What makes playing easy? (Why is it mysteriously easy sometimes?)

Recently, I had an epiphany.

Why is it that in a lesson or when working with a conductor that sometimes playing can be spectacular...both in miraculous ease of execution and in quality of result?

I think that it has to do with our heightened attention to what result we are striving for. For instance, I am playing the Hindemith Horn Sonata this coming Thursday in a recital of mine. I went to my lesson this past week and played the first movement fairly well. Then my horn teacher just said "think about the emotion of the piece and not the physical execution so much. Try to communicate to me the passion of the music [there's that word again...passion!? :) ]" I played it again and it was instantly "spectacular." My horn teacher told me that it was "like a different horn player was playing it the second time" I played it.

Why is this? Because I was intensely focused on the preparation needed to produce a spectacular product! At times, my brain seems so overwhelmed with the mental preparation that I lose track for a brief moment of what is coming out the bell of my horn. At these times it feels so easy and efficient to play, though. I therefore humbly submit that precise/spectacular playing is a result of MUCH preparation. I think that on the spot, it is 75% preparation and 25% actual thought about execution (if that).

Granted, this post is a bit nebulous. My apologies for the, as my conducting teacher puts it, "touchy-feely thoughts." But in my quest to be a very accurate and precise horn player, this is a discovery on the path to my goal.

Polling results are in

The poll on this blog has officially closed. The question I asked was about whether or not the public understood and appreciated the need for professional symphony orchestras.

The results were 13 (81%) voting no and 3 (18%) voting yes. This is what I thought it would be. I think in general, the public is lacking in awareness of the genre of the symphony orchestra. The more I think about this puzzle, the more I am convinced that it is through personal connections to the music that people are attracted and committed long-term to attending orchestra concerts.

I was recently quoted in the Columbus Dispatch as saying, "Live music touches your soul. Once you experience it, it's addicting." I personally do believe that this IS true.

If you have come from a website like SymphonySTRONG (or some other website related to the issues with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra situation) and haven't yet come to a concert (or haven't attended in a while), try coming out for the Marvin Hamlisch concert on May 30 & 31. This is the last scheduled CSO concert ever as it stands right now. Don't miss the opportunity to attend and EXPERIENCE what everyone is talking about!

SymphonySTRONG link (updated)

The link in my previous post about SymphonySTRONG appears to have been broken somehow.

So here is the link to the SymphonySTRONG website.

Enjoy!

Fulfilled!

My great expectations were fulfilled! :)

Yo Yo Ma is truly a MASTER performer. Music sings from his cello whenever his bow gets near the actual cello! He ended up playing both the Haydn and Saint-Saens Cello concertos. For his encore, he did the slow movement from the Schubert Quintet. He performed with the Carpe Diem string quartet, which is comprised of members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

The music was truly great (everyone enjoys the Saint-Saens!). An absolute pleasure to hear!! The Columbus Symphony played a tremendous role as well. Their dynamics and attention to detail were never unnoticed! As Yo-Yo Ma put it, "These people are great people. They truly put passion into each note at every rehearsal and performance!"

Great Expectations

In a few hours, I am going to go see Yo-Yo Ma perform with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Earlier today, I made the mistake of making my Facebook status the following: "HOURS until I get to see Yo-Yo Ma perform!" All day I have been having people ask me if I was going and everybody says, "He is SOOOOO great. You will have a fantastic time! I wish I was going!"

I agree, but yet I have reservations and a few questions about statements such as these. At first, I didn't expect such an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response. Now I am very interested as to why this kind of response comes out for Yo-Yo Ma??

Many people go to see the performer of a work and for that reason alone. What I am perplexed about is why people are super-excited to go and see an individual person perform, but not the entire orchestra? When I try to get people to go to a normal classical subscription concert, they make excuses and show a general apathy to the mere suggestion that they attend a symphony concert!

Perhaps it is the name, perhaps it is the "experience" they are going for...I don't quite know. It is a great mystery to me. But what I do know is that I go for the MUSIC. Seeing Yo-Yo Ma will be an electrifying experience because he is a master of making MUSIC. But ultimately, it is the MUSIC that is what matters most!

Just thoughts...

Getting out of the way

I was struck by something Maestro Haddock said in my conducting lesson (I was playing my horn for him when he said it...). He made this statement: "You know, it seems that most of our problems on our instruments involve us being in the way too much. If you can figure out how to 'get out of the way,' then most problems you have on an instrument will be solved! It just takes some people longer than others to 'get out of the way.'"

That has been floating around in my mind and I have been turning it over and over like a Rubik's cube. It simply is a fantastic statement to make...that we are our own worst enemies! As I have been practicing, when I encounter a problem, I immediately now ask "what am I doing that is 'in the way of' me making music?"

So...here's the thought..."what are you doing that is in the way of you making superb music?"

Preparing for a professional audition: the day before

So I am taking the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra audition tomorrow for the second horn position. My former teacher, Charles Waddell, currently is the Principal horn--it would be a pleasure and an honor to play with him again! But there will be some heavy-hitting horn players there as well (especially in light of what the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is going through...).

The audition list material is as follows (this is interesting!):


Exposition of a first movement from the solo concerto repertoire.

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Movement 1 – Horn 2: all measures
Movement 3 (Allegro) – Horn 2: measures 1-17
Trio II – Horn 2: all measures

BEETHOVEN Overture To “Fidelio”
Horn 2: measures 47-55 and measures 234-247

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3
Movement 3 – Horn 2: measures 171-205

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
Movement 2 – Horn 2: letter G for 6 measures

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7
Movement 1 – Horn 2: measures 84-110
Movement 3 – Horn 2: measures 185-238

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 8
Movement 3 – Horn 2: measures 44-78

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
Movement 3 – Horn 4: measures 82-99 and 107-121

HAYDN Symphony No. 31
Movement 2 – Horn 2: measures 12-16 and 35-38

MOZART Symphony No. 29
Movement 4 – Horn 2: last 21 measures plus the pickup

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 9 “Great”
Movement 1 – Horn 2: measures 1-8

TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
Movement 2 – Horn 1: measures 8-28

Sight Reading as required


So I have prepared as thoroughly as I am going to be able to for the audition at this point. I feel confident that I'll play well. But as I anticipate what is going to occur tomorrow, I am having the following thoughts:

1. I am going to play lightly today. Just run through the repertoire and polish minor spots. Beating up the chops would do little, if any good.
2. Use a metronome today to make sure I have the correct tempos drilled into my head.
3. Warm up well and warm down well.
4. Play at the same time of the day.
5. Remember to have a quick review of the following things before each excerpt:
- desired tempo
- character/spirit of the piece
- a quick review of tricky spots that I need to mentally "read-ahead" and remember as I go through the excerpt

I think that following those guidelines will set me up to play well tomorrow.

I am also remembering what someone once told me: "You don't have to play your A+ 'game' for an audition. Just play your best, which may only be A-/B+ 'game' and that will show the committee that you are a qualified candidate. Trying to bust out A+ game will make you try too hard for perfection and will hinder you!" Good advice.

Also, I am trying to have the attitude of "creative not-caring." This idea is one of just playing the music and not caring too much about what happens during the audition. Just play the MUSIC! Imagine that...it can be that simple!

Looking forward to a good time tomorrow and a time of learning more about how I cope with audition pressures!

SymphonySTRONG

So I'm not sure if I've written on my personal blog yet about the new website www.symphonystrong.com. I'll do that now!

SymphonySTRONG is an organization that has recently formed to support live music by networking those who are PASSIONATE about music. Right now the issues of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra are the "ground zero" for SymphonySTRONG. But the website is trying very hard to not take sides (board vs. union musicians). The sole purpose is to create excitement about and network that excitement amongst citizens of Columbus and the surrounding areas!

SymphonySTRONG was actually just written about in the International Musician magazine.























This is a major thing for a grassroots organization! There are roughly 900 people signed up through SymphonySTRONG. These people get somewhat regular email updates from the organization about the issues which SymphonySTRONG is involved with.

The newest idea that SymphonySTRONG is currently testing is "Cooking meets the Maestro." Once a month, Maestro Junichi Hirokami and Sushi Chef Masa meet to discuss the ways in which cooking is similar to making music as a Maestro. A unique idea, to say the least.

SymphonySTRONG is also selling orange wristbands which resemble the Armstrong "Live Strong"wrist bands, but are designed as saying "Symphony STRONG" instead. "Passion" t-shirts are also coming very soon for the community to purchase to show their proud support of SymphonySTRONG and the Columbus Symphony.

Their website also allows any registered user to post videos, events, comments, etc. so that the rest of the community can remain informed about new events of any musical genre!

If you haven't given the SymphonySTRONG website a look, I would highly recommend it! If you still don't understand what is going on with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, then please check out this blog and read all about it. If you feel like weighing in on the issue, there is a live vote count occurring on the SymphonySTRONG website about whether or not people think there is a need for professional orchestras like the Columbus Symphony. Signup and vote!

OSU Students with PASSION!

Brahms: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings Op.115

I've been thinking recently about how as musicians, we can get so caught up in the technical aspects of music, that we forget the true purpose of music! We can sell ourselves out by forgetting the true music.

This is not good, in my opinion.

I heard Kenneth John Grant (clarinet) play the Brahms Quintet for Clarinet and Strings Op.115 and I sat there in awe of just the MUSIC. Not the "ooh, wow, that is technically brilliant!" appreciation of music. The type of appreciation where it was almost as if they were speaking something through the music. It was refreshing to just enjoy that sensation of music. The second movement was very sad, almost like saying goodbye to a long-time friend. Quite moving.

I say all of that to say this: we as musicians should every so often take a step back and evaluate how we appreciate music. Technical proficiency is a great thing to enjoy in a performance, but I think it should be balanced, if not given a bit lesser weight than what the composer has written.

Let me approach the issue with a different bit of an angle. What has stood the test of time? How the player plays or the content of the music? I would argue that the content of the music is what has stood the test of time. Therefore we need to appreciate both how the player plays and what is being performed.

I have just had this thought again, and I have been refreshed by it. I have found that I can reach this level of appreciation quickly by closing my eyes in a live performance until I am concentrating on the music only. Then when I open them, I am not focusing on the technical aspects as much.

FYI, Kenneth Grant was BRILLIANT. Wow. He definitely is a master of the clarinet. I appreciated his playing and musicianship greatly. His technique was at such an outstanding level that it was so easy to hear music and not his technical fluency. I do not mean this post to criticize him in any way. He was fabulous.

Just a few thoughts.

As Beethoven wrote in the Missa Solemnis, "From the heart it has come. To the heart may it go."

New header graphic

The new header graphic is up!

A New Look

This afternoon I decided to take the plunge and experiment with a new template design for the entire blog. Some customization is definitely in order, and I'll tackle that as time allows.

Thoughts and comments from the readers are welcome!

PS - the transfer from one template to the other went super-surprisingly smooth! Kudos to Blogger.