Grooveshark is a really spiffy online music site which allows you to search their online catalog of music and play it back. If you sign up for a free account, it even lets you create and save custom playlists! I used to use several services similar to this called Project Playlist and SeeqPod. Project Playlist (which until today remained on my blog) was breaking the links to many of the songs I had requested it play. Seeqpod has been in a "transition" mode for many months, and I had lost touch with it in the middle of last year.
But today I found the feature which allows me to embed a Grooveshark playlist on my blog!! It is terrific. I hope you are able to enjoy the pieces which I've linked to...Mozart's Fourth Horn Concerto (first movement) and Felix Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture! Many more great songs to come!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A Long Time Since...
It has been an incredibly long vacation that I have taken from this blog...
A lot has happened since I last was posting on this page.
I feel a good topic for my first post in a while should give a bit more info about what I'm up to musically these days.
I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor in Music and was accepted into the Masters of Music program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I currently study horn with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Horn, Bill Caballero.
CMU is a place where I am learning much about music from the immersive nature of the music program at CMU. Studying with Mr. Caballero is also such a tremendous experience.
What I have liked about CMU thus far can be summarized as follows:
1. Studying horn with Bill Caballero
2. Hearing the Pittsburgh Symphony on a regular basis (they are world-class!)
3. The Eurhythmics program at CMU is an outstanding area of study that I have enjoyed being exposed to
4. The Life of Bach class taught by Stephen Schultz -- a 15-week class discussing the entire life of Bach and his extensive repertory of music. What a great composer and what a model musician!
So life is extremely busy, but good...good to be back here!
A lot has happened since I last was posting on this page.
I feel a good topic for my first post in a while should give a bit more info about what I'm up to musically these days.
I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor in Music and was accepted into the Masters of Music program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I currently study horn with Pittsburgh Symphony Principal Horn, Bill Caballero.
CMU is a place where I am learning much about music from the immersive nature of the music program at CMU. Studying with Mr. Caballero is also such a tremendous experience.
What I have liked about CMU thus far can be summarized as follows:
1. Studying horn with Bill Caballero
2. Hearing the Pittsburgh Symphony on a regular basis (they are world-class!)
3. The Eurhythmics program at CMU is an outstanding area of study that I have enjoyed being exposed to
4. The Life of Bach class taught by Stephen Schultz -- a 15-week class discussing the entire life of Bach and his extensive repertory of music. What a great composer and what a model musician!
So life is extremely busy, but good...good to be back here!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet
The Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet played a concert last night and did two masterclass sessions today for the students at OSU. Several points of their masterclass reminded me of several lessons that I have learned recently and bear repeating and posting here.
1. The dynamics that we as performers think that we are playing are probably not what the audience is hearing. For instance, what I think is pianissimo is probably "inaudible" to the audience and makes me sound overly timid and unsecure in my playing. Even though voices scream out to me that I am not playing a true soft dynamic (aka "I can play softer than that!"), it is what the audience or audition committee hears that matters!
2. One member of the REQ mentioned that "when we are rehearsing as a chamber music ensemble, we all choose to check our ego's at the door and agree to both give and accept criticism amongst each other freely." I think that this is not something that we should only do in chamber music. Regardless of whether or not I personally agree with/embrace what someone says about my playing, I should still give it fair consideration. This openness and ability to do whatever is asked of a musician is what will impress conductors and fellow musicians--resulting in a more likely possibility of being asked to play again or more often.
3. Another piece of advice which the REQ guys gave was to record yourself and your chamber music ensembles OFTEN. This is a great idea. You learn new things about your playing when you are able to have a third-person perspective of your own work. Great idea, but as they mentioned, it might be hard to afford for college music students.
4. When slurring and playing legato music, think of the back-end of each note pushing into the next note. This will ensure a smooth, connected sound. Also, when playing legato, make sure that the air never 'dips' or 'wanes'. This is true. We shouldn't let phrasing or dynamic nuances slow or cut-off the air. Keep it moving.
5. When speaking about dynamics, the statement was made that, 'the hardest thing to do on a brass instrument is play soft.' I don't know if I fully agree with that, but what they said about how to fix it is so true with most anything you try to do on your instrument...'if you don't go there each day, then it'll never happen.' What he means is this: if you don't attempt to DO the skill that you are trying to learn ON A DAILY BASIS, then you will never make progress. So if you are trying to gain more dynamic control, then you MUST practice playing soft each day and you will see progress. Simple concept, but buying into it is sometimes difficult.
So, that is what I took away from the Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet!
1. The dynamics that we as performers think that we are playing are probably not what the audience is hearing. For instance, what I think is pianissimo is probably "inaudible" to the audience and makes me sound overly timid and unsecure in my playing. Even though voices scream out to me that I am not playing a true soft dynamic (aka "I can play softer than that!"), it is what the audience or audition committee hears that matters!
2. One member of the REQ mentioned that "when we are rehearsing as a chamber music ensemble, we all choose to check our ego's at the door and agree to both give and accept criticism amongst each other freely." I think that this is not something that we should only do in chamber music. Regardless of whether or not I personally agree with/embrace what someone says about my playing, I should still give it fair consideration. This openness and ability to do whatever is asked of a musician is what will impress conductors and fellow musicians--resulting in a more likely possibility of being asked to play again or more often.
3. Another piece of advice which the REQ guys gave was to record yourself and your chamber music ensembles OFTEN. This is a great idea. You learn new things about your playing when you are able to have a third-person perspective of your own work. Great idea, but as they mentioned, it might be hard to afford for college music students.
4. When slurring and playing legato music, think of the back-end of each note pushing into the next note. This will ensure a smooth, connected sound. Also, when playing legato, make sure that the air never 'dips' or 'wanes'. This is true. We shouldn't let phrasing or dynamic nuances slow or cut-off the air. Keep it moving.
5. When speaking about dynamics, the statement was made that, 'the hardest thing to do on a brass instrument is play soft.' I don't know if I fully agree with that, but what they said about how to fix it is so true with most anything you try to do on your instrument...'if you don't go there each day, then it'll never happen.' What he means is this: if you don't attempt to DO the skill that you are trying to learn ON A DAILY BASIS, then you will never make progress. So if you are trying to gain more dynamic control, then you MUST practice playing soft each day and you will see progress. Simple concept, but buying into it is sometimes difficult.
So, that is what I took away from the Riverbottom Euphonium Quartet!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
I haven't posted in a while...sorry. To those of you who might be receiving this via email subscription, just wanted to wish you all a very happy new year. 2009 should be a most interesting year!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Happy Halloween!
As I write this post, I am working at the front desk of my residence hall on Halloween. In honor of this momentous occasion, I am providing, as always, the highest quality classical music for Halloween.
The playlist has been as follows:
- Night on Bald Mountain
- Bach: Tocatta and Fugue in D minor (both of them!)
- Orff: Carmina Burana (entire work, not just the first track...)
- Carter: String Quartet No. 2
- Crumb: Black Angels
- Verdi: Requiem (selections)
- Mozart: Requiem (selections)
- Zimmer: Pirates of the Carribean 2: The Kraken
- R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra - Opening
- Shostakovich: festive overture
- Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
- Bizet: Farandole
Happy Halloween to all!
The playlist has been as follows:
- Night on Bald Mountain
- Bach: Tocatta and Fugue in D minor (both of them!)
- Orff: Carmina Burana (entire work, not just the first track...)
- Carter: String Quartet No. 2
- Crumb: Black Angels
- Verdi: Requiem (selections)
- Mozart: Requiem (selections)
- Zimmer: Pirates of the Carribean 2: The Kraken
- R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra - Opening
- Shostakovich: festive overture
- Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
- Bizet: Farandole
Happy Halloween to all!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
How do YOU make music?
What's your philosophy of music making?
Stravinsky was a fan of simply playing the notes and dynamics and "the music will take care of itself."
Others might take issue with Stravinsky and say that emotion and musicality comes first as opposed to the rigidity of simply focusing on producing notes.
I have written a blog post about this before, but as I focus on re-learning a new range of the horn for the new principal horn position I have this year at school, I am beginning to agree with Stravinsky. It seems that just creating what is written on the page has a unique character and musicality. Perhaps just letting the music speak for itself is enough.
What is your philosophy? I'd love to hear!
Stravinsky was a fan of simply playing the notes and dynamics and "the music will take care of itself."
Others might take issue with Stravinsky and say that emotion and musicality comes first as opposed to the rigidity of simply focusing on producing notes.
I have written a blog post about this before, but as I focus on re-learning a new range of the horn for the new principal horn position I have this year at school, I am beginning to agree with Stravinsky. It seems that just creating what is written on the page has a unique character and musicality. Perhaps just letting the music speak for itself is enough.
What is your philosophy? I'd love to hear!
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