New Music in Hand

This weekend we received our third score and have all the music for our CD in hand! Here's the breakdown:

Adam Knauss - Portrait
-soprano and bari sax

Kathleen Bader - Two Songs for the Sounds Outside
-soprano and alto sax
-two movements: "The Stars Are Laughing" and "Hush"

George Lam, libretto by Benjamin Rogers - The Person In The Room Wishes To Be Left Alone
-soprano, alto sax, and tape
-prologue, 5 chapters, and epilogue

I'll post detailed info on each piece as we record them. Many thanks to our composers for their hard work!

One Down

Over the last two weeks we have been recording and editing Lori Laitman's I Never Saw Another Butterfly! We are nearly finished with her piece and will be tackling Adam Knauss' new composition throughout May. It feels great to start recording! Now we just gotta learn the three new pieces...

Congratulations to Amy Beth Kirsten!

This month Amy Beth Kirsten was named a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of a Levy Supplemental Stipend for music composition. You can read the press release here. Way to go Amy!

Amy is one of four composers writing music for our Emerging Voices Project. We are looking forward to working with her in the Fall.

Coaching with Lori Laitman

Yesterday Elisabeth and I drove down to Potomac, MD to work with Lori Laitman on her piece I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Lori had great advice for us on the character of each movement and helped us with interpretive choices that we've debate over the last couple years. We're feeling ready to go and will start recording her piece next week!

I also wanted to share Lori's awesome dog Kirby, who is a natural singer:

Recording Test!

Elisabeth Halliday and I tested out a recording space earlier this week! We are getting ready to start recording the album for our Emerging Voices Project. Up next on our schedule is to rehearse with Lori Laitman and record her piece I Never Saw Another Butterfly for soprano and alto sax in April. Then in May we will rehearse and record Adam Knauss’ new piece Portraits for soprano and bari sax.

Kickstarter Successfully Funded

Our Kickstarter fundraiser has finished at $4,220! A great big "Thank You!" goes out to our 57 backers who pledged 140% of our goal. Because of them we were able to commission a fourth composer and will expand our CD release tour.

Here's what comes next:
-we will create 10 one-of-a-kind recordings for backers (songs of their choice)
-the commissioned composers will write music
-1 backer gets a voice lesson with Elisabeth
-this summer we will record the album (and mail it to backers)
-6 backers will receive a limited run behind-the-scenes DVD
-then we'll tour and celebrate with you!

We will post updates at each step so check back regularly!

New York Concert a Success!

We had a great time on Sunday - Neke Carson at the Gershwin Hotel was so welcoming. The Lobby really is one of my favorite New York venues.

This was our last performance before we start learning and recording our commissioned peices. Here we go!!