Google Universal Orchestra

Google has an interesting lab project called Universal Orchestra. You can participate in live music making with others across the world. The lab is set up in London at the Science Museum where visitors to the museum and those on the internet can collaborate. To participate, you wait in a virtual line to play one of four percussion instruments and then you can select pitches and control rhythm for the different parts of the instrument. The controls are pretty intuitive and It runs in a loop, so you can change the pattern over time. You can try things out on virtual instruments while you wait to play the live ones. There are four additional instruments that can only be accessed by museum visitors. While the music is minimalist in nature, the number of instruments allows for a nice variation in the loops.

Google creates a video of your time with the orchestra; my first attempt is above. I missed the tactile aspect of making music, but I liked the intuitive collaboration with other performers. I think it could be a fun way for new musicians and non-musicians to participate in collaborative music making without worrying about hitting a "wrong" note. Give it a try! Google Universal Orchestra

Flow My Tears

Flow my tears was John Dowland's most popular work. It was first published in 1600 in his collection of lute songs. I'm playing an adaptation for piano, but all the notes are those indicated in the original lute tablature.

Ask a Voice Teacher

I'm often asked the same (or similar) questions again and again by those considering voice lessons, current voice students, and their parents. Do I really need to study voice with a teacher; can't I do it on my own? At what age should my child start lessons? How many lessons do I need? Can you help me sound like a specific singer? Why can't I sing this song? And many, many more. I'll try to answer some of these in a series of blog posts. The first post is for those considering lessons for their children.

At what age should my child start voice lessons?

This is a question I'm often asked by parents of young children who tell me, "She just loves to sing at home! Do you think she should have lessons?" This question is highly debated among voice teachers. Generally, I recommend that students wait until they are at least 10 to start voice lessons. The main concern is that a young child should never be asked to mimic the sounds of a fully mature voice, and a naturally mature and full sound is generally one of the main goals for older voice students. The voice is a complex instrument and requires coordination and a certain level of maturity in order to understand and develop the finer points of singing.

I encourage younger children interested in singing to find a great choir and to study another instrument like piano or violin. This way they will begin to work on the basics of singing (good breath, good posture, basic resonance and diction) and they will learn to read music. It isn't that they won't learn these important skills in voice lessons, it's just that they can learn these skills just as well in a good choir and they will learn other excellent musical skills, which will serve them well in future voice lessons.

There are exceptions to this rule. If a child is regularly singing solos in public, a younger student will often benefit from lessons. Also, if a student is experiencing technical difficulty while singing, lessons may be in order. Additionally, some children mature faster than others and may be ready for lessons earlier. I will always agree to a trial lesson with a young student, so that I can give the best recommendation. Above all, it's important to have realistic expectations for pre-adolescent voices.

Elliott Carter: 1908-2012

American composer Elliott Carter died yesterday after a very long life and an excellent career. He died a few weeks before his 104th birthday, composing to the end. His 100th birthday was celebrated by many performances of his pieces, new and old. He had several premieres of new pieces this year and he finished his last composition in August. His music can be challenging for listeners, but often the best music is.

My first exposure to Carter was in college; we sang his setting of Emily Dickinson's poem, "Heart Not So Heavy As Mine." I think it was the most difficult piece I had learned to that point, but it started my interest in "new music." It seems a very appropriate way to remember him.

There are excellent obituaries at the New York Times and NPRs Deceptive Cadence.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

[youtube=http://youtu.be/y6-fgUDzD1g] Time for another ukulele strum-and-sing video from my public domain project. This very popular tin pan alley tune was penned by Gus Edwards and Edward Madden in 1909 and then popularized again in the 1950s by Doris Day.