Out and About

Singers Forum students and faculty aren't sleeping on the job this upcoming week. You can catch our talented singers, pianists, and directors in productions all over New York City!


A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
28 to 30 January, 3 to 6 February, 8:00 PM
30 January, 3 & 6 February, 2:00 PM
31 January, 3:00 PM 2 & 7 February, 7:00 PM
Walter Kerr Theatre
SF teacher Bradley Dean features as Frid, manservant to Madame Armfeldt (Angela Lansbury). Hardly anyone escapes the complications of romance in this Broadway musical comedy, which throws a group of zany characters together at a country estate and tests their professed devotions against their true feelings. The show also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Leigh Ann Larkin as Frid's love interest, Petra.
Photo: Leigh Ann Larkin and Bradley Dean take a bow at opening night, broadwayworld.com


ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER TUNE
30 January, 7:30 PM
The Metropolitan Room
Joel Ginn takes the stage in his debut at the Metropolitan Room, under the direction of SF teacher Eric Michael Gillett. SF coach Erich Rausch is musical director for Ginn's evening of American classics from an era when "the simplest melodies helped carry our great nation through the turbulent events of the first half of the 20th century". Ginn rehearsed the show at Singers Forum's studios and it sounded pretty darn good! If the recession has put a cramp on your style, catch his performance on Saturday night: it's only a $20 cover and a two-drink minimum. Heritage Productions presents the show, which features Matt Wigton on bass and Tony Jefferson on drums.
Photo: Joel Ginn, metropolitanroom.com


BEAUTY SHOP STORIES
31 January, 6:00 PM
Cornelia Street Café
SF coach David Shenton is music director for this delightful evening of comedy and music with the Chelsea Hotel's Fay Lane. Lane promises "the glittered-up memories of a Green Bean Queen in bedazzling story and song!" Features a guest appearance by Jay Rogers.
Photo: Fay Lane, left, corneliastreetcafe.com


CABARET CARES 3
31 January, 7:00 PM
The Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Café
SF student Raissa Katona Bennett, veteran of Broadway shows and national tours including productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Parade, presents an encore of her acclaimed show "Raissa at Feinstein's". This eagerly-anticipated performance benefits Help Is on the Way Today, a charity that assists children and teens with HIV and AIDS. Bennett will feature some of her beloved renditions from her Feinstein's show alongside a new song written specifically for the benefit by Tony-Award-nominated composer Michael John LaChiusa, known for such Broadway productions as The Wild Party and Marie Christine. SF teacher Eric Michael Gillett directs and also features as a special guest! Joseph John Productions presents, Mark Janas is the musical director and arranger, and the show also features Sean Harkness on guitar, Ritt Henn on bass, and Mayra Casales on percussion. Don't miss it for a way to combine a magical evening of music with a good cause.
Photo: Raissa Katona Bennett, raissa.info


ELLA & ME
31 January, 8:30 PM
Feinstein's at the Loews Regency Hotel
Once you've enjoyed Raissa Katona Bennett's performance at the Beechman, there's every reason to finish up the evening with SF alum Sue Matsuki's thrilling performance of Ella Fitzgerald classics at Feinstein's. Critics and audiences alike have widely acclaimed Matsuki's affinity for the First Lady of Song, and if you love such composers as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, and Harold Arlen, this is an opportunity you can't pass up. SF teacher Eric Michael Gillett directs, and the evening also features Gregory Toroian on piano, Steve Millhouse on bass, and Ron Tierno on percussion.
Photo: Sue Matsuki, feinsteinsattheregency.com


SONGS OF ALBERT HAGUE
2 February, 7:00 PM
4 February, 9:45 PM
The Metropolitan Room
Christine Reisner is rehearsing in our own Dorothy Jones Theater as we type this! She comes from an illustrious career in both music and dance to lend her interpretation to the songs of the great theatre composer Albert Hague - who also happens to be Reisner's uncle. She presents to us insights into both the music and the man in a tribute to "one of America's national treasures." SF teacher Eric Michael Gillett directs, the musical director is Tex Arnold, and the show also features special guest Jon Burr on bass.
Photo: Christine Reisner, metropolitanroom.com



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Singer's Quote of the Day

Alas for those that never sing,
But die with all their music in them!
~Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Delivery Girls at Feinstein's: 20% Off!

One of our students and one of our good friends have teamed up with two other talented ladies and director Eric Michael Gillett to create a different kind of musical act than you usually see these days.

The Delivery Girls is a trio of singers (Mary Carey, Amie Carey and April Henry) and musical director Tracy Stark. They apply tight harmonies to fun pop numbers, like a latter day version of The Crystals or The Ronnettes. I know all this for two reasons: one, I am readng the postacrd about their show, and two, I am lucky enough to hear them rehearse here in our studio.

My office is right across the hall from the Andy Anselmo Studio, so when the Delivery Girls are around, I know it. Their smooth sound and recognizable music is a welcome break from what is sometimes a cacophany of vocalizing students. I've seen Mary around school for a few years now, and Tracy and I have even worked together on a New Year's Eve gig I had last year. But even if I didn't know these ladies, I could recommend the show from the sound of their rehearsals alone.

Mary was nice enough to offer a discount to Singers Forum folks, so if you use code DG09 when reserving tickets, you'll get 20% off.

The show is at Feinstein's at The Regency on Wednesday, November 4 at 8:30 pm. I recommend calling 212.339.4095 to reserve tickets, as the online method adds nearly $10 to the total. You can also see more at www.feinsteinsattheregency.com.

Mother, My Valve!

If you have read "A Confederacy of Dunces" (which you should) this quote will have particular salience. If not, it's still something to think about, especially post-MTV generation.

"Music is a part of us, and either ennobles or degrades our behaviour." - Boethius

I find that I tend to gravitate toward the former and avoid the latter, but there is a relentless trend toward music that degrades us, and we tend to become desensitized to it rather rapidly. Who among us would say that the music of Elvis Presley is the "music of the devil" in the 21st century, especially compared to the spectacles of Marilyn Manson, rap music about crime, and Lady Gaga? (OK, I like Lady Gaga, I can't help it.)

That was my first thought when I read this quote; what about you?

Thought for the Day

Life is a symphony, and the action of every person in this life is the playing of his particular part in the music.

Building a Music Library

We were lucky enough to get a generous donation from one of our former students in the form of several boxes of music books to add to our collection. Although we had a lot of traditional musical theater, classical, and pop standards in our extant collection, we were light on the contemporary. I'm glad we seemed to have filled that niche now. Of course, our lending library is still fairly small, but I think it offers a lot of options to our students and renters. We like to think of it as a little perk of working at Singers Forum!

The Singers Anthology books are helpful, especially because they are published by voice part. I also like vocal selections from musicals for a good way to find obscure material. Now we also have a lot of books of songs written and/or performed by a specific pop artist. I find them to be great resources for new songs to play on my uke!

What would be your ideal books in your music library? Do you like jazz standards, or would you love to have more contemporary musical theater books? And have you mastered the art of copying songs from these books without losing your bass clef or chord symbols? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The Quandary of Work/Study

A very funny graphic from The Onion lists the "Least Popular Work-Study Jobs." It gives 19% (of what, I don't know) to "Work-study program administrator." This graphic hangs on the cork board in front of my desk, so I can muse at it every day. That's me, "work-study program administrator."

It's hard to run a work/study program when there is a limited amount and specific type of work to do. Back when we ran the evening front desk with Work/Study students, there were more students participating, but we had too much inconsistency in a vital area, so we switched to one paid employee. Let's face it, most people who want to do Work/Study are struggling performers who may get a tour at a moment's notice, or get interested in another kind of class they have to focus on. So, I'm used to seeing people come and go. Unfortunately, I'm at a kind of "go" moment right now.

We have Open House this week, and we usually staff it with about 10 Work/Study students. This year, I have 2. Basically, the students who are trained to do Work/Study aren't taking classes right now, so they don't need to earn credit. Thus, they don't respond to my requests for staff. I miss them!

I love having students help to run our events, as they are a huge part of the school. We let Work/Study students do the hours they want and apply the credit to anything they want. Many schools only offer a program like work 6 hours in one week and get one class. That's not very flexible. So, I think we've got a good deal! Plus, I always offer the opportunity to go around town distributing postcards at studios and bookstores (just dropping off, no handing out), with a report-your-own-hours policy, but I don't get many takers.

I'm just at a loss as to what to do. Do we institute a more rigid policy, like, you have to work three events a semester to stay on the roster? How can I incentivize the program to make it more desirable? Is this a signal that the whole structure of the program must change? What do you think? I'd love to hear your ideas!