Huelskamp's Music now on YouTube

This week, I started migrating all the recordings of my music to YouTube. It's a great way to share music, and I love how I can create one big playlist of all my pieces. It also makes it incredibly easy to share the files on my website and throughout social media.

It will take me some time to upload all the videos/audio files to my list on YouTube, so check back there often. Here's the link to access the playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlPLB_BrM-rl9lJLB6TQFYjyXUc2vHcAo

Under 1/4 - still a starving artist

It's been a while since I have written a post that focuses on the more personal side of my life. Many of my colleagues know that I have slowed my music production for the past three years for a couple of reasons: (1) I recently had twins, and they are a lot of work. And (2) we are trying to pay off all our debt (read student loans, because that's all the debt we have). We would like to be a debt-free family.

Why? In essence, if I had no debt, I could live on an artist's take-home salary. I wouldn't have to take on a "day job" to pay for my expenses and then hope to have time to complete my compositions and productions on the side (an impossible concept now that I have twins). I would have the ability to choose to do whatever I want with my time.

I will admit that the past three years have been a little rough, and it requires sacrifice to achieve this goal. To that end, we cut back on all our "extracurricular" spending: eating out, vacations, and all the fun (read expensive) perks of life. It has been tough, but I have to remember that this debt paid for my past, awesome adventures...expensive private conservatory, Paris, living in Boston, music programs over several summers, and more. I don't regret my choices, but I do regret the debt.

And, the plan is working, and I know the lifestyle restrictions are merely temporary. We now have less than 1/4 of our original debt remaining, and we are well on our way of being out of debt. That is super exciting! The closer we get to paying off the debt entirely, the more focused I am about not spending money on lifestyle enhancements. I want all those extra dollars to pay off this debt, so my family can be free!

Then what??? Well...first I'm taking a vacation. After that, I am going to pursue my dreams, and I am going to do so without the limitations of debt. In the meantime...I am still a self-appointed starving artist.

New Music Ensembles in Tampa Bay

Since moving to the Tampa Bay area, I have been working hard to learn more about the music scene down here. Boston has an amazing music scene, and I was worried that I would really miss out on performances in Florida. Turns out that's not the case at all!

Here's an alphabetical list of the new music ensembles I have found thus far. As I learn about more, I will update the list. If you are aware of an ensemble I missed, leave a note in the comments, and I will check it out.

• New-Music Consortium at USF - according to their website "a student-run organization, based in the Music Composition Department at University of South Florida’s School of Music. The goal of the New-Music Consortium is to produce concerts of contemporary music at the University of South Florida and throughout the local community. All concerts produced by the NMC are free of charge, and feature acoustic and electronic compositions that are not typically programmed in the Tampa Bay area."
  

• Reflections Chamber Ensemble - primarily comprised of musicians who perform with the Florida Orchestra, the mission of the Reflections Chamber Ensemble is "to perform and encourage the composition of music for the core ensemble."
  

• Sunshine City Opera - Located in St. Petersburg, FL, Sunshine City Opera specializes in performing new and less-frequently heard opera repertoire. 
  

• Venture Compound - as described on their Facebook page, the Venture Compound is the gallery/perf space of the Pangaea Project, a non-profit org for experimental and emerging artists and arts exploring new ideas. Their specialty is "avant garde, electronic and experimental artists, musicians, dancers, performance artists, et cetera." 
  
• University of South Florida (USF) New Music Festival - From what I can tell this is the second new music festival put on by the USF School of Music and curated by USF Assistant Professor of Composition Baljinder Sekhon. Thus far, the festival has taken place every two years, and features free concerts of new music from around the world.

Sunshine City Opera seeks a soprano

St. Petersburg, FL's newest opera company seeks a soprano. Auditions June 4! Here's the details.

Sunshine City Opera seeks an experienced soprano who loves performing new music for voice. Scheduled auditions will be held on Saturday June 4 at USF in Tampa. Stipend available.

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
2 contrasting arias: at least 1 in English and at least 1 composed after 1913.
Current resume & headshot
Auditionees will be presented with a brief rhythmic sight-reading example.

To schedule an audition, please email operainsunshinecity@gmail.com

For more information: https://sites.google.com/site/sunshinecityopera

Tampa Bay Flute Choir Concert upcoming on May 22 at 3pm

The Tampa Bay Flute Choir will be performing my arrangement of Armed Forces Salute in about a month.

Their concert takes place at the Allendale United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg on Sunday May 22, 2016 at 3pm. Reception with tasty food to follow the concert. From what I understand, admission is free too!

Here's the full concert program:

The Mayflower Suite, by Catherine McMichael
Cross the Wide Missouri, by Kelly Via
The Appalachian Suite, by Kelly Via
Civil War Suite, arranged by Nancy W. Wood
Armed Forces Salute, arranged by Erin Huelskamp
America The Beautiful, arranged by Kelly Via

10 Block Walk Scene 7 Complete

Yesterday, I sent a fresh copy of Scene 7 from my second opera The Ten-Block Walk over to the librettist, Christie Lee Gibson. This is the fun part of the process. I like sharing the new scenes with Christie and hearing her feedback. There are always bits to change and improve, and, this time, I am especially eager to have a singer and pianist take a look at it.

I wrote the movement in a sort of short score fully understanding that no single pianist in the world could play all the parts. After reducing the score down for piano and voice, I am interested to see the elements that come through in the reduction. More on that soon...

In this scene, the Old Woman walks by a graveyard, and she ponders her remaining time on earth. It's a little dark but also uplifting, and I think the music reflects those emotions.

Here's a small sample:

Juventas 10 Years Celebration Video

Check it out. I made a video with a slide show celebrating Juventas and their success in making it as a professional ensemble for 10 years! Comment if you like it. Thanks!