PLAYLISTS: Random Iowa Music SoundCloud Playlist 3

Well, I tried to present a MySpace playlist, but it caused me nothing but problems and headaches. So I went back to a source that I knew would work - SoundCloud.

This is the third random playlist we've made on SoundCloud. The random sampler picked quite the variety - hip-hop, alternative, country, rock, and even some Arabic music and a parody!

More IMSC posts and podcasts featuring SoundCloud:
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/search/label/SoundCloud

More IMSC posts and podcasts featuring playlists:
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/search/label/playlists

More IMSC posts and podcasts featuring random playlists:
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/search/label/random%20playlists

One year ago...
Playlists: An Iowa 4th of July Playlist -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2016/07/playlists-iowa-4th-of-july-playlist.html

Two years ago...
Episode 12: Lipstick Homicide Retrospective, Part 1 of 3 -
http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/2015/06/episode-12-lipstick-homicide.html

Other IMSC websites and links:
Feed:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/IowaMusicShowcase
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-Music-Showcase/364796883703114
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/iamusicshowcase
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/iowamusicshowcase

Labels: DJPrayzHim, folk music, Me Albabrani, Mixed Media, NenoPoe1, Omaha (band), playlists, Random Iowa Music SoundCloud Playlists, random playlists, rock music, Sioux City Kid, SoundCloud, Tanner Scheckel,ZAGNation

IOWA MUSIC SHOWCASE PODCAST - Episode 48: Iowa Classical Music

Composer and mezzo-soprano singer Lisa Neher
Photograph by Mike Newman

Classical music has long been a part of our state. It goes beyond Dvorak's summer visit to Spillville!

"Music institutions and venues Iowa is also home to the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera, Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Cedar Rapids Opera, Orchestra Iowa (Cedar Rapids), Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, and the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra.

"The three major University music institutions in Iowa include the Iowa State University School of Music in Ames, University of Iowa School of Music in Iowa City, and The University of Northern Iowa School of Music in Cedar Falls. Other colleges with music programs include Wartburg, Luther, Cornell, Morningside, and Drake, among others. Also, there is the Celtic Music Association of Des Moines. Major venues include the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines.

"The Nordic Choir at Luther College in Decorah has performed around the world, appearing in Norway, England, Germany, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Baltic countries, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Nordic Choir has also appeared throughout the United States, performing in well-known concert halls as Lincoln Center in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Luther College has the largest collegiate choral program in the United States with almost 600 student singers."
- from the Wikipedia entry, Music of Iowa

And the Iowa Composers Forum (http://www.iowacomposers.org/), created by 7 Iowa classical composers, features a musical festival and concert event every year celebrating Iowa's own classical works. It evens has a catalog (http://www.iowacomposers.org/?page_id=112) featuring 144 classical pieces written by Iowans, many of which linked to a spot where you can hear the works!

So although I have an a classical tune occasionally on a podcast or playlist (http://iowamusicshowcase.blogspot.com/search/label/classical), I'm happy to finally present an episode fully dedicated to the classical music scene here!

Ep 48 - Cover by Mike Newman

Mike Newman is a native Iowan and boyfriend to Washington (the state) transplant - we forgive you, Lisa - and Iowa classical composer/singer Lisa Leher. He doesn't have a website for his photography, but according to Neher, "he's just got a good phone camera and a nice eye!"

Original version of the photograph

Labels: classical, classical music, cover, covers, Ep 048, Lisa Neher, Mike Newman, photography

IMSC Ep 48 - Song 1: "Wellington Victory, Symphony" (truncated) written by Ludwig van Beethoven and performed by Jason Weinberger and the wcf (Waterloo-Cedar Falls) symphony

"Conductor Jason Weinberger stands out among musicians of his generation for his passionate commitment to the entire life of his art form. Known for a wholly contemporary approach to programming, presentation, and performance, Jason is a tireless advocate for music among audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

"Jason is currently Artistic Director of Iowa’s pioneering ensemble wcfsymphony, having recently completed four years in a unique dual role combining his musical work with the responsibilities of CEO. Under his artistic leadership the orchestra has made major strides, performing a wide variety of new and recent American music by up-and-coming composers...
- from the wcf symphony website

IMSC Ep 48 - Song 2: "Weihnachten (Frohlocket, ihr Völker, No. 1 of Sechs Sprüche, Op. 79)" and Song 3: "I Will Not Leave You Comfortless" by The Wartburg Choir

"The Wartburg Choir is a select auditioned a cappella choir from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Founded in 1937, the choir became one of the first American college groups to tour Europe. The Wartburg Choir performs sacred music from all historical periods and styles and often premieres new works by contemporary composers. Called a “mighty fortress of skill” by the Washington Post,[1] the Wartburg Choir is one of Wartburg's three musical ensembles that tour internationally on a triennial basis. Beyond national and international tours tours, the choir has received invitations for special appearances in the United States and abroad."
- from their Wikipedia entry

"The internationally acclaimed Wartburg Choir performs sacred music from all historical periods and styles and often features premiere works of contemporary composers...

"F. Melius Christiansen (1871-1955), founder of the St. Olaf Choir and mentor to Dr. Edwin Liemohn, founder of the Wartburg Choir, was seminal in shaping the aesthetic of the Lutheran choral sound in the early 20th century. By basing the sound of the choir on the sonority of the string quartet, he created a highly unified ensemble known for its tuning, technical abilities, and musical discipline.

"Preferring an unaccompanied performance style, Christiansen ensured that the choir would never be limited by the resources of each performance venue. Thus, he was able to extend the performance outreach of his ensemble to any congregation. The latter defined another key aspect of the Lutheran choir tradition through the emphasis on the touring ensemble. Directors of the choir stress the continuing importance of the tradition, explaining that the Wartburg Choir’s central goal is to sing the music historically and pedagogically as appropriately as possible while still honoring the legacy of the tradition." - from their home page

Ep 48 - Song 4: "Siren (Waterhouse)" written by Randy Wells and performed by Mariya Akhadjanova

"Randy Wells (b. 1992) began composing art music in 2012 after teaching himself keyboard and music theory during a winter of self-imposed exile after leaving a university science program. By 2013, he had finished his first compositions that were worth being cataloged, Coney Island Suite and a few guitar pieces.

"Randy’s music represents a continuation of the aesthetic philosophy of the Romantic era, and is characterized by emotional sensitivity and intensity, grandiose tendencies, and heavy influence of extra-musical ideas. Among his influences, Randy counts Mahler, Scriabin, Berg, and Shostakovich...

"andy enjoys playing guitar, piano, and organ, and is also an enthusiastic member of the UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club. Randy studies music composition at the University of Northern Iowa under Dr. Jonathan Schwabe. When not in front of a musical instrument, he can generally be found at the library, enjoying classic literature or reading up on the sciences (another source of musical inspiration)." - from Randy Wells' home page

"I believe that music must always invoke strong emotion, and I treat every job with great urgency and craftsmanship..."
- from Randy Wells' Upwork page

"Randy Wells specializes in Ultra-Romantic music of a programmatic or autobiographical nature. The music is characterized by hyper-emotionalism, grandiose tendencies, and heavy influence of extra-musical ideas. He considers himself an heir to the legacies of Scriabin, Borodin, Korngold, Berg, and Mahler, among others. For further listening, Randy invites you to visit www.randywellsmusic.com"
- from an email to Iowa Music Showcase

Lineup:
Mariya Akhadjanova - piano

Home page:
http://www.randywellsmusic.com/

SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/musicofrandys

Mariya Akhadjanova has no website that I could find!

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/Episode48IowaClassicalMusic/Episode%2048_%20Iowa%20Classical%20Music.mp3

Labels: 2010s, 2017, classical, Ep 048, Mariya Akhadjanova, modern classical, modern classical music, piano,Randy Wells, Siren (Waterhouse) (song), Ultra-Romantic classical music, Waterloo/Cedar Falls area

Ep 48 - Song 5: "Snapshots" Song Cycle: "Crocodiles"/"Rain"/"Sneaky Squirrels"/"A Simple Request"/"Turtle Fence"/"Tuesday and Thursday"/"Spoiler Alert!" written by Lisa Neher and performed by Olivia Betzen and Nate Salazar

"Mezzo-soprano and composer Lisa Neher thrives in the crossroads of the concert hall and the theatre stage... Lisa’s compositions are shaped by her keen sense of dramatic timing and feature aching, lyrical phrases, energetic rhythmic motives, and intensely dissonant pitch clusters...

"She is an active advocate for new music, frequently premiering new works as well as established masterworks of the last fifty years. Lisa is the creator of the One Voice Project, a call for scores, poetry, and prose which will be incorporated into a one-woman musical-theatrical performance in the fall of 2016. Through the call for scores, the project promotes the creation and performance of new works for unaccompanied voice...

Her compositions include solo and chamber music for instruments and vocal works in the operatic, song, and choral genres. Lisa is particularly passionate about writing works that set text and story to music, such as her chamber opera White Horizon, about a nineteenth-century Arctic expedition gone wrong, and her song cycle Snapshots...
- from Lisa Neher's home page

"A composer of unabashedly heartfelt, lyrical music, Lisa’s works include solo and chamber music for instrumentalists as well as vocal works in the operatic, song, and choral genres, which represent her deepest passion."
- from her Facebook page

Lineup:
Olivia Betzen - vocals
Nate Salazar - piano

Photograph by Alisabeth Von Presley
http://www.vonpresleystudios.com/alisabeth

Home page:
http://www.lisanehermusic.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LisaNeherMusic/

SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/lisa-neher

Olivia Betzen's home page:
http://www.oliviabetzen.com/

Nate Salazar's home page:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-salazar-94209718/

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/Episode48IowaClassicalMusic/Episode%2048_%20Iowa%20Classical%20Music.mp3

Labels: 2010s, 2016, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids area, classical, Ep 048, Iowa City area, Lisa Neher, Lisa Neher (composer), modern classical, modern classical music, Nate Salazar, Olivia Betzen, Snapshots (song cycle)

Ep 48 - Song 6: "Polymetric Phrygian Plainchant" written and performed by Paul Hertz

Many people, who know of Paul Hertz, usually know him from his horn playing in various Ames bands, best known probably being Mumford's. Or they may know him from hosting the local music program, "Ready, Ames, Fire" and his classical music program, "Morning Masterpieces" on Ames community station, KHOI.

But what some may not know, is that Paul Hertz, is a composer and performer of classical music. He has done some performances in Ames playing his material and having a choir perform it.

"Among Hertz’s many projects are playing bass trombone for the Ames folk rock dance band Mumford’s, playing keyboards for Jordan Mayland and the Thermal Detonators, and being involved in the Ames Choral Society. (He will be singing in an upcoming cabaret show called 'Down the Hobbit Hole'). He is also a composer and serves as the organist at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Ames."
- from an article on the Snap Twig website

"Paul Hertz is a composer, improviser, organist, trombonist, and pianist who lives in Ames, Iowa."
- from an email Paul Hertz sent to Iowa Music Showcase

Lineup:
Paul Hertz - all instruments and programming

Painting by Kara Hedge
https://www.flickr.com/people/poseidonsimage/

MySpace page;

https://myspace.com/paulhertz

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/Episode48IowaClassicalMusic/Episode%2048_%20Iowa%20Classical%20Music.mp3

Labels: 2000s, 2009, Ames, Ames area, classical, classical music, electronic, electronic music, Ep 048,modern classical, modern classical music, Paul Hertz, Polymetric Phrygian Plainchant (song)

IMSC Ep 48 - Song 7: "Entreat Me Not to Leave You" (truncated) written by Dan Forest and performed by Luther College Nordic Choir

"Nordic Choir, founded in 1946, enjoys national and international acclaim as a premier collegiate choral ensemble in the United States. The choir beings its tenure under the direction of Dr. Andrew Last this year. Last arrived at Luther in the fall of 2012 and begins his role as Director of Choral Activities in 2017. Previous conductors include Sigvart Steen (1946-48), Weston Noble '43 (1948-2005), Craig Arnold (2005-10), and Allen Hightower (2010-16).

"Nordic Choir is Luther’s flagship choir in a choral program that comprises three upper-class mixed touring choirs, two first-year choirs, and a women’s choir. More than 500 singers from these ensembles combine with Symphony Orchestra, Luther Ringers, and pipe organ for five Christmas at Luther performances each year...

'Traditions within the Nordic Choir include holding hands during all performances, the sapphire blue velvet robes, and singing Pavel Chesnokov's O Lord God as the signature benedictory since 1948."
- from their home page

"The Nordic Choir is a 62-voice a cappella choir of select mixed voices from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

"In 1948, just two years after its founding by Sigvart Steen, a Luther College alumnus, a young Weston Noble began a 57-year tenure as music director and conductor.[1] Together, Noble and The Nordic Choir cultivated the Lutheran collegiate choral traditions in the United States.

"Eventually five more choirs were added to the music program to accommodate the growing interest in choral music and voice at Luther. In 2005, Luther College named Craig Arnold to the position of Director of Choral Activities and conductor of the Nordic Choir following Noble’s retirement. Arnold held the position from 2005-2010. Allen Hightower was appointed conductor effective Fall 2010 and left for University of North Texas in 2016. The current conductor is Andrew Last."
- from their Wikipedia entry

"For those of you who don't know the Luther College choral program, this is a small school (about 2,500 students) of ambitious undergrads. Often when we hear great choirs from big schools we are hearing some much older, more mature voices (grad voice majors, grad teaching assistants, etc) in the top choir. The Lutheran singing tradition in Iowa, Minnesota, to some extent the Dakotas is remarkable. In addition to Luther, almost every college or university in the area fields outstanding choirs...

"This was something that I loved about this choir and Hightower- I felt that the choir under Arnold had one mode of bold, yet still warm singing and that it often sounded like a really great y'all come choir, in the sense that there was usually very little subtlety, nuance, phrasing, etc. Under Hightower every text and musical phrase is understood, and I also felt that the singers (holding hands in the Luther tradition) really heard all the other voice parts fitting into their own throughout every measure of every piece. There was an organic, communal process happening- seventy voices as one, if you will." - from a review on composer Paul Carey's website

Lineup:
Vocals - 2013-2014 Nordic Choir
Conductor - Allan Hightower

The song had to be cut down on the podcast for time reasons, but you can hear the complete version on this video:


Home page:
http://www.luther.edu/music/nordic-choir/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LutherNordicChoir/

Composer Dan Forest's home page:
http://danforrest.com/

To download the podcast, right click on the link below and hit "Save as...":
https://archive.org/download/Episode48IowaClassicalMusic/Episode%2048_%20Iowa%20Classical%20Music.mp3

Labels: 2010s, 2014, Allan Hightower, choir music, choirs, classical, Decorah, Dubuque area, Entreat Me Not to Leave You (song), Ep 048, modern classical, Nordic Choir (band-ish?), Waterloo/Cedar Falls area