Hello everyone! I'm typing this as I wait for three pieces of reed cane to soak, so I can tie them up into reed 'blanks'. I do not want to have to tie any reeds in New York... Hopefully my current reeds won't change much when I get to the city, as there are much more interesting things to do besides making reeds. I cannot wait for both of the lessons I have managed to set up with really accomplished musicians. The first lesson is with Sherry Sylar, an oboist that plays with the New York Phil and teaches at Mannes School of Music and the second lesson is with Robert Botti, also a member of the New York Phil and he teaches at the Manhattan School of Music. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they have to say about my playing. I'm also hoping to hear from Elaine Douvas, one of my favorite oboists, who teaches at Juilliard. Meeting her would totally make my trip! Music aside, I hope I can make it to a few art museums, especially MOMA. If anyone is also interested in fine art, let me know! Attending all of the amazing shows will be spectacular, and the daily classes will provide so much knowledge.
I hope to learn A LOT, and I just don't mean about music. My goal for this trip is to help me as a person become more independent and confident. I have never done well in new, stressful situations and this experience, while overwhelming at times, will be very good for me. I'm so glad that I have the support of such a wonderful group of people that I know I can count on. Getting around the city will be a challenge, but I will learn, I will have fun, and I WILL have a fantastic time. I know this trip will be an absolute blast and a huge learning experience. I'm so grateful to get to go on this trip, and I look forward to learning more about my fellow cohort members!
See you all very soon,
Jonathan
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Packing reactions!
Packing has commenced on Chauncey Street! It has initiated three distinct and alternating emotions. First, I am unbelievably excited to finally visit the Big Apple and experience some amazing shows and learn from the best artists in town! Second, I am incredibly stressed tying loose ends; packing my suitcase, printing necessary material, and making my resumes look handsomely dashing; I know this hard work will pay off. Third, I am nervous, anxious and sad to leave my newlywed and 8 month old son, Lee, at home for a WEEK! They'll be in good hands with Grandma Jo and Glamma 'O', but I foresee some hardship enjoying so many new things and shows without the uwec theater grad in my life, who is my wife, Kaysee.
To use the second and third emotions to my advantage, I keep telling myself that this is an immersion trip; I am ready to learn, and although I will bring my 'A' game to our masterclass, coaching and recital, I will be humbled and LEARN from potential colleagues and professional artists.
Random excitement consists of adding a new mug or two to my coffee mug collection, seeing Tina Fey loitering around 30 Rockefeller Plaza and napping in the display window of 'Gimbel's' like Will Ferrell in the movie 'Elf'.
I have a friend who was fortunate to see 'Pippin' and has talked it up so much that I will probably cry during the overture. I will probably also cry in the nostalgia of seeing 'Die Fledermaus' the opera UWEC put on last spring which I was fortunate enough to be a part of. Lastly, I look forward to getting closer and learning from the 12 peers traveling with me!
Luke Otto
Monday, December 30, 2013
NYC Trip #2!
It's unreal to think that in a few days I will be back in NYC!
As I'm getting ready for my second trip to NYC I am looking back at how I felt in March when I was about to go on this trip. I'm remembering feeling nervous for the unknown and excited for the adventure. This year I'm feeling those emotions, but it feels different than before. I feel more independent and I'm not as afraid to put myself out there. But I guess that same thing is what scares me. The fact is that this time going there it feels more serious and more real. Last year I was just testing the waters, and it really didn't sink in that one day I'll be living there and immersing myself into this business. Now, with graduate school around the corner, I realize that my time as a student is SO short. Pretty soon I will be on my own without my professors to catch me when I fall, and it's scary to think about. I need to make the most out of this trip so that when I am out on my own I know how to catch myself. I need to know all the opportunities out there and make myself prepared to take the opportunities when they come about. I need to figure out what my next steps are in order to move forward in the process. I want to expand my knowledge of the business and what I can do to better prepare myself for it. This is why I will be interviewing both a voice teacher and a stage director. I also want to get more connections and feedback on my own performing. I am also excited to observe other performances.
I have big dreams and I am ready to take another step forward to reach them.
-Kelly
As I'm getting ready for my second trip to NYC I am looking back at how I felt in March when I was about to go on this trip. I'm remembering feeling nervous for the unknown and excited for the adventure. This year I'm feeling those emotions, but it feels different than before. I feel more independent and I'm not as afraid to put myself out there. But I guess that same thing is what scares me. The fact is that this time going there it feels more serious and more real. Last year I was just testing the waters, and it really didn't sink in that one day I'll be living there and immersing myself into this business. Now, with graduate school around the corner, I realize that my time as a student is SO short. Pretty soon I will be on my own without my professors to catch me when I fall, and it's scary to think about. I need to make the most out of this trip so that when I am out on my own I know how to catch myself. I need to know all the opportunities out there and make myself prepared to take the opportunities when they come about. I need to figure out what my next steps are in order to move forward in the process. I want to expand my knowledge of the business and what I can do to better prepare myself for it. This is why I will be interviewing both a voice teacher and a stage director. I also want to get more connections and feedback on my own performing. I am also excited to observe other performances.
I have big dreams and I am ready to take another step forward to reach them.
-Kelly
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Hello all! Only three days and a lot of packing stand between me and the big city! And to say I'm excited is a little bit of an understatement. I'm checking the weather daily, and this trip is constantly on my mind. I have a mixture of nervous and excited energy for many reasons.
I looked through some of the blog posts from previous years and I'm most looking forward to all the lessons and advise we will receive from all of the people we will meet. I know I will be overwhelmed with information and my hand will get tired because I'll want to write everything down but I'm so ready for it! I'm especially excited for "The Hustle" with Logan Tracey. She has a lot of experience with resumes and working in the performing and business worlds. I'm excited for her feedback on my resume, and the other participants of course. I think building your resume is such an important skill to have and having a professional look at it will be extremely valuable!
Of course I'm looking forward to the shows. In my life I've seen a few professional shows and even a couple in New York but it was quite sometime ago. Learning what it's like to live there, and then seeing what the performers do day in and day out will be a completely new experience.
I'm both excited and nervous for my interview with Ana DeArchuleta. She is the president of ADA Artists Management and I'm very proud that I get this amazing opportunity. I want to know about how she got in that position and what helped her get there. She deals with many, many venues and many, many performers to get them auditions and gigs. I think that this is an important part of a performers career that isn't talked about much at the University. (maybe it is with the performance majors, I don't know) but I really don't know anything about how being an Artist Manager works, so I know I will learn an immense amount of information from her.
Things that I'm nervous about: directions, how to get places, and getting lost. I've always been AWFUL at directions and knowing where I am. I kid you not, my middle school was in the shape of a square with 4 hallways and I got lost in it. This is one of the things I want to work on a lot while I'm there. I want to make sure I know where I am and how to get to my destination, and also make sure I give myself enough time to get everywhere on time! I know that this experience will help me grow as a person, give me new insights, and be an absolute blast. I think it's really appropriate that it's in the New Year, a marker of new beginnings and change, because I definitely think this trip will be life-changing!
Bring it on, New York!!!
-Leah
I looked through some of the blog posts from previous years and I'm most looking forward to all the lessons and advise we will receive from all of the people we will meet. I know I will be overwhelmed with information and my hand will get tired because I'll want to write everything down but I'm so ready for it! I'm especially excited for "The Hustle" with Logan Tracey. She has a lot of experience with resumes and working in the performing and business worlds. I'm excited for her feedback on my resume, and the other participants of course. I think building your resume is such an important skill to have and having a professional look at it will be extremely valuable!
Of course I'm looking forward to the shows. In my life I've seen a few professional shows and even a couple in New York but it was quite sometime ago. Learning what it's like to live there, and then seeing what the performers do day in and day out will be a completely new experience.
I'm both excited and nervous for my interview with Ana DeArchuleta. She is the president of ADA Artists Management and I'm very proud that I get this amazing opportunity. I want to know about how she got in that position and what helped her get there. She deals with many, many venues and many, many performers to get them auditions and gigs. I think that this is an important part of a performers career that isn't talked about much at the University. (maybe it is with the performance majors, I don't know) but I really don't know anything about how being an Artist Manager works, so I know I will learn an immense amount of information from her.
Things that I'm nervous about: directions, how to get places, and getting lost. I've always been AWFUL at directions and knowing where I am. I kid you not, my middle school was in the shape of a square with 4 hallways and I got lost in it. This is one of the things I want to work on a lot while I'm there. I want to make sure I know where I am and how to get to my destination, and also make sure I give myself enough time to get everywhere on time! I know that this experience will help me grow as a person, give me new insights, and be an absolute blast. I think it's really appropriate that it's in the New Year, a marker of new beginnings and change, because I definitely think this trip will be life-changing!
Bring it on, New York!!!
-Leah
The Third and Final UW-Eau Claire New York Young Artist Immersion program is about to start! Funded through a grant from the University to give Domestic Intercultural Experiences to students, my colleague Dr. Alan Rieck and I are taking twelve music students to New York City from January 2-9, 2014 and we will experience a life-changing exposure to arts, culture, people, and ideas during our time in that great city. We have kept some of the most successful events from previous years--like a masterclass with the amazing Clauda Catania--and added some new ones. Some of our friends that we have enjoyed spending time with the last two years, like Ken Benson, are unable to meet with us this year because of our change in schedule (we've traveled over spring break the previous two years) but I am looking forward to the incredible itinerary we have created. We're meeting with musicians and other artists and teachers at all levels of success and experience, attending performances at the Met, on and off Broadway and at the Village Vanguard Jazz Club (a first for me), and we are giving a concert at a high school in Brooklyn! The students have each set up at least one "interview" with a professional in the field they want to go into and will be conducting those interviews in pairs through the week. Some students have also set up lessons with teachers at different New York schools. I'm excited for these twelve students to experience this great program--a special thank you to the Blugold Commitment program at UW-Eau Claire for supporting this once in a lifetime opportunity for our students!
So what am I most looking forward to? First and foremost, to witnessing the learning experiences of our students. Second, to the new musical "Fun Home" at The Public Theatre. The show was originally scheduled to close in December, and I was disappointed to not be able to take students to this important new show. Jeanine Tesori is the composer, and I respect her work a lot. The story is an important one, and the reviews of the show have been stellar. In mid-December I received an email from a Broadway watch mailing list I'm on that said the show had been extended until January! I called within 15 minutes of reading the email, spoke with a wonderful Group Ticket person at The Public, and the rest is history! We'll be there on Sunday, January 5. Even better, we have a tour of the theatre the next day so we'll get to see backstage!
I look forward to authentic Persian food. We are doing a YogaVoice session which will be very interesting. My dear friends Rob Kleinendorst and Caroline Worra are meeting with us, and I am so proud of them and their successes. I look forward to being surrounded by people from many different countries, cultures, and religions. So, I look forward to the whole thing really, except for the early ride to the airport!
I invite you to watch the blog regularly as we will have updates every day. Follow our journey!
Dr. Mitra Sadeghpour, group leader
So what am I most looking forward to? First and foremost, to witnessing the learning experiences of our students. Second, to the new musical "Fun Home" at The Public Theatre. The show was originally scheduled to close in December, and I was disappointed to not be able to take students to this important new show. Jeanine Tesori is the composer, and I respect her work a lot. The story is an important one, and the reviews of the show have been stellar. In mid-December I received an email from a Broadway watch mailing list I'm on that said the show had been extended until January! I called within 15 minutes of reading the email, spoke with a wonderful Group Ticket person at The Public, and the rest is history! We'll be there on Sunday, January 5. Even better, we have a tour of the theatre the next day so we'll get to see backstage!
I look forward to authentic Persian food. We are doing a YogaVoice session which will be very interesting. My dear friends Rob Kleinendorst and Caroline Worra are meeting with us, and I am so proud of them and their successes. I look forward to being surrounded by people from many different countries, cultures, and religions. So, I look forward to the whole thing really, except for the early ride to the airport!
I invite you to watch the blog regularly as we will have updates every day. Follow our journey!
Dr. Mitra Sadeghpour, group leader
Monday, December 23, 2013
Ten Days!
Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen!
It appears I am the first one to blog about the 2014 NYC immersion extravaganza! This is so exciting! I am sitting in my room back home in Muskego thinking about the trip, so I thought it would be the perfect time to writing my first blog entry! The trip countdown has reached ten days! WOAH! I feel like the trip has really crept up on us. As some of you know, I have been in the process of applying to grad schools the the past semester and that has had a very interesting influence on my preparation for the trip, in more ways than one. Writing my personal statement for grad school applications and creating my goals for the trip were almost one in the same process. It made me really contemplate what makes me tick as a musician and what has kept me on the crazy path of a performer.
My professional goal for the trip revolved around my interest in new work, specifically Contemporary American Opera. I want to find out how I can support and perform in New Work in NYC. I am looking to score an interview with Douglas Cuomo, composer of the opera Doubt. I am currently waiting to hear back from him about solidifying plans. I will be performing a new piece by our own Jordan Jenkins at our concert that we will be putting on, so that will also help me achieve my goal in a certain aspect. Part of the trip that is so exciting to me is all the different ways that we have and will be collaborating with each other and with other working artists on the trip. Endless possibilities lie in the collaboration of great minds, and this trip is a wonderful way to grasp that idea and run as far as we can with it. I messaged Soprano Kathryn Lewek a few weeks ago and depending on timing we may be able to grab a quick coffee. She is currently performing her debut role at the MET so she was unsure if she will have time yet, but my fingers are crossed.
My personal goal for the trip is to further explore the ways that I can continue my yoga practice to further understand my body and voice. As singers, the health of our bodies is also the heath of our instrument. In times of sickness, this can be terrifying, but it is also a very liberating concept. I know that my own yoga practice has already helped me grasp breath concepts to a new level in my singing. I know that this journey of learning will never end and I can't wait to see where it will take me. In my research of singing and yoga, I found the name Mark Molitero. He is one of the few who has published research on yoga and the voice. I emailed him on a whim back in November to see if he would be doing any workshops in New York while we are there. Turns out that now he will be doing a PRIVATE workshop with us! Just goes to show the fruits that can come out of going on a limb and cold contacting someone! Special thanks to Mitra for helping work out the details on our workshop that I am absolutely ecstatic about. It is getting late(early?) so I should probably sign out before I start babbling!
...and too all a good night! Happy Holidays!
--Lauren
It appears I am the first one to blog about the 2014 NYC immersion extravaganza! This is so exciting! I am sitting in my room back home in Muskego thinking about the trip, so I thought it would be the perfect time to writing my first blog entry! The trip countdown has reached ten days! WOAH! I feel like the trip has really crept up on us. As some of you know, I have been in the process of applying to grad schools the the past semester and that has had a very interesting influence on my preparation for the trip, in more ways than one. Writing my personal statement for grad school applications and creating my goals for the trip were almost one in the same process. It made me really contemplate what makes me tick as a musician and what has kept me on the crazy path of a performer.
My professional goal for the trip revolved around my interest in new work, specifically Contemporary American Opera. I want to find out how I can support and perform in New Work in NYC. I am looking to score an interview with Douglas Cuomo, composer of the opera Doubt. I am currently waiting to hear back from him about solidifying plans. I will be performing a new piece by our own Jordan Jenkins at our concert that we will be putting on, so that will also help me achieve my goal in a certain aspect. Part of the trip that is so exciting to me is all the different ways that we have and will be collaborating with each other and with other working artists on the trip. Endless possibilities lie in the collaboration of great minds, and this trip is a wonderful way to grasp that idea and run as far as we can with it. I messaged Soprano Kathryn Lewek a few weeks ago and depending on timing we may be able to grab a quick coffee. She is currently performing her debut role at the MET so she was unsure if she will have time yet, but my fingers are crossed.
My personal goal for the trip is to further explore the ways that I can continue my yoga practice to further understand my body and voice. As singers, the health of our bodies is also the heath of our instrument. In times of sickness, this can be terrifying, but it is also a very liberating concept. I know that my own yoga practice has already helped me grasp breath concepts to a new level in my singing. I know that this journey of learning will never end and I can't wait to see where it will take me. In my research of singing and yoga, I found the name Mark Molitero. He is one of the few who has published research on yoga and the voice. I emailed him on a whim back in November to see if he would be doing any workshops in New York while we are there. Turns out that now he will be doing a PRIVATE workshop with us! Just goes to show the fruits that can come out of going on a limb and cold contacting someone! Special thanks to Mitra for helping work out the details on our workshop that I am absolutely ecstatic about. It is getting late(early?) so I should probably sign out before I start babbling!
...and too all a good night! Happy Holidays!
--Lauren
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