Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I head out to Kansas for the KMEA Workshop. The Bethel College Wind Ensemble directed by Timothy Shade will be performing "Lauda" and I sure hope my plane is on time - I only have 40 minutes from landing to the start of the concert! Also, on Friday morning I will be participating in a panel discussion about composing and commissioning, organized by Tim. Here is an article that appeared in the Bethel College News yesterday.
Boston Symphony Orchestra - Post-Concert Thoughts
On Friday (February 17), Ashley and I took the train into Boston and attended the Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert (tickets were a gift from her siblings!). The BSO performed Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, Stravinsky's Concert for Piano and Winds and Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich. Peter Serkin was the piano soloist for the Stravinsky and the program was conducted by Stephane Deneve. I didn't want to write a "review" of the concert, but rather share some thoughts. So, I decided a bulleted list might be appropriate:
- The Ravel was beautiful - such a imaginative and graceful piece of music. The playing in the orchestra was fantastic all around. There was especially wonderful playing from the flutes and english horn.
- Peter Serkin was brilliant in the Stravinsky - he can play fast, let me tell you. And, he also played with great sensitivity. The 2nd movement was my favorite - it had a sense of great depth and urgency within the beautiful harmonic progression Stravinsky constructed.
- The ending of the first movement of the Stravisnky is sheer awesomeness. I love endings that are unexpected, and yet satisfying and powerful.
- The first movement of the Shostakovich is a brilliant piece of motivic development, and the orchestra played with great energy and passion. To me, the high point of the concert in terms of energy was the first few minutes of the final movement. The orchestra absolutely tore through the music and the enthusiasm was palpable. However, to my ear, they didn't recoup that level of energy, even at the ending. Unlike the Stravinsky, the ending was predictable, and lacked the satisfaction of a truly powerful and overwhelming end. Nevertheless, most people jumped to their feet and clapped with reckless abandon. I was left feeling a little underwhelmed, but still very happy to be there.
- Overall, it was a great concert and inspiring performance.
Upcoming Performances
February 18, 2012"Goodnight, Goodnight" included in the JW Pepper "Directors Reading Band" Session at CA All-State Directed by Dr. Jesse Leyva Fresno, CA
February 23, 2012 Bethel College Wind Ensemble performs "Lauda" Directed by Timothy Shade Kansas Music Educators Association Workshop Wichita, KS
February 27, 2012 University of Miami Wind Ensemble performs "Lauda" Directed by Gary Green University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
March 9, 2012 Troy University Symphony Band performs "Lauda" Directed by Dr. Mark Walker Troy, Alabama
March 31, 2012 University of Central Florida Saxophone & Flute Ensemble premieres "Nocturne IV" Annual UCF SaxFest - Orlando, FL
May 20, 2012 Greater Gardner Community Choir performs "Goodnight, Goodnight" Directed by Diane Cushing Gardner, MA
The Greatest Goal
Yesterday I posted about presenting a preschool music program to an enthusiastic audience of 56(!) little children (see here). It was fun and rewarding on many levels, and it made me think about my own musical experiences as a child. Music was a huge part of my childhood, and continued to be a very present and important part of my life throughout my schooling. Ultimately, it was passionate and inspiring teachers who sparked my creativity and made me want to pursue music as a career. Working with the preschoolers - their wonderfully imaginative and curious minds - made me think about perhaps my greatest goal as a musician: to inspire others to love music as much as I do. Ever since I realized the impact that those wonderful teachers of mine had on me, I knew that my greatest goal would be to pass on that inspiration and hopefully spark an interest in others to pursue music. By inspire, I mean provide a spark on any level - not necessarily inspire someone to pursue a life in music. Rather, it could be as simple as planting a seed of interest in taking private music lessons. I think the greatest gift I have received as a student of music, both as a child and an adult, has been the inspiration of great teachers and mentors. Their passion, their desire for excellence, their creativity, and their love for music has always been a source of inspiration for me. So, my greatest goal is to hopefully be that inspiration for someone else.
A Morning of Preschool Music!
Today Ashley and I presented a short musical program for preschoolers - it was a blast! We had an incredible turnout - 56 children plus teachers and parents! "Saxophone Steve" (my made-up superhero saxophone character!) made a surprise entrance playing some jazzy saxophone, and we sang a bunch of fun songs with the joyful crowd. We even handed out stickers at the end! See Ashley's post here for a full description of our program.
Composing Anywhere (and Everywhere!)
Composers have famously carried little black books with them to jot down ideas, regardless of where they are when inspiration strikes. I don't necessarily do this, but I do find myself thinking about composing pretty much everywhere - while walking, driving, eating, etc. And, I find myself working on pieces in various locations. Obviously, when we travel we are forced to work outside of our normal spaces and sometimes get some work done in a hotel room or in a cafe. I have always enjoyed working in cafes and coffee shops, where there is some bustle but also some ability to concentrate. At the same time, I also like very quiet and secluded places where I can really focus on creating ideas and hearing them in my head. However, those quiet and secluded places seem to be less and less common these days. Today I find myself in a library where it is relatively quiet, but not without people walking by and some ambient noise. I have my score for Magnolia Star (latest wind ensemble piece) here and I'm thinking about sounds, sections, and form. It's nice to be able to get some amount of composition work done from anywhere.
Giving Back
Today I made a small donation to each of the two schools where I studied (University of Miami Frost School of Music, Eastman School of Music). I have donated in the past, but rather irregularly, and now I'm making a commitment to donate every year. I think this is important, because both these institutions provided me with so many opportunities, so many experiences, and so much learning which have all proved invaluable. I recognize how much I gained from these experiences, and I want to make sure those opportunities exist for many students in the future.
It may sound a little corny, but I really believe that if everyone gave back a very small amount, it would have a huge impact on these institutions (and future generations of students). Sometimes those 7:00pm dinner time calls from cheerful student fundraisers seem contrived, but one thing they say is definitely true - any amount you can give makes a difference.
So if you can, give back.
First Peek at the 2012 Westminster Chamber Music Workshop!
As many of you know, last year my wife and I started the Westminster Chamber Music Workshop - a series of free community music events. We just posted a sneak peek of the 2012 WCMW over at the WCMW blog here. Be sure to hold the following dates - we have some free events you will NOT WANT TO MISS!
- Saturday May 5, 2012 - 7:00pm
- Saturday May 12, 2012 - 7:00pm
- Saturday May 19, 2012 - 7:00pm
- Saturday May 26, 2012 - 7:00pm
All events will be held at the First Congregational Church of Westminster, MA. Save the dates, and join us for the 2012 WCMW! More details coming soon...
Pieces You Can Premiere! (Part I)
I have a few pieces lurking out there in my catalog that have actually never been performed. While most of the time I am writing a new piece for a specific ensemble, group of ensembles, or particular event, sometimes I write a piece simply because I want to. In the case of the latter, sometimes I will send the finished piece to groups who I think may be interested. Other times, I just hold onto the piece.
One of those pieces is a work for Men's Choir (TTBB) and English Horn titled "From Our Happy Home."
It is a Christmas-themed piece, although I wrote it last summer when I stumbled upon a wonderful text by Louisa May Alcott. I felt like the text called for a fun and lighthearted setting, and so I chose men's choir and the beautiful (but also witty) english horn to accompany them. The piece is 3 minutes long - bursting with fun and energy throughout. After I wrote the piece last summer, I added it to my website and moved onto the next project.
So, thinking well ahead of the 2012 Holiday Season - you can purchase the music and have yourself the premiere performance! Contact me if you are interested.
Goodnight, Goodnight for Band at CA All-State Reading Session!
I'm excited to announce that Goodnight, Goodnight for Band will be included in the "Directors Reading Band" session at the California All-State Music Education Conference on February 18th! Dr. Jesse Leyva will be conducting the session, which is being sponsored by JW Pepper. For the complete schedule of the Conference, click here.