A Doctor is in the House!

I successfully defended my thesis on November 1 in Bloomington. I am now officially Dr. Wanda Yang Temko! Hallelujah!

A Rare Occurrence

This week I had the pleasure of attending two musical performances, a rarity in my life since I am so often in rehearsal or performing. What a pleasure! It also has reminded me of the universality and timelessness of great music.

The first was a concert devoted to the music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, presented by Sonic Generator. I interviewed two of its core members about a year ago, and finally made it to a concert. To my delight the hall was packed. Many friends and acquaintances were in the audience, as well as a diverse group of student-aged folks. The atmosphere was casual and attentive, and especially intimate because of those folding chairs meant for very small butts.

It was a well-programmed concert drawing our attention to the French-American connection. From Varèse to Glass and Reich, we also heard a few 21st century discoveries by François Sarhan, John Zorn, and Pierre Jodlowski. My favorites were ones filled with whimsy--Pirouette , cacahouète by Sarhan, and Glass' Metamorphosis IV. They just seemed to fit my mood for the evening.

Pirouette was a brilliant interplay with the musical and verbal babbling of a sweet child, with the bass clarinet, violin, and percussion interwoven melodically as well as harmonically. At times the recording truly faded into the texture, and the resultant sound was mesmerizing as my ears worked to distinguish what was being performed live versus what was not. Cellist Brad Ritchie's stoic composure gave Glass' Metamorphosis a required seriousness, but his bike shorts wearing alter ego as one of the videoed personas aroused the largest chuckles of the evening. The new music scene can often take itself too seriously, and I was impressed with the ease of this group to engage the audience with humor without being patronizing.

Steve Reich's Pulitzer Prize winning Double Sextet (2007) proved to be the show stopper. While listening I was trying to discern in words the major differences between our three top American minimalists, John Adams, Philip Glass, and Reich. Here's what I concluded. You can always hear some rock and roll in John Adams, and he creates a brilliant textural palette that is focused on theatricality. Glass transfixes with sonority, and Reich seems to be more harmonically driven, with a rhythmic sense derived from musical theater. I could swear I heard vamping taken from a Sondheim musical in his Double Sextet. No matter how you describe it, the piece was a success, as well as the concert. Yeah for New Music in Atlanta!

Last night I saw Atlanta Opera's production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, starring David Daniels. It was another first for me, the first Atlanta Opera production I've seen since they moved to the Cobb Energy Center. I loved it. David sang well and acted poignantly. The chorus was inspired. Conductor Harry Bicket pulled out a lithe performance from them that even contained some pseudo-Baroque vocal gestures. Amazing. The orchestra played with air and lightness and an overarching sense of line. Eighteenth-century opera in Atlanta, on a big stage. Who coulda thunk it? Not me. It's another exciting development in the music scene in Atlanta.

It has been an awesome week so far. I can't wait to see, or hear, what is next!

Miscellania

I pass this along without comment:

http://whatisthefirstlaw.blogspot.com/

New Job!

I have been hired as the Vocal Coach of a new chorister program at a church in Atlanta. It is a very exciting prospect for me, this whole working with kids thing. As I was going through all my schooling I assumed that college age youths were my target audience. But as I began to teach private lessons to younger and younger singers, I discovered that I loved stimulating and enriching the lives of teenagers. For me, 13 is a good age to begin honest to goodness voice lessons, at the least the ones I teach. It takes a certain level of emotional maturity and discipline to handle the ups and downs of developing a skill from a passion. Any younger than thirteen I always recommend that they try singing in a choir, a good choir.

In a good choir, led by someone who is truly knowledgeable about the voice, a child can learn most of what he or she needs to know about the basics of good singing. In order to achieve a certain depth of musical understanding one must learn the fundamentals of music. So, a choir that also emphasizes theoretical skills offers the most complete development.

I can't wait to delve into a world that has made me who I am today, a musician. At the age of six I began singing in a choir, and decades later I still love to sing and excel as a musician. This new job will teach me so much more about being a good person, teacher, and singer. I can't wait.

Catching Up

The end of May and most of June were spent following musical pursuits. Ben and I flew to Lincoln, Nebraska, so that I could concertize with friend and harpsichordist, Ben C. The concert was sparsely attended, but those who were present enjoyed themselves greatly. Then, Ben C. and I flew to Toronto to attend TBSI. After two weeks of Baroque bliss, Ben and I stayed in Toronto for a few days to be just tourists. A visit to Niagara Falls was mind-blowing, and then we headed home. These amazing experiences would not have been possible if I were still employed at my last place of work. I think it was meant to be.

My First Traffic Ticket

Yup, it finally happened. I was given my first speeding ticket at a speed trap set up by the police just south of the intersection of Briarcliff and Clifton. BEWARE OF SPEED TRAP! I guess they needed to fill up the coffers for this month. Can't wait to go to Traffic Court!

Another Step Forward

My doctoral document is now in the hands of my committee members. One set of comments have been returned, and now I eagerly await the rest. I am on track for giving the lecture recital in early September and graduating, finally, in December. So by the end of 2009 I will have become Dr. WYT. Yeah! This academic journey had a lovely seven year detour, but I am back!

It's about time!

With nothing else but three concerts in two weeks on my plate, I have finished a first draft of my doctoral document. Yes, I like to work under pressure. I'll be going to Bloomington next week to see my committee members and to help speed the approval process along. I can't believe that I will actually finish the damn doctorate. The one thing I do fear is that after next week I'll be faced with the realities of having lost a job that I loved. Emotionally I have put aside much of the grieving process because I had something important to accomplish. In about 10 days I'll be alone with my grief. As I continue to struggle with what all of this change means, I am so thankful that I get to make incredible music with people I love and respect. Thanks, ASOC, MOS, MMC, and Phil on the Hill!

My profound passion for the classical radio business continues, and maybe it's simply time that I struck out on my own. Atlanta is not a provincial town that requires its classical music to be given only in small doses and only the hits, please! With one of the greatest symphonic orchestras in the country, one of the best symphonic choirs in the world, and one of the most respected regional theatrical companies in the country, this city is artistically sophisticated. We deserve classical music that has depth and variety presented with respect and knowledge. It is patronizing to believe that Atlantans only want to hear what they've already heard before. I realize that not everyone has heard Beethoven's 9th, so we must look out for those listeners. But, I also know that people need a wide variety of music 24/7. As far as I know, Atlanta has never had an FM station devoted entirely to classical music, and that's an outrage. I think it's time for one. Don't you?

I'm Bi-Coastal

So, in my brief life as a radio freelancer so far, my Chinese New Year Special was picked by a station in Boston and a station in Seattle. It's gratifying to know that my work is appreciated. Frankly, my energies are focused on writing my doctoral document (I am mostly finished, actually.), prepping for three concerts in March, and teaching, so the radio thing is on the back-burner, just for now. Even with that said I produced an interview for WABE just last week. Take a listen.

The Source

In case anyone had a question about the mastermind of the current changes at my former radio station, the GM admits to being in charge in this article.

Even with the new electronic Portable People Meters reporting their first stats and transforming what we think of radio listening, this is still true.  When one is trying to create a consistent sound, interruption means tune-out.  A talk show in the middle of six hours of classical music creates a disturbance and not increased interest.  Also, when you read the article, the GM is admitting that the Noon talk show will become a dumping ground of previously aired pieces on the news magazines.   How's that for creating "a great conduit between the listener and more exposure to the Atlanta arts community?"  This talk show means less arts coverage because it will seek to repeat what already has been done, and not to create more coverage.  The purpose of this programming change is an obvious move to add more talk and take away more music on the station, and this article names the source.

CyberBully

I was cyberbullied today. Actually, I'm fairly certain that this cyberbully attacked me on another site just a few weeks ago. It's a risk that all of us bloggers face when we put ourselves out there, but it's still sobering when it does happen.

To this blog entry, an anonymous person wrote:

At 2/05/2009 9:49 AM, Anonymous said...
Just as well; Wanda, your pretentiousness was becoming absolutely unbearable.

As a Chinese-American immigrant, I am familiar with the kind of bullying that happens in the classroom, hallways, and playgrounds of school, and I am good at fighting those tormentors. However, the faceless "anonymous" cyberbully is a whole new level of cowardliness. More than cowardliness though, this kind of cyberbully is, most of all, insecure, hiding behind anonymity to spew venom that is untrue and uninformed. Such a person is never seeking the truth or dialogue. I feel sorry for cyberbullies, actually, for they must lead "lives of quiet desperation." So much so that they must belittle others to feel grand themselves. So sad, really.

Then, there's the whole pretentiousness accusation. I have to admit that I am a music snob. However, when I say that, what I mean is that great music (in the classical and folk traditions of the world) is for everyone, despite differences in race, language, culture, wealth, etc. This belief has made me who I am, a Chinese-American girl who loves to sing Bach, Handel, Mozart, Britten, and Messiaen, and my favorite band in the whole world is Duran Duran.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that pretentiousness means: making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing). On this point I have to disagree with my anonymous accuser because I have not exaggerated. The increase in audience size during Noon-3pm which occurred during my watch happened, in largest part, because of my choice of music and presentation. There was no Music Director programming my music and telling me what to say. I chose the music and wrote the words. As the only one who knew how to run the radio listening stats in my department, I also know this because I've seen the numbers and have run the analysis. I am in the trenches every day, as a musician and educator, interacting with people who listen to classical music, and I use this knowledge to inform my choices. As the person who answered listener comments for nearly seven years at my former radio station, I also know what people are thinking because they have either called or emailed me. So, no, anonymous, I am not making pretentious claims.

Atlanta deserves a full-time classical radio station that plays the great works acknowledged as canons of the repertoire, for instance, the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Copland, Ravel, Handel and more. However, there's so much exciting music of the 20th century that we have ignored on the radio because of its perceived discordance, and we also need to nurture these sounds on the air. At one time all music was new, and the old guard hated the new, i.e., Monteverdi's Seconda Prattica. We may call it ancient music now, but back in the beginning of the 17th century, this was revolutionary and discordant. And, there's great music being made today, right here in Atlanta. We all deserve the best classical music, and if we provide people with access to great content, young and old alike will join the community, a community that believes in the power of beauty to transform us into better human beings. How's that for pretentiousness.

Other Radio Stations

As I am busily writing my doctoral document (there are now just about 10 good pages), I've been listening to WQXR online, and I love it. Beautiful announcer voices who do not try to be folksy. They are professional, conversational, and the music is top notch. Once again, proving that it is different 'cause the big boys/girls do it right. Listened to my old station in Bloomington for a while, but there were so many pregnant pauses (not sure if it was due to buffering) that I gave up after about 2 hours. Wish I stayed longer listening to WRTI, but they were in the midst of pledge. Life is fun!

An Independent at Last

Friday January 30 was my last day as a seriously undervalued and underpaid employee of a place that I loved. I feel absolutely liberated, although the tears flowed quite freely as I played the soprano aria from Brahms' A German Requiem, one of my all-time favorites on my last on-air shift.

On January 19 I uploaded my Chinese New Year show on a website for independent radio producers to share their work and get paid a little for it. Here's the link for it. Three days later it was licensed by WGBH in Boston, and there's proof that it aired. See this comment:

Thank you

This was a fantastic program. I listened on WGBH in Boston and was transfixed for the whole hour. Thank God I found this copy online, or I would have gone insane. I've been listening to some of the musical pieces over and over again for the past few days. Thank you.

The next day it was licensed by KUOW, Seattle's NPR station. It's nice to have this kind of validation, which was completely lacking in my former place of work.

The Truth, please?

Look at what I found on a page that was complaining about how bad pledge programming is on WABE.

From an anonymous WABE insider:

After Morning Edition goes off the air and we start broadcasting classical music, our listenership numbers go into the toilet. But, ironically, it is these loyal few listeners who support the station. And in a BIG way. Unfortunately, until people start being more vocal with their demand for more news/current affairs programming, and making sure the management realizes the money attached, things will not change. Not supporting the station is the wrong thing to do. When pledge comes up, call in and donate–but donate a SMALL amount, even if just a few dollars. Be sure to say that if your voice was heard, and there was more news (local and NPR), you would gladly give more. Believe me, if even just a handful of people do this, the highers-up will take note.

First of all, this insider is simply wrong. Radio listening habits across all formats experience a dip after 9am (which is the end of drive time) because the primary use of radio is in the car during morning and afternoon commutes. Of course this means that listening picks back up once people are commuting home in the afternoons. What I know from many years of looking at our radio ratings is that listening to classical music on WABE is on the rise. I have, in the last three plus years as host of Afternoon Classics, nearly doubled audience share from Noon-3pm, and the increase in arts coverage, thanks to my interviewing and editing skills, has been tremendous. I really hate to pat my own back, but I've simply had it with misinformation.

This is a curious quote, since our GM quoted this nearly verbatim once while talking to my boss, LR, saying that "listening goes in the toilet" at 9am. In addition, it is disheartening to know that there is someone inside this place that is spreading untruth as gospel and advocating for listeners to petition for a format change. We've been there, done that. Studies made by experts in the business concluded years ago that WABE was a healthy station, and changing the format to all news and talk could jeopardize our status. Also, the gains we have steadily made over the last few years in audience size has been due to increased listening in all hours from 5am-7pm, not due to the news programs alone.

Idiocy and betrayal make me so mad!

What my workplace could've done?

In commercial media outlets throughout the nation, they are firing highly paid anchors to save money. I make $36K a year, which in no way qualifies me for the highly paid category. So, why was I fired? It certainly is not for the quality of my work on the air or off the air. It seems that non-commercial radio is following suit, except, they are eliminating the four highest paid managers (probably because on-air talent is so rarely highly paid in public radio). Read here.

It seems to me that listeners develop relationships with the voices they hear on the air, and not the behind the scenes folks. Yet, the behind the scenes folks hold themselves often in a higher place than the on-air "talent." Actually, I've always resented being called "talent" beginning with my acting days. It makes me feel as if I've been given this "talent," and not that I am good because I've worked hard to make it look and sound easy. As a singer I strive to make what I do seem easy, and that only began to sound so after years of mindful study. What my workplace could have done is to preserve and nurture the listener-host relationship, first, rather than to disrupt it. An easy way to do so would not even have involved anyone getting fired. How about a pay cut for the four highest paid people? You can decide who they are by going here, where all non-profits post their tax returns.