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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