Mmmmm…….another blog post about nothing that I am an expert on. Just an observation from my limited personal experience. This post is about my perspective of religion and Buddhism in Asia and the lay population. (“Lay people” are ordinary people like you and me. Members of congregations and everyday people. They are not church leaders, monks or ministers.)
Zaia Music Soundtrack CD
The soundtrack for the Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA show is completed and will be printed to CD soon and available to the public. I don’t know a specific release date, but somewhere around early Summer 2009.
My part in the project was to play keyboards and arrange string parts recorded by members of the Hong Kong Symphony. Most of the recording was done on location in Macau (SAR) China, and the string parts with the HK Philharmonic players was completed at a recording studio in Hong Kong.
Rumor mill on the street is that Guy LaLiberte (founder of Cirque Du Soleil) has heard the soundtrack and loved it. I’ve even been told he asked to hear a second time the next morning.
Members of the ZAIA band got to hear a preview of the finished soundtrack with composer Violaine Corradi at the end of February. I won’t give you any spoilers, except to say that I was very pleased with the project and enjoyed the creativity in the mixes.
Violaine Corradi (ZAIA composer) told me one of her goals of the finished soundtrack was to have it be like looking at a prism held in your hand, then rotating it to look at the prism from different perspectives. I definately got that feeling from the soundtrack.
To my knowledge, this is also the first Cirque Du Soleil soundtrack CD recorded by the actual performing musicians in the show. The other soundtracks are recorded with studio musicians in Montreal I’ve heard. (With the exception of some subsequent live releases from shows like Mystere).
So I hope you all enjoy our work on the ZAIA CD when it’s released. Of course I’ll post on my blog when I know the official release date.
Tal Bachman – She’s So High
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVKcfwJxa54
A shout out to Tal Bachman. Turns out we have a friend in common. I think She’s So High is a great song.
King’s Singers – Madrigal History Tour – Of all the birds
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnr6Oxybkq4
Composed by John Bartlet, “Of all the birds that I do know”, from “The King’s Singers, Madrigal History Tour, The England”
Continue reading “King’s Singers – Madrigal History Tour – Of all the birds”
What Makes Online Communities So Special
My fingers are actually sore from doing site updates for several online communities over the last week. There are many downsides to running online communities. It’s a financial black hole, it always needs attention, there are always security updates to do and I get my share of stalkers who a lot of time on their hands and not a lot of direction for more worthwhile pursuits.
But, there are moments that make it all worthwhile. I have a small number of strong friendships that have developed from these communities; and no matter the state of my personal life I make sure the best I can that the communities trudge on.
Today someone posted this note from one of my communities that provides free supp0rt for a serious illness. We’ve been running this for about 7 years now and it’s blossomed into a very special place. These members are somedays just fine, and other days can barely sit up to get to their computer. I was very touched by her comments, here it is:
Forum Opening
I have opened a forum for my website at http://forum.conradaskland.com
It’s against my better judgement to open a forum on a personal website, but I can’t keep up with the number of email questions I’m getting now. Hopefully the forum will allow people to exchange resources. I receive many of the same questions via email – so this is also a way to answer people in detail and en masse.
I run many other online forum communities but have never had one on my own site before. This will also be a test area for me to try new forum functionality before bringing live to other communities.
Steve Reich`s City Life – Part 1
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY5_cwN1i74
Performed Live in 1995 at the Frankfurt Opera House, with the Ensemble Modern conducted by Sian Edwards! First ten minutes of City Life by Steve Reich.
Squid Answers
Wow, this picture even scares me. Thank you (or curse you!) to my Canadian friend for creating this monstrosity and sending to me.
Yes, that’s me in the crown. And I should explain the octopus but it’s a little confusing. I’m not sure how it started, but my alter ego on many of my websites as admin is a squid. I think it started because I run so many websites but don’t post a lot on them, so people would say I just came up for air every once in a while and then would submerge mysteriously. Over the years it’s progressed to me actually posting squid videos in my profiles. I think it’s fun for members to think a squid runs their website, I don’t know.
I guess that’s how we get some of our strange traditions and cultural memes over generations. Something starts out making sense and then it gets all convoluted.
The Christmas Gloria – One Year Later
In early December 2007 I had let go of all but one of my posts in preparation of leaving to work for Cirque Du Soleil. I received notice at the beginning of December that my date to join Cirque had been moved to three weeks later so I had some time on my hands. My last job I still retained was music director at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon, WA.
I wanted to do something with my newfound free time; so decided to do something crazy that I had always wanted to do: To write a complete orchestral and choral work in one week like JS Bach used to do for his weekly church services. My last service for the church was Christmas Eve 2007 so I decided to write a Gloria for presentation at the evening Christmas Eve service.
First Autograph Request in China
This was fun for me. I went to a local restaurant on Taipa Island in Macau, China and after the waitress takes my order she comes back and says “Can I have your autograph?”. In her hands is the Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA program and she has it opened to my picture for me to sign.
After I sign the program I realize that I also want a cup of coffee. But the waitress is walking around the restaurant showing people my autograph so I can’t get her attention for several minutes. So the lesson I’ve learned in this is that there is a price to fame: It’s more difficult to get a cup of coffee…