Live performances and video evidence

My friend Conor Sullivan hosted the first Festival of Lights and Sound in December 2019, raising over $1,500 for the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project. I had so much fun that night playing and singing with Lily and the Goddamns at midnight in our socks.

This year, instead of cramming into Conor’s Brooklyn living room with two or three dozen artists and friends, we’re taking the festival online. And instead of producing the marathon 24-hour festival from last year, Conor is spreading it out over “eight crazy nights” in a nod to Hanukkah. A slew of artists are appearing for performances and interviews every night from 7 pm to 9 pm. Donations will benefit the National Bail Out Collective this year.

I’m going to be playing a 25-minute solo set at the virtual music festival this Thursday evening, December 10, 2020. That night’s festivities begin at 7 pm; there are several other musicians and some interviews with other artists as well ’til 9 pm. I’m slated to go on at 8:20 pm. You can access everything related to the festival (viewing, donating, etc.) at this link: https://linktr.ee/ctlsully

Direct link to the YouTube playlist which you can click on to see the live festival videos (and the archived videos once they are broadcast) each night through Dec 12: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwZhShgr32iOBY7gAhDZf44vWLfYd7kxu 

Also, I’ll be doing a more laid-back performance and interview with fellow Sarah Lawrence alum Kurt Santana on his broadcast on Thursday morning. Catch us Thurs 12/10 at 11 am Eastern at https://twitch.tv/brownmichaelcera 

Other things I’ve been working on:

This summer, my friend and BMI Workshop collaborator Rachel Griffin asked if I’d like to contribute a short music lesson for her online program “Preschool for Littles”. I decided to deconstruct a piano lesson and turn it into a dance game by drawing part of the keyboard on pavement. You can view my piano cardio exercise (?!?!) at 1:10:25 of https://youtu.be/noJrVwp6akE?t=4225 

Rachel and the rest of her team at Songs for Littles create free, engaging educational videos for young children, focusing on music and communication skills. When the pandemic reached the U.S., Songs for Littles ramped up their programming, seeing the increased need for enrichment for preschool and school-aged children. (Yeah, Rachel is great, but my heart belongs to Herbie, the fuzzy orange puppet.)

And my single “Curious” has been released on all major streaming platforms and music stores.

To stream or buy it on Bandcamp, click here: https://mariacaputo.bandcamp.com

To stream or buy it on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, etc., click here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/mariacaputo/curious

"Curious" is out now!

“Curious” is a song about the mysteries of the universe! You can buy and/or listen to the song on most streaming services and online music stores by clicking here for Bandcamp or here for everywhere else.

I made a music video for “Curious” with my partner. You can watch it on YouTube by clicking here.

In 2012, the Curiosity Rover landed on Mars, and a strange and joyous horn melody in 9/8 sprang into my still-developing brain. In 2018, I finally got the inspiration and drive to compose and orchestrate a 4.5-minute song with the horn melody at its core. In 2020, during a worldwide pandemic that shut down nearly everything else I was working on, I decided to assemble a team to make a professional recording remotely. Thirteen musicians later, I had a whole song I could share with the world.

My newsletter is still the best place to get more consistent updates from me. I might have a behind-the-scenes music video soon! You can sign up for my newsletter at http://tinyletter.com/mariajc93

Full credits for “Curious”:

Composed and orchestrated by Maria Caputo
Mixing and Mastering Engineer: Stephanie L. Carlin

RHYTHM SECTION
Drums: Elena Bonomo
Drums engineered and mixed by Marián Gómez Villota
Electric Bass: Magda Kress
Auxiliary Percussion: Janna Graham
Piano: Maria Caputo and Stephanie L. Carlin

WINDS AND STRINGS
Alto Saxophone: Kristy Norter
Tenor Saxophone: Emma Blackman
Trumpet: Teagan Taylor
Five-String Violin: Lily Desmond

SINGERS
Lead vocals: Maria Caputo
Interlude feature (center): Brayden Doherty
Interlude feature (pan left): Jess Clinton
Additional vocals: Emma Blackman, Lily Desmond, Racquel Williams

music video by Maria Caputo and Tony DiTaranto

My newsletter

I wanted a convenient way to compile a list of friends, family, and colleagues who might be interested in attending one of my concerts. To that end, I've just signed up for TinyLetter, a newsletter distributor.

If you want to be notified when I have a concert coming up, click this link to sign up with your email address: http://tinyletter.com/mariajc93

This newsletter will be infrequent and the messages will be just long enough to give you adequate information. I have some exciting news to share soon...

Cheers!

Acoustic or Electronic? Instrument Choice

So you or your children want to take piano lessons, but you don't have an instrument at home yet. What is the best choice for your household? For many folks, purchasing a new or used acoustic piano is not economically feasible, but that's not the only way to get a keyboard instrument worth playing.

Choosing an instrument is both an artistic and a financial question. Playing on an acoustic piano is a more satisfying and enriching experience, but electric pianos and electronic keyboards have vastly improved over the decades. I've listed the common options below.

1. Rental. In many major metropolitan regions of the United States, it is possible to rent a good quality piano locally. Your local piano tuner can connect you with a showroom or dealer who rents out instruments on a monthly or yearly basis.

2. Electric. You could also choose to purchase an electric keyboard. Many families with young children choose this option because keyboards are easy to store and cost a fraction of the price of a piano. Plus, keyboards can be easier for smaller hands to play, as fine motor skills are still developing. 

Unless you are very familiar with the parameters and criteria you expect from a keyboard purchase, I suggest visiting a brick-and-mortar music store rather than buying an instrument online, sight-unseen. The prospective piano student should be able to touch the keys and hear what the keyboard sounds like. Weighted keys are essential because they mimic the feeling of an acoustic piano's mechanical action. Regular pianos have eight octaves and 88 keys. I personally wouldn't purchase a keyboard that had less than 64 keys for a piano student. And don't forget to purchase a damper pedal, a stand, and a comfortable stool or bench. Sitting at the correct height will keep the student from overexerting back and shoulder muscles.

3. Giveaways. The third way is to look for classified ads and online notices of people giving away pianos locally. Estate sales, churches, and newly empty "nests" are all common sources. It happens more often than you think, and it's how my parents got their baby grand! Of course, there is no such thing as a free piano: moving, tuning, and making any necessary repairs to the instrument should be done by professionals. Again, your local piano technician can be a big aid in this process.

Did I miss any common or creative solutions? Let me know in the comments!

Photo by Meridy

Tuning and Crooning

Here's what I've made of my summer:

As you can see from my previous blog entry, I was excited to take a piano tuning course at the Hartt School of Music that was to happen the last week of June. Unfortunately, the course was cancelled due to low enrollment. Feeling disappointed and at a loss for where else to learn, I called Marco Scott (of http://www.marcoscottpianoservices.com), who has been tuning my family's piano for two decades.

In a strange twist of fate, Marco had just gotten a shoulder injury and was going to be out of commission for weeks, unable to do much of his tuning and repair work or even drive. For most of June, I drove us around Fairfield County to his different jobs. We have unscrewed Steinways, attended a guild meeting, repaired faulty hammers, replaced felt, vacuumed dust, and restored a 97-key piano to perfect tuning.

I have loved learning and practicing this difficult and rewarding craft. An academic setting probably would have been a great experience, but you can't beat practical application. Marco has been a great mentor to me and I can't recommend his tuning and repair work highly enough. If you are in the Fairfield County area and your piano needs tuning or repair, give Marco a call. Or if you are looking to buy a carefully attended new or refurbished piano, stop by his shop in Stamford (and tell him I sent you!): http://www.hallerpiano.com/ 

Meanwhile...

I had my second wonderful summer at the Columbia Gorge School of Theatre. We spend four weeks together on the campus of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. It was a welcome break from the East Coast humidity!

By day, I teach general music and vocal ensemble skills; by night I am the music director for the musical theater show. This year's musical was The Fantasticks. I fell in love with the quirky score and the vaudevillian style of the show. Our high school-aged cast did a tremendous job pulling meaning out of esoteric lyrics. You can see photos of the production here: http://www.cgst.com/gallery 

Photo by Don White