The Best Use of Air

Sing with the One Earth Choir on Tues Feb 21 - 2012

2012-02-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

It's not too late to join the Inin 2012 One Earth Choir. Join over 115,000 singers from all over the world singing the same music at the same time. You can find both the score and the conduction video at www.inin2012.net . Happy Singing!

Upcoming Singer Offerings at Alcorn Music Studios/GigSpace

2012-01-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

Hello Good People! Just a heads up about a few offerings for Ottawa-Gatineau singers at Alcorn Music Studios/GigSpace that are starting soon. Allison Jackson is leading a singing group focusing on East Coast folk and Celtic music, and it comes complete with Ceilidh celebration. There's also a keep-singing-better class full of tips and exercises for taking care of your voice for a lifetime of comfortable singing as the years progress - a participatory class with Elise Letourneau. And there are Thursday evening offerings every week at GigSpace, including Singer's Night Out, Indie Night for singer-songwriters, a jazz and blues jam that welcomes vocalists and instrumentalists, and some vocal jazz workshops en français avec Nicole Ratté. Come sing with us!

Click HERE for more info.

Choirs Ontario Composer's Corner

2012-01-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Established in 1971, Choirs Ontario is a dynamic organization whose mission is to foster a vibrant and inclusive choral community by providing resources, creating opportunities and engaging Ontario's diverse population in the transformative power of choral music.

They have launched a new feature on their website, called Composer's Corner, and somehow saw fit to make my Ave Maria - for Mary Tevlin their inaugural post. Check it out HERE.

Thanks so much Choirs Ontario!

Thank-you Etta James.....

2012-01-20T18:25:00.001-05:00

..... for every note you ever sang..... so much Life, so much Wise, so much Earth, so much Real, so much Much.....

Blues Singer Etta James Dies - CBC News

Etta James Obituary - The Guardian

Etta James Dead at 73 - Rolling Stone

Etta James Dies at 73 - New York Times

Sheila Jordan workshop update - audit spots remain for tomorrow

2012-01-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update - all the participation spots have been spoken for in Sheila Jordan's vocal jazz workshop tomorrow at Alcorn Music Studios/Gigspace, but there are still audit spaces available. It's a 4-hour workshop - so much can be learned from watching and listening to a master in action. Don't miss!

Click HERE for details.

Only 2 Participant Spots Left for Sheila Jordan Workshop!!!

2012-01-18T17:26:00.000-05:00

when - this Saturday January 21, 2012
where - Alcorn Music Studios/GigSpace in Ottawa Ontario

There's still room if you want to audit the workshop, but only 2 participant spots remain.

details and registration information HERE

Solitude & Creativity

2012-01-17T12:46:00.000-05:00

An interesting article a friend posted from the New York Times about solitude, creativity, and groupthink. Creative introverts, take heart. And stand your ground too.

The Rise of the New Groupthink

Going back to my cave now... see ya!

Sing Better As You Age - new 12-week class at AMS

2012-01-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

click HERE to go to Alcorn Music Studios for registration info

Sing Better as You Age

"Sing Better As You Age" is an interactive and participatory class for the adult singer that will help you understand how your voice works and gain insight into what it taking place physically as you experience vocal changes. Ideas as to what types of actions you can take to improve the condition of your voice, including breathing and vocal conditioning exercises. We'll also review the vocal and musical skill sets that will help you in group singing. Keep enjoying singing to its fullest!

Instructor: Elise Letourneau, music educator, composer, choir director and vocalist.

Course Length: 12 weeks.

Dates: Thursdays beginning Feb 2nd, except no class March 15 (March break week), last class Thursday April 26th.

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 Pm

Location: GigSpace 953 Gladstone in Alcorn Music Studios

Registration Fee: $175.00

This course requires a minimum of 8 to run.

Please note this is a "less scent" class.

Call 613-729-0693 to register.

...and speaking of Laughing at Ourselves...

2012-01-13T14:16:00.001-05:00

They say the best humour is easy to relate to because it hits close to home. But hopefully not too close! This is scary-funny. They really nailed it.

If you'd like to learn more about this choir, click over to www.vancouvercantatasingers.com .

Ave Maria - for Mary Tevlin

2012-01-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

Hi. This is a home demo recorded with some friends in a living room. It's called "Ave Maria - for Mary Tevlin". A piece of music for a wonderful woman. It turned out to also be the winning entry in the 2011 Ruth Watson Henderson Choral Composition Competition. It will be performed by the Toronto Children's Chorus in May 2012 under the direction of Elise Bradley. Performers on this track are vocalists Diana James, Elise Letourneau, Anne Naylen, and Cathy Patton; and pianist Richard Fujarczuk.

Ave Maria - for Mary Tevlin

If you'd like to check out the news article on the Choirs Ontario website, you'll find it here:
http://www.choirsontario.org/NewsManager/detail?id=402834e53393e12f0133a36d4a5d0086

Laughing at Ourselves

2012-01-09T17:51:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I think it's so easy for singers of all styles and levels to get a tad over-serious, and I think much of it has to do with the fact that the line between where we end and our instrument begins is both blurry and constantly moving. This video made me laugh so much and reminded me why I love singer-people so much.

When you're done laughing, be sure to visit their websites!
www.saragazarek.com
www.gretchenparlato.com

Sheila Jordan's upcoming vocal jazz masterclass in Ottawa ON

2012-01-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

The GigSpace Performance Studio is very excited to feature a Jazz Vocal Masterclass with Sheila Jordan.

Sheila Jordan received the Jazz Masters Award 2012 from the National Endowment for the Arts - the highest honor in jazz music in America.

Vocal Masterclass:

Getting Your Jazz Act Together - How to prepare yourself for performances.

Hosted by Elise Letourneau

Date: Saturday January. 21st, 2012

Time: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Vocal participation: $50 (limit of 10)

Masterclass audit: $20

To Register: call 613-729-0693 and pay by credit card or drop into Alcorn Music Studios to register and pay cash, debit, cheque or credit card.

Location: 953 Gladstone Ave., Ottawa (in Alcorn Music Studios)

Participants: please bring a prepared piece of music, water, a recorder or pen/paper for taking notes.

Note: This is a “less scent” class, please avoid perfumes, body sprays or cologne.

About Sheila Jordan:

Sheila Jordan is not only one of the premier singers in jazz, but she is known for her stimulating vocal workshops as well. A superb scat singer, she can just as easily reach the emotional depths of a ballad. Whether singing well-known standards or original material, she makes it all sound like no one else.

Jordan, née Dawson, grew up in Pennsylvania’s coal mining country with her grandparents, singing in school and on amateur radio shows. In the early 1940s, she returned to live with her mother in Detroit, where she became interested in jazz after hearing a Charlie Parker recording. She met some of Detroit’s young musicians during that time, such as Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, and Barry Harris. She then joined a vocal trio, Skeeter, Mitch, and Jean, which performed versions of Parker’s and others’ bebop solos in a manner akin to later vocal jazz trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

Upon moving to New York City in the early ’50s, Jordan sang in clubs and at jam sessions with some of the city’s jazz giants, including Charles Mingus, Herbie Nichols, and Parker. She also studied with the renowned Lennie Tristano. In 1952, she married Parker’s pianist, Duke Jordan. Ten years later, she made her acclaimed first recording, showing her vocal finesse on a ten-plus minute version of “You Are My Sunshine” on George Russell’s album The Outer View. Thanks to Russell, she released her first album, Portrait of Sheila, on Blue Note, the first female vocalist to record for the label.

In the mid-1960s, Jordan’s work encompassed jazz liturgies sung in churches and extensive club performances. After touring and recording with trombonist Roswell Rudd in the 1970s, Jordan became a member of the Steve Kuhn Quartet alongside bassist Harvie S and drummer Bob Moses. By the late ’70s, jazz audiences began to understand her uncompromising style and her popularity increased.

Her preference for bass and voice led to several collaborations with bassists, including Arild Andersen, Harvie S, and Cameron Brown. Jordan is the pioneer in bass/voice duo in jazz, starting in the early 1950s and continuing to the present.

In 1978, she began teaching at the City College of New York and has continued teaching jazz vocal workshops there until 2005. She is also a faculty member for Jazz in July at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro, Vermont, and conducts workshops internationally as well. The singer has received several honors, including the 2008 Mary Lou Williams Award for a Lifetime of Service to Jazz. Jordan still travels extensively – nationally and abroad – performing with her quartet and as a duo with Brown. www.sheilajordan.com

Selected Discography:

Portrait of Sheila, Blue Note, 1962

Jazz Child, High Note, 1998

Little Song, High Note, 2002

Sheila Jordan/Cameron Brown, Celebration: Live at the Triad, High Note, 2004

Winter Sunshine: Live at Upstairs, Justin Time, 2008

Beatlemania!!! on November 19 with Capital Vox Jazz Choir & Friends

2011-11-05T12:19:00.000-04:00

Beatlemania!!!

Saturday November 19, 2011 at 7:30 PM

Dominion-Chalmers United Church

355 Cooper Street, Ottawa ON

$25/$23/$20/$10

Join Capital Vox Jazz Choir for their upcoming "Beatlemania!!!" concert on Saturday November 19 at 7:30PM at Dominion-Chalmers United Church in downtown Ottawa. The concert represents some significant coming together in the Ottawa music community. Capital Vox (30 voices and a professional rhythm section under the direction of Elise Letourneau) is hosting the Capital Youth Jazz Orchestra for this concert. Canterbury High School for the arts has accepted our invitation to have 5 students featured as guest lead vocalists. Ottawa's newest women's choir, Vox Eclectica, is on the bill as a guest vocal ensemble. The Four Seasons String Quartet rounds out the musical offering. And special guest Amanda Putz (host of Bandwidth on CBC Radio 91.5 FM) is coming to emcee the evening. Close to 75 performers are gathering for one extravaganza concert to give the Fab Four their props.

Beatles songs will be performed in several vocal and instrumental configurations. And, due to the positive response to the choir's "Come Sing Standards" events and requests for more audience opportunities to sing, there are a couple of "everybody sing" selections planned for the programme.

Dominion-Chalmers United Church address is 355 Cooper Street. Advance tickets ($20) are available from choir members, and at Alcorn Music Studios, Wellington Herb & Spice, and The Leading Note. Advance tickets are also available online at www.capitalvox.ca until midnight November 17. Tickets can also be purchased at the door - $25 general admission, children 12 years of age and under accompanied by and adult are free of charge. Student rush tickets will go on sale 15 minutes before the show begins for $10 with the presentation of a valid student ID.

Please visit www.capitalvox.ca for additional information.

Live Piano Karaoke at Alcorn Music Studios' GigSpace

2011-10-05T23:16:00.000-04:00

Starts Thursday October 6 - details below...

Our Come Sing Standards event was so FUN!!!

2011-10-05T23:12:00.001-04:00

We'll have to do it again sometime!

Check in with OttawaJazzScene.ca's coverage of the event...

http://ottawajazzscene.ca/news/3275-standards-singers-overflow-new-gigspace-at-culture-days

Singing Blues and R&B course at Alcorn Music Studios

2011-09-17T08:56:00.001-04:00

Just a heads-up that there are still a few spaces in the "Singing Blues and R&B" course at Alcorn Music Studios. Every time we run this course, we have such a fun time. All participants sing every class meeting, and it's a very supportive atmosphere. Details below.

Here's a link from one of our previous classes. It's the group number from the showcase at the end of the course.

(info below from www.alcornmusicstudios.com )

Sing Blues, Motown and classic R&B favourites.
This course will focus on the stylistic considerations of the R&B, Motown and Blues genres. You will learn vocal techniques for breath support, phrasing, flexibility, range, judicious use of vibrato, diction, how to “belt” responsibly, lyric interpretation. Explore the art of backing vocals. All participants will be singing lead and back-up.

You will have an absolute blast!

Time: Thursday 6:15 pm - 7:45 pm
Dates: 10 weeks Sept.22 to Nov 24. Final show Nov. 27
Instructor: vocalist/music educator Elise Letourneau, B.Mus., M.Ed.
Cost: $234.00 (non-refundable)
Pre-requisite: Some singing experience preferred.
Maximum participants: six
Register: 613-729-0693 info@alcornmusicstudios.com
Location: 953 Gladstone Ave. @ Loretta (Little Italy area)
Note: This is a "less Scent" class we ask all participants to avoid wearing perfume, body spray or cologne.

Call for Singers! - Vox Eclectica - new women's choir in Ottawa ON

2011-09-10T06:20:00.000-04:00

When I relocated to Ottawa in 2006 with a fresh start and a clean plate to bring up to life’s buffet, I knew that if I wanted to start the jazz choir I’d always been hoping for, I had to do it then, before the rest of life had its way with my schedule. What I didn’t know at the time was how many friendly and wonderful singer-people there are in Ottawa!

Fast-forward to 2011 and Capital Vox Jazz Choir is just embarking on its fifth season. It has been a wonderful time - with lots of good experiences, learning experiences, and even some growing pains. But the best thing about growing pains is the growth at the finish line, and things have grown to the point where, to quote the rock-musical Tommy, “We need to build an extension!”

I am both honoured and blown away by the number of audition requests I am receiving. Many of the requests are coming from women, and even if we had the space in Capital Vox (both figuratively and literally - more space in the rehearsal room, more chairs, etc), we do not have enough male voices to support all the female voices who are asking for auditions.

In answer to this, I am forming another choir, a women’s choir called Vox Eclectica. This choir will be dedicated to exploring the female voice in its most captivating and entrancing settings; with music drawn from every genre, from Mozart to Mitchell, early music to Enya, lieder to lullabies, traditional music, new music, and more and more.

The vision for this first year is to find our footing in terms of singing together as a group - to find our sound, our gel, our blend, our combination of special features and unique talents. In terms of concerts, so far the intention is to plan and rehearse for three performances:
1) As a special guest vocal ensemble for a selection in the upcoming Capital Vox concert, “Beatlemania” on November 19, 2011 at Dominion-Chalmers United Church.
2) To present a short showcase concert (in multiple seatings?) with Mary as the central theme, at the new GigSpace performance facility at Alcorn Music Studios on December 18, 2011.
3) To present a full-length concert in the Spring of 2012, date/location to be determined.

Vox Eclectica will rehearse on Tuesday evenings, not far from Preston Street. I hope to begin rehearsals on September 27, or October 4 at the latest. I’m reserving time on September 13 and September 20 to hear singers, and I’d love to meet you.

Like Capital Vox, Vox Eclectica will be structured as an independent choir, without a church or school or other type of institution administering it, and as such will need to collect dues to support its basic operating costs. This will be similar in structure to Capital Vox - please visit http://www.capitalvox.ca/join-capital-vox/membership-expectations for more information about becoming a member.

And more information about what to expect at the audition/initial meeting can be found at http://www.capitalvox.ca/join-capital-vox . I'll want to hear something you love to sing (any style), check in with your music reading ability, and explore your vocal range.

Please feel free to pass this letter along, or to contact me directly. Thanks for taking the time out to read this letter. I look forward to the possibility of our paths crossing soon.

Carleton University Jazz Camp is Coming Up Soon!

2011-08-01T18:44:00.000-04:00

Just a quick reminder that the Carleton University Jazz Camp is August 7-12. Enjoy five-and-a-half days of workshops, ensembles large and small, masterclasses, concerts, jam sessions. A great way for singers to build technique, improv, and musicianship skills.

Visit www.cujazzcamp.ca for more detailed information and registration.

Wasn't THAT a Party!!!

2011-07-04T14:24:00.001-04:00

Well that sure was fun! It was a perfect sunny day this past Saturday and the OLG tent at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival was full of smiling and singing people. They had all turned out to sing jazz standards with Capital Vox Jazz Choir and Our Very Fine Band - Mark Ferguson piano, Tim Bedner guitar, Mark Alcorn bass, Marilee Townsend drums. We all sang Ellington and Gershwin and Jobim and more. Definitely we have to do that again sometime. Watch either here or at www.capitalvox.ca for when the next Come Sing Jazz Standards will be. Thanks so much to all who participated - it for sure wouldn't have been the same without you!

Come Sing with Capital Vox Jazz Choir at Ottawa Jazz Fest!

2011-06-27T10:05:00.001-04:00

We are trying our hand at the "Come Sing Handel's Messiah" type of event, but with our own spin on it. Join us at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival at our "Come Sing Jazz Standards" event. It's Saturday July 2 from noon to 1 PM at the OLG Stage downtown in Confederation Park.

Be a part of the fun! Join Elise Letourneau & Capital Vox Jazz Choir in singing some favourite standards from The Golden American Songbook. We'll sing a tune or two, and then you'll get to join in the singing too - and pick up a few jazz vocal tips along the way, learn to count in the rhythm section, and sing a few scat riffs too. Lyrics and rhythm section provided - just bring your own voice. All ages and singing levels welcome - the more the merrier!

For more information about the event, or about the Ottawa Jazz Festival in general, please visit http://ottawajazzfestival.com/index.php/come-sing-jazz-standards-with-elise-letourneau-capital-vox-jazz-choir/

Hope to see you there!

Lyrics Then & Now: School's Out!

2011-06-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

These last weeks I have been coaching students of all stripes and watching many of them graduate or count down the days, or sometimes both. Those who display the most obvious anticipation tend to make me recall strains from Thomas Augustine Arne's 18th-century masque, Comus, with the libretto written by John Milton.

Here's the text to "Air from Comus":

Preach not me your musty rules,
Ye drones that mould in idle cells,
The heart is wiser than the schools,
The senses always reason well.
If short my span I less can spare
to pass a single pleasure by:
An hour is long if lost in care;
They only live,
They only live,
They only live who life enjoy

Fast forward from 1738 to 2011 and we find that the ups and downs of social codes, formal education, and incorruptibility are still being hotly debated by songwriters. In 1972, Alice Cooper offered us "Well we got no class - and we got no principles/principals - we ain't got no innocence". I'm not licensed to print the whole lyric to "School's Out", but here's a fun link to it - don't let the first 10 seconds throw you:

Congratulations Class of 2011! And Good Summer to all! Hey do they still make those "burning schoolhouse" firecrackers?

Singing Blues/R&B Class - Showcase!

2011-06-06T13:19:00.002-04:00

We had such fun the last 10 weeks in the Singing Blues and R&B class at Alcorn Music Studios. Six people signed up - most of whom had never performed in a club setting or with a live blues band. After getting over some normal initial reluctance to sing in front of people - including each other - the class really gelled and supported each other. Everybody got to sing lead on one tune, and backups on two more, and this is the group number we did where everyone sang on Mustang Sally.

Way to go Dan, Candace, Linda, Leslie, Barbara, and Liz!

Seasonal Allergies

2011-05-25T14:09:00.001-04:00

They bother a lot of people, including singers!

So far, knock on wood, this Spring hasn't been too bad for me, comparatively speaking. Which roughly translates to one bad attack per week instead of three.

Some people feel like they are allergic to everything - and if your sinuses are already irritated, walking into a freshly industrial-cleaned retail space, the radius of a perfumed person, or a Catholic choir loft (when they light the incense it will take the shortest route to the choir loft - promise!) can be a dicey proposition with goopy results. Many of these same people have tried endless pharmaceuticals - both over-the-counter and prescription - often year round, only to remain sneezy and snuffy. I know that place very well.

I really wanted this year to be a little different in terms of allergies, instead of living it in a pharmacy-induced fog once I got out of my 6-8 week allergy-safe time frame (comparatively speaking again). I tried some different things, and I'm finding that so far this spring I am able to limit my allergy-drug taking to when I'm really symptomatic dangerously close to a gig. It's nice not to have to pop all those pills every day!

Here's what I've found has helped me with chronic allergic rhinitis and frequent sinusitis, and maybe they can help you too if you're suffering:

1) I went to a chiropractor and he got my neck into a more normal curve. Magically my headaches mostly went away too.

2) I got serious about nasal irrigation. The vessel for this purpose is often referred to as a Neti pot. But I found a squeeze-bottle type version at the pharmacy that you can use without contorting your head, neck, wrist, and elbow into strange positions over the sink. You just do it upright. No mess no fuss if you do it in the shower.

3) I got some help from an acupuncturist who specializes in allergies. Don't know why it works for me, but I don't really know why aspirin works either, and that never bothered me. Plus it's wonderfully relaxing.

4) At my acupuncturist's suggestion I started cutting down on "the white stuff" - dairy, processed flour products, and processed sugar products.

Now, when symptoms do get acute and I resort to pharmaceuticals, they are a lot more likely to work for me. Things still aren't perfect, but the above four measures have improved things for me by two-thirds (one attack per week instead of three), and then about two-thirds again (meds more likely to work when things get bad). I find they are also a lot more cost-effective, and "my liver is thanking me", at least according to my husband.

Here's a book with lots of ideas:
The Sinus Cure - 7 Simple Steps to Relieve Sinusitis and other Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions
Debra Fulghum Bruce, Ph.D. and
Murray Grossan, M.D.
Ballantine Books, 2007
ISBN 978-0-345-49602-7

And if you've found some things that have helped you, feel free to share. Singing is too important to give up on finding sinus relief! And DO keep in touch with your medical support people. Your family doctor or allergy specialist or ENT can keep you up to date about any breakthrough treatments, or any changes they observe in your vocal apparatus.

Capital Vox Jazz Choir Concert! - We Live Here

2011-04-26T13:46:00.001-04:00

We Live Here

Saturday April 30, 2011 at 7:30 PM

Knox Presbyterian Church

120 Lisgar Street at Elgin, Ottawa

Tickets $20

available at The Leading Note, Wellington Herb & Spice, Alcorn Music Studios, & choir members
www.capitalvox.ca

Nous Vivons Ici

Samedi le 30 avril 2011 à 19h30

Église presbytérienne Knox

120 rue Lisgar, coin Elgin, à Ottawa

Billets $20; disponibles chez The Leading Note, Herb & Spice (rue Wellington), Alcorn Music Studios & des membres de la chorale
www.capitalvox.ca

Join us for our upcoming concert which deals with themes of place, peace, and community - as well as celebrating the talent of composers, poets, and songwriters who live in our own backyard. The creative work of fifteen Ottawa artists including John Akpata, Tim Bedner, Tony Cosier, Christine Fagan, Mark Ferguson, Megan Jerome, Elise Letourneau, Rupinder Singh, Nicola Vulpe, and others will be represented on the programme. Thirty voices under the direction of Elise Letourneau, plus saxophonist Mike Tremblay, pianist Mark Ferguson, guitarist Tim Bedner, bassist Mark Alcorn, and drummer Marilee Townsend.

Joignez-vous à nous lors de notre prochain concert qui traite du lieu, de paix et de communauté et célèbre le talent de compositeurs, de poètes et d'auteurs-compositeurs venant de notre propre cour. Le travail créatif de quinze artistes d'Ottawa, incluant John Akpata, Tim Bedner, Tony Cosier, Christine Fagan, Mark Ferguson, Megan Jerome, Elise Letourneau, Rupinder Singh, Nicola Vulpe et d'autres encore sera au programme. Trente voix s'exécuteront, sous la direction d'Elise Letourneau, accompagnées du saxophonist Mike Tremblay, du pianiste Mark Ferguson, du guitariste Tim Bedner, du bassiste Mark Alcorn et de Marilee Townsend à la batterie.

Summer 2011 Jazz Camp Tuition Scholarship for Singers!

2011-04-13T13:37:00.009-04:00

Vocal Scholarship to Carleton University Jazz Camp
August 7-12, 2011

Off to See the Wizards (JW & VCC) Part2

2011-03-07T22:27:00.003-05:00

Winnipeg and Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir were really something.

More on that in a sec though, after a quick digression. I got to watch a bit of hotel-room TV, and there's something that's been bugging me since Thursday. This is a message for BECKY who was on Dr. Phil on Thursday March 3, 2011. Becky, I'm glad you got all that support from Dr. Phil, because you deserve good support. But there's one thing he didn't say, so I'm gonna say it:

BECKY - JUST SING, OKAY? DO IT NOW. THERE IS NEVER A GOOD REASON TO DEFER SINGING. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE ACHIEVED YOUR GOAL WEIGHT BEFORE YOU GO OUT AND SING. LIFE IS TOO SHORT. YOU DESERVE TO SING, THE WORLD CAN USE ONE MORE SINGER, AND YOU ARE ALREADY BEAUTIFUL. GET OUT THERE AND SING NOW. DON'T WAIT ONE MORE SINGLE DAY. DO IT TODAY.

Okay, back to the Interplay Composers' sessions.

A real nice bunch of folks, Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir. It's always a treat to have the opportunity to watch a master at work, and every single one of Jon Washburn's singers had their head fully focused on the music. Accomplished, talented, smart, and all the rest. If you spilled a jar of poppy seeds onto a paper towel, these people could sight-sing it. I went in mentally prepared for the artistic scalpel, because at this stage of the game nobody's got time for warm fuzzies. And I got a lot of really excellent and valuable feedback, but rather than being the musical excision kind of feedback that I had anticipated, it was more grooming and polishing things as they already were. A pleasant surprise, to say the least. It's always a special type of moment the first sing through a new score, when you find out if what you put onto the paper ends up being what comes off of it - or not. There was this really cool moment early in the session when I realized that things had clicked with Jon Washburn and my piece, and it was so instructional to watch how he brought the choir to that same place. I came out with so many ideas, and I'm still riding a crest of renewed creative energy that is infusing my writing since my return from Winnipeg.

Thank-you so much, Jon Washburn and VCC!

Off to See the Wizards (JW & VCC) Part1

2011-03-04T09:32:00.002-05:00

Well, today's the day!

In about an hour (Winnipeg time), I leave my hotel room and head for the music building at the University of Manitoba to meet up with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, their director Jon Washburn, two other composers I'm looking forward to meeting, and whoever else happens to be around and interested.

The VCC is "workshopping" a piece I wrote earlier this year - "i carry your heart with me" - based on e.e. cummings' poem of the same title. Which means they will read it down and pick it apart and see what's working well and what isn't really working at all - kind of a laboratory setting. Or at least that's what I think it means - I'll find out soon enough. I feel so incredibly lucky because the piece is for double choir (plus jazz trio), and it would be quite a job for me to put together an ensemble like this to explore the work. It's doubly nice because the work is intended as a series of four pieces, and I'm getting this opportunity and feedback now, before I write the other three.

Wow - it feels like Christmas. And I feel so hyper! Gotta get ready to roll.

An Ode to the Uvula

2011-03-03T15:11:00.002-05:00

The Uvula. If I admit to a certain amount of fascination with it, am I going on the public record as some kind of fetishist or something?

Most of us have seen cartoon representations of the uvula, even if we didn't know its proper name at the time. It is the small bit of tissue that hangs off the back end of the soft palate, that wobbles back and forth when a cartoon character is hollering.

And for some singers, depending on their training, the uvula has indicated the presence of a well-engaged diaphragm, swinging forwards and back with each mindful "ha" exhalation in front of a mirror.

It has occurred to me, however, that if Nature intended a purpose for the uvula beyond storyboarding and bel canto, then I am in the dark about it. So I thought I'd do a little research...

It turns out that the uvula isn't just hanging out. The uvula plays an important role in articulating the sounds we make into sounds recognizable as speech, functioning in tandem with the back of the throat, the palate, and air coming up from the lungs.

If that wasn't enough, as a distinct bonus the uvula also has an important function in swallowing. The uvula and soft palate work as a team, moving upwards together to close off the nasopharynx, sparing us the indignity of having our soup dribble back out our nose when dining out.

I'm glad I took the time to read up a little more on the uvula. I am now reassured that my fascination with the uvula is neither the first, nor the worst. Apparently it is possible to have one's uvula pierced, with the captive bead ring as the jewelry of choice. I won't be signing up for that any time soon though - manipulation of the uvula also triggers the gag reflex, and I try to avoid regurgitating as much as possible.

(If obtaining an uvula piercing is something that appeals to you, please take the time to do your own research. There are several inherent risks, including inhaling your jewelry, and if you do that then you're in for some emergency surgery. And please find someone who really knows what they are doing - for both the piercing and the surgery that is.)

If you happen to find yourself in a discussion of the uvula at your next cocktail party, be sure to specify "the palatine uvula". You'll not only sound smarter, but you'll also stay on familiar turf. Apparently both the cerebellum and the urinary bladder have uvulas of their own, equally worthy I'm sure, but beyond the scope of this blog posting.

So there it is - the daily contributions to the quality of our lives of the humble uvula. Who knew? Give me a U....

Okay okay I'll knock it off. But take good care of your uvula and it will take good care of you. Seriously - overdoing some of our most common vices (smoking, alcohol, street drugs) can lead to swelling of the uvula. But there are also more pedestrian causes for this, like dehydration or infection. I've read that ice cream is soothing for this, if it happens to you. But more chronic enlargement of the uvula can lead to snoring or sleep apnea. And people who have uvulitis triggered by allergies often have to resort to an EpiPen, without the benefit of ice cream.

Jazz Choir concert! - Capital Vox Gets the Blues

2011-02-23T23:42:00.001-05:00

Capital Vox Gets The Blues at NAC, Feb 25 & 26:

Capital Vox Jazz Choir, under the direction of Elise Letourneau, will be presenting "Capital Vox Gets The Blues" at the National Arts Centre 4th Stage for two evenings on February 25 & 26, 2011. The 30-voice choir will perform a mix of blues and blues-infused music in a variety of settings and textures with the venerable Brian Browne assuming the piano seat, Mike Tremblay on saxophones, guitarist Tim Bedner, bassist Mark Alcorn, and drummer Marilee Townsend. Listeners can look forward to a spirited romp through 50+ years of classic blues music, big vocals, and indomitable groove-making.

Capital Vox Jazz Choir was formed as a community choir to explore the works of classic jazz composers, as well as standards old and new, in a large group vocal setting. It also seeks to present music by Canadian jazz composers and expand the existing body of Canadian jazz choral repertoire; as well as recast traditional music in a new, jazzy light. The choir membership seeks continual growth in vocal, improvisational, and musicianship skills; culminating in quality music-making and concert performances.

Concert begins at 7:30 PM, and doors open at 7 PM. All are welcome. Tickets are $20, available from the NAC box office or Ticketmaster. Please visit www.capitalvox.ca for more information about Capital Vox Jazz Choir.

Pinch Me- I Have a Date with Jon Washburn

2011-02-21T23:42:00.003-05:00

I must be dreaming.

I spend a lot of time writing music. Some people who know me think I write obsessively and possibly to the exclusion of other things that are important. To whom I concede they might have a valid point. But I don't see how else this stuff going to get written.

In early January it occurred to me to write a piece for double choir. Climbing a mountain because it was there I suppose - there was no specific reason. And I loved the process. It was like having the big box of 200 crayons, and no choral texture seemed impossible. When I was about three-quarters done, I came across a posting about Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir inviting composers to send in their work to be considered for their Interplay programme. I decided to get it finished up and sent it in. I figured it was a great chance to have the eyeballs of Jon Washburn on a score of mine for, say 30-45 seconds, before he took a pass and moved on to the next score in the pile.

I was completely gobsmacked when I received an email saying that mine was one of three scores selected for the Winnipeg sessions, and would I please confirm my participation.

I said yes immediately - it was a no-brainer. Though I admit I waited a few days to make my travel arrangements, some part of me convinced there would be a subsequent email apologizing for their mistake. But instead, the subsequent email said there wouldn't be any major changes needed at this point and to go ahead and make 25 copies of the score. Which also blows me away, because if Jon Washburn had asked me to rewrite the entire score, I would have.

So in 10 days I'm off to Winnipeg, with 25 copies of a score to music that did not exist 8 weeks ago. With the opportunity to have my composition workshopped and critiqued and dissected and reconstructed by people who are at the top of their game. It's going to be like going back to school!

By way of introduction to the uninitiated, the Vancouver Chamber Choir is one of two or three (for sure less than a handful) Canadian professional choirs - i.e. every chorister is paid - and Jon Washburn is their conductor and artistic director. In today's non-profit arts market, this is not insignificant. It represents 40 years of sweat and dedication on the part of a lot of people.

I am a very lucky gal to benefit in this way. I could never buy an experience like this. It is lovely that they do this, but more importantly it is a measure of their character that they choose to share the fruits of the deserved success of their many years of labour by creating opportunities like this for other Canadian artists.

You can help Jon Washburn and the Vancouver Chamber Choir keep doing what they do. Visit their website at www.vancouverchamberchoir.com when you get a moment. Purchase one of their CD's as a gift to yourself or a friend who loves choral music. If they come to your town on one of their tours, go to their concert. These people are as good as it gets.

That said, it's also important to support your local choirs. But that's a subject I'll save for another post.

Elise

Being Brilliant

2011-02-18T16:18:00.026-05:00

There are so many brilliant singers out there, and there are so many ways to be brilliant. A singer can be technically amazing, or stunningly inventive. A singer can be disarmingly believable, or a skilled interpreter. Or fearless. Or spontaneous. Or gorgeous, or popular, or energetic, or charming. They might also write, or dance, or ooze soul and personality. Or, dare I say it, all of the above.

But the most brilliant thing a singer can be - ANY singer - is their own self. It could be argued that it's also the most difficult and the most scary thing a singer can be. It may be ephemeral, and it's tough to pin down sometimes - it can't be described well, and it can't really be taught very well - but we know it when we see it and hear it.

We all have our personal lists of favourite vocalists - many of them household names, and perhaps some less known but nevertheless we find they move us as well.

I'd like to share with you the stories of a few unsung singers that I have found unforgettable. All any of them did was sing from their heart. Most of them I encountered a decade or more ago.

Airplane Boy:

I was on a flight from Newark to Detroit, and this little man who couldn't have been more than three-and-a-half years old stood up in his seat directly in front of me, turned around, and treated his fellow passengers to a word-perfect (and remarkably in-tune) rendition of Jimmy Buffett's Margharitaville. Aside from the airplane noise, you could have heard a pin drop in the place, until he got to the end. When he sang the part about "some people claim that there's a woman to blame, but I know it's my own damn fault" we all broke out in giggles, presumably at the incongruity of hearing a line like that sung from the mouth such an angel-faced cherub. At his audience's reaction, he figured we must have really liked it, so he immediately did it again, and then periodically a few more times before Detroit. If that flight had been continuing on, I'm sure I would have stayed put, not caring where the flight might have ultimately led me.

Ms. Help The Homeless:

In Boston there was this homeless woman who hung out a lot on Boylston Street. I'd call her a bag lady, except I'm not sure she even had a bag to her name. Not a person in the sort of situation where most of us would think she had a lot to sing about. But when she wasn't having a salty conversation with a person only she could see, she sang. She had her own personal theme song, and those of us who lived in the neighbourhood all had it memorized. She'd walk straight down her sidewalk singing it, head up, Dunkin' Donuts cup outstretched. I say her sidewalk because she wouldn't change her path for anybody - you had to move for her. The lyrics went "Help the homeless, Have a good day, Put in your money and be on your way". And she'd repeat it over and over. Thing is, if you listened long enough you were rewarded. Every fifth or sixth time through, she'd change the last line to "Put in your money go home and get laid" and then give this goofy little chortle.

Little Recorder Man:

I never saw him stand up, but I say little because I think he may have been one of the taller varieties of "Little People". Or maybe he was just plain short. Or maybe I'm just plain tall. Anyways, he played recorder in the Government Center subway station in Boston. And at Christmastime he always played The Twelve Days of Christmas. Uh-huh, all twelve verses. Yep, on the recorder. And he played pretty well too, but one might think that a solo instrumental version of that song isn't necessarily what your typical commuter might want to hear after putting in their 8 hours. If you're wondering how he got into a blog post about singing, it's because in his mind and heart, he really was singing. Every time he got to "seven swans a-swimming" you'd hear "doo-doot" where the word "seven" went. Strangely, instead of tuning him out, in my head I would end up counting down what my true love gave to me right along with him, waiting for that all-important "doo-doot" and it was always right on time, so he had to be singing inside. And you could tell the people who were listening by the grins and nods of recognition.

Ms. Break On Through:

In the early nineties I attended a week-long music camp for jazz singers just outside of Chicago. A big part of it dealt with scat singing. There were people who had some prior experience with vocal improvisation, and there were some who had never tried it. And there were some who had never tried it, and who were deathly afraid to, like Ms. Break On Through. So the last night of the camp we all had to perform in a concert. And it was open to the public, and there was a pretty good turnout too. And they hired a killin' rhythm section to back us all - they would have caught a singer from no matter how high he or she fell. So Ms. Break On Through sang the first part of her song, and when she got to the part where she was to improvise, she just froze. The music kept going, but she was like a deer in the headlights. And a few kind souls started egging her on and "Go Girl"ing her, but most of us held our breath until she finally opened her mouth again. And when she finally did it was loud and clear and with all the gumption she could muster. It was a big, giant "WOOF". We were all stunned, and simultaneously laughing and crying for her inside. But then she kept going, and going, and she did it. And it was such a privilege to watch her draw down her fear and kick out her blocks, live and in person.

Evening Shift Janitor:

It was after some sort of gig, and I don't remember what the occasion was. But I was alone, finishing packing up the gear in the special events space at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, while the other person on the gig (my husband Tim) went to get the car and double-park it in front of the building. I don't think he knew I was there - there was one of those removable banquet walls between us. He inspired me to write a poem, called Spying On God, which I'll paste in below, because I don't think I can describe him to you any better:

I saw God last night
Or at least I heard Him
I just know it

He came in after everyone else had left
The food was eaten
The music was over
Running water
Fixing up
Looking after the rest of us
As usual

He must not have known I was still there
On the other side of the banquet wall
Still packing up
(Forever packing up)
Even though they say He knows it all
Because He was singing
In the sweetest falsetto
And could He sing!
"All I need is Jesus
He will take care of me
Aaaaaall I neeeeee is Jeeeeesuuuus
Heeee will taaake care
He wiiiill take caaaare of meeeee"
So I stayed as long as I could
That Man could sing

And it felt like it was just for me
And I learned not to take God
So literally

I will probably never know these people's names, and I probably won't see them again. But they moved me, and they are etched on my heart forever. I can only hope they are still singing.

Elise

(As if this second post wasn't long enough - this probably won't happen every day folks! - here are a few more singers being brilliant at being themselves, and making the best possible use of air. Three beautiful hearts.)

Today of All Days

2011-02-17T15:04:00.000-05:00

I have laryngitis today. The full blown I-must-completely-shut-up-if-I'm-gonna-sing-on-Saturday variety. So maybe creating this blog today of all days is just a measure of the desperation of a vocalist who can't sing today even if she wanted to. And of course I want to!

Or maybe it's a brilliant alternative to finishing writing the band parts that have to be ready for dress rehearsal on Sunday. Deadline looming. Or a far more savoury choice than doing the taxes for the choir I direct. Deadline looming.

It wasn't even on today's ToDo list, but for whatever reason, today is the day for the birth of this blog. It's something I've been meaning to get around to for a long while now. I want this to be a place to explore and celebrate our human instrument from multiple angles. I want long-time singers to find it interesting, and I want new singers to find it welcoming. I want people of varying vocal styles to find a home here, because no matter what it is we choose to sing, when we sing it we put something Good out into the world that wasn't there a moment ago. And whether our personal gift for singing is immense, moderate, or nominal, when we sing we pass it on. We give of our hearts and souls, and we honour our birthright by using the instrument we have been given.

So I offer a blog on singing.

Because I really can't think of a better use for air.

And life is too short not to sing.

May your song never end.

Elise