Experiencing Music: In the Classroom and in the City

As I conquer the fall semester of my senior year, I’m really lucky to have two music classes that count towards my minor and also for my own personal enrichment--Music Before 1600 and Music Theory I. Music Before 1600 is a really special class for me. My professor, Dr. Eric Bianchi, also taught my Intro to Music History course, and his dynamic and energetic teaching style definitely inspired my decision to become a music minor. In that class, I’m challenged to look at and discuss the significance of ancient pieces of music that I don’t get to hear quite often. I also get to enhance my musicianship skills by transcribing Gregorian chants into modern musical notation--all of which have contributed to my greater appreciation for Gregorian chant music and early polyphonic songs. As someone who already appreciates listening to and performing music, Music Theory has been a great way for me to learn the technical side of music and how to study the process of notating music correctly. My professor, Dr. DeCusatis, utilizes the piano and actively plays out intervals, triads, and scales, and gets us to sing along with him. By the time we’re done playing out these notes on the piano, these concepts are permanently engraved in our minds for our homework and for future musical reference.

An excerpt of a Gregorian chant that I had to transcribe for homework.

Instead of a textbook, Dr. DeCusatis has "Brain Organizers" to teach us Music Theory lessons instead.

But music not only comes in the form of academic study. As a student in NYC, these music theory concepts can definitely be applied to live performances or concerts that we can attend. Last week, I was able to attend Idina Menzel’s album release party at the Brooklyn Bowl where she previewed some songs off of her new album right before it dropped. It was an intimate venue and, I have to admit, I was singing and dancing along to her songs while trying to apply some music theory concepts to what I was hearing, as nerdy as that can be. Is she singing in a major or minor key? What meter is this song in? Can I identify any triads that I might be familiar with? It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience to be at an album release party, but what made it even better was knowing that I had gained some musical knowledge to dig even deeper to Idina Menzel’s new songs.

Idina Menzel singing at the Brooklyn Bowl!

Finals Study Breaks both On and Off Campus

Despite the stress with studying for finals kicking in during this time of year, both Fordham and the city itself have been so consistent in offering great ways to take some breaks during this intense time of studying. At Fordham, we have a couple of days after our designated last day of class, which was on December 10th, that are called reading days. Basically on reading days, we spend as much time preparing and studying for the coming of finals and although I spent a majority of my time studying for finals, which was incredibly long and stressful, I still had a great weekend to look forward to in the city and on campus! On Friday, I managed to score some tickets to a taping of Live with Kelly and Michael and went with a couple of my good friends. Although we went primarily to see Idina Menzel, who was promoting her Christmas album on the show, we were surprised when they let us stay for a second show that was being pre-taped for the holidays with Nick Jonas and Sting! We even got some rehearsal footage of Sting’s performance before the actual taping, and I had some serious goosebumps from when he sang a song from his newest Broadway show “The Last Ship.” It also didn’t hurt that Idina Menzel gave us a little wave when we cheered for her during a commercial break. :) 

Some pics I took of Kelly and Michael interviewing Idina Menzel and Nick Jonas as well as a pic of Idina Menzel getting touched up before singing a song off of her new Holiday Wishes album. We had pretty great seats!

I also found it so interesting to see the behind the scenes action that goes on during these live tapings. Seeing Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan go around the studio and interact with the audience during commercial breaks was something I never realized they could do. They were incredibly gracious, took some pics with fans, and were so funny and down to earth with their interactions with us. 

Kelly Ripa at a commercial break. She was equally as charismatic off camera as she was on!

It wasn’t too much fun waiting in the cold, but with good company and a fun experience at a TV show taping, it was definitely all worth it in the end.

With two of my good friends who are also huge Idina Menzel fans. Waiting in the cold was so much better with good company!

Sunday was the beautiful celebration of Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, and I had the honor of being able to participate in two choirs at the 11:00am and 7:00pm masses. Seeing the church filled that day made mass seem so special, everything from the way the candles were set up in the church to seeing everyone light their candles in a solemn procession was so breath-taking and made me appreciate just how despite this stressful time, we can all join together to celebrate the coming of Christmas. After mass, we celebrated the lighting of the Christmas tree, which made me so ready for Christmas to come around. It’s the little things that Fordham does to bring a community together and to lift each other’s spirits up during a stressful time in every college student’s life that make me so grateful to go here. I wish everyone else the best of luck on their finals, a Merry Christmas and safe travels back home as well!

Fordham doing Christmas right. Picture is the University Church and the Christmas tree that was lit during Gaudete Sunday.

A Mini-Guide to Broadway Shows for a Fordham Student!

One of the things that I cherish most about being a student in New York City is being able to take advantage of all the theatre that happens on Broadway. With Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus being so accessible to midtown and the theatre district, whether you’re a Rose Hill student like me who only needs to take a Ram Van, or living at Lincoln Center itself, it’s almost as if Broadway is in your backyard. Seeing a Broadway musical is a must on a Fordham student’s bucket list because Broadway is so iconic to the New York City image, and it plays an important role in promoting culture by the variety of stories that are being told on stage. I was fortunate enough to have been able to stay in the city over the summer because of work, and in my spare time, I discovered the different ways one can make the most out of the theatre-going experience, from acquiring the best deals on tickets to even meeting the stars after the show! Tourists from all over the world flock to NYC to experience the dazzling spectacle that is live theatre and fortunately for students in the city, it can be a form of entertainment that can fit in anyone’s budget!

1. CAB Raffles and Dorm programs: Fordham’s Campus Activities Board does an excellent job of providing fantastic events for students to win tickets to Broadway shows. Every month, they host a raffle and if you’re lucky enough, you can snag a ticket for a high-demand show for as low as $25! I got to see one of the first previews of If/Then the musical starring Idina Menzel through the CAB raffle. Getting to know your dorm programs can also get you some nice deals for Broadway show tickets, and it’s always fun to go with hallmates to experience a show.
   

   
   

   

   The ticket that I won from the CAB raffle for If/Then!

2. Lottery: If you’re feeling lucky, many Broadway shows offer a lottery style where you go to the theatre two hours before a show to enter a drawing. The price of lottery tickets never go above $40 and many of them are often located in great places to see the stage. I was able to win some cool box seats for Kinky Boots for only $37!

   

   Lottery tickets for Kinky Boots. I felt so close to the stage!

3. Rush Tickets: Despite having to wait several hours in line and in a myriad of weather situations, rush tickets can oftentimes get you some great box seats or really close orchestra seats for as cheap as $27, like I did for Les Miserables.
   

   
   
4. Standing Room Only Tickets: For some of Broadway’s demanding shows, like Hedwig and the Angry Inch and the Book of Mormon, you can opt to stand in a special aisle throughout the show for a low price. I saw Chicago the musical this way, and the $27 I spent standing was definitely worth it.
   

   
   
5. Tix4Students: For $5 annual membership, this website provides access specifically for students to get tickets. Ticket prices vary from $25-$45 and gives you the opportunity to book tickets in advance like any normal ticketing service.

If you really enjoyed a Broadway show and don’t want your evening to end just after that curtain call, I highly recommend asking the nearest usher to point you in the direction of the stage door. Here, you’ll be able to interact with the stars themselves as they come out to sign autographs and even take pictures!

Incredibly grateful for the stagedoor for opportunities like these ones. Meeting these Broadway divas, Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, and Sutton Foster was an honor!

My autographed playbill and pics with the cast of Bullets over Broadway.

Every theatre-going experience should be a special one, and Fordham’s prime location makes it possible for any student, whether you’re new to Broadway or a theatre connoisseur, to have a good time with great company at a Broadway show.