The Melodic Voice

This series of interviews with preeminent composer, conductor, and teacher Alice Parker offers a fuller and more intimate view of her life and music than ever before. The conversations documented in these pages perfectly capture the essence of Alice's core philosophies on melody, arranging, singing, teaching music, conducting, and many other topics. During the course of the interviews, Alice discusses a wide range of topics: her childhood, her time as a student at Smith College and Juilliard, the death of her husband, her work with Robert Shaw, living in New York City, experiences with teaching, her compositional process, the importance of folk song, advice for students and teachers, and many others. In the accompanying video component, Alice speaks candidly and directly about many of her most popular and well-loved arrangements, including Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal; Saints Bound for Heaven; What Shall We Do With a Drunken Sailor? and John Saw Duh Numbuh, among others. Too few have had the privilege of attending one of Alice's workshops or engaging with her in long conversations and round-the-table singing; the conversational nature of this book gives everyone the chance to engage with her in a deeper way. Musicians and nonmusicians alike are sure to be inspired by Alice's words.