Halfway There: Health, Home, & Hope in Art Song

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Halfway There: Health, Home & Hope in Art Song is a concert program featuring two new song cycles by Mikeila McQueston, pre-candidate for the DMA in Composition, with performances by Loren Reash-Henz, baritone; John Morefield, piano; and guest artist Jenna Grissom, soprano.

Saltblue & Other Missing Memories explores how physical, temporal, and metaphorical distances shape our perceptions of home. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of personal connection to our overall sense of well-being.

Ditties for the Struggling Soprano is a self-care cabaret-style song cycle that highlights serious issues through seriously light-hearted music. American popular culture routinely glorifies busyness and “toughing it out” over self-care, and social media trends perpetuate this image, teaching users to casually embrace terms like “girl dinner,” “fo-mo,” and “binge watching.” Research has shown these trends lead to a decrease in physical and mental well-being, including symptoms like heightened anxiety, sleep problems, and body dysmorphia, among others. For vocal performance majors whose instruments are their bodies, this is of particular concern. Therefore, each ditty is a conversation starter to encourage students to engage in healthier habits and to seek out time for their physical and mental health during the rigors of their collegiate or conservatory education.

This performance is made possible by a grant from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance Wellness Program, the EXCEL Lab, and U-M’s Eisenberg Family Depression Center.