Technical Error...

So apparently no one got to see me play. According to a couple ppl I have talked to, the webcast cut off at the end of the violinist. As it happens, I was in the next piece. I don't know what happened but the feed cut out or timed out.

So if you feel bad because you think it ended and you missed me, don't worry; you didn't. Joys of technology.

Philharmonic Concert tomorrow Feb. 9th

Hi all!!

Well, it's that time again....I have my first Northern Illinois Philharmonic Concert of 2010 via LIVE WEBCAST.....TOMORROW NIGHT at 8:00PM CENTRAL TIME. Yeah, I know....I kinda forgot that I actually had the concert until this weekend, and I've been so bad about posting on my blog lately that I forgot to post about it....so sorry.

In my defense, while you might get to see me, I am only playing on one piece and you probably won't hear me except maybe in one part.

This concert is the Concerto winner concert...and the Chamber Choir concert. We are sharing....I know. Unfortunately I can't post the exact program because they do not have it printed anywhere. To top it off, I don't know which one is first on the concert. If you turn on the webcast and it is choir, then you can probably wait at least 20-30 minutes. I don't know how long the choir is singing. In the Philharmonic half, there are these pieces (these are not necessarily in order):

Violin Concerto by Sibelius - this one is very beautiful and worth listening to
Marimba Concerto by Keiko Abe - I play in this one and it is AWSOME....even if I don't play much.
Piano Concerto - I really don't know anything about this one, except it is a piano concerto.

Here is the link to the LIVE WEBCAST:
http://www.niu.edu/music/media/webcasts.shtml

Spread the Word (promise I'll give more warning next time)!!!

Blog Under Construction

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'm updating and changing my blog. Stay tuned.

Last concert for 2009: Philharmonic

You are going to want to kick me and I'm sorry. I have my last NIU concert tomorrow night. I am playing with the NIU Philharmonic orchestra tomorrow night (Monday) November 23, 2009 at 8:00pm CENTRAL TIME. You can watch this concert via webcast, just like the others. I know it's really last minute. Spread the word. Remember, this is a LIVE webcast and is likely the performance will not be archived for future view.

Here is the program:

Mahler - Kindertotenlieder (I play in this one)
Myron Myers, bass
Program notes: Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children) is a song cycle for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler. The words of the songs are poems by Friedrich Rückert. You can read about Mahler's inspiration and find the lyrics to the 5 sung poems HERE. They are very sad, but the music is beautiful at the same time.

~intermission~

Schubert - Symphony No. 9, in C Major, "The Great"
(I do not play in this one, but it is a great piece nevertheless)

You can get to the LIVE webcast through this link: http://www.niu.edu/music/media/webcasts.shtml

Concert Sunday!!

Hey Everyone...just wanted to announce that I will be playing harp in wind ensemble this SUNDAY AT 3:00PM CENTRAL TIME. Sorry it's late notice...this week has been...one of those weeks. I'll post more later, I'm in a hurry. Again, tell anyone you think would want to watch...if you are not at church...please don't miss your religious service for me :)

(FYI the link to the online LIVE webcast is in a post below....scroll down to it on www.michelleheuer.blogspot.com. )

Henry

Meet Henry.

Well, I was sad looking at the empty fish bowl on my desk. It seemed so lonely in my room without a fish in it. So after 2 days (Halloween I might add) I went to the the local petsmart and scoped out a new beta. After searching and comparing and observing for about 20 minutes I finally found my new beta.

His name is Henry. He is a beautiful blue and white delta tail beta (they actually have different kinds...isn't that fun). His tail is very flowy and rounded along the outside, and his top and bottom fins are much longer and also very flowy. Oscar was a standard beta with a pointed tail and fins, which were pretty but not "flowy" (is that even a word or did I make that up??). I got him partially becuase he is so handsome and would look good in my tank with the red stones, and becuase how active he was in the store. I don't want a boring depressed fish. And he is very regal looking when he swims. I've only had him for 5 days and he has even more personality than Oscar, I think.

I'm feeding him pellets instead of flake food, so his water won't cloud up as much. While Oscar didn't care for the pellets, Henty LOVES them. In fact, he hangs out at the surface waiting for me to drop one in. If he is really hungry he basically swallows them whole. If he is not that hungry, he'll play with it. He grabbs it in his mouth and swims around the tank with it until he decides he wants to eat it. Sometime he attacks it, sometimes he'll twitch with it in his mouth like he is attacking it. It's really funny to watch. And he always flares his fins really wide while he is eating. Here is a pic of him playing with his food. What a cute fish face!!

The other really funny thing about him is that he like to try to eat the plant. He does it less often than initially, but if a piece of root that has broken off he will attack it. There is also a certain place where the roots push up agains the bowl...he loves to wedge himself into that spot between the plant and the bowl. He also likes trying to wedge into the rocks at the bottom. Either that or he is scoping for food.

And he is always excited to see me. Sometimes he sees something outside and zooms around his tank trying to get at it. I know I sound silly but I love Henry!! I think you will agree with me on how pretty he is too :)

Farewell to Oscar

Well you may already know, but Oscar died last week. I knew it was coming. He had been getting pretty old (I think). I had him for about 18 months, which is pretty good I'd say for my first ever fish. And I think he was already at least a year old when I got him becuase he was already pretty big for a beta.

Oscar was a funny fish. He would get really excited when he saw people. He would flare and show off for you too. When you gave him food, he would jump up and attack it. If you made faces at him he would make faces back (puff his gills out). He was a good fish. He was pretty too. When I first got him he was a pretty teal color with a dark face. As he aged, he developed some red on his fins in addition. As he got old, his color started to dull and his face started to turn grey. It really did!! His scales were a silver color. I don't know if that is normal, but it seemed that way.

A couple months ago his swim bladder failed...meaning he lost the ability to float. So he would just sit at the bottom and stare at you. I think this made him depressed becuase while at first he would still eat and get excited when he saw you, he couldn't swim very well. Eventually he stopped eating as much and took to laying in the oddest positions, sometimes on his side, sometimes his nose pointing strait up. I knew it was getting close the last couple days before he died becuase he started laying upside down (belly up) and couldn't figure out how to turn back over. That can never be good right?

Farewell Oscar. He is in fish heaven now.

Tentative uber cool news....

I just found out some potentially exciting news for those who like to keep up with my harp playing. It might (emphasis on the might) be possible to webcast my first masters recital in the spring. I still have to find out details, so hang tight for more info on the matter.

By the way, my first masters recital is April 17, 2010 at 5pm central time. So put it in the books if you are interested in coming, watching via webcast (maybe), or just being there in spirit. Stay tuned for more info!!

Webcasting Announcement for Oct. 21st NIU Philharmonic Concert!!

Ok, listen up everyone. I have my first NIU Philharmonic concert, and I'm inviting all of you to watch!! If you are new to my blog or are recieving this blog email for the first time, I am at Northern Illinois University studying harp for my masters. I am also a member of the NIU Philharmonic Orchestra.
Here at NIU, they do this really cool thing called live webcasting, so any concert that happens at NIU is broadcasted live over the internet. They don't always archive these concerts, so you have to catch it LIVE. Follow?

Ok, so my next concert is THIS WEDNESDAY, OCT 21, 8:00PM, CENTRAL TIME. You Mountain timers, that means an hour ealier. Eastern timers, an hour later. Just so we're clear. I has been expressed to me by many ppl that they would like to know when I am playing in concerts. However, not many ppl read this blog and I can only email this blog to 10 ppl, so if you know anyone else who would like to know about this, please forward it along. For those who actually get on the internet to read my blog, I did not email you for that reason: you actually get on and check, which I appreciate!!
Thank you.

In case anyone wants to know the concert program, it is this:

~Die Moldau by Smetana. This is a piece inspired by The Moldau, a river that runs through Czechoslovakia. It is also the piece that I am playing in.
From Smetana's program notes ....
"The composition depicts the course of the river , beginning from its two small sources, one cold the other warm, the joining of both streams into one, then the flow of the Moldau through forests and across meadows, through the countryside where merry feasts are celebrated; water nymphs dance in the moonlight; on nearby rocks can be seen the outline of ruined castles, proudly soaring into the skies. The Mouldau swirls through the St. John Rapids and flows in a broad stream towards Prague. It passes Vysehrad [ where an ancient royal castle once stood ] , and finally the river disappears in the distance as it flows majestically into the Elbe."
--Well, Vysehrad is another movement of the piece (you can google it) that we won't actually be playing, but it is still a very cool piece. Just try to imagine the different parts in it as you listen:
-joining of the two streams
-great hunt
-peasant wedding
-nymphs in the forest
-ruins
-St. John Rapids
-The widest part of the River

~Como un Sueno for Harp and Orchestra by Gustavo Leone
Faye Seeman, harp

Gustavo Leone is a living composer who's music focuses on the kinds of sounds that instruments can make together. This piece is so beautiful, and almost sounds like it is out of a movie. It is worth watching this concert just for this piece. Faye Seeman is my professor here and is an outstanding harpist. Mr. Leone will also be in attendance at the concert.

~intermission~

~Dvorjak - Symphony No. 7
This piece is just awsome, full of sound, emotion and angst, lots of strings....good stuff!!!

So there you have it, that is the concert order. If you were wanting to just see me play, make sure you log on at the beginning, since I am first and the piece is the shortest one on the program.
[There is also going to be an open discussion before the concert with Gustavo Leone and my teacher Faye Seeman, which might be webcasted as well. I'll send more details on that later.]

Last thing (I promise!!): The link to the embed online: http://www.niu.edu/music/media/webcasts.shtml
I have posted the links for the webcasting in my previous post. If you have problems, go to www.michelleheuer.blogspot.com and look at the previous post (if you are recieving this by email). Chances are you will have to update something.
Feel free to post or email any questions you might have, my blog is always open!!

Webcast concerts from NIU

I don't know how many ppl actually read my blog, but in case anyone wanted to see me perform in concerts at NIU, they have this really cool link to live HD webcasting. So, if anyone wanted to see me perform in ensemble concerts, you can!! I think it's a pretty awsome thing they got going here. Too bad the library computers aren't as high tech (hehe).

The link to the HD webcast embed is: http://www.niu.edu/music/media/webcasts.shtml

I would recommend the most recent version of Adobe Flash Player: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer

and Adobe Reader: http://get.adobe.com/reader

This is what the school has recommended, but you may not have to have these recent versions, I'm not sure.

NOW: I am performing tonight for a band concert at 7:00pm CENTRAL TIME that might be webcast, I'm not actually sure. So if you are interested you can check the link and see. I am performing a piece for 2 harps and small chamber ensemble first up (for wind ensemble) then I am playing the first piece with the University band. So I'll be at the beginning, then I'm done. I will try to post in the future whenever I have a concert via webcast.

The next one will be on Wednesday Oct. 21 at 7:30pm, where I will be playing a piece with the NIU Philharmonic.