Just like most of my blogging ideas, I got this idea off of Facebook. My friend posted this quote as her status update and within a few minutes, it had been "shared" fifteen times. It must catch people's attention, so I thought I'd share it on my blog. Feel free to post comments or thoughts.
"Artists are some of the most driven, courageous people on the face of the earth. They deal with more day-to-day rejection in one year than most people do in a lifetime... Every day, artists face the financial challenge of living a freelance lifestyle, the disrespect of people who think they should get real jobs, and their own fear that they’ll never work again. Every day, they have to ignore the possibility that the vision they have dedicated their lives to is a pipe dream. With every role, they stretch themselves, emotionally and physically, risking criticism and judgment. With every passing year, many of them watch as the other people their age achieve the predictable milestones of normal life—the car, the family, the house, the nest egg. Why? Because artists are willing to give their entire lives to a moment—to that line, that laugh, that gesture, or that interpretation that will stir the audience’s soul. Artists are beings who have tasted life’s nectar in that crystal moment when they poured out their creative spirit and touched another's heart. In that instant, they were as close to magic, God, and perfection as anyone could ever be. And in their own hearts, they know that to dedicate oneself to that moment is worth a thousand lifetimes." - David Ackert
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Øystein Baadsvik's Post Goes Viral (At Least Among Low Brass Players!)
I'll never figure out how Facebook decides what to post on my wall. After all, I have quite a few Facebook friends, and I'm sure not all of their status updates are posted on my wall each time they update. Maybe I'm thinking too much into this, but I seem to have figured out that status updates that get a lot of attention from my Facebook friends seem to get bumped up to the top of the list. This is how I found Øystein Baadsvik's most recent status update on Facebook. With over 400 people "liking" it, over 80 commenting on it, and almost 90 sharing it, I thought I'd repost it on my blog. I figured this counts as going viral among low brass players! Please enjoy, let me know your thoughts and opinions, and make sure to check out Øystein's website to learn more about him!
Sound is nothing. Music is everything.
I am SICK and tired of all the emphasis on sound quality in music competitions.
What is a beautiful tuba sound anyway? Put a damn paper clip into your mouthpiece to distort your sound, but play musically and you have won my heart. Play with the "worlds best" tuba sound but unmusically and you leave me cold.
Unlike in an orchestral audition where you need a specific sound to blend with the orchestra the OPPOSITE is true in solo playing. As a soloist you need to stick out, to have a voice that is heard. You need to be able to change your sound constantly to serve the music. Sometimes beautiful and singing, sometimes ugly and harsh. Sometimes featherlight and delicate, sometimes solid as a rock. Rather than sound quality, we should be talking about sound control.
To claim that one sound is better than another is as ignorant as saying that green is a better color than red. Good music requires an infinite variety of sound colors.
About 0,0001% of the worlds population plays tuba and "knows" what a good tuba sound is.
If you intend to play for these guys you might be able to impress a few with your perfect sound.
If you intend to reach the other 99,9999 % they don't have a clue what a tuba should sound like, and they could not care less. What these people do care about, is not getting bored. And that happens really, really quickly with the "perfect tuba sound".
Now, go and kick the next guy that uses the phrase "good sound" in his butt!
I am SICK and tired of all the emphasis on sound quality in music competitions.
What is a beautiful tuba sound anyway? Put a damn paper clip into your mouthpiece to distort your sound, but play musically and you have won my heart. Play with the "worlds best" tuba sound but unmusically and you leave me cold.
Unlike in an orchestral audition where you need a specific sound to blend with the orchestra the OPPOSITE is true in solo playing. As a soloist you need to stick out, to have a voice that is heard. You need to be able to change your sound constantly to serve the music. Sometimes beautiful and singing, sometimes ugly and harsh. Sometimes featherlight and delicate, sometimes solid as a rock. Rather than sound quality, we should be talking about sound control.
To claim that one sound is better than another is as ignorant as saying that green is a better color than red. Good music requires an infinite variety of sound colors.
About 0,0001% of the worlds population plays tuba and "knows" what a good tuba sound is.
If you intend to play for these guys you might be able to impress a few with your perfect sound.
If you intend to reach the other 99,9999 % they don't have a clue what a tuba should sound like, and they could not care less. What these people do care about, is not getting bored. And that happens really, really quickly with the "perfect tuba sound".
Now, go and kick the next guy that uses the phrase "good sound" in his butt!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Would You Work For Free?
I just came across a blog by Elisabeth Hobbs that I'd like to share. Her blog is in response to an article in a British newspaper urging musicians to "showcase their talents" at the Olympic games for free. Her blog introduces some of the reasons that we might, as a culture, see it as reasonable to ask musicians to share their talents for free while most other professions' payment isn't called into question. Check it out!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
There Is No Gesture
I have many discussions with my fellow band members at Atlantic Brass Band about the subject of musical gestures in brass band contest music, so I thought that there may be some people out there online who might also find my opinion interesting. Whether you agree with my thoughts or not, hopefully reading this will get you to think about your own philosophy on the subject.
In my mind, there are a lot fewer musical gestures out there in brass band music than we might think, or want to admit. To me, modern brass band contest literature seems composed so that the very best of the best (sometimes, I think theoretical) band can play it perfectly. The rest of us fall somewhere in varying degrees short of that often theoretical perfection.
In these most incredibly difficult test pieces that are coming out for championship-level brass bands today, there are plenty of passages that seem simply "unplayable" after a glance or even a month's worth of work. I think that many people label some of these passages as "gestures," or sections of the piece to get the gist of and move on. However, when musicians label a difficult passage as a gesture, I see an important mental change happen in the preparation of that section of the piece. That musician's work on that passage will stop when they get the general idea of the passage, instead of working to get as close as possible to the originally intended notes because it's been labeled a gesture.
I see parallels between test pieces and college admission standardized tests. Only the very few smartest students and best studiers will get a perfect score on their ACT's or SAT's. Many students, however, will study on their own or get tutors before they take the tests because even though there will be seemingly impossible questions on those tests, the most diligent students will still want to get the highest score possible. Simply saying that parts of the test are impossible really isn't the best option for a good score.
In contesting, I try to look at these nearly impossible passages that occasionally appear as more of a "weeding out" passage. The composer knows that these sections are nearly impossible and put them there to test the ability of the performer. If everyone could play every note in the whole piece perfectly, it would be impossible for the judges to score. In reality, the best bands will fall somewhere at the top of the continuum while the struggling bands will fall lower. The important thing, to me, is to never give up on getting closer to that gold standard of perfection. I understand that we'll never play every note how we wanted or even sometimes play all of them at all, but we should keep trying. I also do understand that there are some genuine gestures in contest music, even if I don't think they're as common as we think. In the end, the word doesn't really even matter. If a musician can call a difficult passage of music a gesture and continue to work on it to get it as close as the composer intended, great. But, if it's a mental game of looking at what many would call a musical gesture and refusing to see it as such in order to become a better player, then repeat after me: "There is no gesture."
In my mind, there are a lot fewer musical gestures out there in brass band music than we might think, or want to admit. To me, modern brass band contest literature seems composed so that the very best of the best (sometimes, I think theoretical) band can play it perfectly. The rest of us fall somewhere in varying degrees short of that often theoretical perfection.
In these most incredibly difficult test pieces that are coming out for championship-level brass bands today, there are plenty of passages that seem simply "unplayable" after a glance or even a month's worth of work. I think that many people label some of these passages as "gestures," or sections of the piece to get the gist of and move on. However, when musicians label a difficult passage as a gesture, I see an important mental change happen in the preparation of that section of the piece. That musician's work on that passage will stop when they get the general idea of the passage, instead of working to get as close as possible to the originally intended notes because it's been labeled a gesture.
I see parallels between test pieces and college admission standardized tests. Only the very few smartest students and best studiers will get a perfect score on their ACT's or SAT's. Many students, however, will study on their own or get tutors before they take the tests because even though there will be seemingly impossible questions on those tests, the most diligent students will still want to get the highest score possible. Simply saying that parts of the test are impossible really isn't the best option for a good score.
In contesting, I try to look at these nearly impossible passages that occasionally appear as more of a "weeding out" passage. The composer knows that these sections are nearly impossible and put them there to test the ability of the performer. If everyone could play every note in the whole piece perfectly, it would be impossible for the judges to score. In reality, the best bands will fall somewhere at the top of the continuum while the struggling bands will fall lower. The important thing, to me, is to never give up on getting closer to that gold standard of perfection. I understand that we'll never play every note how we wanted or even sometimes play all of them at all, but we should keep trying. I also do understand that there are some genuine gestures in contest music, even if I don't think they're as common as we think. In the end, the word doesn't really even matter. If a musician can call a difficult passage of music a gesture and continue to work on it to get it as close as the composer intended, great. But, if it's a mental game of looking at what many would call a musical gesture and refusing to see it as such in order to become a better player, then repeat after me: "There is no gesture."
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Where's Your Audience?
I just stumbled upon a great blog that my trombone-playing friend from undergrad just posted. I think most of us (at least musician folk) understand the usual deal when it comes to bands playing in clubs. The band gets either a flat rate or a percentage of the door from the night. There's almost always an added catch: the band has to bring a certain number of people in to the club for the night. The author of the article, Dave Goldberg, brings up some great points.
First, he points out that the great bands are gigging pretty much every night, so it would be impossible for a band to get their friends and family out to the club every night. In fact, he says that often it's the newer bands that don't play many gigs that can get their whole entourage to show up.
Second, he says that even if many people do show up, they're following the band, not the venue. The smart business owner should fill his/her venue up with great acts night after night and build a venue following. This way, people will keep coming back to the venue and trust that whenever they are there, a great band will be playing.
Lastly, he brings up a good point about the big double standard that musicians have to face. Does the bartender need to bring his or her friends to the bar? Does the chef need to have a certain number of people eat his or her meals? Yet bands have to play for meager pay ($25 a night!?) so that they can get "exposure."
Please read Dave Goldberg's blog post "Why LA Club Owners are Totally Lost and Some Advice for them from a Professional Musician."
First, he points out that the great bands are gigging pretty much every night, so it would be impossible for a band to get their friends and family out to the club every night. In fact, he says that often it's the newer bands that don't play many gigs that can get their whole entourage to show up.
Second, he says that even if many people do show up, they're following the band, not the venue. The smart business owner should fill his/her venue up with great acts night after night and build a venue following. This way, people will keep coming back to the venue and trust that whenever they are there, a great band will be playing.
Lastly, he brings up a good point about the big double standard that musicians have to face. Does the bartender need to bring his or her friends to the bar? Does the chef need to have a certain number of people eat his or her meals? Yet bands have to play for meager pay ($25 a night!?) so that they can get "exposure."
Please read Dave Goldberg's blog post "Why LA Club Owners are Totally Lost and Some Advice for them from a Professional Musician."
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Cell Phone Stops New York Philharmonic Mid-Performance
I just read a blog that my friend reposted on Facebook. To further the spread of the blog, I figured I would repost it on my blog as well. The following blog post was taken from: Thousandfold Echo. Please stop by and check out his blog for more good entries!
!@#&^%$!!!!!! (Cellphone halts Mahler’s Ninth mid-movement)
For those who say that the concert hall needs to loosen up, who want tweet-seats and more technology, be careful what you wish for.
Until today I’ve never been to a concert where a cellphone stopped the orchestra in the middle of a piece, but now I can check that awful milestone off the list. I’ll try to record it as accurately as I can, with my still-jangling nerves.
It was in the fourth movement. (Funny how these disturbances never happen in fortissimo passages.) After the last climax, as the movement begins to wind down, toward that sublime last page of the score where music and silence are almost indistinguishable. In other words, just about the worst possible moment. (After a quick check of my Dover score, I think it was about 13 bars before the last Adagissimo.) [UPDATE: commenters have pointed out that the phone was ringing in louder passages earlier in the movement.]
When we reached that passage, as Alan Gilbert turned to the first violins and the sound grew ever more hushed and veiled, the unmistakable chimes of the iPhone Marimba ringtone resounded loud and clear throughout Avery Fisher Hall. (Checked on my iPhone afterward to confirm which one it was.) And it kept on ringing, and ringing. Gilbert kept on conducting for a few bars, but unbelievably, the sound kept on going. (Doesn’t this guy have voicemail?)
Of all places, the offender was sitting in the very front row, center section, on the aisle (stage right). In other words, right in front of the concertmaster.
Finally, Gilbert dropped his hands and stopped the orchestra, turned to the offender, and looked at him. To everyone’s disbelief, the sound just kept on going, and going. Someone shouted, “Thousand dollar fine.”
Gilbert said something like, “Are you finished?” The guy didn’t move a muscle. Gilbert: “Fine. We’ll wait.” And he turned to the podium and lay down his baton.
As the marimba kept on clanging, someone shouted, “Kick him out!” Another echoed. Some started to clap. But then others shushed the hall down, preventing pandemonium from erupting.
Finally, it stopped. Gilbert: “Did you turn it off?” The guy nodded. Gilbert: “It won’t go off again?” Another nod. Gilbert turned to the audience, and said, “Ordinarily in disturbances like these, it’s better not to stop, since stopping is worse than the disturbance. But this was so egregious, that . . .” (I lost his words here), and the audience burst into boisterous applause.
Gilbert turned to the orchestra, said “Number 118,” and started up again, at the point where the trombones enter fortissimo for the last big climax. I wish I could say you could have heard a pin drop from then on, but there were a few coughers; this is New York, after all. Still, there was a palpable sense of tension from orchestra and audience, as Mahler’s Ninth finally found its way home.
–Michael
[UPDATE: I want to clarify that aside from the three shouts I quoted above, the audience was relatively restrained in its reaction; you could sense that people were upset, but they kept themselves under control, and actually shushed the few shouters so that Gilbert could deal effectively with the situation. This wasn't the concert-hall equivalent of road rage. Another account at Superconductor corroborates what I saw and heard; see also WQXR's Naomi Lewin here, and two other eyewitness accounts here and here. Go to Norman Lebrecht's indispensable Slipped Disc (see our blogroll) for some interesting comments on this episode.]
Monday, October 10, 2011
New Online Euphonium Store Just Opened
Last night, I was wondering through Facebook before I went to bed, when I remembered that I had received a notice about a new brass online store that was opening called Euphonic Melodies. I figured I'd "like" it and check it out before I turned in for the night. When I "liked" it, the owner, Nicholas Haffter Von Heide, sent me a personal thank you! We began talking about the brand-new store that he just opened three days ago and his plans for it.
.
Nick, the owner of Euphonic Melodies, is an Iraq War veteran who has has also spent some of his time in the military playing euphonium. He has an undergrad degree in music education and is currently studying music industry and euphonium performance at Texas A&M at Corpus Christi. Recently, he and his wife decided to make the jump from his previous business, instructing local low brassers, to his new bigger and better online retail business that will ship products anywhere.
Nick is turning out to be a very hands-on business owner. He told me about how he wants everyone's suggestions on what we want to see in his online store. That's because he wants to sell what people want. Well, there's a product that I've been looking for forever. My gig bag tarnishes my horn. I remember that when I got my Besson, it came in a bag that would protect it from things like that. However, I just moved a few months ago, and in the move, the bag seemed to disappear. Now, my silver euphonium looks like its 100 years old without its Besson bag! I put that to the test by suggesting what I thought was an absolutely impossible product to find.
.
"You know those bags that Besson euphoniums come in? I lost mine and apparently they're not for sale anywhere." I said.
.
"Hmmm, maybe I will fabricate a bag then,"he said. It seems like there is a market for that."
.
Nick and I are off on a project now. He's actually going to sew a bag for me to replace the one that I lost. We're currently talking about fabrics what would be good. I'm sure I'll test it out on my own horn for awhile. Maybe in a few months, you'll see a bag that will solve other people's gig bag tarnish issues up for sale on his website!
Nick is up against the odds with his new website. Starting a new business in any economy is rough, but starting one in a recession is going to be hard. Similar niche-market websites aren't doing well in this economy. Solid Brass just went up for sale a few weeks ago. I think, even though Nick is going against traffic, he does have an edge. He's so personal with everyone who comes to his website that you can just tell him what you want and he'll get it. In some ways, this is almost everyone else's opportunity to help him form his new store to what we want it to be.
.
Please stop by his website, Euphonic Melodies, and say "hi". Even if you don't buy anything, shoot him an email giving him suggestions about what you'd like to see in the store. I think it would be amazing to flood his inbox with suggestions from my blog readers! If he's willing to make a custom bag for me, he's probably pretty likely to carry your favorite brand of valve oil!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)