We have RECORDED!

As it turns out, recording a string quartet is not that difficult.

But, figuring out the software to manage the recording, splitting the music into pieces, converting the music into playable files, creating a video to accompany the music so you can upload it to youtube, creating a youtube channel and then using it to upload your files (all of which default to the title "Ashokan Farewell," for some reason, and have to be manually changed), and FINALLY linking the youtube videos to your website.... IS A PAIN!

From Sheetmusicplus.com

However, pain is beauty, so people say.  And music is beautiful... so it is all worth it in the end.

Now, we have a freshly minted Repertoire page (in the horizontal upper menu bar), plus links on that page to some of the songs we were able to record at our last rehearsal.  Each link will open a new window in which youtube will play a clip of the song.  Someday, perhaps we will venture into the realm of an actual recording studio.  But for now, April's amazon.com microphone in Dave's basement and her downloaded-for-free-off-the-internet audio/video software will have to do.  :)

To celebrate, click here to listen to our hefty clip of us performing one of our very favorite pieces, the Tango Chromatique by Mike McLean.

A Recording Microphone!

You may have noticed that we don't have any recordings of us playing music on our website. 

But, this may change over the summer!  April has just purchased a recording microphone (which will arrive in the mail within the next couple of weeks). 

Recording takes a lot of time and energy, but by the end of the summer we could have some snippets of our favorite pieces up on this blog for you to enjoy. 

Wish us luck!

Look at that lovely lawn.... missing a QUARTET!

Is something missing from this lovely lawn?

Prism thinks so.

This lawn needs..... a string quartet! 

Now that spring has sprung, the flowers have begun blooming, and we can actually wear the occasional short-sleeved shirt outside, it is a great time to plan outdoor events. 

Weddings, engagement parties, anniversary parties, themed dinners, birthdays... anything can be made more lovely with some live music. 

So serious....

You may remember that Prism played for Dave's son's winter wedding a couple of months ago. 

Well, now we have official photographic evidence of it!  Here is an official picture of our gig at the Cloverdale Church of God in December:

And, as a small note, we don't always dress in full black for weddings.  :)  They wanted Dave in a tuxedo, so our black ensemble (pun intended!) is what matched the best.  But, let us know and we can dress in whatever way will fit your occasion!

Diane is at it again!

Diane is not only a mom and a full time nurse, but she also loves to take great pieces of music and re-write them for our string quartet!  (This is called arranging.)  At our rehearsal last night, we got to play 3 new pieces that Diane arranged for us.  The pieces are: Kokomo by The Beach Boys; A Dream is a Wish your Heart Makes by Mack David, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston for the movie Cinderella; and Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.  We played through all three, and are excited to rehearse them more thoroughly so we can play them at any upcoming gigs.

We really need to finalize our Repertoire page and publish it so that you can see all of the great music we have to play, shouldn't we?

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/1/9/1294587800446/Manuscript-of-Samuel-Barb-007.jpg

While we organize that, you should definitely listen to the Adagio for Strings.  Samuel Barber wrote it in 1936, and ever since then it has been very popularly played at concerts and used in tv shows, movies, and now even video games.  It is a haunting piece of music.  Some of you might be familiar with it from the movie Deer Hunter, and others may recall hearing it over the radio during the broadcast of John F. Kennedy's death.  It might not be a song you'd love to hear us play at your wedding, but it is a poignant, moving piece.

It's been almost 3 years since we put on an informal concert.  But, the next time we do, Adagio for Strings will DEFINITELY be on our playlist.

Official photos!

Here are some professional photos from the Roaring Twenties party!  Click on them to see the enlarged images.  The talented photographers at www.tanaphotography.com took these photos, so visit their website if you are in the market for skillful photography.

Here is Diane's arrangement of The Charleston...

April's shoes weren't "twenties-ish" enough, so this picture just includes Diane, Dave, and Nell.  But, it's a great picture!

 This is a shot of the inside of the Thunder Mountain Line train.  The guests enjoyed a catered dinner on their ride up to Banks.




























Here is where the Thunder Mountain Line boarded in Horseshoe Bend.  To the left is a train terminal where Prism played for guests as they arrived.

 After the guests rode the train up to Banks and back, limos took them to our host's home.  We continued our 1920s music on the porch there while the guests enjoyed drinks.

And here we are, in our flapper finery!

Blast from the past: Roaring '20s Party

Prism got nostalgic the other day and started looking for some photos of previous gigs.  More are on the way, but we found a couple of photos from a gig we did 2 years ago.  We got to play for a 1920s themed party which began in Horseshoe Bend, went up into the mountains via the Thunder Mountain Line, and then ended at the host's beautiful home in downtown Boise.

Our generous host paid for all of us to get outfitted in 1920s attire at The Costume Shop (which is unfortunately now out of business!). I know it's small, but Dave's wife snapped this picture of us before we left for the gig!

It was certainly a challenge - we played exclusively rags (like "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin) and tangos to fit the 1920s theme, and we played for a total of almost 6 hours throughout the day!   We set the speakeasy mood as guests arrived in Horseshoe Bend to board the Thunder Mountain line.  Then, after the costumed guests mingled and enjoyed drinks, they boarded the train and took a leisurely ride up into the Idaho mountains.

We followed them up to their stop in Banks.  There, we helped create the festive atmosphere while guests got off the train to enjoy drinks, a speech from our host, and a short skit by some fun local actors.

After that, we followed the guests to our host's home, where they enjoyed the party for several more hours.  We sat at a great location on an elevated porch, and continued our 1920s marathon while guests mingled, sat by the pool, and enjoyed drinks and delicious catered hors d'oeuvres.  We were scheduled to play until 10 pm, but the party just kept going so they asked us to stay for another hour.

We were all exhausted afterward, but it was a truly great afternoon and evening.  Soon we will post some of the professional pictures taken at that wild party!