Horn Logic

The Dangers of Dental Hygiene

2011-01-30T16:06:00.002-05:00

When you're a kid, you get the message of taking care of your teeth and gums from all angles. From Mom and Dad, your dentist...I even remember a series of morning announcements at my school when I was in Grade 2 and 3 with a talking dog telling us the importance of brushing your teeth.

I post this message as a warning to all brass players...brush carefully.

An odd warning...yes. Shortly after New Year's I was up early to go back to my day job, and as part of my morning routine, I began brushing my teeth. For reasons inexplicable to me, I twisted the toothbrush and the hard plastic part went across my gums at the front of my mouth and cut them open. At first it didn't seem like a big deal...until I saw the huge cut across my gums.

This made horn playing almost impossible for about 9 days while the cut healed. It also made the 2 months of audition preparation seem like a waste as I could barely practice leading up to an audition I thought I could win. A close friend, and colleague (who did attend this audition) told me that he's done the same thing and had to tough through a couple of painful opera performances in Grad School due to a toothbrush injury.

So while I'm slightly embarrassed about injuring myself in this fashion, I post this because I'm not the only one to do it. My morning routine now includes making sure I'm fully awake before I do this part of it.

Who knew...

Blogging Toronto

2010-12-23T18:38:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone,

So I haven't posted since September, and for that I am indeed sorry. I've been feeling a little anxious about posting comments that could be taken the wrong way given my position in development. While I long to strike a balance and continue to post meaningful and relevant opinions, I fear that posts may continue to be hit or miss at best.

Now, the reason I pulled open my laptop to write tonight is that I had an intriguing email exchange with a very popular Toronto based blog about potentially joining their team. While they were looking for someone a little more connected to the "indie rock Toronto scene", at first it seemed that they were intrigued at an expanded "classical" presence. This week I took my wife to see the National Ballet of Canada's production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. I don't know why, but this year I seem to have a rejuvenated interest in this great work so I was very excited to go. This excitement I wanted to turn into an audition for the blog. When I emailed them to let them know this was the response I received.

Hi Jay,

We'd prefer if you wrote about something that could actually be posted to the site. Since the Nutcracker isn't really new nor is it geared toward our target demo, it's not appropriate.

Granted, it's not a "new" work, nor is it a "new" production. But when all three of the major arts organizations in Toronto have programs to engage new, young patrons and have social networks that span over 40,000 members all through southern Ontario...you're telling me that's not your target demographic? Now is Nutcracker the engaging and thought provoking kind of writing that will drive traffic...maybe not? But then again, I suppose Toronto's Best Coffee Roasters is tough to match with great art/music.

So in short form, what I had planned to write, was not another stuffy, elitist review of a tried and true production. It was to be a list of reasons that the "average Torontonian" should go out and enjoy these great parts of the holidays. With ticket prices for these events ranging from $15 - 25, everyone can afford to make a little time to see some of the best traditional work around the holidays. Between the Ballet, Opera and Symphony there are so many great opportunities to get out and see something festive, creative or just plain interesting. It's part of what makes large cities great around the holidays. These are traditions that make Toronto exciting at this time of year.

So if that particular blog doesn't feel that the amazing "classical" music scene in Toronto doesn't have a target audience - well, all I can say is there are facts that prove otherwise. More than likely, the 40,000 subscribers and ticket buyers in Toronto that are under 35 years of age, already have been to that site once or more. But if you could be on a site where there's thoughtful writing about a concert/performance that you have tickets to, or were at last night wouldn't you be more inclined to be a return reader or link to your Google Reader?

I don't think that the person who emailed that to me is ignorant, just misinformed. Perhaps I'm too much of an idealist to realize that people aren't interested in reading about classical music. There are any number of reasons to agree or disagree with that, but I'll leave it at this: when people go to performances and support live art it makes for a stronger city. We're lucky in Toronto to have a very high standard at all three of the main stages in the city. If you haven't been to see the Symphony, Opera or Ballet, run, don't walk, to do so. You won't regret it. Buy a recording if you liked it and share it with your friends. Spread the word about how great it was. If you want any info on these programs - just leave me a comment.

Best of the holiday season to everyone.

What a Great Story

2010-09-15T09:57:00.002-04:00

It's not often that you hear something like this...and I stumbled upon this while researching something for work.

Emanuel Ax has been one of my favourite guest artists with the TSO for years, and I fondly remember hearing him play Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 and being awestruck by his ability.

Check out this link and comment below.

Bravo Manny!

"Performing" with Drake

2010-09-12T23:52:00.002-04:00

So my summer hiatus has officially come to an end. Between weddings, promotions and a summer softball league, unfortunately blogging took a back seat.

That said, I'm back and I have a long list of topics to write about.

For this post I wanted to tell you all about one of the most unique gigs I've ever played. Fitting with tonight's MTV Video Music Awards, I was part of a promotional video for Best Male Artist, Toronto's own, Drake.

From the beginning, this was a weird experience. I got an email from a co-worker about a casting call for "classical musicians". They were looking for horn players, oboeists, violinists, cellists and a percussionist. When I emailed, I was given a time to arrive for my audition and a link for a youtube video of the song I was to learn "by ear". The "by ear" part of that was stressed. So like the diligent, classically trained player I am, I sat down and learned a line to play along with the song, and a short descant should they want something more creative.

The next day, I arrived, and saw several horn players who frankly were more suited to be in a hip hop video then I was. The last thing I would call myself is trendy, yet in the end, I got the gig.

Two days later I had to go in to sign some paperwork and try on outfits for the retro scene. At the time of the audition I was told to fill out a form with my pant size, jacket size and other misc. measurements...presumably so they'd know whether there were clothes to fit a 6'5, big guy like myself. Well, that wasn't how it went. I (along with the other 'classical musicians') sat around, watching television and waiting for our turn. After 3 hours I found out that I'd wasted time, and had to go back in the day after for an additional fitting.

Fast-forward to the day of the shoot. A 10am arrival for a 10:30 hair and make-up (WHAT?!@?) and then by lunch I was sitting in my tuxedo. Trying to eat pizza and drink coke while wearing a white dinner jacket. The sitting around portion of the day took up around 8 of the 12 hours we were there. Fortunately there were some amazing people to talk to and lots of snacks and card games to enjoy.

Right, the playing part. The two sides of my ego were equally present that day. One part of me thought it was pretty funny that I'd gathered 3 degrees in performance to sit on stage and mock play my horn. The other side was pretty excited about getting a nice size cheque to be a horn player with no threat of missing notes.

Tonight, the MTV VMA's aired and Drake performed with Mary J. Blige and based on the reactions of the crowd, they loved him. Another one of Canada's own jumping into the world's public eye to incredible appeal. The entrepreneur in me couldn't help wondering that day whether there was a lesson to be learned about the 'future of live performance'? Mass appeal and diverse ability...or just good luck to get the right emails and to flash a smile at the right people.

Hall of Fame Weekend

2010-07-26T14:07:00.001-04:00

I’m sure it comes as no surprise when I tell you that Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame Induction weekend is one of my favourite times of year. I get nostalgic, thinking back to the days when my team would win championships and hearing players talk fondly of that era.

Last year, a player that was one of my favourites, Ricky Henderson, was elected. Years before, my idols, Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Coming soon, more idols, Greg Maddux and one can hope that Jack Morris will make it in.

This weekend, among others, Andre “The Hawk” Dawson was inducted and gave a stirring speech. He gave tribute to his high school coaches, thanked his wife for her never ending support and the Montreal Expos organization for giving him a chance to play. In his speech he called for young athletes to avoid the draw of performance enhancers and learn to be better then your competition naturally.

All of this got me wondering…what if orchestral musicians had a hall of fame?? Who would be inducted? Would there be as much controversy over who got in as there is with sports?

Each of us has our heroes, the people and players that caught our interest and drew us to this type of career. I remember going to music camp as a 16 year old and hearing who would become my first teacher the first time. I couldn’t believe how good he was. Then upon joining a youth orchestra in Toronto, I heard the Symphony for the first time…I was hooked. Each of my teachers along the way has been so influential in my development as a player that of course, I’d think they should be in the “hall”. Of course this would spur on debate, and ultimately lead to a vote.

Wouldn’t it be neat to walk through the “Cello Wing” of the hall, or the “Flute Wing” and see who flautists the world over would vote for to be immortalized for everyone to see and celebrate?

Below is my personal list.

Jeff Nelsen – taught me that horn playing is a gift to share, and how to make a mean vodka/tonic. I got to sit beside Jeff in a NY Broadway show pit. That was an education in itself. Not to mention the Canadian Brass
Gabe Radford – taught me that horn playing didn’t have to require maximum effort. His play in the symphony in Toronto is worth the price of admission every time.
John Zirbel – the Montreal Symphony/Dutoit recordings are some of the finest I’ve ever heard. Finally this past year I heard Mr. Zirbel live and he was every bit as impressive as his reputation indicated.

Who would be on your list?

Back to the Blogosphere

2010-07-21T14:34:00.004-04:00

Hello faithful readers who I hope haven't abandoned me,

I'd like to apologize for my extended absence from blogging. While I still haven't replaced my home computer, I have been keeping a notebook of topics and plan to use my work access to computers to start writing again.

So what have I done since I last posted? I've been working like a hound mostly. A couple of weeks ago I got married and within the next 2 weeks, my wife will be moving up to Toronto and we'll be living together...finally! After 2.5 years of long distance, we're almost at the end.

I've been having quite a relaxing summer though - aside from working every day. Through my two jobs in ticketing I've been able to see some amazing concerts, acts and shows. I've been to almost every home Blue Jays game, seen two acts from the Toronto Just For Laughs Festival and tonight I'm off to see Bon Jovi and Kid Rock at the Rogers Centre. I've also been playing in a recreational softball league. While the bumps and bruises remind me that I'm not an athlete anymore, I'm having a blast trying to hit buildings, cars and anything else that happens to be in deep right field.

Today, in reading through my Google Reader feed, Toronto Star music writer, John Terauds, encouraged his readers to go over to medici.tv and check out some of the concerts posted on their FREE...YES, 100% FREE...archive of performances from the Verbier Festival. Being the obedient music nerd that I am, I clicked over and found one of the best performances of the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings that I've ever heard. It featured tenor Christoph Pregardien whom I was familiar with from his recording of Schubert's Winterreise with the Montreal based wind quintet, Pentaèdre. However, for readers of this blog it will come as no surprise that horn player, David Guerrier, was the standout performer.

Guerrier was of little knowledge to me before this performance. Someone with this kind of talent must have material online, right? Well sort of...it appears that he started his professional career as a trumpet player. Nothing online spoke at all about his switch to horn playing, however he does serve as Principal Horn of the Orchestre National de France and teaches horn at the CNSM in Lyon.

Horn players, brass players...go to medici.tv and search "Britten Serenade". It's the first concert that comes up. You'll be amazed. As for me, I want to find out why/how and when he switched from trumpet to horn.

Off I go to do some more work and get ready to "Lay down on a bed of roses...while Livin' on a Prayer" tonight. I plan to get my 80's/90's Rock on tonight.

It's good to be back.

Updates

2010-06-17T14:42:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

It's been a long hiatus, and sadly it's not quite over. I didn't want you all to think my blog had been forgotten though.

I'm waiting until after my wedding to replace my computer, but rest assured, I'll be back and writing in no time at all. I miss the interplay.

One thought before my boss catches me writing at work - there's been a lot of talk regarding middle-tier orchestras and what role they serve. One article went so far as to state that you could get a better "concert going experience" by purchasing a good quality recording and sitting under a tree with your iPod. As someone who hopes to make his living playing live concerts with groups of all sizes and shapes, I hope this isn't a publicly accepted idea.

Last week I randomly got to hear The Arcade Fire live. I'd not only never heard them, but barely heard OF THEM. Through this concert I developed an appreciation for the Montreal based group and have recently bought two of their albums. There is no better way to appreciate music (of all kinds) then to experience it live.

For more on this, I'd invite you to check out Bruce Richards' (principal horn, Liege Philharmonic) blog by clicking here.

Cheers!

Blogging Hiatus

2010-05-31T09:11:00.002-04:00

Hi Friends,

Last Thursday afternoon someone broke into my apartment and stole quite a bit from my roommate and I.

They were apparently after camera equipment and computers, but left the entertainment unit. Fortunately for me, they also left my horn.

I don't have a personal computer, which will severely limit the amount of posting I can do. I'm working hard to get a new one, but MacBook's are expensive to replace.

As a last ditch effort, I would ask that if anyone in the Bathurst and St. Clair W area of Toronto sees anything suspicious, or someone fumbling with professional photography equipment to call the police. I know that seems random, but who knows? Losing a laptop makes me feel like my privacy has disappeared. There's no way to remember all the passwords and personal information that was stored on there. I really hope that the criminal just wiped out the hard drive so he/she could re-sell it.

Anyways, I guess I'll be taking a non-voluntary hiatus from blogging for awhile. I hope you'll all still be here when I can start writing from home again.

Best,

Potpourri Post

2010-05-20T20:30:00.002-04:00

Hey Folks,

A couple of thoughts as the summer approaches.

My horn and I haven't been good friends recently. When I would pick it up to play each evening, it wasn't fun anymore. This of course scared the crap out of me. Had I just spent 7 years and more money then I have to go to school for something that I didn't want to do anymore?

In a word...NO! We just needed a break...call it a trial separation. It was a good time for it too...lots of fun distractions. I started playing in a rec softball league (more on this later), took a trip to Minneapolis (without my horn, and more on this later), and the best sports time of the year (NHL playoffs, MLB season). All totalled, it was probably the first time I've taken two weeks off and not had my mind completely occupied by what I wasn't great at on the horn, what I needed to fix and how shitty I felt about my ability as a musician. Over the last couple days, I'd found myself thinking about music very differently. I wanted to start playing with other players again, scales felt great and while I'm still getting things back in shape, my playing wasn't annoying to me. This weekend I'll be getting together with a colleague for some duets and beer so that he can dig through my mouthpiece collection as he has jumped onto the Mouthpiece Safari. I'm anticipating loads of fun, and more shop talk then I've had recently.

A teacher once asked (demanded?!!) that I stop telling people (and ultimately, myself) that I'm a horn player. Using language like "we're a vehicle for the music" and "what just happened doesn't matter, what's about to happen does" it started to make sense. But like any lesson worth learning at first, I had to learn it a second time. No one was telling me that my playing was "shitty" except for myself. In trying to define myself (my career, my life) as a horn player, I had limited my opportunities to learn and use my ability to make and enjoy music. So when the phone stopped ringing, I had to find a reason. Instead of finding the real one, I imposed one on myself...hence the break.

The biggest difference I've found in my year out of school is that the saturation level has to be self-imposed. As a student, you're thinking about music at least 23 hours a day. Between your applied classes and the academic courseload there's so much to learn, read and write about that it's easy to constantly think about Mahler's love letters or Haydn's time in Paris. I've found that happiness comes to me with much more balance. I still read more about music then most people I know, and it's still interesting and relevant...but I've also rekindled interests like playing sports, going to the gym and playing way too much fantasy baseball.

Add to all that, planning a wedding. I'm sure my fiancee will read this, and honey, I'm sorry...but wedding planning is a marathon. There's so much to think about, and in the end most of the decisions are made because they have to be. If I could go back to Jan '09 when we decided on the date and location of this shindig, I'm certain we'd have chosen differently. My fiancee lives and goes to school in Minneapolis (which is where the wedding will be), I live in Toronto. So, as hard as it's been being in separate countries, planning a massive joining of the families has proven stressful on so many levels. In a little over 40 days I'll be married to a woman I'm crazy about. I can't imagine trying to keep a performing job AND planning this event. My advice, hire a planner or just go to Vegas (sorry honey!).

About the sports - well, I joined a rec softball league. It had been a couple years since I jumped on a baseball diamond to play competitively, so the first game had some ups and downs but in the end I had fun. The day after, my back hated me for trying to hit massive home-runs but I felt great for having done it. Someone asked me "what if a ball hits you in the face?", and I responded "what if I get hit by a bus?". There's a risk involved, but sports are fun. This week, I was chasing a fly ball, lost my balance and fell on my left shoulder. It hurt..ALOT! I continued to play though, and played well for the rest of the game. The next morning however, it felt like there were razor blades in my shoulder so I went in for an x-ray. Turns out that 270 lbs of force applied to a shoulder joint means bad things and I'm now rehabbing a sprained shoulder and injured rotator cuff. Horn being a left hand heavy instrument, I've taken to playing on the couch to allow the furniture to hold the horn for me until I can handle the weight. Hopefully by next week I'll be able to stand and play.

In the end, a couple weeks off provided perspective, and I'm back and horn is fun again. At a point in life we need to accept that we're not athletes and I think I'm there. So, sit back and hope that the Flyers send the Canadiens home and the Jays keep winning.

Cheers!

P.S. I'll try to keep my writing a little more consistent, but with the wedding approaching, I can't make any promises. I will post photos though as the day comes and goes.

Michael Giacchino on Performers

2010-05-11T14:30:00.003-04:00

Alex Ross has been interviewing film composer, Michael Giacchino (Lost, The Incredibles, Up!) for a piece in The New Yorker.

You have to subscribe online to get the whole interview, but this excerpt was shared on my Google Reader today:

A lot of times musicians are treated really badly in this business. They’re generally not invited to premières, or even to cast-and-crew parties. And you don’t see their names in the end credits. It’s pretty much the only job on the crew where you gotta practice twenty or thirty years to be able to do what they do. Yet so many other people get to see their names up there, including, you know, the guy who brings the doughnuts. Not to diminish the guy who brings the doughnuts! We like him, too! But the musicians are a huge part of what makes a movie work. I always tell them, “Listen, I can put all these black markings on this page, but without you guys all I’ve done is mess up a piece of nice white paper.” So I try to make them feel appreciated. And we try to have fun doing what we do. I want this to be as fun as when I was ten years old, when “Star Wars” had come out and I was playing those LPs all the time and I’d decided I wanted to make movies for a living.

Giacchino will be throwing a big party for the "Lost" Orchestra after the series finale in May. It would be amazing to be a fly on the wall at that party, don't you think?

Lepage Ring Cycle Trailer

2010-05-11T12:12:00.003-04:00

Audiences were dazzled by Robert Lepage's staging of Stravinsky's The Nightengale earlier this year at the Canadian Opera Company. Now, one of French Canada's hottest exports has taken his talents to the Metropolitan Opera for their staging of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

They've released a trailer today...and it's very exciting.

Nothing Like a Little Perspective

2010-05-10T15:15:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, a colleague from New York was staying with me while in town for the Toronto Symphony Assistant Principal Bass audition.

With my recent travels to Minneapolis, and the many flights, bus/train rides in the past 5 years I’ve become weary of things like gate checking instruments, fighting with flight attendants over stowing my horn case or even getting through security without being questioned about condensation in my horn that remained after the last minute practicing before the flight. Since it’s in our nature to always thing we’re in a worse position then anyone else, I hadn’t ever really thought about how other instruments travel.

On the day of this audition, I accompanied Bryan down to the hall and did some reading while he played and then waited to hear his results. Afterwards, I went out for lunch with about 15 bass players, which was weird on so many levels. It was reassuring on some level though, since they talk as much (if not more) shop as any brass player I’ve ever met. The game of “one-ups-manship” going on between stories of excerpts failed or conductors that stink to trouble crossing the border was absolutely astounding. Through this, all I could do is sit and listen. In doing so, I learned that bass players (probably not unlike tubists or cellists) become very familiar with American highways and train routes. One guy took a flight from Honolulu to Denver and then a 2 day train ride to get up to Toronto for this audition. WHAT!?!?!

Often, it’s the travel arrangements that dissuade us from taking auditions. Speaking personally, each audition I’ve taken has come with either significant cost or drastic travelling (i.e. 15 hours driving north to Thunder Bay). But I feel fortunate to have the option of putting my Marcus Bonna horn case in the overhead compartment and taking a nap, where our larger instrument friends do not.

The Minnesota Orchestra

2010-05-04T21:57:00.004-04:00

I have just returned from a short trip to Minneapolis, MN to get the final steps in motion for helping to plan my wedding this summer. While there, I was really fortunate that the Minnesota Orchestra was performing Mahler's 7th Symphony with music director Osmo Vanska.

I've heard a lot about Vanska and how he's transformed the Minnesota Orchestra into one of the finest orchestras in North America. I've previously blogged about how much I love their set of Beethoven symphonies and how much I enjoyed hearing their Shostakovich performance in the fall. Having never watched him conduct, though, I was VERY excited.

Mahler is one of those composers that doesn't exactly come with a specific style. It's much harder to sound great on Mozart or Beethoven (musically speaking, of course) then it is on Mahler. Minnesota has their own VERY distinct sound as well being that the horns are an all Lawson section. When those players go bells up, it almost sounds like the horns are lower pitched trumpets. In my last post about the Minnesota Orchestra I speculated that the brass section listened down to the trombones and tried to blend and give them the dominant voice. I still feel this way, and I think it creates a really unique sound.

All this being said - this concert blew my mind. The 7th symphony is so complex, drawing from a palette of emotions that only someone like Mahler could compose. Michael Gast, principal horn, drew particular praise for his stunning performance. Vanska shaped and layered the symphony like it was something that is performed each year. His deliberate interpretations of the markings in the score were a refreshing change from some of the over-indulgent conductors that I've seen and heard in the past. The musicians were noticeably dedicated to his ideas, some of which went against the grain of accepted performance practices, and it gave each musical idea a different character, like he was shaping a story or an opera without words.

Sadly, this was my last trip to Minneapolis during the orchestra calendar. When I go back in July for my wedding, I'll be able to finally see a ball game at the beautiful Target Field, but the Minnesota Orchestra's summer season won't be on my to do list. I hope there are more reasons to go back to the Twin Cities and check out some of the brilliant programs they have planned for the 2010.2011 season.

Below are some photos from my trip. Enjoy!

Subbing in the Pit

2010-04-25T10:34:00.003-04:00

This weekend I subbed in for two performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at St. Michael's College brand new theatre. It seats only 440, but is quite a fantastic facility and the beautiful part is that it's literally directly across the street from my apartment.

Thursday night was my first show, and with my busy schedule and the few performances before that night, I didn't get a chance to sit in on a show. I played this musical about 6 years ago in Etobicoke, but hadn't really listened or thought about Joseph or his coat in the interim. Through my education I complained loudly when my teachers forced me to learn my scales, but I'm telling you I've never appreciated the facility I've acquired with 5+ sharps and 6+flats. Andrew Lloyd Webber also seems to enjoy the half-step key change. Even when you know it's coming, and know how the music goes...it still threw me for a loop.

I also took this opportunity in the pit to try out a new mouthpiece. As many of my colleagues from the last couple gigs/months/years (sigh) have heard about how little I liked my mouthpieces. I love(d) my Laskey (775 G) but I felt like the inner diameter was too large to ultimately use without failure. I also have blogged previously about my loss in faith during Beethoven 7 rehearsals last summer. The Laskey rim is one that I love, so I went out and got a different model (725 G) which to be specific is about 1 millimeter smaller in diameter yet feels remarkably similar. It is smaller, but doesn't have the drastic smaller mouthpiece feel, and slots very well. I had a centred, bright sound and loved ever note on it. There's still some adjusting going on, especially in the low register, but after the "honeymoon" phase is over, I think I may have found the equipment that will help set me up for success. (I understand that many people aren't gear believers. I also understand that a new mouthpiece won't win me a job, but there's no denying that when you believe in your set-up, it creates confidence that is hard to shake).

I've also just finished recording for my dear colleague, Derrick Paul Miller's second cd release. Due out sometime in the summer, this is the follow up to his first release, Page One, on which I also played. The writing for the new disc was quite a bit more challenging then his first, and I can't wait to hear the final product. Both Derrick and his magic man in the booth, Flavio Monopoli, are fine musicians and great people. This should be a great release.

On Thursday I'm off to the bustling city of Minneapolis, MN for some much needed wedding planning and a trip to Symphony Hall to hear the Minnesota Orchestra play Mahler 7. Mix in some brews with old colleagues from New Mexico and a tour of Target Field and I'll be returning to Toronto after the first of May.

Thanks for reading!

Dealing with Self-doubt

2010-04-19T09:28:00.002-04:00

I'm currently reading "The Bullpen Gospels" by Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, Dirk Hayhurst. While I'm only halfway through this book, it's struck many a chord with my current sentiments regarding my own career(s) past and present.

At one point in time, I was a very competitive athlete. I played baseball for a club team in my hometown of Barrie, ON as well as basketball for my school. Sports were a defining part of my life, and practices, tournaments and league games were a motivating factor for me. I thrived on the competition, and loved being the centre of attention on the pitching mound, or free throw line. In high school I started taking courses in music because I had to take an arts course. Since I didn't want to take drama or art, my friends told me to take music. I was still involved in sports, so at the time, playing the horn in the school band was something I did only for credit.

One afternoon in the spring of 2001 I was out playing catch with my brother and all of a sudden the most intense pain I've ever felt went shooting through my elbow and shoulder. I, of course ignored it, with tryouts for baseball being 2 weeks away. I worked my way through camp winning a spot on the team under the guise of working on my dreadful hitting skills and throwing soft toss off the mound. It was a matter of days, not weeks until my elbow decided to create more problems. Through all of this, I was taking horn lessons and playing in Kiwanis and MusicFest festivals with the band. More on this in a minute.

My high school had a program called Peer Assisting. It paired a Grade 12 student with a Grade 9 class that they were to essentially be a teachers assistant. A Peer Assistant in music got to aide the new students learn their instruments as well as learn a few new instruments and conduct the "9'er band" at the spring concert. It just so happened that my peer assistant was a very attractive girl and I became convinced that practicing and becoming a good horn player would help me impress her and get a date. So I practiced a lot. Spent lunches in the band room learning scales and band parts and actually started to enjoy playing. Years later my grad school horn teacher would tell me that a "great performance can always help get attention from a beautiful woman". Perhaps not ironically, I met my fiancee after she heard one of my concerts in New Mexico.

When my elbow started to hurt, so did my ego. Not unlike when a musician gets into the vicious downward cycle of self-doubt, I was standing at the plate and striking out with such consistency that I started to have ideas about what Hayhurst calls the Baseball Reaper wanted from me. Then comes the self-loathing and excuse making...soon followed by the riding of the bench.

"The Bullpen Gospels" does a fantastic job of showing the humour, toughness and perseverance that's needed to break through those barriers and achieve your goals. It's a worthwhile read for people of all walks of life, especially baseball fans.

In relating this to life as a freelance, struggling for work horn-player, there's TONS of opportunities to start doubting yourself. Every missed note, failed audition, out-of-tune entrance or concert where you're feeling less then 100% is another chance to feel sorry for yourself. Many going through this put the horn away and end up looking into other facets of professional life. I won't be one of them...maybe it's the stubborn jock in me, but I'll succeed at this or die trying. For every wunderkind you hear of that wins an audition right out of grad school you hear of hundreds more that work the audition circuit each year. Hayhurst describes minor league baseball in the same way. Long bus rides, cheap flights and whatever the most affordable meal is on the menu.

I suppose the intent in this post serves two purposes. Firstly, I think that anyone looking to humanize the game of baseball, and the glory that we think we see, needs to read "The Bullpen Gospels". Secondly, it's to remind myself that music as a career can be a grind. I'm convinced that it's not always the most talented players that make a living as a player, but the most persistent, stubborn and friendly players that everyone wants to work with. That kind of a reputation doesn't come overnight, but it's important to remember (and remind myself of once in awhile).

For those on Twitter, you should start following Dirk Hayhurst @TheGarfoose and read about his pet Garfoose here. Dirk is currently on the DL after labrum surgery. We'll hopefully see him back in action for the Jays in 2011.

"I'll take two seats on the left hand aisle..."

2010-04-07T15:23:00.005-04:00

It's always interesting helping people select their seats for concerts. Most of the time it's interesting to see what parts of a concert hall people consider to be "the best" or worth the dollar value being charged.

Without getting into the specifics of the two organizations I work for, there are areas of each venue that are most popular and usually are the first to sell out. The people that I deal with on the phones are usually quite animated about specific seats or sections that they deem worthy of their patronage.

The one request that I hear with most orders is "I'd like to sit on the aisle". I can't blame them here. I'm 6'5 and kind of a big guy...so I'd like to sit on the aisle myself, and I'm sure the people around me wouldn't mind either. With only so many aisle seats in a section, and in the entire hall, inevitably, some people aren't going to get the seats. The heartbreak of this reality is hopefully cured by the beautiful sounds of the symphony or opera.

The other request that has become like nails on a chalkboard for me is "I want to sit on the left to watch the pianist's hands".

**this post is about to get a little ranty...you've been warned**

Concert halls tend to be sat left hand heavy because the perception is that the best seats are over there. Not best because of the quality of the auditory experience or even because the cushions are softer. It's because the allure of a pianists hands is worth sacrificing some amazing empty seats on the right. Personally, I find watching string players left hand way more interesting. There's no finite way for them to know exactly where to put their fingertips to produce the same exact note every time, and often the shifts between positions create some awkward fingerings that are really fun to watch them maneuver through. Piano, while I cannot play much, will always produce a C if you touch the C key. Often what makes piano soloists stand out to me is the personality that they bring to the stage, not the Attention Deficit required viewing of their hands. By this same logic, people should want to sit as close to a trumpet soloist as possible to watch the vibrations of their lip, or in the case of an oboe soloist, each vibration of their reed.

The next time I'm at a performance with a piano concerto in the first half, I'll happily take my seats on the right side, and enjoy the whole performance. Watching over the orchestra, the interplay between conductor/soloist and ensemble and the way the themes and melodies are transported between the different sections. I'll remember too, that piano concerto's aren't piano recitals. Perhaps viewing the hands is much more interesting when there's nothing else happening on stage.

Thanks for participating in that rant. I hope I haven't offended any readers that may be pianists. I love your repertoire, I really do...I just don't understand the fascination. If any of you care to enlighten me, please...as always, leave some comments.

Baseball Predictions

2010-04-05T08:55:00.002-04:00

Readers, let me apologize if you subscribe to my feed and don't care about baseball. Please look past this post and get ready for some very interesting music/horn posts this month.

This is my favourite time of the year. Nothing feels the same way that Opening Day does...the fresh grass, stale hot dogs and overpriced beer. As a faithful Blue Jays fan, there's not much to be really excited about. Local media is estimating 70-75 wins, ESPN and others are all forecasting a 100 loss season in Toronto. But instead of talking about all those points and looking like an idiot-homer, I present the stories that make baseball worth watching this season.

1)The Bobby Cox Retirement Express Tour.

The Atlanta Braves were at one point, the most dominant team in baseball. Making the playoffs year after year with their brand of pitching that included the 3 best pitchers in the game, without the biggest payroll in the game. The tandem of Greg Maddux. john Smoltz and Tom Glavine was possibly the greatest 1-3 in baseball history, and watching them mow down the opposition was a real treat. In the last couple years, the Braves haven't quite been the force of old, but with their combination of youth (Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson) and youthful experience (Brian McCann, Melky Cabrera, Jair Jurrjens) they can be seen as contenders for the NL Wild Card. With this being Bobby Cox's final year as a manager in the majors, expect big things from this young, exciting team.

2)Youth in the Game

Yeah, players like A-Rod and Pujols are great and loads of fun to watch, but this year more then others it seems like there's a new nucleus of talent in the league that has created a great deal of parity. Through each division there are young impact players on every team. Personally I can't remember the last time it seemed like there were so many players on the cusp of having a huge impact on their rosters. Some names to watch out for this year, Nolan Reimold, Pablo Sandoval, Justin Upton, Josh Johnson, Scott Baker and David Price. Not to mention the eventual call-up of Stephen Strasburg.

3)Chicks dig the...stolen base?

There's nary a line-up that doesn't have some kind of power threat in the middle of it, but a new trend is that these power guys are also quick. Some of the names I'm about to list aren't really "power" guys, but they definitely fall into that 20+ HR 80+ RBI category. Add to that anywhere between 25-50+ steals and their impact becomes huge. Players like Michael Bourne, Carl Crawford, Justin Upton and Matt Kemp are the next generation of triple threat guys. The notion that speed never slumps is one that I have loved for years, and now combining speed and power like these players do, will make pitchers work even harder to keep them off base and the ball in the park.

4)Who doesn't love a comeback?

The 2010 season, not unlike any other, has some very big names on an injury risk list that can be great additions to their team, or incredibly expensive duds. Will Ben Sheets regain his 2008 form with his surgically repaired shoulder? How's Jake Peavy's ankle? Or Lance Berkman's knee? Can Josh Hamilton get through a complete season with productive numbers? When will Brandon Webb's shoulder be ready to compete? These are very big names, and potentially big additions or losses for their respective teams.

5)Which team will be this year's '08 Rays?

Is there a darkhorse team that has the young talent and just needs everyone to perform at or above expected levels for the entire season? Is it the Reds with their veteran rotation (Arroyo and Harang) and potent offense (Joey Votto, Jay Bruce)? Or maybe the Brewers put it together with guys like Manny Parra, Randy Wolf and Alcides Escobar added to the powerful nucleus of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Yovanni Gallardo (if he stays healthy). But could this year's '08 Rays be the '10 Rays? They possess all the needed ability and skill to take down the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East. Their low-budget, high-reward rotation consisting of guys like James Shields, Matt Niemann, David Price and rookie Wade Davis. They also sport one of the more formidable offenses in the league with names like Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist and Carlos Pena. Even with all that talent, they're not favoured to beat the Yankees and Red Sox...amazing!

Other things to watch

*Is this the year that Mariano Rivera shows his age? Does Joba Chamberlain become the next big Yankee closer? Better yet, do they trust him to be that guy?

*Do the Red Sox have the offense to compete with NY and TB in the East?

*How will Jason Bay and David Wright fare in the spacious confines of Citi Field?

*How many wins will Roy Halladay get? Is it a question of will he throw a no-hitter this year or WHEN will he throw it this year, against who?

*Baseball fans should all be excited about the call-up of Stephen Strasburg in Washington. I saw this guy pitch in New Mexico last spring, and he is the real deal. His spring nickname was Jesus...as in, hitters reacting "JESUS!" when they can't hit his 98 mph fastball and knee-crippling slider.

Predictions

AL East - Rays

AL Central - Twins

AL West - Rangers

Al Wild Card - Red Sox

NL East - Phillies

NL Central - Cardinals

NL West - Rockies

NL Wild Card - Braves

ALCS - Twins over Rays

NLCS - Phillies over Cardinals

World Series - Phillies over Twins in 7

God Bless Baseball Season!

A Welcome Back to Blogging

2010-04-02T20:12:00.003-04:00

After a lengthy hiatus in March, April is shaping up to provide me with some blogging inspiration.

Sometimes when you're following the links through Google Reader, you find some interesting things. There's a lot of writers on the internet (whether through newspapers or blogs) that love to talk about what's wrong with classical music. But recently I've been reading quite a few of the recommended links by Alex Ross and if nothing else, his ideas are certainly thought provoking.

My recent performance with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Sondra Radvanovsky got me wondering what a top-tier soloist (or even a guest conductor, in this case Constantine Orbelian) makes for an appearance like that. Through several avenues I was able to find out what that number in fact was, and while I don't want to state it for the record here...I was amazed. If I was making that kind of money to be a star, I would be in a much better mood then a certain baritone was in the rehearsals for those performances. Whether it's from my former teachers, current colleagues or online, you hear stories about stars that are both a joy and a nightmare to work with. So at what point in a blossoming solo career do you make a choice to go one way or the other?

All that to lead to this link about the LA Opera's upcoming Ring Cycle, and the $32 million dollar price tag attached to it. The real story to me, out of that article, is hearing about Placido Domingo's role in making the opera company in LA a more visible cultural choice. A company that routinely performs 6 different operas a season (not unlike the Canadian Opera Company) has taken on this Ring Cycle without the lustre of the opening of a new hall, or a big name artistic director (Toronto's Ring had both the opening of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and some very established names as directors). Domingo will be manning the stage in the role of Siegmund in Die Walkure to provide some star power, and other soloists will pull in an estimated $70,000 to $140,000 per show. The orchestra parts are no small effort, yet some of these singers will make the equivalent in one performance that an orchestra musician might make in a calendar year. I'm not suggesting that the 4th trumpet or 7th horn/Wagner tuba should earn the same as Siegfried or Mime, but I find it odd that people speak of the amount the soloists earn (and some suggest it's high) but no one feels the orchestra makes too much.

The connection here may seem like a stretch, but I hope it makes as much sense to you, as it does to me.

Orchestra music should see a bloom in the "post-recession" era we're about to enter. There's no denying the popularity of a festival dedicated to the works of Mozart, Beethoven or Brahms, and you can't help but see that such a festival could be done without hiring extra musicians or paying overtime fees. One of my favourite works, Debussy's La Mer is not performed nearly enough, and yet requires only the forces that many orchestras have in their roster. I am hopeful, as a freelance musician and symphony lover that orchestras will continue to record and perform, with a never-ending dedication to filling the concert hall.

Some other interesting links to check out:

Is there trouble brewing at the Boston Symphony? (Boston Globe)

Classical Music tips for Itunes users (Macworld)

And for music lovers, and horn players....check THIS new recording out (Amazon.com)

As always, be well!

Back on the Road

2010-03-25T16:57:00.002-04:00

Between spending hours on end on the 401 between Toronto and Montreal, and a faulty internet connection at my apartment, here's a brief attempt to bring everyone up to speed on what's been an interesting couple weeks.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Sondra Radvanovsky

After a couple rehearsals in Montreal with the soloists and orchestra (OFC) we got on a bus for Toronto to perform at Roy Thomson Hall. It's always such a treat to play in that hall, and while I don't share other people's sentiments about the quality of the space it was quite nice to be surrounded by Montrealers that were blown away at the acoustic on stage.

I would love to continue writing about all the nonsense that transpired in the rehearsals but for the sake of tact and professionalism I will avoid any potentially "uncomplimentary" stories. I will however tell you that Sondra Radvanovsky is a sweetheart and I was so proud to hear the crowd in Toronto react the way that they did for her. I was blown away by the power and emotion in her voice. Tomorrow night we repeat the same performance in Montreal at Place-des-Arts. Now I will get to experience this "terrible hall" as it's been described to me. Pictures and closing thoughts on the experience will be posted in the next couple days.

It was definitely a challenge to go back to my "worker-life" after a week of nothing but music. I made a short trip to Ottawa to play for my former brass coach, Pace Sturdevant, and the principal horn of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Lawrence Vine. I will say that it's really a shame that there isn't more work (musically) in Ottawa then there is. I love that city a little a more each time I go, and the NAC is a wonderful centre for music there.

Coming up in the next few weeks I will be taking part in the sequel recording by tenor Derrick Paul Miller. Derrick and I are former colleagues from box office life, and I was very lucky to have been a part of his first recording "Page One" which launched his performing career into the next level. Many thanks to Derrick and his producer Flavio Monopoli for bringing me back on board.

The new reality of professional music is starting to hit me. While the quickest path to employment as a musician is to win an orchestral audition that path also leads to literally thousands of other players with the same aspiration, many of whom are also phenomenally talented. This has been a frustrating realization for me. I consider myself to be part of a small percentage of players that is very interested in all aspects of the business and remaining open to making a living through playing in brass and wind quintets, musical theatre and any other combination of music making that someone can think of. I still long for the day when I can roll out of bed and play fantastic music with an orchestra, but until that day, the search continues to satisfy my artistic appetite. I'm fortunate that a city like Toronto has a diverse enough music scene that I have been able to conjure some success to this point.

I've been asked by a former classmate, and current section horn in Auckland, New Zealand, Carl Wells to construct a post investigating why a performance major isn't required to take any classes on pedagogy through their degrees. I'll be working on this, and if anyone cares to write in with some thoughts in the meantime, I would love to hear them.

As always, be well...

Saturation and New Music

2010-03-11T15:59:00.002-05:00

When I lived in the United States, I cared about the NCAA March tournament. I had no team affiliation, nor state allegiance, so I just watched because the games were entertaining, and because it was all that was on tv. By virtue of this, I followed more College Basketball the second year down there then the first.

Today, on March 11, 9 months removed from the US, I couldn't even tell you when it's starting, who the #1 seed is or even who the players to watch are. Lack of caring, maybe...lack of coverage in Canada, DEFINITELY! Not surprisingly, my personal investment in the NHL is at an all time high, even though the Maple Leafs are at their lowest point in my generation.

Translate this into the world of "New" Music. I receive phone calls all the time at work from people claiming that there's too much repertoire being performed that is "dissonant", or "hard on the ears". In truth, a common practice is to pair a new composition (such as Phillip Glass' The American Four Seasons - premiered in Toronto back in December) with an old favourite (in this case, Beethoven's 6th Symphony). It's an easy method to understand...the Beethoven would attact an audience, and by virtue of that, people would be "forced" to hear the Glass.
Can you imagine the outrage if the entire city of Toronto dedicated a month (or maybe 2 weeks) to nothing but new music performance? Would everyone jump on board the way everyone loves the underdogs in the NCAA? Orchestras and arts organizations often preach about seeking a new audience. Younger, more excited and most importantly, sustainable audiences. There are programs in place in this city to get $12 Symphony tickets, $20 Opera tickets and $30 Ballet tickets...all of which are below the cost of any big ticket events. When it's cheaper to see an orchestra then a movie, people will flock to hear the show. I've never seen audiences respond to "New" Music the way that they did when we were hearing performances of Osvaldo Golijov. Granted, his music rarely entered the realm of dissonance or difficulty to listen to, but the listeners were excited about it. As were the musicians in the orchestra...a feat in and of itself in my opinion.

For every Golijov or John Adams, there are the composers that don't seem to have a social conscious. What does that mean? Simply put, these two giants in the compositional world write in a style that is appealing to audiences, and challenging for performers. By and large, they embrace all aspects of tradition, yet push them into new forms and with differing musical language. This can be said of almost every musical period...with certain composers becoming "stars" of their era. We play more Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms then we do Stamitz, Sammartini or Meyerbeer, taking nothing away from those composers of course.

The other issue that comes up with defining New or Modern music is that there's differing ways of looking at it. Some people find Prokofiev, Holst and Wagner "new", where many others look at the music coming from Webern and Schoenberg and declare it "new". To be frank, they're not new anymore. Some of this music is almost 100 years old now, and the methods developed by Schoenberg have been expanded and developed even further now into a new language.

So, then the question is, how do you present music that isn't common to a traditional audience without offending your patrons, donors and sponsors? I don't know if you can, although I do hope that it's possible. The fact that composers still write brand new music for orchestras is exciting, and it's a fact that is worth celebrating. In Canada, the Juno Awards still give out an award for Classical Composition of the Year, yet many of us have no idea what these pieces sound like. In any given year, millions of people flock to movie theatres to see the Oscar nominated films, just as millions more will PVR Emmy nominated television. Should we feel some kind of obligation to familiarize ourselves with these great pieces of music?

I hope you'll take a moment to look up some of my favourite young Canadian composers. Toronto based Kevin Lau and Juno nominee, Rob Teehan are the voices of a new generation of composers spreading their language and doing so with a great deal of success.

Thanks for reading this wordy and lengthy post. If you wish, leave a comment with your favourite living composer as I would love to compile a new list to add to my iPod.

J

Brahms Horn Trio

2010-03-08T23:49:00.002-05:00

In the past I have written about my thoughts on brass chamber and solo music, and while that hasn't changed, there are a few exceptions.

What sets the horn literature apart from the trumpet, trombone and tuba repertoire are three brilliant pieces of chamber music. Mozart's Quintet for horn, piano and three winds and the Quintet for violin, 2 violas and cello are both wonderful and so much fun to play, but the piece that always strikes me as the top of the list is the Brahms Trio. It's as much a rite of passage for young horn players as it is a revisited favourite by the employed ranks of players. One sentiment is shared amongst them all..."This piece is great".

3 years ago I had the pleasure of performing the Brahms Trio on my Certificate Recital at the University of Toronto. It was my entire second half after one of the most taxing first halves of a recital I've ever attempted my way through. To this date, I'm still convinced my teacher programmed this to show me both what's expected and what true fear feels like. Schumann's Adagio and Allegro, Krol's Laudatio and Mozart's 2nd Concerto. All subtlety and artistic merit goes out the window when you're completely chopped out 8 mins in. The phrase "power through" has never been more appropriate. With my teacher in the hospital getting his knee re-constructed after wrapping it around a tree in Whistler, I had a room full of my peers there, and the gorgeous Brahms trio still to play.

Then something amazing happened. When I came out to play the 2nd half, I had chops again. It was like my prayers had been answered...for about 16 bars. I had wonderful collaborators, Victor Cheng on piano and Elizabeth Andrews on Violin. I'm becoming convinced that the most talented person on the stage must be the pianist, but the person to follow has got to be the violin. The amount of ensemble work that this piece requires is a great deal of the challenge, taking nothing away from transposing Gb major while in Eb horn. The violinist is at the greatest acoustical disadvantage, while the meaty piano writing can completely immerse the other players on stage with an inexperienced player. Striking a balance and playing to the strengths of each player on stage is a must if this piece is to succeed. When planning this post I spoke with Liz about her preparation for it, and while claiming that she did nothing too different then usual to learn the part, she says "playing that way is just too much damn fun to think too much about". In the end, she claimed to "play up (out) a little bit more then she normally would" but never did so in a way to distort the sound.

Currently, Liz and I are seeking a venue and a reason to perform this piece together again. I'm so excited to get the chance to work with her again and pull her pianist/composer husband Mark into the mix...P.S. Mark, when you read this, your wife wants you to play Brahms with us. She promised to make you cookies or something...;)

In the next couple weeks I'll be back to normal blogging habits, while on the road. I'm back to Montreal with the Orchestre de la Francophonie for rehearsals with Dmitri Hvorovstovsky and Sondra Radvanovsky at Roy Thomson Hall and Place des Arts. I'll also be heading to Ottawa for a few days to catch the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre with Valery Gergiev and catch up with my friends from Talking Canadian. If you've not heard either the Mariinsky Theatre or Talking Canadian, I suggest you click on the links and check them out. One is really funny, and the other is one of the greatest orchestras in the world. I'll let you decide which is which.

G'night

Happy Birthday Horn Logic!

2010-02-28T21:11:00.003-05:00

So I'm a day late - between TSO's New Creations Festival and the Olympics, I've been quite distracted.

Lets start with the business at hand. Horn Logic is officially 1 year old. In the past year I've gone from the comforts of being a student to a summer program where I participated in one of the craziest and most rewarding experiences of my life, to the uncertain future of a freelance horn player holding down a day job and practicing until the wee hours of the morning, preparing for every audition I can take in North America. This blog has travelled with me from Albuquerque, NM to Minneapolis, MN to Montreal, QC and has stayed a constant here in Toronto. Since the New Year, I've had more page hits than ever before and received more comments and emails about my blog then ever before. It's so easy with a blog to just lose motivation - and sometimes I find myself struggling to come up with interesting things to write...so I thank anyone reading this for continuing to read what I write, it's an honour, really!

Now that I've got that out of the way...

TSO New Creations

This year has featured the music of Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov...and what a treat it's been. Back in 2006, I was introduced to Golijov backstage at Symphony Hall in Chicago when I was auditioning at DePaul University. The rave reviews of the horn section of the CSO had me intrigued about this composer, but it wasn't until this week that I finally got to experience it. He's an amazing composer, a voice for a new generation of symphony-goers, and a snappy dresser (ok, that has nothing to do with his music, but I laughed when I wrote it). If you haven't been to the festival, you can still catch the premiere of Jacques Hetu's Symphony No. 5 and Golijov's The Last Round. It's worth checking out for sure.

Olympics

I'd be remiss if I didn't express some amount of pride for these olympics. 14 Gold Medals, 26 total medals, and more National pride then I've ever seen from my own country. Having spent two years away from it, living in the United States, I became a loud and proud advocate for all things Canadian. I can tell you that about 14 times I got a little choked up listening to our National Anthem being beautifully performed by the Vancouver Symphony. Today's hockey gold performance...will not ever be forgotten. As a die-hard baseball fan, watching the Blue Jays win the first and second championships in '92 and '93 are always going to be at the top of my list, but Sidney Crosby's goal today is easily #3 on that list. I can't wait to share that moment, along with all the others, from these Olympics with my kids many years from now.

Tomorrow we get to go back to life as Leafs fans, without the constant reminders of all that is great about competition. I would love to see the extreme outpouring of Canadian pride that has existed over the last 17 days survive and be present tomorrow, 17 days from now, and 4 years from now in Russia.

More thoughts to come...thanks for reading!

Standing By Your Opinion

2010-02-23T17:10:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it's a hard thing to do.

Musicians are, for the most part, some of the most opinionated people I know. This is a good thing though. Strong, well-informed opinions are what drive good artists to be great, and great ones to enter a level that inspires everyone.

Last week I went to a performance that I felt wasn't as great as everyone else did. Sometimes I think it would be better to listen to what everyone else says and gauge my opinions...if for no other reason then to avoid explaining my point over and over again. Those that know me personally, know that I won't do this, and will continue to voice (write) my opinion as much as I can. Ken Rosenthal of ESPN.com calls it the "power of the written word".

Recently this blog passed the 2000 page view mark and I continue to be amazed that I'm attracting an audience with my writing. On Saturday, Horn Logic turns 1 year old. In 12 months this blog has evolved from the immature rantings of a frustrated college student to something that makes me think about how I can be a better player, and a more thoughtful artist. I'm planning a very special post for Saturday, so all I can say is stay tuned. I can't promise an epic post (like my repertoire blog) but it will be special.

I've added an "Email the Author" button to the sidebar. In addition to leaving comments, I would love to get email from any of my readers. Suggestions for topics, events that are worth attending, or just a simple hello are always welcomed.

Cheers,
J

Guest Post: The Life of a Freelancer

2010-02-15T00:39:00.004-05:00

Back in 2002 I was functioning as an Orientation (Frosh) Week leader and had the good fortune to meet Mike Tutton. Not only is Mike a fantastic player, but he's someone who shares a very similar story of moving from a sports life to a music one. He's also a very close friend who's in my wedding party. On more then one occasion we've sat around cases of beer and talked about music projects and brass music. For the last two years Mike's been a member of the Foothills Brass Quintet in Calgary, AB and has graciously agreed to guest post about how he got to where he is, and his experiences as a freelance musician.

J

_________________________________________________

When Jay asked me to write an entry for his blog I was at first hesitant for the assignment; I have never been one for extra work of an academic nature. After some thought however, I became rather engaged by the possibility to put some thoughts to paper and see what came of it. I am by no means a professional writer or savvy wordsmith but I am always up for a unique challenge.

My name is Michael Tutton, I am by definition a professional musician. I get paid to play. I play with the Foothills Brass Quintet – www.foothillsbrass.com – based in Calgary, Alberta. Although Foothills Brass (FBQ) is my main source of income and gigs, I do work as a freelancer throughout Canada. I play with Symphony Orchestras, I play musical theatre, I work with big bands, as a soloist, I teach private lessons, basically anything that you can be paid to do as a trombonist, I do. The following is a re-counting of various things I've learned, experienced, and enjoyed about my career in the freelancing music business so far.

Much to my chagrin upon entering the professional world was the amazing amount of work it takes away from the horn. The hardest lesson for myself to learn was that nobody cares about you. You must work for everything; I have found myself doing my own promo materials, advertising, dealing with concert presenters, organizing travel, preparing programs, organizing rehearsals, and that's all before I even think about practicing the music. I was fortunate enough to have attended a school where this aspect of the life was taught – The Glenn Gould School in Toronto, ON. I took the only 2 related classes to this element of life, Career Management and Communications taught by a leading artist manager in Toronto, Andrew Kwan. These classes almost prepared me for this massive amount of work away from the music. Don't fret however, this amount of work is only necessary if you want to make money and support yourself.

On the positive side, the variety of work in a freelancer's world is, for me, the best part of the job. Conversely, it is also the aspect that hinders many players. In addition to the amount of work spent on the business of freelancing, you must now also practice all genres and styles of music. I trained as an orchestral musician, most of my lessons were on excerpts or various concerti and I seldom practiced commercial or jazz idioms. Funnily enough, 15% of my income in 2009 was from commercial work, playing shows, working with big bands and various bar gigs. Something I never would have expected when I was still in school. The ability to blend in is key, being able to adapt to many different situations is imperative. As a full-time freelancer you must be comfortable performing with a large orchestra or playing lead in a big band, and more often than not you will find yourself shifting from night to night.

This life is only for those who want nothing else, music is all they can be doing. Period.

My practice regime has transformed dramatically since I started playing full-time. In school I would hardly practice anything other than what was assigned to me by my teacher. Studies, orchestral excerpts, solos, various technical exercises, etc..now, I spend the least amount of time on excerpts and solos. My practicing today is usually based in commercial styles, or taking singing lessons, or working on doubling – Tenor/Bass trombone, Euphonium, and very rarely the ol' Alto trombone. Practicing now is all about becoming competent in all styles, and eventually developing a high proficiency no matter what style, genre, or situation you are placed in.

Freelancing can be a great life, filled with variety and constant challenges. It can also be rough, gigs are never guaranteed and income can fluctuate immensely, not to mention the massive amount of work it takes. Its a life I enjoy and I wouldn't trade it for anything, it is also a life which, for myself, is finite; stability is a priority, and I one day strive to reach that place. If you are committed, talented, driven, and stubborn enough you could make this life work, if you are at all uncertain or skeptical, move on.

How's your posture?

2010-02-09T17:58:00.002-05:00

In browsing horn stuff online, I perused my way through the Yahoo Horn Group.
A fellow horn player posted regarding his recovery from spinal surgery , saying that his pedal notes are more in tune and easier to play.

As a player who hasn't been blessed with a virtuosic low range, I have to wonder...how much does posture make a difference? After toying with embouchure, equipment, and a fairly visable shift over the break is it possible that I just need to not slouch as much when I play?

Simple solution...perhaps?

Sometimes Critics Go Too Far

2010-02-09T09:33:00.003-05:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I love to talk shop and debate about brass playing. On more then one occasion I've been called overly opinionated, and I'm ok with that, so long as I can maintain a rational sense to base my opinions on. This morning, though, I was reading a review of a performance in Chicago of Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams by the Chicago Symphony and I wasdumbfounded.

The reviews starts very traditionally, with details about the music, composers and conductor. In this case the conductor was Peter Oundjian, who was making his CSO Subscription series debut. A reviewer not liking what a conductor does on stage is nothing new. However, what came after the comments about Mr. Oundjian is where I got mildly offended.

"Dale Clevenger, 69, has been principal horn of the CSO and one of the world's legendary orchestral musicians for exactly 44 years now. In addition to his unmatched abilities as a section leader and his contributions as a teacher for almost a half-century, he has been a conscience of the CSO and an outspoken critic of any moves by the orchestra toward mediocrity. His outspokenness has earned him enemies who know little about his instrument.

So it is no joy to write these words, but the level of his playing this season and his technical troubles in high-profile solos in both Chicago and at Carnegie Hall over the last month have been far below the standards of the CSO,

standards that he more than any other current member of the orchestra has maintained and defended.

As with a great athlete in his twilight, as with many of his colleagues who faced similar periods after decades of distinguished service to the CSO, this cannot be an easy time for Clevenger. But it's time for a cap on

a unique orchestral career that should be noted for its many triumphs and not a late struggle against time."

Now I mean, come on! That's like a backhanded slap...starting off with comments about his legendary tenure and record of brilliant performance and pedagogy, and then follow it up with (to paraphrase) "time to retire". There is something to be said for an aging superstar of the orchestral world who is still able to perform at a level that is becoming of a principal horn player, even if that level isn't the same as the one he performed at for so many years.

Perhaps I'm a little biased, but wasn't Adolph Herseth heralded as a hero of the CSO Trumpet section for years after his prime? I have some pretty raunchy recordings of Chicago from the end of Herseth's tenure. Knowing what Herseth contributed to that orchestra, city and to trumpet players across the world, we all look past it. I'll admit to being less then impressed with some of the sounds coming from the stage, but that does not take away from what Dale Clevenger has earned as a musician. Sitting on the hot seat in (arguably) the greatest orchestra in North America for 44 years should have earned him some slack from critics in Chicago. I've studied with several of his former students and they all possess a heroic view of their former teacher and have nothing but respect for him.

So, Mr. Andrew Patner...your review may have felt really good to write, but all you did was alienate informed readers. Surely there was some musical merit to the program that would have made more sense to write about. As it stands though, your post reeks of the same scent that came from New York when a reviewer said similar things about Principal Horn legend Philip Myers. The length of their tenure doesn't forbid people from acknowledging what they hear, but there are many ways to say it without throwing them under the proverbial bus.

How Great Can a Sick Day Be?

2010-02-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

On Friday night something I ate was not sitting well. Come Saturday morning, the stomach pain was accompanied by one hell of a headache. So, I got re-acquainted with the couch and some Arrested Development. By around 4pm I was feeling better and was able to do something I hadn't been able to do in weeks.

I did a long, slow warm-up routine on my horn. Lip slurs, intervals, trills, scales, attacks...it was amazing. For the first time in weeks I had an unlimited amount of time to just centre and get my playing organized. One of the biggest challenges of working full time, is getting enough hours of playing in each day, and while I find I do an adequate job of getting the work in each day, I hadn't "checked" in with my technique in awhile.

As I approach the new audition season, with several promising openings, I feel it more important then ever to get my work in every day. I have, in the past, been a 6am practicer. This however I found hard to maintain without losing the hours at the end of the day.

So why write this post? Well, if any of you reading this are still in school...find the time. I used to believe in taking days off every once in awhile, and still do. But, a day off can compromise your ability to be great the next day. When I was a student, a day off didn't have a lasting impact on my opportunities, but now that each day is a performance and you never ever can risk not sounding your best...pick up the horn every day.
Also, don't hesitate to take free work. It's much more fulfilling to play in front of people, and with colleagues then it is to sit in your bedroom by yourself. I've heard people argue that when professionals play for free that it devalues what we do. Well, maybe it does. But that's a choice YOU make. A paycheque does not give you value. Would it be better to be given $1 as opposed to no dollars? Not really. But a new colleague of mine encouraged me to "Just Play....as much as you can, wherever you can". He told me to think of it as a way to do what we love and get better without worrying about anything. JUST PLAY. I'm having a blast playing a musical right now that I'm not getting anything for, and while I'm a little more tired then I would be otherwise, I'm getting to do what I love and entertaining the public. This is what we do...and it feels great!

Follow Up
The response to my orchestral literature post was overwhelming. I saw it referenced and reposted in blogs by writers from the Toronto Star and the Washington Post. It was also sent around my office and my colleagues all expressed their gratitude for me having put in the work. Any of you that commented and asked follow up questions...I haven't forgotten you. I hope to get back to you this week and post the top 10 works as an update to that post. In the coming week I'll be having a guest blogger make a contribution to Horn Logic. Michael Tutton of the Foothills Brass Quintet in Calgary, AB will be posting about life as a freelancer and touring with a professional brass quintet. I'm really looking forward to reading what Mike has to say.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

J

Symphonic Literature in Toronto 2000 to 2010

2010-01-29T22:43:00.003-05:00

Shortly after the New Year just about every newspaper, television station and magazine recapped their "Best of" from the first decade of the new millenium. I also took part with THIS POST in recapping my favourite moments of the last year. While writing that post, I got a great idea...why not find out Canada's most performed symphony in this decade!
I was inspired. I made phone calls to the professional major orchestras in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and to our own orchestra here in Toronto. My excitement about this project was quickly shot down when my request for past season brochures from the last decade was met with the same question..."why on earth do you need this information?". I went on to explain what I was attempting to do, and each organization took my phone number and I was promised several callbacks within the week. None called. But the archivist from the Toronto Symphony quickly sent over all the requested material and I began my project. This is all incredibly relevant because I severely underestimated how much work it would be to put this together and in the end I was glad to only have the TSO's repertoire to put together.

So before you scroll down and read the results....make a prediction. If for no other reason then it's a fun thing to do. Ok...ready, GO!

The Results

The TSO was interesting to look at like this because there was a fundamental shift in the early 2000's. Jukka-Pekka Saraste was the music director and when Peter Oundjian took over in 2003, the repertoire (especially the music he directed) belonged to two very thick areas. Mozart and the Romantic Era. Maestro Oundjian quickly championed the inter-season festivals, creating the annual Mozart Festival in January and the New Creations festival in February. Each season presented a new theme such as a Beethoven/Brahms Festival in 2006/07, an American/Russian Festival in 07/08 and a Sibelius Festival in 2010. From a listeners perspective this provided a common thematic line through many concerts as we could hear music evolving from Mozart through to the modern era. By and large, the thicker romantic works became more commonplace on stage with diversions to the Baroque and 20th Century to show contrast or evolution. Oundjian has done a wonderful job in presenting concert programs that allow the listener to see how Bach relates to music by John Adams or Igor Stravinsky.

Also amazing to look through was the list of soloists that have graced the stage with the TSO. Names like Lang Lang, Yundi Li, James Ehnes, Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma and Renee Fleming are annual visitors to Roy Thomson Hall, and we the concertgoers are the beneficiaries. I will follow up this post with a list of the soloists next week.

Right - results!
I was unbiased in compiling information; recognizing that concertos would sometimes appear twice in one season and not for several years thereafter. This put concertos up against the symphonic literature for the title of Toronto's Most Performed Piece. My guess before I started was Shostakovitch's 5th Symphony. I was wrong.

The Award Goes to - Beethoven's Seventh Symphony! It was performed a total of 9 times within ten years. As a horn player - this is motivation to learn both parts and never forget them.
Now, the other results. Again, I'll follow up this post with a more comprehensive list of the results. But in this decade we heard 8 performances of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony compared to 4 performances of his 4th and 5th symphonies. On 4 occasions we heard Sibelius' 2nd Symphony and in 2010 we'll hear the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th for the first time. There were 4 performances of Brahms 4th Symphony - but only once (2006) did we hear Brahms 3rd. Stravinsky's works presented a surprise. The Symphony in Three Movements was performed as much as The Rite of Spring, but neither came close to the 7 performances of the Firebird Suite. Elgar's Enigma Variations appeared 4 times and Dvorak's 9th Symphony appeared 5 times. My Shostakovich bubble was burst when the first performance of the 5th Symphony wasn't until 2006, and then we heard it 3 times between 2006 and 2010 (along with 2 performances in Toronto of the Eleventh Symphony). Richard Strauss' works were rare in comparison, hearing Also Sprach Zarathustra a total of 3 times, while only hearing Ein Heldenleben, Don Quixote and Don Juan once.
Given the regular Mozart Festival, I expected far more repeat performances, however most works were only repeated twice. The 25th Symphony and 38th Symphony were quite popular and made 3 total performances each.

In terms of concertos there were very few surprises. Beethoven's Violin Concerto was performed 7 times, twice by Joshua Bell and Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto was performed 7 times, however his 2nd Concerto was not performed once. Speaking of Tchaikovsky, his Violin Concerto managed 5 performances (one particularly memorable for me by James Ehnes). The magic number was four. Sibelius' Violin Concerto, Bruch's Violin Concerto and Grieg's Piano Concerto appeared 4 times, while Dvorak's Cello Concerto and Barber's Violin Concerto made 3 appearances. I also was introduced to the Beethoven Piano Concerto's - seeing the composers 1st Concerto 3 times (the first not coming until 2008), 2nd 3 times, the 3rd only twice (with the first performance not until 2007), the 4th an amazing 6 times and the mighty "Emperor" Concerto 5 times.

Interestingly there was a lack of performances of works by Mendelssohn. His Midsummer Night's Dream and Symphony No. 5 appeared twice each, but the other symphonies only once. Also interesting was the trend in Mahler Symphonies. This could be due to size or possibly appeal to a broader audience, but we saw 3 performances of Mahler's 1st, yet only 1 performance of the 3rd, 6th and 7th Symphonies. There was not a performance of the 8th Symphony this past decade, but there was a memorable night where I got to hear the Deryck Cooke completion of the 10th Symphony.

I hope you enjoyed that. It was a couple weeks of reading, writing and analyzing, and I'd do it again. Perhaps if the other orchestras ever send me materials we can compare and contrast. With the TSO having just announced their new season, there seems to be an emphasis on continuing the established tradition, yet including big names in the festivals to create a similar buzz. John Adams will grace the stage as will all of Toronto's favourite names. Personally, I can't wait to see James Ehnes perform and conduct 3 Mozart Violin Concerti in one night.

Within the next week I'll post some more results for those who're interested. If there's anything specific you're curious about, I encourage you to to email me, or leave a comment below. As an aspiring orchestral musician I was amazed at the sheer volume of music that has been performed. It's impossible to really know how much talent sits on that stage until you see how much music has happened there.

Until next time, I'm looking forward to your comments.

Just a few things...

2010-01-27T19:31:00.002-05:00

Some collective notes on things from the past week.

A Few Thoughts About Beethoven.
Last summer, as most of my faithful readers will be well aware of, I participated in a crash course on the symphonies of Beethoven. During that time, I learned of the joy and terror that accompanies the works of one of the best composers of orchestral music. This week, the recordings were released and I have worked my way through the set. As you can hear the composer working out his ideas, you can also hear the orchestra evolving and expanding.

This box set was a real challenge to record. Each musician from the Orchestre de la Francophonie left alot of themselves on that stage and the end result is something that I am incredibly proud of. If you care to take a listen, click HERE. Without this project, it may have taken me many more years to come to appreciate Beethoven and his writing. Further to that, it may have taken me a lot longer to develop the respect for this music in preparing it for auditions.

Some Work Observations
The absolute joy I've felt from listening to those recordings has been met with an increased workload at my box office day jobs. In a masterclass I attended recently, Eric Ruske suggested that the hardest jump to make is from being in school to being out of school. You go from the wonderful world of having regular lessons and places to play with other people to possibly getting one chance a month to perform or even play duets with a colleague. Something I've had to be very cautious of is letting my day job have an impact on my desire to go home and put in the practice hours. If nothing else, when I do get chances to play gigs or concerts I am far more appreciative then I may have been before. The feeling of going to a day job each day and selling tickets to concerts that you would much rather be playing. I love the fact that I work around music and I get to attend so many concerts without incurring the cost of doing so, but it's a challenge to not take things personally. When I'm asked for tickets to the "Drink Milk, Love Life" Symphony or that opera that has the song about the bullfighter in it, I just have to smile and remember that after 7 years of post-secondary academia, these things are only odd to me.

I'm currently involved in a small production of Stephen Sondheim's Assasins at UC Follies (University College, University of Toronto). It's not glorious work, but it's nice to be able to be a horn player for a couple hours a night. I've also formed a horn/violin/piano trio that will be putting on recitals and hopefully putting a couple of tracks out for promotional use. It's an instrumentation that I love playing in, and listening to, so it's easy to have a great time doing so.

Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal
Just this past Monday I finally heard this great ensemble for the first time live. I have many of the classic Dutoit recordings that have made this orchestra famous, but was ashamed that I'd never heard them in person. While I thought the programming was questionable, the way that they played showed why they are regarded so highly. Till Felner joined them on stage for Beethoven's 1st Piano Concerto, and as I spoke of up above, my new appreciation for Beethoven made this piece (as a whole) the highlight of the concert for me. However, when principal horn, John Zirbel, played the solo at the end of Stravinsky's Firebird, I could have melted in my seat. He doesn't have a sound...he simply creates a velvet blanket when he plays the horn and the audience can just let it wrap around them. I'll be making a trip to Montreal to hear them again, hopefully playing a piece that has a little more open horn, instead of all the stopped and muted stuff in Firebird.

Finally...

Sorry for the delay in my Symphonic Literature post. I've hit a roadblock, not so much in creative thought, but in physical time to write and finish the research. I'm hoping to have it done by this weekend...and since there's no more Vikings football, and the Maple Leafs are in last place, I'll have loads of time to write. I'm very interested in this process, and if anyone has access to archives at other arts organizations, I'd love to look at another organization's trends.

All the best, stay warm out there.
J

Beethoven Live

2010-01-26T16:27:00.002-05:00

Available online for FREE STREAMING!

First ever Beethoven Symphony Cycle recording by a Canadian Orchestra.

http://www.analekta.com/en/album/Beethoven-Live-9-Symphonies.586.html

Also available for purchase through Analekta and Amazon.com

Congratulations to Maestro Jean-Philippe Tremblay, and all the members of L'Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienne. We should all be VERY proud of this accomplishment!

Vienna Horns New Album

2010-01-22T19:42:00.001-05:00

A colleague sent me this video and I know that all of you will appreciate, love and want more of this....

Happy Friday!

Something's Coming

2010-01-22T01:00:00.001-05:00

...something good

Sorry for a lack of posts recently. I've taken on a rather large amount of responsibility at work and it's been taking away from my ability to think and write about music.

But I'm working on a very interesting post...hopefully as thought provoking and interesting to you as it's been to me in preparing it. Look for it by the end of the weekend.

Go Vikings!!

J

Some of My Favourite People Are String Players

2010-01-12T13:04:00.002-05:00

Recently, I was out for coffee with an old friend that happens to be a freelance violinist in Toronto. While we both took the opportunity to catch up on life, careers, love interests, etc. the conversation inevitably turned to concerts we had recently attended, masterclasses we had been to/played in and recordings that had made their way up to the top of our playlists. I was shocked to find out that in the time I had been to 2 operas and 3 or 4 orchestra concerts, while adding at least a half a dozen recordings to my collection my friend hadn’t attended anything, nor had she listened at all. (In her defense, I suppose when you live on the concert stage it’s hard to attend concerts or motivate yourself to put on recordings of anything, let alone the music you’re performing).

I’ve often speculated that brass players are envious of the brilliant repertoire that string instruments have. Horn players are blessed with concerti by Mozart and Strauss, trumpets with Haydn, Hummel and Artunian. The poor trombonists have very little to play in front of the orchestra, while even the tuba has a gorgeous concerto by Vaughan Williams. All totaled, brass players have about 15 concerti that are “standard orchestral fare” with probably another 5-10 concerti that appear each year (including new commissions). Compare this with the hundreds of absolutely stunning concerti for violin by the greatest names in classical music (Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Sibelius, Dvorak, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, etc. etc.). Nonetheless, you could see why the brass players are a little jealous. I won’t even mention the other world of piano concertos.

So with all this great solo repertoire, and the absolutely brilliant soloists that come to the City of Toronto, I just cannot fathom why more string players/students/teachers wouldn’t go to hear them. It’s really not stretching the truth too much to speculate if someone were to write Variations on a C Major Scale for Horn and Orchestra there’d be a room full of horn players to listen to it. This week, I'm looking forward to listening to a live performance of Mozart's 2nd Horn Concerto as part of a local Mozart Festival.

Now I'm aware that brass players, by and large, are a rare breed. We smile like a kid on Christmas when we hear big moments in Strauss, Mahler and Wagner, and we listen with support on the more exposed, dreadful high Mozart and Haydn symphonies. But the part that strikes me, is that most of us do this for FUN. I'm willing to go out on a line and speak to the value of the listening that we do, and it's role in our education. Perhaps it has alot to do with the infinite number of ways we can miss notes...where our string playing colleagues know that 9 times out of 10 the note goes in the exact same spot on the fingerboard. Trust me, we're jealous of that! Well, maybe not trombone players, they don't envy anyone.

So what about you? Does your iPod cycle through the works of Mahler and Strauss or do you think that's a tad excessive?

This post comes as the first in a follow up to my post from November when I vowed to expand my music collection. I have indeed done so, and will share the results, and share what I learned about my own tastes through the whole project.

Cheers,
J

Eric Ruske Inspired Thoughts

2010-01-10T14:01:00.003-05:00

I recently attended a masterclass given by Eric Ruske at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. It had been awhile since I'd done anything really horn-centric, so this was an opportunity that could not be passed up.

Mr. Ruske has an energy level that is infectious. He teaches, performs and even speaks with such a passion that even the audience couldn't resist comments. While I can't say that I agreed with everything he had to say, and sometimes his overly aggressive style of "public failure for personal growth" approach struck me as a little much...the students on stage did sound far better at the end of the class then they did at the beginning.

During the class, he compared musicians to hookers. Yes, you did read that correctly...hookers! We're paid (hopefully) to make every piece of music sound like our favourite piece and to make sure that the audience enjoys listening to us play it. He spoke of our commitment to being entertainers first and foremost and never losing sight of the fact that without patrons of the arts, we have no jobs. Recently I'd felt myself slipping into a pattern of "over-valuing" orchestra music, horn concertos, etc. so this reminder hit home especially hard. One student spoke of Haydn's 1st Horn Concerto as an example of the wonderful style of Haydn. After humbly admitting that he'd never heard a Haydn string quartet...and the ensuing berating from Mr. Ruske...everyone in the room was instructed to beg, borrow or steal recordings of the string quartets (or operas) of composers of the best horn literature.

Simply put (according to Mr. Ruske), the horn literature came out of composers writing for natural horn. The restrictions that placed on Mozart, Haydn, Brahms, et al. never allowed them to expand and push horn players the same way as violinists or pianists. His point - if we don't push ourselves, the art likely won't push us. It's easy to get pretty complacent with conservative approaches to traditional music.

The last thing he spoke about was commitment to the music. He challenged everyone in the audience to deal with their inadequacies head on daily. Specifically using himself, and his perceived bad time and pitch, he stood in front of a room of brass players and stated "Hi, my name is Eric and I have shitty time and pitch". He also challenged us all to not miss a day of practice. Using Jamie Sommerville ("one of Canada's best exports" - E. Ruske) as the example, who loves to speak of how he didn't miss a day of practice in a decade.

When it was all over with, he had very direct and inspiring thoughts that I've written into my practice book and look at each day. Coming into summer festival audition season, I will look to these thoughts as I continue to push myself and become my own best teacher.

Happy Sunday!!
J

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T12:53:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the 2nd year of Horn Logic.

I started this blog in February of 2009 and through my busiest times of writing and my longest absences, I started to get a great deal of joy out of writing on here. Through this blog I met some great musicians and fellow horn players, and began a process of self growth. It's true that in order to confidently write something you must truly believe your own words and I found that I was forced to clarify my own thoughts before I could adequately express them here.

The new year has brought me some wonderful ideas to write about. I'd like to do a larger collection of posts on the trends of orchestral performance from the first decade of the new century. My early attempts to gather information though have not been met with a great deal of excitement from orchestra archivists when I requested information. I'll keep trying as I attempt to discover the most popular symphonic repertoire from the 'oughts.

In the new year I will make attempts to reach a horn playing (brass playing) audience as well as a broader music and art lovers interest. I may stray away from the straight review type of writing as there's a plethora of people that can already tell you about how wonderful the concerts are in Toronto.

As always, I love to hear from people that read what I write. If you have ideas or care to throw a topic at me that I could write about, I would welcome it. I really hope 2010 shows as large a growth in my comments as it did my page hits (getting close to 1000 now!!).

Thanks for reading. Happy New Year.

Musical Highlights (and Lowlights) of 2009

2009-12-31T12:36:00.004-05:00

I've only been back in Canada since late May, but I wanted to share some of my favourite musical moments of the year.

10. Canadian Music Competition Gala Concert, University of Montreal, July 2009 One of the greatest challenges of my musical year was learning 2 large piano concertos, a violin concerto and the accompaniment to several pieces of solo violin music all within a 36 hour period. After playing a concert the night before the first rehearsal, we got back to Montreal at 4am, and by 10am were back at rehearsal sight-reading among other things - a Mozart Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff's mighty first concerto for piano. I was thrown on the hot seat (principal horn) and while there was obvious stress in the situation, the horn section responded wonderfully and we sounded great on the concert.

9. Minnesota Orchestra - Shostakovich 5th Symphony, October 2009
My first chance at hearing this orchestra live after hearing their amazing set of Beethoven recordings. They did not dissapoint! By far one of the most together brass sections I've ever had the pleasure to hear. The back row of this orchestra sounded like a giant trumtubonehorn.

8. Non-Classical Music like Feist, Damien Rice, Fleet Foxes and Muse.
I blogged back in October about my new project to diversify my music collection. Met with literally hundreds of suggestions from friends and co-workers, I started listening to iTunes samples and turning on the radio. It was hard to take CBC off the radio and turn it to Top 40, but in the end I've discovered some pretty cool stuff, and I'm glad I did it.

7. Experiencing the joy of winning an audition - through a colleague's success
In November, my colleague from the summer and good friend, Janelle Wiebe, drove to Thunder Bay for the Principal Horn audition. While I failed to advance past the first round, Janelle was stellar through it all and won the position. She'll start her new job in Jan. While I was disappointed to have not won the job, I was thrilled for Janelle to have won it.

6. Performing under the baton of Pinchas Zuckerman on-stage at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Our first concert of the summer (with OFC) was in Ottawa's Southam Hall with Maestro Pinchas Zuckerman on the podium for Beethoven's 1st and 2nd Symphonies and 3rd Piano Concerto (featuring 14 year old phenom Jan Jan Lipitzki). Zuckerman has incredibly specific ideas about Beethoven's music and he was able to get very different sounds out of our orchestra with only a few minor tweaks. This was an amazing way to start off the summer.

5. National Youth Orchestra of Canada in Cathedral Notre Dame, Montreal, QC
Normally this wouldn't make an appearance on my list...however this past summer I experienced something at the NYO Concert that knocked my socks off. They performed Mahler's Sixth Symphony and sections made up of my friends and colleagues from school sounded as good as many of the professionals that I'd heard. Notable from this performance was principal horn Marie-Sonja Cotineau who played brilliantly from start to finish without an assistant.

4. Mahler's Sixth Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, June 2009
This concert was immediately upon my return from New Mexico and it could not have come at a better time. I had just finished a masters program, and I suppose you could say I was a little uninspired with my horn playing. But after 90 some minutes of Maher's Tragic and 2 fatal hammer blows I remembered why I play music, and I also remembered how great this orchestra really is.

3. Playing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for 3000 people in Ottawa, ON
The OFC had just finished an intense 5 days of recording and sleeping in very small residence beds, we got on the bus and went to Ottawa to perform in the NAC Music in the Park series. Outdoor concerts always have a certain excitement to them, especially when the weather can cancel a show on a moments notice. But on this night, the weather co-operated and even with the fatigue setting in, we played an electric Beethoven's Fifth to a packed crowd.

2. The Cleveland Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall
Many people disagree with me here, and perhaps I'm being overly sentimental...but this was a very cool concert. There's something incredible about watching performers that are considered to be at the top of their class. Richard King (principal horn), Michael Sachs (principal trumpet), Frank Rosenwein (principal oboe) and Frank Cohen (principal clarinet) are widely regarded as some of the best in their class and with good reason. While the interpretation of Shostakovich's Fifth was disputed, the fire coming off the stage proved why this is one of the best orchestras in North America.

1. Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra w. Gustavo Dudamel
There's not enough space on the internet to write about this phenomenal institution. El Sistima came through Toronto and proved that classical music can reach the masses and can also be used as a tool to promote education, rather then be an exclusive club. Arts for everyone proved to be a huge success as 250 musicians, led by the charismatic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, inspired the whole crowd into a 20+ min standing ovation.

Now...the lowlights
- Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony dissapointed after much hype
- Christmas pops concerts
- Phillip Glass' Violin Concerto

I hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe) New Years Party.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T14:20:00.003-05:00

I'd like to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers and followers.

I'll be heading up north for a couple days and will be taking a break from writing. Next week I'll be back from holidays and back at my writing.

I will say that on my break I intend to drink some hot chocolate and indulge in the one tradition I've created for myself. Every holiday season plant myself on the couch and watch the Die Hard movies.

So until next week - Merry Christmas!

Yippee-ki-yay!!

Live Recordings

2009-12-20T22:33:00.008-05:00

Over the past couple weeks I've been picking up quite a few copies of some live recordings of orchestras and jazz acts. Specifcially, I grabbed copies of the new Chicago Symphony Orchestra recording of Mahler's 2nd Symphony and Chris Botti's Live in Boston.

I've started to notice a trend that orchestras are beginning to lean more towards the live recordings in the past few years. Almost definitely they are cheaper then studio recordings and they don't require adding services to an already crowded schedule for most symphony orchestras. Over the past two summers I took part in recording projects of both varieties. Summer of 2008 at the underground studios at McGill University with L'Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienne we spent 4 days recording Strauss' Don Juan, Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde among other tracks that can be heard HERE. Last summer, the same orchestra participated in Live recordings of all the Beethoven Symphonies (yet to be released). 4 intense days of concerts and then a 5th even more intense day of 'touch-ups'. I am very excited to hear the end results of the "live" takes.

Of the discs I listened to this weekend though, I wanted to post some thoughts.

Mahler - Symphony No. 2 (Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Bernhard Haitink)

This cd was a great installment in

the CSO's recent Mahler Symphony cycle. I bought their recording of the 3rd Symphony a couple of years ago and still enjoy it when it comes on my ipod. I had a particular interest in this recording as a close friend and brilliant colleague was in the off-stage horn section. As always, listening to Chris Martin and the legendary Chicago brass section was a treat. Dale Clevenger sounded as good on this recording as he did in the legendary Solti recordings of the 1970's, clearly continuing to sound great as he approaches his 50th season as principal horn. This disc is worth listening to...especially if you're a fan of Mahler or the Chicago sound.

Chris Botti - Live in Boston (with the Boston Pops)

I've been a fan of Chris Botti's music for quite awhile now, trying to mimic

his swooning, crooning trumpet sound on my french horn. Fortunately, his playing doesn't lack the smooth swing that mine does. On this album he's joined by his friends Yo-Yo Ma, Josh Groban, John Mayer among others for some brilliant performances of some standard fare. This is a great disc to sit back and listen to with dinner or when some friends are over...and

it also would make a great Christmas present. This one is worth taking a listen to. Check out some clips HERE.

A Holiday Treat

2009-12-19T17:39:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!!

Inevitably the holiday season means that there's endless music of the seasonal variety being played in offices, shopping malls and just about anywhere else there's a set of speakers and a radio.

One of my favourite Christmas CD's is one by the Boston Brass All-Star Big Band. The Boston Brass are a phenomenal brass quintet that are really taking brass chamber music to the next level, and through the brilliance of J.D. Shaw's arrangements of the Stan Kenton Christmas Carols has continued to do so with this album. I've attached a video to this post to show everyone how great this is! Also by clicking HERE you can go to the Itunes store and listen to more and perhaps buy yourself a copy of this amazing album.

Merry Christmas everyone!

J

Working Conditions in the Pit

2009-12-18T01:38:00.002-05:00

I have now recovered from an 11 show, 3 week run of the classic musical Les Miserables in Oshawa. Having taken part in many musical productions to this stage in my career I can look back and say that the “orchestra pit” hasn’t been the same for any of them.

In Oshawa’s Little Theatre, the pit was very small (some might say little…sorry everyone, couldn’t resist). They put 11 musicians, a conductor, percussion gear, a guitar and bass amp and several times actors/actresses from the stage down in this small space made for some pretty cramped working conditions during the run. Because of the size of the pit I had the drum kit right behind my head and ended up playing the whole of the run with earplugs in. I took careful stock to not allow myself to get into bad habits, and definitely learned how to make a good sound while not really being able to hear myself. We (the band) were pretty covered in the show, with many of the acoustic instruments having thick wood panels over our heads. Unfortunately because of this, I found myself wondering if anyone could hear me at all?

Conversely, I played in a 5 week run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats about 4 years ago where there was no orchestra pit. Since there was no space under the stage they put us behind the stage and we were mic’ed to get out into the hall. This was quite nice because we weren’t required to wear concert black attire since we weren’t visible to the public. Being that the run was in July, it was pretty nice to be able to have lots of “personal space” backstage and be able to wear shorts and a t-shirt to work.

In my past I’ve played shows from below, above, behind and in front of the stage, and for one production of West Side Story, the band was on stage as part of the set. I think it’s safe to say that when it comes to musicals anymore, there isn’t a normal rule. Playing in a somewhat spacious and comfortable orchestra pit is a luxury that few theatres can afford. In Toronto, the pit at the Four Season Centre is large enough to host a Wagner sized orchestra, yet still provides the proper atmosphere for a small Mozartian-Orchestra as well. While this kind of versatility is rare, I look forward to playing in more comfortable “pits” in the future.

The Hamster Wheel of Progress

2009-12-10T01:21:00.004-05:00

In the last two weeks I've gone to two different concerts with "World Premieres" on them and both times I've heard music that didn't exactly knock my socks off. Now don't get me wrong - I love new music, and I think that finding great music that is enjoyable and challenges listeners will take music forward. But I also know that composers will always look back, and draw on tradition when doing so.

Last week I went to hear the premiere of Bramwell Tovey's Songs of the Paradise Saloon which is a trumpet concerto commissioned for the brilliant principal trumpet of the Toronto Symphony, Andrew McCandless. I had heard music of his before, when the Canadian Brass played a work of his with the TSO a couple of years back. Tovey comes from a British Brass band heritage, so if nothing else his music is always a challenge for the backrow battle forces. Songs of the Paradise Saloon has a phenomenal solo part for the trumpet, and the soloist did an absolutely brilliant job in playing it. I thought the accompaniment may have been a little thick, which presented several balance issues. The piece itself though, didn't really seem to strike a chord with me. Tovey stayed true to his form in writing many extended techniques and challenging rhythms, many resembling those in the big band world, yet presenting them in a very accessible forum. This piece would fit in on a masterworks concert as well as it would on a pops show, but aside from adding to the narrow list of trumpet repertoire, I didn't think that it did much to challenge the listeners.

Is this a problem? Well, no. Perhaps I'm at fault as well for expecting something I would get from a Thomas Adès or a Osvaldo Golijov from a composer like Bramwell Tovey. But even to spite that, the success of this piece was the reception it got from the audience. The City of Toronto loves its orchestra and really does love Andrew McCandless and his playing. Looking around the hall, students of his from the past and present were all there, brass players from across Southern Ontario made the trip in to see him perform and he was met with a standing ovation. Even with my personal tastes longing for a little more "modernism", you cannot take away the success of the evening, nor the brilliant performance.

Tonight however, I attended the much anticipated premiere of Phillip Glass' The Four Seasons. A co-commission featuring soloist Robert McDuffie, and a much smaller string orchestra and synthesizer was received well by the audience, yet I found myself wanting something different. I should mention that I have never been a fan of "minimalist" music and this was my attempt to enjoy a live performance...hoping that the style and intrigue of it could not be captured on cd. Sadly, I was mistaken. The piece was approximately 40 mins long, and with 4 movements and 4 interludes, I heard only one accompanimental figure, and the melody would often repeat itself for endless numbers of bars. Some of you may say "that's the point, isn't it?" to which I'd reply "is it?" I think minimalist music (and some might argue that this piece wasn't minimalist), is a type that reaches out to a specific audience. Normally a premiere like this would have many orchestra musicians sitting in the hall to listen, yet tonight, they stayed backstage. Anyone reading this who has some suggestions for an introduction to minimalist music recordings, please leave some suggestions in the comments. I would love to learn to appreciate this music, but right now it just strikes me as long winded and repetitive.

The night was capped with a beautiful reading of Beethoven's 6th Symphony. Principal Oboe, Sarah Jeffrey and Principal Horn, Neil DeLand stole the show with their solos and the auditioning concertmaster and principal cellist were both strong. I'd like to hear them both in some thicker repertoire, as tonight provided a bit of the 'lighter fare'.

All of these comments leads me to a question. Where is new music headed? There have always been innovators, Gesualdo, Schoenberg, Beethoven, Webern but their individual language inspired others to write in the same way. Has "modern" music hit a creative wall in the reaches of what an orchestra can express? I don't think so, and I hope that composers can find a way to express the millions of possible colours with the success that Gary Kulesha, Jacques Hetu and Osvaldo Golijov have shown.

As always, I'd love to get some feedback. Please leave comments below or write me an email.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. Now that life has slowed down a little bit, I'll be back to writing on a more regular basis. Thanks everyone for reading!

Orchestral Trumpet Playing

2009-11-28T16:08:00.002-05:00

So, on a blog that is primarily about horn playing, I wanted to mention something that I've been observing for the last year or so and spent 2 hours on the phone with a colleague about yesterday.

I'm beginning to think that while horn playing holds the Guiness World Record for Hardest Instrument to play, that being an orchestral trumpet player might rival for one of the tougher jobs to do well. Sure, horn players will scoff and say that trumpet is so much easier then horn, and they don't have 5 octaves to play in all the time, etc. etc. But accepting that truth and acknowledging that for them, solo lines are taken to the very next level. Horn players suffer from the benefit of having our bells face the wrong way. Many times, this can allow us to play a soft passage a little louder then intended and still have it sound beautiful and centred. Trumpet players get to sit there and get ice cold and then are expected to come in soft and precise. So, from the horn section I've noticed a couple of things that have made me appreciate great trumpet players.

1) A well placed fortissimo from the trumpets can make a big moment epic. Conversely, an out of place one can destroy a moment. This is more relevant in the music of Beethoven and Mozart then in the more modern or Romantic works, in my humble opinion.
2) Because of this, the truly great players have more then just talent. They have roadmaps and plans for each performance.
3) Having trumpet players that you can trust to be musical and tasteful gives the rest of the brass section someone to listen to and follow in the larger, louder sections of music.
4) When you're playing beside a really good lead player (jazz settings, musicals, etc.) there is a mutual respect and admiration between them and the rest of the players. I notice this more with jazz players then classical. Really great lead players try to emulate other sounds...the soft attack of a clarinet, the flexibility of a saxophone or the warmth of an in-tune horn player.

Last summer, with the Beethoven Project I was a part of in Montreal I started to see that differences in dynamics were not necessarily an indication to play "louder", but more a thickening of the texture by adding the trumpets and trombones. I wrote at greater length about this here.

Thanks again for reading. More next time!

From the Recording Floor

2009-11-25T14:18:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday I experienced how much fun you can really have making a living at playing the horn. I was called by an orchestra in Toronto called the Sneak Peak Orchestra to come in and play 4th horn for a recording of three pieces by Toronto based composer Kevin Lau. I went to school with Kevin, and during reading sessions I always enjoyed playing his music. The pieces we recorded yesterday, were no exception. It was some of the coolest, and most enjoyable music I've played, and listened to in quite awhile.

I also had a blast sitting in a new section of horn players and making sure I blended and produced a "like representation" of what was coming down the section. My intent when I sat down for the recording was to just be there...contribute and blend. In the end, this was one of the louder sections I've played with and because of that I played alot louder and with more edge then I have since I played Verdi's Requiem in grad school. That being said, I felt like a kid in a candy store when the conductor looked at us and encouraged us to play "to the fore" (if I may steal from Percy Grainger). This presented a conflict in my mind though - as I knew that later that night I had a performance of Les Miserables to play with Oshawa Little Theatre. I just stopped thinking about it, and kept on playing. When the recording session was over, I was sufficiently chopped out and tired, and growing worried about playing a 3 hour show.

Using the hour long drive to Oshawa to rest and nurse my chops, I was forced to take a more reserved approach to get through the dress rehearsal of Les Mis. There were some fishy moments where I had to use the trust PPP method (pinch, press and pray) to get the notes to happen, but I think I was successful...I guess I'll find out tonight when I go in for dress rehearsal #2.

This strikes me as a lesson I needed to learn now that I'm participating in the freelance lifestyle. Often my teachers would tell me that there were days when they played a full orchestra rehearsal, went to the CBC to record and then played a concert that night. In my experience during grad school, days that consisted of 6-8 hours of rehearsals and/or playing a day were common, as there were only 3 or 4 horns in the whole school. Fortunately I was able to draw on these experiences and keep my teachers encouraging voices in the back of my head during the extended passages when fatigue began to set in.

At the end of the night, I watched Sportscentre, had an ice cold Keiths and felt like I had earned a pat on the back for getting through. Next time, I'll save a little face, but I'm just glad that last night...I didn't fall on mine!

Reflections on Thunder Bay

2009-11-19T18:02:00.003-05:00

Well, I've returned from the Great White North, mostly in one piece.

This will be a short post, as I'm having a hard time finding a position to sit in to comfortably sit in to write. For those who don't follow me on twitter or facebook, I managed to severely sprain my ankle when I was leaving my friends house to go to the airport in Thunder Bay. I've been laid up in bed for the past couple days, and got some good news today that I don't have a broken ankle. This is great news!

Just a few reflections from the trip and the audition:

1) Fly
It was about 1400 km from Toronto, ON to Thunder Bay. In my efforts to save money - a colleague of mine and I got a car and drove up. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful drive. Some sights that city folk never get to see, with huge rock beds, mountain sides and open water views. But that much driving in one day made me get a little delirious. I was in fine shape after a solid night of sleep, but I don't want to do that much driving the day before something important again.
2) Eat Better Food
To my friend James' credit, he was prepared to be a good host. He had food in the house and offered it to Janelle and I (the girl I carpooled with). I let me pride get in the way and wouldn't take it. This left me eating Tim Horton's for breakfast and lunch and peanut butter cookies and ginger ale for snacks. What have we learned here???
3) Preparation has to include mock auditions
This is something that my teachers and colleagues have always told me, yet I never quite saw the relevance in. But the lesson learned in the room this time was that it's impossible to prepare for the human element of an audition. Humans aren't robots, and because of this structural flaw we're going to make mistakes. A couple of the excerpts in round one (my only round of the day) I did really well on, but a couple did not go all that well at all.
4) Overall Happiness for a Colleague
The player that got the job, Janelle Wiebe, is someone I've known for around 5 years, but only really got to know this summer. She was our 3rd Horn in OFC and played assistant when needed on a couple of symphonies. I loved having the chance to pick her brain about her experiences overseas, her lessons with horn-guru John Zirbel among many other things. Driving up there with her was a joy, and in the end I couldn't be happier for her.

One of my very close friends who plays with the Foothills Brass Quintet told me that we learn more in the days following the audition then in the weeks leading up to it. I saw a great deal of value in this comment and have been writing down my thoughts. The biggest idea, that keeps coming up in my mind...is that I haven't been preparing myself for advancing past the first round. This, this one realization, will propel me forward. Taking my playing to the next level will require a new level of dedication and effort.

Time to ice my foot!
J

The Myth Of Competition

2009-11-12T23:04:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time, a long time ago...

I too thought that I was getting into a "super-mega-ultra competitive career" and that I'd spend the rest of my life trying to "beat the competition" to win jobs, get freelance work or even find practice space. Coming from an athletic background, this was no stretch for me to comprehend...get to school earlier and leave later - fill your days with practicing, rehearsals, listening, etc. and it will surely provide a desired result. Right?? Wrong!!!!

This is the mindset of a student! Music isn't competitive...that would imply that the act of making music is to satisfy some desire that our ego has to play "well". The music industry, orchestral players, auditions and schools can provide consistent motivation to get better, expand our ideas and become better artists and players...but this is by no means a competitive desire.

At one point, about 4 years ago I was a personal trainer at a large fitness club in Downtown Toronto. Having worked in gyms before, and spending a large portion of my youth training on the baseball diamond and in a fitness facility I had seen many teammates, clients and friends burn themselves out because they were working without a plan. Enter - Jay the Trainer. Was I well educated on fitness - heck yeah! (not that you'd know it to see the belly on me now, HA!) but often all my clients and colleagues needed was someone to guide them. Give them direction so that their workouts weren't just 'because I need to work out to stay healthy'. Working towards specific and attainable goals means that you can always work towards something for yourself, and not because Christian Bale's Batsuit has 2% body fat. Apply this concept to your horn playing or music making and you can allow the players around you to inspire you, but you never want to allow yourself to be so petty as to try and be "better" then them.

I most often hear the term 'compete' in relation to music careers when it's time for auditions. Grad schools, assistantships and orchestra jobs are referred to more then not as competitive programs/jobs to get. This is all a matter of perception vs. reality. Should you trick yourself into thinking you'll get the 1 spot at your dream school when there's 29 others applying as well...probably not. But here's the idea - those other 29 DON'T MATTER TO YOU!!! Whether it's a school audition, a summer program or a tenure track orchestra job - you can choose to "compete" or just show up and lay down your ideas. At any audition, if the panel likes what you've presented to them, they'll remember you (or your number)...and if you get too obsessed with playing more right notes and rhythms and forget to infuse some actual music - then there's nothing all that impressive about that, and while you didn't miss - you certainly didn't create a special moment for them to remember you by.

Sounds a little airy-fairy and idealistic doesn't it? Well, we all have to go there sometime. Look at competition as something that belongs on the athletic field, and focus on creativity and ideas in our music making. Focussing on internal things instead of external can only help with any nerves you may have or insecurities that may exist.

Thanks to Joan Watson and Jeff Nelsen for reminding me of this every time I speak to you! Clear intent always beats out a competition!

What a Weekend!!!

2009-11-09T14:32:00.003-05:00

It took me awhile to get my thoughts organized for this post, however, better late then never, right?

I spent last weekend performing with the Talisker Players and Chorus Niagara. Before I say anything about the actual music, it was an absolute treat to play with this orchestra. Everything was wonderfully organized, and rehearsals ran on time and were a lot of fun. We were performing the Haydn masterwork, The Creation. This was my first oratorio performance and it was quite possibly the best Haydn work I've ever played. I think as a piece of music, it surpasses any of his symphonies, and would rival even his best operas. I was struck by the large number of music educators in the orchestra, prompting me to begin wondering whether a savvy career move would be to attend teachers college, to supplement a freelance career with an educational one. It was not a stretch to see the orchestra members crowded in the break room, grading papers, tests or filling out report cards. Being struck by this, and then reading Rose French's Blog "Get the Ed Degree" has really set my mind in gear about this possibility.

During my masters degree, I got to know the musicians of the New Mexico Symphony quite well, and this "career supplement" existed there too. Albeit not uncommon for professional symphony musicians to teach at universities or colleges, I also saw a number of the contract players in the orchestra as high school music teachers in the area. These players were usually the busiest of the lot, yet were often the most pleasant to deal with. Not surprisingly, some of the best band programs in the city were run by these "professional musician/teachers".

Is this the next wave? A new career path for performers? While most of us burn the candle at both ends to work a part/full time job and go to each gig prepared and ready to play...the people that are able to balance a teacher's job and a performer's job would benefit from never having to worry about dealing with a job in a restaurant, office or shopping mall. Is there merit in keeping your mind engaged in music every day, all day? Of course! But the question is, does your job OUTSIDE of music keep your musical mind fresh?

This weekend I'll be heading up to Thunder Bay, Ontario for an audition with the symphony there. Should I be successful, I'll be moving from the bustling streets of Toronto, to the icy, cold stretches of Northern Ontario...and I would do it in a split second :)

Until next time, comment away! Especially any of you freelancers and teachers. How do you make it work between gigs?

Cheers,
J

The Next Step in My Education

2009-11-02T16:33:00.003-05:00

I am ashamed to admit that the last "Rock Band" I bought a cd of was the album "Weathered" by Creed. That was the fall of 2001, and I was just getting involved with a youth orchestra in Toronto, and discovering the addiction known as performing. Before then, I was a gym rat and an athlete. Each week I would buy new albums by the hottest new bands. Routinely on my discman (eh...eh, anyone still use one of those?) I would hear Fuel, Queens of the Stone Age, Prodigy, Matchbox Twenty, System of a Down, Nickleback and even a little Nelly. All that being said, the "newest" album in my cd collection is Creed.

I sit here 8 years later, having a conversation about music with my co-workers and not knowing ANY of the bands they're talking about. Today a fairly prevolent Canadian artist walked by our box office, and I had to ask who it was that they were gushing about. I felt shame!

For the past 7 or 8 years I have been immersed in an education path that has seen me focus primarily on the classical idiom. I've accumulated 4 binders full of recordings of symphonies, operas, tone poems, art songs, soloists, etc. but in all that time, the furthest I strayed was some jazz cd's for my History of Jazz class at U of Toronto.

I'm declaring today as Day One of my new education. I want to learn about bands today...not just the ones that get radio time, but the ones that are widely perceived as doing something new. Ok readers, here's where I ask for your help. In the comments, I want your suggestions. Who's your favourite bands, singers, artists??? Help me act my age and not just sit in solitude listening to Fischer-Dieskau's recordings of Brahms and Schubert Lieder...not that there's anything wrong with that. My new goal, is to review a non-classical album on each blog post. Please help me...reccommend as many as you can!

Our Selfish Desires

2009-11-01T13:43:00.003-05:00

Of late, I have been craving some chamber music. With all the concerts I've been attending, I got the itch to call up some friends and get a brass quintet together to play some familiar favourites and read some newer works as well. This got me thinking...why?

Every orchestral player (or freelancer) that I've ever met will tell you the joys that playing chamber music can bring. Many times they will speak of the thrill of even being asked by your colleagues to perform in a small group together, calling this one of the greatest compliments that can be paid to you. So, naturally we all long for opportunities and reasons to get our buddies and colleagues together to play some quintets, quartets or even open a case of beer and play some duets. Recently though, I've been far more aware of the increasing number of groups that are attempting to 'make it' with their chamber music groups as their main gig. Often times, this is a very tough task, and depending on the type of group there are very different approaches.

The concept of a "professional chamber ensemble" is one that as a brass player we can trace back quite easily to Chicago and New York. The New York Brass quintet set a new standard and in the early recordings of that ensemble we hear some of the best players in the country playing virtuosically on tape. This concept was echoed in Chicago, anchored by men like Adolph Herseth and Arnold Jacobs. It was there that the gold standard of professional quintets was created. School buddies, Eugene Watts and Charles Daellenbach learned from their teachers and took the concept to the Toronto area in the 70's. Forming a brass quintet, and self-arranging music that they loved and audiences would react to, and then touring through schools of all ages to hone their craft and polish the end product. Not to make light of the work they did, as it's very impressive...performing in over 300 school concerts in their first year alone! It is this idea though, that wind players have used ever since in attempting to create the same kind of success.

There are quite frankly thousands of chamber groups functioning with this same mission today. This can be seen as a victory for the educational legacy that the Canadian Brass will leave behind when their time has passed, but also as a failure in creativity. What made the Canadian Brass successful and took them to the heights they enjoy today, was the revolutionary ideas they presented, and how they did so. Typically as well, this "path" is only used by wind players and ensembles. Aspiring string duos, trios, quartets, etc. follow a much different, possibly more "legitimate" path, winning competitions, taking residencies and gaining credibility from a stage perspective. But with a somewhat predictable path, and thousands of groups doing the same thing, why would an audience take a chance on going to see a group that isn't the Canadian Brass?

This question, is where the topic of this post came from. When I was writing emails to my favourite violinist colleague and pianist colleague to orchestrate a performance of Brahms beautiful trio, I stopped and asked myself what this performance would do to attract an audience and whether it would foster future performances. Having spent the last two years as a member of the Sandia Brass Quintet in Albuquerque, going around, playing school shows, recitals and giving clinics, I can say that we didn't stray far from the mould. We played well together, and were received well by the community, but in the grand scheme of things, if that quintet were to cease to exist, the New Mexico community likely wouldn't notice. Almost definitely the same could not be said for the Canadian Brass or Empire Brass.

Chamber music as a career is going to become the next popular wave. Orchestras are in decline and there are more great players graduating from Bachelors and Masters (and even DMA's) that are showing up to small auditions. With only one job open and 22 players at the audition, at least 21 players are going to have to make their living doing something else until the next audition. Does that mean we should expect to see a new wave of chamber music groups going through the schools and trying to create memorable performances or is there a different approach? I do think that the model that the Canadian Brass exhibit has come and gone in terms of long term viability, but that's not to say that it couldn't be incorporated into a new approach. As a performer, when my friends in other cities record cd's with their quartets, quintets, etc. and they're recording things that don't grab your attention, or make you sit up and take notice, I'll still listen, but it will take one helluva performance to really catch my eye.

Creatively, I've now been influenced by what I saw from the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra and their brass ensemble. These kids are absolutely committed to their musical vision and it all starts with the music. I've never heard such an empassioned Tchaikovsky symphony as I did at their concert, nor have I heard the Mambo from West Side Story played with such fire. This group of youth don't play any better then the best orchestral/chamber players in the world, but they do have a passion for the music that is unparalleled. Because of this, my next independent project won't just be a public performance of a piece that I like, because I like it...but I will strive to make it a performance that is ignited with the reasons I love it, and if the audience can experience the music the same way the ensemble can, then we'll have been successful. In the end, the Canadian Brass aren't successful because they play "pops" music, they're successful because at the end of their shows people leave the hall having been entertained, and remembering (and re-telling) many of the stories, jokes and humming the tunes they just heard. The lesson I want to learn from them now, is how to always have your audience remember you as performers when the topic of classical music comes up, have your groups name be the one that comes up.

"Hey have you heard of that group...____________, they put on a great concert!"

That's what I'm shooting for!

Post Orchestra Tour

2009-10-30T12:12:00.002-04:00

Today is my first day completely off in quite awhile. With an impending audition and some freelance performances coming up, I'm taking the time to get my "fundamentals" in order and make sure that I'm in good shape for the busy time of year. It's also a time to do some listening to some of the new recordings that I've accumulated over the past months on a sound system that is better then the one in my car.

Occasionally it strikes me that today you can hear almost any orchestra across the globe, watch almost any conductor or research any school music program on the internet. Through YouTube, personal blogs, school sites and some absolutely wonderful public radio sites (National Public Radio, American Public Media, Minnesota Public Radio) you can listen to the best players in the world for free. As I'm writing this, I'm listening to the Cleveland Orchestra play Beethoven's 7th Symphony via American Public Media's program SymphonyCast. Weekly they post a different concert from a different orchestra in North America or Europe. From the comforts of home you can listen to the Berlin, Vienna, San Francisco or Chicago Symphonies for absolutely free.

I've often written about how lucky citizens of Toronto and the Greater Area are to have such a saturated arts scene to choose from, and I realize this no more then right now. After seeing the Cleveland Orchestra and Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra come through town, I now will go back to my Toronto Symphony next week to hear some Richard Strauss. How amazing is it to have a world-class orchestra in our backyard? I'm from a smaller city in Ontario, where there isn't a professional music scene. There's quite a few open mic nights that garner some attention, and the community supports a concert band and an orchestra made up of locals, but that professional standard doesn't exist. I am so lucky to work and live in (or around) a city that attracts some of the best orchestras in the world to come through and perform.

It's also struck me that most of my writing recently has been in "review" mode about the concerts I've gone to. While I'll still write about what I'm hearing, I'll also try to write a little more about other things of interest to horn players and music lovers. For any horn players reading this, I pose a question for you...

When preparing for an audition that has a large amount of VERY high playing on it...what sort of method do you use to prevent stiffness or fatigue in your lip?

I'm currently preparing for a high horn audition that is indeed quite high. I've had to practice in no more then 20-25 min sessions and then take time away from the horn to make sure that I can be productive again the next day. I'm curious as to what anyone else out there has done.

Finally, I'll be making a guest appearance on the Talking Canadian podcast on Tuesday night, which will be available on Wednesday morning for download. They've asked me to submit a clip of my playing, and possibly be prepared to perform live on the recording. Check it out if you have a minute, these guys are great.

Cheers,
J

Shock and Awe

2009-10-27T01:16:00.001-04:00

Today was a day that I can honestly say I won’t forget soon. As many of my readers know, I work for the Canadian Opera Company in the box office. Many days this can be a very dull job until things get busy about 40 minutes before a show. Today though, was much different.

The Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, led by the young and talented conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, has taken a residency here in Toronto for the next week. The 250 member orchestra and it’s maestro are being honoured by the Glenn Gould Foundation for it’s commitment to El Sistima, a Venezualan music education initiative that starts around age 6. This program employs more then 15,000 music teachers in the country and provides music lessons to people of all ages and most importantly, all social status. Many of the members of this orchestra are kids whose families are below the poverty line, and for these young musicians, music isn’t just a hobby, but a refuge.

Tonight was the first in a week of performances by this group. A gala evening featuring the large orchestra on stage at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. I can genuinely say that most of the people I deal with in the box office aren’t the friendliest people. Many are very to the point, and sometimes they’re flat out rude. That being said, there was something very special in the air today with this performance looming tonight. Patrons had an excited attitude about the show, dispite the rather high cost of tickets, which made conversation easy, as I was also excited. Something that I often struggle with is that my co-workers and supervisors aren’t all as “into classical music as I am”, but after the dress rehearsal today, my boss came back into the box office and told me about all the really cool things on stage and that he got really into the show. This of course just added fuel to the excitement I already had. Then, there were a few patrons that seemed genuinely touched by our efforts to find them great seats for the concert. I dealt with one woman, whose name I wish I remembered, who was so thrilled with the seats and the price (in addition to the Youth Orchestra, she wanted to see Madama Butterfly) that she came back later in the evening with a bottle of wine, gift wrapped for me to say thank you. Today I also got to meet someone whose writing I’ve read for years and only just contacted. After attending a lecture in Barrie, ON as part of the Colours of Music Festival, I wrote to Mr. Terauds about some of his ideas. He in turn began reading my blog and we’ve been corresponding via email ever since. Today I got to meet him, and it was very nice to meet someone with a similar passion for music and writing as I have.

So then we got to the show. These kids possess something that many ‘orchestra musicians’ don’t...or I should say, they don’t possess the attachment to the concept of fear based playing. Many of my colleagues in orchestras or at schools all battle the head game of being a “good” player. We analyze each note, and phrase to death until we’ve sometimes convinced ourselves to “be careful” so that we play accurately - not realizing that our playing has become rather boring. The musicians in this Youth Orchestra were so unbelievably committed to the music, that fear or doubt never seemed to enter the equation. With doubled, tripled or sometimes quadrupled winds and brass, and a sea of strings, they played in a way that made many people around me gasp out of amazement. In the end, after 30 minutes of applause and 2 encores, the Maestro had to call it an evening. I have no doubt that the house would still be clapping and cheering had he not left the stage.

This concert officially wraps up my international concert going tour. After having heard wonderful performances by Minnesota, Cleveland and the SBYOV, I am indeed inspired to start saying things on my own instrument. These orchestras don’t participate in public readings of music and charge admission - they use music to tell stories, say things and inspire those around them. This may be intentional, or it may just be a side effect of having the awareness of the talent they’re surrounded by, but whatever the case...I’ve re-caught the music bug, and I can’t wait to start inspiring and saying things with my own playing.

Big Horns!

2009-10-21T00:22:00.002-04:00

Tonight I witnessed one of the most incredible concerts of my life.

The Cleveland Orchestra came to Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto and played a concert that showed off their extraordinary ability to change characters on a whim, moving from Impressionism to Classical and climaxing with a symphony from 1936.

There is a different kind of energy when you walk into a concert hall and see some of the living legends of orchestral performance warming up on stage. Michael Sachs (Principal Trumpet), Richard King (Principal Horn), Jesse McCormick (2nd Horn), Frank Rosenwein (Principal Oboe) and Frank Cohen (Principal Clarinet) just to name a few, definately brought a different element to the stage at Roy Thomson Hall. Maestro Franz Welser-Möst had a very stoic and direct approach to the music and musicians, generally keeping tempos brisk. Also quite special about the night was looking around the hall and seeing some of Toronto's finest musicians, educators and writers totally engaged in the performance.

The actual performance was absolutely breath-taking. The string section jumped off the stage to me. I have never ever seen a section play that together...they moved together, their bows were in sync, and they even breathed together. Even though there were almost 8o musicians on stage (maybe more?), the attacks, sustains and intonation was unbelievable. The opening Debussy was quite good. I'd never heard it before and I was intrigued. The Haydn symphony was absolutely pristine. The balance was perfect, even with a larger then normal string section. As a horn player, I was blown away by the horn section, merely because of the Conn 8D's they play on in Cleveland...more on this later.

Then we got to Shostakovich. This was the meat and potatoes of the night, and it was the 2nd time I'd heard this symphony in 4 days, by two different orchestras. They managed to set moods of icy cold abyss in the darker first and third movements, and creating a satirical, punchy, almost Mahlerian mood in the 2nd Movement. The 4th movement was taken at a tempo that brought out the joke that we now believe was intended by the composer. This performance was highlighted by some of the greatest trumpet playing I've ever heard. There's definately a reason that Michael Sachs is widely considered to be one of the best orchestral trumpet players on the continent.

I would get in the car and drive to Cleveland tonight to hear the exact same show again. This was a treat to hear, and I can't wait to hear them again in the future.

A Note About Gear
Typically, I hate talking shop. Before this summer, I didn't know many of the specs of my own instrument. That being said, the two performances of Shostakovich that I've heard recently have been on quite large gear. In Minnesota the section uses Lawson horns, which are very large and very woofy. It was a great sound to hear, and they blended really well with the low brass to get a different sound then I was used to hearing. I think it worked well, and I enjoyed it. Last night with Cleveland, it was another different group of sounds. The horns all play on Conn 8D's, and I think they're one of the few orchestras that still all play on these instruments. The playing in the horns was astounding, however I felt it wasn't as clear or direct as the Lawsons. It may have been where they were sitting on stage, because I know that the articulation was clear as day. It was interesting to hear two sections play the same music with equipment that isn't as common anymore. In two weeks or so, the Toronto Symphony will end my marathon of hearing Shostakovich 5, and I'm really looking forward to hearing a section with some smaller...more European (???) horns.

My Trip So Far

2009-10-18T12:25:00.002-04:00

It's been 3 days since I got to Minneapolis and I've loved every second of it. My trip down, was actually far more fun then I anticipated it being...even with a little unpleasantness at the border. Lets start there shall we...

"Peace Bridge"
I was taking a bus to Buffalo so that I could take a domestic flight to Minneapolis instead of an international one. When we got to the border we all had to get off the bus and go into Customs and answer some questions. Mine were pretty straight forward...and I'm glad someone told me not to use the word fiancee. I am taking lessons and seeing some friends from school while I'm here and that is all. This other girl though, was the subject of one of the most unbelievable things I've ever witnessed. She took a bus from Montreal to Toronto so that she could take a bus to NYC where she was meeting up with a church to go overseas for mission work. When she got to the Border Patrol questions she started struggling because she spoke primarily French. The Border cop looked her in the face and shouted "NO ENGLISH, NO ENTRY!!!"...everyone in line gasped. In the end, the girl was sent back to Toronto and told to get her "act together and come back then". Were these border cops so stupid as not to realize that in ANY big city, there's different ethnic groups that don't speak English first? I just lived in Albuquerque where Spanish is heard all the time INSTEAD of English. Doesn't the USA call itself a Melting Pot of cultures...and further to that....don't they CELEBRATE THIS?!?!?!

Minnesota Orchestra
Friday night, Christy and I went downtown to Orchestra Hall to hear the Minnesota Orchestra. It was a great concert - Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Overture, Schumann's Cello Concerto and Shostakovich's 5th Symphony. This orchestra has gained some press recently with Maestro Osmo Vanska and their big project recording all 9 Beethoven Symphonies. These recordings are absolutely phenomenal...so I was very excited to hear this show. Within the first 10 bars of the overture I was struck by the unique sound of the brass section in this orchestra. The horns all use Lawson horns, which are very big instruments, and the principal trumpet was playing on a Monet, which in trumpet terms is a massive horn. This orchestra has one of the best trombone sections I've ever heard and the whole show was very inspired and exciting. They played LOUD!!! Like nothing I'd ever heard before. At these extreme dynamics there was still so much sound and very little edge in the sound. I can't wait to hear these guys again!

Old Friends
Saturday I went over to see some friends I went to school with in New Mexico. Corbin, Tim and Allison are three members of a successful brass quintet here in the Twin Cities. We sat around, caught up a little and watched Corbin's alma mater, University of Texas, limp their way to a win over Oklahoma. Afterwards, Christy and I went out for some wonderful food and beer at the Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Minneapolis. Had it not been for a discount coupon that Christy found at work, there's no way we could have afforded this meal. It was amazing! We came home, watched some Entourage and called it a night.

Today - I'd like to go over and see the tailgating outside the Metrodome before the Vikings vs. Ravens game, but I think we'll end up doing something else. It's a beautiful day here, so hopefully we can find some fun things to do around the cities.

Tuesday night - CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA in Toronto! I can't wait.

More later,
J

More Concerts!!!

2009-10-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I'm very excited today. I've spent the first hour at the Box Office today marking in all the concerts I'm going to see in the next couple weeks. On Thursday night, I'll be in Minneapolis (with my fiancee) and we'll be attending a chamber concert put on by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. I've taken a lesson previously with their principal horn, Bernhard Scully and I can't wait to hear them play live. The following night, we'll be heading to Orchestra Hall to hear the Minnesota Orchestra play Shostakovich 5. I'm pretty excited to hear a Lawson section tear into that piece. Then on the 20th, after I've returned to Toronto, the Cleveland Orchestra will be in town performing at Roy Thomson Hall. Having heard them on live radio broadcasts over the last couple of years, and loving the beautiful playing of Richard King and Michael Sachs, I am VERY excited to hear them also play Shostakovich 5.

Last week I went to hear the Toronto Symphony perform a Russian Masterworks concert. This performance was the TSO debut of Maxim Vengerov as conductor. I've seen Vengerov as a soloist many many times, and my cd collection is full of his recordings. This was very exciting for me. The concert opened with the Shostakovich Festive Overture. I've performed this piece probably about 15 times in my short career, and rest assured, this performance was the first time I've ever been fully blown away by it. Vengerov took a 7 minute overture and made it a 4 minute overture by virtue of the sheer, break-neck pace of it. I was on the edge of my seat, as were the strings. When it was all over with the musicians of the orchestra were wiping the sweat from their brows and the audience was primed for the rest of the evening. Vengerov was joined on stage by Alexander Toradze for the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1. I'll admit, I'm no fan of Tchaikovsky's music. I think it's all very predictable and that he didn't stray far from the language he used in his ballet music, which bothers me a little. He was a fan of doubling, tripling and ever sometimes quadrupling the winds and brass, which makes it an absolute pain to play in tune. This concerto, while long winded, was beautifully played by Toradze, and the direction in the orchestra made the rather long piece quite interesting. Then after a chance to stretch my legs, we settled in for Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6. Once again, Vengerov was incredible. Pushing through small arrivals in the music to make the large scale moments even bigger, bringing out inner parts that made smaller conversations between sections more vivid and once again - direction in the music that made it far more exciting to listen to. I haven't heard an orchestra respond to a guest conductor like that in years...especially one making his debut.

This concert made me rethink my views on Tchaikovsky's music. Granted, one of the most beautiful, and standard solos in our repertoire is from his 5th Symphony...I was still needing to be convinced. Every time I tell someone that I'm not a huge fan, I'm met with the same shock and awe. Anyways....my point (sorry!) is that this performance was in a drastically different style then I had ever heard before. There was intensity and drive to it...and I have to attribute that to the musical vision of the conductor. It also hit me that I have (perhaps unfairly) gone into concerts with Russian music on them, both as a performer and listener, with false expectations. When I have a free weekend, I am planning to sit down with my Montreal Symphony Tchaikovsky box set and see if I can find the same kind of drive and passion in the music. I haven't quit on trying to find something in Tchaikovsky's music to look forward to, but I'm just going to have to look a little harder :)

Next up on my blog...obscure audition excerpts (with examples!)...along with concert notes from Minnesota and Cleveland.

Thanks for reading!
J

Rachmaninoff 2 and Lesson Time!

2009-10-02T14:49:00.003-04:00

Hello Blogosphere!

On Wednesday night I attended a concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performing a work by Christopher Rouse, Mozart's 12th Piano Concerto and the monumental Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony. Rarely do I get to go to a concert where I've never heard anything on the bill, so this was quite exciting for me.
The Rouse work, The Infernal Machine was a very interesting piece that is a single movement from a larger work. It is the centre movement, surrounded by Phantasmata, The Evestrum of Juan de la Cruz, 3 A.M. and Bump. I enjoyed the movement, but felt it didn't succeed as a piece by itself, especially to open the concert. The horns had several interesting lines, and Rouse seems to like to write bells up horns for only an eighth note at a time. The Mozart concerto was a real treat. Leon Fleisher was the soloist, fresh off his return to the "two-handed" concert stage. After fighting his way through a bout with focal dystonia that took the movement from his right hand, he has regained it and recorded a cd of two Mozart concertos, No. 12 being one of them. It was a well played performance, with Fleisher having an amazing touch on the keys. It was light, and gorgeous playing.
But the real reason I was there was Rachmaninoff. I had never heard this piece, yet I had heard from colleagues that had played or listened to it that it was an epic symphony that I should hear. At over 65 minutes long, it rivals the length and scope of works by Wagner and Mahler, yet this particular symphony just seemed a little too indulgent for me. Typical of Rachmaninoff, there was no shortage of amazing melodies, and lush, full harmonies, but it just didn't really strike a chord with me. The brass section was great! Absolutely one of the best brass sections I've heard. The principal horn, Neil DeLand, was impressive as always and continues to astound me with his ability to resonate and fill the hall with his sound.

A well played concert, but I don't think Rachmaninoff will be added to my regular listening on my iPod.

A Lesson!
Also based off a concert, I met Canadian Horn player, Louis-Philippe Marsolais. He's from Montreal, and brought an amazing set of concerts to my small hometown of Barrie, ON. The only one I was able to go and see, featured the Dohnányi Sextet for Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano Horn and Clarinet. What an amazing piece of music! Dohnányi rejected the direction of most other Hungarian composers (Bartok, Kodaly) who were using folk music from their native land in their compositions. Dohnányi stayed within the Romantic idiom and this sextet is some absolutely gorgeous writing.
Louis-Philippe agreed to give me a lesson, and yesterday we met. By far, he was the most committed horn player I've met with when it comes to musical line. I've never been told so much in one hour how boring my playing is...and I mean that in a very good way. He reminded me that playing all the right notes and rhythms is only barely enough to be employable. I'm preparing for a principal horn audition, so he (as a current principal horn player) was pushing me to phrase more, give more, and get excited about playing these excerpts...except for Shostakovich 5 (the high b solo)...that one's no fun at all ;)

It's been a good week...going to concerts and getting re-accquainted with my musical mind. Next week I get to go hear the TSO play Tchaikovsky 6 and in less then two weeks I'll be in Minneapolis to see my fiancee and hear the Minnesota Orchestra play some Shostakovich. Of course, I'll write about the shows and the trip. In the meantime...thanks for reading!

J

I Miss Opera

2009-09-30T12:18:00.002-04:00

At this time of year over the past couple years I have been very involved in community opera. As a past member of the Opera Southwest Orchestra, various types of musical theatre and recording projects with singers...I got very used to working with this kind of music.

Currently, my colleagues in Albuquerque are taking part in a production of Rossini's La Cenerentola with Opera Southwest and conductor Anthony Barese. Many of you may know that I work for the Canadian Opera Company in the Box Office. Being around opera is really great because there's alot of artists and musicians that are involved in the creative process, so even on the toughest of days you get to talk to some pretty interesting people. That being said, you also deal with some really special people that push on your every nerve. It's tough sometimes to disconnect the love of music I possess with some people's desire for tickets to prove nothing more then how much money they make. Perfectly good seats do exist that aren't in the very centre of the main floor or in a private box.

Last year, when I was still in school, our orchestra played lots of music with singers/opera. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, a collection of Mozart overtures and arias and Puccini's La Boheme. At the time, it seemed like a little bit of overkill on the vocal music, but in hindsight they were some pretty fun concerts. Then over the summer with OFC, we played loads of opera. Some of Montreal's best singers are good friends of our conductor, so at the drop of a hat they would come and sing selections from Pagliacci, La Boheme, a variety of Mozart operas among many others.

Opera is a fun medium to perform because I find it requires a different kind of listening. It requires absolute trust in the conductor to give the big cues when they're needed, and trust in the musicians that the singers will always be heard. Often the musicians in opera pits are also some of the most humble ones I've met. It's sometimes a thankless job playing 3 hours of accompaniment that might give you only one or two melodic moments. Horn players are fortunate though, as we get lots of beautiful lines to accompany with.

So, in the meantime I'll be going to the opera lots and listening to all kinds of new recordings.
Tonight, I'm going to hear the Toronto Symphony perform with Leon Fleisher. Mozart Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2. Watch here for a concert review tomorrow!

Mix Bag Post

2009-09-24T19:40:00.002-04:00

You know all those times you're sitting in the car, on the train, the bus, laying in bed at night, etc. and you get all kinds of cool ideas...yeah, I keep forgetting them. This post might jump around a little...but as does life I suppose.

High School Band
I thought about this when I was up north with St. Mike's. Granted these kids were in Gr. 10, but there were some fundamental things that myself and the other instructors really had to beat them over the head with for them to comprehend. I found myself asking the brass players at the end of each passage, "did you enjoy the sound you just produced?" always hoping to hear "no". I have found through my own education that sometimes the simplest problems can be fixed with minimal analysis. Someone told me once to always take things back to sound. If you can sound good doing what you're doing then you'll never lose an audience. I hope that these students keep that question in the back of their heads. Recently I've had to do exactly the same thing because...

Community Orchestra
As I mentioned in my last post, I started playing with the community orchestra in my hometown. This was exciting to me because I knew that at least once a week I would be able to go off and create music with some other people. However, this has proved quite challenging because I have a terrible habit of playing to the level of the group. I have to keep the volume on that voice in my head at full volume through these rehearsals. Keep making nice sounds, don't overplay, aim for the centre...no, not that centre, the real one ;)
I mean none of this in a judgmental way...it's amazing that communities the size of this one can pull musicians together to play for the love of it when their lives are full from their jobs, families and all the other distractions.

Conductors
Now I'm not going to be a jerk-off musician and bash conductors...there's too many people that do that to begin with. Conducting intrigues me, and I don't claim to be all that good at it. I recently saw this video on YouTube of a concertmaster stepping in to conduct when the scheduled conductor impaled his hand with the baton. I've worked with a couple of different conductors in the past months which definitely demonstrates what I see as a downfall of "real world" preparation. Over the summer I worked with a fantastic conductor. He was clear, concise and full of energy. That energy was so present that he infected the orchestra with it, and forced us to rise to his level. The past couple weeks I've worked with two separate young conductors who among other things make false claims that "music without a conductor is just ink on paper" or admit in front of an ensemble that they don't know how something goes. Doctors have something they call bedside manner, and I think conductors need to have a little of the same thing. The ability to put preparation aside and just lead. Of course, leadership stems from preparation...so in otherwords, we should all do our homework right? I recently read an interview by one of the best potential relief pitchers in baseball and he said that he attributed his success NOT to having overwhelmingly great "stuff", but to having a swagger to his step. When he steps out of the bullpen, he WILL GET 3 OUTS...no questions asked.
Personally I've felt quite stale when I practice, or go through my warm-up routine. After reading this interview I boiled my "stale-ness" down to lack of intent. So I started creating clear and definite goals for each session, whether it's 5 minutes or 45. It's amazing how motivated we are when we hold ourselves accountable.

Finally...on a personal note:
Even with all the great and constructive thoughts of the last 3-4 weeks, I've been fighting myself to stay positive. I'm finding that it's become very difficult to "see the forest for the trees"...or in other words, tough to be happy with what I do have, instead of focusing on what I don't. Today I got an email from someone in Toronto that has become more then a teacher to me, and has become a truly great friend (who just happens to be a great horn player). Her advice to me was to use the time I was spending "waiting to hear back from jobs/gigs etc. to clarify what I actually want". Not just to think about it, but to write it out...what do I want to do tomorrow, next week, next year, 5 years from now? What job(s) do I want...specifically, not just 4th horn in an orchestra... this is really tough to do, and I'm very thankful that she believes in me enough to ask me these tough questions.

As always, I hope anyone reading this will leave a comment...I love hearing from everyone.

Thanks,
J

Back from the Wild

2009-09-20T16:54:00.002-04:00

Hey Out there - Yeah you!

So I spent the last week up in Haliburton, ON with the Grade 10's from St. Michael's College School giving lessons to their horn player, helping with a brass ensemble, playing in concerts and talent shows and enjoying some real solid time away from the busy-ness of the city. It was pretty nice...we were literally in the middle of nowhere, 25 mins drive from any town, with no cell phone reception or internet. It was a little oasis on the lake and helped me recharge my batteries quite a bit.

I also re-learned something about myself. It takes a special kind of human being to be a high school teacher - and I'm not that kind of person. The music directors from this school do a wonderful job, and with it being a private, all male school they're able to be a little more direct with them then I would imagine in the public sector. But even with all that, they don't lose their minds when the kids won't stop talking, or chanting in the dining hall. These kids are very VERY proud of their school and they let you know it every chance they get.

So my return to the cellular, wireless world was also accompanied by that all too familiar feeling of "shit, I still don't have a job". I've picked up a place to play in my local community orchestra, but that will only provide me with the sanity check to keep looking at bigger opportunities. With my lack of good fortune in the job hunting I can't help but wonder if I should have stayed in school and continued on to get an artist diploma or begun a doctorate program. Financially I'd be exactly where I am currently, but I think I would be a heck of a lot more satisfied as an artist.

All that being said, I'm not in school and I'm doing everything in my power to fix the stuff I'm not happy with. It's hard though - as I've learned (along with my fiancee) that I'm not the most patient person in the world. Some jobs have told me I'm too qualified and others that they wouldn't hire me for fear of losing me if I win an orchestra job. For the latter, I thank them for their confidence in my abilities as a horn player, but that doesn't really help much does it?

Sorry to the readers who came on looking for something different to read. I always refused to believe that it would be this difficult with a masters degree to find employment. The good news is that tonight with the community orchestra I get to play lots of movie music (Spiderman and Batman) so that should be loads of fun, whether it's moderately in tune or not. This week also is when the dress rehearsal for the COC's production of Madama Butterfly is happening. It will be very nice to sit back in the hall and enjoy some wonderful music.

My postings have been getting farther and farther apart merely because of my lack of relevant things to say. Hopefully some good things begin happening and I can start sharing my success with all of you instead of my woe. Things could always be much worse, and I have to remind myself of this regularly. I'm so thankful to have a place to stay with my family and a fiancee who loves me (hopefully I get to see you very soon!).

Until next time, hopefully sooner then later,
Jay

Identity Crisis

2009-09-12T22:38:00.002-04:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted. Sorry if you keep checking back and seeing nothing here.

This post might seem random, but I assure you, everything is connected.

Inspired!!

I met last week with my dear friend Joan Watson (principal horn, Canadian Opera Company and True North Brass) about gaining some kind of direction in my career. I got back from Montreal on Aug 17 and since then it's been a little overwhelming...find a job, find an apartment, GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER! Ok, maybe I'm putting a little pressure on myself, but who'd have thought that almost a month later, I'd still be the stereotype - 3 degrees, living with the parents, in their basement. Yeah, it's a bit of a reality check. Back to my meeting with Joan...she asked me if I was having a bit of a hard time defining myself (not that we should feel obligated to...) now that I'm no longer a student? I never really answered the question, but I started to wonder - what AM I doing? After being a "student" for 20 years I had no idea how to get the ball rolling as a horn player. I was out chasing jobs as a membership salesman at a fitness club, driving a forklift in northern Ontario among other things, just to get some money. Anyone that has known me before, during or after my experiences in Grad School knows that I have never believed that happiness lies in a big paycheque. Joan encouraged me to find new ways to connect with the music community through teaching, volunteering and performing and that I would find all the success I would need by pursuing something that made me truly happy.

Last weekend, I got a phone call from the community orchestra in my hometown. They need a horn player, so all of a sudden I got a place to play with other people...COOL! The next day, a private high school in Toronto called me, and now I'm going to their band camp to teach their 10th Graders for a week...EVEN COOLER! Then my old school called and asked if I'd join their contemporary music ensemble...SWEET! And just yesterday, the opera company called me and asked me to come in for an interview for a job that would be full time and allow me creative opportunities! I have to admit, I was skeptical when Joan asked me to show some faith (her husband calls it her "West Coast Mumbo Jumbo") but as soon as I decided what I wanted, I was able to find it. Now...to expand on it!

There's a different kind of satisfaction that comes from picking up your instrument every day when you feel like you're doing something that makes you happy. It's really easy to get down about making music, or being an entertainer, especially when it feels like you don't have a creative voice. I've learned recently that it's really valuable to have people in your life that you can depend on to be your sounding boards, and to give you suggestions when you feel like you've exhausted all resources. I am lucky to have more then one of these people in my life...

A Mess In New Mexico

Recently it has come to my attention that many of my former teachers, professors and colleagues are going through a nasty contract negotiation with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. I have attempted to remain publicly neutral on this, because I contribute on many different blogs, and forums and try to maintain a degree of bi-partisanism (I think I made that word up). The mess can be summed up as simply as it appears that the administration of the orchestra doesn't value the musicians the way they deserve to be. This same thing is going on not only in music, but in jobs all over the world. Attempted under-cuts and slashing vital elements like health insurance makes everyone (employed or not) sit up and notice. Just as I spoke earlier about the joy of putting the horn to my face with an intent, I cannot imagine (and I hope I will never have to) feeling that unappreciated by an organization that I work for. It also makes me incredibly thankful that the City of Toronto has some amazing leaders at the top of arts organizations that keep the public interested in coming to watch, participating and donating. Good luck everyone in New Mexico! You have my support!

....and lastly

The days have arrived up here in Canada when the talk of preseason NHL Hockey has taken over as page 1 news. Never mind the baseball teams that are in pennant races, or the possible relocation of an American franchise to Southern Ontario...that all takes a backseat to the analysis of the bathroom habits of the Toronto Maple Leafs three top defensemen. Granted, if they bust a hernia in there, it'll be a long season...but come on! I am a huge Leafs fan...I love the game of hockey, but come on!

I'll be sure to post after I get back from Haliburton on the weekend. Tales of teaching tenth grade band....

Inspiration from a Singer

2009-09-03T11:43:00.002-04:00

...Not just any singer...my beautiful fiancee.

Since the day we met, Christy has been a great example of the care that singers take every single day to present a polished product. To their teachers, colleagues and students, singers always look great. I find this both admirable and overwhelming. Then I look at myself and my colleagues in the brass section. We're those guys that showed up to class in track pants barely alive, with a cup of coffee and a donut, "taking notes on our laptops" (probably playing online poker - while the pretty singers were participating in class).

Recently, Christy broke her arm in a rollerblading accident. She started a blog (fractured soprano) to talk about the things she thinks will become a bigger deal in her pursuit of a job in an opera company while she has a bright blue cast on her arm.

When she told me that it might be the reason that they don't take her over someone else I couldn't believe that might be the case. Perhaps we orchestral players are just "spoiled" that we have a screened round to prevent such biases. I never thought I'd think that the orchestral audition process was better then anything.

There are some biases that I recognize more when I am in the audience then when I'm on the stage. One of these being presentation. While we're all orchestra players, one person slouching, one wrinkly shirt or ill-tailored tuxedo can have a negative impact on the performance. This is a topic I have blooged about before, but never on this particular one. Perhaps I'll pull my old posts over.

In closing, I hate my allergies, and I wish there was a reason to still watch the Blue Jays. Apathy has once again found the Toronto sports scene.

Until next time,
J

When Your Own Music Collection Surprises You

2009-08-25T12:43:00.002-04:00

Last night, around 11pm I had my Itunes on random. I should mention that I have literally hundreds of gigabytes of music on my computer, so a great deal of it, I've never listened to. It jumped to the first movement of Mahler's 3rd Symphony...cool! And it was a recording that I'd never listened to before (LA Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, 1998) so I let it run.

Holy freaking wow! What a phenomenal recording! There was something very special about that performance, and they definitely captured it on the cd.

Highly recommended for not just horn players, but everyone. The trumpet playing was spectacular, the contralto (Anna Larsson) was brilliant, and the whole orchestra seemed to be truly inspired by what Salonen was trying to do. I don't know if this was a live recording or not, but boy was it ever great.

First Day Back!

2009-08-24T21:45:00.002-04:00

Today (Monday) is my first day back on the horn after a very short mental cleansing at the end of my summer. I noticed a couple of things immediately.

1) Horn players have such precise embouchure's. The short amount of time I took off meant I had to do quite a bit of simple free buzzing and long tones with air attacks to get my buzz happening easily and freely.
2) I found the easiest way to get the buzz actually happening again was to use a very large mouthpiece to help set the corners and then progress down to the one I use all the time now. The big one was a Laskey 80G and my normal one is a Stork Orval 5.

Mid-summer I ran into a bit of an equipment crisis, and thanks to my colleague Bruce Richards over at "Thoughts on Playing the Horn 'Pretty' Well" I was able to settle it by committing to one mouthpiece instead of being on a lifelong mouthpiece safari. Interestingly, when I left Toronto (where I did my undergrad studies) I loved the sound and response that this set-up (Yamaha 867KRD horn, Stork O5) got for me. Almost immediately though, when I got to the United States (New Mexico) where I did my Masters studies at the University of New Mexico, I was encouraged to find a different set-up to give me a bigger, broader and more powerful sound. Not that amazingly, this encouraging from my teachers and colleagues led me on a safari that took me from the Stork to an Englebert Schmidt 8.5, then to a Holton Farkas medium cup, to a Moosewood of some kind (which I didn't like at all), and finally I settled on a Laskey 775.

This summer, in the midst of rehearsals for Beethoven 7 (I was playing lead) I felt I was having a really difficult time getting the stuff above the staff to really pop. I remembered an old trick that my teacher from Toronto showed me - if you can fit a dime inside the diametre of the mouthpiece, it's probably too big. His advice was, "mouthpieces with larger inner diametres feel luxurious for a long time, and then they start fighting back". So I reached in my pocket, fished out a dime, and wouldn't you know...it fit right inside. As Bruce could testify, we chatted over multiple twitter messages about this, and I eventually found my way back to my long lost Stork. This was exactly what I was looking for, and I wonder now why I didn't just work on playing with different colours in my sound, instead of buying new gear?

That was a very long diversion from the original topic...back to getting back on the horse, or in this case the horn.

Immediately, bad habits were right back. Locking down the throat and chest, cutting the air flow when passages got tougher or leapy, and resisting the urge to pick up my trusty excerpt book. Instead, I grabbed my wonderfully used, quite torn Rochut book and did some soft low "flow studies". Tonight as I put the horn down I was playing some easy soft slurs in the low register to warm down my lip. I've got myself on a pace to pick up the first Kopprasch book by Thursday or Friday and start working on all those fundamental horn player things.

Anyone out there have other stories about recovering from time away from the horn. A very good friend of mine was forced to take almost 4 months off while he finished basic training with the Canadian Forces. He is now in the Regular Forces, and gets paid a hefty sum to play his trumpet every day.

Thanks for reading!
I look forward to your comments.
J

Evaluating what you think you know

2009-08-23T11:54:00.002-04:00

After all of the insanity of the summer project, I decided to take a holiday week. Granted it hasn't been much of a holiday, looking for apartments, working at the Box Office, meetings in Toronto and looking for full-time work, but I intentionally put the horn aside this week to reset my mind.

In that week though, while on the bus/train I remembered talking with a friend of mine, who plays trombone in the Foothills Brass Quintet and he suggested that I fill out his survey. He put it together as an all-encompassing way to look at his trombone playing when he was getting ready for auditions. Listing every possible aspect of playing the instrument that we could think of, I modified his list (since horn players don't have to deal with slide technique), and created my own.

1 would equal a beginner level and 10 would be a professional - here's the list.

___ Sound
___ Technique
___ Scales
___ Sight-reading
___ Endurance
___ Articulation variance
___ Articulation cleanliness
___ Dynamic control
___ Dynamic variance
___ Tuning/Pitch
___ Consistency
___ Rhythm (Inner metronome)
___ Flexibility
___ High range
___ Low range
___ Double tonguing
___ Triple tonguing
___ Agility (Fast runs)
 ___ Legato playing
___ High loud playing
___ High soft playing
___ Low loud playing
___ Low soft playing
___ Bass clef
___ Musicality
___ Breath control
___ Practice habits
___ Music theory
___ Orchestral rep knowledge
___ Solo lit knowledge
___ Performance anxiety
___ Memory
___ Efficiency
___ Finesse (Light playing)
___ Sustain (Blocks of sound)
___ Lip trills
___ Lack of tension

As always, feedback is how we get better. If I've forgotten something large or you want to add or take away from this - please go right ahead. If you do so, please just email me or leave a comment so I can add it to mine as well.

What I've done is put this survey on the front page of my practice folder. As a constant reminder of what I need to get better at. I, like many, tend to drift back towards playing things that I'm already good at. A little "brutal reality" can only be good...maybe just for a little bit though ;)

Thanks for reading!
Jay

Getting Settled

2009-08-18T23:00:00.002-04:00

Greetings from Barrie, ON.

Blogging has provided me the opportunity to voice some of my own opinions (right, or wrong) and of course this always leads to learning a little along the way. I am about to embark on the truest challenge of my career so far, being out of school. For many recent graduates, we're all in the same boat, in school for the past 20+ years, and now there's no school orchestra to play with, no organized ensembles and no opportunities being thrown at you to see how you fare.

Today was the first day for me in traveling between Barrie and Toronto, going down for work, and trying to save a few bucks by living at home for awhile. I woke up early to warm up (with my practice mute in...groan) and then got dressed for the office and headed down to the city. I've secured a small part time job with the Canadian Opera Company box office, answering phones and selling tickets. This may turn into a bigger job in the future, but I need to find a little more then part time work to repay those dreaded student loans. Lost in all the endless emails, applications and phone calls was my musical mind. In the past, these seemingly dreadful tasks were a means to an end as my return to the safe walls of academics provided me the opportunity to be nothing but a horn player once again in the fall.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be on the train at 7:20am for the ride downtown. My goal for this ride is to construct a brand new routine. I plan to start with a harsh (but very constructive) look at what I'm not good enough at on the horn *yet* and include things like daily listening to keep my focus on making music and not just making technique better. Working for the opera gives me access to their recording library, and I plan to become quite familiar with the great operas (many of which I don't know well at all).

The one thing I feel I was never really taught much about is how to make a career happen as a freelancer. Logic tells me that I should contact people in the city and play for them, but how do I broach that topic, what do you say when you call them? Obviously, you want to play for the people that get the most calls without seeming like you're doing so to get work from them. Any suggestions - please post to the comments or email me directly.

Lastly, I'm going to be doing a full on blitz to local schools trying to run workshops and gather some private students. Simply put, I'd rather be my own boss. I know how many I'd need to live where and how I want to, so that is a huge priority.

Thanks for indulging me in my writing. I would love to hear any advice, tips or knowledge you all may wish to share. Also, any books that might be of benefit to read would be great.

Until next time! Thank you all!
Jay

A Big Thanks!

2009-08-17T15:49:00.004-04:00

My summer gig with L'Orchestre de la Francophonie Canadienne has officially come to a close and I have called for my taxi to the train station.

I plan to write a post summing up all my experiences this summer, mostly talking about getting to perform all nine Beethoven symphonies, twice. It goes without saying that this project is one that I will remember for a long time and I am certain that it will serve me well in the future.

This blog will continue to function as a medium for me to think out loud, rant and speak about music and horn playing. I thank everyone who's followed me this summer and all those who are reading this for the first time.

For the last time this year from Montreal - Thanks for reading! I'll write again from Toronto!

Thanks again,
Jay

A Newfound Respect

2009-08-13T12:22:00.002-04:00

As many of my readers know, I've been participating in a Beethoven project this summer that borders on the insane. Performing all 9 Symphonies in 4 days (4 concerts). Back a month ago we recorded them in Quebec City, all the concerts were recorded and then we did some touch-ups the day after and right now, back in Montreal we're playing all nine again for the home crowd.

Interestingly, I feel like this time around I'm noticing more details, both small AND large. The biggest thing I'm noticing are the printed dynamic in the parts. We're playing off the brand new Barenriter editions and our conductor has taken special care to take the printed tempi, or at least do something a little different with them. The dynamics though, are beginning to make worlds more sense to me.

When I see f or ff in my part in any other music I would be inclined to play a little louder, or change my colour to be a little more present, however in these Beethoven symphonies I'm noticing that ff is always accompanied by an entrance of the trumpets. So should the horns really become more present or should the "brass section" just unify and play larger because the size of the section doubles (2 horns, 2 trumpets)?

In the case of the orchestra I'm playing in, which is very chamber oriented (50 musicians, small concert venue) I would be more inclined to just blend and make every attempt to be present without the "sizzle" of a true ff. That being said, I do tend to be on the lower end of the dynamics and would rather be asked to play louder then softer. Since Bruce Hembd mentioned my blog on his, I'm hoping that maybe a few more horn players will read this and post their opinions on this.

My newfound respect (a la the title of this post) comes from realizing that Beethoven did a wonderful job of writing parts that make perfect sense if you get your head out of your part and listen to everyone around you. All the technical challenges of this music are worth every second of preparation when you get through the spots and accomplish the goal.

Please, comment at will!
J

Steroids, PED's and Chamber Music

2009-08-09T12:36:00.003-04:00

I just finished watching all the David Ortiz interviews from yesterday in New York and I wanted to voice my own opinion on this, as it's all starting to become slightly clearer to me.

The Player's Union is protecting their client. While Ortiz was speaking, they were by his side, and a representative was there to speak after Ortiz had finished his statement. From this press conference there were two things that jumped out at me as new knowledge. 1) You can test positive even if you've only taken a legal "over the counter" supplement and 2) there aren't 104 names on the list, only 85. The 104 number comes from Congress compiling the BALCO list and the 2003 Players Union list.

There, I stated fact - now, for my opinion. From 1996 (the year after the strike) to 2006 we probably witnessed more players tip toe around the legalities of what supplements were legal and which ones weren't. In '98 we saw Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire hitting home runs that were beyond imagination. Aside from Griffey (who I'll believe is clean until there's fact that he wasn't), Sosa and McGwire were like cartoon characters. Clutch hitters who were bashing the ball harder, higher and further then most had ever seen. The 2002 Home Run Derby in Milwaukee presented some of the longest Home Runs in history. Were these guys cheating? Maybe not in a manner of speaking, but they were walking the fine line. MLB glorified the home run...McGwire became the spokesperson for the league, appearing on tv shows and commercials with appearances on the Tonight Show, The Simpsons (ignore MLB monitoring your thoughts, who wants to see a dinger?) and one of my favourite commercials of all time for Nike "Chicks dig the long ball"

The news over this past season - with Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and now David Ortiz being 'outed' off that list makes me speculate about the rest of the "stars" from that era. There are very few players in baseball today that I would surprised to hear were positive during the "Steriod Era" of baseball. Should we ever hear the names Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Justin Morneau, Roy Halladay or Tim Lincecum on a PED list and I might have to quit being a fan all together.

Musicians sometimes get a bad rap for using Beta Blockers to allow for better performances. This is about the closest we get to a Performance Enhancing Drug, however it does nothing to help us. Many people claim there are no side effects to them, although, I have noticed among colleagues that they are addictive and that the weaken the immune system. Away from classical music, musicians have been taking drugs forever. I read the biography of the lead singer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Anthony Kiedis) where he goes into details for more then 2 chapters on how to use drugs, and what kinds of stuff they were doing in the late 80's and early 90's...what's a Quaalude anyways?

That's enough for today - I may come back to this topic as I find it very intriguing and may take influence from Bruce Richard's 5 part series on Hand Stopping to do an installment contribution about PED's in Sports and Music.

We're off to St. Faustin, QC for a Brass Quintet concert today, exciting stuff.
Looking forward to your comments,
J

Random Musings

2009-08-04T13:54:00.003-04:00

My time here in Montreal is drawing closer to the end each day, but I have a couple of thoughts I'd like to share from the past few days.

1. Why on earth does Montreal Transit (primarily the subways, or as they're called here the "Metro") close at before 1am. Last I checked bars don't have last call until 2:30. I got to walk home for an hour last night because of this. I wasn't happy, and I wasn't even drunk. Nothing like spending a night catching up with old friends over coffee and water and being stranded downtown.

2. National Youth Orchestra of Canada. They're pretty damn good. Last night they played in Montreal at the Notre Dame Basilica with a program of Haydn Symphony 96, Samy Moussa - Cyclus and Mahler's 6th Symphony. This orchestra carries a roster of 8 horns, meaning that their principal player (Marie-Sonja Cotineau, from Quebec City, 21 years old) nailed the Mahler without an assistant and didn't miss all night. She was amazing. As usual Alain Trudel was fun to watch on the podium and the brass players were outstanding. The highlight of that Mahler symphony for me will always be the hammer blows...which with the giant hammer last night resembled Donkey Kong trying to hit little Mario over the head.

3. Why do I agree to contract out brass quintet gigs. It's never any fun and the endless email strings are annoying. Yet here I sit sending out more emails. Repertoire, times, dates, pay, etc.
That being said, I like the money.

Cheers,
J

...and we're back!

2009-07-27T11:24:00.002-04:00

So...we've recorded all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies. 4 days of concerts (live recording) and then 1 day of touch-ups (8 painful, slightly frustrating hours). I'm not yet coherent enough to talk about the whole process, or spill any gossip about the dreadful accommodations at the residence halls at the University of Laval...but I have some general thoughts.

We played the symphonies in order. I don't know how often that is done, but it was kind of cool to experience his evolution as a composer. Symphonies 1 and 2 stick to the model pretty well, 3 though, is a fantastic and very progressive piece. Incredibly emotional. The 4th Symphony, while I've grown to love almost every bar of this piece (horn players know which one I don't), there's alot of experimentation going on with rhythmic writing, some successful and some not. What works well in 4, not surprisingly, shows up in what I may have to deem the best symphony I have ever played. Beethoven's 5th is famous for a reason. Because it's friggin' awesome. I was rather disappointed with my first performance of the 6th (not with my own performance, but with the symphony as a whole). From listening to recordings, it always sounded quite nice, but it's just kind of a happy little piece between two of the "Sturm und Drang" symphonies. I'll come back to 7...I realized in this project that the 8th Symphony is quite funny, and the 9th is just plain ole' fun. When the choir jumps in and you hear Ode to Joy that first time it's kinda cool. Maybe just because of how the media has used it (Milk Commercials, Stanley Kubrick Movies, V for Vendetta) but it was a great moment in the cycle for me.

What can you say about Beethoven 7? There are some not so nice things you could say to Beethoven for subjecting us to this type of cruel punishment. Don't get me wrong, it's incredible writing, but some horn player must have pissed him off and he said "oh ok, play this" :)
We had a dry run at this symphony days before the recording started, and I had a bit of a rough night. Not terrible, but some pretty good 'outakes' on big horn excerpts. So, on the recording day, I was incredibly focused, and took extra care to warm up low and slow. Aside from a couple of small high sections (not the major ones) I was pretty clean from the show. On the day of touch-ups came my proudest moment of the project. We were trying to get the end of the first movement clean and I missed a couple times...little chipped note, wrong partial...etc. and the recording tech said over the speakers "Let's come back to this after lunch". I looked at the principal trumpet and we both shook our heads and shouted out, "Not a chance, we'll get this now!". Immediate accountability was issued...and it took us one more take to play it better then we had all summer. Some light applause from the orchestra made our egos feel pretty good and we finished the symphony. At lunch the conductor told me that had we missed he wouldn't have been able to defend us, and that we would have looked pretty stupid if we'd missed...I told him that I wasn't about to let the ink beat me :)

We have 2 days off...FINALLY! My fiancee is coming up to Montreal to visit me and I can't wait. We're going to do the touristy sightseeing thing. Old town Montreal, botanical gardens, climb the mountain, eat alot of croissants, drink alot of coffee and wine...and get some rest. There's a set of pops shows coming up and some chamber concerts where I'm playing in a brass trio and quintet. We need to pick repertoire I suppose hmm?

Pictures will be added, I just don't have the mental capacity right now.
As usual, comment at will and thanks for reading.

I've finally ranted about the Halladay Deal idea

2009-07-16T21:02:00.003-04:00

I'm growing ever tired of reading/hearing about the impending departure of Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays. It scares me that Blue Jays fans are starting to justify this move and see it as good for the team's future. I CALL SHENANIGANS!!!

Trading away the best pitcher in baseball IS NOT A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS!!!

We Jays fans have been patient. Every year is next year, every trade deadline nothing happens and we have paid a large rental price on third place year after year. How is it possible that a team can bring in someone with a 5 year plan, and that turns into an 8 year plan, and in those 8 years we never even sniff the post-season. I'm in the process of drafting an open letter to Jays fans. In this I will outline my proposed plan of action in the event that 2009 is a flush (should Halladay leave), and should that happen, likely we won't see a contender until 2011 (and even that is optimistic).

I cannot even fathom a Blue Jays season where we face Halladay as the opposing pitcher. For god's sake - DO NOT - I repeat - DO NOT - TRADE ROY HALLADAY WITHIN THE AL EAST. I don't care if we get A-Rod, Mark Teixera, Dustin Pedroia (who if you haven't heard, according to MLB '09: The Show...can't hit the high inside fastball), Josh Beckett or any group of spare parts that the big two might offer. Today there was a rumour that spread on Twitter that Halladay would go to NY for a package including Joba Chamberlain. Allow me to clarify one more time - NO TRADING WITH THE YANKEES!!

Anyone up in Canada knows the pain of the huge Rogers bill each month. Whether it's cell phone, cable tv, home phone or anything else they offer - the price is usually way higher then the service is worth. Now don't forget that most of Canada is now operated by Rogers cause they have the largest network in the country. In 2007, Rogers made over $3 Billion in profits, and the numbers from 2008 showed an increase in those profits by 21%. 21 PERCENT.

This means it's time for the Rogers family to open up their bank account to do two things:

1. Re-sign Roy Halladay for another 8 years (lock him in until he's 40)...NO MATTER WHAT THE COST. Imagine Halladay winning his 300th game in a Jays uniform, sweet image eh?
2. Commit to signing real supporting players. Corner infielders that hit for power. Corner outfielders that hit for power. A Shortstop that actually has value (no offense Scutaro, you've been great this year).

Or if you want to go all Tampa Bay Devil Rays and shit the bed for the next decade so you can accumulate the best draft talent out there, then just tell your fans that. But be ready, cause if that happens, we might be calling this team the Oklahoma/Las Vegas/Portland Blue Jays.

This is about as hysterical as I will get over this. I've been pretty vocal about the Jays fans who are prepared to jump off the bridge if this move happens. I'm not quite there yet, but I am realistically very upset by the prospect of this. I was too young to understand the scope of the the Fred McGriff/Tony Fernandez deal in 1990, but we got Robbie Alomar and Joe Carter back. Right - Those guys!

So who's the Carter/Alomar gonna be this time? YOU BETTER NOT SAY JOBA CHAMBERLAIN!!!!

Last question in this remarkably pointless post - who remembers when Gretzky was traded to LA? Does this come pretty close to that kind of deal? I think it might? Halladay always seemed untouchable to me.

Go Jays! Toronto loves you Roy!
J

Beethoven and the All-Star Game

2009-07-16T00:16:00.003-04:00

Today was a very fun day in rehearsal. We had our 4 hour "let's learn Beethoven 5" session (remarkably similar to the 4 hour sessions for each of the other symphonies). As I told the universe in my facebook status, the 5th Symphony is famous for a really good reason - it's a phenomenal symphony. There's so much drama laced into this music, that really I don't think it could be matched by anything that came before it. No offense to you Mozart/Haydn/Bach fans, but this summer is proving to me that Beethoven really did lay down the gauntlet for the symphonic form.

Next week we're heading off to Quebec City to do a set of live recordings of all 9 symphonies. Over 4 days we're going to be recording and re-touching all of the works in an intense set of concerts. This was supposed to take place later in the summer, with this first set of concerts for our own education (the perils and pitfalls of 9 symphonies in 4 days). However, some kind of mix-up with the recording gear, technicians, blah blah - now we're doing it next week. I'll be blogging through the process while icing my chops and trying to keep my sanity. For those of you on twitter, add me and you can follow the progress of the project 140 characters at a time.

I think it'll be pretty exciting. We're going to perform them in numerical order, which I suppose is pretty "against the grain" of traditional Beethoven performances. In my past I've usually seen them paired 2/7, 4/5, 1/6 etc. but we're going to be different. What this will let us all experience is the evolution of the symphony through the composers eyes. A couple days ago when we were rehearsing the 3rd Symphony I was blown away at how progressive a work that it was (also, what a gorgeous slow mvmt!).

We're also getting going with some chamber music. If all 9 symphonies weren't enough, the string ensembles are performing some of the Beethoven string quartets, and fortunately (for our audiences) there isn't any Beethoven for brass quintet. We have the opportunity to work in some really exciting material for these concerts. My suggestion, since we're in Quebec, was Morley Calvert's "Suite from the Monteregion Hills". Those actual hills are in the southern part of the province and stretch all the way down to the US border in Vermont. I think it'd be pretty cool to perform that piece there. Hopefully the rest of the quintet agrees.

The other notable event of the week was the MLB All-Star Game. I was disappointed that Roy Halladay seemed to struggle, but I was excited to see him be excited about things. He always looks so intense during Jays games, that when he cracked a smile a couple times, it was pretty cool. He kinda got lit up in the 2nd inning, but with that line-up against him, no one will really think much of it I don't think. Kudos to Tim Lincecum (NL Starting Pitcher) for throwing high and tight on Derek "How-does-my-hair-look" Jeter and hitting him. GOOD ON YA!!! Kind of ironic that the game winning hit (sac fly) was by a Baltimore Oriole off of a San Diego Padre. This game decided home-field advantage for the World Series, and those two players could not be further away from participating in that series.

Time for bed, Beethoven 6 tomorrow.
J

My Fantasy Teams - Mid-Way Point

2009-07-13T16:44:00.002-04:00

We've come to the period in the baseball season known as the "Mid-Summer Classic" and while there's alot of people that don't like it ("meaningless exhibition", "home-field advantage for the World Series shouldn't be decided in a glorified exhibition" etc.) it's as good a time as any to enjoy watching (most of) the best players in baseball get together and act like little kids.

Tonight, sadly I'll be missing my favourite of the festivities - the Home Run Derby. Where else will you see multi-millionaires sitting on the grass with video cameras, sharing a special night with their kids...it's pretty awesome. Not like the lame ass Slam Dunk contest...

Mid-Season is also a good time to reflect on my fantasy teams. This year I decided that two teams wasn't in excess, so I joined a Yahoo League with a couple of my old teammates from my baseball days, and an ESPN League being run by one of my favourite Blue Jay blogs The Tao of Stieb. Fortunately, the ESPN league isn't for money - cause my team has officially shit the bed. Early draft picks like Russell Martin, J.J. Hardy and Cole Hamels have played far under their drafted spot potential. Thusly, as I sit with Jake Peavy on the DL, as well as 5 other position players, it's looking like The Tao's Roto Shenanigans League might be lost for me.

In my Yahoo league though, I have flourished despite injuries to Peavy (why'd I draft him twice??), Scott Downs, the implosion of B.J. Ryan and Joe Mauer's kidney problems for the first month of the year. I'm leading the pack in this league and am sporting a helluva good line-up looking forwards. My rotation is front-lined by Roy Halladay, Mark Buerhle, Matt Garza and Nick Blackburn with position players like Mauer, Aaron Hill, David Wright and Adam Dunn leading the offense. The Yahoo league also has some $$ on the line, so here's hoping Halladay's arm doesn't fall off, or David Wright pulls a muscle trying to hit HR's.

Draft Busts - J.J. Hardy, Jake Peavy, Cole Hamels and Russell Martin

Draft Studs - Justin Morneau, Roy Halladay, Aaron Hill, Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko

Too positive eh?

2009-07-12T21:53:00.000-04:00

It was recently suggested to me by several of my orchestra colleagues (who are readers, yet never comment...yep, looks like you guys are just a bunch of freeloaders - and you should already know how the concerts went) that my blog is too unfailingly positive...

For you, I unleash the First Issue of THE AIRING OF JAY'S GRIEVANCES!!!

1. Laskey Mouthpieces - today in Beethoven 7, you failed me. I'll never trust you again.

2. American Beer - sure, you can hide behind your historical veil of craft brewing. But when the chips are down...Canadian beer just tastes better. This is not a debate...it's science!!

3. French Canada - come on guys, get the chip off your shoulder. Air conditioning makes people happy...just like poutine does. Imagine a world with both poutine AND conditioned air. I think that's what heaven must be like.

4. Moby - You know, I used to think your music was creative. Now it annoys me. Please fix this.

5. Toronto Blue Jays - first, you get our hopes up by starting the year 27-14, now before the all-star break you're 10.5 games out of first with a 44-46 record. You're talking about trading the best player in baseball, the hottest hitter in the AL and you can't keep your pitchers healthy...why must ALL Toronto sports teams shit the bed, year after year.

6. MLBTraderumors.com - you assholes had to remind me tonight that the Jays only have a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs. Go to hell!

7. Red Sox Nation/Yankee fans - you're the smarmy-est, most self-gratifying people on the planet. You think your team is great, but there's nothing team about it. You buy the best talent out there and then piss on the players when they have a bad day. At least Jays fans get pissed about actual bad playing.

8. Blue Jays Fans - you guys are f***ing insane!!! I read alot of baseball blogs and Jays fans are either blindly optimistic ("there's still lots of baseball to play") or completely suicidal. That being said, if Roy Halladay gets traded, I'll have no reason to get up in the morning...I've already hung the rope in my closet.

9. My alarm clock - you interrupt one of the most awesome parts of my day. Without you I'd lose every job I ever might get, but you also interrupt dreams that cannot be remembered when I awaken. I hate you

10. The Board Game - PIRATES! - a half-assed version of Risk (which I also hate) which allows you to attack other ships and steal their treasure. It's only half as lame as that other game we played with the bouncing balls. Tetris challenge and I'll beat all your asses!

There - happy guys?

Concert #4 - Lachine Music Festival

2009-07-12T18:43:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging about concerts...this one is from a couple days ago, on June 9th. OFC took a roadtrip to scenic Lachine, QC (sarcastic? You'd think so, but not really...more later) to play at L'Arena Pierre "Pete" Morin. That's right everyone...we played at a hockey rink. It was spectacular!

We were on a raised stage, there was floor seating as far as the eye could see, and we got to change in the same locker rooms as legends like Jean Beliveau and Cliff Fletcher. YES...the same Cliff Fletcher that brought the Maple Leafs closer to the Stanley Cup then they've been

in my lifetime. For that and many other (far less significant) accomplishments, he has been immortalized here.

Sorry for the distraction - we did in fact play a concert here as

well. It was a benefit concert, but since I don't speak French all I was able to gather was that it was to honour the life of a famous Quebecois baritone. We were joined by Marc Hervieux (tenor) and Gaetan Laperriere (baritone) for a show full of very popular opera works. In typical OFC style, it was a quick study. One rehearsal, a dress and the show. Fortunately for the brass it was a pretty straight ahead show...allowed us to sit back and enjoy these world class singers. Before I forget to mention it, we performed works from Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro", Bizet's "Carmen" and "Les Pecheurs de Perles", Puccini's "La Boheme" and "Tosca", Leoncavello's "Pagliacci" and Verdi's "Rigoletto".

So...the quaint town of Lachine...at first appeared

like a small town with nothing around for the orchestra to

enjoy. Obviously, having taken upwards of 45 mins of public transit to get there, we were less then thrilled about it. But on the day of the show, an ill-advised 4hour break from dress rehears

al to concert allowed us to explore. We found an outdoor market that sold so

much produce (for really cheap prices!!!) and to our shock - whole pies for $2.50!!! Half of the horn section (Janelle and myself) coudn't help ourselves and enjoyed a coconut creme pie while we sat in the penalty box. We also went to this awesome Italian food restaurant for dinner where we did the responsible thing before a concert with as few notes as we have fingers - we ordered a pitcher of sangria.

So all the ridiculous transit aside, and the long waits for things to happen...and playing in a hockey arena, we actually had a pretty fun time at concert number 4. I also came to the realization that concerts don't always have to be the most musically satisfying for an audience to totally love them. We filled the rink, and

the patrons were all incredibly thrilled to have heard us perform with the singers. At the end of the day, it's always nice to feel appreciated whether you had a scary string part or just a few notes to play. Below is a picture (without me in it...I took it) of the group of us that went galavanting in small town Quebec.

From left to right: (Elizabeth, Janelle, Aaron, Mathieu)

Another post is in the works...

Later,

Concert #3 - Canadian Music Competition Gala - University of Montreal, Salle Claude-Champagne

2009-07-07T14:02:00.001-04:00

This concert was probably some of the very best on the job training I've ever received. On July 5 we arrived to the Conservatoire for our normal rehearsal, knowing that (after playing a concert the night before, and getting home quite late) we were getting into the music for the CMC. As I open my folder I see a stack of music that included Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Mozart's 32nd Piano Concerto, music from Schindler's List, Czardas and Rachmaninoff's 1st Piano Concerto. We had 2 rehearsals and a dress to learn all of this repertoire and put it together with the soloists.

I'd like to start by saying that the University of Montreal has a fantastic concert hall. The School of Music though, is at the top of a large mountainous hill. When you get off the subway there is this looming hike up a very steep hill. Not surprisingly, the orchestra members were all a little hot, sweaty and grumpy when we showed up to warm up. Thankfully though, they decided to turn on the AC for the festivities last night. I couldn't have been happier :)

About 7 years ago I played the Hebrides Overture, and I remember loving it then too. What a great piece, that sadly doesn't get played enough. This concert, I should mention, was not one where the orchestra factored too largely into the feature...we were there so that the winners of this competition could perform with a full size group. We were joined by Canadian virtuoso, Alexander Da Costa as well as the 4 winners from their respective age catagories. There was an 11 year old violinist who played his heart out, a McGill percussionist that was very impressive and the highlight of the evening was the soloist for Rachmaninoff.

This guy was 18 years old...and as our principal trumpet put it after the concert "it looked like he was trying to punish the keys for getting in his way". He made the hall ring during his cadenzas like I've never heard before. Shocking to me was how many horn solos are in that piece. So far this summer we've been playing the early Beethoven symphonies (1, 2 and 4) so I had to get myself out of that box and get a little zip back in my sound. We had fun on stage and I think we played quite well.

The beers ingested last night were definitely deserved.

Tomorrow afternoon we head to Lachine, QC to begin rehearsals for an opera showcase concert. A variety of arias from different operas, where once again the orchestra is in a simple accompaniment role. Not a complaint, as when we get back to the Beethoven symphonies we're onto the heavier ones, 5, 8 and 3. Lots of great music to look forward to.

Lastly, I'd like to congratulate my fiancee, as last night her summer festival in Minneapolis, MN told her that she was going to have the opportunity to sing the Queen of Night aria, as well as scenes from Rosenkavalier and Peter Grimes with full orchestra at the end of the month.

Now, I'm going to catch up on some episodes of the Sopranos before torturing myself with the Tuning CD on Beethoven 7 preparations.

Cheers,

Concert #2 - Orford Arts Centre

2009-07-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

On our whirlwind tour of concerts, we made our way to Orford, QC for a very interesting concert.

In what may well be the smallest venue of the summer (with people sitting only feet from the horn section), the OFC put together a concert of music by Quebecois composer Olivier Larue, Francois Devienne and of course, Beethoven. In this show we were joined by soloist Robert Langevin (Principal Flautist, New York Philharmonic).

We managed to fill the house on a muggy, rainy night in Quebec...and while it got awfully warm in there, we had a great time. The Larue piece was commissioned by OFC and runs about 2 mins in length. It's a short little fanfare type piece that is in great contrast to the rest of the program. I hope we get to perform it at least once more this summer, as I've yet to completely wrap my head around it. Then joined by Mr. Langevin, the very nice Concerto No. 7 for flute and orchestra by Devienne. I had never heard of this composer, and at first glance at the horn part I wasn't terribly inspired. But looking at his Wikipedia page (which is a definitive source of information) I learned that he was quite prolific, writing more then 300 pieces, mostly for winds and primarily the flute. The performance was great! With many of Mr. Langevin's Orford students in the hall, he received thunderous applause and was a treat to listen to. Fortunately enough I had hundreds of bars of rests to enjoy his performance.

Then came the Beethoven symphony. On this occasion we chose the 4th Symphony, which I had no idea was so heavy for the winds. Our principal bassoon (James Woods) and flute (Ahilya Ramharry) were particularly notable for their solos, and the brass battalion had a successful, in-tune performance. The scary horn entrance in the second movement was not too bad, but I can do better. Fortunately the recordings aren't happening until later this summer, so I have 3 more performances to hone my craft.

Tomorrow night we'll be accompanying the finalists for the Canadian Music Competition. Selections are Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto #1, Mozart - Piano Concerto #32, Selections from Schindler's List and Czardas. Should be fun!

Speaking of Rachy 1, better get practicin'...

Till next time,

Concert #1 - Southam Hall - NAC, Ottawa, ON

2009-07-03T11:31:00.000-04:00

A very sleepy (almost) good afternoon to you all. After a really late return to Montreal last night, I have a very short post and then we have to begin rehearsing again.

Last night we had our very first concert of the season, in Ottawa at the NAC. We were conducted by Jean-Phillipe Trembley and Pinchas Zuckerman in a performance of Beethoven's 1st and 2nd Symphonies and the 3rd Piano Concerto. Our soloist was 14 year old Jan Lipitzki, and man, this kid is the real deal. He made the Beethoven concerto seem easy, and he has gigantic hands. I'm not a small guy and his hands were nearly the size of mine, kind of insane!

The audience was amazing. After every movement they applauded VERY loudly. It was perhaps the best "pop" I've ever heard out of a crowd at a classical show. Also, the place was packed. Good on ya Ottawa for coming out to support the arts.

We leave tomorrow morning for a one day run out to Orford to play Beethoven's 4th Symphony, which we're learning today. I'll try and post some photos.

Ranting and raving

2009-06-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

Inspired by a podcast rant competition, and the ridiculous amount of humidity in Montreal, I've submitted this rant...it was too good to not share:

"I've been in Montreal for 3 days and good lord, I need to rant about this city.

Now, before people think I'm hating on the city or anything, I do like the arts scene in Montreal alot. The support for the arts and the great orchestras here are a treat....BUT...why does this city have such a problem with air conditioning? Maybe I'm spoiled, and some might say because I'm from Toronto I think the whole country should be just like that, but I mean come on...when it's 28 degrees plus 100% humidity, turn on the friggin' air. A fan will only recirculate the stale hot air. Human beings shouldn't break a sweat when they're sitting still.

The other thing I wanted to mention about Montreal is the same attitude that the country seems to hate about Toronto. I went to the pharmacy the other day for a few items when this sweet old lady asked me something in French. Politely I responded (in english) that I didn't speak french...and she responded "WHY THE FUCK NOT? DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN QUEBEC?" I was blown away. This is my second summer in Montreal and last year I never came across this. Last I checked Canada has two languages and just because I only speak one of them doesn't make me a bad person. Sweet christ, it's not like I responded to her in Latin or Klingon...and clearly she was fluent enough in english to berate me. I still like it here in Montreal, but that certainly didn't endear the city to me.

Ok...last one, why the hate on sports other then hockey here in Montreal? The place I'm staying in for the summer doesn't have cable...no big deal right? Just find a pub and drink until the Blue Jays look like a good team...all they're showing is friggin' soccer. Nothing against soccer, but last I checked Canada only has one pro baseball team left, and they're in the hunt for the playoffs. Maybe you're bitter that in '94 les Expos were robbed of a playoff appearance, maybe you're pissed that the Canadiens got eliminated so early in the playoffs...but why the hate on baseball and the Blue Jays?"

Any Quebeckers that read this, I don't hate Montreal, I just wish it were a little more...well...air conditioned and friendly to anglophones.

As always, feel free to comment...I'd love to hear from you all.

A long overdue post...

2009-06-19T16:30:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been so long since my last post that I'm sure virtually all 4 of the people that read this have moved on to other sources for finding out what I'm upto these days (oh sarcasm...)

In the month since my last post, some rather large things have happened. Firstly, I graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Masters of Music (Performance) degree. I decided not to walk in the graduation ceremony, really only because I wanted to make the $75 to play in the band. In a very lucrative and painful weekend I played for 4 commencements and thusly was able to pay for the next big project...

I moved back home...and getting all my stuff from Albuquerque to Barrie, ON proved more difficult then I thought. My first suggestion to anyone planning a large move like this, is DON'T BELIEVE A WORD THAT SHIPPING COMPANIES tell you on the phone. FedEx and UPS both gave me estimates of around $250-300 bucks to ship my stuff. So off I go, thinking I have the situation in hand, when they tell me it's more like $600-750 and I need a "Customs Agent" in case there's any problems at the border. Sweet mercy...I wanted to throw things. So in another symbolic first, I rented a car and drove from Albuquerque to Minneapolis and left my stuff with my fiancee there.

Day one of the drive started at 6am in Albuquerque and ended at 11:45pm in Omaha, Nebraska. When I drove into Colorado I got excited for what appeared to be an incredibly picturesque drive. But then I drove through western Colorado, which looks more like flat, ugly nothing then the mountainous landscape I drove into. The route (New Mexico, Western Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa to Minneapolis) sadly all looked the same. It was very flat...very hot, and very boring. Fortunately I was able to listen to some amazing podcasts along the way and the spoken word kept me awake and alert (well...that and the 4 Red Bulls). More on podcasts later.

I am now in Ottawa, ON after a brief stay in my parents basement. My summer orchestra job began on June 10, playing with the OFC as part of the National Arts Centre Young Artist Programme. We've just finished preparing 5 young conductors to go and conduct the NAC Orchestra in concert tomorrow night. I lost count along the way, but we played Sibelius 2, Barber's Second Essay, Mozart, Beethoven's Egmont Overture and some scenes from Puccini's La Boheme. Great music...we were pretty lucky actually. Myself and 4 other brass players got together and started the OFC Brass Quintet and we're having a blast playing some Ewald and Bernstein too.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love to listen to podcasts. One night a couple months back I was pretty homesick and went to the Itunes store and searched "Canadian" in the podcasts hoping for a taste of home. The first hit was this show called "Talking Canadian". The episodes were kinda long and I was a little hesitant but I figured "I'll listen for 10 mins and if it sucks I'll erase it". It didn't suck though. It's one of the funniest and most enjoyable shows I listen to. Like many podcasts they encourage their listeners to write in. So, I did, figuring that they'd want to hear from a homesick Canadian stranded down in the desert. This began an email conversation that led to me getting together with Ben and Keith from the show for beers last night. I had a great time hanging with these guys and gained some great insight into the show. I'll post a link at the end of this so that everyone can go to their site and take a listen...you won't be disappointed.

Sectionals start tomorrow for the Beethoven Symphonies, and the Jays start a series against the Washington Nationals...here's hoping that Alex Rios screws his head on right and remembers how to do routine things that we're taught how to do when we're in little league.

As always, please comment...and go to http://www.talkingcanadian.com/.

MY LAST WEEK!

2009-05-04T17:15:00.000-04:00

...of classes that is.

My countdown to my NM departure is down to 15 days. Glorious! I get to see my fiancee, go to the great north, drink Leinie's and go to baseball games in 15 days!

I've decided that this week...the small stuff will not bother me. I do however plan on commenting on some interesting things...interesting to me at least. Such as...why do people block you on facebook and continue to bash you in their status updates? Wouldn't it have more impact if I could actually see it? I think so.

The Blue Jays are 18-9 and in 1st in the AL East. Does it get any better then that?

I'm 2 days from being done with band for a long time, I hesitate to say forever since I'm sending a tape to the Canadian Military for a job in their reg. force band. But for the sake of celebration, BAND IS OVER....in 2 days. Orchestra went out with a bang last week, a solid performance of La Boheme. It's quite nice to have those hours in the week for myself again.

I have 2 exams this week. Conducting on Wednesday and Baroque Music on Thursday. After that...CHECK OUT TIME?!?!?!

I managed to get the whole band office at school addicted to Trailer Park Boys. So today, we're going to watch some while we prepare a mail-out. Bubbles wants to see Rush, Ricky abducts the guitarist and of course, they get drunk as F*** and eat pepperoni.

A Question?

2009-04-29T13:49:00.000-04:00

Is it really that hard to understand why someone wouldn't want to play a non-paying gig the day after you don't work for the school anymore?

All The Flats in the World!

2009-04-29T01:28:00.000-04:00

I haven't written in awhile, but tonight, was I ever inspired.

UNM has two concerts in the next two nights. Tomorrow night is the Wind Symphony, where we're playing the loudest and most aggressive Holst First Suite known to mankind and Music for Prague 1968 by Karel Husa. While these pieces should demonstrate the different colours of a wind band, they will sound very loud, and hopefully in time. If those two things are achieved, it will be seen as a successful performance ;)

On Thursday night, MY FINAL CONCERT with the UNM Orchestra. We're performing Puccini's La Boheme. A beautiful piece of music, that I do enjoy, yet with this ensemble it will be an adventure. This opera seems to be more challenging then it first appeared, or perhaps it is incredibly challenging for the soloists. None the matter, afterwards there will be beer to celebrate this monumental occasion. Perhaps a drink for each note in the 3rd Trumpet part in Act 1 (21 notes to be exact).

Tonight though, really is the inspiration for this post. Recently, a colleague has decided to not talk to me...and tonight she didn't need to cause her attire was saying more then she ever could. I have blogged before (but not on this blog) about presenting a professional image among your peers. I don't think that symphony musicians always wear tuxedos and all-black, and away from rehearsals and concerts, dress how you want. Tonight though, my colleague was sporting a backless strappy number, that displayed a great deal of cleavage in both the front and side. Yeah...every time I looked at the conductor, eye-full of side boob! Distracting, yes, pleasant...NO! By and far, we're a pretty neat bunch of people in the back row (the brass players) and I'm really enjoying playing with most of the people around me. But when you show up and want people's respect...please, don't try to throw on your sexiest top, or something you'd wear to the club. Maybe this isn't even a club shirt...what do I know? But it certainly wasn't a "respect me for being professional shirt". There...VENTING OVER!

I guess guys get it pretty easy when it comes to presenting a professional un-sexual image. We don't have breasts that could potentially be a focal point (and if we do, then...cool?) and it's not like guys wear tight pants to show off their junk or something. Our ability to look presentable is pretty straight ahead. Even with concert attire, whether it's a tux concert, or an all-black, the same look (dress pants and a dress shirt) is pretty cost-effective and easy to put together. Women must have way more to think about when it comes to putting together an ensemble for a concert...or maybe I just put no thought into what I wear day-to-day. I digress...

Anyways...in my next post I will talk about the AMAZING start by the Toronto Blue Jays, my move back to Canada from New Mexico and things I love about good conductors. That being said, mediocre to bad conductors do lend themselves to some pretty funny quotes...you follow me? I wonder what Dale Clevenger, Phil Myers or Joe Alessi would say about that...I know someone that might be able to tell me though.

Monday!

2009-04-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,

My fourth last Monday of the school year, and the day before my Comprehensive exams (Orals) is here!

Easter was nice, a potluck of sorts at our house last night. Watched a lot of funny videos on YouTube, some trumpet bloopers online and of course had maybe one too many libations.

This week is a busy one. Tuesday as I have mentioned is the day that I un-officially finish my degree. I'll still have to go to classes and rehearsals (not to mention the final and paper for a class...) but as soon as this is done I can relax a little. I'm really looking forward to that...oh, also if anyone needs to know the most important concertos or sonatas in the horn literature, please drop me a line :)

Our brass quintet, has a recital this Saturday at Noon. We're playing some great stuff including West Side Story, Suite from the Monteregion Hills, Bach and a great piece by Andre Previn. Then on Sunday I'm playing on another recital, where we're performing a piece by John Stevens (tuba professor at Wisconsin-Madison). This week is a week of chamber music and I couldn't be more excited.

I feel like I should be preparing for a let-down from my Blue Jays though. 5-2 to start the year...WHAT?!?!?! Yesterday was a bit of a reality check for the boys in the bullpen...YEAH I'm looking your way Brandon League. People were really pissed that Travis Snider bunted guys over when there were runners on 1st and 2nd and none out. He was facing a left-handed pitcher...and since Snidy hits 9th in the order, getting the runners to 2nd and 3rd with one out should have got us a run. You play the odds and yesterday they didn't work out for us. Personally I thought it was very exciting to watch.

Enough for now...time for quintet.

Cheers,

Jay

Too much on the brain...

2009-04-10T11:28:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning (after hitting my snooze button a few too many times) with a lot on my mind.

This summer I'll be participating in a recording project where we'll be recording all 9 of Beethoven's symphonies. On my train ride to school I decided to listen to his Ninth Symphony (a great recording by the Minnesota Orchestra) and I got really excited about this summer. It'll be a 3 month crash course in Beethoven style and sound...and if the Minnesota Orchestra has taught me anything from these new recordings, it's that you can play with some fire in your sound and still play Beethoven.

Anyone that follows me on facebook, or twitter will know that I've had some pretty nonsensical posts this week about the Blue Jays and their 3-1 record against the Tigers. Let me clarify something...YES I know it's the first week and that there's still 158 more games to play, but the fact that I've generated some responses to my nonsense makes me think that there's more in the closet Jays fans out there. Come out!!! Opening Day had 48,000+ and the other games had under 15,000. We'll know better after this series against Cleveland, but I think Jays fans have something to be excited about this year. The young talent is driving this team. Adam Lind, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider are off to great starts and David Purcey and Ricky Romero looked pretty solid in their first starts (again...1 start out of 30, I get it). Why not be excited instead of ready to lash out when Cito leaves a pitcher in for one too many innings?

Also, I've booked my flight out of Albuquerque...and that makes me smile. I'm going to get to hear some phenomenal concerts immediately after school is done too. I'll be in the Twin Cities and get to hear the Minnesota Orchestra play some Howard Hanson, which I've never heard before but was highly recommended by their Associate Principal Horn. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is performing Mendelssohn's 4th Symphony and then upon my brief return to Toronto, the TSO is playing Mahler 6, Brahms 1 and the Strauss Four Last Songs with Measha Bruggergosman. It's going to be so much fun!

As an avid fan of 24, I'm both worried and excited about the story line that Jack Bauer is a part of now. I think Season 7 has been one of the strongest in awhile and it would definitely hold up against my personal favourites, 4 and 5. I won't write details why just in case someone reads this and hasn't seen the other seasons.

Time for a cup of coffee and some horn literature class. This morning is Mahler 5 and it might be kinda rough. Busy time of the year, so we're all kind of pressed for time. But fortunately all the horns are in the same boat, so we'll be equally as prepared as the others. It'll be fun...

And to everyone that told me Karel Husa's Music for Prague 1968 was a great piece of music...I think you were mistaken. It's a very deep and well written piece with phenomenal emotional content. But it's rather noisy and painful. Maybe that's the point?

Cheers,

Some Old Quotes that make me laugh

2009-04-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

These are from a facebook group I used to belong to that was dedicated to the favorite quotes of my old orchestra conductor at the University of Toronto. He was known for his quick wit and ability to cut you to shreds with a comment. I've copied them into a list below for your enjoyment.

"just because I didn't say anything doesn't mean it was in tune"

"is it not too much for me to ask that you play the notes written on the page"

"shall we do it again, or do you want to leave it like that...your choice"

(To the Bass Trombones) "when I say everyone forte, that means everyone EXCEPT YOU!"

There were many other, but these are just some of my personal favourites. Yep...ou favourite.

Cheers,

Recap of A Very Long Week!

2009-04-04T14:19:00.000-04:00

Why does it seem like March and April are always the busiest months of the year.

Everything kind of culminates all at the same time and man, was this one of those weeks. It started with a composers symposium. Every once in awhile you get to play a piece on these events that is really great...this wasn't one of them. For the sake of not upsetting anyone I won't mention the name of the composer or the piece, but I will say that writing something that is 58 minutes long, and consists of nothing but long tones isn't much fun to perform. The cool part of it though is that the listeners all seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Still in the Symposium, the UNM Wind Symphony performed some new works on Monday night. A new work by Karel Husa, one by our resident composer Christopher Shultis and a Piano Concerto by Carter Pann. The concerto (Concerto Logic was the title) was actually a pretty cool piece. The soloist was the composer himself, because I think only he could perform the piano part. His writing is very effectual, sometimes going for too many effects and not enough actual music...but it was fun nonethless.

Tuesday a midterm day (I am now a scholar on 17th Century music...) and the day I was given my questions for my Oral Examination. In a couple weeks I'll have a 90 minute exam where I'll have to discuss questions I'll have been given to prepare. Not too bad really. But lots of reading to do.

Wednesday wasn't too busy...but I did manage to successfully learn to conduct the opening of the Magic Flute overture. That was pretty exciting.

Thursday we had a full day of school, orchestra dress rehearsal and a concert that night. Nothing too taxing, lots of Mozart and some music of a contemporary of his from Spain. Sounded like Mozart, but wasn't nearly as well written.

Friday the Wind Symphony was concluding the composers symposium up in Santa Fe, NM with another performance of the Christopher Shultis piece. A free trip to Santa Fe is always nice, except for having to be at the school by 7am to catch the bus. Thank god I have some earplugs in my case all the time because the horns were right in the line of fire for the crash cymbals and bass drum. It was great fun, and I had an amazing cup of coffee and a chocolatine from a French bakery in the Plaza. Friday night was our second to last performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. Fortunately we didn't forget much as it had been almost a week since we last performed it.

Final Four today - MLB Opening Day tomorrow and closing night for the opera as well. Here's hoping next week is a little slower shall we?

Got some great news this morning. I will be touring and recording again this summer with L'Orchestre de la francophonie Canadienne in Montreal. This summer's project is a full set of all 9 Beethoven Symphonies recorded live. Better get my chops up to speed eh?

Until next time, thanks for reading,

Jay

Ah rejection...a musicians most familiar friend

2009-03-29T18:56:00.000-04:00

Found out today that I didn't get into the National Academy Orchestra in Hamilton, ON for the summer. Quite sad really...would have been fun to be back in my hometown playing great music all summer.

In my attempt to remain positive, I'm reminded of one of the things my old horn teacher Jeff Nelsen used to say in the face of rejection. He used to encourage me to feel bad about it for a limited amount of time...5 minutes, a half hour, 2 days...whatever. But when that time was over, so was being upset about it. Then it was time to get back to work and make the next one even better.

So...I'm going to give myself until 6pm MST, then I have another rehearsal. At that point, I WILL FEEL GREAT ABOUT THIS!!!

There is a great deal to be learned from not getting what we want. SO...I need to learn what that is. Also...anyone reading this that might be a grad student...DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT backload your degree and leave the hardest courses until last. It sucks!

Until next time,

Citizenship Aggrevation

2009-03-27T16:50:00.000-04:00

So...I had a meeting this afternoon at the UNM International Office about a program called Optional Practical Training.

This program was sold to me (in the first case) as one that would allow you to extend your visa by a year and work anywhere in the US, so long as it was in your field. This isn't a lie, however the other details make it quite different, or at least in my case it does.

As musicians have a tendency to do...I'm hoping to be back in a summer festival this summer. I had a blast in Montreal with OFC last summer, and would be thrilled to do it again. My return to my 'home and native land' is why I cannot apply for OPT. In order for this to work I would have to lock down a job (in a music related field...teaching, arts admin, etc.) BEFORE I went back to Canada, so that when I tried to get back into the US after the summer was over I would be able to provide proof of a reason for an extended return. If I could not secure this employment before going home, I wouldn't be eligible to return to the US for 90 days...or until the expiration of the OPT Visa.

Long story short, this program is not intended for students such as music majors. If you're going into an internship, or a hands on training program...say if you're a teacher, an engineer or a science student, this would work well. As a horn player....it looks like I'll have to return to Canada and make frequent trips to Minneapolis next year. Not the end of the world, but certainly not my favorite choice.

If anyone has ideas about OPT or this kind of thing, please comment. Oh also...cool fact about Canada: International students that go to Canadian schools are sometimes granted landed resident status so they can support themselves while attending school. Neat huh? And we have free health care...

Watch soon for a post about the nonsensical ramblings of Fox News. Perhaps a return to Canada isn't the worst thing in the world. I could use a pair of white capri pants and a pedicure (don't get the joke...watch the video....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJn5XlbSFk)

Cheers,

Lucia

2009-03-22T12:18:00.001-04:00

Last night, we had some of the soloists (?singers) join us at rehearsal for Lucia di Lammermoor. After playing Donizetti's lighter opera Don Pasquale last summer, I wasn't expecting much from Lucia. Sorry to all you fans of the opera, but I didn't really dig that one. But man, you can really tell that this opera is Donizetti's masterwork.

The interplay between the singers and the orchestra, and the great parts (even though we're playing a reduction) is amazing.

All I can say is that I'm glad I dig this opera.

In other news, even though my NCAA bracket is busted, I can't stop following this tournament. It's really exciting. I hope today's games provide more intrigue then yesterdays. All the games I saw yesterday were 20 point blowouts. Nothing exciting about that. Let's go ASU!

Spring Break

2009-03-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

I wonder who reads these things?

Anyways, I had a wonderful spring break. It all began on Friday the 13th (cue foreboding music) when I played my Graduate Horn recital. All things considered, it went pretty well, although playing Mozart still seems to be something I struggle with. This does not seem to speak to any immediate future success at auditions. Perhaps I should figure that out?!

My fiancee came into Albuquerque for the break and we spent a really nice week together. We took in a baseball game, a day trip to Santa Fe, watched lots of movies and just kinda relaxed together. Ever since school started back up this semester it's been really busy so this break couldn't have come at a better time. This was a great week just to sit back and let the batteries recharge.

Looking forward, I'm currently rehearsing for Opera Southwest's production of Lucia di Lammermoor, and getting ready for our brass quintet recital on April 18. Slowly but surely things are starting to wind down here at school. My career as a student is nearing an end, and in less then two months I will have completed a degree and will be in a moving truck back up to Canada.

That's all for this time, sadly my NCAA Bracket has been busted. But really, what do Canadians know about US College sports right?

Until next time,

Jay

First Post

2009-02-27T22:57:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

So, I figured since I'm in my last couple months of my 'tenure' here in New Mexico I would begin writing down the things that I wish to remember and if anyone reads this...pass along to them.

New Mexico is a pretty interesting place. The skyline first thing in the morning or at sunset is pretty amazing. Probably the thing I'll miss the most is looking over the Sandia Mountains first thing in the morning when I'm on my way to school. I'm not much of a camper, but I hear that the mountains have some amazing trails that you can camp out on and look into the skies. Being from a big city, I'm not used to seeing too much in the sky aside from darkness at night, but almost every night out here, loads of stars. It's pretty neat. I've decided to start thinking of all the cool things here, since there's so much that I don't care for. That being said, when I was in Toronto I was pretty ready to get out of there by the end too.

In 2 weeks I'll be on stage performing my graduating recital, which I'm pretty excited about. It's a pretty cool program. A nice mix of standard literature and some pretty neat newer stuff. I'm not a huge fan of recitals, but I've got to admit that I'm pretty excited about this show. The really cool thing about this is that my fiancee is coming into town for a week as well. It's going to be pretty cool to look out off the stage and see lots of familiar faces, especially hers. Ok, so I'm a sap.

This is also a pretty exciting time of the year for me too cause Spring Training has started. The one thing I'll say about life in the US is that the baseball coverage is amazing. Granted back in Canada the focus is still on hockey (rightly so), but man, baseball is a much bigger deal here then in Toronto. Which brings me to another cool thing about Albuquerque, the AAA baseball team, the Albuquerque Isotopes. Their park is perhaps one of the nicest baseball facilities I've ever seen. But the really exciting part of spring training is the opening of FANTASY BASEBALL chatter. Just last summer I got really addicted to this wonderful game of fantasy. If anyone is interested I'm looking to start a 10 team ESPN league. Write into the comments...I'd love to get one rolling.

That's about it for now.

I'll be writing more later though. Thanks for reading!