notesong

                                        Playwright and Director Calvin Manson   Sophocles probably had no clue about the many future playwrights his work would inspire or play formats into which his play Oedipus at Colonus would morph.  The Ira Aldridge Players under the direction of founder Calvin Manson will present a compelling Gospel Music musical version The Gospel at Colonus opening on October Friday 19th  http://www.iarpplayers.org/index.html . Noting the entire trilogy, Joy Vandervort-Cobb of the Charleston City Paper in 2011 reminds readers, "And lest we forget, there is also Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus , the last of Sophocles' three Theban plays ( Oedipus the King , Antigone )."1. I have had the pleasure of working with Calvin Manson on a couple of occasio...

Book Review Music in North America and the West Indies from the Discovery to 1850: A Historical Survey. Maryland: Scarecrow Press Inc. 2006 (by Daniel Mendoza de Arce) . If you are searching for a fairly comprehensive North America Music History book that starts from the early 1600s, I highly recommend this text. I use the qualifying words "fairly comprehensive" to acknowledge that contrary to tacit invisibilization of our sacred and secular American music traditions in most music history textbooks, Daniel Mendoza de Arce makes a strong argument that we do have traditions resulting from a blend of European, Native American, and African, music aesthetics. It's an enormous chronological and cultural scope to research. To continue the text into the twentieth century, Mendoza de Arce would most likely have to have included Asian influences and contributions to European musical history as well. As it stands, the text is filled with a cornucopia of well-researc...

Reg E. Gaines and Delores Fisher San Diego Public Library Constitution Reading The American Constitution was officially ratified two hundred and twenty five years ago on September 17, 1787 with thirty nine delegates in attendance.1 This week on September 17th the San Diego Central Library had a performance reading of the Constitution in the Waggenheim Room featuring Reg E. Gaines and myself as readers with Dr. Pat Washington (UCSD) and Dr. Isidro Ortiz (SDSU)providing scholarly commentary and insights. A small audience, engaged and informed, attended. Some read along with texts provided by the library. Reg E. Gaines, spoken word artist,recording artist, and director--well known for his groundbreaking Tony nomination work in "Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk" on Broadway in the 90s--was an inspiration to read with http://broadwayworld.com/people/headshot/Reg-E.-Gaines/#sthash.oj6fdl4F.dpbs   A supporter of literacy, he  took time out of his busy schedule to particip...

Delores Fisher remembering:a gathering of poets at Claire de Lune Coffee Shop That fateful September 11, 2001,  world viewers watched their televisions,  numbed by disbelief. Others listened to radio broadcasts in anguish, or frantically logged onto nascent social media sites that now supply us with almost instantaneous information as long as the signal holds. It happened on American soil and claimed the lives of people from all over the globe. At the time, in 2001,  I was a more active member of the San Diego poetry community-- teaching less, performing and writing more. Poetry was happening nationally. Performance poetry was "sic." Slamming was off the hook. With the rise in word-craft, serious voices started to emerge. It was what one said, not how one said it that began to capture our attention. Many of us were becoming conscious , reading previous generations' socially engaged poetry, dialoging in community as opposed to competition, reflecting on our impact as ...

Those of you following me on Twitter and at The Center For World Music: https://centerforworldmusic.org/about-us/board/ know that I was a pianist at Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego California back in the day. Charles Ray was the organist/pianist, professor Jean Wesson was the music director. I also played accompanied the Calvary Baptist Church Youth Choir under the direction of Carol Durgan.  The church was known as Second Baptist in 1889 on the corner of  1st and B street. It was moved to  the corner of  then Crosby Street, https://www.calvarybcsd.org/history/   now known as 719 Cesar E. Chavez Pkwy. and at this time is following the leadership of pastor Dr. Emanuel Whipple Sr. And this Sunday in September 2012 Calvary Baptist Church had a Youth Choir Reunion Concert at 3:30. The concert was a musical extravaganza! This post is going viral so I must do a 2024 update: Hello Dr. Buchanon. Thank you for reading my post from 2012. I am honored!!!! For addition...

                                                    Photo by Niles Webster Thinking planting seeds and nurturing one's career . . . . . sometimes a few weeds grow until harvest. Many of you from around the world have been following me for a while now and you know that I try to keep as much information available as I can at the time of my initial post/announcement. Well, it is difficult for me to say, however, I must apologize to you all for my over-exuberance about the seeming possibilities that began opening for me this summer in the small private sector of the music world. Many of you readers who are in the field experience this fact daily. Due to no student (yes read zero) enrollment (I asked for notification if that number changed for the s...

Haven't heard of them? Jazz In Pink http://www.jazzinpink.com/ These ladies have paid their dues and are starting to make bubble bath fragrant waves on the international Jazz scene.  According to my favorite alternative San Diego African American newspaper "The San Diego Monitor" published by hair care entrepreneur Willie Morrow, the group's unifying idea (positive women role models performing to empower/inspire young women to play jazz) evolved on a Smooth Jazz tour. Word got out that major women jazz musicians were forming an ensemble and the total number of players reached ten under new manager T-Rose 1. The present core group led by pianist/keyboardist Gail Johnson  http://gailjhonson.com/cms/ consists of Karen Briggs/violin, Althea Rene/flute, Mariea Antoinette/harp with band members Darlene Moreno, Robin Bramlett, Danielle "Pockett" Brown/drums, Isha Love, Keys. (Additional musicians are Benita Lewis/drums, Lynn Keller /Bass, Estaire Godine/pe...

  Delores Fisher  Strolling Blogger      As many of you know who have been following Carpenoctum2/Notesong since its beginning, strolling on a warm summer morning, praying, meditating, stopping to write poetry or share an early morning conversation with itinerant musicians during time away from teaching is a favorite activity.(See Strolling pages). Last Friday, post Comic-Con 2012, while walking on a cooler overcast morning, I spotted what appeared to be a big purplish blob near the docks by Seaport Village. I looked closer. It was a dark purple jellyfish.       Jelly Fish at the  Broadway Pier San Diego CA.       Convention goers and I shared a moment of amazement. Many snapped photos. But, we all thought it was an anomaly. On Monday morning, July 30th, dozens of this same species were floating near the Midway Museum. I went back yesterday, Tuesday, comment on the phenomenon and to take a few photos of my ow...

It's official. Richard Thompson's opera about Paul Laurence Dunbar will be produced in full. Previous staged readings and positive feedback from around the country gave the composer the needed inspiration to finish the score orchestrations. See previous articles on the Interview Page here at Carpenoctum2. Richard, a professor with the school of music and Dance at SDSU, is a classical as well as Jazz pianist. He is originally from Aberdeen Scotland. He is also a friend with whom I have spent much time discussing music, music history, and the arts. His CD "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is one of my favorites. http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/richard-thompson-and-mirage/swing-low-sweet-chariot/11190572/ For further The Mask in the Mirror opera info.--location, dates, and tickets to the premiere, read: http://sonictapestry.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/the-mask-in-the-mirror/ A labor well done Richard, Delores Fisher

                   Delores Fisher MA Lecturer SDSU Africana Studies Dept. Last year I offered students in my Africana Studies Afras 120 class  at San Diego State University http://africana.sdsu.edu/faculty.htm     an opportunity to share their initial reaction to the power grid fiasco that put most San Diegans without emergency backup generators in darkness. It is more than timely to post now, in the middle of heat waves that continue to plague our nation and cause forced, as well as voluntary, power black outs.  One student edited and revised her response essay with the option of additional editing if necessary. She accepted my offer to share her comments for Carpe Noctum viewers with the byline posting of her name. This is Angela's response to the question: "Where were You When the Lights Went Out?" GUEST AUTHOR:  Angela Evers AFRA 120 September 28, 2011 Where I Was When The Lights...