My first voice class created for elders, through a grant from MetLife in 2009. We perform, write our own songs, and learn from each other. The class meets at the Harriet Tubman House of the United South End Settlements in Boston.

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Platinum Singers Concert 5.24.12 026Dungaree Dolls II (1)The “Dungaree Dolls” (Rachel Silva, Judy Jackson and Ann-Marie Pina) perform their original song in May 2012

 

I grew up with the Platinum Singers, as a conductor and a teacher of elders. We founded this group when Obama was inaugurated.  It comes to a end this Wednesday, June 28, from 2:30-3:30 in the Lincoln Room of the Harriet Tubman House, 566 Columbus Ave at Mass Ave.  Free admission, audience sing-alongs, but with more than a touch of sadness.

The Harriet Tubman House has been a place where seniors who still live on their own could get a hot lunch, take excellent exercise classes, learn to live with diabetes, and get help on their home repairs.  And it was a place to sit and chat, on hot days or cool, with other folks.

Sadly, the United South End Settlements is discontinuing ALL senior programming in order to “save the institution”.  And they will put all their efforts into “families”.  So the elders who do not have grandchildren that fit into this category are left without their community center in the South End.  Damn shame. As “45” slashes all sorts of programming and funding for elders (like Meals on Wheels), we are in need of more community organizations to take up the mantle of serving this population.

Silver lining: about half of the Platinums also sing in our Jamaica Plain group, JP Jubilee, where the program is also virtually free and taught by the same wacky woman.  Most of the Platinums have accepted our enthusiastic invitation to come sing with us there.

On another note, my student John is moving to Maine to be nearer to one of his daughters.  He sang “The Silver Swan” at the last student recital, and it was a fitting end to our years of lessons together.  Even as he lost words, he still could sing the melodies and vocalize up to a high C.  He was working as a journalist at the White House during the Nixon era when the Saturday Night Massacre occurred, so we shared a lot about the current political situation while reflecting back on his time as a member of the “enemies list”.  Fare thee well, John!

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Singing classes which double as performing groups–what’s not to love?  Two groups start this week, plus private lessons in Central Square and Jamaica Plain.

The Platinum Singers at USES meet after an excellent exercise class on Wednesdays…see below for complete list of classes (and can you spot us in the little photo?)

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Red and Green

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Platinums USES gala 4:16

Our Platinum Singers are going uptown!  Or is it downtown?  Our journey is to Copley Square sing a free program at the Boston Public Library (newly renovated).  Read all about it below…fun music, as always, Beatles, folk tunes, sing alongs, and Ned Rorem…

Thursday July 14, 2-3pm, Commonwealth Salon, Boston Public Library

Never too late

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“Hmmm, which delicious aria shall I sing first?”

A new semester begins!  Study Handel at NEC’s School of Continuing Education on Wednesday evenings Handel for Singers and Instrumentalists begins January 20.

Platinum Singers begin the same day, at the Harriet Tubman House.  A singing class for anyone who qualifies for the AARP, and a fun group to boot.  Virtually free, and you can attend a dynamite exercise class just beforehand.  USES Senior services

If you want to join the JP Jubilee singing group, the wait is until February 19, 2016.  Contact me for further info about this group that meets on Friday mornings, and, like the Platinum Singers, is a class and a performing group.  We meet at Curtis Hall in Jamaica Plain.

BUT wait, there’s more!  Private lessons with me, of course, in JP and Cambridge, AND our monthly Circle Singing group meets Sunday January 10 at St. Mary’s Church in Central Square, Cambridge.  Please contact Peter McLoughlin if you’d like more info.  Runs 4:30-6:30pm, fun group improvisational singing à la Bobby McFerrin.

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Come hear the Platinum Singers sing a few beautiful tunes, including Wachet Auf (with guest violinist Matt Hoener and his brother Drew on keyboard) at the USES Holiday Fair.  Wednesday December 9, we sing at 2:30 and you can buy trinkets before that.  Harriet Tubman House, 566 Columbus at Mass Ave, Boston’s South End.  Always free.

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Lessons, Classes, High Holidays, time to sing!

describes the class and its goals, when it meets (Friday mornings at Curtis Hall, JP)

2. United South End Settlements’

Platinum Singers

Wednesdays, 2-3:30pm                                                 September 16, 2015 thru December 16, 2015

Location:  Harriet Tubman House,                                       566 Columbus Ave (at Mass Ave.), Boston’s South End

Elizabeth Anker, instructor/conductor

 Come learn to sing and share music with others seniors

In this class, we learn to use our speaking and singing voices in a healthy way, boost our air power, volume and expressivity.

 We sing together and harmonize, and have FUN!

 Pre-registration is required. Contact Heidy Viarruel at (617) 375-8114 or write: hviarruel@uses.org
A $15 donation for the entire semester is requested, however, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

3. Private voice lessons in Jamaica Plain and Cambridge’s Central Square begin Sept 15.

4. I am cantorial soloist at a very welcoming Havurah on Cape Cod–no tickets required, no fees (kind of like my classes).  In Orleans:  Am HaYam Cape Cod Havurah

 

 

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My student concerts are always free and always short. That’s how we keep the audiences coming. Oh, and audiences get to sing if they want, too.

The Platinum Singers are singing their OWN songs this week, plus our own parody of YMCA*, all in a 30 minute concert at 3:00 on Wednesday April 22 at the Harriet Tubman House, corner of Columbus and Mass Ave.  Upstairs in the Lincoln Room.
*the letters of U-S-E-S (United South End Settlements, our sponsor and host for the wonderful senior programs).

JP Jubilee does their end-of-semester concert on Saturday May 9 at 12:30pm at the Jamaica Plain branch Library.  Flyer below, by our members Lizi Brown and Estelle Disch:

A group of singers on stage, kicking their legs like Rockettes
Who says Seniors can’t kick …?

And on Wednesday, May 13 at 8:00pm, the Bach Arias Class at the New England Conservatory of Music is giving a class concert.  Just a few delicious morsels; 3 lovely singers, a violin, harpsichord and the teacher may even sing a bit with the group at the end…short, sweet and free.   Room 367 in the main building.

And, as always, I am accepting private students in Cambridge and Jamaica Plain, long or short-term…inquire within.

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This is your chance! Daytime classes start Wednesday in the South End and Friday in Jamaica Plain. Both accessible by bus, parking is pretty darn good, and the teacher is really fun. Ostensibly for folks 55+, we do not card at the door.

The Platinum Singers meet Wednesdays 2-3:30 starting September 17 at the Harriet Tubman House, corner of Mass and Columbus Avenues in the South End. Nearly free: $15/12 classes, and no one is turned away for lack of funds.  Contact hviarruel@uses.org to register.  www.uses.org
note: no class Sept 24.

JP Jubilee begins Friday Sept 19 at 10:30 am. Flyer below

picture of singers being conducted on floral background with information about singing class

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I was good in school, but bad at two things: penmanship and conduct. Got “Satisfactory” in both subjects–like a gentlewoman’s C.
I spent a lot of time in first grade in the hallway, mostly from talking. “Yes, I know the other children were talking, Liz, but we HEARD you.”

Well, I’m not sure I behave any better as an adult, but I am learning to conduct better. Conduct others, that is. Turns out, it’s a neat trick to be able to telegraph musical ideas in new ways. I’m used to singing, breathing, moving to give signals to colleagues when I’m performing. I’m accustomed to guiding the student(s) with my piano playing. Now, I am actually working with a pianist (a very good one–Megan Henderson is a singer, player and conductor herself) who will follow my gestures and take my tempi, all with a wave of a hand.

I had some great choral conductors in my life. Tom Fettke was my high school chorus teacher at Oakland High School. William F. Russell at Pomona College, Louis Magor in the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Roger Nelson in the Port Costa Players, and Craig Smith at Emmanuel Music in Boston. All these folks LET US SING, they let us BE MUSICAL. You have no idea how many conductors try to control a group of singers and get no music made at all. Others try but are ineffective at keeping a beat or showing what they want.

The leaders who inspire me clearly LOVE their players and the music. I once sat onstage to watch Bernard Haitink conduct the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Brahms 2nd Symphony (We called it the Tweedy symphony after that because of the Dutch spelling of 2nd: Tweede). He looked at his players with such warmth and respect, and wow, did he get a sound from them.

This past weekend I heard and saw Maria Schneider and her Orchestra perform in Boston. This woman attracts the very best jazz players, folks who ordinarily wouldn’t be playing with such a big group–they are all marvelous soloists on their own. And she not only writes such beautiful arrangements, but she clearly lets them do their musical thing. Not just on their solos,  but being musical partners to her tunes all through.

group of singers standing around a guitarist, having fun

So as I begin my new phase of conducting these voice classes of elder adults–away from the piano, just standing and waving and breathing–I am inspired by the marvelous models above. And others. So far, so good. We sang a dress rehearsal at a senior residence this morning, and I really enjoyed just being with the music and with my group. Listening, loving, not worrying about how I was doing, being in the moment.

What a gift.

JP Jubilee in concert tomorrow night, Jamaica Plain branch library, 7:00, free. Very short program.

Platinum singers begin their summer session May 7 at the Harriet Tubman House.

The chorus at the Simon Fireman Home in Randolph is making a couple of field trips in June (one to visit the Platinum Singers, their “cousins” through me, and the other to the “Mother Ship” of Hebrew Senior Life in Roslindale.)  We’re working on “Goin’ to Boston” and other tunes about Time and Place.