Blog posting written by Karly Placek, Documentary Studies and Production '15, FLEFF Social Media Manager, Monroe, Wisconsin 

Let the countdown begin!

 We are finally less than a week away from FLEFF and the excitement among the interns is too much to handle! We’ve been awaiting countless films, guest speakers, and once-in-a-lifetime presentations. I’m particularly excited for Carmina Burana, which debuts on Tuesday, April 2^nd at 8:15 p.m. in the Hockett performance hall. I recently had the chance to chat with Deborah Martin, professor and concert pianist for the performance. As a pianist myself, I found her insight especially inspiring. I can’t wait to see what surprises are in store for us next week!

 Karly Placek: Can you tell me about your previous experience with FLEFF?

Deborah Martin: This is my fourth year working with FLEFF. I first got involved because of my colleague Jairo Geronymo. We wanted to perform in a different style, so we decided to utilize two pianos instead of one for our creative presentations with FLEFF. Our first performance with two pianos was a lot of fun and huge success, so we decided to do it again and again!

 KP: What will be your role in this year’s performance?

DM: I’m playing one half of the piano part for Carmina Burana – and the piano parts are actually taking over the whole orchestral part in the piece. Sometimes, a composer will write music for two pianos because assembling an entire orchestra can be difficult. They’ll try out ideas using two pianos as to hear how certain pieces sound. Two pianos can almost cover what an entire orchestra can do.

 KP: Do you think Carmina Burana was a good selection for the performance this year?

DM: Definitely. We look for pieces that will be enjoyed by a broad audience, so it’s not just for people who are knowledgeable about music. Carmina is popular - it’s sung at football games! The texts were also written by college students hundreds of years ago. We thought that the connection between students today and in Medieval times was something good for the community to hear. Also, Carmina is a great piece to add visual media to. Not all music immediately makes you think visually, but Carmina does.

 KP: What’s your favorite part about the piece?

DM: It’s really fun to play! Not all pieces are enjoyable for a musician to practice and perform, but Carmina is. It’s extremely energetic at times but can also be extraordinarily beautiful.

 KP: What’s something new about this year that you are excited for?

DM: Well you’ve probably heard about the Trombone Troupe! We aren’t aware that this has ever been done before. There’s no reason trombones can’t cover the choral parts, so we’re substituting our Trombone Troupe for the role of a large chorus. I’m eager to see how the audience responds to this unusual substitution.

Much thanks to Deborah for her time and perspectives! Will you be attending Carmina Burana?