October Brings Out The Ghouls, Goblins … and Ghost Lights?

As performers, productions and administrative staff, we arrive for work in the  theater before the theater is “open” for the general public. And are often greeted by the lonely ghost light sitting on the stage. Besides being a safety requirement under many state laws, the ghost light is one of those curious things that make you think of things going bump in the night.

I came across an interesting post via BroadwaySpotted.com that tells of some of the lore behind the ghost light. An interesting read. Clicking the photo below will bring to the post.

NPR Asked & People Created ‘Rite of Spring’ Videos

A few weeks ago, NPR Classical put out an open call for “awesome videos” to help celebrate the centennial anniversary of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.  The NPR invitation was a blanket call to professional artists and the public alike:

Take the last minute of Stravinsky’s inimitable score — in an exceptional performance by conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra — and create a new video to go along with this music.

Evidence of Rite of Spring Fever abounds as there was a quite a response!  Head on over to Hudson Sounds‘ Playlist on YouTube and take a look at a number of the top videos along with some other interesting Rite of Spring videos.

One of my favorites is:

Another favorite is:

While one can debate allowing (translate ‘giving’)  your music to be used quite freely … what a great promotional tool under the rite circumstances.

OPEN CALL: Your Video for Gergiev & Mariinsky Orchestra Performing “Rite of Spring” as Soundtrack

Wednesday (May 29th) marks the 100th anniversary of the premiere performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, a ballet written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.

The Rite of Spring turned Paris upside down upon its world premiere May 29, 1913 — and NPR Music is asking you to help them celebrate this groundbreaking work’s centennial.

This one piece paved a new artistic path not just for musicians, but for all kinds of other artists as well. In his press release for the Rite world premiere, impresario Serge Diaghilev promised that Vaslav Nijinsky’s choregraphy for the Ballet Russes would “provide a new thrill that will doubtless inspire heated discussion.” Well, it did far more than that. It set off a dance revolution and sent the music world spinning.

NPR Music is inviting professionals and the public alike to take the last minute of Stravinsky’s inimitable score — in an exceptional performance by conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra — and create a new video to go along with this music (see details).  Deadline is May 28th (2013)!

You can dance, improvise movement, make a one-minute animated short. It’s up to you. Dream big. Show your creativity. Be playful, serious, witty, exuberant, whatever you want.

Find out all the details at NPR MUSIC!

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Welcome to the  placeholder for Green Room Artist Development, LLC, providing a nurturing source of practical business development, administrative and nitty-gritty assistance, and a sounding board for musicians and composers starting out or making transitions.

More to come soon ….