I ran across this live video of the Time Warp from a 1997 production of The Rocky Horror Show. This was one of the most fun musical theater projects I ever worked on. I wouldn’t mind going on a tour with this show for a few years because the interaction with the audience is intoxicating.
Working on my own project I always go back and forth between “high art” and the just plain fun of a Rocky type experience. When it comes to art what’s more important -- having fun or giving people a more thoughtful experience? I guess we need it all for a colorful life…
With a sea of information coming at us from all directions, how do we sift out the misinformation and bogus claims, and get to the truth? Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine lays out a “Baloney Detection Kit,” ten questions we should ask when encountering a claim.
The 10 Questions:
1. How reliable is the source of the claim?
2.Does the source make similar claims?
3. Have the claims been verified by somebody else?
4. Does this fit with the way the world works?
5. Has anyone tried to disprove the claim?
6. Where does the preponderance of evidence point?
7. Is the claimant playing by the rules of science?
8. Is the claimant providing positive evidence?
9. Does the new theory account for as many phenomena as the old theory?
10. Are personal beliefs driving the claim?
Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things — from alien abductions to dowsing rods — boils down to two of the brain’s most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble.
Dr Michael Shermer and Dr Georgia Purdom talk at the Creation Museum.
http://www.ted.com Why do people see the Virgin Mary on cheese sandwiches or hear demonic lyrics in “Stairway to Heaven”? Using video, images and music, professional skeptic Michael Shermer explores these and other phenomena, including UFOs and alien sightings. He offers cognitive context: In the absence of sound science, incomplete information can combine with the power of suggestion (helping us hear those Satanic lyrics in Led Zeppelin). In fact, he says, humans tend to convince ourselves to believe: We overvalue the “hits” that support our beliefs, and discount the more numerous “misses.”
Handel Messiah Comfort Ye Every Valley. Stephen Wall tenor. George Shangrow conducting from the harpsichord.
J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Orchestra Seattle -- Seattle Chamber Singers
George Shangrow, Music Director
Seattle is in mourning today and for all time on the death of George Shangrow. Seattle area conductor George Shangrow was killed in a car crash on Saturday July 31, 2010.
It’s not normal for me to publish things like this on my website. But this is just so shocking to me. I first worked with George when I was around 12 years old as a boy soprano and in 2005 had offered to relocate my record label and internet company to Seattle to solely focus on promoting his groups. I’m so sad to hear this. What a tremendous loss. He was such a great conductor, pianist and person. Condolences to his family.
When I was around 12 years old, George Shangrow was around 27 and worked as a rehearsal pianist for the Northwest Boychoir that I was in. He would also sometimes accompany me in voice lessons and later I sang in the chorus with him conducting Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.
In 2006, before I relocated to China with Cirque Du Soleil, I last saw him conduct the Bach Mass in B Minor in Seattle, WA. I spoke with him after the concert and he said “Are you still interested in that studio and internet thing?” and I said “Yes”. But that was the last we spoke and I relocated to China.
“I prefer actors that can sing rather than singers that can act” -- I thought that was a great quote from Stephen Sondheim in this video behind the scenes on the music for the movie version of the musical “Sweeney Todd”.
In another interview I read today with Stephen Sondheim he said although most musicals now are rock/pop or jukebox style -- he said the same rules apply to creating musical theater: You create what you like and then just hope that others like it too. He says to try and second guess current trends or what audiences will like is pointless. I would say that in the world of pure art this is true. Although most of us work in arenas where budgets and projects dictate expectations.
Unless of course we are brave enough to venture out and create our own visions unhampered by monetary expectations. That is a tough decision for an artist, and a very fun one!
Cirque Du Soleil casting promo video for instrumentalists and singers. Musicians and vocalists can visit http://www.CirqueDuSoleil.com for audition submission information and updates on musician job openings.
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Video is in Chinese. Hong Kong tour guide says “Spend more, you’ll be happier… don’t tell me you don’t need [to buy more], next you’ll be telling me you don’t need to eat at meal time. I will lock you out of your hotel rooms because you don’t need them [either].”
Finally got some pics from our recording session of the Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA soundtrack in Hong Kong – December 2008. Most of our tracks were recorded on location in Macau but we did string section and piano recordings in Hong Kong.
Usher performed in Macau at the Venetian Casino on July 13, 2010. Rumor has it he came over to our ZAIA theater to record some audio tracks for a project he’s working on.
I didn’t get to meet him and security was tight. So I posted a video with some Usher music you might enjoy. Assuming that Usher has a good sense of humor and won’t kick my butt. Did you know that many consider Usher to be the one to take the torch from Michael Jackson’s legacy? Read on for more info.
Range of the Bb Clarinet and characteristics of different registers. Low register called the Chalumeau octave.
More information on Clarinet construction and use in the orchestra available at:
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/%7Eahugill/manual/clarinet/construction.html
Clip from My Bodyguard movie starring Matt Dillon, Chris Makepeace, Adam Baldwin, Ruth Gordon from 1980.
Classic clip from My Bodyguard where the bully Mike gets his ass kicked! Excellent Movie from 1980!!
I have been watching the sci-fi series Firefly and really enjoy the character that Adam Baldwin plays. That made me remember when I first saw him in the movie “My Bodyguard” back in 1980. Chris Makepeace and Adam Baldwin are around the same age as me so My Bodyguard was a powerful movie for me when it came out that I could relate to.
Here I posted the two fight scenes from My Bodyguard. What a great film for the time.
I had not realized before how flexible and nimble the oboe is. Here is an excerpt of the oboe score from Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, K. 297, third movement. So this is just a note to myself to remember to score more interesting and diverse parts when I write for oboe. We want to keep the oboe players happy.
“The oboist gives a good representation of staccato articulation and the wide leaps that it can play.” (Norton, The Study of Orchestration.)
For several months I am studying woodwinds and strings with an online music school to get more tricks and creativity into my scoring. (Yes, it’s very fun!)
This is what happens when someone sings a song phonetically in English, but doesn’t actually speak any English. A sober reminder to the rest of us that have tried to learn a karaoke song in Mandarin or Cantonese and think that we’re “pretty darn close”.
Bulgarian Idol 2 female vocal audition sings the song Without You -- Mariah Carey.
Wednesday June 16 is the 2010 Macau Dragonboat Festival. Macau is already starting to see lots of tourists coming in from Mainland China. At the Venetian Casino (where I currently work) we noticed a lot of activity Monday night. The official holiday is Wednesday but the entire week is a holiday period (does this qualify as a “golden week”, hmmm…..not sure about that.)
I’ve lived in Macau over two years now and I still haven’t seen the Dragonboat races! Because I work in entertainment, we’re always doing extra shows during the holiday periods so we don’t get to partake as much as we’d like.
The Dragonboat holiday, or Duanwu, is a very old one in China but was denied official recognition under the People’s Republic of China established in 1949. The Chinese government has re-adopted the holiday and it was officially recognized again starting in 2008.
The short story: a famous poet drowned in the water so people throw food to the fish so the fish will be fed and not eat the poet’s body. That’s the story I’ve heard from local Macanese. More details posted below.
Here’s more info on the Dragonboat festival and water races:
Watchmojo dot com interview some of the creators for the Cirque Du Soleil show Totem. And I’ve been told the musicians are beginning to record the Totem soundtrack album -- should be wonderful!
Totem is about the evolution of man and animals, explores some creation myths and touches on man’s aspirations to go into space.
I have a friend who is an up and coming director and also a Shakespeare aficionado. They told me a few years ago, “I’m very sorry to tell you this Conrad but I have to be honest. I absolutely hate musicals.” He then went on to tell me how it just makes no sense that people break into song on street corners and an orchestra breaks in to support them.
I have to agree it’s absolutely ridiculous. And when we say “musical” we are really referring to the “American musical” phenomenon started on Broadway, the “Great White Way”. However, it’s the fact that it’s so ridiculous that makes me love it so much.
I love the television series “Glee”. I didn’t think much about it until I saw a friend post on Facebook “Is there anyone who actually likes Glee? It’s the worst show ever made. I don’t think anyone actually watches it.”
Well this is certainly a trip. A friend showed me this photo of a Freddy Fender memorial sign in Lucerne Valley, CA. And I guess it’s just a sign out in the middle of the California High Desert but to me it has much more significance.
Email question received about synthesizer for the AIDA Broadway musical:
Hello:
Do you know what keyboard model was used for the original production of “Aida”? There are sounds listed (Pyramiding Glints of Dawn, Royal Bam, Punch) that I have no idea what they sound like.
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