SO...

SO, I have been handed this wonderfully small yet powerful video camera to "capture the moment" so to speak. It is extremely simple to use, about the size of a blackberry and takes pretty good video with sound (even though the mic is on the wrong side, so far my largest complaint).


So my sytem at work is from circa 1776, and can not read videos of any format.

SO I start working from home on it.

So, when I download the video editing software that comes along with the camera, I find its not so good, in my non experienced opinion.

So, I have a PC and on it is Microsoft Movie Maker. But the new technology only makes MOV files, which MMM doesn't read.

SO I find that QuickTime can read MOV files so I download QuickTime, but only the QT Pro will let you edit, change formats or anything like that.

SO I do a little searching and find a great freeware program that seems simple enough yet sophisticated to do what I want. YEA!!! So far still pretty pleased with this software, its called Pinnacle VideoSpin.

So, I cut the hour long video into 5.5 minutes added lovely fades, slides, music and end credits. Looking forward to adding it to the blog, but alas, once I got it ready, turned it into an AVI file, it was a gig and a half and too big.

So, back to the original program that came with the camera, there is an option to load directly to FaceBook or YouTube, the only thing, it doesn't condence the video to fit into these formats...

SO I have formated the AVI file into a MOV file and it is much smaller and hopfully uploading now...

Forcable return

I must thank Andrew for mentioning my blog on this Sunday's Arts section. The thing is, I am the blogger for Kentucky Opera and that is where I do most of my professional updating which he referenced.

ArtIsAir is my personal blog, and my Twitter handle. (All of this seems a bit schizophrenic doesn't it?) So any of you finding my blog for the first time, please also visit Kentucky Opera Blog.

I was a little worried during the interview that I wasn't really representing well, but I suppose Andrew was able to distill my rambling into some sense. He called me a "virtuoso of succinct electronic outreach." That was nice of him.

A couple of very cool things I found today

Its been an ineresting day in the music world for me today. I happened upon a couple of very cool gems. The last (only because it was easier for me to find) was a story on NPR on my way home from the office. It was about a new book by Lemony Snicket called The Composer is Dead. Its a murder mystery looking for the killer of a composer and looking to the orchestra for the culprit. The story is used to teach young readers about the different instruments of an orchestra and the main theme is while a lot of the composers we know well, are well, dead BUT its the music that keeps the composer alive.

I reccomend listening to the podcast, as the "handler" does some great reading. Find the story here.

The other very cool thing I found was a video created from a mixture of other people's you tube videos creating a new and different piece of music. He is known as Kutiman and on his website he has several videos all together. Below is one.



I am finding the use of technology with music extremely interesting as of late. I had heard about the You Tube Orchestra sometime ago and yesterday they posted the winners.

The gathering of this orchestra will take place at Carnagie Hall on April 15, when they will perform Tan Dun's Symphony for You Tube. Should be pretty cool and I wonder if it will be broadcast in the movie theatres like they are doing at the Met.

I found out that two of the Louisville Orchestra musicians auditioned. They didn't make it but it's still pretty cool they participated. I have to find one, but you can see Richard Ryan's audition here.

JoAnn Falletta

Wow, Can I say I just love this woman. She is so impressive and kind.

She recently had a chat with Scott Dowd who had the where-with-all to record it for WUOL. You can hear it here.

I particularly like the part where she's talking about the balance of her life and work and she says:

"Sometimes I think my life IS my work of making music, but I really can't complain. Making music is not work, it's a privilege. It's unbelievable to be in the middle of beauty every day of my life. To stand on the podium in the middle of an orchestra is the most unbelievable privilege and honor and pleasure."

Her passion for her work is arresting.

Andrew Adler had a phone interview and wrote a lovely story here.

I was fortunate enough to listen to a little of the rehearsal with the Louisville Orchestra, and wow. She is a compelling conductor.

With JoAnn Faletta on the podium and Robert Thies on piano its going to be a magnificent concert. If you have a chance to see the LO this Saturday 11/8 at the Kentucky Center... do. 502.584.7777 or louisvilleorchestra.org

Keith Cook Making a Difference with music

Louisville Orchestra violinist Keith Cook had a great feature on WHAS 11, he is making the most of a terrible incident :

Music center for underprivileged children continues operation after burglary

10:46 PM EDT on Sunday, October 19, 2008

WHAS11 coverage

(WHAS11) -Windstorm 2008 brought out the best of Kentuckiana, but apparently it also brought out the worst.

The West Louisville Talent Education Center was burglarized during the power outage.

The center strives to use music as the vehicle to create Metro Louisville’s community leaders of tomorrow.

Violins, computers, and CD players, were all stolen from the center.

Sunday a fundraiser was held to replace the musical instruments.

Louisville Orchestra violinist Keith Cook founded the center 11 years ago to provide first rate instruction for little or no charge.

Cook is a hero to many budding musicians, and he’s not stopping despite burglars cleaning him out.

Cook says, “I was determined that no matter what happened I was going to do this…even if it had to come out of my own pocket, which I’ve had to do to start and operate this.”

Cook has taught violin to more than 200 kids from the Russell, Parkland, California, and Shawnee neighborhoods.

He says learning music helps in the students’ education.

Cook holds the position of first violin with the Louisville Orchestra, and Sunday his students and their parents had the chance to hear him play for a change.

To get involved in the West Louisville Talent Education Center, it is possible to sponsor a Student Scholarship for one year at the following levels:

Young Master- $375

Victory Violin- $300

Suzuki Strings- $200

To learn more about the center and scholarship levels, send an email to louisvillewestec@netzero.net.

Julie Andrews is here!!

Julie Andrews arrived in Louisville today and is rehearsing RIGHT NOW, for the world premier of "The Gift of Music" with the Louisville Orchestra this Friday! There may be tickets left, call 584-7777, they will know.

Barry Bernson of Fox 41, interviewed Dame Andrews.



Stephanie Saunders did an interview with Julie Andrews for WFPL which aired on Studio 619 last weekend and you can hear the podcast here.

Tomorrow evening there will be a fundraising event for the Louisville Orchestra where Julie Andrews will be interviewed by Bob Edwards. A small group of people will be able to witness this wonderful event, and one of them will be me!! I will post pictures I promise!

Arts Funding

The media is a buzz with the Mayors new budget. There are a lot of small arts groups that got completly left out and people are more than pissed. I don't blame them either. The Leo article talked about the Juneteenth festival that has been relevantly bringing African American issues to the stage for 9 years. They went from $15,000 to ZERO in no time flat.

Some of these groups are taking it upon themselves to raise the money needed. Louisville Music News's Paul Moffit says in his blog that John Gage of Kentucky Homefront is having a fund raiser on July 25 & 26 at Iroquois Amphitheater.

The Louisville Orchestra and the Fund for the Arts is consistently Mentioned in all of these articles as they both received the lions share of the funds. None of the articles suggested that this was inappropriate accept perhaps a slight slant with Moffits blog suggesting the LO ticket sales were SO good that the LO didn't need or deserve this money. Interesting... I wonder if he has tapped the box office computers? Obviously not, if he is suggesting that ticket sales actually fund any of the arts groups. In for-profit endeavors that may be the case, but with orchestra and opera, ticket sales only account for 1/3 of the budget income.

I applaud John Gage for taking control of the situation. Go to the event, and support Kentucky Homefront!!

Here are some of the articles:
Courier Journal
Business First
PRWeb Release