Just curious… where have your creative pursuits led you during this time? Have you given yourself time and space to explore, dig deeper, try new things, go outside your comfort zone?
What have you learned?
Do tell!
GIVE A LISTEN: Centenary Celebration of 19th Amendment, "You GO, Girls!"
Aug 26, 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Right to Vote in the United States…how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go. In some fields, the sexes have achieved balance, but in the music industry, there is still a ways to go. Sadly, because of the pandemic, many celebrations, premieres and commissions have been tabled or will be rescheduled once things open up.
Why is it that composers are only thought of as men? Why is it that male composers are the ones that get programmed? Why are we stuck in our programming, always looking backwards rather than forward?
It’s time for enlightened leadership at the top, (Exec Directors, Presidents, Artistic Directors, Programming) where these decisions are being made so that what we bring to audiences is a more honest representation of our culture, our world, our time.
Why is history, his story? Have we not evolved?? It’s time for ComposHers to be heard !! They’ve been around a long time, centuries in fact.
The elitism/classism that’s so rampant in classical music needs to make way for new ideas and works that reflect something other than dead, white, Western European males. Honoring our heritage and masterworks are crucial to the art form, just as imperative as being open to new ideas whose time has come.
My challenge: For those of us who have some control over programming, let’s make an effort to bring a female voice to each concert we do this year, each student we teach, etc. “Consider the Ladies”.
Some great talent I’ve been enjoying recently, give a listen…
-Jessie Montgomery
-Nina Simone
-Maria Schneider
-Margaret Brouwer
-Monica Houghton
-Louise Farrenc
-Lili Boulanger
-Valerie Coleman
-Jennifer Higdon
Banff Centre for the Arts Performance -Vinci Sonata for Piccolo
Vinci Sonata for Piccolo, Cello and Harpsichord , Feb 2019 with Sonja Adams-cello and Kaitlyn Clark-harpsichord.
https://soundcloud.com/user-527330471/sets/20190301_rrh_c21/s-LYujd
Now accepting students
Mary Kay’s studio is now accepting private students, if interested in a trial lesson, contact by phone or email. mkflute@me.com
Creative Play...
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves”. – Carl Jung.
"Art is the outlet of the mystical...
"Art is the outlet of the mystical, emotional needs of the human spirit: it is created rather by instinct than by intelligence, rather by intuition than by will". Ernest Bloch
Panorámicos article on 50th Anniversary Concert of Bascom Little Fundhttp://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2016/09/cleveland_composers_enjoy_over.html
MENTAL /PHYSICAL PREPARATION FOR A GREAT PERFORMANCE
How can we best prepare mentally and physically for important performances and auditions?
1. Lots of exercise and sleep: get your heart rate up doing your favorite aerobics (situps, walking/running/zoomba, whatever). Getting your heart rate up (that means sweating!) gets the adrenaline OUT of your system come performance time. Lots of stretching, especially first thing in the morning, before bed, and in your down time before you perform. Sleep: reset that brain, get as much good quality sleep as you can.
2. Eats/Drinks: Take care that what you are putting into your body is fuel for the machine to work like a performance race car. Nutritional ! Avoid salt, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, lots of water and bananas :)
3. Mental Prep: stay focused on the music and how to get from point A to point B. Fully engaged in the performance! If your brain wanders, snap back to the present as quickly as possible. This is something you can practice now as you travel, Practice Performing.
4. Performance time: BREATHE! Cool, beautiful air in, tension and negativity OUT. As you breathe, don’t be talking to yourself or thinking through performance steps, just breathe…no-mindedness…let the brain rest (like yoga class). Don’t think about the competition, focus on being the storyteller that YOU want to be, and when you’re in the room, it’s Storytime! Be compelling w/ character and color, you know the notes and rhythms... full engagement in the music and music making process!