You guys sound great!
Looking forward to the performance this weekend!
Showing posts with label CYO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CYO. Show all posts
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
reading vs. playing
Date of Rehearsal: 03/12/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire Rehearsed: Strauss Jr, and Anderson
Snow day is not an excuse to stop practicing, folks! If anything, it should make you think like the following: "if I don't practice this week extra hard, then I will forget some things by the next rehearsal, so I better practice extra, and listen to the recording more often".
It seems to me that many of you didn't think this way last week, and you saw the results. We were doing so well, and I am very upset at the weather (not at you). But please don't forget this in the future.
In the rehearsal, I briefly mentioned "reading" the notes as opposed to "playing" the notes, and I suppose this could use a bit of clarification.
When you "read" your notes. You are playing (producing the sounds of) the notes in the efforts to BECOME familiar with the music. At this point, you are not expressing anything yet, you are trying to figure out what the music is about, and what the notes, fingerings, phrasings, bowings, etc. are, so you know what and how to express the music in the future through practicing.
"Playing" the notes, in contrast, occurs AFTER you've read through, practiced and have figured things out. When you are "playing", you KNOW the music. You know what to do, how to do, and know what it is about, and you are expressing the music from your heart.
I know for a fact, that all of you have experienced "playing" music before (in a real way). And you can think back to yesterday and compare yourself from when you were really "playing".
In my experience, reading is not as fun as playing. I mean reading can be enjoyable when we first get the music. I get excited to find out how the music goes. I am excited to discover new things. But when you continue to "read" the same music week after week, I don't really need to tell you what happens, do I?
It's never fun to remain where you are, no matter what circumstances. That's why we play different music every concert. We enjoy evolving, and learning. I think it's safe to say that we all do. But to advance, it takes courage and work.
At the end of our previous rehearsal before the snow storm, I was feeling a sense of bliss, for I thought we were headed straight towards "playing" those notes, and was very excited about it.
But the weather set us back some. We were there once before, I am confident that we can get back on track.
Please work extra extra hard this week, and lets really "play" the music next time!
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire Rehearsed: Strauss Jr, and Anderson
Snow day is not an excuse to stop practicing, folks! If anything, it should make you think like the following: "if I don't practice this week extra hard, then I will forget some things by the next rehearsal, so I better practice extra, and listen to the recording more often".
It seems to me that many of you didn't think this way last week, and you saw the results. We were doing so well, and I am very upset at the weather (not at you). But please don't forget this in the future.
In the rehearsal, I briefly mentioned "reading" the notes as opposed to "playing" the notes, and I suppose this could use a bit of clarification.
When you "read" your notes. You are playing (producing the sounds of) the notes in the efforts to BECOME familiar with the music. At this point, you are not expressing anything yet, you are trying to figure out what the music is about, and what the notes, fingerings, phrasings, bowings, etc. are, so you know what and how to express the music in the future through practicing.
"Playing" the notes, in contrast, occurs AFTER you've read through, practiced and have figured things out. When you are "playing", you KNOW the music. You know what to do, how to do, and know what it is about, and you are expressing the music from your heart.
I know for a fact, that all of you have experienced "playing" music before (in a real way). And you can think back to yesterday and compare yourself from when you were really "playing".
In my experience, reading is not as fun as playing. I mean reading can be enjoyable when we first get the music. I get excited to find out how the music goes. I am excited to discover new things. But when you continue to "read" the same music week after week, I don't really need to tell you what happens, do I?
It's never fun to remain where you are, no matter what circumstances. That's why we play different music every concert. We enjoy evolving, and learning. I think it's safe to say that we all do. But to advance, it takes courage and work.
At the end of our previous rehearsal before the snow storm, I was feeling a sense of bliss, for I thought we were headed straight towards "playing" those notes, and was very excited about it.
But the weather set us back some. We were there once before, I am confident that we can get back on track.
Please work extra extra hard this week, and lets really "play" the music next time!
Monday, February 23, 2015
push and pull
Date of Rehearsal: 02/19/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: Waltz no. 4 & 5
We had a sectional rehearsal during the first half, where we separated winds/brass and strings so each group can work on our own unique issues and are able to address more technical issues in more depths.
In both sectional and tutti rehearsals, all of us concentrated on just two of the waltzes (actually, strings didn't get to the 5th waltz in our sectional, but we intended to anyway). I think concentrating on a small section is very helpful. We can really solve (or at least begin to) many of the issues within the section, and by learning how to tackle a specific issue, gives you a tool to tackle another issue, and every challenge we will face from then on should feel a little bit easier each time.
And I started from the most difficult of the waltzes. No. 4 has the biggest contrast both in tempi and characters, and the first half (the slower section) also requires us to be flexible with timing, which is very difficult to coordinate between the 35 of us. No. 5 includes an intro (Eingang) that is a bit schizophrenic in character, alternating between piano and forte every two measures, and the second half of the waltz is the loudest of all, and requires us to be dramatic and exciting, while still remaining graceful at the same time.
We also listened to a recording of it together, and discussed different things that we discovered just by listening to it. we also talked about push and pull of the tempo that is prevalent throughout this piece, and briefly discussed "why", which I think is a very important question to ask. I think you all know the general idea why such things need to happen in music, but I would like each of you to think about "why" in each specific places where we take certain liberties with the tempo. Why there at that particular spot? Why do we do what we do at that spot? What would that do to the music? What is the effect? What is the image?
Strings, please practice your bowings. It is so important that we get our bowings down for two big reasons: 1) a sense of unity. When everybody does the same choreographed movements, we are tighter together, and each of you should find a stronger sense of duty and pride for your own section, when you are so together, down to your physical movements and eventually breath.
2) the correct articulation and sound. I design the bowings, not based on looks, but so that you are more likely to use the right amount of bow, and play at the right part of the bow, to get the maximum effect for each passages. Oftentimes, changing the bowings can make ALL the difference: from impossible to play to "Oh, this is easy", and vise versa, if you have the "wrong" bowings.
Next week, we will work on the intro and the outro (Coda II)!! Please be ready to play those sections for this coming rehearsal!
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: Waltz no. 4 & 5
We had a sectional rehearsal during the first half, where we separated winds/brass and strings so each group can work on our own unique issues and are able to address more technical issues in more depths.
In both sectional and tutti rehearsals, all of us concentrated on just two of the waltzes (actually, strings didn't get to the 5th waltz in our sectional, but we intended to anyway). I think concentrating on a small section is very helpful. We can really solve (or at least begin to) many of the issues within the section, and by learning how to tackle a specific issue, gives you a tool to tackle another issue, and every challenge we will face from then on should feel a little bit easier each time.
And I started from the most difficult of the waltzes. No. 4 has the biggest contrast both in tempi and characters, and the first half (the slower section) also requires us to be flexible with timing, which is very difficult to coordinate between the 35 of us. No. 5 includes an intro (Eingang) that is a bit schizophrenic in character, alternating between piano and forte every two measures, and the second half of the waltz is the loudest of all, and requires us to be dramatic and exciting, while still remaining graceful at the same time.
We also listened to a recording of it together, and discussed different things that we discovered just by listening to it. we also talked about push and pull of the tempo that is prevalent throughout this piece, and briefly discussed "why", which I think is a very important question to ask. I think you all know the general idea why such things need to happen in music, but I would like each of you to think about "why" in each specific places where we take certain liberties with the tempo. Why there at that particular spot? Why do we do what we do at that spot? What would that do to the music? What is the effect? What is the image?
Strings, please practice your bowings. It is so important that we get our bowings down for two big reasons: 1) a sense of unity. When everybody does the same choreographed movements, we are tighter together, and each of you should find a stronger sense of duty and pride for your own section, when you are so together, down to your physical movements and eventually breath.
2) the correct articulation and sound. I design the bowings, not based on looks, but so that you are more likely to use the right amount of bow, and play at the right part of the bow, to get the maximum effect for each passages. Oftentimes, changing the bowings can make ALL the difference: from impossible to play to "Oh, this is easy", and vise versa, if you have the "wrong" bowings.
Next week, we will work on the intro and the outro (Coda II)!! Please be ready to play those sections for this coming rehearsal!
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
it's all Greek to me...
Date of Rehearsal: 02/12/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire Rehearsed: Strauss Jr.
Yay, we finally got through the whole piece! This piece is a bit long and somehow complicated when all the waltzes are strung together.But each section is quite simple. Each waltz has two contrasting sections, and each sections are repeated twice before moving on, and once the second section is repeated, they go back to the beginning of the waltz to play each sections again, this time, just once through (A-A-B-B-A-B). And that's the formula for each waltz (except for the fourth one since we are ignoring the "dollar signs" for that one).
Now that we have went through every bit of the piece, I hope that you all have a better idea as to how the piece goes in general. I think it's very important to know what we are shooting for. In fact, I think it is rather impossible to accomplish anything, if we don't have an idea as to what it is that we are trying to do.
In the past, I have met and talked to many music teachers that don't believe in students listening to recordings. They believe that students should come up with or develop their own ideas as to how the music goes (by looking at the sheet music???). I vehemently, and violently disagree. For many many many many reasons. Just to mention a couple of those reasons, first of all, classical music, is deeply rooted in tradition, and a very particular culture. We all say "music is universal". that statement is misleading. Yes, "music" is universal, but a specific genre of music is not universal at all.
Who here listens to ancient Vietnamese music, or Indian ragas, or Japanese Gagaku, or Bulgarian instrumental folk music, or African ritual music on a regular basis, who here understands them perfectly, and can strongly relate to them? And IF you do understand and relate to those music, can you then, also relate to hiphop, country, and techno music? If you don't/can't relate to all of these these different styles, why would you assume that EVERYONE on Earth understands Western Classical music, which is one of the most eccentric, and complicated forms of all music.
Telling students to learn the music without letting them listen to how it is supposed to go, is like going up to a random child among a nomadic tribe in the middle of Mongolian plains, and expecting him/her to read and understand Latin, or Greek, or Victorian English.
Each style of music is based on it's own extra-music cultures and history. Each has it's own purpose, style, aesthetics, symbolisms, philosophy, and "language".
But since music is something designed for us to "listen" to, the easiest way to start understanding the music is by start listening to them. Not just once or twice, but as often as you possibly can. You must surround yourself in that sound, and that culture.
It is also very helpful to understand the background of the music, so I also strongly encourage you to read a little about it. For our purpose, we can start by reading a little but about Johann Strauss Jr. Even a little Googling can help you out tremendously.
Speaking of Mongolia, I just recently found this video. So interesting. This shows a style of music emerged out of different environment, needs, culture, aesthetics, and purpose from any music we are used to listening to (Although, this instrument is tuned similarly to the cello with D and A strings, and I think he is using a viola bow......)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_5yt5IX38I#t=51
Anyway,
Keep listening to the music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJcoKNY_tes
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire Rehearsed: Strauss Jr.
Yay, we finally got through the whole piece! This piece is a bit long and somehow complicated when all the waltzes are strung together.But each section is quite simple. Each waltz has two contrasting sections, and each sections are repeated twice before moving on, and once the second section is repeated, they go back to the beginning of the waltz to play each sections again, this time, just once through (A-A-B-B-A-B). And that's the formula for each waltz (except for the fourth one since we are ignoring the "dollar signs" for that one).
Now that we have went through every bit of the piece, I hope that you all have a better idea as to how the piece goes in general. I think it's very important to know what we are shooting for. In fact, I think it is rather impossible to accomplish anything, if we don't have an idea as to what it is that we are trying to do.
In the past, I have met and talked to many music teachers that don't believe in students listening to recordings. They believe that students should come up with or develop their own ideas as to how the music goes (by looking at the sheet music???). I vehemently, and violently disagree. For many many many many reasons. Just to mention a couple of those reasons, first of all, classical music, is deeply rooted in tradition, and a very particular culture. We all say "music is universal". that statement is misleading. Yes, "music" is universal, but a specific genre of music is not universal at all.
Who here listens to ancient Vietnamese music, or Indian ragas, or Japanese Gagaku, or Bulgarian instrumental folk music, or African ritual music on a regular basis, who here understands them perfectly, and can strongly relate to them? And IF you do understand and relate to those music, can you then, also relate to hiphop, country, and techno music? If you don't/can't relate to all of these these different styles, why would you assume that EVERYONE on Earth understands Western Classical music, which is one of the most eccentric, and complicated forms of all music.
Telling students to learn the music without letting them listen to how it is supposed to go, is like going up to a random child among a nomadic tribe in the middle of Mongolian plains, and expecting him/her to read and understand Latin, or Greek, or Victorian English.
Each style of music is based on it's own extra-music cultures and history. Each has it's own purpose, style, aesthetics, symbolisms, philosophy, and "language".
But since music is something designed for us to "listen" to, the easiest way to start understanding the music is by start listening to them. Not just once or twice, but as often as you possibly can. You must surround yourself in that sound, and that culture.
It is also very helpful to understand the background of the music, so I also strongly encourage you to read a little about it. For our purpose, we can start by reading a little but about Johann Strauss Jr. Even a little Googling can help you out tremendously.
Speaking of Mongolia, I just recently found this video. So interesting. This shows a style of music emerged out of different environment, needs, culture, aesthetics, and purpose from any music we are used to listening to (Although, this instrument is tuned similarly to the cello with D and A strings, and I think he is using a viola bow......)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_5yt5IX38I#t=51
Anyway,
Keep listening to the music!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJcoKNY_tes
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
tough questions
Date of Rehearsal: 02/05/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: waltz no. 1, 2 & 4 (Strauss)
Thank you all for a focused rehearsal that night. I do believe in having fun, but I also believe that making music with your friends is much more fun than doing many other things, and you only get to do it so many times a week. So here in our CYO rehearsals, I'd like us to really get into the music and forget about everything else.
To get into it, you must hear the music, and see the painting in the head. You must see the image. What is happening in the background? What is happening in the foreground? When and how often do the scenes change from one picture to another? Are the scenes similar, or different? Is there a story? and finally, what/where are you in these pictures? Are you a tree in the background, or are you one of the shiny teeth in someone's smile? What role must you take?
These are the questions we need to answer. Tough questions, but there are many of us. I believe we can find our answers if we stick together.
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: waltz no. 1, 2 & 4 (Strauss)
Thank you all for a focused rehearsal that night. I do believe in having fun, but I also believe that making music with your friends is much more fun than doing many other things, and you only get to do it so many times a week. So here in our CYO rehearsals, I'd like us to really get into the music and forget about everything else.
To get into it, you must hear the music, and see the painting in the head. You must see the image. What is happening in the background? What is happening in the foreground? When and how often do the scenes change from one picture to another? Are the scenes similar, or different? Is there a story? and finally, what/where are you in these pictures? Are you a tree in the background, or are you one of the shiny teeth in someone's smile? What role must you take?
These are the questions we need to answer. Tough questions, but there are many of us. I believe we can find our answers if we stick together.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
what is an orchestra?
Rehearsal date: 01/29/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: Waltz No.1~3
I have always been a member of some kind of ensemble/orchestra ever since I was 8 years old. But it wasn't always great.
In college, I hated orchestra. In college, orchestra was there for the promotion of the schools, not the promotion of the well-being or the training or education for the students. In college, orchestra was required for all students who studied an orchestral instrument. In college, your private teachers, and all the classroom teachers thought their lessons/classes were more important than the orchestra. In college, we all "learned" that orchestra wasn't important, yet we all had to do it, three times a week at 9 in the morning. Often the very first thing we did in the day. In college, we had seating auditions, and if we did poorly, we were ashamed, and people looked down on people sitting in the back. In college, orchestra was more about the status than the music. But didn't someone say orchestra wasn't important? In college, we were getting mixed message. In college, we were all confused. In college, we learned absolutely nothing in orchestra. In college, I despised being in the orchestra, because I loved orchestra in general, at least how I remembered it to be.
After I graduated from school and started playing in ensembles and orchestras around the city, I learned that there were nice orchestras, and not so nice orchestras (whereas, before college, it was always always great). And the difference between a nice orchestra and a not-so-nice orchestra seemed to me, depended on the leaders, and the other players - do they really know what orchestra is about, or did they only have the kind of experience I had in college?
I would suspect that if you don't "get" it, it must be super boring to play in an orchestra. And your attitude shows, and that's what creates bad experience for the others.
So here are some tips for you (in order to help you understand what orchestra is really about).
The most important thing about being in the orchestra, is that you must treat it like a group project, or like a sport team.
As a unit, we have a common goal.
You practice your part, not for yourself, but for others in the group. If each of you sound incredible, the orchestra would inevitably sound better. That's why you practice your part. Like being very good at your position in a sport team. If you are a good goalie, the other team won't be able to score as much, and your team would likely win more often. That's why goalies practice getting better at defending their goals.
Each individual part therefore is very important, and they are important that they are played well, BUT (!) all of that would mean nothing, if we can't work as a team. It doesn't matter how good your goalie is, if your defenders lack coordination and strategy, and won't listen to the goalies direction, your goalie can't help you, esp. against the coordinated attacks of the other team.
The most important part that determines how good the orchestra is, is how well we rehearse. You can have all the best players in the county, but if they are not paying attention during rehearsals, you can also have the best conductor in the world but still be the worst orchestra in the county.
If we can't work as a team, if there are people who just don't get why we are there to rehearse, then we don't have much hope.
It is more difficult to be in an orchestra than being in a sport team, because our goal is less clear. What exactly is our goal? We don't have any other teams to beat, nor are there any scores or points that we can gain. But that is precisely why I love orchestra, and why I think it is extremely important for our growth.
Orchestra is non competitive. It is supposed to be anyway. Orchestra is cooperative. We look at the pieces as a challenge. The challenge is to try to figure out what those black dots and lines actually mean. We are, as a team, to decode the secret messages hiding behind those symbols, and make it come alive. We give birth to ideas and statements. Each piece is a challenge, a puzzle. We work together to solve these problems. Orchestra has never been just about playing the right notes at the right time. NEVER. It has always been about ideas, statements and stories, and messages, and will always be so. To tell these stories, to deliver these messages, to understand, and share. That is our goal.
So we need team players, who would work hard for the team. We need players that are proud of the group that they are in and respect their fellow members. We need players that take each rehearsals seriously, and players that want to solve these problems together with other players in the group.
Orchestra is not for your personal status. It will not help you in that regard. Orchestra is unkind to selfish and shallow people. And if you are selfish and shallow and are there for the wrong reason, you disturb others that are not, and ruin the group. So try to be educated about what you are doing. Try to understand what your roles are in the context of this particular group.
Orchestra will only help those that help the orchestra. You would gain only if you participate. And it is fair, for the more you put into it, the more you will gain. That is another reason why I love the orchestra.
So let's be a team player, and make ourselves proud by improving the group, shall we?
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: Waltz No.1~3
I have always been a member of some kind of ensemble/orchestra ever since I was 8 years old. But it wasn't always great.
In college, I hated orchestra. In college, orchestra was there for the promotion of the schools, not the promotion of the well-being or the training or education for the students. In college, orchestra was required for all students who studied an orchestral instrument. In college, your private teachers, and all the classroom teachers thought their lessons/classes were more important than the orchestra. In college, we all "learned" that orchestra wasn't important, yet we all had to do it, three times a week at 9 in the morning. Often the very first thing we did in the day. In college, we had seating auditions, and if we did poorly, we were ashamed, and people looked down on people sitting in the back. In college, orchestra was more about the status than the music. But didn't someone say orchestra wasn't important? In college, we were getting mixed message. In college, we were all confused. In college, we learned absolutely nothing in orchestra. In college, I despised being in the orchestra, because I loved orchestra in general, at least how I remembered it to be.
After I graduated from school and started playing in ensembles and orchestras around the city, I learned that there were nice orchestras, and not so nice orchestras (whereas, before college, it was always always great). And the difference between a nice orchestra and a not-so-nice orchestra seemed to me, depended on the leaders, and the other players - do they really know what orchestra is about, or did they only have the kind of experience I had in college?
I would suspect that if you don't "get" it, it must be super boring to play in an orchestra. And your attitude shows, and that's what creates bad experience for the others.
So here are some tips for you (in order to help you understand what orchestra is really about).
The most important thing about being in the orchestra, is that you must treat it like a group project, or like a sport team.
As a unit, we have a common goal.
You practice your part, not for yourself, but for others in the group. If each of you sound incredible, the orchestra would inevitably sound better. That's why you practice your part. Like being very good at your position in a sport team. If you are a good goalie, the other team won't be able to score as much, and your team would likely win more often. That's why goalies practice getting better at defending their goals.
Each individual part therefore is very important, and they are important that they are played well, BUT (!) all of that would mean nothing, if we can't work as a team. It doesn't matter how good your goalie is, if your defenders lack coordination and strategy, and won't listen to the goalies direction, your goalie can't help you, esp. against the coordinated attacks of the other team.
The most important part that determines how good the orchestra is, is how well we rehearse. You can have all the best players in the county, but if they are not paying attention during rehearsals, you can also have the best conductor in the world but still be the worst orchestra in the county.
If we can't work as a team, if there are people who just don't get why we are there to rehearse, then we don't have much hope.
It is more difficult to be in an orchestra than being in a sport team, because our goal is less clear. What exactly is our goal? We don't have any other teams to beat, nor are there any scores or points that we can gain. But that is precisely why I love orchestra, and why I think it is extremely important for our growth.
Orchestra is non competitive. It is supposed to be anyway. Orchestra is cooperative. We look at the pieces as a challenge. The challenge is to try to figure out what those black dots and lines actually mean. We are, as a team, to decode the secret messages hiding behind those symbols, and make it come alive. We give birth to ideas and statements. Each piece is a challenge, a puzzle. We work together to solve these problems. Orchestra has never been just about playing the right notes at the right time. NEVER. It has always been about ideas, statements and stories, and messages, and will always be so. To tell these stories, to deliver these messages, to understand, and share. That is our goal.
So we need team players, who would work hard for the team. We need players that are proud of the group that they are in and respect their fellow members. We need players that take each rehearsals seriously, and players that want to solve these problems together with other players in the group.
Orchestra is not for your personal status. It will not help you in that regard. Orchestra is unkind to selfish and shallow people. And if you are selfish and shallow and are there for the wrong reason, you disturb others that are not, and ruin the group. So try to be educated about what you are doing. Try to understand what your roles are in the context of this particular group.
Orchestra will only help those that help the orchestra. You would gain only if you participate. And it is fair, for the more you put into it, the more you will gain. That is another reason why I love the orchestra.
So let's be a team player, and make ourselves proud by improving the group, shall we?
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
the waltz
Rehearsal date: 01/22/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: Blue Danube
Sorry for the late post. I had a performance on Saturday and an opera rehearsal on Sunday so my weekend didn't happen.]
Anyway, this new piece is one of the classics of the Classical music. And rightfully so, with it's super memorable, and delightful melodies. All of those waltzes have just the right amount of charm, and the perfect amount of drama. It is not all about blank smiles, but with just enough amount of realism and passion, those light, and pleasant melodies become so much more sincere. And the more sincere they are, the more beautiful to our ears.
I always feel that Johann Strauss Jr. is such an underrated composer. Yes, his music is not "serious" like Brahms or Tchaikovsky or others during the same time period, but he was decidedly a composer of waltz, which was a dance music for the rich people (how serious can dance music be before our feet stops stepping and our brains start turning?). And he was AMAZING, and ground breaking with what he did in that genre. He gave waltz as mush care and polish, and possessed just as much craftsmanship as any of the other "serious" composers brought to their symphonies and chamber music, and overtures. It is just so unfortunate that just because of the genre he has chosen to write in, he and his compositional skill is also taken lightly. In my book, he is just as creative and skilled as any of the legendary figures of the time, and that was the Golden Age of classical music in my opinion (19th century).
By the way, just so there is no confusion, Johann Strauss Jr. was NOT the son of Richard Strauss. I hear people being confused with them all the time. Richard Strauss was a composer of early to mid 20th century, and Johann Strauss Jr. was from mid to late 19th century. So there's about a hundred years in between them, and the Jr. is the more senior :)
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire rehearsed: Blue Danube
Sorry for the late post. I had a performance on Saturday and an opera rehearsal on Sunday so my weekend didn't happen.]
Anyway, this new piece is one of the classics of the Classical music. And rightfully so, with it's super memorable, and delightful melodies. All of those waltzes have just the right amount of charm, and the perfect amount of drama. It is not all about blank smiles, but with just enough amount of realism and passion, those light, and pleasant melodies become so much more sincere. And the more sincere they are, the more beautiful to our ears.
I always feel that Johann Strauss Jr. is such an underrated composer. Yes, his music is not "serious" like Brahms or Tchaikovsky or others during the same time period, but he was decidedly a composer of waltz, which was a dance music for the rich people (how serious can dance music be before our feet stops stepping and our brains start turning?). And he was AMAZING, and ground breaking with what he did in that genre. He gave waltz as mush care and polish, and possessed just as much craftsmanship as any of the other "serious" composers brought to their symphonies and chamber music, and overtures. It is just so unfortunate that just because of the genre he has chosen to write in, he and his compositional skill is also taken lightly. In my book, he is just as creative and skilled as any of the legendary figures of the time, and that was the Golden Age of classical music in my opinion (19th century).
By the way, just so there is no confusion, Johann Strauss Jr. was NOT the son of Richard Strauss. I hear people being confused with them all the time. Richard Strauss was a composer of early to mid 20th century, and Johann Strauss Jr. was from mid to late 19th century. So there's about a hundred years in between them, and the Jr. is the more senior :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
back to basics
Rehearsal Date: 01/15/15
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire Rehearsed: Blue Tango
It's really nice to see that our little family is growing and growing! We had two new students last week, and four more this week, and I think there will be at least two more new people coming next week!
When the orchestra grows bigger in size, somehow, it is encouraging. More people interesting in joining what we are doing can only mean one thing: we are doing something right! Not sure what it is, but whatever it is, let's just keep doing it :)
As we get new players, however, we have to constantly remind ourselves of where each of started from. No one knew each other, and we weren't used to playing together, and maybe also because we have come off of a pretty nice and long break, I feel that we've forgotten what it was like.
I feel as though we have forgotten the kind of attitude, and rehearsal ethics that were needed to have a good ensemble.
Here are some reminders:
Number 1: BRING YOUR MUSIC STANDS
We should start with the basics. No stands, no music. Simple as that. We often forget how we as musicians are so extremely reliant on music stands. To note, I bring the rack of MAC's stands in the room IN CASE someone forgets it. These days it seems everyone is "forgetting" it. Forgetting on purpose does not constitute as forgetting, so I will stop allowing you from taking the MAC stands if you just didn't bring yours because you didn't feel like it.
Number 2: Stop chatting during rehearsal
Need I explain?
Number 3: No playing while I'm talking.
This is perhaps ten times more distracting than chatting. What's worse is that, those who are guilty of this, are usually the same people that are guilty for not playing when they are supposed to play!
Number 4: My hands down, your instruments down. My hands up, your instruments up.
When I'm ready, you should be as well. If you can't do this, that means you are not focused and are zoning out during rehearsal. If you are zoning out, you are not participating, which means you are not helping anybody, nor your group, or yourself for that matter. And if you continue not being ready, it continues to frustrate approximately one member in that room pretty badly. This is also to prevent Number 3 from happening.
Number 5: Listen to other parts while playing.
Finally something musical. You are playing in the orchestra, not practicing solo by yourself in a lonely room. The beauty of orchestra is the coming together of all these different sounds. Take advantage of the fact that you get to experience this unique and magical moments every week. Listen, appreciate, enjoy, and maybe learn something from them. And don't forget that you are also contributing to these magical moments. Really listen, really appreciate.
Number 6: Take care of the place in which you practice.
Last week, I was embarrassed to see four chairs still standing where the cellos sat after you guys had left. Now cellists, you need the chair more than anybody in the orchestra does. I would think that you out of everyone would be the first to take care of your chairs!
Many serious stuff, like in religion and in martial arts (where you train your mind and body for betterment at the expense of your and others' tremendous physical pain), you take care of the room, the building, the environment in which whatever activity takes place before and after the activities. This means, readying the room beforehand in such a way that you can really concentrate on the work without being distracted, and cleaning up afterwards, to show respect - first to yourself by acknowledging what is become of the environment while you worked so hard, and to turn it back to the state it was in before you arrived, to show your respect and appreciation to the people around you, people that let you use the facility, and to yourself. By cleaning up your own mess, it says that you respect yourself. You don't let your own environment deteriorate. You clean up your own mess, so you can be a better person. So FOLD YOUR CHAIRS UP and PLACE THEM ON THE RACK before you leave, after each rehearsal.
Thank you
Orchestra: CYO
Repertoire Rehearsed: Blue Tango
It's really nice to see that our little family is growing and growing! We had two new students last week, and four more this week, and I think there will be at least two more new people coming next week!
When the orchestra grows bigger in size, somehow, it is encouraging. More people interesting in joining what we are doing can only mean one thing: we are doing something right! Not sure what it is, but whatever it is, let's just keep doing it :)
As we get new players, however, we have to constantly remind ourselves of where each of started from. No one knew each other, and we weren't used to playing together, and maybe also because we have come off of a pretty nice and long break, I feel that we've forgotten what it was like.
I feel as though we have forgotten the kind of attitude, and rehearsal ethics that were needed to have a good ensemble.
Here are some reminders:
Number 1: BRING YOUR MUSIC STANDS
We should start with the basics. No stands, no music. Simple as that. We often forget how we as musicians are so extremely reliant on music stands. To note, I bring the rack of MAC's stands in the room IN CASE someone forgets it. These days it seems everyone is "forgetting" it. Forgetting on purpose does not constitute as forgetting, so I will stop allowing you from taking the MAC stands if you just didn't bring yours because you didn't feel like it.
Number 2: Stop chatting during rehearsal
Need I explain?
Number 3: No playing while I'm talking.
This is perhaps ten times more distracting than chatting. What's worse is that, those who are guilty of this, are usually the same people that are guilty for not playing when they are supposed to play!
Number 4: My hands down, your instruments down. My hands up, your instruments up.
When I'm ready, you should be as well. If you can't do this, that means you are not focused and are zoning out during rehearsal. If you are zoning out, you are not participating, which means you are not helping anybody, nor your group, or yourself for that matter. And if you continue not being ready, it continues to frustrate approximately one member in that room pretty badly. This is also to prevent Number 3 from happening.
Number 5: Listen to other parts while playing.
Finally something musical. You are playing in the orchestra, not practicing solo by yourself in a lonely room. The beauty of orchestra is the coming together of all these different sounds. Take advantage of the fact that you get to experience this unique and magical moments every week. Listen, appreciate, enjoy, and maybe learn something from them. And don't forget that you are also contributing to these magical moments. Really listen, really appreciate.
Number 6: Take care of the place in which you practice.
Last week, I was embarrassed to see four chairs still standing where the cellos sat after you guys had left. Now cellists, you need the chair more than anybody in the orchestra does. I would think that you out of everyone would be the first to take care of your chairs!
Many serious stuff, like in religion and in martial arts (where you train your mind and body for betterment at the expense of your and others' tremendous physical pain), you take care of the room, the building, the environment in which whatever activity takes place before and after the activities. This means, readying the room beforehand in such a way that you can really concentrate on the work without being distracted, and cleaning up afterwards, to show respect - first to yourself by acknowledging what is become of the environment while you worked so hard, and to turn it back to the state it was in before you arrived, to show your respect and appreciation to the people around you, people that let you use the facility, and to yourself. By cleaning up your own mess, it says that you respect yourself. You don't let your own environment deteriorate. You clean up your own mess, so you can be a better person. So FOLD YOUR CHAIRS UP and PLACE THEM ON THE RACK before you leave, after each rehearsal.
Thank you
Friday, January 9, 2015
A new year's blue(s)?
It was so good to see you guys again! I'm also happy to have two new members in our group. I hope you all had a relaxing/exciting break (whichever suites you). I had a couple of concerts to play in, and a reading session of a Mozart symphony with some of the musicians from the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, which I consider to be one of the two best orchestras in the whole world, so that was fun ( I played cello with them. No I did not, or would dare not conduct them...).
As I kind of mentioned to you in the beginning of the rehearsal, I have played the Blue Tango piece when I was about your age. I don't remember liking the song particularly to be honest, but somehow I have one of the strongest musical memories of that piece that I have ever had. I never had a chance to play that piece ever again after that, but to this day, I would once in a great while hear it in my head, and recognize the title of the piece, which is rare. I also remembered almost every line of music in the piece. From the bass/snare drum rhythmic pattern to the woodwinds' staccato chirps, to inner voice's chromatic ascend, to the melody harmonized in thirds. I guess I did really like it and didn't know that I did? Is that possible?
From my perspective, it is nice to face this music again as an adult. Kind of like seeing an old friend you haven't seen in many many many years, since childhood.
And it is doubly interesting because for many of you, this must be totally brand new and unfamiliar.
We had a good first reading of it though. This piece is pretty simple, so I don't expect that it would take us too much time to learn the notes. However, it will probably take us much more time to be as elegant, joyful, light, graceful, happy, and casual as we need to be while playing this piece.
We will work on that aspect intently.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Trust and Gratefulness
"Grateful" - is the first word that comes to my mind when reflecting upon last week's concert. I am grateful for the students who worked hard and did their best on stage, grateful for the Rockit kids and staff to come join us for this concert in the midst of their busy schedule, grateful for the audience members who showed appreciation and support, grateful for the board members and the MAC staff who did everything they can to help the event go as smoothly as possible.
Overall, I am extremely grateful for every single one of you who had anything to do with this concert at all, for supporting me, and above all, trusting me to let me do the things I wanted to, no matter how ambitious, unusual and experimental they might have seemed in the beginning.
I decided to give it a go for these ideas for I trusted in your openness and that students' capacity and talents to handle them. I trusted in the parents and the coaches that they would welcome my ideas. I trusted in the materials themselves, for them to possess educational values, while being entertaining at the same time. And you in turn, trusted me. And I am tremendously grateful for that.
And it starts from the smallest thing. Letting us have a run-through on our last scheduled rehearsal day was tremendously helpful. All small concerns I had such as chairs and music stands setup and striking before and between the groups, the microphone situation, knowing exactly how the concert will begin, etc. were all met with calmness and professionalism.
As one of the characters from a show I was binge watching on internet (an old show I'm too embarrassed to name...) defined, "trust" is "believing and following someone you do not know that you can trust anyway". It is a leap of faith. It always involves risks. But somehow, your faith in the positive outcome, your positive outlook, seems to scale the odds towards your favor.
To be honest, in previous years, many of these things did not happen, and I always felt rushed and slightly panicked during NJSYO concerts. I often felt that I couldn't do things at my own pace and was always adjusting to situations someone else had created, and felt that the performances suffered from all the "accommodations" I had to make. Running around tuning students' instruments, discussing concerns about their dresses, music stands and sheet music, setting up the chairs for both groups myself, rehearsing, deciding/practicing what to say on stage (as many of you know, public speaking is THE worst nightmare of mine), having concerns about my own instrument for when I perform with the chamber group, trying to give students pep talk while I myself was panicking and being rushed to be on stage, while not knowing exactly how and when things were to happen, just wasn't working.
But this year, none of that happened, or if they did, they happened in the most controlled manner. Partly because I was determined and vowed to myself that I'd do things at my own pace, but more importantly, it is because you let me. All of you. You trusted me. And each and every one of us communicated our concerns to each other, and each of those concerns were taken care of calmly by all of us .
This is a good team. And by team, I mean to include all of us, the students, board members, coaches, parents, the staff at MAC. This works, and I am very proud to be a member of this fine team.
Thank you all. And I wish you the happiest holidays and a happy new year!
See you all next year!
Overall, I am extremely grateful for every single one of you who had anything to do with this concert at all, for supporting me, and above all, trusting me to let me do the things I wanted to, no matter how ambitious, unusual and experimental they might have seemed in the beginning.
I decided to give it a go for these ideas for I trusted in your openness and that students' capacity and talents to handle them. I trusted in the parents and the coaches that they would welcome my ideas. I trusted in the materials themselves, for them to possess educational values, while being entertaining at the same time. And you in turn, trusted me. And I am tremendously grateful for that.
And it starts from the smallest thing. Letting us have a run-through on our last scheduled rehearsal day was tremendously helpful. All small concerns I had such as chairs and music stands setup and striking before and between the groups, the microphone situation, knowing exactly how the concert will begin, etc. were all met with calmness and professionalism.
As one of the characters from a show I was binge watching on internet (an old show I'm too embarrassed to name...) defined, "trust" is "believing and following someone you do not know that you can trust anyway". It is a leap of faith. It always involves risks. But somehow, your faith in the positive outcome, your positive outlook, seems to scale the odds towards your favor.
To be honest, in previous years, many of these things did not happen, and I always felt rushed and slightly panicked during NJSYO concerts. I often felt that I couldn't do things at my own pace and was always adjusting to situations someone else had created, and felt that the performances suffered from all the "accommodations" I had to make. Running around tuning students' instruments, discussing concerns about their dresses, music stands and sheet music, setting up the chairs for both groups myself, rehearsing, deciding/practicing what to say on stage (as many of you know, public speaking is THE worst nightmare of mine), having concerns about my own instrument for when I perform with the chamber group, trying to give students pep talk while I myself was panicking and being rushed to be on stage, while not knowing exactly how and when things were to happen, just wasn't working.
But this year, none of that happened, or if they did, they happened in the most controlled manner. Partly because I was determined and vowed to myself that I'd do things at my own pace, but more importantly, it is because you let me. All of you. You trusted me. And each and every one of us communicated our concerns to each other, and each of those concerns were taken care of calmly by all of us .
This is a good team. And by team, I mean to include all of us, the students, board members, coaches, parents, the staff at MAC. This works, and I am very proud to be a member of this fine team.
Thank you all. And I wish you the happiest holidays and a happy new year!
See you all next year!
Friday, December 5, 2014
yin and yang - things to improve and things to be proud of
Two conflicting thoughts.
1) Just as a warning, from now on esp. starting January, I will have less tolerance to in-rehearsal ill behaviors. We meet less than two hours each week. Just to put in in prospective, ALL professional orchestras meet every single day for two and a half hours to four hours, and these are old geezers who have been playing their instruments for decades. It is inexcusable for us to have to waste the little time we have, on me yelling at you to stop talking, and stop playing while I'm talking. Just not acceptable.
2) That being said, otherwise, I'm so proud of you. I am. I did not write an "easy" arrangement for you for Viva La Vida. I gave you a challenge. You accepted it, and you are about to own it.
It is incredible how much progress we made since the end September, and that's just basically two months. You have potential, and you have proven yourselves that each and every single one of you do.
Now, imagine, if you could just focus during rehearsals...
Next week, we will have a run through of the whole program. That means we are just going to run through things including the two pieces we haven't done in a while. Please don't forget that they exist, and make sure you practice them extra hard this week, so you don't come back rusty. the best way to prepare yourself is to make time for listening to recordings, as well as for practicing.
We will have Rockit! kids come and join us next week. Let's try to impress them!
1) Just as a warning, from now on esp. starting January, I will have less tolerance to in-rehearsal ill behaviors. We meet less than two hours each week. Just to put in in prospective, ALL professional orchestras meet every single day for two and a half hours to four hours, and these are old geezers who have been playing their instruments for decades. It is inexcusable for us to have to waste the little time we have, on me yelling at you to stop talking, and stop playing while I'm talking. Just not acceptable.
2) That being said, otherwise, I'm so proud of you. I am. I did not write an "easy" arrangement for you for Viva La Vida. I gave you a challenge. You accepted it, and you are about to own it.
It is incredible how much progress we made since the end September, and that's just basically two months. You have potential, and you have proven yourselves that each and every single one of you do.
Now, imagine, if you could just focus during rehearsals...
Next week, we will have a run through of the whole program. That means we are just going to run through things including the two pieces we haven't done in a while. Please don't forget that they exist, and make sure you practice them extra hard this week, so you don't come back rusty. the best way to prepare yourself is to make time for listening to recordings, as well as for practicing.
We will have Rockit! kids come and join us next week. Let's try to impress them!
Saturday, November 29, 2014
The Final Spurt
Happy post-Thanksgiving and Black Friday! I hope everyone is enjoying your holidays.
Me, I had an awesome Thanksgiving at my own place. It was my very first time hosting a family get together. It was a great time, except, I was and still am pretty sick...
I really would've enjoyed the turkey I helped cooking, but I could only take a few bites of it for I just didn't have the appetite. And not having an appetite on a Thanksgiving day is a pretty sad affair. I didn't eat anything yesterday either so I still have lots of turkey meat left in the fridge ready to be eaten. At least there is food "if" I want it. I can only eat soup like stuff right now, so I will attempt to make some turkey soup today.
I got sick immediately after a fairly important concert I had to play in, which is actually a pattern that I see myself fall into every year. It was our debut concert for this new string orchestra that my friend founded - one I briefly mentioned I think in the last post.
I'm glad that I got sick when we are on break though. We didn't have to miss a rehearsal because of it, assuming I will be back in good health by Thursday, which I'm pretty sure I will.
It's kind of crazy to think that there is only two more rehearsals till the concert! I think that it will be a great concert, but just because I said that, it doesn't mean you can stop thinking about it. In a two hour long marathon, runners generally spend all their remaining strengths and energy in a burst at the very last moment. It is called the "final spurt". Like in anything, you always want to finish well (and this may very well be the reason why I get sick after concerts all the time...).
Most of you should be having a nice relaxing break right now which is great I think we all need it right about now. We've been working hard since September. So if you haven't already, take this long weekend to really relax your muscles, nerves, bones, minds, spirit etc, eat well, get your energy level back to 100 percent (and those of you who already started, keep doing so). But come this Monday, we are back in the race. And this time, it will be time to start your final spurt! Give it ALL you got. I mean no, I don't want you to get sick, so don't overdo it like I apparently do, but I want you to be satisfied with your own work. But that can only happen when you cross the finishing line at full speed, or as fast as you can possibly go at that moment.
I'll see most of you on Thursday, and the rest of you on Saturday! Looking forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready for the final spurt!
Me, I had an awesome Thanksgiving at my own place. It was my very first time hosting a family get together. It was a great time, except, I was and still am pretty sick...
I really would've enjoyed the turkey I helped cooking, but I could only take a few bites of it for I just didn't have the appetite. And not having an appetite on a Thanksgiving day is a pretty sad affair. I didn't eat anything yesterday either so I still have lots of turkey meat left in the fridge ready to be eaten. At least there is food "if" I want it. I can only eat soup like stuff right now, so I will attempt to make some turkey soup today.
I got sick immediately after a fairly important concert I had to play in, which is actually a pattern that I see myself fall into every year. It was our debut concert for this new string orchestra that my friend founded - one I briefly mentioned I think in the last post.
I'm glad that I got sick when we are on break though. We didn't have to miss a rehearsal because of it, assuming I will be back in good health by Thursday, which I'm pretty sure I will.
It's kind of crazy to think that there is only two more rehearsals till the concert! I think that it will be a great concert, but just because I said that, it doesn't mean you can stop thinking about it. In a two hour long marathon, runners generally spend all their remaining strengths and energy in a burst at the very last moment. It is called the "final spurt". Like in anything, you always want to finish well (and this may very well be the reason why I get sick after concerts all the time...).
Most of you should be having a nice relaxing break right now which is great I think we all need it right about now. We've been working hard since September. So if you haven't already, take this long weekend to really relax your muscles, nerves, bones, minds, spirit etc, eat well, get your energy level back to 100 percent (and those of you who already started, keep doing so). But come this Monday, we are back in the race. And this time, it will be time to start your final spurt! Give it ALL you got. I mean no, I don't want you to get sick, so don't overdo it like I apparently do, but I want you to be satisfied with your own work. But that can only happen when you cross the finishing line at full speed, or as fast as you can possibly go at that moment.
I'll see most of you on Thursday, and the rest of you on Saturday! Looking forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready for the final spurt!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
embrace your challenges
So I've fallen behind on blog keeping again. So I would like to share a little snippets from my life outside of NJSYO again to keep the topic fresh!
A violinist friend (a very fine violinist too) of mine recently took up conducting. He has taken very serious seminars in conducting, and seems to be studying very hard every day. But a conductor needs an ensemble to conduct, so with a help from a mutual friend of ours, who organizes concerts, theater productions, competitions, and music festivals, which I have participated in myself numerous times, he has gathered up some of his fine musician friends (myself included), and started a string orchestra!
We just had our first rehearsal the other day. What is nice about this group is that many of us have known each other for years. We may not be the closest friends with each other, but most of us have met each other in numerous and various occasions through random and not so random gigs over the years, so the rehearsal just felt like friends hanging out and playing music together for fun. My favorite part is that I don't have to be so "proper" to speak with the conductor. And because he is still new to conducting, we get to help him improve by making suggestions, and listen to his concerns. All of us are serious musicians who play professionally so that the rehearsal is extremely productive, but also humorous and super fun at the same time. I've done many gigs like this in the past where friends come together and play at professional level, in fact I was one of the first to do so among my friends, but without financial help, things can turn really tricky really fast, and most of these "fun gigs" never last very long. But since this group will be presented by a larger organization, it has a potential to last long. And my friend has slightly more business oriented mind than I do (I have zero...), and is creative in that sense, which is another promising fact.
But like in anything the first time is exciting, but really tough. Musically too. The first rehearsal, to me was more about getting to know my fellow players than getting to know the pieces. We can play the notes, but the toughest part was playing those notes tightly together, as a unit. And also musicians need to get used to his conducting, which like in anything, when you are just starting out, you don't have a sense of style, and nobody, no matter how talented, can skip that phase. When you don't have your own style, it is very hard for the audience, or in this case, the ensemble members to get to "know" you.
When a person develops his/her "style", in whatever medium, we will see it, and then the question becomes the matter of getting to know and understand that individual's "style", and then everything becomes much easier. In essence I felt like I spent almost all my energy in learning everybody's (all thirteen of us, including the conductor) "style" in our first rehearsal. A daunting task, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. I was instead filled with joy and excitement and curiosity about how this group will come together in the end. And by "in the end" I mean it in many ways. I am excited to see how this group develops. I am curious about how we handle each step of the way. I am extremely curious about how we are going to sound in the next rehearsal, I am eager to find out how our first concert will go. And I look forward to our evolution in the long run.
And by the way, this is how I feel about both CYO and Chamber too. I'm always curious about the developments. I always look for improvements. Improvements are things that keep me going, in any aspects of life. Every time I am given a new role to play, or given new members for me to lead, I focus on improvements, developments, and evolution. I believe in challenge. I believe that successfully overcoming obstacles is what makes you a better person. I don't enjoy things that doesn't offer any challenges. Those easy things make me wonder why I am even alive.
So I am very happy for my violinist friend who is starting his new journey as a conductor. I admire, and fully respect him for that. One must reinvent himself/herself once in a while. The more often you do, the more difficult it gets. but the more often you do, the more you learn, and the stronger you get. I am still too young to put in words why exactly I think these things are important in one's life, but I feel and know that it is, and I for one, cannot live happily without having a goal.
So I guess my point I wanted to make in today's entry is, "embrace challenges and set backs". they are what make you stronger. Even enjoy them if you can. I usually do. Try to enjoy your workout exercises, or practicing, or studying (only what you are passionate about. If you start to enjoy things that are forced on you, you start loosing yourself, which I think is a dangerous way to live for many reasons). See the benefit in overcoming of obstacles, which should be rather easy to do if you can see or imagine what's on the other side. Dream, then walk, climb, swim or crawl, whatever you have to/choose to do to get there, and LOVE THE PROCESS!
A violinist friend (a very fine violinist too) of mine recently took up conducting. He has taken very serious seminars in conducting, and seems to be studying very hard every day. But a conductor needs an ensemble to conduct, so with a help from a mutual friend of ours, who organizes concerts, theater productions, competitions, and music festivals, which I have participated in myself numerous times, he has gathered up some of his fine musician friends (myself included), and started a string orchestra!
We just had our first rehearsal the other day. What is nice about this group is that many of us have known each other for years. We may not be the closest friends with each other, but most of us have met each other in numerous and various occasions through random and not so random gigs over the years, so the rehearsal just felt like friends hanging out and playing music together for fun. My favorite part is that I don't have to be so "proper" to speak with the conductor. And because he is still new to conducting, we get to help him improve by making suggestions, and listen to his concerns. All of us are serious musicians who play professionally so that the rehearsal is extremely productive, but also humorous and super fun at the same time. I've done many gigs like this in the past where friends come together and play at professional level, in fact I was one of the first to do so among my friends, but without financial help, things can turn really tricky really fast, and most of these "fun gigs" never last very long. But since this group will be presented by a larger organization, it has a potential to last long. And my friend has slightly more business oriented mind than I do (I have zero...), and is creative in that sense, which is another promising fact.
But like in anything the first time is exciting, but really tough. Musically too. The first rehearsal, to me was more about getting to know my fellow players than getting to know the pieces. We can play the notes, but the toughest part was playing those notes tightly together, as a unit. And also musicians need to get used to his conducting, which like in anything, when you are just starting out, you don't have a sense of style, and nobody, no matter how talented, can skip that phase. When you don't have your own style, it is very hard for the audience, or in this case, the ensemble members to get to "know" you.
When a person develops his/her "style", in whatever medium, we will see it, and then the question becomes the matter of getting to know and understand that individual's "style", and then everything becomes much easier. In essence I felt like I spent almost all my energy in learning everybody's (all thirteen of us, including the conductor) "style" in our first rehearsal. A daunting task, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. I was instead filled with joy and excitement and curiosity about how this group will come together in the end. And by "in the end" I mean it in many ways. I am excited to see how this group develops. I am curious about how we handle each step of the way. I am extremely curious about how we are going to sound in the next rehearsal, I am eager to find out how our first concert will go. And I look forward to our evolution in the long run.
And by the way, this is how I feel about both CYO and Chamber too. I'm always curious about the developments. I always look for improvements. Improvements are things that keep me going, in any aspects of life. Every time I am given a new role to play, or given new members for me to lead, I focus on improvements, developments, and evolution. I believe in challenge. I believe that successfully overcoming obstacles is what makes you a better person. I don't enjoy things that doesn't offer any challenges. Those easy things make me wonder why I am even alive.
So I am very happy for my violinist friend who is starting his new journey as a conductor. I admire, and fully respect him for that. One must reinvent himself/herself once in a while. The more often you do, the more difficult it gets. but the more often you do, the more you learn, and the stronger you get. I am still too young to put in words why exactly I think these things are important in one's life, but I feel and know that it is, and I for one, cannot live happily without having a goal.
So I guess my point I wanted to make in today's entry is, "embrace challenges and set backs". they are what make you stronger. Even enjoy them if you can. I usually do. Try to enjoy your workout exercises, or practicing, or studying (only what you are passionate about. If you start to enjoy things that are forced on you, you start loosing yourself, which I think is a dangerous way to live for many reasons). See the benefit in overcoming of obstacles, which should be rather easy to do if you can see or imagine what's on the other side. Dream, then walk, climb, swim or crawl, whatever you have to/choose to do to get there, and LOVE THE PROCESS!
Monday, November 10, 2014
why leaves change colors
(This entry was started on Sun. Nov. 9th)
So today, I took an excursion to Boston to see a concert. A legendary cellist Natalia Gutman was to appear with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra led by Benjamin Zander, who's passion and dedication to education and arts is second to none, and has been someone I admire and look up to, so as an educator and a cellist, I just had to go check it out. As I looked out the car windows on my way to Bean Town, I was mesmerized by how beautiful the leaves have changed their colors. Fall is magical. The leaves' colors maybe beautiful enough as they are, but the fact that these leaves are on their way out adds a hint of sadness to it, and that sadness gives pungence to the beauty. I was so taken by them. It inspired me to read up on "why" leaves change color (I was also just a bit bored during the four hour long drive...). I kind of knew the answer, but I wanted to read about it anyway.
To summarize, leaves change colors because they can't effectively photosynthesize during the dark, dry, and cold winter, so they lose the green color which is the product of a chemical that let's them photosynthesize, when they no longer need it, and what appear underneath the green is their (in a way) real colors. So they only get to display their true selves right before they dry up and fall off, to make way for the new green buds in the coming spring. It's kind of heart breaking when you think about it. They too, like humans, work and work and work just to survive, putting on the public mask all their lives until the retirement, when they can finally let go of the mask and enjoy being themselves.
The concert was impressive to say the least. The program was a kind of program any professional group would put together. There was nothing in there that screamed "youth orchestra". The program included Shostakovich's Festive Overture (one of the only few "happy" pieces ever written by this composer - written after Stalin's death), Dvorak's masterwork and king of all cello concertos, his Cello Concerto in B minor, and the heavy weight, Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, a 20th century masterwork, that is, as the name suggests, "difficult" in more ways than we can count it for all instruments involved - from the maturity of the music, the language used (modern musical language that is on the verge of having no tonal center, or no key), the technical demand, the philosophy behind the notes, the ensemble. There is nothing in there that is "easy" for any musician, not even for pros, definitely not for amateurs or youths.
Yet each piece was delivered with precision, maturity, and soooo much energy! Youth orchestras always have a very different kind of energy than pros, and that's one of the things I love about working with youths. It's that particular energy of youths that we adults can never ever recapture even if we try. And it often gives the music a fresh air, when performed by youths. The music always seem to re-live every time it is performed by youths.
Natalia Gutman was not a cellist I closely followed, but was somebody I was always aware of and check out from time to time, as she is a Russian cellist, just as all my past teachers and my all my idols, and heroes. I've always enjoyed her puristic approach to music. She does not have one of those personalities that entice others to follow her around. Her talent, yes, but not her personality. Definitely respected, but definitely not a celebrity. There is not a gimmick in her stage presence or performance. And her playing is void of any fancy frills, or unnecessary physical, or musical expressions. And now that she is getting old, there seems to be even less of the frivolousness. Didn't think that was possible...
On the review that I read the next day, it said that she "led" the youth, but to my ears, I think she was following. She led the group perhaps by her sheer presence, but musically, she was following, like a good parent nudging her young kids to walk ahead of her. With super slow vibratos and sure-fingered shifts, she chugged on like an old dog who knew her way back home much better than the owners kids leading her. At times, she would take charge and appear in front when she wanted to suggest a very particular path, but for the most part, she let the orchestra find their own way.
Mr. Zander, in contrast, was definitely a leader. But leading in such a way to spawn more leaders. It was somehow clear to me, that he was manufacturing more leaders like him, in his own factory/orchestra of his.
Natalia Gutman, age 71. Benjamin Zander, age 75. Average age of the BYPO members,16? Maybe? The youngest (Mr. Zander told me privately after the concert, as I had a chance to speak with him briefly) was 11!
I kept thinking back about the leaves. Gutman and Zander both display very different colors. Yet their purpose is the same. When they are gone, it is these young ones that will be shaping the life of the tree that both support them, and is supported by them. The tree (arts/music) must go on living, and live well. The old display their true colors to inspire the young, so they may find their own bright colors within themselves, so in the future, they will be the ones that brighten and beautify the tree with their own unique colors.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Soft spots
I am really happy with the progress we are making in CYO! You guys sounded great last night. I was speaking with the custodian of the MAC about you guys and how I was pleased with you, and he suggested that maybe you had more time to practice this week because of the breaks? Is that true? In any case, whatever you did, keep doing it. You must have heard the difference yourself.
Your forte sound is nice, fat, and rich. If you can take the edges off of the attacks, it would sound even better.
I do think your piano sounds can be much more dramatic at parts and much more gentile and delicate at other parts.
I think playing softly is a thousand times harder than playing loud. It tests your overall control of your instrument. If you can play a long sustained sound super softly while maintaining nice steady tone without any "flickerings", you know you have great control of your instrument.
And if it is harder, guess what, yes that means you have to practice it harder. I think it is funny that we don't normally associate quiet parts of the music as the "difficult" spots. When we think of "difficult" music, we tend to think "loud" and "fast" as a default, when soft and delicate parts are actually so much harder to play well.
Just remember that it always takes a lot more energy to play soft!
Your forte sound is nice, fat, and rich. If you can take the edges off of the attacks, it would sound even better.
I do think your piano sounds can be much more dramatic at parts and much more gentile and delicate at other parts.
I think playing softly is a thousand times harder than playing loud. It tests your overall control of your instrument. If you can play a long sustained sound super softly while maintaining nice steady tone without any "flickerings", you know you have great control of your instrument.
And if it is harder, guess what, yes that means you have to practice it harder. I think it is funny that we don't normally associate quiet parts of the music as the "difficult" spots. When we think of "difficult" music, we tend to think "loud" and "fast" as a default, when soft and delicate parts are actually so much harder to play well.
Just remember that it always takes a lot more energy to play soft!
Friday, October 31, 2014
the foot-tapping business
It really does feel so eerie to be in a gallery without any paintings... It sure is one way to heighten the halloween spirit... I did however, got to check out the secret room where paintings that are about to be hung on the walls are stored, after the rehearsal. I think we have something to look forward to next week! From what I saw, the next batch looks pretty darn good!
Anyway, I noticed today that some of you, esp. in the winds section, are tapping your foot. I do realize that many teachers and even some conductors encourage that, but I don't. To be clear, I'm not saying those people who do are wrong. In fact they are correct, to an extent.
The way I'd put it, it is an excellent place to start (to solidify your own rhythmic stability), but a terrible place to be. When you rely on your own foot, you are only trying to sync your notes with your toes, that may or may not have anything to do with what is actually going on in the ensemble. I want you to listen, and not just being able to do two different things at once.
Yes, foot tapping is easier, so why am I telling you to do things that are harder? The same reason why halloween candies seem much more appetizing than sticks of celery. But celeries are better for you.
In order to graduate from M&M's to celery, I would suggest moving your toe movements to where your ear is, namely your head. You don't need to head-bang like the punk rockers from the 90's - you can just very lightly bob your head up and down. That way you are ensuring that you are reacting to what you are hearing.
And I hate to tell you of this trick (because I really want you to not rely on your feet) but, if you find that you MUST use your feet in certain sections of the piece, then what you can do is, instead of raising your entire foot and slamming it back down on the floor, making loud tapping noises, you can just wiggle your toes up and down inside your shoe. Then no one will know :)
Have a happy halloween, everyone!
Anyway, I noticed today that some of you, esp. in the winds section, are tapping your foot. I do realize that many teachers and even some conductors encourage that, but I don't. To be clear, I'm not saying those people who do are wrong. In fact they are correct, to an extent.
The way I'd put it, it is an excellent place to start (to solidify your own rhythmic stability), but a terrible place to be. When you rely on your own foot, you are only trying to sync your notes with your toes, that may or may not have anything to do with what is actually going on in the ensemble. I want you to listen, and not just being able to do two different things at once.
Yes, foot tapping is easier, so why am I telling you to do things that are harder? The same reason why halloween candies seem much more appetizing than sticks of celery. But celeries are better for you.
In order to graduate from M&M's to celery, I would suggest moving your toe movements to where your ear is, namely your head. You don't need to head-bang like the punk rockers from the 90's - you can just very lightly bob your head up and down. That way you are ensuring that you are reacting to what you are hearing.
And I hate to tell you of this trick (because I really want you to not rely on your feet) but, if you find that you MUST use your feet in certain sections of the piece, then what you can do is, instead of raising your entire foot and slamming it back down on the floor, making loud tapping noises, you can just wiggle your toes up and down inside your shoe. Then no one will know :)
Have a happy halloween, everyone!
Friday, October 24, 2014
no such thing as an easy part in orchestra
I thought we had an excellent rehearsal yesterday. we concentrated and focused on just a couple of tricky spots. These spots were tricky for they both involve some awkward notes to play, and extreme dynamic ranges.
But by the end of the rehearsal, I thought both spots became comprehensible and manageable. I hope you guys keep working on those spots on your own though, because these are NOT something that will stick with you after just a couple of hours of work.
We still need to work on listening to each other. Certain things can become manageable just by listening to your fellow section-mates play, or listening to other parts of orchestra to see how your part fits in in relation to them. I did notice these things happening a little bit. But I want this kind of thing to be second nature for everyone in this orchestra. Continue your practice with a metronome.
My thoughts that were inspired by yesterday's rehearsal is this:
In an orchestra situation, often times, the easiest part that you have can easily become the hardest part for the whole orchestra. When you have a long held note, or a bunch of repeated notes in the same rhythm, or just quarter notes on every other beat, or even a rest(!), it is soooo easy for us to zone out. And when we zone out, we are not listening, and we are not concentrating, and not thinking about well, anything, and certainly not about playing together with the other players. We think it's easy, therefore we think we can afford to zone out. When we have rests and long notes, and we zone out, we are not able to come back in with accurate rhythm. When we have easy notes, and we zone out, we get off from one another, and you won't even notice because you are not listening.
I am saying this because we were getting off every time someone had an "easy" part!
Unfortunately, there is no "easy part" in orchestra. There is no such thing. It does NOT exist. I believe that in most educational environment today, and especially in this country, there is not a whole lot of emphasis on group effort, and how to work as a unit, a team, and it is so easy for us to look at our own part and say "my part is easy" and dismiss the whole effort. But the way it SHOULD work is that, if you have an easier part to play, then you should be more responsible for unifying the group. You should be the one leading the group in rhythm, balance, sonority, articulation, and intonation. You should be the one "listening" the MOST.
I've only encountered musicians who complain about how easy their parts are in educational environments, and never in a professional setting. I believe that is because those people who do so in professional environments do not last very long as a "pro".
When we make music, our intentions are to make "good" music. And that means always listening and thinking "what can I do better to make this orchestra I belong to, sound better". Repeated eighth notes can be played in one-hundred different ways, which one is best suited for this particular moment of this particular piece, am I providing a good rhythmic foundation, am I in tune with ____ (a section of orchestra), is my sound providing the right character for this piece, am I too loud/soft, etc etc etc.... These are questions you can always be asking yourself.
And I hate to say it, but it is quite obvious for a listener to know whether this person in the orchestra have practiced this "easy" spot or not. So you must practice everything, no matter how easy it may seem. And when you practice easier spots, you can practice them at a higher level!
Next week, we will have another sectionals! Again. come in with full of technical questions!
But by the end of the rehearsal, I thought both spots became comprehensible and manageable. I hope you guys keep working on those spots on your own though, because these are NOT something that will stick with you after just a couple of hours of work.
We still need to work on listening to each other. Certain things can become manageable just by listening to your fellow section-mates play, or listening to other parts of orchestra to see how your part fits in in relation to them. I did notice these things happening a little bit. But I want this kind of thing to be second nature for everyone in this orchestra. Continue your practice with a metronome.
My thoughts that were inspired by yesterday's rehearsal is this:
In an orchestra situation, often times, the easiest part that you have can easily become the hardest part for the whole orchestra. When you have a long held note, or a bunch of repeated notes in the same rhythm, or just quarter notes on every other beat, or even a rest(!), it is soooo easy for us to zone out. And when we zone out, we are not listening, and we are not concentrating, and not thinking about well, anything, and certainly not about playing together with the other players. We think it's easy, therefore we think we can afford to zone out. When we have rests and long notes, and we zone out, we are not able to come back in with accurate rhythm. When we have easy notes, and we zone out, we get off from one another, and you won't even notice because you are not listening.
I am saying this because we were getting off every time someone had an "easy" part!
Unfortunately, there is no "easy part" in orchestra. There is no such thing. It does NOT exist. I believe that in most educational environment today, and especially in this country, there is not a whole lot of emphasis on group effort, and how to work as a unit, a team, and it is so easy for us to look at our own part and say "my part is easy" and dismiss the whole effort. But the way it SHOULD work is that, if you have an easier part to play, then you should be more responsible for unifying the group. You should be the one leading the group in rhythm, balance, sonority, articulation, and intonation. You should be the one "listening" the MOST.
I've only encountered musicians who complain about how easy their parts are in educational environments, and never in a professional setting. I believe that is because those people who do so in professional environments do not last very long as a "pro".
When we make music, our intentions are to make "good" music. And that means always listening and thinking "what can I do better to make this orchestra I belong to, sound better". Repeated eighth notes can be played in one-hundred different ways, which one is best suited for this particular moment of this particular piece, am I providing a good rhythmic foundation, am I in tune with ____ (a section of orchestra), is my sound providing the right character for this piece, am I too loud/soft, etc etc etc.... These are questions you can always be asking yourself.
And I hate to say it, but it is quite obvious for a listener to know whether this person in the orchestra have practiced this "easy" spot or not. So you must practice everything, no matter how easy it may seem. And when you practice easier spots, you can practice them at a higher level!
Next week, we will have another sectionals! Again. come in with full of technical questions!
Friday, October 17, 2014
how to be friends with your metronome (How to become a good orchestral player: step 2)
It was so nice to see you guys all dressed up yesterday. I only wish I had known about the picture day too...
So we had some rhythmic issues yesterday. My father was a drummer, and I had been fascinated with rhythm and beats ever since I can remember, and I often think like a percussionist, and think of rhythm A LOT. And after years and years of contemplating on this subject, I've come to a conclusion that having a good rhythm is about, again, "listening". Surprise surprise. Now, that statement may not apply to every single musical situation there is on earth, and in some cases, it is more philosophical than practical, but for us, it is definitely true.
We play with each other, not with a metronome. Therefore time is relative. Relative to each other. We fix our paces referring to what others are doing, and we must constantly be referring to others because there is no such thing as an "absolute time" when we are the ones creating "the time" out of the blue.
The only thing that ever gets close to such a thing is what happens when every single person in the orchestra focuses on playing together with each other. The more we focus on each other, the more rhythm becomes stabilized. When everyone's will come together, everything seems to just fall right in their places. Rhythm will be the first thing that comes together for an ensemble that is making a progress. After that, things will seem to become easier, much easier. Things will feel lighter, you will notice needing less effort. And that's when the magic happens. Without rhythm, other things such as intonation, and sonority, and actually everything else will feel impossibly difficult.
And a note on metronomes:
So I told everyone to practice with a metronome. But I said so so you can practice playing while listening to "something" and so you can try to play along with "something". You can play with a recording or a metronome all day long, but if you are not listening to it, it won't help you one bit. A metronome does not teach you to have good rhythm simply by turning it on. A metronome is there for you to listen to while you play, and so your beats have something to line up with. Therefore rhythm is about listening, and that is what it teaches you.
So even though we don't perform with a metronome, and neither should we, nor should we EVER perform "like" one, we must use it everyday to train your EAR. So when you play with real people, you can listen and adjust to them with ease. And of course, because metronomes are mechanical products, they can only produce beats that are mathematically even, they CAN help you with having very steady internal rhythm. Having a good internal rhythm is of course a good thing, but for now, treat it as something you get as a by-product of doing something else (listening). So listen to what it has to say, and try to agree with him/her, and be friends with your metronome!
And in an orchestra situation, I am your general guide that you must follow as a default, but the fine tuning must be done WITHIN you guys. If you don't listen to each other, no conductor can help you. And the only thing I CAN do to help you, is to tell you to "listen". And so here we are...
How to become a good orchestral player: Step #2 - again, Listen (this time for rhythm and ensemble)
So we had some rhythmic issues yesterday. My father was a drummer, and I had been fascinated with rhythm and beats ever since I can remember, and I often think like a percussionist, and think of rhythm A LOT. And after years and years of contemplating on this subject, I've come to a conclusion that having a good rhythm is about, again, "listening". Surprise surprise. Now, that statement may not apply to every single musical situation there is on earth, and in some cases, it is more philosophical than practical, but for us, it is definitely true.
We play with each other, not with a metronome. Therefore time is relative. Relative to each other. We fix our paces referring to what others are doing, and we must constantly be referring to others because there is no such thing as an "absolute time" when we are the ones creating "the time" out of the blue.
The only thing that ever gets close to such a thing is what happens when every single person in the orchestra focuses on playing together with each other. The more we focus on each other, the more rhythm becomes stabilized. When everyone's will come together, everything seems to just fall right in their places. Rhythm will be the first thing that comes together for an ensemble that is making a progress. After that, things will seem to become easier, much easier. Things will feel lighter, you will notice needing less effort. And that's when the magic happens. Without rhythm, other things such as intonation, and sonority, and actually everything else will feel impossibly difficult.
And a note on metronomes:
So I told everyone to practice with a metronome. But I said so so you can practice playing while listening to "something" and so you can try to play along with "something". You can play with a recording or a metronome all day long, but if you are not listening to it, it won't help you one bit. A metronome does not teach you to have good rhythm simply by turning it on. A metronome is there for you to listen to while you play, and so your beats have something to line up with. Therefore rhythm is about listening, and that is what it teaches you.
So even though we don't perform with a metronome, and neither should we, nor should we EVER perform "like" one, we must use it everyday to train your EAR. So when you play with real people, you can listen and adjust to them with ease. And of course, because metronomes are mechanical products, they can only produce beats that are mathematically even, they CAN help you with having very steady internal rhythm. Having a good internal rhythm is of course a good thing, but for now, treat it as something you get as a by-product of doing something else (listening). So listen to what it has to say, and try to agree with him/her, and be friends with your metronome!
And in an orchestra situation, I am your general guide that you must follow as a default, but the fine tuning must be done WITHIN you guys. If you don't listen to each other, no conductor can help you. And the only thing I CAN do to help you, is to tell you to "listen". And so here we are...
How to become a good orchestral player: Step #2 - again, Listen (this time for rhythm and ensemble)
Friday, October 10, 2014
technique is always musical, and sometimes, music can be technical
In sectionals, we get to concentrate on technical aspect of playing, which are usually too specific for the instruments that we don't really get to talk about in regular rehearsals.
I enjoy this (sectionals) over discussing techniques in private lessons. In private lessons, the technical aspect of the playing can get taken out of the context a lot. We shift positions here because that's what this etude fingering says. I need to practice this rhythm with this articulation because that's what my teacher says, and there is no other reason. Depending on the teacher, these things can happen sometimes, or all the time. And when the technique is taken out of context, it ceases to make sense.
In sectionals, technical discussions arise from the needs, and therefore we cannot avoid mentioning the context. At any rate, there is always a good reason to be technically proficient in orchestra, and that is, so you can play perfectly well together with your colleagues. You don't want to be the only person in your section who is not able to play a certain passage in a certain way, and kind of sticking out from the crowd in a negative way, right? Which alone, I think should be a good enough incentive to make one practices their technique. You also want to contribute by mastering the techniques, and lead your section by inspiring them and showing them that it can be done better. So the leaders push their sections limit, while everyone tries to catch up to the speed as best as they can. And sectional is a great way to find out and clarify what your individual roles are at each given moment. You can be a leader in some sections, you might have to be the one running after everyone else in others, and playing both roles are expected from everyone.
And the greatest thing about sectionals is that, when we discuss technique, we almost never discuss it for the sake of technique, but we discuss it with clear musical, artistic, creative, poetic, and aesthetic reasons and intents. And even if it is a small thing that does not seem like a big deal, like playing at the tip of the bow, when it is done together with a group of people, the effect is magnified exponentially, and makes a huge difference in overall sound. In fact that already did happen once yesterday. I'm not sure any of you string players caught it, but in Spanish Dance, when we started playing from mm. 52 with very little bow at the tip and gradually increased the amount of bow as we went on, we were able to create a very controlled, and extremely long crescendo (32 measures of crescendo!!), perfectly paced, perfectly coordinated, and perfectly effective. I wish I had recorded that. But there are hundreds of more chances for me to do that I guess, and each one will be even better than the previous ones!
So for the most part, any technical discussion should occur after a musical, poetic, philosophical one. Thereby being able to choose appropriate technique for each given sections. However, I do love talking about techniques, even out of context, because I think it opens the doors to so many different possibilities - if I can make this sound doing this way, what happens if I do it this way? Once you discover new sound, you can practice it and master it, and now you have that sound as a part of your vocabulary, a part of your palette, a part of your own expressive voice. And where you use such sound becomes your art, at an individual level. And if we can do that as a group, well, then we would have a pretty amazing orchestra!
I tried to go over everything in both pieces for the strings yesterday, so I didn't get to hear the winds, but I trust you guys had an awesome sectional with Mr Luckenbil, and I look forward to hearing your newly improved sound next week!
Continue to be curious. Continue to explore!
I enjoy this (sectionals) over discussing techniques in private lessons. In private lessons, the technical aspect of the playing can get taken out of the context a lot. We shift positions here because that's what this etude fingering says. I need to practice this rhythm with this articulation because that's what my teacher says, and there is no other reason. Depending on the teacher, these things can happen sometimes, or all the time. And when the technique is taken out of context, it ceases to make sense.
In sectionals, technical discussions arise from the needs, and therefore we cannot avoid mentioning the context. At any rate, there is always a good reason to be technically proficient in orchestra, and that is, so you can play perfectly well together with your colleagues. You don't want to be the only person in your section who is not able to play a certain passage in a certain way, and kind of sticking out from the crowd in a negative way, right? Which alone, I think should be a good enough incentive to make one practices their technique. You also want to contribute by mastering the techniques, and lead your section by inspiring them and showing them that it can be done better. So the leaders push their sections limit, while everyone tries to catch up to the speed as best as they can. And sectional is a great way to find out and clarify what your individual roles are at each given moment. You can be a leader in some sections, you might have to be the one running after everyone else in others, and playing both roles are expected from everyone.
And the greatest thing about sectionals is that, when we discuss technique, we almost never discuss it for the sake of technique, but we discuss it with clear musical, artistic, creative, poetic, and aesthetic reasons and intents. And even if it is a small thing that does not seem like a big deal, like playing at the tip of the bow, when it is done together with a group of people, the effect is magnified exponentially, and makes a huge difference in overall sound. In fact that already did happen once yesterday. I'm not sure any of you string players caught it, but in Spanish Dance, when we started playing from mm. 52 with very little bow at the tip and gradually increased the amount of bow as we went on, we were able to create a very controlled, and extremely long crescendo (32 measures of crescendo!!), perfectly paced, perfectly coordinated, and perfectly effective. I wish I had recorded that. But there are hundreds of more chances for me to do that I guess, and each one will be even better than the previous ones!
So for the most part, any technical discussion should occur after a musical, poetic, philosophical one. Thereby being able to choose appropriate technique for each given sections. However, I do love talking about techniques, even out of context, because I think it opens the doors to so many different possibilities - if I can make this sound doing this way, what happens if I do it this way? Once you discover new sound, you can practice it and master it, and now you have that sound as a part of your vocabulary, a part of your palette, a part of your own expressive voice. And where you use such sound becomes your art, at an individual level. And if we can do that as a group, well, then we would have a pretty amazing orchestra!
I tried to go over everything in both pieces for the strings yesterday, so I didn't get to hear the winds, but I trust you guys had an awesome sectional with Mr Luckenbil, and I look forward to hearing your newly improved sound next week!
Continue to be curious. Continue to explore!
Monday, October 6, 2014
VIDEOS! - and SECTIONALS THIS WEEK!
Just a reminder, this week we are having a sectional rehearsal! We will divide ourselves into two groups: winds and strings. Strings will rehearse upstairs in the gallery with Mr. Lin and partly myself, while winds will go into one of the classrooms downstairs with Mr. Luckenbill (I will also come by once in a while).
Please practice your parts especially hard this week, and come to this week's rehearsal with lots and lots of technical questions you will most likely have accumulated by then. This will be a chance to get more personal attention to your personal problems which are hard to be addressed during "tutti" (everyone) rehearsals. Don't miss this chance!
Also, it was pointed out to me that the uploaded videos weren't viewable by some, so i posted the url's here so you can either click on them, or copy and paste them to your browser. Again, studying these videos are important. I expect you to have viewed these by this coming rehearsal!
Tchaikovsky - Spanish Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h8nu0FhC-w
Bizet - Les Toreador
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DNGMoMNLRY
Please practice your parts especially hard this week, and come to this week's rehearsal with lots and lots of technical questions you will most likely have accumulated by then. This will be a chance to get more personal attention to your personal problems which are hard to be addressed during "tutti" (everyone) rehearsals. Don't miss this chance!
Also, it was pointed out to me that the uploaded videos weren't viewable by some, so i posted the url's here so you can either click on them, or copy and paste them to your browser. Again, studying these videos are important. I expect you to have viewed these by this coming rehearsal!
Tchaikovsky - Spanish Dance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h8nu0FhC-w
Bizet - Les Toreador
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DNGMoMNLRY
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