Suzanne Vega: Artist-Citizen

Suzanne Vega is an enigma. I've known her name and song "Tom's Diner" for a long time...yet until recently I didn't have a clear picture of her place in music and culture. With her engagements in Madison coming up I figured it would be good to dig a bit deeper.

While Vega is, of course, an important figure as a folk-pop singer-songwriter of the 80's and 90's, looking at her career more closely reveals a much larger cultural relevance. Indeed she's a powerful musical figure (and voice), who has elevated the place of female songwriters by addressing issues - such as including childhood abuse ("Luka"), personal loss, and reflections on urban place and identity (Beauty & Crime) - that challenge us listeners to take a renewed look at our role in the world around us. And she's done so within a sophisticated sonic realm most in the pop world wouldn't dare attempt.

At the same time she's been on the cutting edge of tech advancements for more than a decade, including being one of the first stars to embrace MP3s (remember when those were new?), and Second Life (the first artist to perform digitally as an avatar). Vega's sense of artist-citizenship goes further than her art-making; for years, she's been dedicated to (quietly) helping raise awareness for charitable causes like Amnesty International, Casa Alianza, and the Save Darfur Coalition.

Most impressively, though, she fought against the "machine" to preserve her artistic voice, and has managed to collaborate with some of the biggest names in pop music, finding a place in that echelon, without abandoning her roots. And now she's giving back to the next generation of artists, through professional workshops that promise to offer an exciting and fruitful dialogue!

Here's a taste, a recent clip of her performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:


Hope to see you at Overture tomorrow, and please post your feedback....

April Arts Roundup: Wisconsin Film Festival Edition

So I know I've gone off on a tangent in my recent posts, straying far from my original intention to form a dialogue on the current state of professional artistry and entrepreneurship in the arts. But I've been thinking lately about the importance of not only embracing a holistic palette of arts interests, but also of incorporating such a scope into the more specific discussion of how one becomes a fully-formed and independent artist in today's world.

This stems from two of my earliest memories which are coupled within the framework of artistic expression. I vividly remember seeing movies on VHS from the time I was a toddler (classic 80's fare like Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and all those Disney classics) that changed the way I viewed storytelling and led me to pursue early visual arts training (in drawing, sketching, painting, and even writing a few hack-comic books). During the same time, my exposure to music with my parents, Aunt, and Grandmother in our Toronto apartments (everything from Vivaldi and Dvorak to Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Beatles) obviously hit a chord (oops, sorry about that), igniting a passion for musicmaking. The first experience led to lifelong penchant for watching new (and often fringe) films, while the other has led me to a career! My tastes have changed, but it's hard to say omitting the one hobby in favor of the other profession could have been productive in the path my artistic pursuits have taken.

With that in mind, I'm excited to frame this Arts Roundup post around the Wisconsin Film Festival, one event that I look forward to year after year. (Note: please comment and add other non-film festival arts events that are coming up in April!) I finally have the time to see more than a couple of films, and I spent much of my time in the airport two weeks ago mulling over my options in the WI Film Fest edition of the Isthmus. Here are my six picks, although there are about 200 more that should fit anyone's fancy!

Father and Guns: 04/14 - 7:30pm @ Orpheum Main

One of the French Candian movies at this year's festival. I missed 2008's Bon Cop, Bad Cop but this comedy looks like it will provide an opportunity to redeem myself. This is not only one of the opening movies of WFF10, but also will be a Wisconsin premiere! C'est bon!

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls: 04/15 - 6:00pm @ Orpheum Main

Much has already been written about this movie (Audience Award winner, 2009 Toronto Film Festival), and as a fan of documentaries this was a no-brainer. But I have another reason to see this film: during my time in New Zealand back in 2005 I read about the Topp Twins but never saw them in person. Can't wait to catch a glimpse of these enigmatic Kiwi legends, and to see more of Christchurch and Wellington.

The Host: 04/15 - 10:00pm @ Orpheum Main

When I saw Memories of Murder about two years ago, I knew I had stumbled upon another great South Korean director. Each of the installments of the four-film retrospective on Bong Joon-Ho at WFF10 are worth checking out, but this is a great entry to begin with (especially if you want to sample his work before committing to six additional hours of Joon-Ho's work). Also, I used to own about a dozen old Godzilla movies, and I'm not ashamed to say it.

Harmony and Me: 04/16 - 7:45pm @ Wisconsin Union Theater

Will this be the 500 Days of Summer of 2010? I don't know, but this looks like an entertaining and different take on the classic 80's love story. The filmmakers should be present, so get ready for a post-film Q&A.

Sat. Afternoon Shorts: 04/17 - 3:00pm @ Play Circle

I love short films. Short stories too, but especially short films. These are always a highlight of the WFF, so, naturally, I had to include at least one set. While Monona Terrace is my favorite venue for shorts, I highly recommend going to the Play Circle to experience it's intimate setting for (at minimun) one film. Saturday afternoon includes everything from an essay on condiments, to the life of a fowl actor, to some excerpts of the Wisconsin's Own series.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: 04/17 - 7:30pm @ Orpheum Main

This is the main event (or one of them). I've been reading about this movie for over a year, and it's finally in Madison! This Swedish thriller, based on the book by Stieg Larsson, is a good bet for "breakout" international film of 2010. It's being reviewed (mostly positively) across the U.S., and is being hailed for it's depth, style, and taut narrative. OK, so you don't HAVE to go to WFF to see it, as it may hit theaters later...but then it's an amazing experience to see a movie at the Orpheum Main Stage when it's packed to the walls (that means about 1,600 people)! Don't miss it!

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To see all the films playing at this year's Wisconsin Film Festival, find showtimes, or order tickets, click here or on the logo at the top of this post.

Happy Easter + Viva Santa Fe!

I'm finally back from the New Mexico-Texas excursion, which was laced with traveling drama, a national conference of unexpectedly rich research, and some cultural sight-seeing.

Taking a day to recover from the hectic MTNA schedule, we took advantage of our proximity to the famous Turquoise Trail and spent an afternoon cruising some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in North America. Whether you're an outdoors enthusiast, Wild West buff, or just plain curious, the 60 mile highway that traverses the western plains from northern Albuquerque to Santa Fe is well worth your time.

And the destination makes this fun day even more satisfying. Santa Fe has been embedded in my mind ever since I first saw it 7 years ago, seeing it again was a real treat. With a quaint historic center made up of winding pedestrian streets, this classic Western town boasts excellent weather, plenty of museums, fantasic cuisine, and, of course some of the best artwork in the U.S.

This equation amounts to probably one of the best 12-hour mini-vacations around. Three of our highlights:

Madrid, NM: This ghosty town has charm and quirkyness to spare. Double the fun if you make this stop on a motorcyle.
The Shed: Quintessential New Mex cuisine, and the best margheritas around (literally, there was nothing even close in Albuquerque). The blue corn quesadillas are a delight, and makes sure you try both the red and green chilis...a Shed specialty!
Marble Brewery: Actually founded on Marble Street in Albuqeurque, this Santa Fe location boasts 10 beers on tap (in rotation, but I recommend the Marble Red and Brown Ale) for those of age, a rooftop patio (with historic city center views), and made-to-order wood-fired flat-bread pizzas made with local ingredients. Viva Santa Fe!

Now on to Texas! It was great to have another week to hang out with Chris, and to see Denton after all these years. My foray in Tex-Mex cuisine continued, but I must say that each and every beer fanatic must visit a Flying Saucer (I think there are three in the Dallas-Fort Worth area). With an impressive list from around the world, and many local micros as well, this is THE place to hang and enjoy a night out with friends.

Oh, and the recital was a success...although recording mishaps plagued us again, but I'll try to salvage some data to post soon. Now I'm in Madison, enjoying the turning to Spring...and all the pleasures this great town has to offer!

Speaking of which, coming up next will be a special post devoted to the Wisconsin Film Festival, surely one of Madison's best annual events! Til then, Happy Easter to all!

MTNA Conference Recap: Stage Fright, Laban Movement, and Entrepreneurial Mentorship 2.0

It's been a whirlwind of a week. Needless to say, my travelling adventures worked out; I made it to Albuquerque for the Music Teachers National Conference after all, and got to enjoy two and a half days of hyper-stimulation about all things music. I had fun with my poster session, and got more feedback about Entrepreneurial Mentorship, and of ways to view it from different perspectives (I sense another paper brewing...).

What makes these conferences fun (besides catching up with people from across the U.S., and learning about what's happening out there in the field-at-large) are the unexpected gems - the sessions that offer both substantially rewarding information, and deflate the stress of such a packed week of events.

The two highlights for me came on the final day of the conference. Frederic Chiu is not only one of my favorite pianists, but he is also a skillful clinician. His entertaining, intellectual, and probing session on stage fright brought together issues of musical training, the efficacy of routine, and psychological analysis. His discussion on Silvan Tomkins' Affect Theory was a particular "Ah-Ha!" moment for me. The idea that our emotional responses preclude (or at least out-pace) our rational responses, gives a new perspective on how our psychological state can influence and/or cause performance meltdowns. It also enhances the notion of regret aversion, which Barry Schwartz links to the mental trauma of making decisions - both in terms of musical interpretation/technical choices, and of the stress we face in our career development. In his book The Paradox of Choice the world of ever-expanding choices, we artists (often as "maximizers") not only have to deal with the opportunity cost of those options we gave up, but also of the ramifications those decisions have on our future trajectory. This can be traumatizing, and I am beginning to think there may be a connection between these feelings and the decisions we make - especially when we face the choice of leaving the field for "better" opportunities. Linking these two concepts from psychology offers a glimpse at how we may learn to control, or at least deal with, such challenges and perhaps quell some of the career-related fears of many artists.

Paola's session was also fantastic. I know I'm biased, but she held a crowd of 60+ people at 8am for the entirety of her talk. Blending a lecture with interactive movement experiences, I think this was perhaps the best session I've attended on movement/performance health/expression yet. We got an overview of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA), Bartenieff Fundamentals, and plenty of resources on how to use those principles towards greater physical health, flexible alignment, and (most important, perhaps) more effective musical communication. I know she also got great feedback on her ideas, and can't wait to move forward with more work on Laban Movement Analysis, and hopefully more conference presentations delving deeper into how we can better couple movement awareness with musical expression to further communication between artist and audience. Brava! (Check out her website here for more info)

Now I have to tell you about Santa Fe....which was a delight in and of itself...but that will be coming in my next post! For now, I have to catch a flight. Hope all is well in Madison, could the Terrace possibly open by the time Easter rolls around?

March Musical Madness, Part 1.5: An Interlude

March 20th, 2010: Remember that great Steve Martin and John Candy movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles"? It's one of my favorites, yet now that I am currently in the middle of such an experience, it's taking on a new meaning.

I won't bore you with all the details, but let's just say I'm never inclined to fly United again. Also, don't buy cheap tickets. More connections mean getting stuck in a city at 2am, with no hotel, no time to explore, no deodorant, toothpaste, or sleep. But it could be worse - my bags could be lost somewhe...actually, nevermind. Hence the lack of toiletries.

Anyways, at least I got to do two things I've never done before: miss the first two days of a national MTNA conference, and fight my way onto a Greyhound for an unexpected 7 hour roadtrip. OK, one of those is better than the other, but I'm trying to think positively here.

Hold on a sec, someone on the bus just asked me read his Prozac prescription for him so he wouldn't accidentally overdose...done. OK that makes three things I haven't done before. Wait, make that four, he just asked to borrow my water too.

Hmm, how do I top that? I don't know but this trip seems to have more surprises up it's sleeve. And now I can see the snow-capped Rockies in the distance. I'll let you know when I get on the train.

March Musical Madness, Part 1

It always seems like March is a period of hyper-activity, augmented by short bursts of manic breakdowns. At least with mid-terms, the fervor to get at least one concert out of the way, and Spring Break plans that never quite work out, it seems that way.

As I'm currently stuck at the Madison airport (it's March 20th as I write this, but imagine it won' get on the web for a few days) ready for two weeks of my own travelling mayhem, I figured it's a good time to recap the first two weeks of the month - which was indicated to me by a colleague to be the busiest of Year in Madison! It will also distract me from my airport stress.

While there were plenty to cover, most have already been written about (go to the Well Tempered Ear for a great analysis of everything musical going on in Madison). I'm going to focus on two Arts Enterprise Madison events that had Bren a long time in the making.

So, we'll start out with the Jacqueline Schwab workshop on living an independent life as a musician. Hers was a story of twists and turns, many of which surprised me, and gave me reason to question my values.

For example, while she has a degree from New England Conservatory, it's in folk music...not the kind of track you often hear about. Even more off beat is the fact that folk styles are traditionally learned through rote, or at least through doing rather than studying. Of course, outside the world of folk artists, having that diploma surely wields an advantage. Plus, one's network surely expands over time. She found ways of breaking ground by leveraging tradition to her advantage.

Honest in her recounts of struggling as a young artist in Boston, it was clear she had experienced much of the challenges we students hear often about. Her story showed that perserverance does pay off, and while hard-earned achievements often don't guarantee fame and fortune, one can pave his or her own way to musical success - and on their own terms.

We were lucky to follow this up with a two-day residency by the hot young jazz quintet Diverse. Their path seems different - with early successes, and a promising future, it was clear that these young musicians had only just begun their careers. It helps that they are jaw-dropping on stage!

They were also tremendously generous, delaying their departure on a hectic shcesule to offer a 75min Q&A session for students. We had a fun and inteiduing discussion, one that probed questions not only of muodcal style, influence, and vision, but of nuts and bolts career issues as well. I particularly like the notion that one member brought about creating a mission for your ensembles. This simple, oft-omitted step clarifies vision, synthesizes goals, and acts as a benchmark for success.

All in all it's been a fun couple of weeks, now I'm off to New Mexico for a research presemtation and then Texas for Anhinga Duo recitals (three down, hopefully three more to go!).

I'll be writing next from Albuquerque, with the second instdllment of March Musical Madness, and with an update about the MTNA national conference. Tip then, check out these artists on their websites:

Jacqueline Schwab Homepage
Diverse Jazz Homepage

Writing for Fun: Can It Be True?

I struggle with writing. So much of the time it feels like pulling teeth...or cleaning teeth...something very much akin to going to the dentist. Any chance to delay, distract, or disconnect from such obligations are welcome. Yet I can't help but feel the urge to complete an essay or blog, to fulfill the anticipation of satisfaction that comes with a job (hopefully well) done.

So it was refreshing to find this article on the art of revision by journalist and writer John Douglas Marshall at IndieReader.com.

Here are some of his tips, in a nutshell:

1) Revisions mean the crap you just wrote is only the beginning. Don't forget that the first draft is just that - the first attempt at making words into art. Admittedly, this is easier for some than others...but at least you can sleep on it, read over your work, and refine it. If only such process-orientation was accepted in the world of piano-playing.

2) Revising is easier on the nerves than writing the first draft. You've already broken the ice, now it's time to enjoy the nuance and unpredictability of looking at a page with new eyes.

3) Try viewing the act of writing as continual revision. Embrace the technology age...cutting and pasting has never been easier. This is one I really like, because my neurosis is somehow quelled by the idea that I can fix as I go. This rarely actually happens, though.

4) Multiple revisions mean multiple realities. So, after a half dozen drafts, doesn't it look like we have six different papers? I never thought about how good that can be - who knows where those drafts may take you for future projects.

As someone revising two papers for publication/presentation at the moment, Marshall's article helped me think of all this work as a pleasure. OK, I'm not gonna lie, it also helps that I'm at my favorite coffee shop sipping an amazing cappucino. Reading what I just wrote, I must be a writer-in-training....

Check out IndieReader.com for more articles, a blog, and lots of other goodies here.