Yesterday, after the storms went away and the sun came out, I went out for a long run. My route took me about a mile from my home, through the Duck Creek area, and back around to another street that went past a cemetery. I didn't set out to visit this cemetery. The particular stretch of road doesn't have a sidewalk, so, not wanting to feel like I was invading someone's yard space, I took a detour into the Oakdale Memorial Gardens. This is a lovely cemetery, with large trees, pretty landscaping, a small pond, and some pleasant hilly terrain. It is also the resting place of Davenport's hometown hero, the jazz cornetist, Bix Beiderbecke (and his family).
To find his grave, you walk up a hill, on top of which is a smallish mausoleum, continue past the large monument of the family of Davenports, and on the left you'll see a large monument with the Beiderbecke name. Surrounding this block, you'll find the family markers. Leon Bismarck "Bix" Beiderbecke is marked with the same inconspicuous marker as the rest of his family. His dates are March 10, 1903 - August 6, 1931. He was 28 when he died, probably of pneumonia, exacerbated by too much Prohibition gin and the late, long hours of a musician. His life is undoubtedly over-romanticised to a degree, but he still left a tremendous legacy and influenced countless musicians in the jazz community, American and worldwide.
Bix wasn't a war hero, like some of the residents of this cemetary, or the reason for this Memorial Day holiday, but he is a hero to jazz musicians all over the world. Were I religious, I would have said a prayer for this great jazz man, but instead I just quietly stood at his grave, thinking about how he had a hand in shaping our great American artform: jazz.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Stormy Weather
Hi there! It's storm season here in the middle of the U.S. And it is storming right now. Actually it's let up a bit from earlier, but there is still some impressive lightning. I saw one earlier that seemed to be just outside my house, and a second later nearly lost my hearing from the incredibly loud thunder clap! Then a large water bird flew up out of someone's back yard...
Anyway, this kind of weather brings to mind songs about inclement weather. Sometimes the song is literal, but it is usally some sort of metaphor for something else.
There is Ridin' the Storm Out by REO Speedwagon, Riders on the Storm by The Doors, and a piece by Vivaldi called Storm (it evokes the tension and ponderousness of a large storm coming in). Vivaldi was known for his virtuosic violin music, and this piece is a good display of this (as well as his Four Seasons suite, well worth a listen, BTW). Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was from the Baroque era (like Bach and Handel) and was known as the Red Priest for his red hair. Nice to know that people having been giving each other funny nicknames even back during those "courtly" days.
Another nice storm song is from a film from 1943 called "Stormy Weather". The song is of the same name and is performed by the divine Lena Horne. She sings it with such passion that you feel like she's really sitting out in the rain, without an umbrella, telling her man how distraught she is without him. Pretty much like nearly every John Cusack movie (have you ever noticed how he spends quite a few movies out in the rain?)
Don't forget your umbrella!
Anyway, this kind of weather brings to mind songs about inclement weather. Sometimes the song is literal, but it is usally some sort of metaphor for something else.
There is Ridin' the Storm Out by REO Speedwagon, Riders on the Storm by The Doors, and a piece by Vivaldi called Storm (it evokes the tension and ponderousness of a large storm coming in). Vivaldi was known for his virtuosic violin music, and this piece is a good display of this (as well as his Four Seasons suite, well worth a listen, BTW). Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was from the Baroque era (like Bach and Handel) and was known as the Red Priest for his red hair. Nice to know that people having been giving each other funny nicknames even back during those "courtly" days.
Another nice storm song is from a film from 1943 called "Stormy Weather". The song is of the same name and is performed by the divine Lena Horne. She sings it with such passion that you feel like she's really sitting out in the rain, without an umbrella, telling her man how distraught she is without him. Pretty much like nearly every John Cusack movie (have you ever noticed how he spends quite a few movies out in the rain?)
Don't forget your umbrella!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Randomness
Today the following tunes have floated through my head, all brought on by various things in my environment:
Paradise City Guns n Roses
Doodle Dee Doo (old jazz tune, having trouble finding artist/composer)
You'll Be In My Heart Phil Collins
The music from the soundtrack to the Pirates of the Carribean movies.
Paradise City Guns n Roses
Doodle Dee Doo (old jazz tune, having trouble finding artist/composer)
You'll Be In My Heart Phil Collins
The music from the soundtrack to the Pirates of the Carribean movies.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Bit o' Rantin'
Okay, this is a bit of a rant, but it's been bugging me: If you are going to play with a group-any kind of band or ensemble-take fifteen minutes and try to familiarize yourself with the kind of music they play. If their book has a song or piece that you've never heard of and haven't the faintest idea about what to expect, go to YouTube or Amazon or the public library and do a bit of research. It's amazing how many silly questions can be answered just by taking the initiative to research the part.
It isn't neccessary to memorize every detail, but have enough knowledge to play within the style. If you are hired to play in a jazz band that plays music from the '40s, listen to some of that music. If you are asked to play a piece from a composer you've never heard of, research him/her a bit. Find out when the composer lived, what style of music they wrote, tonal or non-tonal, nationality, etc.
I know this sounds like homework, but it brings to mind a story I heard from a friend at a college party way back in my undergrad years: This friend was a guitar player and he was approached by a band to play some slide guitar stuff. He hadn't really played any slide guitar stuff up until then, but he wanted the gig. He told them he could do it, then went home and studied and practiced until he could do what they wanted. He got the job.
Just a few minutes of preparation will make you look better as a musician and can save yourself from embarassment (and even get you a job!). You will also be more helpful and valuable to the group and, in turn, the band will sound better. Everybody wins!!
It isn't neccessary to memorize every detail, but have enough knowledge to play within the style. If you are hired to play in a jazz band that plays music from the '40s, listen to some of that music. If you are asked to play a piece from a composer you've never heard of, research him/her a bit. Find out when the composer lived, what style of music they wrote, tonal or non-tonal, nationality, etc.
I know this sounds like homework, but it brings to mind a story I heard from a friend at a college party way back in my undergrad years: This friend was a guitar player and he was approached by a band to play some slide guitar stuff. He hadn't really played any slide guitar stuff up until then, but he wanted the gig. He told them he could do it, then went home and studied and practiced until he could do what they wanted. He got the job.
Just a few minutes of preparation will make you look better as a musician and can save yourself from embarassment (and even get you a job!). You will also be more helpful and valuable to the group and, in turn, the band will sound better. Everybody wins!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
More nerdifying
So, okay, you have an electronic tuner in front of you and are trying to get your saxophone to play to the standardized A=440 Hz. You play a stable note, like middle G (three fingers of left hand down, no octave key) and the tuner reads sharp. You know this because the tuner's needle (whether a real needle or an LCD version of a needle) leans to the right from the center. Your saxophone is sharp.
To make the horn play in tune, you pull out the mouthpiece a bit. This works because you have effectively lengthened the tube, and long tubes, generally speaking, play lower pitches. (Think long Alp horns, or trombones.) If your saxophone (or flute or clarinet or whatever) plays flat (below pitch, the needle reads to the left of center on the face of the tuner) you need to shorten the tube: push in the mouthpiece, headjoint (though flutes have a special head cork that can also be adjusted if it is severely out of tune), or barrel (clarinets). Same process and concept behind brass instruments, but for trumpets and trombones and horns, the player pulls out or pushes in "tuning slides" that are located around the body of the instrument.
Now go play in tune.
To make the horn play in tune, you pull out the mouthpiece a bit. This works because you have effectively lengthened the tube, and long tubes, generally speaking, play lower pitches. (Think long Alp horns, or trombones.) If your saxophone (or flute or clarinet or whatever) plays flat (below pitch, the needle reads to the left of center on the face of the tuner) you need to shorten the tube: push in the mouthpiece, headjoint (though flutes have a special head cork that can also be adjusted if it is severely out of tune), or barrel (clarinets). Same process and concept behind brass instruments, but for trumpets and trombones and horns, the player pulls out or pushes in "tuning slides" that are located around the body of the instrument.
Now go play in tune.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tune it or die
What is intonation? Why is it so important? And why do musicians (hopefully) spend so much time being concerned with being in tune?
The answers are more involved than you think. There is relative pitch which means that the instrument or singer is in tune with themselves, but not with the musicians or singers around them. There is "absolute" pitch (for lack of a better term) which happens when all musicians play in tune together and in relation to an arbitrary outside source, such as an electronic tuner. These tuners are usually set to a reference pitch, commonly A=440 in the United States, but often a bit higher in Europe (A=441 or 442).
Something interesting I came across about intonation in my advanced pedagogy class was the notion that before 400 years ago, intonation had more to do with where you lived than anything else. Instruments were built to match pitch within a specific village or region. Only when musicians began to travel around and play with other musicians did there arise the need to standardize pitch. In modern orchestras and bands, the reference pitch comes from the oboe. Why the oboe? It is more difficult to change the pitch of a oboe after the reed is made, the oboe's tone is piercing and penetrates throughout the orchestra (it's more easily hear, in other words), and it's relatively stable.
What do tuners measure? Tuners measure the frequency of a pitch. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz) and is another way of saying how high or low a pitch is. Therefore, when two musicians play a single note perfectly in tune with each other, they are precisely matching the frequency levels of that chosen note.
How else can I nerd-ify music? Tune in next time!!
The answers are more involved than you think. There is relative pitch which means that the instrument or singer is in tune with themselves, but not with the musicians or singers around them. There is "absolute" pitch (for lack of a better term) which happens when all musicians play in tune together and in relation to an arbitrary outside source, such as an electronic tuner. These tuners are usually set to a reference pitch, commonly A=440 in the United States, but often a bit higher in Europe (A=441 or 442).
Something interesting I came across about intonation in my advanced pedagogy class was the notion that before 400 years ago, intonation had more to do with where you lived than anything else. Instruments were built to match pitch within a specific village or region. Only when musicians began to travel around and play with other musicians did there arise the need to standardize pitch. In modern orchestras and bands, the reference pitch comes from the oboe. Why the oboe? It is more difficult to change the pitch of a oboe after the reed is made, the oboe's tone is piercing and penetrates throughout the orchestra (it's more easily hear, in other words), and it's relatively stable.
What do tuners measure? Tuners measure the frequency of a pitch. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz) and is another way of saying how high or low a pitch is. Therefore, when two musicians play a single note perfectly in tune with each other, they are precisely matching the frequency levels of that chosen note.
How else can I nerd-ify music? Tune in next time!!
Friday, May 20, 2011
He is a wonderful wiz
Need an uplifting song? Something that'll make you cry a little while still feeling happy? Listen to Lena Horne's version of If You Believe from the film production of the musical The Wiz. The Wiz is a soul music version of The Wizard of Oz featuring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as The Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch, and Richard Pryor as The Wizard.
If you really want a treat, watch the whole film. The recreation of the classic story in the urbanized setting is brilliant and the dancing is great fun. I particularly like Michael Jackson's Ease on Down the Road. All the while Dorothy wants to return to Harlem (home). The Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man are also present searching for the usual things. Everything is set within an analogue of New York City, and we meet the Lion as he comes out of the stone lions in front of the NY Public Library. Dorothy has the silver slippers and therefore the group gains entrance into the Emerald City.
Dorothy and company must first take down the Wicked Witch of the West (Evillene), who runs a sweatshop beneath the city and sends out a motorcycle gang (the flying monkeys) to kidnap them when she finds out that they plan to kill her. Through a series of events which include a chase scene and the moment where Toto's life is threatened, Dorothy hits the fire sprinkler and kills Evillene who is "allergic to water."
With the Wicked Witch dead the sweatshop people are freed and the Wizard shows the crew that what they wanted was with them all along.
If you really want a treat, watch the whole film. The recreation of the classic story in the urbanized setting is brilliant and the dancing is great fun. I particularly like Michael Jackson's Ease on Down the Road. All the while Dorothy wants to return to Harlem (home). The Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man are also present searching for the usual things. Everything is set within an analogue of New York City, and we meet the Lion as he comes out of the stone lions in front of the NY Public Library. Dorothy has the silver slippers and therefore the group gains entrance into the Emerald City.
Dorothy and company must first take down the Wicked Witch of the West (Evillene), who runs a sweatshop beneath the city and sends out a motorcycle gang (the flying monkeys) to kidnap them when she finds out that they plan to kill her. Through a series of events which include a chase scene and the moment where Toto's life is threatened, Dorothy hits the fire sprinkler and kills Evillene who is "allergic to water."
With the Wicked Witch dead the sweatshop people are freed and the Wizard shows the crew that what they wanted was with them all along.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Minor details
Last week I played a solo for my jury at school. After the solo, I was asked to play scales, and even though I understand all of the scales and know how to build them, I completely froze up, couldn't think straight and wound up failing that portion of the jury. Anyway, to show that I do have a working knowledge of minor scales, here we go:
Minor scales are derived from church modes. There are three main kinds of minor scale: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
Natural minor (Aeolian mode) scales are scales that share the key signature of the relative major scale and follow that signature. For example: the G minor scale shares the same key signature as the Bb major scale, but the scale is centered around G. So the scale is spelled: G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G. Notice the Bb as the third of the scale. The lowered (flatted) third interval is a defining characteristic of minor scales. In other words, if the third scale degree is not a minor third interval from the tonic (the scale name or home), the scale is not a minor scale. Another way to construct these scales is to start the scale a minor third below the relative major and follow the key signature.
Harmonic scales are similar to natural minor scales, but will have the seventh scale degree raised by a half-step. So our G minor scale will now be spelled: G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F#-G. Melodic minor scales raise the 6th and 7th scale degrees on the ascent (going up the scale) and follows the natural minor scale rules on the descent (going down the scale). The G melodic minor scale becomes:
G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F#-G // G-F-Eb-D-C-Bb-A-G.
Minor scales are derived from church modes. There are three main kinds of minor scale: natural, harmonic, and melodic.
Natural minor (Aeolian mode) scales are scales that share the key signature of the relative major scale and follow that signature. For example: the G minor scale shares the same key signature as the Bb major scale, but the scale is centered around G. So the scale is spelled: G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G. Notice the Bb as the third of the scale. The lowered (flatted) third interval is a defining characteristic of minor scales. In other words, if the third scale degree is not a minor third interval from the tonic (the scale name or home), the scale is not a minor scale. Another way to construct these scales is to start the scale a minor third below the relative major and follow the key signature.
Harmonic scales are similar to natural minor scales, but will have the seventh scale degree raised by a half-step. So our G minor scale will now be spelled: G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F#-G. Melodic minor scales raise the 6th and 7th scale degrees on the ascent (going up the scale) and follows the natural minor scale rules on the descent (going down the scale). The G melodic minor scale becomes:
G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F#-G // G-F-Eb-D-C-Bb-A-G.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Have you got any castles?
I recently rediscovered a great old cartoon that I used to watch as a kid. It is one of those Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes cartoons from the 1930s. I love the music from these old cartoons. Because jazz was becoming popular they use a lot of it as background or as a vehicle for the cartoon's action. But plenty of other music was used as well. Who hasn't seen Bugs Bunny as the Barber of Seville?
The cartoon I rediscovered is called "Have You Got Any Castles?" It is a Warner Bros cartoon directed by Frank Taschlin, and produced by Leon Schlesinger. The plot centers around what happens in a library after hours, and all of the literary characters come to life. Why did I suddenly go looking for this cartoon? Last week, while giving a clarinet lesson, a student was assigned to play a Gavotte by Francois-Joseph Gossec (French composer, 1734-1829.) This particular melody always reminded me of this old cartoon that opens with Frankenstein, Fu Manchu, Mr. Hyde, and the Phantom of the Opera coming out of their books. They growl menacingly, then after a beat of silence, all four begin to daintily dance a minuet to this melody. Funny stuff.
The title comes from a song called Have You Got Any Castles (I was actually wondering where such a non-related-to-libraries title came from). This song can be heard in the background at the beginning and later in full form when the Three Muskateers make an appearance.
This cartoon is fabulous for anyone looking for great gags: seven identical Clark Gables come out of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, Heidi is singing her name is the style of Cab Calloway's Hi-Dee-Ho, The Thin Man exits his book, enters a cookbook and comes out thicker.
What I love most about this whole treasure hunt though, is the appearance of a caricature of Cab Calloway singing Swing for Sale. The tune is great, but it seems unusual at first as to why Cab and his band are all dressed like angels. The answer: these clips were recycled from another Merrie Melodies cartoon called "Clean Pastures" which is based on the play (and later film) The Green Pastures by Marc Connelly. "Clean Pastures" is by modern standards extremely offensive in its portrayal of African-Americans. Because the cartoon (and ten others, together known as the Censored Eleven) can't be trimmed or edited without losing primary plot motives, they were banned form syndication. "Clean Pastures" is about God's attempt to bring more people into Pair-O-Dice, and is told that the best way to attract the sinful folk is through something that swings. So, anyway, that's why Cab, Lunceford, Armstrong, and Waller are all dressed like angels.
"Whistler's Mother" whistles, Oliver Twist twists, a shawm (remember those? They show up everywhere to me now!) is heard making snakes dance in Mother India, Rip Van Winkle can't take all of the noise ("Old King Cole was a noisy old soul!"), and the Pied Piper plays a jazzy clarinet while leading the rats out of town. Great fun!
The cartoon I rediscovered is called "Have You Got Any Castles?" It is a Warner Bros cartoon directed by Frank Taschlin, and produced by Leon Schlesinger. The plot centers around what happens in a library after hours, and all of the literary characters come to life. Why did I suddenly go looking for this cartoon? Last week, while giving a clarinet lesson, a student was assigned to play a Gavotte by Francois-Joseph Gossec (French composer, 1734-1829.) This particular melody always reminded me of this old cartoon that opens with Frankenstein, Fu Manchu, Mr. Hyde, and the Phantom of the Opera coming out of their books. They growl menacingly, then after a beat of silence, all four begin to daintily dance a minuet to this melody. Funny stuff.
The title comes from a song called Have You Got Any Castles (I was actually wondering where such a non-related-to-libraries title came from). This song can be heard in the background at the beginning and later in full form when the Three Muskateers make an appearance.
This cartoon is fabulous for anyone looking for great gags: seven identical Clark Gables come out of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, Heidi is singing her name is the style of Cab Calloway's Hi-Dee-Ho, The Thin Man exits his book, enters a cookbook and comes out thicker.
What I love most about this whole treasure hunt though, is the appearance of a caricature of Cab Calloway singing Swing for Sale. The tune is great, but it seems unusual at first as to why Cab and his band are all dressed like angels. The answer: these clips were recycled from another Merrie Melodies cartoon called "Clean Pastures" which is based on the play (and later film) The Green Pastures by Marc Connelly. "Clean Pastures" is by modern standards extremely offensive in its portrayal of African-Americans. Because the cartoon (and ten others, together known as the Censored Eleven) can't be trimmed or edited without losing primary plot motives, they were banned form syndication. "Clean Pastures" is about God's attempt to bring more people into Pair-O-Dice, and is told that the best way to attract the sinful folk is through something that swings. So, anyway, that's why Cab, Lunceford, Armstrong, and Waller are all dressed like angels.
"Whistler's Mother" whistles, Oliver Twist twists, a shawm (remember those? They show up everywhere to me now!) is heard making snakes dance in Mother India, Rip Van Winkle can't take all of the noise ("Old King Cole was a noisy old soul!"), and the Pied Piper plays a jazzy clarinet while leading the rats out of town. Great fun!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
New stuff coming soon!
Sorry. Not dead. Blog platform was experiencing technical difficulties. Which was frustrating because I have a whole new set of discoveries and thoughts to tell you about. But first, today while eating my bowl of rice in the break room at work, I was looking through May 2011 issue of The Music Trades and found something great:
Printed 75 years ago (that would have been 1936) in The Music Trades: "The Salvation Army has given official recognition to the saxophone. With this new recognition, the celebrated "hot" instrument will be heard whenever Army Bands play in the streets for their Citizens Appeal fund raising efforts. The move ends the strained relations that have existed between the Army and the sax ever since the instrument first stirred the pulses of the younger set."
I'm so glad that the Salvation Army finally decided that the saxophone was a real instrument in 1936. Never mind the fact that it had been around and in use for nearly 100 years by then...
Printed 75 years ago (that would have been 1936) in The Music Trades: "The Salvation Army has given official recognition to the saxophone. With this new recognition, the celebrated "hot" instrument will be heard whenever Army Bands play in the streets for their Citizens Appeal fund raising efforts. The move ends the strained relations that have existed between the Army and the sax ever since the instrument first stirred the pulses of the younger set."
I'm so glad that the Salvation Army finally decided that the saxophone was a real instrument in 1936. Never mind the fact that it had been around and in use for nearly 100 years by then...
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Copycat
Copyright is a sticky thing. Some people violate copyright law without realizing it. Some people violate it blatantly. And other people just don't understand it well enough.
Anything that is an original creation by an individual is called intellectual property. If you write a song down on a napkin in a bar, that becomes your intellectual property. It can be protected from being copied, re-arranged or performed by anyone else unless you give your express consent (or you sell these rights to a publisher.) And the copyright protection is instant. The moment the song is fixed in a tangible form (written down, recorded, etc.) it is subject to copyright protection. Whether this will hold up in a court dispute depends on whether or not the work is registered. Ideas, chord progressions, methods, or systems can not be protected by copyright. Names and logos can not be copyright protected, they need to be trademarked, which is different.
There are a few different parts to copyright law. There is the copyright law that we are most familiar with: photocopying music or copying CDs. There is also the copyright protection that we are less familiar with: playing someone else's music in a public space, whether live or over a PA system. If the music is being performed live, like a cover band in a bar, the venue (the bar) is responsible for paying performance rights to the two main performer's rights organizations: ASCAP, BMI (and SESAC, to a lesser extant). These are yearly fees that the venue must pay in order to have music (even jukeboxes).
Sheet music can be tricky. Photocopying a song out of a book that you have not paid for is illegal. There is some wiggle room with this, but it is slippery, so be careful. There is a part of the law that allows for fair use, which allows copies for educational, research, or personal use. A lot of this depends on how much of the work is copied, why it is copied, and whether or not the copy will have an effect on the sales or marketability of the original work. Photocopying a page of your solo to avoid a bad page turn is okay; photocopying the entire solo from the library and playing that in a public performance is not.
Anything that is an original creation by an individual is called intellectual property. If you write a song down on a napkin in a bar, that becomes your intellectual property. It can be protected from being copied, re-arranged or performed by anyone else unless you give your express consent (or you sell these rights to a publisher.) And the copyright protection is instant. The moment the song is fixed in a tangible form (written down, recorded, etc.) it is subject to copyright protection. Whether this will hold up in a court dispute depends on whether or not the work is registered. Ideas, chord progressions, methods, or systems can not be protected by copyright. Names and logos can not be copyright protected, they need to be trademarked, which is different.
There are a few different parts to copyright law. There is the copyright law that we are most familiar with: photocopying music or copying CDs. There is also the copyright protection that we are less familiar with: playing someone else's music in a public space, whether live or over a PA system. If the music is being performed live, like a cover band in a bar, the venue (the bar) is responsible for paying performance rights to the two main performer's rights organizations: ASCAP, BMI (and SESAC, to a lesser extant). These are yearly fees that the venue must pay in order to have music (even jukeboxes).
Sheet music can be tricky. Photocopying a song out of a book that you have not paid for is illegal. There is some wiggle room with this, but it is slippery, so be careful. There is a part of the law that allows for fair use, which allows copies for educational, research, or personal use. A lot of this depends on how much of the work is copied, why it is copied, and whether or not the copy will have an effect on the sales or marketability of the original work. Photocopying a page of your solo to avoid a bad page turn is okay; photocopying the entire solo from the library and playing that in a public performance is not.
Connections
Benny Goodman's "Let's Dance" was derived from Carl Maria's von Weber's "Invitation to the Dance."
America (sometimes known as My Country 'Tis of Thee) shares the same melody as God Save the Queen, the anthem of many Commonwealth countries.
The Star Spangled Banner was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song. The lyrics come from a poem by Francis Scott Key, written in 1814, called "Defence of Fort McHenry." The British drinking song that the melody came from was The Anacreontic Song.
O Sole Mio and It's Now or Never (Elvis) share the same melody.
My Sweet Lord (George Harrison) and He's So Fine (The Chiffons) are so similar that it caused a plagiarism suit in 1971.
America (sometimes known as My Country 'Tis of Thee) shares the same melody as God Save the Queen, the anthem of many Commonwealth countries.
The Star Spangled Banner was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song. The lyrics come from a poem by Francis Scott Key, written in 1814, called "Defence of Fort McHenry." The British drinking song that the melody came from was The Anacreontic Song.
O Sole Mio and It's Now or Never (Elvis) share the same melody.
My Sweet Lord (George Harrison) and He's So Fine (The Chiffons) are so similar that it caused a plagiarism suit in 1971.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Singrrrs
Don't know why, but for a while now I've had a strong urge to listen to choral music. Maybe it's the different sound or flashbacks from when I sang in the high school choir, but I really want to hear a good, large choir sing some pretty music to me.
Mass choirs are amazing. There is something about a wall of sound being created by a large group of human beings that is simply astounding. That said, I also have extensive experience playing in a small band behind a group of singers and still being told to play quieter.
Anyway, a few months ago, while playing with the local wind ensemble, we were given a transcription of Eric Whitacre's Sleep. It is a choral piece, obviously, re-arranged for a wind band. It really is a lovely piece, which is sometimes difficult to appreciate while playing a transcription. So through my friend, YouTube, I listened to a choir sing it. Beautiful harmonies, calming, and some impressive examples of niente dynamic shading. Niente means nothing and it can be done by singers or musicians. This happens when the musician gets so soft, so gradually and eventually fades off into nothing.
Mass choirs are amazing. There is something about a wall of sound being created by a large group of human beings that is simply astounding. That said, I also have extensive experience playing in a small band behind a group of singers and still being told to play quieter.
Anyway, a few months ago, while playing with the local wind ensemble, we were given a transcription of Eric Whitacre's Sleep. It is a choral piece, obviously, re-arranged for a wind band. It really is a lovely piece, which is sometimes difficult to appreciate while playing a transcription. So through my friend, YouTube, I listened to a choir sing it. Beautiful harmonies, calming, and some impressive examples of niente dynamic shading. Niente means nothing and it can be done by singers or musicians. This happens when the musician gets so soft, so gradually and eventually fades off into nothing.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
The Enigma Burrito Part 2
The last time we talked about Artie Shaw, he had finally topped Benny Goodman in the polls. Or at least was even with him.
Artie and his orchestra was still popular, don't get me wrong, but when compared to how Benny handled the music side, he made some unusual choices. He always seemed to be intent on getting strings (violins, etc) into his jazz bands. He was definitely interested in making his band sound different from any other jazz group and tried to incorporate more kinds of music than any other. Latin, Mexican, novelty, "savage" (not sure how else to describe this one, I think he was trying to get an African sound, even if it was hopelessly caricatured), and romantic strings. But he could swing, so it's unfortunate that he spent so much time trying to fight the popular band arrangement of the time.
He reassembled and reformed at least 8 different bands over the course of 4-5 years, which makes it clear that he was trying to do something, but wasn't able to achieve it. At least not to his satisfaction. It was this stop and start (and maybe his underlying distaste for fame and popularity) that ultimately undermined his attempt to surpass Benny.
In 1955 he gave it all up. Bandleading, clarinet, music, the fame, everything. He wanted to be a writer instead.
Artie was good at the clarinet. In some ways he may have been better than Benny, (I've been debating this over and over with myself. Who was the better player, really? I think I've decided that Benny was technically superior, but Artie knew how to play lyrically and took more musical risks) but Benny had a clearer idea about what he wanted to do and was better able to make it happen.
He is an enigma burrito. Con queso.
Artie and his orchestra was still popular, don't get me wrong, but when compared to how Benny handled the music side, he made some unusual choices. He always seemed to be intent on getting strings (violins, etc) into his jazz bands. He was definitely interested in making his band sound different from any other jazz group and tried to incorporate more kinds of music than any other. Latin, Mexican, novelty, "savage" (not sure how else to describe this one, I think he was trying to get an African sound, even if it was hopelessly caricatured), and romantic strings. But he could swing, so it's unfortunate that he spent so much time trying to fight the popular band arrangement of the time.
He reassembled and reformed at least 8 different bands over the course of 4-5 years, which makes it clear that he was trying to do something, but wasn't able to achieve it. At least not to his satisfaction. It was this stop and start (and maybe his underlying distaste for fame and popularity) that ultimately undermined his attempt to surpass Benny.
In 1955 he gave it all up. Bandleading, clarinet, music, the fame, everything. He wanted to be a writer instead.
Artie was good at the clarinet. In some ways he may have been better than Benny, (I've been debating this over and over with myself. Who was the better player, really? I think I've decided that Benny was technically superior, but Artie knew how to play lyrically and took more musical risks) but Benny had a clearer idea about what he wanted to do and was better able to make it happen.
He is an enigma burrito. Con queso.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Mute thy horn
The next time you go to an orchestra, band, or jazz concert, watch the trumpet players. You will, occasionally, see them put objects into the bells of their instruments. These objects are called mutes. Really, though, they don't do much muting. It's more of a sound effect. The different shaped mutes make different sounds. Trombone and tuba players use mutes too (and horn players), but trumpets are asked to use them more often. Mutes are made from fiberboard, plastic, aluminum, or copper.
The straight mute is one of the more common mutes. Shapes do vary slightly from brand to brand, depending on the maker, but straight mutes basically look like a cone. These mutes give the horn a buzzy sound.
A cup mute is a straight mute with a cup attached to the end. It also makes a buzzy sound, but because the sound is reflected back, it has a richer, more fuzzy-than-buzzy, sound.
Harmons, or wah-wah, mutes are shaped like large soda or vegetable cans. They usually have "stems" on the end that can be pulled out or left in, as additional sound effects. They allow the player make a "wah" sound (hence the wah-wah name).
Plunger mutes are usually literally toilet plungers. Like the red (or black) cup shaped ones from the hardware store (unused, please), except without the stick. Plungers can be used to make a closed to open effect. Buzz-sounds to normal sounds. Plungers are most often heard in jazz. On occasion, even hats can be used as plunger mutes.
The straight mute is one of the more common mutes. Shapes do vary slightly from brand to brand, depending on the maker, but straight mutes basically look like a cone. These mutes give the horn a buzzy sound.
A cup mute is a straight mute with a cup attached to the end. It also makes a buzzy sound, but because the sound is reflected back, it has a richer, more fuzzy-than-buzzy, sound.
Harmons, or wah-wah, mutes are shaped like large soda or vegetable cans. They usually have "stems" on the end that can be pulled out or left in, as additional sound effects. They allow the player make a "wah" sound (hence the wah-wah name).
Plunger mutes are usually literally toilet plungers. Like the red (or black) cup shaped ones from the hardware store (unused, please), except without the stick. Plungers can be used to make a closed to open effect. Buzz-sounds to normal sounds. Plungers are most often heard in jazz. On occasion, even hats can be used as plunger mutes.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dreamy
As a music zombie, you'd expect my dreams to have music in them. Strangely though, my music dreams are all nightmares. They all have to do with my instruments being lost or ruined in some weird way, or I've forgotten to show up to a gig or concert, or I did show up but had brought the wrong instrument or sheet music.
One dream that really stuck with me went like this:
I had driven to a person's house (don't know who, you know how vague and random people in dreams can be) and this house was on the top of a steep hill. I drive a red Blazer, by the way, and it was in the dream too. Anyway. I park the car at the bottom of this hill and my clarinet, Vinny, (yes, I've named my clarinet. Doesn't everyone?) is on the floor behind the driver's seat, where it usually rides when I take it places.
Well, I get out of the car, leaving Vinny behind, and go inside the house. After getting lost in a maze of doors, I come back outside to see that it had rained while I was inside the maze-y house. It had rained a lot. The bottom of the hill was flooded, and my car was nearly completely underwater, which meant that my clarinet was now completely submerged in water.
Wooden clarinets should not be given baths. They need humidity, but this was just too much. The clarinet was ruined. I was distraught. I spent a good portion of the rest of the dream running around to every repairman I knew to see if soggy clarinets could be repaired.
Then I wake up. After several seconds of intense worry, I look across the room to see my clarinet on the floor next to the bookshelf, where I had left it. Dry and safe and not ruined by a flood. Whew!
One dream that really stuck with me went like this:
I had driven to a person's house (don't know who, you know how vague and random people in dreams can be) and this house was on the top of a steep hill. I drive a red Blazer, by the way, and it was in the dream too. Anyway. I park the car at the bottom of this hill and my clarinet, Vinny, (yes, I've named my clarinet. Doesn't everyone?) is on the floor behind the driver's seat, where it usually rides when I take it places.
Well, I get out of the car, leaving Vinny behind, and go inside the house. After getting lost in a maze of doors, I come back outside to see that it had rained while I was inside the maze-y house. It had rained a lot. The bottom of the hill was flooded, and my car was nearly completely underwater, which meant that my clarinet was now completely submerged in water.
Wooden clarinets should not be given baths. They need humidity, but this was just too much. The clarinet was ruined. I was distraught. I spent a good portion of the rest of the dream running around to every repairman I knew to see if soggy clarinets could be repaired.
Then I wake up. After several seconds of intense worry, I look across the room to see my clarinet on the floor next to the bookshelf, where I had left it. Dry and safe and not ruined by a flood. Whew!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tear the roof off
I've always liked George Clinton and Parliament (and his other band, Funkadelic, but I tend to like Parliament more).
To this day, thanks to a college professor for my American pop music history class, I think of sixteenth note subdivisions as: par-lia-ment-and-funk-a-del-ic. (1-e-and-a, 2-e-and-a) But that's not really why I like George Clinton.
He's interesting and his music is interesting. He got his start in the biz by starting a doo-wop group called The Parliaments. By the late 1960s he had started Parliament and Funkadelic, both working at the same time, usually using the same musicians, but operating under different recording labels. The style is collectively known as P-Funk. George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars was formed in the 1980s.
From what I remember from a documentary I saw years ago (which is what turned me on to Parliament in the first place) was the Clinton temporarily lost the rights to his name Parliament, so he started Funkadelic.
The music is psychadelic and funky, with lots of instruments and voices, and high-quality musicianship. Parliament tends to have a smoother R&B groove, while Funkadelic is a bit more raw and rock-based. In May of 1997, George Clinton and 15 members of P-Funk were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bow wow wow yippee-yo yippee-yay!
To this day, thanks to a college professor for my American pop music history class, I think of sixteenth note subdivisions as: par-lia-ment-and-funk-a-del-ic. (1-e-and-a, 2-e-and-a) But that's not really why I like George Clinton.
He's interesting and his music is interesting. He got his start in the biz by starting a doo-wop group called The Parliaments. By the late 1960s he had started Parliament and Funkadelic, both working at the same time, usually using the same musicians, but operating under different recording labels. The style is collectively known as P-Funk. George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars was formed in the 1980s.
From what I remember from a documentary I saw years ago (which is what turned me on to Parliament in the first place) was the Clinton temporarily lost the rights to his name Parliament, so he started Funkadelic.
The music is psychadelic and funky, with lots of instruments and voices, and high-quality musicianship. Parliament tends to have a smoother R&B groove, while Funkadelic is a bit more raw and rock-based. In May of 1997, George Clinton and 15 members of P-Funk were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Bow wow wow yippee-yo yippee-yay!
The Creature teaches
What makes a good music teacher? I've been thinking about this a lot lately.
My best music teachers have always done more than just make me a better musician. Of course, the teacher must be a competant musician themselves, but it goes deeper than that. My best teachers inspired me to go further. They made me want to do more than just play the instrument in a technically perfect way.
A good teacher will give their students the tools they need to continue progressing even in the teacher's absence. A good teacher will build their students up and try to show them what they are capable of. A good teacher will do their best to show how beautiful and enlightening the fine arts can be. They will go beyond the scope of just music and draw parallels in art, sports, and humanity; whatever it takes to get a concept across. A good teacher can see when a student is struggling and will make an effort to help. A good teacher will also try many different approaches, when the first try doesn't work.
Most importantly, a good teacher will put their students first. It must be a positive experience, or they will have no appreciation for it when they grow up. In my own teaching, I am not concerned if the student has dreams of becoming a music professional or even if they want to continue playing later in life (though it would be wonderful if they did). My goal is to show them what a powerful and positive force the fine arts can be and why they should care about it. And it is my responsibility to show them that I care, too.
On a related note, my studio of clarinet and saxophone students have become the highlight of my day. Even on those days when I am feeling lazy and uninspired, I will go in to teach anyway and go home again feeling happy and energized. Seeing them progress and improve, and being able to teach them what I am so passionate about is a great feeling.
To me, these things and more are what make a good music teacher. :-)
My best music teachers have always done more than just make me a better musician. Of course, the teacher must be a competant musician themselves, but it goes deeper than that. My best teachers inspired me to go further. They made me want to do more than just play the instrument in a technically perfect way.
A good teacher will give their students the tools they need to continue progressing even in the teacher's absence. A good teacher will build their students up and try to show them what they are capable of. A good teacher will do their best to show how beautiful and enlightening the fine arts can be. They will go beyond the scope of just music and draw parallels in art, sports, and humanity; whatever it takes to get a concept across. A good teacher can see when a student is struggling and will make an effort to help. A good teacher will also try many different approaches, when the first try doesn't work.
Most importantly, a good teacher will put their students first. It must be a positive experience, or they will have no appreciation for it when they grow up. In my own teaching, I am not concerned if the student has dreams of becoming a music professional or even if they want to continue playing later in life (though it would be wonderful if they did). My goal is to show them what a powerful and positive force the fine arts can be and why they should care about it. And it is my responsibility to show them that I care, too.
On a related note, my studio of clarinet and saxophone students have become the highlight of my day. Even on those days when I am feeling lazy and uninspired, I will go in to teach anyway and go home again feeling happy and energized. Seeing them progress and improve, and being able to teach them what I am so passionate about is a great feeling.
To me, these things and more are what make a good music teacher. :-)
Monday, May 2, 2011
I'm not dead yet!!
Sorry for the lull in musical tidbits. Been a bit busy with the final weeks of classes. Speaking of "I'm not dead yet!"...
Monty Python's Flying Circus is a British comedy troupe. The episodes aired on the BBC 1969 to 1974. The march that is heard over the wonderfully clever animations at the beginning of the program is John Phillip Sousa's The Liberty Bell. The Pythons also wrote music.
Eric Idle was responsible for many of the songs that the Pythons sang. He wrote Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Go ahead, start whistling now. You know you want to.), and the Galaxy Song.
The Galaxy Song (written around 1981) describes in detail statistics that are known about our Universe. Most of them are fairly accurate, for example: "Just remember that you're standing/ on a planet that's evolving/ and revolving at 900 miles an hour." It's actually about 1037 miles an hour. Most of the other figures are pretty close too.
"The Universe itself just keeps expanding and expanding/ In all of the directions it can whiz. As fast as it can go, the speed of light, you know/ Twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is."
The last verse, in all it's uplifting splendor: "So remember when you're feeling very small and insecure/ How amazingly unlikely is your birth./ And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,/ Cuz it's bugger all down here on Earth!"
Monty Python's Flying Circus is a British comedy troupe. The episodes aired on the BBC 1969 to 1974. The march that is heard over the wonderfully clever animations at the beginning of the program is John Phillip Sousa's The Liberty Bell. The Pythons also wrote music.
Eric Idle was responsible for many of the songs that the Pythons sang. He wrote Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Go ahead, start whistling now. You know you want to.), and the Galaxy Song.
The Galaxy Song (written around 1981) describes in detail statistics that are known about our Universe. Most of them are fairly accurate, for example: "Just remember that you're standing/ on a planet that's evolving/ and revolving at 900 miles an hour." It's actually about 1037 miles an hour. Most of the other figures are pretty close too.
"The Universe itself just keeps expanding and expanding/ In all of the directions it can whiz. As fast as it can go, the speed of light, you know/ Twelve million miles a minute and that's the fastest speed there is."
The last verse, in all it's uplifting splendor: "So remember when you're feeling very small and insecure/ How amazingly unlikely is your birth./ And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,/ Cuz it's bugger all down here on Earth!"
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