We can start to envision a world where ancient music from opposite sides of the globe co-exists on a program, creating and exploring a new definition for historically informed performances. Allowing ourselves to explore different aural palettes enriches us. When we learn about and understand different cultures with open hearts and minds, we begin to appreciate one another.
Thinking about the current state of early-music singing, I polled friends, colleagues, students, and teachers, both here and abroad. Many instrumentalists find singers more confident with style than in the past, more flexible vocally, and more expressive with a variety of repertoires. Singers themselves are much less upbeat.
Ever think about everything that happens between movements of music? Assuming there are no distractions— we’ve all heard them—what occurs is a meaningful silence.
“As we have shifted into new modalities of sharing music and teaching, I’ve been longing to rediscover why exactly I have devoted my life to being an artist.”
At some point, the mature artist must dare to infuse that study, diligent practice, and those personal experiences and deep emotions into a point of view that transcends mere rote learning.
“[During the pandemic] Health and safety concerns are at the forefront of our decision-making, but the solutions we create for this current situation need not create a “new normal.”
My favorite part of any rehearsal process begins when the focus is on recitative. For many singers, especially those who concentrate on Baroque music, recitative is a Holy Grail of …
How can we teach children that music is a space where all people are welcome? How can we lift up voices instead of suppressing them in a world that talks about openness and inclusivity but often falls short? How can we use our own voices to effect change?
Feelings and emotions are the glue of the human experience. And the unfailing conduit for linking us to who we always were, and will be, is music. It has existed along with humanity predating traumas like war, slavery, and injustice.
From the May 2019 issue of EMAg The important thing about early music is that humans do it. It is true that it is beautiful and can soothe the soul, …