Advertising Yourself

If you want an audience the responsibility for finding it is squarely on you. Until you reach a certain level of notoriety you shouldn't expect your excellence alone to draw people. There are, for example, great shower singers in the world, but no one knows of them: and that's all they'll ever do.

On the one hand I suppose some really don't care- at a certain level people do things solely for themselves. Great art and artistry, though, should be shared, and most everyone in one way or another does seek some external validation of his work.

So what is an artist to do?

How does he show potential audiences that he is worthy of their attention?

Don't sacrifice your integrity, but put yourself “out there.” If that means attending or putting up your own concerts, singing in local choirs, or creating and distributing publicity materials then do it. Enlist the help of experts, if you like, in order to make an even more positive impression on your future fans. So may artists are unable to undertake these “down-to-earth” tasks, but they are absolutely essential for those who want to make their marks.

The simple fact is that you must be in the public eye. Unfortunately, many feel that this is a Catch-22 of sorts: I'm not “out there” because no one knows me, and no one knows me because I'm not “out there.” If this is how you think, though, you're just being weeded out and those better suited to survival- those who take the initiative- will pass you by.

No one said an artist's job is easy. Unlike so many others his output is not easily quantifiable: there is no true and objective standard by which his work can be judged, and so often great performers are passed over for no apparent reason.

Who's the “better” violinist, Jascha Heifetz or Joshua Bell? Who's the “better” singer, Luciano Pavarotti or Franco Corelli?

Who's the “better” artist, Pablo Picasso or Vincent van Gogh? Who is the “greater” composer, Mozart or Bach? The questions are almost nonsensical, for while there are certain objectives that each of these strives toward, what makes each of these an “artist” is his individuality- his uniqueness- as well as the sensibilities of the audience. It's a very interesting discussion to compare their different qualities, but pretty much pointless to say that one is “better” than another.

In the business world, though, all that matters is the “bottom line.” Athletes, too, are evaluated objectively: a .300 batting average is better than .260, a birdie is better than a bogey, and if you score fifteen touchdowns in a season it's better than scoring only four. Of course, an athlete's worth is predicated on more than just statistics, but they nevertheless play a large part.

You want a doctor who saves a large percentage of his patients, an airline pilot who's never had a crash, a bank that pays more interest on your savings. These are all measurable facts and subject to inevitable, and often justifiable, comparisons.

Now, I suppose we can often come to a general consensus that a given artist is good or bad too, but even then it is difficult to explain exactly why. They certainly don't use the tool of objective comparison in highlighting their strengths. A singer doesn't say, “I crack a smaller percentage of my high Cs than 90% of all working tenors,” and a cellist doesn't say “My tone is 55% fuller than 98% of all working cellists today.” Even if these statistics were somehow available and accurate it probably wouldn't even matter: we don't value our art and artists this way. Artists are really at the mercy of the subjectivity of their own endeavors.

What this means is that, as an artist, you can't rely on your ability alone to carry you out to the world: you have to advertise yourself in as many positive ways as possible.

True Artists Video Art Design
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com/true.html

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Duty

Imagine a person suddenly collapsing in a public place. A doctor, perfectly capable of helping, simply walks by. Or, a man, out hiking pinned under a small boulder, and a championship weightlifter in his group does nothing to assist.

At first glance, most people would be outraged by such non-action, even though nothing may have been done wrong under the law. Of course, most people know that law and ethics are not always synonymous.

Still, you say, “these are matters of life and death- surely something should have been done!” Perhaps, though, the doctor was on his way to a more pressing emergency, or was preoccupied with the thoughts of his son's cancer. Maybe the weightlifter was recovering from an injury that prevented him from trying to help, or it would permanently cripple him if he tried to undertake such a strain before he had recovered sufficiently from it.


Life is seldom so black and white, as much as we enjoy debating black and white scenarios: “What if the doctor was completely focused on this person, or the weightlifter was perfectly healthy?” These are interesting ethical questions to be sure, although the law still puts no duty on one to save another, unless he is in a special circumstance, caused the situation in some way, or begins to undertake a rescue.

Hey: we've got to have some rule, and it must not only take into account the victim's needs, but also the needs and rights of his potential savior: and we resist requiring people to do anything, even if they “should.”


In many cases, it ends up as a very personal choice on their parts, and for all we know they agonize over it.


I was thinking about this in the similar context of someone who has decided essentially to “retire” his skill- to remove it from the public. Should- not can- he be able to do this? What if he is an expert, or uniquely accomplished?


In the case of the weightlifter we hardly bat an eye: younger, stronger people are constantly coming up through the ranks and his career is short. When an eighty-year old doctor retires we are similarly favorably disposed to his decision: he served society well and has earned his rest.


What about a forty-year old doctor, though? He would save countless lives if he chose to continue in medicine, and then if he retires to the Bahamas...? What about a great pianist, or violinist, who decides to shelve her musical aspirations forever at the age of twenty-eight and becomes a businessperson instead? I appreciate their decisions, but what about the greater good?


Of course, in the first case the doctor probably retires because he has earned enough money practicing medicine, and in the second case the violinist quits because she hasn't made enough, but the end result is that society loses a treasure. I don't really begrudge either of these people's decisions, but I do bemoan the loss and am left to wonder why things are allowed to come to such a pass: How can we permit such an environment in which an individual's talents and gifts are thrown away? It really is a tremendous loss for us all. I don't think it's right that someone is paid so much money to perform a vital service that he can remove himself from it before his time, nor not enough that she must remove herself just to survive.


I realize this is simply a (very high) cost of living in a free market, capitalistic society: the market, by and large, determines the value of things. Unfortunately, this results in economic concerns trumping all others, including our concern for ourselves, our fellow beings and society at-large.


As a musician, I constantly ask myself what duty I owe: first to myself, but to others, as well, in ever-widening circles of diminishing acquaintance. Do I sing for myself? Yes. Solely? No, although how much my performance is for others is an interesting concern.


I guess I'm interested in what duty we musicians owe to society, even if it doesn't seem to value highly what it is that we offer. I don't have the answers, but the question should, I think, be considered.

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Attention!

As a performer of live music, where do you focus your attention while in the midst of a performance? This, to me, is an interesting consideration since you have to juggle the demands of your craft- your technique, if you will- with the need to connect with your audience.

Put another way, how much do you break through the fourth wall, consciously or not, and how much do you strive to maintain your character and musical persona behind it?

Depending on whether or not the performance is staged, semi-staged or in concert, whether it is an audition or competition, or whether there are there costumes, sets, props and lights, can all influence your decision. And of course, let's not forget to mention the most important thing of all: you, the performer. How do you feel about it?

Cinematic actors don't have to worry about this, for they have movie cameras and microphones all around them. They just have to be their character and the director and film editors do the rest. This is hardly an easy task, however, for it takes an incredibly disciplined individual to do this well. How distracting must it be to have everyone around you, knowing their equipment is picking up every nuance of speech and gesture, while you have to maintain focus?

Still, it is not a balancing act: if you remain 100% in character then you've done your job. There's no decision to be made.

Performing live is a different thing entirely. Not only must one speak, sing and gesture in a way that it is visible and audible to everyone, but he must also play to the imaginary fourth wall that separates stage from spectator. Lack of awareness in this respect translates to a poor performance, with lines, expressions and gestures getting lost in the wings or upstage, or in self-indulgent introspection.

In addition, there is immediate feedback: you can tell if you're reaching the members of the audience- or, far worse, leaving them cold- and try to adjust accordingly. It's a wonderful way to hone your craft and improve your performance, all at the same instant!

Nevertheless, there must be something in your performance that remains “true:” true to the character, true to the musical intent of the composer, true to the director's concept. You cannot pander to the audience and put yourself above the art itself. Artistic integrity should never be compromised.

I also really dislike seeing performers who swing completely the opposite way from movie actors, engaging the audience in an insincere or totally shallow manner. To me, they are no better than the ones who indulge only themselves.

It is really a fine skill to learn how to balance the art with the need to communicate. Only a few master it, and their efforts are on a far different level from those blah performances one usually sees.

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Coffeelosophy - Conclusion

Coffeelosophy

With the bad economy, the first thing to go is arts funding. Singing is a profession that is taken for granted just because we sing as a natural part of our existence. If the profession were not respected before, it is worse now. Gafaae and Ralph have seen a lot of artists at different levels striving to keep their heads above the supply-over-demand-in bad economy-water. Sadly, news coming out from opera companies is not good news. Gafaae and Ralph would hate to see fellow colleagues turning away from pursuing their dreams. There is a solution, and all have to join hands and address it together. It is their belief that the problem has to be addressed at the root level, but we need everyone's help to make the change happen sooner for all of us.

La CoffeeMelodie Suite

We do what we can with our own two hands, with many pairs of hands we will achieve our goal sooner. Gafaae and Ralph focus their attention on three aspects: The artists-musicians of today. The audience -keeping today's audiences happy while developing and recruiting in-coming audiences. The up-coming artists-musicians-music lovers of the future. Coffee and baritone build the suite to be a hub for people sharing the same profession, to keep our performance-goers happy, and to pass along the knowledge to the young musicians and audiences-to-be. But because Gafaae, especially, gave up her wonderful, high-paying, first rate day-time job when she relocated, they can't offer the use of La Suite with out any compensation. TAVADesign, Souvenirs, CoreMelody, and CoffeePrograms are good examples of how Gafaae and Ralph would like to generate an income in order to compensate the cost of putting up this community. Of course, there is a page inviting anyone to become a patron. These pages are self-explanatory, and we hope that if you have read this far you would also spend a little more time visiting them.

The big picture

Exclusive Artists-Musicians Lounge & Gallery- Gafaae and Ralph hope to see a good mix of artists, musicians,, coaches, teachers, directors, conductors, orchestras and even opera companies joining La Suite. The time that we all did our own things individually and minded just our own business is gone. We all need friends and together we stand proud and strong. As much as Gafaae's&Ralph's wishes are that you would hire TAVADesign to

produce your next you tube video, or come to them for PR Consultation in order to gain the benefit from a profile page and the use of the discussion and announcement board, they would settle for an agreement from you to embed LCMS link to your website in exchange for a profile page with your name on the URL. Not a bad deal, is it? The sooner we have profile pages up, the sooner we build our community. Souvenirs is a market place provided to aid you in selling your CDs and other fine products at a low cost .















Classical Music Lovers Social Club- As Gafaae and Ralph are writing this long page and building the website , they introduce themselves in the community and offer their musical services and

educational programs to everyone. They hope to use the club to be the center where their audience can share music activities. You can do the same with your communities, too, and please do not underestimate the power of local fans. You need to come home to where you will be embraced by people who support you. And, please introduce them to our club so they can mingle among all like-minded music lovers. The more members we have, the better it will be for what we stand for.

Coffeeni - While offering our arts, we cannot forget that we have to build and prepare our future artists, musicians, the next coaches, teachers, conductors and directors. At La CoffeeMelodie Suite we provide education through CoffeePrograms and Core Melody. Piano accompanist apprentice award and Outreach Program are also given
through Coffee Programs. Gafaae and Ralph hope to build a Coffeeni Center for our up-coming musicians and provide musical activities and a comfort zone for our young musicians.

Please join us at

La CoffeeMelodie Suite

Coffeelosophy - part IV

Coffee's dream - the awakening

After many long discussions, The Coffee family had made the decision to resign from their day-time jobs that gave them security and stability for thirteen years. They took care of loose ends, sold most of their belongings, packed up and moved back to the east coast of the United States to a town where Gafaae grew up. Since then, both Gafaae and Ralph have been honing their skills and pursuing their dreams. It took the couple awhile to realize that the singing career now is not the same as it was when they left the country the first time.

Second wake-up call

Before they left the US many years ago, they were advised by those in the business to be patient while honing their skills and their time would come. Coffee and Ralph came to see that by stepping off the career train their time probably has come and gone without them in the car. They were first in shock, then inspired by excellent young artists who are performing today at an age when Gafaae and Ralph had been told 'too young, be patient.' They understand, too, the importance of stagecraft, although they are intrigued that singing is no longer the most important thing. They also have the hardest time coming to terms with the 'tissue mentality,' where you use a singer once and then throw him away. There are so many beautiful things that can be created, singers are much more valuable than to be used and discarded as tissues.

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With Apologies to Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility is one of the many best books I've read in my life. If you've never had the opportunity to read Jane Austen I cannot recommend her too highly.

The title, though- and what it represents- is what I want to discuss, for it represents one of the many essential dichotomies that we struggle with as human beings. How much in our lives do we rely upon our rationality, and how much our emotion and instinct?

A safe answer, as far as it goes, is that we must rely on both, balancing these opposites in everything we do. To be sure, there are those who do so effortlessly, but many who say this are really just avoiding having to deal with considering it in their own lives. I certainly don't believe that it is a valid justification for anyone's words or deeds after the fact: it must be a conscious decision beforehand.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is that people should be more mindful of the decisions facing them every day so that they can do the best for themselves and those around them. It's far too easy for us simply to coast along and do what we think is expected of us, and if asked afterward proffer a lame excuse. It's simply a question of responsibility.

This is certainly true as we learn a skill such as singing, in which we are constantly trying to better ourselves. As we ask “why not?” or “why?” we do certain things, we engage that rational part of ourselves in order to look for answers.

Yet we (should) also base those questions upon far more subjective grounds: “Why does it hurt when I sing high?” or “Why doesn't it feel right when I sing that passage?”

Good students always ask “why?” for a reason specific to them, not just because they don't understand in an academic sense. If I know how to do something it's because I've managed to incorporate some knowledge to fit me and my unique needs and abilities.

But far too often, students take a teacher's word as gospel and apply it in a “one size fits all” manner. They don't stop to think how they can take some knowledge and make it their own; rather, they attempt to do something they believe is what the teacher expects. They subjugate their own feelings in order to follow a (misunderstood) directive, and then wonder why it doesn't work out.

Now, of course we must first have a structure in place before we can be aware of it, and in most things we do begin by learning “the basics;” and while it is true there is little subjective analysis at this point in the learning process, it is simply because the basics are what we all share as humans. They are true for everyone.

I have always said that there are four stages of learning a skill: unconscious incompetence (you're bad and don't know why), conscious incompetence (as you learn more you know why you're bad), conscious competence (you've learned enough that you're good, but you still have to think about what you're doing), and unconscious competence (you're good without thinking about it). Notice that the pinnacle of this involves no thought!

Be aware of yourself and your feelings and, if you're learning anything other than “the basics,” never rely exclusively on an external authority. Each of us is unique, with unique abilities. The great ones are those who have the talent and have discovered for themselves how to access it. Find these in yourself, and tap into greatness.

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Coffeelosophy - part III

(part III)

P & R Productions

Gafaae had the resources and she utilized them. With help from her company, she first put on recitals with her husband the baritone. They re-introduced themselves to the Thai society as singers-performers. Right around the same time, they were also invited as guest artists in concerts of local music organizations. Things happen for a reason, and soon Gafaae was offered adjunct voice teaching positions in the music departments of two renowned prestigious universities, while at the same time she and her husband received requests from music lovers to take them as their private students. P&R: P stands for Pradichaya and R stands for Ralph, and one music critic referred to them as, 'an operatic couple, a match made in heaven.' Together, they built their teaching studio, and also produced concerts and productions of their own, their students and invited guests - all of which happened during their 'spare time' When it rains, it pours, but this was for a good reason: a man who had left Thailand decades ago returned with his brand new opera composition in English based upon a Thai drama by HRH King Mongkut (Rama VI), an opera commissioned to raise funds for the renovation of the Grand PhrayaThai Palace in which a large section of the land was turned into a medical school and a teaching hospital. There was a lot of advertisement for the event. By then, the talk of the town was 'KhunGafaae?' - khun is a polite title given to polite people by other polite people, 'She's the top business woman, she also sings opera.' No one put her down for 'sing to eat, dance to eat,' anymore. And by the time the famous opera production took place, Gafaae's youngest baby girl was barely four months old.

The decision

None of these was by any means a full-time job. Gafaae was on cloud nine, but she was exhausted maintaining the balance of her highly competitive business, her teaching, her performing, and her three boys and one girl. When she looked at the love of her life she was filled with worry, for he looked exhausted from being sleep deprived - his waking up at four every morning in order to beat the Bangkok traffic to get to school by six, and having gone on way past midnight every night because of the teaching, performing and socializing could not last forever. Gafaae asked herself if this was worth it. By then, both her parents had retired from their positions; yet, she was not appointed as their successor. Her business was at the point that either she gained total control or she would have to move on. On the peforming front, both Gafaae and her husband felt they fell into the 'local' category, but the even greater frustration came from being so far away from the mainstream singing culture and the consequent lack of access to teachers, coaches and more companies; not to mention all the other factors which are important in order to further their study in order to add to their singing and stage craft. Gafaae realized that she had to make a decision.

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Coffeelosophy

(partII)

Putting her dream on hold

While studying first as an undergraduate and then as a graduate student, all the teachers, directors, and coaches kept telling Gafaae and even her future husband that they both were too young for an operatic career, that they should be patient and wait until they were 28...30....32....older so that their voices had time to grow and settle into the repertoire they would perform. Gafaae had a tougher time since the teachers were too worried about figuring out the right 'fach' for her. She had a rich warm timbre of a mezzo but also a lot of ringing high notes. Was she a mezzo or a soprano? What should we do with Coffee? She graduated with a lot of confusion. Suddenly, the very dear thing that was the biggest part of her life was taken, stripped, and torn down. Since Coffee and the Voice were one, she lost her most trusted friend - herself-

Her mother could not have found a better time to make her this wonderful, out-of-this world, unsurpassed business proposition. While looking for her own 'Coffee-identity' she and her husband had their first child. Like all new parents, they fiercely felt that they had to provide and protect their baby boy, and since being a clerk at a law firm and working retail while trying to gain more singing experience would not be sufficient, Gafaae decided to pack up her small family and move to Bangkok, where she would remain for the next 13 years with three more additions to the family.

After the first five-years

Success was the key word, and success it was! Gafaae, although working under her parents' direction, but still with the belief that soon she would have total control of the enterprise, put in a lot of hard work and it paid off - she was on top of the world. One of the topmost leading business(wo)men she was, and standing by her side was a loving husband with his very highly respected and prominent job as an international school teacher at one of the best schools in Thailand. They were proud parents of three happy and healthy boys. They dined at five-star restaurants and took vacations at their own beach condo and mountain-top get-away villa, and they were regular guests at the Ambassador's residences of several countries. When Gafaae was stressed from work she went to her favorite jewelry stores and, judging from what she brought home with her each time, she was stressed quite often. Still, with all the success she had, she woke up everyday with the same thing that popped into her head - Why am I NOT singing and what am I doing here?

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Coffeelosophy!!!

(part I)

A fancy name for 'About Us' in which to tell our audience about the philosophy behind the whole La CoffeeMelodie Suite idea!!!!

Why Coffee?

Because 'Coffee' is the English equivalent of a nickname given, at birth, to the soprano behind La CoffeeMelodie Suite.

Who is Coffee?

Once upon a time, in a far away land, a baby girl was born. There was nothing extraordinary about her, except that she came with a head full of thick dark hair that resembled one of The Beatles, and a pair of huge dark-colored eyes. What really struck everyone, though, was that her skin color was reddish brown, unlike her fair-skinned mother or her deep, dark brown-skinned father. That- along with her father's addiction to coffee- was when they decided that her nickname was to be 'Gafaae,' which translates to 'Coffee' in English.

What about Melodie, and why is it not spelled the normal way?

If there was anything else special about baby Coffee - besides her thick head of dark hair, big black eyes and her unusually dark reddish brown skin - it would be her voice and her musicality, which shone through even at a very young age. The course of life has taken Coffee from her homeland to the western part of the world, back to her homeland, then back once again to this part of the world, where she finally has a chance to fulfill her dreams both as a musician and as a person who wants to make the world a better place. Her life's journey has given her the opportunity to explore things from different aspects, to try different things, and to put all that she has learned and experienced together to create something else even better.

So, while at first glance there is nothing remarkable about her, there is really nothing normal about baby Coffee, now a fully-grown adult who loves fiercely her family and her music. When Coffee makes melody, she goes beyond simply making 'melody.' This is why we think that, in naming her enter prise, it can be anyhing but normal. CoffeeMelodie, therefore, fits very well with her unusual character. We make it La CoffeeMelodie Suite because there is more than just a soprano in this Coffee.

From Coffee (bean) to a voice major?

At the tim e Coffee was growing up, the Thai phrase 'sing to eat, dance to eat' extended its meaning to professional musicians. Child-stars were frowned upon and would not be recognized until much later, and no good parent would support his child's musical talent. In fact, they would try to suppress and shield it. Just like anywhere else in the world, even up until now, the music profession was not regarded either as a real career, nor a proper career for scholars and those from 'good' fa milies. Baby Gafaae was not an exception. Her parents tried hard to guide her away because there were already two successful (yet still not noble) musicians in her father's side of the family.

Throughout her life, Gafaae has had to fight for her beliefs. It was drilled into her head that she was to go to 'real' school, to graduate with hgh rank, and to carry on the family's import/export marketing business and to continue building the business empire. She was allowed to sing only at special occasions and only with the pieces that were chosen for her. Sadly a nd confusedly, she obeyed. One day, however, in a land far away from home, a young adult Coffee ready to go off to college was asked, '...with so much passion in music and that singing voice you have, why don't you apply to a music school so you can have formal study? Why not follow your dream and make it come true?'

Up to the present day, Gaf aae recalls only two wake-up calls, and the first was that very question. She secretly applied to a music school in the northeast and, with help from family friends, went for an audition. Only after she received her acceptance from the college did she break the news to her parents. Instead of congratulations, though, her mother showed up at her doorstep. After a long lecture, her mother decided to let Co ffee attend the music school to learn 'how to' sing (chuckled), so that her daughter would have her 'fun' instead of getting a 'real' education, but only after asking from Gafaae that she would promise to return home to Thailand immediately after her graduation where, with guidance, she could take the business and expand its empire into the next century. If her mother had paid attention, though, she would have realized that Gafaae never ga ve her that promise. She had put her hands together and 'wai' her mother with her head bowed to her chest - a manner that expresses respect to the elderly- but the promise was never made. Later on, Gafaae realized how passionate she felt about singing and kept buying time to keep her away from the family obligations, to more studying (how much more studying can there be for singing?) to getting married to the man that she loved - a law degree graduate who came to the music school for an artist diploma in opera - whom she met on stage - while she was still an under graduate student - at the opening of the second act of Puccini's opera La Boheme.

To be continued....

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American Idol and Artistry

That's quite a title, isn't it? I'll nip your protests in the bud and tell you that I now find the two virtually incompatible. The fact that Adam Lambert made it all the way to the finals of season 8 of American Idol might make one feel good about our society's perception of artistry; but I submit it is, rather, a clear indication that most of the public remains truly ignorant of what art really is.

Now, don't get me wrong: I think the winner Kris Allen is a perfectly capable performer with a nice voice and seems like a genuinely nice fellow (as does Adam), and I think he'll find a modicum of success as a musician. But if you watched American Idol this season, you could see from the outset all the way to the end that Adam was in a different class from the rest of the contestants.

As a professional musician I marveled at the thoroughness of Adam's preparation week after week, and how he yet made everyone feel that he was just effortlessly gliding through a song as if he were a “natural.” Now, of course he is a supremely talented individual, but I suspect most who watched couldn't grasp the work that he had put in behind the scenes in order to create that image. To me, it was perfectly apparent that Adam is the first AI contestant who is a real performing artist (and I do not use that term loosely), one who makes conscious decisions about every aspect of each performance.

Why am I disappointed? Well, the fact that more Americans preferred Kris's performances to Adam's is a clear indication they prefer the generic, simple things to the well-thought out, crafted ones. Perhaps I'm being an elitist, although I think there are connotations associated with that word that overshadow its true meaning, namely one who likes the best. I do think that many didn't like Adam because they thought he was “too much,” or “over the top,” but I have to ask these folks, then, what it is they want from their performers.

Yes, Adam made it to the finals. He impressed enough people with his prodigious ability to enable himself to finish second. It's disappointing, though, that America prefers (even good-tasting) white bread to an hearty, artisan multi-grain. Perhaps that's the lesson, after all: if you're going to offer fare to the public, give them what they want. Don't put pearls before swine.

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Music Seen not Heard

[Disclaimer: There are many generalizations in the following piece. Many exceptions exist, and always will. This article is intended as a general indictment, but not as a blanket one.]

As time goes by, we have- for better and for worse- become more and more a visually-oriented society. Fifty, sixty, seventy years ago, radio was the prime form of entertainment in the home, only to be usurped by television and its additional visual component in stunningly rapid fashion.

I don't blame television exclusively. In fact, it very well may be that it, too, is a symptom rather than a cause. Also, there's no doubt that the way things look has always been a very important part of our lives. I simply believe that the balance has shifted to such a degree that the visual now trumps all else, regardless, and that this has led to the loss of much that is valuable.

This has affected all aspects of culture, especially the arts and- of course- music. Where musicians before focused first on the music itself (well, duh!), they later shifted to looking at the overall “package,” and now place image above all else- even musical skill and artistry. I call this (not entirely accurately) the MTV effect: as it has become more and more apparent to them that flashy special effects were more effective than anything at improving the bottom line, artists have done and producers have required more and more, until this has become the central thrust of most musical endeavors.

At first this was great, because musicians at the time still had musical sensibilities, and the videos served to enhance the art by enabling artists to put yet another distinctive mark on their works. However, as time went on, what had been the magic ingredient to improve the dish became the dish itself. Gone was the main ingredient, replaced by a pound of seasoning.

What's interesting, though, is that there are still many situations in which our visual apparatus is not at all required. In an elevator, for instance, or at a shopping mall, we hear music without any accompanying video. In fact, this is true “music” as the word is understood.

On the flip side, there are not too many times we watch musicians perform with the sound muted. Oh, sure, there are times when we walk by a storefront and see a monitor with the newest star gyrating on the screen. It may be that several people are watching. It may even be that he or she is most well-known for those gyrations rather than for the actual music. I submit, then, that this person is a dancer who sings rather than a singer who dances. Music without sound is nothing.

Many will take issue with me and say that this distinction is arbitrary- that an artist is an artist. I don't dispute that. On a certain level, artistry- whether it be defined narrowly or broadly- is artistry, and I would be the last person to begrudge someone his success, even if he were a poor musician.

You see, I love beauty in art, and if someone's efforts are appreciated widely then he has brought something beautiful to people's lives. In no way would I diminish something so wonderful.

However, I am also for honesty and for the recognition that any choice requires a sacrifice. Most of today's musicians are simply not as good at music as yesterday's. Why?- because the music is not as important a component of their overall performances and because they have less time to devote to it, their attention being focused on other aspects of their work.

I notice this when I am in the elevators, shopping malls and grocery stores. I can hear the difference. I suppose many don't mind, as they imagine the music videos playing in their heads, but what if you've never seen it?

Speaking strictly musically, I think the older music is better. As I write that, I can't help seeing that it echoes the sentiments of all other generations as they compare their experiences to those of younger, more current ones. Maybe I just don't understand the “new way.”

Perhaps. But I've also been around long enough to see (and hear) the difference. For all their advantages, people of a younger generation don't have that.

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Substance over Style

Well, today I'm trying to get some music back in my head. As I become more mature (a euphemism for saying I'm getting older), I find this to be a slightly more difficult task than it was for my younger self. My memory's not as rock solid as it once was- some would say I'm delusional, and that my memory was never too solid to start with...but then, that just proves my point, doesn't it?- and all the nuance that composers put in seemingly just to trip you up is hard to retain. (I know: variety is the spice of life, but why does Mozart have to be so darn hot?)

In some ways, though, things are easier, now. I'm far more musical, having years more experience under my belt, and I've inevitably picked up a few tricks that serve me well from time to time.

All this has made me think: Why are more experienced artists cast aside for younger ones? Experience in performance can not be overvalued, yet every day we hear of green performers- and I don't mean envious- replacing established stars. This is a great loss for everyone, not least the public, whose expectations are slowly lowering as a performer with years of artistry is cast aside to the curb in favor of a fresh, young face who barely knows his right from his left.

In recognizing how I've changed through the years as an artist, I can see where I've improved and where I've declined. I cherish the areas in which I've grown, I bemoan the things that I've lost, and I accept that this is process is inevitable.

Younger artists, though, are ignorant of this: they only know the now, since they have as yet no significant past experience to think back upon. As such, they are typically brash and confident, if not subtle and experienced. This certainty appeals to many. Unfortunately, this world of ours seems to be much more drawn to confidence, now, than to actual ability: we're becoming more and more an image-based, rather than substance-based, culture.

Now, image is not a bad thing- it's simply not the only thing. We need to be sure to impress people with substance, and then perhaps they won't think any less of us simply because we've lost our brashness and replaced it with artistry.

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About the author: Ralph Schatzki has been a lawyer and a teacher but always remains an opera singer, husband and father. He tries to sing whenever he can and to promote great music and singing throughout our world.

http://www.ralphschatzki.com
http://www.la-coffee-melodie-suite.com

Where do we go from here?

So, the economy is in a recession, and arts funding is being cut or even eliminated. Opera companies and symphonies are filing for bankruptcy, and the public loses more and more of its cultural treasures every day.

Hardest hit, in a way, are the performers themselves. Audiences move on and organizations disappear or restructure, but artists and musicians still have to survive, both financially and spiritually. With so many outlets becoming unavailable, though, what are they to do?

If live musical performances were more valued, of course, the problem would be less acute. The movie industry is hardly in financial straits, simply because the cinema is so well-entrenched in society. Television appears to be here for the long haul, as well.

Unfortunately, live performance doesn't have the cultural foothold that cinema or television do. Part of this is due to other economic realities. (Movies and television programs are mass-marketed, and all one needs is a way to play them in order to enjoy. Live performances are- well- of course, live, and require the actual performers to be present!)

Yet, there are still- and always have been- local performing arts groups that satisfy a community's hunger for the excitement that only live performance can bring; although even these, too, are now feeling the pinch of tightening purse strings. But while the larger of these entities- symphonies and opera companies- may or may not be able to survive, it is the perfect opportunity for smaller organizations and individuals to fill the void.

New times call for new methods, however, so no one should expect “business as usual.” Novel approaches and cost-cutting will be the norm, and those who are content to sit back and play the game the old way will not be at all successful; especially considering that those ways are what got us to where we are today.

Still, I am guardedly optimistic that a new generation of art lovers will be born from this economic crisis, for the necessity that will motivate diligent artists will prompt them to reach out to any group they can, to demonstrate in ever-more intimate, and therefore effective, fashion the unique power that live performance can bring. It is now up to the artists to carry out this important mission.

By Ralph Schatzki
For La CoffeeMelodie Suite

Acknowledge the ART within your heart.
Make the MUSIC from your soul.

Sing&Play&Meet&Eat

When: Saturday, April 4th,2009
Where: A private Residence in Easton, PA - will be reveled with a RSVP 'yes'
To RSVP please go to http://www.meetup.com/Classical-Opera-Musicians-of-the-Lehigh-Valley-COMLV/

What: "Sing&Play&Meet&Eat = Make great music, make good friends and have great food (I was told many times that I'm a good cook!!!)

Since last month's meeting was an introduction, this up-coming meeting should include 'action'!!!! I would like to invite all members to get together for Sing&Play&Meet&Eat This is an informal setting. The idea is for all of us to share our talents by performing to and for each other - singing, playing instruments, etc - in a positive and friendly environment. Members who are 'Friends in ' Classical/Opera Musicians & Friends of the Lehigh Valley, please, do come and enjoy the arts with us! Let's plan to meet around 4 pm. The actual Sing&Play will start at 4:30 until 5:45. If you are/have friends who are pianists and like to accompany voice, please come/invite them along, otherwise, we'll just take turn accompanying each other! We'll have time after the Sing&Play to Meet&Eat - I will provide food and beverages (non-alcoholic) - both for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. There is a small charge of $6.50 for good food. Please RSVP soon!

Please prepare up to 3 pieces that you would like to sing and/or play for us!

I would love to see all of you and can't wait to share our talents and experiences."

Please go to COM-LV official site for details http://www.meetup.com/Classical-Opera-Musicians-of-the-Lehigh-Valley-COMLV/

Singers Unite! - by Ralph Schatzki

http://www.meetup.com/Classical-Opera-Musicians-of-the-Lehigh-Valley-COMLV/

I've posted before about how singers have to take the initiative in creating performance opportunities for themselves and their audiences. Not only is it good business practice, but it is such a unique privilege to be able to bring great music into peoples' lives. There's nothing quite like a live performance to enrich the soul.

Still, musicians often feel that they are “against the world” in their endeavor to perform. Let's face it: it's not as if the want-ads are full of job listings for freelance performers, and audiences aren't usually beating down our doors clamoring for us to perform.

There's a bred-in-the-bone distrust of fellow musicians, as well: in the past, the few jobs that were available were fiercely fought over, and musicians would often try to keep whatever information they had secreted away from others in an effort to remove their competition and hold onto their precious domains.

Now, the competition-cooperation dichotomy is one that truly fascinates me, and I could devote many, many chapters of a book to its discussion. Don't worry: I'm not going to subject you to that, here. What I will say, however, is that we should make a clear distinction between jobs that are advertised versus ones we create.

When the Metropolitan Opera throws out a casting call, you'd be a fool to inform your five closest rivals. After all, you want to be the best singer that gets heard. This is the traditional way of thinking about getting hired.

In creating jobs, however, we are not in competition with each other at all. In fact, there is tremendous strength in numbers that only our cooperative efforts can bring about. If singers can get together and brainstorm various ideas about how to generate performance opportunities, it's the better for all of us. We can introduce each other to our acquaintances thereby generating a large audience base, and we can be there to troubleshoot each others' ideas.

Remember that your product is unique, so there's no need to worry that someone will preempt your product. If I buy a Mercedes today, that means I won't buy a BMW tomorrow. But if I go to a soprano's recital on Thursday it doesn't mean that I'm done with recitals until I get a new one, and that the baritone's performance on Sunday is off-limits.

It's a rough world out there, and we need friends to help weather the storm. Don't be one of those artists who sits on the sidelines and complains about the unfairness of it all, and how you don't get a chance to perform. Take charge, and along with your colleagues band together to strengthen the community of artists wherever you find yourself. It's not only in your best interests, but your duty to the Art.

http://www.pradichaya.com/coffeemelodieandcommunity.aspx

Singers in 2009 by Ralph Schatzki

It's 2009, and we have our first African-American president. We're in a recession, if not a depression, and an unprecedented stimulus bill has been approved by Congress. And opera companies- an important portion of this country's artistic community- are failing.

We are all of us in the position of having to make difficult decisions, and there's no doubt that having food on the table (never mind having a table) takes precedence over an evening of music. Still, I don't believe that the arts should be relegated to (or beyond) the fringe of human activity. As a singer and performer I'm rather biased in my views, of course, but I will nevertheless defend the arts over many other activities as being worthy of our time and effort. Entertainment is a facet of our lives that we crave: it diverts, it enriches, it makes us feel complete. And music is something almost everyone enjoys on a daily basis.

But that discussion is for another time.

For now, I want to rally fellow musicians to the cause. The old saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Well, I believe that the tough times we are entering- and things are not getting better anytime soon- actually gives rise to the opportunity to make the arts both stronger and a more integral a part of American life.

What we need is action. We can no longer wait for any opportunities to come our way, but rather we must make them. Yes, it's true that people will now spend less on entertainment than what they may have used to, but that doesn't mean they won't seek it out or they need it any less. And I believe this opens a door of opportunity.

It's time to approach audiences at a grass-roots level, to introduce them to artists that may, one day, be world-famous. Then, they can say, “I knew him when he was just starting out.” Do you know any movie or sports stars? If so, isn't it great? You can say, “I know so-and-so,” and everyone looks at you through admiring eyes. If not, don't you wish you did? (Come on, admit it...)

But even if 99% of performers will never achieve stardom, it doesn't matter. A live performance, whether it's a play, opera or basketball game, is infinitely more satisfying than a recorded or televised one. We've become such a media-driven and media-obsessed culture, that the “true” experience has become something of a rarity. Still, even the most jaded audience (and by that I mean a group of high school teenagers, but the premise applies to all) never fails to be impressed by a live event- especially if it's relatively intimate- where it becomes something tangible, real, to be touched and savored. It becomes something that touches them somewhere deep inside, and connects them to an aspect of themselves that before they didn't know existed.

We need to bring music to the living rooms, the way it used to be one, two, three hundred years ago. We can increase the number of people who love great music, which in the future will pay untold dividends for generations through more music lovers and more support. For most of us, a major performance at an international venue is even more of an unattainable dream than ever before; but that doesn't mean we can't create and bring great music to audiences that will enjoy it equally as much.

This means each of us must become an advocate for this art form in which we passionately believe. We have to take the initiative, to advertise and promote, to “talk it up.” We have an advantage, too: we can bring music into people's homes where a lot of entertainers are actually constrained by their grandness- movie stars can't bring a film production to a house, and Kobe Bryant wannabes don't shoot hoops with neighbor kids for a few bucks. It just isn't done that way, but we musicians can touch people on an individual level in a live performance. That's what it's all about.

And that's what we need to do.

Please visit http://www.pradichaya.com/coffeemelodieandcommunity.aspx for details.

The Value of Musicians

by Ralph Schatzki

Music is one of the most important parts of our lives. Who has never sung, whether in the car or in the shower? Who has never tapped his fingers or feet along to the a rhythm of a song he heard on the radio? Tunes are stuck in our heads for hours sometimes despite our best efforts, and we hear music everywhere: from elevators to commercials to people humming on the street.

To call oneself specifically a musician, then, is to acknowledge not only that music plays an even more central part in one's life than the already extensive role it plays in everyone's, but that in doing so there is a pursuit of excellence that can be achieved only through both talent and diligence.

This cannot be overstated. Because nearly everyone- at one time or another, and sometimes even more often- engages in musical activities, it is often extraordinarily difficult for a professional musician to be taken seriously. After all, music is something we all do, so how can one person's musical activities be viewed so qualitatively differently?

There is also the fact that music, viewed as our birthright, is not something so arcane as to be valued in the same way as, say, a doctor's medical knowledge or an electrician's ability to repair faulty wiring. How can someone be paid to do something that we all understand- at least to some degree?

Most of society's professionals are able to command the fees they do, not simply because of the services they provide, but because they have put in those countless hours of work beforehand that enable them now to provide us with the best service money can buy. Yet, professional musicians put in no less time- in practicing, in rehearsing, in developing technique, in learning music- and still the perception so often is that their fees, if they are even lucky enough to be paid at all, are only for the performance itself: as if all that preparation is conveniently forgotten and the audience is simply amazed at the performer's “natural talent.” Now, there are extremely gifted musicians whose talents extend toward and beyond the prodigious; just as, I'm sure, there are medical prodigies and engineering prodigies. Most, though, just have an aptitude which is buoyed by years of training and hard work..

So, the next time we hear a great musical performance we should think about all the hours the musicians must have put in to make it happen: assign to it an hourly rate and see what kind of a deal we're getting. Above all, we must resist the urge of assuming that a professional musician is just like everyone else and that he needn't be paid. It's a lot of work to put on a good performance, just as it's a lot of work to be a good doctor.

Now, there's no question that in a strictly utilitarian sense music isn't as valuable as medical or electrical knowledge, but- remember those rhetorical questions at the beginning?- most would agree that it is indeed centrally important to our lives. Just because its value is not of the same kind, though, is no reason for it to be any less respected. I can put on a band-aid as well as the next person, but I still pay my doctor. We all can hum in the shower, but we should pay our musicians, too.