Upcoming Events!

Greetings all!

Things are starting to get busy towards the end of the semester! Here’s a couple recent and future occurrences around the Dept. of Music at Webster:

– Nov. 1st was the first performance of the new Webster University Chamber Orchestra

– Nov. 15th is the next Webster University Symphony Orchestra, with an all Mozart program, featuring baritone Ian Greenlaw.

– The Webster University Big Band is playing in Winifred-Moore Auditorium on November 16th, 7:00PM.

– The next Webster University Wind Ensemble concert in the Community Music School Building’s  Concert Hall is November 23rd at 7:00PM.

– The New Music Ensemble is presenting six new works on December 4th, at 7:00PM in the Community Music School Building’s Room 11. The program has been created around the theme of “the spaces in which we live.”

– On, Dec. 13th, the Dept. of Music will present a concert at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown St. Louis.

As always, check out the performance calendar on the department website, http://www.webster.edu/finearts/music/calendar.shtml, for more information and many other events.

Here’s a couple recent newsworthy items in the music world:

– The Juliard School’s new project with their library. The school is setting up to scan and digitize a collection of manuscript scores which was donated to the school a couple years ago. Check out the first installments at juliardmanuscriptcollection.org

– Gustavo Dudamel is in his first season as the Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Check out highlights from the opening concert of the season at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/

-Colton

Which music is which…?

I read an article today from the NY Times that introduced me to a project of Ronen Givony called “Wordless Music.”  Its based around the ideas and his opinions that new indie music and music from the classical realm aren’t the extreme opposites that they are seen as.  The performance method is a programming of both genres on a concert.  Basically, someone that goes to see, say an indie band, also sees a classical performance.  Of course, it works the other way around, as the classical patron sees the indie band.

I’ve blogged previously about the mixing of musical worlds, such as indie and rock music performed in conjunction with an orchestra (examples include The Moody Blues, Sufjan Stevens, and Metallica).  I find it to be interesting that rather than combine them by writing either orchestral music incorporating rock oriented processes or rock music with an orchestra, the concept is that they aren’t necessarily worlds apart on their own… therefore can be played on the same program to one audience.

On a side note, there has been a recent resurgence of vinyl pressings as indie bands are getting into vinyl, along with mainstream groups getting back into to the media form.  I have always preferred a vinyl album, or even an 8-track, to a CD because of the difference in sound quality that exists.  What do you think?

-Colton

http://www.wordlessmusic.org/

Rehearsals and Turntables

Greetings!  It is good to be back in the swing of things with school, and good to be back in the blogging world!

Tonight, we had our first rehearsal for the Webster University Chamber Orchestra, which Matt wrote on in his post from yesterday.  It went very well, and it was great to be in a rehearsal again.  We read through some of the music that will be on the ensemble’s first concert (scheduled for Nov. 1st), including Haydn’s Symphony 104, and the Overture to Rossini’s “L’italiana in Algeri.”

I’m also glad to be a part of the New Music Ensemble this year, which is a small ensemble of composers and performers dedicated to performing new compositions and 20th century works.  I’ve found it to be highly enjoyable so far, as it allows the opportunity to work collaboratively towards creating a unique performance of new compositions.

I’m ready for a great school year!

-Colton

Recently listened to…

Bartok – Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion

U2 – No Line on the Horizon

Smetana – The Moldau

Frank Zappa – Eat that Question

Genesis – Keep it Dark

“Unofficial Leningrad”

I saw a concert this week that was a recreation of a concert that occurred in Leningrad, USSR in 1961, which featured music of Volkonsky, Stravinsky, Lutoslawski, and Bartok. It would have been an interesting experience considering that the arts had loosened up from the tight control that Stalin had maintained during his time in power… with a little more space, works such as Volkonsky’s “Musica Stricta for Piano Solo” could be presented.

The program for this concert was preserved from the original:

“Musica Stricta for Piano Solo” – Andrew Volkonsky

“Sonata for Two Pianos” – Igor Stravinsky

“Variations on a Theme of Paganini for Two Pianos” – Witold Lutoslawski

“Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion” – Bela Bartok

Cage’s “As Slow As Possible”

If you are unfamiliar with John Cage’s organ work, “As Slow As Possible,” then I recommend the following NY Times article. It outlines the performance of the eight movement work, which will take around 600 years to perform (each movement lasts about 70 years, and at least one movement must be repeated).  Click here for the article.

-Colton

Film Scoring

One of the areas in music that has always interested me has been film scoring, mainly because after watching Star Wars, it didn’t seem like it could be the same film without John WIlliams’ music. Danny Elfman has become another favourite of mine, after growing up hearing his music in Batman cartoons. Now to watch Tim Burton movies that are scored by Elfman… the two of them work well together concerning what everything should sound like in the end.

I also found a post on the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Blog with a video from last fall’s performance of Glen Branca’s “Hallucination City”… aka, the Symphony for 100 Guitars.  The performance also contained Zappa and Varese works, and featured guitar virtuosos Steve Mackey and John Patitucci.  See the post and video here.

-Colton

Symphony Magazine’s “All Together Now”

I was reading a fascinating article from Symphony Magazine’s (July/August 2008 Issue) recently about the tensions between the world of classical music and the world of rock/pop music. The article addressed the times over the past several decades when the two would have confrontations to times when they would try to work together. Recently, though, a number of indie rockers have been working small chamber ensembles or, in some cases, full orchestras into performances with great success. Symphony orchestras have been stepping out of the box, too.

The article addresses the blurring lines between the rock/pop and classical worlds citing such instances as Sufjan Steven’s work The BQE and the score for There Will Be Blood, composed by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. One of the definitive quotes in the article came from indie musician Sufjan Stevens: “I think some of these artists…who perform with orchestras are only doing what’s natural and within their creative scope…It probably has less to do with reconciling genres than with satisfying a creative vision. Their endeavors with the classical world are not a diplomatic move, but a creative impulse.”

I recommend the article as a fun, but not too lengthy read:

http://www.americanorchestras.org/july_august_2008/all_together_now.html

-Colton

Behold: The Computer!!!!

Check out this new music project at YouTube.com (link at end of post)!  Its dubbed “The YouTube Symphony Orchestra.”  Musicians record and post video of their parts and then the videos will be meshed together to form an ensemble.  THEN… the best performers will be invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.  The amazing part is that the internet factor allows this to be a global project.

The internet has really brought a fascinating new aspect to the music industry.  My uncle gave me some old music magazine’s recently, specifically around electronic music.  These magazines come from the early 90’s, and feature the top of the line equipment and methods from the time.  Many of them looked to the future asking questions of the role of the computer in music.

Cover story’s often involve recording technology and the advancement of computer.  But more often than not, the questions raised by the articles are not even sure WHETHER the computer would become an essential tool in music.  Naturally, looking back it seems that the PC and musicians where destined to cross paths in big ways, but at the time it had to be a killer question.

Unpredictablity and instability in technology meant that it couldn’t always be counted upon to work right every time (for the record, we still can’t count on the equipment to work every time, but it is far more reliable then it used to be).  So the questions asked were very valid questions.

The involvement of computers in music, and now the internet, has allowed for incredible communication between musicians… or even between musicians and their audiences.

Computers and the internet have allowed many things in music.  Below I have listed some of my top picks:

For the musician:

Ability to market and promote online

Ability to get material and promotion outside of a record label

Ability to create a fanbase

Ability to record and produce material from your basement

Ability to score music and sequence demo recordings

with programs and a MIDI keyboard.

For the audience:

Performance and tour dates can be found online

Tickets can be purchased online

Music can be purchased and downloaded online

The internet is conducive to discovering new music and artists

-Colton

Link to the YouTube Symphony Orchestra.

Shumpei Ishige’s “Den Lille Havfrue”

Tonight I’m playing in a senior composition recital.  Shumpei Ishige has composed a symphonic suite following the story of The Little Mermaid.  The work is titled “Den Lille Havfue.”  Its a great composition, and I’m really happy to be playing in it.

Monday night is the Webster University Wind Ensemble concert.  The Wind Ensemble is a modular group, which will either play as a whole or in its four components: saxophone, brass, woodwinds, and percussion.  Monday will be a concert in the four sections.  The percussion ensemble is presenting pieces mainly dealing with hand percussion: bata, tambourine, and clapping (as opposed to our last concert where we needed a large array of percussion instruments).

My elbows are also almost repaired from playing timpani in Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony (“From the New World”).

Random News and Happenings

Apparently, the new Guns ‘n Roses album is coming out by the end of the year which means FREE DR. PEPPER!!  As I mentioned in an early post, Dr. Pepper said at the beginning of 2008 that a free Dr. Pepper would be in order for all in America if the long awaited (13-years) album would be released this year.  Check out the details on how to get your free Dr. Pepper here.

Thanks to Neil Peart’s writings on his website, I was introduced to a new website for drummer’s: drumchannel.com.  Pioneered by Don Lombardi, one of the masterminds behind Drum Workshop, drumchannel.com is designed to be a internet haven for drummers, allowing for interaction, entertainment content, and lessons from the pros.

I tried Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches this past week and really liked it.

I’m very excited to be playing timpani for Dvořák’s 9th Symphony (New World Symphony) in the upcoming Webster University Symphony Orchestra concert.

I’m enjoying learning atonality in music theory.

Time for some iced tea.

-Colton