How many times have we musicians heard those phrases? Do they mean that we should try to be like Janice Martin, the violinist who plays while hanging upside down? My most recent experience is not quite that dramatic….. “What time is the lunch break?” I asked the stage manager, knowing that he was the one[…]
Read MoreWith all due respect, Harry, most of those "Asians" to whom you refer are, in fact, Americans. One can't help…
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can choose a player for our orchestra from these candidates.” Has anyone you know heard words similar to those recently? I wouldn’t be surprised if you said “yes” because it’s been happening across the country with increasing frequency for several years now. A couple weeks[…]
Read MoreRecently I wrote about several “apps” that allow users to virtually play an instrument. The Nov 1st issue of the NYTimes has a longer article about a similar idea: “Orchestra Hero”. Written by Michael Gordon, a composer, it’s an enthusiastic endorsement of the art form we all know and love, but which is unknown to[…]
Read MoreLeonard Slatkin responded via email (see yesterday’s blogpost) to my request for information about the article on his website. I have excerpted his comments: “The article was written the day after the Met[‘s recent production of] Tosca was trashed. How come opera directors can get away with mangling the instructions from a composer, but the[…]
Read MoreThe new Music Director of the Detroit Symphony, Leonard Slatkin, has been having a bit of fun lately. Maybe other orchestras will take up these measures as well, to give audiences an unusual concert-going experience. Tomorrow I’ll post Maestro Slatkin’s comments about his ideas.
Read MoreHow about that?
The question keeps getting asked: should you play music to your unborn child to increase their intelligence? How about tapes of a 2nd language? There’s a whole industry out there that preys upon new parents–if you aren’t doing something for your child, you’re not doing enough. I find it ironic that classical music is often[…]
Read MoreA few years ago conductor Leonard Slatkin stated that John Williams had saved the orchestra. Why? Because at a time when Broadway shows were moving more and more toward the use of synthesizers and recorded music, Williams was writing film scores for large orchestras. Slatkin maintained that producers (and audiences) having Williams’ sounds in their[…]
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Since I do lot of teaching I read a lot of books. Not all of them are music-related, but a high proportion of them are. From time to time in this space I’ll be posting reviews of books I’ve read, with the hope that 1) you’ll be able to sort through books more quickly (as to whether you really want to spend the time reading them) and 2) you’ll read something that you might not have otherwise considered. Enjoy!
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Since I do lot of teaching I read a lot of books. Not all of them are music-related, but a high proportion of them are. From time to time in this space I’ll be posting reviews of books I’ve read, with the hope that 1) you’ll be able to sort through books more quickly (as to whether you really want to spend the time reading them) and 2) you’ll read something that you might not have otherwise considered. Enjoy!
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Since I do lot of teaching I read a lot of books. Not all of them are music-related, but a high proportion of them are. From time to time in this space I’ll be posting reviews of books I’ve read, with the hope that 1) you’ll be able to sort through books more quickly (as to whether you really want to spend the time reading them) and 2) you’ll read something that you might not have otherwise considered. Enjoy!
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You know, I totally agree! As many years during my youth were spent onstage as they were in the concert…