NYSMF's Jesse Lewis Releases New CD

NYSMF is proud to announce that our outstanding guitar faculty member, guitarist Jesse Lewis, has just released his second CD, ATTICUS.

Jesse will be returning to NYSMF this summer for the entire six-week season, coaching guitar and jazz ensembles, teaching beginning guitar, and in general making all of our jaws drop in awe of his skills and artistry when he plays. The man is an undisputed master of this instrument and seemingly every variation of it in existence.

Click on over to his website to read all about this wonderful new disc at http://www.jesselewismusic.com. You can listen to a sample track just by hitting the "Atticus" link there. Good listening.

Keisuke Hoashi
NYSMF Director of Communications

Macbook Pro Audio Output Bug

Hello everyone, there's one important technological thingy that I - and everyone else at NYSMF - discovered about the Macbook Pro laptop computer. The audio output does not work properly when connected to an external amplified speaker.

In past years, I had successfully used my trusty white iBook to present the results of the NYSMF Filmmaking class. Through more than 20 short films, it connected perfectly to the projection system and amplifier, connected to two giant speakers, and had provided huge pleasure and satisfaction as the films played.

With the MacBook Pro last summer, we plugged its audio into the box that connects to the house speakers, pressed "play" ... and got inaudibly low levels from every single quicktime file I played. Even DVDs were affected, and even when a generous parent (thanks again Dawn S.!) did an emergency loan of her later-edition MBP, the same audio bug persisted. The presentation was ruined, and we ran out time and could not troubleshoot it or cobble together a fix quickly enough.

Bizarre and unexpected and for once, I was caught completely without a way to fix a simple technical issue. I had even tested it beforehand and thought it was fine - and then what could go wrong, did.

Since then I have done many internet and Apple support board searches for any other evidence of this bug. Nothing has yet appeared, which is why I posted this here tonight. To anyone planning on using an Apple Macbook Pro to play a film over an amplified loudspeaker system: DON'T DO IT! IT DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY! YOUR AUDIO WILL BE LOW, SOMEWHAT DISTORTED, AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE IT SOUND RIGHT.

We now return to our regularly scheduled NYSMF blog. Thanks for reading!

--Keisuke
NYSMF Co Founder and Director of Communications
Fearless Squirrelhunter

The Brenda Earle Newsletter (11/2007)

News from Brenda Earle
www.brendaearle.com

Fall has officially descended upon us. Now that the weather has become more seasonable (farewell Global Warming!) and the clocks have turned back (goodbye dinner in daylight), it's time again to drink hot tea instead of iced and time to trade in flip flops for those dreadful Ugg boots again.

Lots of exciting projects in the pipeline this month! I have been a mad writing fiend, writing arrangements for chamber orchestra, big band, SATB chorus and brass quintet. I have made writing a bit priority this fall and am very grateful for the SUNY Oneonta Chamber Orchestra, Saddle Brook High School Jazz Band and Water's Edge Bras for commission work from me. I have listed the works and performance dates later on in this email.

Have a look at the upcoming gigs listed below to see when you can check out my group next. Lots of shows in the NYC and NJ areas. Please forward this email to anyone you think might be interested.

Enjoy the month of November in all its colors and coziness! Also, Happy American Thanksgiving! (We Canucks had ours in October...)

Brenda
November 25th Jazz Vespers at St. Peter's Church


Brenda Earle Quaret + Voices

Sunday, Nov. 25th, 5pm

Brenda Earle Voices Project at St. Peter's Jazz Vespers
Brenda Earle, Julie Hardy, Charlie Christenson, Tim Newton - vox with...Jesse Lewis - guitar, Matt Clohesy - bass, Jared Schonig - drums

Brand new original sacred music and new SATB arrangements by Vince Mendoza and Peter Eldridge.

St. Peter's Church
619 Lexington Ave (at 54th St) NYC
212-935-2200
www.saintpeters.org
New Arrangements Commissioned!


Arranging Commissions
Brenda has recently written commissions for
Saddle Brook High School Jazz Band and Choraleers
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Premiere on Dec. 19th, 2007

SUNY Oneonta Chamber Orchestra
Best of You - Foo Fighters, Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Premiere on Dec. 4, 2007 at Goodrich theater, SUNY Oneonta.

Water's Edge Brass Quintet
Holiday songs
Premiere Dec. 9th, 2007 at Trinity Episcopal Church (Cliffside Park, NJ)

Sacred Voices Project
New sacred music for four voices and rhythm section, and SATB arrangements of music by Vince Mendoza and Peter Eldridge.
Premiere Nov. 25th, 2007 at St. Peter's Church (NYC)

If you would like to commission an arrangement or composition specifically made for your ensemble (small or large, vocal or instrumental) just email Brenda at allsheneeds@hotmail.com.



Trinity Concerts presents Inaugural concert with Brenda Earle Quartet
Nov. 11th 4pm Brenda Earle Quartet @ Trinity Episcopal Church
555 Palisade Ave
Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
(201) 943-1034
www.trinity-cliffsidepark.dioceseofnewark.org
with Keith Ganz - guitar, Ike Sturm - bass, Jared Schonig - drums





Thanks so much for your continuing support!
Brenda Earle
www.brendaearle.com
allsheneeds@hotmail.com

Complete November Calendar :
Nov. 6th 7pm Silverleaf Club, Scottsdale, AZ
"The Taste of Music, The Sound of Food and Wine"

Nov. 11th 4pm Brenda Earle Quartet @ Trinity Episcopal Church
555 Palisade Ave
Cliffside Park, NJ 07010
(201) 943-1034
www.trinity-cliffsidepark.dioceseofnewark.org
with Keith Ganz - guitar, Ike Sturm - bass, Jared Schonig - drums

Nov. 18th 8:30pm-11pm Brenda Earle Trio at Bar Next Door
(insert address) $8 cover charge

Nov. 25th, 5pm Brenda Earle Voices Project at St. Peter's Jazz Vespers
Brenda Earle, Julie Hardy, Charlie Christenson, Tim Newton - vox
Jesse Lewis - guitar, Matt Clohesy - bass, Jared Schonig - drums


Brenda Earle | 736 Riverside Dr. #6G | 736 Riverside Dr #6G | New York | NY | 10031

What's the Story with the Extra Long Sheets?

I have been receiving emails from you about "what the heck are extra long sheets?" Some have even gone as far as accusing me of making up this weird, inhuman sheet size, which of course wounds my feelings horribly. ;D

I will now tell you a story to try and explain the phenomenon that is an extra long, extra narrow mattress, which may shed some light on the matter. Just because it's a complete fiction from my own fertile imagination shouldn't detract from your enjoyment.

HOW EXTRA LONG SHEETS CAME TO BE
by Keisuke Hoashi
(play guitar intro here)

Once upon a time, there was a beanpole who wanted to grow up to become the world's most successful mattress maker. Envious of the glory achieved by Mr. Sealy, Mr. Serta, Mr. Dux, and the master of them all, Mr. and Mrs. Craftmaticbed, the beanpole vowed to beat them all at their own game.

Alas, the beanpole could never understand the mystery of the twin, full, queen, or king mattress sizes. And forget the California King! Utterly perplexed as to why anyone would possibly need so much surface area on which to sleep, the beanpole instead focussed on making a mattress that would be comfortable for all the peoples of the world who were made of sticks of bamboo, or rebar, or PVC piping.

The beanpole came up with a unique mattress that is a little longer and a little narrower than a standard Twin, and filled it with sharp sticks, pointed rocks, ancient springs, and mustard. And he proudly dubbed it the Beanpole Extra Long Mattress.

At first the world laughed at the Beanpole Mattress. "Who," they jeered, "will buy your mattress when they already have thousands of dollars' worth of twin sheet sets?"

The Beanpole was sad and went to Madison Avenue in NYC to try and burn itself to death. But as it was desperately flicking its Bic lighter, an Evil Ad Exec rushed up and said, "Don't give up, Mr. Beanpole. I can save your brilliant invention."

"How?" grumbled the Beanpole, who, not having any thumbs, fingers, or any limbs to speak of, was losing patience with itself.

"It's alllll marketing," said the Evil Ad Exec. "And I understand. I was just a simple Tomato Stake, until I came to Madison Avenue and got a job with Burson-Marstellar Advertising. Come."

And so they concocted a plan to market the Beanpole Mattress as the World's Best Dormitory Mattress. Targeting every college in America, they pitched the idea that supplying freshman with a twin mattress would be disastrous - can you imagine what a freshman would do, if they ever heard the words "twin" and "bed" together???

Quietly, they contacted the Fitted Sheet Industry for their support. They convinced them to create a brand new sheet size, and thus expand their market by up to 25%, after years of only being able to sell twin, full, queen, and king size sheet sets. Now there were FIVE mattress sizes, and those mattresses would be needing sheets, muuu hahahahahaha.

It was a rousing success! Every college in America bought 10,000 Beanpole Mattresses, and in a wild orgy of imagination, changed the name to "extra long".

And so the Beanpole married the former Tomato Stake, and the two retired to an organic farm in Seattle where they support zucchini and roses.

And THAT is why you need to bring a set of "extra long" sheets with you to NYSMF.

Aesop and Kipling would have been proud.

--Keisuke Hoashi
NYSMF Director of Miscommunications

2007 SEASON: SURVIVING DAY ONE

It's well past midnight on the first full day of NYSMF 2007. I'm joyfully exhausted despite the inevitable last-minute changes, problems, and solutions that strike us from all directions. All of it is solvable; all of it is part of the whole NYSMF deal; and all of it is absolutely wonderful to live.

The halls have a life now that they have been missing our entire past week of preparation time. Sure, it was pleasant having virtually the entire Curtis Hall dorm to ourselves, with no classes to teach, ensembles to coach, instruments to play. We could do our laundry any time we felt like it, or order pizza at any hour of the day, and even dance around our suite in our socks to the soundtrack of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

To be perfectly honest, I much prefer having all the students here. My time may no longer be entirely my own, but that is precisely why I shut down my life in Los Angeles and come all the way to Oneonta, NY every summer.

When I'm here, I have the incredible opportunity to touch other peoples' lives. I get to meet new folks yet unspoilt by cynicism or age, and to share with them ideas and knowledge that I consider important. And together, we get to create brand new things, songs that have never been sung before, films that have only existed in imaginations, musical performances as unique as every member of the ensemble.

That's the magic that helps me to survive the hectic maelstrom that surrounds the creators of NYSMF -- Jungeun Kim, Dan Spencer, Colleen Wheeler, and myself, Keisuke Hoashi. As well as all of our talented faculty and staff. We are here because we want to be here, and we want to give something back to the world. Many people before us helped to make us the successes we are today, and we are honored for the opportunity to pass on our forerunners' work to the next generation of fine human beings.

Tomorrow is the first full day of the NYSMF schedule. I get to start with the filmmaking class again (yee ha!), as well as continue my classes in "Practical Acting" and "Original Musical Theatre".

I'm nearly 40 years old and I'm still going to camp. I wish everyone could have so much fun in their lives!

FIVE DAYS TO NYSMF 2007!

Greetings from Oneonta, and the New York Summer Music Festival! (yes, that is a tribute to Dr. Frederic Fay Swift's original tune, "Greetings from Oneonta and the New York State Music Camp", and I am darn proud to be able to do it.)

Keisuke Hoashi here, NYSMF's resident actor and instructor for acting, filmmaking, and original musical theatre, and I'm happy to say that our 2007 season is looking huge, healthy, and diverse to the point of ecstasy. We have students coming from all over the country, including over 20 states:

• New York
• New Jersey
• Massachusetts
• California
• Georgia
• Pennsylvania
• Connecticut
• Washington, DC
• Virginia
• Indiana
• Colorado
• Missouri
• Maryland
• Arkansas
• Illinois
• North Carolina
• Washington
• Kansas
• Texas
• Maine

We are also proud of all of our international students, which includes the great countries of:

• Russia
• Taiwan
• Mexico
• France
• Norway
• Puerto Rico
• Korea
• Newfoundland
• Japan
• Canada
• Spain
• Belize

This equals even the most diverse collection of students of Dr. Swift's original program, NYSMC, which at its peak hosted over 200 students every week, and over 300 for the summer. We are very proud of this achievement, as it would seem that we are certainly doing something right.

Dr. Swift, whom I had the great fortune of knowing back in my own music camp days, created his music camp back in 1947 because he wanted to give talented young musicians a place where they could not just play during the summer, but to learn, grow, and florish under the tutelage of equally dedicated professional musicians and educators.

How tragic is it, for example, when a fantastic young flute player ends her sophomore year of high school, but suddenly has no orchestra to play in for three long months? Or a cellist going into his senior year being forced to spend his summer working stock in the back room of a local pizzaria, instead of being able to continue cultivating his unique talent of making music?

Okay, the world won't end under these scenarios. But like Dr. Swift, everyone here at NYSMF believes that these great young musicians really need a place where they can keep up their skills. NYSMF gives them such a place, where these kids can be surrounded by like-minded, similarly-talented youngsters, and truly come together to form a wonderful, supportive community of musicians, voluntarily bound by their love of music.

Even I feel like my personal "Corny" meter often overflows, but in this case, I am proud to let it spill over like an avalance. I am vastly grateful for this opportunity to bring NYSMF to all of you, and I will never stop thanking you for it.

Five more days to NYSMF. I can't wait.

Keisuke Hoashi
NYSMF Director of Communications

19 Days to NYSMF 2007!

Hello again everybody, Keisuke Hoashi here, your NYSMF Director of Communications and very busy working Hollywood actor. And it is now only 19 days until the start of what we've been waiting for all year long ... NYSMF 2007.

The numbers are even more exciting than last year. As of today, we have around 300 talented young musicians signed up, as well as over fifty faculty and Visiting Artists on our impressive roster. We have people coming from over 20 different states acros America, and a dozen different countries across the globe! Some nations represented include Norway, Korea, France, Russia, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, England, and Belize -- enough that we need a world map to locate them all.

The NYSMF program continues to expand from within, as well. In past years, our instructors have brainstormed, masterminded, and brought to life our most innovative and exciting programs, including:

• David Ludwig's Composition Program (in which students compose their own original works in just two weeks, and have them performed in concert);
  
• Keisuke Hoashi's Original Musical Theatre Workshop (students learn to create their own original show in only 12 days)
• Dr. Paul Cohen's Classical Saxophone Workshop
• The NYSMF/Yamaha Silent Electric Strings program, greatly facilitated by our violin faculty member Sean Neukom and cello faculty member Lauren Riley

This year, we are proud to announce the NYSMF International Flute Institute, headed by our own Bonnie Bokyung Kim. This exclusive program is open by audition to only 15 or so top flute players, and they will be enjoying six daily hours of private lessons and masterclasses, designed to push their skills well into the realm of wildly talented professionals.

I wasn't kidding when I said this was an exciting year! NYSMF ain't just plain ol' music camp -- as you have read for yourself, we're a heckuva lot more!

19 days. Excellent.