Rejected No More

One of the delightful things about being a musician is the surprises one gets. One literally never knows what performance request the next email will bring. I woke up Sunday morning with a blissfully empty spring vacation week stretching before me. I opened my inbox to find an email from Trueheart Productions. It was a request for me to play harp this week and next week in the orchestra for the musical play Rejected No More based on the biblical story of Ruth. The original harpist was unable to do all the dates and the rehearsal was scheduled for the very next day. Wow! I had always wanted to have an "orchestral" experience. I was familiar with the Trueheart Productions. Homeschool graduate Tiffany Barclay had written a play about Esther last year which we had attended. We were planning on attending again this year, but well, to make a long story short I will probably be attending all the performances as harpist!

Ruth and her Father

Tiffany Barclay is a talented young writer. The music is lovely and the songs fresh and original. I also enjoyed the different characterizations she pulled out. It certainly puts a fresh perspective on the story of Ruth.

Orpah, Ruth and Naomi



The reason I do not particularly wish to be a orchestra harpist for life is for the very thing that is happening to me for this play: three hours = one song. However I'm really enjoying the experience and everybody assures me it wouldn't be the same without the harp. Above is the singer I'm playing for and below is what I look like when I play! (Just to save our orchestra's reputation; this was dress rehearsal, but the musicians didn't have to dress formally)

Ruth and Boaz first meet

Becky W. is doing a wonderful job with Ruth. The actor playing Boaz is a professional, so he is really able to help carry the scenes.

Ruth is amazed by the kindness Boaz shows her.

Ruth the Moabitess has found a husband, and Boaz, whom none of the younger women want, has found a wife. Both are rejected no more.

The entire troupe recognizing the musicians!

Yours truly in the orchestra pit.

This has been my first experience taking my pedal harp out of the house! There are quite a few stairs, but thankfully, I can usually find some nice guy to help me. It is actually easier than I anticipated, though still a lot more work than my lever harp.

~

Visit the website for show times and ticket information! http://www.trueheartproductions.org/

~ Janna Rae

We Could Have Danced All Night

What has the Bisceglia family been up to lately? Well, mostly the normal, uninteresting but all-consuming life of music lessons and school work and daily happenings. However, of blog worthy note, we were able to attend an English Country Dancing Ball last Saturday. The theme was "Celtic" in honor of St. Patrick's Day, so we fit right in! Although we have done English Country Dancing in the past, we had never been to one of Set to Music's balls. It was fabulous and we definitely enjoyed ourselves!

The ballroom filled with about 130 dancers!

Dad and Mom enjoyed chatting with Mr. Butler

Krista and her partner wait for instructions.

Sarah and Janna "revolving across the floor".

A group photo of all the homeschool graduates! What fun to visit and dance with other "alumni"!

Oh, and about the title of this post...we did arrive home after midnight! Ah, the life!

Digitally Download Now!

News flash for our technologically savvy friends and fans:

You can now download MP3s from our album, Journey Through The Highlands.

You can download individual songs or the entire album at Amazon.com and iTunes.

Our most loving and dedicated fans always ask "What's best for you?"

Well, we make the most profit when you order directly from us. However, if you want to use your credit card or download MP3s, the next best place is CD Baby.com Feel free to refer your friends or use your giftcards and buy from Amazon or iTunes, but just for the record's sake, CD Baby is the best. Not only can you find thousands of independent CD releases, CD Baby does not take advantage of we musicians! Click on the link below to visit our CD Baby page.

We are also thrilled to have our CD for sale on Behemoth.com, a brand-new download website providing quality, screened media for Christian homeschooling families. If you fall under that category, check it out!

So visit these sites, enjoy the samples and download our music for your computer and iPod. If you have a minute, take some time to write a review for our CD and submit it to any of the above sites.

Yes, we like to put our fans to work!

Christmas CD: Recording Sessions 7-11

Yep. Believe it or not, we're still singing Christmas music! Someone asked us, "So, to keep in the mood do you imagine it's Christmas and pretend Santa's still coming?" The practical answer is no, (we never pretended Santa was coming to start with...), but in essence, yes. We have to keep excited about the music! When we were a growing tired of the old arrangement for "the Holly and the Ivy" a few weeks ago we majorly revised the arrangement and found we were all suddenly eager to rehearse it....even with daffodils coming up outside the window. :) We do whatever it takes.

They always say to do whatever makes you feel relaxed and comfortable when recording. For us, that often means recording barefoot or in "stocking feet"!

Krista and I singing "the Holly and the Ivy."

On Friday we recorded Irish jigs. The set includes "Haste to the Wedding", "Sixpenny Money", and "Girl from the Big House."

Krista recorded her autoharp for the first time this week! Michael had fun experimenting with mic-ing techniques and achieved a quite excellent sound.

And maybe the best part of this past week was the popular new furniture addition to the studio; a comfy love seat! When I saw Janna and Krista mirror imaging each other on it I just had to take a photo.

~the Fourth Rose