{"id":208259,"date":"2020-06-23T08:26:30","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T12:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/?p=208259"},"modified":"2020-06-24T08:53:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T12:53:28","slug":"expressing-thanks-through-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/2020\/06\/23\/expressing-thanks-through-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Expressing Thanks Through Music"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After months of physical isolation and weeks of solitary work, 45 volunteer current and alumni members of the MSU Singers \u2013 sopranos, altos, tenors and basses \u2013 their director and assistants have produced a collective expressive of thanks and hope, in a virtual performance with the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.njsymphony.org\/\">New Jersey Symphony Orchestra<\/a>\u00a0(NJSO).<\/p>\n<p>The collaboration centers on a new work,\u00a0<em>Gratias Tibi<\/em>, by Jos\u00e9 Luis Dom\u00ednguez, that is one of the first-ever commissioned specifically for physically distanced choir and orchestra performance.\u00a0<em>Gratias Tibi<\/em>\u00a0enjoyed its world premiere online Monday, June 22, at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n<p><em>Gratias Tibi<\/em>, which means \u201cthanks to you\u201d in Latin, offers a message of thanks to all front line workers who have responded to this unprecedented emergency with bravery and compassion.<\/p>\n<p>But creating a professional quality sound and visual performance isn\u2019t as easy as putting everyone in a Zoom meeting and waving a virtual baton.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Video: MSU Singers: The Making of Gratias Tibi\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a7C8PDZ3Z4o?feature=oembed\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"width: 500px; height: 281px; border: 0px solid #000;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWorking with singers is more complicated due to the complexities of rhythmically aligning vowels, placement of initial and final consonants, breathing, phrasing in the first instance,\u201d explains Heather J. Buchanan, Montclair State University Director of Choral Activities. \u201cAnd we have student choristers who had to learn music without the ability to hear all of the vocal parts simultaneously and in a very limited time frame \u2013 less than two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To aid the choristers in breathing and hitting their consonants in synchronicity \u2013 despite social distancing and solitary recording \u2013 Buchanan pioneered a new methodology that involved layering a click track from NJSO with piano accompaniment and breathing cues for each part coached and recorded by John J. Cali School of Music faculty member Steven W. Ryan. The scaffolded coaching\/piano\/click track was then used by each member of the chorus to individually practice and record their parts, which were then submitted electronically and \u201cstitched\u201d together for the final, professional-quality performance.<\/p>\n<p>Buchanan and Ryan met with the singers for virtual Zoom rehearsals on May 12 to introduce the piece and May 19 to troubleshoot any problems. The sessions ended up being a shared conversation about choir members\u2019 experiences.<\/p>\n<p>On May 12, when Buchanan first shared the score and her score notes with the singers, Ryan also gave them a preview of what the full chorus and orchestra might sound like using an electronic facsimile.<\/p>\n<p>The students began commenting in the Zoom chat and their excitement was palpable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2029Wow this is really pretty\u2029 super bombastic and grand\u2029. I\u2019m loving it\u2029,\u201d said Aaron Noriega.<\/p>\n<p>From Terralyn Hayes: \u201cThis is gonna be beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Added Isaiah Bridges-Green: \u201c\u2029I see tears of joy in everyone\u2019s future\u2029.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The students then set about recording their practices and interviewing themselves to document the process, its challenges and its highlights, before recording and submitting their final vocal files.<\/p>\n<p>A quick perusal of the videos shows singers working their way through the score in bedrooms, basements, apartment lofts, in their grandparents\u2019 dining room \u2013 with some reporting that they were even practicing in their cars. Students contended with nearby construction, noisy neighbors, car alarms, leaf blowers and siblings. Charmingly, some videos included surprise visitors such as curious cats and one rabbit named Mr. Kibble.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the distractions, all of the singers appear laser-focused on their work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen this project came about I think everyone in the choir was so excited to just have the opportunity to still be making beautiful music together but just in a different way,\u201d says Alexa Tammone.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding the challenges, Kylan Hillman points out, \u201cThe hardest thing with this is to find the musicality when you don\u2019t get to sing it with the rest of the choir.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChoirs aren\u2019t just people singing the same or different notes at the same time, there\u2019s a connection there,\u201d explains Cristina Latino.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m just very grateful for this,\u201d she adds. \u201cIt has enhanced for all of us our musicianship and it has opened our eyes to new ways that we can produce music even in these challenging times. If you had asked us six months ago if a virtual choir could work we probably would have said \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to impact the audience,\u201d says Mackenzie Conaway, \u201cgiving them a moment to reflect to be thankful for what they have and being thankful for the front line workers. My mom works in health care, and this is a really great way to thank her as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Video: Gratias Tibi\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ATpVXvwnBy0?feature=oembed\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"width: 500px; height: 281px; border: 0px solid #000;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Buchanan says she\u2019s grateful that her students had the opportunity to collaborate with the NJSO on such a unique project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cService through music is a core value for the MSU choral program, and the message of this composition aligns beautifully for us,\u201d Buchanan says. \u201cWe\u2019re all devastated by the loss of our live performances right now, but we\u2019re honored to be part of a meaningful music project that allows us to express our gratitude to the frontline workers and first responders. Their dedication is our inspiration!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe COVID-19 shutdown yanked artists across the world off stage without warning,\u201d says Anthony Mazzocchi, director of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University. \u201cThese moments of beauty that rise from an awful situation give me so much hope for our art during an otherwise heartbreaking time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe University always responds to adversity with open minds and hearts,\u201d says Daniel Gurskis, dean of the College of the Arts. \u201cMontclair State is proud to reach outward and partner with NJSO on this groundbreaking effort. This collaboration will provide not only a once-in-a-lifetime experience of learning and performance for our students but also solace and connection at a time when they are sorely needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are some situations that require true heroism,\u201d says Dom\u00ednguez \u2013 a frequent NJSO summer parks and family concert conductor, and artistic director of the NJSO Youth Orchestras. \u201cFirst responders, doctors, nurses and everyone on the front lines \u2013 they have the skills and calling and devotion to put themselves in harm\u2019s way. They\u2019re not with their families so that we can be with ours. They are fighting for us, and this hits really close to the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are so proud to premiere this timely, groundbreaking work from Jos\u00e9 Luis, a member of our NJSO family, with our longtime choral partner, Montclair State University,\u201d says NJSO President &amp; CEO Gabriel van Aalst. \u201cThe opportunity to create music in response to this pandemic and sending this message of gratitude to front line workers and first responders is incredibly meaningful to the Orchestra.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Story by Staff Writer<a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=barrmannm\">\u00a0Mary Barr Mann<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMSU Singers: Making of\u00a0<em>Gratias Tibi<\/em>\u201d video by\u00a0<a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/profilepages\/view_profile.php?username=apostolouc\" target=\"_blank\">Christodoulos Apostolou<\/a><\/p>\n<p>You may also like:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/magazine\/spring-summer-2020\/the-beat-goes-on\/\">The Beat Goes On<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2020\/05\/01\/arms-open-wide-for-nurses\/\">Arms Open Wide for Nurses<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MSU Singers and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra collaborate for virtual performance of Gratias Tibi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":208260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208259"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208262,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208259\/revisions\/208262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/john-j-cali-school-of-music\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}