Thursday, October 20, 2011
Skin and Bones
I just love teaching the Skin and Bones song for the first time to second graders. I sing quite softly and have the class respond with the 0oooos, very creepily. When I get to the Boo, most of them give a little jump and then laugh. That moment is always magic. Yesterday little Thomas said, "I didn't see That one coming!"
Sunday, October 9, 2011
A Word For Brides
It seems to be wedding season, and the trio/quartet that I play in has been asked by brides to play certain popular tunes for their weddings. We have a number of Classical/Baroque pieces in our repertoire which we use not only for the wedding ceremony, but also for the background music to set the atmosphere as the guests arrive.
But sometimes a bride gets an idea in her head that a song she just loves would be perfect for the ceremony. Here are some things to keep in mind about special requests.
- Most popular music is not arranged for string quartet (or string trio). One can buy piano/guitar/vocal music, but it can take an arranger several hours or more to put it into the correct scoring for the chamber group at hand.
- The ensemble must put in some extra practice time to work out a new piece.
- Some popular music does not translate well to string ensembles. (Some does.)
- Some music is not appropriate for specific parts of the ceremony. Many brides love a slow piece and think that they would like to process with that piece. It is my personal thought that the entrance of the bride should be a joyous, triumphant moment, and the accompanying music should reflect that.
- Pachelbel's Canon is overrated and overused. (Okay, if you love Pachelbel, we are happy to play it for your wedding, and we won't make any disparaging remarks about it!)
So, if your heart is set on that certain song, don't hesitate to pay extra money for it since it will take extra time to prepare.
(Someone told me that when asked why it costs so much for a string quartet to play, they say, "Just call up four plumbers and ask them how much they would charge per hour on a Saturday afternoon." A string quartet will look reasonable in that comparison.)
But sometimes a bride gets an idea in her head that a song she just loves would be perfect for the ceremony. Here are some things to keep in mind about special requests.
- Most popular music is not arranged for string quartet (or string trio). One can buy piano/guitar/vocal music, but it can take an arranger several hours or more to put it into the correct scoring for the chamber group at hand.
- The ensemble must put in some extra practice time to work out a new piece.
- Some popular music does not translate well to string ensembles. (Some does.)
- Some music is not appropriate for specific parts of the ceremony. Many brides love a slow piece and think that they would like to process with that piece. It is my personal thought that the entrance of the bride should be a joyous, triumphant moment, and the accompanying music should reflect that.
- Pachelbel's Canon is overrated and overused. (Okay, if you love Pachelbel, we are happy to play it for your wedding, and we won't make any disparaging remarks about it!)
So, if your heart is set on that certain song, don't hesitate to pay extra money for it since it will take extra time to prepare.
(Someone told me that when asked why it costs so much for a string quartet to play, they say, "Just call up four plumbers and ask them how much they would charge per hour on a Saturday afternoon." A string quartet will look reasonable in that comparison.)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Grids
I also like it because even when you make a "mistake" no one knows because so much is going on, and you have the chance to jump back in and keep going.
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