Saying Goodbye: The BAI Intern’s End of the Summer

A look at the Brooklyn Youth Chorus through the eyes of it’s newest interns- Deana and Monifa; keep reading for our final entry of BYC Through Us! (8/19 ENTRY #4)

Last week, our Summer campers worked hard to put on their own performance with the theme of Musical Theatre! 

BYC’s Summer Camp Kids Travel Down Skid Row!

A look at Brooklyn Youth Chorus through the eyes of it’s newest interns- Deana and Monifa.; Keep reading to find out what happened at Summer Camp’s Musical Theatre performance! (8/5 ENTRY #3)

“Making a New Musical” Sparks Creativity in BYC

A look at Brooklyn Youth Chorus through the eyes of it’s newest interns- Deana and Monifa; keep reading to find out what happened last week at Summer Camp! (7/29/16 ENTRY #2)

An Introduction- BYC Through Us (Entry #1!)

A look at Brooklyn Youth Chorus through the eyes of it’s newest interns- Deana and Monifa; keep reading for our first entry! (7/22/16 ENTRY #1)

This weekend, Aging Magician received its world premiere at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. 

The creative masterpiece of composer Paola Prestini and librettist/performer Rinde Eckert, Aging Magician is a composite of sonic and visual elements that paints an allegory on time, youth, and the peculiar magic of ordinary life, and, perhaps, the ordinary magic of a peculiar life. 

The work will be performed at the Krannert Center in Illinois on April 2. 

Our choristers are at  MASS MoCA this weekend to workshop Aging Magician ahead of its premiere at the Walker Art Center. Check out this cool preview

We’re listening to this new track by Kanye West featuring our friend Caroline Shaw. 

Aging Magician World Premiere and Tour

Rinde Eckert and the Chorus in Aging Magician. Photo by Jill Steinberg.

Following the triumphant success of Black Mountain Songs last season, the Chorus now gears up for the world premiere of Aging Magician, its latest full-scale dramatic theater work. The creative masterpiece of composer Paola Prestini and librettist/performer Rinde Eckert, Aging Magician is a composite of sonic and visual elements that paints an allegory on time, youth, and the peculiar magic of ordinary life, and, perhaps, the ordinary magic of a peculiar life.

Accompanied by the JACK Quartet and Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Aging Magician moves us along with Harold from the surgical repair of a timepiece to the magic show of time itself, lives and deaths, appearances and disappearances. We asked composer Paola Prestini and notable director Julian Crouch about what to expect from the world premiere performance at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Can you walk us through Harold’s journey? What is it that makes him so interesting?

JC: Basically Harold is writing a book about an aging magician who, in turn, is searching for a young boy to pass his knowledge on to. Harold takes a physical journey which follows the F train to Coney Island but simultaneously through his memories.

Are there any specific sources of inspiration for Aging Magician?

PP: I was listening to Triplets of Belleville, and a wide roster of influences: music from Tunisia, folk music from Mexico, some of the grand musicals from the 40-50’s…and of course all the operatic work I love!

What can audiences expect from Aging Magician and from the character Harold?

PP: Audiences can expect an interdisciplinary journey of music, theater, opera and puppetry led by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus into the life of our ordinary and wonderful lead, Harold.

What was your (Julian and Paola’s) collaboration with each other—and Rinde—like?

PP: We worked together on concept, story, and we have our ebb and flow. For example, with Rinde, we’ve gone back and forth—where sometime I write music and he fills in text. Julian is exquisitely sensitive to music, and he understands structure innately, so he often comments and helps on that end. 

JC: As far as the writing goes, Paola and Rinde do the hard work (music and libretto) while I act as a kind of dramaturg, focusing mainly on theatrical structure. As director and co-designer, I am also responsible for the staging and the visual cohesion of the piece with collaborators Mark Stewart (instrument designer/sculptor), Amy Rubin (co-designer) and Josh Higgason (projection and lighting design).

What was designing for Aging Magician like compared to your other work? 

JC: To be honest, every piece of work has its own character. However, the main joy of Aging Magician and what makes it unusual for me is the opportunity to take advantage of a conducted chorus, not just as a musical element but also as mass image generator.

What does the chorus represent in Aging Magician?

PP: The chorus was inspired by the gondolier Charon the Ferryman, who crosses the souls across the rivert Styx. The chorus ushers, cajoles, and helps Harold on this ultimate journey of a lifetime. 

Julian, your work often features puppetry or live animation. Does the show have any puppetry?

JC: The piece is still in process, but I suspect that there will be nothing in this show that someone would call a conventional puppet. But certainly objects and materials will be manipulated using puppetry skills. So puppetry, but no puppets. 

What is the most challenging aspect of working together on Aging Magician? 

JC: Coordination of calendars I think...We are all busy people. Other than that, just the usual challenge of remarkable artists trying to an extraordinary piece.

PP: I loved it all. The challenges, as always, are the time each discipline takes and making sure everyone’s process is respected. I couldn’t ask for a more extraordinary cast of characters an collaborators. 

Become Who I Am: An Interview with Mary Kouyoumdjian

Mary Kouyoumdjian’s Become Who I Am is a stirring work featuring a track from our own choristers. This latest commission from Brooklyn Youth Chorus highlights our desire to create music that is both relevant to our choristers but also move them in a way that popular music cannot. 

Become Who I Am premieres at the opening of the new St. Ann’s Warehouse on October 17, in two performances at 12 and 8 pm. Ticket and more info can be found here.

We asked Mary some questions in anticipation of the world premiere performance. 

BYC: What can audiences expect from this new work? 

MK: Become Who I Am is an open conversation about gender inequality in the workplace – one that I hope audiences continue after the piece has been performed and they’ve left the concert hall. There are many factors that contribute to gender inequality in the professional world, from antiquated views to culturally imposed biases. I’m particularly interested in how an individual’s level of confidence—or lack of confidence—in their identity and abilities can affect how they deal with gender barriers. The piece is comprised of interviews I recorded with teenagers from Brooklyn Youth Chorus, who were asked to share what they were passionate about. They shared when they felt more confident or insecure, responded to a series of gender inequality statistics, and brainstormed solutions to the disparity in numbers. The audience can expect a whole lot of honesty from the kids on what can often be considered a topic that only affects adults

BYC: Are there any specific sources of inspiration for Become Who I am?

MK: The many concerts in which men are the majority of composers programmed, if not the only composers being programmed; the lack of women conductors at the podium (thank goodness for people like Dianne Berkun-Menaker who are proof that this is changing); a culture that rewards “masculine” notions of music, attitude, and image, rather than celebrating femininity (should women wear dresses to concerts, use “feminine” font in their scores, show sensitivity in their music and behavior, etc.?); and statements and articles against women in the arts that seem to have surged in the past few years. Thankfully, there have been more women (and men) standing up and speaking about gender inequality in music, pointing out where it happens, and I find that all very exciting and hopeful! After several conversations about this with Dianne, Kronos, friends and colleagues, it became clear that it was time to address all of this through a collaborative project.

BYC: You're no stranger to Brooklyn Youth Chorus. In fact, you had a residency at our headquarters with Exploring the Metropolis. How did that residency prepare you to write for the chorus and how so?

MK: I got a good impression of the type of community Brooklyn Youth Chorus was creating. I’d see excited kids passing through on their way to rehearsals, like they were actually looking forward to practicing! The kids would hang out and connect with each other in the halls, and the staff was always really warm, even though they were busy balancing a million projects at once. It was clear that everyone genuinely wanted to be there, and that collectively they were all working towards the same goals. As a composer, that type of group focus is really motivating. Catching little snapshots of BYC’s rehearsals was a great way to familiarize with the group’s sound and the type of material they enjoyed performing.

BYC: What is the most challenging aspect of writing for the Chorus?

MK: I think it was integrating the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the kids in a way that served the piece, but didn’t feel exploitative. It can be a lot easier to open up about what makes you feel insecure when you’re in a safe place with a few trusted people in a small and private space, and it can be scary to then have those personal thoughts exposed publicly over loud speakers with an audience full of strangers. I needed to be aware of the interviewees’ confidence and trust that the work I was creating was there to support them, while at the same time making sure that my awareness didn’t compromise the honesty and direction of the piece.

BYC: Kronos Quartet join us for this concert, and you’ve written works for them as well. How do you write differently for a youth chorus than a string quartet?

MK: Words definitely play an important role. With a string quartet, I’m thinking about how the music itself can evoke meaning, but when a libretto comes into play, suddenly a more direct method of communication enters. There are also a lot of similarities between the two ensembles. Just as I worked with four parts for the string quartet, I also worked with four parts for the chorus and both “instruments” have a lot of flexibility in texture/timbre and can bend freely between notes. Considering balance between the two groups was important –a large number of singers vs. 4 string players– so the quartet will be amplified to better match the chorus’ volume.

BYC: How did you come up with the title for Become Who I Am? And is there any significance to what you want the work to evoke?

MK: When I was interviewing the choristers, I asked them what they wanted to be in the future and one of the teenagers responded with “I’m just trying to become who I am.” I thought this was so beautiful – aren’t we all trying to become the people who we already are inside? For these adolescents, they’re discovering and forming their unique identities, and I think we as a larger community have a responsibility to remove the barriers that may prevent them from doing so.

A Heartfelt Farewell

Welcome everyone to the last and final installation of C&R Adventures!

This week, Rendy and I felt a large wave of sadness watching what would be our last blogged-about performance here at the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Today’s group “Intro into Musical Theater” sang songs that all focused upon one theme...friendship. 

And this made us feel even more sad. Rendy and I were immediately transported to the first day we started work here at the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, when the kids beautifully sang the song “Rainbow Connection” from the Muppets movie. Many of the kids embodied the theme of friendship during the performance when they hugged, swayed, and held hands. The performance was definitely a tear jerker as I looked back at my co-worker Rendy who busied himself wiping away tears. This was a great way to end our stay here at the chorus!

-Rendy and Chankele

The New Creators of Music

Welcome everyone to another weekly installment of C&R Adventures.

This week I had the privilege of watching yet another unique Brooklyn Youth Chorus performance, and today’s group had the busy task of creating their own new music. In front of the parents the little tots appeared to be shy, but when their time came to preform all previous feelings of shyness were abandoned. Many of them took on the duties of conductors at times, when they used cues to signal an end of a song. I was immediately amazed at how fast they seemed to understand those cues. I, on the other hand, was never able to as a child. But even more amazing and adorable were their drawings used to explain the thought process behind their songs. One student, when asked why she chose to write a song about rainbows, kept it short and simple by saying “ I like rainbows.” Can’t argue with that.

This group had one thing in common with last week’s “Writing Your Own Musical” group. They too expressed profound amounts of not only imagination and creativity, but also originality. The song topics varied from trees to cheetahs, and even family! But unlike last week’s “Writing Your Own Musical” group, this week’s “Creating New Music” group utilized and played instruments to accompany their own voices. Some of the instruments played were the xylophone, piano, drums, and a shaker. Many of them expressed their desires of learning to play other instruments such as the violin and even the adventurous electric guitar. With every instrument played, looks of concentration passed through each of their faces. I enjoyed watching Meadow play the piano while the others sang in a song about trees in unison.

Even summer camp instructor Molly Herron had the expression of joy written over her face as she watched the kid’s work come to life. 

All in all, the performance was grand.

-Rendy and Chankele

Writing Is Musically Fundamental

Welcome to the second installation of C&R Adventures!

This week, we got the chance to review a unique Brooklyn Youth Chorus summer camp performance. Read all about it!

If there is anything you should know about me, I love book adaptations. This week’s camp was “Writing Your Own Musical”, where a new cast of kids got together to create their own written musical with original songs adapted from an uncommon source. The kids took a non-dialogue picture book called “Mr. O”, and stretched it out into a 12-minute musical with catchy original songs and great humor. It was so good that it rather depressed me when it ended. Personally, I wouldn’t even mind if it went on for another 30 minutes. Parents and staff laughed hard at the performance of Elijah, age 7, who was the antagonist portraying Father Time. His character had depth and a sad backstory, but he played it with enthusiasm and villainous flare (he even had the cape to prove it). 

The lead of Mr. O, played by Obafemi, age 9, was performed with nothing but pure energy. He hilariously gave character to his prop dog (a stuffed animal), which added humor to the show. Despite their young ages, Obafemi and Elijah’s facial expressions and comedic timing were always on cue, which led to numerous laugh-out-loud moments. The whole performance was packed with dance and movement, which captured our attention from start to finish. Each and every character had their own time in the limelight, which was refreshing. Another brilliant job by Brooklyn Youth Chorus faculty member Leah Miles and camp counselor Deanna (BYC alumna). The Brooklyn Youth Chorus’ adaptation of Mr. O was the perfect ending to a good Friday that had us smiling through the weekend. 

-Rendy Jones

Musical Magic                                   (C & R Adventure #1)

Every week, Rendy and I (Chankele) are dedicated to giving you our breakdown of each final performance done here at Brooklyn Youth Chorus’ summer camp. What makes our reviews so special? Well, the various creative programs conducted here at Brooklyn Youth Chorus inspired us to express how great and significant they are. Each new program is a new experience waiting to be felt and written down just for your reading pleasure. Not only do we make it our duty to review the groundbreaking talent here at Brooklyn Youth Chorus’ summer camp, but we also make it our mission to make you feel as if you are present at each and every performance.

The debut of this week’s Musical Theater group started summer camp on a high note. It was quite surprising to see that kids between the ages of 9-12 could sound so pitch perfect. Many of the kids weren’t afraid to take the spotlight when performing popular Broadway songs from different decades. The songs varied from the 90s classic Once On This Island’s “Why we Tell the Story” to the recent Matilda’s “Revolting Children.” This year’s unique theme of their medley was the apocalypse. They creatively connected each song they performed with their emotional apocalyptic story. With the voices we heard today, many of the kids could easily be mistaken for Broadway performers instead of summer camp members. Parents were amazed (as were we), when their mentor (and Brooklyn Youth Chorus faculty member) Leah Myles informed us that the whole production took only five days to perfect. Gulps of air were taken as each kid stepped up to the plate and delivered us a feast of great vocals. In each part of the performance kids highlighted their roles with show-stopping talent. Each and every kid sang their leads with fervor and appealed to not only our ears but to our hearts. Sounds of laughter filled the room as Rosa delivered her line “So are we in charge?” Nonetheless, there was never a dull moment. Even as my arm muscles began to ache for a break from filming, the desire to capture each and every precious moment persisted so that filming was never stopped. We laughed, listened, and smiled with them as they sang their way through the performance. The show consisted of a thirty-minute set but when it was all over you could see that the audience wanted more. Using the piano as his only instrument, Travis Horton provided the wonderful accompaniment. After the show, parents seized the opportunity to thank both Leah and camp counselor (and Brooklyn Youth Chorus alumna) Deanna for the wonderful job they did improving the vocal skills of their children.  Overall it was a great experience for us not only to witness talent but also film it for everyone’s enjoyment.

                                                                                                   Chankele W.

Meet The Interns

Every summer, Brooklyn Youth Chorus has the pleasure of hiring interns with a wide array of skills and experience. This year, these young professionals are interested in everything from film to graphic design to vocal performance. Meet the five fresh new faces you'll be seeing around the building in the coming weeks!

Meet Asia Harvey Wright, 18

This is Asia’s second year of interning, so she knows the ropes. Asia is a professional at organizing scores and preparing materials for the year, as she spent a decade by our side as a chorister herself. We’re thrilled she decided to return and lend a helping hand to this harmonious community of ours. Asia attends McGill University and is studying vocal jazz.

Talia Fuchs, 19

Having been a chorister for 7 years, this is Talia’s 1st time interning and we’re overjoyed to have her on our team. Talia says she wants to give back to the program that gave her so many once-in-a-life opportunities. This summer, she is our very own music librarian. The library is her domain, and she helps out by filing and organizing music with ease. Just like Asia, Talia also attends Mcgill University, but the similarities stop here because Talia studies vocal classical instead of jazz.

Deanna Goudelias, 18

This is Deanna’s fourth year interning at BYC. You might say she knows this place like the back of her hand, and we might agree with you. Deanna attended the Chorus for four years. “She basically lives there”, Talia (intern) says. As an intern, she works directly with the kids as one of our summer camp counselors. Before camp started, she took time off from her schedule to help organize the office. That’s dedication! Deanna dreams of becoming a conductor and working as a staff member one day. She will be attending Bucknell University in the fall. 

Rendy Jones, 17

This is Rendy’s first year working at BYC. He is an intern from Studio in a School assigned to create a marketing video for summer camp. He is a rising senior at Academy for Careers in Television and Film. He specializes in editing, directing, screenwriting, and occasionally film reviewing. Rendy was amazed that we collaborated with Academy Award-winning songwriter Glen Hansard on the song “This Gift”. It’s one of his favorite songs that he plays on his phone. He one day hopes to become a filmmaker, writing and directing his own feature films and is excited to be working with us this summer.

Chankele Winfield, 17

Last but not least, we’d like to welcome Chankele to our dream team of interns. She is a first year intern, and also comes to us from Studio in a School. Bringing not only film skills to the table, she also creates posters for us using Photoshop and her artistic eye. Chankele was a finalist for the City Wide Graphic Arts competition, and plans on entering again next year. She attends Midwood High school and is a rising senior. She hopes to study and nursing and art, and plans on working on entrepreneurial ventures in the future.