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Yesterday, The "Melodious Mama's" reprized much of our concert from October (when we were all "expecting"!) for The Lyric Opera of Chicago's Winnetka Chapter. Such a lovely audience. Such a special time with them! We laughed, and shed tears, while sharing such exquisite pieces of humanity and Mommy songs! I loved producing and performing alongside these brilliant folks. The beautiful new Mom's: Soprano Ingrid Israel Mikolajczyk, (baby girl 4 months) and Mezzo Soprano Amanda Koopman (adopted son 2 yrs old) Mr. marvelous Andrew Blendermann on the keys (yep, he's got two kids as well but he's not as new to the job, and not a mommy, but a fantastic Daddy!) Following our program, we had a lovely luncheon with these wonderful ladies.  
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The audience tonight was so fun. It's not every day that while singing you stroll around flirting, stroke a beard one second, and then smack a kiss onto a bald head the next. That was with "La Pastorella delle Alpi" by Rossini, --that sassy shepherdess. Don't worry, I cleaned up my act by following it with "Caro Nome". ;-) Very Honored to have received the "Bella Voce" award at Chicago's Bel Canto Foundation, and I feel doubly honored to have received it again. Seems to be a theme lately, and I'm not complaining. :)  Rachel presented with the "People's Choice Award" at ATC 2017 As luck would have it, I have been fortunate enough to have the honor of winning the People's Choice Award during the Semi-Final Round, at The American Traditions Competition 2017! The fun part is, I won the exact same award in 2016! Thank You Savannah, you are so special! A gem of a town. What a slice of paradise! As usual, the American Traditions Competition was amazing and full of the best singers from all around! Our esteemed judges were Broadway composer, phenomenal actor-singer, Andrew Lippa (Addams Family & Big Fish), Soprano and operatic legend-turned American songstress, Silvia McNair, and Kurt Ollmann (Leonard Bernstein's favorite Baritone).
I can't wait to return to this awesome competition, where the artistry is second to none and the audiences couldn't be more warm and enthusiastic. Here's a link to more of my raving about this competition in a post a year ago! Here is Miss Ella, our newest songbird. |
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VIEW ENTIRE PROGRAM HERE |
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We were so fortunate to raise $700 for "Newborns in Need" through audience donations.
We also met our minimum artist reimbursement goals,
and were able to put some gifts towards future programming.
SO THANK YOU(!!!!) to our generous sponsors, and our warm, generous audiences. A VERY special thank you to THE SOREL ORGANIZATION, our main sponsor!
The Melodious Mamas plan to continue to provide free family-friendly concert experiences, while raising money for charities.
If you would like more details about our mission and goals with this Inaugural Concert, please view this video.
We still need help meeting our artistic planning goals for future programming. If you would like to give a gift to our cause, please contact me (rachelsparrowstudio@gmail.com).
We are so grateful for your generosity!
Thank you!
The check for Newborns in Need is in the Mail! (and yes, that's what I look like in the morning, 9 months pregnant! hah)
For more info on how to donate directly to Newborns in Need, the local chapter (in Orland Park) website is here: https://sites.google.com/a/newbornsinneed.org/ni/
The National Organization Site is here: https://newbornsinneed.org/donate/
Putting the Check in the Mail!
Press - For Immediate Release: Download Here --->
| for_immediate_release-_expecting_mamas_concert.pdf |
Four professional singers, and a pianist...
ALL with 'buns-in-the-oven'
will perform a concert you will NEVER forget.
Saturday Oct 8, 2016 - 3 pm
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2727 Lake Ave, Wilmette, IL
Sunday Oct 9, 2016 - 6:30 pm
Lutkin Hall on Northwestern University Campus,
700 University Pl, Evanston, IL
(VENUES ARE PICTURED BELOW)
Concerts are free.
Donations are appreciated, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to charity.
Families with kids of all ages are encouraged to attend!
Program length: 80 mins (with a brief intermission, see below for more details)
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CONCEPT
---
So...I'm sitting in a Chicago Symphony Chorus rehearsal, among two other pregnant soprano friends, (Nathalie and Ingrid) and it was a no-brainer.
- "We should do a concert together!" I said.
Performers (especially women) go through sometimes insurmountable struggles when trying to juggle their career and a family.
We are attempting to shed light on that issue, in a bold, artistic, sensitive, hilarious, and unprecedented way. Families are so important, and our identities as artists are not lost when we become Mothers, they are enriched.
We will be celebrating Motherhood (of all kinds) singing classical lullabies, playful children songs, art song birth stories, and even some versions of musical theater songs that you should NEVER sing while pregnant.
This program is just as much of an emotional roller coaster as is
a hormonal pregnant woman!
All of us, (even our pianist!) are expecting. One of our mothers-to-be is in the adoption process. Amanda is just awaiting the finalization of all that paperwork. Even though her baby bump is invisible, she is every bit as 'expecting' as the rest of us! Her baby boy is waiting for her in Thailand. MOMS ARE AWESOME!
_________________________________________________
SPONSORS
We are honored to be sponsored by The Sorel Organization,
and in part by The Northwestern University Bienen School of Music.
(Three of the five performers are Bienen School Alumni, Go Cats!)
Additional sponsors:
Evanston Arts Council
Bel Canto Foundation
We are also grateful to The Chicago Musician's Club of Women, for featuring this concert in their private Salon Series. And to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for hosting a free venue.
_______________________________________________
SINGERS
RACHEL SPARROW (7 months along, 1st child)
NATHALIE COLAS, (7 months along, 1st child)
INGRID ISRAEL MIKOLAJCZYK, (5 months along, 1st child)
AMANDA KOOPMAN, (adopting! 1st child)
PIANIST
YOUNG JEE CHO (6 months along, 2nd child)
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PROGRAM
What songs are we performing, you ask?
You may download our extensive program notes here:
| expecting_-_concert-_program-w_sponsors.pdf |
AND here are some youtube links to some of the songs, Enjoy the tunes before you hear them from us!
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1. "There is No Rose of Such Virtue" - Benjamin Britten
(This group number is a beautiful setting of this famous poem about one of the most revered Mothers of all: Mary, and her perfect newborn.)
2. Lullaby: Cancion de cuna para dormir un Negrito - Montsalvatge
3. Tribute to Mothers
"Songs My Mother Taught Me" - Dvorak (timeless, beautiful melody)
"I Won't Mind" - (a tribute to non-traditional/non-biological "Mothers" who are every bit as important to us in every way that a Mother can be!)
"Your Mother and Mine" - from Disney's Peter Pan
"Mama son tanto felice" - A Neopolitan song about how happy our Mother's make us!
4. Lullaby: "Weigenlied" - Richard Strauss
5. Silly Songs for Children
"A route to the sky" -"Euclid" - "The Moon's the North Winds Cooky" - Jake Heggie
"Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu" - "Quelle Aventure" - Poulenc
6. Lullaby: "All the Pretty Little Horses" - Copland
7. "I Want it All" from Baby, the Musical
(group number about wanting to have a career, adventure, love, life, and a family!)
- brief intermission -
8. Songs You Should Never Sing While Pregnant
"I Enjoy Being a Girl" - from Flower Drum Song
"Je suis grise" from La Perichole - Offenbach
I Cain't Say No - from Oklahoma!
9. Lullaby: To Say Before Going to Sleep - Heggie
10. Birth Songs & Stories
"Pregnant" - "From the Start" - "Five Days" - Libby Larsen
"Greeting" - Leonard Bernstein
(Friendly warning: highly emotional content! Bring tissues.)
11. FINALE
Two show-stopper songs that we would NOT
want to spoil for you!
(Spoiler: The Finale may or may not include someone actually acting out 'going into labor'. (Don't worry-It's all safe we have Ob's on site...jk haha!) - Finale also may or may not include a hilarious list of all the things a Mother may actually say to her children while raising them, in a very short amount of time.)
BRING YOUR MOM! AND MOMS, BRING YOUR KIDS! (Dads, you can come too, ;-)
---
1. "There is No Rose of Such Virtue" - Benjamin Britten
(This group number is a beautiful setting of this famous poem about one of the most revered Mothers of all: Mary, and her perfect newborn.)
2. Lullaby: Cancion de cuna para dormir un Negrito - Montsalvatge
3. Tribute to Mothers
"Songs My Mother Taught Me" - Dvorak (timeless, beautiful melody)
"I Won't Mind" - (a tribute to non-traditional/non-biological "Mothers" who are every bit as important to us in every way that a Mother can be!)
"Your Mother and Mine" - from Disney's Peter Pan
"Mama son tanto felice" - A Neopolitan song about how happy our Mother's make us!
4. Lullaby: "Weigenlied" - Richard Strauss
5. Silly Songs for Children
"A route to the sky" -"Euclid" - "The Moon's the North Winds Cooky" - Jake Heggie
"Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu" - "Quelle Aventure" - Poulenc
6. Lullaby: "All the Pretty Little Horses" - Copland
7. "I Want it All" from Baby, the Musical
(group number about wanting to have a career, adventure, love, life, and a family!)
- brief intermission -
8. Songs You Should Never Sing While Pregnant
"I Enjoy Being a Girl" - from Flower Drum Song
"Je suis grise" from La Perichole - Offenbach
I Cain't Say No - from Oklahoma!
9. Lullaby: To Say Before Going to Sleep - Heggie
10. Birth Songs & Stories
"Pregnant" - "From the Start" - "Five Days" - Libby Larsen
"Greeting" - Leonard Bernstein
(Friendly warning: highly emotional content! Bring tissues.)
11. FINALE
Two show-stopper songs that we would NOT
want to spoil for you!
(Spoiler: The Finale may or may not include someone actually acting out 'going into labor'. (Don't worry-It's all safe we have Ob's on site...jk haha!) - Finale also may or may not include a hilarious list of all the things a Mother may actually say to her children while raising them, in a very short amount of time.)
BRING YOUR MOM! AND MOMS, BRING YOUR KIDS! (Dads, you can come too, ;-)
VENUES
Parking is free and plentiful at the LDS Church in Wilmette for the Saturday concert.
And on Sunday, parking is free - in the lot near Lutkin Hall,
just South of University Place, and East of Sherman.
Snapshots of venues below.
LDS Church in Wilmette:
Lutkin Hall on NU Campus:
I will be honest. This was a hard thing to pull off, and it wasn't without it's modifications! Singing the role of the Queen of the Night is difficult enough without the complications of pregnancy.
-But my dear little baby girl helped me... She gave me an extra KICK every once in a while to help with those high notes.
I'm pleased to share a clip from this review, ("Do Savannah"):
"The Queen of the Night role is perhaps best known for the second of her two trapeze-act arias in “Flute,” which showcase the brave soprano’s extremely high coloratura range. Sparrow rose to the occasion with ease, and wowed the audience with her precision and range on both arias."
-Good job, baby girl!
And after I sang "Caro Nome" -at one of the initial concerts at this same festival, Sherrill Milnes (!) said "Fine singing- mama!" and gave me a kiss on the cheek. -It's nice to feel validated, as a 'pregnant' performer. I was quite anxious, and self conscious in many ways, going into this Festival due to the fact that my current artistic situation was far from "normal". It's overwhelming sometimes (but mostly thrilling!) to meet so many artists and coaches, mentors all at once. (Over 120 artists make up this festival.)
It was SO neat to be able to participate in this wonderful cast's rendition of Mozart's Magic Flute under the tutelage of Sherrill Milnes, and our awesome stage director Joachim Shamberger. We performed it in German, with the spoken dialogue in English. What a fun time we had! Production photos will be added here soon. For now, here are a few fun snapshots from a dress rehearsal, and then a few fun photos with some of the other artists at our after party! :) I am so grateful to Sherrill and especially to his wife, Maria Zouves for presenting me with this wonderful opportunity a few weeks ago. The Savannah Voice Festival is one you should definitely take a week or two vacation to go and attend. What a great event in a fantastic town!
This poor version of Ado Annie is in a bit more of 'terrible fix', enjoy this video from The Savannah Voice Festival Broadway Concert last weekend.
Loving me some more Savannah, Georgia time this year!
Here are a few more photos from that concert this past weekend.
I have had such a wonderful time performing and collaborating with some of the best artists anyone can find. Not to mention learning from some of opera's best living legends, freak geniuses, and coaches.
On to The Magic Flute this weekend, and a very 'hormonal' Queen of the Night!
Here are a few more photos from that concert this past weekend.
I have had such a wonderful time performing and collaborating with some of the best artists anyone can find. Not to mention learning from some of opera's best living legends, freak geniuses, and coaches.
On to The Magic Flute this weekend, and a very 'hormonal' Queen of the Night!
Last night was so special. Couldn't think of a better way to say good bye to this very special community choir (The All Village Singers) that I have had the privilege to direct for the past two years. Since this upcoming Holiday season I will have my hands full with other things (we are expecting baby Sparrow to arrive around Thanksgiving)...I will be handing the group over to their next director. They will have a fine fall/holiday season and will be in good hands!
Our program was filled with songs about dreams and inspiration, the sun, moon, and stars (and rainbows) - and we had just the best weekend - full of really great performances.
My love to my wonderful All Village Singers! Thank you so much for the baby gifts and the mugs that say, respectively: "Mr. Right" & "Mrs. ALWAYS right" -- Haha! -and the gorgeous long stem roses! But more importantly, thank you for your warmth and your love of music and sharing your talents and personalities, and touching the lives of our community!
I sang "Over the Rainbow" as part of our program, as a way to say thank you and good bye to my beautiful friends in this wonderful community chorus. Enjoy!
More Pictures!
1. Recorded wonderful baroque arias with the insanely talented Jory Vinikour!
The lovely space we recorded in, Jory Vinikour at harpsichord
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These two Handel arias were a joy to record with the amazing Grammy award-winning talent that is Jory Vinikour. He is such a wonderful joy to work with! Thank you Jory!
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2. Will be singing the Queen of the Night, this summer with The Savannah Voice Festival, and studying with Sherrill Milnes!
I am THRILLED to head back to Savannah this summer - and even more thrilled to get to work with the legend operatic superstar - Baritone- Sherrill Milnes!
Sherrill and his wife, Maria Zouves run a marvelous program and festival opera in Savannah every year, and every year they choose singers from all over the country to play roles in their festival operas.
Sherrill and his wife, Maria Zouves run a marvelous program and festival opera in Savannah every year, and every year they choose singers from all over the country to play roles in their festival operas.
Sherrill Milnes, and my dear mentor & Opera Director from Northwestern University Michael Ehrman - At Opera Idol Finals -April 2016
Through the Opera Idol competition - I was honored to have been offered the role of Queen of the Night, and to attend their wonderful program on scholarship this August, taking voice lessons with Sherrill and working with the renowned stage director Joachim Shamberger!
3. Bella Voce & Bravo Awards at Bel Canto Competition 2016
This was such a lovely competition to be a part of- The audience was so fun! Both evenings were a blast. Thank You Bel Canto Foundation! You can't really tell very well in the video--- but, I was just a bit flirty (spoon feeding...among other things) to get my supper and award. Typical flighty-Italian Shepherdess. (Rossini Art Song: La Pastorella delle Alpi). The night I received the Bella Voce Award, my teacher was in the audience, so we got to snap a photo together! I love you Pam!
With my MARVELOUS teacher, Pamela Hinchman
4. Had a fantastic photo shoot with Liz Hansen, photographer extraordinaire!
We woke at dawn to get just the right light - for these beautiful shots of Lake Michigan. It was cold! But so worth it. Here are a few of our favorites... Thank you Liz Hansen! I will post entire album soon for the Gallery page, and we will be using some of these shots for future promotional materials.
5. DRUM ROLL PLEASE!
SO-------- AGHHHHHH!!!!
WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!!
In case you haven't put the two together...
singing Queen of the Night - at 26 weeks pregnant....
is now a new item for my bucket list! Bring it! :-)
"Becoming a mother changed me. I have more love, passion, and fulfillment in life; which in turn, enriches my artistry. Please join me in normalizing motherhood within the performing artist's culture."
- Rachel Sparrow
- Rachel Sparrow
Author
Rachel Sparrow is a professional singer, musician,(violin, piano, ukulele) actor, teacher, arranger, writer, and most importantly: a wife and a mommy of two littles. She loves to help parents make everyday life musical with their kids as well as share backstage stories, and performance experiences here. She earned her Master's degree in Voice Performance from Northwestern University, and also holds two Bachelor's degrees in Voice, and Music Education (certified to teach k-12 vocal & instrumental music) from Idaho State University. She is also a certified Music Together Director (music class for birth-5 yrs). See about Rachel.
"Think Outside Your Box" means 3 things:
1. Be Selfless - think beyond your own "box". (and for singers, there's more to life than your voice box!) You're capable of helping and healing others.
2. Feel Empowered to bust out of the proverbial
"box" made of societally-induced-parameters.
3. Be Bold. Innovate. Stretch yourself. You can do anything if you set your mind to it.
"THINK
OUTSIDE
YOUR
BOX"
#ThinkOutsideYourBox
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