MacManX.com » Music

Phantom Scream’s First Album

James — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 07:27:34 +0000

Bryan’s band, Phantom Scream, has released its first album for download under the “pay what you think it’s worth” model. That’s right, you get to set your own price. Who could ask for a more reasonable holiday gift?

Upcoming Holiday Concerts in So Cal

James — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:34:02 +0000

Sarah has posted a list of her upcoming holiday performances this month. If you’re in the vicinity Tustin, California on December 22nd at 5pm, stop by the Four Crows Center for some great music!

Music Program Notes Has Moved

James — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:01:59 +0000

I am proud to announce that Music Program Notes has been accepted by Wikia, which brings our cost of operations down to zero and exposes our database to Wikia’s large user community! Because of this, I have decided to re-title the database as simply Program Notes, to accommodate program notes for both music and stage productions.

The move started a few days ago when I inquired about the possibility of moving our database to Wikia. Not too long after, Angela Beesley responded to not only say that it was possible, but that she had also created a new wiki for us at Wikia and had safely transfered the entire contents of Music Program Notes to this new wiki. Just a few emails later, Angela had changed the title of the wiki to “Program Notes” and answered numerous questions regarding the configuration of my new wiki at Wikia. Thanks, Angela!

So, without further ado, please visit the new Program Notes database at Wikia and contribute whatever you can. And, if you know any relatives, friends, or acquaintances who can help, please ask them to contribute too.

Presenting: Music Program Notes!

James — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 02:37:07 +0000

I am proud to present Music Program Notes, an exciting new resource for ensemble directors, music educators, students, and anyone else with a general interest in music history!

Program notes are short paragraphs or essays providing details about a composition and its composer, and can usually be found in a program accompanying the performance of the composition. They often provide historical notes about the time period, the composer’s thoughts behind the composition, and sometimes a critic’s interpretation in order to establish a setting or capture the audience’s imagination.

Several program note resources exist today, both online and in print. These resources; however, are typically designed for one genre, one ensemble type, or contributed to by one author. Music Program Notes is a free, volunteer-powered, collaborative database of program notes for all genres and ensemble types, and anyone is welcome to contribute or use the program notes in our database for any non-commercial or educational purpose.

Music Program Notes opened silently to 7 select individuals on March 30th. In the 23 days since then, we have accumulated program notes for 68 compositions and are anticipating rapid growth now that the database is open to the public.

Update: Music Program notes has moved and is now titled Program Notes.

Seeking Beta Testers

James — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:32:52 +0000

One of my most ambitious ventures is now open to private beta testers. Unfortunately, I can’t publicly divulge any information before the official launch on April 20th, but if you have a background in orchestral, choral, wind ensemble, chamber, jazz, or solo music, or a background in MediaWiki administration, please contact me via either the comments section of this post or email. Thank you!

Shatner on the Roof

James — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 06:12:48 +0000

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see William Shatner star as Tevye in the famous Broadway musical, Fiddler on the Roof? I think it might be something like this.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

James — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 02:00:15 +0000

In 1968, William Shatner released The Transformed Man, an album filled with his dramatic interpretations of poetry and popular music. One of the most memorable songs from Shatner’s debut album is his interpretation of the 1967 Beatles hit, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. According to popular rumors, it was this interpretation’s success as “one of the worst songs of all time” that inspired Shatner to present his interpretation of Rocket Man at the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards.

Rocket Man

James — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 02:03:33 +0000

Just for fun, here’s a classic William Shatner performance from the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards, in which he presents his interpretation of Elton John’s hit single, Rocket Man.

They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard!

James — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 22:32:28 +0000

Just to brighten your day, here’s a Lord of the Rings music video featuring Legolas, Gollum, and Celeborn.

Sarah Completes a Musical Portrayal of Christ

James — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 02:56:12 +0000

I am pleased to announce the completion of Sarah’s latest compositional project, Three Images of Christ’s Final Hours.

This is a fifteen minute collection of three individual pieces that, when performed as a set, depict the Garden of Gethsemane (including Christ’s prayer, arrest, and trial), the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection.

The completion of this collection has been one of Sarah’s life-long dreams and I am proud to say that the finished collection is truly a work of art which highlights both her acute attention to detail and imaginative use of instrumentation and melodic phrasing. The score is currently available for purchase, and CDs should be available sometime next year.