Blog was written by Kelsey Greene, Documentary Studies and Production, '13, FLEFF intern, Buffalo, New York

I had the opportunity to interview the incredibly talented Brad Hougham.  He is a well known and respected baritone vocalist who also teaches at Ithaca College's School of Music.  

In combination with Jairo Geronymo and Deborah Martin, he will be performing Rite of Spring with Gustav Mahler's Ruckert Lieder at 7:00 p.m. in Hockett Hall on Monday, April 11. 

KG: Why do you have a passion for music?  Is there a particular type of music you are fonder of? 

BH: I have always loved music. I remember being moved by music at a very young age, either to dance or sing or laugh or cry.  

I think like many people, music has been a source of comfort to me throughout my life and I love being able to teach in this field, because it allows me to share this love with others, hopefully helping them to develop their passion for it as well. 

I like all kinds of music – I don’t mind saying that I’ve been entertained and moved by a huge variety of artists. You should see who is in my iPod.

KG: What have been some highlights in your life pertaining to your vocal careers?

BH: I’ve been very lucky to have many wonderful opportunities. I sang for eight seasons in the chorus at the Metropolitan Opera. 

During those years, I was able to watch the greats up close. I think that is very interesting from a teacher’s perspective. How does Placido Domingo breathe? How does Renee Fleming move on the stage? How does a big voice sound up close as opposed to from far away – like from the back row of the opera house? 

I have sung world premieres and worked with composers on their own pieces. I have sung many opera roles with various opera companies. 

I love recitals of art song more than anything, and my job at Ithaca College has fostered that love and afforded me many opportunities to perform a wide variety of repertoire with some incredible musicians.

KG: You will be performing with Jairo Geronymo and Deborah Martin. Have you had any previous experience working with these individuals? 

BH: I have worked with both before. 

The last time I worked with Dr. Geronymo was three years ago when we did excerpts from West Side Story for the FLEFF Opening Ceremony. 

The last time I worked with Dr. Martin was two years ago, when we did a piece together with the concert band in the Ithaca College School of Music. 

KG: Can you please briefly describe the importance of the music you will be performing Monday night, both in its historical context and to you?

BH: The songs I’m singing are gems in the German Lied repertoire. When Gustav Mahler composed these, he was stretching the definition of ‘Lied’. Previously, they had been much more ‘miniature’ in genre. His songs are much longer (usually), constructed with more complicated musical language, require a greater range of pitch, mood, dynamics, vocal color and rhythmic variation than many of the songs composed with German texts before his time. 

The accompaniment for these songs can be either piano or orchestral and you can hear a great demand for color and texture variation in the accompaniment part.  

I am lucky to have two such wonderful pianists who will be capturing these colors beautifully in their playing. 

The reason I love to sing these songs is that for me, these poems are very powerful and the musical gesture that Mahler uses to express them form an absolutely perfect union.  

KG: Can you please give us a glimpse behind the scenes as to what you went through and are going through to prepare for the upcoming event?

BH: Well, I have known these songs for a couple of years now, so I have not had to learn any new music, per se, but I have had to re-think them. I believe that many singers feel this, and that is that each time you come back to a piece of music you have sung at a different time, you learn something more about it. 

In addition to that, I have had to think of these songs in relationship with Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, and how they can interplay with that larger work. The pianists were great about finding places in the Stravinsky into which the songs could be inserted. 

KG: What are you looking forward to about this year’s event?    

BH: Just having a chance to share this beautiful music with a new audience and having a chance to work with these wonderful artists. 

I love the idea of faculty from schools coming together to pool their talents. When they do, something amazing always comes of it; this will be no exception.

Blog was written by Kelsey Greene, Documentary Studies and Production, '13, FLEFF intern, Buffalo, New York

As I mentioned several times in my blog entries, I am looking forward to all the events and guest at FLEFF 2011.

One specific event I am looking forward to at Cinemapolis is the screening of Good Fortune, Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m.  I am particularly excited about the discussion following it with the filmmakers Jeremy Levine and Landon Van Soest.  

I have a strong interest in these filmmakers because they are Ithaca College alumni and I have talked to a few of my professors about them and their work.  It is very inspiring to me that they were able to start their own production company right out of college and pursue their passion in documentary.

I am also intrigued by the complexity of issues involved with the film Good Fortune.  

An event I am looking forward to on the Ithaca College campus is the performance of The Rite of Spring with Gustav Mahler's Ruckert Lieder by Brad Haughman and Deborah Martin.  The event will be Monday, April 11 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Hockett Hall.  

The two very talented individuals, who are also faculty members at the college, came and talked about the event at our intern meeting last week.  Their passion about the music was contagious and I cannot wait to see the live performance that will be a once in a lifetime event!       

Blog posting written by Shea Lynch, Documentary Studies '14, FLEFF Intern, Glens Falls, New York

Schedules for Ithaca College Campus FLEFF events and FLEFF events at Cinemapolis are now up! Click here for more information.

One of the most exciting events during FLEFF Week includes two pianos, a baritone, and the meshing of two unlikely pieces of music.

You guessed it! The April 11 event, The Checkpoints Concert in Hockett Recital Hall.

This live performance features pianists Jairo Geronymo and Deborah Martin and baritone Brad Hougham.

Igor Stravinsky's work, The Rite of Spring, will be performed by Geronymo and Martin on two pianos. This commonly orchestrated piece will be reworked as a duel piano rendition. 

Brad Hougham will perform Ruckert Lieder by Gustav Mahler.

The combination of these two distinct styles is a never before heard event everyone must attend. It will dazzle all the senses and, accompanied with visual art on modernist screens, will be a show you cannot forget. 

I am excited to attend this event because I am not familiar with any of these works. It will be a great opportunity for me to learn something new and become more artistically cultured. I am also excited to see the visual art on the modernist screens my peer interns will be helping with. It is a bold statement but I am truly happy Ithaca College has the technology to support such an adventurous performance.

If you would like to attend this event, GET THERE EARLY. The event starts at 8:15PM in Hockett Hall on April 11. Hope to see everyone there!