Practice-o'-Lantern

I'm the type of person that tries to find creative alternatives to standard procedures, especially when there is a point to be made. I carved this pumpkin with the perennial music teacher's one-word command, and set it beside the studio door. Though it garnered a lot of giggles, my students actually are practicing more, though I am sure it has more to do with upcoming performances and new pieces than with this pumpkin.

My studio grew!! I believe I am teaching no less then 40 hours of piano lessons every week now, even over 45 hours/week when my own children are practicing their full time daily. This hour a day and sometimes more with my own three children is really intense, but I am finding that consistency and playing practice games are really paying off. Oh, and getting enough sleep at night. Good night.

Music Insider Jokes: Famous Cell Phone Ringtone

This is the Nokia Ring Tone set in Fugal Counterpoint.

Marc Andre Hamelin's take on the same ring tone

This ringtone was ripped off from this wonderful waltz by Tarrega.

So What's A Conductor For?

Conducting music is fascinating to do and fascinating to watch. When you feel the baton come down and an orchestra beautifully wakes up the air according to the point in time that you chose, there is a thrill about that! Watching it almost seems like there is something magic about the little stick that makes it all come together.

There are many beautiful examples of fine conducting.

Kimbo Ishiieto (but you know there is another person here I love to watch and hear!)

I enjoy how this conductor brought to life to the orchestral music in this concerto. Normally Chopin concerto orchestra music tends to just get swept along by the piano without that much to say, but here they support the soloist musically like they really mean it.

The other two movies that go with this are here and here

This is Barenboim conducting- and is so powerful and unique.

There are many examples of conducting that are funny.

Sebastian the Cyber Conductor

Jonathan the three year old conductor (I LOVE him right about minute 2:03!)

The remarkable thing about this child is more than his timing, knowledge of the music and appreciation and understanding: He actually treats the baton beautifully- he has absorbed through observation some manner of handling the thing like a real conductor- I hope when he goes for conducting lessons as he inevitably will someday, that the though of right ways and wrong ways to do things won't knock the spontaneity out of him. A little research proves he'll be fine!

Goodness, yes. More

Now we're just getting silly:

Beethoven's 5th-Atkinson style

More along that same vein

And even a lighter example of conducting- Tom and Jerry!

But what is a conductor for?

The conductor makes a lot of business and musical decisions before that concert ever begins, months before, in preparation for each concert. The conductor's responsibility is to make one musician out of an orchestra by knowing all parts to the music, not just the part of one instrument. The conductor can also act as a type of musical ambassador to the public and a kind of guide of the group as a whole, to make decisions on performances and choosing repertory. Conductors really have to be complete and thorough musicians, having strong leadership qualities to be able to conduct rehearsals effectively and to be able to convincingly direct the speed, the volume and the emotional message that the musicians need to cohesively deliver.

In a concert and in rehearsal, musicians depend on cues from the conductor for dynamics and tempo. The baton patterns show meter and also show just the right moment for the orchestra to begin chords all together and when to close off long notes so the orchestra does not sound like a bunch of confused people with no plan or direction. Most professional orchestras can do just fine without the conductor in most works actually, but with strong leadership, they themselves can really feel a difference in the energy, accuracy and emotional output of the performance. The movements of the baton are just a little piece of the whole picture, just like the moment on the stage is just a part of being a musician. Sometimes it's easy to miss the importance of a conductors since they don't play an instrument in the orchestra- well- actually sometimes the soloist does conduct a concerto. But maybe this post helps explain parts of the huge leadership role the conductor has.

I Got Rhythm! And it's Funny!

This arrangement of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" reaches into ranges that demand a little much from the ear, but these kids are great and having lots of fun- and isn't that what this is all about?!

I Got Rhythm - Gershwin - 6 hands

Favorite Music #2

I don't know if this should actually go under the heading of Favorite Music: This is the Scariest Piece I have ever heard: Right Here. Prokofiev's Toccata Op. 11, played by Vladimir Horowitz. (Also Martha Argerich, I believe, but Horowitz really does it for me.) Prokofiev liked Horowitz's rendition. Prokofiev is one of those rare composers whose music actually has made me cry. I don't really like or expect to be affected that much, and I admire the work of someone whose music can elicit such a strong reaction.

Here is another take on it. Silly Dog Plays Toccata... (OK, that's Just For Fun!) To me the piece sounds like a Black Hawk Helicopter coming over the horizon to serve up some destruction, not a hyper cocker spaniel in a tuxedo pawing at a keyboard- but maybe that's what makes it so funny.

Hilarious Introduction to the Metronome

The metronome is a very handy tool for measuring a regular beat, guiding practice, giving yourself very strict standards for your pulse and also scaring the living daylights out of your cat. A friend forwarded me this funny video. I have never listened to it with the sound on, but just watching it made me laugh.

Metronome use does help your practice! A student of mine recently had two lessons on two consecutive days. He plays Abram Chasin's Rush Hour in Hong Kong from Three Chinese Pieces and on Monday it sounded okay- he got through it with some minor hesitations. We had a lesson on it, and the next day he came back with a completely different Rush Hour. He was playing energetically with flashy dynamics and had rock solid pulse. "Please tell the rest of the world your secret to such success!" I exclaimed, " To make that much progress in 24 hours is really something!" "I practiced with the metronome," he replied. Then five days later he performed it beautifully in recital.

I shouldn't guarantee that same success, I suppose, but wow, I know it sure has helped me control and organize my practice. I can set a goal for myself and strive to make it, gradually bringing up my tempo in an orderly way. And all of my students who have practiced with the metronome have certainly reaped the benefits. Too much metronome practice can take away the natural breath of the piece, so an understanding of the natural flow of the piece is also important.

Need to buy a metronome? I recommend a quartz metronome and not an annoying beepy digital one. I like a metronome that has all the original numbers series like 6o, 63, 66 through 208, etc. (and not every number there is from 30-300. )

The pendulum kind that the cat attacked in the video above is fun but they tend to break and are not as reliable. Maybe I begin to see why.

Music as Sales Rep.

Have you ever thought about how manipulative and commercial music can be? Advertisers use it to try to get you to buy it, It gets piped into hospital elevators to try to make you relax and not think about your gown, just trying to make you think your hospital is a ritzy hotel, it gets piped into ritzy hotels to make you think you're in a ... ritzy hotel... Movie makers use it to cue you as to the moment of the leading lady's first glimmer of understanding that the new acquaintance she's dealing with is a blackguard. It is blasted through the loudspeakers of all the mall shops to go with the tone of the line of clothing they sell-- nothing is as simple as buying a shirt- it's not just an outfit you buy, it's a whole package, a way of life.

People use music to market themselves: convertible owners and souped-up "can't afford to buy a real engine so I amplified my muffler" car owners turn up the woofers on their gigantic speakers and vibrate their way down the boulevards in hopes that the rest of the world will think the whole party is in their car 24/7... "look at me... I'm just a fuzzy outline because I'm vibrating so much, but I want you to look at me anyway (if you can track me) because I'm so cool..."

Throughout history royalty has been quick to support the arts because of the advantage of dazzling your guests with the incredible sounds of your own personal orchestra. And young ladies were ever so much more eligible to suitors as accomplished singers or harpsichord or pianoforte players (but not so much violin players- that was too immodest- with all those arms lifting and playing about, and the cello- for a young lady- never!! Let us not speak of that!!)

Yes, music is a manipulator, an enhancer. Aaron Copland wrote the score to a movie and when it was reviewed for the first time, a moment that was supposed to be dark and gripping got a laughter response. The makers were horrified. This was not supposed to be funny! Copland quickly rewrote the music with severe dissonance instead. A second review of the film brought no laughter, instead, everyone felt the tension. Copland himself said he wishes the audience could see each film three times, once normally, with the music, once without the music, then once with the music turned back on. Then people would pay attention to the importance of the music.

Here is a tiny example: Music is what made this funny baby movie so successful. It's pretty cute already, but the clever musical accompaniment makes it irresistibly funny. Enjoy!

Busking

(The lady in the black jacket has just donated to my Hungry For Belgian Chocolate Fund.)

For me piano is a profession, but violin is also a love in my musical life. A couple of weeks ago I thought I might take advantage of my situation on a vacation and go out on the town to go busking with my fiddle to see what would happen. I was prepared with a licence: My brother-in-law obtained one for me. Often I have seen street musicians here, but most of the time they are the kind of guys that don't have enough teeth among the lot of them to make a full set for even one guy. So we set out as a family, and armed with violin, convertible fingerless gloves, water bottles and train tickets and Pizza Hut coupons, we set out for Brugge.

First we had to eat pizza. Then we had to pick a busking spot. The first spot we chose was in front of a store where you can buy leather purses and handbags for $4,000, etc. etc., and though that isn't my kind of thing, I had some friends in mind that I was sure would have much rather been inside the store than doing the socially somewhat weird thing of playing for change on the street! The shop lady came out to me and hinted I should cross the street and stand on the other side- not in front of her shop window- because the trucks couldn't pass through. Yeah, right, I thought. She just didn't want someone busking in front of her fancy shop window. I couldn't really blame her- But remembering how nice she was and then suddenly a huge truck swept by- I could definitely see her point. So I crossed the street and stood in front of the bicycle racks. Seeing the first euro drop in was a great feeling! It came soon, too.

At the second spot I was far more visible because I stood at the top of some stairs and though there was a little piped in music, I think I pretty well could drown it out. My family stood by a few minutes at a time, then went to enjoy the town. Once in a while my husband came by and cleaned out my case!

I played Helmut Lotti songs (ripped off popular classics), familiar opera selections, popular songs, Christmas carols, classical tunes, hymns, Irish fiddle tunes, sailor music and anything light and cheerful I could think of. Particularly effective was played Gossec's Gavotte while jumping on the high notes. People stopped and jumped with me! I think the tip to collecting on the public is to be visible, smile your face off, play nothing serious, and to be physically active while you play. Then people stop to watch and pull out their wallets. (I was also handily parked by a bank: everyone had their wallet out anyway. Put 'er there!)

Who puts money in? Teenagers rarely. Little kids get it from their moms and dads. But the group who donates most often are the fifty plussers, especially couples and gray haired gentlemen with nice coats. Old ladies are the kind who most often stop to chat.

We pulled in about $85! That was more than I expected. Let's see... it paid for the pizza... and the drinks... the round trip train tickets for the whole family... the gloves we had to buy for my daughter... well. Looking at it that way, it was a total wash! But I have to say, it was an afternoon of pure fun made possible by music, and that for free!

Favorite Moments

Sometimes there are just moments that are so memorable they become history. This respectful and talented student was working hard in a Placido Domingo masterclass, and came to a wonderful note in the aria he was singing, and when Domingo heard him, he stopped him to refer to the note by way of demonstration- and after singing it far and above the already stunning rendition of the student, began to continue his comment upon it, when the audience, student and pianist all react to its beauty and erupt in applause and the laughter of astonishment!

I also listen to it in admiration for what the pianist accomplishes, and how respectful and wonderful the tone of the lesson is. Domingo is so considerate.

Just For Fun: Toy Pianos

The piano is nearly universal. Many variations of it have appeared, including flexible, art case models, circular keyboards and invisible "pianos" (you wear gloves and play in the air- the gloves make a cheesy "piano" sound. Haven't bought any.) Toy Pianos are a variant of the above, which also come in different shapes and sizes, some of which you can get linked up to below:

LARGE

Now that had to be fun to rehearse.

FLAT

He should take it on the streets! The keyboard looks like roadkill actually, but he is an artist; people would toss him money.

LOW

I love this: "My fault!"

RIDICULOUSLY SMALL - that is- wrong size to take this seriously

Go ahead and tell me if I am missing the deeper import of this, but that is just stupid.

CHARMINGLY TINY

This is awesome!

Musicians are Peculiar #2

Here is a link to a little video of Victor Borge and a friend- and after watching it, do you start to wonder if maybe that's what the music really means? This is always funnier if you watch it after 11 PM.