It has been a busy few weeks.
Jeff Prillaman and I presented a lecture-performance on Liszt's Petrarch Sonnets at the College Music Society meeting in Gettysburg. Here are some of the ideas we shared:
Liszt resonated personally with Petrarch's struggle between the spirit and the flesh.
Liszt puts the performers in the appropriate dramatic moods through the technical demands of the music.
The sonnets are constructed of a series of styles ranging from art song to Bel Canto to Verismo. Such a demanding progression of vocal requirements is similar to the sequences of technical demands he puts on pianists in works like the Dante Sonata or Mephisto Waltz.
We heard many excellent presentations at the conference including presentations on piano music from China, Haiti, and works by the Russian jazz-influenced composer, Kapustin. A personal favorite of mine was on the strategic use of bands on the battlefields of the American Civil War.
On the way home, I played at Woodland Heights Baptist Church where Kathy and I worked in Richmond, and in the aternoon I played on a concert with friends from the Talent Developing Studio at Slash Christian Church. Slash is the oldest wooden church in Virginia.
Last night, Kathy and I drove to Raleigh for part of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina meeting. There I learned about the Winston Salem-based Institute for Dismantling Racism. I took part in a fascinating discussion of the use of arts in missions work led by Jonathan and Tina Bailey who are artistic missionaries in Indonesia. They discussed the complexities of creating new Christian expressions within traditional styles such as gamelan and shadow puppetry. I also attended a presentation on the history of Chowan University given by our president, Dr. White. I learned many interesting things there including some facts about the recent restoration of the MacDowell Columns building. The massive columns on the portico are made of cypress and had around 35 layers of paint on them before they were scraped and repainted.
Today I played a concert for the Northeastern North Carolina Chapter of the American Guild of Organists at Roanoke Bible College in Elizabeth City. I had not been on that campus before and was impressed by the facility in which I played. It housed a nice chapel with a good older Baldwin, a gym, and a library. The building is situated right next to the water where there are swings, geese, and ducks.
I've felt a little frustrated practicing lately, but I've pushed through it each time and kept practicing. I felt like it paid off today as the memorized works held together better than in the previous performances. Also, my frustration pushed me to connect on a deeper level with the Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet pieces I've been playing. I played them more personally today and with more focus on the various characters from the play as they are expressed in the music. I had been trying to do less with time and more with color, which is what my best Russian-trained friend tells me is most stylistically appropriate. I appreciated that and agree with that, but I allowed myself a little more rhythmic freedom today, and I believe the pieces really came to life in a way they hadn't before for me.
Maybe frustration in practice is sometimes a sign that the opportunity for better playing and a deeper personal connection is at hand if only we don't give up.
As an encore I played my recently composed Ragtime Etude. The piece is a little bitonal and I think the bitonality of the last page keeps any one pitch from sounding like a strong tonic. I think that may be a compositional problem I need to solve. As Dr. Benjamin often told us, most composing is editing!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Easter
We're enjoying a beautiful spring here in Murfreesboro.
Last week was Easter and also a special day for me as it was my first Sunday as the official organist/music associate at the First Baptist Church of Ahoskie. For offertory and postlude I played Handel: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth and Palestrina: The Strife is O'er.
I'm still reflecting a bit on the nice spring break we had. On our trip to Raleigh, we visited the state capitol building. As a native North Carolinian, I was very inspired by our time there. Three things I found especially stirring were plaques commemorating the Edenton Tea Party (I graduated from high school in Edenton and some of my ancestors lived there,) and the Halifax Resolves, and the monument to the North Carolinians who were presidents of the U.S.
Kathy's family was here this weekend, and we visited a local store that is typical of many of the things we love about Murfreesboro - The Woolery. The Woolery is owned and run by a couple who moved from Syracuse, NY in search of better weather. In their store we saw all sorts of spinning wheels and looms. They also sell every imaginable sort of book relevant to topics from knitting patterns for your dog's neck warmer to a work called Making the Most of Your Llama to several reference books on the various Tartan plaids. There is also a section of used books on a variety of topics as well as a whole shelf of literature in French!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Da Capo Concert and Masterclass
Over the weekend, I played a concert and taught a masterclass in Richmond, sponsored by the Da Capo Institute.
As I turned 36 a week earlier and I was also on spring break, the occasion proved to be a good time for reflection on my musical life.
Right before the concert, I had a feeling I'd never had before, and that was that having to play from memory is somehow undignified - as if art music required some sort of parlor trick.
After performing, I realized that I am more comfortable performing James M. Guthrie's Intermezzo and Fugue than Schumann's Papillons. From a techical standpoint, the Guthrie is a lot harder to play. But it fits me better tempermentally, or at least my current way of playing it does.
That evening, I had a good long talk with my good friend and musical collaborator, Jeff Prillaman. We shared our autobiographies as performers. Out of that came at least two solid bits of pianistic wisdom for me to remember:
Different works as well as different eras in one's life require different performance approaches. When I was a lot younger, I used a method acting approach to most of what I played. Then I came to trust the music more. Now I am trusting the music and my talent. Ultimately, I would do well to keep my music-making focused on my theme of integration - particularly the integration of my art and faith. I believe there are many ways in which one might make music so as to honor God - and I ought to pursue them more intentionally .
The other point also deals with difference and that is that different pianos can be radically different and one can't do everything one wants to with a piece on every piano. This ought to be taken into consideration when one evaluates one's performance goals and efforts.
As I turned 36 a week earlier and I was also on spring break, the occasion proved to be a good time for reflection on my musical life.
Right before the concert, I had a feeling I'd never had before, and that was that having to play from memory is somehow undignified - as if art music required some sort of parlor trick.
After performing, I realized that I am more comfortable performing James M. Guthrie's Intermezzo and Fugue than Schumann's Papillons. From a techical standpoint, the Guthrie is a lot harder to play. But it fits me better tempermentally, or at least my current way of playing it does.
That evening, I had a good long talk with my good friend and musical collaborator, Jeff Prillaman. We shared our autobiographies as performers. Out of that came at least two solid bits of pianistic wisdom for me to remember:
Different works as well as different eras in one's life require different performance approaches. When I was a lot younger, I used a method acting approach to most of what I played. Then I came to trust the music more. Now I am trusting the music and my talent. Ultimately, I would do well to keep my music-making focused on my theme of integration - particularly the integration of my art and faith. I believe there are many ways in which one might make music so as to honor God - and I ought to pursue them more intentionally .
The other point also deals with difference and that is that different pianos can be radically different and one can't do everything one wants to with a piece on every piano. This ought to be taken into consideration when one evaluates one's performance goals and efforts.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Chowan Pianofest
We held our first annual Chowan Pianofest at the beginning of March, and it was an inspiring few days around town for musicians.
Richard Becker who teaches at the University of Richmond was our guest pianist. Richard inaugerated this new fest with a brilliant recital which was, as Kathy described it, an event. While the music may or may not have been about something outside itself, it was an event of importance in and of itself - like a sunset or the Grand Canyon.
He played two Beethoven sonatas, probably as well as they can be played. The second half consisted of a group of Debussy preludes and a Chopin group concluding with the First Ballade.
On the following morning, Richard worked with seven local students in a masterclass where he expounded on the work of the pianist: to express what's on the page and to be responsible for the progress through music that occurs in performance. He helped our students relate more closely to the piano and its technical demands and possibilities. He also helped students recognize their talent through sensitive and open listening and encouraging comments.
That eveing, I performed a solo recital. The program is posted here I think the Intermezzo and Fugue of James M. Guthrie really made the program. Guthrie is a colleague of mine that I've mentioned before. I was also intrigued by comments indicating that the Friar Laurence movement of the Prokofief was a special favorite for some audience members. I revisited passages of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet the afternoon of the concert and realized how significant a character Friar Laurence was, and also what a genuinely good fellow he was. (And as always, I am amazed at Shakespeare's ability to create what seem like real people - many of whom also happen to speak in verse a lot of the time!) I find his conversations with the young Romeo very moving because of his understanding and his caring. I think we'd all do well to have a Friar Laurence in our lives.
I used the Friar Laurence movement as an organ postlude at church the next day, and I thought it worked quite well. I added a little chime on the last two chords.
My colleague, Paula Pressnell, played a lovely recital the next day showing off her terrific clear and even technique in a couple of classical works. (She doen't show off, though. She's quite humble.) The second half included Brahms rhapsodies which struck me as not very rhapsodic because what seems like a big exposition repeat at the beginning of the B minor Rhapsody! Paula ended our weekend of piano music with a sparkly Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody.
Hearing the three of us on the same piano and in the same hall reminded me of the amazing variety of sounds and affects that can be created with a piano by different hands and temperments.
I'm already looking forward to next year.
Richard Becker who teaches at the University of Richmond was our guest pianist. Richard inaugerated this new fest with a brilliant recital which was, as Kathy described it, an event. While the music may or may not have been about something outside itself, it was an event of importance in and of itself - like a sunset or the Grand Canyon.
He played two Beethoven sonatas, probably as well as they can be played. The second half consisted of a group of Debussy preludes and a Chopin group concluding with the First Ballade.
On the following morning, Richard worked with seven local students in a masterclass where he expounded on the work of the pianist: to express what's on the page and to be responsible for the progress through music that occurs in performance. He helped our students relate more closely to the piano and its technical demands and possibilities. He also helped students recognize their talent through sensitive and open listening and encouraging comments.
That eveing, I performed a solo recital. The program is posted here I think the Intermezzo and Fugue of James M. Guthrie really made the program. Guthrie is a colleague of mine that I've mentioned before. I was also intrigued by comments indicating that the Friar Laurence movement of the Prokofief was a special favorite for some audience members. I revisited passages of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet the afternoon of the concert and realized how significant a character Friar Laurence was, and also what a genuinely good fellow he was. (And as always, I am amazed at Shakespeare's ability to create what seem like real people - many of whom also happen to speak in verse a lot of the time!) I find his conversations with the young Romeo very moving because of his understanding and his caring. I think we'd all do well to have a Friar Laurence in our lives.
I used the Friar Laurence movement as an organ postlude at church the next day, and I thought it worked quite well. I added a little chime on the last two chords.
My colleague, Paula Pressnell, played a lovely recital the next day showing off her terrific clear and even technique in a couple of classical works. (She doen't show off, though. She's quite humble.) The second half included Brahms rhapsodies which struck me as not very rhapsodic because what seems like a big exposition repeat at the beginning of the B minor Rhapsody! Paula ended our weekend of piano music with a sparkly Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody.
Hearing the three of us on the same piano and in the same hall reminded me of the amazing variety of sounds and affects that can be created with a piano by different hands and temperments.
I'm already looking forward to next year.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Eugene Onegin
We saw Virginia Opera's production of Tchaikowsky's Eugene Onegin last week.
Early on, I was struck by the Mozartean clarity of the ensembles and the almost instrumental nature of some of the vocal writing.
I think some of the best music in the opera conveys sentiments that we seldom hear in opera - domestic sentiments such as the two elderly sisters singing about how habit had replaced joy for them or the scene in which one of the sisters is helping her young charge get ready for bed.
Finally, Pushkin's plot seems a lot like Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice only with a sad ending. Normally, I think about how much life in the past was like living today when I go to the opera. But at Onegin I felt like my society is quite different from the one portrayed onstage. I haven't engaged in class-oriented cultured social dancing or dueling over my honor in a long, long time.
Early on, I was struck by the Mozartean clarity of the ensembles and the almost instrumental nature of some of the vocal writing.
I think some of the best music in the opera conveys sentiments that we seldom hear in opera - domestic sentiments such as the two elderly sisters singing about how habit had replaced joy for them or the scene in which one of the sisters is helping her young charge get ready for bed.
Finally, Pushkin's plot seems a lot like Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice only with a sad ending. Normally, I think about how much life in the past was like living today when I go to the opera. But at Onegin I felt like my society is quite different from the one portrayed onstage. I haven't engaged in class-oriented cultured social dancing or dueling over my honor in a long, long time.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Learning
I've been learning old and new lessons the last several weeks -
Faure studied with Saint-Seans. I think that explains the various piano figurations in the A major Sonata for violin and piano.
Most musicians go through at least two stages if they stick with it long enough:
stage one - you think everything always comes out fine in your performances regardless of your preparation - and you're wrong!
stage two - you think your perfromance didn't sound very good, but when you listen to the recording you discover you were wrong!
Now for something really basic: you need to practice every day if you want accomplish anything.
Faure studied with Saint-Seans. I think that explains the various piano figurations in the A major Sonata for violin and piano.
Most musicians go through at least two stages if they stick with it long enough:
stage one - you think everything always comes out fine in your performances regardless of your preparation - and you're wrong!
stage two - you think your perfromance didn't sound very good, but when you listen to the recording you discover you were wrong!
Now for something really basic: you need to practice every day if you want accomplish anything.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tired!
One of the challenging tensions of being a musician is that it reminds you, pretty much on a daily basis, that you are both spirit and flesh.
Music is an emotional, intellectual, and spiritual endeavor.
At the same time, it's physical.
The combination complicates one's life, but I think it keeps you aware that you really are living!
Today I'm facing some fatigue that's standing in the way of me feeling up to par musically. My hands are arms are tired and I'm not reading as well as I normally do. Those things make me feel uncertain at the piano. And because I'm tired, my mind leaps from topic to topic instead of staying on the task at hand.
Work, other responsibilities, changes in schedule, over-practicing - all these things can contribute to a musician being tired.
I almost forgot - bad nutrition, lack of exercise and rest also play a role!
Also, clicking the mouse and staring at the computer screen.
So, I'm going home to take a nap and then do very little until rehearsing tomorrow night.
Music is an emotional, intellectual, and spiritual endeavor.
At the same time, it's physical.
The combination complicates one's life, but I think it keeps you aware that you really are living!
Today I'm facing some fatigue that's standing in the way of me feeling up to par musically. My hands are arms are tired and I'm not reading as well as I normally do. Those things make me feel uncertain at the piano. And because I'm tired, my mind leaps from topic to topic instead of staying on the task at hand.
Work, other responsibilities, changes in schedule, over-practicing - all these things can contribute to a musician being tired.
I almost forgot - bad nutrition, lack of exercise and rest also play a role!
Also, clicking the mouse and staring at the computer screen.
So, I'm going home to take a nap and then do very little until rehearsing tomorrow night.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Recent Highlights
Two highlights of the year so far:
An inspiring weekend working with young students at the Talent Developing Studio in Hanvor, VA. Working on music with these hard-working students reminded me that it's really refreshing and joyful to start with musical ideas and then work on technique to fit those ideas. My tendency is to start with technique in my own work, in spite of my own very wise teacher's admonitions to start with music!
Great art makes us feel things - it challenges whatever numbness we might have. It also gives us a fresh perspective. Tonight I had both experiences as I watched and listened to my colleague's works Windows, Doors, and Metal. The images used in these works were beautiful and suggested many forms and ideas. The music was compelling at times and hypnotic at others. Thank you Dr. Guthrie!
An inspiring weekend working with young students at the Talent Developing Studio in Hanvor, VA. Working on music with these hard-working students reminded me that it's really refreshing and joyful to start with musical ideas and then work on technique to fit those ideas. My tendency is to start with technique in my own work, in spite of my own very wise teacher's admonitions to start with music!
Great art makes us feel things - it challenges whatever numbness we might have. It also gives us a fresh perspective. Tonight I had both experiences as I watched and listened to my colleague's works Windows, Doors, and Metal. The images used in these works were beautiful and suggested many forms and ideas. The music was compelling at times and hypnotic at others. Thank you Dr. Guthrie!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Christmas in Venice
We spent the Sunday after Christmas at Venice Presbyterian Church in Venice, FL.
The service was a service of lessons and carols. We were told that the basic format goes back to Archbishop Benson who chose the readings and so forth back in 1880. Also, the service of lessons and carols has been broadcast on BBC from Cambridge every year since 1928. (This reminds me that I read somewhere that Handel’s Messiah has been performed somewhere every year since it was composed.)
One phrase on the bulletin from Venice Presbyterian refers to the “joy-filled traditional worship style for which VPC is known.” The service we attended perfectly exemplified that statement.
I’ll highlight some of the elements that made the service especially rich for me:
After the reading about the expulsion of humanity from the Garden of Eden, the organist played a setting of a very old and seldom heard hymn, “Through Adam’s Fall All Men Are Cursed.” This gave a sense of connection back through centuries of religious tradition.
Another musical highlight was a piano solo presented by the pastor. He played his well-crafted interpretation with seriousness and sincerity. The trajectory of each phrase was beautifully calibrated to fit into its overall context. His rendering was also characterized by striking shifts of color and very well-projected soft playing.
Just a little later, the choir sang an arrangement of “He is Born, the Divine Christ Child.” In addition to their good blend, the choir added depth to the service at this point with a verse or so in French.
Throughout the service, readers, many of whom were members of the church’s pastoral staff , read passages of prophecy or the details of Christ’s birth from Luke and Matthew. Each reader’s tone matched the respective reading like a glove. One conveyed the sweetness of the manger scene, another, the profound beauty of the coming of Christ, and yet another, the world of the Wise Men.
Regarding these readers, I appreciated being able to match the names in the order of service with the names of the pastoral staff on the back of the bulletin. Coming to the church as a visitor, it gave me a good sense of the warmth and range of some of the folks who minister in the church.
Two of the congregational hymns were “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “We Three Kings.” I thought the organist gave each of these just the right flavor. For the second verse of “Angels” his registration was very reedy and he played a little staccato. This underscored the hardy ways of the shepherds. And throughout “Kings” he maintained a sense of the gait of dromedaries throughout, thus carrying the congregation along on the journey of the Wise Men.
Two surprises (at least to me) were saved for close to the end of the service. The final congregational hymn was “In Bethlehem a Babe Was Born.” This was a new carol to me, and it did a great job of summarizing all the ground that we have covered in the service. The hymn went on to call for contemporary action regarding the ancient message we had been hearing. I also liked it because of a rarely-heard iii chord at the end of the penultimate line that harmonizes the word "forlorn."
The other surprise was the choir’s spirited singing of an anthem entitled “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy” by D. Johnson (same arranger as for “He is Born” mentioned above.) This piece was a combination of Bizet’s “Farandole,” “We Three Kings,” and “The First Noel” with quite a few glissandi thrown into the mix. But the great thing about it was the joyful and attitude of the singers! Trumpets and drums couldn’t have added any more life to the scene. The fact that the joy was deeply felt and conveyed with so little inhibition made me notice it and participate in it.
It was during that piece that I really understood the phrase from the bulletin about “joy-filled traditional worship style.”
Finally, after having such a good and uplifting time in the church, we were reminded through a thoughtful benediction and a Bonhoeffer quotation that the world outside the church’s doors is hurting and that we are called to make the joy of Christ’s Kingdom a reality in our world today. The service was bookended by this type of thought - the pastor’s prayer at the beginning provided that same sort of understanding of the context of our worship. We visited the Venice Presbyterian once before and heard the same type of message then as well.
We were very grateful for this Christmastide experience .
The service was a service of lessons and carols. We were told that the basic format goes back to Archbishop Benson who chose the readings and so forth back in 1880. Also, the service of lessons and carols has been broadcast on BBC from Cambridge every year since 1928. (This reminds me that I read somewhere that Handel’s Messiah has been performed somewhere every year since it was composed.)
One phrase on the bulletin from Venice Presbyterian refers to the “joy-filled traditional worship style for which VPC is known.” The service we attended perfectly exemplified that statement.
I’ll highlight some of the elements that made the service especially rich for me:
After the reading about the expulsion of humanity from the Garden of Eden, the organist played a setting of a very old and seldom heard hymn, “Through Adam’s Fall All Men Are Cursed.” This gave a sense of connection back through centuries of religious tradition.
Another musical highlight was a piano solo presented by the pastor. He played his well-crafted interpretation with seriousness and sincerity. The trajectory of each phrase was beautifully calibrated to fit into its overall context. His rendering was also characterized by striking shifts of color and very well-projected soft playing.
Just a little later, the choir sang an arrangement of “He is Born, the Divine Christ Child.” In addition to their good blend, the choir added depth to the service at this point with a verse or so in French.
Throughout the service, readers, many of whom were members of the church’s pastoral staff , read passages of prophecy or the details of Christ’s birth from Luke and Matthew. Each reader’s tone matched the respective reading like a glove. One conveyed the sweetness of the manger scene, another, the profound beauty of the coming of Christ, and yet another, the world of the Wise Men.
Regarding these readers, I appreciated being able to match the names in the order of service with the names of the pastoral staff on the back of the bulletin. Coming to the church as a visitor, it gave me a good sense of the warmth and range of some of the folks who minister in the church.
Two of the congregational hymns were “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “We Three Kings.” I thought the organist gave each of these just the right flavor. For the second verse of “Angels” his registration was very reedy and he played a little staccato. This underscored the hardy ways of the shepherds. And throughout “Kings” he maintained a sense of the gait of dromedaries throughout, thus carrying the congregation along on the journey of the Wise Men.
Two surprises (at least to me) were saved for close to the end of the service. The final congregational hymn was “In Bethlehem a Babe Was Born.” This was a new carol to me, and it did a great job of summarizing all the ground that we have covered in the service. The hymn went on to call for contemporary action regarding the ancient message we had been hearing. I also liked it because of a rarely-heard iii chord at the end of the penultimate line that harmonizes the word "forlorn."
The other surprise was the choir’s spirited singing of an anthem entitled “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy” by D. Johnson (same arranger as for “He is Born” mentioned above.) This piece was a combination of Bizet’s “Farandole,” “We Three Kings,” and “The First Noel” with quite a few glissandi thrown into the mix. But the great thing about it was the joyful and attitude of the singers! Trumpets and drums couldn’t have added any more life to the scene. The fact that the joy was deeply felt and conveyed with so little inhibition made me notice it and participate in it.
It was during that piece that I really understood the phrase from the bulletin about “joy-filled traditional worship style.”
Finally, after having such a good and uplifting time in the church, we were reminded through a thoughtful benediction and a Bonhoeffer quotation that the world outside the church’s doors is hurting and that we are called to make the joy of Christ’s Kingdom a reality in our world today. The service was bookended by this type of thought - the pastor’s prayer at the beginning provided that same sort of understanding of the context of our worship. We visited the Venice Presbyterian once before and heard the same type of message then as well.
We were very grateful for this Christmastide experience .
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Christmas Cards from Murfreesboro
For any friends who might be reading my blog around Christmas, I'm including a few pictures of our warm and charming surroundings here in Murfreesboro.
This little Christmas tour starts with a scene just outside town.
This is the home of one of our local merchants who sells spinning wheels, looms, and so forth. The children at this house study piano with Kathy.
Here is one of the majestic old homes in the historic district all decked out for Christmas.
The Murfreesboro Historical Association presents a Christmas tour every year, and this year's tour explored some of Murfreesboro's international connections. Thus, the flag of Scotland.
This last photo is the steeple of the Methodist church across the street surrounded by lots of mistletoe. My friend and colleague, James M. Guthrie, is the organist and choir master, and I play there on occasion.
Merry Christmas everyone!
This little Christmas tour starts with a scene just outside town.
This is the home of one of our local merchants who sells spinning wheels, looms, and so forth. The children at this house study piano with Kathy.
Here is one of the majestic old homes in the historic district all decked out for Christmas.
The Murfreesboro Historical Association presents a Christmas tour every year, and this year's tour explored some of Murfreesboro's international connections. Thus, the flag of Scotland.
This last photo is the steeple of the Methodist church across the street surrounded by lots of mistletoe. My friend and colleague, James M. Guthrie, is the organist and choir master, and I play there on occasion.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Great Christmas Music in NC
Last week, our church (First Baptist of Ahoskie) held a church-wide party and concert that included mostly lighter selections performed by all the different musical groups in the church. Kathy coordinated most of this music. One creative item was a sing-along accompanied by handbells.
The other two items that really caught my attention were songs I've known for many years but had either never thought much about or have a new take on this year.
"Silver Bells" was the first of these songs. The text in combination with the musical style perfectly situate the song between urban and rural life.
The second song was "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I had been thinking this song was about the most depressing Christmas song, second only to "Shake Me I Rattle." It has always seemed sappy, sentimental, and maudlin to me.
This year, I'm hearing it differently.
The song is really about community and belonging.
Now that both of my parents have passed on, the song has taken on a new depth for me. As I was hearing it in the context of our church - in the context of Christian community - I realized that these people are my community and family now, and may very well be for many years to come. I'm new here, but the time is right for me to grow into this community, to connect, to know and to be known.
The other two items that really caught my attention were songs I've known for many years but had either never thought much about or have a new take on this year.
"Silver Bells" was the first of these songs. The text in combination with the musical style perfectly situate the song between urban and rural life.
The second song was "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I had been thinking this song was about the most depressing Christmas song, second only to "Shake Me I Rattle." It has always seemed sappy, sentimental, and maudlin to me.
This year, I'm hearing it differently.
The song is really about community and belonging.
Now that both of my parents have passed on, the song has taken on a new depth for me. As I was hearing it in the context of our church - in the context of Christian community - I realized that these people are my community and family now, and may very well be for many years to come. I'm new here, but the time is right for me to grow into this community, to connect, to know and to be known.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Freshmen Devotionals
Last week was our last week of classes and our final devotional was as follows.
Musicians get very busy at Christmastime. There are extra concerts, church services, parties, etc., all of which require music.
Often we hear the complaint that the busy-ness and commercialism take us away from real devotion to Christ at Christmastime.
While the busy-ness of the Christmas season may distract us fom whatever routine of quiet time we may have, I think a healthier and more joyful approach to the situation might be to recognize that all the busy-ness, whether sacred or secular, is a reverberation of Christ coming into the world so many years ago.
Thus, as we go about the myriad of things we have to do in this season, we can engage in each of them worshipfully and joyfully as we remain mindful of Christ's coming that created this cultural rhythm that has endured for centuries.
Musicians get very busy at Christmastime. There are extra concerts, church services, parties, etc., all of which require music.
Often we hear the complaint that the busy-ness and commercialism take us away from real devotion to Christ at Christmastime.
While the busy-ness of the Christmas season may distract us fom whatever routine of quiet time we may have, I think a healthier and more joyful approach to the situation might be to recognize that all the busy-ness, whether sacred or secular, is a reverberation of Christ coming into the world so many years ago.
Thus, as we go about the myriad of things we have to do in this season, we can engage in each of them worshipfully and joyfully as we remain mindful of Christ's coming that created this cultural rhythm that has endured for centuries.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Freshmen Devotionals
This is the devotional thought I shared with my freshmen music theory class the Monday after Thanksgiving.
There are several things that make our class hard, not least among them:
Meeting at 8 A.M.
Not all of us find theory a natural fit for our way of processing information
And did I mention meeting at 8 A.M.?
These things and others could contribute to us not feeling so grateful at times.
One of my mother's favoerite Bible verses to quote was Psalm 118:24 -
"This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I have often understood this to mean that God has made the day. God has given me time to live. I should be grateful for that time. By itself, the verse seems to say nothing about what I'm experiencing during that time, but that we should rejoice because God has made the time.
I don't think that's really what the verse means in the context of the psalm. Still, I think it is a good thought, and I am more joyful when I think that way. I'm more mindful of God when I have that mindset.
In its context, the verse refers to a day in which God has saved the writer, and we can also be grateful that God is in time with us, redeeming and saving.
There are several things that make our class hard, not least among them:
Meeting at 8 A.M.
Not all of us find theory a natural fit for our way of processing information
And did I mention meeting at 8 A.M.?
These things and others could contribute to us not feeling so grateful at times.
One of my mother's favoerite Bible verses to quote was Psalm 118:24 -
"This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I have often understood this to mean that God has made the day. God has given me time to live. I should be grateful for that time. By itself, the verse seems to say nothing about what I'm experiencing during that time, but that we should rejoice because God has made the time.
I don't think that's really what the verse means in the context of the psalm. Still, I think it is a good thought, and I am more joyful when I think that way. I'm more mindful of God when I have that mindset.
In its context, the verse refers to a day in which God has saved the writer, and we can also be grateful that God is in time with us, redeeming and saving.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Freshmen Devotionals
Our most recent devotional was based on the following reading from John Wesley's sermon entitled "God's Approbation of His Works."
Such was the state of the creation, according to the scanty ideas which we can now form concerning it, when its great Author, surveying the whole system at one view, pronounced it "very good." It was good in the highest degree whereof it was capable, and without any mixture of evil. Every part was exactly suited to the others, and conducive to the good of the whole. There was "a golden chain" (to use the expression of Plato) "let down from the throne of God;" an exactly connected series of beings, from the highest to the lowest; from dead earth, through fossils, vegatables, animals, to man, created in the image of God, and designed to know, to love, and enjoy his Creator to all eternity.
This passage paints a picture for me of how God created us to be:
without any mixture of evil
functioning at our very best
performing our role which is important for all of creation
These three themes could be foundational to a Christian approach to artistic or student work. We need to have a pure devotion to our work. We express that devotion by striving to do our very best. The health of the whole community depends on us doing the best with our part.
Such was the state of the creation, according to the scanty ideas which we can now form concerning it, when its great Author, surveying the whole system at one view, pronounced it "very good." It was good in the highest degree whereof it was capable, and without any mixture of evil. Every part was exactly suited to the others, and conducive to the good of the whole. There was "a golden chain" (to use the expression of Plato) "let down from the throne of God;" an exactly connected series of beings, from the highest to the lowest; from dead earth, through fossils, vegatables, animals, to man, created in the image of God, and designed to know, to love, and enjoy his Creator to all eternity.
This passage paints a picture for me of how God created us to be:
without any mixture of evil
functioning at our very best
performing our role which is important for all of creation
These three themes could be foundational to a Christian approach to artistic or student work. We need to have a pure devotion to our work. We express that devotion by striving to do our very best. The health of the whole community depends on us doing the best with our part.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Freshmen Devotionals
Today we compared two Genesis passages.
In the first, God created light.
In the second, humanity was told that survival would involve work.
The comparison reminds us that God is different from us in that God speaks and creation happens. There doesn't seem to be a planning or working stage involved. On the other hand, humanity has to work to get from an idea to a product.
As performing artists, we enjoy the moment before the public. But the life of a musician is really much more about daily work that is for our ears only. We should be grounded in that fact and seek to find some fulfillment in that daily toil.
In the first, God created light.
In the second, humanity was told that survival would involve work.
The comparison reminds us that God is different from us in that God speaks and creation happens. There doesn't seem to be a planning or working stage involved. On the other hand, humanity has to work to get from an idea to a product.
As performing artists, we enjoy the moment before the public. But the life of a musician is really much more about daily work that is for our ears only. We should be grounded in that fact and seek to find some fulfillment in that daily toil.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Theory Fun
1.
In my Music Fundamentals class, we have been studying how to generate intervals above and below specific notes. I taught the students that for ascending intervals, they can use an ascending major scale as a starting point. For instance, if they need to determine a major third above G, all they need to do is consult the G major scale and note that the third note of the scale is B. All of the intervals from the tonic up to any other note in a major scale are major, except for scale degrees 4 and 5, which are perfect. Minor intervals are then generated by lowering the top notes of these major intervals a half step.
One of my students started asking questions about generating descending intervals and whether or not some sort of scale could be helpful. After thinking about this a little, we realized (something that is actually pretty obvious but I hadn't thought through before) all the intervals from the top tonic down to any other note in a major scale are minor, except for scale degrees 4 and 5, which are perfect! Thus, a descending major scale can be used as a template for determining descending intervals.
2.
I have one adult student outside the University. She plays for church services, and the focus of our lessons is for her to learn how to enhance her hymn accompaniments through improvisation.
An important skill to develop towards that end is the ability to quickly understand what chords and chord progressions are in the hymn at hand.
As we were analyzing chords in a hymn, we came upon a cadential six-four chord. As many of you know, the naming of that chord is controversial. Some call it "I six-four" since the pitches in the chord are those of a second inversion I chord. Some call it "V six-four" because it has a strong dominant feeling. The problem with calling it that, though, is that in the standard system for labeling chords with Roman and Arabic Numbers for roots and inversions, respectively, it is assumed that all the chords are stacks of thirds. Thus, the bass note of a cadential six-four chord couldn't really be the root of the chord since the distance from that pitch to the next chord member is a fourth and not a third. In addition to that problem, there is already a chord that is labeled "V six-four" without being inconsistent with labeling principles. The bass of that chord starts on scale degree 2, not 5. The phrase "Dominant six-four" is a little better, but it can still be a little confusing as "V" and "dominant" are synonymous when referring to scale degrees and chords (most of the time.) The phrase "cadential six-four" seems to be the clearest description of the chord's funtion and its inversion.
Now for the good part! I asked my student if the chord sounded like it had a tonic, dominant, or pre-dominant function. She accidentally but very accurately referred to it as "Tominant" - tonic pitches with rather dominant function.
In my Music Fundamentals class, we have been studying how to generate intervals above and below specific notes. I taught the students that for ascending intervals, they can use an ascending major scale as a starting point. For instance, if they need to determine a major third above G, all they need to do is consult the G major scale and note that the third note of the scale is B. All of the intervals from the tonic up to any other note in a major scale are major, except for scale degrees 4 and 5, which are perfect. Minor intervals are then generated by lowering the top notes of these major intervals a half step.
One of my students started asking questions about generating descending intervals and whether or not some sort of scale could be helpful. After thinking about this a little, we realized (something that is actually pretty obvious but I hadn't thought through before) all the intervals from the top tonic down to any other note in a major scale are minor, except for scale degrees 4 and 5, which are perfect! Thus, a descending major scale can be used as a template for determining descending intervals.
2.
I have one adult student outside the University. She plays for church services, and the focus of our lessons is for her to learn how to enhance her hymn accompaniments through improvisation.
An important skill to develop towards that end is the ability to quickly understand what chords and chord progressions are in the hymn at hand.
As we were analyzing chords in a hymn, we came upon a cadential six-four chord. As many of you know, the naming of that chord is controversial. Some call it "I six-four" since the pitches in the chord are those of a second inversion I chord. Some call it "V six-four" because it has a strong dominant feeling. The problem with calling it that, though, is that in the standard system for labeling chords with Roman and Arabic Numbers for roots and inversions, respectively, it is assumed that all the chords are stacks of thirds. Thus, the bass note of a cadential six-four chord couldn't really be the root of the chord since the distance from that pitch to the next chord member is a fourth and not a third. In addition to that problem, there is already a chord that is labeled "V six-four" without being inconsistent with labeling principles. The bass of that chord starts on scale degree 2, not 5. The phrase "Dominant six-four" is a little better, but it can still be a little confusing as "V" and "dominant" are synonymous when referring to scale degrees and chords (most of the time.) The phrase "cadential six-four" seems to be the clearest description of the chord's funtion and its inversion.
Now for the good part! I asked my student if the chord sounded like it had a tonic, dominant, or pre-dominant function. She accidentally but very accurately referred to it as "Tominant" - tonic pitches with rather dominant function.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Father
My father would have turned 78 yesterday. That means he passed away a little over eight years ago. It's very hard to believe it's been that long.
Last night at choir practice we were rehearsing the old American tune "Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal." Kathy said we are to sing it on All Saints Day.
Part of the text of "Hark! I Hear..." is:
"Souls have crossed before me saintly
to the land of perfect rest
and I hear them singing faintly
in the mansions of the blest."
That first line made me think of my father. Over the years, my mother highlighted his integrity in conversations with me by commenting on aspects of his personality:
"He doesn't have an ulterior bone in his body."
"One thing your father can't stand for is people being mistreated."
My father loved music, especially the music of the church. The song "It Is No Secret" by Stuart Hamblin played a crucial role in his call to ministry. One of his favorite hymns was "When Morning Guilds the Skies." He chose that as a congregational hymn for many of the worship services he planned.
He grew up in the heyday of the big bands. He really knew the history and output of Benny Goodman and Harry James. He also loved the crooners like Dick Haymes. He even wrote and recorded a ballad on a couple of occasions. It's called "The Moonlight and You" and it sounds a little Glenn Miller-esque. I have the 45s.
In terms of classical music, certain works that I played really captured his imagination:
Debussy . . .la cathedral engloutie
Paganini-Liszt E Major Etude
Ginastera Sonata, First Movement
Liszt Dante Sonata
He liked the image of me as a happy young musician playing the opening theme of Kabalevsky's Youth Concerto.
Debussy First Arabesque was a bit of theme for us - a little bit nostalgic - as it was theme music for a short segement about astronomy that appeared on Saturday TV. After I went away to college, he would sometimes hear it and think of how he and I had often looked at the stars together when I was still living at home.
He also identified deeply and personally with the beginning of Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto. In those opening bars he heard the struggle of a hero and his family facing the stormy opposition of the world and fate.
The second movement of Beethoven Sonata Op. 111 conjures up in my mind my father on his hospital bed in our living room during his last summer. During his mostly unconscious last days it was as though his soul was lingering in the room - not necessarily in his body - maybe up near the ceiling. It is that sensibilty that I hear in the Beethoven: sad, beautiful, questioning, floating, and all about the essence of human identity and existence.
Dad and I were good friends.
Maybe I'll learn Op. 111 for him one of these years.
Last night at choir practice we were rehearsing the old American tune "Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal." Kathy said we are to sing it on All Saints Day.
Part of the text of "Hark! I Hear..." is:
"Souls have crossed before me saintly
to the land of perfect rest
and I hear them singing faintly
in the mansions of the blest."
That first line made me think of my father. Over the years, my mother highlighted his integrity in conversations with me by commenting on aspects of his personality:
"He doesn't have an ulterior bone in his body."
"One thing your father can't stand for is people being mistreated."
My father loved music, especially the music of the church. The song "It Is No Secret" by Stuart Hamblin played a crucial role in his call to ministry. One of his favorite hymns was "When Morning Guilds the Skies." He chose that as a congregational hymn for many of the worship services he planned.
He grew up in the heyday of the big bands. He really knew the history and output of Benny Goodman and Harry James. He also loved the crooners like Dick Haymes. He even wrote and recorded a ballad on a couple of occasions. It's called "The Moonlight and You" and it sounds a little Glenn Miller-esque. I have the 45s.
In terms of classical music, certain works that I played really captured his imagination:
Debussy . . .la cathedral engloutie
Paganini-Liszt E Major Etude
Ginastera Sonata, First Movement
Liszt Dante Sonata
He liked the image of me as a happy young musician playing the opening theme of Kabalevsky's Youth Concerto.
Debussy First Arabesque was a bit of theme for us - a little bit nostalgic - as it was theme music for a short segement about astronomy that appeared on Saturday TV. After I went away to college, he would sometimes hear it and think of how he and I had often looked at the stars together when I was still living at home.
He also identified deeply and personally with the beginning of Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto. In those opening bars he heard the struggle of a hero and his family facing the stormy opposition of the world and fate.
The second movement of Beethoven Sonata Op. 111 conjures up in my mind my father on his hospital bed in our living room during his last summer. During his mostly unconscious last days it was as though his soul was lingering in the room - not necessarily in his body - maybe up near the ceiling. It is that sensibilty that I hear in the Beethoven: sad, beautiful, questioning, floating, and all about the essence of human identity and existence.
Dad and I were good friends.
Maybe I'll learn Op. 111 for him one of these years.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Freshmen Devotionals
More on music as a family -
Although we may not always feel like it, family members are often the most likely people to "get" us. When things don't work out the way we hoped, when we're irritable, or when we desperately want to be loved, our families (at their best) somehow seem to understand us better than anyone. We may not always feel like that's the case, but when we're far away from them and feeling lonely, we realize it's true.
Sadly, not all families have that sort of connection, but I think it is usually a natural good of being in a family.
Music can provide us a similar connection. Sometimes we encounter musical moods that resonate with our own moods - moods we had previously thought were unique to us. Then we know we are not alone. Others have travelled the same path.
At different times, music can move us from our own conflicted moods to more open and joyful ways of thinking and feeling - just like a good talk with somebody from home.
Although we may not always feel like it, family members are often the most likely people to "get" us. When things don't work out the way we hoped, when we're irritable, or when we desperately want to be loved, our families (at their best) somehow seem to understand us better than anyone. We may not always feel like that's the case, but when we're far away from them and feeling lonely, we realize it's true.
Sadly, not all families have that sort of connection, but I think it is usually a natural good of being in a family.
Music can provide us a similar connection. Sometimes we encounter musical moods that resonate with our own moods - moods we had previously thought were unique to us. Then we know we are not alone. Others have travelled the same path.
At different times, music can move us from our own conflicted moods to more open and joyful ways of thinking and feeling - just like a good talk with somebody from home.
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