Programming: Q4 2011

Please note: schedule subject to change

October 7 Eurovox: The EU A Cappella Scene

The United States tend to dominate the pop a cappella scene these days thanks to the appeal of TV shows like The Sing Off and the growth of the college a cappella movement in this country. But Europe is an equally vital place for the genre, as Tine Frise, a member of the Danish vocal ensemble Postyr Project, explains in conversation with VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman.

October 14 It Takes Two, Baby: On the relationship between speaking and singing
Every voice specialist knows that if you want to sing healthily, you first have to be able to speak healthily. Join VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman and American Speech Language Hearing Association voice experts Sarah Schneider and Joanna Cazden for a conversation about the connection between the two ways we use our voices.

October 21 Wild Women of Song: The great female composers of the jazz era
Many of the pop cannon’s most treasured vocal music standards were penned by women composers in the first half of the last century. Vocalist and songwriter Pamela Rose joins Chloe Veltman in the studio for a discussion about Peggy Lee, Alberta Hunter and some of the other “wild women of song” whose work has endured over the decades. (Re-run; show originally aired on March 11 2011.)

October 28 Songsmiths from Across the Border: The Bay Area Latino singer-songwriter scene

The Bay Area boasts performances by a wealth of brilliant singer-songwriters from central and southern America. Join Carlos Disdier and Nairem Morales, the forces behind La Bohemia Productions, a promotion and booking company for Latin vocal talent, and VoiceBox host, Chloe Veltman, for a look at the fizzing local Latino songsmith scene. (Re-run; show originally aired on May 20 2011.)

November 4 (De)Crescendo: Vance George on dynamic contrasts 



Singers, especially choristers, have a habit of singing at the same volume -- a comfortable mezzo forte -- even in a piece which calls for extreme louds and softs. Vance George, director emeritus of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus joins VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for a discussion about the wide world of vocal dynamics.
 


November 11 Songs of America: Thomas Hampson on the Great American Songbook



Song is deeply ingrained in this country’s cultural identity. The celebrated American baritone Thomas Hampson joins VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for a discussion about the extent to which it's possisble to tell the story of American history through song.



November 18 Innate Chemistry: How singers communicate with their bands



When you’re the one standing in front of the mike, it’s easy to feel like you’re the center of the universe. But communicating properly with your band members is absolutely key to giving a successful performance. Jazz vocalist Ellen Robinson and instrumentalists Sam Bevan and Kristen Strom join VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for a discussion about the subtle yet powerful art of communication that takes place between great singers and the great instrumentalists that surround them. 



November 25 Zen and the Art of Singing:

On the relationship between riding waves and singing songs

There’s more to the relationship between surfing and singing than Beach Boys songs in praise of surf culture. Join chorus director and surfing enthusiast Bob Geary and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman to find out more.

December 2 Women Singing Low: On female Tenors and Basses

Shakespeare praised women with low voices for good reason. Join the deep-souled songstress Melanie DeMore In recent decades and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for a celebration of some of the world’s most wonderful women vocalists who make the space below the alto line firmly their own. (Re-run; show originally aired on May 27 2011.)

December 9 As Good as the Original: On translating operas into English
The art of opera translation is subtle yet crucial. Get it right, and the audience feels like they’re experiencing the work with as much richness as the original; get it wrong, and there’s no music to be heard. Mairi McLaughlin, Assistant Professor of French and Linguistics at UC Berkeley and Donald Pippin, director and founder of San Francisco’s Pocket Opera, join VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for a chat about what makes English translations of operas written in languages like Italian and French work – and what doesn’t. (Re-run; show originally aired on April 15 2011.)

December 16 Medieval Madonnas: Anonymous 4’s Susan Hellauer on chant
The roots of much western music today lie in the haunting sacred vocal music of Medieval Europe. Join Susan Hellauer, a member of the world-renowned a cappella vocal ensemble Anonymous 4, and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman, for a journey into the history and technique of chant.

December 23 Walking in a Winter Singalong Land: On the Joys of Singalong Cinema
The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without a trip to the local movie theatre for a Singalong Sound of Music or Singalong West Side Story. Join performer and impresario Laurie Bushman, the host of the famous singalong soirees at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, and VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman, for a look at the culture of the singalong and what makes these events so much fun.

December 30: Hardly Strictly Singing: Warren Hellman on bluegrass vocals (and then some)
Warren Hellman in memoriam: The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival has become a favorite annual event on the Bay Area cultural calendar, attracting a top-tier lineup of vocal artists from the world of bluegrass music and beyond. Banjo player, bluegrass music aficionado and festival founder Warren Hellman joins VoiceBox host Chloe Veltman for an exploration of the best bluegrass vocalists around today and standout artists working in related genres. (Re-run; show originally aired on September 30 2011.)