Bill Holm is a Minnesota writer who penned a fabulous book several years ago called Coming Home Crazy. It is a collection of stories about the time that this 6’5″ descendant of the Icelandic warriors spent teaching English in the middle kingdom – China – during the mid ’80s. It’s fabulous, very intuitive and insightful, and an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in the Land of the Dragon. It’s also the book I took on my recent vacation to Mexico.
4/4=me look fat?
BREAKING NEWS!!! – Drug Scandal hits Classical Music!
We here at SticksandDrones take our reporting on the Classical music scene very seriously. So it is with a very heavy heart that I report that a major drug scandal has hit our beloved profession. Read on…
The Twelve Wishes for Christmas…
Ho Ho Ho!!!! The kids are all excited because Santa is coming. If the Big Guy manages to find our snow-laden chimney this year I’m a gonna ask him for the following 12 things for Classical Music:
CONDUCTOR SMACKDOWN! – More Musical Mistletoe Please!
How is it even possible that I like Christmas music? I am Jewish and I grew up (well the jury is still out on that one!) in Sydney Australia where at this time of year it’s 100 degrees. There, none of the songs such as Let it Snow, White Christmas but especially Baby It’s Cold Outside make any sense whilst having a Christmas barbecue on the beach! By the time this weekend is over, I will have conducted 30 Holiday concerts since November 23 including 2 productions of the Nutcracker and 5 … Continue Reading
Challenge = Opportunity part 5: Better Orchestra = Less Rehearsing!..
Orchestras improve with more performances not more rehearsals! The act of being at your best happens at the point of contact with an audience. The challenge is:
How do we perform more with expenses rising and budgets stagnating?
Simple, if you have good musicians, TRUST THEM and don’t rehearse them to death! In fact by cutting rehearsals an orchestra can become better and fast!!…..
Programming: It’s all about ME!!!
One question I always seem to get when I’m out guest conducting is “Who put the program together?” To be honest, by the time I get to a concert I rarely remember how the program was assembled. If we’re doing one of my party charts then I probably suggested it. If I see something I haven’t done before odds are I asked the question “what holes do you need filled in your season?” But what to do when you are confronted by the following?
I hope this isn’t as creepy as it probably sounds….
Saturday mornings have lately become a favorite. That’s because I take my boys and go watch High School girls for two hours. Now, believe me, that isn’t nearly as creepy as it sounds, and before you all call the FBI please read on……….
What if Classical Music actually functioned as a business?
I am struck by a dichotomy this morning. Like many “classical” musicians of my generation I have a really strong interest in Rock, Jazz, World music, just about anything that strikes my fancy. You could call me part of the iPod generation that way. So I also study the business of the Other Side of Music. In today’s NYTimes is this very interesting article on 360 deals for rising bands. Suddenly my brain drifts into a fantasy —–