Gaithersburg, Cupertino, San Jose, Chelsea, and Vienna: Roadkill Business and Fans

Parker is scheduled to participate as an exhibiting author at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday, May 17, 2014, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This year, CDs of the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera will be available for sale, along with published sheet music (including a conductor’s score) and If you see roadkill, think opera. Parker participated in the 2013 GBF as a literary merchant; the studio recording was played in preview, as it was released commercially on July 4, 2013.

: Tracks from the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera were previewed at the May 2013 Gaithersburg Book Festival in Maryland

While on a recent trip to California, Stephan Alexander Parker caught up with some early fans of A Roadkill Opera. Rod Diridon was the first to comment on the recording, writing: “A profound and enjoyable piece of art that speaks to the modern condition. A Roadkill Opera is a 59 minute “must have” step into the future of music. This sounds almost like a spoof but it is not. Enjoy.”

Photo of Rod Diridon (at right) with Stephan Alexander Parker in San Jose in March 2014 — Rod Diridon (at right) with Stephan Alexander Parker in San Jose in March 2014. Diridon was the first to comment on the studio recording of **A RoadkIll Opera**

Must be something about California…the first person to purchase a CD of A Roadkill Opera through Amazon.com was George Jahad.

Photo of George Jahad on the campus of Stanford University in July 2013 holding a copy of If you see roadkill, think opera — George Jahad on the campus of Stanford University in July 2013 holding a copy of **If you see roadkill, think opera**

In Cupertino, songwriter David Greenstein sang some of his original songs after receiving sheet music and a CD of A Roadkill Opera from Stephan Alexander Parker.

Photo of David Greenstein, a multiple threat: singer, songwriter, pianist, seen here at his piano performing an original song — David Greenstein is a multiple threat: singer, songwriter, pianist. Greenstein is seen here at his piano performing an original song

Stephan Alexander Parker made a pilgrimage to the storefront of Da Caruso in Vienna, Austria, in December 2013. Staff at Da Caruso were instrumental in identifying the music Parker had recorded off of a Chicago classical FM station in 1979; Ferdinando Paer’s Leonora has only been commercially recorded once, they informed him in 2003. The LP was out of print and a CD was not released until February 2013, a month after Parker held the first recording session for A Roadkill Opera.

Photo of Stephan Alexander Parker brought CDs of the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera to Da Caruso in Vienna, Austria — Stephan Alexander Parker brought CDs of the studio recording of A Roadkill Opera to Da Caruso in Vienna, Austria

In October 2013, Parker met with his New York business representative. Discussions on potential venues for live performances are ongoing. Among the likely locations are New York, Nashville, Tampa, San Francisco, and Washington DC.

Photo of Stephan Alexander Parker met with his New York business representative, Ryah Naomi, on the High Line in Chelsea, to receive first proceeds from sales of A Roadkill Opera sheet music to Strand Books — Stephan Alexander Parker met with his New York business representative, Ryah Naomi, on the High Line in Chelsea, to receive first proceeds from sales of **A Roadkill Opera** sheet music and the story collection **If you see roadkill, think opera** to Strand Books