MajorWho Media

Brooklyn Philharmonic, Outside-In

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:26:00 +0000

Scoring tickets for Brooklyn Phil concerts is easy … so long as you get them before they sell out! UPCOMING EVENTS: Chamber Concert OUTSIDE-IN ANNUAL CONCERT Wednesday, May 2, 2012 8 pm Galapagos Art Space 16 Main Street $15 The Outside-In Composer Fellowship Program pairs non-orchestral composers from diverse musical backgrounds including hip hop, electronica, world music, jazz and indie rock with their Resident Composer-Mentor, Randy Woolf, and their Artistic Director, Alan Pierson. Randy guides the composer fellows through the process of writing original string quartet and chamber orchestra music building on the musical styles and ideas of each fellow. This year, They are proud to present fellows Charlie Looker, Tim Fite and Natalie Elizabeth Weiss.

Roger and The Gypsies - -Pass The Hatchet

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:31:00 +0000

Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Sound of Noise, written and directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson.

here we are now, entertain us

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Threshold Studios favorite piano madman Eric Lewis' unique interpretation of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'

Kathleen Supové CD Release, August 17th @ Le Poisson Rouge

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:32:00 +0000

Kathleen Supove announces the release of her new CD THE EXPLODING PIANO on the MAJOR WHO MEDIA label. The CD release concert will be held on Tuesday, August 17, at Le Poisson Rouge at 158 Bleecker Street in New York City.
The concert starts at 7:30, with doors opening at 6:30.
In addition to performing music from the CD, there will be :
-Video by Joshue Ott to go with Anna Clyne’s piece ON TRACK.
-New video created live by Jennifer Stock for ISABELLE EBERHARDT DREAMS OF PIANOS by Missy Mazzoli.
-In addition, there will be a special guest, media/video artist Peter Schmideg “performing” a work he created and revised for this event, based on the performance artist Marge Cameron, and inspired by SUTRA SUTRA by Randall Woolf.
-REVOLUTION by Dan Becker will have a video specially designed for it by Safy Etiel (V.J. name: Sniper), an Israeli artist living in Berlin.
-Rounding out the show will be A SHAKING OF THE PUMPKIN by Michael Gatonska, which features his custom-designed accessories and is a video in itself.

Also: a fake fashion show, auction, contests, and…a discount on the new CD.

Engineer Craig Alvin on How to Dial in Your Sound in Any Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Wed, 26 May 2010 18:17:00 +0000

"they saw him standing there"... so they cheered him on...

noreply@blogger.com (James Walsh) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:13:00 +0000

So many great things happened at Road Recovery's benefit at Arlene's Grocery, but one of my favorites was Jeremy Sklarsky's heavy metal karaoke version of the Beatles " I Saw Her Standing There". The audio is horrific, but the first minute or so of crowd encouragement is priceless:)
More to come...

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:20:00 +0000

Here is a fascinating and innovative video that pushes the envelope of what can be done with creative inspiration and technological collaboration;

PRODUCED AND MANAGED BY: Scott Haines COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY: Eric Whitacre

Representing 12 Countries:
Austria
Argentina
Canada
Germany
Ireland
New Zealand
The Philippines
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States of America

Master Class Series: Road Recovery and Eric Clapton at Madison Square Garden!

noreply@blogger.com (James Walsh) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:23:00 +0000

It was a magical night at Madison Square Garden on Feb 20th, 2010 when Eric Clapton invited the Road Recovery participants to a backstage Master Class prior to his sold out show with Jeff Beck. Mr. Clapton spoke from the heart and revealed that life as a celebrity has all the same twists and turns (tho perhaps somewhat more trappings) and access to ways and means of coping as everyone. His thoughts and insights will remain with each of us forever.

Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck ripping it up on stage. Jeff Beck did a piece called 'Corpus Christi Carol' made famous by our long missed brother Jeff Buckley that was supurb!

Eric Clapton and Road Recovery

Eric Clapton, quite literally, reaching out to everyone in the room

Another Todd Alsup and MajorWho NACA Showcase!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Another MajorWho and Todd Alsup NACA success! Todd was selected for a showcase at the Mid-Atlantic Festival, a smaller NACA conference for schools in the region that didn't attend the main conference in the fall.

This is another great opportunity for Todd to perform for hundreds of student talent buyers and bookers from college campuses across the region. Todd already has a full calendar of college dates in the spring and we'll be looking to build on that success at the MAT Festival and continue to book more college dates throughout the Spring and Fall of 2010.

Here's a great shot of Todd hanging with Matt Pinfield backstage at the John Varvatos Road Recovery event from last week. Photo by Tracy Ketcher.

On gospel, Abba and the death of the record: an audience with Brian Eno

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:13:00 +0000

There's a great interview with Brian Eno this week by Paul Morley for The Observer. Here is one of my favorite excerpts concerning his work with U2 and Coldplay. Follow the link to read the whole interview.

On working with U2 and Coldplay at the same time:

"It was fine. A few jokes. I felt like a philanderer who was with another woman and might make a slip and call her by the wrong name in bed. I had one computer that had all of the Coldplay stuff and all the U2 stuff. I had to very carefully label each folder because I was paranoid that I might end up with the same basic track for each group and I wouldn't notice until it was too late. There was a chance the same track might have appeared on both albums."

Read the whole interview here.

Here's a great shot from the Road Recovery John Varvatos Benefit

noreply@blogger.com (James Walsh) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:19:00 +0000

I still have a hard time believing that these three guys closed the evening singing "I'm An A$$hole" on stage...

Road Recovery Benefit @ Varvatos Store (CBGB) a great success!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:02:00 +0000

What a night! MajorWho was thrilled to help support Road Recovery's benefit concert last week at John Varvatos' store in NYC. His store is located in the old CBGB's and gets used occasionally as a performance space. So many of the performers and Road Recovery staff walked in with nostalgia in their eyes, remembering back as many as 30 years since their first gigs they played and attended at CBGB's.

Emceed by longtime Road Recovery supporter Matt Pinfield and his radio partner Leslie Fram, the show opened with performances by Road Recovery Performance Workshops, followed by the Road Recovery Staff band including: Knox Chandler on bass, Adam Roth on guitar, Mark Boquist on drums, Owen Comansky on guitar, Tom Dudley bv's- and Road Recovery house band Crazy James. It is such a thrill to see the kids perform the songs for a packed house that we've produced and recorded with them in the studio. The staff band was joined by MajorWho artist Todd Alsup, who sat in on keys and sang a fantastic version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

Road Recovery Participants Meet With Peter Frampton Before The Show

Following the opening bands, the first of the two headliners performed. Denis Leary and The Enablers (featuring Road Recovery staff Adam Roth and Owen Comaskey) did their hybrid comedy-rock routine, including some of Denis' more well known songs such as "The Rehab Song," "F*** You," and his most famous, "A**hole."

Then came the headliner - the legendary Peter Frampton. Peter played a mostly acoustic set, but was joined by a keyboard player and bassist. The crowd loved hearing his classics - "Show Me The Way," "Baby I Love Your Way," and "Do You Feel Like We Do." He broke out the Framptone guitar/vocoder sound to raucous applause. For his encore, Frampton did his rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and then invited the Enablers on stage for a reprise of "A**hole."

The show was packed, John Varvatos was a gracious host, and was a terrific night for Road Recovery. All of the artists voiced their overwhelming support for Road Recovery, who both raised money and awareness for their cause. Congrats to Gene Bowen, Jack Bookbinder, and the entire Road Recovery family for such a successful event. We look forward to many more amazing Road Recovery events and collaborations in the new year.

John Varvatos with MajorWho Artist Todd Alsup

Distant Partners, Distant Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:29:00 +0000

Brooklyn composer Randall Woolf gives some insight to the Brooklyn Philharmonic January 24, 2010 concert "Distant Partners, Distant Portraits" at the Brooklyn Museum.

Moby @ MajorWho with Road Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:39:00 +0000

Road Recovery's Performance Workshop program and house band Crazy James, who meet, rehearse, and record in our studio every Monday , are being visited by a special guest this evening. Moby is a DJ, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who has sold millions of records and had his music in hundreds of commercials and movies. He is also a philanthropist and and activist, serving on the boards of several non-profit organizations. He is just one of the many renowned artists and music industry professionals who have stepped up to act as mentors to the participants in Road Recovery's programs.

amanda palmer - "gaga, palmer, madonna", a kitchen-ukulele-blogsong

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:28:00 +0000

I love Amanda Palmer and the way she's engaging her fans with the use of Twitter, YouTube and other web tools. Amanda is fiercely independent and carving out quite the niche. There are many artists out there taking advantage of social media to engage their audiences, but I think Amanda stands out in her vision and creative inspiration.

David Sanborn - I Believe It's Your Sh*t, Marvin

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:43:00 +0000

A little while back I was invited by Dave Sanborn to sit in on the recording sessions for his upcoming album on Decca. The clip opens with a brief shot of Dave Novik, label president, laughing as the camera pans to Phil Ramone, the producer.

Phil and Dave swap stories about some of the most legendary personalities in music; Frank Sinatra, Billy May, Marvin Hamlisch, etc. This is followed by a sweet Joey DeFrancesco organ solo. AWESOMENESS.

CONTAINS PROFANITY: NSFW

Todd Alsup + MajorWho @ NACA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:44:00 +0000

We're here in Lancaster, PA - home of the Amish, Shoo-fly pies, and the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) Mid-Atlantic Conference. We're presenting MajorWho artist Todd Alsup at our booth, meeting student talent buyers from colleges around the region.

Todd's got a showcase tomorrow afternoon, which is a distinction most of the exhibitors would die for - it's a chance to perform for the entire convention and reach all the delegates in a single shot. Last year after his showcase in Hartford, our booth was mobbed with talent buyers.

Here's a quick pic of Todd talking to students at our booth.

Last year's showcase translated into a slew of great college gigs for Todd and we're already off to a great start this year.

Todd Alsup News - PBS Placement and NACA Showcase

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Fun news from the world of Todd Alsup. Major Who recently found out that Todd's song "Good Fight" from his EP "Facts and Figures" is going to be used in the PBS show "Road Trip Nation." This show is a perfect match for Todd's song, which talks about pursuing your dreams. Way to go on getting this license!

About the show (from www.roadtripnation.com):

It all started with four friends and one dilemma: "what do I want to do with my life?" Fresh out of college and unsure about the career paths in front of them, they were determined to expose themselves to more than just the traditional life roads. They hopped in an old RV, painted it green, and hit the road to talk with inspiring people from all walks of life to find out how they came to do what they love for a living.
Today, Roadtrip Nation has evolved into a PBS series, three books, an online community, and a student movement. We send people on the road who are interested in exploring the world outside their comfort zone, talking with individuals who chose to define their own road in life, and sharing their experiences with our generation.

In other fantastic news, Todd was selected as a showcase artist at this year's NACA Mid-Atlantic conference. It is the second year in a row Todd will have a NACA showcase. It's quite an honor to be one of the only musicians chosen for showcase out of hundreds of submissions. Todd will have a chance to perform for hundreds of college students that book talent for their campuses. 50 shows or bust!

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:13:00 +0000

I first came across Roc Raida when he was invited to perform at Lincoln Center Festival 2000 where I was a production manager. He composed an amazing piece for the 'turntable as an ensemble instrument' segment that he played with the Xecutioners. I don't have any footage of that but here's a clip of Roc in action. Pretty amazing stuff. Roc Raida truly did elevate the art of the turntable. RIP Roc.

Christina Roberts Show and support for Malaria No More!!

noreply@blogger.com (James Walsh) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:01:00 +0000

NYC Concert Promo from Nairobi

September 9th, 2009 | Posted by Christina Roberts

I’m in Kenya this week working with a team of logisticians who are crucial to Africa’s current race to scale-up mosquito nets. But the minute we end our session here on Thursday, I’ll be racing back to New York so I can perform with the New York Songwriters Circle on Monday night.

Modeled after the famous “Writers in the Round” nights at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, the NYSC showcases up-and-coming songwriting talent from around the world. Intimate concerts like these always remind me of a song’s power to communicate where mere words might fail us. That’s why I wrote “A Closer Far”, a song born out of my own experiences working in Africa on behalf of Malaria No More. I’m looking forward to performing it along with other favorites of mine and I hope to see you all there.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of “A Closer Far” support the ongoing work of Malaria No More. Buy the song here. To hear my music, check out MySpace.

Categories:Africa, Christina, On-The-Ground

"Nippon Ga Dai Suki" (Japan We Love You!) ------- The Orion Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Sheldon Steiger) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:52:00 +0000

We had such a blast making this song in Threshold Studios with these guys. They came back with this video, which I think takes it to a whole other level. Enjoy!

Todd Alsup gets another NACA Showcase!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:24:00 +0000

Todd Alsup and Major Who Booking have once again impressed the college crowd, being chosen for a second year in a row for a NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) showcase - this time at the Mid-Atlantic festival in Lancaster, PA.

There were over 700 submissions for only about 50 showcase slots, of which fewer than 15 were given to musicians.

Todd will be performing for 1000 student talent buyers from colleges across the region. Last year, Todd's Northeast Convention showcase translated into a slew of gigs up and down the east coast, and we're sure that with this year's showcase we will build on that success in the coming school year.

MajorWho Gets Copland Grant!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:59:00 +0000

MajorWho has received a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music to produce a record of piano music performed by Kathleen Supove. The record will consist of pieces by contemporary American composers such as Daniel Becker, Missy Mazzoli, Anna Clyne, Michael Gatonska, and Randall Woolf.

Congrats to Kathy - we look forward to working together on yet another project.

From http://www.coplandfund.org/

In keeping with his lifelong devotion to contemporary music, Aaron Copland created the Fund and bequeathed to it a large part of his estate. The Fund was officially announced to the public in 1992. The Fund’s purpose is to encourage and improve public knowledge and appreciation of contemporary American music. The fund operates three grant programs and also grants permission for the use of Copland’s music.

For a full list of this year's grant winners, visit http://www.coplandfund.org/news.html.

Songwriters Hall Of Fame, Todd Alsup and Lamont Dozier !

noreply@blogger.com (James Walsh) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:40:00 +0000

I had a wonderful evening last night with Todd Alsup at the Kaufman Center for the 2009 Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting awards ceremony.

This year's scholarship winners

This year Todd was selected as one of the showcase artists on the 2009 Songwriters Hall of Fame CD for his song "The Good Fight" and spent the evening mixing it up with current and previous recipients of the award including Wes Hutchinson and new Major Who and Threshold Music Studios friend Kirsten Thien.

Preceding the award ceremony there was a Master Class given by songwriting icon Lamont Dozier, of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the songwriting powerhouse who created the Motown Sound, writing the hits for the Supremes, the Temptations and many more. Real words of wisdom and insight from a legend!

Todd and I spent some time with Lamont, who was also celebrating his 68th birthday! A brief list of Mr. Doziers credits include: Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, How Sweet it is (To Be Loved by You), Stop! In The Name of Love, I can't help myself (Sugar Pie Honeybunch), Standing in the Shadows of Love, and You Can't Hurry Love.

Todd Alsup w/ Lamont Dozier