Benefits

[I'm reposting this from my friend Darin in Dayton.]

 

Life Lessons in the Arts

We have all heard of art for arts sake, but are there life lessons to be learned from a study of the arts?

According to Elliot Eisner, professor of education and art at Stanford University, there are several. In his article, “10 Lessons the Arts Teach” in youngARTS magazine he discusses what else you can learn from living an artists life.

1 The arts emphasize the importance of how things interact with each other rather than what is right or wrong.
2 The arts teach that problems can have several solutions that are equally valid.
3 The arts promote having multiple perspectives.
4 The arts reveal that goals and purposes are seldom final, but rather they change and develop over time.
5 The arts prove that certain emotions transcend language and words.
6 The arts teach the importance of small details.
7 The arts teach how to create within parameters.
8 The arts teach expression without saying anything.
9 The arts allow us to explore things we could not otherwise do.
10 An arts education shows the importance of art in our society.

Cornell Glee

Webster University Department of Music hosts the Cornell University Glee Club on Wednesday, January 11, at 7.30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the CMS Center, 535 Garden Avenue.  (Since this is a Repertory Theatre performance night, parking is the Garden Avenue parking structure.)

Tickets at the door are $15 cash or check, $5 for students and children.

Songs

The semester is over, but I’m hearing in my mind the sound of my students’ voices this week.  Several jury songs are stuck and I can’t seem to let them go.

My seniors – three theatre majors – are especially present.

Kyle, an acting major from Cincinnati, stretched mightily this term and embraced Carl Loewe’s Edward, an early 19th-century murder ballad.  I just can’t get his haunting shriek of a last line, “the curse of hell,” from my mind.  That ballad was a fun romp, and I’m so glad he liked the piece enough to grapple with it.

Audrey, my fabulous musical theatre soprano, chose to sing A Letter from Sullivan Ballou.  I was in tears at several lessons as she interpreted the innards out of this piece.  She embodied the song at her jury, and I’m stuck now with “Always, always” from the last minute of the song.

Jared, musical theatre tenor from Illinois, took a chance on a big sing, and succeeded.  I’ve been waiting for years for a tenor or soprano to sing Lalba separa dalla luce lombra by Tosti.  Jared decided to set placidity aside and go for the moment.  His build-up to the high B-flat at “eterno” was thrilling.

I have other talented and challenging and gratifying students, and every one of them sang a fine jury this term.  But these three are on my mind this weekend, and in my inner ears.

The long goodbye of the senior year marches on.

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Express yourself

Webster’s holiday greeting this year:

http://www.webster.edu/holiday/

Gift to the City

Here are scenes from today’s Gift to the City concert at Christ Church Cathedral in Saint Louis:

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Gift to the City

Take a look at our publicity in the local paper!

http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/Articles-News-i-2011-12-02-178061.114137-Free-Concert-Is-Gift-To-City.html

Playbill

Playbill.com has announced the cast for Sunday in the Park with George at the Repertory  Theatre of Saint Louis in January.

Of the five Webster University Conservatory students cast, four are my voice students.  I’m delighted beyond words!

 

This week

We invite you to experience our musical offerings for Fall 2011!  Here are a two of the concerts and recitals in the next week.  As always, more details on these performances and up-to-date information on all Department of Music offerings, including student recitals, small ensemble performances, and guest master classes is available at www.webster.edu/music, or simply click here for the direct calendar link.  Performance locations vary, so please check carefully in order to ascertain the specific hall.

To finish the Fall semester . . .

Monday, December 5 at 7 p.m. – Jazz at Webster: Webster University Jazz Singers, Debby Lennon, director; Moore Auditorium, 535 Garden Ave.  $

Sunday, December 11 at 2 and 4 p.m. – Webster Presents: A Gift to the City annual holiday concert, featuring a panoply of choirs, orchestra, and soloists; Christ Church Cathedral, 13^th and Locust, Saint Louis.  Free

And a heads-up: the Cornell University Glee Club performs on Wednesday, January 11 at 7.30 p.m. at the Community Music School of Webster University.  This ticketed event, occurring before our Spring semester begins, is not to be missed!