The Clock is Ticking…

… down to a new school year, of course!!!

We’re fast approaching the start of a new year, and will be welcoming the largest incoming class to the department… ever!  Look for updates here throughout the year… also watch out as the blog look and feel gets changed around a little bit… it was time to spruce it up a bit!  Don’t forget to follow the links to the Department of Music Website, Performance Calendar, and more!

-Colton

Recital Season

It’s that time of the year….junior/senior/graduate recital season. All of the performance majors here at Webster are preparing to showcase their stuff, and believe me, you can see it on the faces of these folks that these recitals take a lot of hard work and preparation.

I have been fortunate enough to be asked to play on four students’ recitals, though unfortunately, I was only able to accept two. It is really very cool to hear these great musicians performing the music they enjoy most with the people they enjoy playing it with most. It is definitely a neat time of the year.

Speaking of the time of the year, the weather here in St. Louis has been gorgeous lately. The past two weeks have been nothing but sunshine and temperatures in the 60s and 70s. I’ve been spending a lot of time throwing the baseball and frisbee around with friends in between classes in the yard behind the Music Building.

In other news, my fellow blogger Adam Rothbarth is currently in Vienna, Austria as part of the study abroad program here at Webster. From what I have heard, Adam is really enjoying his time there and has heard some great music. Hopefully he will give us an update on here sometime to let us know what has been going on.

Cya next time!

– Matt

The Armed Man

I managed to get all homework done this rainy Sunday afternoon, so this evening I headed out to Manchester United Methodist Church to hear the Webster Symphony Orchestra and Choirs play a concert there. As Colton mentioned before me, they played Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and Karl Jenkins’ A Mass for Peace.

As it turns out, the concert was fantastic! The Jenkins in particular was phenomenal. If the main goal in music is to evoke emotion, then this piece greatly succeeded. I had been having a pretty crummy week, but this really ended the week on a good note. The piece really makes you see deep into the evils of war and the hope for peace. I left feeling much better than when I got there. So way to go Dr. Davis and WUSO on a job well done!

By the way, Colton played some pretty mean timpani on the Mendelssohn, and snare and bass drums on the Jenkins. You are the man Colton!!!

– Matt

SO… what’s in a note anyway?

Currently listening to an odd combination of The Mars Volta, Hans Zimmer, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Frank Zappa.  What’s interesting, of course, is seeking out the common elements and ideas between them…

In other recent musical curiosities… is there music containing any inherent story or narrative?  I’m curious as to opinions for several reasons.  I found myself contemplating Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the movie Air Force One.  It fits seamlessly into the movie, and there certainly is nothing like hearing the brass section blast out the main motive in the scoring the first time the plane is seen on the runway.  By the end of the movie, the music takes on a life of its own, especially after the roller-coaster throughout the movie.  Yet, if you watch the movie and then put on the soundtrack looping the theme, by the fifth or sixth time the magic and emotion has worn away.  Hence, the discussion of music requiring something else to be associated with it or not.  As Chris Braig, the leader of the Mini Big Band said to me one day, “Does this piano know whether this “A” (plays note) is Mozart or John Coltrane?”

Anywho, I’ve only been back for a few weeks and I’ve already played three concerts and getting ready to start rehearsals for another, a Webster University Symphony Orchestra concert (along with the choirs) on the 21st of February at Manchester United Methodist Church.  We’re playing Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and Karl Jenkins The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace.  Hope to see you in the audience for that one, and as always, the link to the performance calendar on the right of the page will keep you up to date on all music department events.

-Colton

Beethoven Festival Part II

Radu Lupu is probably the greatest soloist I’ve ever seen live.

– Adam

Beethoven Festival and Orchestral Literature.

Hey. I’ve been pretty busy, so I’m sorry for not posting more frequently.

This coming weekend is the beginning of the Beethoven festival at the SLSO. I have a ticket for this Saturday to see Beethoven 5, the Violin Concerto, and Leonore Overture No. 3. I also have a ticket for next weekend to see Beethoven 3, the 3rd Piano Concerto, and the King Stephen Overture. Should be a good time. Radu Lupu is playing the 3rd Piano Concerto. Can’t do much better than that. Also, next week, we are studying Beethoven 1 in Orchestral Lit. Lots of Beethoven. No complaints.

Speaking of Orchestral Lit, it’s one of my favorite classes this semester. Due to Dr. Davis’ recent illness, Dr. Kickasola has stepped in to teach the class. He’s doing a great job, and the class is excellent. But I’m pretty biased- there’s really no better way to spend your time than studying the score of a Haydn or Mozart symphony, as far as I’m concerned.

I didn’t go to Opera Scenes, but I hear they were pretty good.

That’s about all I got right now. Take it easy.

❤ Adam

Feels So Good

Indeed, the words of Mr. Mangione apply here: it feels so good to be back in the swing of things. All my classes have started and have been great so far. On Thursday, I visited a local highschool that I will be doing band room observations at. Thursday night, I had Chamber Orchestra rehearsal, where we started working on some Brahms (money!) and Mozart. The wind secetion is also being featured on a “petite symphony” by Charles Gounod.

On Friday, I had my first jazz combo rehearsal. The leader of my combo is a new director named Ben Wheeler. It was really exciting to hear that Ben was coming on as a combo director at Webster – he is one of the best bassists on the St. Louis jazz scene today! Ben graduated from Webster a while back and is now back in the Music Department as a faculty member. The first rehearsal was really awesome!

Anyway, lots of things are happening around here. It’s great to be back and seeing everyone again. It’s like being home again.

– Matt

Over Already?

It’s the evening before the first day of classes of the Spring semester, and as usual during this time of the year, I am left asking myself, “Where did the winter break go?!” It did indeed seem go by pretty quickly, but I am more than ready to go back. The break from all the work is nice for about the first two weeks…then I’m ready to work again.

There are a lot of things that I am excited about this semester. In addition to the excitement that come with new classes and teachers, I also found out that the Chamber Orchestra is going to have two concerts this semester, one more than last semester. Also, the MMEA (Missouri Music Educators Association) State Convention at the Lake of the Ozarks is coming up in about three weeks. Webster MENC is taking about 18 people, which is awesome.

Finally, there is a faculty concert that is featuring the music of Benny Goodman…how awesome is that! Being a clarinetist and a jazz musician, Benny is really a huge influence, so I am really looking forward to that.

Well, I suppose I best get all my things unpacked and ready for tomorrow. I’ll be talking to you soon!

– Matt

Some Personal Advice

If you listen to Rachmaninoff before you go to bed, you just won’t end up going to bed.

– Adam

Some Cool Concerts

Hey hey hey hey hey hey I haven’t posted in a long time. Sorry, I’ve been been wrapped up in grad school applications, studying for the GRE, and taking a bunch of classes. This is the time of the semester when things start getting really busy.

There have been some cool things happening at Webster. Last week, I caught Professor Schene’s piano recital, which included works by Handel, Haydn, and Mendelssohn. It was a really super concert; I feel lucky to be at a school with such a large amount of wonderful free concerts. Speaking of which, the Webster Wind Ensemble concert is tomorrow, which will be pretty rad. We are doing a full ensemble performance of selections from Prokofiev’s ‘Lt. Kije’ score.

Though Webster has a lot of great concerts, there also really good shows around town. A few weeks ago, I saw Leonard Cohen at the Fox, which was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. Also, a week or two ago, some of my friends went to see Kenny Garrett at the Bistro. I hear it was amazing.

Not too much else going on ’round here. I’m sitting here with my brother listening to Fleetwood Mac’s self titled album on vinyl.  I’ll write again soon, maybe over Thanksgiving Break, which is next weekend.

❤ Adam