Classical and Traditional Songs for Community Well-Being
What do opera singers and healthcare workers have in common?
The healing power of music has cultural and historical resonance. Recent research expands our knowledge of the effect of music on the brain and body systems; the capacity for song to slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress hormone levels parallels its capacity for inspiring resilience and personal reflection and growth.
Inspired by the power of singing as medicine, we have partnered with Minnesota Community Care, a St. Paul community healthcare clinic, to produce a special online vocal concert: SongBreak. This partnership is formed with the goals of supporting community health care work, increasing community access to classical and traditional vocal music, and coping with the grief and hardship of COVID-19.
This first concert of the SongBreak series is now available.
In a virtual concert with host Peter Moore, gifted professional musicians, soprano Riley Cardona, basso Brian Haase and pianist Bryon Wilson, inspire and entertain. Directed by Craig Fields with videography by Jeff Achen and audio engineering by Steve Kaul, these artists perform a concert of engrossing, inspiring vocal music from the classical traditions of art song, opera and musical theatre. The music addresses the pain and hardship we have all endured due to the death of family and loved ones, serious illness, financial and food insecurity, social isolation, anxiety and depression.
We are fortunate to have a number of great music halls in Minneapolis and we filmed our first SONGBREAK concert in one of the newest and best, the gorgeous Ives Auditorium, located at the Masonic Heritage Center of Minnesota in Bloomington. We use projections and dramatic lighting effects to transform the concert stage through the lens of four cameras. In addition, there was a drone camera literally flying around inside the theatre!
Please consider a donation to help support programming such as Songbreak.