More Recent Work

I spent the evening happily chatting on Skype with my best friend while working on this flier for an upcoming concert of the Newark Symphony Orchestra.  Graphic design work always takes a lot of time for me-- I don't have the training, so I often don't really know what I'm doing, and I don't own the right software either-- but it's usually a pleasurable way for me to pass the time as well once I get started.

As always, if you're in Newark on December 14th, treat yourself to some quality music performed by the NSO and friends!

Newark Symphony May Concert

I designed the flier for the May 10th and May 12th Newark Symphony concert which will be a performance of Verdi's Requiem.  I'm really bummed that I'm not playing in the orchestra for this concert as I'm sure it'll be powerful and amazing, but it's kinda hard to be in two places at the same time.  If you're in the Newark, Delaware area, by all means, buy tickets and support the Symphony.  The angel on the flier, by the way, is from a cemetery near Longwood Gardens that I always passed on my way to work at QVC.  I was captivated by the angel-- was she crying or in supplication to the Almighty?  When they asked me to design the flier, I knew immediately that I wanted to include her.

I also designed the flier for the March concert, which was a concert I did get to play in.

Best wishes to all of my Symphony friends.  I know you guys are going to kill it.  I really really wish I could be there to watch and enjoy the beautiful music.

Ludwig van Beethoven, hubba hubba

This is really fun for me.  Somehow word got out at the community orchestra I play with that I like to dabble in graphic design (okay, so I probably said some not-so-nice things about previous attempts at fliers which were thrown together in Word for heaven sakes!  After my complaining, they told me to put my money where my mouth is).  So far, I've designed the last three concert "posters" for our group (including the one for the chamber concert from the last post), and a few ads that have run in the local paper.  I'm a big believer in presentation-- I remember years ago hearing one friend tell another, "Listen, tell people you're amazing, and they'll believe it."  I think that's really true, and as far as our orchestra is concerned, I thought it needed more polishing done in the presentation department.  We are, after all, a community orchestra that goes after the professional orchestra crowd.  We needed to send the message that we're contenders.

That said, as a non-profit with major expenses, we need to rely on local talent, so to speak.  And so, I got my day in the limelight.  I'm having so much fun designing these-- sitting down in front of my computer for a few hours with the help of Photoshop Elements (and my newly downloaded vector graphics editing software, Inkscape).  I sometimes feel limited by my tools-- I learned Photoshop and Illustrator in college-- but overall, I'm happy to be able to flex my creative muscles a bit.  It's so much fun to play!

In other news, in case you didn't notice, we have another concert coming up.  Hurricane Sandy and other events (aka life) happening mean that I've missed more than a few rehearsals, but I think I'm going to try and play this concert.  I mean, it's not every day that gal gets a chance to perform Beethoven, right?  He's definitely a man to get my little classical-music-loving heart beating. 

Concert Tomorrow

The Newark Symphony Orchestra, whom I play with (violin), is having their first concert of the 2012-2013 season tomorrow.  Yay!  I've mentioned it before, but I am so blessed to be able to play with this group of fine musicians.  I will be eternally grateful that my mom signed me up for violin lessons when I asked her for them at the age of seven years old (although I really wanted cello lessons, but oh well-- I guess it wasn't meant to be).  Incredulously, I stuck with it, playing in my middle school, high school, and college orchestras.  After college, I played in New York with the New School Orchestra (where Aaron Copland once taught, I believe) and then, after a hiatus, I picked my violin back up and begin playing with the Newark Symphony in January 2011.  The music continues to stir my soul, and tomorrow's concert will be no different.  The Dvorak Cello Concerto is particularly breathtaking.  I wish you all could join us tomorrow.

On another note, I also dusted off my graphic design skills (do I have any?) to design the above flier for our concert.  I used Adobe Illustrator to create the cello (I haven't used that program in ten years, but was able to knock the vector image out in 25 minutes!).  I added the text in Photoshop Elements, which is a software program that I love.

Hope you're all having a beautiful weekend and doing things that stir your souls, too.

Newark Symphony Concert Next Weekend

Add it to your calendar!  The Newark Symphony is performing next weekend.  We've been working hard to get this music together.  The Debussy piece is gorgeous (La Mer is French for the Sea and the piece does just that-- it captures all of the undulations of the ocean), but my favorite piece is the Totentanz by Liszt.  I hope to see you there!

Newark Symphony Concert

Here's the flyer for the Newark Symphony Concert this weekend. If you're in the area, be sure to come out and see us! The music stunning-- especially the solo violin in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Be sure to bring your student id if you're a student so that you can get a discount on your ticket. See you there (I'll be playing in the second violin section)!