Isn’t that a little what it’s like for us in our lives as well?  Moving through our dissonant moments, aching to get back to harmony, wanting to hear the melody we know (we think) is coming.  We try to rush them, thinking that if we can just get through this work week, or this holiday month, or this birthday, we will be so happy once it is over.  Once the consonance has been restored.  The suffering during the tumultuous times can seem endless, unendurable, if not for that release we expect to eventually experience.

What is so lovely about this song is that even in the discord, you can hear, you can FEEL the beauty.  There is no rush, just movement, each movement as beautiful and deliberate as the next, as the one before.

Can we learn how to find this beauty throughout our lives, especially during the inharmoniousness?  Can we stop wishing away the tough days, and instead go deeper into them, finding what they are meant to teach us, and walking away even stronger, with more purpose AND more love?  

I stumbled across a gorgeously written blog yesterday by Jo Knowles, titled “Live Your Life: A Theme And Challenge for 2013″.  In it, she references and plays a last interview between author Maurice Sendak and NPR.  He is aging, and speaks with sadness about the losses he has faced.  He has learned his lessons late in life.  He cries while talking about being happy.  

He says, “There’s something I’m finding out as I’m aging.  That I am in love with the world.“

The call to action in this blog is to not wait until you are at the end of your life, but to live your life NOW.  No more wishing away the difficulties and only appreciating what comes easily.  It is beautifully and simply articulated by Jo Knowles:

“In order to live your life, you have to love your life.  And sometimes, that is very hard.”

This week I have been traveling west, to the ocean, to watch the sun set each night.  “Chasing sunsets” as my friend Jen might say.  That same sun, always rising and always setting each day.  The sameness of it soothes my soul.  It wouldn’t be enough though, all of that sameness without change, without discord.  Without sometimes being hidden, without being orange some days and pink on others, without rain and wind and snow and traffic and all of the other things that can stand in the way of our perfect sunset photo in our minds.  We would never feel so alive, so thoroughly blessed, if that sunset didn’t disappear sometimes.  It’s always there, even when hidden to us.

Says Mr. Sendak, “Live your life. Live your life. Live your life.”

That eternal push towards melody may always be within us.  But maybe if we can tread slowly and mindfully through the dissonance, the world will expand to show us the beauty that surrounds us at all times, whether we can hear the harmony or not.  And open us up to more love than we have ever imagined.

Sunset in Santa Monica 1.8.13

xx,

Katie

Okay, I’ll say a little more.

Eric Whitacre. He’s one of those people I think God has blessed with an extra spark of creation. An extra little boost of genius. He’s a  master of chord voicing, THE master of cluster chords, and singing anything he composes is simply an amazing experience. I would say more and try to eloquently describe my affection for good ole Eric, but I just spent the last three hours finishing a “words and music” playwriting assignment, in which we had to write a poem and then a scene based on two different pieces of instrumental music. I’m pretty eloquent-ed out, and I’m not even happy with the finished product. It was one of those… I had a really good idea, then I couldn’t figure out how to convey it, so I wrestled with it right up until the deadline kind of things. Still needed more time.

#artistangst

#artistprobs

Anyway, the two pieces of music I chose were The Crisis by Ennio Morricone and Lux Aurumque by the lovely Eric Whitacre. I utilized a freedom in expression/dance analogy… let’s just not talk about it. Let’s talk about Eric Whitacre. I put the link to his virtual choir, and if you’ve never checked out his virtual choirs, then you should. Especially if you’ve ever been in a good choir, this is a cool thing to see.

Other Whitacre I’ve had the privelege to sing in the past with a good choir:

Water Night 

Sleep  - this is one of those trippy virtual choirs that he does.

Cloudburst 

Really, I am surprised how much I miss singing with a choir. There’s a unique sense of unity that you don’t get with many other experiences.

Also, can we just add that Eric’s good looks and easy going, witty sense of humor (perceived via FB and Twitter..) make him just an all-around awesome person? Plus he’s married to Hila Plittman, one of the greatest modern sopranos specializing in performance of new work. They just seem… cool. And interesting. They live in London.

Well, there’s my random stream-of-consciousness rant at 12:30am. I told myself I wouldn’t write those on this blog, but… oh well. Hopefully you’ve been encouraged in my spontaneity towards thoughtfully, artistically composed music (check out that Spark of Creation link too… don’t wanna miss that Natalie Weiss/Stephen Schwartz combo amid your Whitacre-induced-awe).

Until I have time to write a well formulated post based on my many stored-up blogging ideas,

Chao!

Day 333 involved some research and writing of the work variety, and quite a bit of logistics. Spent some time trying out various baritone reeds for two upcoming concerts, including a couple of new jazz ones to try – one of these is very easy to play on but I’m not sure the sound is right. Note to self: Better stop now or people will think you’re a reed nerd!

Listened for the first time to the latest CD from Eric Whitacre, Water Night. This is a mix of choral and instrumental music, including the rhythmically exciting and exhilarating Equus, which I played in the recent concert with Yorkshire Wind Orchestra. There’s such a catchy clarinet tune in the middle – it sticks in your head for ages afterwards!

It is amazing how music can bring people together. Eric Whitacre (my current favorite composer) decided on this project, to bring virtually the world together through music. He recorded a track of him conducting and gathered thousands of videos of people singing one of his pieces (coming from all across the world) and put them together into this.
This means so much to me, because I have experienced the feeling of being in this type of musical community. I performed in the Massachusetts All-State Choir in which over 200 people came together and sang the same songs. This created a community of people out of whom I got to know only 10 of, but I feel a connection with all of them.
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Enjoy!

Day 312 brought more rain – in fact it hasn’t stopped raining since we installed the chiminea on the patio formerly known as back yard! Spent the morning on the usual weekly chores and house stuff, as dull as the weather but again making really good progress.

Later in the day did some work and preparation for this weekend’s two concerts, including revising Eric Whitacre’s excellent Equus (from the Water Night CD pictured) and the tricky first movement of the John Gay Suite by Buxton Orr. Both involve rhythmic challenges of different sorts, and I’m really looking forward to playing them in the upcoming concert with Yorkshire Wind Orchestra.

Now, I have written a fair amount of criticism about Whitacre (here and here). In my opinion, his newer choral works do not stand up to his earlier hits, such as Sleep and When David Heard (two of my personal favorites). I am also a little bitter because he no longer seems interested in writing music for wind band, which means the potential for new works in the vein of Ghost Train and Godzilla Eats Las Vegas! is minimal at best. Despite these factors, I still pre-ordered the CD months in advance, and I was not disappointed.

The first track on the disc is Alleluia, an SATB choral arrangement of his wind band piece October. When I first heard that he was working on this transcription, I was a little upset. In the past, Whitacre had done the opposite with pieces such as Sleep and Cloudburst, which work surprisingly well for wind band. To me, Alleluia further represented Whitacre moving away from wind band compositions.

Then I listened to it.

Alleluia is indescribably well done. The luscious harmonies of October translate remarkably well into a choral setting, and the homogenous blend of the voices maintains the powerful dynamics obtained by wind band performances. Whitacre’s ability to create a plethora of textures within choir is highlighted, compensating for the diverse instrumentation of the wind band original.

Alleluia is not the only transcription on Water Night. The CD also contains a powerful rendition of Whitacre’s Equus for symphony orchestra. Originally a work for wind band, the London Symphony Orchestra (!!!) performs Whitacre’s arrangement with a power and drive that cannot be heard in most recordings of the original version, due, perhaps, to the slight increase in tempo. The title track, Water Night, is also a transcription. One of Whitacre’s earliest published works, Water Night is still one of his most popular, and his transcription for string orchestra serves the piece well. The strings create a similar homogeneity created by a choir while providing a different palate of timbres that fits the nature of the piece. He also dramatically decreases the tempo, taking advantage of the unique sustain obtainable by string instruments.

The penultimate track is my personal favorite: a new recording of When David Heard. I had not listened to this piece at all until last year, and since then, it has stood as my favorite choral work by Whitacre. There are few recordings of it, and I was excited to see that Whitacre recorded it again. The track spans a lengthy 17:39, a result of a decrease in tempo and the lengthening of silences between phrases, both of which heighten the emotional suspense conveyed by the piece. It is by far the best recording of this piece that I have ever heard, and is one of the highlights of this CD.

Water Night surprised me. Upon seeing the track listing, I expected a series of good transcriptions that did not offer anything new from Whitacre’s repertoire, and some newer pieces that served a similar purpose. Rather, the new arrangements pay homage to Whitacre’s past while displaying potential for new directions in his writing. The newer works, such as The River Cam and Goodnight Moon, show a similar direction towards integrating the orchestral timbre with Whitacre’s distinct harmonic colors. As his popularity grows, I would not be surprised to see more orchestral output from Whitacre, something that I would very much enjoy.

Links:

Water Night is available on iTunes

Learn more about Eric Whitacre at his website www.ericwhitacre.com

As we pulled into Guiyang’s Grand Theatre, “Jackie”, our guide, told us his mother would be watching tonight’s concert on television.  This was of course the first we had heard of this and were pretty excited.  We all entered the performance facility and went to a large dressing room in the basement to warm-up.  Dr.  Bierschenk put us thought the paces and reminded us to use our brains (which we needed).  
Then he took a brief moment to show us how deeply this experience was touching him and that shot of enthusiasm and praise was something we took straight onto the concert stage.  We shared the stage with a brass quintet, a string chamber orchestra and the chorus from the College of Arts at Guizhou University.

The audience was filled with university students and many other citizens as well as members of our delegation.  The level of energy and trust on each piece was more than I am used to with this group.  It’s a solid group, but often a little tentative.  However, there was no holding back tonight, we sang very well and confidently and seemed to b

e well received by the audience.

It was my very special honor to conduct a piece called Water Night on this concert.  Dr. Bierschenk was gracious enough not only to allow me this amazing opportunity, but also to walk out after the choir and take a bow before beginning.  The amount of honor this was for me surpasses my ability to capture the experience.  However, I felt so supported by the members of the choir that there was no nervousness about the conducting.  It was a deeply moving experience and one that would be impossible to forget.

We continued the concert and came to the end and that’s when the Guizhou chorus members all came out with a gift for each of us.  They gave us a gift that is a combination of several Chinese customs.  The top is an example of elaborate Chinese knotting and below that is supported 3 necklaces typical of the Chinese miao minority which is native to the Guizhou province.  Dangling from these three necklaces are a hundred or so little metal fish.

Each of the chorus members presented each of us with one of these inscribed with the words, “Guiyang–Fort Worth Youth”  Then they proceeded to sing a piece written to the tune of Dvorak‘s 9th symphony.  Dr. Bierschenk conducted them as they sang the first time and we were to join them the second time.  As the Chinese chorus sang this beautiful hymn like tune with the words, “Goin Home” I completely lost my composure.  There was something so moving about the beauty of the piece sung by people who live half way around the world from me.  All the generosity and warmth that has been shown to us on this trip piled on top of the emotions of this moment and made it nearly impossible to sing with them. 

It was a completely overwhelming experience of emotion met with wild applause and a standing ovation.  It was a complete success and a beautiful and touching moment for many of us in the choir.  Fort Worth city councilman Dennis Shingleton stopped us all as we were about to exit the concert hall to share a heartfelt and sincere thanks for representing the city so well.  It was completely obvious that the emotions many of experienced on stage were successfully transmitted to the audience, because Mr. Shingleton was visibly moved by the experience.  His thanks meant a great deal to us all.

Afterward, as we exited the concert hall we were met again by cheering faces of the audience as well as the choir, wishing us well and thanking us for our performance.   Dr. Biershenk shared his approval with our performance as we drove back to the hotel.  When we got out, every member of our delegation had formed a tunnel of applause and cheering for us to pass through on our way to the hotel.  AGAIN – this meant the world to each of us.  I’m sure they would have wanted to go up to their rooms, but they took the time to make us feel extremely special.

This whole trip we have been treated like absolute royalty and have been showered with gifts, affection and respect.  I don’t know that we deserve the treatment, but it has touched each one of us so very deeply that Guiyang feels like a part of us.  It will be so very difficult to say goodbye to our hosts here after tomorrow.

There are too many people to name, but YoYo, Livia, Jackie, and Erik from Guiyang have been a huge part of making us feel so welcome.  we will never forget the warmth shown by them and so many other of the Guiyang people.

Tonight was a great example of how of the power of music to unite cultures.  Dvorak’s piece with the words “Goin Home” will forever be tied to this evening for me.  What more beautiful experience could we have ever hoped for?

Thank you, Guiyang

xiexie ‘谢谢’

~Hans Grim

We walked up the steps to the performing arts center and entered the huge building.  We were then ushered into the audience of the concert hall where we were to perform.  The Guiyang Symphony Orchestra performed a piece from their program as we watched.  They sounded great and the acoustics were well suited for instrumental chamber music.

We then took the stage for what we thought was our own rehearsal.  We sang a couple songs and worked a few things before we realized we were doing a dress rehearsal of the concert.

Dr. Bierschenk conducts rehearsal in the concert hall in Guiyang's National theatre

Since the acoustics in the hall were not as sensitive as Martin Hall I encouraged the chorus to up their dynamic levels on Water Night in order to “ring the room”.  The choir complied beautifully and I could here our voices ringing off the walls.

The Virtual Choir is basically just what it sounds like: people coming together through technology to make music remotely.  Composer/ choral demigod / rockstar Eric Whitacre is the genius behind both the music and the movement.  He had the idea that if a bunch of singers all learned and sang their parts individually and then posted them on youtube, they could become a choir if you simply started all of the videos at the same time.  And thus, the first virtual choir was born.  It went viral almost instantly, and people began clamoring for a second choir to have a chance to take part.

It was then that I first heard about it, a bit to late to get my own submission in before the deadline.  And while the first choir boasted 185 voices, the second exploded, both in terms of artist quality and headcount, swelling to 2,052 voices strong.  After seeing that video and picking my jaw up off the floor, I was seriously mad at myself for not getting it together and submitting, I determined that if there was a third edition, I would be part of it.

I had no idea what being “part of it” would really mean, though.  I thought I’d just learn my music and upload a video and wait for the finished product to come out, but it was nothing like that.  People were forming a community online through facebook and google plus, providing lessons on vocal technique and troubleshooting technical problems.  They forged friendships and got to know one another, even across the distances that separated them and the technology that mediated their connections.

I went a little superspy for my recording session. Being a classical vocalist in a small apartment with thin walls can strain neighbor relations when you’re singing at fully supported performance volume, so I decided to go elsewhere to record in peace and quiet without sabotaging my home life.

The music practice rooms at Miami University where I’m a student were an obvious choice, but once I got there, I discovered that there was a lot of noise bleed from other students practicing in nearby rooms. What to do? What to do? Well, I decided to steal my quiet. I waited in the dark until after the building was officially closed and the night custodial staff had left for the evening. I know, it was wrong, but ahhh…. blessed silence. Then I waited a little more, just to be sure I was alone before I set myself up to record.

After several takes (and joining my fellow procrastinators who waited until the deadline to upload in panic over the server crashes as they repeatedly faltered under the weight of so much data being thrown at them), I finally got my submission in under the wire and decided to call it a night.  ( Of course packing up carefully to leave the space as I found it.) I crept through the dark halls toward the exit, all the while praying that I wasn’t setting off silent motion-detecting alarms and sending campus police hurtling toward me.

I managed to make a clean getaway, but it was a thrilling night. It was exciting to become a part of the community I had envied through the first two Virtual Choir cycles, watching people coming together online that evening to express joy or frustration, to give encouragement or technical support. The unexpected nervousness I (a seasoned performer) felt while recording a video of myself singing solo for a composer and artist I admire deeply added another layer to my jitters, but nothing could override the deep satisfaction of hitting that submit button. I’ve sung with ensembles that would be considered more elite in terms of vocal technique in the past, but there’s something absolutely special about what Eric Whitacre is doing to connect people across time and space that made that moment especially meaningful. In an age where technology can become a stumbling block to meaningful human interaction, he’s using that very technology to draw us together. That’s worth a late night superspy recording session any day.

And then the waiting began.  We got teasers from Mr. Whitacre every now and again, but mostly we waited with bated breath for three months as all of the audio scrubbing and computer rendering were completed and the finished product was created.  Finally yesterday, the waiting came to an end, and VC3 enjoyed its world premiere at a Lincoln Center event that was broadcast live over the web, allowing technology to bring us together once again.

All I can say now is, it’s beautiful.  It’s more than I expected.  Eric Whitacre’s “Water Night” is achingly lovely as performed by 3,746 voices, breaking at one point into 14 different vocal parts.  (Yeah, that’s not a typo.  It’s 14, not 4.)  I didn’t have much to do with its creation, but I’m very proud to be part of it.  So without further ado, here it is (I suggest watching in full screen):

And if you’re not just a random visitor to my blog and know me personally and want to look for my face in the crowd (Hi, Mom!), these are the moments I’ve spotted myself:

There are a couple other little places if I squint really hard, but those are the notable ones I’ve found.  :)   Here’s a close-up of a screenshot of me from the video:

At 1:07, I’m 2 squares right above his head
At 2:30, 3 squares from the left and 2 from the bottom.
At 3:47, in the middle of the column on the left hand side, moving toward the center (This is probably the easiest to find)
At 4:31, I’m on the 4th row from the bottom right as it sweeps.
At 5:07, 17 down, 17 from left.
And my name appears in the credits at 6:50 in the right hand column (organized alphabetically.)

And if you’re interested in becoming a part of the forthcoming VC4, go here to receive news about what, when and how.

My post, “Virtually Awesome,” talked a bit about how I found Virtual Choir 2.0, ”Sleep.”  That video was a tiny virtual shrub poking from the side of the sheer mountain face of despair I was then falling down, and I held onto that shrub fiercely while I found a toehold. I regretted publishing “Virtually Awesome” so quickly after recording my tenor part for “Water Night,” though, because my writing focus wasn’t right. The focus shouldn’t have been me, it should have been Eric Whitacre and those people from all over the world who gave themselves into that gentle, calming, reassuring gift of “Sleep.”

After last night’s “Water Night” premiere, Lincoln Center hosted a three-person discussion among composer John Corigliano, “Water Night” composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, and Chris Anderson, conference curator from TED. These three talented and insightful individuals clearly realized that the Virtual Choirs were ground-breaking and universe-denting, and they seemed just as awed and humbled by them as the participants themselves have been. Notes I scribbled while watching them include, “The singers cared about one thing, and they cared together; there was a profound oneness; the singers are a part of a larger family; no singer was left behind; music changes how we respond to things — it opens us up; the singers are part of something bigger than themselves, which is a key to happiness.”

Corigliano, Whitacre & Anderson

I’ll probably never find my little square among all those other videos comprising the whole “Water Night,” (though, based on a static group photo, I am 4th row from the bottom and 27 places from the left edge), but that’s okay. I know I’m there and  care about that one bigger thing, and I’m surrounded by literally thousands of virtual singing family members who also care about that one bigger thing that took on a life of its own, and who support and improve my performance a thousandfold. I took part in this because of them, not because I wanted visual recognition, or to stand out from everyone else. I wanted to inhale the breath of our community, and release it into the same magical sound with my family from Brazil, El Salvador, Namibia, Hungary. Our breath, our determination, our triumph, are now a part of this universe, as the rising moon in “Water Night” watches over all of us.

You can’t see me in any of the close-ups, but I’m hanging out in the lower right quadrant. And if you don’t believe me, my name is in the credits.  ;-)

Enjoy!

(from NEA.gov)
Eric Whitacre is the youngest of our group of choral composers. His incredible accomplishments before the age of 30 show that America’s choral tradition is alive and well and has a bright future. Born in 1970, Whitacre began his music studies at the University of Nevada and later graduated from The Juilliard School where he studied composition with both John Corigliano and David Diamond.

Although he has composed a good deal for wind band, orchestra, and film, Whitacre is principally known for his choral works. The Philadelphia Inquirer has proclaimed him “the hottest thing in choral music.” He has been Composer-in-Residence with the Pacific Chorale in California and has served as guest conductor for numerous choral ensembles across the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, and Australia. His first stage work, the “opera electronica” Paradise Lost, premiered in 2004; it combines elements of trance, electronica, and traditional classical and operatic styles.

Five Hebrew Love Songs are settings of poems by Whitacre’s wife Hila Plitmann, whom he met at Juilliard. Other choral works have texts from an engaging array of voices: e.e. cummings, Edward Esch, James Joyce, Jalal al-Din Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Federico García Lorca, Edmund Waller, and the Bible.

One of Whitacre’s favorite writers is the Mexican poet Octavio Paz and his setting of “Water Night” as translated by Muriel Rukeyser has become one of his most popular works with high school and college choirs. The Los Angeles Times has called “Cloudburst,” also to an Octavio Paz poem, “a work of unearthly beauty and imagination.”

Another well-known piece, “Sleep,” is a setting of a poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri. It is virtually unique in that, unlike most vocal and choral works, the music was composed first and the poem later written to fit the music.

Selected Works:
Cloudburst
Five Hebrew Love Songs
i thank You God for most this amazing day
Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine
Lux Aurumque
Sleep
Water Night
When David Heard

For more distinguished choral repertoire suggestions, please contact us.

Koh Tao, Thailand

Big Blue Tech concluded the 3 week technical diving expedition road trip arriving at our final destination in Pattaya which is located just outside Bangkok in Thailand.

Leaving Krabi James Thornton-Allan and James Foleher drove 12 hours north to Pattaya after stopping in at Big Blue Chumphon to transfer the majority of the diving equipment back to Koh Tao. Arriving in Pattaya the divers met up with Mark Slinn who is a resident of Pattaya and former Big Blue Tech intern who was gracious enough to house the weary divers for the next few days.

The past three weeks on the road from May 11th till May 31st saw the divers visit some of the best diving destinations and divers diving conditions in Thailand and south east Asia.

The divers experienced caves, caverns, world war 2 wrecks, new virgin wrecks, sunken forests, coral reefs, deep walls, strong currents, big waves, deep penetrations, salt water, fresh water, night diving, cold water diving using all mixes of oxygen and helium. They dived from the shore, longtail boat, large dive boat, muddy banks, cave entrances and a liveaboard.

The expedition covered over 2000km including a flight to Singapore and a finally flight from Bangkok down to Koh Samui which is the neighboring island to Koh Tao.

The purpose behind the expedition was to train and prepare Mr. Foleher as a technical diver with a large variety of environments, experiences and challenges to give the confidence and ability to begin his technical diving instructor courses and assists in June.

This expedition couldn’t of been made possible without the support of the following: Halcyon Dive Equipment, Pro-Tec Dive College, Dive Supply, One Stop, IQ Divers, Kamala Dive Centre, Friendly Waters Seasports, the crew of the Mv Samudera, Oms Dive Equipment, Khao Sok National Park, TDI / SDI South East Asia, Royal Thai Navy and Air Asia.

You can follow Mr. Foleher’s progress as he moves on to his BSAC Instructor Cross-over course on the 4th of June.

Koh Tao, Thailand – Big Blue Tech concluded their 3 week expedition on January 25th after ariving at the sea port of Koh Tao Island in Thailand.

Over the past 3 weeks students and instructors from Big Blue Tech have been travelling around Thailand tech diving in the best destinations throughout the country.

The expedition took us through Khao Sok National Park, Khao Lak, Similan Islands, Krabi, Phi Phi, Ao Nang, Sra Keow and Surin Islands.

During the 3 weeks the team conducted technical dives in caverns, caves, fresh water, salt water, hot water, cold water, night time, bad visibility, perfectly clear visibility, strong current and no current. We did this all from shore, longtail boats, dinghies, speedboats, luxury liveaboards, back of a truck, tug boat and a peir.

Over the 3 weeks we found a clear divide between technical divers and recreational divers as many places we went had never seen a twin set let alone knew how to operate one which gave Big Blue Tech a great chance to expose areas to this style of diving. Along with that clear divide we also got ourselves into plenty of mischief which comes with any road trip.

Returning to Koh Tao the extension is almost finished which is designed to house more divers and their equipment, Ash was more then happy to see us as he’s been looking after the Koh Tao office all alone for 3 weeks.

The next few days we be consumed with servicing all our equipment and regulators to be ready for the next course start on January 30th where we’ll return to our liveaboard for another Similans Expedition in February.