30 Kasım 2012 Cuma

What's for lunch this week?

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 Crackers, ham & cheese skewers, cucumber slices, ranch dip, vanilla yogurt, brownie
Recently I bought a bunch of bento lunch box supplies: silicone baking cups, plastic picks, and plastic sauce cups.  They certainly improve the presentation of the food and make it a whole lot more fun to eat!  Even my kids aren't immune to the cuteness factor.  Of course, garnish can be more than just for appearances:  the blue sauce cups in the photo above are garnished with a cilantro leaf and orange sprinkles.  Sure, it looks nice, but I also did it because I didn't want the kids dipping their cucumbers into vanilla yogurt or pouring ranch dressing onto their chocolate brownie!



Mini pancakes with syrup, bananas, kiwi, pineapples, oranges

 Cheese & tomato quesadilla, corn & tomato salsa, grapes

Green salad with blue cheese dressing, dried edamame, clementine orange


 Grilled cheese sandwich, dried apples, granola bites


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In defense of Reno

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Every time we go to Reno, I feel a sense of excitement and adventure, because every time we go, we have a great time -- but every time I tell someone we're going to Reno, I feel a vague sense of defensiveness/sheepishness/apology/shame. Most of the kids' friends at school take their winter vacations in much ritzier places.  They stay in chalets in North Tahoe, condos at Squaw Valley, hotels in South Tahoe, or fly to Aspen or Whistler.  It's sort of like admitting you shop at Kmart or Walmart instead of Macy's, or eating at McDonald's instead of some chic organic/gourmet/celebrity chef cafe.

After all, when people think of Reno, they think of wrinkled old ladies with one hand clutching a cigarette and the other hand clutching a slot machine lever.  They think of tacky casinos and cheap buffets and seedy motels.  They think of Vegas' neglected little brother.  And it's true, Reno does have an air of disrepair and shabbiness about it, of tackiness and tired glitz, especially near the downtown casino area.


But Reno is so much more than that. In fact, we never go to Reno to gamble (okay, Alfie does like playing poker, but he could do that just as easily in the Bay Area).  Venture a bit further from the casinos, and you'll find all the comforts of home, aka shopping malls, Whole Foods Market and great ethnic restaurants.  There's a planetarium and a kids' museum and an auto museum.  The Truckee River runs right through town, and you can walk right along its banks. There are fun things to do hroughout the year: BMX and Monster Truck relays in the spring, kayak races in the summer, balloon races in the fall, and Santa Pub Crawls over the holidays.  The Wild Wild West Town of Virginia City and the quaint Carson City are a 30 minute drive away.  The nearest ski resort is just a 30 minute drive, Mount Rouse, is 30 minutes away.  North Lake Tahoe and Truckee are 40 minutes away.

We even found a place to stay that would hold up against any good hotel in Vegas (in comfort and style, if not size and scale).  The Peppermill Resort & Casino reminds me of the Bellagio in Vegas: it has the Tuscan architecture, the Greek and Roman statues, the beautiful glass ceiling light fixtures.  Their pool area is to die for; two of the pools and the jacuzzi are open year-round, and they keep the water warm enough for people to take a dip in the middle of winter.  Seriously, we've been swimming while snow was falling on our heads!



The rooms are luxurious, clean, stylish, comfortable, everything you'd want in a hotel room (maybe a bit too much gold, but hey, this is Reno).


The best thing about the Peppermill?  You don't have to wade your way through a smoke-filled casino to get anywhere.  You can go straight from your car to hotel check-in to your room to the gym to the spa to the pool without ever having to see a slot machine.  You do need to navigate through the casino to get to most of the restaurants, but there are 2 cafes, a bar and a nice restaurant beside the pool, well away from the smoke and the noise.

I seriously have to get over my Reno reluctance -- and this post is the first step. Forget peer pressure.   You know what?  I DO shop at Walmart. I DO eat at McDonald's.  I DO stay at the Peppermill.  And I DO like Reno.  Try it -- you might like it!


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Things you don't expect when trying to start an ensemble: TwtrSymphony, behind the scenes.

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There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes trying to get this ensemble off the ground.


Correspondence

Probably the most surprising aspect of working with TwtrSymphony is the amount of time I spend corresponding with people. Beyond just the tweets – which have moments of being fast and furious (and I've not been nearly active enough over the last three months) – I get emails from the musicians in the group, musicians wanting to join the group, people interested in knowing more about us and people wanting to sell us some service. There are details that have to be maintained when we get new musicians, like email addresses, instruments they play, biographies. Fortunately, We have a couple of volunteers who help with this administrative work. Still, it is a lot of work keeping it all organized.


Paperwork

Add to this our ambitions of setting TwtrSymphony up as a non-profit organization (like most other orchestras in the United States), and there is a host of paperwork to be filed, accountants to be conferred with, setting up a bank account, filing for a DBA, finding a non-profit lawyer (if you want to make sure to handle this all correctly) and other non-profit managers to get their advice on what not to do. It is important to get the paperwork right, because small mistakes in the way it is setup can lead to costly changes in the future.


Money
Then there are the money people. In the US, a non-profit organization needs to have a Board of Directors (the people who will eventually become my boss). They don't necessarily run the organization, but legally they are the ones responsible to ensure it's doing what it intended to do. Most orchestra board members also help to find funding in one way or another. Either they donate large sums as a philanthropic gesture, or they know people or organizations who do – and it's best if the board can do both. I don't naturally hobnob with people who have assets over a million dollars, so this has been a new experience for me to say the least.


Then then are all the grants and foundations which also give money to organizations. Until our non-profit status is complete, I can't really apply for any grants. Still, it is important to assess what's out there - to get an idea what's possible in terms of funding. You can lump corporations into this category too, as certainly the YouTube Symphony wouldn't have existed without the generous funding by Google. Since Twitter hasn't jumped on board our venture yet, I'm seeking other opportunities.


Marketing

While our musicians are really good at spreading the word about TwtrSymphony, there is still a need to have focused placement of tweets, Facebook posts, Tumblr posts and reaching out to magazines, reviewers and other media outlets. Fortunately, one of our administrators is willing to write the press releases.

budgets - More Paperwork

People and organizations that consider giving money want to see the budget, business plan and your goals for the future. This means having to have an idea as to where we are going, what's possible and what's not, taking a look at what we've done, what needs to change to do it better and what other options we could look at doing. Then putting all this into a simple format that's easy to read, understand and get excited about. Our concept is cool, but translating that into something that encourages people to give money to keep it going takes a lot of work.


None of the above issues has anything to do with music. There are numerous tasks I'm involved in with the music beyond just writing pieces for TwtrSymphony to play. Most of the music tasks I was aware of going into the project, or at least had a grasp of what might be involved. It is all the ancillary tasks people don't normally think about. Running an orchestra is a lot of work, and very little of it is music related. My hats off to all the other orchestras out there and their administrative staff. They have a lot of work to do to bring the music to life.

Roy Mueller Appointed Ex. Dir. of LA Children's Chorus

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Long-Time Arts Administrator Previously Served as Executive Director of San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum and Education Director of Pasadena Kidspace Children’s Museum


Roy Mueller, a highly regarded non-profit arts administrator with deep roots in Southern California, has been appointed Executive Director of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) following a nationwide search, it was announced by LACC Board Chair Joanne Crawford-Dunér. Mueller, who is also an accomplished musician, previously served as Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, where he led the museum through a successful four-year $5.2 million capital campaign to design and build a new facility. Prior to that he was Education Director of Pasadena Kidspace Children’s Museum, where he developed innovative art and science education programs for a diverse community audience.


“I am pleased to welcome Roy to the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus,” says Crawford-Dunér. “His exceptional non-profit arts leadership skills and keen fundraising abilities, as well as his creative program development, educational background and music performance experience are an ideal match for the position of Los Angeles Children’s Chorus Executive Director. I look forward to working closely with Roy on a number of exciting initiatives during this exciting time in the LACC’s evolution.”


“It is an honor to lead this extraordinary organization,” states Mueller. “During my tenure at the Pasadena’s Kidspace Children’s Museum, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of Los Angeles area arts organizations including the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Pasadena Symphony and Shumei Arts Council. I am highly impressed by LACC’s artistic excellence and its mission to serve the community. I look forward to working with LACC’s Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson and am pleased to return to Southern California to take the administrative helm of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.”


In his role with the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, Mueller, who has more than 16 years of non-profit leadership experience, articulated the vision for the new children’s museum and built the organization from the ground up, strategizing and implementing successful fundraising initiatives, including the $5.2 million capital campaign. He developed and managed operational budgets, cultivated community relationships and mentored a staff of 20 to support the vision and mission of the museum. He received a Bachelor of Music (performance) degree from the University of Louisville and a Master of Music (performance) from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He also earned a Certificate of Jazz Composition and Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston. For more than 15 years, Mueller performed as a classical oboist/English hornist in South America, Europe and the United States, composed music for classical, jazz and theatrical genres, and taught music at the university level.


Described as “astonishingly polished,” “hauntingly beautiful,” and “one heck of a talented group of kids,” LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost children's choirs. Founded in 1986 and led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, LACC performs with such leading organizations as LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and POPs, Jacaranda, and Calder Quartet. The chorus' roster includes more than 400 children aged 6-18 from 60 communities across Los Angeles in six choirs and First Experiences in Singing classes and ensemble for young singers. LACC has toured South Africa, North and South America, China and Europe, and produced the world-premiere of “Keepers of the Night,” an opera by Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock. The chorus appeared on LA Master Chorale’s Decca recording “A Good Understanding,” and Plácido Domingo’s Deutsche Grammophon recording “Amore Infinito” ("Infinite Love") and, in 2011, gave the U.S. premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Dona Nobis Pacem.” The subject of a trilogy of documentaries by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock, LACC is featured in the Academy Award-nominated “Sing!,” about a year in the life of the choir; “Sing Opera!,” documenting the production of LACC’s commissioned family opera “Keepers of the Night”; and “Sing China!,” chronicling its groundbreaking tour to China just prior to the Beijing Olympics. LACC has performed with John Mayer on NBC's “The Tonight Show,” and was featured on Public Radio International's nationally syndicated show “From the Top,” among other credits. Open auditions for LACC take place each May. LACC also offers 6-7 year old children a non-auditioned program, First Experiences in Singing, which serves as an enriching and fun introduction to music.

TwtrSymphony's Tremulando Dança to be available for download Monday, October 15th

To contact us Click HERE

Pre-release copies are available NOW for FANS ONLY



Monday, October 15th, TwtrSymphony will release the long awaited 3rd movement of Symphony No. 2 Birds of a Feather, "Tremulando Dança." This piece, which some of our musicians called, "the most difficult, yet rewarding music" is finally out of the studio and ready for the public.


Sound Engineers Garry Boyle and Felipe Gonzalez have been working on this track now for nearly two months. When you hear the complexity of the voicing, the interweaving rhythms and the intricate interplay of the various melodies you'll understand their struggle. Complicating their efforts is the fact that none of the musicians recorded their parts in the same room. The whole concept of TwtrSymphony is connecting musicians from around the world. So, "Tremulando Dança" is a piece comprised of recordings from all over, brought together in the studios of Garry (in Edinburgh Scotland) and Felipe (in Concón, Chile) to create the end product.


The challenge for TwtrSymphony musicians and engineers is to keep the sense of live performance in the music. When sixty-plus musicians are recording their parts individually, without the benefit of hearing what other musicians have done, the result is sixty-plus interpretations to how each note should be played. Through gentle massaging of the recorded tracks, the engineers have pulled together their best work yet.


Sarah Richardson created a video for "Tremulando Dança" which will also launch on Monday. People will be able to stream the music live from TwtrSymphony's website, download the music or play the video on YouTube. The previous track "Birds of Paradise," released in August, reached over 1000 views in just ten days. If this is any indication of TwtrSymphony's growing popularity, "Tremulando Dança" should be even more popular as the rumba-like dance rhythms of the piece are infectious.


Fans of the TwtrSymphony website have a special bonus: right now, downloads for FANS ONLY are FREE. For a limited time, the 1st two movements are being made available for fans, but will be removed from availability next week when Tremulando is available to the public.


TwtrSymphony, conceived by Chip Michael in March 2012, has steadily gained in popularity, reaching over 1400 twitter followers. While no one on the project is paid for their efforts, the quality of their output is getting recognition from newspapers and bloggers around the world with articles appearing in the traditional press as well as online editions.


The first piece Symphony No. 2 Birds of a Feather, written by Chip Michael specifically for the musicians of TwtrSymphony gets to the very core of what it is to be a symphony. Written in four movements, each movement is less than 140 seconds (2 mins, 20 seconds) long, keeping with the premise of TwtrSymphony — to distill the essence of music. Each movement keeps with the tradition of past great composers of symphonies, the first movement in Sonata Allegro form, the second is a slow, introspective work, the third is a scherzo and the fourth (yet to be released) is a theme and variations. Not only does the music capture the essence of what it is to be a symphony, Chip Michael also feels it is important for every part to be fun and relevant to the music. "For a project designed to bring together musicians from around the world, it is important each musician feel integral to the project and not just play a couple notes here and there or just provide a steady beat," said composer Chip Michael.

29 Kasım 2012 Perşembe

What's for lunch this week?

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Pork siopao, red bell peppers, dried pineapples, mango cubes, pumpkin pretzels
Didn't I just brag about my improving photo quality last week? I take it all back.  This week's photos look worse than ever!  I think it's because the mornings are getting darker and darker, and I just can't get a decent amount of light for my phone camera to focus with.  What I need, of course, is a newer, more expensive phone with a better camera :)   Don't let the grainy images fool you, though; the food featured this week is delish.  I'm especially proud of the pumpkin pretzels in the photo above.  It took me a few tries to get them looking all cute and pumpkin-like, but the result is worth it.  I may not spend time getting a good photograph, but that's because I'd rather spend the time making a yummy lunch!



Breakfast muffin (with egg, cheese and Canadian bacon), strawberries, apple slices

Leftover pizza, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms, pumpkin macarons

Spinach, cream cheese and tomato roll-ups, prosciutto and mozzarella roll-up, mixed Annie's Bunny Grahams

Waffles with Nutella, cantaloupe, dried apple slices

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What's for lunch this week? Lunch break!

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Hot dog on a bun, mixed nuts, strawberries
It's Thanksgiving week, and the kids have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off.  That means I only have to make 2 lunches this week!   Advanced Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and I hope you enjoy the (lunch-making) break!



Smucker's Uncrustables, pretzels, strawberries

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Ferry Building Marketplace: a Foodie's paradise

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How have I lived in the Bay Area for almost 20 years and never been to San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace before now?  Okay, it was just a former ferry terminal that had fallen into disuse once the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge were completed in 1936 and 1937,  and with the construction of the Embarcadero Freeway, it barely even saw daylight -- so I had no reason to know it existed.  But after the collapse of the freeway in the 1998 Loma Prieto Earthquake, the whole Embarcadero area began to transform, and the Ferry Building underwent a massive renovation -- so after 2003, I no longer have an excuse.  I had heard about the Ferry Building Marketplace, of course, but just never got around to going there.  Even The Pea got to visit the place before I did!


I finally visited the Ferry Building Marketplace a couple of weeks ago when I went on a chocolate tour with a friend -- and I seriously need to make up for lost time.  The place is a food lover's paradise!  You'll find merchants selling everything from dried mushrooms to artisan olive oil to caviar to tea-infused chocolate truffles  There are butchers and bakers and candlestick makers, restaurants and cafes.  Everything looks fresh, upscale, and made with love and care.


The exterior architecture is classically grand, and the interior is bright and airy.  It reminds me of Napa's Oxbow Market, with merchants lining the hall, and people wandering from from store to store, tasting, looking, enjoying.  Check out some of the delicious finds at the Ferry Building:


Stonehouse Olive Oil


Scharffen Berger Chocolate


Neo Cocoa Truffles

Recchiuti Confections

Hey, it was a chocolate tour.  My friend and I did grab a sandwich at Boccalone Salumeria to go, but we were in too much of a hurry to stop for photos.  I had to wolf my sandwich down on the drive back home, but it deserved to be eaten while sitting at a little cafe table, with a hunky Italian waiter pouring mineral water into artisan glass goblets.  Yes, it was that delicious: salty salami, crusty bread, peppery arugula, spicy mustard.  Yum.

I would have loved to wander around, but we just didn't have enough time.  There are a couple of places I definitely would have dropped by at:  Miette (to try the Parisian macarons), Cowgirl Creamery (because I love their cheese and I want to have the luxury of choosing from their full line-up) and El Porteño Empanadas (because the buttery, meaty smell wafting from their booth nearly drove me crazy).

Oh, yes, Ferry Building Marketplace, there WILL be a next time, and it WILL be soon.


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What's for lunch this week?

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 Crackers, ham & cheese skewers, cucumber slices, ranch dip, vanilla yogurt, brownie
Recently I bought a bunch of bento lunch box supplies: silicone baking cups, plastic picks, and plastic sauce cups.  They certainly improve the presentation of the food and make it a whole lot more fun to eat!  Even my kids aren't immune to the cuteness factor.  Of course, garnish can be more than just for appearances:  the blue sauce cups in the photo above are garnished with a cilantro leaf and orange sprinkles.  Sure, it looks nice, but I also did it because I didn't want the kids dipping their cucumbers into vanilla yogurt or pouring ranch dressing onto their chocolate brownie!



Mini pancakes with syrup, bananas, kiwi, pineapples, oranges

 Cheese & tomato quesadilla, corn & tomato salsa, grapes

Green salad with blue cheese dressing, dried edamame, clementine orange


 Grilled cheese sandwich, dried apples, granola bites


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Taking Photos

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Last night I dreamed that I was watching what might be the greatest game of football ever.  All the best players in the world were there, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, some blond guy and lots of others I can't remember any more -- you know how quickly dream memories fade -- but I know they were great.  There were no team colors or kits, just regular workout gear, and there were no ugly fouls, no cheating or diving.  The guys were playing just for the sheer joy of the game.  The game was held in some kind of indoor arena, and the spectator area was like a parent's waiting area in a dance studio, separated from the pitch by a glass wall (hey, it's a dream, go with the flow).  Anyone could just wander in and watch.

The only catch? No photos allowed.


I felt a vague sense of frustration throughout the dream, like the inability to take photos was ruining my enjoyment of the game. It was as though I was worried I'd never remember the game, or that the game  wouldn't even exist if I didn't have photos to prove it happened.

I woke up thinking, If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, did it even make a sound?  If I wasn't able to take a photo of an event -- or tweet that I was there, or check in and post a status update on Facebook -- was I really there?

In my defense, I was brought up by a photo-obsessed mom.  All my life my mother has been annoying friends and family with her insistence that everyone stop, gather and pose for a photo at every single gathering or event.  Most of her photos look like class photos: rows and rows of people, with only the heads visible (the front row sitting on a sofa or behind a restaurant table), with no background showing so you can't even tell where it was taken.  I personally don't like taking large group photos (5 people or less, please, so I can actually see your faces), but I'm just as bad.

I know I'm not alone, though.  I constantly see people blatantly ignoring "No photography" signs in museums where the light from camera flashes would damage precious works of art.  I constantly see people holding their phones aloft at concerts where filming is not allowed.  I know people with hundreds, even thousands of photos on their iPhones.  My Facebook stream is filled with people checking in at this restaurant or that landmark, posting photos of the concert they're attending or the hotel they're sipping mai tais at.   People are recording and broadcasting their lives on Instagram, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube.

Is that such a bad thing? Nah -- as long as you don't let the recording get in the way of enjoying.  I once blogged about dropping my obsession about videotaping The Pea's dance recitals because watching it live was so much better than watching it through the video capture monitor.  What I didn't add in that last post (I wish I could find it!) was that part of your enjoyment might come from sharing the moment with people who aren't there.  Who among us isn't grateful to the bartender who recorded Mitt Romney's "47 percent" moment?  Finally: memories fade, but disk space lasts forever.  So I'm going to keep snapping away!




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28 Kasım 2012 Çarşamba

Things you don't expect when trying to start an ensemble: TwtrSymphony, behind the scenes.

To contact us Click HERE

There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes trying to get this ensemble off the ground.


Correspondence

Probably the most surprising aspect of working with TwtrSymphony is the amount of time I spend corresponding with people. Beyond just the tweets – which have moments of being fast and furious (and I've not been nearly active enough over the last three months) – I get emails from the musicians in the group, musicians wanting to join the group, people interested in knowing more about us and people wanting to sell us some service. There are details that have to be maintained when we get new musicians, like email addresses, instruments they play, biographies. Fortunately, We have a couple of volunteers who help with this administrative work. Still, it is a lot of work keeping it all organized.


Paperwork

Add to this our ambitions of setting TwtrSymphony up as a non-profit organization (like most other orchestras in the United States), and there is a host of paperwork to be filed, accountants to be conferred with, setting up a bank account, filing for a DBA, finding a non-profit lawyer (if you want to make sure to handle this all correctly) and other non-profit managers to get their advice on what not to do. It is important to get the paperwork right, because small mistakes in the way it is setup can lead to costly changes in the future.


Money
Then there are the money people. In the US, a non-profit organization needs to have a Board of Directors (the people who will eventually become my boss). They don't necessarily run the organization, but legally they are the ones responsible to ensure it's doing what it intended to do. Most orchestra board members also help to find funding in one way or another. Either they donate large sums as a philanthropic gesture, or they know people or organizations who do – and it's best if the board can do both. I don't naturally hobnob with people who have assets over a million dollars, so this has been a new experience for me to say the least.


Then then are all the grants and foundations which also give money to organizations. Until our non-profit status is complete, I can't really apply for any grants. Still, it is important to assess what's out there - to get an idea what's possible in terms of funding. You can lump corporations into this category too, as certainly the YouTube Symphony wouldn't have existed without the generous funding by Google. Since Twitter hasn't jumped on board our venture yet, I'm seeking other opportunities.


Marketing

While our musicians are really good at spreading the word about TwtrSymphony, there is still a need to have focused placement of tweets, Facebook posts, Tumblr posts and reaching out to magazines, reviewers and other media outlets. Fortunately, one of our administrators is willing to write the press releases.

budgets - More Paperwork

People and organizations that consider giving money want to see the budget, business plan and your goals for the future. This means having to have an idea as to where we are going, what's possible and what's not, taking a look at what we've done, what needs to change to do it better and what other options we could look at doing. Then putting all this into a simple format that's easy to read, understand and get excited about. Our concept is cool, but translating that into something that encourages people to give money to keep it going takes a lot of work.


None of the above issues has anything to do with music. There are numerous tasks I'm involved in with the music beyond just writing pieces for TwtrSymphony to play. Most of the music tasks I was aware of going into the project, or at least had a grasp of what might be involved. It is all the ancillary tasks people don't normally think about. Running an orchestra is a lot of work, and very little of it is music related. My hats off to all the other orchestras out there and their administrative staff. They have a lot of work to do to bring the music to life.

Roy Mueller Appointed Ex. Dir. of LA Children's Chorus

To contact us Click HERE

Long-Time Arts Administrator Previously Served as Executive Director of San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum and Education Director of Pasadena Kidspace Children’s Museum


Roy Mueller, a highly regarded non-profit arts administrator with deep roots in Southern California, has been appointed Executive Director of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC) following a nationwide search, it was announced by LACC Board Chair Joanne Crawford-Dunér. Mueller, who is also an accomplished musician, previously served as Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, where he led the museum through a successful four-year $5.2 million capital campaign to design and build a new facility. Prior to that he was Education Director of Pasadena Kidspace Children’s Museum, where he developed innovative art and science education programs for a diverse community audience.


“I am pleased to welcome Roy to the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus,” says Crawford-Dunér. “His exceptional non-profit arts leadership skills and keen fundraising abilities, as well as his creative program development, educational background and music performance experience are an ideal match for the position of Los Angeles Children’s Chorus Executive Director. I look forward to working closely with Roy on a number of exciting initiatives during this exciting time in the LACC’s evolution.”


“It is an honor to lead this extraordinary organization,” states Mueller. “During my tenure at the Pasadena’s Kidspace Children’s Museum, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of Los Angeles area arts organizations including the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Pasadena Symphony and Shumei Arts Council. I am highly impressed by LACC’s artistic excellence and its mission to serve the community. I look forward to working with LACC’s Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson and am pleased to return to Southern California to take the administrative helm of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.”


In his role with the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum, Mueller, who has more than 16 years of non-profit leadership experience, articulated the vision for the new children’s museum and built the organization from the ground up, strategizing and implementing successful fundraising initiatives, including the $5.2 million capital campaign. He developed and managed operational budgets, cultivated community relationships and mentored a staff of 20 to support the vision and mission of the museum. He received a Bachelor of Music (performance) degree from the University of Louisville and a Master of Music (performance) from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He also earned a Certificate of Jazz Composition and Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston. For more than 15 years, Mueller performed as a classical oboist/English hornist in South America, Europe and the United States, composed music for classical, jazz and theatrical genres, and taught music at the university level.


Described as “astonishingly polished,” “hauntingly beautiful,” and “one heck of a talented group of kids,” LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost children's choirs. Founded in 1986 and led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, LACC performs with such leading organizations as LA Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and POPs, Jacaranda, and Calder Quartet. The chorus' roster includes more than 400 children aged 6-18 from 60 communities across Los Angeles in six choirs and First Experiences in Singing classes and ensemble for young singers. LACC has toured South Africa, North and South America, China and Europe, and produced the world-premiere of “Keepers of the Night,” an opera by Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock. The chorus appeared on LA Master Chorale’s Decca recording “A Good Understanding,” and Plácido Domingo’s Deutsche Grammophon recording “Amore Infinito” ("Infinite Love") and, in 2011, gave the U.S. premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s “Dona Nobis Pacem.” The subject of a trilogy of documentaries by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Freida Lee Mock, LACC is featured in the Academy Award-nominated “Sing!,” about a year in the life of the choir; “Sing Opera!,” documenting the production of LACC’s commissioned family opera “Keepers of the Night”; and “Sing China!,” chronicling its groundbreaking tour to China just prior to the Beijing Olympics. LACC has performed with John Mayer on NBC's “The Tonight Show,” and was featured on Public Radio International's nationally syndicated show “From the Top,” among other credits. Open auditions for LACC take place each May. LACC also offers 6-7 year old children a non-auditioned program, First Experiences in Singing, which serves as an enriching and fun introduction to music.

TwtrSymphony's Tremulando Dança to be available for download Monday, October 15th

To contact us Click HERE

Pre-release copies are available NOW for FANS ONLY



Monday, October 15th, TwtrSymphony will release the long awaited 3rd movement of Symphony No. 2 Birds of a Feather, "Tremulando Dança." This piece, which some of our musicians called, "the most difficult, yet rewarding music" is finally out of the studio and ready for the public.


Sound Engineers Garry Boyle and Felipe Gonzalez have been working on this track now for nearly two months. When you hear the complexity of the voicing, the interweaving rhythms and the intricate interplay of the various melodies you'll understand their struggle. Complicating their efforts is the fact that none of the musicians recorded their parts in the same room. The whole concept of TwtrSymphony is connecting musicians from around the world. So, "Tremulando Dança" is a piece comprised of recordings from all over, brought together in the studios of Garry (in Edinburgh Scotland) and Felipe (in Concón, Chile) to create the end product.


The challenge for TwtrSymphony musicians and engineers is to keep the sense of live performance in the music. When sixty-plus musicians are recording their parts individually, without the benefit of hearing what other musicians have done, the result is sixty-plus interpretations to how each note should be played. Through gentle massaging of the recorded tracks, the engineers have pulled together their best work yet.


Sarah Richardson created a video for "Tremulando Dança" which will also launch on Monday. People will be able to stream the music live from TwtrSymphony's website, download the music or play the video on YouTube. The previous track "Birds of Paradise," released in August, reached over 1000 views in just ten days. If this is any indication of TwtrSymphony's growing popularity, "Tremulando Dança" should be even more popular as the rumba-like dance rhythms of the piece are infectious.


Fans of the TwtrSymphony website have a special bonus: right now, downloads for FANS ONLY are FREE. For a limited time, the 1st two movements are being made available for fans, but will be removed from availability next week when Tremulando is available to the public.


TwtrSymphony, conceived by Chip Michael in March 2012, has steadily gained in popularity, reaching over 1400 twitter followers. While no one on the project is paid for their efforts, the quality of their output is getting recognition from newspapers and bloggers around the world with articles appearing in the traditional press as well as online editions.


The first piece Symphony No. 2 Birds of a Feather, written by Chip Michael specifically for the musicians of TwtrSymphony gets to the very core of what it is to be a symphony. Written in four movements, each movement is less than 140 seconds (2 mins, 20 seconds) long, keeping with the premise of TwtrSymphony — to distill the essence of music. Each movement keeps with the tradition of past great composers of symphonies, the first movement in Sonata Allegro form, the second is a slow, introspective work, the third is a scherzo and the fourth (yet to be released) is a theme and variations. Not only does the music capture the essence of what it is to be a symphony, Chip Michael also feels it is important for every part to be fun and relevant to the music. "For a project designed to bring together musicians from around the world, it is important each musician feel integral to the project and not just play a couple notes here and there or just provide a steady beat," said composer Chip Michael.


Ivan Grianti's Wall Project

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Lower Polk Street on Thanksgiving morning was the usual collection of homeless tumbling out of their shelters and starting their long day of zigzagging from one lavish soup kitchen to another, but we also ran across the young artist Ivan Grianti above working on a mural near Sutter Street.



For a tumblr site with his photos, click here, and for a collection of his online videos, click here.



The incomplete "Wall Project" looks like it's going to be spectacularly beautiful.

Art with Words

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The Words as ART with Words exhibit at the Asian Art Museum just suddenly appeared a couple of weeks ago without any warning or publicity. It's not even mentioned on the museum's Exhibitions website page.



This seems to be part of the institution's attempt to jazz up their permanent collection galleries, such as they did with the recent Phantoms of Asia exhibit about religious cosmology. This time it feels better focused, and the "Art with Words" extends from illustrated Indian manuscripts to an intricately illuminated 1882 Koran from Iran.



In the Korean wing, there are a few beautiful examples of calligraphy on scrolls and screens, such as Personal observations of a scholar official by Gwon Dongsu from the late 19th century.



As usual, the Japanese win all the design prizes, with the 1593 book Shukaso (Gleanings from the Mist) above...



...and Calligraphy of waka poetry on cards by Hon'ami Koetsu from the early 17th century above and below.



Even their modern takes on calligraphy are great, such as Inoue Yuichi's Wolf below.



Free Sunday admission at the Asian is this week, and you should consider taking the museum up on their offer.