Creating Awe: TED and the Netherlands

A few weeks ago TED's Podcast posted a lecture by Rob Legato. Rob helps create screen shots in movies; the TED Talk is more or less him bragging about his work on Apollo 13, Titanic, and Hugo.  It's truly remarkable how he and his team created three of the most beautiful screen shots in cinematographic history.  Interestingly, none of them are based in reality.

The obvious musical reference would be splicing performance to create an uncharacteristically clean recording. A second could be using electronic software to loop or modify your sound.  Another could be small breaths in irregular places creating unusually long phrases.  How many sneaky ways to "deceive" an audience can you think of?

Today, I visited another branch of the ArtEZ Conservatory.  The city of Zwolle is a stereo typical Dutch town straight out of the middle ages.  The modern city actually dates from around 800.  The structure of the school has some pretty good awe power.  ArtEZ: Zwolle sits in a renovated cloister on the edge of the city center.  (On the left in the picture above.)  I will be posting some more pics of Zwolle soon.

Back in Enschede, I heard the finally exam (recital) of Babis Vlachos an incredible saxophone player.  Besides the beastly alto playing, Babis performed one piece on the bass saxophone.  This was a rare treat.  Babis just finished his MM under Johan van der Linden.

Europe: The day before

As many of you know, tomorrow I am leaving on trip to the Netherlands.  The catch - I have a one way ticket.  For the next two years, I will be studying with Peter van Klink of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra at the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Enschede, NL.

For the past week, I have been at my parents house in south-western Virginia.  I have sold my car, finished the Discovering a Classical Music Project, published my arrangement of Avant de Quitter ces Lieux, and started the long process of packing.  I will be traveling with two duffel bags and a trombone.

I have no idea what will happen, where I'll go, what I will do, or what I will play on this, my next great adventure.