Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Summer 2024 13 New Recdings classical music, I have always wanted more equality of opportunity as well as more credit and more support for composers and musicians of all types, not just for those with the usual profiles. is is slowly improving (at least for the moment) and this AVS album thankfully supports this trend!" Of course, such an undertaking is not easy. Herndon notes that between venue costs, procuring a piano, and appropriate payment of personnel, "a full length CD with multiple tracks can cost an artist thousands of dollars before a label is even involved," and "typically a label, once they accept an album for publication, will charge anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000 to produce the album from there...." e scope of cost–in money and time–is beyond that which many musicians are capable of reaching. For this first release, however, "the AVS has shouldered the cost of producing this album for the artists selected. Further, as they have each provided one work, the recording and editing costs are substantially less than if they had recorded a full length album themselves." Putting together this album was a monumental feat in and of itself, both for the AVS and the performers that submitted work. Aer announcing their intent to publish the record, "we wanted to make sure that we were not limiting possible participants by what editing capabilities they had at their disposal, so we required live, unedited videos for submission, as it is much harder to edit a one-take video than an audio file." ese videos then had the audio extracted, which were "shared anonymously with our judges." Utilizing a ranking system, the musicians with the highest scores were selected for inclusion. Browne is "thrilled" to be a part of this collection, "especially as it is so needed in today's climate to help people get their music recognized. A compilation is a wonderful way to get to know players and composers." is is also not Browne's first rodeo, so to speak, as her rendition of Convergence is part of her CD from the Swansong label, slated to premiere this spring. As for Moran, her excitement and gratitude is palpable, as she "hasn't been a part of a project like this before. is album is works of underrepresented composers, but the project was also intended to support recordings from violists who might not have the resources to produce an entire album on their own." Organizations such as the American Viola Society–and our cherished sisterhood–are vital. Music is a shared experience, a conversation between listener, performer, and composer. Each musician interprets the composer's sheet music differently, and in turn the sound stirs up different emotions and experiences in each ear. What one listener may deem lackluster, another will declare revolutionary, and another still will be reminded of home. It was the goal of the AVS in this endeavor to spread the beauty of the viola across the world, giving the pen and microphone to those who have historically been ignored. And while this mission has scarcely begun, it has definitely started off with a bang. RELEVANT LINKS: RELEVANT LINKS: American Viola Society www.americanviolasociety.org Sheila Browne www.violasheilabrowne.com Mary Moran YouTube: @marymoranmusic4360; regular live performer at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Rebekah Strain was initiated into the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota at Morehead State University in 2013. She currently resides in Lexington, KY, where she teaches writing classes. She can be found on TikTok and Instagram as: @rebekah_writes94 Mary Moran Mary Moran Hillary Herndon Hillary Herndon Sheila Browne Sheila Browne

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