I had one of those shocking moments this morning where one realizes that the brain is a fascinating place to inhabit.
Odds & Ends
Oh give me a break………
Comes today the stunning news from the L.A. Times that this generation of classical musicians actually listens to other music!!!! Even more amazing, we actually enjoy it and (shudder!!!!!) PLAY IT! I’m SHOCKED!! SHOCKED!!
Music in Airports…..
Those of you who do not know the genius producer Brian Eno well………. where have you been? A short list of those he has worked with: Peter Gabriel, Devo, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Roxy Music, Depeche Mode, U2……. you get the picture. He is also a regular answer in Will Shortz’s New York Times Crossword puzzles. But he came into my mind for another reason lately: strolling through an airport.
Hanukkah lights……
There’s something that I notice every morning these days when I’m having my early day tea. It’s a beautiful Menorah which sits on our dining room table. Every evening one more candle goes on as we celebrate the Festival of Lights. Of course the funny thing is that I’m not Jewish – I’m a Taoist. None-the-less, in celebration of these wonderful eight days here are eight things I love about Judaica……….
The Stars of the North
It’s hard to find an orchestra north of Edmonton. This is a city where around this time of year the sun seems to come up at 10 am, set by 2 pm, and never get over about 3 degrees off of the horizon. The nearest city is Calgary, some 4 hours away by car, and just try to a reasonable or convenient flight up there. But the Star of the North is the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the small but mighty ensemble that plays 100 concerts a year for the Edmonton community. Here’s some news……………..
Introducing the Electric Celestetophone
This past weekend in the middle of conducting “The Nutcracker” a thought occurred to me. Didn’t composers try to use new instruments as soon as they became available? Case in point the Celeste. We hear Sugar Plum now and the first thought from conductors and musicians is probably Great only 10 minutes till the end of the ballet! Seriously though, when it was first heard it would have been like hearing an Electric Guitar in the orchestra today the sound was so new…
Orchestras and the Tech Revolution
So, we’re stuck in the 19th century. You know it and I know it. Classical musicians are one of only two subspecies of Homo Sapien Sapien who still wear tailcoats. Innovations such as video screens, subtitles, mood lighting, etc., find it hard to be accepted in the concert hall. So we need new ways of taking advantage of the technology now available to us.
Not Sorry, Charlie……..
The question of the day – how do you satisfy an audience that ranges from 12 to 80? That is what I pondered last Thursday, 15 November, and it’s taken me this long to write about it. I’m going to tell you what happened, but I’m not going to let on how we did it until the end of the post. So there………….