It’s been an interesting day with Porgy & Bess. The day started off with a tribute to my favorite ladies (with the exception of my lovely wife)…….
Revolution for an Evolution part 2 – Breaking Hands
Pianists from past centuries, particularly those who were composers would use the printed notes as a guide or a jumping off point to improvise, as well as engage in “Breaking Hands”, meaning their hands would not rhythmically synchronize with one another. In contemporary musical forms such as Jazz and Pop, these practices are the norm and continue to help keep them current. It brought back a memory of when a great Jazz musician did this in a Classical piece right in front of me, and where schools could take this to help make Classical music current by reaching way back into the past…..
Columbus: Chicken Soup for the Symphony (and it’s not a gimmick!)
Something is simmering in Columbus, but it’s not the usual recipe! I wrote here and here about the initial reactions to what essentially amounts to a gutting of an orchestra. Sure there is anger, but there is also bravery and dignity. The audience from the beginning were empowered and now they are speaking out officially with a web-site that doesn’t sit on the fence…..it is the fence!
And the Beat goes on…….
It’s Sunday, a free day for the cast and crew of Porgy. But for 50,000 intrepid souls, and however many watching, it was the day of the Paris Marathon!
First day……..
It’s the first day of rehearsals and all through the house…………
Update: Orchestra Health
In my post What Defines a Healthy Orchestra I wrote that Orchestras should consider exploring the possibility of recruiting a “team doctor” to donate some time to help musicians in need, especially the ones who travel to play with them. I have some news!!!…
On my way…………
Here it is folks – the first video posting on Porgy & Bess. Enjoy.
A Revolution for an Evolution! – Part 1
This series is going to be a long term project that I hope starts a discourse.
I have written in the past that the Orchestra business needs an intervention but college music education needs a revolution. Shadowing the angst felt by Orchestras to maintain both relevance and control of their destiny is the fact that the next generation of musicians and administrators are essentially being trained for a world that no longer exists……