Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Flute Mania Roundtable

Here are some clips of the roundtable interview our Michele Stivalo conducted on December 8th after the Flute Mania recital. From left to right are pianist Ron Levy, Michele, Hartford Symphony flutist Jeanne Wilson, and our flute instructor Laura George.


Jeanne and Laura discuss playing in smaller venues and how they started playing the flute.


Jeanne discusses how she first became interested in music.



Jeanne and Laura discuss doubling on other instruments.



Ron speaks on the challenges of being an accompanist as opposed to a soloist.



Laura on the love of music and how to encourage students to practice.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Many Thanks

Flute Mania was a huge success! Jeanne, Laura, and Ron really helped to make it such a fun event. Thank you SO MUCH to the many people who showed up throughout the evening to listen to the recital, sample some upgrade instruments, and talk flute. We hope to have many more events like this in the near future, so stay tuned...

In the meantime, check out some the great clips of the recital below. And come back to this page or the Elefante Music Facebook page for some clips of the roundtable interview Michele conducted with our performers after the concert on December 8th.


Jeanne Wilson, Flute
Ron Levy, Piano

Fantaisie for Piano and Flute
Georges Hue (1858-1948)


Jeanne Wilson, Flute
Ron Levy, Piano

Le Rossignol de L'Opera
for Piccolo and Piano
Eugene Damare (1840-1919)


Jeanne Wilson
&
Laura George

Flutes

Ron Levy, Piano

Andante and Rondo
for Two Flutes and Piano, Op. 25
Albert Franz Doppler (1821-1883)

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Rudolph @ The-PAC - A Few Great Clips

Great job by the Voiceactors' Orchestra performing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" at The-PAC on December 5th. Here are some clips of the performance.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Flute Mania!

Tuesday, December 8th, 6-8:30PM is Flute Mania at Elefante Music. At Flute Mania we will offer discounts on our already low prices on Powell Sonare, Selmer, Yamaha, Gemeinhardt, Armstrong, Vito, Jupiter, Azumi, and Dean Yang flutes. We will also be showcasing our extensive collection of flute music and accessories. In addition, our expert repair staff will be on hand to diagnose your flute's condition and perform on-the-spot regulation and adjustments.

Flute Mania will also feature a recital by Hartford Symphony flutist Jeanne Wilson. This performance will also feature our own flute instructor, world-class flutist Laura George. The performance will take place at 7PM in the Elefante Music recital room.


Jeanne Wilson

Laura George

Thursday, November 19, 2009

"Rudolph" @ The-PAC

The Performing Arts Conservatory At Elefante Music
1790 Springfield Ave
New Providence, NJ

presents

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Saturday – December 5th
Two performances: 3pm and 5pm
For tickets and information call (908) 464-1019
$10 per person ($30 max per family)
Proceeds will be donated to a local charity
Please contact The PAC or Elefante Music
to nominate a charity for this event.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Commercial Voice Over for Adults

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND - FOUR MORE WEEKS

COMMERCIAL VOICE OVER FOR ADULTS

Whether you are new to VOICE ACTING or need more practice - this class is for you.

Taught by Joe Narciso, Co-Founder of the Performing Arts Conservatory & Terrific Voice Actor

Wednesday Evenings from 7pm - 9pm in the MAIN STAGE ROOM

November 11, 18 and December 2, 9

$250.00 is a Terrific Value!

PLEASE RSVP if you intend to participate (We must have at least 4 students to hold the class)

FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS - if a friend signs up you get 10% off the price of the class.

QUESTIONS? Contact Paula Roper, Director of The Performing Arts Conservatory

(908) 464-1019 or Cell (908) 803-1157

performingartsconservatory@gmail.com

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Elefante Music on Facebook

The new address for the Elefante Music Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/elefantemusic. Become a fan, or just visit. Thanks!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Grand Opening of The-PAC @ Elefante Music

Grand Opening Party of The Performing Arts Conservatory @ Elefante Music will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2nd! Open House begins @ 10:00am with special guests, events and performances all day and night.

10am – Sing Along with Grandma Mary Ann

11am – Introduction to Dance (ages 3-6) w/ Ruthann Lanni

3pm – Acting for Beginners (ages 8 and up) w/ Suzanne Hevner

4pm – Shakespeare for Fun (ages 8 and up) w/Susanna Baddiel

7pm – Premier of Rocks in the River, an independent short film shot entirely in New Providence, NJ

7:30pm-- Musical performance - Joe Elefante & Friends

Plus films featuring PAC performers running all day and plenty of other surprises!

Visit www.The-PAC.com for more information.

P.S.: Check out this great article by The-PAC's Joe Narciso, which posted on The Alternative Press on Sunday.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Elefante Music Rock Project Final Performance

Congratulations to the Elefante Music Rock Project for a fantastic final performance at Crossroads. I was ill, and unable to teach the second week of the camp, but Joe DeVico took over and did a great job with the students. Below is a clip of the performance, which took place on July 31st at the club in Garwood.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Jazz Camp Final Performance

The Final Performance of the Elefante Music Jazz Camp 2009 was a success! Despite the fact that I left the cymbals at the store (oops), we kept our cool and put on a great show. Congratulations to everyone who performed at Crossroads on Friday night.

Make sure you don't miss Elefante & Friends @ Centennial Park in New Providence on Thursday, July 30, at 7:00pm. This concert will feature Al, Joe, guitar teacher Anthony Sanacore, drum teacher Mike Advensky, and special guest vocalists Caryn Elefante and Yvonne Greene. And, if you'd like to check out the next great EMU student ensemble, we'll be back at the Crossroads with the Rock Project on Friday, July 31 at 6:00pm. See you there.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Rick Henly

Elefante Music is thrilled to announce the addition brass teacher Rick Henly to our top-flight roster of private teachers.

Rick Henly is currently working on his newest CD which will be available soon. Rick recently completed his Christmas CD, CHRISTMAS PRESENT, which is available with his solo CD, LOVE LIKE FIRE, at: www.rickhenly.com, www.amazon.com, and other major retail outlets. Rick is currently performing as a soloist and also as Lead Trumpet for: "America's Tenor" Michael Amante and his 14 piece orchestra; on Broadway; Charli Persip's big band, SUPERSOUND; and in varied venues across the United States.

On March 7, 2003, Rick played the American Premiere of Steve Margoshes' Ballade for Trumpet and Orchestra with the Ridgewood Symphony.

Rick was Lead Trumpet on a dozen Broadway shows, including the long-running hit, MISS SAIGON and has over 20 years experience playing Lead Trumpet on Broadway shows. He graduated from Ithaca College and earned a Masters Degree from Northwestern University. Following school, Rick auditioned and was appointed Principal Trumpet of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a position that included a scholarship to study with the great Adolph Herseth of the Chicago Symphony. This was followed by a Fellowship to study for two summers at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Center.

His early career included performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago. He also played on several recordings with the Chicago Symphony. While in Chicago, Rick was also on the faculties of The American Conservatory of Music, Elmhurst College and the Preparatory Department at Northwestern University.

Called one day to fill in for an ailing lead trumpeter, Rick went to the theater to play for Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN, starring Dick Van Dyke. For that production, Conductor Milton Rosenstock wrote a brilliant trumpet cadenza (based on the MINUET IN G) to end the show. Conductor Rosenstock was so impressed with Rick's rendition of the trumpet solo, that he insisted Rick come to New York and open the show on Broadway the following week.

Since MISS SAIGON, Rick has performed the on-stage 'Harry James' solo in FOSSE and substituted as Lead Trumpet on THE PRODUCERS, CABARET, THE MUSIC MAN, FOLLIES, THOU SHALT NOT, 42nd STREET, and the RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ORCHESTRA. Rick continues to give solo demonstrations and clinics all around the country.

Rick has performed with the New York Pops, American Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Little Orchestra Society (Soloist), Liza Minnelli (Lead Trumpet), Shirley Bassey, and Frank Sinatra. Conductors with whom Rick has worked include Leonard Bernstein, Sir Georg Solti, Claudio Abbado, Andre Previn, Rafael Kubelik, Lukas Foss and Skitch Henderson

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A Personal Story about Michael Jackson

This post is by Joe's wife, Caryn Elefante.

From the time I was five years old I have been singing in studios all over NYC for commercials, demos and even music albums. My sister, brother and I have sung on albums for Gloria Estefan, Liza Minelli, Maureen McGovern and even soloed on the Canadian Brass Christmas album. One day, my mother got a call from our contractor booking us for a recording at the Hit Factory. We weren't allowed to know for whom we were singing and we were only allowed one parent per child. Our interest was peaked. We spent the next few days trying to figure out who this mystery recording could be for. We decided to bring three CD covers with us- Frank Sinatra (he was still alive at the time), Madonna and Michael Jackson.

We went to the studio and some guy told us we were going to be singing one word... "Childhood". He sang it for us once or twice then began recording. All we heard in the cans (headphones) were tracks with no lead vocal. We still couldn't figure out what or whom this was for. After singing the one word a few times, I saw a man behind the glass in the recording studio step forward out of the darkness with a black hat, a red shirt and a black curl in front of his face. On the talkback we heard, "Can you sing it a little more like this... Childhood" As soon as I heard the voice I grabbed my sister's hand and spoke without moving my lips "It's MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!"

I cooly sang "Childhood" about a dozen more times and the engineer thanked us and said we were done. We went back to the green room where our parents were waiting and I grabbed the Bad album cover from my mom and brought it to Michael's assistant. I asked her if she could please bring it to Michael and have him sign it. The other kids who sang with us began ripping little pieces of paper for him to sign. They were no where near as prepared as my family!!

The assistant said "Let me see what I can do", and she disappeared for about five minutes. She came back and said, "Can I have all of the kids follow me?" We followed her to a door in the Hit Factory that had a star on it and said "Jackson". We went into the room and there he was, greeting us at the door with a hand shake and a smile and telling us that it was a pleasure to meet us. Can you imagine? A pleasure to meet us?? His room was filled with some pretty strange things: life-size cut-outs of the Power Rangers, a train set, and a giant globe that rotated. He had pictures of children that he had helped attached to the country they were from.

Michael had many questions for us like if any of us went to camp for the summer. He said that he always asked his parents if he could go to summer camp because it looked like so much fun and of course they told him no!! This was right around the time when the media was questioning whether or not he had married Lisa Marie Presley. I noticed a ring on his hand and I said, "so does that ring mean you are married to Lisa Marie?" He nodded his head yes and said "shhhhhh". We chatted for a while, he signed our album cover and we went home having what I thought was the greatest day of my life.

A week or two later my mother got another call from our contractor. This time she said Michael wanted to have us back to the studio to record a Christmas song. It was July but when we got to the studio, it was decorated for the holidays. There was snow all over the ground, a tree, Santa who gave us all presents (we each got a Gameboy... tells you how long ago this was!!) and reindeer. Michael came walking right into the studio this time and didn't hide behind the glass. I guess he felt more comfortable with us this time. He taught us the song himself and stayed with us in the sound booth as we were singing it. After we recorded the song he invited our parents into the studio and had the whole thing catered. We sat around the piano as he played the piano and we all sang Christmas songs. It's just like Christmas Eve at the Elefante's (my in-laws)!!!

So on June 25th, when the whole world was in shock of Michael Jackson's death, these were the memories that all came flooding back for me.

That's Caryn all the way to the right.

Elefante Music Jazz Camp

If you're interested in seeing some of our best young musicians perform in a real live jazz club, come see the Elefante Music Jazz Camp performance at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ. They'll be playing on Friday, July 17, @ 6:00pm. The 45-minute set includes music by Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Horace Silver. I'm quite certain you'll be impressed with how well these students handle some very challenging music.

The Elefante Music Rock Project performance will be @ Crossroads on Friday, July 31, @ 6:00pm. We'd love to see you at either show (or both)!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The-PAC @ Elefante Music

The Performing Arts Conservatory (The-PAC) is thrilled to announce the launch of their flagship school in New Providence, New Jersey, at Elefante Music on Springfield Avenue, across from McDonalds.

The-PAC is a new school for students of all ages who wish to explore their inner artist. The-PAC will offer beginner classes in acting, improv, film making, directing, cabaret performance, dancing and voice over as well as Master Classes, Broadway Seminars and Advanced Classes (by audition only).

All of The instructors at The-PAC are individuals who have successfully earned a living doing what they teach. The resumes of our faculty include film, television, regional Theater and Broadway. Matthew Arkin (Drama Desk Award nominee for his performance in The Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Dinner with Friends) will be teaching a weekly Advanced Scene Study Class. Our Advanced Musical Theater Class will be jointly taught by David Cantor (Che in Evita on Broadway and in The National Tour) and Joe Elefante (Associate Music Director for Jersey Boys National Tour).

In addition to weekly classes, The-PAC will offer seminars on topics that range from "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Getting Your Child Into The Business But Did Not Know Who To Ask" to "An Evening with Joe and Jim" an interview series featuring an individual who is currently working as a actor, director or film maker. The Broadway Seminar Series is a limited availability event.

In addition to The Interview session, there will be an opportunity to see The Broadway show featuring our guests are in along with a "Talk Back" or backstage tour. Keep watching for more information.

The-PAC wants to support music and the arts in our schools. Five dollars of every registration fee will be given back to our local schools in the form on a Mini-Grant for the Arts. So sure to tell us the name of your school when you register!

For more information or to get a copy of our 2009-2010 Season Course Catalog, please contact us at performingartsconservatory@gmail.com or by phone at (908) 803-1157 or at our website: www.THE-PAC.com

Additional Information Dates:

Fall Class Registration – June 25 6 am – 10 am at Elefante Music, 1790 Springfield Ave, 2nd Floor, New Providence, NJ 07974

· Fall Classes begin on September 14, 2009

Mission Statement: The Performing Arts Conservatory seeks to provide a safe and positive environment where our students and staff can explore who they are as artists. Our goal is to help each and every person to find and develop the tools and methods that best suit them as individuals. We strive to provide an artistic home for our students and staff to come back to, as they endeavor to master their craft, and continue on their artistic journey.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

elefantemusic.com

Hey! The Elefante Music website is now up and running. Come check us out at www.elefantemusic.com. And be sure and sign up for our regular newsletter. Thanks. See you at the store!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Under Construction...

Hi! The Elefante Music website is currently getting a make over... stay tuned for more info.