Here is some inspiration for 2011.
Every musician has nightmares and conversations about not being able to play anymore. There is an ongoing conversation about focal dystonia or failed dental work. In these cases, some musicians admit they would stop playing or teaching and some simply state they would learn the piano and stay in the industry. What would happen if you went deaf? I do not mean loosing a little bit of hearing from playing in front of an over zealous bass trombonist. I mean deaf.
During my usual morning NRP listen, I came across Mandy Harvey. Ms. Harvey lost her hearing while at music school in 2007. She took a year off, then while playing the guitar with her father realized she could continue to perform. She briefly describes her fight to perform in the interview of Colorado Public Radio. Most of the article deals with the production of her second CD.
If dealing with deafness is not enough to motivate you. Ms. Harvey is only 22. How about that? We all hate to see incredible musicians younger than us, but younger and deaf. Wow. I need to practice.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Columbia
Three weeks off the blog since my last regular post. As most of you know I was quite busy for the first two weeks and visiting my family back east for the last week. I performed seven concerts and taught in two states over an eight day period. This was a fun way to end 2010.
My first stop in Columbia was teaching for Michelle Ortiz at E.L. Wright Middle School. After only four hours of sleep I was in for a day of hard work and pleasant surprises. When I entered the office, I was greeted by Zach, an extremely outgoing sixth grade trombone player, he was my tour guide and helped me find Michelle's room among a campus of a few buildings. Teaching at E.L. Wright was truly a pleasure, Michelle's students were more advanced and much better behaved than I was expecting. My goal for the day was to teach her students a better air stream and a better approach to practicing. We spent time breathing through phrases, play without tongues, articulating on an air stream, and finally playing the exercise. Hopefully I caught a few of the harder works early enough to make their lives easier.
I also had a chance to play with an old friend Cori Cooper. The two of us played a Christmas concert in Camden, South Carolina. The music sounded more like a musical instead of church music. There was a ton of brass playing and some fast harmonic progressions. The two us were ready play.....loudly. Cori and I spent six years together at school playing duets and in ensembles all the time. We were probably too comfortable with each other, but the constant banter was the only way either of us made it through this gig.
My last visit in Columbia was playing quartets with Brad Edwards, Katie Thigpen, and Ryan Tinker. The four us rotated throughout all four parts and read music spanning the baroque through contemporary music. Lesslie Bassett's Quartet turned out to be a fun little piece. Imitation and homogeneous music interplay with each other giving way to solos in all four parts. The piece is highly rhythmic and intoxicating. Altough, there is a slower section in the middle. Check out these guys. Personally I would like to hear it a little faster.
The importance of listening hits me harder everyday. This break I added, Pavarotti and Jorgen van Rijen to my daily listening, while Rostropovich made a reappearance. I think the key is listening to people you want to sound like.
My first stop in Columbia was teaching for Michelle Ortiz at E.L. Wright Middle School. After only four hours of sleep I was in for a day of hard work and pleasant surprises. When I entered the office, I was greeted by Zach, an extremely outgoing sixth grade trombone player, he was my tour guide and helped me find Michelle's room among a campus of a few buildings. Teaching at E.L. Wright was truly a pleasure, Michelle's students were more advanced and much better behaved than I was expecting. My goal for the day was to teach her students a better air stream and a better approach to practicing. We spent time breathing through phrases, play without tongues, articulating on an air stream, and finally playing the exercise. Hopefully I caught a few of the harder works early enough to make their lives easier.
I also had a chance to play with an old friend Cori Cooper. The two of us played a Christmas concert in Camden, South Carolina. The music sounded more like a musical instead of church music. There was a ton of brass playing and some fast harmonic progressions. The two us were ready play.....loudly. Cori and I spent six years together at school playing duets and in ensembles all the time. We were probably too comfortable with each other, but the constant banter was the only way either of us made it through this gig.
My last visit in Columbia was playing quartets with Brad Edwards, Katie Thigpen, and Ryan Tinker. The four us rotated throughout all four parts and read music spanning the baroque through contemporary music. Lesslie Bassett's Quartet turned out to be a fun little piece. Imitation and homogeneous music interplay with each other giving way to solos in all four parts. The piece is highly rhythmic and intoxicating. Altough, there is a slower section in the middle. Check out these guys. Personally I would like to hear it a little faster.
The importance of listening hits me harder everyday. This break I added, Pavarotti and Jorgen van Rijen to my daily listening, while Rostropovich made a reappearance. I think the key is listening to people you want to sound like.
Monday, December 20, 2010
And Then I Turned the Corner
The last week of my life has been incredible. I had the opportunity to perform seven concerts, teach at three schools, play a solo with a band, perform several different styles in a number of roles in the section, and I did all of this in two different states. To top of the my musical year, I played quartets with, Dr. Brad Edwards, Katie Thigpen, and Ryan Tinker. The reading went well, and making music because we wanted too was a great reward for several years of hard work. Apparently, my blog is usually too long and a pain to read. So I will leave you with this interview with Sir Simmon Rattle. Look for riveting full length entries after the holidays.
Suddenly, (after blogger's stats counts were down) the blog is over 1,600 views.
Suddenly, (after blogger's stats counts were down) the blog is over 1,600 views.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
YouTube Orchestra
If you have not heard about the YouTube Orchestra you should check it out. The group asked musicians to post audition videos on YouTube. Now, finalist videos are posted on the orchestra's channel. Anyone can vote on finalists. (Please vote for McKenzie Allen for oboe please. He is a fellow gamecock.) The orchestra is scheduled to play in Australia under Micheal Tilson Thomas.
When you get to the channel check out the Experiment tab. The YouTube Orchestra has designed a new instrument that uses your webcam to produce pitch. This is probably good for a few hours of entertainment. Even if you are not a musician or if you had to pawn your trumpets, you can now have a free instrument that is easy to play right at the end of your iPhone. Check out other instruments, vote for lots of people, and have fun with their instrument.
When you get to the channel check out the Experiment tab. The YouTube Orchestra has designed a new instrument that uses your webcam to produce pitch. This is probably good for a few hours of entertainment. Even if you are not a musician or if you had to pawn your trumpets, you can now have a free instrument that is easy to play right at the end of your iPhone. Check out other instruments, vote for lots of people, and have fun with their instrument.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Entrepreneurship and Creativity
Again this morning I woke up and started listening to the Entrepreneurship Thought Leaders podcast out of Stanford. Tina Seeling who normally runs the course was giving a talk, What I Wish I Knew When I Was Twenty. Most of the podcast was retelling stories about her entrepreneur creativity class. In this class she gives her students problems to solve. The first problem, make as much as you can off of $5. The winner of the competition sold their three minute class presentation time to a company eager to recruit Stanford students.
The next semester she gave all of her students ten paperclips and four hours to get as much as they could get. This problem was inspired by a man who took a year to trade a red paperclip for a house. The winner of this challenge made a sign, Stanford Students for Sale, Buy One Get Two Free. After talking to people they managed to move up for taking out recycling to leading a brainstorming session for a small company. They were payed with three computer monitors. Ten paperclips to three computer monitors, nicely done.
In my current live I feel much like these students. I spent six years in education only to win three pieces of paper. My challenge, how do I turn this paper into a freelance trombone career? For starters I upped the value of my degrees by moving to Colorado. Here, there is hardly any competition. In Cincinnati, everyone has a degree from the conservatory, here no one does. However, this is only a very small part of the solution.
Ms. Seeling's advice, you need to be able to make your own luck. "If you go into a room and do not meet someone new, at least you missed out on learning something or making a friend, at most you missed out on a million dollars." She then told a great story where she started in a grocery store and explained to a foreigner how to make lemonade from concentrate. Turns out the man was to inherit his family company in Chile. When she was in Chile, the man gave her a helicopter ride for the afternoon. She turned lemonade into a helicopter ride.
I am reminded about a conversation I had with Nate Siler and Ben "Honeybutter" Clymer about talking to people. The trombone choir at CCM had played for an art opening, a gig that Nate got for the choir. The only payment, free food at the reception. The choir was thrown into a room full of community leaders for about an hour. Already half the work was done, we were in a room with people who had money and connections, and we were the feature of the evening. What did we do, talked to ourselves. Some of the older students did start talking to some of the patrons but not much and not with business cards. Learning to chat with people is key to getting the next gig.
I have found every gig leads to the next one. In my current state, I will get a phone call or email from someone I just met offering me a gig. The answer is always yes before I ever find out the specifics. After I make sure I prepare the music I make sure that the people at the gig would want to work with me again. This means showing up early, chatting a little at the break, and going to the bar afterward. Sometimes it is hard for me to go to a bar with a bunch of retired band directors, but after they hear a little about what I am doing in town they ask for a business card. Most of the time this does not lead to a gig, but sometimes it does. The more business cards I can get out there the more gigs I will get. My advice, start talking to people, and print some cards. Get out there and make a opportunity to play.
The next semester she gave all of her students ten paperclips and four hours to get as much as they could get. This problem was inspired by a man who took a year to trade a red paperclip for a house. The winner of this challenge made a sign, Stanford Students for Sale, Buy One Get Two Free. After talking to people they managed to move up for taking out recycling to leading a brainstorming session for a small company. They were payed with three computer monitors. Ten paperclips to three computer monitors, nicely done.
In my current live I feel much like these students. I spent six years in education only to win three pieces of paper. My challenge, how do I turn this paper into a freelance trombone career? For starters I upped the value of my degrees by moving to Colorado. Here, there is hardly any competition. In Cincinnati, everyone has a degree from the conservatory, here no one does. However, this is only a very small part of the solution.
Ms. Seeling's advice, you need to be able to make your own luck. "If you go into a room and do not meet someone new, at least you missed out on learning something or making a friend, at most you missed out on a million dollars." She then told a great story where she started in a grocery store and explained to a foreigner how to make lemonade from concentrate. Turns out the man was to inherit his family company in Chile. When she was in Chile, the man gave her a helicopter ride for the afternoon. She turned lemonade into a helicopter ride.
I am reminded about a conversation I had with Nate Siler and Ben "Honeybutter" Clymer about talking to people. The trombone choir at CCM had played for an art opening, a gig that Nate got for the choir. The only payment, free food at the reception. The choir was thrown into a room full of community leaders for about an hour. Already half the work was done, we were in a room with people who had money and connections, and we were the feature of the evening. What did we do, talked to ourselves. Some of the older students did start talking to some of the patrons but not much and not with business cards. Learning to chat with people is key to getting the next gig.
I have found every gig leads to the next one. In my current state, I will get a phone call or email from someone I just met offering me a gig. The answer is always yes before I ever find out the specifics. After I make sure I prepare the music I make sure that the people at the gig would want to work with me again. This means showing up early, chatting a little at the break, and going to the bar afterward. Sometimes it is hard for me to go to a bar with a bunch of retired band directors, but after they hear a little about what I am doing in town they ask for a business card. Most of the time this does not lead to a gig, but sometimes it does. The more business cards I can get out there the more gigs I will get. My advice, start talking to people, and print some cards. Get out there and make a opportunity to play.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Ghetto Blaster and New Music
A lot of discussion is going on about the plight of classical music. Weather audiences are really attracted to the same boring classics and if "new" music is to far beyond a common audience. Recently, I have been preparing for my solo debut with the Rocky Mountain Brassworks Brassband and many of my friends are asking about the concert. Trying to explain a brassband to someone who's idea of music is listening to jam bands and dancing all night does seem a little boring. However, I believe there are a few composers out there who are trying to solve this problem.
The use of prerecorded sound is nothing new in music, Milton Babbitt pioneered the technique in the 1960s. Pop artists and classical composers have been sampling a verity of sounds for decades now. You could even trace early attempts at sampling to pieces like Copland's Lincoln Portrait, a piece that samples speeches made by the 16th president.
Today with all of the technology available composers are doing some really cool stuff. Check out Jacob ter Veldhuis. I first came across JacobTV thanks to some saxophone friends at the University of South Carolina. They were consistently talking about this piece for saxophone and ghetto blaster. The piece was Grab It. In my junior year the New Century Saxophone Quartet gave a concert of JacobTV's music as part of the South Exposure New Music series at the University. NCSQ gave the American premiere of JacobTV's Heartbreakers, a piece that samples both sound and video from the Jerry Springer Show. The work is very touching, using jazz as the genre, JacobTV samples the episode on crack addicted prostitutes. The concert was amazing.
JacobTV's work is highly political. Take a listen to his trombone piece I Was Like Wow. (This is a full recording played by Keith Jackson of West Virginia University). The piece samples interviews from two Iraqi war vets. The piece also has video to go along with it; the video is incredibly difficult to watch. Apparently audience members were weeping openly at the premiere in Holland. You can listen to Jorgen van Rijen talk about the premiere and watch some of the video.
There are some younger composers that are currently writing for ghetto blaster. Inez McComas actually wrote me a piece for prerecorded sound earlier this year. A Quick Trip with Lots of Baggage, uses recorded sounds of luggage, car horns, and trolleys to create a sound one might find on a street corner in San Francisco. The work is a good length clocking in at 5 minutes and incorporates aspects of melodic content and minimalism. I performed the work twice, however the piece has already been performed by Dr. Brad Edwards and by Kelly Jones.
There are some great composers writing in genres that everyone can enjoy. Listen to people like Steve Reich, and Louis Andriessen. The key is getting music to the general population. Projects like Classical Music Revolution are performing music in bars to provide a wider audience with great music. Everytime I hear a recital that uses prerecorded sound, the concert is talked about for some time. I know my friends who are not musically trained prefer this in contrast to works with piano.
The use of prerecorded sound is nothing new in music, Milton Babbitt pioneered the technique in the 1960s. Pop artists and classical composers have been sampling a verity of sounds for decades now. You could even trace early attempts at sampling to pieces like Copland's Lincoln Portrait, a piece that samples speeches made by the 16th president.
Today with all of the technology available composers are doing some really cool stuff. Check out Jacob ter Veldhuis. I first came across JacobTV thanks to some saxophone friends at the University of South Carolina. They were consistently talking about this piece for saxophone and ghetto blaster. The piece was Grab It. In my junior year the New Century Saxophone Quartet gave a concert of JacobTV's music as part of the South Exposure New Music series at the University. NCSQ gave the American premiere of JacobTV's Heartbreakers, a piece that samples both sound and video from the Jerry Springer Show. The work is very touching, using jazz as the genre, JacobTV samples the episode on crack addicted prostitutes. The concert was amazing.
JacobTV's work is highly political. Take a listen to his trombone piece I Was Like Wow. (This is a full recording played by Keith Jackson of West Virginia University). The piece samples interviews from two Iraqi war vets. The piece also has video to go along with it; the video is incredibly difficult to watch. Apparently audience members were weeping openly at the premiere in Holland. You can listen to Jorgen van Rijen talk about the premiere and watch some of the video.
There are some younger composers that are currently writing for ghetto blaster. Inez McComas actually wrote me a piece for prerecorded sound earlier this year. A Quick Trip with Lots of Baggage, uses recorded sounds of luggage, car horns, and trolleys to create a sound one might find on a street corner in San Francisco. The work is a good length clocking in at 5 minutes and incorporates aspects of melodic content and minimalism. I performed the work twice, however the piece has already been performed by Dr. Brad Edwards and by Kelly Jones.
There are some great composers writing in genres that everyone can enjoy. Listen to people like Steve Reich, and Louis Andriessen. The key is getting music to the general population. Projects like Classical Music Revolution are performing music in bars to provide a wider audience with great music. Everytime I hear a recital that uses prerecorded sound, the concert is talked about for some time. I know my friends who are not musically trained prefer this in contrast to works with piano.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestral Musicians
Please it is pronounced Pea-air Mon-Teu. I attended the Pierre Monteux School in the summer of 2009. The experience was nothing short of inspiring. Nestled away on the opposite peninsula across the Frenchman bay from Bar Harbor the school can claim one of the most beautiful landscapes for a music school. Monteux is certainly the most remote in the small town of Hancock, Maine. Monteux makes for the perfect summer get-a-way.
For anyone who has never been to the Maine coast, I truly recommend it. The winding coast lined with jagged rocks, covered with fog makes the perfect setting for all those New England fishing stories. This also makes for really calm mornings, walking through the fog to get to rehearsal.
The daily life at the Monteux is pretty relaxing with the exception of rehearsal. The orchestra is made up of about 60 musicians, there is a full wind and brass section leaving a smaller string section. Some of the musicians are also student conductors. The conductors are required to play in the ensemble so they can actually see the results of their stick waving. The only source of authority, the Maestro Michael Jinbo, sits on a huge throne, once occupied by Pierre Monteux* and Charles Bruck, at the rear of the ensemble. The orchestra starts and does not stop until the repertoire of about 70 pieces is finished. There is occasional and insightful instruction for both conductors and musicians from Maestro Jinbo.
On top of weekly orchestral concerts, there are weekly chamber concerts as well. Chamber music, as well as most of the school, is run by the students. Chamber music is all voluntary with music coming from individuals or from a small music library in the area. If you can convince a pianist to play with you, there are great solo opportunities on the chamber concerts as well. There are also opportunities to play the occasional church gig.
Everything is run or at least helped run by the students, from cleaning the hall to the school t-shirt to the yearly pig roast. The board of directors and the executive director, Ron Schwizer take care of everything important and they help out with the extras organized by the students. The year end banquet is attend by the board and orchestra, even thanksgiving cannot hold a candle to that feast.
The festival holds true to the Maine lifestyle. There is no television, limited Internet access, and limited cell phone coverage. There are plenty of hiking paths, kayak trips, and relaxing afternoons. Being away from the distractions of normal life you can actually enjoy your time in Maine and get to know everyone in the orchestra. There are plenty of parties, quiet lunches, and croquet matches.
I recommend the Pierre Monteux School to anyone who wants to play huge repertoire, practice their ensemble playing, and meet some excellent musicians in a low stress environment. At the Monteux school you will have the opportunity to play rep that you have always wanted and you will find some real gems that you have never heard of. During my summer I had the chance to play Appalachian Springs, Sibelius 2, Dvorak 7, and Chausson's Symphony in Bb, along with a ton of other great music. The lack of individual lesson teachers allow you to actually practice your skills and gain confidence; no one is helping you out with that clarinet solo in Brahms 3.
I had the time of my life at the Pierre Monteux School. I met some really awesome musicians and hopefully some life long friends. I have already recommended the school to several of my friends, but more should go. Check out the list of alumni, truly impressive. The concerts are recorded and broadcast on Maine Public Radio throughout the year. Check out www.mpbn.net on December 15, at 8 pm est for 2010s performance of Bizet, Hindemith, and Kodaly.
*Pierre Monteux never sat on the 'throne' (he sat on a chair in the back of the viola section, sometimes w/ his instrument in hand.)
For anyone who has never been to the Maine coast, I truly recommend it. The winding coast lined with jagged rocks, covered with fog makes the perfect setting for all those New England fishing stories. This also makes for really calm mornings, walking through the fog to get to rehearsal.
The daily life at the Monteux is pretty relaxing with the exception of rehearsal. The orchestra is made up of about 60 musicians, there is a full wind and brass section leaving a smaller string section. Some of the musicians are also student conductors. The conductors are required to play in the ensemble so they can actually see the results of their stick waving. The only source of authority, the Maestro Michael Jinbo, sits on a huge throne, once occupied by Pierre Monteux* and Charles Bruck, at the rear of the ensemble. The orchestra starts and does not stop until the repertoire of about 70 pieces is finished. There is occasional and insightful instruction for both conductors and musicians from Maestro Jinbo.
On top of weekly orchestral concerts, there are weekly chamber concerts as well. Chamber music, as well as most of the school, is run by the students. Chamber music is all voluntary with music coming from individuals or from a small music library in the area. If you can convince a pianist to play with you, there are great solo opportunities on the chamber concerts as well. There are also opportunities to play the occasional church gig.
Everything is run or at least helped run by the students, from cleaning the hall to the school t-shirt to the yearly pig roast. The board of directors and the executive director, Ron Schwizer take care of everything important and they help out with the extras organized by the students. The year end banquet is attend by the board and orchestra, even thanksgiving cannot hold a candle to that feast.
I recommend the Pierre Monteux School to anyone who wants to play huge repertoire, practice their ensemble playing, and meet some excellent musicians in a low stress environment. At the Monteux school you will have the opportunity to play rep that you have always wanted and you will find some real gems that you have never heard of. During my summer I had the chance to play Appalachian Springs, Sibelius 2, Dvorak 7, and Chausson's Symphony in Bb, along with a ton of other great music. The lack of individual lesson teachers allow you to actually practice your skills and gain confidence; no one is helping you out with that clarinet solo in Brahms 3.
I had the time of my life at the Pierre Monteux School. I met some really awesome musicians and hopefully some life long friends. I have already recommended the school to several of my friends, but more should go. Check out the list of alumni, truly impressive. The concerts are recorded and broadcast on Maine Public Radio throughout the year. Check out www.mpbn.net on December 15, at 8 pm est for 2010s performance of Bizet, Hindemith, and Kodaly.
*Pierre Monteux never sat on the 'throne' (he sat on a chair in the back of the viola section, sometimes w/ his instrument in hand.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)