Tag Archives: video

Lots of work for one performance.

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One grand cliché of being a composer is that it’s straighforward enough to get the first performance of a new work, but damn difficult to get the second. However, some of my favourite experiences have been writing songs that are very much intended never to be done again.

Andrew Grenon benefit posterLast night I MC’d a Wallace Arts Trust fundraiser concert for my flatmate, tenor Andrew Grenon. A lot of Andrew’s supporters know me as his piano partner in Politics The Opera, although it’s been a long time since we’ve made one of those videos. Life gets in the way, you see. read more

Give us all your money.

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Please.

Sam Smith and Robbie Ellis are Augmented FourthSam Smith and I make up a musical comedy duo called Augmented Fourth. We’ve known each other literally half our lives, and through school, university, post-university, and real life we’ve performed together in all manner of musico-theatrico-comedico-debating events.

This is the biggest project we’ve ever undertaken together: a one-hour show in the New Zealand International Comedy Festival called Augmented Fourth.

Now, I could ask you simply to book tickets for either Auckland or Wellington, but we’re getting more creative than simply ticket sales… we’ve arrived three years late to the crowdfunding party. read more

We’re on a radio show about the arts on Sunday

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It’s taking me all my will power to avoid writing Arts on Sunday when referring to Radio New Zealand National’s rebranded programme Standing Room Only.

Oh, Lynn Freeman’s still presenting, Simon Morris is still producing, Justin Gregory is still doing his out-and-about reports, but they’ve got a new name for 2014.

Yesterday (Friday) Andrew Grenon and I were interviewed in a pre-record for The Laugh Track, a segment where ostensibly funny people get to select their favourite comedy. They’re going to play bits of our videos under the banner Politics The Opera. Here are those videos: read more

Colin Craig Says Words – The Opera

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Source: gaynz.com

Source: gaynz.com

My flatmate Andrew Grenon and I made a new video for Politics The Opera. It’s accidentally timely in regard to a particular BSA decision.

Dear world: sooner or later we’re going to come to you for a Pledge Me drive, so we can produce Politics The Opera videos all through next year (election year), and with higher production values.

Until then, we’re the ones giving you the presents. Enjoy.

The munging of the tunes

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Lorde and Dave Dobbyn both have hit songs where the title rhymes with oil.. or oils. Kinda. Royals is currently No 1 on the US Billboard Chart. Loyal was going to be once again overexposed once Team New Zealand won the America’s Cup, but then they didn’t.

MASH-UPS FOR THE SAKE OF MASH-UPS!

This is me in my bedroom. It has nearly 4,000 views in a day-and-a-bit:

This is me in my lounge playing that Yamaha Electone B-60 I bought for $100 off Trade Me. It has pretty much 0 views because I only just uploaded it now: read more

Now this is a story all about how

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Yo quiero Liberty Bell.

Yo quiero Liberty Bell.

I’m in Philadelphia. I’m so near the end of my travels. There’s an organ concert on in two weeks’ time in Auckland, which contains my piece Relish in Immature Bombast. I made a video, because I’m staying just a few blocks away from the biggest (working) organ in the world.

This was made at the request of SOUNZ – The Centre for New Zealand Music. They do great things – music retail (scores, CDs, DVDs, books), reference library services, music promotion – for New Zealand art music. Normally they’d send someone with a camera to get me to answer questions, but last time I checked they didn’t have a branch office here… or anywhere outside Wellington. read more

The power to surpr**SPANISH INQUISITION Y’ALL**

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Radio New Zealand last week, and Television New Zealand this week. All I need to do is resurrect NZPA from the dead and I’d have the trifecta.

Megan Martin and Ross The Cameraman from TVNZ’s Dunedin bureau came along to the most recent Song Sale at The Church. She filed this report for Close Up in which we sing of blenders, root vegetables, the onset of Spring, spiteful inheritances, and Mark Sainsbury.

Next Song Sale is Thursday 25 October, btw.

Mark Sainsbury, Megan Grinlinton & Trubie-Dylan Smith on Close Up
Singing up a storm

The red piano.

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Last week I was in Wellington and I had the opportunity to play He Kōrero Pūrākau mo te Awanui o Te Motu, that bright red piano ornately carved by Michael Parekowhai. I had a friend video some of the performances at Te Papa.

Here’s the YouTube playlist. It contains attempted Maori strum in Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi (yes, bajingajink on piano), a singalong on Poi E, a New Zealand music lesson on Pōkarekare Ana, the Split Enz classic Message to My Girl, and Beyoncé’s Single Ladies.

And as a bonus, here’s Trubie-Dylan Smith’s Das kraftwerkische Blenderlied performed at the last Song Sale: read more