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?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To be continued........
Read full story

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....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read the full story

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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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/