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I have been studying voice with Undercroft Opera‘s Mary Beth Sederberg since performing in Marriage of Figaro last summer.  She is holding a studio voice recital Sunday, June 24th, at First Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, PA.  Join us for a free concert featuring myself and seven other voice students including my Figaro dance partner Namy Farah and my Zombie Opera cohort Liz Rishel and Zombie Opera’s “Angela”, Emily Swora. We are each performing one or two arias a peice, mine are Handel’s  “Lascia ch’io pianga” and Stella’s aria “I Can Hardly Stand It” from Andre Previn’s Streetcar Named Desire. Recital is FREE, though donations to the venue are appreciated. Facebook Event info

Schell Games was nominated for two different categories of the Pittsburgh Technology Council‘s “2012 Design Art and Technology Awards“! Both are projects that I worked on, music composition and sound fx design: “Mechatars” (our collaboration with Bossa Nova Robotics) and “Race for the Beach” (interactive sea turtle game at Sea World).  more info…

UPDATE!!! We won the Joystick: Games & Applications Award for Race for the Beach!

Spring is here, so it’s almost time for the Renaissance City Choirs Spring 2012 Concert, “Got Milk?”.  Join us for an evening of contemporary, classical, and popular song at Pittsburgh Opera in the Strip District, Friday June 1st and Saturday June 2nd, 8pm.  Advance tickets ($25) are available through singers like me, or online, $30 if purchased at the door.  Visit the RCC website or Facebook Event for more info.   As an additional RCC update I’m happy to report that I’ll be flying to Denver, Colorado, withmy fellow singers, to represent RCC this July at the GALA Chorus Festival. Lah lah lah lahhhh!

‎Robyn Peterson and I are performing some of our arias and duets from “Streetcar Named Desire” at East End Song Studio’s Opera Open Mic Night event this evening. Don’t forget, we perform the full recital, Scenes from Andre Previn’s “Streetcar Named Desire” next saturday at 7:30pm. Robyn plays the lead, Blanche Dubois, and I will be singing the role of “Stellahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!” For more details about the full cast and location, please view our facebook event page.

‎Robyn Peterson is putting together a recital of scenes and arias from the André Previn’s opera “Streetcar Named Desire” and I have been cast the role of Stella (yes, as in “Stellahhhhhh”). Performers include Robyn Peterson, myself, Sean G. Donaldson, Robert Frankenberry. James Critchfield, Mary Chess Randolph, Zachary August Luchetti and Candice Shaughnessy.  The recital will be held Saturday, May 12th 7:30pm at the Community House Presbyterian Church and Learning Center. The recital is FREE though a donation to the venue of $10 is appreciated. Visit our Facebook event listing for cast list and more details.

Seaworld’s commercial for the new “Turtle Reef” area in San Diego, is now on the air! This commercial features a clip of Schell Games‘ “Race to the Beach“ interactive game, which I did sound design and music for last year. (watch the clip at :12).  “Race for the Beach, an educational, motion-controlled video game that pits participants against other to illustrate sea turtles’ daunting sea-to-shore journey” read more

Working on travel plans for the Oklahoma premiere of Cusswords and Fire, a multimedia projection and upright bass/piano duet composed by Marlo Nash Williams and myself in 2004. We premiered Cusswords and Fire at both of our senior recitals that year at the Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music. One of the most fun works I’ve written to date, Marlo and I created a three movement performance piece based on her homestate, Oklahoma, and their tornados and storms and sunsets. It’s been… wow, 8 years since we’ve performed the piece, but will seem like we never left it. So fitting that we’re bringing it to the state it was written for. I hope the Oklahoma State audience likes it as much as we do. Current Recital date is Monday, April 23rd.  Unfortunately due to schedule conflicts we have to postpone to a later date. More info later!

A couple months back I did the soundtrack for an Android word puzzle game called “Lingrove“.  A review of the game recently came out on AndroidTapp.com describing “the music is a blissfully relaxing ditty that put you right in the atmosphere of the game. ” I had fun working on the music, and hope people enjoy playing the game! As far as other music updates, I helped out with the recent Prime Stage Theater production of The Elephant Man, recording my grandmother’s accordion for some atmospheric circus scenes and transitions in the show. Was really fun and I heard the play went very well! I was unable to see the show myself as I’ve been busy preparing for and performing in Pittsburgh Savoyards’ Pirates of Penzance. I am pleased to say opening weekend went great, and we still have four shows left in the run (March 8-11th). Doublecast, my Zombie Opera writing partner, Liz Rishel, is playing the lead Mabel on the 9th and 11th, joining me in the chorus on alternate nights.  Tickets are still available at the door, don’t miss it!

Working for a video game company, complete with confidentiality clauses etc, I’m always pleased when there is news that we are allowed to share with the public.  One of the first games I helped with upon joining Schell, Triazzle Island, originally for PC, is now available on Mac too.  In addition, Pittsburghers will really love the latest news update, “The Fred Rogers Company and PBS launch new “Neighborhood” TV series with help from Schell Games”

I’m with the local performing troupe Pittsburgh Savoyards for a special production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Seems a logical step, from Zombie operas to Pirate operas, right? Seriously though, rehearsals have been a blast and the show is hilarious. Join us March 2-11th at the Carnegie Music Hall in Carnegie, PA. Tickets are available by mail-in pre-order, at the door, or at a discount from Cast members (like me!). Read Gwenix’s blog post about Pirates for more ticket and cast information! Facebook Event info.