haven't written much for.........awhile.........
time to do again....
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Do bagpipes count as music?? or Golly gee...Scottish cello!!
This last weekend was spent in the lovely countryside of Lake Norman, near Charlotte, NC. I went that direction to attend the yearly meetings of Clan Ross, and the payoff was lovely lovely countryside and lots of tartan and bagpipes.
The Scots assembled, all celebrating their heritage, in different and diverse ways, tossed telephone poles, had high jumps for bales of hay, did discus throws with a lump of metal at the end of a 3 foot broom handle, and danced and piped and drummed, singly and in groups.
And tucked into one of the clan tents, doing their own thing with great glee, was a fiddle band. What fun!! Four fiddles (otherwise known as violins), a guitar, a bodran (flat drum played with a double ended stick), and !! a cello !! In a style of playing that to a classical player seems like controlled anarchy, a tune is announced, and all start - no music, no conductor, and only a 'sort of' leader. Again, what fun!! Violins can play melody or harmony, and embellish the tune as their skill leads; the guitar does chords, and the cello usually does a bass part, though in this very egalitarian ensemble, the cello shifting to the tune means that someone else plays the bass harmonies.
I had a grand time listening to their set of about 15 minutes, and introduced myself when they were done. They were breaking up, so I didn't get to sit in, as I did 2 summers ago when in Belgium... ah well.
However... the fates that watch over cellists missing their instruments were smiling, and as I walked around looking at the other tents, turns out they had gone to their home tent -- and I did sit in. We played "Simple Gifts" - the one tune that I knew, and did it a couple of times, with variations.
The decorations of the tunes remind me of baroque ornamentation - and so that worked well from my bag of tricks, and/but I was/am totally awed by the vast repertoire that sits in their hands and heads --
The Scots assembled, all celebrating their heritage, in different and diverse ways, tossed telephone poles, had high jumps for bales of hay, did discus throws with a lump of metal at the end of a 3 foot broom handle, and danced and piped and drummed, singly and in groups.
And tucked into one of the clan tents, doing their own thing with great glee, was a fiddle band. What fun!! Four fiddles (otherwise known as violins), a guitar, a bodran (flat drum played with a double ended stick), and !! a cello !! In a style of playing that to a classical player seems like controlled anarchy, a tune is announced, and all start - no music, no conductor, and only a 'sort of' leader. Again, what fun!! Violins can play melody or harmony, and embellish the tune as their skill leads; the guitar does chords, and the cello usually does a bass part, though in this very egalitarian ensemble, the cello shifting to the tune means that someone else plays the bass harmonies.
I had a grand time listening to their set of about 15 minutes, and introduced myself when they were done. They were breaking up, so I didn't get to sit in, as I did 2 summers ago when in Belgium... ah well.
However... the fates that watch over cellists missing their instruments were smiling, and as I walked around looking at the other tents, turns out they had gone to their home tent -- and I did sit in. We played "Simple Gifts" - the one tune that I knew, and did it a couple of times, with variations.
The decorations of the tunes remind me of baroque ornamentation - and so that worked well from my bag of tricks, and/but I was/am totally awed by the vast repertoire that sits in their hands and heads --
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Hand Wisdom
Those of you who know me with a cello in hand also know that often my hands have knitting needles in them, and I read books on both subjects!
The following passage, while written about knitting, is SO applicable to cello learning! Both are about teaching one's hands to do new & different things.
"Most people learn to knit by rote. That is, they are told or shown exactly what to do with their hands and yarn and needles, step by step. At first doing it is extremely awkward. Then it gets easier. Hands learn things far more slowly than minds do. You tell your fingers what to do and expect instant obedience, but it takes a while for fingers to figure out just how to obey. ...
The following passage, while written about knitting, is SO applicable to cello learning! Both are about teaching one's hands to do new & different things.
"Most people learn to knit by rote. That is, they are told or shown exactly what to do with their hands and yarn and needles, step by step. At first doing it is extremely awkward. Then it gets easier. Hands learn things far more slowly than minds do. You tell your fingers what to do and expect instant obedience, but it takes a while for fingers to figure out just how to obey. ...
... . Once their hands know how to do whatever needs to be done, their heads begin to catch up. They begin paying attention to the fabric that is appearing under their hands."
BK// "knitting for anarchists" by anna zilboorg
...and I hope that anyone who looks at people who have studied with me will see principles rather than clones -- for that is surely my wish.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
"keep the brain working"
... says (cause I sure can't read the type)
Music Lessons for Adults
Want to hear a great song? Make 2012 the year you step away from the stereo and pick up a guitar, trumpet, or a set of drumsticks. ...Here's reason to tune up: Adults who study an instrument often come away with improved motor skills, auditory skills, and cognitive function, says Meagan Curtis, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor and a music cognition expert at the State University of New York at Purchase College. Your self-esteem might get a boost too.
...and ...there's no age limit on getting started....education researchers have found that adult learners (have) great self-motivation and sharper analytical abilities."
Sure has been my experience.
Monday, December 12, 2011
December is a month for ornaments !!
I am sitting at my desk looking at the transformed living room -- the tree is up, and each year, even with the same ornaments, it looks different -- each year is a different pattern with most of the same elements, but put on differently, and making different patterns.
Why am I rabbitting on about Christmas trees in the music blog? Well, it has to do with ornaments. Figure that this month all of you have more than enough to do getting all the final projects done for school, and getting things done for family celebrations, so this is more of a muse about music past and present than more for your practice room.
Today, classical instrumentalists are asked, ala Dragnet, for "just the notes ma'am". One contemporary writing on music compared us to bus drivers, who endeavor to get from point A to point B with the fewest number of wrong turns. This state of affairs is a 20th century construction -
During every earlier 'age', ALL musicians were expected to use their minds as well as their voices and fingers -- and to 'decorate' the music on the stand with 'extra' notes that would enhance the tune. We still hear that in jazz and pop, but it has largely disappeared from the classical.
Did you know that during the Baroque period, (think Bach, Handel, Telemann, Boismortier, and court orchestras), there were house musicians who were the after dinner entertainment, and the house composer (if there was a chef and a horse master, there was a house composer) was charged with writing at least 2 hours of new music each week for the duke/prince/king/cardinal. Given this much inventing (not to mention the hours of writing - no copy machine, no finale computer program) and given that paper and ink were expensive, they saved on both by writing down the basics of the tune, aka a lead sheet, and relied on the skill and inventiveness of the musicians to flesh out the bare bones written down. (nb. one of the reasons that early music - baroque, classical - sounds so simple is that no one is ornamenting!)
You hear ornaments all the time in pop music, but likely do not label it as ornaments. Ear candy for hearing ornaments -- compare "where are you Christmas" as sung in the Grinch movie by Cindy Lou Who/aka Hollie Steel vs. the same song sung by Faith Steel, in the credits of the same movie (and on the all Christmas music radio 93.9) ... you can check out both of these on itunes.
Happy merry -- may all the lights be bright and shiny, and all the wishes delivered.
Why am I rabbitting on about Christmas trees in the music blog? Well, it has to do with ornaments. Figure that this month all of you have more than enough to do getting all the final projects done for school, and getting things done for family celebrations, so this is more of a muse about music past and present than more for your practice room.
Today, classical instrumentalists are asked, ala Dragnet, for "just the notes ma'am". One contemporary writing on music compared us to bus drivers, who endeavor to get from point A to point B with the fewest number of wrong turns. This state of affairs is a 20th century construction -
During every earlier 'age', ALL musicians were expected to use their minds as well as their voices and fingers -- and to 'decorate' the music on the stand with 'extra' notes that would enhance the tune. We still hear that in jazz and pop, but it has largely disappeared from the classical.
Did you know that during the Baroque period, (think Bach, Handel, Telemann, Boismortier, and court orchestras), there were house musicians who were the after dinner entertainment, and the house composer (if there was a chef and a horse master, there was a house composer) was charged with writing at least 2 hours of new music each week for the duke/prince/king/cardinal. Given this much inventing (not to mention the hours of writing - no copy machine, no finale computer program) and given that paper and ink were expensive, they saved on both by writing down the basics of the tune, aka a lead sheet, and relied on the skill and inventiveness of the musicians to flesh out the bare bones written down. (nb. one of the reasons that early music - baroque, classical - sounds so simple is that no one is ornamenting!)
You hear ornaments all the time in pop music, but likely do not label it as ornaments. Ear candy for hearing ornaments -- compare "where are you Christmas" as sung in the Grinch movie by Cindy Lou Who/aka Hollie Steel vs. the same song sung by Faith Steel, in the credits of the same movie (and on the all Christmas music radio 93.9) ... you can check out both of these on itunes.
Happy merry -- may all the lights be bright and shiny, and all the wishes delivered.
Friday, October 28, 2011
NOVEMBER - is long bow month !!!
if the left hand is the words, the right hand is the breath....
and it's good to know how to whisper, and yell, and do all inbetween.
this month, think about using ALL of the bow - for maybe 2 minutes at the start of each practice.
TODO: start at the frog, and do a downbow for a count of 8 (slow) getting all the way to the tip. When that is easy, move to 10 or 12 for the count. Upbow, ditto.
... and of course, the bow keeps moving continuously, and the sound is nice - and the bow is 1/2 way between end of fingerboard and bridge.
namaste....
and it's good to know how to whisper, and yell, and do all inbetween.
this month, think about using ALL of the bow - for maybe 2 minutes at the start of each practice.
TODO: start at the frog, and do a downbow for a count of 8 (slow) getting all the way to the tip. When that is easy, move to 10 or 12 for the count. Upbow, ditto.
... and of course, the bow keeps moving continuously, and the sound is nice - and the bow is 1/2 way between end of fingerboard and bridge.
namaste....
Celebrate !!
Allow yourself to trust joy and embrace it. You will find you dance with everything.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Don Quixote - quick and dirty
this sunday, Oct 16, is the kickoff concert for SOPRF 80th season, and the centerpiece tune is Don Quixote. A cello concerto w/out the name in the title, the Don's travels are musically protrayed by a solo cello - and his loyal side-kick, Sancho - by a solo viola.
the cello part is being played by John Sharp, principal cellist of CSO - I've heard him, and he is lovely (natch, but it also bears repeating)
Unfortunately.... I will be in virginia moving boxes, a date and activity set long before the concerts were known. so.... I hope you can enjoy the music, for yourself and for me...
check out the link for pretty pictures and more information -- symphonyOPRF web site.
cheerio...
the cello part is being played by John Sharp, principal cellist of CSO - I've heard him, and he is lovely (natch, but it also bears repeating)
Unfortunately.... I will be in virginia moving boxes, a date and activity set long before the concerts were known. so.... I hope you can enjoy the music, for yourself and for me...
check out the link for pretty pictures and more information -- symphonyOPRF web site.
cheerio...
Monday, September 19, 2011
Grace Cantatas - starts this Sunday
Every season, for the past 35 years or so, Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, has offered a series of Vespers Services -- and they do Bach - playing his cantatas where, and how, they were meant to be performed --- in church, within a service, one per time. It is hard to say how special this is.
The first for the 2011-12 season is this coming Sunday, Sept 25. Time is 3.40 for the prelude, and then about an hour fifteen for the service. About 1/3 litury, 1/3 homily (by visiting person), 1/3 music, including a full Bach cantata - which is why I am there, because they hire in a chamber orchestra.
This particular Sunday, because it is the first of the season, will be followed by a reception - to which I believe all are invited -- and at the reception, another Bach vocal/orch piece - the "coffee cantata" will be performed.
please see if your sunday can include this -- good music, a time to sit and reflect (notice I did not say veg). There is a balcony if one is concerned about wiggles, and as said - just a very special.
What are Vespers? This service is drawn from the service originally done at sunset - saying, basically "gee whiz, thanks for getting me through the day" -- and was one of the 7 (?) daily services in cloistered orders (long ago). Even though once a month rather than daily, it still offers the opening to say thanks.
SER and this service. I have been playing these concerts for longer than son Carlyn has been alive (you can do the math). During my tenure, I have played for 6 directors, starting with Paul Boumann, to the current cantor/music director, Michael Costello. Obviously, I think this is music worth playing
The first for the 2011-12 season is this coming Sunday, Sept 25. Time is 3.40 for the prelude, and then about an hour fifteen for the service. About 1/3 litury, 1/3 homily (by visiting person), 1/3 music, including a full Bach cantata - which is why I am there, because they hire in a chamber orchestra.
This particular Sunday, because it is the first of the season, will be followed by a reception - to which I believe all are invited -- and at the reception, another Bach vocal/orch piece - the "coffee cantata" will be performed.
please see if your sunday can include this -- good music, a time to sit and reflect (notice I did not say veg). There is a balcony if one is concerned about wiggles, and as said - just a very special.
What are Vespers? This service is drawn from the service originally done at sunset - saying, basically "gee whiz, thanks for getting me through the day" -- and was one of the 7 (?) daily services in cloistered orders (long ago). Even though once a month rather than daily, it still offers the opening to say thanks.
SER and this service. I have been playing these concerts for longer than son Carlyn has been alive (you can do the math). During my tenure, I have played for 6 directors, starting with Paul Boumann, to the current cantor/music director, Michael Costello. Obviously, I think this is music worth playing
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What do musicians do all day....
When I was a very small person, there was a golden book, and the title was "what do daddies do all day?" -- and it started, "what do daddies do all day, while their children sing and play"... and then it followed the daddies as they went to offices, factories and other work places.
So... what do musicians do....
I learned, about 2 days ago, that I will be principal for the november concert run of New Phil. The program includes Wagner Siegfried Idyll, Barber Violin concerto and Bernstein Symphonic dances. In addition to sitting at the front of the section during reh and concerts, this means that I set (ahead of time - and based on my knowledge and experience) the bowings for the pieces, and mark the same in a master part.
today I did some prep for this -- Yesterday I got these three tunes from the library, and today I checked out YouTube to see what was on line. I found an amazing performance that -- for the barber concerto - ran the violin solo part music visually while the music was playing. It was a great help, as the barber is a piece that changes meter frequently, and has a lot of flux in the tempo. Tomorrow I start marking the bowing.
also coming down the pike - a couple of performances to check out and put on the calendar !!
beethoven 9 on Sept 30/Oct 1 at College of DuPage
Grace Cantata on Sept 25 -
more details on these tomorrow
oh yes, and cello time
So... what do musicians do....
I learned, about 2 days ago, that I will be principal for the november concert run of New Phil. The program includes Wagner Siegfried Idyll, Barber Violin concerto and Bernstein Symphonic dances. In addition to sitting at the front of the section during reh and concerts, this means that I set (ahead of time - and based on my knowledge and experience) the bowings for the pieces, and mark the same in a master part.
today I did some prep for this -- Yesterday I got these three tunes from the library, and today I checked out YouTube to see what was on line. I found an amazing performance that -- for the barber concerto - ran the violin solo part music visually while the music was playing. It was a great help, as the barber is a piece that changes meter frequently, and has a lot of flux in the tempo. Tomorrow I start marking the bowing.
also coming down the pike - a couple of performances to check out and put on the calendar !!
beethoven 9 on Sept 30/Oct 1 at College of DuPage
Grace Cantata on Sept 25 -
more details on these tomorrow
oh yes, and cello time
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