On the last day of March Women’s History Month came to a close but today we have one final curtain call – with two amazing women from the world of opera: Brooke Bryant and Minou Arjomand.

Yes, March is officially over.   But, like I said in the title, it’s over when *I* say it’s over … and I say it’s over when the Phat Ladies sing.  (Yeah, yeah.  I know.  No one really uses “Phat” any more.  But in this case it was really funny).

I’m fortunate that, in my business (the business of show) I don’t just interact, experience and enjoy a variety of talented people from a range of genres, but my virtual cup runneth over within each of those categories.  Take opera for instance.  I’ve mentioned often enough that I’ve been a dedicated devotee since my early childhood but I’m thrilled that now, in my role as editor and founder of The Happiest Medium I have been able to truly know so many talent people.

Earlier in this series I showcased Brett Umlauf who is one third of the amazing trio Charites.  Today, soprano Brooke Bryant tells us more about this all female group; specifically what their challenges are and who inspires them.

Earlier Brett also mentioned a recent production of Morningside Opera’s Handel pastiche ATRA: Ossia, L’amore Ricordato which was cast “as a lesbian love triangle, the powerful castrato role being sung by a woman and *played* as a woman, i.e., not dressed in pants and a painted on moustache. The director, Minou Arjomand, will be telling you more about that process hopefully very soon.” Well, we’re grateful that “very soon” is now … Minou will be speaking with us from a director’s perspective about how she is reinventing the stereotypical “bland” women’s roles.

And now, for our grand finale – take it away, ladies!

Charites (photo by Michael Blase)

Brooke Bryant (soprano) performs with Charites, a female trio specializing in early music.  Brooke recently received a PhD in Historical Musicology from the CUNY Graduate Center and works in fund raising for iMentor, a nonprofit in NYC.  Also a singer-songwriter, Brooke has performed with several bands at NYC hotspots like Sin-é, The Delancey, The Knitting Factory and Fontanas.

Talk to me about being a woman who does what you do- just overall.

I have always enjoyed surrounding myself by strong women.  I count myself lucky to have several female mentors who serve as professional, artistic and personal role models.  A proud graduate of a women’s college (Wellesley), I love engaging in creative projects with intelligent, powerful women. While gender isn’t a factor in how and why I build strong personal or professional relationships, I tend to gravitate towards making music with women.  I can’t say why.  Maybe it is because collaborating with people who are built to produce sound in the same way that I make sound opens up exciting new possibilities for using my voice as an expressive tool.  Charites has provided an amazing opportunity for me to learn from two incredibly talented and inspiring women.  Working intensely with Brett and Amber for over four years has challenged me to become a more daring musician and a more creative thinker.

What artists inspire you?  Are you particularly inspired by female artists?

I’m inspired by women who carve out their own space for music-making, past and present.  Hildegard von Bingen and Barbara Strozzi—female composers who specialized in writing for the female voice—are particular favorites.   I also love listening to female bands from the 1990s, like Hole and Bikini Kill.  I’m drawn to strong female characters in literature—whether conceived by male or female authors.  Right now, I’m reading Bill Willingham’s Fables series (Snow White and Cinderella are amazing) and Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter.

How do these artists inspire Charites programming?

Charites concerts don’t just involve music; they also incorporate spoken poetry, gesture and choreography.  We try to make our concerts theatrical experiences that bring music to life through a variety of media.  To this end, we do not just take musical quality into account when selecting music.  Instead, when designing concert programs, we think about how all of the pieces we are considering would fit together into a comprehensive whole.  Character development, plot and emotional/thematic arc are just as important as musical beauty.  We like to choose pieces that depict complex characters and offer layers of meaning. Charites frequently performs concerts that address gender roles and identities, either directly or indirectly.  For example, one of our concert programs comprises music and poetry on the ephemeral nature of beauty written by women.  We find this particularly interesting, because physical beauty has traditionally been the standard by which female worth has been judged. By staging this music with gesture, we call attention to the evanescence of our own bodies and voices.

Are there barriers you fought against in the past that are now becoming easier?

The biggest barrier that Charites faces is time.  Our lives have changed a lot since we formed a group.  When Charites first started, two of us were in graduate school and had very flexible schedules.  After I finished my PhD, I began pursuing a full-time nonprofit career, which has limited the time I have available for music making.   Amber is finishing her dissertation and raising a beautiful daughter.  Brett is balancing more musical, film and artistic projects than I can count!  We have to work hard to carve out time to rehearse.  While it can be tough, having limited time actually encourages us to be incredibly conscious of how we are using our time together.  Ultimately, we have had to become more deliberate and focused, which has helped us grow.

Final thoughts?

Charites will be performing a free concert on April 13^th as part of Artek’s Midtown Concerts series.  The concert will take place at 1:15pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church (E. 88^th Street and Lexington). We will be performing music by 17^th-century female composers, including Barbara Strozzi. We’re also putting the finishing touches on our first-ever recording, so stay tuned! About Charites: Charites (Brooke Bryant, Brett Umlauf and Amber Youell) is a female trio committed to bringing the art of early composers to life through bold, expressive performances.  Charites draws on both historical and modern practices to create theatrical spectacles, combining virtuosic singing, movement and poetry to involve, delight and move listeners. Charites’ imaginative approach appeals to seasoned audiences, as well as those who are experiencing early music for the first time. The women of Charites have recorded and performed with esteemed musical ensembles in New York and around the world. They also enjoy collaborating with groundbreaking dance-theater group, Company XIV.

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And now, our second encore, Minou Arjomand.   Minou Arjomand was raised in New York and earned her Master’s degree in Theatre from Columbia University, where she is currently working on a doctoral dissertation about theatrical trials in the 20th century and teaching undergraduate courses. She has worked as a dramaturge and director in New York and Berlin, and was a founding member of Morningside Opera. Recent production credits include direction of “The Map of Lost Things” by Darragh Martin at PS 122, direction and set design of a baroque pasticcio opera “Atra” at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, and dramaturgy for the Frankfurt Opera’s “Innenleben: Musiktheateraustellung” at the Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.

Talk to me about being a woman who does what you do- just overall.
I spend my time shuttling back and forth between two slightly different worlds: academia and opera. Within academia, I have always felt respect from my collegues as well as my students, and have also always had inspiring female mentors. Opera– at least the production side, and at the big houses– feels far more male-dominated than academia. In the US, I never felt any sort of outward sexism (working in Germany was a different matter, more below). But I am also slowly getting sick of the bland and stereotypical representations of women on stage. Often the productions that are hailed as edgy and avant-garde capitalize on the most clichéed images of women that can’t seem to get beyond burkas and head scarves on the one hand and graphic sexual violence on the other. It’s not simply offensive, it’s artistically shallow. Perhaps hiring more women to direct at major houses would help!

The time when it did make a difference to be a  woman came directly after my graduation from college, when I ran off to Berlin to join the opera. A sizable number of Germans who are eager to identify themselves as leftist have this preoccupation about “political correctness” as far as an American is concern. The logic seems to be: the Americans are obsessed about being politically correct while they are actually socially reactionary hypocrites. Therefore, not being politically correct is a sign of sincerity and depth. The practical result of this stance was total impunity for any racist or sexist jokes during rehearsals in at least one of Berlin’s three major houses. More than that, when I complained that the 70-year old chorus director was continually groping not just me, but the other female intern, I was laughed at: “You’re so American. Don’t worry about that, he does it to everyone, he always has.” It made me realize that as important as it is to be critical of our own domestic policies, there is a lot about working in New York for which I feel grateful.

Being part of the artist collective Morningside Opera, I have had the chance to collaborate closely with stunning singers like Brett Umlauf, Brittany Palmer, Amber Youell, choreographer Patricia Weiss, and fellow director (and Columbia collegue) Anne Holt. (We have a few good men in there as well).  For more information about our group, come to:  morningsideopera.com

Related Posts:

• Women’s History Month: Celebrating Women In The Arts – Spotlight On Brett Umlauf
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Judgement Of Paris: Morningside Opera Is At It Again And I Can’t Wait
• Morningside Opera Will Present World Premiere Of Atra, Ossia, L’Amore Ricordato
• Drink And Be Merry – Diva Search Hit The High Notes

These women of the arts hail from different disciplines, but they all have an indomitable spirit and a luminescent spark that makes them amazing human beings who are out there every day, doing amazing work.

Today we continue our series with Brett Umlauf.

The first time I saw Brett she was decked out in a huge red velvet ball gown, had a powdery white wig upon which a black top hat was perched and she was singing along with two other identically dressed women.  Together they were Charites, and they were singing everything from opera to standards to Lady Gaga for Austin McCormick’s take on fairy tales – Le Cirque Féerique.  I found them utterly captivating, versatile and charming so when it came time to have my one year anniversary party I definitely knew I wanted them to perform, and I was thrilled when they accepted.  Soon enough Brett and I kept in touch through various other things she was involved with, most notably the Diva Search produced by Morningside Opera.

As a lifelong devoted fan of Opera with season tickets to the Met, I’m thrilled that I now have a strong connection to the next generation of Opera via the lovely and talented Brett Umlauf.  The more I get to know her, the more I’m continually drawn to her thoughtfulness, her dedication to her craft, and her supreme talent  - the voice that floats so effortlessly from her tiny frame and fills a room with the most glorious, lilting, soaring notes that leave you astonished.  Ahh, if only Brett could sing her answers for us …

Brett Umlauf

Talk to me about being a woman who does what you do- just overall.

What I enjoy most about what I do is learning from my colleagues, male and female. The euphoria that comes from a good musical chemistry, a gratifying artistic collaboration is what I crave in any project. In her poem “The Witch’s Life,” Anne Sexton wrote: “When I was a child / there was an old woman in our neighborhood whom we called The Witch…I think of her sometimes now / and wonder if I am becoming her…Only my books anoint me, / and a few friends, / those who reach into my veins…”
Substitute the word ‘projects’ for ‘books,’ and I feel as though I’m living her poem. As I witness the crone slowly eclipse the maiden in my form, my face, my voice, my figure, my affinities, I notice I wrap a trusted creative circle tighter and tighter around me, those who ‘reach into my veins.’ I have learned to let my gut tell me from whom I can learn the most, and I’m going with that feeling more and more.

Are there days it makes a difference – good or bad?

I’ve never felt that being a woman was the reason I had a good or a bad day doing what I do. Obstacles that everyone faces: time-constraints, self-doubt, budget concerns, limitations of skill-set; these are the things that can make a rehearsal or process or performance feel gnarly, but I’ve never traced these challenges back to being a woman.

Are there barriers you fought against in the past?

No. And here’s where I feel almost guilty. When I have second wave feminist friends attending a performance where I’m blithely glamming it up, Girlie Culture Style, I experience something akin to shame. (But not enough to take off the lipstick and heels!). However, I am keenly aware that it’s on account of *their* efforts that I can honestly say: what barriers?
I try to honor prior generations of women in everything I do, as I am full of gratitude for where and when I live and with whom and to what degree of freedom I am permitted to work and create. We cast Morningside Opera’s recent Handel pastiche ATRA: Ossia, L’amore Ricordato as a lesbian love triangle, the powerful castrato role being sung by a woman and *played* as a woman, i.e., not dressed in pants and a painted on moustache. The director, Minou Arjomand, will be telling you more about that process hopefully very soon.

The men that you come across do they treat you as an equal?

As they should, the men *and* the women I work with treat me in accordance with my skills, professionalism, contribution, talents, etc. But a fair number of projects with which I am involved are women-only. A woman composer friend recently commented to me how much she’s been enjoying the “courtesy, patience and encouragement” she’s found working in our female dynamic, when she’s used to an environment dominated by male energy. I appreciated her pointing that out, as it’s something I probably take for granted, working exclusively with women so often.

Are there some resources you’d like to share that you find particularly helpful as a woman?
I find a lot of wisdom and comfort in the voices of women poets, past and present. Edna St. Vincent Millay, Jane Kenyon, Anne Michaels, Anne Carson, Priscilla Becker… There’s endless free camaraderie out there thanks to these women’s gifts paired with the gift of public libraries.

What’s up next for you, Brett?

SIREN Baroque

A. Come enjoy Charites as we perform works by women poets and composers of the baroque on Wednesday, 13 April 2011 at 1:15p (ARTEK Midtown Concert Series) at Immanuel Lutheran Church; 88th St at Lexington Ave; New York NY
B. Stay tuned for more from SIREN Baroque, a brand new all female ensemble that debuted this month. Photo from our concert at Caffe Vivaldi on the left.
C. Stay tuned for Morningside Opera’s next season and hopefully a feature where director Minou Arjomand and female cast members will reflect on Karen’s questions…

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More about Brett Umlauf
Soprano Brett Umlauf is not only a huge fan of thehappiestmedium.com, but also a founding member of the female early music trio Charites, singer in the all female ensemble SIREN Baroque, co-creator of an educational entertainment about the Swedish rococo poet-composer CM Bellman and both board member and principal artist at Morningside Opera. She’s currently collaborating with composer Kate Soper, mezzo Amber Youell and dancer Laura Careless to re-imagine Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater alongside Soper’s new opera for three female voices. Visit brettumlauf.com for more info and concert dates!

Related Posts:

• Morningside Opera Will Present World Premiere Of Atra, Ossia, L’Amore Ricordato
• Not Your Father’s Circus: Le Cirque Feerique (The Fairy Circus)
• Stabat Mater Fabulosa, Morningside Opera Productions
• Women’s History Month GRAND FINALE: Celebrating Women In The Arts – It Ain’t Over Till The Phat Ladies Sing
• Drink And Be Merry – Diva Search Hit The High Notes

For those of you who attended the Happiest Medium’s 1st Anniversary Party (in 3-D) you may have seen these slide shows already. They feature the great performers we had there, and some of their upcoming projects. Here is the main slide show with the normal as well as 3-D-ified images that will jump out at you if you look at them with ChromaDepth 3-D glasses.

And let me thank all our performers and sponsors one last time -

Ahmond, Monica Bauer, Charites, John Fico, Jeff Grow, Paolo Javier, Kampfire PR, Kill the Band, MTWorks, Karen Tortora-Lee, and  Franca Vercelloni,

Now to look at the slides…

Because we loved Kill The Band so much we made a slide-show just for them. It can be enjoyed with or without glasses, but if you went to the party, pull your glasses out now!

Don’t forget to catch their monthly show – Alter Ego.

Related Posts:

• 2nd Season Mini Fridge – Tasty, Filling And Leaving Audience Wanting More! (Jun 28, 2012 – Jul 04, 2012 )
• It’s Time For Mini-Fridge Elevenses With Kill The Band – Mock Bottom Mockumental CD Release Experience!
• Mike Milazzo — Open Mike
• Following The Path Of Yoga
• It’s A Double Header Of Our Favorites – BALLS! And KILL THE BAND!