Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Haiku Monday: Long Day
Yesterday was rough
The haikus are late, shut up
I do this for free
Taught eight horn lessons
Some were uncoop'rative
And some were brain dead
A branding event
Administrative speeches
Signify nothing
Played background music
After we played, we were stuck
Sitting in the dark
Brass quintet rehearsed
From six to eight on Monday
Just like every week
Leave my place by 6
Hard to find motivation
And nobody paid
Her head is shaped weird
She's right in my line of sight
Trying not to stare
Oh- I get it now
We're not friends outside of class
That's just fine with me
The haikus are late, shut up
I do this for free
Taught eight horn lessons
Some were uncoop'rative
And some were brain dead
A branding event
Administrative speeches
Signify nothing
Played background music
After we played, we were stuck
Sitting in the dark
Brass quintet rehearsed
From six to eight on Monday
Just like every week
Leave my place by 6
Hard to find motivation
And nobody paid
Her head is shaped weird
She's right in my line of sight
Trying not to stare
Oh- I get it now
We're not friends outside of class
That's just fine with me
Monday, February 13, 2012
Love and Martians, Love and Martians, Love and Martians
I think I'm more or less out of my malaise, at least for the moment.
From Thursday to Saturday I was at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference (hereafter referred to as TMEA). That was an interesting experience, for a number of reasons.
1) The reason I was there
The University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra was selected to perform a 45-minute concert at the conference. The pieces we played were:
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto- mvt. 1 (only the first movement because of the time constraint
R. Strauss Don Juan
Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine
All three are challenging pieces for different reasons: The Tchaikovsky demands paying close attention to the soloist and reacting to the musical decisions he makes- even the ones he makes on the spot. The Strauss is a very well-known piece that requires absolute attention for the entire piece- all 20 minutes of it. The Adams is filled with complicated rhythms layered on top of other complicated rhythms. When the semester started, I was excited to see that I had been assigned second part on the Strauss and fourth part on the Tchaikovsky. Over the break, I had listened to the Adams, and was more or less pleased to be able to sit and listen to it. That didn't work out, though.
Two rehearsals from the performance, the principal horn asked me to assist her on the first part. I was apprehensive, but said okay. The only part I was really needed on was the final page. I wanted to chicken out and say I couldn't do it, but I ended up doing it anyway.
Now, we had done a pre-TMEA performance, which went pretty well. The TMEA performance was pretty good too.
The Tchaikovsky went well, the fantastic cadenza was truncated, but getting to hear it at the first performance was enough to impress me. Following in rehearsals was always difficult, requiring a lot of concentration, because the conductor wasn't always signaling everything, and the soloist was seeing how much he pulling and pushing he could get away with. Whatever happened in the concerts, adrenaline, dumbing down, whatever it was, I found it a lot easier to keep track of where I was.
The Don Juan is a lot of fun to play right, but it's miserable to mess up. Not to make excuses, but it's hard to hear everything that's going on, adjust accordingly, and be able to play at the same time. Now, a quick word about the difference between tone poems, like Don Juan, and symphonies.
A tone poem tells a story- in this case, the story of Don Juan, a Spanish nobleman who got around with the ladies. The story is a very old one- it was old when Strauss wrote the piece. The story has been told and retold by a lot of authors, emphasizing a lot of different points. In some of the versions, Don Juan (the character) gets dragged down into hell as the result of his sins. In the poem version that Strauss based his tone poem on, the Don gets old- a fate worse than death for a man who defines his usefulness and vitality by his sexuality and youth.
Anyway, symphonies don't inherently have a story. Some do, but they're really the exception rather than the rule. Symphonies are (again, mostly, but not always) multi-movement pieces, where tone poems are continuous. Where most tone poems last around half an hour, symphonies are mostly longer than that (there are older exceptions, but I mean the later 18th century, 19th century, and contemporary ones).
It was nice to get away from this university setting and get into the wider world of horn. The convention itself wasn't that wider world- it's pretty much like every other music educators convention that I've been to. With that said, I've only been to the Missouri Music Educators Association convention. They're basically the same, except for size. TMEA has a lot more things going on and the convention is held in San Antonio, so there are lots of things to do when you're not at the conference. MMEA is held at Tan Tar A, a resort in a tiny town- the only thing to do other than the convention is to drink or to buy a boat at one of Osage Beach's disproportionately large number of boat stores.
With all that said, MMEA is much more efficient. It manages to get the self-congratulatory feel with much fewer people, exhibits, and clinics. In my view, these conventions aren't really educational, they're a networking opportunity. For me, I already know enough people, and I don't really see how schmoozing with a bunch of band directors who are trying to impress each other is going to further my career.
There was one horn-specific booth that I really enjoyed going to. I tried some horns, talked to some horn players, and that was exciting to me, speaking a language that I know to people who also know it. In addition, I called a friend of mine who is no longer at this university, and got a dose of reality from him. He's a great resource, has a ton of playing experience, and expresses himself very well. I'm lucky to know him.
So, for the moment, I'm feeling better, out of my malaise. There is a world outside of the path I've chosen, and I think that I might be able to find a place that keeps me engaged, learning, and having fun.
From Thursday to Saturday I was at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference (hereafter referred to as TMEA). That was an interesting experience, for a number of reasons.
1) The reason I was there
The University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra was selected to perform a 45-minute concert at the conference. The pieces we played were:
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto- mvt. 1 (only the first movement because of the time constraint
R. Strauss Don Juan
Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine
All three are challenging pieces for different reasons: The Tchaikovsky demands paying close attention to the soloist and reacting to the musical decisions he makes- even the ones he makes on the spot. The Strauss is a very well-known piece that requires absolute attention for the entire piece- all 20 minutes of it. The Adams is filled with complicated rhythms layered on top of other complicated rhythms. When the semester started, I was excited to see that I had been assigned second part on the Strauss and fourth part on the Tchaikovsky. Over the break, I had listened to the Adams, and was more or less pleased to be able to sit and listen to it. That didn't work out, though.
Two rehearsals from the performance, the principal horn asked me to assist her on the first part. I was apprehensive, but said okay. The only part I was really needed on was the final page. I wanted to chicken out and say I couldn't do it, but I ended up doing it anyway.
Now, we had done a pre-TMEA performance, which went pretty well. The TMEA performance was pretty good too.
The Tchaikovsky went well, the fantastic cadenza was truncated, but getting to hear it at the first performance was enough to impress me. Following in rehearsals was always difficult, requiring a lot of concentration, because the conductor wasn't always signaling everything, and the soloist was seeing how much he pulling and pushing he could get away with. Whatever happened in the concerts, adrenaline, dumbing down, whatever it was, I found it a lot easier to keep track of where I was.
The Don Juan is a lot of fun to play right, but it's miserable to mess up. Not to make excuses, but it's hard to hear everything that's going on, adjust accordingly, and be able to play at the same time. Now, a quick word about the difference between tone poems, like Don Juan, and symphonies.
A tone poem tells a story- in this case, the story of Don Juan, a Spanish nobleman who got around with the ladies. The story is a very old one- it was old when Strauss wrote the piece. The story has been told and retold by a lot of authors, emphasizing a lot of different points. In some of the versions, Don Juan (the character) gets dragged down into hell as the result of his sins. In the poem version that Strauss based his tone poem on, the Don gets old- a fate worse than death for a man who defines his usefulness and vitality by his sexuality and youth.
Anyway, symphonies don't inherently have a story. Some do, but they're really the exception rather than the rule. Symphonies are (again, mostly, but not always) multi-movement pieces, where tone poems are continuous. Where most tone poems last around half an hour, symphonies are mostly longer than that (there are older exceptions, but I mean the later 18th century, 19th century, and contemporary ones).
It was nice to get away from this university setting and get into the wider world of horn. The convention itself wasn't that wider world- it's pretty much like every other music educators convention that I've been to. With that said, I've only been to the Missouri Music Educators Association convention. They're basically the same, except for size. TMEA has a lot more things going on and the convention is held in San Antonio, so there are lots of things to do when you're not at the conference. MMEA is held at Tan Tar A, a resort in a tiny town- the only thing to do other than the convention is to drink or to buy a boat at one of Osage Beach's disproportionately large number of boat stores.
With all that said, MMEA is much more efficient. It manages to get the self-congratulatory feel with much fewer people, exhibits, and clinics. In my view, these conventions aren't really educational, they're a networking opportunity. For me, I already know enough people, and I don't really see how schmoozing with a bunch of band directors who are trying to impress each other is going to further my career.
There was one horn-specific booth that I really enjoyed going to. I tried some horns, talked to some horn players, and that was exciting to me, speaking a language that I know to people who also know it. In addition, I called a friend of mine who is no longer at this university, and got a dose of reality from him. He's a great resource, has a ton of playing experience, and expresses himself very well. I'm lucky to know him.
So, for the moment, I'm feeling better, out of my malaise. There is a world outside of the path I've chosen, and I think that I might be able to find a place that keeps me engaged, learning, and having fun.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Worn Out
I'm in the middle of a malaise.
Actually, I don't really know where the middle is- I'd have to know where the end is to determine the middle.
Anyway, I don't know if I really want to do music for the rest of my life. It's just not fun any more. It feels like a job, sometimes it's interesting, but it's mostly just dull.
As the result of this malaise, I'm seriously considering moving to another line of work. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I'm unqualified to do anything at all. I have a degree and a half in music, but those don't really mean anything when it comes to being qualified for a job. Essentially, I'm 25 years old with no relevant work experience. Sure, I've had jobs teaching kids horn lessons, but I highly doubt that companies will look on that with any kind of positive thought.
If you have any suggestions about what other career fields I should look into, please leave a comment.
Actually, I don't really know where the middle is- I'd have to know where the end is to determine the middle.
Anyway, I don't know if I really want to do music for the rest of my life. It's just not fun any more. It feels like a job, sometimes it's interesting, but it's mostly just dull.
As the result of this malaise, I'm seriously considering moving to another line of work. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I'm unqualified to do anything at all. I have a degree and a half in music, but those don't really mean anything when it comes to being qualified for a job. Essentially, I'm 25 years old with no relevant work experience. Sure, I've had jobs teaching kids horn lessons, but I highly doubt that companies will look on that with any kind of positive thought.
If you have any suggestions about what other career fields I should look into, please leave a comment.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Haiku Monday: Periodic Table, vol. 2
Not like the network
You need it to stay alive
Oxygen's neat stuff
Prevents tooth decay
Some chemists died to find it
The fluorine martyrs
Inert noble gas
Glows red when electrified
Means "new one" in Greek
Highly reactive
Necessary to make soap
Sodium: free metal
Its ions taste tart
Found in mineral water
Magnesium... bleh
Resists corrosion
Strong, light weight- it's useful stuff
Please recycle it
It's used in circuits
Ubiquitous Silicon
Let's not forget boobs
You need it to stay alive
Oxygen's neat stuff
Prevents tooth decay
Some chemists died to find it
The fluorine martyrs
Inert noble gas
Glows red when electrified
Means "new one" in Greek
Highly reactive
Necessary to make soap
Sodium: free metal
Its ions taste tart
Found in mineral water
Magnesium... bleh
Resists corrosion
Strong, light weight- it's useful stuff
Please recycle it
It's used in circuits
Ubiquitous Silicon
Let's not forget boobs
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