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.

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!

New Arrangement of Armed Forces Salute for Tampa Bay Flute Choir

Last week, I finished a new arrangement for flute choir. Armed Forces Salute, originally for concert band, is now available for flute ensemble as well as a version for flute ensemble plus percussion.

The Tampa Bay Flute Choir requested the arrangement, and they will perform it in their upcoming concert on May 22, 2016. More soon on the details of the concert.

Here is the first page of the original score:

And here is a one-page sample of the arrangement I made:

I hope to see you at the concert!

Ten-Block Walk opens tonight (6/21) and in the Boston Globe

Tonight's the night! The Ten-Block Walk opens with Facing Down Death, a collaboration between OperaHub and the Fort Point Theatre Channel. AND there's an article in the Boston Globe highlighting the event. Here's an excerpt:

Those with even a cursory knowledge of operas know that death looms large in many of them. Yet an upcoming program by the innovative company OperaHub called “Facing Down Death” offers a pairing of works that tackle the subject in unusual ways. 

First up are excerpts from “The Ten-Block Walk,” a work in progress by local composer Erin Huelskamp and librettist Christie Lee Gibson, OperaHub’s current director. The opera follows an elderly woman, Mrs. Otis, on a walk from her home to a local senior center. Her encounters along the way — with panhandlers, students, a Dunkin’ Donuts worker — bring out her anxieties, about other people, about aging, about death. The second half of the bill is Erik Satie’s “Socrate,” which tells the story of the death of Socrates with music of astonishing placidity. Both works will be done with piano accompaniment.

Read the article here. Don't forget to reserve your tickets too. From what I hear, Friday and Sunday have already sold out! 

June 21-23, 2013, 8:00 pm
Fort Point Theatre Channel
10 Channel Center Street
Boston

FREE ADMISSION!

Reserve tickets here

Magic Mirror in the Newton Patch

Check out this article about my upcoming production The Magic Mirror. It features our King played by Andy Papas.  He sounds great in rehearsal. I hope you can all come see him and the rest of the cast next week, beginning May 30. Get your tix now!

Andy Papas, king in The Magic Mirror

The Magic Mirror

World premiere

Thursday, May 30th at 8 p.m.

Friday, May 31st at 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 1st at 3 p.m.

Saturday, June 1st at 8 p.m.

Purchase tickets

BCA Plaza Theatre

539 Tremont Street

Boston, MA

Summer 2013 Activity

It's gonna be a busy summer, and that's good. I hope you can make it to one or more of my upcoming events. Stay tuned for details as the summer progresses.

Here's the line-up:

The Magic Mirror
World premiere opera by Polina Nazaykinskaya
Erin Huelskamp, director
Lidiya Yankovskaya, music director

May 30-June 1, 2013
BCA Plaza Theatre
Boston, MA


Facing Down Death
Featuring scenes 1-6 of The Ten-Block Walk

Music by Erin Huelskamp
Christie Lee Gibson, director
Nick Place, music director

June 21-23, 2013 at 8 pm
10 Channel Center Street
Fort Point, Boston



Two Gentlemen of Verona
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's Shakespeare on the Common
Steve Maler, director
Erin Huelskamp, assistant director

Various performances throughout July 2013
Boston Common

Mondo-intensive months

I took on too much.  I know I know…I’m an artist.  It’s what we do.  In order to make any semblance of a living through composition, new music, opera, choreography or stage directing, I always take as many paying projects as I can. Some day, hopefully sooner rather than later, I’ll be able to take on fewer projects that pay more.  This time, however, I overloaded myself.  Just to give you an idea - I started a new job in public speaking that suddenly required 40+ hours of time a week coupled with assistant directing/producing the Juventas Opera Project, stage managing the TCAN Players production of Twentieth Century, learning a new script as a Boston Chocolate Walking Tours Tourguide, while maintaining my position at Cecilia and attempt to have a bit of a social life.  The later failed as I am sure you can imagine.  Now, I’m just coming out of a couple months of mondo-intensive work and I am looking forward to a bit of chill time. 

Working so much definitely forced me to re-evaluate my priorities.  Now I am trying to narrow my focus, so I have already left the public speaking position.  I gave it a good shot, but that particular position turned out to be more work than it was worth. I’m back to gigging around town and drumming up funding for the many projects I have floating around my mind.  So that’s a little catch up on my life.

At this very moment, I’m flying somewhere over Utah on my way to LA for the Opera America Conference.  My hope is to blog or at the very least tweet my way through the conference, so stay tuned for the excitement. 

REBLOG: Analissa Martinez talks about my world premiere next week

Composer's Corner: •••••••••••••••• Erin Huelskamp: "

April 15, 2010 7:30pm

St. John's Episcopal Church

1 Roanoke Avenue

Jamaica Plains, MA

The Boston New Music Initiative presents

World Premiere of A Mind-dependent Phenomenon

for solo cello, by Erin Huelskamp

Analissa Martinez on cello

I chose this next work because it takes me out of my comfort spot behind the cello, and asks for an acted performance...but still behind the cello. It's subject matter is also very familiar territory, so an 'acted performance' is not so much necessary.

Erin calls for the intimate moments for a musician in a practice room. The phenomenon of Time passes, slowly or quickly. We procrastinate, play around, stomp, sing and show off.

I display the unpleasantries of time passing by while practicing...and I get to show off some cello rockstar moves interpolated with the ticking of time passing.

Thanks Erin!

About Erin:

Energetic, hardworking and enigmatic, Erin Huelskamp (b. 1982) composes dramatic and comical music that often reflects a philosophical twist on her daily experiences. Co-founder and executive director of the Juventas New Music Ensemble, Ms. Huelskamp voraciously promotes new music – especially by amazing unknown composers – and she strives to draw ever new audiences to the burgeoning sounds of the 21st century....

Trained as a classical dancer for 16 years, Ms. Huelskamp began composing at the age of ten with no musical training. In 2000 she began studies in composition and flute at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Music in both composition and flute performance; she studied composition with Thomas McKenney and Stefan Freund and flute with Steven Geibel. In 2007, Ms. Huelskamp completed a Master of Music in Composition from the Boston Conservatory, where she studied with Andy Vores, Dana Brayton, and later Ken Ueno.

To learn more about Erin, visit her at http://erinhuelskamp.com

••••••••••••••••••••

About The Boston New Music Initiative

The Boston New Music Initiative is an organization committed to the composition and performance of new music on the local, national, and international fronts. Founded in 2009, the Initiative's vision is to establish a network of composers, performers, conductors, directors, and champions of new music in order to generate new music concerts, compositions, collaborations, and commissions.

Visit: http://www.bostonnewmusic.org/

"

Another quote

Here's another quote from an article of Huelskamp yore:


“I founded Juventas with two other young composers who felt there was a flaw in the ‘system’. Instead of ‘whining’ … we decided to take initiative and form an ensemble that focuses on giving amazing performances of music by primarily young, living composers, and to perform this music as repertoire—meaning more than once. Since that time, we have worked diligently to form a community of supporters for our mission. Juventas, as it stands, is the result. I encourage you all to do the same. If you see a problem with the way ensembles, calls-for-scores, competitions, etc., are run … then create something that supports your ideas.”

-Erin Huelskamp, Executive Director & Co-founder, Juventas New Music Ensemble (Boston), post on SCIMEMBERS listserve, 01-MAR-2008. Chamber Music Today “We Are All Illegal Aliens Now: Ageism in Calls-for-Scores and Competitions as Quasi-Immigration Policy?”

Techno gone twisted: Review of Lukas Ligiti

My new review of Lukas Ligiti's CD Afrikan Machinery is up at Boston Lowbrow. Check it out here:
Techno gone twisted: Lukas Ligeti’s “Afrikan Machinery” is eclectic and shifting to the extreme

Super Powers and Organization

I'm back!  I bet you thought I disappeared...

Life is fast-paced right now.  Between stage directing and keeping up with my composition projects, Juventas, OperaHub, Boston Arts Academy AND Cecilia - well, I feel a bit overwhelmed.  Overwhelmed in a good way.  I feel lucky to be working on so many amazing artistic projects.  Can you believe it!?!  I just wish there were a few more hours in the day, or maybe I could develop super powers like Evie from Out of This World.  I'll just touch my two pointer fingers together, freeze time, and take however long I please doing whatever strikes my fancy.  Ah!  Such a nice fantasy...

Side note - do you think I would age during this frozen time?  That could be a problem.

In the midst of developing my powers, I am trying to organize my website.  My plan is to post some of the interesting news items I received over the past year on my blog.

To begin, here is a review of A Protest received from the Boston Musical Intelligencer back in March of 2009:

Eight Commissioned Works for Women’s Vocal Ensemble Take on Social Protest by Liane Curtis

Erin Huelskamp’s A Protest proved the most memorable and startlingly revelatory work of the evening. Her choice was a Victorian-era poem by Arthur Hugh Clough. The anxiety expressed by a woman who rises to speak her opinion before a hostile assembly unfolds haltingly and in overlapping waves of forward motion, then hesitation. Speech-like declamations spar with sung comments, electrifying the psychological battle. This is the piece I most want to hear again, to parse and savor the interplay of interjections, questions and responses.

Anthology Voices commissioned A Protest  in 2008 and premiered it in March 2009.  Anthology is an amazing performing force; thus, I have a killer recording of the piece. I plan to post said recording to the "Listen" section of my site soon, so check back or join my mailing list.

Juventas Review - Murmors From Limbo

REVIEW by BOSTON THEATER REVIEW

Enjoy!

-E

------

Murmors From Limbo:


Juventas New Music Ensemble, a resident of the Boston Conservatory, offered quite the “mind trip” with it’s fall selection, Murmurs From Limbo: A Musical Exploration Into the Human Mind. The ensemble features young artists in the Boston area and strives to produce and promote composers under the age of 35, but this is not an easy task. Filling an audience for classical works can be hard enough, but add to that a bevy of unheard of composers and the risk of green performers, and you have the potential for a disaster- thank goodness Juventas pulled it off with class and style.

Murmurs From Limbo featured six pieces that could not be any more unique from one another- from classic compositions, to dramatic percussive performance piece, Juventas pushed the envelope, and pushed the boundaries of the audience’s expectations.

Tim Stullman’s Deaf Ears Hear No Crying is a tribute to those who seek justice but go unheard. From the first moment of odd scratching and the plucking of piano strings, it is clear that this is not your average composition, in fact, the piece defines the genre of “new classical music” in its ability to combine the a classic and beautiful orchestration with elements of jarring and otherworldly reality.

Bit of Nostolgia by Matt Boyd and performed by Brian Calhoon was a surprising foray into the inner working of a percussionist’s mind. Seeing each object on the stage as a potential vessel for music, Calhoon moved about the stage playing everything from a paper bag to a handful of plastic chains. In glorious contrast to Stullman’s piece, it worked as a perfect bridge to what I consider to be the most beautiful piece of the night.

Erich Stem’s Revisited filled the auditorium with the rich and beautiful sounds of the East. Inspired by Japanese Shakuhachi music, the three movements of this piece are unique and beautiful. The third movement, inspired by an 18^th century poem by Minezaki Koto, echoed the feeling of poetry with fluid lines and sophisticated nuances.

The second part of the evening started off with the fun, playful The Mind is a Monkey, Swinging From Branch to branch Through the Forest by Ethan Greene. The mouthful of the title is an homage to the text of the Sutra, and the music does it justice- full of movement and a witty repartee between the instruments.

Part didgeridoo, part tuba beat-boxing is the best way to describe the piece that stole the show. Fnugg by Norwegian composer Oystein Baadsvick was an all around crowd-pleaser as performed by tuba genius, John Eliot. The audience could not help to gasp in audible delight as Eliot morphed the homely tuba into an unexpected boom-box of fun. Whoops and hollers followed him off the stage until he had to take a second bow.

The evening of music closed with the title piece of the production, Murmurs from Limbo by Steven Rice. Unfortunately this piece fell a little flat for me (no pun intended). As the title engagement of the night, I was expecting to be blown away, especially with the caliber of music and fun we’d previously experienced, but unfortunately Murmors from Limbo was not my cup of tea. A mish-mashed conglomeration of weird shouting and singing in middle English, odd and ugly dissonant music, and an irritating lack of balance between voices and instruments left me feeling pretty disappointed- the text translations provided did no assist in my understanding help because it was extremely difficult to hear the vocalists sing (or moan/shout/growl). It almost felt like a parody of what someone might do if they were trying to make fun of “modern classical music”. That being said, I did appreciate the fine performance of the orchestra, and what I could hear of singers Thea Lobo and Owen Mcintosh.

It was wonderful to see Juventas staples Michael Sakir and Julia Carey giving their skill to the production, and special congratulations to new associate conductor, Lidiya Yankovskaya for an excellent debut!

The Juventas New Musical Ensemble has a lot of exciting productions coming up throughout the year, and will continue with their spring Opera project. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store.



Music Director, Michael Sakir in action
Photo credit: Cayuga Strategies, LLC. 

A Compelling Story

Music and drama; that about sums me up. 

I am writing this blog with the intent of showcasing the life of an artist.  The strife and struggle we go through to create our art – a situation that I consider an unfortunate necessity.  I can’t speak for other artists, but I know for myself creating is something I cannot escape.  I yearn for it.  Most of the time this means telling a compelling story, and yes, I do believe every artist, composer, dancer, etc., is telling a story – even if that story is about nothing other than the way a dominant chord ultimately moves to an implied tonic. I digress.

My point is that artists lead an unusual lifestyle.  We tend to have multiple jobs – none of which feature a nine-to-five schedule, and, ironically enough, half of which actually provide income for sustenance. We think, meander, ponder, argue, and love in ways that most consider either exciting or just plain weird, and I want to share an insider’s perspective of this experience with you.

I don’t know how often I’ll write, though I will try to keep it consistent.  One thing I can tell you from the get-go, though, is that most artists are prone to flights of fancy; hence, I can’t promise anything with this blog other than an exploration of music and drama.  So add me to your RSS reader, and check back often.  Until then, I’m off to create.

-E

PS - check out my website at http://erinhuelskamp.com/