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Celebrating Seasons

5/31/2022

Memorial Day 2022 was the coldest I have ever experienced! We went to decorate the graves wearing sweaters and rain jackets. Our mountains got some fresh snow. It was cold. The Memorial Days of my past were marked by getting to finally go to the swimming pool and coming home for a cookout and s'mores. Well, instead, this year we turned on the heater and had a fire in the fire place.

My yard loves the cold rainy weather, though. The roses are getting ready to explode. In a couple of days we should see the bright pinks, reds, peaches, and yellows of all of our roses. I am hoping they bloom quickly so we can enjoy them for a couple of weeks before I have to do some serious pruning. The bushes have grown so tall that they will block the view of our patio "stage" if I don't do something drastic.

Our Summer Camp show this year "A Successor to the Throne" is all about celebrating the different seasons as the story rolls around a full calendar year. We start out with the song "Spring Is Here" where the girls dance with pink parasols and colorful flower wands. I feel sad that I will have to prune back the roses so dramatically. They would add lovely Spring color to the set. The flowers would look nice for the song "Summer Comes," too. But I guess they just wouldn't fit the orange color scheme of "Autumn Lingers on the Breeze" or the whites and blues of "Wintertime."

We also have a stone step walkway that right now is almost blocked with the thorny branches of the roses. When it is cleared, it will become the parade entrance for the Emperor and his entourage. The story revolves around the old Emperor's plan to let the flowers choose his successor. I really should have pruned more energetically in the fall. But alas. I didn't. Hopefully, I won't have to cut back all of the beautiful roses. We really should leave some for the Emperor's Palace Garden.

I love how Nature provides the most beautiful set decorating!

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Never a Dull Moment

5/28/2022

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The man next to me on the plane just barely made his connection. He was a little flustered mentioning that he hoped his luggage also made it onto the plane. I just nodded and smiled. I didn't want to say how annoyed I was that the plane had already been delayed twice. Oh well. That guy was talkative and went on to tell me that he and his wife were on their way to babysit their first grandchild while the parents took a short vacation. He said how delighted his wife was to jump at the chance to see their new granddaughter.

I mentioned that I was discovering how being a grandmother was a full-time occupation, but I didn't really give any details. He nodded. (I make it a policy not to say I have 25 grandchildren. That is a sure fire way to end a conversation.) I just told him that I was returning home from an action-packed two weeks visiting my daughter's family in Pennsylvania.

He didn't need to know that each day was packed with rehearsals, concerts, baseball games, graduation activities, and so much more. My grandchildren (7 of her 8 children still at home) in that family were involved in doing a lot!!!!!!! I always feel that I get a real bang for my buck as a grandma when I go visit them.

Fun stuff included Elementary, Middle School and High School Band and Chorus concerts, an assembly where the High School Indoor Percussion ensemble and Jazz Choir performed, Seminary Graduation where my granddaughter sang a solo, my daughter's Piano Students' Recital, the D.C. Temple Open House and so much more!

There was never a dull moment!

But probably the time my grandma heart was filled to overflowing was hearing their Family Band play Leroy Anderson's "Fiddle Faddle" at the Recital. The older kids have been playing in bands for several years. (However, Makayla picked up a new instrument - Alto sax - just to fill in the middle part.) But the younger ones are just beginning to learn their instruments. Maya (trumpet) is 10 and Thomas (drums) is 7. The High School band teacher who attended the Recital was impressed that little Thomas could already play swing!

Enjoy this little clip.

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Color

5/18/2022

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COLOR is an interesting word. In Art, it can mean different VARIATIONS of pigment as seen in nature or the color wheel. Other meanings also denote VARIATIONS, but in MUSIC could be in sounds or dynamics, in POETRY and PROSE could mean variations in tone or word choices. Usually, COLOR means seeing extra depth of BEAUTY.

Artists and designers talk about COLOR THEORY all the time. They make choices based on what they have learned about CONTRASTING (colors opposite on the color wheel), MONOCHROMATIC (using only a few similar hues), or PRIMARY (using red, yellow and blue or colors all in the same SATURATED TEMPERATURE) color schemes.

Color theory principles can also apply to MUSIC and the other arts. For example composers try to use CONTRASTS, TONE VALUES, and LIKE or DISSIMILAR INSTRUMENT CHARACTERISTICS for interest and variation. They also use TEMPERATURE VALUES in PHRASING, building to a CLIMAX, and for DYNAMICS.

When writing musical settings for lyrics, composers may try to WORD PAINT. They try to translate the meanings of the words into matching musical ideas. Some composers are extremely good at this. Others, not so much. And sometimes, as in the case of hymn texts, some are matched with hymn tunes that seem to have no relation to the meaning of the texts at all.

When writing songs for a musical, successful composers try to come up with THEMES to set the tone of the story, to identify characters, and to move the plot along. Even in Children’s Shows that rarely have UNDERSCORING even during action sequences, musical themes help deepen the understanding of the audience and give them clues about the characters' emotions.

"A Successor to the Throne” is a Children’s Musical that just cries out for COLOR. Studying the costumes and architectural styles of ancient China give plenty of ideas for use in mounting a production. Ancient Chinese dances employed the use of dance props such as parasols, ribbon wands, dance fans or scarves. Children can learn simple techniques using these to create beautiful visual pictures on stage. Imperial pageantry calls out for dramatic instrumentation such as gongs and bells. Pentatonic scale tricks also help place this story squarely in ancient China.

Writing this Musical was quite satisfying because it offered so many ways to make it COLORFUL! For example, some of the THEMES in this show illustrate emotions such as:

ANTICIPATION —- “Successor to the Throne’” sung by children
MELANCHOLY — “Autumn Lingers on the Breeze” sung by Mothers
DISCOURAGEMENT —- “O Little Seed” sung by Deshi
LONGING —- ”Wintertime” sung by children

Enjoy!

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Travel Thoughts

5/9/2022

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Far away places, distant lands, exotic locales, vacation get-aways --- these words creep into our imaginations the closer we get to summertime.

Travel and sight-seeing is uppermost in many people's thoughts this time each year. I am at a point in my life when I have the time to travel any time of year, though I prefer Spring and Autumn travel the best. Yet, I haven't chosen to travel to exotic locations much in my life. (I mostly go visit family whenever I get the chance.) But, I confess, I still like the idea of world travels.

My experience of world travel seems to be through my research and imagination. Many shows that I have written needed exotic locations --- not only in place but also in time. Writers like me are lucky that we can draw on the experiences of so many historians, artists, journalists, photographers, and even musicologists to help us create the settings for our shows.

As I look back on writing Children's Theater Musicals, it seems like each was like traveling to a distant land. I had to immerse myself in the writing, art, archeology, climate, fashions, foods, and music of these locations in order to get inspiration. Some of my favorite settings have been ancient Greece, ancient Persia, Renaissance England, Paris anytime, and the American Old West. It is safe to say that I have physically visited NONE of these locations. But it was fun visiting them in my imagination.

As I have catalogued the songs from my shows, I found I have accumulated quite a list of travel-related songs.

"A View from the Highest Mountain" from "Never Cry Wolf"
"As the French Say" from "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse"
"Off to the Races" from "The Tale of Chicken Licken"
"Off to Seek My Fortune" from "The Adventures of Dick Whittington"
"Over the Briny Sea" from "The Adventures of Dick Whittington"
"Over Yonder" from "Stone Soup"
"I Love the City Life" from "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse"
"The Quest" from "Momotaro"
"Bremen Town Musicians" from "The Tale of the Musicians of Bremen"
"What Is It Like?" from "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse"

But one song really sums up the idea of transporting the audience to another place and time. The show is "Parizade's Quest - a Tale from the Arabian Nights." Jamileh, the apprentice storyteller, invites the audience into the story as she weaves her tale. The Opener "Come with Me" also introduces all of the characters of the show. Enjoy!

(So fun watching these kids try to subtly adjust their positions to make a better "stage picture." This was Opening Night. They got their Proximity, Planes, and Levels worked out better by the end of the run.)

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Delivering on Great Expectations

5/7/2022

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Elaborate sets definitely create for the audience some great expectations. That being said, I have seen school productions done with elaborate sets and have still come away disappointed. The show just didn't deliver what was advertised. I have also gone to school shows with barely any sets and have been satisfyingly entertained. The sets, costumes, props and scenery cannot make up for the lack of well-prepared acting, singing, and dancing which is the result of good direction.

This week I attended a semi-professional production of "Camelot" done in a tiny theater with just a handful of actors, with barely any sets, and no scenic backdrop. Obviously, there was no build up of any great expectations there. However, I knew enough by reputation of this theater group to wonder just how they would do a show that usually depends on color and pageantry to pull off this grand Lerner and Lowe Musical. Well, they did it with inspired direction, fine acting, beautiful singing, and regal costuming --- okay, and a few props. But mostly, the audience members were invited to use their imaginations. What they did with so little was impressive!

In contrast, the elementary school show I attended this week had an incredible set that was in full view of the audience when they walked in. So, already, by just walking into the gym, my expectations were set pretty high. I had done a show at that school five years earlier. So, naturally, I felt some jealousy because, for that show, the school administration wouldn't even allow the stage to be cleared of all of the junk they had stored on it. We had to figure out how to work around all that stuff, create a "backstage" with drapes we hung ourselves, and deal with not having entrances onto the stage except from the front. And we barely had any budget whatsoever.

When the show started, though, I remembered how tragic the sound and lighting situation was. The air conditioning system on the ceiling of the gym was exceptionally noisy. The stage lighting only lit up the deep stage, nothing down front of the stage. (And half of their usable set was in front of the stage!) They somehow had gotten eight lavalier mics, but only a couple actually worked at the right times.

Anyway, where the kids sang well on the songs they did together in unison, there were unfortunate sound issues on the solos. So, as an audience member with no previous knowledge of the play, I really couldn't understand the words, and so I had trouble following the plot. Also, the kids did what most untrained school kids do on stage --- they turned their backs on the audience. Most of the time, we couldn't tell who was talking or singing and we definitely couldn't read their lips.

A far better return for their investment would have been to teach the kids to "cheat" out to the audience, be aware of "Proximity, Planes, and Levels," and use proper gesturing to pull focus when giving a line or singing. Maybe they could have utilized their stationary mic better through tasteful blocking.

It is sad that the audience members usually come not really expecting much. They stoically clap and bring flowers to their child performers to give them validation for their hard work. Wouldn't it be better to give these kids some actual training so they could give a polished performance?

My understanding is that this show was mounted purely by untrained volunteers. Too bad. The school should have hired at least one professional. Clearly there is available talent in the school population! With what the people in charge did with donations and volunteering from the school community to create the set this go around, by rights they should be able to do a top notched show in the future, one that can deliver on great expectations!

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Updating

5/3/2022

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The older I get, the harder it is to do all of the updating necessary to stay current in the world. Technology really is great. I am not complaining about the interesting technologies that clever people have created to make our lives better. I guess the hard part is seeing previous technological advances (that I worked hard to learn) suddenly become obsolete. Just as you are finally secure in using the functions you need, somebody decides to create an entirely new set of protocols. ARGH!

There are times, though, when I must eat my own words. I appreciate the look of new furniture, fresh paint, manicured gardens, newly completed buildings, and many other "updated" things. So, I really shouldn't complain about having to update my technology over and over.

Anyway, there is a Pioneer Museum in my town where I help occasionally as a docent. The building is crumbling and creaking, there are barely any ADA accommodations, and the exhibits are displayed in the same 1940's glass boxes that have sat there unchanged for several generations. It pains me to see this museum in such a sad state.

Our committee members (mostly age 75+) have had talks about doing some updating. They have the idea of applying for grants to get "technology" to help visitors get more information about the exhibits. While the idea is good, it is but a drop in the bucket of what needs to be done. The museum's mission is to tell the story of the Utah Pioneers who settled our area (1847-1900). The story we are supposedly showcasing is of that very specific time period. So why do we have so many random collections of knick-knacks and kitsch from the mid-20th Century on? Space is at a premium, so we should be very selective about what we display.

Just like I need to update my computer and smart phone and software every couple of years, even a museum should do updating, and may I add editing. The trouble isn't just funding, it's overcoming the older generation's fear of change. If we truly want to maintain the artifacts and tell the stories of our ancestors, we must update the way we preserve them and present them to younger people. We shouldn't let the artifacts deteriorate before our very eyes. And we should find engaging ways to tell our ancestors' stories for new generations.

The mini-musical "The Musicians of Bremen" is on just this theme of the difficulties of Age and Change. This song is sung by the Donkey, Dog, Rooster, and Cat. They set out to leave the farm before the old man and woman have them... ahem... "edited." They always wanted to be musicians due to their "beautiful" voices. So, they head to the musical town of Bremen where they hope to be graciously received. Enjoy!

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Celebrating Seasons

Never a Dull Moment

Color

Travel Thoughts

Delivering on Great Expectations

Updating

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