Happy Winter Break

We return on Feb 12 to our regular sessions at Carnegie from 2-4pm.

Right now the composers are busy reading 60 submissions to the Voice to Voice project, listing their three picks of texts they would like to set to music. Each submission has a spark, an edge and a connection to the community. In our last class we spoke about how the composers might choose texts – and the world of factors that come into play, some practical, some ethereal.

What is clear is that each text is an accomplishment. Each submission will appear in our 7th book, Voice to Voice, to be published this spring, with others that are created in the New Year. The poems, songs, stories and slices of life that are set to song by the composers are not “better” than the ones that are not selected. The ability to only bring 12 arts ones to life means the composers have to make decisions based on voice, experience, intuition, challenge, etc.

In order to assure that everyone had a part in the text-to-song action the writers collaborated on a text where we each added one sentence to a page. That was edited down to one poem. Everyone who took part is credited as an author. We have asked the composers to make sure someone sets it.

In the meantime: for those who want to keep writing and talking about literature over the long winter break, Gilles Cyrenne will be writing on Thursdays (not Christmas Day) from 2-4pm on the third floor of Carnegie. Please bring your own paper and pen and perhaps a prompt to share! We’re happy to think of the writing continuing!