Hey Zukoids! Last week, Allyson Cobin asked about places where young kids can perform or do karaoke. I actually had the same issue over the past few months trying to find to a karaoke place for myself! They are pretty rare nowadays and usually only happen on specific nights. Finding a good place for an older crowd was so difficult! And when I began researching karaoke places for kids this week, it was even more difficult! I was stuck! The only places I came across were located in NYC, which is probably a little too far for most kids in our area! Places in NYC: Chorus Karaoke is located in Midtown, and has Sunday family specials! $60.00 gives a family of 2-6 members up to two hours of karaoke, food, and soda. Karaoke Duet has a few Manhattan locations and is relatively fairly priced, charging from $4.00 to no more than $8.50 per person per hour. At Karaoke Duet, rooms are set up for a more private karaoke session with close friends and family! I found this information on the website, Mommy Poppins. It’s an awesome site to find fun things kids/tweens can do around the area! You can check out their website for more ideas. After coming up basically empty handed, I thought: “This isn’t fair! How could this be? Why aren’t there fun places for kids to do these things?” So, Zukoids! Tell me; do you have any ideas? What should these kids do? Do you know of any fun outlets where kids can perform? Zuke understands these struggles, so she’s decided to host a Karaoke event at the PAL in West Milford, NJ. It takes place on Saturday, September 28th, from 6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. If you’re interested in signing up to perform, contact Zuke at [email protected]. If you’d like to attend, there is a $10.00 performance fee and $3.00 general entrance admission fee. Thanks guys! Casey O [email protected]
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Exciting things are happening! I’m Casey, here to help Zuke out for a little while. Her blog, Instagram, and Twitter accounts need a little spicing up. That’s where I come in! So guys, if you haven’t already, don’t forget to follow her Instagram and Twitter accounts (@zuketunes), and remember to check back here for updates! As a fellow “Zukoid”, I’d like to know: what are some things you “Zukoid’s” would look forward to seeing? I’d love to get you guys involved! So look out for some of these cool, new things as I begin my takeover! Can’t wait to get started! [email protected] The photo you see is my backyard. My husband, Kent, and I bought this house when our daughter, Nikki, was 3 1/2 because of the views and the dead end street. I wanted a home where she could just stare out the window and let her imagination run free. This is CampZuke. Growing up, my mom used to tell me stories about Isadora Duncan, the "Mother of Modern Dance." Isadora was very organic with her teaching methods and encouraged creativity to flow out of her students. She started teaching out of her home when she was quite young and later her students were referred to as Isadorables. I can't claim to be the visionary Isadora was by a long shot, but I try to follow my own instincts when working with my students. They are bursting with creative energy that is begging to be released. They just need encouragement and guidance and courage to let go. I say to them "don't be afraid to go over the cliff...I won't let you crash and will do what I can to keep you flying." Watching their growth and progress is what drives my own creativity. My friend, Amanda Homi, was the first one to coin the phrase CampZuke when she would come and visit and attend recitals I hosted for my students. When the weather is nice, I invite my kids (all of my students are my kids!) to come and perform in the backyard and parents and friends can hang out and listen to great music. There's no need to be all formal and rent out a location to present the students in my opinion. Kids need to be kids and play and have fun! It's really no different than sports. You can play ball in the backyard, or you can play instruments and sing. Of course there are other interpretations of CampZuke. My dear friend and associate, Craig Deuchar, whom I affectionately call "my gay son" wanted to know if I called it CampZuke as in Camp David or because I, Zuke, am the campy one. He suspected it was the latter, and I won't argue with him on that! Craig can make me laugh harder than anyone else and laughter is so important to keep us healthy and alive. So, for Craig, CampZuke is all about humor and having fun. This is Craig in the photo. Seriously, who is the campy one here??!! I decided recently to have some informal chat sessions here with music pros where my students can engage freely in conversation. The CampZuke Chat Sessions are run on Google+ Hang Outs and then edited and posted on YouTube. Check out the first CampZuke Chat Session with E. Michael Harrington!
What does CampZuke mean to you? Please share your thoughts and comments! -Zuke That's Larissa in the photo. Yep, I fired her several months ago but she's back again and stronger than ever. You are probably saying "Whaaaat? That's weird!" Could be, but so is paying to learn a craft and not working on it. When Larissa first came to me she was a natural singer with absolutely no direction. That's not unusual for a young teen. We took the journey together having her work on different styles so she could make some decisions to showcase her singing: coffee houses, karaoke, community theatre. I never got a sense that she loved or even liked any direction and at one point her mom came in to talk with me. She was concerned that Larissa wasn't motivated to do anything with her singing. At that point, I shared that concern. That's when I had to make the decision to fire her. Don't get me wrong, I took no pleasure in doing this and questioned myself before doing so. I told Larissa to stop taking lessons with me for 6 weeks and at the end of that time, she should decide if she still wanted to pursue lessons to do something with her singing. I didn't know if Larissa would be back in my studio or if I'd ever hear from her again. Right on target, about 6 weeks later, she wrote saying she was excited to see me and couldn't wait to tell me about her transformation. When Larissa walked back into the studio, I saw a proud young lady ready to get to work. She fell in love with musical theatre and found several places to audition. Wow! I don't know what happened in her time off, but I'm sure glad she found her way. Fast forward a few months and Larissa is now rehearsing to play the lead in the musical Carrie at The Helen Hayes Youth Theater. Drive and passion coupled with her talent brought her to this point. And with that gorgeous smile of hers, she's ready to light up the stage. -Zuke We take HD video on our phones and tablets for granted these days, something unimaginable even a few years ago! Still, it's easy to shoot less than desirable (i.e., crappy unwatchable) videos on these devices. Who doesn't have the urge to film family and friends on their rise to stardom in live performance to share on social media sites? Here are a few tips to make the video watchable at the very least. 1.Please please, please don't shoot the video in portrait. Rotate the phone to landscape. You will get the correct aspect ratio and as the phone is easier to hold (with 2 hands) in this position, a more stable image. 2. Try to get as close to as possible to the performer. The picture on these little lenses and sensors gets grainy really fast. Generally, folks in a club or coffeehouse won't mind. They know you want to get the budding artist on film "before they were famous." 3. Speaking of stability, it really helps to tuck your elbows into your chest and abdomen. Remember, someone may actually want to watch this after you post it. If it jiggles around and is unfocused most viewers will quickly move to the next of thousands of youtube videos out there! 4. Be aware of lighting and focus. Most smartphones will give you at least a bit of control. On the iPhone tap on the screen to lock autofocus and autoexposure before you begin shooting. 5. No sudden movements! If you pan, pan slowly, and twist your entire body with your elbows locked, tucked into your body. Otherwise your video will look like Les Mis, with a bad camera! 6. Audio can be a big problem. Try to be as close to the audio source as possible, whether it's the performer or one of the PA speakers, and don't chat while you're shooting. Your talking will spoil the audio of the performance. Also, these little phone mics don't hold up to loud sounds very well. If your friends are in the newest incarnation of Metallica you can try putting a piece of tape over the mic or simply covering it with your finger. It will color the audio but will help fight distortion. 7. If you're tempted to shoot at an arena show, don't! Unless you happen to capture Beyonce or Bieber taking a spill you will never get anything worth seeing and will manage to annoy the heck out of everyone around you. Take a couple pictures, put the phone in your pocket, and enjoy the show. 7. It really helps to roll the file into iMovie or Windows Movie Maker before you post it. You can edit and clean up the picture and audio, add fades, titles, etc., which makes for a better post. These programs are actually a lot of fun to use and can improve your videos greatly. There is a lot of satisfaction in capturing live performance of our loved ones on their journey to the stars. Happy shooting! -Kent Believe it or not, I hear that all the time from students and their parents coming into my studio for the first time. Usually I start the consultation with a few questions including "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I encourage them to shoot from the hip, tell me their wildest dreams, how do they see themselves 5 or 10 years form now. I watch as their eyes light up, their posture straightens and they say "I want to be a star!" That's all very fine and dandy, but let me break it down a bit for you. Let's start by referring to this as show business or a career in the music arts. I've yet to see a college course offering a degree in stardom. So, what can you do to see if you have what it takes to be in this business? I suggest start by studying the subject that pertains to your art. If you want to be a violinist in an orchestra, you will have to study the instrument for many years and master it before you will even be able to audition. Why would becoming a pop star be any different? What comes first - the voice! Have you studied voice? Do you know your instrument? What if your voice is tired or you are sick - do you know what to do to get through a performance? There are so many incredible voice teachers all around the world in large and small cities and if there are none nearby, many teach on Skype. Find one and get to work! Talent comes first. Without the talent, how can you begin to think of planning out a career path? Sure, I've heard some of you say "but he can't sing, how come he's a star?" Or "she sucks, it's obvious she's got auto-tune on everything." Yep, well...that's life and that's what you're up against, so you'd better have incredible talent to start with so you can cut out some of the competition. And don't fret if you're not a natural singer. If you can carry a tune you can work your ass off on your craft and become great. Just be true to who you are and be respectful of your limitations. Talk to me. Ask me questions. I love hearing from you! Zuke I recently was reading an article which split up the Super Bowl into time periods according to content: advertisements, time outs, injuries, and the like. Although the game is on television for nearly 3 hours, the total amount of actual play time, as in, time that the ball was being touched by a player, amounted to approximately 11 minutes. This, combined with the time-is-money society we live in, made me question why anyone stayed tuned for the entire broadcast. Three hours of a day, which could have been spent writing a play book to win future super bowls, seemingly wasted on what amounts to an 11 minute game. As I've been milling over these thoughts, it seems to me that the Super Bowl is almost a relic of a bygone era, one that fed on anticipation instead of instant gratification. Well, let me explain what I mean by that. In day to day life, it is possible to constantly get information, from the news, from twitter, from facebook. Because of this ability, it's easy to get popcorn brain, and not want to stay focused on one task or topic for a long period of time, but instead want to check five different sources of information within seconds, actually looking for distraction. This is very bad for storytelling and songwriting (ah, you knew I'd tie it in somehow!), because artists are forced not only to create a hook right at the beginning of a piece of music, but then to continue re-hooking the listener every 10 seconds so he or she doesn't click away. Most good stories have highs and lows, but the build to each of those has to be realistic, and real life is usually too slow paced for popcorn-brained internet-fiends. Yet somehow, we watch the Super Bowl. For hours and hours we stay focused on a single topic, and even when its over, as a nation we discuss it on news networks and amongst colleagues. Why doesn't a piece of music have that effect? How can we learn to tell stories that build enough anticipation to keep a listener hooked, yet remain realistic? How can we write music that holds captive an entire nation for days, like the Super Bowl does? I don't have the answers, I'm 16 years old. :) I think it's important that we as a culture put an accent on focus and realize that quantity is not always quality. But please, let me know in the comments what you think! ~Sophia Hello singers! If you’re not in the West Milford area, this might not interest you as much, but I wanted to let everyone know that the coffee house (1073 Westbrook Road) has recently re-opened and is ready for business. It’s a free venue that used to be the place for performers, and we’re hoping to make it like that again. Although it mostly markets to West Milford High School students, students from other schools are allowed in as well (make sure you bring I.D.!) as are graduates (as guests of a high school student). They’ve got a lovely little stage area (no sound equipment yet though, prepare accordingly) and some very cool lighting. It’s open 7:00 to 11:00 Fridays and Saturdays, however, if you want to make it more of an event, or have it open on another night, email Jane or Jayme (emails listed below). Next week, I’ll talk about how to advertise J. Emails: Jane Dellosso: [email protected] Jayme Alfano Mulhern: [email protected] Teen Coffee House Facebook Page Calendar of Events The student council is hosting an event open to all high schoolers December 21st, to celebrate the end of the world… Guess who came up with that one? ;) Let’s make this the most swankified place in town! - Sophia Metcalf As most of Zuke’s West Milford students know, auditions for our school’s musical are in full swing. As an upper-classman, I’m starting to realize how incredibly lucky I was to have juniors and seniors take me under their wing my freshman year, and how fortunate I was to already have audition experience before reaching the high school. The audition process, for someone inexperienced (and also for those of us who are), is terrifying. So, for those of you who did not have the luck I did and want to try out for your school show, here’s a short list of advice I wish someone had told me. 1) Before the audition: Make friends with people in the room. Hopefully, they’re going to be your cast-mates. Also, if you can talk to them a little bit, it will make it less awkward when you have to warm up around where they can listen. 2) Song choice: Your usual audition song is 16-32 bars (give or take depending on the speed). Make sure your music is easy to read. Bring your “book," or repertoire of songs you know you can perform well, to the audition in case you are asked for another piece. Try to stick to songs that show off your range and acting ability, as well as fit the genre of the show. For example, if one is trying out for the part of the Prima Donna in Phantom of the Opera, “I Miss the Mountains” from Next to Normal would be a bad choice. “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera would also be a poor choice, unless you can be sure you’ll be able to make it memorable. Something like “Memory” from Cats or “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita would be more appropriate because they are songs that make you stand out, while still sticking to the genre (and composer). 3) Dance Calls: DO NOT PLAN TO FOLLOW ANOTHER DANCER. YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH IT. I wish someone told me that before I went into my Hairspray dance call. That didn’t end well. If you are not a dancer, try to focus very hard on the instructor and memorize quickly. You get props for being able to add character to a dance, especially after only doing it a few times. Also, dress appropriately. Wear sneakers, stretchy pants, and shirt that will keep what needs covering covered… this goes for boys too. 4) Don’t be afraid to use the space in your audition room. If you can, case the place ahead of time. See how much you’ll be able to move around and how close you’ll be able to get to the director(s). If appropriate, be prepared to get all up in their business. 5) Be comfortable, be confident, have fun. Any questions, feel free to post here! And if you have anything to add please do. Peace, DFTBA (Don’t Forget To Be Awesome) Sophia Hello singers! As this is my first blog post I feel like I should introduce myself. My name is Sophia Metcalf, I’m a 16 year old West Milford student, I’ve been going to mama Zuke for 5 years, and I am a singer-actor. I also dabble in some songwriting and dance, but my focus is mostly on musical theater... without the dancing... mostly because I’m uncoordinated... Anyway, what I wanted to talk about today with you is something pretty personal to me that I hope you’ll be able to relate to: the way I feel when I sing. I don’t know if it is the same for everyone, so I thought I should put it out there and see how you react as fellow artists. For me, singing is an incredibly spiritual activity. Now don’t get turned off . I promise I’m not about to preach at you. I mean "spiritual" as in soul-loving, blood-pumping, really feeling awake and alive kind of spiritual :). I remember about a year back a group came to my church to talk about confirmation and stuff. I honestly don’t remember anything about sacraments or confirming my faith or whatever I was supposed to learn that night, but I do remember this: A college girl with a joyous, mousey expression with a guitar who said “Singing is like praying twice.” Now, even for those of you who aren’t religious, I feel as if this quote has a lot of meaning. Praying is typically something very intimate. It essentially expresses all of one’s hopes, one’s dreams, and one’s fears to an omnipresent being that takes faith to even believe in. By singing, you’re doing all the same things-- exposing yourself in an incredibly intimate way to an audience. You are forced to trust in your ability to connect with them, just as in prayer you’re trusting in your ability to reach God, or Allah, or Yahweh, or whoever. It’s terrifying, but that’s the best part. For three and a half minutes, your soul is completely bared to people you have never met, and with whom you may never have a conversation, and with it they can do whatever they wish. Being able to put faith in the connection I make when I sing, and in the crowd’s human (if not always positive) reaction is a kind of religious experience for me. Please feel free to comment with your thoughts! I’m thinking if I get some very interesting responses I’ll feature them next week. Also, if you have anything you’d like me to talk about, you can comment that too. Peace, DFTBA (Don’t Forget To Be Awesome) Sophia |