Houston opera singer Federico De Michelis says that the genre of “song” is so broad and accessible that it’s one of the great entry points to the performing arts—and it sparked an idea for a new arts organization.
“I want to build not only a project where [composers and writers] are supported and can develop their talent, but also a community around songwriting, storytelling, performing, and experiencing the power of music, theater, and literature,” said De Michelis.
With these goals in mind, the Argentina-born bass-baritone founded The New Song Project, which will present its inaugural concert on Sunday, August 20, 7pm at The Match.
At the heart of De Michelis’ love of song is his belief in the power of storytelling, along with a desire to advance the “song” genre by commissioning works that reflect contemporary society.
“TNSP looks to support composers, writers and performers by creating a space in which new forms of song, literature and performance connect with the common goal of expressing the emotions and artistic expressions of our neo contemporary society,” states The New Song Project website.
For the project’s inaugural concert, De Michelis commissioned two song cycles, which explore themes of electronic communication, artificial intelligence, and anxiety. The program also includes a performance bilingual singer/songwriter Amanda Pascali, who created the “Immigrant American Folk Project.”
“These songs invite us to come in a person’s intimate space, and identify ourselves in their story,” said mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, who will perform songs by Argentinian composer Lucho Guedes on the concert.
“I am excited to be part of this project because it pushes boundaries, and offers a variety of sounds and points of view into the world of new music,” she said.
***
Houston Arts Journal reached out to Federico De Michelis for the following interview about The New Song Project, his experiences in the Houston arts community, and more:
Houston Arts Journal: When, and why, did you start The New Song Project?
Federico De Michelis: I started working on the idea of The New Song Project a year ago. It took some time to give it shape, find the right partners to fund the pilot season of the project, and then of course find the right artists I wanted to work with.
I started it because I believe in the power of storytelling, and I felt there’s a lot to explore and develop. Performers need stories to tell, and TNSP aims to support those that write these stories both literally and musically.
HAJ: Based on your bio, you’ve been active in the Houston arts community for many years. Could you share a little bit about your relationship to Houston and experience in the local arts? Why did you choose to stay in Houston?
FDM: I moved to Houston in 2015 to join the Opera Studio of the Houston Grand Opera. I stayed in the Studio for two seasons, and then I began my career as a freelance singer. But I never left! I’ve been living here ever since.
Houston is a great city that still has tremendous growth potential in the arts. I love the diversity, the support we have from a very strong community of donors, the sports scene (as most Argentines, I can’t be too far away from a soccer pitch) and of course, the food! I met my wife here as well, and we are happy here. Now, having founded a new arts organization in town I feel an even bigger sense of belonging, and I want to help the development of the city’s cultural landscape.
HAJ: Were you trying to address a particular need in the community by creating The New Song Project?
FDM: A key part of this project is working on generating opportunities for writers and composers. There’s very little support, if any, for composers and even less for writers that are interested in writing for the performing arts. The genre of “song” is so broad and accessible for all that I consider it one of the great entryways to all the performing arts. I want to build not only a project where these creatives are supported and can develop their talent, but also a community around songwriting, storytelling, performing, and experiencing the power of music, theater, and literature.
HAJ: You wrote on social media that “The new song project (TNSP) looks to support composers, writers and performers to help them create new songs that speak to our contemporary society.” What do you mean by “new songs that speak to our contemporary society,” and why is that important to you?
Speaking to our contemporary society for me means speaking about our language, our expressions, our problematics, our joys, our fears … but it also implies the “How” we speak about these things. That’s why a very important part of the vision I had for this project is to work with writers.
One of the weakest points in the performing arts today is the development of writers. And we cannot have a good story without finding these writers, working with them, offering them support, classes, teaching them how to write for theater, for voices, showing them around the great masterpieces of theater, opera, chamber music, etc. We, as artists, must always remember the audience doesn’t come to see us onstage, they come to see themselves. As cliché as that affirmation is, I believe it to be true.
HAJ: Your website states that one of your goals is to “Create a safe space for composers, writers, and performers to explore and expand in their craft.” Do you think safe spaces for artistic experimentation can be hard to find? How do you create that supportive, safe space for artists?
FDM: I believe it’s a very tricky time. Freedom of speech is in check. And the arts are of course affected by this as well. What I want for TNSP is to create a space where artists can speak and create without fear or boundaries.
HAJ: You also note that another goal is to “Support composers and writers by paying them for new commissions.” May I ask how you’re funded?
FDM: We’re funded by our donors. I’ve been lucky enough to meet supporters in the opera industry that believe in my artistry on stage and now trust my vision as an administrator. These individuals not only have the enormous generosity to donate to these organizations, but most importantly they have the commitment to help artists grow in their crafts and understand the importance of the arts in our society.
HAJ: Tell me about your inaugural concert. What artists have come together to perform? Were new works commissioned for this program – and if so, what kinds of stories will be told?
FDM: We commissioned two song cycles for our inaugural concert and season. One composed by Argentine writer, composer, and researcher Lucho Guedes, and one by producer, singer, and composer Dominic Delzompo (aka Intrnet Boyfriend – yes, without the e).
Lucho is coming all the way from Buenos Aires and is one of my favorite songwriters of today. For TNSP he wrote three pieces for guitar and voice. The common theme in his writing for this cycle of songs is our new forms of communication, text messages, video calls, etc, and how we deal with them emotionally, how we relate to each other through them. He wrote the songs in Spanish, and his language is simple and colloquial as much as it is direct and profound. He will also perform some of his older songs with another great local artist, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte.
The second cycle is composed by Dominic. He wrote a cycle of five songs for voice and piano (I’ll be the singer for this one), in which the character is feeling anxious and lonely. While trying to find answers to his sadness, he starts a conversation, a sort of interview, a questionnaire, with an AI program. Dominic’s writing always draws me in not only because of the harmonic language he uses in his music (lots of references to French impressionism mixed with jazz in this cycle), but also because his characters always speak in a tender, human way that is so incredibly relatable.
We will also have a special performance by Amanda Pascali. Amanda is one of my favorite Houston artists. She created a genre she calls “Immigrant American Folk.” She always says this quote in her concerts, which I think is very relatable to many of us, particularly here in Houston: “too foreign for here, too foreign for home, and never enough for both.” Amanda will be one of our composers for next season, I can’t wait to see what we come up with.
I am very excited and really honored that these artists will be performing in our first season.
HAJ: Lastly, I’d like to ask about your personal love of music. Your bio states that you grew up listening to your father’s albums: “From Chick Corea to Piazzolla, from Willie Colon and Ruben Blades to Luis Alberto Spinetta and Jose Alfredo Jimenez, by the age of 13 he had a good idea of what music meant for him and the role it would play in his life.” What does music mean to you – and has it changed from childhood to adulthood?
FDM: Music is everything to me. It gave me everything I have and taught me everything I know. Like most of us, there isn’t one important moment in my life that isn’t musicalized in some way. It’s just a part of who I am.
What changed from childhood to now is the understanding that, for me, it was always the storytelling that kept me coming back. I realized that when I started in opera and began frequenting theaters and reading more about it—and understanding music from a theatrical, dramatical point of view. Even in music that doesn’t have words, the storytelling in the music and the way we are carried away and absorbed and touched by these harmonies is what I think is magical about it. Music makes a huge difference in everyone’s lives and that’s what I’m embarking on this journey.
Houston Arts Journal 