English Horn

20. May 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Links, Quotes

To Earle Dumler, who plays oboe and English horn with Los Angeles Opera, the sound is “mournful.” Dumler remembers the late actor-producer Michael Landon’s words to him at a Christmas party for TV’s “Little House on the Prairie,” on which he played for 11 years: “Earle, as long as they’re crying and dying, you’ll be working.”

This article is a really fun read.

It’s not without error, though:

On the other hand, there are, by general agreement, only two important oboe and English horn makers. As with Coke and Pepsi, you’re in one camp or the other. Dumler, Gilad and Horn play instruments made by Paul Laubin, a New Yorker whose father, Al, started the business. Elardo and Hove play Loree instruments, made in Paris.”

I play a Rigoutat. I had thought about replacing it once with a Loree, since all the “big guys” played a Loree. My colleagues sat out in the hall to listen to me play both in a blind test. My instrument won, hands down. I still play it, and I still love it. I know there are other makes that professional musicians use. It’s true, though, that Loree and Laubin are the most popular.

Survivor

20. May 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Links, Ramble, TV

I don’t watch Survivor. I saw part of an episode once and was simply confused about the whole thing and why anyone would enjoy it. But I don’t watch American Idol either. So I guess I just don’t get certain things that are popular. Because I’ve never been popular. Maybe that’s why I play oboe? But I just read this bio of one of the Survivor contestants:

Benjamin “Coach” Wade
Benjamin Wade is known by many names. As the head women?s soccer coach at the Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, he is called “Coach Wade,” but he also goes by “Maestro” due to role as an artistic director and conductor of a California symphony orchestra. A skilled musician, Benjamin was traveling the world playing the trumpet before most kids could even spell “trumpet”. To say that he is a Type A, Alpha male, who likes to control the environment around him, may just be an understatement. Coach’s dominant personality will be a force to be reckoned with in the game.

So of course this got me thinking. Greg Sandow has blogged about Classical Idol. And sure, why not?

But how about “Classical Survivor” too? Let’s see … so many possibilities. Use your imagination! Leave comments. Let’s get this show rolling!

Meanwhile, I just hope there aren’t any professional musicians on the island (they do this stuff on an island, right?) out to get a conductor, or Benjamin “Coach” Wade is in deep trouble!

Voting

19. May 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Ramble

If you live around here you have 30 more minutes to vote. I haven’t seen anyone blog about this at all. I suppose propositions just aren’t as exciting as a presidential election. Go figure. But still … you could cast your vote. There’s still time.

Tee Hee

19. May 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Havin' Fun, Links

The club is part of a thriving classical music community that has grown as Salt Lake City, known for its churches and Mormon population, has grown. But not everyone is happy that classical music has taken root here.

After a spate of shootings, and with a rising murder rate, the police here are saying classical music is contributing to the violence, luring preppy gang members and criminal activity to nightclubs. The police publicly condemned the music in a news release after a killing in July and are warning nightclub owners that their places might not be safe if they play classical music.

“We don’t want to paint all classical music with a broad-brush,” said Cpt. John Davis, a police spokesman, “but we’re looking at music that usually has no lyrics. Young people are free to imagine imagine any lyrics, including words that typically glorify anti-social and criminal behavior and demeans women.”

Um … is this a new “Onion”?

I read it here and I must conclude with the article’s penultimate paragraph (because I like it and because it allows me to use the word “penultimate”:

“When you have music that has no lyrics, there is no criticism of others who treat women poorly, steal things and even shoot police officers,” says Cpt. Davis, “you will certainly attract a small group of people who want to lead the thug life.”

Okay. I’m done now.

Proofreader Necessary!

19. May 2009 · 4 comments · Categories: Huh?

‘Spamlot’ makes its California premiere

Hmmm. Is that where we park our extra cans of Spam, maybe?

Dear Mercury News, I would be happy to catch errors for you.

(Of course by the time this posts maybe they’ll have corrected the problem.)

Driving Under The Influence of Oboe?

19. May 2009 · 3 comments · Categories: Links, Too Darn Bizarre

And you, practicing your oboe on 287 (truth!), have you ever thought about what happens if you have an accident with an oboe in your mouth, and the airbag goes off? I didn’t think so…..

I read it here.

I would prefer not to believe this, but I’ve been told by someone (a proud family member, in fact) that an oboist really did practice on his way to an audition.

Please don’t do this. I have family on the road. You have family on the road. We prefer to live.

BQOD

19. May 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: BQOD

I am nervous because I am going to be flying to San Francisco to see my boyfriend who is performing in the San Francisco Opera. I am not going to the opera, but really want to see the city.

Gee, if my boyfriend was singing in the San Francisco Opera I’d sure want to go to a performance or two! I’d even go if my husband was singing in it. Really, Dan, how could I miss that?! ;-)

(Don’t worry, all; I have a husband, but no boyfriend on the side. Honest.)

TQOD

19. May 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: TQOD

My brother bought my mom an English Horn for Mo’s Day. She sold hers 5 years ago to pay bills. She cried.

The Wagner Society Has a Sense of Humor

19. May 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: Links, Opera

The Society has to give cash because no one stepped forward to give their daughter as a prize in the vocal competition.

I read it here, in an article about the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition and the person awarded the Wagner Society of Northern California grant. The winner, Gregory Carroll, was the only contestant to sing Wagner. Smart move! I wonder if all the singers knew about this grant … perhaps more will insert a Wagner work next year? But, then again, if Wagner doesn’t work for one’s voice, it wouldn’t be wise. Mr. Carroll must be good; he came in second in the IDVC.

I always say “next year” and I guess I’ll say it again. Next year I want to attend.

Don’t Be Expecting Gigs From Your Instructors, Though

18. May 2009 · 4 comments · Categories: Links

The annual Nutcracker production at the Stevens Center will soon have a different sound.

Student musicians from UNC School of the Arts will perform in the pit during the show’s run in December, replacing paid musicians from the Winston-Salem Symphony, UNCSA officials announced yesterday. Ransom Wilson, the music director of the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra, will conduct.

Sigh. Quite some time ago a board member of a now defunct orchestra threatened something like this.

Later on in the same article:

The decision to go with student musicians as opposed to paid professionals does make educational sense for UNCSA: The students will gain some experience performing a score that they will almost certainly encounter if they become professionals.

Heh. Sure. But if your teachers were in that professional group and you are taking their gig, you can assume they won’t be entirely pleased and I’m guessing they won’t be offering your name up for as a sub any time soon. Of course if these students do land an orchestra job in the Winston-Salem Orchestra they can kiss the Nutcracker gig goodbye.

Hmmm. What about the students who have already made it into the Winston-Salem Orchestra? (If there are any; I was a professional symphony member when I was still at the university). They won’t be allowed to play.

You can read the entire article here.

Stealing Is Still Wrong, Even In 2009

18. May 2009 · 5 comments · Categories: Links, Quotes, Ramble

A pervasive thought is that if the source is online it may be treated with less respect than something in print. So endemic is this feeling in wired youth-culture that for some, illegally downloading software, pirating music and stealing intellectual property is no longer viewed for what it is — stealing.

And for anyone caught red-handed that claims innocence — or has the cheek to proclaim a high-minded purpose to deflect complete responsibility — the fact still remains; this is stealing.

You can read the above, and more and Bruce Hembd (yes, mbd … gee, Bruce, how do you pronounce that?)

I so appreciate Bruce’s two posts about this. Stealing is stealing. You can quote me on that. Or you can quote Bruce instead. Either way is okay. Just credit us, please. ;-)

I’m so thankful that I don’t have to read concert reports or research papers. I don’t have to deal with plagiarism. I just teach oboe, and I haven’t, at least up until now, required any written work. It’s difficult for my students to do a lot of cheating when it comes to playing. They can lie about practicing, but I can almost always tell when they do that. I won’t allow copies to be used in lessons, so they also can’t get away with using illegal copies, and I’ve stopped loaning out my CDs because they too frequently came back damaged. If they copy illegally from other sources there’s not much I can do. But they certainly know how I feel about it.

I don’t know that there is anything on this blog that is actually worth stealing, but if anyone has taken things and used them as their own I haven’t a clue about it. I would hope that people would ask permission to use anything here, but since no one has asked … hmmm … well, I’m going to assume no one wants anything here.

I do always try to link and give credit to anything here … except for the BQODs and TQODs. I suppose I should rethink those. Truth be told, I didn’t want to link to some of those because I didn’t want to embarrass the writers. Perhaps I should stop posting the quotes instead. Thoughts? Is it illegal or unethical to post quotes anonymously? Oh dear. Now I’m going to feel guilty about these. Bruce HeMBD (grin) … thoughts?

Tennis Shoes & T Shirts

18. May 2009 · 3 comments · Categories: Links, Ramble, Videos

So this guy, James Rhodes, is on a mission. I read it first here where, clearly, the writer isn’t blown away.

And no, I’ve never played in a concert hall that smelled of urine. Some of the backstage bathrooms were pretty awful, but no one in the audience would have a clue about that. And I’m seeing old people at concerts, it’s true, but I’m also seeing some kids, and even hearing babies cry at times. (Why oh why do people bring infants to concerts? I’m puzzled by that one!)

So anyway, I wanted to read more about this lover and promoter of classical music. So I checked this article out, and an even earlier one. They guy likes to swear a lot and smoke. He’s edgy. He likes to dress in t shirts, jeans and sneakers. But what’s most important is “Can he play?”

(I think he needs to clip his fingernails … isn’t that what I’m hearing clicking away?)

I’ll let you all be the judge of his music.

Here he is (below, I mean), playing what he is calling the “Bach Marcello” and now I’m just confused and feeling like an idiot because I thought it was the Marcello Oboe Concerto. Are we playing a transcription of this by someone else?

Again, you can judge for yourself what you think of the music (I have an opinion, but I don’t want to jump in here and color what you might think):

TQOD

18. May 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: TQOD

I now play double reeds so I’m even more awesome…..if only I could afford an English Horn….where is my bailout Obama????

BQOD

18. May 2009 · Comments Off · Categories: BQOD

I actually do feel smarter, more peaceful and even more motivated when I listen to Classical music.

BQOD

17. May 2009 · 6 comments · Categories: BQOD

But here was the quote I wanted to focus on: “Meteocrity bores me. Actually it angers me.”

Our businesses – be it music theatre or opera – could learn something from the fashion industry and the formidable Ms. Wintour.

What if we allowed meteocrity to bore us? And thus, DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT?! Why must we be satisfied with the lowest common denominator? Why can’t we strive for something larger than ourselves, and present artists and productions that dare to elevate the art, instead of just make people comfortable?

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