Blog Post
Mini MoogFest 2017: Sean Curtis Patrick
by christopherporter
Sean Curtis Patrick is a visual artist who also makes music, so it's not unreasonable to expect when he and fellow visual artisan Kendall Babl team up with Chuck Sipperley -- expert DJ and super-synther in Hydropark and Utica -- the trio will paint electronic aural sculptures in your mind, MAAAAAAAAAN.
We asked Patrick what the group's plans are for the festival, the gear he'll be using, and received recommendations for his favorite synth-leaning recordings.
Q: What's your plan for MoogFest?
A: I’ll be playing with Kendall Babl and Chuck Sipperley, and I will be using my modular synth system.
I have two separate rolling tables, which will both be independent of one another. One will be more “playable” with a series of small pressure-sensitive pads to trigger a group of notes. The other system will be more textural.
A modular system is a really interesting way to create and modify sounds. To sum it up, it’s a series of building blocks, decided by the performer, that one can connect in different ways to create both simple and complex sounds using patch cables. It’s the closest thing to being able to make “sound science.” It looks scientific, that’s for sure. I would say that’s what the uninitiated say more than anything else: “Looks like a science experiment!” They aren’t wrong, it kind of is!
For this show, I’ll mainly be listening to what the other two will be doing to supplement their melodies with textures and the occasional measure of melody or some counterpoint. We are going to be fairly improvisational, too. I’m really excited to see what the other performers get up to and am thrilled to be able to attend and perform! Thanks for having us!
Q: What's your gear setup?
A: I am generally more known as a visual artist before a musician, and making visual art has allowed me to work with many wonderful musicians. I have made a lot of music videos and have done a fair share of art and design for albums. One particular person I have worked with for quite a long time now is my friend Alessandro Cortini. He is an incredible solo musician, lovely human being, fellow cat owner, and has been in the band Nine Inch Nails for the last decade or so. He asked me to work on a record of his that was going to come out on Make Noise Records, a component of Make Noise, a modular synth company.
I became pals with the Make Noise folks over the course of making that record and came to a great agreement with them that’s stands to this day: I make them art and I get paid in gear. I owe this new instrumental exploration totally to Kelly Kebel and Tony Rolando, and also to Make Noise pals Peter Speer and Walker Farrell. I can’t thank them enough -- 19 out of my 30 modules are Make Noise. I think they are the best modular synth company out there and I contend that Tony Rolando is my generation's Don Buchla, one of the pioneers of synthesis. I’d love to see how his brain works.
Anyway, my one larger black case is made my Make Noise and is called the Shared System, which is a full plug-and-play thing you can buy from them. The other case is a beautifully made black poplar case I commissioned from some guitar makers in Italy. It looks like the back of an acoustic guitar, with varnished bookmatched wood. They did a wonderful job and are total sweethearts. That case is filled with a number of manufacturers modules that complement the other system quite well.
I designed the tables that the synths sit on. The caster sets are Ray and Charles Eames-designed from the 1960s. I cut two plywood boards to size and installed cable management and power into the bottom. I wish I could go back in time to that kid (me) in a college dorm, programming computers to make rubbish-sounding drum machines and show them the setup he’d have one day. I feel very, very lucky to work with such lovely and talented people and the fact that I am able to use any of this still blows me away.
Q: Name some synth-related records that you'd recommend to newbies.
A: Some albums and some artists:
➥ Isso Tomita, Snowflakes Are Dancing: The record that hooked me on synths. I had to record this record on to a cassette at the university library. I still have it.
➥ Morton Subotnik, Silver Apples of the Moon: The record that allowed me to look at music through a different lens; music doesn’t have to be 3-minute jangly pop music. It can be serious, artful, and a bit challenging.
➥ Boards of Canada, anything: The best driving music ever-ever.
➥ Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, anything: Wonderfully melodic chanty/Buchla Music Easel arpeggios. If people ever discounted electronic music having soul, play them her music.
➥ Burial, anything: A musician more than any other that has shown me you can make an amazing record with just a laptop and some dodgy Christina Agulera samples slowed down.
➥ Alessandro Cortini, Avanti: My pal Alessandro did it again. This record made me cry. I also did the art and tour visuals for it, all based on 8mm family films from his grandfather. My favorite album of the year, even if I hadn’t had anything to do with it.
➥ Supersilent, Supersilent 7: Improv jazz and synths? Tell me more. Play loud or, better yet, watch the accompanying concert DVD in a dark room. Max volume.
➥ Suzanne Ciani, Buchla Concerts 1975: One incredible mind, one amazing machine, two selected concerts recorded onto tape in New York lofts in 1975. If you were wondering what just one of these boxes could do, listen here.
➥ Various artists, Electronic Music Winners: Best known as the record that inspired Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead to write the track “Idioteque” but a lot of other amazing moments on this record.
Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.
Mini MoogFest is Saturday, Nov. 18, 12-4 pm in the multipurpose room and Secret Lab of the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch, 343 S. 5th Ave. Facebook event page. Read our introduction to MoogFest here. Check out interviews with Mini MoogFest performers Mike Dykehouse, Alex Taam, and North Coast Modular Collective.
Blog Post
Mini MoogFest 2017: Alex Taam
by christopherporter
Alex Taam is a recording-studio engineer, composer, and all around gearhead. His mastery of synths is one of the reasons why we asked him to write and record two songs using instruments from AADL's Music Tools collection, which he did in February. Taam's knowledge about all things electronica is also the reason why we asked him to help us host Mini MoogFest. He'll be on hand to demonstrate some instruments, including a modular synth, and guide you through many of the other instruments we'll have on display for hands-on play.
We talked to Taam about his Mini MoogFest plans, the gear he's bringing, and asked him to name his favorite synth-related recordings.
Q: What's your plan for MoogFest?
A: I hope to show people the basics of analog synthesis and have some fun making cool noises with them.
Q: What's your gear setup?
A: Minimoog (original), Synthesizers.com Box 11 modular synth, Moog Opus 3.
Q: Name some synth-related records that you'd recommend to newbies.
A: Here are 10:
➥ Sasha, Xpander EP: The song "Xpander" was life-changing the first time I heard it as a kid. It was the first time I said to myself, "I need to know how to do this."
➥ Kraftwerk, Computer World: Shortly after discovering modern dance music at the time, my dad dropped this record on me and it blew my little 12-year-old mind that these Germans were already up to this stuff in the late '70s. It's still my favorite album that they've done.
➥ Boards of Canada, Music Has the Right to Children: A must-listen for anybody.
Underworld, dubnobasswithmyheadman: Another life-changing electronic dance group.
➥ Daft Punk, Homework: See above, also the album that made house music extremely popular.
➥ Aphex Twin, Come to Daddy EP: Where would electronic music be without Richard D. James, a much sadder and less experimental place. much like the tape music of the '60s, Aphex Twin pushed boundaries and influenced EVERYBODY.
➥ Wendy Carlos, Switched-On Bach: Speaking of the '60s, this album proved to a very skeptical world that synthesized music was here to stay. Classical compositions reimagined on Moog synthesizers. It still holds up to this day.
➥ Giorgio Moroder, E=MC2: Pretty much none of the music on this list wouldn't have existed if it weren't for Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," produced by Moroder, predominately featuring a Moog modular.
➥ Tubeway Army, Replicas: Gary Numan and Co. made a perfect blend of glam rock, post-punk, and synthesizers. This album made being in a synth band actually cool.
➥ Justice, Cross: The album that changed current EDM/electronica forever. Dirty, gritty, chopped-up, distorted bass lines with masterful sample cuts. The French continue to push electronic dance music for the better.
➥ Vangelis, Blade Runner OST: Incredible soundtrack that the movie would have been worse off without. It's almost a shame they didn't get him for the new one, but I'd imagine it wouldn't have been able to come close to the original. The new Hans Zimmer score isn't bad on that note, it does pay a lot of homage to the original, though.
Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.
Mini MoogFest is Saturday, Nov. 18, 12-4 pm in the multipurpose room and Secret Lab of the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch, 343 S. 5th Ave. Facebook event page. Read our introduction to MoogFest here. Check out interviews with Mini MoogFest performers Sean Curtis Patrick, Mike Dykehouse, and North Coast Modular Collective.
Blog Post
Mini MoogFest 2017: Mike Dykehouse
by christopherporter
In addition to being a remarkable painter, Mike Dykehouse is an immensely creative musician. But after his Dynamic Obsolescence (2001) album on the influential British electronica Planet Mu and another on Ghostly International with the shoegaze-y Midrange (2004), Dykehouse mostly went underground.
Or rather, to Instagram.
Dykehouse's daily video clips of new synth jams -- ranging from straight-up techno and boogie-bass electro to hip-hop boom-bap and exploratory noise -- are often highlights of his followers' days. (Am I projecting?)
In a rare live appearance, Dykehouse will demonstrate the latest version of his ever-changing modular synth setup at Mini MoogFest, giving listeners a front-row seat to his daily sonic rituals.
We talked to Dykehouse about his Mini MoogFest plans, the gear he's bringing, and asked him to name his favorite synth-related recordings. But to evoke the immortal Joe Perry Project, Dykehouse mostly lets the music do the talking.
Q: What's your plan for MoogFest?
A: I will be doing a demonstration of how I use my small-scale modular synthesizer as a portable workstation for both composed and improvised music.
Q: What's your gear setup?
A: I will be using a digital modular synthesizer that allows me to sequence, sample, and synthesize.
Q: Name some synth-related records that you'd recommend to newbies.
A: Here are five:
➥ Manuel Göttsching, E2-E4
➥ Convextion, Miranda
➥ Aphex Twin, Analord #8
➥ Bernard Parmegiani, Dedans Dehors
➥ Mouse on Mars, Instrumentals
Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.
Mini MoogFest is Saturday, Nov. 18, 12-4 pm in the multipurpose room and Secret Lab of the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch, 343 S. 5th Ave. Facebook event page. Read our introduction to MoogFest here. Check out interviews with Mini MoogFest performers Sean Curtis Patrick, Alex Taam, and North Coast Modular Collective.
Blog Post
trustArt Gallery's "Studio Works" exhibit encourages community engagement
by christopherporter
The trustArt Gallery's Studio Works exhibition (Nov. 11-19) will display multi-media works by artists and designers who work in rented studios at the venue. The exhibit features works by Larry Cressman, Liz Davis, Elizabeth Barick Fall, Rose E. Gomez, Barbara Hohmann, Allen Samuels, Laura Shope, and Lissie Williams, and it also offers an intimate look into the studio space and how it relates to the artists’ practices and everyday environments.
In addition to the more common gallery exhibition, the added opportunity to see the artists’ studios and working spaces aims to create community engagement with the arts, according to trustArt Gallery's statement: “We are connected through our location and environment as we pass through the shared open space of our gallery: it provides an opportunity to intersect; to cross paths; a place for our studio works to be shared and reflected upon; a chance to interact with each other and the community.”
The opening-up of studios to the community will allow for many people to interact with art and art making in an expanded capacity. It allows unique insight into aspects of the creative process and creates a chance for discussion and dialogue between the artist and the community.
Featured artists/designers:
Larry Cressman
Artist and University of Michigan professor at the School of Art & Design, Cressman’s work has been featured in previous exhibitions in museums such as Ross Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Michigan Museum of Art, to name a few. According to his profile on the STAMPS website, Cressman’s work has changed in the past 25 years, in which he has explored “drawing as a three-dimensional form of expression.” Cressman’s “drawings,” which resemble sculptures in some sense, are generally made from twigs and other natural materials, which evolved from themes in his earlier works. His drawings are generally created from three-dimensional materials and installed on the gallery wall, bringing the process of “drawing” and what can be considered drawing into question. (Related: John Carlos Cantú reviewed his 2016 Land Lines exhibit at U-M's Rotunda Gallery for Pulp.)
Liz Davis
Davis, a local artist, works with oil paints on canvas. She has a BFA from the University of Michigan and has studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Davis is also the past recipient of the grand prize at the Michigan Fine Arts Competition. Her work employs gestural lines, shapes, and ranges of muted and bold colors in her abstract compositions. (Related: Check out this Ann Arbor Observer 2013 article for more information.)
Elizabeth Barick Fall
Fall is the founder and director of trustArt Studios. In a statement from the gallery, Fall’s work is described as the result of the artist’s exploration of mixed media. She is particularly interested in juxtaposing photographs of everyday places and things, many of which are materials that she “compulsively collects.” One of her works, shown above, includes an object placed on a bed of pine needles. The object resembles a flat shovel, spatula, and is clearly a tool of some kind, but it has a print on the surface that resembles a forest floor in a deciduous area. This spatula-like object, juxtaposed with the pine needles, draws attention to the natural versus the manufactured, though this object appears old enough to have escaped cultural memory as an item of functionality.
Rose E. Gomez
Gomez is a ceramic artist and also shares a company, RnR Ceramics, which promotes ceramic arts by bringing in visiting artists for lectures and workshops.
Barbara Hohmann
Hohmann is an artist and art teacher and has been curating shows and performance art at trustArt Gallery. She will have mixed media work in the show.
Allen Samuels
Samuels is a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan where he taught art and design until 2008. In his artist statement, Samuels asserts:
I have designed products for 50 years. Currently, I design products for those who are often underserved: the elderly, the poor, the differently abled and for disaster relief. My work is aimed at providing simple, low cost, easily manufactured and understandable products. They deal with mobility, personal safety, personal hygiene, infant care, specific diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, etc. I find this work to be challenging, interesting and one hopes of some use to real people.
Samuels' work thus seeks to improve the lives of the community and does not reside within the typical realm of “fine art.” He has designed products for 29 corporations, including “glassware, dinnerware, microscopes, ophthalmic instruments, other scientific instruments, public transportation, heavy industrial equipment, furniture and more.” Like many of the other artists working in these studio spaces, he has received numerous awards, including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and another from the National Science Foundation.
Laura Shope
Shope is an artist returning from a 13-year hiatus, in which she raised two sons and devoted her time to managing family-run businesses. In her artist statement, she describes her work as “an exploration of the creation of things ... the push and pull, opposing tensions, soft and hard, liquid and solid.” She elaborates, stating that she starts with an idea, which she calls the initial “pull” from the raw materials she works with. She asks, “How hard can I squeeze before it breaks? How far can I move the stone to become something else?” Shope is concerned with the intersections of the play of the artist, material, and “something greater,” which she calls the “sense of ‘spirit’ or aliveness that is present in all things.” She mentions three materials that she enjoys working with, each for a different reason. First, stone is one of her favorite mediums, particularly because it feels more “alive” than other materials, and it involves a slower process that requires both “force and gentleness.” Second, Shope enjoys working with weaving, particularly for its historical connection to craft, traditionally practiced by women. Finally, she enjoys working with plaster, as it is more “immediate,” allowing only a short time to work before it hardens. She enjoys the mystery and the sense of tension from uncertainty about the finished product. For example, she points out that the latex forms she uses could break from too much pressure, or, for no apparent reason. Process, therefore, is a foremost concern for Shope in her work.
Lisse Williams
Williams creates watercolor paintings, representing stylized figurative works with a very distinct hand. The artist has many small series available to browse on her website. One of her most recent series, Fall Thinking Vessel, will be shown in Studio Works. On her website, Williams describes the series: “The last four images for this series are finished. I realized at my last show, that I have been working with this idea/figurine for a while. I believe the last group encompasses the feeling I wanted to portray the best. Warm, like a small fire, something to hold in your hand, and close.”
The figurines in Fall Thinking Vessel are painted in earth tones, and warm palettes, but they also recall Buddhist sculptures, the flatness of art nouveau, and employ symmetry in their execution. Williams’ style is recognizable and unique. She describes this series, focusing on the intent behind the work, stating: “the pieces that I have created recently are focused on figures, dreamers, and spirits. When I step into the woods or into a patch of sunlight I have never felt alone, rather full and at home in a way that can't be felt with others. In each piece I want the viewer to create their own story, a personal mythology, that deepens their connection to the natural world.” Furthermore, Williams describes these bodies as being “buoyed up by a vessel, holding their simplified structures, hands to hold and create life, and our mind to see and understand, to think of the world outside of how and what we assume it is.” The symmetrical qualities, combined with the serene, but the bold color palettes and small scale create a meditative simplicity that is recognizable and consistent throughout her work.
The process, function, and media differ vastly among the featured artists in Studio Works. Some artists featured do not have an online presence, making the gallery space and the open-studio an important opportunity for them to share their work with the community.
Elizabeth Smith is an AADL staff member and is interested in art history and visual culture.
Opening reception is Saturday, Nov. 11, 6-9 pm. Gallery hours are Nov. 12, 18 & 19 from 1-4 pm and Nov. 13-17 by appointment. Artists’ open studios will be Sunday, Nov. 19, 1-4 pm at trustArt Gallery, 7885 Jackson Rd., Suite 1, Ann Arbor. Visit the gallery website at trustartstudios.com.
Blog Post
Amorphous, Anomalous: The Knights, Avi Avital & Kinan Azmeh at Rackham
by christopherporter
When we hear the word “orchestra,” we usually think of a group of musicians who play classical music. But the trailblazing Brooklyn-based orchestra The Knights -- coming to Rackham Auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 12 courtesy of UMS -- are known for turning the word on its head by challenging orchestral norms and often using untraditional environments (from parks to bars) and repertoire (from avant-gardist Karlheinz Stockhausen to singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens) to connect to a wide range of audiences.
Such a genre-bending, rule-breaking orchestra needs soloists who are just as adventurous, and for this tour, The Knights have teamed up with two superstars of instrumental music, Avi Avital and Kinan Azmeh.
Both Avital, an Israeli mandolin virtuoso, and Azmeh, a celebrated Syrian clarinetist and composer, produce just as diverse and tremendously compelling a repertoire as The Knights, and the combination of these three forces is a treat not to be missed. Their program on Sunday will jump from their unique arrangements of pieces by Purcell, Bach, and Schubert to some of Azmeh’s own compositions, including one he wrote specifically for The Knights, Avital, and himself. They will also feature a piece by Knights co-leader and Silkroad Ensemble member Colin Jacobsen as well as traditional Middle Eastern, Balkan, and klezmer pieces.
I spoke with Avital and Azmeh about their solo work, collaboration with the Knights, and more.
Q: Mr. Azmeh, you are also a celebrated composer, arranger, and improviser; how does your clarinet playing influence the pieces you create and vice versa?
AZMEH: An artist needs to have three things. First, something to say, an idea that you have the urgency of sharing. Second, a tool to say what you want to say -- in my case, it is the clarinet -- and third, the skills to use the tool to say what you want to say. Yes, the clarinet has become my best way to express myself, but it remains a tool. Of course, I am attached to its sound, as I believe it has so many similarities with the human voice -- both in dynamic range and register. It is hard to map out how influences happen but I guess it flows in all directions.
Q: Do you ever play any of your compositions with the Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Ensemble? How did you come to be a part of that group?
AZMEH: Yes, I have performed several of my works with the Silkroad Ensemble, mainly my "Ibn Arabi Postlude" and "Wedding," which is the last movement of my "Suite for Improviser and Orchestra." I joined the ensemble in 2012 after the ensemble commissioned David Bruce to write a new work having me in mind for the clarinet part.
Q: Mr. Avital, your teacher in Be’er Sheva, Simcha Nathanson, was a violinist. Of course, the mandolin and the violin are very different, but in many ways, there is not as much of a divide between them as there is between some other stringed instruments. Did Mr. Nathanson’s experience as a violinist change the way he taught you about mandolin?
AVITAL: The fact that he was a violinist and not a mandolinist was my greatest luck; he didn’t teach me how to play the mandolin, rather he taught me how to play music. For him, what I was holding in my hands was almost unimportant. I still feel that when I am playing concerts I nearly forget that I am playing a mandolin.
Q: Much of your work with the mandolin has been to adapt works written for other instruments for your own. Can you talk about what makes a piece worth adapting, and your process for doing it?
AVITAL: When considering an adaptation of a piece, I ask myself one question first: Do I, by playing that piece of music originally written for another instrument, add any value to it by playing it on the mandolin? If I can’t find an answer to that question, I won’t adapt that score. Usually, I can find added value if I can give the listener the opportunity to hear the original piece from a new perspective, a new angle. This works especially well with scores that are very well-known and highly regarded: Bach’s violin sonatas and partitas, Vivaldi’s violin concertos, etc. Audiences usually have a very clear sound in mind with these pieces, so when they suddenly hear the work with a completely different sound, it allows them to listen to the music with a new openness. They hear fresh, different things about a work they already knew very well, and hearing the mandolin played in this context can point their ears in many different directions. I also have to connect to the piece and feel I have something unique to say about it in my own interpretation before I consider adapting a work.
Q: Both of your musical backgrounds and current repertoire seems to draw on many different styles and genres. If you had to classify your music as one genre, or some sort of hybrid, how would you describe it?
AZMEH: I simply don't describe it. Making art is an act of freedom, and I would like to give that freedom to the listener to decide what he/she hears. I simply play what I like without thinking of the genre. I invite the listener to come with open mind and ears.
AVITAL: As a mandolin player, I had the privilege of not having a specific route to follow; unlike young violinists or pianists, I didn’t have a list of repertoire to cover, masters to emulate or any tradition in regard to the programs I could present. Because I am curious by nature and have an innate drive to constantly create something new, this lack of scheduled expectations has been a complete gift. I am also quite interested in the spectrum of possibility by many different musical genres and dialects, and I have had the fortune of integrating these interests into my concert programs and albums. I suppose my music could be classified as a hybrid of baroque, contemporary, art, and folk music.
Q: How did this collaboration with each other and with The Knights come about? Before this series of shows, had you worked with each other at all?
AZMEH: I have known The Knights since they started; many of its members are dear friends. We first collaborated back in 2008 in New York. I continue to be a friend and a great fan of what they do. Avi and I met back in 2012 in Boston through a workshop with the Silkroad Ensemble to rehearse a newly commissioned piece by British composer David Bruce, which was written for the Silkroad Ensemble having myself and Avi in mind for the two solo parts.
AVITAL: I’ve known Kinan for many years from the New York music scene; I’ve had the pleasure to hear him in concert several times and I’ve even played his music. This will be our first time collaborating on stage together, and I’m really looking forward to playing with him.
Q: What can you tell us about this concert’s eclectic mix of material?
AVITAL: One thing I believe that Kinan, The Knights, and myself share in common is a vision about what is a concert experience of today, and a commitment to cultivating a poetic, inspiring experience for the audience. One has to assume that the audience not only is one click away from to the entire world of music but that even on the day of a concert they have already been inundated with varied sounds and musical experiences -- in the car, in elevators and waiting rooms, at the office, etc. Whether one likes it or not, exposure to diverse and contrasting genres is an everyday experience, and that means our cultural palate is ever-evolving. As musicians, we have these same experiences, but we also have the means to integrate this eclecticism in our own concert visions if we chose to do so, and I believe these concerts reflect that vision.
AZMEH: This concert truly reflects my views about music as a continuum. Blurring the lines between the improvised and the composed in all different genres has been at the heart of how I compose and how I play for many years. I do tend to think of music without categories, and I do believe this program reflects that.
Q: You’ve both played music in a number of different kinds of groups. What is it like to work with The Knights?
AVITAL: I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. I have known the group and many of its individual players from my time spent in New York, and they have been on the top of my wishlist for years. Working with The Knights is as creative, open and refreshing as I’ve always imagined.
AZMEH: This is not a conventional orchestra; I see The Knights as a group of players, thinkers, soloists, and friends who enjoy communicating with their instruments. Needless to say, making music with them is really exciting!
Q: What pieces are you most excited to share with us on November 12?
AZMEH: I am not a fan of isolating events from one big arc, which is the concert. But I have to say that I am particularly excited about my new work "Concertino Grosso," which is receiving its world premiere during this tour.
AVITAL: It’s really hard to choose one; the main piece I’m performing is Bach’s D minor concerto, which was originally written for keyboard. I have been playing this work for a number of years and it’s a piece to which I feel deeply attached. I’m also looking forward to collaborating with Kinan. There are many improvisational elements to the pieces we will be performing together, which means every night will bring something new.
Emily Slomovits is an Ann Arbor freelance musician, theater artist, and writer. She plays music with her father and uncle (aka Gemini) and others, is a member of Spinning Dot Theatre, and has performed with The Encore Musical Theatre Company, Performance Network, and Wild Swan Theater.
The Knights, Avi Avital, and Kinan Azmeh perform at Rackham Auditorium, 915 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor, on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 4 pm. For tickets and more information, visit ums.org.
Blog Post
Staying Alive: Melanie at Green Wood Coffee House
by christopherporter
Melanie wowed audiences at Woodstock back in the summer of ’69 with her hit "Beautiful People." On that rainy night, spectators lit the night with candles, inspiring her song "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," which sold more than a million copies in 1970. Billboard, Cashbox, Melody Maker, Record World, and Bravo responded by naming Melanie female vocalist of the year.
Her single "Brand New Key," an almost-innocent sexy delight, topped the charts in '71. She appeared on Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, and Dick Cavett. She played the Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Cher and Dolly Parton are among those who covered her songs.
To those who enjoyed folk music, and even some who didn't, Melanie was a household name.
Now, at 70, she tours and tries to stay afloat, which includes a sold-out show at Green Wood Coffee House in Ann Arbor on Friday, Nov. 10.
Still, she says, “I’ve been carefully airbrushed out of history."
Blog Post
Brass Tacks nails Shakespeare's dense & difficult "Measure for Measure"
by christopherporter
Nearly every play that is performed for an audience is a culmination of many people’s collective time and effort. A play is often a culmination of countless hours of rehearsals; of actors having learned the basics of their blocking and memorizing their lines, only to then attempt the feat of embodying becoming other people; of a director grappling with ideas and how to bring their artistic vision to a stage.
But rarely is a play a culmination of almost 10 months of other workshops and productions. Measure for Measure, a Brass Tacks Ensemble show that runs Nov. 10-19, is precisely that.
The Brass Tacks Ensemble troupe has been working on basic text and acting techniques of Shakespearean drama since January. They started with Much Ado About Nothing (performed in April) followed by The Merchant of Venice (performed in August), and they are now tackling an incredibly dense and challenging piece.
“This troupe has an ease with the material, with acting, and with each other that I have not encountered in any production I've ever directed,” says James Ingagiola, who also helmed both of the other Shakespearean productions for BTE earlier this year. “We were really able to hit the ground running when rehearsals began and explore some of the harder elements of this play.”
And Measure for Measure is a really hard play. Often called a "problem play," this is one of Shakespeare’s final comedies, which explores preoccupations with death, questions of morality, and some questionable and ethically ambiguous plot devices.
“Our production of Measure for Measure focuses on the extremes of human morality: How far will you go to remain true to the ideals and the principles that you set for yourself?" says Ingagiola. “Do we follow the rules of our governments, our religions, our occupations to the letter, or is there room to maneuver if our consciences come into conflict with those rules?”
“What appealed to me about Measure for Measure,” Ingagiola adds, “is the conflict of the two extremes -- an absolute morality where the law is the law and rules are rules versus a more relative morality where your conscience is your guide.”
These are important themes and questions and they don’t have pat answers. “The Brass Tacks Ensemble is founded partly on the idea that we must engage the audience, and to do that it would be better to ask questions than provide answers,” says Ingagiola.
As with every Brass Tacks show, audiences can also expect a stripped-down aesthetic that focuses on the actors, making minimal use of props, sets, costumes, or lighting. In this way, Ingagiola hopes to eliminate distractions so that the audience can focus on the story that’s being told and the relationships that form between the characters. Hopefully, audiences will also relate the themes within the classical text to how they live their own lives. “The more you add to a production in terms of costumes, props, sets, etc., the more you lock it into a specific story about very specific people in a very specific time,” explains Ingagiola.
I was fortunate enough to see BTE’s production of Merchant of Venice last summer and it was a truly wonderful show, both thoughtfully paced and very well acted. If that’s any indication of what we can expect from Measure for Measure, this production is likely to be exceptional.
Toby Tieger has directed, acted in, and written plays over the last 10 years, and sees theater as often as he can. He is a building supervisor with the Ann Arbor District Library.
Brass Tacks Ensemble's "Measure for Measure" runs Nov. 10-19, 1600 Pauline Blvd., Ann Arbor. For tickets, visit btensemble.org.
Blog Post
Fifth Avenue Press launches nine titles with a book release party
by christopherporter
"Publishing is a business," writes mega-selling author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook) in the "Advice for Writers" section of his website. "Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars."
Except with Fifth Avenue Press, the new publishing imprint of the Ann Arbor District Library.
Fifth Avenue helps local authors produce a print-ready book at no cost -- from copyediting to cover design -- and the writers retain all rights. In return, the library gets to distribute ebooks to its patrons without paying royalties, but authors can sell their books -- print, digital, or audio -- however they choose and keep all the proceeds.
Fifth Avenue launches on Sunday, Nov. 5, with a reception from 1-3 pm on the 3rd floor of AADL's downtown branch, featuring author readings from the imprint's first nine titles:
Technical Solace by Rebecca G. Biber (poetry) ► PULP INTERVIEW
Ginger Stands Her Ground by Virginia Ford (memoir) ► PULP INTERVIEW
Tales From the Dork Side by R.J. Fox (humor, memoir) ► PULP INTERVIEW
Michigan Moon by Meg Gower (picture book)
Takedown by Jeff Kass (mystery)
Chad Agamemnon by Carolyn Nowak (comic book) ► PULP INTERVIEW
The Book of Ann Arbor: An Extremely Serious History Book by Rich Retyi (humor, history) ► PULP INTERVIEW
A Monster on Main Street by Emily Siwek (picture book) ► PULP INTERVIEW
Light From the Cage: 25 Years in a Prison Classroom by Judy Patterson Wenzel (memoir) ► PULP INTERVIEW
Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.
A: A suicide submarine parade. Ann Arbor’s top 10 astronauts. Shakey Jake, the Embassy Hotel, and train/building collisions. The birth of Iggy Pop. Nazis getting punched. Visits from heads of state, from presidents to a dictator. The Music Mobile, the Naked Mile and a round-the-world flight. Plus, a few tales of murder, because it happens here too. These are a few of the stories that make up The Book of Ann Arbor.
Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?
A: Finishing. Writing is a lonely exercise, which I enjoy very much, but reading what I've written is the worst. It's never good enough -- never quite right. The fact that I'll never have to read these stories again is like a warm hug from a warm person. The most enjoyable part of the process was working with graphic designer Jen Harley, who not only did the covers and title page but created individual graphics for every story. It was delightful to have these texted to me a few apiece over weeks. Working with my editor Sara Wedell was also a highlight because she asks keen questions and calls me on bad writing. She also kept the train moving on time, which I sorely need.
Q: What was the most difficult?
A: Anyone who likes writing wants to write a book. Books are so cool. And they're SO hard to finish. I've been varying levels of obsessed about writing a book since college, and I've never had the willpower, talent and/or time to pull it off. There is a 0% chance I write a book without Fifth Avenue Press. All of it was hard, but Sara and the Fifth Avenue Press team made it actually possible.
Q: Do you have any writing rituals?
A: Location is big. There are a handful of great places in Ann Arbor to set up shop and get great work done. For the stretch run on Book of Ann Arbor, I was without a computer, so in three, four or five hour stretches every day for a week, I wrote and edited on the public computers at the AADL Westgate Branch. Some coffee from the cafe, a pretty quiet nook in the library -- I could have done a lot worse.
Q: People who like your book will also like ...
A: Let the record show that footnotes were not my idea -- though I LOVE footnotes in books. Oh gosh, I love footnotes. Hunter S. Thompson, David Foster Wallace -- it didn't take much to convince me to incorporate them. That's not your question though. I wish I wrote as well as those two guys, or Colson Whitehead or Mary Roach or Shea Serrano or Michael Chabon. I am none of these people. My stuff is my stuff. Hopefully it's not too derivative. Hopefully it's a slightly more accessible take on local history stories. Maybe I should use more swear words? Read these authors to experience how I wish I could write. The kinds of sentences that make me grit my teeth and pound my desk because they're so damn good.
Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?
A: Do it! It's such a terribly difficult endeavor. Seek help. Get an editor. Copywriter. Layout. Project management. All of it. If not with Fifth Avenue Press, someone. Know there are writers 10 times worse than you who have books -- all because they had some help finishing. I'm one of them! You can do it, but try not to do it alone.
Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.
A: Short answer: A collection of humorous, nostalgic essays looking back on a bullied childhood. And how I lived to write about it.
Full synopsis: Growing up is never easy. Growing up with bullies is even harder. And when you’re a skinny kid with no social skills, no athletic ability, and a speech impediment? You might as well be covered in bully bait. Bobby Fox was the boy eating alone in the cafeteria, playing alone at recess, and trying to stay away from the mean kids. But somehow, they always found him. And when they did, they tied him to a tree. Or tried to make him lick dog poop. Or got him in trouble with the police. But that didn’t stop Bobby. If he couldn’t play baseball, he’d make up his own version. If he didn’t have friends, he’d carry his pet Sea-Monkeys everywhere he went. And who wanted to play soccer at recess when there were holes to dig under the swings? No matter what the other kids said or did to him, Bobby always knew that someday, he’d be okay. His bullies didn’t defeat him. They simply gave him more to write about.
Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?
A: Turning negative experiences into something positive -- and most importantly -- funny and optimistic.
Q: What was the most difficult?
A: The editing process. The material was pretty raw to begin with and we -- my editor Alex Kourvo and I -- had a short window of time to get everything right, which includes trimming, revising, flat-out cutting, and even writing new pieces to create a cohesive, narrative thread. Even though it's a collection of individual essays, Alex really helped spin it into something with a narrative spine and thread.
Q: Do you have any writing rituals?
A: I have a really hard time writing at home. Too many distractions. Easy to fall asleep. I have two small children, so I do most of my writing after kids' bedtime. Or in the window of time between when my school day ends -- I teach at Huron High School -- and when I have to pick them up from school/daycare. So instead of falling asleep on the couch, I write until I fall asleep at a coffee shop or bar -- only half-kidding.
Q: People who like your book will also like ...
A: David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, Augusten Burroughs, Justin Halpern, Bill Bryson, Sloane Crosley, Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling.
Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?
A: You have nothing to lose! You get assigned a top-notch editor, you get to pick your own cover artist, you get fantastic layout, publicity, AND you get to keep all the royalties and the rights!
Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.
A: Strange sightings are all around in this simply sweet story inspired by Ann Arbor's beloved Violin Monster. Rendered with loose, playful illustrations, this string-playing werewolf encourages readers to give scary things a second look.
Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?
A: Seeing the illustrations bring the text to life and working with the Fifth Ave Press staff who were so supportive and encouraging.
Q: What was the most difficult?
A: Finding just the right word or rhyme to go with the feeling of the book ... and then trying not to use that word on every page!
Q: Do you have any writing rituals?
A: Whenever I have a thought I try to write it down it before I lose it, that way I can always come back to it later and re-read it with fresh eyes.
Q: People who like your book will also like ...
A: Leap Back Home to Me by Lauren Thompson
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle and Jill McElmurry
Frances Stories by Russel Hoban
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?
A: Think about how your work might relate to the local community and convey how it's unique.
Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.
A: Concise, vivid poems on themes of music, family, Jewish heritage, love, loss, and identity. Working in both free verse and structured forms.
Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?
A: The most enjoyable part of writing is the elusive instant when the parts of a poem click into place. It could be in the initial writing, or in the 10th draft. There is always a moment when ideas, sound, and meaning start to coalesce. So satisfying!
Q: What was the most difficult?
A: The most difficult part was putting the poems in a sensible order, thinking of transitions between subjects and styles.
Q: Do you have any writing rituals?
A: No writing rituals. Parts of poems, or fragments of lines, occur to me spontaneously (sometimes it seems arbitrarily). Then there is a lot of word jockeying and unplanned revision crammed in between other life activities.
Q: People who like your book will also like ...
A: I’m about to self-aggrandizingly lump myself in with some much better poets whom I really admire. People who like my work should, and probably will, also like Alicia Ostriker, Kay Ryan, Charles Simic, and Naomi Shihab Nye.
Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?
A: Don’t hesitate! It’s a fun and fulfilling experience, and the library staff gives great help and advice. Writing and publishing a book is work that is fun, and fun that is work.
Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.
A: The prison fence with its rows of razor wire stands as a powerful symbol, sending a message that the people inside are all bad and dangerous. The fence keeps people locked in, and it keeps the rest of us away from our fellow citizens who live behind bars. Judy Patterson Wenzel taught high school completion classes in prison in the only program beyond GED in the federal prison system and knew that the experiences with her students needed to be shared. Light From the Cage: 25 Years in a Prison Classroom spins out stories of and by the men she worked with as they accomplished the treasured goal of graduating from high school. The book is about journeys as both students and teacher work toward wholeness, men making amends for dropping out of school and becoming the students they were born to be, and the teacher learning as much as she teaches about what and how to teach her students. The book reveals a more complete understanding of the country and its continuing problems of racial injustice as the teacher witnesses the expansion of mass incarceration and the reality of more and more people of color filling her classes. Organized around themes of place, identity, community and the spiritual gifts of inclusion, gratitude, generosity and caring, these poignant and funny stories illuminate-old truths: Lines and fences cannot separate good people on one side and bad people on the other. And, the people we cast out and lock away often become sources of great wisdom and uncommon grace -- of light and love in a dark world.
Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?
A: Many of the men I taught were interesting and colorful characters, and what I loved most was writing about them to better remember who they were. I worked to describe them as accurately as I could by using vivid descriptions and dialogue with their own speech.
Q: What was the most difficult?
A: My biggest hurdle -- and one I failed at -- was developing an online platform big enough to attract an agent in New York. Talking to many groups about my students and my book was a joy and gave me needed energy to keep going.
Q: Do you have any writing rituals?
A: I didn't work seriously on the manuscript until after I retired. An old friend suggested I treat the writing like going to work every morning. That approach failed. It felt too much like the job I had just left. So, I worked on recognizing my own writing energy, and let that dictate when and how much I could get done.
Q: People who like your book will also like ...
A: Light from the Cage is about mass incarceration, racial injustice, and education. Three authors whose books guided me and gave me the encouragement to keep going were Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow, Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy, and Shaka Senghor's Writing My Wrongs. Anything by Parker J. Palmer guided my teaching, especially The Courage to Teach and A Hidden Wholeness.
Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?
A: My advice to other writers is to develop good self-care and get enough time away from your manuscript to allow for better perspective. Also, go for it and get it out there!
Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.
A: From the back of the book: Ginger Visel contracted polio in the winter of 1950 when she was not yet 5 years old. Her life would never be the same. By the time the virus was through with her, she had a withered leg, weak muscles, and hip trouble that required multiple surgeries. The University of Michigan Hospital became a second home, the March of Dimes a reliable support system, and leg braces an everyday part of her wardrobe. In the era before ramps and automatic doors, Ginger had to learn to adapt to a world not built for her. Surrounded by 10 siblings and guided by an unstoppable mother, she met every challenge with determination and an unshakable faith in God. With equal parts cheerful humor and honest vulnerability, Ginger recalls desperately trying to fit in at school, the terror of learning to drive a hand-controlled car, the near-impossibility of finding an accessible college, and the worry that she’d never get married and have a family of her own. Both a universal coming of age story and a look at the complexities of being disabled before the ADA, Ginger Stands Her Ground is an inspiring story of the meaning of family, the importance of faith, and the ultimate triumph of love.
Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?
A: Being able to write about my family. There's so many of them and they're so diversified, and I can look at them from the time they were little to how they ended up. I think that's interesting.
Q: What was the most difficult?
A: You know the literary term "bleeding on the page"? To open up about the emotional part of polio, that was the hardest part. Bleeding on the page.
Q: Do you have any writing rituals?
A: I live at Portage Lake. Just park me anywhere on the property, set me up with a yellow legal pad, sharp No. 2 pencils, a cup of coffee or fruit smoothie and I'm good to go.
Q: People who like your book will also like ...
A: I just read a ton of memoirs. Michael J. Fox's Lucky Man; he has Parkinson's. He was a good model for me. I liked his humor and I liked his love of his family. It was positive, too. I teach elementary school, so I have to put in my very favorite children's book: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. A lot my book is from a child's point of view and I could relate to E.B. White like nobody's business. Also:
Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The Florist's Daughter by Patricia Hampl
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Sea Glass by Anita Shreve
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?
A: Don't rush through your work. Give it the gift of time. Go over it again and again until you've done your very best and then go for it. You'll know when it's time.
Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.
Fifth Avenue Press' book release reception is Sunday, Nov. 5, 1-3 pm on the third floor of the Ann Arbor District Library, 345 S. Fifth Ave. Visit aadl.org for more information.
Blog Post
Timothy Monger's first music video conjures serenity, septic-tank legend
by christopherporter
"It’s more personal than anything I’ve ever done," said singer-songwriter Timothy Monger about his latest album, Amber Lantern, in a February 2017 interview with Pulp.
It's also Monger's loveliest album, which includes two records with his former band, Great Lakes Myth Society, and two solo LPs, 2011's The New Britton Sound and 2004's Summer Cherry Ghosts.
Though Amber Lantern came out 10 months ago, Monger recently teamed up with director Brian Lillie to produce a video for "Hayward," one of the LP's most beautiful songs. "A video is something I've thought about doing for many years, but somehow never made a priority until this year," Monger wrote on his website.
We asked Monger about the making of "Hayward," the singing septic-tank man who loaned him a canoe, and what's behind the "Surf & Turf" show he's playing on Sunday, Nov. 5, with fellow Washtenaw County singer-songwriter Dave Boutette at Old Town Tavern.
Q: You described "Hayward" as the centerpiece of Amber Lantern. What makes it so and what is the song's origin?
A: Aside from "Hayward" falling literally in the center of the album -- it's the last song on side one -- it evokes the feelings and tones I most wanted to express with Amber Lantern. There are moments of intense soul-searching and some dark turns throughout the album, but ultimately I wanted the central theme to be about hope and wonder. "Hayward" is a romance with a late-August mood and a lot of love to give. It takes place in that enchanting harvest time between summer and fall. It was inspired by a wonderful trip my girlfriend and I took many years ago to Hayward, Wisconsin, to visit her brother's cottage on the Chippewa Flowage.
Q: Which lake in Brighton did you film it at? Was it a favorite from when you grew up there?
A: I grew up in a house bordering the expansive Brighton Recreation Area, which is a very special place to me. We filmed the band scenes at the edge of the forest behind my parents' house and the rest was shot on Appleton Lake just a few miles away. Somehow, in all our years of hiking and exploring this area, no one in my family had ever been to Appleton Lake. My director Brian Lillie and I stumbled on it rather by accident while scouting a different lake. It has now become my dad's regular fishing hole.
Q: Was the video inspired by any other music videos or films?
A: The reason I didn't make a video until 20 years into my career is probably because I just don't ever watch them. So I can't say it was influenced by anything else. I just wanted something tranquil and pastoral. I could zone out to nature programs all day and be happy!
Q: The video's credits say you borrowed the canoe from Jack Spack. Is this the same guy who cleans out septic tanks? We had a guy named Jack Spack clean ours last week -- and he came recommended to us by, like, 27 people. He's a septic-tank legend.
A: Yes, that is the very same Jack Spack! Not only is he a septic legend, but he is one the coolest guys I've ever met and a really good friend. He's also a great singer! Jack Spack prank calls me once a week. He yells, "Sweetberry wine!" and hangs up.
Q: What's the Surf & Turf concert you're doing at Old Town on Sunday?
A: The "Hayward" video and Surf & Turf have little to do with each other -- other than an affinity for water and land. It's a wonderful tradition that Dave Boutette and I conceived five years ago where I would get license to play nothing but sea chanteys and maritime-themed songs (Surf) and Dave would dig into his extensive collection of cowboy and Western tunes (Turf). Despite growing up in landlocked Livingston County, I have always had an obsession with songs of the sea. I remember hearing Dave break into an old Tex Ritter classic at a show years ago and the decision was made to unite our two disparate song banks into an annual pairing. Old Town Tavern has been our gracious host each year and the wonderful Jenny Harley has designed a set of exceedingly clever posters.
Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.
Timothy Monger and Dave Boutette team up for their fifth annual "Surf & Turf" concert at Old Town Tavern, 122 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. Free, 8-10 pm.
Blog Post
Open Season: Ann Arbor Concert Band starts with "Afternoon at the Opera"
by christopherporter
The Ann Arbor Concert Band holds a special place among the area’s musical groups. Following the classic concert-band tradition, it’s an ensemble consisting almost entirely of wind instruments.
So as the band prepares to open its new season at the Michigan Theater on Sunday, the theme for the concert may seem a bit surprising: a selection of opera works, which we’re accustomed to hearing performed by singers with an orchestra.
“I chose this theme because it's rarely done by concert bands, and it's a nice contrast to a typical program that has only marches and Broadway medleys,” says James Nissen. “My job as conductor is to expose the audience to the vast wind ensemble repertoire, and there are so many great opera overtures that translate well for wind instruments. Also, there are so many instances where a composer wrote an opera that was soon long forgotten, but its overture survived as a masterpiece. I don't want these overtures to be forgotten!”
He added that some opera excerpts are a perfect match for a concert band instrumentation, and several of these are on Sunday’s program: Copland's "The Promise of Living," Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess,” Gretry’s “The Jealous Lover,” and Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier.” Other pieces on the program include favorites like Bernstein’s Candide overture, Von Suppe’s “Light Cavalry” overture, and a suite from Bizet’s Carmen.
“It's just not done all that often,” Nissen says about a concert band focusing on opera. “The repertoire is certainly out there: I had a list of more than 30 opera overtures and excerpts from three different band libraries! Unfortunately, because of timing, I had to narrow the program down to nine pieces. I think we have a nice array and a wonderful set of selections for this concert.”
The band, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next season, began life as the Ann Arbor Symphony Band. Phillip Rhodes, president of the AACB board, says the mission has not changed since its founding.
“The band was born out of the desire of many local and non-professional adult musicians to continue playing, to provide public performances with broad audience appeal, to foster interest in amateur music performances, and provide continuing music education to its members and the public,” Rhodes says, noting that the band rehearses at local schools where it can expose students to its music. “Our members come from all professions and walks of life. The love of music and performing is the inspiration which brings us together.”
Rhodes sees part of the band’s role as advancing the concert band tradition.
“There are hundreds of new dynamic pieces developed for concert bands / wind ensembles every year which need to be performed and appreciated. This band has been privileged to perform and premiere many wonderful pieces during its history,” he says. “‘Heroes, Lost and Fallen’ by Dr. David Gillingham plus ‘Concerto for Trumpet,’ ‘Times of Our Lives,’ ‘Run,’ and ‘Flash Mob’ by our own conductor, James Nissen, are just a small example. We have had the wonderful opportunity to perform under the batons of a Hall of Fame list of conductors,” including Jerry Bilik, Scott Boerma, Victor Bordo, H. Robert Reynolds, Don Schleicher, John Stout, and William D. Revelli.
“I think this band is one of the hidden treasures of the Ann Arbor Arts community,” Rhodes says. “I hope everyone will come out and give us a listen. They will not be disappointed!”
Bob Needham is a freelance writer; the former arts & entertainment editor of The Ann Arbor News and AnnArbor.com.
The Ann Arbor Concert Band presents “Afternoon at the Opera” at 2 pm on Sunday, Nov. 5 at the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors/ students, and free for children under 12. Tickets are available from band members or may be purchased at the Michigan Theater box office beginning at 1 p.m. the day of the concert, Nov. 5. Visit aaband.org for more info. The band’s season will continue with other concerts in January, March, and May:
Winter Concert: Fiesta (Celebracon)
Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, 2 pm
Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor
~ Danzon no. 2 (Marquez)
~ Danza Fantasticas (Turina)
~ Danza Brasiliera (Guarnieri)
~ Feast Day in Seville (Albeniz)
~ Fiesta del Pacifico (Nixon)
~ Mexican Pictures (Cesarini)
~ A Movement for Rosa (Camphouse)
~ Homage to a Dream (Camphouse)
~ Amparita Roca (Texidor)
Early Spring Concert: The King of Instruments
Sunday, March 4, 2018, 2 pm
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor
~ Grand Choeur Dialogue (Gigout)
~ Also Sprach Zarathustra (Strauss)
~ Fantasia in G Major (Bach)
~ Passacaglia (Nelson)
~ Resonances (Nelson)
~ Frozen Cathedral (Mackey)
~ Symphony No. 3 (Saint-Saens)
Late Spring Concert: Symphonic Broadway
Sunday, May 6, 2018, 2 pm
Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor
~ On the Town Suite (Bernstein)
~ Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (Bernstein)
~ An American in Paris (Gershwin)
~ 2018 Andrew J. Lum & David R. Juillet Young Artist Competition Scholarship Winner
~ Hello Dolly (Herman)
~ Miss Saigon (Schonberg)
~ Phantom of the Opera (Weber)
~ Oklahoma (Rodgers)
~ Music Man (Willson)
~ Mame (Herman)