on its simple stage. The scenes that silhouettes of musicians who were playing behind the screen came to dimly appear through the thin screen was pretty mysterious. It was a stunning performance which mixed classical Indian dance / contemporary dance and traditional music / modern music, and excited the audiences. I wish the performance was a bit longer (it was only 1 hour and 15 min)!

photo: Morley von Sternburg

photo: Morley von Sternburg

Проблема:

При установке IBM Rational Method Composer возникает ошибка:

Ошибка на этапе “установки”:
Ошибка операции активации LUM на этапе install; файл лицензии в “C:\Program Files\IBM\RMC72/lum/”.

или

Error during “install” phase:
LUM enablement operation error during install phase for license file at “C:\Program Files\IBM\RMC72/lum/”.

Причина:

IBM Rational Method Composer 7.2 поставляется с временной лицензией, срок действия которой до 31 декабря 2008.

Решение:

На время установки IBM Rational Method Composer 7.2 перевести системное время на дату до 31 декабря 2008.

Randy Newman, American composer

I was looking at upcoming movies and stumbled upon the trailer for The Young Victoria starring the very talented Emily Blunt. It doesn’t open until mid December, but I am happy with the trailer for now! Ah-mazingly enough the trailer had TWO of my favorite scores as underscore. There are three pieces total: I believe the first is a piece composed for this trailer specifically, the second is a piece titled Here Comes the King, again by X-Ray Dog (previous post), and the final piece is PM’s Love Theme from the film Love Actually, composed by Craig Armstrong! Quite the epic selection for this epic period piece. I’ll be honest, I will be making the trip to see it in theaters.

Take a look at the trailer!

The trailer is here, and it looks gorgeous! The score of the trailer is titled “The Odyssey” by X-Ray Dog of Burbank, CA–a company that scores for films and film trailers. By the sound and look of it, this movie is one to look forward to!

It comes to theaters on December 25, 2009!

“Communication is key.” This is phrase we hear a lot of times. We focus so much on the things we feel we need to say, and most of the time we get it right. However, there is a major aspect that we forget to address – tone.

In music, composers and [smart] producers use timbre and orchestration to set a mood or tone to whatever message they’re communicating in their music.  Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t – personal taste – but I assume that the writer knew what he was trying to say and how he wanted to say it: What Makes Good Writing?

Timbre is what helps us tell the difference between a piano and violin or any combination of intsruments. The tonal colour is unique for each instrument. Regardless of whether they are playing the same note or not. Similarly, the colour of the voice [tone] helps us distinguish the difference between mommy’s anger or love.

Some people are very sensitive to tone and timbre. You can spew out the nastiest words to someone in a well-coloured tone and your words may not have as much of an impact as they would if you had said something kind in an dark tone.

I don’t think the things we say matter as much as how we say them. What do you think?

It’s been a busy few weeks. I am trying to get disciplined with this whole blog thing. So regardless of how spent I feel tonight, I thought I should get some words down to expose what’s been goin on.

I have been dealing with all creative fronts for the last few weeks. In the commercial scoring scene I have gone after a few commercials. They are not unlike cattle calls where a production house sends out a spot to various composers and you’ve got about a day to throw something at it. I used to snub my nose at spec work but now have adopted a new perspective. Even though you are essentially working for nothing there is a good upside. I feel that by trying scoring on some new picture I will just be further developing my composing chops. Also commercials are like small films but packed into 30 seconds. It’s amazing how much creative time you can put into 30 seconds of music. And if I do not get the gig I simply have another track to add to my library, which I hope to eventually sell online. And if I am lucky and do get the gig then I get paid! Which is what it’s about right. That’s when the business part connects to the music part and you feel like a pro! So my shots at a Walmart and Tim Horten’s commercial did not pan out. Even though with my rather biased opinion I thought my tracks were quite excellent. I will try and figure out how to post the tracks and expose them to critical audiences globally. Here is my shot at the Tim Horten Spot. It is kind of hard to get it without the visuals. Tim Horten Spot – Yohands I wanted African overtones in the score. In the final moment I have the theme played with piano and get a little more aggressive with the rhythm to reflect the new land in which they have arrived. I find it interesting to see what one can do in a short time. For me time constraints can be a good thing to put on the creative flow otherwise you can mess around with it forever!

In the meantime I am still working on a series titled Pitchin In” which is a cooking show. And today I began work on a series titled “Princess”. No it’s not a Walt Disney movie but rather a series about young women who spend beyond their means. THe producer Jennifer Horvath thinks “Pussy Cat Dolls” is a good musical influence for the show. So I listened to “when I grow up” to get inspired. I think instead I got visually stimulated vs musically stimulated. I am sending in the first draft tonight but I will also post it here. Princess Title Draft 1

On the voice over scene I have been auditions to a site titled www.voice123.com.  I think this could prove to be very cool. Set up a USB mic in the studio (audio -techinica 2020) and seem to be getting a good sound. Who knows, maybe one day this will become more lucrative then scoring!

Also finally starting to get some performing gigs. The recession really did take a monster bite out of that scene. Looking forward to playing again, especially as a trio. Have been practicing every morning to keep the chops up. But nothing is better than a live gig.

So that is a wrap for today.

I am eating my second round of apple pie. I woke up this morning and did not think |I would be eating apple pie today, let alone on two different occasions. Not sure if I mentioned this before but part of my diverse income stream comes from voice overs. My good friend Elly Ray got me into doing voice overs. Many people have said that I should do voice overs but until this year I never really got it together to make it happen. Elly helped me out with a demo and I am very fortunate to be represented by Edna Talent Management.

I spotted the name of a composer named Randy Newman who wrote the music for Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, due out in theaters on December 25, 2009.

I thought it would be interesting to learn what a music composer does for movies.

Randy Newman sings a song he wrote for Toy Story – You’ve got a friend in Me.

jr378 on youtube provided this video.

Randy Newman at MacWorld 2008 playing his song from Toy Story about Buzz & Woody’s friendship.

I also found an interesting article posted by ExploreMediaGroup on youtube that talks about all the movies that have been converted over to 3D/Animation.

I thought I’d post it for interest sake.

ExploreMediaGroup on youtube writes:

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (2009) 3D Movie Trailer

http://3DGuy.tv

From the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” comes the musical, The Princess and the Frog, which is an animated comedy set in the great city of New Orleans. It features a beautiful girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) and a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again and that fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical boyous of Louisiana. The Princess of the Frog has music by Oscar Winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.”, “Cars”, “Toy Story”)

Cast of The Princess and the Frog includes: Princess Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), Dr. Facilier (Keith David), Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), Lawrence (Peter Bartlett), Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff (John Goodman), Charlotte La Bouff (Jennifer Cody), Ray (Jim Cummings), Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), James (Terrence Howard), Eudora (Oprah Winfrey).

The Princess and the Frog is directed by Rob Clements and John Musker, produced by Peter Del Vecho, and composed by Randy Newman.

Princess and the Frog is copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

2009 3D Movie List

Deep Sea-quel (2009)
TinTin (2009)
Crood Awakening (2009)
Night of the Living Dead (2009)
Untitled Dustin Voigt Project (Formally Godspeed) (2009)
The Magic Tale (2009)
The Dark Country (2009)
Horrorween 3D (2009)
Dawn of the Dead – converted to 3D (2009)
Around The World in 50 Years (2009)
1.8 Days (2009)
The Princess and the Frog (2009) Dec 25, 2009
Frankenweenie (2009) Dec 18, 2009
AVATAR (2009) Dec 18, 2009
Planet 51 (2009) Nov 20, 2009
Disneys A Christmas Carol (2009) Nov 6, 2009
Toy Story in 3D (2009) Oct 2, 2009
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) Sep 18, 2009
Final Destination 4: Death Trip 3D (aka: Final Destination 4) (2009) Aug 21, 2009
G-Force (2009) July 24, 2009
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009) July 17, 2009
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) July 4, 2009
Up (2009) May 29, 2009
Battle for Terra (pre-release title: Terra) (2009) May 1, 2009
Monsters vs Aliens (2009) March 27, 2009
Bob the Builder in 4D (2009) March 2009
Jonas Brothers – The 3D Concert Experience (2009) Feb 27, 2009
Under the Sea 3D (production title: Deep Sea-quel 3D) (2009) Feb 13, 2009
Coraline (2009) Feb 6, 2009
My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) Jan 16, 2009
Toyko Mater (2008) Dec 12, 2009

The Nolan Insignia website is named after a former relative, Johannah Nolan. We are keen genealogists and we also believe in ancestor worship and ancestor spirits, in the Shaman sense. One of our direct relatives was a man called William Makepeace who worked as a Footman for Lady Olivia Bernard Sparrow at Brampton Park in Huntingdon, in the 1830’s. Some relatives were wealthy and others were poor but they always had a good sense of self and were proud of their abilities, whether they were serving others or serving themselves. Some were farmers, some were teachers and others had a trade. Many were interested in the arts.

Sir Harrison Birtwistle, the composer is related to us via Caroline Makepeace Harrison, one of the daughters of William Makepeace and Mary Cragg. he is a distant cousin, (hence his name, Harrison). We are also related to science fiction writer and novelist Stanley Makepeace-Lott, from a time when some of the family lived at 75, 99 and 105 Brunswick Road in Liverpool, Merseyside, now possibly demolished.

A very intrepid distant cousin (with a lot of time on his hands and presumably a lot of hobby money to spare!) has actually traced one branch of our family back to the 15th Century. Some of the Makepeaces were cousins of the Washington family and both families held on to Sulgrave Manor in Oxfordshire until about 1659, where apparently there is a statue of George Washington, so presumably we are all distantly related to him too!

The reason for this post is that we’d like to think that we are also carrying on some of the Makepeace art at Nolan Insignia, as we take our Theater of the Streets very seriously as a ‘Street’ art-form.

Sir Harrison Birtwistle

Sulgrave Manor

Nolan Insignia

Originally achieving some sort of semblance of fame as the singer-guitarist of ’80s alternative band Pop Will Eat Itself, Clint Mansell is today the man I will happily and enthusiastically call the best film score composer working today. Born in Coventry in 1963, Mansell’s work as an indie musician revealed a spirit keen to explore new ground, encompassing pop, hip-hop, electronica and rock over their 10 year existence from from ‘86 to ‘96.

After the band members went their separate ways, Mansell was approached by young filmmaker Darren Aronofsky to score his debut feature, π (sometimes written as Pi). Following the success of π, Aronofsky and Mansell collaborated again, resulting in one of the most iconic pieces of film composition of all time. Reused everywhere from the trailers for Lord of the Rings to Sky Sports News, ‘Lux Aeterna’, taken from Mansell’s soundtrack for Requiem for a Dream is a swirling, menacing orchestral arrangement that almost anyone will recognise if you sing it to them, even if they don’t know where it came from. The refrain of ‘Lux Aeterna’ appears in Requiem for a Dream in several different forms, as Mansell blends the classical strings piece with trip-hop, trance and techno versions, alongside made-up gameshow themes and crazed dance tunes. Aronofsky’s second film is a masterpiece for many reasons, but I’m certain nobody would disagree with the assertion that Mansell’s score is a very important part of that; the film’s infamously harrowing climax would be a lesser sequence without ‘Lux Aeterna’ on the soundtrack.

The soundtrack for Requiem for a Dream made Mansell’s reputation as a film score composer, and he began to accept regular jobs, including working on films as diverse as The Hole, Sahara and Doom.

In 2006, Mansell’s 3rd film with Darren Aronofsky, The Fountain was released. Although the film continues to divide critics and audiences, there can be no dispute that the score is one of the most moving, exhilarating film scores of all time. Made while working with the respected Kronos String Quartet and the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, The Fountain includes several solo piano pieces, as well as Mansell’s more familiar electronic quirks and orchestral grandeur, and is arguably both the most ambitious and most successful musically of his work to date. Wherever you stand on the film as a whole (and I happen to regard The Fountain as one of the finest works of cinema it has ever been my privilege to see), the soundtrack just works perfectly, both with and without the accompanying visuals.

For Smokin’ Aces in 2007, the director, Joe Carnahan, gave Clint Mansell just six weeks to compose and record the entire score, with no guiding rough cut. And he did it. On time. Not only were Mansell’s fans satisfied with the work, but when the Smokin’ Aces soundtrack was released without Mansell’s compositions, Carnahan claims to have had fans driving past his house in the dead of night playing the Requiem for a Dream score at full volume. Carnahan even jokingly suggests that he had received threats of physical violence: true or not, the fans’ demands were heard, and Mansell’s score for Smokin’ Aces got an album release.

Over the last couple of years, Clint Mansell has worked again with director Darren Aronofsky on the Oscar-nominated The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke. Although The Wrestler does not have the same kind of scene-stealing music as Mansell’s previous work with Aronofsky, it is nonetheless an effective, subtler attempt at a score. This year, Mansell created a sparse piano, guitar, drums and effects score for Duncan Jones’s debut sci-fi, Moon. One of my favourite films of this year, Moon is a brooding, quiet, atmospheric movie that is really made great by four things: Sam Rockwell’s career-best performance; Jones’s assured, note-perfect direction; the eye-catching production design by Tony Noble; and Mansell’s routinely great score.

I haven’t heard nearly as much of his work as I would like to, but he’s a rare figure in cinema; a composer whose involvement in a project would be enough to make me see a film. Everything I have heard by Clint Mansell has been distinctive and beautiful in equal measure. I’m hoping that his work with Aronofsky will continue, and hope that he’ll be working on Duncan Jones’s second film, the sci-fi-noir Mute (currently set for release in 2011).

As I close this article up, the penultimate track of The Fountain is playing on my iTunes library. One of the tracks featuring both the Kronos Quartet and Mogwai, ‘Death Is The Road To Awe’ is an 8 minute epic of guitar, piano, orchestra, choir and percussion, with a chiming glockenspiel melody alongside the grand sweeping strings section. It’s a fitting sonic accompaniment to the end to one of the few films that I would identify as “life changing”.

David

Motion Pictures depend on a variety of elements to create an overall film structure that will give a particular movie meaning. One very important element is that of sound. When used properly, it can be a key source in providing specific emotions to a given scene. There are three types of sound used in motion pictures. They are dialog, effects, and music. This essay will focus on music in motion pictures, the steps used for creating a film score, and the functions it has in helping to set a more powerful film structure.
 

When a composer begins the production of a film score, there are five steps the music must go through before completion. Spotting, cue sheet preparation, composing, performance and recording, and mixing. The creation of the musical elements in a film must take place in post-production. In fact it is one of the last things added to a film because spotting is dependent on the final cut. During the process, the composer, director, and producer watch the final cut and determine where and when music added will have climaxes, come out soft, or not be present at all. It is basically the moment where the composer learns what music is needed in a particular film. Other important things are determined, including tempo, emotional force, and musical cues. In the film Return to Me, director Bonnie Hunt found it appropriate to add these three elements to a scene where Minnie Driver’s character, Grace Briggs, is receiving a heart transplant and David Dochovny’s character, Bob Rueland, has lost his wife in an accident. As the heart from Bob’s wife is transferred to Grace, the music cue begins as Grace’s grandfather waits in a hospital chapel praying that the operation will succeed, the music of Angel Standing By by Jewel, brings emotion with a very slow dragging tempo, signifying how long and hard the wait is to see if Grace will live, At the same time, a montage combines the hospital waiting scene with a shot of Bob in his home, mourning the loss of his wife. The music’s slow pace again helps the audience to feel how long and horrible the night is, as he contemplates his future without her. It is a very gripping scene that passes time through a number of dissolve fades, and when the music ends with the sound of the new heart beating successfully and Bob waking up in the morning, a period of about three actual minutes to the audience seems to have been an entire restless night because the music gave that sort of tempo and emotional response. The effects the music creates in this scene were all premeditated while spotting the final cut.

The Creation and Functions of Music in Film Structure written by Shelly Hathaway
Film 2200 / Fall 2006: Introduction to Film

The music for the Nationwide Insurance television spot “Do Things Better” continues to get used in their other television, radio and internet commercials. The television spots were directed by Errol Morris.

Pianist Brenda Hopkins Miranda has just produced a new CD entitled Recuerdos de Granada/Memoirs of Granada (2009) to much positive acclaim. This work follows her previous recordings of original music on her BHM label, Boricua on Board (1998) and Bohemia (1999).

As James Nadal reports (for All about Jazz), “Having grown up with the magical blend of rhythms and melodies that encompasses Puerto Rican music, she developed her innate talent and expanded her repertoire” to include Caribbean, Latin American, and Spanish influences.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Brenda Hopkins Miranda has excelled as pianist, composer, arranger, improviser, band leader, writer, and educator. She holds a Bachelors degree in Classical Piano from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, a Masters degree in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory in Boston, and she completed Doctoral Studies in Musicology from the Universidad de Granada in Spain. From 2003 to 2006 Hopkins Miranda was Director of the Music Program of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. She has taught at the Inter-American University, the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, and other institutions. Besides being a first call pianist for numerous Latin American artists on international tours, shows, and recording dates, she is a recognized composer and artist on soundtracks for several short films such as Yo misma fui mi ruta (2002) and La mecedora (2007). She has also written academic and journalistic articles in a variety of publications.

For full review by James Nadal, see http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=19383

For more detailed information on her work, see  http://www.lenguasdefuego.net/hemeroteca.php?codautor=38

I’ve written the music to some online virals for highstreet giant Lush in time for Christmas. Inspired by traditional Japanese furoshiki wrapping, the music is a tongue-in-cheek Japanese homage to a well loved European Christmas Carol…

I’ve had a bit of a delay come up with finance issues. Not a show stopper, I just wanted to get things a bit more organized first to give myself a little more flexibility and get exactly what tools I want. I should be able to start ordering and bringing the vision into reality this Tuesday if all goes well.   Considering that music is essentially a ” hobby” with me, I don’t have any “delusions of grandeur” when it comes to making money. I just focus on the music and “give ‘er”. I use to get caught up in the process, but these days it’s all about the end results.

Some thoughts …

It took me a long time to learn the importance of things like “air”. A lot of the time what you don’t say can be as important (or more important) than what you do say. Implied naked can be more effective and powerful than full naked. And sometimes the beat is still  there even if you can’t hear it (or if the radio is off!)

Compiled by Diane Berkenfeld

In the last month or so we’ve seen so many cool new gadgets, gizmos tech and non-tech items that will appeal to any photographer—we knew we just had to share it all with our fellow photographers. Its enough to make a an adult want to beg Santa to deliver them all. Not wanting to wait till we can post full reviews, we’ve decided to whet your appetites with some information on each of these cool new items. Read on for more…

Finally, a photo vest for women.

For the Ladies

Pro photographer Marla Holden has created a product that makes me wonder why no one ever designed one before, but that’s ok, because Marla finally did. What product am I talking about? Foto Fashionista, the very first photographer’s vest designed just for women. Designed to fit a woman’s body, yet offer pockets to hold a variety of photo items, the Foto Fashionista vests come in a variety of casual designs. A more formal looking vest will be added to the line next year. Check them out at www.fotofashionista.com.

Products to Aid You in Carrying Your Camera Comfortably

The Spider Holster clips onto your belt.

New in the gadget arena is the Spider Holster, camera holster. Picture this, a secure plate connects to the bottom of the camera via the tripod screw threads and then is slipped in and out of the Spider Holster itself, which can either be slipped onto a regular belt or the durable belt the company offers. Once connected, the camera can’t slip out until the photographer takes it in his/her hands to shoot. By keeping the camera secure at the hip, you aren’t putting strain on your shoulders or neck. And, using the company’s belt, you can attach two holsters to carry two bodies, one at each hip. Most tripod quick release plates will attach to the bottom of the Spider Holster’s plate for use on a tripod during a wedding or other job that requires you to use a tripod or monopod. I’ve just begun using it myself and am very impressed. Check out the website at www.spiderholster.com to see exactly how it works.

The HoldSLR hooks on a belt and lets you slip your camera inside. A camera cover protects it outdoors.

It seems that when it rains, it pours. First there was only the camera strap, now there are multiple options for carrying a camera in a more ergonomic and comfortable way. The HoldSLR is a new product that uses a wire frame and removable boot and camera body cover, great for use outdoors. The frame is made from compressed steel wire that has a vinyl coating over it. A camera’s lens simply slips into the frame, which hangs off your belt. It can accommodate large lenses, with an opening of 3.75-inches. Gravity secures the camera in the HoldSLR, and the water resistant boot is collapsible to accommodate different size and length lenses. See the actual product for yourself at www.holdslr.com.

Sun Sniper lets you comfortably carry your camera.

The new Sun-Sniper Sniper-Strap “Steel” is a camera strap that features a steel wire insert, making it virtually impossible for thieves to cut the strap to steal the camera off your back. The strap was designed by a photographer, and is worn across the chest, with the camera hanging upside down, ergonomically, at your rear, instead of hanging off your shoulder and bumping into walls, or other objects. California Sunbounce is distributing the new Sun-Sniper strap exclusively in the U.S. Go to the website at www.sunbounce.com for more details.

Rock Steady Camera Stabilizers

SteadePod lets you stabilize a camera or camcorder when there's no room for a tripod or monopod.

Yet another new gadget we saw at PhotoPlus Expo is the SteadePod. Designed to steady a camera without the use of a tripod, it is a small gadget that consumers or advanced amateurs can use with a digital P&S, DSLR, or camcorder. The SteadePod, about the size of a tape measure, screws to a camera or camcorder as you would a tripod. A stainless steel cable extends from the SteadePod and is anchored by a footpad and with a slight amount of tension placed in the cable the photographer’s camera or camcorder is steadied. A ratchet and locking mechanism allows positioning of the camera for a steady picture nearly anywhere between 6” to 6’. It swivels smoothly, allowing for panning and tilting of the camera/camcorder. To see exactly what it looks like, go to the website www.steadepod.com.

Delkin's Fat Gecko uses 2 suction cups to adhere a camera to most any surface.

Delkin’s Fat Gecko Camera Mount was introduced earlier this year, but it is such a cool device that when we saw it again at PhotoPlus recently we decided to include it here. The Fat Gecko has dual suction cups that allow you to mount a camera securely to any smooth, flat, non-porous surface. It uses a regular 1/4 x 20 tripod mounting screw to attach to a camera or camcorder. That means you can use it to mount a camera to a car, boat, plane, or other moving vehicle. Check out the website www.fat-gecko.com that showcases user footage, both stills and video captured using the Fat-Gecko and its sibling models—the Fat Gecko Mini Camera Mount, with a single suction cup; and the Fat Gecko Bike Camera Mount designed to attach cameras and camcorders to the center handlebars of a bicycle.

Joby Ballhead.

Joby, the company that first introduced the flexible mini tripods that can wrap around practically anything updated its entire line earlier this year. In addition to updating the line, Joby added the Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Ball Head for use with the Gorillapod SLR-Zoom. The ball head offers a full 360-degree pan and 90-degree tilt. It can hold up to 6.6 pounds of camera weight features a quick-release bubble level clip and is equipped with a standard 1/4-inch adapter. For more information go to the website at www.joby.com.

Cutest New Lensbaby [Optics]

Lensbaby—the cool manual, selective focus lens system developed a few years back by professional photographer Craig Strong—has added two new optics to the Lensbaby system: the Soft Focus optic and the Fisheye optic. Because of the selective focus capability of the lens, the Lensbaby lets you embark on a wonderful new direction in creative photography. If you don’t know what a Lensbaby is, you don’t know what wonderfully creative photography you’re missing out on. Go to www.lensbaby.com right now and check it out!

Lensbaby Fisheye Optic.

The Lensbaby Composer is the ultimate in Lensbabies. The Composer lets users easily control the selective focus movements. And, when you’ve got the lens in the exact position you want it, the Composer holds the focus where you’ve set it. If you’ve only experienced a Lensbaby via the Original Lensbaby or Lensbaby 2.0, check out the Lensbaby 3G, revamped and going by the moniker Lensbaby Control Freak, or the Composer. Both of these models let you lock the lens in place so you can easily take more than one frame of a scene and get repeatable results. (The Muse is the optic swappable version reminiscent of the Original Lensbaby design.) The optics are the really cool part of the Lensbaby lenses. There are six different optics and each alter the way that images are captured.

Lensbaby Soft Focus Optic.

The optics include the single glass, double glass, plastic, Pinhole/Zoneplate—and the newest optics—the fisheye and soft focus. Each of the optics feature a 50mm focal length, but the fisheye optic has a 12mm focal length. The fisheye optic has a 160 degree angle of view and creates photos that are circular in nature. One of the cool things about the fisheye optic is that it offers a focus range from 1-inch away from the lens, all the way to infinity. The new Soft Focus lens gives you that dreamy effect you were used to when shooting film (back in the day).

Blazing Fast Media Cards

Speed and capacity of media cards are ever increasing, along with the ability of newer DSLRs to utilize the speed of these cards. Lexar recently added the Lexar Professional 600x CompactFlash cards to its line. These cards are fast, and are available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities. The 600x CF cards, when used with a UDMA 6 enabled device [read: DSLR], write speeds of 90MB/s are guaranteed. Pair the cards with the new Lexar Professional ExpressCard CF Reader for 80MB/s read speeds. The new cards are ideal for use with cameras like the Canon EOS 7D, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Nikon D3x or D300S. All Lexar Professional media cards come with a free downloadable copy of Image Rescue 4, the latest version of the company’s image recovery software. Go to www.lexar.com for more details.

A few months back, SanDisk introduced the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards with capacities of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB that have read/write speeds of up to 90MB/s (600x). These UDMA-6 cards are designed for use with the latest DSLRs on the market. The SanDisk Extreme Pro ExpressCard Adapter is optimized to take advantage of the new card’s read speed, up to 90MB/s read speed. The company also introduced new SanDisk Extreme CF cards at 60MB/s read/write speeds (400x) in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities. Check out www.sandisk.com for more information.

Lock Your Data in a Locker+

Kingston DataTraveler Locker+

Kingston Digital just launched the DataTraveler Locker+ USB flash drive. The DataTraveler Locker+ was designed for the consumer/prosumer or small business that wants to be able to secure their mobile data. The DataTraveler Locker+ features 256-bit hardware-based AES encryption. What this means is that you’ll need a password  to access the data, once you’ve set up this USB drive. Try incorrectly 10 times in a row and the drive locks down and reformats, wiping the data. Kingston is shipping these drives in capacities up to 32GB. The company also offers the DataTraveler Locker, which lets you set up a partitionable area for public sharing as well as an encrypted zone. Kingston also offers the DataTraveler Vault Privacy Edition for enterprise and government customers. The DataTraveler Locker+ is compatible with Mac and Windows-based PCs. Go to www.kingston.com for more information.

And Now For Something Really Different

Light Sculpture.

Want to offer your clients something really different? Shapeways is an online marketplace that allows creatives with various levels of 3D modeling skills—from none to very experienced—affordable access to the latest 3D printing technologies and the ability to create custom-made giftware in a variety of materials. Don’t worry if you’re not skilled at 3D modeling, there are plenty of artists selling their 3D designs through Shapeways Shops. There are a wide range of 3D items available, made from different plastics or stainless steel, from holiday ornaments to personalized cufflinks and jewelry to home décor, but the item of real interest to us is the Photoshaper. The Photoshaper creates a depth-layered 3D picture, based on the contrast of the picture. The Photoshaper accepts JPG, PNG and GIF files. The size of the output is 3.5”x5.11” and can be output either horizontal or vertical orientation. Check out the website at www.shapeways.com.

先日、生まれて初めて、ロイヤル・オペラ・ハウスにバレエを観に行った。私は、ダンス自体はは好きで、モダンダンス、フラメンコ、ベリーダンス、インド舞踏等は見に行ったことがあるのだが、これまでバレエにはあんまり食指が動かなかった。どちらかというと、ああいう優雅な踊りよりも、情熱的で躍動的なものの方が好きなのだ。それに男性のあのピチピチのタイツは、贅肉のない美しい肉体のダンサーが身にまとっていたとしても、どうしても好きになれない、ていうか目障りでさえある。それなのにどうしてバレエを見に行ったか？それは、私たちが好きな、デジタルカウンターを使ったインスタレーションで世界的に知られる現代美術家・宮島達男氏が、3演目のうちの1つの舞台美術を担当したからだ。

今回観に行った、ロイヤル・バレエによる「Agon / Sphinx / Limen」は、いずれも30分弱のモダンバレエ演目の3本立て。何しろバレエに関してはド素人。おこがましいのでバレエの批評は控え、簡単な解説を。Agon（アゴン）は、イーゴリ・ストラヴィンスキーが、名振付師ジョージ・バランシン率いるニューヨーク・シティ・バレエ団のために作曲、1957年に初演された。Sphinx（スフィンクス）は、オイディプース神話を元にジャン・コクトーによって書かれた「地獄の機械（The Infernal Machine）」にインスピレーションを得た作品。アメリカ人振付師Glen Tetley（グレン・テトリー）が、1977年にアメリカン・バレエ・シアターのために振り付けを担当した。スピンクス（Sphinx）とオイディプース（Oedipus）、そしてエジプトの黄泉の国に死者を導くというジャッカルの頭の持つ神・アヌビス（Anubis）の3者によって繰り広げられる。

そしてお待ちかねの、宮島氏がステージデザインを担当したLimen（ライメン）。Limenは心理学用語で「閾（いき）」、「ある刺激の出現・消失、または二つの同種刺激間の違いが感じられるか感じられないかの境目。また、その境目の刺激の強さ」を意味する。フィンランド人作曲家Kaija Saariaho（カイヤ・サーリアホ）氏が作曲、振り付けは、映画「Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire（ハリー・ポッターと炎のゴブレット）」も担当したロイヤル・バレエ団の振付師Wayne McGregor（ウェイン・マクレガー）が手がけた。幕開けは、LEDデジタルカウンターを投影した半透明のスクリーンの後ろでダンサーたちが踊るシーン。刻々と変わる数字が動きを変えながらスクリーンに浮き上がる中、ダンサーたちの姿がぼんやりと浮かぶ様は、とても幻想的。そしてスクリーンが上がり、明るくなった舞台の上で、カラフルな衣装に身を包んだダンサーたちが舞い踊る。再び明かりが落とされると、次に違った色の光の帯が暗い舞台に投影される。踊りよりも、ダンサー達の影が光の帯の上に落ちる様に、つい目がいってしまう。最後は、暗闇の中、バックの壁に、青いLEDライトが、違う間隔でついたり消えたりする。だんだん点灯するLEDライトが増えていき、壁が徐々に舞台前に迫って来たところで、フィナーレを迎える。

バレエ自体は、引き締まった体でしなやかに踊る様は優雅だと思ったけれど、はっきり言って印象に残っていない。バレエではなくLimenのステージデザインを目当てに行ったので、最上階の一部が見えない安い席を買ってしまったからかもしれない。そしてやっぱり、遠くからでもピチピチタイツの苦手意識は克服できなかった。宮島氏は舞台デザインは初めてだと言うが、アーティストだけあって、彼の色をうまく生かしたミニマリスト的なアプローチは夢幻的で、光と闇を上手く表現していて、バレエというよりアート・インスタレーションのよう。観に行って良かった！

I went to see a ballet at l Opera House for the first time in my life. I like dance, and have been to modern dance, Flamenco, Belly Dance, Indian dance etc, but I’ve never been really keen to see a ballet – one reason was that I prefer more energetic and exciting movement than elegant ballet, and another reason was that I just can’t stand the tights of male ballet dancers, even on their beautiful toned bodies. The reason why I went to see the ballet is because Japanese visual artist Tatsuo Miyajima designed the stage of one of the program.

What I saw is the Royal Ballet triple bill “Agon / Sphinx / Limen” – all short contemporary ballet programs less than 30 minutes each. I am completely novice in ballet, so I won’t make any comment on the ballet dance itself, but a little explanation of the programs.

One of the 20th century’s leading choreographers, George Balanchine’s Agon is his final collaboration with Igor Stravinsky and the first stage performance was given by the New York City Ballet in 1957. Sphinx was inspired by the French playwright Jean Cocteau’s 1934 play ‘The Infernal Machine’, a variation of the Oedipus legend, and it was originally choreographed for American Ballet Theatre in 1977 by the American choreographer Glen Tetley. It is a trio for the Sphinx, Oedipus and Anubis, the jackal-headed god who shepherds the dead into the Egyptian underworld.

Then Limen, which was designed by Miyajima and what I was looking for. Limen, a word that relates to ideas of limits and thresholds, is the work by Wayne McGregor , the Company’s Resident Choreographer who also choreographed the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, with music by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. The first scene is the dancers moving behind a half-transparent screen on which tumbling and spinning digital numbers are projected – it was very mysterious and dreamlike. Then the screen rises dancers in electric color costumes come on the stage with slowing changing colors. In the third scene, the light is turned down, and five different color stripes appear on the dark stage. My eyes were caught more by the shadows of the dancers casted on the stripes, rather than dancers themselves. Final act is performed in front of a giant wall of blue LED lights flashing on and off at different intervals, and the wall slowly approaches to the front of the stage as the number of LED increases little by little – and over.

To be honest I don’t have a strong impression about the ballet performance the night, though I admit that the dance was graceful and elegant. Maybe because I bought cheap seats on the upper balcony with restricted views – as my intention was to see the stage design of Limen by Miyajima. I also failed to change my negative view against male tight costumes! It is said that this is the first experience for Miyajima to design a theater stage, but his minimalist approach with superb use of different colors and light and darkness was pretty effective and it was like a beautiful art installation. I am glad that I went!

The article Accordion Reborn published Wednesday November 19, 2009, got my attention. From the Guardian, a thorough and highly accessible article on the state of contemporary ‘Classical’ Accordion music. Specifically Denmark, which since at least the 1970’s has been a bastion of creativity and genius in this genre.

For most people, the sound of the accordion conjures up images of bearded morris dancers, or jolly sea shanties sung with raised tankards of real ale. But in Denmark, the accordion has a classical life, with a whole generation of serious musicians developing new means of expression on an instrument Mark Twain once called “a Steinway on your lap”.

Supporting and fleshing out the work and world of composer Jexper Holmen, we learn about his newest project being performed in England.

Alongside Holmen will be two Norwegian accordionists, Frode Andersen and Frode Haltli, accomplished classical players who graduated from the prestigious accordion programme at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. So are there lots of high-flying jobs for accordionists in Scandinavia? “I would never aspire to become a full-time classical accordion soloist,” admits Haltli, “because I wouldn’t be able to eat.” In addition to solo work, Haltli plays with a jazz ensemble and a folk group, and has released a CD of new arrangements of traditional Norwegian melodies.

Try this list to expand your listening.

Another post about Communist Fighting Accordionist

Another post about World Accordion Trio

Another post about Bluegrass Accordion

Another post about my latest project

Another post about Guido Deiro

Another post about Richard Galliano’s recording Paris Concert

Another post about Accordionist Richard Galliano

Another post about Accordionist Maria Kalaniemi

Another post about Accordion Event Calendar

Another post about Octoberfest Accordion Babes

Another post about New Polka

Another post about Punk Rock Accordions

Another post about Busking

A new feature of SOA Suite 11gR1ps1 (11.1.1.2)  is the ability to change Rules and Domain Value Maps online. These features were available in 10gR3, but missing from the 11gR1 release (in July 1st).

To access it try http://<soa_server host>:<soa_server port>/soa/composer/

Check more in

http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E15523_01/integration.1111/e10224/med_dvm_ui.htm

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

R (Russell) Kelso Carter was born this date, 11/18/1849, at Baltimore, Maryland.  In 1887 he was ordained in the Methodist ministry and became active in Wesleyan Holiness movement camp meetings.  Carter was also a chemistry professor, a sheep rancher, author, composer, publisher and even a successful doctor.  “Standing on the Promises” is high among his 68 hymn tunes and 52 poems, many of which were in Hymns of the Christian Life, (A B Simpson).  Carter died 8/23/1928, at Catonsville, Maryland.