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Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 1

By Music Maven
Feel like writing an opera is only for big name composers with big budgets? Or are you willing to take the plunge and create a work in one of the most compelling and cutting edge musical forms...an opera?

Almost two years ago I embarked on the largest musical production I have created to date -  Libertaria: The Virtual Opera. After writing the award-winning Creation Oratorio and dozens of multimedia works, I wanted to combine my love of the audio and the visual into a single large scale work. 

Find a Great Dramatic Story
You need a strong story to write a compelling opera. Fortunately you can easily borrow from thousands of public domain works and modernize them. Think of West Side Story (just a contemporary version of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet).
Many great operas use Shakespeare, the Brothers Grimm, and Biblical stories, all of which include interesting characters, strong themes, and action.
Libertaria borrows heavily from messianic stories, but is set in the future and changed…
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Free Classical Sheet Music and Free Opera Downloads @ Scribd

By Music Maven
Sheet Music (Photo credit: jayneandd)Awhile ago I decided that I would upload the bulk of my music scores and sheet music to sites like Scribd, the Petrucci Music Library, and Archive.org for free sheet music downloads. Some musicians told me that it was ridiculous to give away my music. The truth is that I don't depend on music publishing sales of my scores, and I would rather inspire a young piano student, percussion ensemble, opera singer, grandma, bored music student, or music teacher to play and study my music than hold on tight to my copyrights and let my music scores collect virtual dust on my hard drive. 

The Petrucci Library, Scribd, and Archive.org all have dozens of free music scores available for choir, vocal solos, piano, percussion, orchestra, opera, multimedia works, and more. You can see a short list of available free sheet music by checking out the Scores page.

You might want to check out scores to my modern opera Libertaria: The Virtual Opera, an exciting sci-fi o…
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What is Blue? and other Post Postmodernist Thoughts

By Music Maven
1000 Pennies for Your Thoughts - NARA - 534149 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)One of my many hats is online university instructor. I teach courses in Media and Music History. In my Media in American Society class, we discuss many aspects of media, including truth in media, media conglomeration, marketing, advertising, and the like. 

Today my students had an intriguing discussion/debate online about news and partisan politics. The debate was a healthy one, with some students claiming that they see all sides, others describing their favorite political pundits, and others lamenting the lack of authenticity in the media today. In the end, the fact that there would be no answer to today's questions, largely due to the lack of authenticity and the inability to trust anything in print, online, on a TV, spoken by a political leader, etc. etc., I brought up a short discussion on postmodernism, postpostmodernism, and its effects on American culture. 

Here is a small snippet that I thought would be …
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Got the Election Blues? Animated Sci Fi Musical Showing TODAY in Buffalo New York 3:15pm EST at the Screening Room Cafe 3131 Sheridan Drive, Northtown Plaza Amherst, NY

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Got the Election Blues? Animated Sci Fi Musical Showing TODAY in Buffalo New York3:15pm EST at the Screening Room Cafe 3131 Sheridan Drive, Northtown Plaza Amherst, NY
http://www.buffalodreamsfantasticfilmfestival.com/2016-program/schedule/ Libertaria The Virtual Opera At the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival

What the critics are saying about Libertaria: The Virtual Opera: “One of my favorite things about this story is its odd apocalyptic tone and strong sci-fi/fantasy foundation. The dark quality that comes with it is the cherry on top.” –FanboysAnonymous.com
“...As a story, it is very much in line with the good-vs.-evil sci-fi tradition, with the added bonus of a plucky female heroine…There are a good many percussion effects in the #opera, and its tone is primarily quite dark and sinister, very much along the lines of a contemporary video game score.” Palm Beach Arts Paper Music Critic Greg Stepanich
Based on the "groundbreaking" and "epic" animation sci-fi film…
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How to Make Epic Film Music: Getting Started

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How to Make Epic Film Music: Getting Started
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SONG FOR THE FORGOTTEN ROSE - Beautiful Piano Solo Classical Music

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In this beautiful romantic classical music work  a forgotten flower finds redemption when she is rescued by a traveler. Composed by award-winning composerSabrina Pena Young for her wedding day. Dedicated to Nathan Young.  Scores are available through the composer's website (sabrinapenayoung.blogspot.com) and the Petrucci Library. ASCAP. Pena Young Publishing.



SONG FOR THE FORGOTTEN ROSE

In the Garden of Life

Midnight hid the scarlet Rose

Wilted and torn, she cried to the Heavens

Petals upturned, imploring of God,

The Grace shine down from the Mountain



In this land journey a stalwart traveler

Alone, he had conquered roads forgotten

This path had led him through hills and valleys

His search for beauty



And God, looking down upon his creation

saw what they could not see

Hope in the hands of the Great Orchestrator

in the form of a rose and a man



Buried in the shadows

The wanderer stumbled and fell on roots he could not see

Lying among weeds

His eyes alighted on Beauty



For there, near h…
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Haiti Disaster Relief Efforts Hurricane Matthew Needs Blankets, Sheets, Pillows, Donations as Death Toll Rises

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New Missions in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are collecting NEW blankets, pillows, sheets for Haiti. Send to: New Missions
2500 Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, Fl 32809 Financial Donations: https://newmissions.givingfuel.com/hurricane-matthew Additional Information: https://www.facebook.com/newmissions/ HELP HAITI: In the wake of #hurricaneMatthew please continue to pray. We have these ways you can help #Haiti now:
1. Donate http://newmissions.org/help
2. Pack shoebox gifts http://ShoeboxDrive.com
3. Collect pairs of new sneakers http://GiveSneakers.com
4. Send new pillows, blankets, and sheets  New Missions is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, serving in Haiti since 1983 and the Dominican Republic since 2000. Your financial gift is tax deductible.
Related articlesHurricane Matthew Forecast Timeline For The Lowcountry | Mix 96Hurricane Matthew: Haiti issues red alert as Caribbean braces for storm | News StreamUS tells Haiti it will cut off money transfers in November if no reforms undertaken
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