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.
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