Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble: Monday YouTube Fix

I was lucky enough to play in the Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble under both John Paynter and Mallory Thompson.  Those performances rank as some of my most cherished in my career.  The level of musicianship that was demanded of me by both conductors as well as the colleagues I was surrounded by was intense and exhilarating.

Filling the shoes of John Paynter, an absolute legend in the band world, was no easy task.  Mallory Thompson stepped in from day one as if that job had been waiting for her all along.  She remains one of the most rewarding conductors I have ever played for.  Nothing gets past her ears.  Nothing.

This is a fantastic recording of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" arranged by Donald Hunsberger.  As with all great university wind ensembles of this caliber, it is hard to believe these are college kids.  And Mallory Thompson's interpretation is, as always, spot on.

Enjoy!

Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 - Johann Sebastian Bach arr. Donald Hunsberger

Painfully Obvious Audition Insight

"Good playing is easy to vote for."

-Stephen Dunkel, Bass Trombone - Washington National Opera

Well that kind of takes a lot of the mystery out of things now doesn't it?

Embracing Marketing

"Marketing and sales isn't about trying to convince, coerce, or manipulate people into buying your services. It's about putting yourself out in front of, and offering your services to, those whom you are meant to serve – people who already need and are looking for your services."

-Michael Port from Book Yourself Solid

Today's music business is so incredibly competitive, whether trying to play for a living or trying to land a top teaching gig.  There are not many concrete areas where you can get an easy leg up on the competition.  There are, however, a few of them and one of them is marketing.

Focusing on the "putting yourself out in front of" part of the above quote by Michael Port, there are not many musicians or music educators who excel at this.  There are a lot who are good, but not a lot who are great.

If you figure out two things, who are you meant to serve and how you will put yourself in front of them, you will be way ahead of the game.

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As a side note, absolutely everyone should read the book quoted above.  I can not recommend it any more highly for people learning to get themselves out there.  It is a New York Times bestseller so chances are your competition has already read it.

Arthur Rubinstein and the London Symphony Orchestra: Monday YouTube Fix

Arthur Rubinstein is one of the piano greats.  Here is a very high quality video of him performing the Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Andre Previn in 1975.  He is 88 years old in this clip and plays beautifully!  It is hard for me to process that this performance is from the year I was born and yet Rubinstein was born in 1887!

He retired from performing only one year later although he lived until the age of 95.  His career is filled with momentous accomplishments.  He was best known as a recitalist and concerto soloist, but he also performed a lot of chamber music with the likes of Jascha Heifetz and Pablo Casals.

You will hear why he is considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

Enjoy!

On the wings of the immortal classical music.

Fail Better

"Fail, fail again, fail better."

-Samuel Beckett

If that's not your motto in the practice room, something is wrong.

Joe Alessi Master Class Quotes from 2008 ABA Convention (2 of 2)

Here is the second installment of quotes from Joe Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic, from his master class at the 2008 American Bandmasters Association Convention.  Click here for the first installment.

• After a less than stellar first attempt by a student playing in the master class: "Let's hit the reset button and try again."
   
• "In my lessons at Juilliard, you have to play one with a great sound or the lesson doesn't start.  It's like putting on your seatbelt in the car."
   
• "When you take a breath don't lean into it."
   
• "Really think about the sound you want to play with on the first note of every passage."
   
• He had the student "mime" the passage by breathing with the slide: "Get everything timed."
   
• "Mime a fast lick very short and slow.  Like getting the timing right on your engine."
   
• "Stay in a good stage presence between sections."
   
• "Don't think of a note being suspended in the air and you are playing up to it.  Think that you are suspended and the note is below you."
   
• "Brass players blow too fast when nervous and our air columns become narrower."
   
• "Listen to yourself at half speed."
   
• On jaw vibrato: "Move your jaw, not your muscles."
   
• "Remove vibrato at the end of a note to produce a beautiful taper."
   
• "Louder equals more tongue.  Softer equals less tongue."
   
• "Air and tongue can be adjusted like the oil/as ratio in a mower."
   
• "Forte is 90% air and 10% tongue."
   
• "You should practice with no tongue."
   
• "Practice playing really softly without any tongue."
   
• "Practice diminuendoing notes down to niente.  It will help with the attacks."
   
• "ppp is the essence of your tone right in your face."

Jazz Funeral in New Orleans: Monday YouTube Fix

The traditional New Orleans jazz funeral is a beautiful way to celebrate the life of someone who has passed away, rather than mourning their death.  To see one is an incredibly powerful experience and this video captures it perfectly.

This funeral was in honor of tuba player Kerwin James who passed away in 2007.  It is hard not to tear up watching this celebration of life.  My favorite part is when they lower the casket and rock it back and forth so he can "dance one last time."

I hope traditions like this one never die.  God bless New Orleans.

http://www.onenawlins.com For more history on this wonderful and unique culture please visit and my website listed above. A traditional New Orleans Jazz Funeral for the late New Birth tuba player Kerwin James. He died in Oct. 2007. Alot of viewers have been asking whats the reason for the rocking of the casket, it's so he can dance one last time.

Joe Alessi Master Class Quotes from 2008 ABA Convention (1 of 2)

In an effort to clean up my office I just stumbled upon a small notebook with notes from a number of master classes.  One of those classes was by trombone virtuoso and master teacher Joe Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic.

This class is from March 5, 2008 at the University of Miami and was a part of the American Bandmasters Association Convention being hosted there.  There are some great quotes in here for all musicians, not just trombone players or brass players.  There were enough that I have broken them up into two blog posts.

Enjoy!
 

• "A low sound like Darth Vader when breathing means there's friction.  I like low-friction breaths."
   
• "Auditions are all about time and when you reset your embouchure you will come in late a lot."
   
• "Practicing without the instrument, like singing while conducting, is very important.  I sing and conduct through a piece with a new accompanist."
   
• "You must have a pulse to conduct and you must sing the right pitches."
   
• "I feel like you're reading the music, not playing the piece."
   
• "It's a whole different part of our brain if we're not just reading the music."
   
• After having the student play from memory to the back wall: "Look at the music but only refer to the music, like a big band.  Bell's up, music down low."
   
• "Sometimes we have a good sound and we just don't use it."
   
• "Your back should be convex with a slight arch forward when standing."
   
• "If you stand healthy you will probably play healthy."
   
• "You can tell (in an audition) how someone will play by how they walk into a room and sound."
   
• "The breath is like a pitcher's wind-up.  You don't have a wind-up right now."
   
• "Get set up earlier with the face (before an entrance.)"
   
• "I like to watch the belt area when people are playing to see if they are supporting."
   
• "You have a really nice sound but you're not always ready to use it."

Believing is the Key

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” - Anatole France

— Peter Olsen (@PeteOlsen) October 1, 2014

Getting a job as the director of a top high school band program or winning an audition at a major symphony orchestra requires countless hours of hard work and a carefully and diligently executed long-term plan.  There are no shortcuts.

But along with that must be an unflappable belief that you are meant for one of those jobs.  You must not only dream of great accomplishments but also believe that you are the man or woman for the job.

Links That Make Me Think - Practicing Edition

Before the summer I was posting a large collection of links each month.  I've decided to post less links more frequently now.  Here are a few from around the internet that I find interesting.  And please send anything along that you'd like to share!

1. "5 Incredibly Effective Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder" 

This article has absolutely nothing to do with music or practicing and is a must read for any musician, performer or educator.

"Measure your results, not your time. The whole idea of working smarter rather than harder stems from the fact that many of us put in more and more hours only to find we don't get more done. That's why we want to find methods to be more productive in less time.

One way to do this is to adjust the way you measure productivity. If you evaluate yourself by what you actually get done rather than the time it takes to get something done, you'll start to notice a difference in how you work."

The rest of Jeff Haden's points are great as well.

2. "12(+) Ways to Practice a Technical Passage"

Bret Pimentel hits the nail on the head with this blog post on how to approach the practicing of a technical passage.  Really well done.

"What is crucial is that you are keeping your brain engaged by varying the material."

 

Amen.

3. "The Power of a Practice Schedule"

As usual, Gerald Klickstein of The Musician's Way is right on the money with this short and to the point post:

"Consistent, deep practice is the rocket fuel of musical development.  When we live by regular practice schedules we reap countless benefits."

 

He then lists six benefits of a regular practice schedule which are all fantastic.

4. Get a Free Copy of Lance LaDuke's "Music Practice Coach" for a limited time!

As I explain in that post, this is the best book on practicing I've ever read and all of my students are required to own it.  Grab it before he changes his mind!