Application Season

 Greetings readers,

In the past week I have submitted applications for:

1. The National Youth Choir (NYC)

2. The Europa Cantat Chamber Choir (ECCC)

3. Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir

4. The World Youth Choir (WYC)

Why is it that applications all seem to be due at the same time? 

While I do question why I continue to do things like this to myself, I have to admit, it's very satisfying to know that I pulled it off. While I was able to recycle some components from some of the applications, such as singing the same aria, I did have to learn a new test piece for each of them since they all had different requirements. 

The NYC audition was, by far, my most impulsive applications. I just received news of application details on Monday (I had applied back in October but hadn't heard any information, thus, I promptly forgot about it). I remember sitting at my laptop and wondering if I should submit an application. I decided that in the time I was taking to make the decision, I could be learning the test piece. Is it bad that all I can remember now is that it was in German because I cram-learned the test piece that evening? To make the recording I dragged my keyboard into my room and set-up a grassroots recording studio. Ah, the beauty of having my own USB microphone--- I can just record everything myself. I tried singing my aria a capella in my run-through but I was thoroughly disgusted with myself when I realized how far I stayed from the tonality of the piece by the end.  Since piano accompaniment was not required, I took out my iPhone, opened my Naxos library app, and found a recording of the aria I was auditioning with to playback to myself using my headphones. This was my version of choral trouble-shooting. Thankfully, the auditory feedback from the accompanying recording was enough to keep me in tune. Thus, my NYC application was recorded and submitted within the same evening. Success!

I had been prepping the ECCC application over the holiday break. The "Webern" test piece for this application was the most tonally challenging I had to prepare. Feel free to take a look at this link where you can download the pdf. As well, this application required two written recommendation letters. Anybody who has ever needed reference letters knows that it can be quite a hassle. I asked for references during the holiday season (when people aren't really working) because that's when I heard of the ECCC applications. I was extremely lucky that the ECCC applications were extended for a week because I was cutting it close with my reference letters. However, everything came through in the end and I submitted it in good time. Success!

Like a true artist who has mastered the art of procrastination, I left my Virtual Choir entry to the last minute. It definitely was not my first priority because I was busy coordinating my other applications. I did listen to the "Water Night" piece before the holiday (when the Virtual Choir was announced) so I wasn't sight-reading it when I did the recording yesterday. In comparison to the last Virtual Choir, this one was way more chorister-friendly. No more tedious Youtube uploading and label tagging, lining up beeps and plugging in headphones in a synchronized fashion--- all the video recording was done off of Whitacre's website. I also noticed that this time around there were many choral supports to help learn the piece. You could listen to people singing your individual part, somebody recorded a synth track of every individual line in the piece, and during the recording itself there was a playback of the song recording so you could even hear your part within the context of the choir. There really was no excuse for somebody not to record an entry. During the last Virtual Choir, I submitted four tracks, but since I was dedicating my attention to other applications this season, I decided that one video submission would suffice. I always enjoy watching Whitacre's conducting track because other than the fact that he looks like an archetypal Harlequin romance figure, he always has some interesting conducting gestures. I recognized one from the previous virtual choir, which I call "the finger chew" since he circulates his fingers around his mouth in order to cue more diction. The other gesture which was new for me was one where he vibrated his hand up by his ear to cue vibrato, as if he was playing an invisible cello. After three video recordings, I chose my best and submitted it via his site: success!

The WYC audition took the most logistical coordination since I needed to arrange for an audition facilitator to administer a sight-reading portion. Thus, I enlisted the help of a vocal coach to oversee my audition process and I recorded everything in one go (sight-reading, range test, test piece, and personal selection). The sight-reading component was actually quite fair, but sight-reading has never been my strong suite so I just tried to make it through as best as I could. Anybody listening to my sight-reading attempt would definitely be able to hear that I was, indeed, sight-reading. Howell's "Requiem Aeternam" test piece for this application was actually my favorite out of the three test pieces I learned. It was nice having some open chords accompany me from my audition facilitator. While I enjoy doing things by myself, it was refreshing to have some support. After assembling some accompanying paperwork, I submitted my application to the Canadian jury this evening. Success! They will review all Canadian applications before they make their recommendations for which 12 Canadian singers to submit to the international jury.

Overall, it's been a busy week. I had been planning for three of the applications for the past month but it seemed like all the submissions culminated within the same week. While I don't expect for all of my applications to be accepted (other than the virtual choir because they accept everybody's), I rationalize that it's always good over over-apply. I hope you've enjoyed reading about my application blitz!

Until next time readers, take care!

The Arrival of the Virtual Choir 2.0

It arrived on Thursday, April 7, 2011: The Virtual Choir 2.0

After purchasing a USB microphone, spending hours learning, rehearsing, and recording myself to get a solid take of myself singing all four treble voice parts in "Sleep," it was time to watch the premiere Virtual Choir video. Strangely enough, when I watched it, I just felt a feeling of disconnect. Maybe in the few months it took Whitacre's team to compile the audio and video together my excitement had died down? It was still cool to see, don't get me wrong, but I was not moved to tears at the musical climax of the piece as many other viewers were.

To be honest, I was mostly curious to see if I would be able to catch a glimpse of myself singing in the video. I was also nervous since singing is not always a pretty thing to photograph and, on more than one occasion, I have had pictures snapped of my contorted face while singing an unattractive vowel. However, this was not the case and I am happy to report that I spotted myself at least three times in the video. They were all from the different videos from the four that I submitted (if you look closely on the "Canada" orb at 5:01 I'm on the lower central part of the globe). I believe they had a randomization software that made sure all of the 2052 video entries were shown at least once in the video and some of the close-ups are of Whitacre's personal favorites. On Whitacre's site you can already order a wide variety of Virtual Choir merchandise, such as t-shirts that state: "Choir Geeks of the World Unite." While this particular message resonates with me, I am trying to move past the stage where I wear t-shirts with personal proclamations.

Ultimately, it was a very cool project to be a part of and I'm interested to see the buzz and future projects that will occur as a result of it.

If you haven't seen it check it out here:

A First Look

Greetings readers!


I was very excited to get a 2 minute glimpse of the upcoming Virtual Choir this morning. The complete video will debut on April 7, 2011 on Youtube. I highly recommend viewing the video in which Whitacre documents his musical upbringing and virtual choir projects. I also think it's funny how everybody thought his talk was over and gave him a standing ovation before he even played the newest Virtual Choir clip. I'm a fan of the interconnected global layout of the choir. It looks way better than the static choir formation with those nasty yellow potlights in the previous Lux Aurumque Virtual Choir video. Enjoy!

Virtual Choir Musings

Greetings readers!

So this has been an exciting week in terms of the Virtual Choir world since Eric Whitacre played a 2 minute clip of the Virtual Choir video (that is still currently being edited) for audiences at TED 2011. An interesting article surfaced as a result and one of Whitacre's quotes struck me as interesting:

“Human beings will go to any lengths necessary to find and connect with each other”

This got me thinking, as is the intent of the TED talks, about why I wanted to participate in the Virtual Choir. When I first read the quote I just thought, "That's so sad. I didn't do the Virtual Choir because I am lonely and trying to forge some kind of fictitious connection with others." Suddenly, my mind was flooded with mental images of nerdy choristers locked away in their rooms, sweating as they tried to position their webcams to frame their face, and debating which concert black top to wear. O.k, so I am describing my own personal experience but I'm sure others had a similar one.

However, I don't think that's what Whitacre is trying to get at---that we're all lonely choral nerds that need to be part of the Virtual Choir in order to feel accepted, he's simply trying to identify the underlying themes behind the motivation to contribute to the project. For me, personally, I really just felt like I missed the opportunity last time when I saw Lux Aurumque debut on Youtube:



I just thought it looked like a cool project. I always like finding new reasons to do music and recording projects on my computer. I can't claim that my intent was to form some kind of transcendental connection to other singers across the world, but who knows, maybe when I see the video debut in April I will feel differently. I still don't feel like I am seeking a way to connect with others, but I suppose at the base of it, that is what I am doing whether or not I want to admit it. A feeling of connection is definitely a possible byproduct of the Virtual Choir experiment, but not one that I was anticipating. I just feel that seeking a connection means that I am trying to fill some kind of unsatisfaction or void. Maybe I am and I don't know it?

At any rate, it was interesting to muse over exactly why I felt the need to be one of the 54 people who contributed four video tracks out of the 2,051 submissions. I'd like to say that it was because I was seeking a way to connect to international voices... but that was not my intent. It just looked like a cool project that I wanted the chance to be a part of. As well, I've always had the type of personality that thinks "why do one when I can do two?!?" and the cascade of rationale continues, thus, the reason why I produced four videos. If I had the tenor and bass range, I would have recorded all eight parts. For those of you who submitted videos as well, why did you participate in the Virtual Choir? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Until next time, take care!

Virtual Choir Completion!

Finally!

I have finished all 4 video entries to Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir! I'm so excited I was able to get them all done in time. Originally, I was only going to do one (soprano 2) video but then I decided I should make the most of my new microphone.

I filmed my Alto 1 entry on Christmas Day... because I didn't really have anything better to do in the afternoon before Christmas dinner. I also practiced the S1 and A2 part but my voice was tired from all the singing already so I couldn't record the other two videos.

Today I started with the A2 video to get it out of the way since my voice does a funny thing in that when I am too warmed up... I can't sing below a middle C. Not the most convenient thing, I know. It took 3 or 4 tries to get a good take and one of my best takes was ruined because my Dad started hammering nails into the door downstairs and that penetrated all the way into my track. After a sigh of exasperation and some silent fist shaking I just reminded myself that the thing about recording is that there is no perfect take. Well, for me at least. Just good enough and the next track I got was good enough for me to post. I only recorded the soprano 1 track three times and the second one was best so I scrapped the other two. The most tricky thing was just learning the notes between the video filming. Most of the notes were the same but there are some tricky ones that only differ by a note or two so you can't go on autopilot.

However, it is finished! The new deadline is January 10, 2011 so you still have time if you haven't entered yet. Think about it, I was able to film two videos in just one afternoon. Look through the music, sing along with another virtual choir entry, and just go for it. This is no longer the time for procrastination since the deadline is creeping up. I have a feeling the project is looking more for mere numbers than impeccable quality if that makes you feel better. Check out my previous post for all the instructions! Now, we just need to wait until the Spring to see what the Virtual Choir looks like assembled!

Take care and hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

You don't have to watch them since they're kinda boring to listen to on their own but, if you have time to kill, you can line up the four videos (using the beep at the beginning) and you can hear me sing for you a 4-part choir :)

Soprano 2



Alto 1



Alto 2



Soprano 1

The First 255 Voices

You know what is cool?

I'm Virtual Choir Entry #176.

That is all :)

Voices United

Greetings readers!

The weekend has come and past and with it was my second performance with Pro Coro. I have to say, my anxiety has greatly decreased performing with them for a second time. It's a good and bad thing. Good in that my shoulders are no longer tense from holding my music up, but also bad and that I wasn't singing as cleanly as I would have liked. However, it was a successful concert nonetheless.

In the concert the ladies performed a unpublished piece called "Voices of the Tenth Muse" by Patricia Van Ness. Initially, I wasn't a big fan of the music but it really challenged my perceptions of what kind of choral music can be beautiful. It merged ancient Greek text with dissonant 20th C writing. Many of the parts only deviated by one semitone so there were many crunchy chords and textures through the 3 movements we sang. The men of Pro Coro also sang some lovely Holst and male voice pieces. By far the highlight was performing with saxophonist, P.J. Perry for the Swedish pieces in our concert. That part of the program was like "traditional choir concert" meets "night time jazz club". He would play improv sax lines on top of the choral parts and the double bass would establish this amazing groove with the percussionist. We ended off with Lars Jansson's percussively show-stopping "To the Mother in Brazil." I think one of the most exciting things about singing with Pro Coro is the diverse repertoire and collaboration with other musicians. Normally, I never get the opportunity to perform music like this.

Now that the "Voices United" concert is finished it is time to look forward to the Christmas season! Also, you may be interested to know that my first video submission for the Virtual Choir is now on Youtube. Remember, you have until December 31, 2010 to join in on the action. See my previous post for details!

I may be kicking myself later for posting this video, however, maybe it'll give some of you confidence to make an entry for yourself, but here is my submission:



In all honesty, I wish I had the range to do what this guy did. He sang all 8 parts to Eric Whitacre "Sleep"!

An Update of Sorts

Greetings readers!

Since my last blog post, I've had a wide array of music related things happen:

Virtual Choir

Last weekend I tried video recording my entry for the virtual choir. Let me tell you, following a virtual conductor is tricky business! On my first run-through I was either a few beats slow or ahead and it was extremely challenging to line up with his conducting video! I'm so used to watching a conductor's lips but he doesn't mouth any of the words so I can't use visual word cues as a checkpoint. He also pulled out some conducting codes I wasn't expecting, thankfully, I watched his instructional video and was able to deduce what he wanted when he used it. He puts his hand in front of his mouth and rubs his fingertips together, it kind of reminds me of what I imagine my friend's Indian grandma does when she asks you if you want something to eat, but in this case, he actually just wants you to bring out the diction. He is also very generous with timing in his artistic conducting style. He employs a lot of wispy arm movements and it's hard to locate the downbeat sometimes. However, it was easier after a few runs but then I was running into computer glitches that prevented me from recording a solid take. I'm hoping to have another run at it this coming weekend when I have a long weekend break from school.

Pro Coro

I had my first rehearsal for the Male and Female voice concert happening on November 21 two weeks ago. They had trouble getting music in on time so the first time I read the scores was at the first rehearsal. Oh, sight-reading... It was actually fine since the music was pretty straightforward. I think by far one of my favorite parts of going to Pro Coro rehearsals is listening to Jeremy Spurgeon play piano. As I have said before, Jeremy is pretty much the organ deity of Edmonton. Though he was playing piano and not organ for our rehearsals, it was a treat to watch his sight reading genius unfold at the keyboard.

Alumni Choir Tour

Back in July 2002 I competed in the International Choral Eisteddfod in Wales, UK. I received an e-mail from my conductor, Heather, where she detailed the hopes of assembling an Alumni Choir to join with her current Chamber Choir to compete in classes again the Eisteddfod. She invited those 25 years of age and younger to tour with her for the summer. She wants to compete in six classes at the festival: Senior Children's Choir (18 and under), Youth Choir (16-25), Female Choirs, Folk Choirs, Chamber Choirs, and Songs from Shows-Musical Theatre (16 and over). Three of those classes do not have any age restrictions: Female Choirs, Folk Choirs, and Chamber Choirs. I knew I scheduled in a summer for myself for a reason! Most of my classmates are doing placements throughout the summer but I decided to extend the length of my placements into 2012 (most of my classmates finish in December 2011) so I booked off June-August to finish up my thesis and take a break.

My conductor said that we would be rehearsing in the last few weeks of June and then go on tour in early July to attend the festival. In a way, I feel like it would be making up for the fact that I was not able to go on tour to Italy with Belle Canto. Plus, this Alumni Tour would also be a chance for me to reunite with my A Capella group "Con Fuoco" which is comprised of my choral soulmates. Of course, the fine details that will make this tour a reality such as funding, grants, etc. have yet to be finalized. However, this Alumni tour is a most appealing prospect!

It was such a memorable tour in 2002. Some memories which are coming to mind are those of the delicious Welsh tea biscuits, walking in an opening ceremony parade throughout the town, taping up paper to cover up the windows on the door in the very public common room we were all sleeping in, watching male volunteers and choristers continuously pursue a modelesque girl in our choir, having to take showers at the pool since there weren't enough bathrooms at the campus-like facilities we stayed in. Though it seems like the negative things are coming to mind in my memory retrieval process, those are the best memories since I just laugh at them looking back on it now.













































Until next time, take care readers!

I Must Have Done Something Right

Greetings readers!

In the past week or so I have been fending off a nasty bug that has been going around but I am glad to say that it is on its way out. I am regaining my voice and resonance but it was one of those cases where I had to let the sickness take its course. I am just glad I didn't have any singing commitments during that time. I'm not sure if any of you have magical remedies for warding off vocal sickness, but if so, leave me your wisdom in the comments section.

In the meantime, I must have done something right for that first Pro Coro concert because I'm officially signed on for three more concerts in their regular season! One this coming November, December, and one in March of the new year. I was ecstatic to make the cut and get some more opportunities to sing with the group!

The November concert will feature male and female choral voices with separate works and there will also be some mixed chorus repertoire. PJ Perry is also playing some improv saxophone with the group. I've never really sung with a saxophonist so it will definitely be a new experience for me. I am always in awe of improv musicians since my anal-retentive choral upbringing makes it hard for me to stray musically from the page, however, I'm always looking for more way to expand my musical horizons. I start rehearsals for the November concert next week.

The December concert is their traditional Christmas concert which, as the website informs me, will have: "Old and new festive music and audience participation." I can hear the audience carols already. I'm slightly wary of December already since I'll still be singing with Belle Canto, I'll be doing carolings gigs, Pro Coro has a full set of rehearsals, I'll also be working another retail part-time job as well as finishing up my coursework and finals for my Master's program. No matter. I always get it done in the end and I like feeling productive! Stressing about it in October really isn't going to help me :)

Their March concert is a special one for Pro Coro since it is a celebration of their 3oth season. The original Pro Coro founder, Michel Gervais, will be coming back to conduct the Founder's Concert and I just find it extremely impressive that this group was formed back in 1980! It's not easy to develop, fund, and sustain a professional choir in Alberta but Pro Coro has managed to do it and the arts culture in Edmonton has benefited greatly from the investment.

Therefore, I hope to be posting regular rehearsal entries starting again next week when my voice is functioning again. However, if I'm sounding better by this weekend, I'm hoping to start working on my Virtual Choir submission. I have a new Blue microphone and I've been dying to try it out.

Until next time, take care!

Sing With Me! The Virtual Choir Project

Greetings readers!

If you haven't already heard the buzz around choral cyber space... Eric Whitacre has begun his second Virtual Choir project. I completely missed the boat the first time around and I definitely am not going to let it happen again this time!

His blog outlines the steps but allow me to provide a summary:

• Pick a part (SATB) to his composition, Sleep
• Sign-up with your e-mail address
• Download the sheet music
• Watch his handy dandy instructional Youtube video on how he wants it performed
• Learn the music (it's pretty straightforward, lots of sustained vowels) but you can always listen to the song via the virtual music player on his website if you learn best by ear
  
• Video & audio record yourself singing that part (wearing black) while watching Mr. Whitacre (with his Harlequin Romance good looks) conducting the track
• Upload the video to Youtube
• Voilà! You're a part of the virtual choir!

Of course, Whitacre and his team (thanks Tony!) do go through the videos and they're trying to get at least 900 people to set a world record. Make sure to have your entry in before December 31, 2010. Set aside your insecurities about your voice, your age, your choral skill level and whatever else might be holding you back and just take this opportunity to be a part of something truly amazing and unique!

I just think this whole project is extremely exiting! It is a project to connect voices through social media! How often do we all get the chance to sing together? I would love to sing with all my blog readers and this virtual choir is the perfect opportunity for that to happen. They also have a cool google earth application that maps where all the singers have come from! Thus, I urge you to take the time to sign up and record yourself. We can be united in a virtual choir with 900+ other voices and create some beautiful music while doing it.

I'm hoping to get my entry up soon. I'm currently trying to locate/purchase a better microphone than the one built into my laptop.

To learn more check out this video!



I hope to be singing with you all in the near future!