| BLOG POST 003 |
[Aug. 19th, 2010|05:27 am] |
While I think my decision to take a hiatus from professional opera was the right one for me at the time, I can't say that I haven't had any doubts. I know it's going to look weird on my resume for me to take a break, especially since I had the good fortune to start with large companies so soon, but I think I will end up a better musician for it.
But that doesn't mean it's not weird. I was just thinking today that if I hadn't quit, I'd probably be in rehearsals for some season opening show or concert. I kinda miss that. It was nice to get paid for getting ready to work, but I think with what I'm doing now, I get to connect more with the music on a personal level.
So what am I doing? I guess the main thing is that now I'm on the payroll as a co-choir director at Queens Baptist. I had this position sort of lined up before I made the decision to stop performing, and it's a big part of the reason I did. I'm almost always on the other side of the singer/director relationship, and I think this experience could be really good for me. The other director was actually trained as a pianist, so now that I'm on full time instead of just as a volunteer assistant, we're beefing up the vocal arrangements and trying some stuff that's more sophisticated and classical than gospel. I'm also taking on some private students, but I've only got one right now. I think I could handle more, but I don't know, this one's a lot to handle ( please don't tell her mother I said that).
I guess the only thing is that I really didn't expect to miss performing as much as I do. I thought maybe I'd hit up a piano bar open mic night or something, even if it's not quite the same thing, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. We'll see.
God bless,
Max |
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| VLOG POST 006 |
[Jul. 14th, 2010|01:31 am] |
[Max is, as usual, sitting at his desk. This time, the video quality is noticeably better than before. As always, he waves at the camera before beginning, brightly:]
Hey there, all! I don't really have a lot to say, besides that I'm really stunned and honored to have been selected as a winner of the HistOral Repository contest! The Apple Tech bash was awesome, and I still haven't figure out all the features on this thing [he gestures towards the camera], but I'm working on it! I never win these kinds of things, so... I don't know. It was pretty cool. I still can't completely believe it. Thanks.
[He pauses, and he looks away from the camera as he tries to remember if there's anything else he wanted to say.]
Oh! I guess there is one more thing. I've decided to take some time off of performing in professional operas. A year at least -- we'll see if they still want me back after that! Don't worry, I can still keep everyone who cares caught up on what's going on in the opera world, but I just want to take some time off to focus on some other things. I realized this summer that I need to take a break. I'd been so focused on this one thing for so long that I never really thought about anything else. Maybe I need to sing in English for a while [he chuckles].
I've been doing a little bit of choir directing on the side, and I've actually just taken my first student for private lessons, but I'm not even sure if I want to devote a hundred percent of my time to teaching. I'm hoping I'll have enough time to put together a recital, and maybe I'll lend my voice to some other projects. I don't know. We'll see what happens. |
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| VLOG POST 005 |
[Jul. 2nd, 2010|01:28 am] |
[Unlike the hasty videos taken from his desk, Max is standing a few feet away from the camera, in front of a white wall. He's wearing jeans and a plain blue t-shirt. As the video begins, he smiles, and then begins to sing, a cappella:]
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
What does patriotism mean to me? It means a lot of things. [His tone is slightly less familiar than usual, more like he's trying to address an audience than a group of friends.] The first thing I think of is my country and its beautiful land. Even if that land isn't quite what it used to be, even if right now doesn't look like it reaches both seas, it will always be the land that my ancestors gave up so much to find. I believe that someday, perhaps someday soon, the United States will be just as strong and beautiful as ever.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
America is a place that people came to escape from hardships, but it would be foolish for anyone to say that the country hasn't faced hardships itself. Still, the beautiful thing about this country is that we are just as much the United States in times of difficulty as in times of peace. We pulled together after Pearl Harbor, and after 9/11, and even now, after the biggest disaster our country has ever seen, there is still hope for the future.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Thank you. [He bows, and the video shuts off.] |
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[Jun. 13th, 2010|11:04 pm] |
PWP: Alexa WeberHey. I'm password-protecting this because I don't know your e-mail or anything, but Chris told me a new girl stopped by youth choir on Thursday, and I was wondering if it was you. |
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| VLOG POST 004 |
[Jun. 8th, 2010|04:01 pm] |
[Max is again sitting at his desk, but he looks a whole lot snazzier than he did in his last blog; just take a look at the icon, and you've got the idea. He sighs.]
Okay y'all, I just have a quick observation to make. Professional musicians, we don't make a whole lot of money. I didn't go to a university, but I looked up some statistics, and graduates of the music school always have the lowest average starting salary, 'round half what engineering graduates make even.
[He tugs at his bowtie, and it comes loose.]
I'm not saying we should make more or anything, it's just a fact. I love what I do and wouldn't change it even if I could make twice as much, but anyway, that's not the point. The point is, even though I don't make a whole lot, I'm probably the only guy in my whole apartment complex who actually owns a tux. Isn't that kinda weird? |
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| VLOG POST 003 |
[May. 25th, 2010|11:24 pm] |
[Max is sitting by his desk in his room with a tall, sweating glass of water. He too looks a little sweaty, his dark hair matted against his forehead. He's wearing a navy blue t-shirt with the name "Juilliard" emblazoned across the chest. When the camera starts, he smiles and waves brightly.]
Hello, everyone! Sorry I don't look so hot right now. I just got back from a run, and, you know, I'm actually gonna talk about running, so. [He shrugs.] Figured I didn't have to change just yet.
Anyway, I guess something a lot of people might not know about me is that I ran cross-country in high school. It wasn't as big for me as choir and stuff, but running was still an important part of my life, and I used to run almost every day. I kinda stopped when I went off to college, and it's been years since I've run real seriously, but right now I have more time in my schedule, and the weather was nice today, so I thought, why not?
But, haha, it was harder than I thought it would be, and boy was it hot! [He mimes fanning himself with his hand.]. Maybe I should go out in the mornings from now on. Anyway, I still work out on the regular, and I think I'm in good shape now, but there's just something different about running, you know? I didn't cover as much ground as I remember I used to.
So, that brings me to a question. Who here runs? Anyone need a buddy? I could use someone to pace me as I'm getting my legs back, so let me know in the comments if you're interested! Maybe we could even get a HistOral running group started. We could meet somewhere like Central Park? I think it's fantastic how they got so many different kinds of people on here, and how so many different kinds of people can enjoy the same thing, even if it is something pretty basic like running.
Anyway, that's all, folks! Take care and God bless. |
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| BLOG POST 002 |
[May. 16th, 2010|01:02 am] |
From Psalm 27:
Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.
One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple.
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
I'm not advocating hiding illegal immigrants or squatting without a permit, but if, God forbid, you or a loved one should find yourself temporarily without a place to stay, look for the nearest church. If the people inside are true Christians, they will be more than happy to provide for you while our dutiful government workers sort everything out, and I have every faith in them that they can do it.
I hope nobody is hurt. |
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| VLOG POST 002 |
[Apr. 7th, 2010|08:25 pm] |
[The screen opens up on Max adjusting the camera. After a few seconds, the image seems straight, and Max smiles and waves.]
Hi! It's me, Max, and I just want to talk quickly about something I've been working on for a while.
[He holds up a CD case, definitely a rare sight in 2029.]
This, for those of you who don't recognize it, is a copy of the Anna Netrebko recording of La Traviata, which is really fantastic, and I highly recommend it. You know what else I recommend? The Met's production of the same opera, opening this Saturday in Lincoln Center. It's the last opera in the Met's 2028-'29 season, and I've been fortunate enough to be a part of it. I couldn't possibly say enough nice things about our cast and crew, especially Sofia Martin, who's playing Violetta.
And if you don't know who Violetta is, then that's completely fine. Our director's done some truly amazing things with the staging -- he's set it in modern times, which changes a lot about how we interpret the story, and I think it'll be meaningful both to people who have never seen an opera before and long-time fans. And the music is just gorgeous.
[He begins humming the soprano aria Ah, fors'รจ lui in his own (tenor) range. As he sings, he gestures slightly with his right hand as if conducting to himself. After a few bars, he stops himself abruptly and clears his throat.]
Anyway. Verdi's one of the quintessential opera composers, and La Traviata is probably his most well-known piece. This production's going to be fantastic, and I think everyone should come see it. Tickets are even subsidized, so it won't be all that expensive, although you'll still have the excuse to dress up. And it's the last opportunity to see a fully staged opera until next fall.
I'm not too sure what I'll be working on then, since they're still shuffling us singers around, working out grants, and I don't know what. Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with the Met's production of O Pioneers!, based on the novel by Willa Cather, and the Chelsea Opera's staging of Michael Daugherty and Wayne Koestenbaum's Jackie O. The full New York opera season hasn't been finalized yet, but I think it might be too much to hope that Nelson Laffin will finish his adaptation of A Thousand Marchers by then, haha.
Anyway, that's all folks! |
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| BLOG POST 001 |
[Apr. 4th, 2010|05:27 pm] |
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. -- Romans 8:11
Happy Easter, everyone!
-- Max |
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