by Steven Blier | Mar 10, 2022 | Blier's Blog
Wednesday is a good day to play hardball at rehearsal. Soon we’ll need to move into performance mode, which involves a subtle IV-drip of inspiration and encouragement. We mustn’t do anything to hurt the cast’s confidence over the weekend, and as they grapple with...
by Steven Blier | Mar 9, 2022 | Blier's Blog
Bénédicte and I had a master plan for the day that involved working on every song in the show. Since Love Songs in 176 Keys is a slightly longer program than usual, our idea was wildly ambitious. Still, it is always smart to front-load the work, tackling as much as...
by Steven Blier | Mar 8, 2022 | Blier's Blog
I was at Caramoor two years ago just as we were becoming aware of the scale of the Covid pandemic. March of 2020 was still the dawn of the quarantine era. While we were not yet wearing masks, the threat of a marauding virus outside the protective walls of Caramoor...
by Steven Blier | Aug 2, 2021 | Blier's Blog
I won’t bury the lede: the concert went beautifully. Sam and Nicoletta sang with a sheen and a sophistication far beyond their years, and they have stunning voices. At intermission we had a visit from a Parisian audience member, who gave the concert his blessing and...
by Steven Blier | Jul 31, 2021 | Blier's Blog
Friday is usually the most uncomfortable day of a one-week rehearsal period. By now we’ve done our serious work on the songs, we’ve confronted some obstacles, we’ve had our breakthroughs. Friday isn’t a good day to make any big changes—it’s too close to performance...
by Steven Blier | Jul 30, 2021 | Blier's Blog
I have encountered—and mostly overcome—three pitfalls this week as I prepare the concert. The first was a familiar one from other rehearsal periods where I am filling the dual roles of pianist and coach/artistic director. As I devote myself to preparing the singers...
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