Sunday, September 23, 2012

#Bachtoberfest update



#Bachtoberfest
A month-long festival that unites the classical ("awesome music") community.

Let's play as many of the 1128 Bach BWVs we can!
Can we get 12, 50, 100?

The plan:

  1. Sign-up to play a BWV. Mention me @teamclassical with your choice. First come, first served. I'll keep a running list on bachtoberfest.org
  2. Record your BMV. Alternative locations, arrangements, instruments are encouraged. Dress-up, dress down, wear a swimsuit, wear a bear costume, wear clothes from your designer friends, play on the beach, I don't care, (but if do you want costuming advice, I am a professional...). Then upload your video to YouTube. 
  3. Share the results on Twitter with #bachtoberfest
  4. The best will be cut together and featured on bachtoberfest.org 
  5. Delightful venues (swimming pool? night club? barn? park? winery? brewery? bowling alley) are encouraged!
  6. Team up with friends—if you don't have any classical music friends then go to teamclassical.com and find a few hundred of us waiting for you. 
  7. Does your neighbor work at a hipster bike shop or indie clothing line? Consider getting them to offering their space to #bachtoberfest peeps for an afternoon session. 
  8. Participants who upload a video will get a limited edition "Bachotberfest" poster created by yours truly. Sell it on Ebay, or use to line your birdcage, or frame for prosperity. All uses OK. 
 Who's in? Send me a Tweet to claim your BWV. Here's an example:


Personal call to action

I know there's a little Bach in your rep, but don't worry about giving us perfection: this is a celebration! Video yourself having a little fun while living the Awesome Music lifestyle of unmatched intellectual rigor (all day every day) and ecstatic passion for experiencing life both inside and outside of the rehearsal room. Do it!

Let's bring the chamber back to chamber music. Set-dress your living room. Invite your talented-art-friends over to light and film you. Wear something that looks like you want to be seen and heard. Borrow a mic from your friend's sister's indie-band or from the AV closet at the conservatory. Post it and celebrate.

One last thing: improvise the cadenza.