Archive - 2014

1
Alice Brandfonbrener’s Memorial Service
2
What It Means to be an Artist
3
The Third Estate
4
How to Be Successful Using Great Communication Skills
5
Looking for Perfection in an Imperfect Process
6
Technology and the Orchestra
7
Art and Music Are Professions Worth Fighting for
8
Tinnitus: When There’s Humming in Your Head and It Won’t Go Away
9
It’s A Pitch
10
New Classical Music Blog by Steve Metcalf

Alice Brandfonbrener’s Memorial Service

Laura Ross, Secretary of ICSOM, sent the following notice: Dr. Alice Brandfonbrener, a pioneer in the field of music medicine, died in May. I have just received notice of the location and time of her memorial program and hope that those of you who knew her, and those who were the beneficiaries of her care[…]

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What It Means to be an Artist

Being an artist in all its multiplicities of characteristics and talents, is among the most demanding of all demands that we can make of ourselves. We have entered a universe of complexity and simplicity, discovery and delusion. It will never finish. It will never be entirely revealed.

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The Third Estate

If one wishes to contribute to the conversation about how to expand the audience base for American orchestras, then one must talk about what those orchestras are presenting — and right now that’s a taboo subject. The fact is that the discussion about WHAT exactly orchestras are presenting has never taken place. The arbitrary distinction[…]

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How to Be Successful Using Great Communication Skills

Storytelling is an essential part of every culture. People are always eager to hear or relate a story whether from a book, a film, a play, a remembrance from childhood or a recent vacation.

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Looking for Perfection in an Imperfect Process

We recognize that the use of beta-blockers by musicians is a serious and controversial topic.  Nonetheless, we feel it is better to discuss it than to pretend that it doesn’t exist.  We neither condone or condemn the use of beta-blockers, but wish to have an objective discussion about its use.  Feel free to join the[…]

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Technology and the Orchestra

Symphony magazine featured an interesting article about how digital technologies are impacting orchestras. Written by Andy Doe, a media and technology consultant who writes about music at his blog, properdiscord.com, “The Digital Orchestra” takes us from 1994, when the New Zealand Symphony’s principal bassist Dale Gold put up a simple website, to our world of ever-increasing mobile[…]

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Art and Music Are Professions Worth Fighting for

Nearly ten months ago now, recording artist, producer, and label owner Blake Morgan, posted “My New Year’s resolution is to stand up and speak out more,”  in the Huffington Post, (12/18/13). Several points he made in the article really resonated with me, especially this one, “And yet I’ve never heard of anyone who’s been successful[…]

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Tinnitus: When There’s Humming in Your Head and It Won’t Go Away

Here’s an interesting article from the International Musician, the monthly official journal of the American Federation of Musicians, (A.K.A. the union). We’re in a profession that subjects us to loud noises and one of the consequences is the possibility of developing Tinnitus. I happen to have it. For me there is a hissing sound, (I[…]

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It’s A Pitch

This post first appeared in Symposium, the journal of the College Music Society.  It is reprinted here with permission. I’ve had two careers in my lifetime: as a symphony orchestra clarinetist and as a technology executive. One of the advantages these dual careers have given me has been the ability to apply my business experiences[…]

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New Classical Music Blog by Steve Metcalf

I’d like to call your attention to a new weekly blog post by a renowned name in classical music writing. Steve Metcalf, former music critic of the Hartford Courant and curator of the Richard P. Garmany Chamber Music Series at The Hartt School, has started writing a weekly blog on classical music for Hartford’s local NPR station,[…]

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