After the solid success of their private performances in the Spring of 2008, the band gave their first public performance in September 2008 to an enthusiastic crowd at the Old Moravian Chapel in Bethlehem, PA. Since then, they have performed at a variety of venues throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. In March 2010, they headlined at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Harp Conference in Alexandria, VA.
The band’s mission is to surprise audiences by the harp’s versatility beyond traditional music genres. To that end, they have created arrangements of an eclectic mix of tunes that run the gamut from jazz standards to country, pop, Broadway and hard rock. Their first CD was released in November 2009. Most recently they’ve been working on writing and arranging original works that can spark a revolution in what the harp can deliver – acoustically, amplified, or altered. Their new EP includes all original tunes written and arranged by the band and is available through iTunes and their website.
Harpist Andrea Wittchen holds a B.M. degree in harp performance from Jacksonville (FL) University and an M.M. degree in harp performance from the Eastman School of Music. She teaches harp at Lehigh University and Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA as well as maintaining a private studio. For more than 30 years she has performed as soloist or orchestra musician with most of the professional performing groups in eastern Pennsylvania.
Harpist Samantha Wittchen attended Eastman as a harp major where she studied with Kathy Bride before completing a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Virginia. She teaches harp at the University of Pennsylvania and maintains a private studio in Philadelphia. Samantha freelances in the Philadelphia area and appeared most recently at Zoellner with her mother in a performance of the newly-revised double harp concerto, Earth Wind Fire, by composer Steven Sametz.
Vocalist Alexandra Wittchen is a senior majoring in history at Temple University. A graduate of the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts, she is a veteran of the musical theater stage. Alex has studied voice with Brian Stokes Mitchell, Charles Walker and Wayne Sanders and currently has several exciting performing opportunities in the works for after graduation.
Tubist, trombonist, accordionist and toy piano aficionado Dan Nosheny holds a B.M. degree in tuba and music education from the Eastman School of Music. A freelancer in the NewYork/Philadelphia area, he previously toured with Maggi, Pierce and EJ as well as the seminal rock band The Violent Femmes. Dan can also be found performing as Neon and Shy. His current project is to release one new song per month for 2011.
Birdman
The Wittchen Initiative Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day he packed his chute and climbed onto the roof.
The air was warm and they were cheerin' him on.
Listened to the breeze, it was singin' his song.
Spreading his wings, he looked to the sky.
He stepped toward the edge; he was going to fly.
And for a minute there he thought that he was dyin', and then a little bird appeared.
She said, "If you wanna be a bird, man, you gotta long way to go, but I suppose I could help you out."
Icarus couldn't manage it so what makes you think that you've got it figured out?
Hey, Birdman, doncha know you can't fly
Off of the roof and into the sky.
Stay right here and don't even try.
Only way to go is straight down.
And then he looked up at the bird and he said, "I don't like the way you put me down.
"You're just like everybody else—you think I'm nothing—that's why I'm leavin' this town.
"So I appreciate that you want to help, but I think I'm better off alone.
"When I return that's when you'll see that the boy you didn't believe in has flown."
At that point the bird's feathers were ruffled and she flew down to the ground.
"I do believe in you; I wish you could see I'm a good friend to keep around.
"You're a smart boy and ya got big plans, but the world is big and cruel.
"Let me help you to cut through the crap and keep from becomin' a fool."
It was a good twelve years later before he came back. The bird had long since died.
But he went back to that old roof he jumped off anyway. He sat down, and then he cried.
He came home to find that fickle friends fly away, and the world is awful scary.
So sad to find that his only true friend is in an avian cemetery.
The song "Birdman" by The Wittchen Initiative tells the story of a man who dreams of flying and decides to jump off the roof to fulfill that dream. The lyrics describe the exhilaration he feels at first, but then the reality sets in as he falls to the ground and realizes what he's done. At this point, he meets a little bird who tells him that if he wants to be a bird, he has a long way to go. She warns him that even Icarus couldn't manage it, and he shouldn't think that he has it figured out. The man becomes defensive and insists that he doesn't need the bird's help, but the bird persists in offering her guidance. Ultimately, the man returns to the roof twelve years later and realizes that the only true friend he ever had is now dead.
The song is about the pursuit of one's dreams and the consequences that come with taking risks. The man in the story has a strong desire to fly and is willing to risk his life to achieve it, but he quickly learns that it's not as easy as he thought it would be. The bird serves as a symbol of wisdom and guidance, urging the man to be patient and reminding him that he doesn't have all the answers. The song also touches on the theme of friendship, as the man realizes that his true friend was the bird who tried to help him all along.
Line by Line Meaning
He always said that he wanted to fly.
He had an intense desire to fly.
One day he packed his chute and climbed onto the roof.
On a particular day, he prepared to jump off a high building with a parachute.
The air was warm and they were cheerin' him on.
The air was warm and the people were excited and supportive.
Listened to the breeze, it was singin' his song.
He was fully immersed in that particular moment when he heard the wind that gave him confidence.
Spreading his wings, he looked to the sky.
He opened his arms wide and looked towards the sky.
He stepped toward the edge; he was going to fly.
He took a step toward the edge of the roof to take the jump.
That's when he fell down to the ground and then he wondered, "What the hell am I doin' here?"
The moment he fell during the jump was when he realized it was a bad idea.
And for a minute there he thought that he was dyin', and then a little bird appeared.
He believed he was going to die before he saw a small bird.
She said, "If you wanna be a bird, man, you gotta long way to go, but I suppose I could help you out."
The bird told him he had a lot of work to do if he indeed wanted to fly but still offered help.
Icarus couldn't manage it, so what makes you think that you've got it figured out?
He was compared to Icarus who failed to fly, and the bird questioned his capability.
Hey, Birdman, doncha know you can't fly Off of the roof and into the sky. Stay right here and don't even try. Only way to go is straight down.
The bird felt he should not try again and that the only way was down.
And then he looked up at the bird and he said, "I don't like the way you put me down. "You're just like everybody else—you think I'm nothing—that's why I'm leavin' this town.
He named the bird judgmental and unhelpful and decided to leave because he felt undervalued.
"So I appreciate that you want to help, but I think I'm better off alone. "When I return that's when you'll see that the boy you didn't believe in has flown."
He declined the bird's offer, thinking that he could do it without assistance and would prove it when he comes back.
It was a good twelve years later before he came back. The bird had long since died.
It took him 12 years to return, and he discovered the bird had died long ago.
But he went back to that old roof he jumped off anyway. He sat down, and then he cried.
Regardless, he went back to the roof where he had jumped and was overwhelmed with sadness.
He came home to find that fickle friends fly away, and the world is awful scary.
He realized that his friends were not dependable and that the world is a scary place.
So sad to find that his only true friend is in an avian cemetery.
It was a sad realization that his only true friend was a bird now long since dead.
Contributed by Adeline B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.