EAR #18 - PIVOT

EAR - a newsletter for choral pedagogues

EAR #18

Dear choral colleagues

Welcome to our second edition of EAR in the 2021-2022 season. I have just returned from a week-long trip to St John’s in NFL where I worked with several choirs and mentored conductors and composers. St John’s has a vibrant choral scene, and I attribute the success to the experienced choral pedagogues, who work parallel with children, youth and adults. There is a lot of horizontal and vertical learning and sharing taking place.

If you are an emerging artist, don’t forget that Pro Coro Canada provides opportunities to learn. While several of our conductor and composer spots are already booked this season, reach out and we can discuss what would benefit your career.

Our next concert features emerging composers in the PIVOT program, and we’re starting rehearsals soon. Keep an eye on Pro Coro’s social media to find out about how you can tune in to our live-streamed rehearsals.

And please head over to the poll (see below) to give some feedback on our EAR program.

With my best wishes,

Michael Zaugg

EAR Survey

If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes to complete a survey to help us learn more about how our EAR program, newsletters and videos are used. The information you provide will help us assess if our current online format is accessible, enjoyable, and informative, and how the offer for Emerging Artists could be extended. Thanks for taking part in this survey, facilitated by Sydnie Brown, Arts Management Student at MacEwan University, Edmonton.

Click here to complete the survey

PIVOT Composer Spotlight:

Jessie Rivest

Vocalist and composer Jessie Rivest (b. 1990) creates choral art extrapolated from decades of singing a cappella music in classical, contemporary, experimental, and barbershop styles. Her evocative works push the vocal performance landscape forward with modern subject matter and visceral storytelling.

Jessie has shared the stage with renowned performers such as Cadence, Free Play, Rönninge, Hans Zimmer, and Tanya Tagaq. Prestigious choral performances include: Legends of Zelda at the Sony Centre, Game of Thrones: Music is Coming at the Air Canada Centre, the Canadian premiere of Ēriks Ešenvalds ‘Nordic Light Symphony’, and the Queen Elizabeth II Commonwealth Tour. Her compositions have been performed by Maureen Batt on the 2018 Crossing Borders Tour in Colombia, the New Explorative Oratorio Festival, Los Angeles, CA in 2019 and Choral Arts Initiative PREMIERE|Project Festival, Newport Beach, CA in 2019.

Jessie spent her early years in Woodstock, On, then studied in Toronto, where she earned her B. Mus from York University and Arts Management Cert. from Humber College. She is currently based in Kelowna, BC.

jessierivest.com

1 - Major musical influence (either a style or a personality)?

My main style influences are choral, barbershop, and experimental. Ola Gjeilo, GQ, Nico Muhly, to name a few.

2 - What is your favourite instrument to write for?

Voice/ a cappella, almost exclusively.

3 - Where do you write your music?

Every piece I have written has been while pet-sitting---anywhere comfy with a window.

4 - Would you rather read the book before the movie or after?

N/A...I probably haven't seen or read it.

5 - Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Night Owl, despite trying to make the switch multiple times!