THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2014
The Standard HIGHLIGHTS: 2014 GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK VOCAL ACADEMY & COMPETITION View the Lineup for the Songbook Film Series
The Great American Songbook Foundation Michael Feinstein, Founder
1 Center Green Carmel, IN 46032 317.844.9446 | TheSongbook.org
2014 Songbook High School Vocal Academy & Competition The 2014 Great American Songbook High School Vocal Academy & Competition was the biggest and best yet. In just five short years, this program has expanded from a small regional weekend event serving 10 students in 5 states to a national program serving 72 students in 31 states. For the first round, students submitted audio recordings singing two songs from the Songbook genre, and received feedback from mentors. In the second round, students competed in one of six regional events held across the country for the chance to attend the Songbook Academy and final round of competition. The Songbook Competition expanded this year with the addition of the South Central region, which included students in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Foundation was thrilled to work with Dallas Summer Musicals to facilitate the launch of this new region and the level of talent in this area was impressive. The final round consisted of five days of master classes and workshops, culminating in a concert held at the Palladium on the Center for the Performing Arts campus in Carmel on July 25, with over 1,000 audience members in attendance. In addition to Michael Feinstein, this year’s Songbook Academy & Competition had an impressive roster of mentors and clinicians. Cheryl Bentyne, of The Manhattan Transfer, kicked off the week with a workshop that required students to analyze the phrasing of some of the Songbook’s greatest vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. The students then worked with vocalist and educator, Sylvia McNair, in a class on vocal technique and pitch integrity. For workshops on stage presence and acting, television director and producer, Marc Cherry, was on hand to mentor the students. Catherine A. Walker, professor of Musical
Theatre at the University of Michigan, spoke with students on the process of auditioning for college arts programs and Rob Lowe and Brinka Rauh, of Casting New Lives, addressed the business side of the entertainment industry. As always, one of the highlights of the week was Image Day, sponsored by Salon 01 and Aquage. Not only were students pampered with haircuts, manicures, and massages, they each received individual consultations with world renowned stylist and co-creator of Aquage, Luis Alvarez. “Salon 01 has been a longtime supporter of the Songbook Foundation. The Vocal Academy & Competition is a wonderful combination of energy, youth, and talent which is exactly what Salon 01 aspires to create and foster every day. With our partnership with Aquage and its co-founder, Luis Alvarez, we hope to create more of a national awareness through hairdressers and our clients of the Vocal Competition. We are proud to be a part of such an amazing event”- Micki Stirsman, co-owner of Salon 01. Maddie Baillio, of League City, Texas, won the top prize and became the newest Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador. In addition to winning $3,000, Maddie will make her national debut performance with Michael Feinstein later this year. Her many opportunities to perform as the Youth Ambassador also include singing the national anthem at an Indianapolis Colts game on December 14 as they battle the Houston Texans. Nia Savoy, Shreveport, LA, won the Songbook Inspiration Award and Grayson Samuels, St. Petersburg, FL, won the Songbook Celebration Award. Preparations are now underway for the 2015 Songbook Vocal Academy & Competition. For updates on the upcoming Academy & Competition and to learn more about this year’s winner, Maddie Baillio, visit us at TheSongbook.org.
Donor Profile: Charles & Alice Simons If you ask Charles and Alice Simons what their favorite genre of music is, they won’t hesitate to say the Great American Songbook. It has been one of their favorites for years. So long in fact that back in 1989, when chairing the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Meeting in California, Charles asked Natalie Cole to perform at the meeting. The Simons got involved with the Songbook Foundation a couple of years ago when a friend asked if they had attended a Songbook Series show at the Center for the Performing Arts. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to hear outstanding artists, the Simons purchased tickets immediately. They began attending Songbook performances, and quickly became familiar with the work of the Songbook Foundation and decided to support the organization. When plans to build a Songbook Hall of Fame exhibit at the Palladium started taking shape, the Simons were eager to get involved. They recognized the impact the exhibit would have on current and future Palladium patrons and visitors and chose to fund the project.
Three classes have been inducted into the Songbook Hall of Fame and the exhibit now has a permanent home in the Palladium on the Center for the Performing Arts campus. Plans are in place to expand the exhibit by adding an interactive component, where guests can view video clips of the inductees and nominate future honorees. This exhibit would not have been possible without the generous support of Charles and Alice Simons. “We were honored to receive a gift from Dr. Charles and Alice Simons to establish the Hall of Fame Exhibit. Their generosity ensures that talented singers and songwriters from the Great American Songbook will be revered for many years to come.” says Karen Kelsey, Vice President of the Songbook Foundation. More information on the Songbook Hall of Fame exhibit can be found at TheSongbook.org. In addition, if you’d like more information on supporting the Foundation with a tax-deductible contribution, contact our Office of Development at 317.819.3528.
GET YOU R T ICK ETS
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14– Gre 201 5 Sonat Am gbo eric Serok Filan ies m The Great American Songbook Foundation is partnering once again with Heartland Film to present the third annual Great American Songbook Film Series. The series brings Award-winning movies to the big screen on the Palladium’s stage. In addition to the movies, pieces from the Songbook Foundation’s Archive will be available for attendees to view one hour prior to the movies’ start time.
This year’s movie dates are: November 14: “Fiddler on the Roof” 7:30pm December 12: “White Christmas” 2pm, 7:30pm January 9: “Annie” 7:30pm February 13: “The King and I” 7:30pm March 13: “The Wizard of Oz” 7:30pm
Tickets are $10 and are on sale through the Palladium Box Office at 317.843.3800 or TheCenterPresents.org. 9
Docent Profile: Francine Weigand Francine Weigand, lead docent at the Great American Songbook Gallery, began volunteering in January 2014. “It’s a perfect fit for me,” she states. “I grew up listening to this music. I love it and am passionate about preserving it.” Francine’s education and professional background also prepared her well for volunteering at the gallery. She has degrees in Communications and Administration and extensive experience in non-profit and volunteer management. Francine’s childhood experience also influenced her desire to volunteer. Her father, Ted Rakel, was a well-known entertainer in the Cincinnati area for many years. He played piano, sang, arranged, led bands, and was a presence in many venues and on local television for decades. “He was a huge influence in my life. On any given day, you could hear him playing a great, old standard while my Mom and I sang along. Talk about a master class! I learned by osmosis to appreciate a beautifully crafted lyric and the sophisticated changes in these lovely songs.” After taking time off to raise her two sons, Francine discovered the Foundation’s Gallery and began volunteering. “This music tells a story,” she says. “And it’s a huge part of my story. It just comes naturally to celebrate it and, hopefully, preserve it for
Exhibit Explores 1960s Broadway! The 1960s, a decade of turbulence in the United States and around the globe, ushered in significant social and cultural changes. Our current exhibit, A Change is Gonna Come: Broadway Musicals of the 1960s, explores the impact the decade had on arts and culture. From Bye Bye Birdie to Oh! Calcutta!, the exhibit tells the story of how the theatre went from innocent entertainment to a mirror of societal change. A timeline helps connect the visitor to the significant events of the decade while artifacts such as scrapbooks, photos, and Playbills bring the past into the present. The 1960s exhibit will only be here for a few more weeks. See it before it’s gone forever! Visit the Songbook Gallery located on the Gallery level of the Palladium.