Tuesday Tunes

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

“All choreographers think of the impact music will have on the movement they create,” stated in an article from The Kennedy Center.  Music can make us feel specific emotions or recall certain memories. It’s a powerful tool for dance; the absence of music can be equally strong.  Music creates atmosphere, dictates the flow and development of a dance, indicates struggle, and provides fodder for visualization.  At Frame Dance we prioritize music and work with composers to collaborate with all new music.
This article outlines how choreographers Alvin Ailey, Mark Morris, Robert Battle, and Larry Keigwin used music within their pieces. Check it out!

photo by Lena Silva of the Framers rehearsing
photo by Lena Silva of the Framers rehearsing

Modern Dance in the Mainstream

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Many of us have heard the song “Chandelier” by Sia, or have seen the infamous music video.

It’s not often that we see much contemporary dance in pop culture, but this was an exception. “It’s contemporary and haunting and strange and people couldn’t get enough.” Choreographer Ryan Heffington said in an interview with NPR writer Eric Ducker. His talent of bringing modern dance to the mainstream got him nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year and Best Choreography, and in the end, won for Best Choreography. Though this wasn’t the first time that Heffington was acknowledged for his work. He was also heavily acclaimed for  his choreography in the music video “We Exist”, a song from Arcade Fire. Also, he has worked with stars such as Aloe Blacc and Florence and the Machine.

Working with Choreographers: A Composer’s Viewpoint

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Tuesday Tunes“I discovered that working with choreographers and dancers was challenging not only from a technical standpoint, but also that the various limitations forced me into artistic directions that I would have never explored otherwise.”  Rob Deemer describes his experience and personal gain from working with choreographers.  His work with University of Texas helped to create the American Repertory Ensemble, a collaboration of dancers and musicians.

Read the article about him HERE.

Music for Veterans

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

“The arts and creative arts therapies were characterized by Captain Moira McGuire, at Walter Reed as a ‘must have’ rather than a ‘nice to have.'”

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Here in Houston, Jane Weiner and Hope Stone are working with vets, offering an 8 week DRUMMING workshop (with the amazing Chris Howard) for veterans…FREE!! If you are a vet? or know a service man or woman please let them know about our workshop.

Classes are Monday, starting March 30-May 18
8-9 p.m. (no drum needed, we will supply, but if you have one bring to the circle!)
The Barn-2201 Preston @ Hutchins.

Info@hopestoneinc.org if interested or want more details.

Music has been implemented more and more in therapy and treatment. Check out this recent article posted on the American Music Therapy Association’s website describes music therapy’s impact on working with the military.

Read the full article here!

Music Strengthens our Social Bonds

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Tuesday Tunes “In 2009, archaeologists unearthed a flute carved from bone and ivory that  was over 35,000 years old. This proved that even during the hunting/gathering  stage of human evolution, music was present and important to society.” An  article published in a psychology, sociology, and neuroscience web branch of the University  of California: Berkeley, The Greater Good Science Center, clearly shows that music has  been a large part of human culture for thousands of years. But, has it brought people closer together in this long period of time?  Have our isolating ipods and earbuds separated us? This question was answered by psychologist Jill  Suttie. Her writings gave us four ways that music helps to strengthen bonds:

  • Music increases contact, coordination, and cooperation with others,  
  • gives us  an oxytocin boost,
  • strengthens our ability to understand and empathize with others, and finally,
  • increases our cultural cohesion. 

Read the full article here, and fulfill your primal urge to make music today.

Women In Classical Music

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Hey, Framers! Since it’s March, Women’s History Month, we’ve been thinking about women in music.

You may think of women as being very prevalent in music  today, but that is not the case, as shown in an article written by Dr. Christina Scharff. Her report, “Equality and Diversity in the Classical Music Profession,” shows some surprising statistics.

    • Women and people of color are underrepresented in classical music jobs and leadership roles.
    • Composers are overwhelmingly white men.
    • Women are over-represented in teaching professions.
    • Women make 83.7% of the average male classical musician’s salary.
    • Orchestra instrument assignments split along gender lines. (Harp players are mostly women. Tuba & percussion players, men.)

Dr. Scharff’s report also includes information about other inequalities within the music profession that are separating men and women.

This year, Frame Dance welcomes our first female winner of the Frame Dance Music Competition, Leah Reid.

Read the full report here.

I hate the term accompanist

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

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I hate the term accompanist,” continues Burnside. “You can’t deny there are connotations that it’s a secondary entity. But unfortunately I can’t think of a better one. If you insist on being called a pianist then people think that you’re comparing yourself to Sviatoslav Richter. That’s not what it’s about: you’re just asking to be taken seriously in your own right.'”

Who are Roger Vignoles and Anna Tillbrook? I didn’t know either.  They are musical accompanists– unsung heroes.  Read the stories of famous accompanists in this article here.  

Tilbrook says there are times when she has saved singers from embarrassment. “The real art is to have that sixth sense, knowing when they are going to have a memory lapse, when they’re going to come in a bar early or even skip a whole verse. You have to be able to cover all that in your playing, so smoothly that no one notices.”

 

 

 

Tuesday Tunes: Micah Clark

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Frame Composers…What are they doing right now?

micahMicah Clark

After overseeing the music program at Valley Christian School (Huntingdon Valley, PA) for 2 years, I returned to the Chicago area where I am active in the music improv scene. My piece “Do Androids Pray for Electric Sleep?” for electric guitar, cello, and soundtrack was featured on Composerscircle.com and I presented it to the composition studio at Wheaton College in a master class. Collaborations in 2015 will include acclaimed cellist Glenn Fischbach, pianists Jordan Newhouse and Jon King, and John-Wayne Tracy of Gouda Records. You can read and listen more at micahclarkmusic.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame Composers: Where are they now?

by Lydia Composers Tuesday Tunes

D. Edward Davis 2014 Film Score WinnerDAVIS-karst-headshot

Since Shamed, currently in production with Frame Dance, Eddie has been busy with a number of creative projects. In July and August 2014, he studied composition with Wandelweiser founder Antoine Beuger in Düsseldorf, Germany (where he also attended concerts and looked for birds). His work has been recently performed by the Da Capo Chamber Players (for philip von zweck), Dalia Chin and Kate McDuffie (when we try to pick out anything by itself we find it hitched to everything else in the universe), and the Callithumpian Consort (curving tide). His current projects include new pieces for the Laramie County Community College New Music Ensemble (Cheyenne, Wyoming) and Musica Nova (Tel Aviv, Israel).

 

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In January 2015, Eddie co-founded the Experimental Music Study Group, which curates discussions and performances in the Durham/Chapel Hill-area. He is completing his dissertation work at Duke University, where he currently teaches a class about Sonic Ecology.