Do Your Homework!

As the parent of two teenagers, the phrase "do your homework!" has been known to cross my lips on the odd occasion.  There have been times when this has gone completely unheeded, as well as times when it has nearly meant the child pulling "all nighters".  However, there have also been times when advance preparation and due diligence has produced wonderful results, and the child has realized that the hard work really can pay off in the long run.

I try to emphasize this with my singing students.  As some of you will be aware, singers have a reputation for being slower on the uptake than other musicians when it comes to basic musicianship skills.  I stress the word "reputation," lest some of my extremely talented singer friends take offence.  The groans that echo down the hallways when they hear the words "theory, sight reading, dictation, and music history" are symptomatic of the culture of singers believing that all they need to do is: 1) listen to a recording/YouTube to learn the words and notes, and 2) imitate the famous singer to create the same results.  They will do the absolute minimum required in order to increase their knowledge and improve their musicianship skills.

This is a serious mistake.

We are all warned that the music business is extremely competitive.  I knew this from when I worked in the UK and Europe, and it is even more apparent here in Canada.  I don't need many fingers to be able to count how many of my friends are able to make a living full time from singing in Calgary.  As a result, it is imperative that students take every opportunity to increase their basic musicianship skills so that those skills are now not just basic but exceptional.  They must be able to pick up a score and be able to read through it with little or no difficulty the first time!  Yes, there will always be tricky passages, difficult text, runs that need to move effortlessly, and intervallic leaps that require a secure pair of ears to hear them, but this is the profession!!  If you don't want to do the work, you shouldn't be in the business.

So what are the benefits of putting in the hard work?  In recent years, I have had at least three occasions where I have been asked to step in at the last minute.  The first was a Mozart Requiem with less than 24 hours' notice.  I had never sung the soprano solo before, although I had been a chorister on a few occasions.  I can't say that the music is technically or theoretically challenging, but my sight reading and musicianship skills enabled me to nail the performance the very next day.

Similarly, I received a call at very short notice regarding a world premiere of a piece for soprano and choir, as well as a second piece for bass clarinet, piano, and computer.  Two rehearsals and a dress rehearsal later, and we were on our way.  I'm not saying that this was the best performance of my life, but I was able to step in, perform the pieces, create some lovely music, and enjoy the experience!

And, finally, eight days ago I received an email from the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.  A singer has had to cancel two concerts of Manuel de Falla's El Amor Brujo that take place this week.  It's a fabulous 23-minute piece; no tricky intervals, but some deadly rhythms, and a very strong emphasis on chest register placement.  In addition, it's in Andalusian Spanish.  Vocal coaching and language tutoring is taking place, and rehearsals start on Tuesday.

Do your homework; this is where the hard work really pays off.

Bureaucrats and Culture

How much do the arts and culture impact our lives on a daily basis?  For those of us who work outside the realm of creating, performing, or being on stage every day, it can be a challenge to assess if indeed we are part of an aesthetic network.  However, my experience at the media launch of Calgary2012 on Wednesday morning proved that very few people can escape that labyrinth.

As I headed into the Jack Singer lobby, I ran into a representative of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts - absolutely appropriate that he should be there.  My next conversation was with the curator of an historic house here in Calgary; no surprise there either, but it was a great chance to catch up with him.  Through our conversation, I was introduced to a number of people who might be considered to be bureaucrats or even paper pushers.  You could tell that they felt slightly uncomfortable, slightly ill at ease with so many "artists" around them; they were outside of their comfort zones.  Yet each of them was there in anticipation of a huge opportunity for Calgary to up the ante regarding cultural activity.

The co-chairs, Lois and Doug Mitchell, gave a brief rundown of what the ideals and expectations of the year entail.  With over 350 cultural ambassadors, the possibilities grow every minute.  Granted, the idea of singing "Sweet City Woman" for the next twelve months may cause many to cringe, for others it is the possibility of just throwing everything into it and having, at the end of the day, a wonderfully creative time.  In fact, watching one of the civil servants feel completely out of place as those around him sang along to the song, was an endearing moment.  I truly believe that by the time we get around to the fantastic Lip-Dub Project and Street Party (http://www.calgary2012.com/whats-happening/calendar/month/calgary-2012-celebrations) that very bureaucrat will be joining in with great gusto.

The whole idea of inclusion, of bringing as many people as possible together during the Year of Culture, will impact the community for years to come.  This isn't about elitism and trying to convert the masses to appreciate high-brow arts.  It's about providing opportunities for everyone  to create, participate, and appreciate what our city has to offer.  Check out the website!! www.calgary2012

Connect, Brag, Throw Down!

Yup, that's my new job description as a Cultural Ambassador for Calgary2012.  I attended an orientation meeting this week and was blown away by the creativity, energy, and general madness of everyone in attendance.  My inner groan, when it was announced that all 200 - yes, 200 - people in attendance would, one by one, make a quick statement of who they were and why there were at the meeting, quickly turned into a wonderful feeling of being proud to be part of this phenomenal organization.  The fact that they provided free coffee and doughnuts (courtesy of the amazing Jelly Modern Doughnuts) was also a bonus.  It's going to be an amazing year.  Curious?  Check out their website:  www.calgary2012.com.

And so it goes...

So I thought this week was going to be straightforward and tiring, as opposed to complicated and tiring.  Guess what?  Not so!!

In the midst of me having to work around two part-time jobs and three volunteer board positions, a storm hit Calgary.  Snow day!!  What was a carefully planned week turned into some free time!  When does that ever happen to a freelance musician/teacher/administrator/volunteer?

Thoughts of manicures, pedicures, reading time, movie time, and general laziness pervaded my not-so-conscious consciousness.  But, alas, it was not to last.  I had forgotten two words in the English language that haunt the self-employed:  tax time.  The time of year when 51 weeks get condensed into the final week, proving that the-great-memory-that-you-thought-you-had-every-time-you-made-a-bank-deposit wasn't so great.  Argh!  Just what WAS that deposit on May 12 at 7:29pm?  I kept the slip but neglected to write anything on it because, yep, my memory is so great!

So now I must send all of the information (and lack thereof) to my accountant.  This is my first year with her (and maybe my last?).  Apparently she is used to singers.  Watch this space...