Le mystère des voix Bulgares

The mystery of Bulgarian voices! Again, the magic of a capella voices -- here a woman's chorus singing "Sableyalo Mi Agontze" -- "The Bleating Lamb", just one of the songs from their album. "Mountain music" is one word that could be used to describing the eery and sometimes harsh voices in this traditional music, so beautifully arranged for chorus.

NOTE: If you hear electronice music in the background, it's from my entry of December 9, Karlheinz Stockhausen. Just scroll down to that player and click on the "Pause" button. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Layers of Memory

Recently, my best friend from high school shared a touching story with me: her elderly mother, who is in her 90's and has advanced Alzheimer's disease, rarely speaks anymore and rarely interacts with people. But, the other day, my friend sat down at the piano and played Christmas carols. Her mother joined in, singing all the words to about ten carols! It seems that Christmas carols must be contained in the earliest layers of our brains. As Alzheimer's rages through the brain, the Christmas carols might be the last thing to go.

Humor in Music!

There are many kinds of humor in music. For a long time I have been interested in finding representations of laughter in music. Even in Mozart, you can find laughter! It goes like this: high, short notes, descending, sometimes cascading up and down.

Then, there are the obvious ones like Victor Borge, Spike Jones, P.D.Q. Bach, and the Hoffnung Festival. Victor Borge is my particular favorite. He had many musical ways of making people laugh: first, by mocking the ways that people play their instruments -- for example, he would fall off the piano bench or he would instruct the singer as she rested her hand in the curve of the grand piano, "Don't touch the piano, please." The second way he used humor was to make new arrangements of familiar music -- changing wildly into a new key all of a sudden or starting with one piano piece and changing into a pop tune suddenly.

Here is a great rendition of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody.

Karlheinz Stockhausen

The great German composer has died. He was 79 years old. I heard his music in the early 1970's and I loved all the new sounds. I especially liked Gesang der Junglinge. I loved the sound of the German language. I could even understand many of the words. This music created a bleak and mysterious landscape for my mind.

Stockhausen had a great influence on many other composers and even on rock muicians.

Tribute Band?

Hey, you've heard of tribute bands! But, have you heard of a Tribute String Quartet? Yes, there's a whole GENRE of this!! Who knew! Here is one that I loved so much that I bought it from iTunes and I can share it with you. It's the "Vitamin Quartet" playing "Lacryomosa" as a tribute to the band Evanascence. The band, Evanascence got Lacryomosa from Mozart's Requiem! As a member of a string quartet, I found this extremely interesting. I love this sound!

Here is just one source of String Quartet tributes!

Here is a photo of my quartet. I wish I could find this arrangement so we could play it.

Taiko Drumming!

Those who know me know that I am a Japanophile! And, I especially love taiko drumming! I first saw this some years ago at the Ginza Holiday festival at a temple in Chicago and the magnificent sounds and rhythms of the drums blew me away!

It was so very thoughtful of my daughter to take me to the TAO Wadaiko concert for my birthday! We had a great time!

My Favorite Radio Station

I love to listen to WXRT FM, that is, when they aren't running tons of commercials^^. http://player.streamtheworld.com/CBS/?CALLSIGN=WXRTFM

WXRT plays a nice mix of old rock music and new alternative and other new rock music. I have learned about a lot of new music from this station, such as Andrew Bird.

Here's a sample of the what they played during the last hour:

Fine Young Cannibals, with "Good Thing"
Band of Horses, with "Is There a Ghost"
David Bowie, "China Girl"
Sheryl Crow: "Shine Over Babylon"
The Rolling Stones: "Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
The Shins: "Phantom Limb"
Filter: "Take a Picture"
Levon Helm: Got Me a Woman
The Clash: "London Calling"
David Gray: "You're the World to Me"
Neil Young: "Dirty Old Man"
Franz Ferdinand: "Take Me Out"
Yaz: "Situation"
Robert Plant and Alison Krause: "Stick With Me Baby"
Smashing Pumpkins: "Today'
Beatles: "Rain"
Ween: "Your Party"
REM: "Fall on Me"

I Don't Like

My intention in this blog was to write about the music I love, but, now I want to say, for the record, that I dislike Bruce Springsteen and I dislike Rod Stewart. Springsteen has a whiny kind of voice that annoys me and I don't like his songs. Stewart's raspy voice grates on my nerves -- you call that singing? There are a few songs of his that are decent, but . . . .

Sweet and SOUR

I have a fondness for rock songs that start out sweet and then --POW!!!-- the song turns ugly and violent. I guess this expresses some kind of weird feelings that I have. Doesn't everyone have some kind of angst?

Right now I am listening to "Don't Cry" by Neil Young, a singer/composer I really enjoy. This song is full of bitterness and longing.



Other songs with "sweet, then sour" moments include Creep by Radiohead.


For anyone who knows me very well, you will understand why I like this song and other "sweet/sour" songs. If you don't know me that well -- here's a clue^^.

A Belgian girls choir recorded Creep, too, but their version is mostly "sweet" and very, very moving!



A quintessential example of "Sweet/sour" with the emphasis on "Sour" is The Pretender by the Foo Fighters!!

Rolling on the Waves of Sound

Last night's orchestra rehearsal -- surrounded by huge waves of sound (Scheherazade) -- clinging to my little violin, as to a small piece of wood -- swimming along with the motion -- my ears filled with immense and glorious sounds!!

The Greatest Music I Have Ever Heard

There are many candidates for this award. For example, Bach's B Minor Mass would be an excellent choice. But, today, I am listening to Beethoven's Grosse Fugue in B minor, Op. 133. I believe it was written originally as a part of a string quartet, but, as played by the strings of an orchestra, it's very impressive and moving. The intellectual aspects of this fugue could intrigue a person for hours and hours. What a giant of a brain -- Beethoven!!

Background Music

I just got back from 3 weeks in Japan. "Background music" is prevalent there. You can hear it wherever you go. What do you think about background music? Often, it creates a calm atmosphere, in a dentist's office or an exciting one -- like that of stores that want to create an upbeat mood so you will be happy and want to buy things.

But, basically, background music is the antithesis of everything I believe in about music. You aren't expected to really listen to that music. It's just an ambient sound. Perhaps people won't know how to really listen to music if they just hear background music all the time. It dulls your senses!

I had a really annoying experience with some kind of "healing" music, kind of New Age thing that went on and on and on. It started to drive me absolutely crazy because it was so horribly repetitive and boring! But, because of the circumstances, I couldn't get away from it, so I grit my teeth very bravely and withstood it.

Obsession

Occasionally, I become obsessed with a song and I play it over and over. Do you? This time it's Too Rich For My Blood by Patricia Barber. She's a Chicago jazz pianist/singer/composer. The song, below, is from her album, Cafe Blue. What she does with her voice in the middle of the song is truly amazing. The end of the song is unique!

Click Here

Whistling

I can whistle ok, but I'm not the best whistler ever. My Dad was a great whistler! He used to whistle a lot, especially when he was doing little jobs around the house. It seemed like he whistled when he was happy. My Dad had a special whistling trick -- by moving his tongue rapidly inside his mouth, he could warble between two notes a third apart. It almost seemed like he was whistling two notes at the same time! For years and years I tried to do this! But, I couldn't! One day, when my Dad was visiting us, he sat on the front steps with my daughter, who was about 7 at the time. He showed her how to do that special whistle one time (ONE TIME!) and she learned it immediately! I am really jealous of her.

The Beauty of Technology

Thank goodness for my iPod! I have so much wonderful music on it! True, 20GB doesn't seem enough anymore, but I can manage for now. When I go on an airplane, especially, it's great to hear any of my music at anytime (except take off and landings)! I love it, love it, love it!

Singing

This morning I was listening to my friend's recording of his school chorus. Gosh, they were good! As I listened I heard all the earnest, young voices! Singing is such a more personal thing than playing an instrument. Your voice is part of you. Your very soul and your emotions and everything come out when you sing. Listening to choral singing is one of my greatest pleasures. And, singing in choirs has provided me with some amazing and wonderful musical experiences.

Performing in Public

This morning my string quartet played in a church. One of our members is the organist at a lovely little church in Chicago. We had to pass by the Chicago Marathon to get to the church. There were about 45,000 runners today!

We played the last movement of a string quartet by Mozart. This movement is fugal and it seemed appropriate for church. Also, it was easy enough for us to play it perfectly.

Playing in public is different from playing in someone's house! The sound is different, especially in a church, and there is more pressure to perform well. Luckily, we did well! As we practiced and played today, we thought about some of the things needed to play in an ensemble:

• Everyone must feel the beat together. It's easier to say this than to do it!
• Everyone must change notes together. This requires extreme sensitivity and listening.
• Everyone must maintain the same tempo throughout. We should try not to drag or speed up.
• "Fast" tempo is not always the answer -- "style" is something that can make the music sound lively and interesting.
  

A Magical Evening

Yesterday evening my string quartet and I went to the local Catholic church for a special event called Taizé. This is a musical event of singing and meditation. It is meant to include all religions. Even though I'm not religious, I could not help but be impressed and moved by the beautiful singing, the candlelight and the feeling in the room. A few musicians came to join in: a flute, guitar, two violins, viola and cello. Each short song was sung about 12 or more times. The musicians could choose anything to play: the melody, a harmonic part, additional melodies, or improvisations. Six hundred people were there.

September 11, 2001

Following the events in New York City and in Washington, D. C., everyone in the country was in a state of shock. Our nights were full of nightmares. During the day we continually watched the scenes of horror over and over on TV. There was no relief for our emotions of sorrow and dismay at what had happened.

Several months later, our orchestra began to practice Mahler's Symphony No. 6. We performed our concert of this music later during the season of 2001/2002. While we rehearsed I am sure that each of us felt the tragic sentiments of Mahler's music in a new and fresh way. I am sure that our final performance reflected our new understandings of the deep emotionalism of Mahler's music. Here is the first movement of that work, as played by my orchestra at that concert.

The Young Composer

The young composer leans over his latest music composition, his brown eyes shining in the light of the candles, for it is very late at night. His brain is teeming with musical ideas, so many that he can barely write them down. At last, his string quartet starts to take shape. He is ecstatic but worn with fatigue. At last, he has tamed his many melodic ideas and made something of extraordinary beauty. Little does he know that his fatigue is partly due to an illness which will strike him down at the age of nineteen.

These were my thoughts as my string quartet and I played music by Juan Chrisostomo Arriaga. The thoughts are strictly my own imagination but were vividly present to my mind as we played his beautiful music. Ah, to die so young! With so much talent! But I understood his feverish enthusiasm, made from youthful passion.

Here is some biographical information from the score for the Three String Quartets of Arriaga, published by International Music Company:

Juan Crisostomo Arriaga, born in 1806 in Bilbao Spain, died in 1826. At the age of 11, he composed an octet; at the age of 12, he composed an overture for orchestra, at 14, he composed an opera. In 1822, he went to study in Paris at the Conservatory. He studied violin, harmony and counterpoint. In less than three months he had a perfect knowledge of Harmony and in two years he was a master of Counterpoint and Fugue. In 1824 he received a Conservatory appointment as a coach in Harmony and Counterpoint. At this time he composed a Symphony and three String Quartets. He died in 1826 from a lung disease.

Another candidate for "The Saddest Music I Have Ever Heard"

Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 4, "The Inextinguishable" (in Danish: Det Uudslukkelige).

a few words about my blog

About two months ago, someone I know began a blog. Soon after that, as I was taking a morning walk, I got an idea for making my own blog about something that interested me very much -- music. Since then, I have noticed that I get ideas for the blog every day -- either through my thoughts about music or because of particular musical experiences that I have on that day, whether listening or playing. It's been an amazing experience!! I have had a number of positive comments from my friends and relatives -- thanks!

The Mighty Pipe Organ

This evening I went to an organ recital with two friends. Ah, the mighty organ! The first piece was the famous "Toccata and Fugue in d minor" by J. S. Bach.



I have loved listening to the organ since I was in high school. My boy friend was an organist and he took me to all kinds of wonderful organ concerts at the university. The organ at the university was an immense Baroque organ whose pipes were all exposed. It was often so loud that it rumbled your seat, rumbled your chest! This was in the days before rock and roll and really loud music, so it was very exciting and thrilling! We heard many world famous organists of the day, including E. Power Biggs, Virgil Fox, and Marcel Dupré. One of the highlights of those concerts happened when a sealed envelope was given to the artist. Inside was a theme. The artist was supposed to look at the theme briefly, then perform an improvisation on that theme. It was always amazing to see what happened!

One summer, while I was in high school, I took organ lessons at the urging of my mother, who thought I could probably earn money in the future by playing the organ in churches. It was fun learning to play the bass notes of the chords with my feet! I practiced simple hymns. I had to learn the particular legato touch which is required for playing the organ. It's quite different from playing the piano keyboard.



The organ we heard this evening had 4 keyboards, plus the pedals. It's amazing to watch an organist play with their hands and feet flying around the notes.

Another wonderful thing about organs, beyond their loudness, is the incredible variety of sounds they can produce. Each "stop" has pipes which are shaped differently, made of different materials and produce sounds with or without reeds.

One of the first records I ever bought contained the Grosse Sonata from the 94th Psalm by Reubke. Here is the grand fugue.

A Great Climax!

While working in the garden just now, my iPod switched to playing "April 5, 1242", music by Prokofiev, which he composed for the movie, "Alexander Nevsky". I remember listening to this on my walk on a very hot summer morning -- I got goose pimples!! It happened again today as I listened!

This music is also known as "The Battle on the Ice". The Teutonic Knights and the Russians, led by Nevsky, have a fantastic battle on the ice.

The Teutonic Knights, being German, sing "Peregrinus expecativi" (We are pilgrims, searching . . .) Their helmets are strange and scary! They are singing in Latin, being Catholic, which makes them appear ominous to the Russians, who are Orthodox.

The scene begins with a calm morning, the mists are flowing over the ice as each side prepares for the battle.
Gradually, gradually, the music becomes louder and louder and faster and faster as the two sides approach each other. At the end, the climax is reached as the two sides meet and begin fighting, on horseback with their swords.




Alexander Nevsky, as portrayed by an actor in the Eisenstein movie from 1938. This film can be seen as anti-German propaganda, reminding Russians of how Germany tried to take them over before and failed.

It's a great climax moment in music because it takes 5 minutes for the sound to build!

A Japanese Character - tanoshii

This beautiful Japanese character means: "enjoyment", "comfort", "ease." In combination with the character for "sound", it means "music" or "enjoyable sound". Since I enjoy music so much, this character is one of my favorites.

I cried a little

Today in the grocery store, a woman passed me in the aisle. She stopped and said, "Aren't you Mrs. R . . . .?" I said yes. She told me her name and reminded me that her three children had been in my music classes. She said, "I want to thank you for touching my children's lives. I want to thank you for giving them music." As I walked on, a tear rolled out of my eye. It's the best thing a teacher could hear.

Gutsy, Full of Rage

The Foo Fighters song, The Pretender. You might ask, "How can a person such as you like this kind of music?" My answer is this: "Is there a person alive who has never felt rage and passion? Is there a person alive who does not sometimes feel hemmed in by the rules of society? Is there a person alive who does not despair at the thought of their own mortality?" I heard this song for the first time today as I listened to my favorite radio station, WXRT, as I drank a little whiskey and fixed dinner. My socks were knocked off as I listened!!



Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones go marching in... again
The need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole defense

Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

In time or so i'm told
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Playing the Piano -- Early Years

My earliest memories are of listening to my mother play the piano as I drifted off to sleep. My mother had majored in piano and organ in college. She played Schumann, Chopin, Beethoven and others. I begged her to teach me to play. I wanted to play the piano so much! But, she wouldn't teach me until I was in third grade. My mother was my only piano teacher until I went to college.

My first lesson was such a disappointment. "Tommy Tunes" -- I played middle C for four beats and repeated that, etc. "No, mother!", I said. "I want to play like you -- with two hands!". Haha, I can't believe I was so naive.

I learned quickly. By sixth grade I could sight read a lot of music. I would come home from school and go straight to the piano. I could play for hours and hours . . .

Kraftwerk - Autobahn

This is long -- about 11 minutes and it takes forever to load.

I just figured out how to embed a YouTube video.^^

Belly Dancers

Ah, the belly dancers tonight!! They are so passionate, playful and skilled! They dance with abandon and joy! Music comes to life when they dance. One astonishing thing about the evening was the variety of music the dancers used. Apparently, one can belly dance to ANYTHING! As long as it has a beat!!


At the end of the performance, a lot of the dancers came on to the floor and improvised some dances. I jammed a little on my violin, along with two drummers. I tried to match the style and joy of the dancers!! It was so much fun!

The World of A Capella

I was so surprised the day my friend told me about European a capella groups, such as the Swedish group, Riltons Vänner and the German group, the Wise Guys! Imagine this! In today's world of over-produced, gimmicky sound tracks, there are people who are brave and good enough to use just their voices and vocal sounds to make music! And, these groups are popular! This music is so strong and pure! It's just so much fun!

Riltons Vänner is the group my friend told me about first. My friend went to the same music gymnasium as they did. Isn't the lead singer pretty? I wonder if all Swedish girls look like that? ^^ Here is their song: Längtar till sommarn. It means, "Longing for Summer", which the Swedes must do after the long, dark winter.


Here is one from the incomparable and amazing Wise Guys. They usually have some kind of satirical "edge" to their songs. The title of this song is: Jetzt und hier. "Here and Now".

Wir gingen zusamm’n
über Eis und durch Flamm’n,
lagen träumend im Gras,
hatten einfach nur Spaß.
Es ist höchste Zeit
für’n besonderen Tropfen.
Es ist höchste Zeit,
uns auf die Schulter zu klopfen.

Wir haben’s geschafft
mit gemeinsamer Kraft,
sind zusammen im Ziel.
Das war mehr als ein Spiel.
Es gibt eine Zeit,
um sich Sorgen zu machen,
aber jetzt ist die Zeit,
um zu tanzen und zu lachen.

Das Wichtigste sind wir
das Jetzt und Hier,
und dass wir alle hier zusammen sind!
Ganz egal, ob das so bleibt
oder auseinandertreibt:
Es zählt jetzt nur, dass wir zusammen sind!



Then, I ran across a Japanese a capella group!
The song is called "Hitori" ("Alone"). Here it is:

Music and the Brain

My friends and I attended a lecture on "Music and the Brain", by Dr. Douglas Anderson. He is a neuro-surgeon and a professional singer.

Dr. Anderson talked first about "consciousness". To demonstrate something about this, he sang "Peace Be Unto You" (Der Friede sei mit dir) from Bach's Cantata No. 158. He said that consciousness is a qualitative experience -- you have a sense of what is happening, sensations of light -- of mood. He said these experiences are subjective, that is, they are experienced only by the person who has the experience and have no existence outside of that person. These experiences are single and unified. He stressed that "consciousness" is "real". It can be seen on an MRI Image. He showed us an animated "coronal orientation" that occurred when someone was listening to "Et Incarnatus" from Bach's B Minor Mass. This music is particularly known for its evocative and dramatic nature. You can hear it here:



As early as 1861, Broca discovered the modular character of the brain. He identified 54 divisions of the brain. He identified specific brain sites for language. Later on, researchers discovered the sites for emotion in the brain. These sites are verified through the use of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain. Researchers also identified the left side of the brain as the site for music and language and the right side of the brain as another site for music. The auditory sections of the brain are much larger than originally believed. This was probably necessary as a survival tool. There are three different sites for auditory functions of the brain:
1) Listening to words
2) Thinking of words
3) Speaking words

Music and language look very similar on MRI and they seem to be processed in overlapping areas of the brain.

One of the most interesting aspects of Dr. Anderson's lecture was the notion that there may be individual receptors in the brain for each musical note. The auditory cortical areas respond to musical stimuli in the following ways: the right superior temporal lobe responds to pitch evaluation. Speech activates the left side.

"Et in spiritus sanctus" from Bach's B Minor Mass was the next musical offering. Dr. Anderson stated that, with experienced music listeners, metabolic activity increases as the tonal stimulus becomes more consonant. And, different parts of the brain are stimulated by different kinds of music!







Dr. Anderson cited a study by Janata et al. in Science for December 2002, in which they showed that the relative representation of tonal tracking provides a mechanism by which transposition from key to key can occur without the loss of internal pitch relationship and tonal coherence. To demonstrate this, Dr. Paul Bouman played Bach's "Confiteor" from the B minor Mass on the keyboard. This music constantly shifts from key to key and is never at rest until the end. One key is linked to another.

This photo shows MRI responses to different keys in the brains of three experienced music listeners.

In conclusion, Dr. Anderson stated that music is not "brain candy". Rather, it can be viewed as a precursor to speech. In fact, many languages have a tonal aspect. Music is related to specific sites in the brain which are different from other auditory input. Music can alter emotional states. Interestingly, he remarked that, as of now, no site for "consciousness" has been identified in the brain.

He concluded the lecture with the singing of "Magnificat" by Bach. "For He that is Mighty hath done to me great things and Holy is His Name."













Douglas Anderson, M.D.

The Saddest Music I Have Ever Heard

The saddest music I have ever heard was composed by Tchaikovsky. It's the 4th Movement of his Symphony No. 6, the "Pathétique".
The music opens with a loud lament. Then, it seems as if we take a breath, trying to get a peaceful feeling, but instead, the music becomes more and more agitated. Then, the sadness returns. The downward flowing melody is like a sigh. The violins play the melody, which becomes lower and lower, ending on their open G string, the deadest sound in the world. Meanwhile, the bassoons explore the lowest part of their register. We are now in the depths of despair.

The middle section is a tragic telling of our sadness. It is dramatic and emotional.

The end returns to music like the beginning.

I defy anyone to find sadder music than this.

The Creative Process (Once)

How do songwriters come up with their ideas? I touched on this topic in an earlier post, "Inspiration" in August, my 3rd post, which was about Eric Clapton's wife, who was also George Harrison's wife at another time. She took no credit for inspiring their songs which were written at the same time as she was with each ("Something" and "Layla").

So, how do songwriters work? I was extremely privileged recently to witness a "real time" creation of a song by a friend of mine. I heard the first several lines, then I heard more lines, until the whole song was finished. I can't even explain how exciting that was! The resulting song is beautiful.


This same creative process is demonstrated in the movie "Once". This movie is a very low budget film ($500,000 I think). It stars Glen Hansard and Margeta Irglova. In real life they are both song writers and musicians. In the movie, we see the characters working on their songs. First, they have one little idea. Then, bit by bit, the song grows and is completed. Most important, we see how the feelings of the characters grow into songs. The movie, as a low budget production, is all the more effective because the hand held camera makes everything seem so real, like a home movie I might make. And there are no glitzy Hollywood special effects -- just the simple story of two people who enjoy each other and who enjoy making music together.



I am waiting for the DVD of this film. It was not shown in very many theaters in the U.S. but became popular by word of mouth.

All The Songs Here

oncethemovie.com - - lots of pics

Patricia Barber

For years, when I was teaching, the other teachers at the lunch table said, "Liz, you should go to the Green Mill and hear Patricia Barber." Well, I never did.

In 2004 a lot of things about my life changed. I developed a new zest for living! I began to explore many new things. I wanted to explore new kinds of music. Jazz was one of those things. One of my friends deeply loved jazz and I decided to explore it on my own. I took out a couple of Patricia Barber discs from the library. I fell in love, once again.

In succeeding years I have been able to see her perform three times -- once at the famous Green Mill in Chicago, once in Oak Park at the Arts Center (it was a benefit for college students majoring in music and the arts) and again at Symphony Center in Chicago -- free day of music. My friend and I couldn't get in to the first show there so we waited 2 or 3 hours to see the next show. It was worth it!

Patricia Barber is a pianist/singer/composer. She covers standard tunes but is known for her amazing creativity. Her back-up band is on the same wave length with her. It's fun to watch her perform. She has some odd mannerisms and she always plays barefoot! Last year, Patricia Barber received a Guggenheim Fellowship, which enabled her to create "Mythologies", a concept album whose songs are all based on Greek myths.

Patricia Barber Songs

First Orchestra Rehearsal

Last night was the first rehearsal of the local symphony orchestra, a group I have played with for many years. However, I didn't go to the rehearsal because I will not be in town for the first concert. They will play Beethoven's 3rd Symphony. I will miss it!

Last year I wrote a small booklet, A History of the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest. It was sold at concerts. Thanks to Denise and her husband for fantastic layout and graphics! Here is the first page. If you click on it, you can read it!

Something Silly

This concerns music only obliquely, but, it's one of my favorites. I guess it's a limerick.

A tooter who tooted the flute
Tried to tutor two tutors to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Sex Pistols - - One Better!

SEX MACHINE GUNS!! Really!

From Ehime, Shikoku, land of "mikan" (tangerines). The song is "Mikan no Uta" --"Tangerine Song".

The lyrics say, "Tangerine, tangerine!! If you don't like tangerines, you're not really Japanese!" and they sing, "Ponjus -- tangerine juice -- it's the water of life!"

My friend who lives on Shikoku, told me about this! She went to a karaoke bar with her work colleagues for a soubetsukai (good-bye party) for one guy who is leaving that job. All of her colleagues are younger. She is 32. All of a sudden this quiet guy started screaming the "Mikan no Uta" song. She was so surprised.

I found out that their genre is: "Speed Metal Band"!! (who knew?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6ViVBtLwZI

(Watch out for your volume!)

Mikan No Uta Lyrics (Sex Machineguns)

Sex Machineguns - Mikan No Uta Lyrics

Ore no tamashi no sakebi da! ehime no kokoro! omaetachi!
Ehime no! mikan!

Mikan wa iroiro aru keredo
Ehime no mikan wa hitotsu dake
Ehime no mikan wo taberu nara
Nouka no ai wo kamishimero
Kawa wo suteru yatsu ga iru
Kawa wo sutete wa ikenai ze
Furo ni irete attamareba
Pokapoka

Kokoro ga nagomeba sekai wa hitotsu
Sekai ni habatake ehime no mikan

Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan

Ehime no mikan wa sekaiichi
Mikan wo karada de kanjiyou
Mikan wo somatsu ni suru yatsu wa
Mikan ni yararete shinjimae
Kotatsu ni mikan ga nai ie wa
Nihon no kokoro wo nakushiteru
Nihon no kokoro wo torimodose
Torimodose

Mikan wo shibore kore ga ê ponjyuusu
Inochi no mizu da ê ponjyuusu

(kick off)

Minna de nomo ehime no kokoro
Mikan wo kueba sukuwareru
Orenji ni makenai kogane iro no kajitsu
Inochi no mizu da pon.ju-su

Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikaaaan!!!

Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikaaaan!!!

Yeahh

Album Covers - Part One

Here are some random album covers from my iTunes collection. It's kind of a hobby of mine to hear new songs, either on the radio or suggested by a friend, then to buy a single.

This is Jasmine Tinchu, a Chinese singer whose album is called "Sound of Rain".








This is the album cover for LCD Sound System. Their song is: "North American Scum."

oh i don't know, i don't know, oh, where to begin
we are north americans
and for those of you who still think we're from england
we're not, no.
we build our planes and our trains till we think we might die,
far from North America,
where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes.
aha, oh, oh.
i hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
cause we're north americans
but if we act all shy, it’ll make it ok
makes it go away.

oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
when we're north american
but in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
come on north americans

we are north american scum
we’re from north america



This is from Paul McCartney's newest album. I got his new tune, "Nod Your Head" free from iTunes. It's a song full of "angst" and screaming! What happened to the lyrical Paul of yore? I guess he ran into some problems recently, hahaha!

When I went to a dance recital, someone danced to this music: "How Sweet It Is" (to be loved by you) by Michael Bublé.

Carole King, what a classic oldie! I bought, "I Feel the Earth Move". I loved her movie for kids, "Really Rosie". It still makes me laugh.

Cheap Trick's, "Live at the Budokan" (in Japan) contains a killer song:
"I Want You to Want Me".

I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm begging you to beg me.

I fell in love with this song. I looked these guys up on the Internet. Now they are old! sigh

Live Coldplay -- great energy. ("The One I Love")

Every once in awhile you just have to listen to electronic rock.

Here is KT Tunstall, a singer from Scotland. I love her song, "Suddenly I See". I have found it be VERY inspiring. It's such a passionate song. It speaks about thinking about your potential -- what you can be in your life.

While at the dance recital, I couldn't believe my ears! Here was a "heavy rock" version of Mozart's Lacrymosa. There is something bizarrely fascinating about this!

Secret Codes in Music

At our last string quartet rehearsal, someone mentioned that Shostakovich often used his "signature" in his music. (DSCH=Dmitri Shostakovich), using the German style of naming notes by letter names and using the German spelling of his name. Apparently, he used this theme in two of his best works: Symphony No. 10 and String Quartet No. 8. A few minutes ago, in the mail, I received the music for this last piece. It should be fun to try to play it for the first time. Last week, we sight read through his String Quartet No. 1. It wasn't too hard and we enjoyed it!

I guess everyone knows that Bach used the letters of his name in his music, as well!!

Stage Nerves

Musicians I Have Known
I was amazed to find out, years ago, that my little student, Anna (in 6th grade), totally loved performing on her violin for an audience. She seemed to get a "rush" from it! On the other extreme, I knew a semi-professional violinist who suffered from stage nerves. It didn't seem to affect his playing, but it did prevent him from auditioning for world class orchestras. And, he was good enough to play in any orchestra.


Fainting in the Chorus
When I was young, I often felt so nervous while singing in the chorus, that I thought I would faint. Little by little, I overcame those stage nerves, but it took years.

The Shaky Bow Syndrome
When I tried to play my violin in church, I didn't think I was nervous, but my bow shook uncontrollably and I could hardly play. I watched that in amazement and there was nothing I could do.

Positive Pleasure
Over the years, I became more and more comfortable with playing in public and speaking in public. I became fearless, but even more, I positively began to enjoy performing. My first really enjoyable experiences came when I was hired as a church pianist at a small church (they didn't have an organ). They had a very nice grand piano there. I prepared all the music for the service: prelude, postlude, offertory, etc. When I played, the church congregation listened in rapt attention. I was aware of the people listening and it changed my attitude about how I played. Rather than just play the music, I tried to create beautiful and interesting pictures through my playing. It was a marvelous experience! After that I began to really enjoy performing in public.

I Fell in Love

When I was a substitute teacher in April and May, a student brought in his "Composer Report" about Fauré. His report was a PowerPoint presentation which used a short violin piece, "Après un Rêve", as played by Joshua Bell, a piece which I had never heard before. I fell in love with this music. I think I have listened to it over 100 times! And, I still love it!

Later, I found out that it was originally a song for soprano and piano. I bought that music file, as sung by Elly Ameling. I bought the violin solo, but it wasn't as good as what Joshua Bell played -- different key, etc. Well, ok, maybe I can't play like Bell, hahaha! I also got the string quartet version online (free). We tried it -- it was so-so, mostly a solo for the first violin and the other players just go, "dah, dah, dah, dah" through the whole piece -- very boring for them.

Our String Quartet

Our string quartet was formed during the summer of 2005. Valerie, Melody, Peggy and I are all members of our local symphony orchestra. The orchestra's season runs from September to May. During the summer we have nowhere to play, so we decided to meet as a string quartet. It's been a very rewarding experience! We have a lot of fun playing together and we have improved over the two years since we started. We named our group, The Harmonia Quartet, because we work together very well; we work in harmony! We have played in public only a few times. This picture shows us playing at a block party in Oak Park. Our orchestra conductor lives on this block and he invited us to play by way of promoting our orchestra concerts.


More recently we played at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, a famous club in this area (above). However, we played for a fund-raiser! It wasn't a regular concert. But, now we can say we played there! Hardly anyone listened to us -- most people were talking as we played. Oh, well!

This picture shows Peggy and Valerie at Fitzgerald's. We like to play all kinds of classical music, including Mozart, Haydn, Borodin, Dvorak, and Shostakovitch. It's thrilling to play in a string quartet because each person can find her own musical voice, as opposed to being a part of an immense wall of sound in an orchestra. The orchestral experience is wonderful, too, in another way.

Our next performance will be in October at a church during the morning service. We are available for hire at weddings!

Musical Injuries

Playing a musical instrument can be hazardous to your health! Usually, the musician doesn't notice what is happening and continues to play on and on. Later on he or she realizes they went too far! By then, it's too late!!

• Many violinists have shoulder pains, usually the right shoulder. My friend, a conductor and violinist, simply wore out his right shoulder from years and years of playing the violin. One violinist friend explained that she hurts her right wrist sometimes by bowing too frantically and holding her wrist stiffly.
• I know a pianist who recently hurt his thumb from over-playing. And there was a famous pianist, Leon Fleisher, who misused his right hand and could play only with his left hand for years.
  
• It's quite common for beginning guitar players to complain of sore finger tips from pressing down on the strings. More experienced players have developed pads or calluses on their finger tips.
• Brass players can over stress their lips by playing too long and they become unable to produce notes because their lips are simply tired out. ("Save your lip")
  
• And, as an Orff teacher I have injured my hands a number of times: playing conga drums furiously for long periods, clapping and patsching my thighs all day at school. Ouch! I also hurt my back by playing the piano standing up with my foot on the pedal, causing my back to be in a really strange position and causing great pain afterward. Later on in my teaching, I found another way to look at my students while playing, by placing the piano at an angle and looking out over the keyboard. In my last years of teaching I used an electronic keyboard, which was the most comfortable of all. (And it transposed to different keys, too!!)

Benjamin Britten and Japan

From the program notes for Britten's "Sinfonia Da Requiem":

In 1940 Britten was asked by a high official of the British Council if he would consider writing a symphony for a celebration honoring a foreign dynasty. He agreed, but he stated that he would not become involved with any nationalistic propaganda.

After beginning the work, he learned that it was intended as part of the festivities surrounding the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of Japan's dynasty in 660 B. C. He also discovered that composers from France, Germany, Italy and Hungary had received similar commissions.

Two things influenced the expressive content of this music: Britten's strong anti-war views and his sorrow at the deaths of his parents. Although he labled the three movements with names from the Latin Requiem Mass, he did not mean this work to be religious, however. These titles represented emotions.

• "Lacrymosa" -- extreme sadness
• "Dies Irae" -- day of wrath and anger
• "Requiem aeternam" -- eternal peace

The plan was initially approved by the Japanese, and the score was completed during the spring of 1940. Six months later Britten received a scathing rebuke from the Japanese officials saying that his use of Christian dogma and liturgy was a calculated insult to the Emperor, and they rejected the "Sinfonia" completely.

"Sinfonia Da Requiem" was performed in 1941 for the first time in New York by the New York Philharmonic. Britten happened to be there for the performance, which was conducted by Koussevitzky. From this meeting, Britten got a commission for his famous opera, "Peter Grimes".

In 1956, Britten traveled to Japan to lead performances of his music, including a performance of the "Sinfonia Da Requiem". This concert was broadcast from Toyko on NHK Radio. During his visit to Japan, Britten saw some traditional "No" plays which inspired some music which he composed soon after that.

I was surprised to learn about Britten's connections with Japan!

Chicago's Free Music Festivals

I finally got to hear the Grant Park Symphony on the very last weekend that they performed in beautiful Millenium Park. It was a great concert -- Vaughn Williams, John Adams and Benjamin Britten. The chorus sang (magnificently) as a part of the Vaughn Williams piece for orchestra. Try to imagine the scene: the beautiful and unusual Pritzker Pavillion, designed by Frank Gehry. Behind it and to the side -- beautiful skyscrapers against the night sky.

It's interesting to note that the Grant Park Music Festival is the nation's only remaining free outdoor municipally-supported classical music series. We are so lucky!

Here is a sample of the amazing concerts:

Concert Schedule

In addition to the classical music series, there are other performances and other festivals. For example, I went to the Chicago Blues Festival earlier this summer. This weekend it's the Chicago Jazz Festival. All these events are free!

Climaxes, Part 2

Now that I found out how to post music here, watch out!! In an earlier post, I mentioned the "Liebestod", an aria from Tristan und Isolde. Here is more about that plus the actual music!

More thoughts: How are climaxes in music created? By using a series of unresolved chords, perhaps modulating to other keys in rapid succession, by creating melodies which rise in pitch, and by increasing the volume gradually -- all of these create a feeling of unrest. Isolde longs for Tristan, but he has died in her arms. As she sings of her love and longing, unresolved longing, the music becomes more and more restless until at the end, she dies and the music is finally peaceful and serene. The opera is over.

Isolde sings: "Hear you not . . round me flowing. . .growing nearer...growing clearer...the wondrous melody?"

Mild und leise wie er lächelt,
Wie das Auge hold er öffnet,
Seht ihr, Freunde, säh't ihr's nicht?
Immer lichter wie er leuchtet
Sternumstrahlet hoch sich hebt?

Seht ihr's nicht? Wie das Herz ihm muthig schwillt,
Voll und hehr im Busen ihm quillt?
Wie den Lippen, wonnig mild, süsser Athem sanft entweht,

Freunde! Seht!
Fühlt und seht ihr's nicht?
Höre ich nur diese Weise, die so wundervoll und leise,
Wonne klagend, Alles sagend, mild versöhnend aus ihm tönend,
In mich dringet, auf sich schwinget, hold er hallend um mich klinget?

Heller schallend, mich umwallend, sind es Wellen saufter Lüfte?
Sind es Wolken wonniger Düfte?
Wie sie schwellen, mich unrauschen,
Soll ich athmen, sol ich lauschen?
Soll ich schlürfen, untertauchen, süss in Düften mich ver hauchen?
In dem wogenden Schwall, in dem tönendem Schall,
In des Welt Athems wehendem All . .
Ertrinken, versinken, unbewusst, höchste Lust!

Listening to German

Who doesn't love the music of Kurt Weill? He captures that decadent, cynical mood of the 1930's. Some famous ones: the Alabama Song ("Show me the way to the next whiskey bar...") and Mack the Knife.

Today I was listening to "Pride" from Weill's Seven Deadly Sins (Die seiben todsünden). I can't understand the words, but I love hearing the German!

Liz Plays the Trumpet

As many of my friends know, I took a 6 week job as a substitute music teacher in April and May. Whereas I had been a general music teacher in elementary school during my working life, this job was for half time instrumental music and half time general music. I had never taught instrumental music, but I knew that I could fake it well, because I have a little knowledge about winds and brass.

One day, my little trumpet students were having a problem blowing their instruments. After they left the room, I picked up a spare trumpet and blew into it to see if I could teach them better next time. I found out I could still remember how to play it a little, though badly!! I would need a LOT more practice. But, anyway, the next day I brought my video camera to school and my colleague taped it. I started laughing when I missed notes and then I could hardly play at all!






When I was in college, Class Trumpet was required for all music education majors. I also had Class Clarinet and Class Percussion. Since I graduated in 1963, it had been quite some time since I had tried to play, although I may have picked up a brass instrument several times in the intervening years because those instruments were around in the schools.

As for playing a trumpet, all you have to know is the fingering for each note. Then you have to imagine the sound of the note. If it's a higher note, you must press your lips closer together. For lower notes, you let your lips become looser. Before you play at all, you must know how to "buzz" your lips. That means you press your lips together very tightly, and force the air through your lips, making them vibrate. You should be able to make a kind of a note with just your lips. It really helps to be familiar with overtones of notes. For example, the lowest note is the fundamental note, next is an octave, next a fifth above that, next is two octaves above the fundamental, next a third above that. All brass instruments are played this way. With the trombone, instead of valves and keys you have to know the position of the slide for each note.

I really enjoyed my instrumental music students. They were all nice and they were motivated to learn. Also, I could use my abilities and skills. For example, since I can read a musical score, with many parts in the notation, this helped me when I worked with the ensemble groups that had 4 or more parts and with the band, which had many more parts. I rehearsed the band only two or three times, however. It was ironic that string instruments were not part of my assignment, since I can play the violin. Another teacher came to the school for the string students.

I enjoyed the students and all my general music classes at the school. It was a particular pleasure to prepare the fifth graders for their big performance for their "graduation". I accompanied them as they sang three pop songs. The teachers and students at the school were all so friendly and welcoming! But, I was happy to end my working, finally, and return to my leisure at home!