Monday, December 5, 2011

VOTE for Listen for Life's entry in the Pepsi Refresh Project!


Our Pepsi Refresh Project idea

is up for voting at the Pepsi Refresh Project!


So….what is this project about?
Well, it is connected to our OTHER breaking news!

Most of you hopefully know by now that Listen for Life is doing its first annual NY concert, at Carnegie Hall at 8pm on Sunday January 8th, 2012.

BUT we have also decided to make our Carnegie Hall event the centerpiece of a Listen for Life Multicultural Music Day worldwide, and we are inviting ALL musicians, of any and all genres, to gather your fellow performers from different cultures, and create simple cross-cultural concerts in your own communities on January 8th as a way to raise awareness not only of our global family and mission, but of the POWER of cross-cultural music as a source of nourishment, understanding and peace in the coming year.

So if you are a musician or you know some musicians, please invite them to participate with us, anywhere they happen to be, on January 8th ! And even if you are not a musician, do please VOTE in the Pepsi Refresh project for us, so that we can spread the message and also gather footage from all of the different concerts that are already taking shape around the planet for that day. Obviously, it is not just about one day – it is about the goal of inspiring musicians while helping listeners to discover all the great sounds and music styles that can make the coming year an even more enriching musical experience.

And for you non-musicians and music-listeners out there, we are excited that you can have an opportunity to benefit from our Carnegie event, even if you can’t be with us!

PLEASE VOTE! YOU CAN CAST ONE VOTE PER DAY FOR OUR PROJECT! 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Christmas Concert at St Joseph's Cathedral, San Jose, Dec 21st 2011

[Listen for Life logo]
regrets to announce that the concert planned for December 21st 
at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph  has been cancelled. 

It is hoped that another concert will be arranged to take its place 
-- please see the "Season of Hope" calendar at St Joseph's for further developments.

on Saturday December 17, 2011 as planned!

Christmas Concert at St Leo's, San Jose, Dec 17th 2011

[Listen for Life logo]

presents a

Concert of Christmas Music

and Community Sing-Along

Saturday December 17th, 2011 at 6:30pm

at
 St Leo the Great
 88 Race Street, San Jose, CA 95126 [map]

featuring the
[Listen for Life Chorale]

A new choir formed from singers across California,
from Santa Cruz to Sacramento to Berkeley.

This imaginative event is called a Candlelight Christmas Cookie Concert.
Admission is $2 unless you bring a plate of cookies with the recipe on top - then you get in free! After the choral concert there will be a cookies-n-milk feast in the hall, with a live brass band playing Carols!
 

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Musicians Around the World: Create Multicultural Concerts on January 8th 2012!

Musicians Around the World: 
Take the Listen for Life Challenge! 
Create Multicultural Concerts on January 8th 2012!
 
 
On January 8, 2012, Carnegie Hall in New York 
 
will experience the 
 
"Power of 8"
8 musicians 
representing 8 cultures, 
playing a total of 8 instruments, 
at 8 pm on January 8th.
 
 
We would like the Carnegie Hall concert to be the centerpiece event and launch of a global movement, inspiring musicians worldwide to seek out performers of other cultures in their community and invite them to join in giving multicultural concert together on January 8th as well. We would love for January 8th to become known as Multicultural Music Day worldwide as a celebration of music's power to be a positive channel of cross-cultural communication and a unifying force for peace. 
 
We are now challenging musicians worldwide to give multicultural concerts for peace on the same day (January 8th, 2012) in local venues all around the world!
 
Team up with instrumentalists of other cultures and play simple, inexpensive concerts open to a broad audience!
 
Please send us videos/photos made at the concerts, so we can create a film about music being celebrated as a true channel of cross-cultural communication all around the world!
 
Please write to us about your concert plans to musicaroundtheworld@listenforlife.org, so we can show in how many places around the world peace will be celebrated on that day!
 
Let's restore music as a unifying force throughout the world!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

LFL Benefit Concert at Freight & Salvage (Berkeley, CA), Tue Nov 15th

Listen for Life Benefit Concert

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011 at 8pm
 (doors open at 7:00 pm)

Coffeehouse
2020 Addison Street / Berkeley, CA 94704 (map)

Hawaiian & World music featuring: 
the Patrick Landeza Project, Kawika Alfiche and H'lau o Keikiali'i, 
Faith Ako, Steven Espaniola, Hiram Bell, Pulama
Matthew Montfort, and Vanessa Vo

$24.50 advance / $26.50 at door
Purchase tickets online


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Listen for Life Benefit Concert in Concord, Fri Nov 4th 2011, - CANCELLED

 For reasons beyond Listen for Life's control, the Benefit Concert which was to have taken place on Friday November 4th 2011 at Cue Productions Live! (1835 Colfax St., Concord, CA, 94520) has been cancelled.


However, both Patrick Landeza and Van-Anh Vanessa Vo will be performing on
November 15th at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, CA. See HERE for details.

 

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Take the "50-day challenge" and change the world through music!

VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED, anywhere in the world, starting TODAY! 
If you want to know WHY, continue reading below. 
If you don't care why, and just want to know HOW to volunteer and doing WHAT, then skip the sections immediately below and jump to the bottom! :)

Why we need volunteer participants for 50 days, starting TODAY:
Many of you already know that on January 8, 2012, Listen for Life is producing a very unique multicultural concert (www.listenforlife.org/carnegie) at the most famous concert hall in America, if not in the world - Carnegie Hall in NY.  The January 8th concert is featuring 8 instruments played by 8 artists representing 8 different music genres/cultures starting at 8pm. "The Power of Eight" is actually an event of global significance because three of the artist-treasures from Israel, Syria and Palestine will be flying in to perform together on one stage as a musical statement for peace in the new year. Also featured in the program will be the Emmy-Award winning Natl Champion of Vietnam (she is also an Oscar nominee), a top award winner in Hawaiian music, a Grammy-nominee jazz-piano phenomenon, a young UK violist who has already played 4 sold out world-music concerts at Carnegie Hall with Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, and the Artistic Ambassador for both UK and USA who is also a Grammy-category nominee and renowned television host internationally. The program will include the NY premiere of a Native-American based piano work and the world premiere of a work for oud, viola and piano being created at the moment by a major award-winning film composer.

All of the artists are donating their performances and travel expenses in order to be a part of something much bigger than themselves - they are all Listen for Life musicians because they all share the belief that music can indeed be a common denominator, a channel of communication, and a unifying force for good in the world. They also agree that if you "change your music" you can indeed "change your life"  ....unfortunately too many people listen to one style of music or the one set of songs that play over and over on global media, without taking the opportunity to discover new sounds, new instruments, and new experiences of music listening that can enrich and elevate their thinking, their spirits or their lives. The program on January 8th in NY will bring traditional instruments of several cultures to Carnegie hall at discounted ticket prices so that families, youth, students and seniors can hopefully attend and "taste" some new sound combinations while experiencing the unity and peace that can be created through the gift of cross-cultural music. 

We hope to then replicate this concert program in other cities around the world over the next few years so that we can inspire other musicians to join us, and impact the lives of even more music listeners. But the initial January event itself is a major opportunity to let the media help us to make music listeners worldwide know of our existence and our outreach projects that can help serve their own communities. It is also a chance for us to help other causes, organizations, corporations, foundations, related products, musicians with CD releases, anyone who wants to partner with Listen for Life, to sponsor the Carnegie hall event and thus gain access to not only the live audience members but also to our global audience through our website, broadcast channels, social networks, etc. The problem is, I have been working at doing just that, for 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week, for months now, and I am only beginning to scratch the surface of the thousands and thousands of people that we could be contacting and offering these partnerships and opportunities to, if I had others to join me in the email and media campaign. 

HOW you can be a virtual volunteer, from your own community, and WHAT you can do:
So today I realized that all I need to do (I hope!) is to let everyone KNOW that you can participate and that we not only invite you to join us, we need you to join us! I am now officially inaugurating our CHVW - that stands for Carnegie Hall Virtual Workshop. Think of a carpenter's workshop, where lots of people are busy each doing a specific task but all working to contribute their small piece to the huge edifice of a gorgeous building, or sculpture, or whatever image comes to your mind as being meaningful, beautiful and beneficial for the world. 
Since there are lots of special holidays coming up around the globe between now and January 8th, I figure at most we have 50 work days left till this globally significant event - but any publicity, media, sponsorship or advertising deadlines are a minimum 30 days or more prior to an event, of course, so most (but not all) of the tasks involving virtual volunteers online need to happen in the next 1-3 weeks, ideally. 

Things you can do:

  • using a "master copy" email I have written for various categories of media or other contacts, send it to each of the individuals on specific databases that I would share with you.
  • should you prefer making live contacts on phone or in person, using 'talking points" or "task outlines" I can send you, participate in your own local community to raise the awareness of the opportunity for partnership
  • We would welcome any and all help from those of you who are social networking gurus and can help us get the word out on your FB, twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, online media access, websites, YouTube channels, and any other social media you know! 
  • If you live in or near the NY area, we have postcard flyers about the event, to hand out anywhere you go. 
  • If you have other ideas of what you would do with our fast-approaching opportunity & event, just let me know! 
To get started, all you have to do is contact me by email and tell me how you would like to participate:

Even if you only have a little bit of free time in which to participate, it all adds up! Take our "50-day challenge" and you will see how much of a difference YOU can make by sharing even just a tiny portion of your gifts and skills to help change the world through music. Get to know us through this campaign and then hopefully you'll find that the benefits to your own life and music experience are so rewarding, you'll even decide to start a Listen for Life chapter and projects of your own initiative, someday, in your own community! 
Look forward to hearing from you, as soon as possible!   
warmest thanks for wanting to be a part of this,
Donna

Saturday, October 22, 2011

The Power of Music

[This article, written by Listen for Life Founder Donna Stoering, was first published on October 18, 2011 at bodychecklist.com. Reproduced with permission.]

For centuries we have intuitively recognized that certain sounds, intervals, rhythms, pitch combinations, and harmonic vibrations could all be deliberately used to affect the moods of individuals or the emotional tone of entire crowds. But more recently, we have developed the scientific instrumentation to accurately measure reactions in different regions of the brain when a variety of musical elements or pieces are heard – not even listened to, intentionally – just “heard” in the surrounding sound that is subconsciously but constantly absorbed by any human being.
It has been shown, for example, that if we want to de-stress and lower our cortisol levels, we can deliberately play very melodic, horizontal (i.e. single-instrument) pieces in a slower, steady pulse, and this sends direct messages to the part of our brain that affects cortisol levels, lowering them by up to double digits in every study done.

MUSIC AND STUDYING


Again, all of this knowledge can be negatively or positively used ... some experts suggest that certain contemporary pop song composers are deliberately causing depression in pre-teen girls by using specific harmonies and melodic patterns that are known to cause this mood change in the brain: the girls become emotionally attached to the music (because they are down), therefore listen to it even more as it expresses their feelings, and therefore the record labels/media distributors make even more money on repeated downloads or song purchases.
All parents want to help their children. The one simple (and free!) thing that will make the biggest difference for our children is to proactively provide them with specific music listening experiences to meet specific needs or goals.
  • For example, research has proven that if one is studying a foreign language, putting on some faster-paced pieces by Bach in the background will greatly increase receptivity in the part of the brain that learns languages.
  • While students of any age are studying/preparing for a test, the faster movements by Vivaldi or Mozart work best in stimulating speed of thought and retention of information.
  • There have been many different tests carried out about optimal conditions for studying/memorizing, whether it is best to have no music, classical music, or any other kinds of music and the results showed repeatedly that the mathematical relationships in particular Western classical music definitely work best to stimulate learning and retention in several brain regions. The results for “other” kinds of music or no music at all, were neutral.
  • Obviously we can’t just take control of our childrens’ iPods and insist that they listen to one thing or forbid them to listen to something else. At Listen for Life we believe the solution lies in offering them a healthy but adventurous alternative and that is why we have produced the Travels with Music collection, with six hours of interactive content that offers an experience of the world, with the master musicians of those countries as the tour guides. 300 short music videos from around the world are integrated with four computer games, audio files, informational text, and links to the world-renowned artists who are all the acknowledged representatives of their cultures. This program works well for music listeners aged 4-94 and provides a fun way to re-acquaint ourselves or our families with our own musical geneology and heritage.
And that “geneology” IS important! Music therapists around the world – and even volunteers in most nursing homes – know that non-responsive injured or elderly will suddenly come to life if they hear the songs that may have played when they were in the womb or as a young person growing up, whatever the circumstance.


WHAT ABOUT WHEN A BABY IS IN THE WOMB? WHAT CAN WE DO? PLENTY!!

  • All tests have shown conclusively that babies do absolutely respond to music and rhythm while in the womb, and it is important to play calm, soothing music of any style, or classical music of any culture, when placing headphones on a pregnant belly, because music that is rhythmically “jerky” such as jazz, or riddled with angst or tense higher frequencies like, say, heavy metal, visually caused babies to become jerky, hyperactive, or rigid with tension. The same would possibly apply when choosing whether or not to attend a live concert while pregnant. Depending on the volume and mood of the music, the consequences would vary. It is absolutely wonderful, if not crucial, to listen to as much music as possible while pregnant, for the emotional and physical health of the mother (and father!) and for the goal of helping to nurture any level of musicality in the unborn child.
  • I know this from personal experience – when I was pregnant with my first child, I was performing piano concerts right up until the 9th month, and on this one particular piano concerto by Schumann, it became highly uncomfortable trying to stay on the piano bench because the baby would kick (usually low enough to hit my bladder) on every single downbeat that I played! About 4-5 months after the baby daughter was born, I was scheduled to perform that same Schumann piece again, so returned to the piano for rehearsals and I was astonished to notice that every single time I played that particular piece, she would stop absolutely still in her swing or playpen nearby, look wide eyed around the room, and then start bouncing and kicking in exactly the same rhythm with an enormous smile of recognition and joy on her face. (She went on to sing the title female role in Jesus Christ Superstar in England when she was 14, but is now a (very rhythmical) horse jumper and professional equestrian who is married to a composer and is passionate about all sorts of world music).
  • One does not have to be a professional musician to give the benefits and gifts of music to your children. All of us can sing. Babies respond to singing from the human voice more than to any other instrument – I have found that singing quite softly while making eye contact (and fairly near their faces) elicits the strongest and most alert response. Sometimes they love being bounced rhythmically while we sing something lively to them. And we all know that it puts most of them to sleep quite well if we are patient and they are not tooooo distraught.
In general we all need to remember that music has tremendous power and it is a tool we have been given for communication and enrichment. Just as people today understand that ‘we are what we eat” and have therefore become much more aware of the nutrition value (or lack of it) for each food they ingest, similarly music is nutrition for our mind and our soul – and yes, we are what we listen to.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Oktoberfest One....

We like to explain to folks that Listen for Life is "a global family of music listeners, performers, and producers, all working together to restore music as a unifying force for good, throughout the world".....and sometimes we find out that we have actually helped to accomplish that mission in a particular community, even without realizing it or intending it! Such is the case with the first annual Oktoberfest that Listen for Life was asked to help produce for a San Jose, CA neighborhood and parish this last weekend.
LfL has been involved in the area for the last 9 months or so, creating a year-round series of cross-cultural concerts and music-based events for the Race St/Rose Garden neighborhood and being held in the good acoustics and ambiance of St Leo the Great parish through the generosity and visionary planning of their pastor Fr Marcelo Navarro. When discussing a program for Fall 2011, LfL had suggested bringing in an authentic German band and doing traditional Oktoberfest music. At the first planning meeting I was in awe at the number of volunteers (from the parish, school and neighborhood) who showed up, the incredible ideas and energy that they brought with them, and the  speed with which this simple idea ramped up into a massive event with authentic German food, professional crafted desserts, special outdoor lighting to create a Bavarian beer garden area, children's games, a dancing area near the band.....all was great until I realized, with a sinking feeling, that I was being asked to coordinate the entire event and not just the music. Thankfully, a new arrival in the community, realtor Jacqueline Price, offered to put in just as many hours behind the scenes outlining tasks and connecting all of the people to do them, through constant emails and phone lists, and a rather large army of school parents and parishioners (from both the Hispanic-speaking and English-speaking communities) gradually took shape. The Don Sommerfeld band provided fantastic music and ambiance while the ticket line at the door just grew and grew. The event was a huge success in every way, and now the German Oktoberfest in this primarily Hispanic/English neighborhood is slated to be an annual happening that folks are already looking forward to.
But why is this story in a Listen for Life blog on music? Because we learned something very important through  this event as well. Music does indeed have the unique power to be a unifying force, perhaps even more-so on the local community level than on the global level where we are also frequently involved. The night of the Oktoberfest, as it was drawing to a close, several people explained to me in different ways that this was the first time in many years that the various communities within the parish, school and neighborhood had all shared in the planning, participated in the work, enjoyed the event together, and made new friends during the clean-up. The type of music was something unique to most all of them so it became the common denominator for a shared new experience.
So, for all of you Listen for Life music listeners and volunteers out there, or those interested in creating LfL chapters in other cities worldwide, take note! Look for opportunities to be a catalyst for building this unity -  donate your energies to create unique music events within the communities where you live, and involve as many of the different organizations or groups within the neighborhood as you can. Nothing is too small to be worthwhile, and nothing is too big to tackle. I am living proof that you will survive (the lack of sleep and extension of your working hours), and help will appear, and you will be so glad to have met and worked with so many new friends and wonderful people! It is a rather magical thing to suddenly realize that your "mission" has been accomplished for you, and by everyone involved. Thank you again, Oktoberfest team!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

LFL musician Vanessa Vo to speak at TEDx, Stockton, CA, Oct 12th

Vanessa Vo

will be a Guest Speaker at

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

at the

University of the Pacific
 Stockton, California, USA
 
For full details of this all-day event, please visit www.tedxsanjoaquin.org.

Vanessa will talk at around 4pm Pacific Time, on:
"Breathing New Air into Tradition"
at: DeRosa University Center Ballroom,University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95204 [map]

Note: Vanessa is one of the 8 artists who will be performing in the Listen for Life 
concert at Carnegie Hall on Jan 8th, 2012. See www.listenforlife.org/carnegie for details.

 [added Nov 18th, 2011]: Here's the video of Vanessa's TEDx talk and performance!


[The entire day's proceedings was streamed live over the Internet at www.tedxsanjoaquin.org.]

From the "Speakers" page at the TEDx Website:

" Van-Anh Vanessa Vo dedicates her life to creating music on the dan Tranh (16-string zither) and fusing her traditional Vietnamese foundation with a freshness of new structures and compositions.

Since settled in California, she has been a collaborator and solo artist with such musicians and groups as Kronos Quartet, Nguyen Le, Paul McCandless, Ali Ryerson, Charles Loos, SOMEI Taiko Ensemble, Wobbly World, as well as lending her talents to fundraising events for several non- profit organizations. Continually cultivates the beauty and versatility of the dan Tranh to feature her beloved instrument in an international music genre, Van-Anh has been co-composer and arranger for the Oscar® nomimated and Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, Daughter from Danang (2002), the Emmy® Award-winning film and soundtrack for Bolinao 52 (2008), and the multiple award-winning film A Village Called Versailles (2009). Recently, Van-Anh released newest CD “She’s Not She” with award-winning composer Do Van-Anh began studying dan tranh from the age of four, and graduated with distinction from the Vietnam Academy of Music. In 1995, Van-Anh won championship in the Vietnam National Dan Tranh Competition along with the first prize for best solo performance of modern folk music. She has since performed in more than fourteen countries and recorded in many broadcast programs inside and outside of Vietnam. Her first CD “Twelve Months, Four Seasons” was released in 2002.  She lives and teaches dan tranh and other Vietnamese traditional instruments in Fremont, California."

[This page was first posted on October 1st, 2011]

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Slavyanka concert in Clovis (near Fresno, CA), Sat Oct 22, 2011

Slavyanka Men's Russian Chorus


will perform on



Saturday, October 22, 2011, 7:30pm

at

Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno
2672 E. Alluvial Ave., Clovis, CA 93611
Directions / map 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Ultra World X-tet concert in San Francisco -- Friday, Oct 21st, 2011

UPDATE!
ULTRA WORLD X-TET's Gary Schwantes and Winnie Wong were interviewed on KALW's "Bay Area Beats", broadcast on Wed Oct 19th. The interview may be heard HERE.

ULTRA WORLD X-TET
in concert
Fri. Oct. 21, 2011 - 8pm
Old First Church
1751 Sacramento St. (at Van Ness), San Francisco, CA 94109 [map]


Discounted Parking Available at
Old First Parking Garage
1725 Sacramento St.

TICKETS
$17 General
$14 Seniors (65 and older)
$14 Full Time Students
Children 12 and under Free

ULTRA WORLD X-TET will present a concert of new works October 21, 2011 at Old First Church in San Francisco. The ensemble’s unusual instrumentation includes 4 Guzhengs (23 string Chinese zither) as well as saxophone, bamboo flute, bass, and percussion. You won't want to miss the X-tet's pioneering mix of music and culture.

The program will be mostly comprised of world premiere pieces. The ensemble's sound draws from Western and Asian traditional and contemporary concert forms, modern jazz, and experimental textures. 

Ultra World X-tet: Gary Schwantes, Saxophones/Bamboo Flutes -  Winnie Wong, Guzheng – Raymond Froehlich, Drums/Percussion – Krista Gon, Guzheng – Kimberly Wong, Guzheng – Melia Yee, Guzheng, Doug Ebert, Bass 

Link to bilingual concert poster: Bilingual Concert Poster


Direct Link to Video: Night of the 15th Moon

Direct Link to Ensemble photo: (hi resolution version available on request)

The ensemble’s first CD, Moon and Legend is available at many outlets.
Including CD Baby Moon and Legend CD and  iTunes Moon and Legend on iTunes

Press contact: Gary Schwantes  (415) 601-6575  garyspro@gmail.com

Donna Stoering on "Lena Live" BBS Radio - Tue Oct 4th at 1pm PDT

Donna Stoering

Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on

Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011, at 1pm (Pacific Time)


will be the special guest on

"Lena Live" BBS Radio

Host: Lena Miremonde

Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 
1:00pm Pacific Time (US West Coast)
2:00pm Mountain Time (Denver)
3:00pm Central Time (Chicago)
4:00 pm Eastern Time (New York)

This interview will be streamed live over the Internet HERE


Donna will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Slavyanka concert inTiburon, Sunday September 25th 2011

Slavyanka Men's Russian Chorus


will perform on



Sunday, September 25, 2011, 3:30pm

at

Westminster Presbyterian Church

240 Tiburon Blvd
Tiburon, CA 94920

Directions / map

Get Tickets for this concert 

Slavyanka concert in Oakland, Saturday September 24th, 2011

Slavyanka Men's Russian Chorus


will perform on



Saturday, September 24, 2011, 7:30pm

at

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

114 Montecito St (nr Grand Ave)
Oakland, CA 94610

map & directions

Get Tickets for this concert 


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Don't forget -- Peace Day Concert is in Oakland TODAY!!!

Listen for Life presents

 A FREE multicultural music celebration
of
UN International Peace Day 2011


 for the City of Oakland, California


Wednesday September 21st 2011 from 5pm - 7pm

at the bandstand/stage of Preservation Park
at
 Martin Luther King Jr Way & 13th St, Oakland [map]
  (7 mins walk from 12th St - Oakland City Center BART Station)

FREE Admission!

[Click poster, or HERE, for full-size version]

Performances will feature these internationally renowned groups, each playing for 30mins:
  • - Rafael Manriquez and Ingrid Rubis (music of Central/South America)
  • - Steven  Espaniola  (award winning and sought-after young performer from Hawaii)
  • Pope Flyne and friends (popular African styles from his native Ghana and other countries)
  • - Rumen "Sali" Shopov & Inspector Gadje (Balkan Romani "Gypsy" Brass Band)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Donna Stoering on Voices on the Net - Mon Sept 12th at 9am PDT

Donna Stoering

Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on

Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Monday, September 12th, 2011, at 9am (Pacific Time)


will be the special guest on

Voices on the Net

Host: "JJ"
-
Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 
9:00am Pacific Time (US West Coast)
10:00am Mountain Time (Denver)
11:00am Central Time (Chicago)
12:00 noon Eastern Time (New York)

This interview will be streamed live over the Internet HERE

[Added Sept 14th]:
This Interview, which was streamed Live and recorded on September 12th, is
now available as a video podcast!

She will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Donna Stoering on Immaculate Heart Radio, SF, Sept 10th, 7am PDT

Donna Stoering

Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on


 Immaculate Heart Radio

San Francisco 1260AM

Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Saturday, September 10th, 2011, at 7am (Pacific Time)


will be the special guest

on Immaculate Heart Radio 1260AM

  in San Francisco, California

Host: Elizabeth Campisi
-
Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 
7:00am Pacific Time (US West Coast)
She will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Oktoberfest celebration in San Jose, Saturday October 15th

 OKTOBERFEST in SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA!

If you happen to be in the SAN JOSE area on  
Saturday October 15th, (6pm-10pm)... 

come to an Oktoberfest music celebration 
being produced by Listen for Life at: 

St Leo's Church - parish hall
88 Race Street (just off The Alameda, near downtown)
San Jose, CA 95126 [map]

European food, beers, wine and family fun will all be available and accompanied by free live traditional Oktoberfest music played from 6-10pm by the Don Sommerfeld Band performing polkas, German drinking songs, etc with accordion, brass, percussion, and song - come dance and have a great time!

The following PDF files may be opened / downloaded / printed:

Postscript:

If you helped to organize the event, or volunteered your time, -- or even just attended
-- we would LOVE to hear your thoughts and comments below! 

Listen for Life founder Donna Stoering has written a post elsewhere on this Blog, in which she talks about some of the steps involved in producing this event.

Also, if you have any good photos of the event, please send them to webmaster@listenforlife.org.

Thank you!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Fundraiser Concert in Los Altos Hills, California, October 2nd 2011




Dear friends,

Wouldn't you love the chance to see, hear, and mingle with our "local neighborhood star" and former CSMA pupil, Grammy-nominee jazz phenomenon Taylor Eigsti, "up close and personal" in a private house concert ? Taylor is being featured in a special Listen for Life (www.listenforlife.org) benefit event that is generously being hosted at a gorgeous private estate on SUNDAY October 2nd at 4pm (wine reception commences at 3pm and all are welcome).
Other performers for this special house concert will include: 
Taylor Eigsti will be the featured performer with a half-hour set all to himself, because he doesn't get out from NY all that often and the chances to hear him in this intimate of a setting are very rare indeed. 

Suggested donation is a minimum $75 per person as this event is a fundraiser for Listen for Life's projects and programs which have thus far impacted the lives of 9 million people in 55 countries. 
Listen for Life is a global family of music listeners, teachers, performers and producers, working together to change the world through music. Our global headquarters are here in the Bay Area and we welcome all music listeners to join our family! 
For more information on Listen for Life, or to reserve a place for October 2nd, please phone 510 540 8136 or email events@listenforlife.org

Thursday, September 1, 2011

FREE Concert for Peace Day, Downtown Oakland, Sept 21st 2011

Listen for Life presents

 A FREE multicultural music celebration
of
UN International Peace Day 2011


 for the City of Oakland, California


Wednesday September 21st 2011 from 5pm - 7pm

at the bandstand/stage of Preservation Park
at
 Martin Luther King Jr Way & 13th St, Oakland [map]
  (7 mins walk from 12th St - Oakland City Center BART Station)

FREE Admission!

[Click poster, or HERE, for full-size version]

Performances will feature these internationally renowned groups, each playing for 30mins:
  • - Rafael Manriquez and Ingrid Rubis (music of Central/South America)
  • - Steven  Espaniola  (award winning and sought-after young performer from Hawaii)
  • Pope Flyne and friends (popular African styles from his native Ghana and other countries)
  • - Rumen "Sali" Shopov & Inspector Gadje (Balkan Romani "Gypsy" Brass Band)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Donna Stoering's recent Interviews

Donna has been giving interviews (on the radio and streaming-media stations) regarding her upcoming book "Change Your Music Change Your Life". Here are links to some recent ones:


- Sunday Aug 28th 1pm PDT, KSTE (Sacramento) - online stream HERE.
- Sunday Aug 28th 9pm PDT, FCCFreeRadio, online stream HERE.
- Monday Aug 29th 10:20am PDT Voices on the Net [postponed due to Irene]
- Monday Aug 29th 3:55pm PDT BBS Radio - Dresser After Dark
- Tuesday Aug 30th 9am PDT Everyday Wisdom for Families
Monday September 12th, "Voices on the Net", now available as a video podcast!
Tuesday Oct 4th at 1pm PDT,  on "Lena Live" BBS Radio. More...

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Donna Stoering on "Everday Wisdom for Families", Aug 30th 9am PDT

Donna Stoering
Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on


Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011, at 9am (Pacific Time)



will be the special guest

on the online radio station  Everyday Wisdom for Families

Host: Kellie Ann Peterson
-
Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 
9am Pacific Time (US West Coast)
10am Mountain Time (Denver)
11am Central Time (Chicago)
12 noon Eastern Time (New York)
She will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

This interview is available via streaming audio,
or may be downloaded for later listening,  HERE:

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Monday, August 29, 2011

Donna Stoering on BBS Radio (online) - Mon Aug 29th at 3:55pm PDT

Donna Stoering
Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on

BBS Radio's


Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Monday, August 28th, 2011, at 3:55pm (Pacific Time)



will be the special guest

on the online radio station  BBS Radio

Host: Michael Ray Dresser
-
Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 
3:55pm Pacific Time (US West Coast)
4:55pm Mountain Time (Denver)
5:55pm Central Time (Chicago)
6:55pm Eastern Time (New York)
She will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

This interview will be streamed live over the Internet HERE.

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Donna Stoering on FCCFreeRadio (online) - Sun Aug 28th at 9pm PDT

Donna Stoering

Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on



Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Sunday, August 28th, 2011, at 9pm (Pacific Time)



will be the special guest

on the online radio station  FCCFreeRadio

Host: Rob E. Davis
-
Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 
9:00pm Pacific Time (US West Coast)
10:00pm Mountain Time (Denver)
11:00pm Central Time (Chicago)
12:00 midnight Eastern Time (New York)
She will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

This interview will be streamed live over the Internet HERE.

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".

Monday, August 22, 2011

A Tale of Two Operas: experiencing Glyndebourne

While here in the UK for a variety of activities and meetings, had a wonderful invite to attend a performance of Benjamin Britten's opera "Turn of the Screw" at Britain's revered summer opera festival at Glyndebourne last evening. While the story of this opera is harrowing and not exactly pleasant to think about (much less try to perform, I would imagine) the entire production was so artistically crafted and unbelievably perfect in its execution that the excitment it engendered in the hall was both palpable and unforgettable.

Before you get any strange ideas, it is said that the opera's title "Turn of the Screw" refers to a musical/compositional technique where variations on a theme are turned through a set of spiraling key changes, tighter and tighter -  even though the opera in question was actually based on a sort of ghost story of the same name, written by novelist Henry James. The operatic version has a tiny ensemble cast - no chorus and no minor parts; and all six of the roles were filled by star soloists who seemed to be born specifically to sing/act these specific roles. My two personal favorites were the very young soprano Joanna Songi who sang the part of Flora with an unusually beautiful chestnut-colored timbre, and the very very young treble (boy soprano), 12-year old Thomas Parfitt, who played the role of Miles and stood out for his spookily sensitive acting skills as well as his highly musical singing and clarion tone. Looking over the sumptiously produced Festival programme booklet, I came upon a photo of the opera's composer as a school boy and was startled at the striking, uncanny resemblance between Benjamin Britten and Thomas Parfitt at the same age. Not that I imagine that young Thomas was "channeling" the composer in his youth while playing this role, but it could have just added to the eeriness of the entire evening, perhaps. At one critical point in the opera, Thomas is on stage pretending to be playing very technically-demanding music on the piano (which is actually being played by a professional pianist in the pit). We have all seen piano playing mimed relatively well and/or very badly indeed, on various movies, but Thomas' live onstage miming was by far the best execution of that task that any of us had ever seen, anywhere. The program notes do say that he is a pianist and oboist as well as a boy chorister on music scholarship, but his piano skills have to be considerable to have done all of the required hand/arm/finger movements, chord clusters and frequently changing rhythms to such a thoroughly convincing onstage effect, coordinated precisely with the actual pit performance and during a very intricate, complicated piece with other singing and acting going on all around him. Definitely a young talent to rejoice in and watch for!

The other four roles were all sung by major renowned stars of the British opera world: tenor Toby Spence, sopranos Kate Royal and Giselle Allen, and mezzo-soprano Susan Bickley. Mr Spence does have a quintessentially English tenor voice and was the definite crowd favorite, but all four of them did their roles with such total perfection and complete conviction that I cannot possibly imagine seeing this opera with other singers taking their places. But the largest praise (and also gratitude) needs to be heaped on the conductor Jakub Hrusa and to the London Philharmonic's chamber ensemble that played so brilliantly and beautifully under his incredibly sensitive and spine-tingling direction. Every phrase of the opera was expressively shaped and yet tautly driven to a destination. The singers were given both guidance and space, accompanied or responded to with magical, haunting instrumental colors. I kept tearing my eyes away from the stage and soloists in order to watch Maestro Hrusa's sensitive shaping and direction of the orchestra down in the pit, because the combination of tension and beauty he created was positively mesmerizing.

Hrusa made it possible for every one of the opera's stars to exhibit such absolute identification with their roles that the listeners became completely absorbed into the disturbing story -  I overheard various patrons saying at the intermission that they had a strangely difficult time, as they left the theatre for "picnics" on the lawn area (three course meals on china prepared by a world class chef), to pull their minds out of the opera and "back to reality" at this special social event to be enjoyed, traditionally, with both old and new acquaintances.  

And therein lies the tale of the second opera, really....the entire setting and grounds and manor house of Glyndebourne combine to create an ideal opera stage backdrop for the intermingled lives and smilingly scandalous tales of England's most fortunate, and they all gather at Glyndebourne each year for the festival and greet old friends among the linen-covered tablecloths that blow in the evening breeze (or gale, if one is unlucky with the weather). Mozart would have had a field day! But in all seriousness, I met some wonderful people and hope to have made some very special new friends...and Glyndebourne is to be highly commended for its huge success in rolling out a new scheme that makes very inexpensive tickets available for each performance, to anyone under 30. There was ample evidence of that under-30 age group throughout the newly renovated opera house (fabulous, intimate acoustics!) and the extensive gardens and lawns as well. Indeed, throughout Britain's concert halls and opera houses there is a concerted effort being made to make opera both accessible and affordable to youth, and it is paying off hugely, with a large and significant percent of increase in that demographic amongst the audience, and the numbers continue to increase each year.

Other countries should take note! The British are succeeding in getting across to music listeners that opera is definitely "for the masses" and "about the masses", weird spooky tales or not. As I explained to one first-time patron last evening, opera is simply telling a story in a way that heightens your senses and your emotional identification with the characters, because the physical act of singing can express feelings at a depth that the acting alone could never do, while the instrumental music beneath it creates colors and harmonies that open your heart to receive those feelings. That may sound a bit unecessarily complicated now in the retelling, but she seemed to think it made great sense at the time! :)

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Donna Stoering on KBMW (Wahpeton, ND) - Wed Aug 10th

Donna Stoering

Donna Stoering

will be interviewed on



Donna will talk about her forthcoming book:

"Change Your Music, Change Your Life"

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011, at 08:30am (Central Time)




will be the special guest

on radio station KBMW AM1450

"The Voice of the Valley"

  in Wahpeton, ND (also serving Breckenridge, MN)

Host: Jamie Dickerman
-
Donna's segment of the show will begin at: 08:30am Central Time

She will be discussing music's power to affect our children's (or our own!) moods, 
thoughts, mental alertness, cultural attitudes, and behavior in our family or community. 

This interview will be available for streaming and download via podcast.
Please watch this space for details!

If YOU have experienced a change in your life brought about by changing the type of music that you listen to, please email Donna at cymcyl-stories@listenforlife.org.
She would love to hear your story, and possibly include part of it in her forthcoming book
"Change Your Music, Change Your Life".