http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/is-slow-practice-really-necessary/
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
How Fast is the Fast Track Really?
I was struck by an article in today's Boston Globe about Red Sox prospect Jose Iglesias.
I find this situation fascinating as an example of a larger cultural trend, particularly this aspect of the story:
“It takes time,” Pedroia said. “He has the hand-eye coordination that will allow him to put the bat on the ball. People say he can’t hit. But how many at-bats has he had in the minors?”
Good question. Iglesias has played 261 games in the minors and had 1,076 plate appearances. To put that in perspective, Pedroia played in 270 minor league games and had 1,216 plate appearances before he stuck with the Red Sox.
Pedroia also had the advantage of playing three seasons at Arizona State, a premier college program, and played 42 games at two levels of Single A ball and 66 games for Double A Portland before he was promoted to Triple A Pawtucket.
We seem to be so concerned with a fast track focus that we are often putting the cart before the horse, trying to rush to goals rather than letting a process take its course. I see this all the time with young musicians who are trying to master orchestral excerpts before they have really spent the time to learn to play their instruments and understand the music they are playing. Most orchestral excerpts are not that difficult to play IF you have laid the groundwork for them with scales, etudes and solo repertoire. At that point it becomes about making musical choices and practicing for a consistent mental approach.
If I had my way we would not hear orchestral excerpts for undergraduate admissions to music schools at all. Except for an extremely rare few, they're just not ready. Even in the best undergraduate auditions I've heard, the excerpts have been the weakest part.
I'm afraid I also see this phenomenon with young conductors who are fast-tracked to big careers. There was a time when many talented young conductors from the United States would go to Europe to work in the opera houses, where they had no choice but to learn to be a good traffic cop with excellent baton technique. Now we seem to want conductors younger than ever, so this step is skipped; they get in front of the major orchestras, who don't need a particularly good traffic cop to play together, and never really learn how to do it. This makes it very difficult for the orchestras that do need a clear baton to find a music director.
I'm sure there are many other examples in other fields. College admissions now have to talk about job placement before anything else, rather than the tremendously valuable experience of a liberal arts education for its own sake.
I don't know what to do about it except tilt at the windmill in my own little way.
I find this situation fascinating as an example of a larger cultural trend, particularly this aspect of the story:
“It takes time,” Pedroia said. “He has the hand-eye coordination that will allow him to put the bat on the ball. People say he can’t hit. But how many at-bats has he had in the minors?”
Good question. Iglesias has played 261 games in the minors and had 1,076 plate appearances. To put that in perspective, Pedroia played in 270 minor league games and had 1,216 plate appearances before he stuck with the Red Sox.
Pedroia also had the advantage of playing three seasons at Arizona State, a premier college program, and played 42 games at two levels of Single A ball and 66 games for Double A Portland before he was promoted to Triple A Pawtucket.
Iglesias played only 13 games of Rookie League ball in 2010 before the Sox pushed him to Portland for 57 games.
He started the next season at Pawtucket.
Perhaps it should be no surprise that Iglesias has hit .251 in Triple A
with a .589 OPS given his quick route there.
“To start at the level he started at, he kind
of missed out on some things that other players go through and he missed
that learning curve,” said Red Sox first base coach Arnie Beyeler, who
managed Iglesias in Portland in 2010 and the last two seasons at
Pawtucket.
“Because he was so gifted when he arrived, he
got to skip some of that stuff and we forget about that. Sometimes that
comes back on you in the long run.”
We seem to be so concerned with a fast track focus that we are often putting the cart before the horse, trying to rush to goals rather than letting a process take its course. I see this all the time with young musicians who are trying to master orchestral excerpts before they have really spent the time to learn to play their instruments and understand the music they are playing. Most orchestral excerpts are not that difficult to play IF you have laid the groundwork for them with scales, etudes and solo repertoire. At that point it becomes about making musical choices and practicing for a consistent mental approach.
If I had my way we would not hear orchestral excerpts for undergraduate admissions to music schools at all. Except for an extremely rare few, they're just not ready. Even in the best undergraduate auditions I've heard, the excerpts have been the weakest part.
I'm afraid I also see this phenomenon with young conductors who are fast-tracked to big careers. There was a time when many talented young conductors from the United States would go to Europe to work in the opera houses, where they had no choice but to learn to be a good traffic cop with excellent baton technique. Now we seem to want conductors younger than ever, so this step is skipped; they get in front of the major orchestras, who don't need a particularly good traffic cop to play together, and never really learn how to do it. This makes it very difficult for the orchestras that do need a clear baton to find a music director.
I'm sure there are many other examples in other fields. College admissions now have to talk about job placement before anything else, rather than the tremendously valuable experience of a liberal arts education for its own sake.
I don't know what to do about it except tilt at the windmill in my own little way.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Solo recitals and Stuff!
I've booked an exciting start to the year for myself. Listed below are various solo appearances and recitals I'll be playing. This has all been great fun to practice for, and I hope anybody who gets to any of these enjoys them!
Wednesday, January 16, 7:30 PM
Farmers' Night FREE concert for the Vermont Legislature
Scherzo movement of Hovhaness' Symphony No. 34 for bass trombone and strings
Vermont State House in Montpelier, VT
Thursday, January 24, 12:30 PM
Convocation Faculty Recital with Shiela Kibbe, piano
French and American music for Bass Trombone and Piano
Music of Casterede, Premru, Bass, Plog, Stevens, and Gershwin
University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center
105 Upper College Road
Kingston, RI 02881
FREE
Wednesday, January 30, 8:15 PM
Guest Recital with Shiela Kibbe, piano
French and American music for Bass Trombone and Piano
Music of Semler-Collery, Casterede, Tomasi, Premru, Bass, Plog, Stevens, and Gershwin
UMass Amherst Bezanson Recital Hall
Tickets: $3 UMass students; $5 other students, children, seniors; $10 general public;
free for UMass music majors & minors
http://www.umass.edu/music/eventcalendar/
Thursday, February 14, 8 PM
Faculty Recital with Shiela Kibbe, piano
French and American music for Bass Trombone and Piano
Music of Semler-Collery, Casterede, Tomasi, Premru, Bass, Plog, Stevens, and Gershwin
Boston University College of Fine Arts Concert Hall
855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
FREE
Sunday, March 3, 3 PM
University of Rhode Island Wind Ensemble, Gene Pollart, conductor
Capriccio for Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble by Frank Gulino
General Admission $10; Students $5
Wednesday, January 16, 7:30 PM
Farmers' Night FREE concert for the Vermont Legislature
Scherzo movement of Hovhaness' Symphony No. 34 for bass trombone and strings
Vermont State House in Montpelier, VT
Thursday, January 24, 12:30 PM
Convocation Faculty Recital with Shiela Kibbe, piano
French and American music for Bass Trombone and Piano
Music of Casterede, Premru, Bass, Plog, Stevens, and Gershwin
University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center
105 Upper College Road
Kingston, RI 02881
FREE
Wednesday, January 30, 8:15 PM
Guest Recital with Shiela Kibbe, piano
French and American music for Bass Trombone and Piano
Music of Semler-Collery, Casterede, Tomasi, Premru, Bass, Plog, Stevens, and Gershwin
UMass Amherst Bezanson Recital Hall
Tickets: $3 UMass students; $5 other students, children, seniors; $10 general public;
free for UMass music majors & minors
http://www.umass.edu/music/eventcalendar/
Thursday, February 14, 8 PM
Faculty Recital with Shiela Kibbe, piano
French and American music for Bass Trombone and Piano
Music of Semler-Collery, Casterede, Tomasi, Premru, Bass, Plog, Stevens, and Gershwin
Boston University College of Fine Arts Concert Hall
855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
FREE
Sunday, March 3, 3 PM
University of Rhode Island Wind Ensemble, Gene Pollart, conductor
Capriccio for Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble by Frank Gulino
General Admission $10; Students $5
Thursday, December 27, 2012
"How soon can you be here?" Or, tips on sight-reading
There have been years of my career when a significant portion of my income was made by sight-reading concerts. I have been called moments before the downbeat of a concert with the question in the title, and gotten there just in time to rush on stage after intermission and read down the rest of the show.
I don't write that to brag; it's just the reality of working in a busy musical town, and often sight-reading a concert is a great way of making a great impression on people who might want to hire you again.
When I was in college one of our year-end juries was sight-reading. It was hugely valuable, and I'm grateful for that, as well as for fellow students who always loved to sight-read duets, trios, quartets, etc.
Sight-reading is a skill that has to be developed, like any other, and there are fundamental musical skills that contribute: first of all it's really important for students to work diligently at the ear training classes they are required to take. Sight reading and sight singing are really the same skill, just with an instrument added.
Second, play rhythmically most if not all of the time, and develop the habit of subdividing for everything you play, including long tones and lip slurs. Use a metronome, but realize that the metronome's main function is to provide objective truth, NOT to provide your pulse. The pulse still has to come from inside you, so be creative with your metronome - don't just play with the beat you hear. I like using a Dr. Beat and gradually subtracting what is audible, to the point where you are only hearing one beat per bar or even less. I also like a smartphone app called time guru, which allows you to set it to randomly remove a percentage of the audible beats. Very cool.
Now, to the sight-reading itself. There are steps you can take the first time you see something, in the moments before you play it, in order to improve your batting average and make a great impression on your colleagues.
1. Look at the starting time signature, key signature and tempo marking. This sounds obvious, but it's amazing how often I start playing a duet with a student who misses the very first note that gets an accidental from the key signature.
2. Take note of the style; make your best guess if you have to, or even better: ask somebody who's played it before. "Is this a swing tune?" "Is this a fanfare?" There's no shame in asking for help.
3. In fact, definitely ask for help: "What's the tempo of this piece? Is there anything in particular I need to know about it?" Everybody would much rather give a few words of help than hear somebody screw up.
4. Scan the page for changes in time signature, key signature and tempo.
5. Scan the page for accidentals. If there's an area with a lot of them, take note and try to identify the temporary key area. "I keep seeing F#, C# and G# here; it must have modulated to A Major or its relative minor."
6. Scan the page for active, syncopated, or otherwise atypical rhythms. If it's a swing chart, look for places where something other than swing is indicated. If there's a tricky rhythm, sing it to yourself.
When you get good at it, sight-reading is exhilarating. Learn to enjoy it!
I don't write that to brag; it's just the reality of working in a busy musical town, and often sight-reading a concert is a great way of making a great impression on people who might want to hire you again.
When I was in college one of our year-end juries was sight-reading. It was hugely valuable, and I'm grateful for that, as well as for fellow students who always loved to sight-read duets, trios, quartets, etc.
Sight-reading is a skill that has to be developed, like any other, and there are fundamental musical skills that contribute: first of all it's really important for students to work diligently at the ear training classes they are required to take. Sight reading and sight singing are really the same skill, just with an instrument added.
Second, play rhythmically most if not all of the time, and develop the habit of subdividing for everything you play, including long tones and lip slurs. Use a metronome, but realize that the metronome's main function is to provide objective truth, NOT to provide your pulse. The pulse still has to come from inside you, so be creative with your metronome - don't just play with the beat you hear. I like using a Dr. Beat and gradually subtracting what is audible, to the point where you are only hearing one beat per bar or even less. I also like a smartphone app called time guru, which allows you to set it to randomly remove a percentage of the audible beats. Very cool.
Now, to the sight-reading itself. There are steps you can take the first time you see something, in the moments before you play it, in order to improve your batting average and make a great impression on your colleagues.
1. Look at the starting time signature, key signature and tempo marking. This sounds obvious, but it's amazing how often I start playing a duet with a student who misses the very first note that gets an accidental from the key signature.
2. Take note of the style; make your best guess if you have to, or even better: ask somebody who's played it before. "Is this a swing tune?" "Is this a fanfare?" There's no shame in asking for help.
3. In fact, definitely ask for help: "What's the tempo of this piece? Is there anything in particular I need to know about it?" Everybody would much rather give a few words of help than hear somebody screw up.
4. Scan the page for changes in time signature, key signature and tempo.
5. Scan the page for accidentals. If there's an area with a lot of them, take note and try to identify the temporary key area. "I keep seeing F#, C# and G# here; it must have modulated to A Major or its relative minor."
6. Scan the page for active, syncopated, or otherwise atypical rhythms. If it's a swing chart, look for places where something other than swing is indicated. If there's a tricky rhythm, sing it to yourself.
When you get good at it, sight-reading is exhilarating. Learn to enjoy it!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
all thumbs (and fingers)
I've been practicing some music lately that has me using my valves faster and in more varied combinations than usual, and I've finally come to a confession that has been threatening to surface for a long time.
"My name is Gabe, and I have sloppy valve technique."
And I know I'm not alone. I hate to say this this way, but we trombone players tend to be a pretty undisciplined bunch. I often hear otherwise excellent players play two notes that don't exist in the western tuning system, one somewhere between A and A-flat, and another somewhere between E and E-flat. It happens in fairly rapid scale passages, and it's because of sloppy slide technique.
I can also tell you from years answering phones and emails for a trombone manufacturer that many, many trombone players expect the valves on their instruments to work flawlessly for years without a drop of oil. And then they complain about noisy, clunky sticky valves.
Here's what I've discovered (listen for the sound of my flutist wife saying "duh"): my valve motions are better co-ordinated if I simply keep my thumb and finger in contact with them. All the time, from before I activate them to after. As a big added bonus, the linkages make no noise if I do this. None. At. All.
There. That's all. Please don't tell me if I'm the last bass trombone player in the world to figure this out.
"My name is Gabe, and I have sloppy valve technique."
And I know I'm not alone. I hate to say this this way, but we trombone players tend to be a pretty undisciplined bunch. I often hear otherwise excellent players play two notes that don't exist in the western tuning system, one somewhere between A and A-flat, and another somewhere between E and E-flat. It happens in fairly rapid scale passages, and it's because of sloppy slide technique.
I can also tell you from years answering phones and emails for a trombone manufacturer that many, many trombone players expect the valves on their instruments to work flawlessly for years without a drop of oil. And then they complain about noisy, clunky sticky valves.
Here's what I've discovered (listen for the sound of my flutist wife saying "duh"): my valve motions are better co-ordinated if I simply keep my thumb and finger in contact with them. All the time, from before I activate them to after. As a big added bonus, the linkages make no noise if I do this. None. At. All.
There. That's all. Please don't tell me if I'm the last bass trombone player in the world to figure this out.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Newspapers and Orchestras
Tonight I was watching a documentary about the New York Times and the epic changes in the newspaper industry over the last decade or so, called "Page One."
I'm struck by the parallels with the challenges in the orchestra business, and particularly by the section discussing the demise of the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times and other papers under Sam Zell, who bought them under leveraged buyouts, saddled them with unmanageable debt, and ran them into bankruptcy (sound like any presidential candidate you can think of?).
Sam Zell had no experience in the newspaper or news reporting business, and he seemingly held nothing but contempt for journalism as a profession.
In the film they showed footage of what I think was a meeting between him and reporters at the Tribune, transcribed as follows:
Zell: My attitude on journalism is very simple. I want to make enough money so I can afford you. It's really that simple, okay? You need to, in effect, help me, by being a journalist that focuses on what our readers want.
Reporter: But what readers want are puppy dogs. We also need to inform the community.
Zell: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't, you know...you're giving me the classic what I would call journalistic arrogance.
[At this point the film cuts away to commentary and then comes back. I'm not sure if there was any footage in between that was edited out.]
Zell: Hopefully we get to the point where our revenue is so significant that we can do puppies and Iraq, okay? Fuck you.
I can't help but draw a parallel to the lame, warhorse, give-them-what-they-want programming, marketing that panders to the lowest common denominator, and near wholesale adoption of a shallow, celebrity-driven conductor and soloist culture that, in my opinion, has made orchestral music essentially irrelevant in contemporary culture.
Yet another example of an executive shortsightedly trying to solve a financial crisis by putting out an inferior product. And making a lot of money in the process of destroying something that has immense social and cultural value.
I'm struck by the parallels with the challenges in the orchestra business, and particularly by the section discussing the demise of the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times and other papers under Sam Zell, who bought them under leveraged buyouts, saddled them with unmanageable debt, and ran them into bankruptcy (sound like any presidential candidate you can think of?).
Sam Zell had no experience in the newspaper or news reporting business, and he seemingly held nothing but contempt for journalism as a profession.
In the film they showed footage of what I think was a meeting between him and reporters at the Tribune, transcribed as follows:
Zell: My attitude on journalism is very simple. I want to make enough money so I can afford you. It's really that simple, okay? You need to, in effect, help me, by being a journalist that focuses on what our readers want.
Reporter: But what readers want are puppy dogs. We also need to inform the community.
Zell: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I can't, you know...you're giving me the classic what I would call journalistic arrogance.
[At this point the film cuts away to commentary and then comes back. I'm not sure if there was any footage in between that was edited out.]
Zell: Hopefully we get to the point where our revenue is so significant that we can do puppies and Iraq, okay? Fuck you.
I can't help but draw a parallel to the lame, warhorse, give-them-what-they-want programming, marketing that panders to the lowest common denominator, and near wholesale adoption of a shallow, celebrity-driven conductor and soloist culture that, in my opinion, has made orchestral music essentially irrelevant in contemporary culture.
Yet another example of an executive shortsightedly trying to solve a financial crisis by putting out an inferior product. And making a lot of money in the process of destroying something that has immense social and cultural value.
Friday, August 31, 2012
How to choose a custom brass instrument
Are you ready folks? Here it is, everything you need to know about the different alloys used to make brass instruments, based on thousands of hours of helping players choose instruments:
Red brass sounds more brilliant than yellow brass, which sounds brighter than red brass. Gold brass and rose brass are the same thing, except when they're not, and neither is red brass, except when it is. And both sound darker than either yellow or red brass, except that they sound brighter when I play them. Or darker, depending on who's listening. I play a yellow brass bell because it's more clear, and because I can blend easier with most tuba players and most tenor trombone players. It's also darker than the red brass bell I used to play, except when I want it to be brighter.
(Actually, now I play a gold brass bell, except when I play a yellow brass bell, unless I'm playing a bell that is an alloy somewhere in between that stopped being available after WWII.)
Oh, and nickel sounds darker than any brass alloy. Also, it sounds much, much brighter than any brass alloy.
Heavier bells sound bigger and hold together better at loud dynamics than lighter bells, which sound broader and stay warmer at loud dynamics than heavier bells.
And Sterling silver bells don't really exist. If you say you've ever seen or owned one, you're wrong. (That's a joke.)
Lacquer and plating make no difference at all unless you think they do. In which case they makes all the difference in the world, and you should immediately get your instrument lacquered, de-lacquered, plated, or re-plated.
How's that? Have I cleared everything up? Any other questions?
The simple facts are these: all else being as equal as you can get it, different humans sound different playing the same equipment, and the same humans sound different playing different equipment, except when they are the kinds of humans who sound the same no matter what equipment they play. These humans include most beginners and some of the best musicians in the world.
Red brass sounds more brilliant than yellow brass, which sounds brighter than red brass. Gold brass and rose brass are the same thing, except when they're not, and neither is red brass, except when it is. And both sound darker than either yellow or red brass, except that they sound brighter when I play them. Or darker, depending on who's listening. I play a yellow brass bell because it's more clear, and because I can blend easier with most tuba players and most tenor trombone players. It's also darker than the red brass bell I used to play, except when I want it to be brighter.
(Actually, now I play a gold brass bell, except when I play a yellow brass bell, unless I'm playing a bell that is an alloy somewhere in between that stopped being available after WWII.)
Oh, and nickel sounds darker than any brass alloy. Also, it sounds much, much brighter than any brass alloy.
Heavier bells sound bigger and hold together better at loud dynamics than lighter bells, which sound broader and stay warmer at loud dynamics than heavier bells.
And Sterling silver bells don't really exist. If you say you've ever seen or owned one, you're wrong. (That's a joke.)
Lacquer and plating make no difference at all unless you think they do. In which case they makes all the difference in the world, and you should immediately get your instrument lacquered, de-lacquered, plated, or re-plated.
How's that? Have I cleared everything up? Any other questions?
The simple facts are these: all else being as equal as you can get it, different humans sound different playing the same equipment, and the same humans sound different playing different equipment, except when they are the kinds of humans who sound the same no matter what equipment they play. These humans include most beginners and some of the best musicians in the world.
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