Music in the balance

I find myself fully distracted from music these days by the grind of the day job (which is really a day, evening, and night job – shift work!). I suppose there are seasons in life, and each is different. It makes me wonder about so many others who are in a similar situation, hoping to find time for the music that they love but compelled to do other things.

I dare say that most musicians are not able to play music full time. And those who do may find themselves struggling to make ends meet. There is often a trade-off, and the need to make choices to strike the right balance. I know an excellent organist and sometime choir director whose music time is limited because of the need to provide for his family. And I could name a host of other musicians who have come to terms with the music/money balance in their own ways.

In some respects I could say that my current situation is intentional. I have often said I would be happy to alternate between well-paid technical work and lesser-paid creative endeavors. In fact, that seems to be happening. The first half of 2009 was taken up with music – forming a band, rehearsal, and performances. My five-piece band played 50’s music in a large festival, and through the spring and summer I found myself performing for birthdays, weddings – even political events. And now, since July, I am back on the technical side, working round the clock monitoring and troubleshooting your mobile phone connections.

I suppose I could look on the bright side. How many people have such opportunities to use both sides of the brain in their work like I do? I look forward to more opportunities for music performance in 2010 and beyond. And I will continue to find the right balance, and to strive for those wonderful experiences when my audience and I are for a moment transported, and the temporal art of music transcends the more mundane aspects of our lives.

Operas, operettas, and musicals

I was just thrilled to see Die Fledermaus last night at the Wiener Volksoper. It was just great! It was my first opera – ok, it was an operetta. The music was beautiful, with some themes I already knew. The singers were excellent, and I didn’t hear any of this “operatic voice” thing that some people really don't like. Ok, it may be that because it was an operetta, which seems closer to a musical, the singer just didn’t seem so heavy and dramatic.

And in light of that I think of the pop music that I have done and wonder how it compares. It’s a totally different style, I know. But there is something wonderful in being able to open the voice and sing out without holding back. I envy them. It makes me want to add more of this kind of thing to my repertoire, more of this music meant for a big hall. But where could I perform it?

Ok, I did do a sort of opera in college. I can't even remember the name of it, but the plot was similar to the play "Our Town". I only sang in one piece. It was 5/8 time, and I sang a high baritone part over top of four singers. "I shall hold this tight. I shall remember." (What was that piece anyway?) The four singers seemed to have lost the timing, but I kept mine. Ok, theirs was a bit more difficult, I admit.

But I get a thrill when I sing songs where I am able to cut loose and sing big. Let’s see. Which songs are those.... Not the 50’s rock n roll. Not the folk songs. Not the bluegrass. Not the jazz. I think I get this feeling sometimes when I am at home singing old Italian songs, or some Broadway tunes. I don’t know, it just seems I’m not finding the opportunities – the right music? the right venues? the right audience? – to really show off my singing voice.

Sondheim said: "I really think that when something plays Broadway it's a musical, and when it plays in an opera house it's opera. That's it. It's the terrain, the countryside, the expectations of the audience that make it one thing or another."[1] What is my music then? Is it limited by the terrain, the expectations of the audience? Or something else?

Will I ever find my sound? Maybe it is just evolving. Maybe it is meant that way. I have heard music divided into three categories: pop, folk, and classical. Most singers find their favorite genre (sub-sub-sub-genre?) and stay with it. Me, I can't sit still. Now that I have a better appreciation for this music, I want to add some of it to my repertoire. Someone recently told me just to follow my heart, just do it, and not worry about the crowd. I think I will.



[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theater

Current songlist

Adieu
Ain't Misbehaving
Ain't She Sweet
All I Have to Do Is Dream
All My Ex's
All My Loving
All of Me
All Shook Up
All the Good Times
American Pie
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Autumn Leaves
Baby You're So Square
Baby's in Black
Banks of the Ohio
Blowin' in the Wind
Blue Days Black Nights
Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain
Blue Moon
Blue Skies
Blue Suede Shoes
Blue Train
Boil Them Cabbage Down
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bury Me Beneath the Willows
Bye Bye Love
California Dreamin'
Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
Carolina in the Pines
Cathy's Clown
Cold Cold Heart
Come Fly with Me
Come Monday
Country Roads
Crazy
Cripple Creek
Cry, Cry, Cry
Crying in the Rain
Danny Boy
Dark Hollow
Desperado
Devoted to You
Dock of the Bay
Don't Be Cruel
Don't Blame Me
Don't Think Twice
Dooley
Every Day
Feelin' Groovy
Fly Me to the Moon
Folsom Prison Blues
Friends in Low Places
From Me to You
Georgia
Get Rhythm
Give My Love to Rose
Goin' Down That Road Feelin' Bad
Goodnight Irene
Goodnight My Someone
Guess Things Happen That Way
He's Got the Whole World
Heartbeat
Heartbreak Hotel
Hello Mary Lou
Help!
Hey Good Lookin'
Hey Jude
Homeward Bound
Hotel California
Hound Dog
House of the Rising Sun
How Do You Do What You Do to Me
I Am a Rock
I Feel Fine
I Fought the Law
I Just Called to Say I Love You
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
I Walk the Line
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
I'm a Believer
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down
I've Got Rhythm
I've Got You Under My Skin
If I Had a Hammer
If I Had You
If Tomorrow Never Comes
Imagine
In the Pines
In This Life
It's Hard to Be Humble
It's Now or Never
John Hardy
Johnny B. Good
Just the Way You Are
Kentucky Rain
King of the Road
Let It Be Me
Love Hurts
Love Me
Love Me Do
Love Me Tender
Love's Been Good to Me
Lucille
Mama Don't 'Low
Maybe Baby
Maybellene
Me and Bobbi McGee
Mean-Eyed Cat
Mona Lisa
Moon River
Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Tambourine Man
Mrs Robinson
My Way
New York, New York
No Milk Today
No One Loves Me
No Tears in Heaven
Nowhere Man
O Cessate di Piagarmi
Ol' Man River
Ole Joe Clark
On the Road Again
One More Last Chance
Only You
Over the Rainbow
Please Please Me
Poor Wayfaring Stranger
Puff the Magic Dragon
Red Sails in the Sunset
Requiem
Ring of Fire
Rock Around the Clock
Rock Island Line
Rocky Top
Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms
Route 66
Roving Gambler
Salty Dog
See You Later Alligator
She Loves You
Since I Met You Baby
Sittin' On Top of the World
Sixteen Tons
Solo Miro
Some Day
Something
Stormy Weather
Strangers in the Night
Summertime
Suspicious Minds
Sweet Georgia Brown
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Take It Easy
That'll Be the Day
That's Alright Mama
The Boxer
The Dance
The Gambler
The Girl From Ipanema
The Green Green Grass of Home
The Lady is a Tramp
The Next in Line
The Sounds of Silence
The Twelfth of Never
The Way You Look Tonight
The Wayward Wind
The Wonder of You
There You Go
Through the Sleepness Nights
Ticket to Ride
Till I Kissed You
Till There Was You
Tom Dooley
Tutti Frutti
Twilight Time
Two Sleepy People
Unchained Melody
Unforgettable
Vincent
Wake Up, Little Susie
Walk Right Back
What a Wonderful World
When I Fall in Love
When Will I Be Loved
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Will Ye No Come Back Again
Wishing
Wonderful World
Words of Love
Worried Man's Blues
Yesterday
You Are So Beautiful
Your Cheatin' Heart