Michael McGlynn and the Anúna International Choral Summer School

 For those of you who are big Michael McGlynn/Anúna fans, especially you here in the US (yes, I also have readers all over the globe- the biggest base is in Russia, a bit surprising to me), I'd like to let you know that Michael will be at Dallas ACDA promoting his Anúna International Choral Summer School. The folks I have met who attended the first offering of this school  are all abuzz with excitement about the experience and this coming summer he has a great cast of guest teachers, including Grammy award-winning American conductor Charle Bruffy. I first met Michael when he came to Chicago for the last national conference in my hometown of Chicago when the final day happened to fall on St. Paddy's Day and the ACDA main conference hotel was also the base hotel for the gigantic Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. Here is what Michael had to say about that day in his blog:

My experiences to date in the USA have been pretty limited or unrealistic. They usually involve moving daily from place to place on tour with my choir Anúna, or attending business meetings that don’t allow you to get a sense of a city or town except in the most superficial way.  This was one of the reasons why I was very happy to stay in Chicago for a week, although it hadn’t struck me that it was also St. Patrick’s week, and that the city has a huge Irish-American community, ably represented by my friend and local guide Eamonn Cummins.

 My non-choral moments included an architectural boat trip in sub-zero temperatures that was pretty thrilling, a sublime and unexpectedly joyful visit to Old St Patrick’s Church and a silent rugby match being beamed into a bar full of people dressed in green that were oblivious to the unfolding tragic Irish drama on the screen. There was a green river, plastic shamrocks, and hopeful tee-shirts with various slogans on them indicating that the wearer needed some form of close physical congress with you because they were pretending to be Irish for one day only. Maybe they weren’t pretending… having left a country soaking in a mire of negativity, these good-humoured and well-behaved revellers have redefined what it means to be Irish. Ireland isn’t just a place anymore. It’s a state of mind.

Michael and I have stayed in touch over the last two years and we have had some nice conversations about changes in the choral publishing world and other things. I also let him know that my nine year old boy hums Anúna songs around the house- and not my music! Oh well-haha. Recently Michael let me know he would be in Dallas and I offered to get the word out, so here is an intro from him and more info about the summer school:

Michael McGlynn

In 2012 Anúna celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Rather than have a standard "celebration" of what has to be the oddest career C.V. in choral music, I decided to define what it was that makes Anúna so unusual and unique. So, from mid 2012 to early this year we created a choral vocabulary which, surprise surprise, we call "The Anúna Technique". 

While the ideas that define it are simple, they turn many accepted concepts about choral technique on their head. The beauty of this Technique is that it is as simple or as complex as you need it to be, appealing to children and choral professionals equally.

The uniquely isolated nature of Anúna's development has resulted in the announcement of a second Anúna International Choral Summer School which will focus on the practical application of these techniques and its associated ideas.

The Anúna International Choral SummerSchool

In the past quarter century Anúna, Ireland's National Choir, has gained international recognition as one of the world's  most original choral ensembles. It is renowned for its  mesmerising sound and atmospheric stage performances. Under the guidance of composer/director Michael McGlynn, Anúna has created specific and effective techniques for both solo  and choral singers. These techniques are, in many ways,  revolutionary and yet simple in concept.
This year's Summer School will take place in the beautiful  setting of Dublin's Merrion Square. The School is suitable for solo vocalists, choral singers, choral composers, music students and choral conductors. Michael McGlynn and  Education co-ordinator/choral clinician Lucy Champion  will be joined by a panel of international vocal experts.  Topics will include : ~ Singing workshops focussing on the physicality of singing ~ Individual and group singing lessons ~ Advanced vocal & choral techniques applied practically ~ Lectures, seminars and participatory discussions ~ Social events ~ Participation in a performance with Anúna ~ Analysis and performance of McGlynn's choral music.
Michael McGlynn is rapidly becoming one of the  best-known writers of choral music today.  His musical language combines elements of medieval  and traditional music (modality, complex rhythmic structures,  ornamentation and drones) with jazz-tinged chordal clusters  and a distinctive melodic sensibility.  In 1987 he founded the choral group ANÚNA  whose repertoire features his compositions  almost exclusively. His choral music has been  recorded and performed by Chanticleer, Rajaton,  the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the Dale Warland Singers,  Conspirare, the BBC Singers, Kansas City Chorale,  Phoenix Chorale and Cantus. He has led choral workshops in the Netherlands,  Japan, Sweden, the USA, the UK, Poland and  most recently at the Shanghai Conservatory in China.
Email summerschool@anuna.ie for further details and  registration requirements www.anuna.ie / www.michaelmcglynn.com

Pt. 2: Guest blog by Kira Rugen- Anúna's Concert Tour of Japan

Part II

Tsunami stricken Fukushima

This was my first time visiting Japan and I knew very little about the country before arriving. Therefore, I feel blessed that my first experience singing with Anúna was for the Japanese people in Fukushima, the most heavily damaged region stricken by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The Ambassador of Ireland sponsored a series of projects in which several Irish artists provided comfort and cheer to children in the region through benefit concerts. The Japanese put a lot of stake into the healing power of music, but this is especially true for a country that has recently endured a catastrophic natural disaster. Anúna and Irish musician, Liam Ó Maonlaí, gave performances to primary age and secondary age Japanese students over the course of two days. Although I am an American, by virtue of singing with Anúna, I was a part of these extraordinary events.

We were told that this region is devastated. Yet, on the surface it would not be immediately clear to a visitor why the region continues to suffer. On a driving tour of the worst hit neighborhoods, we noticed that large areas have been cleared and in some cases rebuilt. The cleanup was thorough and swift. It is not the aftermath of the tsunami itself that has devastated the region, but rather, the ever-present radiation that continues to exist in the ground, drinking water and continues to touch every part of the residents’ lives. The children are not allowed to play outside because there is radiation in the ground. The food supply, such as crops and animal products, has been infiltrated. A pathway is cleared and sprayed down daily for students to walk on to and from school in the hopes that there will be less radiation exposure. To us it was a poignant and telling moment to see those children, wearing their matching uniforms and matching backpacks, walk in lines along these pathways as they made their way home. I found their return to everyday life and their display of routine impressive, but also emotionally unsettling. They have been through immense upheaval, yet they go on with their regular lives attending school, going to work and buying goods. They exhibited a sense of ‘normalcy’ that the rest of the world hopes and prays for in that region.

Anúna in Fukushima, December 2011 from Anuna on Vimeo.

[Note: Vimeo player may be a little slmow in loading]

The children were very excited for the ‘foreigners’ to arrive. In their shy demeanor, they insisted on saying ‘Konnichiwa’ in the hallways, and the entire campus was abuzz with excitement. During the performance, students sat in rows organized by age, with five-year olds in the front.

photo: Yoko Nozaki

As we began our concert, the children were so surprised by our entrance that they began murmuring and standing up to understand what was happening around them. They continued to be mesmerized as we sang and moved around the space. We ended our program by having the children join us in the traditional Japanese song “Yuki”, our own special version of which we had prepared for them on the bus ride to the region. Young children stood up to sing with us, and instruments were given to older student for them to join in on the fun!

photo: Yoko Nozaki

At the close of our concert, the 4th-6th grade band performed for us. It was a true education for me to see what these children ages nine to eleven were capable of musically. The talent displayed by the forty-member band was outstanding. There were xylophones, accordions, melodicas, hand drums, timpani and piano. Never mind that these were not ‘traditional’ band instruments, this elementary school ensemble had an extraordinary gift to offer. They were rhythmic, musical, and the pieces were completely memorized. The entire program had the air of respect and appreciation for our presence at their school. I was fully impressed and felt that instead of our concert being the catalyst for healing them, they instead healed us with their impressive display. As the Japanese children exited the hall, they were not shy in their desire to touch us. Plenty of high fives, handshakes, hugs and pictures with the peace sign were exchanged.

photo: Anúna

The effect Anúna can have on an audience of any age, socioeconomic status, or culture is profound. These children were enthusiastic about our performance and fascinated with Anúna’s ritualized movement, shimmering voices and historical costumes. Our presentation was completely foreign to anything they have ever experienced and their reaction, given in the universal language of children, was pure joy!

After this experience, I was certain that I would have been happy to spend the entire tour doing several benefit concerts for the children in Japan. As I sang with Anúna, I held a sense of hope that this little gift we gave them was enough to at least offset their pain for a while. I gazed at those adorable little girls and boys, who were fascinated with our program, and I wanted to weep for them. They looked and acted exactly like my son and daughter, who are five and seven, and I found myself making comparisons. They are all full of life, smiles and joy! I couldn’t help but think of their great potential. Yet, I was able to see resigned acceptance and pain behind the eyes in the parents who were seated in the back of the hall. They exhibited an ache and a yearning for what was lost, but also a great appreciation for what we were there to do. It took all of my strength as a performer to avoid deteriorating emotionally while we were sharing our music and I utterly failed in my composure during their concert and gift giving ceremony. It touched and shook me, particularly because I am a parent and understand so keenly the hopes, dreams and fears that we all have for our children. It did my heart good to know that we were a part of an effort to support the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Many heartfelt thanks goes to Onahama 1^st Elementary School, Yuko Maeda, Plankton Company, The Embassy of Ireland to Japan, and Anúna for organizing the benefit concerts in the Fukushima region. The Japanese peoples' greatest desire is for rest of the world to not forget what happened and continue to reach out to them. Japan, with your extraordinary attention to service, giving, kindness, beauty and healing: this privileged musician will not forget you.

[PC here: Thank you so much, Kira, for such a personal, heart touching blog. I will follow this soon with information on a musical project/website called "Sing for Japan", put together last year by Marian Dolan, Yo Matsushita, and Sherri Lasko, which has raised money and awareness for the plight of the people in Fukushima.]

Visit Sing for Japan: http://www.thechoirproject.org/sing4japan/

Visit them on FB: http://www.facebook.com/#!/singjapan

Guest blog by Kira Rugen- Anúna's Concert Tour of Japan

At this November's National Collegiate Choral Organization conference (start reading my many blogs from NCCO here) I was fortunate to meet Kira Zeeman Rugen, a bright young singer/conductor and grad student from Greg Gentry's Arizona State University choir who performed at NCCO. Kira asked to interview me as part of her dissertation on recent trends in American choral music and after the interview she told me that she would be singing with Michael McGlynn's Anúna on tour in Japan (I had met Michael earlier this year at ACDA Chicago and we really hit it off). I invited Kira to guest blog about her experiences- you are in for a treat of a read. It will be in two parts starting today.

(BTW, I am looking for more cool guest bloggers who woudl liek to share interesting ideas and expereinces in the choral world- please step forward if you are interested).


Here is a pic of Kira and her bio, and then I will turn the rest of the blog over to her:



Kira Zeeman Rugen, singer and conductor, is pursuing a DMA in choral conducting with a cognate in vocal performance at Arizona State University where she conducts the early music ensemble, Solis Camerata (Choir of the Sun). Kira is also in her eighth season as a singer in the Phoenix Chorale under Charles Bruffy, and is a member of Anuna, Irelands National Choir. She has performed under the direction of Ton Koopman in Carnegie Hall’s Young Artist Concert Series, at the Incheon International Choral Festival in Korea and has sung extensively throughout Italy, Ireland and the U.S. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance and choral conducting from Weber State University, and a Master of Music in choral education with an emphasis in vocal performance from Arizona State University. Kira has taught children and youth choirs, high school choirs, orchestra and musical theater in the greater Phoenix area.


Singing with Anúna – Part I

My name is Kira Zeeman Rugen and I am a DMA candidate in the Choral Conducting program at Arizona State University. I’d like to thank Paul Carey for inviting me to be a guest writer on his blog and I’m excited to share my story.

As a part of my degree, I am pursuing research on the performance practice techniques of contemporary professional choirs. I have had the fortune to interview many interesting conductors and composers for my research, and through this process I met Michael McGlynn. I have always been fascinated with the music of Anúna, particularly the visual beauty and the aural esthetic they have become famous for and wanted to include it in my research. I attended Anúna‘s summer workshop in Dublin last July, and had the honor of singing with Anúna as a part of that event. It was a memorable and fun experience and the information I gleaned for my research was of great value to me. Much to my surprise and excitement, in August, Michael McGlynn invited me to become a touring member of his choir, Anúna. It was an offer of a lifetime that I could not refuse.

My first tour with Anúna, Ireland’s National Choir, was on a two-week concert tour to Japan just last month (December 2011). This adventure certainly gave me first hand eye-opening information for my research. When the schedule of events for the tour arrived, I took one look at the timetable and immediately thought, “That looks like the ugly underbelly of the life of a rock star.” I didn’t know then just how accurate a description that was. Working with Anúna is not like working with a traditional classical choir. As an eight-year member of the Phoenix Chorale and having traveled with them extensively during that time, I am accustomed to rigorous schedules, flights, buses, great friends, exciting cities, beautiful music and rewarding concerts. Touring with Anúna had all of those same elements but with a whole new set of dynamics. Many elements were new to me as a professional singer, and particularly unique to Anúna.

We perform as twelve singers. Every voice is integral, and balancing the sections was always of primary importance. We perform without a conductor, giving us the freedom to perform as a chamber ensemble, communicating directly with an audience. Typically this technique is practiced by ensembles that regularly rehearse and perform together. Often, an Anúna touring group doesn’t get the chance to rehearse together until on location… so we learn fast!
We usually perform with microphones in larger halls. The amplification is meant to ‘lift’ the sound for a natural mix, rather than amplify the sound. The effect is one of a quiet wash of voices that the audience strains hear, as opposed to the wall of blasting speakers found in rock music.
We perform everything memorized, and had to learn by heart all potential lines (S1, S2, and A for girls. T1, T2, B for the guys).

The women of Anúna

I had to alter my tone to fit within the context of their sound, which does stems from a classical tradition, but has a different production than I am accustomed to. There is a mixture of trained classical singers and gifted amateurs, which provides for a unique and beautiful color. I think the best way to describe the tone is to compare it to the traditional solo Irish folk song tradition, and then applied to a choral medium. Let’s just say that operatic vowels do not work here!

Language pronunciation is an issue as the singers are from several different countries. Anúna is based in Dublin, with about thirty-six singers currently on the roster. They come from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the U.S. The Japanese tour included twelve of those singers: three from Northern Ireland, seven from the Dublin area and two from the United States. There are times that the natural Irish accent is compelling in the music. Other times, such as when singing in Latin, we have to work to find some middle ground.

We never know what music, what order, what part or which solo will be sung by whom until we are well into the dress rehearsal of a concert that opens in two hours. Also, Michael prefers to operate without a printed program. There are pros and cons to this method:

Con: It is difficult to know the show down ‘cold’ before it begins and the dress rehearsals feel frantic.

Pros: The show can be flexible, improvisational and fresh for every audience. If someone is sick or is unable to perform, anyone in the ensemble can fill in as necessary. This format prevents the show from growing stale or old and allows for artistic license in any given setting. There is no program to dictate what is coming next, so the audience may experience surprise and wonder by not knowing what is expected.

Anúna is known for their use of space and sound in creative and unconventional ways. We use the entire space of the hall for choreographed and movement numbers. There is a presentation, a gait and appearance that is a part of being an Anúna singer, in particular for the women- slow, graceful, beautiful and natural. It’s not as easy as it sounds!



A unique and defining characteristic of Anúna, is how much we rely heavily upon one another in concert. Even though Michael McGlynn is the leader, there is an egalitarian aspect to the duties and interaction. All singers correct and help each other, create the staging together, and everyone is highlighted as a soloist or instrumentalist in the concerts. Although the choir takes the rehearsals seriously, there is silliness in the work. When the stress gets high, the clowning around keeps the tone light. The Irish work as hard as they play, in all aspects of their life! Their jokes, sarcastic banter and clever tongues add to the camaraderie and fun that defines the group. At first they made my transition into the group comfortable and fun. Then the ‘all-in-good-fun’ teasing began! But by the end of the trip we were all the best of friends. You know what they say about the Irish… neither do I. But I’m sure it’s something like… “The more they razz you, the more they like you!”

(Michael McGlynn)

On the Japanese tour we gave nine or ten concerts and three workshops, each in a different city of Japan, over thirteen days. The workshops were really fun because it gave the audience and locals a chance to interact on a personal level with the choir. We even had the privilege of singing on Japanese national television for three - four million viewers (yes, I was nervous).

Anúna on Japanese TV (photo: Yoko Nozaki)

We took planes, buses, bullet trains and jumbo taxis everywhere we traveled. We stayed in seven or eight different cities (I lost track!) and checked out the local cuisine everywhere we traveled. For those of us who were brave enough, we tested out the Japanese Onsen spas. THAT was certainly a new experience for many of us.

Perhaps the most profound element of performance that I learned as a new singer to Anúna, was the effect this music has on an audience. The Japanese are respectful and quiet people and as a whole, they are some of the most well behaved audiences I have ever sung for. They sat captivated and completely silent throughout each concert and their rapt attention, combined with the compelling music and colorful lighting, created an atmosphere of a dream-like sequence. Musicians are used to gauging an audience based on their reaction to a concert. We describe it by saying we can feel the ‘energy’ of an audience, or we know it by their exuberant clapping. I had to be much more keenly aware of the ‘energy’ in a Japanese audience because of their unmoving and concentrated attention. Over the course of the tour, I became more and more aware that there was a gentle hum of energy flowing from the listeners. They were touched by the atmosphere and soaked up every last nuance. I think they were really listening, and not just hearing the music. The more I was aware of this newly identified energy, the more I was able to respond and change how I performed for them.

After the concerts the Japanese audiences relayed much appreciation by sharing their happiness and sense of peace. They expressed a genuine gratitude and love for our music by presenting us with gifts everywhere we went. It seems to me that the emotional experience listeners have when hearing the music of Anúna, is the magic that makes this ensemble compelling and successful. After all, it is certainly the aspect that initially drew me to love the music of Anúna.

In concert in Japan (photo: Yoko Nozaki)

As a professional singer, I have had some really beautiful musical experiences that I cherish and value. But my experience with Anúna was completely different than anything I’ve done before… and I loved it! In my opinion, the culture that Anúna has developed over the past twenty-five years is something uniquely individual and noteworthy. Their music, which could be identified as a ‘crossover’, is easily approachable and loved worldwide. Having now had the experience of touring with Anúna, I must agree with the comment Michael McGlynn shared with me last August: being Anúna just might be “dangerous to the soul”.

Coming Up: Part Two of Kira's experience

Anúna founder Michael McGlynn's blog about ACDA 2011

One of the highlights for me at the 2011 ACDA National Conference was getting to meet Michael McGlynn, the founder and artistic director of the Irish choir Anúna. I talked about this in this blog entry.

Michael has a brilliant mind and a delightful personality and was especially interested in discussing the shifts in composer/publisher dynamics in the US choral field. I'm going to discuss this in detail soon. There was some very active discussion among many of the leading composers present at the conference in regard to their desire to stop being dependent on traditional publishers. Michael stressed a number of times that we U.S. composers need to keep this enthusiasm for growing independence going, and not let it falter.

Here is Michael's wonderfully written blog on his experience visiting ACDA. Read some of his other entries- there is some very interesting reading here.

Philip Copeland: Most Music Publishing Gets it Wrong

I'm going to share some exchanges going on at ChoralNet. I'll post this in two parts- the first part begins with some thoughts from the very wise and savvy Philip Copeland (and also an amazing conudctor) and then goes into discussion. The next one, which I will post tomorrow, is a quasi-rebuttal by ChoralNet contributor Allen Simon and you'll see that thread of discussion too. Of course I have an opinion to voice as always! Hope you enjoy the reading:

Most Music Publishing Gets it Wrong
Date: September 17, 2010
by philip copeland mail icon
It has been a pretty long time since I last blogged about the music publishing industry. I have been frustrated with their paper-based economic business plan for sometime now and have blogged about it here, here, and here.

The music publishing is far too entrenched in the Gutenberg model and relies solely on the economics of paper, printing, and postage.

We choral directors are the ones paying the price for their entrenchment, whenever we:

* order a piece of music
* pay for postage/shipping
* have a work is back-ordered
* find out that a work is "permanently out of print"
* have to wait for a piece to be delivered.

I wonder about how much better it could be every time I:

* have to provide my own translation
* have to find an expert to make a recording of a language pronunciation
* have to provide my own IPA transcription to a piece of music

I am reminded of how inefficient a system we have every time I:

* instantly download a book from Kindle or Amazon or Barnes & Noble
* instantly download a recording from iTunes
* instantly download a video online

Where is the music publisher of the twenty-first century?
Where is the publisher that provides bonus supplemental material to aid in my teaching?
Who will be the first music publisher that *really* gets it right?
Replies will be publicly viewable once approved. To reply privately, click on the author's name above.
Reply >>
Greg Bartholomew on September 17, 2010 3:27
You might want to consider the many self-published composers and other independent music publishers who do provide the option to purchase downloadable sheet music and/or pdfs with a license for you to make your own copies, as well as full score information, score samples and audio files available on their websites. Robert Wendel has started a webpage listing some of them (Independent Classical Music Publishers), including my own Burke & Bagley. Another great new music distributing source is Art of Sound Music, although so far they have little choral music.
Reply >>
Terry Taylor on September 17, 2010 4:08
When I put my choral conductor's hat on, I could not agree more. A great opportunity awaits the company who can provide a user-friendly, full-service product with educational bonus materials, and can provide it digitally and instantly. What if that company created a blog where the publisher, composer, and directors could have a clearinghouse of teaching, resource, and performance ideas for its anthems? What if that company linked its product to ChoralNet, ACDA, YouTube, Twitter, etc.?

Also, the more I enter this world as a customer, the more pressure I am placing on our copy machine and office infrastructure. (BTW, our office uses a really fancy, sophisticated color/BW copier that staples, punches, duplexes, and makes PDFs, FAXs, emails, booklets, coffee, and omelettes. But the parameters for making customized copies do not accommodate anthem-sized paper!) Is the day here when notation can displayed digitally? "Singers, turn on your iPads, and open "Glory to God." I'm ready. And, while we're there, have the notation application help singers to learn their parts outside rehearsal.

When I don my publisher's hat, the pictures changes some. I was once a president of a little company that sold downloadable children's anthems. Sales reports indicated that 75% of purchases were for one copy of a title, indicating most directors bought the one copy, displayed the text, and taught the music by rote, rather than buying a copy for every singer. The composers received little royalty, and the company did not survive. (Of course, SATB music can't be taught by rote so easily, but this experience could represent the fear of many traditional publishing companies). Still, one wonders IF the digital company had been supported with honesty by its customers, it might have flurished and pressured the Gutenbergists to adapt and compete.

In spite of this and other issues, we all need to move forward. So, I join you, Philip, in a challenge to publishers, composers, and choral directors to bravely enter this new digital world with a commitment to honesty and integrity, and envision and embrace the potential it holds for our children, youth, and adult singers and institutions.

Reply >>
Paul Carey on September 17, 2010 5:28
Amen, brother!

My 2 cents: Folks out there should know that many of us not-yet-dead composers are promoting our new music through our websites, and usually provide a pdf file for the purchaser to copy- saving instantly on postage and time. We also help ourselves survive since we then don't give up 90% of our earnings to a publisher on these"self-published" pieces, many of which are far more interesting than the pieces that are accepted for publication by the usual publishers.In addition, we're very easy to work with regarding performance rights, mechanical licenses, etc. We're trying to get new music out there in the world and are thrilled when we hear directly from choral directors.

The next problem to solve is this-- getting convention/conference organizers to stop looking down on self-published" or manuscript pieces. Currently it is very difficult, even for a top name clinician who has chosen such a piece for one of their guest gigs, to get such music into the hands of conference attendees. There is a large disconnect when the sheet music retailer comes into play. They want the ease of placing large orders with traditional print companies, not have to deal with the details of working with self-published composers. Hopefully we can change peoples minds abou this, but currently it is a problem. I would guess that Tim Sharp and the new energy at ACDA will lead the way in most of this!

Paul Carey
www.paulcarey.net
paulcarey440.blogspot.com
Reply >>
John Wexler on September 17, 2010 5:57
I would endorse what Greg Bartholomew writes: many of us independent publishers are trying to develop better ways to do on-line sheet music publishing. We have diverse ideas about how to do that, but we are all trying to improve on the old printed-paper system with all its annoyances and frustrations. We think we can give you a better deal than the traditional publishers, and we'd love to sell to you. However, as yet, none of us is Big and Famous, so you don't know where to look to find us. Here's a clue: http://www.canasg.com (and a little searching on the web will easily yield more ideas).

There is, of course, one overriding issue: you buy the music that you like, from whoever publishes it, regardless of their business model. If the piece you plan to perform comes from a crusty, awkward, disobliging and expensive publisher ... you just have to pay the money and bear the grief. But, if you take a look at our list, you may find that we too have pieces that you'd like to do. If you don't take a look, then you'll never know.

John Wexler
Partner, Canasg Music
Edinburgh, Scotland
Reply >>
Jeffrey Caulk on September 17, 2010 6:22
Slightly related, I found there are music stands that are digital screens you can work with - the picture came in a lifeway box. But I think it's orchestra/instrumentalist specific. Can't recall any other details.
Reply >>
Jean-Francois Noel on September 17, 2010 6:27
My "new" publishing choral company does just that. The site is in french for now, and when time allows, an english version will come (and more titles too). Many audio examples are available, many downlable samples too. No shipping or duties to pay, and when I have the music on hand, the files get emailed within 24 to 48 hours. What the choir is purchasing is a license, not paper.

I do have to rely on their honesty not to give away the files or lend or resell them... FYI, the site is www.editionschorales.com
Reply >>
David Avshalomov on September 17, 2010 6:35
Dear Philip,

I'm one of the self-published whom Greg references. To get my music out to the wonderful universe of choirs (I have over 60 titles for chorus--catalog list available upon request!), I provide free perusal .pdfs of scores to conductors on request. I simply put an Adobe watermark on them, "NOT FOR PERFORMANCE OR PHOTOCOPY USE." I also provide live or demo MP3s on request for those that I have. My updated website (ETA November) will provide these downloads directly to the visitor. And then if they like a work, they can pay for a cheap photocopy license (no charge for cppying covers and back-page catalog lists) and I email the master .pdf *without the watermark, and they pay me for the number of copies they need to make.

As for Parts Predominant/Practice music files, those are a little labor intensive to make, but I have done so on request. I am still waiting for the MIDI industry to create a MIDI mapping/reader for syllables/vowels/consonants/formants from text underlay in MIDI lines set to a vocal sound (remember MacinTalk?). There is a program that captures these as digital sound bites (recorded by the Seattle Symphonic Choir, I believe, and I hope they get royalties for all the work they and other choirs might as a result lose for commercial work in future), but you have to play them in in real-time on a keyboard using their proprietary program, which is not set up for counterpoint or different words in different voices at the same time, best for homophony but astonishinly realistic; not mapped to MIDI yet). And I have some moral qualms about using such a thing anyhow, since I am a firm proponent of Live Music Always and Everywhere. (Another thread for another day . . . )

But about the .pdf route, let me make this point: Such is my respect for the culture and community of choral musicians, that it has NEVER occurred to me to worry for a moment that anyone would abuse this arrangement (pay for one copy, make 30; or sell them to someone else, etc.) I still sing as a section leader and soloist in local concert choirs, and I have more than once sung in a choral rehearsal where we were handedout xerox copies and one of the old-timers has politely asked the choral conductor "Did we pay for this one?" Etc. So I am happy with how this works, so far, and conductors seem happy with the less expensive option. And I don't spend hours slaving over a hot Xerox machine (I don't sell 1000s of anything--yet!--so I don't do print runs, mostly just-in-time.) (I spend enough time and/or money on engraving already. The fun part is making up the new music!)

My one problem: Perfectionism about physical production of parts/scores. I find that most performing groups (also instrumental) either don't know how or don't have the patience to make 11 x 17 booklets, two-sided, as photocopy masters for nice folded 8 1/2 x 11 booklets on sturdy (Staples Premium) paper--(or even--my own invention--the folded legal-size sheet, which makes a decent small-type 7 x 8 "mocktavo"). They typically just copy the pages backed up on the cheapest letter-size paper and staple them at the side, which makes for an awkward edge-folding problem for the singer. But I have decided, if they are content, I can let that be.

(And of course the related issue with bands and orchestras is that their librarians really want 9 x 12 page sizes, which unfortunately means expensive custom-cut paper etc. That's been a thread on the OrchestraLIst a dozen times. I deal with that by trying to use slightly larger music font settings and wider vertical spacing/fewer staves per page on letter paper.)

We do what we can to make it easy for our wonderful music to get out there to you and be sung and heard and enjoyed!

Best regards,

David Avshalomov
davshalomov@earthlink.net
310-480-9525

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Bryson Mortensen on September 17, 2010 6:55
Its coming! There are several publishers that are picking it up, like plum publishing (focusing on sacred, church-choir like music) and several composers are putting together their own websites and self-publishing their music exactly that way. I have entire set of bookmarks dedicated to composers who self-publish so I can keep track of their music.

Other evidence that we are "getting there" is that several publishers (Walton, Colla Voce, etc.) are FINALLY posting PDF samples of their scores with audio samples. Now I don't have to order every song that looks interesting to decide whether or not I like it or subscribe to the new publications...they're getting there.
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Christina Hemphill on September 17, 2010 6:56
Downloading music is fast but not always cheap for a choir director at a church. Let's assume a choir director, being an honest one, orders 20 copies of "Night of Silence" from GIA music. The downloadable version is $2.00. The shipped hard copy is $2.00. Outside a time concern, why would I pay $2.00 per copy for a downloadable version that I have to use my own ink and paper in order to print the copies for the choir. I checked several songs between the GIA and OCP publishers and I found no monetary difference between downloadable choral versions and shipped ones.

The "Kindle" idea isn't a good one for me, personally. If I understand them correctly, you can't write on them or add markings to the documents held within them. I don't have one, so I don't know this for certain. I find reading music from a screen difficult on my eyes, (I'm old,) which highlights another concern with my using them. Are they even practical to read from a choir perspective considering the changes in screen resolution when read from anything but straight onward?

The licenses to print music from GIA and OCP are for congregation parts only. Accompaniments and arrangements, (octavos) still have to be purchased separately. The CCLI license covers several songs with lead charts, few with keyboard accompaniments, some with a few choral parts, but you aren't going to find octavos available from them and within the use of their license. (They may have added this though since I last had a license with them.)

I have noticed a few publishers offer rehearsal CD's. Of course, these rehearsal CD's are an extra expense and having never purchased one, I don't know if they are simply an accompaniment track or are the individual parts played. And of course, making your own rehearsal CD's requires copyright permissions and the paying of fees and...

What I really find exasperating are those publishing houses that offer booklets for the congregation to use. They have accompaniment books that are expensive, instrumentalist books that are also expensive, but no choir books that match the yearly accompaniment books. In order to add even basic SATB harmony to hymns, you either have to purchase octavo versions, or purchase two to three different choir books they also sell, in the hopes they contain some of the songs offered in the yearly booklet, or make copies of those hymns in the public domain from the accompaniment books. Even with the latter I run into copyright issues. Most of the "public domain" hymns they use have been arranged into new accompaniments, having altered a note or two so they can claim copyright on that version of that public domain hymn, thus making copies of it from their accompaniment book illegal.

I am new to choralnet.org. Thank you for "rediscussing" this subject as it is the first time for me to read it. It is nice to find a place to express my frustration with publishers and copyright without being labeled a trouble maker, a title I've earned when I adamant about using legal copies.

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Abbie Betinis on September 17, 2010 8:44
Great discussion! As a self-publisher myself (selling between 4-5 thousand scores a year) I'm finding my business is still too small to make much profit but just big enough to be taking up all my time. That said, I really enjoy the job!

So far I'm dealing primarily with printed and bound sheet music, shipping rates, inventory, and all that goes with it. But with such a high overhead, and a seemingly-endless demand for the music, I'm currently scheming about ways to go digital.

What I worry most about is related to Terry Taylor's point (above):

Sales reports indicated that 75% of purchases were for one copy of a title, indicating most directors bought the one copy, displayed the text, and taught the music by rote, rather than buying a copy for every singer. The composers received little royalty, and the company did not survive.

While most of my music would be difficult to teach by rote, I do worry about ensembles buying one copy and photocopying it. It has happened a few times to me, where I've found out through a friend-of-a-friend, etc, that a group is performing my music without having purchased the scores. And that kind of disregard feels very personal to me -- makes my stomach turn, as if having put my whole heart and soul into writing the music is still not enough.

One solution: I love love love Paul Caldwell and Sean Ivory's new publishing model (www.caldwellandivory.com), stamping a personalized license on each PDF copy that identifies the buyer and how many copies they are licensed to make.

The biggest question to me is: How much security is necessary for downloadable PDF choral scores? To conductors: Does a license like Caldwell & Ivory's encourage honesty? -- or are you tempted to buy one copy and run eagerly to the photocopier?

What about international buyers, where I'm told illegal PDF sharing is more rampant?

The radio show "Marketplace" on American Public Media recently ran a show about audio downloads and piracy. It was interesting to me because they deduced that most people who pirated digital goods (software, mp3s, etc) did so because they truly thought their measly payment wouldn't make a difference, would never get to the [artist, singer, software designer], and stole it as an attempt to "stick it to big business." So I'm curious about this: If ensembles knew they were supporting an artist directly with each sale, would that encourage honesty in digital download sales? Or is there so much disillusionment with the music publishing industry now that consumers feel they deserve a break?

Thank you Philip, and everyone here, for having this discussion!

Abbie Betinis
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Terrence Liverkey on September 17, 2010 15:04
Love this topic. With the risk of collateral damage that comes from oversimplification; allow me to oversimplify.

I see the transition as inevitable. It's simply utilizing technology to make things more efficient. The current model won't work for much longer.

Choir directors rarely have the budgets (for whatever reason(s) to sustain the current model of paying publishers, distributors and shipping costs; which is why so many of them duplicate.

$1.95/score X 50 = director pays 97.50 (S/H) composers make $9.75

I champion the composers who make their music available for digital delivery and at a MUCH cheaper cost. The cost savings by making things more efficient can benefit the choir directors (which will motivate them to stop copying) And there will still be plenty of money left over for the composer - a much higher percentage than they would have received by selling through current means.

$.40/score X 50 = director pays 20.00 (no S/H) composers make $20.00

This new model is disrupted if the composer's try to sell their PDF's for the same (or near) publisher's costs. But I see it happening. We have to have a shift in the mindsets of the purchasers (conductors) and the composers in terms of what the price tag actually means.

I've removed the costs of website development and promotion because those variables are varied based on a particular composers personal abilities.

The pendulum will shift as it has done in the music industry, it will be somewhat of a messy transition, but it's inevitable.
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Reginald Unterseher on September 19, 2010 7:50
I placed an order for music this very morning, and "WILL BACKORDER" appeared on 3 of the 4 titles. Ridiculous.

I wrote an article for the Northwest ACDA web site on this subject last year, kind of a "future history" of the transition away from the traditional paper publishing model. I think it is coming faster than we think.

http://www.nwacda.org/news-com-unterseher%20article-1-16-09.html

Reginald Unterseher
www.reginaldunterseher.com
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Abbie Betinis on September 19, 2010 14:38
Mr. Unterseher you are a hero to me! I read your article last spring when it was linked to a different ChoralNet posting on the subject. I've shared it with many people through the link on your website. I love especially how optimistic and positive your writing is -- it really makes this shift seem possible. Would love to speak with you more about it if you're up for it. (Or any of you for that matter!)

Abbie Betinis
http://www.abbiebetinis.com/contact.html
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Michael McGlynn on September 20, 2010 7:42
Just one story, related to this topic. My choir, Anuna, recorded a new piece of mine last week, and one of the singers insisted on using his iPad, or iPork as we call it unaffectionately.
He stood for 5 hours holding this in his hand. I suspect that he was making a point, but considering that the item is
1. Silent
2. Scrollable
3. Backlit
4. Portable [well, sort of, and he is around 6 foot 1, and a marathon runner]
then this is something we should all sit up and acknowledge for the future. Digital paper is that future...

Michael McGlynn
www.michaelmcglynn.com
www.anuna.ie
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