What did this class mean to me?
For me this class was one of my favorite music classes that I have taken. I got to explore areas that I have not explored, and also at the same time elaborate on subjects I knew a small amount about. At the beginning of this semester this class made a big impact on my life because I was not sure exactly what music or compositions I should perform on my DMA chamber recital. After looking into American Innovation I decided to do a “American Innovators” themed recital. I chose three totally different composers to showcase, Eric Ewazen, Aaron Copland, and Miles Davis. A great lineup, of styles and innovation. Would I have programmed this way if I had not taken this course? No, I would not have. That was the power of this course, I was thinking outside the box. After the recital my professor told me “It was one of the most interesting, and innovative recitals I have ever seen”. I took that as a huge compliment. I was not looking to do the usual chamber recital that most would do, I chose do some something outside the box maybe innovative.
Before this class I downright hated some of Miles Davis’s works, “Bitches Brew” argh. I was not a fan at all. I forced myself to re-listen to it, and if I still didn’t like it atleast find out WHY I didn’t like it. I listened to it again and I was hooked. This class got me thinking outside my box and just listen to the music. As a DMA student from day one you have “I-IV-V-I” railed into your head, and I disliked anything that was not this way. Today, this is not the case. I realized music is what we make of it, music lies within the beholder. Some of John Cages music I find different and innovative, but maybe to Cage it is just interesting music.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Wow. Looking back at this semester, I'm not sure which surprises me more: the vast amount of information we covered in this class, or the even more massive amount of information that we didn't even get to. One of the "big picture" themes I took from this class is that there has been just SO much going on musically in the last 100+ years--so many stylistic changes, technological breakthroughs, artistic movements, etc., etc., that you have to strike a balance with your study. It's like walking through a gigantic forest in which every tree is completely unique, beautiful, and unlike anything you've ever seen. Do you stop and study every tree, or do you take in the forest as a whole? Or some combination of both? Hell, this "forest vs. trees" dilemma was an issue even when I took an undergrad elective on the chamber works of Haydn and Mozart, so I suppose it was bound to happen here.
I feel very lucky to be a percussionist, because it really helps to bring our discussions to life. When we were talking about Cage, we in the percussion studio were playing Cage. We talked briefly about Peter Garland, whose "Apple Blossom" found its way onto my recital. Martin Bresnick? Kyle and I are working on his concerto "Grace" right now. Just about any percussion studio would be deeply familiar with works by Cage, Harrison, Cowell, Varese, Reich, and a slew of other composers we've talked about. A lot of this music is "first circle" stuff for me. What really helped to push me out of my comfort zone were the presentations from other points of view. I loved Dannica's presentation on Extended Vocal Techniques, Enoch's coverage of Eric Whitacre (whose band music was very familiar to me but his choral music not so much), Susan's report on American musical theatre, and other such presentations that had little to do with what I do on a daily basis. Besides being fascinating in and of themselves, they stirred up a little internal debate in my brain: do I attempt to immediately establish relevancy between this material and my musical experience, or do I appreciate it at face value, file it away, and wait for the connection to happen organically? I'm still working on a definitive answer. I'll keep you all posted. :)
And then there was the blog. Love it or hate it, I think this thing has given us all a great opportunity to expand our horizons. Whether it was used as a place to expand on discussions from class, post new material that wouldn't fit into class discussion, debate furiously, advertise performances, or rant (my favorite post is Kyle's hilarious and all-too-true blurb about composers' photos in CD jackets), I hope you all got as much out of it as I did.
Finally, I just want to say thanks. I know it's cheesy, but you've all really changed my perspective (for the better, I hope!) and inspired me to dig a little deeper into the music we've covered. I hope you all have a wonderful summer. OK, 1-2-ready-break!
I feel very lucky to be a percussionist, because it really helps to bring our discussions to life. When we were talking about Cage, we in the percussion studio were playing Cage. We talked briefly about Peter Garland, whose "Apple Blossom" found its way onto my recital. Martin Bresnick? Kyle and I are working on his concerto "Grace" right now. Just about any percussion studio would be deeply familiar with works by Cage, Harrison, Cowell, Varese, Reich, and a slew of other composers we've talked about. A lot of this music is "first circle" stuff for me. What really helped to push me out of my comfort zone were the presentations from other points of view. I loved Dannica's presentation on Extended Vocal Techniques, Enoch's coverage of Eric Whitacre (whose band music was very familiar to me but his choral music not so much), Susan's report on American musical theatre, and other such presentations that had little to do with what I do on a daily basis. Besides being fascinating in and of themselves, they stirred up a little internal debate in my brain: do I attempt to immediately establish relevancy between this material and my musical experience, or do I appreciate it at face value, file it away, and wait for the connection to happen organically? I'm still working on a definitive answer. I'll keep you all posted. :)
And then there was the blog. Love it or hate it, I think this thing has given us all a great opportunity to expand our horizons. Whether it was used as a place to expand on discussions from class, post new material that wouldn't fit into class discussion, debate furiously, advertise performances, or rant (my favorite post is Kyle's hilarious and all-too-true blurb about composers' photos in CD jackets), I hope you all got as much out of it as I did.
Finally, I just want to say thanks. I know it's cheesy, but you've all really changed my perspective (for the better, I hope!) and inspired me to dig a little deeper into the music we've covered. I hope you all have a wonderful summer. OK, 1-2-ready-break!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
True Confessions....
Hi. My name is Cheryl. I listen to Sousa. What may make that strange is that I play horn. The round one often referred to as the French Horn. The one that has ridiculously tedious parts in most marches. While I do love Sousa's marches [National Game is my current favorite] in large part because of the smiles I see on the faces of those listening in the audience as they cannot help but bop to the beat [you know it's true...], I also enjoy some of his other music, such as his Suites: Looking Upward and Three Quotations, and music from his various operettas.
This is a very late post, but as I was reading back through a semester worth of thoughts and ideas and insights, I realized I had never actually shared what I would put on my iPod first if I ever get one. Sousa would be on there -- it makes me happy.
Norah would also be on there. When the very first notes from her first project start to waft out of my car speakers, my shoulders relax. Go figure.
Music of Charles Ives, Lou Harrison and Martin Bresnick will be there, as will music from many of the other composers we have met, discovered, or renewed acquaintance with this semester.
There would be lots of horn music on there, too -- much of it from American Innovators such as Gunther Schuller. Over the past few days, I have been listening to his Duets for Unaccompanied Horns [1962] and his Trois Hommages [1942-46] for horn and piano, which was largely composed before his 21st birthday. The Hommages are to 1) Delius, 2) Ravel, and 3) Milhaud. I happen to resonate to music of Les Six, so am particularly drawn to the third hommage for which Schuller adds a second horn. How exciting to have new-for-me music and a composer to get to know better over the summer!
That's all for now.
This is a very late post, but as I was reading back through a semester worth of thoughts and ideas and insights, I realized I had never actually shared what I would put on my iPod first if I ever get one. Sousa would be on there -- it makes me happy.
Norah would also be on there. When the very first notes from her first project start to waft out of my car speakers, my shoulders relax. Go figure.
Music of Charles Ives, Lou Harrison and Martin Bresnick will be there, as will music from many of the other composers we have met, discovered, or renewed acquaintance with this semester.
There would be lots of horn music on there, too -- much of it from American Innovators such as Gunther Schuller. Over the past few days, I have been listening to his Duets for Unaccompanied Horns [1962] and his Trois Hommages [1942-46] for horn and piano, which was largely composed before his 21st birthday. The Hommages are to 1) Delius, 2) Ravel, and 3) Milhaud. I happen to resonate to music of Les Six, so am particularly drawn to the third hommage for which Schuller adds a second horn. How exciting to have new-for-me music and a composer to get to know better over the summer!
That's all for now.
Because this peaked my interest the other day during chris's presentation
I remember from Chris's presentation that there was a brief mention of the topic of astrology, and soon after that I discovered that one of my friends from high school is getting serious in it. I don't know what I believe, but I know that I don't know enough to not believe. So, since I have had some time to look around the "interwebs" I found a surface level description of my birth and star chart. I don't know how accurate it is, but I wanted to post it because it was something extra for me to think about after class.
Name: Dennis McElroy
August 19 1981
12:00 PM Time Zone is CDT
Temple, TX
Rising Sign is in 00 Degrees Scorpio
You tend to be quiet, reserved, secretive and, at times, quite difficult to understand. Others notice your deep emotions and feelings and wonder how to draw you out. Stubborn and tough, you fight for any position you believe in. You are very resourceful and formidable when you become angered or upset about something. You enjoy living life at the cutting edge -- for you life must be experienced intensely and totally. Quite courageous, you are willing to take calculated risks. Easily hurt by others, you often strike back with bitter sarcasm. Sensitive and curious, you are concerned with the deeper mysteries of human psychology. Once you have become interested in any subject, you pursue it with total fanaticism.
Sun is in 26 Degrees Leo.
More than a bit of a showoff, you love to be the center of attention! But others do not usually mind because they tend to enjoy your genuine warmth and affection. Very spirited and willful, proud and self-important at times, you demand your own way. You are quite honest, however, and the respect of others is very important to you. You never compromise yourself and you pursue your goals with persistence and dedication. Your regal presence and demeanor draws you to positions of leadership and authority. But beware of being overly hardheaded, domineering, ostentatious or patronizing or you will lose the goodwill and admiration that you enjoy. Very theatrical, you live life on a grand scale wherever and whenever possible. Your strength and energy vitalizes those who come in contact with you.
Moon is in 18 Degrees Aries.
High-spirited and courageous, you are a fighter when your emotions are aroused. The degree of force and drive that you can bring to any effort sometimes surprises others. You have hair-trigger reactions to specific stimuli and tend to "let it all hang out." You sometimes act before you think and do things on the spur of the moment, and that sometimes gets you into trouble. Your moods change quickly -- you have quite a temper, but you don't hold grudges. Very independent, with an extremely strong and forceful personality, you are known for being impulsive, careless, reckless, foolhardy, rash and daring.
Mercury is in 05 Degrees Virgo.
Very thorough and efficient, you pay attention to the minor but important details of any project. You are a careful thinker who can learn complicated, intricate techniques. You are attracted to practical, useful skills and are probably good at working with your hands. You are very critical of yourself and others, sometimes too much so, and you get the reputation of being a nag or of being nit-picky. Your first reaction to any situation is to try to organize, classify and analyze everything!
Venus is in 01 Degrees Libra.
A very friendly and outgoing person, you hate to be alone. Beware of a continuing tendency to compromise yourself in order to avoid being lonely. Try to be yourself, not what others would like you to be. You have an innate desire to be in refined and elegant surroundings and will go out of your way to create a plush and comfortable atmosphere around you. You have heightened aesthetic sensibilities and are attracted to music and the arts. Try to avoid using your well-known seductive charm in order to get out of doing what you consider to be dirty work!
Mars is in 21 Degrees Cancer.
Your moods are very important to your overall well-being. You are confident and self-assertive when you are feeling upbeat, and you are retiring, irritable and grumpy when you get depressed about anything. Very sensitive, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You are easily angered whenever you think someone has slighted you. It is best for you to show your anger immediately and let it all out, rather than to try to hold it in or to hold grudges for a long time. You're extremely loyal and defensive of your family, neighborhood, community and culture.
Jupiter is in 09 Degrees Libra.
You are generally good at balancing opinions and judging issues, but you tend to be indecisive when it comes to making up your own mind. You are objective and quite concerned with fair play and justice. But, when it comes to yourself, you are so aware that whatever you do might upset the apple cart that you often choose to compromise rather than do anything that might make you lonely or vulnerable. Relationships are very important to you -- you learn about yourself and grow through observing yourself interacting with others. Your aesthetic tastes are refined, but expansive and expensive.
Saturn is in 07 Degrees Libra.
Although you take quite a while to make decisions, you usually consider all sides to a question, all the pros and cons, and the solution you come up with is very often the correct one. You tend to be very reserved and shy, but, once you make a commitment to someone (in either a business or personal relationship), the partnership is forever. You have a strong sense of justice and fair play and greatly respect the laws and institutions by which you are governed. As such, you are outraged when others break laws or show contempt for authority.
Uranus is in 26 Degrees Scorpio.
You, and your peer group, demand to confront life at its deepest and most meaningful levels. Very compulsive and obsessive in your approach to everything, you will avoid anything that is casual or superficial, especially when it comes to relationships. You will seek out and explore new methods of healing as well as different ways to deal with deep-seated emotional problems.
Neptune is in 22 Degrees Sagittarius.
You, and your entire generation, are heavily involved in investigating and idealizing foreign and exotic intellectual systems and religious philosophies. The most extreme ideals will be pursued with gusto. You will be at the forefront of humanitarian attempts to improve the lot of those who are in need of assistance. You will be comfortable with the concept of the "global village."
Pluto is in 22 Degrees Libra.
For your entire generation, this is a time of radical changes in society's attitude toward marriage and interpersonal relationships. There is a general fear and awe at the power inherent in making emotional or contractual commitments -- they will not be entered into lightly.
N. Node is in 01 Degrees Leo.
You prefer to take the leadership role when it comes to dealing with others. You enjoy administering and organizing group activities. Others tend to listen to your suggestions because you aren't usually overly domineering or patronizing in your interactions. You love to entertain in a big way -- you're at your best when throwing a large and lavish party. Your popularity and social success are assured as long as you don't take others for granted -- resist the temptation to become snobbish and arrogant.
I am not trying to take the subject of astrology lightly, but I wanted to share this. I think that anything that can make you look at life from a different perspective is worth looking into.
Name: Dennis McElroy
August 19 1981
12:00 PM Time Zone is CDT
Temple, TX
Rising Sign is in 00 Degrees Scorpio
You tend to be quiet, reserved, secretive and, at times, quite difficult to understand. Others notice your deep emotions and feelings and wonder how to draw you out. Stubborn and tough, you fight for any position you believe in. You are very resourceful and formidable when you become angered or upset about something. You enjoy living life at the cutting edge -- for you life must be experienced intensely and totally. Quite courageous, you are willing to take calculated risks. Easily hurt by others, you often strike back with bitter sarcasm. Sensitive and curious, you are concerned with the deeper mysteries of human psychology. Once you have become interested in any subject, you pursue it with total fanaticism.
Sun is in 26 Degrees Leo.
More than a bit of a showoff, you love to be the center of attention! But others do not usually mind because they tend to enjoy your genuine warmth and affection. Very spirited and willful, proud and self-important at times, you demand your own way. You are quite honest, however, and the respect of others is very important to you. You never compromise yourself and you pursue your goals with persistence and dedication. Your regal presence and demeanor draws you to positions of leadership and authority. But beware of being overly hardheaded, domineering, ostentatious or patronizing or you will lose the goodwill and admiration that you enjoy. Very theatrical, you live life on a grand scale wherever and whenever possible. Your strength and energy vitalizes those who come in contact with you.
Moon is in 18 Degrees Aries.
High-spirited and courageous, you are a fighter when your emotions are aroused. The degree of force and drive that you can bring to any effort sometimes surprises others. You have hair-trigger reactions to specific stimuli and tend to "let it all hang out." You sometimes act before you think and do things on the spur of the moment, and that sometimes gets you into trouble. Your moods change quickly -- you have quite a temper, but you don't hold grudges. Very independent, with an extremely strong and forceful personality, you are known for being impulsive, careless, reckless, foolhardy, rash and daring.
Mercury is in 05 Degrees Virgo.
Very thorough and efficient, you pay attention to the minor but important details of any project. You are a careful thinker who can learn complicated, intricate techniques. You are attracted to practical, useful skills and are probably good at working with your hands. You are very critical of yourself and others, sometimes too much so, and you get the reputation of being a nag or of being nit-picky. Your first reaction to any situation is to try to organize, classify and analyze everything!
Venus is in 01 Degrees Libra.
A very friendly and outgoing person, you hate to be alone. Beware of a continuing tendency to compromise yourself in order to avoid being lonely. Try to be yourself, not what others would like you to be. You have an innate desire to be in refined and elegant surroundings and will go out of your way to create a plush and comfortable atmosphere around you. You have heightened aesthetic sensibilities and are attracted to music and the arts. Try to avoid using your well-known seductive charm in order to get out of doing what you consider to be dirty work!
Mars is in 21 Degrees Cancer.
Your moods are very important to your overall well-being. You are confident and self-assertive when you are feeling upbeat, and you are retiring, irritable and grumpy when you get depressed about anything. Very sensitive, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You are easily angered whenever you think someone has slighted you. It is best for you to show your anger immediately and let it all out, rather than to try to hold it in or to hold grudges for a long time. You're extremely loyal and defensive of your family, neighborhood, community and culture.
Jupiter is in 09 Degrees Libra.
You are generally good at balancing opinions and judging issues, but you tend to be indecisive when it comes to making up your own mind. You are objective and quite concerned with fair play and justice. But, when it comes to yourself, you are so aware that whatever you do might upset the apple cart that you often choose to compromise rather than do anything that might make you lonely or vulnerable. Relationships are very important to you -- you learn about yourself and grow through observing yourself interacting with others. Your aesthetic tastes are refined, but expansive and expensive.
Saturn is in 07 Degrees Libra.
Although you take quite a while to make decisions, you usually consider all sides to a question, all the pros and cons, and the solution you come up with is very often the correct one. You tend to be very reserved and shy, but, once you make a commitment to someone (in either a business or personal relationship), the partnership is forever. You have a strong sense of justice and fair play and greatly respect the laws and institutions by which you are governed. As such, you are outraged when others break laws or show contempt for authority.
Uranus is in 26 Degrees Scorpio.
You, and your peer group, demand to confront life at its deepest and most meaningful levels. Very compulsive and obsessive in your approach to everything, you will avoid anything that is casual or superficial, especially when it comes to relationships. You will seek out and explore new methods of healing as well as different ways to deal with deep-seated emotional problems.
Neptune is in 22 Degrees Sagittarius.
You, and your entire generation, are heavily involved in investigating and idealizing foreign and exotic intellectual systems and religious philosophies. The most extreme ideals will be pursued with gusto. You will be at the forefront of humanitarian attempts to improve the lot of those who are in need of assistance. You will be comfortable with the concept of the "global village."
Pluto is in 22 Degrees Libra.
For your entire generation, this is a time of radical changes in society's attitude toward marriage and interpersonal relationships. There is a general fear and awe at the power inherent in making emotional or contractual commitments -- they will not be entered into lightly.
N. Node is in 01 Degrees Leo.
You prefer to take the leadership role when it comes to dealing with others. You enjoy administering and organizing group activities. Others tend to listen to your suggestions because you aren't usually overly domineering or patronizing in your interactions. You love to entertain in a big way -- you're at your best when throwing a large and lavish party. Your popularity and social success are assured as long as you don't take others for granted -- resist the temptation to become snobbish and arrogant.
I am not trying to take the subject of astrology lightly, but I wanted to share this. I think that anything that can make you look at life from a different perspective is worth looking into.
Live Music
In the past week I was able to go to two concerts of popular music. One thing I love about going to concerts as that generally the majority of the people who go to an artist's concert know his/her music and are generally very excited to be there. That is one thing that I love about popular music--the audience. When I go listen to LPO or Cleveland or Cincinnati, the audience is always calm, reserved, and there are always those people there working their way up some social ladder. (Even in Lexington) This past weekend I got to see Jason Mraz at UK and there is something energizing about a couple of thousand slightly intoxicated coeds dancing and singing along to a great singer/songwriter. I don't know how many people are familiar with his music, but I have been a huge fan since I was in high school. I have now seen him 4 times live and I am never dissapointed. If you are down on the floor area able to stand up and be loud and sing, it's a really fun concert experience. I doubt anyone was singing in the finale of Beethoven 9 just a couple of weeks ago. I just think it is a shame that there aren't enough venues to really have fun with live music.
The second concert I went to was in Chicago. It was a Britney Spears concert at All-State Arena and it was completely sold out. I bought these tickets for my boyfriend back around Christmas time, and I was lucky to get front row seats. Let me say that you might not like her, her music, or how immensely popular she is with the American public, but if orchestras had their P.R. people and marketing strategies, maybe orchestral music wouldn't be a dying art form soon to go the way of the dinosaur. I know that while I was there, Ms. Spears didn't sing a single note live, and that all of the music for the most part was pre-recorded, but I have to say that it was probably the most fun I have had at any kind of concert all year. There were over 45,000 people singing the songs, dancing in their seats, and shouting Britney's name. That kind of excitement is contagious and I loved every minute of it.
It just makes me wonder why people don't love to go out and support all music. I think that in the past couple of years I have opened myself up to all kinds of music scenes, and I have generally had fun at all of them. I love the big classic works at an orchestra concert and I love going to hear pop groups and other bands. I have even had fun at a Ludacris concert, knowing that I somehow didn't fit in with the target audience. I wish more people were more open to all music, even if they don't find it to be serious or "high" art. I think musicians tend to be the most prejudice about music when it doesn't fit into the music we are learning to perform.
Do I think that pop stars are innovators? Probably not. I think the producers are innovative in their ways to make up new beats, and catchy hooks. I think the promotors are innovative in the way they can get millions of people to throw $350 down for a couple of concert tickets. I think some pop stars are very inventive and talented, but I do know that the majority of them are just in it to be famous and make an unbelievable amount of money. But all that aside--music is mainly meant to be enjoyed, and I just wanted to share my recent experiences and how refreshing it was to be around thousands of people who wanted to enjoy it as well. Happy summer.
The second concert I went to was in Chicago. It was a Britney Spears concert at All-State Arena and it was completely sold out. I bought these tickets for my boyfriend back around Christmas time, and I was lucky to get front row seats. Let me say that you might not like her, her music, or how immensely popular she is with the American public, but if orchestras had their P.R. people and marketing strategies, maybe orchestral music wouldn't be a dying art form soon to go the way of the dinosaur. I know that while I was there, Ms. Spears didn't sing a single note live, and that all of the music for the most part was pre-recorded, but I have to say that it was probably the most fun I have had at any kind of concert all year. There were over 45,000 people singing the songs, dancing in their seats, and shouting Britney's name. That kind of excitement is contagious and I loved every minute of it.
It just makes me wonder why people don't love to go out and support all music. I think that in the past couple of years I have opened myself up to all kinds of music scenes, and I have generally had fun at all of them. I love the big classic works at an orchestra concert and I love going to hear pop groups and other bands. I have even had fun at a Ludacris concert, knowing that I somehow didn't fit in with the target audience. I wish more people were more open to all music, even if they don't find it to be serious or "high" art. I think musicians tend to be the most prejudice about music when it doesn't fit into the music we are learning to perform.
Do I think that pop stars are innovators? Probably not. I think the producers are innovative in their ways to make up new beats, and catchy hooks. I think the promotors are innovative in the way they can get millions of people to throw $350 down for a couple of concert tickets. I think some pop stars are very inventive and talented, but I do know that the majority of them are just in it to be famous and make an unbelievable amount of money. But all that aside--music is mainly meant to be enjoyed, and I just wanted to share my recent experiences and how refreshing it was to be around thousands of people who wanted to enjoy it as well. Happy summer.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Lexington Philharmonic
For those who didn't know, Scott Terrell is now LExington Philharmonic's mew musical director. HOpefully this young, seemingly vibrant conductor will introduce the Lexington audiences to new programming and more innovative music. There's a nice little podcast of him on the Lexphil site.
Programming for next season includes exciting works like Schwantner's 'Percussion Concerto' performed by Evelyn Glennie (I can't wait, I've wanted to see her perform for years) and Corigliano's 'Elegy for Orchestra' (a prominent band music composer).
...and hopefully a lot more music like this
http://copiousnotes.bloginky.com/2009/04/25/terrell-could-be-the-man-for-reinvigorating-the-lexington-philharmonic-audience/
Programming for next season includes exciting works like Schwantner's 'Percussion Concerto' performed by Evelyn Glennie (I can't wait, I've wanted to see her perform for years) and Corigliano's 'Elegy for Orchestra' (a prominent band music composer).
...and hopefully a lot more music like this
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Band
A significant musical innovation that we did not speak about over the semester is the role of Band music in the USA. Coming from a tradition of orchestra and a country that appreciates rugby, cricket, and soccer over football, I had little to no experience with band or marching band music. From a European standpoint, I do believe there is a notable ignorance of the significant contributions band music has had on ensemble music.
Firstly, in terms of education, band music has excelled as a tool for exposing young learners to music. Secondly, instrumentally I believe that this is a medium that is on the forefront of innovation. Long gone are the days where band music lives under the auspices of orchestral transcription. One only needs to listen to the music of David Maslanka ‘Childs Garden of Dreams’, Alfred Reed ‘La Fiesta Mexicana’, or John Corigliano ‘Circus Maximus’ to realize that. Every musical tradition and innovation imaginable can be found in the band repertoire today.
My thought process with this blog was inspired by Gann’s blog today (Saturday 2 May) where he talks briefly about Mariachi music and an encounter that he had years back that reminded him of Nancarrow. The same thought dawned on me while studying for my Band Literature class and listening to the dozens of recordings I’m expected to identify at the drop of a hat (a daunting task if you’re as foreign to the music as I am). But none the les, it makes the learning process somewhat easier if I can somehow relate them to composers I am a little more familiar with, thanks to MUS 690.
Firstly, in terms of education, band music has excelled as a tool for exposing young learners to music. Secondly, instrumentally I believe that this is a medium that is on the forefront of innovation. Long gone are the days where band music lives under the auspices of orchestral transcription. One only needs to listen to the music of David Maslanka ‘Childs Garden of Dreams’, Alfred Reed ‘La Fiesta Mexicana’, or John Corigliano ‘Circus Maximus’ to realize that. Every musical tradition and innovation imaginable can be found in the band repertoire today.
My thought process with this blog was inspired by Gann’s blog today (Saturday 2 May) where he talks briefly about Mariachi music and an encounter that he had years back that reminded him of Nancarrow. The same thought dawned on me while studying for my Band Literature class and listening to the dozens of recordings I’m expected to identify at the drop of a hat (a daunting task if you’re as foreign to the music as I am). But none the les, it makes the learning process somewhat easier if I can somehow relate them to composers I am a little more familiar with, thanks to MUS 690.
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