Wednesday, April 20, 2011
"What Does Music Mean to You?"
Joe's latest column for The Alternative Press: "What Does Music Mean to You?"
Friday, April 15, 2011
Teacher Feature: Anthony Sanacore
This month's feature is on Anthony Sanacore, guitar teacher.
Anthony Sanacore has been teaching private students for nearly 20 years. He is also an active guitarist, composer, and lyricist. Anthony studied at The New School and Piero's School of Music and privately with Dave Ferrara, John Olin, Ross Barrata, Sheila Mendel, and Kevin Gallagher.
EM: What do you feel is one of the more important aspects of teaching music?
Anthony: Enlightening each student about the connection between art and music. There have been many wonderful compositions written (especially in pop music) that I feel have never resulted in true art. It's a methodology that requires an understanding of public sentiment. This is fine, sociologically speaking, but usually does not express the unique essence of the individual.
Many beginners assume that the guitar is fairly simple to learn because pop stars seem to play effortlessly. They have yet to realize how asymmetrical the guitar is. One challenge of teaching this instrument is demonstrating its esoteric symmetry via its idiom in association with other instrumentation. The aesthetic is eventually revealed as it facilitates inspiration and passion: the platform to a healthy work ethic and the prime ingredients for lifelong satisfaction of musical knowledge.
Who are your favorite performers?
Louis Prima and Yamashita (classical guitarist).
Who has inspired you?
Over the years I’ve gone through a transformation where my inspirations have become intrinsic. There’s a dichotomy I live on everyday: when to be technical, when to throw it out the window for the sake of originality, when to shed the influence. My early inspirations: Keith Emerson, Randy Rhoads, Bob Dylan, Sex Pistols.
Also studying classical guitar with Kevin Gallagher and jazz guitar with Jack Wilkins has done wonders for my overall musicianship as they are of the best in their field.
What are you working on now?
I’m recording a CD which will summarize my abilities. Outside of programming the drums (which is a lot of work), I am playing all of the instruments and writing most of the songs. My friend, who has sung professionally, will do most of the vocals. I estimate it will be done before 2012. The compositions that I don’t write will be classical pieces or jazz standards.
What advice can you give?
Dare to be different and be true to yourself. Some of the best music, at one time, was unusual and unpopular.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Music Theater Camp Song List
As you may have already heard, this year's summer music theater camp theme is All Roads Lead to Broadway. We'll take a look at the different places shows come from: movies, the library, the radio, and real life.
Here is a list of some of the songs we'll be performing throughout the summer:
Library: Masquerade (Phantom of the Opera), For Good (Wicked), Make Our Garden Grow (Candide), Willkommen (Cabaret), Get Me to the Church on Time (My Fair Lady), Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat (Guys and Dolls), Ease on Down the Road (The Wiz), Solla Sollew (Seussical the Musical), Ragtime (Ragtime).
Movies: Butter Outta Cream (Catch Me If You Can), Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors), Let's Go Fly a Kite (Mary Poppins), Without Love (Hairspray), Fame (Fame).
Radio: Mamma Mia (Mamma Mia), Yakety Yak/Charlie Brown (Smokey Joe's Cafe).
Real Life: Sunday (Sunday in the Park with George), Movies Were Movies (Mack and Mabel).
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A Note from the Artistic Director
I'm really, REALLY excited for our summer camps.
In addition to our old favorites, Jazz Camp and Rock Camp, we're bringing back All-Girl Band Camp for a second time around. If you haven't seen last year's performance videos from the Crossroads and the Oakes Center, they're all up at the Elefante YouTube Channel.
Our Music Theater Camp theme this year is All Roads Lead to Broadway. I got to thinking about all the recent Broadway shows that have been based on movies, and how that was a relatively new phenomenon. It reminded me that shows come from all sorts of sources, but most of them come from four places - the movies, the library, the radio, and real life.
So that's the theme of this year's MTC performances. Each section of the show will feature songs from either film, books and plays, popular music, or history. I can't wait to start putting the show together.
Speaking of which - I know it seems like a long time away, but there's no better time than the present to sign up for summer camp. Contact Stefani at (908) 464-5928 or shealey@elefantemusic.com for more information or to register. Or visit the Summer at Elefante page.
Thanks!
Joe Elefante
Artistic Director
Elefante School for the Performing Arts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
"The Gateway Game"
In Joe's latest column for The Alternative Press, "The Gateway Game," he bids a fond farewell to Guitar Hero, and explores its role in getting kids involved with music.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Jersey Voices
I've forwarded a message from my friend Bob Denmark at Chatham Community Players.
Joe Elefante
Hello New Jersey Playwrights
Hope it has been a good year for all of you. It is once again time to be thinking about submitting one-acts for Jersey Voices. For those of you who have already sent along submissions for Jersey Voices '11 - thank you! For those of you who have not, I want to remind you that the deadline is coming up soon - this years DEADLINE is MARCH 15th. So please put the finishing touches on those plays sitting on you desk/desktop and send them along. This year we are only accepting submissions by e-mail to the address listed below. This transition has been a few years in coming and now it's here.
Play submissions of any genre (including short musical and dance pieces), style and length up to 20 minutes running time will be accepted through March 15, 2011. Selected pieces will be performed in our Black Box Theater in Chatham on the last weekend in July and first weekend in August.
If we've not chosen your work in the past, please don't give up on us. Each year we have produced new pieces by an author whose work we've passed over in the past; it usually has more to do with trying to balance 6 separate pieces for an enjoyable evening of theater than it has to do with the quality of the piece which has been passed over. In fact, under these circumstances, we have often held over a piece we've liked and given it consideration in the following year. Some of these 'holdovers' have subsequently been chosen, produced, and favorably received.
I'm looking forward to seeing your work this year and, as I know that many of you come to see Jersey Voices, to seeing you again this summer. If you have not already introduced yourself, when you're in the audience please stay for the reception we have after each performance and introduce yourself. We'd love to meet you.
If you have any questions, visit our website at www.chathamplayers.org or send me an e-mail at jerseyvoices@chathamplayers.org. We're accepting scripts this year by e-mail only to:
Best regards,
Bob Denmark, Producer
Jersey Voices '11
Friday, February 4, 2011
"Too Much Public Theater?"
Latest column in Elefante on Entertainment: "Too Much Public Theater?"
Brand new National Endowment for the Arts Chairman and perennial firebrand Rocco Landesman made some typically controversial comments at a conference in Washington last week.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Joe Elefante Big Band Returns
The Joe Elefante Big Band Returns
Sunday, January 30th, 7:30-10:30pm
Trumpets Jazz Club & Restaurant
6 Depot Square, Montclair NJ
(973) 744-2600 * www.trumpetsjazz.com
$10 cover/$5 min.
After a hiatus or nearly five years, the Joe Elefante Big Band is returning to Trumpets, one of the venues it played frequently before becoming the house band at Cecil’s Jazz Club for three years. From 2001-2006, the Joe Elefante Big Band was featured on ABC’s Nightline and the Fine Living Network. Nat Hentoff of the Wall Street Journal wrote: “During the evening, I could barely stay in my seat at times and often shouted in sheer pleasure...The crisp, charging brass section of the Elefante band would have delighted Duke Ellington, and the surgingly cohesive reed section recalled the sound of the Benny Carter and Thad Jones big bands...If the Joe Elefante Big Band gets booked into rooms for dancing as well as listening, there might be a revival, across the age spectrum, of transcendent romance on the dance floor.”
Come celebrate the re-emergence of this internationally acclaimed, original jazz orchestra. Be sure to make a reservation at (973) 744-2600 – it should be a MADHOUSE!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
"Happy New Year, Music World"
Our latest entry in Elefante on Entertainment:
"Happy New Year, all! Here’s to the dawn of another great year in the music world. There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year so, with no further ado, let’s get started:" click here to continue
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
"Don't Take My Word for It"
Our latest column for Elefante on Entertainment: "Don't Take My Word for It."
"The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create." - Barack Obama
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Spiderman on the "Web"/Holiday Entertainment Options
In his latest article for The Alternative Press, Joe chronicles some of the salty banter being hurled throughout the Twitterverse about the recent spate of injuries at Spider-Man, Turn off the Dark:
And here is an article from Examiner.com about Holiday performance options:
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
R.I.P. James Moody
Today is a celebration of the life of one of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived - and the pride of Newark, NJ.A Jazz Giant Passes
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
JerseyArts.com People's Choice Awards
If you'd like, write in "Elefante School for the Performing Arts" as best classes for kids and adults, and for best theater camp! I did... ;0)
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