Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | May 17, 2019
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | May 6, 2019
Mist might be in the forecast for Sunday but that won’t stop the music.
Or the race, for the matter—when close to a thousand participants are expected to flood the Berkeley Heights Memorial Field for the 18th Annual Mother’s Day 5K, an event recently bestowed on Wharton Arts after its many years under the auspices of the YMCA. Several things will differ this year from races of yore, and here are just a few of the new and exciting additions to this family-friendly community event:
NEW THIS YEAR
TRIED AND TRUE
To find out more about the Mother’s Day 5K, click here. To register for the race, click here.
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | January 25, 2019
I sat down recently with Performing Arts School faculty member Benjamin Michael to talk about his upcoming performance on the 2018-2019 Salon Series featuring an evening of Romantic works for piano. In addition to works by French composers Debussy and Ravel, the one-hour concert on February 7 will include Granados’ From Goyescas, Op.11: Quejas o la Maja y el Ruiseñor and conclude with Liszt’s Rhapsodie Espagnole.
Q: How did you choose the repertoire for this concert?
A: Previously, I have always performed recitals where every time period would be represented. When asked to appear in this year’s Salon Series, I thought it would be an interesting departure from the norm to select music written within the time span of a hundred years or less. I have always admired French and Spanish music from the turn of the nineteenth century—so that appealed to me for this concert.
Q: What do you like most about these works? What is most significant about this repertoire?
A: Many of the pieces on this program took inspiration from much earlier composers and musical forms. In the second piece, Debussy pays tribute to the French eighteenth century composer Jean-Philippe Rameau by writing in the style of a Sarabande, an aristocratic dance that was popular in his time. Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales, a substantial and thought-provoking work, was inspired by Schubert’s waltzes of the same name, while the main theme of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody is actually a melody that was written in the sixteenth century. Though these musical works seem wholly original and groundbreaking, they are in fact strongly linked to ideas from the past.
Q: How long have you been teaching at the Performing Arts School?
A: I have been teaching at Wharton for about a year. It has been a wonderful and very rewarding experience which I look forward to continuing!
And we’re looking forward to enjoying this Romantic program on February 7! What better way to spend a pre-Valentine’s date?
The Salon Series presents a performance by pianist Benjamin Michael on Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at 60 Locust Avenue in Berkeley Heights. The concert will feature selections by Debussy, Ravel, Granados, and Liszt. Wine and cheese will be served. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for seniors, and free for Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts students. Tickets are available at the door or by calling 908-790-0700.
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | January 24, 2019
IN MEMORY Karen Deschere (1956-2019)
On January 11, Wharton Arts’ Executive Director of nearly half a decade, Karen Deschere, succumbed to a long and arduous battle with cancer. She was perhaps the most universally well-liked Executive Director for whom I have ever had the pleasure to work with. The number of wonderful accolades that could be bestowed on Karen as an arts administrator are too numerous to count; for my part, she always gave me an abundance of space—which I deeply appreciated—and was never too busy to offer advice or guidance.
In addition, Karen rather surprised me by wholeheartedly supporting the comedic short films I have created from time to time for the Performing Arts School. Indeed, I was working on the following video on the Friday evening she passed, hurriedly trying to finish editing in order to show her. I thought it might make her laugh.
Without further ado, I present in loving memory of Karen Deschere: Sophie’s Violin Lesson.
If you would like to donate to the Karen Deschere Fund for Excellence, click here.
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | October 4, 2018
An interview about the upcoming How to Practice Workshop with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra violinist Naomi Youngstein
Performing Arts School
60 Locust Avenue in Berkeley Heights
Friday, October 12 @ 7:00 PM
FREE and Open to the Public
How long have you been a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra?
I joined in November of 1987, so nearly 31 years ago.
What are some highlights of your favorite performances (or one favorite performance) with NJSO?
Two performances stand out: Zdenek Macal conducting anything by Dvořák, and Xian Zhang conducting the Pines of Rome—earthshaking!
When and how did you start amassing tips and insights about practicing for students?
My own teacher at Manhattan School of Music, Burton Kaplan, wrote books and gave workshops about practicing. I use some of his ideas, those of my colleagues, and a lot of my own. Over the years, I’ve learned what works for the school age student. The most important thing to know is that each student may need a different selection of techniques.
If you had to give just one tip about practicing to a beginning student, what would it be? And for an advanced student, would that one tip be different?
For the beginner, I’d suggest always starting by imagining the sound that you want to make. Often the beginner is so concerned with being “right” that they don’t always hear what’s coming out of their instrument. For the advanced student, I’d suggest knowing one’s goals for every piece during each practice session. The advanced student is juggling many things at different levels of preparedness, and deciding what you’d like to accomplish is vital.
What do your own practice sessions consist of?
I always play scales, often etudes and exercises, and usually whatever upcoming pieces we’re performing with the NJSO. This week I reviewed all the harder sections of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony which we perform at the end of this week.
How do you suggest students structure or divide their practice time (ie scales, etudes, repertoire)?
Each student has different needs. Try to get to everything in each session, but each student’s teacher can help the student set priorities. Those priorities can change from week to week.
How important is the use of a metronome in practice?
CRUCIAL!! How do you know if you’re improving if you don’t measure it? You can’t know if you’re controlling a skill or a passage unless you use the metronome. Always write down what metronome marking you’ve achieved. Who could remember such a number from day to day?
For students playing pitched instruments, how do you suggest they work on intonation?
Listening to chords, tonality, matching pitches, always use whole phrases. Out of tune notes always occur in a context, so simply playing higher or lower doesn’t help. Knowing if one is sharp or flat, and how much, is super important.
Favorite food: Definitely pasta
What are you listening to these days: I walk two miles every day and listen to podcasts all the time—my favorite subjects are food, travel, politics, and shows about NYC.
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.
Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | October 2, 2018
An interview about performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra with New Jersey Youth Symphony Manager of Orchestras Stacy Beltran
NJYS Manager of Orchestras Stacy Beltran will perform with Newark Voices, a project-based community choir supported by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, for the NJSO 2018-19 season opening. Formed to engage talented singers and experienced choral musicians from the Greater Newark community, Newark Voices will partner with the Montclair State University Chorale to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” led by Xian Zhang for two NJPAC performances—Friday, October 5 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 7 at 3 pm. On Sunday, audience members can join the choir in singing a portion of the Beethoven in the lobby prior to the concert for ChoralYou.
For tickets and more information, click here.
How long have you been working at NJYS? What do you like most about the job?
This is my sixth season with NJYS. Witnessing the incredible growth of our young and talented musicians is the most fulfilling part of my job.
Tell us about your voice background.
I have been singer all my life. I would sing in church and in school where I would sneak away to the choir room to hang out with other choir members during lunch. I owe my singing to the amazing choir teachers that taught me all through school: Dan Anderson, Fairview Elementary; Jack Bender, Bloomfield High School; and Dr. John Floreen, Rutgers University. Although I was not a music major in college, being in choir afforded me wonderful opportunities, including traveling on tour to Wales and Italy.
Have you sung Beethoven’s Ninth before? If so, where and when?
Actually, this is the first time I will sing this piece. The piece has tested all of my musical talents, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity.
How long did it take to learn the music and your part?
I had to audition for the community choir (Newark Voices) back in May, so I’ve been practicing for about four months now.
How many different vocal parts are there in B9? I think you said that you were singing Alto 2?
Yes, I sing Alto 2—always have! All 8 parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass) are represented in this piece. In one of the sections, you will hear a four-part men’s chorus, and they are amazing! Our very own Terrence Thornhill from the Paterson Music Project, an MSU alumnus, will also be singing!
Was the audition scary? What did you have to do at your audition for Newark Voices?
Ah! Yes, very scary. I have not auditioned for something since college, but it felt good to get back into audition prep mode. The audition consisted of five excerpts from Beethoven’s Ninth for accuracy of notes, rhythm, and German diction, and also a sight-reading example.
Where else do you sing on a regular basis? Do you have a band or ensemble?
Choral music is great, but I also love singing jazz. I serve as social media and PR volunteer for the Rutgers-Newark undergraduate jazz ensemble, Mosaic Jazz, under the direction of Radam Schwartz, and I perform with the other alumni on occasion.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Please come see the performances! The NJSO and MSU choir do this piece great justice and I promise you will love it. If you happen to see me on Sunday at ChoralYou in the NJPAC lobby, say hi!
When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.