< PreviousJOURNAL OF THE IAWM7 PianissiMore Sounds Fortissimo! GYULI KAMBAROVA My dream as a child was to play the majestic black upright piano that sat hidden in my parents’ bedroom. It was a Tereck brand that had been named after a Russian river. The keys and bench seemed to call to me every time I passed them. One day, to my delight, I had my first piano lesson with a well-known teacher in my hometown of Makhachkala, located in the south of Russia on the Caspian Sea. Over the years, I had several teachers, but the last one, Natalia Nikolaevna Simonova, a professor at the Rachmaninov State Conservatoire, was the one who had the greatest influence on me and shaped who I am today. The words of Simonova still ring in my ears: “Gyuli, don’t play like a bunny-toy on the drum” or “Play the pedal with your ears” or “Live every note.” Her words made such a strong impres- sion on me that I use them with my students in my private studio, which I established in Louisville, Kentucky, more than ten years ago. My vision of being a piano and composition teacher began in my small studio in humble surroundings in a little carriage house above the garage my husband, Samir, and I rented when we arrived in the United States in 2011. I found that my greatest joy, satisfaction, and fulfill- ment came when I had the chance to pass my knowledge and expertise on to my students. It was clear to them, and to their parents, that sharing my love for the piano was (and still is) a valuable part of my life. This was an exciting time for me as I explored the popular local piano method books, piano brands, approaches, applications, programs, and music traditions while I tried to develop and build a successful career. Slowly, my studio grew to the point that my tiny carriage house could no longer hold all of my students. As a family, we decided to move to a bigger apartment and officially register my music studio as GSK Music, LLC. My students began to win national and international piano and composition competitions, and the number of stu- dents signing up for lessons expanded to such an extent that it wasn’t pos- sible to fit all of them into my schedule. The success of the studio enabled us to purchase a beautiful multilevel house with the studio on one floor and our living space on the other. It took a great deal of courage and convic- tion to believe that my studio would become prosperous, professional, and an essential part of the community. Four years ago, I decided that it was time to expand the studio’s offerings and provide lessons not only in piano and composition but also in cello, violin, and jazz improvisa- tion as well as group piano lessons, chamber music, piano duets, and classes in music history and music theory online, jazz history, and inno- vative and interactive group piano classes online for those who wished to improve their performance level. In my interactive piano class, we have three goals: improve sight-reading, improve technique, and eliminate stage fright. At the end of our class, all the students perform a short piece, and we analyze each other’s performances. During my search for talented teachers, I decided to change the name of the studio to PianissiMore to reflect that we offer much more than just piano lessons. My current students are at the inter- mediate and advanced levels, with one exception, and most of them have been with me for more than eight years. Six of them—Madalyn Bowers, George Chen, Peter Zhang, Lara and Leila Thomas, and Calvin Brey—have received recognition at several national and international piano and compo- sition competitions. Graduates from my program have been accepted and received scholarships at prestigious universities such as Loyola University, Vanderbilt University, University of Louisville, Purdue University, Saint Louis University, and Bellarmine University. On March 19, 2022, four of my students received first degree diplomas at the International Piano Competition “I am a Musician.” In the same competition, I received a diploma as a teacher for outstanding work in preparing the students for the compe- tition. It was a pleasure to receive the award, but even more inspiring was the beautiful letter I received from one of the students, Leila Thomas. Gyuli Kambarova at the computer teaching her interactive piano group class.8VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 I was asked to explain the reasons my studio has become so successful and how my experience might be helpful for others at the beginning of their teaching careers. It is a difficult ques- tion to answer, but I believe that one important reason is that I am also a composer, which gives me a deep understanding of music and there- fore allows me to discuss a work with my student from a composer’s view- point. Another reason is that I try to be a meticulous teacher who pays atten- tion to details and asks the same from students at all levels. I always prepare an individual plan for each student, but I require all students to have in their repertoires works in five styles: baroque, classical, romantic, jazz, and contemporary, and I spend quite a bit of time helping them learn how to sightread effectively. I learn so much from my students when they ask questions, and I try to find different ways to help them by having them learn new pieces and making record- ings and videos of their performances as well as by using the educational videos I have prepared for them. They are aware that I care not only about their progress but about them personally and that they can contact me anytime about anything. As the COVID-19 crisis has changed our lives, we have learned to adapt and adjust and to use innovative technolo- gies such as professional microphones like Warm Audio, Sound Interface Behringer, Logic Pro X, and Final Cut Pro and approaches as well as appli- cations and programs such as Zoom, Google Duo, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Skype, and Facebook to help our teachers provide lessons through distance learning. To preserve our traditions, we have had online concerts three or four times a year featuring performances by our students and teachers. 1 The inno- vations that we developed during the COVID-19 shutdown has broadened our perspective and introduced our programs to students from different states and countries. Performers at various levels and ages are able to participate in our private and group les- sons making the sound of PianissiMore more and more fortissimo! The studio currently has more than 70 students, and in the near future, we are planning to open a school of music in Louisville, where we will offer opportunities to learn classical music as well as jazz. 1Our staff of teachers at PianissiMore include Arthur Tang (piano), Murphy Lamb (piano), Roman Wood (cello), Emily Fischer (violin), Samir Kambarov (saxophone, jazz history/theory), and Gyuli Kambarova (piano, composition). My personal experience with PianissiMore has been tremendously influential on my development as a musician. Gyuli has taught me fundamental skills that have greatly improved my tone, musicality, technique, and my overall playing. My lessons with PianissiMore have changed my practice routine and overall outlook on music for the better—I have developed greater levels of concentration and determination while learning more challenging repertoire and preparing for competitions. It is an experience that has benefited my musical development incredibly. —LEILA THOMAS PianissiMore students after their recital on March 19, 2022. Guidelines for Contributors Articles Before submitting an article, please send an abstract (two or three paragraphs), the approximate number of words in the article, and a brief biography to the editor in chief, Dr. Eve R. Meyer, by e-mail at evemeyer45@gmail.com. Most articles range between 1,500 and 4,000 words. The subject matter should relate to women in all fields of music, either contempo- rary or historical. If the proposal is approved by the Journal Board, the editor will send more detailed information. Reports and Announcements Reports on women-in-music activities from our sister organi- zations and IAWM committees as well as reports on music festivals and other special events should be sent to the editor in chief. Announcements of future events and recently released recordings should also be sent to the editor in chief. Deadlines Deadlines for articles: December 15 for the February issue; March 15 for the May issue; June 15 for the August issue; September 15 for the November issue. Reports and short articles are due the 30th of the month. JOURNAL of theJOURNAL OF THE IAWM9 VOCAL MUSIC Ukraine, of citizens fleeing the country and of the increasing number of casu- alties and evidence of war crimes, is reminiscent of the humanitarian crisis in Syria and gives a present-day example of what Syrians have been facing for over a decade. Choosing a cross-cultural topic is unique for me, but I felt compelled by the women’s stories and the human side of the topic. These Syrian women are much like me, as a woman with latitude to pursue a wide variety of educational, career, and personal goals. But now, they face unimag- inable circumstances and disruption of normal life as a result of the Civil War. In retrospect, I leaped into the project in 2016 before really con- sidering whether Rachel and I—two white, Western women—could authen- tically portray an ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Research for the Libretto We diligently researched and sought connections in our respective regions of the country, Rachel in the New York City area and I in Denver. In seeking firsthand accounts, we read memoirs of Syrian and Western-born female journalists who reported on the rev- olution. We viewed documentaries and video blogs from the conflict and interviewed several women who have emigrated from the region. Since this occurred before the pandemic, we were able to sit with them person- ally. Their descriptions of physical and sexual violence, poverty, and, in par- ticular, the war’s impact on women, dramatically moved me to feelings of outrage. I perceived a lack of response from the American public. I began to see how opera, with its intimate use of personal stories, could be a pow- erful platform to cast a spotlight on the atrocities happening in Syria. The core of my understanding about the war revolved around the writings of three authors: Samar Yazbek, Janine di Giovanni, and Francesca Borri. Yazbek’s, A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution, chronicles early days of the revolution from March to July 2011. 2 As a Syrian writer well known in her homeland, Yazbek recorded personal interviews with people involved in weekly protests near Dar’a, where the revolution began, and across the country in an effort to preserve the truth of the tragedies. Giovanni’s The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria was pub- lished in 2016, five years after Yazbek’s diaries, and depicts later events in Syria after the conditions had been deteriorating for several years. 3 As an experienced war journalist, American-born Giovanni’s accounts come from a Western point of view, but her descriptions are very consis- tent with Yazbek’s. Italian-born Borri’s Syrian Dust: Reporting from the Heart of the Battle for Aleppo focuses on circumstances in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city prior to the war. 4 All three authors describe the human- itarian injustices that seem surreal compared with life in the West. Yazbek recounts numerous stories from dem- onstrators who were arrested and imprisoned, whose experiences of physical and sexual torture are diffi- cult to read about. Giovanni describes the devastation felt by many women who have been raped. Although no fault of their own, women in this cir- cumstance have little future hope for marriage and children, as sexual purity is of high value for Syrian men. I keenly remember Borri’s vivid descrip- tions of families living in underground graveyard tombs because their homes were destroyed, and they had no place to go. 5 As common stories and themes emerged from the research, Rachel developed these threads into synoptic characters and scenes for the opera. The opera derives its title, Friday After 2Samar Yazbek and Max Weis, A Woman in the Crossfire: Diaries of the Syrian Revolution (London, England: Haus Publishing, 2012). 3Janine Di Giovanni, The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria. First American edi- tion (New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company, 2016). 4Francesca Borri and Anne Milano Appel, Syrian Dust: Reporting from the Heart of the Battle for Aleppo (New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2016). 5Ibid, 79-85. Arias from Friday After Friday: Women Caught in the Syrian Civil War LEANNA KIRCHOFF I was honored to receive IAWM’s 2021 Miriam Gideon Prize for Arias from Friday After Friday, five songs for soprano, flute, violin, and cello on the topic of the Syrian Civil War. Featuring a poignant libretto by Rachel J. Peters, these songs are excerpted from an opera-in-development called Friday After Friday, which explores the particular heart-breaking tragedies experienced by Syrian women who are enduring violence, poverty, dislocation, and separation from family members. Syrian President Assad’s violent sup- pression of the 2011 grassroots pro-democracy protests plunged the country into a Civil War that con- tinues to impact families today. Since the beginning of the war, 6.6 million Syrians have fled to surrounding coun- tries, to Europe, and to other parts of the world, and 6.7 million are still inter- nally displaced. 1 The current news from 1“Syria Refugee Crisis,” https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/syria/. Leanna Kirchoff10VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 Friday, after weekly protests that occurred on Fridays throughout Syria beginning in March 2011. Friday, nor- mally a holy day in the Islamic faith, is traditionally set aside for congrega- tional gathering, worship, and prayer. But after the government crackdown, sectarian and non-sectarian people across Syria began filling the streets to claim Friday as a day of demon- stration. The name for each Friday’s protest was chosen from a short list of slogans posted on Facebook and up for vote by activists. 6 Yazbek mentions Friday of Dignity,” “Friday of Defiance,” “The Fall of Regime Legitimacy Friday,” “Get Out Friday,” and “Say No to Dialogue Friday.” Subject Matter of the Songs The five songs of Arias from Friday after Friday were among the earliest mate- rial I composed for the opera. Each song focuses on a specific issue com- monly facing contemporary Syrian women. The five songs are briefly sum- marized below: “I have no medical training” The frantic protagonist in this aria, Jiyan, gives a visceral description of the makeshift field tents and medical care rising from the ashes of bombed out hospitals. The real doctors have been arrested or shot. There are few medical supplies, so volunteers learn quickly how to adapt. Jiyan sings about “pools of blood soaking through her shoes” and “lifeless bodies” arriving on the hour. “Look at you, Layla” This aria conveys the common story of desperate families selling their daugh- ters in marriage as a way of supporting the remaining family members. In this bittersweet moment, Miriam prepares her fifteen-year-old daughter for mar- riage to a Saudi Arabian man. She admits that she had hoped Layla could go to college, but that this marriage will net the family $300 and the chance to survive. 6Basma Atassi and Cajsa Wikstrom, “The battle to name Syria’s Friday protests,” https:// www.aljazeera.com/features/2012/4/14/ the-battle-to-name-syrias-friday-protests. “Five different men asked for my hand in marriage” This aria examines Ahed’s defiant attitude as a survivor of physical and sexual abuse while imprisoned. She has rejected numerous men who have offered to preserve her honor through marriage and raising a family. Ahed claims that her country is a “cemetery for the living” and no place to raise children. Her hard heart will only melt once all Syrian captives are free. “At 6:30 every morning” The loss or separation of family mem- bers is an obvious outcome of war. At a table set for two, Hala describes the morning coffee routine she would normally share with her husband, Ali. The Syrian war has separated them, and his return is uncertain. Hala tries to assure her young daughter that per- haps Ali will return in the next week, although she tells herself they may never be rejoined. “When the women poured out into the streets” In an ironic twist, the protagonist of this aria has joined Assad’s army— A Lioness for National Defense. Sima reasons that she can earn a steady pay- check and have vacation time, medical care, and education while working for the government. She concludes that this is a better life than when she was a prostitute. Evil men will always be in power, so Sima joins ranks with them, exchanging her military service as a way of preserving her own dignity. Ex. 1. “I have no medical training,” mm. 1-10. I began to see how opera, with its intimate use of personal stories, could be a powerful platform to cast a spotlight on the atrocities happening in Syria. —LEANNA KIRCHOFFJOURNAL OF THE IAWM11 Music The music of these Arias draws loosely upon the Arabic maqam system of melodic modes and upon Arabic rhythmic cycles. 7 Arabic music features a twenty-four-note tuning system, as compared to the twelve-note, equal-tempered tuning system of Western music. Discovering ways to integrate these characteristics of Arabic music factored extensively into the compositional process and prompted many new ideas that expanded my thinking beyond my normal approach as a composer of vocal music. I liked this chance to delve into Middle Eastern music and see how some of these idiomatic techniques, sounds, and even expres- sive goals could blend with my own musical inclinations. Typically, when writing a vocal piece or an opera, I work at the piano and create a vocal-piano version first before orchestrating the piece for different instruments. For Friday After Friday, both the Arias and the opera, I composed the music for a trio of violin, cello, and flute (dou- bling alto flute and piccolo) from the beginning of the process. Keeping in mind Arabic music’s monophonic fea- tures, my germinal ideas were more melodic and improvisatory in character rather than imbedded in harmonic progressions, which may have been the case if I had composed specifically for piano. The first song of the cycle, “I have no medical training,” serves as a good example of the melodically-driven com- positional approach I adopted. (See Example 1.) Inspired by ideas from Lois Ibsen al Faruqī’s article, Ornamentation in Arabian Improvisational Music, 7For a comprehensive online introduction to the Arabic maqam system, see www.maqamworld.com. Grove Music Online has helpful articles covering both art music and folk music traditions of Arabic music. See Owen Wright, Christian Poché, and Amnon Shiloah, “Arab music,” Grove Music Online, 2001. For further study of Arabic music, I recommend Habib Touma’s The Music of the Arabs (New expanded ed., Portland, Or: Amadeus Press, 1996) and also, Jonathan Holt Shannon’s Among the Jasmine Trees: Music and Modernity in Contemporary Syria (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2006). I incorporated several types of orna- mentation into both the vocal and cello lines. 8 For example, the throbbing repeated notes in the solo cello line evoke a nervous energy and counter- melody to Jiyan’s frantic declamations. The frequent alternations between one pitch and its upper neighbor tone appear quite frequently in both 8Lois Ibsen al Faruqī, “Ornamentation in Arabian Improvisational Music: A Study of Interrelatedness in the Arts,” The World of Music 20/1 (1978): 17–32. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43562537. the voice and the cello lines for dramatic purposes to suggest Jiyan’s anxious feelings and to give a sense of unrelenting intensity. The trill mark- ings that appear in standard Western notation require a faster fluctuation and thus an increased number of alter- ations between pitches than those that are written out. Experimenting with the variety of ways trills can be performed was new compositional territory for me. Ex. 2. “Look at you, Layla,” mm. 1-7. Ex. 3. Tetrachords from “At six-thirty every morning.”12VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 The pitches of the vocal and cello lines are both drawn from the same scale (D-Eb-F#-G-A-Bb/B-C), but the vocal line ascends from the resting note of D, whereas the cello begins its trajectory upward from the A, a perfect fourth lower. The tonic-dominant relation- ship between D and A is subverted with the dominant on the bottom at the beginning of this song, and only confirmed later in measure nine when the cello sweeps down to the double-stop with D on the bottom. The decorated flute line in the second aria, “Look at you, Layla,” also has a quasi-improvisational feel against Miriam’s vocals. The harmonics and slides built into the violin part weave in a microtonal flavor to the beginning of this piece. All three treble lines, in com- bination with the dance-like spirit of the 6/8 meter, create what I consider an innocent and festive quality, as if Miriam is trying to convince herself and her daughter that this marriage should be a celebratory occasion. (See Example 2.) Melodic Building Blocks: Jins The Arabic maqamat families (plural of maqam) feature three-note, four-note, and five-note melodic fragments, called jins, which serve as building blocks of their modal system. As microtonal intervals are integral to Arabic music, these jins characteristically include quarter flat or quarter sharp distances between pitches. For the five Arias, I explored some of the most common jins as building blocks in my vocal lines, modifying the quarter-tone flat pitches to the closest pitches available in a twelve-tone chromatic scale. The following illustrate the pitches: Bayati (D-Eb modified-F-G), Hijaz (D-Eb-F#-G), Rast (C-D-Eb modified-F-G), and Saba (D-Eb modified-F-Gb). The Phrygian tetrachord modified from Jins Bayati, the minor tetrachord modified from Jins Rast, and the octa- tonic tetrachord modified from Jins Saba appear extensively throughout the vocal lines. Their specific use is associated with the text and predicated upon the idea that each jin possesses an individual expressive characteristic. Specific families of maqamat are per- formed to elicit particular emotional responses from listeners. For example, Ali Jihad Racy identifies Jins Bayati as a mode expressing joy and femininity, Jins Rast as evoking a feeling of pride and power, and Jins Saba as an emo- tionally-moving mode often associated with feelings of sadness and pain. 9 In the aria “At six-thirty every morning,” I chose Jins Saba for portraying Hala’s feelings of melancholy that per- meate the entire piece. As shown in the opening vocal phrase, the melodic line travels between two octatonic tetrachords, A-Bb-C-Db as the primary tetrachord, and C#-D-E-F as the sec- ondary one, with A and E serving as the two primary notes of these tetra- chords. In the refrain, which appears twice in the aria, the descending presentation of Db-C-Bb-A possesses a weeping quality as Hala pleads for Ali to return. (See Example 3.) 9Ali Jihad Racy, Making Music in the Arab World: the Culture and Artistry of Tạrab (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). Racy comments that Jins Hijaz is one of the most ecstatic of the Eastern maqamat, with its characteristic aug- mented second between Eb and F#. I saved this special tetrachord for the emphatic vocal lines of Jiyan in “I have no medical training,” using the augmented second in setting words and phrases such as “massacre,” “lifeless bodies arriving on the hour,” and the particularly despairing moment after she repeats “war, war, war.” (See Example 1, mm. 1-10.) Rhythmic Cycles: Iqa’at Besides the influence of the maqam modal system on the pitch structure of the Arias, I based some of the accom- paniment patterns on Arabic rhythmic cycles, called iqa’at. With the DUM and TAK sounds of the tabla in mind, Ex. 4. Iqa’ Maqsum Ex. 5. “When the women poured out into the streets,” mm. 6-9.JOURNAL OF THE IAWM13 the rhythmic pattern of the strummed accompaniment in “When the women poured out into the streets” is modeled after the common Iqa’ Maqsum. (See Example 4.) In measures 6 to 9 of this last aria, the cello strums substitute for the DUM, and the violin strums substitute for the TAK. The rhythmic cycle has been completed within beats 1 and 2 of each measure, with some irregular- ities inserted in response to changes in the length of the vocal phrases, as in the 3/4 meter in measure 9. (See Example 5.) Having listened to many examples of Arabic rhythmic cycles in meters of 10/4, 12/4, or even 19/4, I modeled the cello’s plucked rhythmic phrases (11/4, 14/4, 12,4, etc.) of “At six-thirty every morning” after some of these long Arabic rhythmic cycles. Of course, these cello phrases could be broken down into smaller metrical units, but composing the elongated phrases helped me to capture a sense of the slow passing of time while Hala and Ali are separated. Example 6 is from the opening of the aria showing the cello’s plucked accompaniment. Next Steps for the Project To date, the Friday After Friday opera project has received an OPERA America Discovery Grant funded by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, which supported two public work- shop performances: in January 2019 at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and in October 2019 at the 124 Bank Street Theater in NYC. Emily Martin, director of the opera pro- gram at Bucknell, directed both of the workshop performances, which also featured costuming by Paula Davis, assisted by Yasameen Mohammadi, and lighting design by William Kenyon. In June 2019, several scenes were workshopped at the Duffy Institute in Norfolk, Virginia, led by music director Alan Johnson (music director of Frost Opera Theater, University of Miami). I was honored that nine women, all from families with roots in Syria or neighboring countries, participated in the NYC workshop. We amended the text and music based on their suggestions that have helped with the authenticity of the piece. Their enthusiasm while working on such a culturally relevant piece encour- ages me to seek a more widespread audience for this opera. While Rachel and I believe that depicting violence in an artistic work certainly does not equal endorsement of this violence, we are very cognizant of the ongoing conversation among opera creators about the repercussions of presenting sensitive material onstage. We do not wish to force trauma onto audiences or add to an operatic rep- ertoire already fetishized for centuries with such violence. We want to make things better and are still working on a way forward with Friday After Friday that does not ignore or deny the very real suffering caused by the Syrian war. Our ultimate aim here is to strip away damaging Western projections of Syrian women as a monolith; their perspectives on this untenable situa- tion are informed by experiences of economic class, religion, education, and many more factors with as many variations as there would be anywhere else in the world. In reflecting on our multi-year journey with this project, I have become increas- ingly aware that we likely cannot retell these stories without more extensive guidance from someone with a Syrian background. Many modifications in the opera have already resulted from conversations with consultants and performers, but we feel that a Syrian- born dramaturg or cultural consultant would propel the next phase of Friday After Friday’s development. (Any rec- ommendations from readers would be welcome.) I also note the lack of Middle Eastern characters and sub- ject matter in modern opera. At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusivity initiatives are prevalent in American arts organizations and academic insti- tutions, cross-cultural storytelling may be a critically important pathway toward understanding and learning to value one another’s experiences, human to human. I know I have been changed forever by this project. American composer Leanna Kirchoff writes vocal and instrumental chamber music, choral music, and opera. She holds a doctorate degree in composition from the University of Colorado and teaches at the University of Denver. For further information about Arias from Friday After Friday or the opera please see: www.leannakirchoff.com and www.fridayafterfridayopera.com. Ex. 6. The beginning of “At six-thirty every morning.”14VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 Sidewalk Opera: Connecting Community and Music CATHERINE KELLY The possibility of creating Sidewalk Opera popped into my mind one eve- ning in 2018 as a means of providing free classical music performances for the broader public, following a turning point in my career. The years leading up to Sidewalk Opera’s creation were filled with invigorating music-making. In 2014, I completed my graduate studies with a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at James Madison University and moved to Germany to audition for opera productions. After spending a year auditioning and performing in concerts, I secured a ten-month contract to sing the role of Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in Vienna, for a 180-performance tenure. During this time, I also per- formed at music festivals and founded and toured internationally with the chamber trio Ensemble Poetico. I was grateful for the experiences I had, but I decided to return to my home state of North Carolina at the end of the season. I missed my family and close friends. Though I was happy with my decision to move back home, my initial acclimation had its challenges. When I returned, I was reminded of the distinctions in cultural norms and, sometimes, in musical tastes that differentiated Europe from America. For example, I had worked full-time in Europe as an operatic soprano, but in the United States, I learned that a freelance music career typically included some addi- tional sources of income. In my case, I worked as a private voice teacher and sang in crossover-genre events in which I was asked to perform popular music and selections from musicals in addition to opera. I also performed in many oratorios and gave several art song recitals. Quite unexpectedly, I developed an illness that, among a variety of symptoms, included hoarseness that would not go away. I feared that my singing voice was gone. Following advice from my doctor, I canceled per- formances for six months and began treatment. Fortunately, my teaching job provided a steady stream of income. Although I started to feel better after a few months, I realized that I was faced with the uncomfortable reality that my music career needed to pivot, and it was time to change my focus to something bigger than myself and my performer’s ego. I learned that I could not take my voice for granted, and that I needed to establish a reinvigo- rating purpose for my dedication to music-making. That evening, in early 2018, I began my work on Sidewalk Opera. My initial idea was to recruit some musician friends to perform operatic arias out in the open, on a sidewalk or a town square. Not only would it provide opportunities for musicians to share the music that we loved, but it also had the potential to spark local interest in classical singing and playing in our community. I envi- sioned that these performances would be accessible to listeners and casual for performers, and they would embody the tagline: “Classical music perfor- mances: no ‘black ties’ necessary.” The early weeks of planning included many hours of writing aria arrange- ments to suit various ensemble groupings. The first performance in Dunn, NC, in March 2018 featured just voice and viola. I contacted The Cellar, a local coffee shop that was positioned in a perfect location, and I asked if we could perform on their storefront stoop. The shop owner, coincidentally, was an opera lover and proved to be an enthusiastic and gracious host. We drew a small crowd of pedestrians that first day, and I noticed car passengers leaning out of their windows to record videos on their phones. Customers in the coffee shop stepped outside to hear us. At the time, our setlist was still very limited, so our performance only lasted about twenty minutes, fol- lowed by a quick coffee break inside before we did the same set again. This was enough performance time for a video, which was recorded that day to garner attention from a social media page managed by the city government. As the video continued to be shared repeatedly online, community mem- bers reached out to learn more about Sidewalk Opera. The warm welcome was joyous. In the coming months, Sidewalk Opera’s repertoire and network of musicians expanded. Local small business owners contacted Sidewalk Opera to schedule pop-up events, and we were asked to provide music for charity fundraisers, which introduced us to community groups that focused on issues such as autism awareness as well as cancer research. We are based Figure 1. Two of the many instruments that have been donated to students by Sidewalk Opera.JOURNAL OF THE IAWM15 in Durham, but traveled to primary schools throughout the state to share and talk about musical instruments and classical singing. We found our most enthusiastic audiences in the more rural areas: elementary school children who had never before heard opera, but who became entranced by the powerful music. One of my fondest memories was of a young girl who hesitantly tapped my arm after a performance and asked in a soft voice, “How do I learn how to do that?” She gesticulated with her hands to indicate the music she had just heard. She said: “The violin was amazing!” Though I chuckled at the girl’s sweet comment and advised her to ask her classroom music teacher about violin teachers nearby, I took her feedback seriously. Thus, another mission for Sidewalk Opera emerged. We were reminded that music les- sons could be a considerable expense for families, and the cost of musical instruments was yet another hurdle in the way of many children bene- fiting from a musical education. We updated our mission statement and pledged to contribute a percentage of donations toward helping local fami- lies purchase instruments and finance music lessons. During the early months of COVID-19, when people were sheltering at home and in need of creative outlets to pro- cess the frustrations of lockdown, our ability to supply musical instruments became the focal point of our mission. Our musicians often donated their time and talents to raise money for this ongoing project. We were fortunate that Sidewalk Opera began with out- door performances, taking place quite literally on sidewalks and street cor- ners; this provided a sturdy platform for our shift into the “new normal.” With the guidance of a compassionate and motivated Board of Directors, new methods for fundraising were formed. We planned concerts with local restau- rant owners who were transitioning to outdoor business, and we worked with care-providing communities in search of opportunities to provide enter- tainment for residents. We discussed plans for the future, envisioning perfor- mances of full operas presented in an accessible way, in addition to continuing our beloved aria concerts and pop-up events. We have remained focused on drawing audiences of both opera lovers and listeners who may be experiencing opera for the first time, as we provide high-quality, professional-grade music for all, without the steep ticket price. As I reflect on Sidewalk Opera, I often wonder about the correlation between this project and my return to good health. Most of my recovery, of course, should be attributed to dedicated care from my doctor and to following the recommended lifestyle changes. I believe deeply, however, that the passion and positivity surrounding Sidewalk Opera has immensely bol- stered my wellbeing. To feel connected to others in the community, especially through such a meaningful vessel as music, must surely do much good for the body, mind, and spirit. Sidewalk Opera owes a large debt of gratitude to small business owners and community members in our area of North Carolina. We are particularly appreciative of the ongoing support from The Violin Exchange of Dunn, V Pizza of Cary, Brain Mugs & Brew of Durham, and The Artisan Market of Durham. What started as a small idea has grown considerably larger than I could have imagined. It is undeniably some of the most gratifying work I have ever done, and it is our constant hope and goal to return the kindness Sidewalk Opera has received back to our community. For more information, please visit us at www.sidewalkopera.com. Catherine Kelly’s operatic credits include Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Anne Frank in Der Tagebuch der Anne Frank, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Serpina in La Serva Padrona, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, and Lucy in The Telephone. Memorable musical theatre roles include Louisa in The Fantasticks, Catherine in Pippin, Sandy in Grease, and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She teaches privately at Ravenscroft School and is staff vocalist at Duke University Chapel. Figure 2: Pamela Kelly, violin; Catherine Kelly, soprano; Craig Brown, tenor; and Melodie Bobbitt, piano, at a Sidewalk Opera performance. Figure 3: Catherine Kelly, soprano, discusses classical music with the students at a local primary school.16VOLUME 28, NO. 2 • 2022 Time and Text in Relation to Music ANIA VU As a composer, I find it difficult to turn off my “composer” brain, even when writing words to be set to my own music. I choose words not only because of their meanings, but also because of their sounds. In that sense, crafting text is no different than crafting music: from planting a small-scale idea to car- rying out the larger picture, developing the material and building it to a climax, and playing with the listener/read- er’s expectations. However, on top of the sonic properties of the words, words also have meaning. I could, of course, just create an absurd text solely based on “interesting” sounds devoid of any sense. Yet, I find that as a com- poser, I like to work with constraints and create something meaningful using limited material. A key process in my work with lan- guages—I am fluent in Polish, French, Vietnamese, and English, and I have studied German, Latin, and Greek—is first choosing “musical” and simi- lar-sounding words and then building a meaningful narrative out of them. Once the text is composed and care- fully crafted, I use it as a sonic, formal, and expressive guiding reference in my vocal and instrumental writing process. Some like to say that music is a language, but I believe the opposite—that language is music. I applied this approach to several poems of my songs, from a może… to Płakała zapałka, and Tik-Tak, all written in Polish, my native language. I chose to write in Polish for several reasons. Having lived in the US for almost a decade now, I began per- ceiving my native language almost as a foreigner, listening to it from a purely sonic perspective. I find this language’s sound properties— the straightforward vowels and richly dense consonants—to be wonder- fully sharp, percussive, and therefore, musical. I like to think of myself as a “text composer” rather than a poet. My sentences are concise to match the straightforwardness of the sound of the language and often engage in wordplays of the text. Any meaningful moment that we would like to hold on to—vanishes irrevocably, “as if nothing had hap- pened.” This phrase is the opening and closing line of the poem of my song Tik-Tak for soprano, flute, clar- inet, violin, and percussion. The text is about the relentless flow of time with the incessant sounds of ticking clocks, constantly rushing us. But why is it rushing us, “tak nietaktownie?” (so untactfully?). One of the rea- sons I decided to write in Polish was because of the percussive word “tak” and its many definitions depending on the context: yes, as if, as much, as such. My text played with the “tak” sound and all of its aforementioned mean- ings. It is also, of course, the sound of a ticking clock. The piece has an overall ABA’ form, with the A section being clock-like and rhythmic, contrasting with B, which is timeless, slow, and arhythmic. The B section, for a brief moment, offers a small glimpse into someone’s strong wish to hold onto a beautiful moment a little longer. However, it vanishes again, “tak o tak” (just like that), as do any other moments. Irrevocably, indif- ferently, and mercilessly. At a deeper level, this song is about loss and how powerless we all are in the face of it. Finally, the word “tak” is also a bow to the dynamic and virtuosic group of extraordinary musicians for whom it was written: the TAK ensemble. My fascination with time perception in music can be traced back to 2018 with the piece Against Time for solo piano. It was prompted by a series of some- what difficult life events that led me to experience time in a new way: time without motion. I realized that music could manipulate time perception so that the listener would experience time that could move faster or slower than the time outside of music. Against Time features a prominent note repeti- tion, which symbolizes two paradoxical ideas of time: time suspension because repetition suggests stability, but also its flow, because of the sound brevity on a percussive instrument like the piano. Most of the piece is very slow and contemplative, almost motionless. Towards the end of the piece, with only finite energy that can go into stretching time, this energy eventually becomes depleted, leading to an eruption. Time suddenly runs faster than usual to make up for its lost time from the past. Both Against Time and Tik-Tak were selected by the Vietnam Contemporary Music Centre among its six pieces to be submitted for consideration to the ISCM Virtual Collaboration Series. Eventually, ISCM selected Tik-Tak. This piece also won the Boston New Music Initiative’s 9th Annual Commissioning Competition in April 2021, selected by an outside panel of three industry professionals from an anonymous pool of almost 100 compositions. Ania Vu I realized that music could manipulate time perception so that the listener would experience time that could move faster or slower than the time outside of music. —ANIA VUNext >