COMPOSER SABRINA PENA YOUNG | MUSIC TECHNOLOGY | FILM | CLASSICAL | OPERA

Have you ever worried that you’re “tone deaf” or can’t sing? Or do you have a friend or family member who just can’t seem to sing in tune or in key? In today’s podcast episode we’re joined by a true expert who’s had some phenomenal results helping those who “can’t sing” to start singing in tune. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/learn... George was someone we reached out to when doing research a few years back for our Tone Deaf Test and SingTrue projects at Musical U. Throughout his teacher career, George repeatedly found himself faced with students who just couldn’t seem to hold a tune and were reluctant to get involved in choir. He started “experimenting” with how to help them, and now with his “Music at Monkton” blog he regularly shares insights, techniques and triumphs as he goes about his work teaching music and leading choirs at a secondary school in the United Kingdom. In this episode George shares: - The most important lessons he learned from entering music contests as...

“Fake news” may be a term that’s only recently made its way into the zeitgeist, but the vocal world has been full of half-truths and straight-up myths for quite a while. https://www.musical-u.com/learn/5-myt... Founder of the nonprofit music school Molly’s Music, music blogger, and vocal teacher Molly Webb debunks five myths that have been propagated in the vocal world and shares why they’re false, giving you practice advice that is backed by vocal research and will help you achieve your singing goals. Because vocal instruction was going on long before researchers had the ability to look at what was going on anatomically, not everything passed down from teacher to teacher over the years has been accurate. As a result, vocalists have been particularly susceptible to misconceptions and fear mongering about vocal health.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas Pops Concert a Welcome Joy This Holiday Season - Buffalo New York After a year of vitriol, this weekend's Buffalo Philharmonic Christmas Pops concerts, conducted by the lively Maestro John Morris Russell, are a wonderful occasion to remind each other of goodwill, brotherhood, and basic humanity.  With a program full of Christmas carol favorites (with a twist) and the sweeping cinematic score from the Polar Express, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanied by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and the Buffalo Girl Choir, performs brilliantly. For a moment the audience feels they have been transported to a big Hollywood stage. Local legend Mike Randall narrates the Polar Express with gusto , and you would be hardpressed not to find someone that is touched by this emotional tale of the Christmas spirit. The BPO Holiday Pops Concert continues this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday.  Find out more:  https://bpo.org/event/john-...

Recorded live at Vox Feminae 3 Festival, Israel , November 29, 2016. "Lonely mother's cry" is a lullaby from the "groundbreaking" animated film Libertaria: The Virtual Opera, written by award-winning composer Sabrina Peña Young .  Related articles Loving Vincent (the world's first fully painted feature film bringing #VincentvanGogh paintings to life) @LovingVincent Beauty and the Beast: Emma Watson Sings as Belle in Official Clip Disney music legacy libraries Digital downloads of Pixar's best animated classics are on sale for $13-$15 from Google Play, iTunes & Amazon (Reg. $20 each) Lin-Manuel Talks Finding the Sounds of MOANA and Why He'll 'Never Beat Robert Lopez' in New Interview Musician of Indian origin Shri Sriram wins British Composer Award Violents & Monica Martin - "Equal Powers" Snow discovered in the Caribbean America's foremost Czech composer has died, aged 95 Laura Dale Says That Th...

Read full blog by Dave Ruch here:  http://daveruch.com/advice/how-to-get-gigs-in-schools/ JANUARY 4, 2016 How to Get Gigs in Schools I’ll never forget my first performance for a group of school kids. It was January 1995, and at the time I was what you would call a “gigging musician.” My normal routine back then involved rolling out of bed sometime between 9:00am and Noon (depending on how late the night before had been), perhaps teaching a few guitar students during the day, and then playing out that night in a bar where the band might start at 11pm. Or 11:30pm. (Famously,  the bars in Buffalo NY  where I live stay open until 4am, so everything tends to start a bit later…) --- "This is a great article and something that any serious artist should check out! Had to share!" - S. Pena Young Related articles Why music education needs to incorporate more diversity Little Kids Rock: A Rocking Night of Giving Back MUSIC EDUCATION EXPO COMPOSITION COMP...

THE MUSIC EDUCATION EXPO COMPOSITION COMPETITION RETURNS!  This year we are looking for a two minute a cappella choral composition , arranged for SAT. The entries will be judged by a specialist panel, including choral specialist Daniel Galbreth (conductor and composition PhD student at Birmingham Conservatoire ) and  Music Teacher  Editor Alex Stevens. The winning composition will be introduced by Julian Lloyd-Webber and performed live at Music Education Expo 2016 by an affiliate youth choir of Birmingham Conservatoire. If your students are keen to have their work heard by hundreds of attendees, filmed and audio recorded, and performed by a first-rate conservatoire-affiliated ensemble, then get them to enter today! You can download our handy poster to display in your department  here . In association with  Birmingham Conservatoire .  Apply here:  http://www.musiceducationexpo.co.uk/extras/2016-composition-competition ...

Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2 After the incredibly positive feedback that I had from Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 1 , I thought I would talk a little bit about the composition angle of writing, at least how I do it in regards to vocal music . Here's a quick primer for anyone learning some of the basics of writing vocal music for opera, musicals, classical music , etc.  1. The Sketch I have had several great teachers in my life - Dr. Clare Shore , Hilton Jones, Dr. Kristine Burns, Paul Reller , Dr. Frederick Kaufman, Dr. Orlando Garcia, Chuck Owen, etc. My composition prof (and USF SYCOM guru) Paul Reller helped me develop the composition technique that I have had for years.  Download the Libertaria: The Virtual Opera Soundtrack at iTunes When I have the time to go through the entire composition process (because sometimes I have to skip a step or two for deadlines), I will start out with pencil, paper, and a piano (or keyboard, in my c...

My multimedia oratorio Creation won the New Genre Prize from the International Alliance for Women in Music . Creation, prem iered by the Millikin University Women's Choir and Millikin University Percussion Ensemble (directed by Brian Justison), conducted by the talented Micha el Engelhardt, had its first performance in Decatur, Illinois in 2011. Creation was commissioned by the Millikin University Women's Choir and partially funded by the Kentucky Foundation for Women 's Artist Enrichment Grant. I could never have completed the work without the amazing support of each of these ensembles and organizations! Read more about the IAWM Search for New Music Competition: http://iawm.org/oppsComp_snm_currentWinners.htm Recently the Komodo Dragon Show in Canada showcased Creation as part of a musical series on world music, and the a video version of Movement 1 "Formado en un Lugar Secreto" was played at the MSU New Music Concert. Currently the score for Cre...