Fun Stuff

Mr. Dr. Vaneman's "O Fortuna" post got me thinking about how easy it is to misunderstand a language, especially if it's not your native tongue. Does anybody else remember the foreign woman who tried to sing Mariah Carey's "Can't Live Without You" on one of the knock-off versions of American Idol? It's hilarious because I know that's what I must sound like sometimes when I'm singing in a foreign language. What a mortifying thought!

I'm also a big fan of Victor Borge. He and Marilyn Mulvey do a routine based on Verdi's "Caro nome." I find this especially funny because Borge makes fun of all of the typical mistakes singers make with this piece and just performing in general.

This is one of my favorite SNL skits of all time. It's not necessarily about music, but it has some musically-related references.

And this one is also very funny. Unfortunately, it is very hard to find, and the dialogue in the beginning is cut out. Basically, the producer wants JT to sing, but Justin wants to experiment and try new things outside of music. Then Justin realizes, he has to explain it to the producer in terms that the producer will understand. Thus . . .

Do you have that one video that will make your day no matter what's happened? The one below is mine. The little girl, Bella, is singing and "playing" the piano, and it is the most precious thing in the entire world.

How To: Market Music

There are several ways to go about marketing music. There's the tasteful, posh way. There's the in-your-face-way. And there's the sex appeal way. Wait, what?! Yeah. You heard me. Check out the poster below.

I don't know about you guys, but that definitely catches my attention! Needless to say, I was curious. What is a naked man holding a violin doing on a poster for a quartet? Well, he's a actually a member of the ensemble. And don't worry! They all play with their clothes on. Although . . . I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to some shirtlessness . . .

Anyway, the group plays all kinds of music from Mozart to comedic renditions of popular songs. Check out the video below, especially 3:04.

Ke$ha's "Your Love is My Drug"

So, remember how I mentioned that there were several ways to market music? Well, let's move on to the in-your-face tactic. Listen very carefully at :08, and you can hear a guy questioning, "What IS that?"

Alvin Curran's Maritime Rites

Well, my unidentified friend, you've just been introduced to Alvin Curran's Maritime Rites, which was adapted so that the band could play from rowboats in Central Park Lake. In your FACE! Seriously, though. This music is supposed to feature foghorns to recreate the sounds of the maritime coast. How awesome is that?

And lastly, there is the approach that The Silk Road Project takes -- a beautifully-designed website. I especially love the section, "Postcards from the Road." The Silk Road Project is an international program that promotes new music. In the "Postcards from the Road" section, you can "travel" with the musicians to all of the amazing locations they perform. If you need a mini-vacation, just visit the site and you can live vicariously through these guys. As I matter of fact, I think I'll go visit China . . .

 

therestisnoise.com

Now that I've finally figured out how to navigate Ross' blog, here are three links you should really check out:

Eve Beglarian. This composer has several interesting projects you can peruse. First, there is the Book of Days. It's a daily calendar compilation of music and texts. I especially liked "Testy Pony." Then, there's the RiverBlog. Eve took a trip down the Mississippi River (via kayak) and used her experiences as inspiration for her most recent compositions.

The Queens College New Music Group is also worth a peek. It is a student-run program at the Aaron Copland School of Music that encourages the production of graduate student compositions. At least three performances are given every semester, and they hire professional musicians to play the works. Very cool!

Finally, if you are an aspiring opera singer, you MUST read Jennifer Rivera's blog, "Trying to Remain Operational." Jennifer gives an inside scoop on the glamourous (ha!) life of an opera singer. She has both blogs and vlogs, and she describes the ups and downs of an uncertain lifestyle with humor. I highly encourage anyone who wants to sing to navigate though Jennifer's site. If you still want to continue after you've heard all of her crazy stories, then I think it's safe to say that you've made a good choice.