Friday, June 22, 2012
In California
Annual trip home and work with the Sacramento Youth Symphony Chamber Music Workshop. 2 weeks, 7 performances.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day Weekend Trip
We decided to visit our good friends, Irene and David, for the Memorial Day weekend. We usually visit them every couple of months since Irene is one of the Scrippsies and David and I have been friends since junior high.
I wish I could say we got into a lot of trouble and painted the town (Denton, TX, which if you know anything about Denton, TX, you'd know it doesn't take a lot of paint) but we did what we normally do--and love to--and just plain hang out at the house and watch movies and TV series' together. We actually do leave the house for food and for walks around the neighborhood. David and I got a lot of yardwork completed on the first day we were there.
Of a bit of a dull surprise is what we ended up watching the most. Last time we were there, we watched the last several episodes of Fringe Season 3. This time, we made plans to watch the Firefly series. Though we watched a small handful of the quirky comedy/drama, we ended up watching several hours worth of Blue Planet.
Blue Planet.
We watched Blue Planet.
It was terribly fascinating and educational, a combination that isn't usually associated with holiday weekends typically associated with BBQ and drinking.
Lastly, so much gratitude to all the fallen soldiers and their families for the sacrifices they made to protect all of us. A Wonderful and Happy Memorial Day to all.
I wish I could say we got into a lot of trouble and painted the town (Denton, TX, which if you know anything about Denton, TX, you'd know it doesn't take a lot of paint) but we did what we normally do--and love to--and just plain hang out at the house and watch movies and TV series' together. We actually do leave the house for food and for walks around the neighborhood. David and I got a lot of yardwork completed on the first day we were there.
Of a bit of a dull surprise is what we ended up watching the most. Last time we were there, we watched the last several episodes of Fringe Season 3. This time, we made plans to watch the Firefly series. Though we watched a small handful of the quirky comedy/drama, we ended up watching several hours worth of Blue Planet.
Blue Planet.
We watched Blue Planet.
It was terribly fascinating and educational, a combination that isn't usually associated with holiday weekends typically associated with BBQ and drinking.
Lastly, so much gratitude to all the fallen soldiers and their families for the sacrifices they made to protect all of us. A Wonderful and Happy Memorial Day to all.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
SuperCollider: Day 1
I worked with Supercollider some 6 years ago at Colorado and I remember very little from that single semester crash course. I've taken it upon myself to try and re-learn to do the basics and then use it as a legit composition tool. Here goes nothing...
{Pan2.ar(Mix(SinOsc.ar([400,660],0,0.1)),MouseX.kr(-1,1))}.scope
Did that do anything for you?
PS...hopefully there will be a "SuperCollider: Day 2" post.
PPS...hopefully "Day 2" will be relatively soon and not sometime in the fall.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Back from another Galveston "Residency"
Jac and I just came back from another wonderful trip to Galveston beach. This year was a little different because it was just the two of us this.
Normally, Jac's parents are gracious and awesome enough to come out and rent a beach house in west Galveston for several days. This year just didn't work out with schedules and things going on, so Jac and I decided to go ourselves. What a different experience! It felt touristy this time around. We didn't have the luxury of a house with a seemingly private beach for a back yard. But we did get to explore more of Galveston, eating at different spots and visiting different parts of the beach. I even got to work a bit on another piece, as I have the last 3 times we came out to Galveston (Suite Bennington, ...we will not wander more..., and Foozle all started out on the sand and breeze of Galveston).
It was a very relaxing trip for the both of us and we hope to do it again next year, either or!
Normally, Jac's parents are gracious and awesome enough to come out and rent a beach house in west Galveston for several days. This year just didn't work out with schedules and things going on, so Jac and I decided to go ourselves. What a different experience! It felt touristy this time around. We didn't have the luxury of a house with a seemingly private beach for a back yard. But we did get to explore more of Galveston, eating at different spots and visiting different parts of the beach. I even got to work a bit on another piece, as I have the last 3 times we came out to Galveston (Suite Bennington, ...we will not wander more..., and Foozle all started out on the sand and breeze of Galveston).
It was a very relaxing trip for the both of us and we hope to do it again next year, either or!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Notation Pet Peeves
I tend to be (or at least try to be) very meticulous with how my scores look, but will invariably end up finding a mistake here or there, so the "honest" mistakes are not just excusable, but expected.
But...
...one of my biggest pet peeves in a score, when it's obviously not an innocent mistake or oversight, and especially when I'm conducting the piece is when the composer doesn't consistently, properly, and clearly group rests or notes in accordance to the meter. This is most egregious in either 7/8 or 5/8.
I'm not suggesting that you can't have a syncopation within an irregular meter, but at least make it easy to see if it's 2+2+3 or 3+2+2 or 2+3+2, etc. Don't make the players guess and don't let it waste rehearsal time by having to stop and clarify something that doesn't already need to be clear.
Now that that's out of the way, here are a few more (if I may be so bold to suggest) notation issues that although seemingly slight, can slow down a rehearsal, in no particular order:
Beam things.
Beams are great and it can clarify so many things. Saves time in rehearsal.
Rehearsal Marks. Use them. OFTEN.
It doesn't matter if you use letters, numbers, or bar numbers (though bar numbers tend to be very practical for obvious reasons), but any important chunk of music should be bookended by rehearsal marks. Saves time in rehearsal. As a general rule, I won't let more than 16-20 measures go by without a rehearsal mark.
Parts should be identical to the score.
Now that you have rehearsal marks, make sure everyone has them in the their parts, along with pretty much anything the conductor sees (such as subtitles dividing sections).
Cues.
Players can definitely count, but anything more than 8 measures, I tend to give cues. It makes it easier on the players. Also, cues can also save a piece in case someone plays at the wrong time (this has happened to me more than once).
Don't use 11x17 if you can avoid it (regardless of orientation).
11x17 scores are great if you're conducting orchestral or band works, but 11x14 is more than ideal for most anything else. Bigger (font) doesn't necessarily mean better.
Use metronome markings whenever appropriate.
Usually what will happen in a rehearsal with a composer is that the section they simply marked piu mosso will either be too mosso or not piu enough. Give 'em a number and then they know what you want.
But...
...one of my biggest pet peeves in a score, when it's obviously not an innocent mistake or oversight, and especially when I'm conducting the piece is when the composer doesn't consistently, properly, and clearly group rests or notes in accordance to the meter. This is most egregious in either 7/8 or 5/8.
I'm not suggesting that you can't have a syncopation within an irregular meter, but at least make it easy to see if it's 2+2+3 or 3+2+2 or 2+3+2, etc. Don't make the players guess and don't let it waste rehearsal time by having to stop and clarify something that doesn't already need to be clear.
Now that that's out of the way, here are a few more (if I may be so bold to suggest) notation issues that although seemingly slight, can slow down a rehearsal, in no particular order:
Beam things.
Beams are great and it can clarify so many things. Saves time in rehearsal.
Rehearsal Marks. Use them. OFTEN.
It doesn't matter if you use letters, numbers, or bar numbers (though bar numbers tend to be very practical for obvious reasons), but any important chunk of music should be bookended by rehearsal marks. Saves time in rehearsal. As a general rule, I won't let more than 16-20 measures go by without a rehearsal mark.
Parts should be identical to the score.
Now that you have rehearsal marks, make sure everyone has them in the their parts, along with pretty much anything the conductor sees (such as subtitles dividing sections).
Cues.
Players can definitely count, but anything more than 8 measures, I tend to give cues. It makes it easier on the players. Also, cues can also save a piece in case someone plays at the wrong time (this has happened to me more than once).
Don't use 11x17 if you can avoid it (regardless of orientation).
11x17 scores are great if you're conducting orchestral or band works, but 11x14 is more than ideal for most anything else. Bigger (font) doesn't necessarily mean better.
Use metronome markings whenever appropriate.
Usually what will happen in a rehearsal with a composer is that the section they simply marked piu mosso will either be too mosso or not piu enough. Give 'em a number and then they know what you want.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Winthrop University Residency
What a great three days in South Carolina! Catharine Bushman was kind enough to commission a new piece for her Symphonic Band and Winthrop University and was able to arrange to have me come in as Composer-in-Residence for the trip.
I met with some some talented, young composers at Winthrop, each showing me something unique from each other.
I got to work with the Symphonic Band in rehearsals of Madden.
I got to meet some really interesting faculty not only in the composition department, but in several of the other departments, including conducting and performance.
Finally, I got try some of the local cuisine, including authentic southern grits and some famous Carolina-style BBQ.
I met with some some talented, young composers at Winthrop, each showing me something unique from each other.
I got to work with the Symphonic Band in rehearsals of Madden.
I got to meet some really interesting faculty not only in the composition department, but in several of the other departments, including conducting and performance.
Finally, I got try some of the local cuisine, including authentic southern grits and some famous Carolina-style BBQ.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Starting Your Own Ensemble
A couple of mental notes toward the end of the first season of Sonorous Ensemble:
DO work with your friends.
DO work with your friends who love playing new music.
DO NOT underestimate how busy friends are because they are excellent players with a lot of gigs.
Always bring cookies for after the rehearsal.
The conductor should always have a beer before the rehearsal.
DO work with your friends.
DO work with your friends who love playing new music.
DO NOT underestimate how busy friends are because they are excellent players with a lot of gigs.
Always bring cookies for after the rehearsal.
The conductor should always have a beer before the rehearsal.
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