The Lotte Lehmann Foundation produced the first (demo) art song educational video in the Spring of 2000. It includes three American art songs: Rorem's "Early in the Morning," Copland's "Why do they shut me out of Heaven," and Bolcom's "Amor." If there are those among you who would like to see what we're doing...(this video was a demo, but aimed at the high school senior and the community college music appreciation class), please drop me a request by email. I will ask that you return the video, unless you can use it in schools and thus get even more responses. I send along feedback pages to use with the students. We expect this first video to provide us with feedback from around the English speaking world, which will guide us in our next one. We'll also use it for fundraising as we approach foundations and individuals for support.

In Los Angeles I showed the demo video to teenagers (the target audience), educators, singers, media people, and a script writer/director. They had many suggestions and we're also receiving suggestions and advice from the various people to whom we’ve mailed the video.

There are several approaches that one can take when producing such a video. Remember, that as far as we can tell, no educational video on art song has EVER been produced! One way that the audience can see art songs is to put the song in an MTV setting. Not necessary fast cutting, but a single song to a single vignette. The other approach is to create a story line along which the songs appear. The demo video focused on American art song; the next video will feature the other repertoire...Lieder, mélodie, perhaps Spanish and English songs.

Our goal is now to raise enough money to create a video that will take its place in a library of art song educational videos which we wish to produce. The first one was a learning project for us and a demonstration of what we mean by an “art song educational video”.

The first video cost $8,000 to produce. The second one is budgeted at $15,000. One can see that we have higher aspirations for this one. A professional script will be the first element, but it doesn’t stop there. Every element, from the singers and actors to the director, camera people and other technical people will all be of the most experienced that our budget can afford.

We are making proposals to private people and corporations for support of this second educational video.

If you have an idea of a source of funding (or are such a source yourself) please contact us. Art song will continue on its road to extinction in the mind of most people if we don’t expose people to its beauties.