Most played of 2014, well, kinda

Hiya. Wow...

With the turmoil of the past two-and-a-half years, along with all the career path changes, life has been one heck of a roller coaster.

My iTunes does give me the top 25 songs of the year 2014 - now (September 14, 2015), but this does not include when I got Spotify back in September of last year. It also does not account for the plethora of songs+remixes I use now for my indoor cycling classes. I will post my "favourite of 2014" themed ride, if that will help give any indication. Also, Kelly Clarkson's "Piece by Piece" came out before I joined scrobble, so everything is just a random hodge-podge. This is my penultimate post here on blogger before I give a link to a new one that is going to be more career oriented/what's coming up in Blake's life.

Most played songs from January 1, 2014 - September 14, 2015 on iTunes:

1 - Let it Go - Idina Menzel
2 - All the Lovers - Kylie Minogue
3 - Adi Shakti - Snatum Kaur
4 - Into the Blue - Kylie Minogue
5 - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - She & Him
6 - Heaven's Light/Hellfire - Tony Jay & Tom Hulce
7 - The Court of Miracles - Paul Kandel
8 - Loved Me Back to Life - Celine Dion
9 - Cheap Sunglasses - RAC
10 - This Moment - Katy Perry
11 - Out There - Tony Jay & Tom Hulce
12 - The Invitation - Ephie Aardema
13 - Stardust - MIKA
14 - Love You When I'm Drunk - MIKA
15 - Give Me What I Want and Give it To Me Now - Rufus Wainwright
16 - A Nebraska Town - Blake Allen
17 - The Bells of Notre Dame - David Ogden Stiers
18 - In the Big Blue World - Ensemble, Finding Nemo the Musical
19 - Unconditionally - Katy Perry
20 - Something's Haunting You - She & Him
21 - Best Day of My Life - American Authors
22 - Act II Waltz - Coda from Prokofiev's CINDERELLA - André Previn; London Symphony
23 - I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan
24 - I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters
25 - The Drawer - Kristy Cates

Honourable Mentions:
Azealia Banks
Betty Who, but that is in the Spotify World
Abby Road Sessions, Kylie Minogue
LP's entire album 'Forever for Now'


The Best of 2014 Spotify Playlist (in order of entry, class+upper body, cool down+exit) and should just represent song and not the specific remix.
1 - Can't Do Without You - Caribou
2 - Not Going Home - Great Good Fine OK
3 - Dangerous - Jennifer Hudson
4 - Black Widow (Vice Remix) - Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora
5 - Masterpiece - Jessie J
6 - Comeback - Ella Eyre
7 - Lips Are Movin - Meghan Trainor
8 - Baby Don't Lie - Gwen Stefani
9 - Habits (Stay High) - The Chainsmokers Extended Remix
10 - Levitator - LP
11 - Chandelier - Hector Fonseca Remix - Sia
12 - Booty - Bali Bandis Remix/Radio Edit - Jennifer Lopez, Iggy Azalea
13 - High Society - Betty Who
14 - Into the Blue (Dirty Pop Remix) - Kylie Minogue
15 - Stars Fell on Alabama - She & Him
16 - I Lied - Nicki Minaj

Most played of 2013

I am so bad at blogging. When do I have time to do it? I should hire someone to tell the world what I am up to and how things are going. If you want to keep up to date on my performances, go to www.BlakeAllenMusic.net.

This has been one exciting year full of premieres, Off-Broadway, union gigs, Rob's amazing shows, becoming addicted to indoor cycling, getting a dog...too much to list. Follow me on twitter @blakallen, @blakeallenmusic or on instagram @theblakeallen.

Like always, here is the list of my most played songs of 2013. With Ring Them Bells at Lincoln Center, Kander & Ebb made quite a mark this year. Seeing MIKA in concert also did as well. Surprisingly, Pocahontas made a huge impact on me. There is a hiccup, however. Half-way through the year, my play count on my computer was erased, which in turn erased it on my phone. I also lost my mini-iPod that the Durocher's gave me. I know it is somewhere in my room, but it is just too small. With that being said, I also didn't put down "Cue 1" from Penelope's Song because I used it as a practicing device. I also didn't put down the songs I wrote or co-wrote with Joe Twist because they aren't published, buyable songs. Also, as I am an owner of several LPs and a turntable, those songs which I listen to frequently are not on here either. For previous years, click on 2012, 2011, 2010.

And here it is:

1. Origin of Love--MIKA
2. Emily--MIKA
3. Money, Money--Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey
4. Love You When I'm Drunk--MIKA
5. All The Lovers--Kylie Minogue
6. Fire With Fire--Scissor Sisters
7. Touches You--MIKA
8. Grandmother Willow--Alan Menken
9. Listen With Your Heart I--Alan Menken
10. The Christmas Waltz--She & Him
11. Blame It On The Girls--MIKA
12. Listen With Your Heart II--Alan Menken
13. Die Young--Ke$ha
14. I Do Believe in Fairies--James Newton Howard
15. Unconditionally--Katy Perry
16. Aura--Lady Gaga
17. Savages (Part 2)--Alan Menken
18. Love and Love Alone--Angela Lansbury
19. Disneyland--Five for Fighting
20. Americano--Lady Gaga
21. Your Love is My Drug--Ke$ha
22. It Get's You--Ludwig von Drake
23. I Thought I Saw Your Face Today--She & Him
24. Kiss of the Spider Woman--Chita Rivera
25. Chase Me Charlie--Christine Ebersole

Honourable Mentions:
Close Your Eyes--Doris Day. I discovered her this year and she has changed my life.
Little Edie on Chair--Rachel Portman
Take It Back--She & Him. This was THE song of my summer...


Repeats are:
-Die Young, which was #6 last year.
-Origin of Love, which was #20 last year.
-Take it Back, was #23 last year but made honourable mention.
-All The Lovers has made lists in the past and now has a resurgence.
-Fire with Fire has made lists in the past and now has a resurgence.

Audio from a premiere

I was fortunate enough to premiere two works by Dosia McKay and Cheryl Krugel-Lee. The latter is below. It is such an amazing piece! I am so happy to live in a city where I can play modern rep all the time! I love it.

https://soundcloud.com/cherylkrugel/a-city-for-female-strangers

the ides of janvier

FOLK WANDERING at Joe’s Pub on January 9 was such an amazing experience. I was able to add cello to the string orchestrations, and my dear friend, and excellent performer, Susan Mandel was gracious enough to endure the show’s insanity. The cast and musicians pulled off such an amazing concert version of the show. It was a success, and the audience went crazy for the show. I am so excited to see where the show will take off next. Yale, maybe?

What is on the horizon for the next couple of months… Well, I am still working for Rob Fisher. His and Sheldon Harnick’s Lyrics and Lyricists concert of the influence of W.S. Gilbert was this weekend, and it was a successful and great evening. Then, there is the American Songbook Series at the Allen Room at Lincoln Center where he will be doing a tribute to John Kander. Then off to CAROUSEL at Carnegie Hall. Glad to work for him so I can help him with these projects.

I am giving a recital of Judith Shatin’s works and a couple Ruth Schonthal pieces sometime in the next couple of months. I am hoping to give a recital in MD and also one in NYC. Of course, Chris Koelzer is my pianist.

Hopefully MISERY will still transfer to the Great White Way.

Giving a couple concerts here and there with a string quartet of modern repertoire, which seems to be the direction my performance career is headed (outside of orchestrating and theatre, of course). I grately enjoy it.

I have a manager named Isaac Dayley of Dayley Management. He is a great guy, and a friend, so I am excited to be working for him. He is creating a new “branding” and website for me. The current domain name is www.BlakeAllenMusic.net. Once it is officially launched, of course, I will announce it. Hopefully Michael Wiltbank will be able to take photographs for me.

Also, I am creating a new reduced version of Ravel’s opera L'enfant et les sortilèges, but of course, I cannot really talk about it until I get the rights to do what I want to do. Let me just say it will involve Ben Durocher, Christopher Koelzer for sure and a couple of other people/musicians here and there. My goal is to aim for a NYMF or Fringe festival somewhere, but it might just be a concert series at a venue out of pocket. It would be really cool to have it play at an opera house and start getting a following. More on that soon but not too soon.  I am excited about it though!

Most played of 2012

Happy New Year!

I know I do not write in my blog all that often, I am much more of a twitter guy, but I love to do the most played of the year! For the past couple of years, I have accumulated all the play counts on my iPod and computer and it was a piece of cake. This year, it was a task because I have two iPods (I lost one for a couple months, then found it when I moved into my new room), a new computer and an iPhone. So I had to scour around to make sure songs that weren't in the "top 25" on either iPod but added together would equal more... okay, I will stop and just give you the list.

The highlights of my year have been becoming Rob Fisher's music assistant, recording for MISERY and, of course, FOLK WANDERING, which is still developing strong! Here is to a year that can only get better.

The list is below, and as you will see, there are some shocks and surprises. There were only two songs that made the list for a second time, "Good Luck" which was #3 last year and "Poor Little Person" which was #23 last year. "Love On Top" was honorable mention last year, and made the list this year. If you care to see the previous years' click here: 2011, 2010

1. La Vie, L’amour, Edith Piaf

2.Hot Ohio, Gavin Creel

3.Stupid Hoe, Nicki Minaj

4. Small Words, Gavin Creel

5. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Lyric 145

6. Die Young, Ke$ha

7. Good Luck, Sondre Lerche

8. Anything At All, Gavin Creel

9. Just Give Me A Reason, P!nk

10. Two Way Monologue, Sondre Lerche

11. Lonesome, Gavin Creel

12. We Are Young, Fun.

13. Love Fell Down, Gavin Creel

14. Green to Grey, Gavin Creel

15. What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger), Kelly Clarkson

16. Short People, Randy Newman

17. Ridin' in My Car, She & Him

18. Tears Dry On Their Own, Amy Whinehouse

19. Poor Little Person, Alice Pleyton

20. Origin of Love, MIKA

21. Love On Top, Beyoncé

22. Words & Music, Sondre Lerche

23. Take it Back, She & Him

24. Domino, Jessie J

25. You Are Love, The New York Pops

Honorable Mentions

The One That Got Away (Acoustic), Katy Perry's acoustic song really touches me

How Long Has This Been Going On?, Ashley Brown will always make this list

Trespassing, Adam Lambert's new CD is FAR better than his first. 

films galore

Some of the best classes I have taken in my lifetime consist of Dr. Claudine Bigelow’s String Literature Class, Professor Julie Bevan’s Chamber Music Literature class and now Dr. Ronald H. Sadoff’s Film Music: Historical & Aesthetical Perspectives. For whatever reason, this class fascinates me to an obsessive rate. We have been given two texts to read, and I have already read Film Music: A Neglected Art. Besides that, I am already on page 106 of Overtones and Undertones: Reading Film Music, both of which are over 300 pages long. I am able to dive and get lost into these books about film and their respective scores. I have always had an affinity for the topic, and am now grateful to be LIVING in this class.

In Overtones and Undertones, Royal S. Brown quotes from page 222 of Langer’s Philosophy, and this is the best description of music I have ever read in my entire life!!!!

music is not self expression, but formulation and representation of emotions, moods, mental tensions and resolutions—a “logical picture” of sentient, responsive life, a source of insight, not a plea for sympathy. Feelings revealed in music are essentially not “the passion, love, or longing of such-and-such an individual,” inviting us to put ourselves in that individual’s place, but are presented directly to our understanding, that we may grasp, realize, comprehend these feelings, without pretending to have them or imputing them to anyone else.

Nailed it.

In other discussions, I am adjunct faculty at NYU. It is an interesting thing—I never thought I would like teaching, and now that I have about 10 students, I am growing fond of the art. My students range from cannot-read-music to should-have-been-a-music-major. It is really fascinating to have to pull out old skills I have not even thought about since I learned them. Also, the fact I learned to read music via playing the piano, and learned how to play a string instrument via violin is interesting. I am glad I took all those pedagogy classes from Monte and LeAnne while at BYU. Who knew I would chose to use Castleman/Koob/The Art of Vibrato/The Violist’s Guide to Exquisite Intonation ever again. Thank you Dr. Bigelow, and thank you for the rich heritage. (I also drastically miss the Primrose International Viola Archive like no one’s business).

I am still working for Rob Fisher as his music assistant. I am legally not allowed to talk about projects and such, but this is a wonderful opportunity and a great blessing/break away from my busy, crazy life. It is nice to be using my skills as an organized person as well as combine said skills with my musical knowledge. I am so honoured to have this job, and to be able to work with such a star as Rob, not to mention the projects themselves.

I have some other awesome things lined up like orchestration THE CARNIVOROUS, a new play, more performances of A MUSICAL FANTASIA ON PIRATICAL THEMES [working title], making my Off-Broadway debut with the amazing piece FANNIE LOU and more news of FOLK WANDERING rising in the works that I cannot talk about until they are announced. All this to be said, I am really enjoying life and it is slowly starting to pick up for me. I am thrilled. 

I was lucky enough to see the Public’s presentation of INTO THE WOODS as part of Shakespeare in the Park this summer. I just want to make a statement about how Ben Brantley doesn’t rule the universe. I do value his opinion, and most of the time he is right, but I do not understand how this production received less than favourable handouts. I thought Amy Adams did a remarkable job with the Baker’s Wife, and surprisingly enough, was way more in tune than Donna Murphy. Not to say Donna was not outstanding, because she did act the living daylights of the role, not to mention the new version of “Last Midnight” is beyond amazing—I wanted to press pause on my real life TiVo and rewind to watch her sing it again to new orchestrations. I really hope it does not transfer because the magic will be lost from being outside, in a park, with woods everywhere. If they can reconstruct the same feeling as they did outdoors indoors, then we have a different story on our hands. I just do not want something to transfer that is a success in a different venue to lose the sparkle it had in said venue, ie. LYSISTRATA JONES anyone?

More soon. I love my new bow.

I'm not just sitting on my fanny

A lot has happened since May. It seems almost a life-time ago, but in reality, it has only been a quarter of a year. 

FOLK WANDERING was a huge success. It was a very stressful few weeks leading up to the performance at Ars Nova. I had many sleepless nights in front of a computer orchestrating and notating. I would randomly zone out watching tv, riding the subway, seeing theatre because I would be thinking of what kind of "voices" the orchestra can add to each song. I was definitely a space-cadet.

My father, my sister Austyn, Lisa and Michael all came to see the show. My father made the remark, "It was just as good as RAGTIME." I don't really know what to think of this remark, seeing as we saw the 2009 revival together, but it is definitely a compliment that I really appreciate. Austyn was all tears because she has not heard me play since I was in High School when she came to EPSO's performance of Prokofiev 5. Hopefully I made my family proud.

It is definitely a very vulnerable feeling having your work demonstrated in front of others. GRANTED, I did not write the libretto, the book, the music or direct the show (and orchestrations are always heard sub-conciously and no one ever says "Did you hear those amazing orchestrations!" unless they are a musician), but I still put forth a creation. Luckily, and extremely gratefully, people appreciated what I brought to the table. 

FOLK WANDERING is a show I cherish deeply, and the people attached, and I have the utmost faith it will continue to have a life. We shall see what the future holds.

Elisa Lovelie & The Device went into The Cutting Room and laid down some tracks. I am really happy with how it is turning out. There should be a release party in the up and coming months, but we are still debating if we should make it an EP or a full-length CD. Never-the-less, it is still a great team to be a part of, and I know we have a shot at something!

It was crazy amazing seeing Ryan do a 540 on the Tony's!

I went to Ottawa, ON to visit Ben and his family while he was waiting for his Visa. I had a fantastic time, and always enjoy going to Stittsville--the roads are clean, the people are friendly, it is rich in culture, the air is noticeably fresh and clean etc. I also love Benjamin's family. Sometimes, they treat me better than my own. On a side note, by the way, Ben indeed received his Visa. However morbid it sounds, his application went up for re-consideration (after the initial RFE), the day Marvin Hamlisch died. Hamlisch's unexpected death really shocked the music world, and it made national and international news for days so much so, he became a household name to average Americans. This all ties back to Ben because during his CBC's TRIPLE SENSATION appearance, Marvin Hamlisch is recorded saying "I would buy stock in that kid," and he also said these same things in Ben's recommendation letter. So, thank you Marvin Hamlisch for not only putting a glorious mark on the world with your music, but also for dying at an opportune moment.

For about 1.5 months, I worked as as music assistant for Rob Fisher of NY City Center Encores! fame. It has been an amazing experience, and it is definitely crazy how I received the job. Maybe it will open doors down the road, but even if it doesn't, I am grateful for the experience. 

Currently, I am in rehearsals for a new show with the working title A Musical Fantasia on Piratical Themes. I am playing violin. More about this after the show in September.

I am also about to begin rehearsals for a new show by Felicia Hunter called FANNIE LOU. It is a historical-fiction musical about Fannie Lou Hamer, who was a civil rights activist in Mississippi. The book is interesting, and I am very excited to hear what the music has to offer. I do think this project is important because Felicia is doing Score, Book, Lyrics, Orchestrations--Blacks are looked down on in the creative process of musical theatre, and I do not think there has ever been a Broadway-bound musical created by a Black woman. Props to her! The show is in October.

Once school begins in a couple of weeks, I will be diving into FIORELLO! rehearsals. 

I am also doing a Joe's Pub concert next Sunday (August 16th). It is a new musical theatre composer benefit concert for St. Jude's hospital. I am a last minute replacement on violin, and am very excited and nervous. Broadway singers singing Broadway songs. Should be a fun time.

I am currently on an airplane towards the Rockies of Colorado where I am meeting with Chris Koelzer for our cross-country road trip. It should be a fun and awesome adventure as he goes to MD for grad school at the University of Maryland. I am sure there will be pictures somewhere.

Shows I have seen:

NEWSIES--since I saw it at Paper Mill, I was really excited to see Ryan in his element just performing and goofing off.

A STREET CAR NAMED DESIRE--why didn't I like this as much as everyone around me? I got bored.

SISTER ACT--Lysh made her bway debut in the show, but I saw when she went on as Deloris! What an amazing talent AND beauty she is.

I went and saw BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. Definitely the movie to beat at the Oscars. Sundance does it again!

Last, but certainly not least, I speckled the plethora of holes in my wall and painted three of the four walls Frosted Juniper. I am waiting until I get back from Colorado, to pain the fourth wall some version of a Cobalt. It is quite sad how excited I was/am in this project.

TTFN, ta ta for now.