Effective Practicing

A facebook link altered me to this article on "How Many Hours a Day Should You Practice?" Less time, more intense concentration and purposeful practicing.  Apply this with some Alexander Technique, I would think I should improve.  And now that it's summer, I should have the energy to develop a good practice habit.

Bela Fleck Documentary

The banjo originated in Africa.  You'd be hard-pressed to find what we know as a banjo in Africa these days.  Bela Fleck went to four countries in Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali) to meet musicians, share music and record the results.  The documentary Throw Down Your Heart chronicles the music-making and the friendship-forging from his trip.

Alexander Technique

(Repost from my daily life blog):

This week I attended a workshop featuring the Alexander Technique.  Never heard of it?  Neither had I until my friend, Wendy, got interested and involved in it. From the website:

The Alexander Technique has a long history of helping instrumentalists and singers to perform with less stress and likelihood of injury.

By helping musicians release undue tension in their bodies, the Alexander Technique makes possible a performance which is more fluid and lively, less tense and rigid.

With a few new ways of thinking about muscles in my body, I was able to notice an immediate difference in the way that the viola sounded when I played it.  One of the things that happens at a workshop is the manipulation of ones body to feel the release of tension by the practitioner's hands.  One of the funny parts was after my left side had a work-over, I felt very lopsided, and apparently I looked lopsided, too until my right side got the magic hands application.

Time will tell if I can continue these new good habits, but I think I will be able to.

LA Master Chorale

Last night I went to see the LA Master Chorale perform "Ellington: Best of the Sacred Concerts" at Disney Concert Hall.  I hadn't known that the Duke had composed sacred music, let alone for a choir.  Aside from two acapella pieces, the rest of the numbers included a jazz band, and some songs were for soloist and band.

I enjoyed the music, especially the piece with solo trumpet (Nolan Shaheed) and the two with the great tap dancer, Channing Cook Holmes.  Cedric Berry sang a great baritone, but Darius de Haas' intonation was pretty unclear in many parts.

The other thing that occurred to me was that they did not need to amplify the jazz band (maybe the string bass), because at times I could not hear the 120-some voice choir over the instruments.

Looking Ahead

I no sooner finish having a concert with my students than I start thinking about the music I want to do for the next one.  Last night the Vista Orchestra and Recorders had our year-end concert (which went very well) and we had a great time with our closer (which featured both orchestra and recorders), When the Saints Go Marching In.  Last year the concert ended with Ode to Joy.  Today I started looking through the Recorder Catalog trying to think of ideas for next year's recorders and orchestra.

Celtic Gig

Lynn and I have a gig to play our Celtic Duets in public!  This fall, we will be part of an Art Walk night in the Claremont Village, playing for 3 hours on a Friday night (date to be pinned down soon).  Our spot will be at City Hall.  We have started plotting what music we will play for a hour (then repeat twice).  I know what I will be practicing this summer in earnest!

Composer Fellowship Program

How I wish I were in high school again!  Well, not really, but if I were, I would apply to the LA Phil Composer Fellowship Program immediately.

Today I heard works by these four high school students who have been studying composition for the past two years and had their pieces performed by the LA Phil.  I was impressed with the complexity and varied nuances of the works, but also with their "listenability" factor.

When I was in high school, I had no idea that I was interested in composing, and even if I was, I would have been held back by the handwriting method of getting ideas onto paper.  Also not knowing music theory would have been a great hindrance to me at the time.  I am so pleased that these young people have the opportunities that they do.