My Recital Flyer

For anyone who would like a flyer, I can send you a pdf file by email.  Just email me at mclainster@gmail.com, write "Flyer Please" in the subject box, and I will get one off to you as soon as I see it.

I hope to see you there!

Michael

I spent about an hour yesterday at the printers in Hitachi, going over final touches on my recital poster, flyers, tickets and program.  It is coming along nicely.  I hope to post the poster here, though I'm not sure if I can show or link a pdf on blogger.  If I can figure it out, I will.  Later.

Experiment in using Youtube for my recital.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eiK2V81P5s&feature=related  This is the incomparable Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano from New Zealand.

Self-Promotion

Well, it's been a long time since updating (for a lack of having anything significant to update) this blog. Other than the obligatory appearances in front of elementary or junior high school students, or the occasional guest appearance at someone's ballet or piano recital (all of which I enjoy and am grateful for), all has bee quiet on the performing front. I have had to resolve myself to the fact that all of the gigs that used to come my way are no longer available or are not going to come my way. There are probably a number of factors for this. One might be that I'm no longer a novelty (i.e., foreign opera singer), or that others better than me have taken those positions. That is probably the case some of the time. Admittedly, being an outsider here makes me more difficult to deal with probably than local talent. But, by and large, the economy struggles have put arts on the back burner again. This is an international phenomena to be sure. When people are struggling to put food on the table, they aren't very likely to shell out $30-$100(or more) for tickets to the opera, ballet, symphony or recital. The company I am a member of, The Fujiwara Opera, used to produce several operas and concerts every year but has cut down to one or two a year-and Fujiwara is one of two leading opera companies in Japan. The phone has been silent locally also. I used to be a member of three different opera companies locally that produced one production per year. All of them but one have seemingly gone the way of the dodo. The sponsorship is just not there anymore. Hitachi, the local employer of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, has been struggling as of late.

All of this to say, I have embarked on a new project: Michael Dean McLain in Recital. I am producing my own concert this December (December 13, 2009, at Palti Hall in Hitachiota) and have decided to take matters into my own hands, so to speak (In reality, I rely on the grace of God and all of the good people he has surrounded me with, first and foremost being my beautiful wife, Tomoko.). I have secured a thousand-seat auditorium, have begun creating and printing posters, fliers, etc, and am in rehearsals. Hopefully I'll also make a cd as well to complete the package. At every performance, I want to invite the audience to another performance of something fresh and new. Right now, I'm considering an "opera in the park" performance for the summer of 2010 in some local outdoor or indoor/outdoor space.

As soon as I finish the flier, I will post the info here. I hope you can make it!

Ciao.

Michael