Something for Everyone

Music Therapy is without borders. Through the use of individualized musical interventions, music therapists strive to use music’s therapeutic qualities to satisfy physical, emotional, cognitive, and even social needs of an individual. By creating, singing, listening to, or moving to music, individuals strengthen connections that had once been obstacles.

This is exactly what I use music for. Though I study music as a student here at Westminster Choir College, my connection to music comes from something much more raw–pure enjoyment. The comfort that comes with humming my favorite song, or dancing to whatever’s on is something everyone understands, even at a very young age.

When babies come into the world a bit sooner than expected, it can cause a lot of issues for development, i.e. the inability to feed. This is where music therapists step in. They give a special pacifier to the baby and whenever the baby sucks on it, a lullaby plays. The baby learns very fast that they get to hear the music if they suck on the pacifier, which activates the same muscles needed for the infant to feed! This is called the PALS System (Pacifier Activated Lullaby System).

The PALS system is something Ms. Carol Ann Blank taught me when I interviewed her. Ms. Blank presently works at the Music Together Lab School here in Princeton but has been a music therapist for 18 years. When she first began, she was working with veterans to overcome traumatic experiences and social (self)-exclusion. However, when she had children, she began to find more interest in early childhood development. The idea of swapping to such drastically different groups baffled me! I thought you had to pick a specialty like a doctor picks surgery or medicine. She explained that the approach to the field is all inclusive and it is very easy to retrain yourself to work with anyone.

After speaking with Ms. Blank, I stopped viewing music therapy as this outlandish idea. I saw the proof in the Lab School classroom where children happily created music together. I saw the proof in the joy I got when my favorite song came on the radio as I drove home from my interview. Music doesn’t provide the answers for whatever issues there may be, it’s just a great tool and music therapy is just beginning to explore what it can do.

Learning from Oral History

For students pursuing a music education today, the pressure of acquiring a job as a full-time musician is all too familiar. The years of study are meant to prepare the individual and provide them with the necessary skills required of them as a future professional. A university and private instrumental study, however, cannot account for all the possibilities and requirements a job might entail, especially when that means balancing several different jobs at once. A student’s wide range of musical abilities cannot all be accessed at the college level; there is simply not enough time or specificity in the provided curriculum. The majority of growth actually happens after venturing out into surrounding community, where the student can discover through first-hand experiences in the music field. The goal is to test their personal strengths and recognize areas that need more application, while applying the fundamental skills they have already acquired.

It has been an enriching experience personally developing a level of musicianship that will pave the way for a music career. In this regard, the oral history interview I conducted shed light on the possibilities and opportunities for a modern musician. Nicole Cochran, the young organist who answered my questions, is actually a friend of mine. We had first met during my freshman year studying the organ at Westminster Choir College, where Nicole was pursuing a graduate degree in Organ Performance. After completing the graduate program she moved to the Princeton area permanently, in order to continue building her musical resume. It was a great opportunity to be able to interview her in-depth, and also to record the process and share it with anyone interested in learning about the daily demands of a musician’s life.

Besides the personal stories Nicole shared in our interview, I felt she eloquently captured the reason many people pursue studying music and commit to practicing an instrument. Although a challenging and often times tedious instrument to play, the pipe organ holds seemingly endless musical possibilities for Nicole. The excitement in the approach to the instrument and its practice is the principal aspect of sincere musicianship. An attitude of inspired interest, such as Ms. Cochran’s, lays the foundation for developing other musical methods. As evidenced by her ability to simultaneously hold jobs such as teaching privately, choral accompanying, and general performance on the organ and piano. Time management was also reiterated as a necessary step in balancing the grind of travel and organization.

Another discovery from the interview was the importance of synthesizing the skills at our disposal in order to fulfill a role that has not been taught or practiced directly. As a current student of music this is a highly important, yet untaught, part of my musical education. This means developing through experiences with music is equally as important as routinely studying and building practice discipline. It was a positive experience to be able to ask a fellow organist and young musician questions and receive direct feedback. To be able to pass along this knowledge to others who are wondering and asking the same questions is a truly wonderful aspect of an oral history interview.

From Graduation to the Classroom

On November 4^th I interviewed a good friend of mine, and Westminster Choir College Alumni, Sarah Mae Lagasca. Sarah Mae recently graduated from Westminster, not even a year ago in 2013, and is now working as a K-8 music teacher in Freehold. NJ. Before Westminster Sarah Mae attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. At Westminster Sarah Mae majored in Music Education with a vocal primary. Now almost halfway through her fist year of teaching she is being able to put her skills as an educator to the test as well as deal with this new found territory of being out of school and in the real world.

As a future educator getting to talk to Sarah Mae was a dream come true. I brought this thought up to her multiple times but the process we go through in school is kind of the “perfect process.” While going through this “perfect process” one of the things I fear is that it is not like what will be encountered in the real world. During the interview Sarah Mae expressed that, yes, Westminster does offer the perfect road to music education and that in the real world you don’t have your co-op to guide you. But, the best part about the real world is that it is the real world. You now have real students, and real experiences where you are in charge.

I ask Sarah Mae a lot of questions on what it was like in her first year of teaching. She expressed to me that she had two main struggles while going through her first year of teaching. The first is age. She told me that being a new teacher as well as being a young teacher is intimidating. While her colleagues are great, supportive, and understanding it is very scary to be the new kid on the block, so to speak. The second challenge she had might actually surprise you. If you were going to guess being a female or woman or color you’re wrong. Sarah Mae said that her biggest struggle is actually her height. “If I don’t wear heels to school I get mistaken for a student.” Yes, we had a very long a good laugh about this.

Getting to talk to Sarah Mae was such a treat! She is an extremely bubbly and personable person. Our conversations didn’t feel forced or awkward at all; on the contrary everything seemed to roll from one topic to the next. I came to the interview prepared with a list of questions that I didn’t really get to touch. Sarah Mae was extremely intuitive and answered half of my questions before I had the chance to ask them. I found myself laughing through most of the interview and time flew by so quickly. It was such a fun interview and I would do it all over in a heartbeat if I could.

Also at our Inaugural Concert: the a cappella group The Deaftones

As Brian Sengdala wrote a month ago on this blog, a cappella groups can be heard all over Princeton.  There are many excellent ensembles at both Princeton University and Westminster Choir College.  Additionally, there are some community a cappella groups in town.  At our inaugural “Music in Princeton” concert this coming Wednesday (Williamson Hall at Westminster Choir College at 7:30pm; free admission and reception to follow), you will hear Westminster Choir College’s Deaftones, which Brian Sengdala leads!  Here is a taste of what you will see:

“Music in Princeton” Inaugural Concert next Wednesday

Westminster Choir College of Rider University

Initiated in January 2013, “Music in Princeton” is a public musicology initiative of Westminster Choir College of Rider University.  Its aim is to examine different types of music-making in Princeton, from professional groups like the Princeton Symphony to amateur groups like the monthly house sings of the Princeton Folk Society, and from student groups like Westminster’s Chinese Music Ensemble and Princeton University’s Taiko Ensemble to musicians who play at Small World Coffee and other establishments in Princeton.  Some of our findings are found on this blog and its associated Facebook page.  Each semester, the “Music in Princeton” project will also put on at least one live public event.

Our inaugural show will take place next Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30pm in Williamson Hall on the campus of Westminster Choir College (101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ).  It will feature performances of sacred music that can be heard in Princeton’s churches, new music by Princeton composers, local singer-songwriters, and college a cappella groups.  Admission is free, and parking is available on campus after 5pm.  A reception with light refreshments will follow the concert.

Bob Mecklenburger

In the next few days, we will profile some of the musicians and composers featured on our concert.  Today, we present Bob Mecklenburger–a very familiar folk musician, singer/songwriter and guitarist in the Greater Philadelphia-Central Jersey areas.  He has performed for five decades; in fact, he met Judith, his wife of 41 years, through his music at Cornell University.  Mecklenburger says that his inspirations include John Denver, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, the Limeliters, Tom Rush, Tom Paxton, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon and James Taylor.  Next Wednesday, he will perform on his Martin 6-string acoustic guitar, and use both fingerstyle picking and flatpicking styles.

Mecklenburger moved to the Princeton area with his family 24 years ago, and has been a long-time member and Past President of the Princeton Folk Music Society (PFMS).  He has also been active in the Bucks County Folk Song Society (BCFSS), with which he will perform on April 6, and a frequent headliner for the Philadelphia Area Songwriters Alliance (PASA).  In the Princeton area, you might hear him at Grovers Mill Coffee Company (West Windsor), It’s A Grind coffee house (Plainsboro), the Princeton Arts Council’s Café Improv, and the West Windsor Farmers Market.  Here’s a video of Mecklenburger performing at Café Improv:

We hope you will join us and Bob Mecklenburger next Wednesday at Williamson Hall of Westminster Choir College of Rider University!

WCC Proudly Presents, Thomas Rosin LaVoy

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. As promised, we start with a student composer at Westminster Choir College. To begin, I thought it would be most fitting if we lightly explore the world of our composition department.

According to the chair, Dr. Anthony J. Kosar, the composition department has been a part of the college since its establishment in 1926. Although it was originally called the Theory and Music History Department, composition grew increasingly popular. The department took about 75 years to evolve into the Music Composition, History, and Theory Department (MCHaT). Currently there are 24 students who are theory and composition majors: 6 are graduate students, while the other 18 are undergrads. About 2-4 masters and 2-6 undergraduates enter the program each year. Among other duties, the Westminster composition major must perform at least one piece during one of three composition concerts held each year, and give a recital in his/her last year at WCC.

On March 9th, I was able to sing for one such special recital in the spacious halls of Bristol Chapel: the senior composition recital of Thomas Rosin LaVoy.

Tom LaVoy and a section of the Sisu Choir

Thomas, known to us as Tom, is one of the most talented student composers at WCC. He has already had several choral works published, performed by the Williamson Voices and Westminster Choir. Even so, he is modest and truly sincere towards music. He’s the kind of fellow that, as you pass by and smile, always has a smile to give back.

The recital featured performers Jared Slaymaker and Hannah King on the piano, the Sisu Choir (with me! I was in the soprano section!!), Renata Kapilevich as the exquisite soprano soloist, a small hired orchestra, and Tom himself on the piano, the conducting podium, and the guitar with a splash of singing. Since my emphasis is on choral music, I will mainly focus on the choral portion of his recital.

Tom opened his program with three piano pieces, Etude No. 1: Twelve by Twelve, Portrait of a Homeless Man, and 19. Until now, I had only heard Tom’s choral works, so the piano pieces practically sent my jaw to the floor. My personal favorite was the Etude; it was rhythmically driving and fascinating to watch as the pianist’s (Jared Slaymaker) hands danced on the keys. Although there is no recording for the Etude at the moment, here is a recording of 19, an equally compelling piece performed by Tom himself (recorded in 2010*).

After the pianists, it was time for the Sisu Choir to bring the house down (yea baby!). Now, what does ‘Sisu’ mean?” In Finnish, “Sisu” roughly translates to “a long-term sense of courage and determination, an ability to perform and complete a difficult task against impossible odds” – Thomas LaVoy. Although we had originally (for fun) called ourselves the “LaVoices,” (see what we did there??) Tom’s decision with “Sisu” was more fitting in the end. It certainly made us all stand a little taller when we heard what it meant.

We began with one of my personal favorites, As I Walk the Silent Earth. The melody is as simple as a folk tune, but the text (written by Tom himself), is reflective and full of child-like wonderment.

On the other hand, the Alleluia has only one word to the text, “Alleluia” (recorded 2012*). This piece is also simple, but the melody and the intertwining harmonies make the sounds blossom with warmth.

Our final pieces were two movements from A Child’s Requiem. The requiem was commissioned by The Marquette Symphony Orchestra to mark the 100th anniversary of the Italian Hall Disaster. Before we dove into the piece, Tom took time to tell us about how 73 people, mostly children, died in a crowd crush that resulted from a panicked reaction to a non-existent fire.

The text was written by his mother, Esther Margaret Ayers, and it portrays a mother who had lost her child to the disaster. We had a small orchestra accompaniment with Renata singing the solo as this mother. It is a heart-wrenching piece that, especially with the Lux Aeterna in the end, is about being burdened with so much loss but also finding the courage to move on and find peace. I have always believed that a great choral piece is a journey, and Tom’s pieces are exactly that.

The recital ended with Tom singing two songs with the guitar. The first was Inclined to Behave and it was about change and acceptance of himself. The second was his arrangement of a jolly Irish folk-tune he fell in love in, Arthur McBride. All I can say is, when he played he got soul!

In one word, Tom’s music is honest. It is the honest emotions from the experiences in his life which he weaves into every note and phrase in his music.

So, let me take this moment to reiterate. Besides his perfect wave of golden locks (Yes, he is our version Eric Whitacre) Tom sang beautifully. But he also conducted masterfully, played the piano brilliantly, strummed the guitar with ease, and blessed the world with the music he created and bestowed into our ears that evening…

Please excuse me while I shut myself up in a practice room for the next decade.

… Okay I won’t do that, but if all goes well, I will be a music teacher somewhere in the world and I’ll just nonchalantly pass Tom’s music out to everybody and say, “hmmm? Oh the autographs on your music? Indeed, they were personally signed by Thomas LaVoy himself. I sang for him in his senior recital at WCC, no big deal. I mean, it makes me extremely special of coarse but hey, what’s new?”

And it is in my moment of vanity, ladies and gentlemen, that I bid you all a good day!

Other works by Thomas LaVoy:

Death’s Protest

White Stones

* pieces not recorded during the recital itself.

He Still Watches Over Us: Westminster Choir College’s Jubilee Singers

The Jubilee Singers is a student-populated, institutionally-run choir of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. Its repertoire focuses on the African American tradition, especially spirituals and other religious works. The Singers’ most recent performance, a joint effort with a student-run choir within the same College, was titled He Still Watches Over Us, evidence of its religious focus and wholesome message.

The Jubilee Singers has had a change of leadership over the last few years. Since the shift, the choir has seen a considerable decline in membership. Indeed, its entire tenor section is, at this time, comprised by a single, indefatigable tenor. The reasons for this decline are in dispute. However, it is clear that scheduling is at least partially at fault for the reduced student participation.

The Singers’ rehearsal time changes each semester. It conflicts with core classes belonging to several majors within Westminster on a regular basis. Beyond this conflict of class time, there is a dearth of time in general; according to my own impressions from talking to Westminster students, the other demands of the school ensure that very few have the time necessary to devote to the Jubilee Singers.

The 2013 Jubilee Choir performs their His Light Still Shines concert.

The Jubilee Singers aims at bringing out African American vocal literature in the Christian tradition. Indeed, I see audience members mesmerized entirely by the Christian energies of the Jubilee concerts, their bodies swaying and their arms extended in supplication as entranced thralls of Jesus Christ. That’s love, baby. The performances possess a quality that I can only describe as inspiration. This choir’s songs and chorales and other pieces have the spark of life that inspires thought and love from all those blessed enough to be sensitive to it. It is readily apparent to me that they, the singers, love what they do; they pour their hearts and souls into the Jubilee Singers, as much as they can, and it shows.

The choir does not get much time to practice. It performs a large quantity of works, and gets its word out as loud and proud as it can. The product lacks the shining perfection typically seen from a Westminster Choir College performance. But amazingly, whatever imperfections persist from rehearsal into performance do not mitigate the magnitude of the Singers’ power and effectiveness; indeed, that the Jubilee Singers stands undaunted and presents itself honestly, as-is, makes it a cynosure of what a choir can be. There is no pretense. Humanity is what it is. There is no need to eliminate the individual, for when there is love of music of this purity, the collective synergy agglomerates into superior magic. The whole is more than the sum of its parts, a true rarity.

Live Music and a Latte: Today’s Singer-Songwriters by Nicole Fragala

The singer-songwriter style has not changed too much over time. In fact, most singer-songwriters today prefer emulating the musical styles that have come before them. The typical singer-songwriter writes, composes and sings their own music in a folk-acoustic aesthetic. They are often raw musicians, or the “starving artists” of the generation. They tend to write music for expression rather than profit, and enjoy sharing their music in the comfortable environment of smaller venues.

Now picture this. Escaping to an environment where the atmosphere is completely at ease. Where there is nothing to awake the senses but the smell of a hot tea or coffee and the sound of an acoustic guitar. When living in Princeton, you might think it is rare to find such a place. But guess again, cafes filled with the town’s best singer/songwriters are right under your nose.

Small World Coffee

The people of Princeton pass that little corner on Hulfish Street near Palmer Square, never realizing that right underground is the inifini-T Cafe. This little cafe hosts weekend open mic nights as well as mini concerts of local performers in the Princeton area. They range from people playing acoustic covers on guitar to bizarre performances on vocals and toy piano. This gives singer/songwriters a chance to bring their art to the table and gain some fans. Cafe open mic nights are also great places for artists to sell their CDs.

Infini-T cafe is not the only place in Princeton that promotes young singers and writers. Just up the street from Palmer Square is Small World Cafe. Here, they also hire and advertise songwriters from the town. The best way to remain in contact with any events nowadays is through the Internet! You can find both Small World Cafe and infini-T Cafe on Facebook to find out when their upcoming events are.

Jus off of the Square is Paul Robeson Center, which has an open mic night every Saturday around 7pm. This event is televised, and consists of performers of song, poetry and even stand up comedy. A small donation is all it takes to enjoy an event of some of Princeton’s finest songwriters.

A local band called “The Codes” played at the 2007 Communiversity festival.

If you are a performer seeking exposure, venues are not the only way to do it. The town of Princeton has an event every year called Communiversity, where the town’s universities, restaurants and stores come outside for one giant celebration. Along with the food and fun, there is an opportunity to have you or your band play in a time-slot during the day.

Of course, when we think of music and Princeton, we can’t forget the timeless Princeton Record Exchange. Stop inside and check out the left side right inside the door for flyers of upcoming bands playing throughout the town.

And lastly, we have the students at Westminster, and their ways of gaining exposure on campus. Each semester, Westminster has events called “Java and Jive” which gives music students a chance to support one another in their songwriting and music making. It also provides a positive atmosphere for the audience as well. Westminster also has a group on campus called “Writers’ Block” that teaches strategies for putting your heart and soul into a song, too!

I write this blog because I am a performer who wants to understand the process of advertising their own music, but also find out how to achieve the mindset to create songs of my own. I also hope to dig further into these venues and discover how each venue auditions their lineups.

Princeton Pipings

Though not apparent at first glance the pipe organ is alive and well in Princeton. There are a number of notable organs hidden around town and if you know where to look you will find them. There are even famous organists from around the world visiting Princeton on a relatively frequent basis in addition to a handful of well-known organists who work and teach in Princeton and who often perform on these instruments.

Princeton University Chapel Organ

To get a better idea of these instruments you have to hear them played; you can’t just read about them. Fortunately, there are a number of recitals and concerts held regularly that you can go to in order to hear these organs and the organists performing on them. The best place to start would be at the Princeton University Chapel, where concert organist Eric Plutz is University Organist. Housed in the chapel is the largest organ in Princeton in what is probably the most beautiful space to hear music in town. Installed in 1928 by the American organ building firm Skinner (later renovated by Mander of London) it was praised as a revolutionary instrument, particularly because of its new contra faggotto stop which was the very first of its kind. The stop is a low-pitched double bassoon sound that could mimic the sound of a bow drawn across strings. It also possess the ability to play music equally well from Bach to French romantic, something many organs of the time could not do. Each Thursday afternoon, following the noon mass, as part of the After Noon Concert series, is a short half-hour organ recital from 12:30 to 1pm. Organists range from current students at Westminster Choir College and the Curtis Institute of Music to famous concert organists from around the world. And the best part of all is that it’s free! For anyone not familiar with organ music this really would be the best place to start; great organ music in a great space.

Princeton Theological Seminary Organ

Just down the street from the Princeton Chapel is the Princeton Theological Seminary. This is the home of another fine Princeton organ, which can be found in Miller Chapel. Much smaller than the University Chapel organ and installed in 2000 is the Paul Fritts organ. Like the University, the Seminary hosts concerts on their organ regularly as well. With musicians, again, coming from all parts of the world. This organ is quite different from the Skinner organ in the Princeton Chapel. It is a tracker organ (which means that the action of the keyboard is mechanical and not electric) and is very well suited for the music of the Baroque era. Another unique feature is that it is able to be powered both with electricity, like most modern organs, and manually! An assistant would need to walk continuously on two foot pumps behind the organ to manually send air into the instrument while the organist plays. So if there is ever a power outage during a concert one need not worry: the concert will go on!

Westminster Choir College Bristol Chapel Organ

On the other side of town there sits nestled away in its own little corner of the world Westminster Choir College. Even though this school’s reputation is for its choral singing it has a dedicated organ department. The newly appointed head of their organ department is renowned concert organist Alan Morrison. Located on this campus, in addition to a variety of practice instruments, there are three main performance organs. In Bristol Chapel there is a three manual 1935 Aeolian-Skinner organ; in the basement of the dorms is a three manual 1969 Casavant organ; and in the lower level of Bristol Chapel is a small two manual 1978 Fisk tracker organ.

Westminster Choir College Fisk Room Organ

If you’re interested in a more personal concert setting then you might want to sit in on the Organ Performance class. Every Monday afternoon from 3:20 to 4:20 students from within the department perform for their classmates and anyone else who wants to show up. If you’re lucky, on occasion instead of performance class the department will host a masterclass with notable organists from all over. Just recently was a masterclass with the Titular Organist at Notre Dame in Paris, Olivier Latry. He worked with current students on French music, particularly that of Messiaen and Duruflé.

Below are some links to find out further information on these organs and concerts that are going on. Enjoy!

Princeton University Chapel Concerts: http://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/music/2009-spring-concerts/

Princeton University Chapel Organ: http://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/music/organ-specifications/

Princeton Theological Seminary Organ: http://aam2012.org/2011/11/miller-chapel-fritts-organ/

Westminster Choir College Organs: http://rider.prod.acquia-sites.com/wcc/undergraduate-programs/organ-performance/wcc-organs

Two Major Concerts at Westminster Choir College This Weekend (March 2-3)

On Saturday, March 2 at 7pm, Westminster Choir College’s Black and Hispanic Alliance will present “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” a celebration of the African American tradition through poetry, music, art and dance.  The program features the Unashamed Gospel Choir directed by Jalyssa James, Canticum Novum directed by Vinroy Brown, Jr., soprano Rochelle Ellis, pianist Brandon Waddles and organist Taione Martinez.  It will include the readings of Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and Adrienne Rich. It will also include music by George Gershwin, William L. Dawson & Nina Simone,  and will feature Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and the premiere of Brandon Waddles’ Fix Me, Jesus.  The concert is in Bristol Chapel on the Westminster Choir College campus and admission is free.

On Sunday, March 3 at 3pm, renowned soprano and Westminster faculty member Sharon Sweet will sing opera arias and ensembles with 18 of her friends!  Educated at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Sweet has sung leading roles at Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Paris Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Royal Opera House in London (Covent Garden).  She has also sung Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mahler’s 8th Symphony, and Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder with major orchestras across Europe and North America.  Her extensive discography includes recordings with Claudio Abbado, Sir Colin Davis, Marek Janowski, and Lorin Maazel.  This concert is also in Bristol Chapel on the Westminster Choir College campus.  Admission is free!