The Marimba Blog

The busiest semester.

2011-04-18T14:54:00.002-05:00

Well, of my life, anyway. It was strange, and please allow me to throw in a few humble brags. Last year I was part of a residency in which I performed at twenty-seven schools in ten school days. But, that was almost it for gigs that semester, so it was one crazy oasis in the desert. My last semester of my masters degree (four years ago!) I had a credits snafu that resulted in my adding of three classes halfway through the semester, and attempting to perform an elective recital. Yet, somehow, this semester took the cake (There’s cake?!).

I have unfortunately had a major absence in the online community for the past three months. This has been in part a result of my extreme business, for which I apologize. However, this has also been in part on purpose, for which I do not apologize. For years I have been blogging and video blogging, and I had a very harsh realization: I was sometimes coming across in a conceited, arrogant, and self-righteous manor. Maybe that is an exaggerated assessment, but one I made of myself. I think that it is very difficult to be a young writer and use the internet without coming off in that way (I personally blame the keyboard; I was always positive while typing). So, I made up my mind to attempt to change my writing style and to more often than not write lighter material… then that material kept being pushed back by three things:

Gigs
Practicing (for said gigs)
and finally… LECTURE PREP

I decided to completely overhaul both my lecture series and my assignments for my three music appreciation courses. Add it up, and you’ve got the recipe for the ‘ol back-burner special.

Before I being anew and reboot this blog, allow me to summarize my wild and crazy gigs…

The theme of the semester was bad weather. Snow forced me to miss three presentations, two of which rescheduled, and the third of which could not. Snow should have forced me to postpone my first collegiate guest artist recital, but I pushed onward! The result was a small audience, but a greatly invested audience. Finally, a sever thunderstorm and tornado watch caused a very small audience, but not a cancelled performance.

During this semester I have so far presented:
9 Recitals
13 Assemblies
10 Clinics/Master Classes
With one recital and one assembly left. Those 32 presentations happened between January 6th and March 22nd, aka 76 days. Many of these actually happened during my “Spring Break.” This was mentioned in the Des Moines register, but I failed to post the link online thanks to comical mistakes in both my bio and schedule!

Up next, I plan on detailing my weekend at Bernie’s… I mean my various gigs for the past semester. After that, it’s back to music blogs and MPP’s. Hopefully a new approach and a consistent approach can help me gig this blog off the ground again.

Before I sign off, our dear friend Brian has yet to send me any etudes! Please be sure to annoy him at the following email address:
Bivdub@gmail.com

Marimbist’s Log: 1/18/11

2011-01-22T17:29:00.004-06:00

This is an idea I had to catalogue some of the crazier or more interesting days in my performance career, very much in the style of the daily entries from my residency last year in Dubuque. This first one is being posted a little late, but I’ll try to stay on top of them from now on!

A week before today’s gig I was supposed to be performing in the towns of Ogden and Cambridge, IA. Unfortunately the weather required that both schools cancel classes. As I went to sleep last night the radar began to show signs of another blizzard. Fortunately for me and for the students, the snow held off and today’s assemblies happened.

I awoke at 5am to load the car and take off for the town of Dunkerton, IA (pop. 749), which is about an hour and a half north of where I live: I was set to perform two assemblies in the morning for the elementary school. I am performed two thirty minute assemblies as opposed to one forty-five minute assembly for no extra charge. This is an option I give that I feel is one of the elements that help me book events. The more negotiable I am, and the more I am willing to adapt to a school helps me to reach more people.

The community school in Dunkerton reminds me of the school I attended to. They have a large brick building that has been there for close to a hundred years, with new additions surrounding it. The beauty of this old building is the auditorium that was built in it. It had a gorgeous stage and sat more than a hundred people. The school is planning on tearing down this building; I am hoping that their plans include rebuilding this auditorium in the new space.

The elementary was split between upper and lower grades, with the youngins being my first audience. They were an incredibly observant and respectful audience while I was performing, and extremely enthusiastic about joining me on stage for the African drumming portion.

After I packed the marimba I left for the town of Jesup (pop. 2,212). Whenever I have an assembly performance booked that is somewhat of a drive I do my best to try to line up another assembly nearby for the other half of the day. This worked out very well, as Jesup Community School was interested and only fifteen minutes away.

Jesup is a completely different school from Dunkerton, new and HUGE! I performed first for the middle school students, and then for the second through fifth graders. My final performance went very well, but the middle school performance was interesting. The problem with students at that age is that there will always be some who think you are lame no matter what. After that there will be a range of students who either think you are okay or who love what you are playing. Unfortunately at that age the fact that the first group exists can make the latter two groups feel self-conscience about seeming too interested.

So, as musicians and educators, how to combat this? I feel that since I am only going to be there for a small period of time that first group may be a lost cause. However, I am going to work my hardest to entertain those who I know I will have a positive effect on. I recently heard a podcast interviewing the comedian Patton Oswald, and he stated that his type of comedy isn’t all-inclusive. Therefore, when he was doing the club rotations in the early nineties he tried to find those people who would absolutely love him and appeal to them, that way anytime he was in town they would come back to see him.

I realize that I am the same person who wrote a righteous blog about how classical music can be loved by anyone. However, young teenagers are not free-thinking adults. There will always be a handful that even if they like what they hear, will pretend it isn’t cool. Would I try to reach them and inspire them if I was their every-day teacher? Absolutely! But, as a visiting artist I feel I must advise others that are just beginning down the same path as me to not take their dissatisfaction seriously.

Once my day was completed I headed for home where more practicing and lecture prep awaited.

Etude Project: One Handed Rolls

2011-01-02T14:33:00.003-06:00

Greetings! I have a feeling that 2011 is going to bring many more posts, videos, projects, and of course performances. January is already pretty packed with assemblies and concerts. But, the purpose of this post is to begin my new etude project with The Collaborative Process’ Brian Van Winkle. If you haven’t read before, Brian became interested in writing a set (or two) of etudes for the marimba. He asked me to help by sending him concepts for each etude, and later we will organize them. For my first post, I decided to approach one handed rolls. Leave any comments for Brian to read; although if I think they’re bogus I will delete them!

Here was my first e-mail to Brian...

I was thinking that there could be two etudes focused on one handed rolls: one beginner/intermediate, the other advanced. I won’t tell you what to compose timbrely, however it would be nice if the first was a little on the slower side.

For the first etude my suggestion would be to only use the following intervals for the one handed rolls: 5ths through octaves. When the interval is smaller it is more challenging, and usually requires a much faster speed; whereas further than an octave would be too much of a mallet spread for a beginning to intermediate percussionist. While one hand is executing a one handed roll, I would suggestion something articulated in the other hand. This could also allow this etude to work on hand to hand independence. I would probably suggest that for beginners the one handed rolls only change pitches if there is a break in the roll.

I have a few more ideas for the advanced etude. First of all, feel free to use smaller intervals, and to use larger intervals (especially in the right hand). Also, it would be great if at some point you could even have the right hand rolling on one note while the left hand plays something articulated below.

Here’s another idea. Some percussionists don’t think about speeding up and slowing down their roll speeds with one handed rolls. So, you could write a few Malsanka-esque accels into roll, and rit. into niente… or something like that. You could also try a right handed roll being joined after a while by the left hand, so a one handed roll blending into a four mallet ripple roll. Let me know with this paragraph if you need a few visual examples.

Looking at this now, those two paragraphs have a lot of ideas. So, if it makes it easier to split into two etudes, feel free to go down that route. We could also include a few other etude ideas into splitting the etudes.

Revisiting Methods, and a new Etude Project

2010-12-09T15:39:00.003-06:00

I have had the fortunate luck that many of my posts and videos have been shared throughout the percussion-blogosphere, especially on the website Drumchattr.com. However, being a blog writer is a tricky job, and some of my posts have often been misunderstood. There have even been times when they were so misunderstood that they were criticized for saying things that I had no intention of saying. This is something that happens to all writers, but the internet provides endless opportunities for people who disagree with you to take their shots.

Most recently I had a post that seems to have been either slightly misunderstood, or approached with a small amount of disagreement. The latter is something that I can handle. As the drumchattr guys said while reviewing this post, everyone’s experience will be different, and there is no one right way to teach the marimba. It’s the former that always makes me worry. Luckily, having a blog gives me an opportunity to expand on previous ideas so that a certain community of readers can understand my thoughts more clearly.

In the post Method Books and the Marimbists Who Love Them I wrote about my growing feelings that certain methods should be used more often with beginning students. One thing I probably could have stressed is that this is most important with percussionists who are still new to the marimba. There are many drummers who begin their studies as a music performance major having never touched four mallets. This is the first and most important group of students that need to be introduced to the beginning methods I mentioned. If a student is like me, and had been a successful mallet player throughout high school, a beginning method may not be important, but beginning work on etudes would be. I’ll get into that later in this post.

I simply think that it is irresponsible as a teacher to throw solos at a student if they are not ready for them. On other classical instruments (strings, piano, winds and brass) a student will be required to work through technical studies and etudes during their first semester if they are not yet at the appropriate level as a music major. When a percussionist begins taking lessons in middle school the teacher doesn’t assign solos, they assign work in some type of book. You can see, then, where logic brings me back time and again to percussionists utilizing methods to get to where they need to be.

Now, that’s not to say that this percussionist will need to spend all four years of college in Method of Movement. Maybe it takes them a semester or two to get where they need to be (which doesn’t necessarily mean all the way through the book) and they move onto to other studies. If you watch my most recent MPP you will also see the MOM can be used to simply isolate areas of struggle in warm-up sessions.

The idea that a student should learn as much marimba repertoire as possible while an undergrad is perplexing to me. If a student is not technically or musically sound then it will take them forever to learn an intermediate piece of music. It is also not practical as an undergrad has so many other instruments to study. I think that the time to go wild with rep may be as a grad student. That seems to be when a student is more mature in their practice habits, and can handle the amount of time necessary to learn so many pieces.

When I was a senior in college my top choice for grad school was Nancy Zeltsman’s marimba program at The Boston Conservatory. Therefore, on my senior recital my rep included three standard but more intermediate pieces: Tanaka’s Two Movements for Marimba, Deane’s Etude for a Quiet Hall, and Rosauro’s first Marimba Concerto. On that recital I, of course, had other non-mallet pieces, but only one was actually a standard solo, Milhaud’s Concerto for Percussion. The snare drum piece I played was a more advanced etude.

During my degree I worked diligently on etudes and technical studies on both snare and timpani (in my opinion MOM’s technical studies are the equivalent to learning rudiments), as well as excerpts. However, I rarely touched advanced solos on these instruments, because I wasn’t ready for them technically. It would have been wildly inappropriate for me to play Prime on my senior recital. Instead, I played a concert-appropriate etude.

This is not to say that someone who is more interested in orchestral percussion shouldn’t play a marimba solo or two on their recital(s). Maybe, thought, it is more important that they play more intermediate works so that in their practice time they can focus on etudes as well.

Coming back to the idea of etudes now, that’s the missing piece I referred to in the post about methods. If you were to quiz every non-percussionist in a school they would tell you how they work through etudes in their lessons. Maybe a certain etude helps with their phrasing, maybe one helps with time/feel, maybe one works on articulation… but they are effective because they are pieces of music that are enjoyable to play, while helping them pedagogically. For the undergrad percussionist who knows how to play the marimba, but is not ready to start intermediate to advanced literature, a collection of etudes would help them immensely.

And that is where this post gets interesting!

A few days after I posted the blog about methods my good friend Brian of Collaborative Process fame called. He wanted to help us percussionists (he is a giving soul) by taking a stab at writing technical etudes with my help. For the time being the Collab Blogs will be all about me finding a technical or musical study that should be utilized, and Brian writing the etude. We are planning on documenting this, and I would as always appreciate any feedback or ideas.

In conclusion, the hardest part about writing or being active on internet boards is context. I am extremely passionate about what I write, and sometimes come off in either a defensive or abrasive tone. However, this is never my intention. I am simply trying to help those who need it, and send my thoughts into the internet-universe. The point of my blogs and videos are not to educate those who are already well respected and successful, but to help those who do not have access to these successful percussionists. Yes, every person’s approach to education will be different, but it is our duty as pedagogues to remain intellectually curious about our approach. We need to have an open mind to see if there are new ideas that may work better than the status quo.

Method Books and the Marimbists Who Love Them

2010-11-30T15:34:00.004-06:00

I have written before about my feelings when it comes to the use of method books, technical exercises and etudes. I used to be of the opinion that the marimba seriously lacked the literature to help young percussionists learn the instrument. However, I am starting to change my feelings. I still think that there are a few missing pieces to the overall puzzle, but that many of the problems lie with the pedagogues and students.

First of all, I think it’s necessary to explain why we need different methods. I will take the time later this week to shoot a new MPP showing the dangers of using a piece of music to learn how to play the marimba. However, it is quite a simple idea. The best example I have is that when I was in high school I learned how to play Keiko Abe’s Michi, which was my introduction to one-handed rolls. However, the piece only contains one-handed rolls in the right hand. Because I used this piece to learn how to play a one-handed roll, and not a method book that would assure I also work on my left hand, I never bothered to learn how to roll with my left.

There may be some reasons as to why many teachers do not assign work in method books to beginning and intermediate marimba students, and there are certainly many reasons as to why many students fail to do their proper technical studies. All I can offer are generalized theories, and hope that some of them are accurate.

It seems the earliest that most percussionists start to learn four mallet marimba is either in high school or college. I have certainly heard my fair share of stories of elementary and junior high students learning how to play the marimba, but it seems like in this country that is rare. We know that most high school percussionists do not have the attention or desire to practice endless amounts of exercises and etudes on both snare and marimba, while often also practicing drumset. What it seems like high schoolers want to practice are solos. This is evident with the high amount of students preparing both snare drum and marimba solos for contests. While it is understandable that a high school percussionist doesn’t want to feel like they are behind the rest of their classmates, having to start all over on a new instrument, it is necessary to introduce them to one of the many beginning method books in existence. Remember, most middle school drummers work from method books when they first join band.

The unfortunate reality is that this practice of only working on solos doesn’t end with high school. I have written before that many collegiate percussionists are worried about so many things to practice (snare and timpani etudes, orchestral excerpts, jazz studies, etc.) that when they stand in front of their marimba they just want to play a full composition. This of course only increases when they are expected to present marimba solo(s) at juries and recitals, as well as (again!) for contests. While I’m not saying a percussionist shouldn’t learn to love performing on the marimba, and that percussionists should not be expected to perform solos, it is a reality that percussionists have to focus on many things on many instruments. However, it is not an excuse to stop developing technically.

In a recent Drumchattr.com article, Thomas Burritt described how technique shouldn’t be learned so that a musician can “flaunt” their talents. I whole-heartedly agree. A musician does, though, need a well-developed technique so that they perform with ease and confidence, and so that they can focus more on developing musically.

“Alright already!” screamed the annoyed but thoroughly convinced Marimba Blog readers, “What do you, the so-called marimba expert, want us to do about it?!”

I feel that the three method books following this paragraph are the best in terms of methodology. I am also hoping to find well written etudes in the future. I know of the Gordon Stout etudes, but I need more! As a person who worked for a few years in the sheet music world, I know that most instruments have a wealth of technical and musical etudes at their disposal. The purpose of the multiple sets of etudes would be that each teacher can find what they believe in most as a pedagogue, and what they feel works for them.

The three method books: Leigh Howard Stevens’ Method of Movement, Nancy Zeltsman’s Four-Mallet Marimba Playing, and Gordon Stout’s Ideo-Kinetics Workbook. Obviously, the first is already a standard, and the second is beloved by many. There are many other methods on the market, but these are my personal favorites.

The big question is, though, how would I use them as a teacher?

First off, just because I am a traditional grip player does not mean that I cannot use Method of Movement. Only a few chapters in the first part of the book dissect how to play with the Stevens grip. The rest is perfectly useable by percussionists who use other grips. The same goes for Four-Mallet ‘Playing. There is only a small portion that delves into how to play with a traditional grip.

However, one second item is that if you plan on being a teacher that doesn’t require their students to switch grips, you need to know how to teach each grip. If you play with a Stevens grip, and have a cross grip student who is struggling with something concerning their grip, it is your job as pedagogue to help them diagnose and fix.

I would begin each student with the methods at the beginning of both the Stevens and Zeltsman books. Then, to help them start to learn their grip I would assign a few of the exercises from Method of Movement. The exercise portion of MOM is both awe-inspiring and terrifying because of the sheer volume of exercises covering every angle of marimba playing. The beautiful part is that Stevens took the time and energy to create exercise routines (Part three, page 102). There you can help a beginning student design a practice routine that fits what they are capable of. As they transition into an intermediate and finally advanced performer, you can continue to help them evolve their routine.

As an intermediate marimbist, I would re-introduce Four-Mallet ‘Playing. I would have a student begin to work through the 50 Short Studies, which are more like miniature etudes. Some of them work on technique, and some on musicality. At the same time, I would introduce the third section, which is a whole new method book on refining their playing (ie: more intermediate to advanced techniques and musical ideas).

Finally, I would also introduce Gordon Stout’s workbook on Ideo-Kinetics. It is a book where the percussionist develops their feel of the instrument, knowing where notes are and how certain intervals feel are without looking. Every other instrument has to worry about things like evenness of scale, making sure every note of their instrument is in tune, and knowing without a doubt how to get out certain challenging notes. That is a problem that is very limited on the marimba due to its fixed pitches. But, I feel that to become an advanced player those are the type of musical refinements that a student should be concerned with, and this book is a great example of how to get there.

There have been many times when I have attended a student percussion recital where the performer seems spread too thin. Often times it seems that the portion of the program that suffers is the marimba solo(s). I feel that this is because the student hasn’t put in the proper work ahead of time making sure they’re technically capable, and instead just attacked a new solo. The proper way as a teacher to counter this problem is to make sure they do their appropriate studies, and maybe assign them a solo that is more appropriate to their current skills. One of the best teaching moments I witnessed in college was one of my teachers explaining to an overly-ambitious freshman that they were not ready for Andrew Thomas’ Merlin. The teacher did it without being condescending, while also lighting a fire under their ass to try to get them to someday work up to that level.

We as teachers have to realize that there are often two types of students: those who are unfortunately lazy and need to be pushed into doing their work, and those who are over-eager. It is important to not destroy the second group’s spirit, while making sure that they are capable technically for everything they want to achieve.

Agendas when teaching Music History/Appreciation

2010-11-18T21:36:00.001-06:00

I have always been amazed by the agendas that some faculty run while teaching a course. As you grow older you realize that your teachers were not perfect, and that some allowed their likes and dislikes, as well as their strengths in certain areas to decide the materials for their courses. One of the many differences between a good and poor teacher, to me, is how much effort they put into subduing their own tastes and opinions so that they may present a well balanced and well educated course. There are a great amount of other aspects that control whether a teacher is simply good or great, but that is not the concern of this post.

In music the greatest spectrum of agendas can be seen in the teaching of history, whether it is in a degree fulfilling history course or a humanities fulfilling appreciation course. There is such a wide range of what is taught that it is actually, at times, a little frightening. There is so much that has occurred in the span of both Western Art music and Jazz music that sometimes you have to pick and choose what it is that you focus on.

Some schools take care of the matter for you. Comparing the two schools that I attended, one school spread music history courses over one academic year. The other school spread it over two academic years. As you can guess, the latter gave the students a more in-depth analysis on the history of Western Art music. It gave an opportunity for the faculty to educate on every important name and movement, as well as provide much more insight on specifics. It also gave an opportunity for the students to become familiar with many more pieces of music, allowing them to more knowledgeable of the music they would someday perform.

If a teacher is expected to introduce the entire course of music history in one academic year, some sacrifices may occur. Maybe a teacher will be forced to introduce fewer topics in lecture, but provide the students with resources in the library to be able to fill in the holes. The danger occurs when a teacher simply focuses on their strengths, and passes over the rest.

I often compare this with my education of American history growing up. Any time that American history got brought up in Elementary School and Middles School, the same thing happened. This unfortunate occurrence happened in my required American history course in High School as well. What happened was the teacher focused so much time and energy on the Revolutionary, Civil, and World wars that I never learned about America post-World War II. It is a depressing and unacceptable notion the a young person growing up in the late twentieth century would be so uneducated on the Civil Rights movement, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Cold War, etc. This was so disappointing to me that when time came to choose a history course to fulfill my GECR requirement in college I chose modern history. In the course we began with the ancient Greeks. As you can imagine, we didn’t make it past the Second World War.

A similar thing seems to happen in music history. It seems that many of my past teachers, and many of my colleagues, have focused on music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. In a music major history course it is absolutely essential that the students learn about these periods. However, I have been made aware of horror stories where at teacher spent so much time on early music, that the students were never introduced to movements of music after the Second Viennese School (in one case, a class was so behind the teacher had to choose between lecturing on either Stravinsky or Schoenberg). As a teacher, I feel it is my responsibility to account for what is to come later in the course. If the class falls behind, then it is my responsibility to get us back up to speed. There is absolutely no excuse to skip one of the most important movements of our current musical landscape because a teacher couldn’t stop raving about Hildegard von Bingen.

The musical eras can be quite misleading. The Middle Ages and Renaissance cover such a vast amount of time that it appears that they deserve as much classroom attention as what comes later. I have oftentimes felt that one of the major points of history for music majors is to prepare them for what they will be expected to know, and what they will be expected to be familiar with in performance. Since the bulk of music performed now was written after the end of the Renaissance, it seems perfectly logical that lectures would put more of a stress on the Baroque moving forward. However, this was not the case with my history course as an undergrad. Because my school was on a quarter system, our instructor split the course in three parts:
Fall Quarter: Middle Ages and Renaissance
Winter Quarter: Baroque and Classical
Spring Quarter: Romantic and 20th Century

This, in my humble opinion, was completely inappropriate. This system of course management effectible set up our entire grade up for failure. We were forced to breeze through movements in the 19th and 20th Centuries, and even simply missed important composers after 1945. Because of this, we were uneducated in our ensembles, and when attempting to audition for Graduate programs.

If I have one agenda in my music appreciation course it is that I want my students to be familiar with what they will be hearing live. Most Music Appreciation curriculums include some form of concert report, and mine is no different. When my students, many of whom have had no previous contact with Western Art music, listen to their first concert, I want them to be knowledgeable of what they’re hearing. What they are introduced to at live events is almost always music written since the end of the Renaissance.

Another problematic agenda as mentioned above is not only a focus on one section of history, whether innocent or not, but also the teacher allowing their personal tastes to dictate their curriculum and lectures. The beautiful thing about students is that many of them are blank slates. We as teachers have the opportunity to introduce music to young students. The last thing a teacher should want to do is place their personal opinions and baggage on a student, skewering their perspective.

As pointed out above, a teacher focusing too heavily on a particular subject simply because it is their favorite can disrupt the curriculum. However, it is also a possibility that a teacher’s specialty or loves may be in a relatively less significant area. Focusing too much in this area may be changing the students’ perspective on the hierarchy of what is important historically.

Even more dangerous, though, is blowing over a subject that is unsatisfactory to a teacher. There can be problems with music teachers ignoring either early music or modern music, because it is something that they do not personally enjoy. This is a massive detriment to the students because it is keeping them from having a well-balanced education. It is not our duties as teachers to make their minds up for them. Teachers should simply present the facts and allow their students to decide for themselves what they enjoy. Even if a student is planning on being some form of a specialist, it is important for them to understand the entire spectrum of music history.

Music Appreciation is a completely different beast when it comes to curriculum, and it is where there is the largest amount of diversity from teacher to teacher. The difficulties of teaching a Music Appreciation course are that it is only one semester long, is aimed at non-music majors, and encompasses more genres of music. Because the course is aimed at those who are not music majors, a teacher cannot possibly go into the details that are essential in Music History. Further complicating the course is that the historical aspect does not only cover Western Art music, but also Jazz, and sometimes indigenous music. Added onto that, the course often begins with basics on music fundamentals.

Therefore, it is extremely tempting for a teacher to simply focus on the music that they enjoy, and not present a broader spectrum. However, that is not the point of the course. The art of teaching people to appreciate music has to include many styles and genres, so that the students can find something that they enjoy, and learn to talk about it in an educated manor. A teacher must remember that the students have different tastes and life experiences, and therefore will probably find different styles of music satisfying.

And since we as teachers cannot possibly fit every single thing into a one semester lecture on music, we have to ask ourselves what is the true purpose of music appreciation for non-music majors? Besides learning to appreciate music, the curriculum usually dictates that we teach them how to analyze and discuss music. For them to obtain the ability to do this, it is beneficial to introduce as many styles as possibility, but introduce the movements that contain the most salient aspects possible. From the perspective of the college or university they don’t care if a student passes the class loving Mozart. The purpose of their humanities credit is to learn how to think analytically. That is the main purpose, and the best way to introduce those skills is to find music that interests them so that they can listen and learn with open ears.

How to perform for an older audience 3.0

2010-11-12T17:10:00.000-06:00

I realize that this is a topic that I may be exhausting, but I keep coming up with new ideas! For past ideas and tips you can check other Marimba Blog posts, the article in Percussive Notes, and my reaction to the article on the PAS website.

Last night I performed a gig and taped the process of tearing down my marimba for a new video blog… riveting stuff! As I was doing this I thought of more ideas to build on for those of you interested in performing for older audiences.

For starters, in the video I quickly talked about my feelings about this sort of community outreach concert. I had to make it quick, so I will elaborate here. I view a performance like this (Assisted Living Center, Retirement home, etc.) as a public service, not an opportunity to educate an audience. My assembly performances are an opportunity to educate, but this type of concert is not the forum for “education.”

In both venues, the main idea is to entertain, but there’s always an underlying reason you’re there. With the assemblies I’m there to entertain and to spread great music, but I’m also there to give some sort of educational experience, otherwise a school would have no interest in bringing me in. With my performances for senior citizens, I am there to provide a bit of companionship and service. Even in the best of homes the residents’ lives can become monotonous, so I come in to provide a warm and engaging experience that gives them something new and exciting in their lives.

This is why I find it so important to be early and to be willing to stay a little late. I want to make sure that I don’t rush myself in the set up or tear down stages so that I can converse with as many residents as I can. But be warned! If you are a musician with awkward social skills, this type of performance may not be for you. If you cannot take hearing the same joke about “don’t you wish you had played the flute instead?” joke, this type of performance may not be for you. As a marimbist I remind myself each time that even thought my performance is not geared towards education, I am usually introducing the instrument to a new audience. There will always be a lot of questions about the marimba (and there will usually be questions about my personal life). I personally get satisfaction from spending the time at these gigs, make sure that if you perform for the elderly that you approach it with the same positive manner (or else you will not get called back!).

In the past I have mentioned that I prefer to fill my repertoire for these concerts with as much older Broadway and Jazz songs as possible. But, I have never mentioned that you need to know your audience. My first performance for an assisted living center was in December of 2007, so naturally I worked on a few Christmas songs. While I was looking up directions the day before the gig I realized that it was a home specific for a Jewish community! Luckily, I had enough time to work up a few other pieces to replace those Christmas songs.

You may have noticed that I only have a few short clips on my youtube from these types of concerts. This is because I feel that I should be tasteful, respectful, and professional about what I put online. I have brought my camera to almost every gig I’ve ever performed, just to watch later to see how I did. I like to see what they liked, what bored them, and where I can improve. However, I also check to see IF I can put something online. I say if, because I try to be respectful of the residents. I have had many gigs where people are talking through the performance, where some of the older residents have had some sort of outburst, or sometimes when the support staff is being loud. These can all lead to an unprofessional recording, and it’s not worth it to put those online. I just continue to keep trying and see if I can find a clip that I feel comfortable posting.

I also have two new ideas from the performance aspect. Lately I have tried using softer mallets even on pieces where I would normally use harder ones. It seems that the seniors I’ve played for have really responded to this. Also, you may notice on some of my videos that I don’t often perform very complicated arrangements of old Broadway songs. I tend to simply play out of a piano book that always has a clearly defined melody, so that people can sing along if they wish.

Enjoy the new video blog!

The new MPP

2010-10-31T09:32:00.003-05:00

In case you missed it, The Marimba Progression Project is no longer being housed here on The Marimba Blog. You can view all of the posts and watch all of the videos on its new website:

wilsonmarimba.com/mpp

If you follow this page you may notice that there have been some changes. Obviously, with the loss of those old MPP posts it looks a little bare here. Never fear! I will start writing again on the good 'ol blog. I have updated the Label section to hopefully be more insightful of what is in each post, and I have updated the look of the blog.

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

New Music and Fashion

2010-10-02T10:07:00.001-05:00

I am willing to admit that I talk to myself when I drive home from work. For both my positions at the community college and the arts academy I have to drive roughly 30 minutes to Cedar Rapids, and then back when I’m done. So, I do a lot of driving in any given week. Anyways, getting (sort of) back on topic, I easily get bored during these drives. Therefore, I often start to chat with myself on certain ideas that are going through my brain. These sometimes become blogs or MPPs, sometimes they evaporate into thin air as soon as I arrive home.

As I was driving home a couple of days ago I began thinking about a blog I had written a long time ago attempting to make an argument for the increased use of new music in all facets of performing (solo, chamber, orchestral, etc.). One of my main arguments had been more about how new music really wasn’t all that scary, but that it is sometimes prefaced with the tagline, “This is a little different but…” or the tagline, “You need to do some research before you can understand this art…” and that those ideas immediately turn people off. I had also argued that I felt the lack of new music in concert settings added to the idea that classical music is a “dying” art form.

As I was thinking about this blog, I had the sickening feeling that I hadn’t really developed a good argument for that last idea. I theorized that our obsession with history and the performance of standard “war-horses” could give off the sentiment that what is being written today does not appropriately compare to those older works. Of course, it would be ludicrous of me to suggest that we stop playing Beethoven and Brahms, but more that performers and directors create a more balanced palate of works both old and new. Unfortunately, I had no proof that the use of new music would help breathe new life into the classical music scene.

I still don’t have undisputable proof, which would be impossible to equate. However, a handful of real-life conversations with people outside of my brain got me thinking about comparing music to other areas of Art.

My wife is a firm believer that high fashion is a new style of visual art. It makes perfect sense, the outfits are more for looking at than wearing, they’re worn on runways that look like performance art, and the catwalk serves as a performance. Most importantly, there was a time when the public knew the names of famous living artists and composers like they were celebrities, and today the public knows more designers by name than artists.

High fashion is an excellent comparison to some new music: as stated before it sometimes includes performance art, it doesn’t always serve a typical function, and it can at times be overtly shocking. However, the public is never as outraged as you would think when someone decides to wear a meat dress in public. As a matter of fact, fashion shows like America’s Next Top Model and The Rachel Zoe Project are owning the airwaves.

Fashion is all about what’s new and trending. Classical music is concerned with not scaring people. Maybe we need to take some Tyra advice and learn to just rock it and be fierce.

There’s also always a problem with overstimulation. My wife and I were once trying to figure out a Christmas present for my sister, who holds degrees in Art History and Arts Management. We starting on the topic of art books, and somehow got onto the topic of overstimulation. My sister’s appropriate yet also un-P.C. comment was, “Do we really need another book on Monet?”

When we are exposed to something too much we begin to be annoyed by it. Maybe we even start to oversimplify things about it that annoy us. A perfect example in music is Beethoven and Brahms. They are so over-programmed that some people begin to roll their eyes and think that you’re clichéd for even liking their compositions. I remember a year after I graduated from Eastern Washington University (yes, the red turf school… don’t get me started) the local orchestra (Spokane Symphony) had an all-Beethoven concert. First half: Eroica; Second half: the 5th… KILL ME! That’s too much of the same guy. You need a little variety in your programming.

Now, am I perfect? No, I perform many gigs that require me to play transcriptions and some “safer” compositions. However, I have been working more towards filling my repertoire with only new compositions. Some of them are serial, some are neo-classical, and some don’t fit into any simplified category. It doesn’t matter what style or genre, as long as you’re making an attempt to push forward.

Tips on being a free-lance percussionist

2010-08-31T14:38:00.004-05:00

Earlier today I listened to Drumchattr.com’s podcast with Adam Sliwinski of So Percussion. I was very pleased with the interview, and thoroughly enjoyed is input on several topics in both the percussion and professional music world.

I wanted to touch on a subject that they spoke about for a few minutes, which was how to begin a career in free-lance percussion. It was interesting to hear is perspective, because, as he mentioned, he hasn’t had to do much on his own thanks to So Percussion. I thought I could give a little insight to some of the things that have helped me along the way.

For starters, I use every form of internet advertising possible. You’ll never know when someone wants to see your MySpace instead of a website. This could be because they want to just see a short bio about you and immediately listen to audio clips without digging around through your website. They may also be checking on your professionalism. This is why I am very careful about what I do or say on MySpace, and am even more careful with the type of photographs that are on MySpace.

On your website make sure to keep an offerings section that details what you are capable of. This is so very important for us percussionists, because we usually perform in such a wide variety of settings. For example, my website includes detailed descriptions on my assembly program, clinics I can offer, and well as other public performance I give. I have also found that it is best for me to not list my prices online, because you may automatically drive some people away. But, let’s cover a few other things before we talk about fees…

Apart from knowing how to advertise yourself, it is extremely important to know how to find gigs. Oftentimes as a free-lancing musician you need to create your own opportunities. This will include calling, e-mailing, faxing, (etc.) places where you’d like to play. However, there are a lot of gigs that can be found, not created. When living in Boston I found many gigs simply through Craigslist. This is because often a person who needs music (wedding, parties, restaurants) don’t know how to find us musicians, so they post on Craigslist. Some of my highest paying gigs ever have come through Craigslist.

Most of us know that if you want to free-lance as an orchestral playing you need to get in good with all of the local orchestral players. This can be auditioning for sub-lists, attending the concerts and making small talk, etc. It was great to hear the guys on the podcast discuss networking in such a positive manner like this, because it is the best way to work yourself up through the business. To make it in this overcrowded musical world, you need to show other players your face, as well as show them a great and positive attitude.

I am currently on the sub list for Orchestra Iowa, and not because I auditioned. It took three things: taking a gig no one else wanted, networking, and having a great attitude. I found that being a great percussionist in the eyes of a conductor can be as much attitude as talent. In my last few months in Boston I became the go-to percussionist for a few rising conductors simply because I showed up on time and never complained about instrument schlepping.

However, I’m on a tangent; let’s get back to my sub spot. In the spring of 2009 I auditioned for a sub spot with the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band. They had an open bassoon spot, so my wife auditioned and encouraged me to try out for the sub list. Not only did I get on the list, I nabbed to top spot on the list. As it turned out, the principal percussionist and timpanist of the Cedar Rapids Symphony (now Orchestra Iowa) were the principals in the Muni Band as well. All I had to do was take the low paying gig, show up on time and help with all the percussion hauling, and all of a sudden I was liked by these two very important musicians. By then networking with them, I got opportunities with the Symphony.

There are some of my tips and stories about free-lancing. Now, I feel it necessary to talk about money. Money, payment, and fees can be a mine field when starting out as a free-lancing musician. I have two major points of advice.

My first point is take the small gigs, and take the gigs that don’t pay. If you are first starting out, you need the experience more than the money… trust me. In the real world (especially in the non-musical world) college grads are always running into the problem of “great education, but no experience.” It is important that you do these gigs that pay either little to nothing in cash, but try to get as much as you can out of them in non-financial terms. For example, that spot in the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band doesn’t pay a ton of money, but it was a great networking opportunity.

One great example of a non-paying gig that helped me endlessly was my first assembly performance. This performance took place at Boston University High School in the spring of 2008. Although it was a non-paying gig, they allowed me to video tape the performance, as well as take photographs during the performance. This gave me multimedia options for advertising, as well as the experience factor.

It is also important to take those small gigs (up to a certain point). You need to fill up your CV and resume as much as possible. Once you feel that a certain area on your CV is looking pretty good, you can then start taking only the gigs that will pay (or pay well).

My second and final point is to be both reasonable and negotiable with your fees. If you’re reading this blog and taking notes, then you’re probably not a big enough name to have a flat fee.

I have been able to get so many gigs over the past few years because my fees were negotiable. You have to realize that in the current social and economic environment, music is sometimes not a high priority for people. When I am in contact with a school, I know that I’m walking a very tight line because schools all over the country are cutting music programs. If my fee is deemed to high by them, then I don’t get the gig. I’m sure to always tell my potential gigs the following true statement: I would rather get paid a little less to still play music than be sitting at home doing nothing.

And to that end, you need to make sure you have reasonable fees for everyone. If your fees are a little less, then it’s more likely that you’ll be called back for subsequent gigs. I have oftentimes performed a series with an assisted living center, where I come back multiple times.

As my Dad would say, it’s simply mathematics. If my normal fee is $50 for an hour at an assisted living center, but I’m performing for a place 6 times for $35 each performance, I have officially made up the difference. $50 for one performance… or $210 for multiple performances. Which would you rather have?

I hope some of these ideas help. I have written on this subject before, once for Percussive Notes, and once on the PAS website:
Click here to read my article titled "Tips on Performing for the Young and the Elderly"
Click here to read my follow-up to that article

Good technique is good!

2010-07-19T20:38:00.002-05:00

I have been working diligently this summer on improving myself as a marimbist. As I’ve mentioned before, there are some things that I feel are very poor about my playing, mostly technical. I have figured out where I made my mistake, how to fix it now, and what this means for any of you as readers. I will be asking for some feedback throughout this blog.

One of the major mistakes that I have made over the years is my past lack of interest in method books, etudes, and general exercises. Throughout most of high school and my undergraduate degree I used pieces of music to learn how to play the marimba. This is a horrible way to grow as a musician, and could be the topic of a whole other blog.

Here’s one of my main problems with percussion, I don’t think that I was alone in this issue. It seems that more often than not I have bumped into percussionists like myself who felt so stretched thin that they never had the desire to work on the basics when it came to the marimba. It’s understandable (not defensible, but understandable). We spend hours every day working on snare drum rudiments, timpani tuning exercises, orchestral excerpts, jazz studies, etc. When we get to the marimba oftentimes the most selfish of us just want to sit down and play a solo.

However, this is what holds a lot of students back on the marimba, and I feel that it’s what held me back. Now, I do not blame my teachers. A private lesson instructor can tell you what to do, but they cannot sit in the practice room with you and make sure you’re doing your work. Both of my instructors expected certain things from me when it came to technical studies, I just didn’t deliver.

This was especially problematic when I started at the Boston Conservatory. Within a couple of weeks of starting school I switched from Stevens grip to Traditional grip. I then proceeded to struggle with my practicing because I never used a method book on the grip I had switched to. I felt that I had no where to turn when I was practicing and running into frustrating parts. Imagine me in a practice room trying to play through a section where the mallets in my right hand were supposed to be going back and forth from a tenth to a second. Instead, the mallets just kept flying out of my hand.

Not only did I struggle to learn the finer points of my grip, I also didn’t think about using resources that I already owned to grow quickly into my new grip. For example, this summer I have been working my way through Method of Movement, which is something that I haven’t done in years. I, of course, haven’t been using the method section where he teaches about the grip. However, I have been using the countless exercises to combat technical problems that I still struggle with to this day. Just because I don’t use the same grip, doesn’t mean the exercises don’t work!

So here has been my summer so far. I have been working through MOM, as stated above. I have also been reworking through Nancy Zeltsman’s Four Mallet Marimba Playing. As I am reworking through this book I am discovering many of the answers to the problems I had while in Nancy’s studio. I have also enjoyed working through her exercises, which also work on musicianship.

Finally, I have been working through Gordon Stout’s Ideo-Kinetics workbook. The other two books are no-brainers, but this is one that is fairly new to me. My first question to you readers is how many of you have worked through this book? I heard about it from Nancy while in Boston, but not before then. It was never something that was pushed on me, and now that I’ve discovered it I will use it as a teaching tool for the rest of my life. After that first week of using it I already felt I had a greater feel for my marimba.

One finer point: my left handed roll is improving! As I mentioned a while back, one very specific area I struggle with is my left handed roll. I know that this is something almost all right handed percussionists struggle with, but I feel as though my left hand is even more useless than most peoples’. I have been working on it from two angles this summer. First, I have been using the scientific approach, using an exercise and trying to speed it up manually. The other approach I’ve been using is the “controlled spaz.” This is the way I learned with my right hand (in high school): try to flop your wrist back and forth, and eventually learn to control it. Why don’t you guys write to me and tell me what works for you?

Also, if anyone has any good suggestions on the following, please leave them in the comments section:

Good method books (other than those listed above).
Good etudes.
Beginner to Intermediate pieces that you enjoy.

Learning from it and moving on

2010-07-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to be inquisitive, it appears that in my last blog (now deleted) I unintentionally came across as disrespectful and uneducated. Of course, this was not my intention, and I plan to approach my future endeavors with positivity and understanding, as it has always been my goal to progress and unite the marimba community.

I appreciate you reading my posts and welcome your continued feedback.

The Collaborative Process: Mallets!

2010-05-05T12:42:00.003-05:00

Today on the view, Brian asks the tough questions…

I've seen marimba works performed that use 6 mallets instead of 4: What are the problems with this style, and when if ever do you feel it should be allowed/used? How about 2 v 4 mallet styles: Is it something the composer should concern themselves with or will the performer automatically make these decisions? Is there anything that can only be accomplished using 2 mallets instead of 4, and if so what? Also, do you prefer composers indicate mallet types in the score of solo works (I assume that it is usually an advantage in ensemble works) or do prefer to have those decisions left up to you?

This is kind of a long one, which is fine by me. Let’s break it down piece by piece.

SIX MALLETS vs. FOUR MALLETS

I have seen them as well, I have been asked to play them, and I am generally not a fan of using six mallets. This is coming from a completely physical opinion, not one based on music. When you cram an extra mallet into an already crowded area, I feel like it takes away too many musical possibilities. You cannot spread your mallets as far (or else you’ll drop a mallet). There will be two mallets that will almost always be close to each other (in my left hand I cannot separate the middle and the right-most mallet any more than a third from each other). And I also feel like you cannot play fast articulate passages because there is simply too much movement and too many heavy objects in the way.

I understand that as composers some of you may desire the ability for us to play thicker chords. That’s just the nature of the instrument, and you have to get used to it. Trim the chords, find a unique way of realizing them rhythmically spread out, or compose a marimba duet.

TWO MALLETS vs. FOUR MALLETS

I think this is an area where you should leave the decision up to the performer. That’s because some people like using two mallets, but I almost ALWAYS use four.

The reason I use four mallets is because the marimba doesn’t have a perfect evenness of scale. The low end is extremely resonant, whereas the high end is less. Also, because the bars get smaller and skinnier the higher you go mallets sound very different in each range. A hard mallet will have a nice medium timbre on the highest note, and sound overly articulated on the lowest note.

That’s why I also always use a graded mallet selection when I play with four mallets. I want to find a way to be able to choose from different characters and timbres in each range. This is something that may take some visual and audio explaining, so I’ll cover it in the next MPP (#3).

As far as advantages go, I think with two mallets you can play a little bit fast than with four. However, I rarely come across something where I feel that I can’t use four mallets.

MALLET TYPES!

Yes, I think it helps in ensemble works to get everyone on the same page. However, I don’t think it’s necessary in solo literature.

Most of the time, a performer like myself can tell if the composer is looking for hard, soft, or medium mallets. To get ultra-specific on the type of mallet the composer is looking for is messing with what makes classical music so special: that fact that all performers are different.

I perform will graded mallets. I use (most of the time) Encore NZ mallets (which are wrapped in latex, so that the fundamental tone is heard rather than the overtones [so even the hard mallets aren’t that harsh]). I prefer softer mallets.

Another marimbist may prefer harder mallets, may play on a Yamaha so they use a completely different brand of mallets, and don’t grade their selection.

I like to get to know a piece and make a decision on what I think will make the character of the piece come out the best, and what will best display the composers’ intentions. I can make these specific choices by myself, but even the basics (hard, medium, soft) can be made by a beginner.

Something that Brian didn’t ask: I also don’t enjoy solos that are edited by percussionists that include stickings. I can make those decisions. One of my favorite pieces ever composed is Maslanka’s Variations on Lost Love, and it was edited by Leigh Howard Stevens. I have crossed out all of the mallet and sticking notes because I disagree with most of his selections. Again, I use graded mallets, so I have to find a way to stick something so the audience doesn’t hear the change in mallet types. And, I simply take a different approach to the way I stick through difficult technical passages (what works for you may not work for others!).

For Marimbists!
Another tangent on mallet selection: If someone suggests that you use Keiko Abe mallets on a Marimba One, ignore them until you try it. Artists who get a chance to make their own line of mallets try their prototypes on a very specific marimba (the one that sponsors them!). Keiko Abe plays on a Yamaha, therefore when she was approving her line of mallets they were tried out on a Yamaha. Nancy Zeltsman plays on a Marimba One, therefore her mallets were tried out on a Marimba One (etc.). So, those mallets usually sound their best on those marimbas, or on marimbas with similar qualities. Some marimbas have a very unique timbre. Some are dryer than others. Some were built with different tuning systems. Try out a set of mallets before buying the whole set.

Contract or no…

2010-05-04T20:13:00.031-05:00

Hello once again faithful marimba lovers. I saw an interesting tweet from Thomas Burritt the other day asking the opinions of Malletech. I will not respond here, because that is personal. However, this did get me thinking about an article I wanted to write about my new five octave Adams marimba.

You see, my contract (which, no, was not signed in blood) does not require me to be a shill for Pearl/Adams. However, I am anyways. Why? Because I toiled away on an old dry 4.3 marimba for years, paying my dues and paying my bills with what can be best described as a student model instrument. Then the day came when my new marimba arrived. There were birds singing, lovers kissing, and somewhere in the distance The Carpenters were playing.

So, after studying why I loved my new marimba so much, noticing the advancements made since I purchased my last instrument, and most importantly getting a chance to play a few gigs with it, I decided to write a blog on how great the Adams Artist Classic marimba is.

Get ready for some grade ‘A’ soul selling…
(You can click any of the photos to view a larger version)

Resonators

The first comment I want to make about the marimba is actually not an advancement, but it is something that I didn’t have to deal with when gigging with my 4.3. A five octave marimba’s resonators are extremely long, and very difficult to store if you have a smaller car. However, Adams combats that difficulty with the fact that their resonators separate.

This is great for several reasons. First, it makes the instrument fit easier into my car (which is important since I bring other instruments along for many of my gigs). But, it also makes it easier on someone like me who is constantly running from gig to gig without assistance from a “roadie.” The breaking down of the resonators makes transportation lighter and quicker. And, I know what you may be thinking, that having to take apart the resonators would add time to my set up and tear down. But, it really doesn’t, it’s quite easy.

Take a look at those photos. On the bottom of the low resonators is a little rubber platform for the high resonators that is very helpful. And, on the top all you have to do is screw the resonators together.

Another misconception here is that the screws may sometimes add an unwanted vibrating sound. This is totally false.

Now here I’ve got a few photos of the bags. These new bags are genius. First, notice the accidental and natural signs on the bags. Why didn’t I think of this and sell it for millions? You don’t have to look at the bags and try to figure out by sight which one is bigger, it tells you.

Next we have the bag for the low end. It fits very snug and is the right size that it can actually be sat up or laid down; whichever fits your car’s space the best. Finally, the normal high resonator bags have a zipper that goes from one corner to the other, covering half of the bag. This may seem trivial, but I found it helpful at my last gig. Some companies have their zipper open a little more than a quarter of the bag, which makes it difficult to get the resonator in without the bag either closing or falling over. Some companies have their zipper open three quarters of the bag, which means you have to lay the resonators on their sides. This bag is just right: it sits open, it doesn’t fall over.

So, those are all things that help the performer while in the process of set up and tear down. However, Adams also made an improvement to how the resonators are held (as shown above). Adams has always had a rubber isolation system to keep the instrument from rattling. But the rubber isolation system here surrounds the resonator’s end to keep it snug and secure.

I’ve also included a photo of the lower register’s fine tuners. This is something that is important to me because I live in an area with such extremes in both humidity and temperature.

Frames

Let’s start off first with what Adams calls the Voyager frame (but should be called the gigging marimbist’s dream). Transportation used to be an area where the Voyager frame was not that useful. You had to break down all of the parts, slip them into individual bags, and load those bags into a long tubular bag (that was that size of the frames’ bag). This bag also included the long metal pipe that connects the two ends. Well… no more!

As you can see the Voyager now breaks down into a couple of quick and easy parts, and can be slipped into this light and convenient bag. The long pipe now goes with the frames, which we’ll see in a few paragraphs.

I am also amazed with the new base of the Voyager frame. As you can see in the first photo the wheels appear to be quite far away from the lowest resonator. This is good because my old marimba’s wheels used to bump into and scratch the bottom of the low resonators. You can see in the second photo that how they did it was by creating a leg that angles away from the resonators. Also, take careful note of the wheels. Those are not your average marimba wheels; they are special high quality smooth wheels.

Let’s now take a look at the wood frames. The way they are transported is a monstrous improvement from the last Adams I owned. As you can see in this first photo, there are two bags. The big one holds the long vertical frames, and it also holds the metal pipe that connects the two ends. The smaller bag holds the two end frames. This may seem, again, trivial. But, for someone like me who has to run around between gigs, this is a space and energy savor.

The old bags were heavier and took up more space. I already mentioned before that the Voyager frame fit used to fit into a long bag with the metal pipe. That meant that all of the wood frames fit into a long back of their own. That one bag with all the wood was ridiculously heavy. Imagine some of the gigs I’ve had to do, climbing up the steps of century old churches with two long extremely heavy bags! Now, the wood frames are split up, and the lighter metal pipe sits comfortably above the vertical frames. That also makes for a space savor. Instead of two very large bags, it is now one large bag with two very small bags.

Here you can also take a closer look at the new design of the vertical frames’ bag. The point of these up close shots is to notice how thick the padding is, especially on the felt that separates the wood frames. This helps to avoid any unwanted scratches during moving.

Bars

We now move to the most important part, the bars. I’ll start off first with the bags, which have also been improved upon. The bags are sturdier, have more padding, and can be either sat up or laid down depending on your car’s space. I am also a big fan of the new maroon cover for the bars. They include Velcro to secure the bars, and again a sign to tell you which bars to use.

But, of course the most important factor is how they sound. I was highly impressed with how resonant my new marimba is. In the educated public of percussionists there is a notion that Adams marimbas are a little dry on the high octave. I can tell you that that is definitely not the case with this marimba.

Many companies also have problems with the tuning in the lowest octave. There are ugly harmonics that can pop out and distort what you are playing. I’ve come to realize that most of these marimba companies simply stick their heads in the sand and try to pretend that it isn’t a problem. I am very proud that Adams is not one of those companies. The low register sings without hideous overtones. Of course, mallet selection plays a part in that as well. But… that’s a whole other blog.

The Collaborative Process: Notating Rolls

2010-04-23T21:47:00.013-05:00

Thanks for tuning in! This week I’ve decided to talk about rolling. I’m going to shoot an MPP tomorrow discussing the use of rolls in chorales, and giving some tips to composers. But for today, I’m going to answer a question from Brian:

Is there any emerging standard notation for the variety of different roll styles the marimba is capable of (alternating between both hands at the same time, rolling 1-4 or reverse, any other techniques that the average composer may not be familiar with)? Alternately, talk about the different styles of rolling available with examples. Is it something that the composer generally leaves up to the player or that they specify? Are they more likely to specify if they are a percussionist moonlighting as composer?

In general, there are three different styles of rolls that composers use. Thankfully there is a fairly standard way of notating these styles. However, it is a safe bet to use a key to inform the performer of what you mean. Let’s show you some examples of what I mean:

(You can click any of these examples to view a larger version)

Performance Note Keys

Traditional (2+2) Rolls:

Most of the time this is what is written. A lot of composers will only write out traditional rolls, leaving it up to the performer’s discretion if they choose to play ripple rolls or not. Some marimbists prefer to almost always play LH + RH, some prefer to almost always ripple roll…

Ripple Rolls:

Again, a lot of composers will choose to not worry about ripple rolls because the performer will oftentimes choose whether they want to ripple roll or not. You often see this notation in works by percussionists, or works that have been edited by a percussionist prior to publication.

One Handed Rolls:

The use of notating the one handed rolls is if one hand will at some point stop rolling and play an articulated line.

Here are a couple other tidbits:

This is an older way of notating normal rolls. I personally don’t like this style, because it confuses me. I prefer to see all of the notes stacked over each other.

As far as specifying the ripple roll direction (1-2-3-4; 4-3-2-1; 1-2-4-3; etc.). I would leave that up to the performer. It would change from performer to performer based on what feels comfortable to them. Most of the time when I play a ripple roll I go up from 1 to 4. This is because I like to play the bass note first to give the chord some resonance; and I like to play the top note last (if it’s a melody) so that it’s easier for me to bring it out.

Hopefully I covered everything in Brian’s question. These are really the only 3 styles I’ve found. However, if any readers have seen any other examples please share!

Dubuque Residency Recap (3/15-3/26)

2010-03-29T10:35:00.000-05:00

Number of Schools hit:
27 (in 10 school days!)

Miles driven:
523

Number of students entertained:
7240

Recap:
What a crazy week! This was quite the experience. Every day I woke up around 6am, quickly got ready, and packed the car. It was usually a 15 minute loading time because I was on the third floor. The car was filled with my marimba, four djembes, and lots of percussion accessories. I would usually perform three assemblies in one day, and would always have a board member with me making sure that I (the “artist”) had chairs and a microphone. They would often be on the phone calling the next location to prepare, because there was often very little time between performances. For example, we would have an 8:30 performance (that got over at 9:15), and then a 10:00 performance. So, it would all depend on how far the two sites were from each other.

It was a wonderful opportunity for me, and it gave me a chance to experiment with different elements in the show. For example, most of the time my assemblies are around 30 minutes, and I often perform two assemblies per school (to break up age ranges). This was not the case on this trip, as I would perform once for 45 minutes. So, I resolved to include more audience participation, and got more kids involved with the performing. I think that this made my assembly infinitely better.

I unfortunately was not able to record any of my performances, but I was able to post some photos. There will hopefully be more to come (taken by board members), so follow twitter to keep updated on that. I want to thank the Dubuque Arts Council for the opportunity, and I want to thank all of the schools for welcoming me.

Dubuque Residency, Day 10

2010-03-28T10:19:00.001-05:00

Schools hit:
Eisenhower Elementary in Dubuque, IA
Bernard School in Bernard, IA
Hoover Elementary in Dubuque, IA

Miles driven:
44

Number of students entertained:
900

Best part of the day:
Before my final performance of the Residency I had a chance to sit and talk with some Kindergarteners. They watched me set up, and then asked a lot of questions about the instruments and what I was doing. Then they began to beg me to let them come up and play during the assembly (which I did). The funniest part, however, was the one confident boy who was telling me that each instrument was easy to play, and that he could do it too.

Additional info:
My final day wasn’t filled with any surprises, but it was fun nonetheless. Each school was excited about the program and really responded well.

The day was a great microcosm for the two weeks. I performed first for a school of 570. The school was also a special needs school, which is always a blast when teaching them how to play hand drums. (I’m being serious!) The second was maybe 50 students, and out in a little tiny town south of Dubuque. And, the final school was more in the middle, about 280 students.

Tomorrow I’ll post a recap of the entire experience.

Dubuque Residency Day 9

2010-03-25T17:14:00.000-05:00

Schools hit:
Galena Elementary in Galena, IL
Jefferson Middle School in Dubuque, IA
Holy Ghost Catholic Elementary in Dubuque, IA

Miles driven:
40

Number of students entertained:
490

Best part of the day:
When I arrived at Holy Ghost I found that the first graders were having music class in the space where I would be playing. So, the teacher had me show them how I put together the marimba, and I gave them a little demonstration of my playing. They were very entertained, and even had some basic knowledge of the instrument before I began.

Additional info:
This morning I performed in Galena, IL. I believe that U.S. Grant was either born here or died here. Maybe both. Anyway, the students couldn’t have been nicer.

At Jefferson I only performed for the sixth graders, and it was a blast. There were several too-cool kids who didn’t want to sing, but I found a way to force them…. (insert evil laugh).

Also at Jefferson a student asked if I was a good dancer. This may be because I look like I’m dancing when I play. I told no, but that I can do a mean robot.

At Holy Ghost one of the students asked if I had a name for my marimba. I replied no, and we held a vote to name it. It is now named Bob.

Dubuque Residency, Day 8

2010-03-24T19:46:00.000-05:00

Schools hit:
Marquette in Bellevue, IA
LaSalle Catholic School in Luxemburg, IA
Drexler Elementary in Farley, IA

Miles driven:
120

Number of students entertained:
660

Best part of the day:
For every assembly I leave a little time at the end for question and answer. Normally these questions center around when I started playing music, how I hold four mallets, etc. Today I had some extremely inquisitive students at all three schools asking phenomenal questions. Some Examples:

What is the marimba made out of?
How do people without access to steel/fiberglass/synthetic materials make their marimbas?
How were the instruments created in Africa?
Is African drumming the first way that rhythm was created?
What are your mallets made of (and why are they different colored)?
What are the drums and accessories made of?

It was a curious couple of audiences, and it made things very fun.

Additional info:
At my first performance today in Bellevue I got to speak with their basketball coach, whom I gathered has been extremely successful. I was immediately impressed with his enthusiasm and care for the arts and the programs being brought in for the students. The schools would be a better place if there wasn’t such a hostile divide between those who support the arts and those who support sports.

I attempted to film MPP episode #2 today… and failed miserably. I think I am official done using the DVD cam for marimba purposes. I will explain sometime else, and continue to rip out my hair now.

The second school I performed for was extremely old, and had a very small echo-ey (is that a word?) gymnasium. This place would be PERFECT to record a marimba album. The marimba sounded magnificently resonant in that small space.

Dubuque Residency, Day 7

2010-03-23T19:53:00.000-05:00

Schools hit:
St Columbkille’s Elementary in Dubuque, IA
Marshall School in Dubuque, IA
East Dubuque Elementary and Middle School in East Dubuque, IL

Miles driven:
15

Number of students entertained:
1045

Best part of the day:
There is a piece that I have been performing where I bring some students up to accompany me. I also teach the audience a part to clap while I play. This has been going over extremely well. I usually play the piece very slowly so that things don’t get out of hand, and then when we’re done performing the piece I give them a little taste of what it sounds like up to tempo. Today, several kids attempted to clap their part up to tempo while I was performing, and it resulted in a severe attack of the giggle-fits amongst everyone in the audience.

Additional info:
During my reception last night I was approached by a few members of the board who had been out with me on my trips. They had some suggestions, several of which I tried today. Let me tell you, there were all fantastic. Let this be a lesson to all performers that sometimes the watchful eye of someone who is not an expert in your field can help you get over some hurdles and improve your performance.

I did take some photos today. As of now they are only on Facebook:
Here they are!.

Dubuque Residency, Day 6

2010-03-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

Schools hit:
Seton Middle School in Farley, IA
Aquin Elementary in Cascade, IA
Cascade Elementary in Cascade, IA

Miles driven:
68.8

Number of students entertained:
~400

Best part of the day:
Instead of dancers today I had a sea of young drummers. At the elementary schools I had lots of kids in the front few rows imitating my hands by slapping their knees of the floor. If it had been an assembly given by anyone else it would have been distracting, but I thought it helped to add to the music.

Additional info:
This is once again being posted a day late because of internet problems.

Tonight (er, uh last night…) there was a reception for me held by the Dubuque Arts Council. Between you and me, these types of events are normally not my specialty. However, I absolutely loved spending time with these people. Here is a group that is making sure that the arts and exciting forms of education are available to schools for an extremely accessible fee. In a time where schools are trying to cut the arts, they are finding ways of making sure they exist in the school system.

Dubuque Residency, Day 5

2010-03-20T08:43:00.000-05:00

Schools hit:
Epworth Elementary in Epworth, IA
St Anthony’s (& Our Lady of Guadalupe) Elementary in Dubuque, IA
Sageville Elementary in Sageville, IA

Miles driven:
42

Number of students entertained:
~900

Best part of the day:
I had some dancing crowds today. Multiple times in every location I would look up to see kids grooving to the music. Most of the time the front row will be the youngest kids (either Pre-K or Kindergarten). At Epworth I could see in my peripheral vision that the very front row were moving their little feet back and forth in unison like choreography during one of my pieces.

Additional info:
Once again, this is being posted the day after the performance. Hopefully next week the internet at the hotel will be working for me to be able to post the day-of.

I’ve got a new MPP planned for when I get back from Dubuque. I’m planning on shooting a new Virtual Lesson.

Dubuque Residency, Day 4

2010-03-19T20:37:00.001-05:00

Schools hit:
St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, IA
Bellevue Elementary in Bellevue, IA

Miles driven:
102

Number of students entertained:
735

Best part of the day:
Once again there was a cancellation, this time it was the second performance. This meant that I had a little extra time to wander around Dubuque and Bellevue (the location for my final assembly of the day). I took some photos in both towns, and was able to walk around downtown Bellevue. Bellevue is the type of Iowa town that I love, big scenic view of the river, quaint shops, and friendly atmosphere. I was able to walk around an art gallery and get a quiet cup of coffee before my gig.

Additional info:
Today I played in two historic venues. In the morning I played in Dyersville (home of the Field of Dreams). In the afternoon I played at Bellevue Elementary which is home to the oldest still-used school building in Iowa. You will be able to see in the photos, however, that the gymnasium has been remodeled.

This review is being posted a day late because of some internet problems. I’ll post my review of day 5 tomorrow.

I was able to take a few photos today! You can view them on myspace or facebook.

Dubuque Residency, Day 3

2010-03-17T11:39:00.002-05:00

Schools hit:
Southwestern Elementary and Middle School in Hazel Green, WI
(Table Mound & Mazzuchelli schools cancelled due to weather)

Miles driven:
33

Number of students entertained:
300

Best part of the day:
There was an extremely dense layer of fog that covered the entire area, forcing the schools in Dubuque to at first delay, and then cancel. Because my representative today told me this, it meant we had a little extra time to spend at the early morning location in Wisconsin. After packing up the marimba I listened to a couple of Middle School percussionists play their drum set solos for contest and gave them a few pointers and critiques.

Additional info:
I forgot to pack green clothes today for St. Paddy’s day! Luckily, I did not get pinched. Since we spent the morning in Wisconsin, I saw many Packers outfits.

There isn’t much more to add because of the cancelled performances. Hopefully they can be added on sometime next week.

I was able to take a few photos today! You can view them on myspace or facebook.

Dubuque Residency, Day 2

2010-03-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

Schools hit:
Irving Elementary (all in Dubuque, IA)
Lincoln Elementary
Resurrection School

Miles driven:
8

Number of students entertained:
1055

Best part of the day:
After the performance at Resurrection School (a private Catholic Elementary) the students serenaded me with a song of thanks and gratitude. They sang better in tune then many professional choirs I’ve heard!

Additional info:
I did not take any photos today. I discovered in the morning that I had accidently left the camera on all night, and the battery was zapped. It was a shame because the schools buildings today were pretty cool, and all of Dubuque was covered in a beautiful thin layer of fog.

I had a chance to chat with quite a few individual students today before and after each performance. One girl begged me before the assembly to let her help, so she came up to do some hand drumming. A fifth grade boy at Resurrection School stayed after to check out the marimba up close. He’s evidently a great pianist, and already accompanies the school at morning Mass.

I discovered a great BBQ restaurant called Bandanas. I must make a vow to avoid it for the rest of the residency, or I will subject myself to more food comas… and I will return home 400 pounds.

One student guessed that I was 40. The boy sitting next to her guessed that I was 100.

Dubuque Residency, Day 1

2010-03-15T16:15:00.003-05:00

Schools hit:
Peosta Elementary in Peosta, IA
Carver Elementary in Dubuque, IA
Nativity BVM Catholic School in Menominee, IL

Miles driven:
50

Number of students entertained:
755

Best part of the day:
Performing for Nativity BVM is what making music is all about, and is something that all of us musicians should strive to be better at. Nativity is a small Catholic school of only 35 students (K-8th grade) in a town of only 205 residences. So, you can imagine that they do not often get performers to take the time and give assemblies at their school. It does not matter how many people you reach, it does not matter how big the school is, it does not matter how much money they have. If you reach one person through music, then you’re doing your job. Not to toot my own horn, but more people should give assemblies at less privileged schools like Nativity. In the next year, this school could be gone. I feel good that I got to entertain them. And trust me, they had a blast!

Additional info:
I found out that I can tear down my marimba and pack the car in ten minutes! This was important when going from my first gig (9am-9:30) to my second (10:30).

Also, I’ve started uploading some photos. You can view them on myspace or facebook.

The Not-so-advanced Collegiate Marimbist

2010-03-05T10:13:00.004-06:00

I’ve got a thought that will be a major focus of the Marimba Progression Project, and it references something I spoke about in yesterday’s episode.

One of the major problems that young composers face when writing for marimba is the technical difficulties of the instrument. Not only is it a difficult instrument to “figure out,” but to be blunt, collegiate percussionists are usually not as advanced technically as other musicians.

Before I get percussionists throwing eggs at my door, let me explain. The marimba is an extremely large and physical instrument. It is an instrument that, no matter what, you cannot begin to learn until an older age. It is too tall for people of a certain age, and it is difficult to maneuver and to simply read the music until you are a certain height.

There is also the fact that the act of holding two mallets in one hand is extremely difficult before a certain age. I began playing the marimba in Junior High, when I was tall enough to play it. However, my hands were not strong and developed enough to hold four mallets. Trust me, I tried. I didn’t start playing four mallets seriously until I was a sophomore in High School.

Now, I was one of the fortunate ones. There are many percussionists who do not start learning the marimba until they are in college. I grew up in a time when it was still: boys play snare drum, girls play bells. However, I had taken piano lessons since I was nine, so I offered all of the time to play mallets.

Consider that. Many percussionists don’t learn how to play four mallet marimba until they’re in college. Compare that with wind and brass players who begin playing their instruments in fifth grade band. Compare that with pianists and string players who often begin between the ages of FIVE AND NINE! Therefore, as a young (collegiate) composer, the collegiate percussionist you may be writing for is plain and simply not as technically advanced as some of the other musicians at your school.

However, you should not let that get in the way of composing for young marimbists. I would simply suggest that you consider adding ossia parts, or working with the marimbist on what is doable. Oftentimes you will hear the phrase, “this is impossible.” It might not be impossible, but you may need to be understanding of your young performer.

The Collaborative Process: Mistakes Made by Young Composers (take 1)

2010-03-04T20:40:00.007-06:00

Let's take a new question from Brian:

"What are some of the most common mistakes/problems you see in young composers’ writing for the marimba and other percussion instruments? Do you think they tend to over or underestimate the capabilities of the instrument?"

For this question I will stick with the marimba. If anyone has questions on how to write for percussion, I think that it’s best you read Sam Solomon’s book. This book should be a staple of every young composer’s library. I will cover as many mistakes as I can think of. If I think of more down the road I will respond with a post. Also, if there are any other professional percussionists who want to join in on this post please do so. This is an important area for us all to address.

There will always be exceptions, but this is where I see the trends. I think that young composers both over and underestimate the capabilities of the marimba. I have often found that from a technical level, young composers can easily fall victim to overestimating our talent, and writing something that would be more appropriate for the piano. Our instrument is then often underestimated in terms of what we are capable of musically.

First let’s tackle the difficult one. I have read a lot of student compositions that look like piano scores. This mostly concerns sections that are extremely fast with a lot of notes. Often, it isn’t the high volume of notes as much as the motion that is involved. This is because our mallets cannot move in the same way that a pianists fingers can. Our mallets are not individual membranes; they are connected to each other. Think of our two mallets playing together more like cello double stops than a pianist’s hand. It cannot move laterally as fast as you might like. I will give a visual example in my first episode of The Marimba Progression Project (which I will post later this evening).

I feel like musically we are underestimated. This may simply be because of years of bad drummer jokes, or because of a student composer’s limited experience around highly musical marimbists. However, I do not approve of the lack of musical phrasing, articulation, dynamics, etc. in many of the compositions I’ve read by younger composers.

I will post some more specific examples as I think of them. If there are any percussionists out there who would like to contribute to this, please do so.

(EDIT: Here's the link to the MPP giving a visual example)

The Marimba Progression Project

2010-03-03T12:05:00.003-06:00

This is a small self-promoting post to announce the creation of a new online outline for all of my marimba thoughts. I will be recording a weekly show ala Percussion Axiom TV, only it will be completely centered on the marimba. Through this youtube “show” I will present videos on covering many areas of marimba performance and pedagogy, as well as attempting to generate public knowledge of the instrument. Videos will include virtual lessons, in-studio performances, tips on performing, analysis, and so much more! They will be posted in their entirety here on the Marimba Blog. The best way to keep up to date on them is to follow me in Twitter.

I will be shooting the first video tomorrow, and it will appear alongside a new Collaborative Process Blog. Hopefully I will have it uploaded either tomorrow evening or Friday.

Technically speaking, this point of The Marimba Blog is to help progress the instrument. I will still write blog articles on subjects, but MPP is how I will be cataloguing all of my videos from now on (except live videos). As far as old videos covering these topics. I won’t bother with cataloguing or organizing them in a new way. They’ve been given the MPP tag here on The Marimba Blog, so you can view them below this post.

Themed Recitals

2010-03-01T12:32:00.001-06:00

Last night I attended an excellent percussion recital at the University of Iowa. The DMA candidate performed works that either fell under world music or were classical pieces influenced by it. The main focus of this recital was music from the Middle East. This included one of my favorite marimba solos, Vinao’s “Khan Variations.”

What I wanted to write about today was the fact that he was allowed to perform a “themed” recital. I feel that all too often instructors either assign literature to their students, or veto any creative endeavor when it comes to recitals. While I do feel that it’s important to learn and be familiar with the standard repertoire, I also feel that it’s important to use some student recitals as an opportunity to grow creatively.

For example, a percussionist I knew was once very amazed that I was able to put together an entire concert of marimba literature together without much preparation; that I was able to keep a catalogue of many different works so that I could mold a concert based on the audience. Of course, it helps that I studied only the marimba at The Boston Conservatory, but I do feel that my freedom to program whatever I wanted on recitals at BoCo helped to prepare me for the “real world.”

To be honest, there aren’t that many venues where you will feel comfortable as a percussionist performing a recital littered with snare drum, multiple percussion, and timpani solos. Whether it’s a logistical problem, or an audience concern, it’s very important to have a large amount of mallet solos at your disposal if you are planning a career that includes solo recitals. Even if you own the instruments, which most people do not own enough to make a concert of all percussion work, most audiences are not appreciative of solos that lack melodic notes.

I feel it’s important to let your students be creative when programming a recital. This is because no matter what your career aspirations in life are, you will have to play a solo recital or two in the professional world. Whether it’s a faculty recital, a chamber soiree, or some sort of musical outreach, it will come up at some point; and having the musical creativity to program an interesting recital will help to entertain and impress your audience and colleagues.

I feel that these themed recitals especially help percussionists. If you are performing a recital that includes instrument and set changes, it helps a non-percussive based audience if there is a theme connecting each piece. Trust me when I say that non-percussionists don’t care how well “Prim” is written, to them it’s just a snare drum solo. For example, last night the recital included a timpani solo and a multiple percussion solo that fit into the theme of music based on Middle-Eastern themes and rhythms. Mixing those between the solo and duet with melodic instruments, and the trio performed on authentic instruments, and this recital all of sudden wasn’t just “Now my teacher is requiring me to learn a timpani solo, now my teacher is requiring me to learn a snare drum solo.” Instead, by the end of the concert, the audience felt they had an excellent grasp of the rhythmic structures and styles of music from the Middle East.

Every once in a while it is okay to educate your audience, as long as you entertain them at the same time.

Where you at C-dub?!

2010-01-22T17:13:00.003-06:00

Greetings fans! And yes, by fans I mean Brian and my Mom. I am writing a short little apology for my lack of blogs this last week. I made a New Year’s resolution to be even more active online. Unfortunately, New Year’s resolutions work about as well as tattooing your significant other’s name on your arm: it equals failure.

I do, however, have a pretty good excuse. I have been feverishly working on music for two gigs and a competition. Hopefully, if you live in Eastern Iowa, you can make one or both of these gigs.

First of all, I am performing again at the Usher’s Ferry Historical village in Cedar Rapids tomorrow (Jan. 23rd) for their 2010 WinterFest. I am playing two small sets at 2:00 and 3:00pm. Since it’s a historical site with period costumes and what-have-you, I will perform some transcriptions of older works.

Next week I have a faculty recital at Kirkwood Community College. It’s in the Ballantyne Auditorium in Cedar Hall, Thursday the 28th at 11:00am. On that concert I will be playing required pieces for the upcoming Ima Hogg submission, as well as a few other marimba “classics.”

That all leads up to me sending a CD for the Ima Hogg Young Artist competition. Since I’ve been working my tail off on this recording, I will be sure to record a few of my sessions with the video camera and upload onto YouTube. This may also be followed by a blog about why Bach and I are no longer on speaking terms.

Also, if I can find a way to record the next two gigs, I will post them on my website.

In the near future I have some pretty good blog topics up my sleeve. Some are really serious, but a couple are more fun and light-hearted than many of my previous topics. I also have received some new ideas from Brian that I will actually be tackling in a video blog.

I’ll let you know what I come back to the blogdome. Until then, keep practicing!

The Collaborative Process: The marimba in orchestra and jazz

2010-01-13T19:11:00.004-06:00

When Brian and I began sending each other ideas for this blog, I sent him a question that actually has very little to do with composer-performer collaboration. I asked him why he felt that the marimba had failed to grow as a symphonic or jazz instrument. The other day he answered this question on his blog:
A response to a question by orchestral and jazz marimbist, Chris Wilson.

Interestingly, Brian made some points that I have been thinking for some time. We had not discussed this ahead of time, so it’s fun to see that we agree on most of the points. He also added a quick reason as to why he felt the marimba had been successful in wind ensemble music.

I wanted to elaborate a little on my views on this subject.

Brian’s guess on why the marimba hasn’t succeeded in jazz is exactly what I think. That is that the instrument just simply isn’t able to sustain and “comp” the type of complicated and extended chords that are used in jazz. The piano and guitar are able to do this because of more voices (10 fingers on piano, 6 strings on guitar). The interesting comparison is that vibes are successful, even with the same amount of voices. I think this is clearly because of their ability to sustain (like an electric guitar or piano with sustain). Therefore, extra notes can be added and used. Plus, I do believe that the soft touch and long notes of the vibraphone fit better (in terms of timbre) than the short, sometimes staccato notes of the marimba.

Now, there are a few exceptions. The group Double Image is a duo made up of percussionists David Friedman and Dave Samuels. Usually, one of them plays marimba, and the other plays vibes. This seems to work because they can combine the bass end of the marimba, and its solo abilities with all of the positive qualities of the vibraphone. Also, Dave Samuels has had other successful projects where he plays marimba, many of which are more based in Latin-Jazz (which makes sense considering the marimba’s Central American roots).

The question of why the marimba has failed in the symphonic world is a tricky one. I feel that there are some very strong theories as to why, and would love to hear other ideas. One is the idea that Brian tackled, and that’s tradition. It’s true that, for the most part, the orchestra’s score was set in the late romantic era. During the Romantic era auxiliary instruments were being added, some of which at the time were probably taboo and are now considered the norm. Once we get to the 20th Century that score seems to be fixed, with exceptions where a new instrument will make an appearance. However, it’s those new instruments that lead me to believe that this may not be 100% the case.

Many of these new instruments making guest appearances in the 20th Century are keyboard instruments. The organ, piano and celesta begin to make appearances. Then, when composers towards the turn of the century start experimenting with electronic instruments, we get a few examples of ondes martenot in pieces. Yet, the marimba is still rarely used (except, again, when imitating the sounds of Central America). Compare those four keyboard instruments, and what do they have in common? One idea is that all of those instruments have the ability to sustain their notes, with the piano being the most articulated of the bunch. The marimba is an extremely articulated instrument, and it is not an instrument that blends as well into accompaniment. I think that maybe composers feel its timbre doesn’t fit with the orchestra setting.

Another hole in the set score theory is that around the middle of the century (thanks to new creative freedoms and/or financial difficulties) composers began to change their scores: strings only, brass choir, brass and percussion, smaller chamber groups, strings and percussion, etc. However, we need to remember that the marimba is still a growing instrument. We missed a lot of good new compositional styles and a lot of composers in this last century. Especially, by the time our instrument became a major classical solo instrument, composers were composing less and less for orchestra.

Another idea could be that the marimba simply doesn’t match the other percussion instruments, and has a completely different background. Most of the time percussion instruments are used in orchestral writing as auxiliary instruments. They punctuate certain sections, add icing on top of the cake, signal programmatic elements, etc. However, they hardly ever carry a melody. The percussive keyboard instruments that are used (xylo & glock) also do not blend with the orchestra (like the marimba), so they often serve as an effect.

The marimba is not a sound effect instrument. As much as some percussionists who live in the drummer zone think, it is THE solo instrument of the percussion world. Although it has a very articulated sound, it is one of the most resonant percussion instruments; it is capable of accompanying itself while playing a melody, it can carry a melody, period. It is an instrument with almost endless solo capabilities, and in a blog to be written later I will explain how it’s more closely related to the piano, cello, and guitar than any other percussion instrument. Also, given its size, it is a more interesting solo instrument than the vibraphone (also, the vibraphone only has one articulation).

I also mention the background. My former teacher Nancy Zeltsman once wrote an article for Percussive Notes that explained the history of the marimba and why it may be used as a bias against us. I feel that there may be some truth to that with older composers (I’m sure that there are many young composers who are unaware that the instrument was used in Vaudeville). However, it’s not just the ragtime background that may be harming us.

The marimba of course is so different because it is not a European instrument (unlike most percussion instruments in the classical genre). It has its origins in Central America, and its predecessor in Africa. I feel like its historical differences and how it was until recently a folk instrument may have had an effect on its use in orchestral settings.

(I say until recently in comparison to other instruments)

The marimba has been decently used in the concerto setting. However, its failures there can be attributed, in my opinion, to composers. It’s a lack of knowing how to compose for the instrument as a soloist, and knowing how to compose a concerto (period) that has lead to those deficiencies.

The Collaborative Process: Finding Gigs and Advertising

2010-01-11T12:46:00.004-06:00

Brian wrote to me a few really great questions regarding marimba and percussion composition. However, I felt that they would be better accompanied by photographic examples. So, I will work on them later this week. For now I will answer a question of his that has more to do with performing and advertising:

“You seem to be reasonably successful at booking a number of gigs for yourself, how do you go about advertising yourself and finding a wide variety of performance venues for yourself? What would be different if you played an instrument that is not traditionally a solo instrument? i.e. would you attempt to find and pay a pianist to play these gigs/accompany you, would you create accompanying cds, or ??”

These are very good questions, and they’re the same topic I proposed to discuss at PASIC 2010 (Watch it!). I will answer, but of course not give away very little detail (it is a very competitive world out there, after all). I will look at each question individually.

You seem to be reasonably successful at booking a number of gigs for yourself,
Thank you, you’re too kind.

how do you go about advertising yourself...

I advertise myself in many different ways. With certain venues I send a press packet, with some I send an e-mail, and with others I simply call. It all depends on the type of venue, and what they personal would like you to send. I try to send Press Packets as little as possible, simply because of the expense. However, when I do I make sure it is printed on quality paper, with all the appropriate materials so that it looks professional (and not cheap).

A lot of the venues I perform for also do not respond to e-mail. This is mainly because their spam filters are set so high that outside e-mail address are often automatically deleted. So now, I generally call and speak to an activities director on the phone. If they want more materials I will direct them to my website.

That is the importance of a website. Are there a lot of people who search for marimba on Google and stumble across my website? Probably not. However, if someone needs to check out my bio, CV, audio clips, video files, past experience, etc, it’s all right there for them to find.

As far as traditional advertising (getting your name out there, finding new audiences), that’s why I do all the internet stuff. My colleagues may think that the professional and extensive use of Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and a Blog are excessive and unnecessary, but using them as increased traffic on my website and on my Youtube videos. My key with them is to keep it professional. I don’t write on my twitter account about what I had for lunch, and I don’t post inappropriate pictures on Myspace. This way everyone continues to take me seriously.

...and finding a wide variety of performance venues for yourself?

I started in Boston by shadowing a good friend of mine. I searched through the ‘past performances’ section of his website and offered to play at every place he performed. Not only that, but if he played at one museum, I would write them... and every other museum in town. Then I began branching out to ‘like’ settings and simply getting in contact with as many as possible.

If you Google search (one more reference and they’ll send me $$$) ‘classical music venue,’ nothing will show up. Well, nothing good. However, you need to think about similar, or ‘like’-venues. For example, I saw that my friend had a performance at a Children’s Museum. So, I wrote, and they turned me down. I thought, “What places are like a museum that would MAYBE house a classical music performance?” My first idea was a library, and sure enough one was interested in bringing me out (twice!).

What would be different if you played an instrument that is not traditionally a solo instrument?
I would be screwed.

i.e. would you attempt to find and pay a pianist to play these gigs/accompany you, would you create accompanying cds, or ??”
That’s the problem in freelancing. You need to know what your venue is. Mine is very easy: everywhere is my venue. This is because I don’t need an accompanist, I don’t need to be in a chamber group, I can play many different styles of music, and I can present clinics on the background and history of my instrument.

If I had played the french horn (which was my second choice if I wasn’t allowed to play percussion) I wouldn’t perform the same types of gigs I perform now. I would either need to look for orchestral spots, perform in a chamber group, or hire an accompanist for solo performances. I would be mostly dependant on other musicians.

However, I am a percussionist which allows me to sub with a couple of orchestras, play in musical pits, play lounge/restaurant music, play jazz, play classical, perform solo marimba concerts (which is what makes up most of my gigs), etc.

Would it be okay if I stepped on my soap box for a moment? While I was pursuing the Masters in Marimba degree from the Boston Conservatory, other percussionists liked to pick at me about my potential employment. They questioned how I could get by with such a specific degree. However, their emphasis was in orchestral percussion. Having an emphasis in orchestral percussion is not more stable than a marimba degree, because you only have two options:

1)Freelance and perform as a sub
2)Wait for someone else with a job to retire or die.

Tell me how that is a stable career? I make my own gigs, so I am dependant on how hard I work at finding new opportunities. And, I perform enough to feed my family and pay the rent. Not to mention, I am a sub for two local orchestras, a local symphonic band, and I have a job teaching music at a college. Yes, that’s right, the guy with the marimba degree.

In summary, the way to get gigs and to advertise and to find opportunities is to simply work your ass off. It’s not always which person is the better musician, or who has the better resume. It’s usually who works harder, and who perseveres the most. For every gig on my website there were probably five people that said no thanks. Does that mean I’m not talented? No. Does it mean I should give up? No. Does it mean I’ll never call that person again? Nope! The harder you work, the more gigs you get. Music isn’t Communism.

To be(ta) or not to be(ta)

2010-01-07T17:07:00.003-06:00

This is a response to a note written by my wife on facebook. Yes, I stole her title. Let’s not focus on the little things here!

The other day I read an interesting article by one of my favorite sportswriters (Bill Simmons). It was an old article about why he thought Mark McGwire should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. There was one very poignant paragraph:

“Some writers won't vote for McGwire because he probably used steroids -- keep in mind there's never been proof that he did, other than a visible bottle of andro and those 135 pounds of muscle he added from 1990 to 2002 -- which would be fine if they weren't so pious about it. Not content with simply dismissing McGwire's candidacy and moving on, they need to climb on their high horses and rip the guy to shreds. Of course, many of them would appear on any radio or TV show for 50 bucks and a free sandwich. We're supposed to believe they would refuse the chance to take a drug that would enable them to do their job twice as well and make 10 times as much money? Yeah, right.”
(http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070103)

My wife and I began discussing this idea. Since this is The Marimba Blog, I won’t waste your time with sports ideas, but I will ask a question of you that came up between my wife and me. I said the same statement, you had an opportunity to take a LEGAL (at the time, yes it was) drug that enabled you to do your job better without known side effects (most of the athletes didn’t know what steroids did to you long-term), would people do it?

Her response, “Well…. I don’t take beta.”

For those of you who don’t know, Beta Blockers are a drug that calms a person who is suffering from anxiety. Some musicians use this to conquer their stage fright. It is a very touchy subject amongst musicians.

Let me start by saying that I don’t take them (neither does my wife). She doesn’t know how she feels about them, I know that I don’t approve (especially on a regular basis). But there are two questions here.

1) Are Betta Blockers like steroids? Was that a decent comparison, or is there something better?
2) How do you feel about musicians taking Beta?

Here’s my opinion. 1: I think it’s an okay comparison, but not an exact one. Beta helps to calm your emotions, while steroids help to build muscle. I have a device that guitarists use to gain hand strength. I bought it when I switched from Stevens grip to Traditional grip as a way of creating more power in my hand. That is similar to baseball players working out, but there’s not supplement equivalent to help make me a better player technically. Steroids do not help the game slow down for the batter so that they can hit the ball cleanly, it helps them bulk up. That’s what makes the steroid era debate so difficult, there isn’t anything from our lives that we can use to completely compare to the advantages these men where gaining.

It’s not the same as me using coffee to stay up all night while cramming before a test. The caffeine didn’t make me any smarter. Not matter how hard I tried.

Finally, what are your feelings on Beta? I would love for people to share their thoughts. I think it’s excessive. Am I willing to crucify someone for using them? No, but I do think if you need them that this is probably the wrong profession for you.

Many people think that it’s unfair for people to take them, because only the very best should get the job. The idea being that if you took them and won a job, the person who didn’t take them may have gotten cheated. I can totally see this side; however there is one more side to this coin. Say you’re the principal flutist in the BSO (no, I’m not saying that this person is on Beta!), and the orchestra is playing “Afternoon of a Faun.” It better be perfect, it better be calm and serene, and it better BE PERFECT!!!! There is so much pressure put on some musicians. But, again, I do agree that if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Tell me what you think!

Virtual Lesson: Mitchell Peters

2009-12-04T14:32:00.004-06:00

Here is my newest virtual lesson. I'll post the whole thing here, since I played two pieces: Sea Refractions & Yellow After the Rain.

The Collaborative Process: Picking my dream recital

2009-11-24T16:38:00.004-06:00

Today’s assignment from Brian:

“You get to pick the recital program for your favorite marimbist, what would the program be?”

Didn’t I kind of already answer this? Just kidding, this is a unique spin on the similar first question. To start off I will tell you about not only my favorite marimbist, but the close second.

My favorite marimbist/percussionist is Evelyn Glennie (crowd moans). I remember when I first got to Boston to study, and there was this huge backlash going on against her. For some reason, liking Dame Evelyn is kind of like a cellist liking Yo-Yo Ma. It’s passé, it’s obvious; they’re main stream, and we should always have a critical opinion!!!

Hey, be critical all you want. (almost) No one can bring out a melody like her. Very few people have the stage presence she has. And very few people have the technical chops she has. She’s a total package, in my humble opinion. I will never get tired of her. I think she’s a tireless worker, and gutsy musician, and a true original. She’s takes chances in her music that simply scare more simple minded performers.

My close second is Nancy Zeltsman (crowd moans again). People love Nancy, but I’ll get made fun of because she was my teacher. There’s a reason that I moved hell and high water to be able to study with her in Boston. There’s a reason I begged her to let me into her studio. I don’t think there is another marimbist who has done more for us when it comes to tone, articulation, musicality, phrasing, etc. She takes a very dry instrument, and plays it like one with resonance and beauty. Again, I will never get tired of her.

So, what would I want to hear them play? With Evelyn, I’m going to follow the rules with a marimba-only concert. I would want a concert that shows off her raw flair for the dramatic, as well as her complete command of the instrument technically:
Alejandro Viñao: Khan Variations
Keiko Abe: Variations on Japanese Children's Songs
Joseph Schwantner: Velocities
Evelyn Glennie: Giles
Toshimitsu Tanaka: Two Movements for Marimba
Minoru Miki: Marimba Spiritual

That seems like a pretty beefy set list. Not sure if it would be an hour or so, someone else can figure that out.

Nancy is a little different. As opposed to Evelyn, I have heard Nancy in concert. However, I did not hear a lot of the Zeltsman “greatest hits.” So, I’m going to go with those. With her, I want it to be an intimate setting, where most of the music is soft and soothing. Some of the pieces will have a groove, and some will lull you to sleep:
Robert Aldridge: From My Little Island
Steve Mackey: See Ya Thursday
Paul Lansky: Three Moves
Pius Cheung: Musical Moment No. 5
Andrew Thomas: Merlin
Alejandro Viñao: Tumblers (w/ Sharan Leventhal)

Those are my two dream recitals. This blog has already gotten rather large, so I think I’ll give my explanations in the comments section. I would love if more readers responded with their dream recitals. Remember: pick your favorite marimbist, and pick their set list.

The Collaborative Process: 10 Pieces follow-up

2009-11-24T15:42:00.007-06:00

So far this little experiment is going well! I've had a few responses, but I would like to see more. On review, I would probably also include Steve Mackey's See You Thursday.. However, I don't know what I would substitute it for.

I'd like to hear more of what your list would be. Remember, what 10 pieces by the marimba would you give a composer, "to get an understanding of the capabilities of the instrument?" So, if you respond, keep in mind that it's not just a piece you like, it's a piece that you think shows off a different and unique side to the marimba that would help a composer write for it.

Also, if you respond with the piece(s) you thought I left out, tell me what you would replace them with. Again, the assignment is 10 pieces, and 10 pieces only. These composers are on a budget, they can't buy every marimba cd ever recorded!

To see my original list, click here.

On other notes, watch out for some big updates and big changes to the website soon. I've got multiple pieces I'm about to record, and gig tomorow that I'm going to record, and a big list of questions from Brian for the Collab Blogs. Also, I'm going to try to figure out a way to make everything easy to find and view on my website.

Also, keep up with Brian's Collab responses on his blog:
bivdub.blogspot.com

The Collaborative Process: 10 important pieces

2009-11-19T23:16:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the first of hopefully many posts from The Collaborative Process. To begin things, Brian asked me this question:

“A composer shouldn't jump in to writing for an instrument (especially in a solo medium) without first immersing themselves in the important literature for that instrument. What would you consider the 10 most important pieces with readily available recordings (and hopefully scores) for a composer (or anyone I suppose) to listen to for marimba in order to get an understanding of the capabilities of the instrument? And if you got to expand from there what 5 CD's would you tell someone to buy to get the most diverse range of the instruments literature? (Note that I didn't say the 5 best)”

For this first blog I’ll tackle the 10 pieces, and I’ll write about 5 CD’s later. This is a challenging question because the world of marimba is very divided on subjects like these. There are a lot of different schools of playing so there are different thoughts on what makes a good piece. Also, I’m still under 30, so I haven’t had a chance to play through every piece that would be on your typical “standard works” list. However, I do have a good knowledge of the rep, and I have some strong opinions directed towards this question.

Remember, what pieces would I suggest to a composer for them to understand the instrument’s capability? I did my best to think about a lot of different works and be unbiased. However, I’m sure there are some that you thought I missed, so let me know what you think!

Robert Aldridge: From My Little Island
This one may shock some readers. It’s a piece very much on the rise in popularity, and I think that it pushed some new limits in technique and musicality. The wide intervals, the running passages up and down the instrument, and the chorales that are sans rolls. Not to mention, it’s not often we get written great melodies, and this piece has no shortage of them.

Milton Babbitt: Beaten Paths
Underappreciated, unperformed, and under-recorded! Did you know that one of the greatest composers of his generation, one of the kings of serialism wrote a solo for marimba? Not only is this one of the few examples of true serialism written for the marimba, it’s an exciting and energetic work. It shows that the marimba is completely capable of this style which is mostly written for piano.

Richard Bennett: After Syrinx II
This piece brings one handed rolls to a new level, with unrolled accompaniments flying around the smooth melody. Each hand is completely independent from the other in this superb set of variations of the solo by Debussy.

David Maslanka: Variations on Lost Love
Another piece I feel is underappreciated. I think it’s the crowning neoclassical achievement for the marimba. The third movement proves you don’t need to write a piano-style score to create a marimba piece, then it explodes into a love aria that compares to nothing else (in my opinion) ever written for the marimba. The finale represents a struggle between good and evil, represented by tonality and atonality. Much of this piece reads like a Bach cello suite (if Bach had used whole tone and octatonic scales).

Gunther Schuller: Marimbology
Another of the greatest living minds wrote for us! This piece to me expanded what composers thought we were capable of in terms of phrasing, dynamics, and (most importantly) articulation. This piece is so varied from movement to movement; it’s a marathon for any marimbist.

Joseph Schwantner: Velocities
This is a piece most percussionists can agree on. It’s very much a minimalist work, except for the outbursts of anger at the beginning and end. It is a great piece to introduce you to Stevens pizzicato, and is an example of how we percussionists don’t need to breathe to play (however the great ones do!).

Paul Smadbeck: Rhythm Song
The bandwagon is empty, and it looks like only Chris Wilson remains. I think this work is another masterpiece of minimalism. Sections of repeated patterns change slowly, with small changes being added one note at a time. However, this piece (like Velocities) does ask the performer to employ emotion and musicality. I also appreciate how this score in a piano-like way reads like it could be written for multiple instruments. There’s always a bass line, harmony, a melody, and maybe a counter melody.

Toshimitsu Tanaka: Two Movements for Marimba
Yes, I realize that this is my only piece from the “Keiko commissions era.” I think it is head and shoulders ahead of the rest because of its soaring melodies. Yes, the rhythm drives forward like many written during its time, but this piece reminds me more of Stravinsky than of expressionism. I have a fondness for the fact that there are moments of resolution mixed with the aggressive action. Plus, the chorale shows that you don’t need to write open intervals in the low range to make the marimba sing.

Andrew Thomas: Merlin
This piece is as epic as its title. The second movement is a whirlwind transitioning between sections that are repetitive rhythmically, but ever-changing harmonically. This piece is like an onion, there are always multiple layers of melodies, countermelodies, and accompaniment. There are many octave passages that many composers would probably assume to be impossible, but are expertly placed on the marimba.

Alejandro Viñao: Khan Variations
I’ll end with another (kind of) obscure choice. Imagine all of the multiple percussion works in existence that are based on advanced rhythms, metric modulations, and passages where time is completely obscured. Have you ever wondered what they’d sound like on a melodic instrument? This set of variations on a Middle Eastern melody is extremely challenging, and I think Viñao pushes what we think marimbists are capable of rhythmically and technically.

Here are a couple of Honorable Mentions

Minoru Miki: Marimba Spiritual
Ney Rosauro: Marimba Concerto No. 1
These two will generate many eye rolls, but they are so famous for a reason. Marimba Spiritual is expertly scored and the marimba part is challenging yet written so that it can project over the ensemble. Rosauro’s first concerto is at times poorly written (the left hand often plays what the accompaniment is playing). However, many of the melodies and much of the right hand action reads like a well written string concerto (I’ll save more on this for another blog).

The works of Pius Cheung and Casey Cangelosi
I wrote a blog a while back blasting most percussionists moonlighting in composition. To me, these two are the exception. They are not only extremely talented composers, but they are helping to push the limits of what we now think the marimba is capable of (both technically and musically). Pius is like Rachmaninoff meets the marimba, and Casey is a bit of a chameleon.

Let me know your opinions! If I read any good comments, I’ll post them and respond.

The Collaborative Process

2009-11-19T21:52:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the beginning of the Collaborative Process Blog! The whole point of this will be for my friend Brian Van Winkle and I to engage in online discussion. Most topics will be questions or debates about our major area of music (mine being marimba, his being composition). The original idea was to create a dialogue between the composer and performer for the benefit of you, the reader. Brian reminded me that he is quite the euphonium player, and I shall now remind him I can play more than just the marimba. So, topics may wonder off the path a bit.

I feel I should make some guidelines. I am not opposed to reader comments or discussion. However, I have no problems with completely deleting inappropriate comments. The point of many of my blogs is to inform younger readers, so the last thing I want is for their opinions to be warped by the uneducated minds of an anonymous reader. If you’re thinking, “well, why should I care about your opinions?” then you can check my credentials on my website.

So, later tonight I’ll be posting the first blog, which was a question Brian asked me. I’ve just submitted an idea for him to tackle, so be sure to keep an eye on his blog as well:
bivdub.blogspot.com

(By the way, if you can come up with a better name, let us know.)

A response to Percussion Axiom TV Episode #54

2009-11-09T15:06:00.005-06:00

Very recently there was a collection of heated debates held over an episode of Thomas Burritt’s Percussion Axiom TV. The episode was all about Keiko Abe’s legacy (and his opinion that her legacy wasn’t so much her own compositions but her commissions).

Here’s a link the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozd-2spl8y4

I loved the episode. I agree totally and loved all of his points about the styles of music he was discussing. I found his lecture to be very well informed and researched. He asked people to discuss how they felt, and to name their favorite piece from this period. (I wrote Tanaka’s “Two Movements for Marimba,” which was written at the time but not for Keiko [maybe I’ll explain why I love this piece so much in another blog]).

Some of the responses were insightful, but most were harsh critiques, which were then usually responded with even harsher opinions. A bit of a circus broke out, and I chose to read a few of the responses. It’s always difficult to take anyone’s word on youtube, because there are so many users lurking around, waiting for a moment to snipe your video. They will make condescending remarks just to have an opinion, because the internet gives them a forum to attack without the other person ever knowing who the attacker was.

However, there were a couple of responses made that I wanted to address, mostly because they were uninformed.

This first comment that jumped out to me was that (paraphrasing) it’s a shame percussionists aren’t more into free atonality/expressionism/serialism. This is a sentiment that I totally share. The marimba is a wonderful instrument, and I think it has an extremely bright future in classical music. However, I do feel we’re stuck in this situation that many people do not respect the music that we play.

When you think about it, the marimba missed a lot of styles of music. It wasn’t introduced to the classical world until the middle of the 20th century, so it missed hundreds of years worth of music. However, our instrument was around for two vastly different genres: Serialism and Minimalism. But, if you look around at the repertoire being performed by many percussionists around the world you will find more minimalist music than serialism being performed. Add that to the fact that we also perform a lot of compositions by untrained percussionists moonlighting in composition, and you’ve got an instrument without a lot of compositional “masterpieces.”

I think it’s important that teachers, students, and professionals embrace the serialist era, because it did give us great repertoire. Atonality is also still a major movement among academics, meaning it’s the type of music being written by a majority of composition students around the world. If you want to work with young composers (and established composers) you’d better find a way to appreciate atonality.

This person went on to remark that serialism is easy (to understand musically). This is not a true statement. It’s the major reason that marimbists don’t perform more atonal works. It takes a while to understand and digest, but once you get there it is so intensely rewarding. This person needs to remember that they are (probably) a trained musician with years of study, and when they were 18 years old they might have been totally disgusted by the serialist movement as well.

Side note: I had a discussion on here once about music being for everyone. I meant it… but you do need to work people into some genres. You can play Beethoven for someone and they’ll get it immediately, but they will probably need some time to get to the point where they can enjoy Webern.

The other comment that struck me was that this era of Japanese music was “historically irrelevant.” I imagine that this person wrote this comment because it is taken very seriously by us (percussionists) and no one else.

This is a hard subject for some people. It’s hard on you when you find out that another musician doesn’t know anything about your instrument’s history, popular performers, and important movements. However, let me tell you as an objective party that it’s totally normal.

I worked for a couple of years in the print music business, and I’m married to a bassoonist. My two best friends in college were a trombonist and a euphonium player. Not every instrument is as lucky as the piano, cello or violin. It is more than normal for every instrument to go through periods of music that are extremely important to them that no one else even knows about. Quick: name me the most important concerti for the bassoon. If you had guessed the concerti of Telemann, Mozart, Weber and Hummel, then you’re right!!! However, since most of my readers are probably not members of the double reed society, I’m going to guess you didn’t know that.

That era is very relevant historically, because it’s the era in which the marimba began to be taken seriously as a solo classical instrument. Up till then there had been a couple of concerti written, a few Musser marimba bands, and a lot of Guatemalan nationalist music. But thanks to these Japanese composers, other composers began to take the instrument seriously. So, your composition professor has maybe never heard of “Mirage,” but he has heard of the marimba.

The Effects of Poor Audience Etiquette

2009-11-06T11:50:00.003-06:00

Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived in a world where concerts were both well attended and politely attended? Yes, I have spent several blogs and many years rallying any human I come into contact with to attend more classical music concerts (or any event falling under capital ‘A’ Art). However, it is all for nothing if the audience member ruins said concert.

I won’t go into the details of what makes for perfect audience etiquette. If you are unsure on those details, you can e-mail me at chris@wilsonmarimba.com. I’ll send you the handout I give my Music Appreciation students. However, I would like to take the time to explain why you should care about proper etiquette.

This first obvious is for the respect and full appreciation of the music. Classical music is a little different than other genres. The dynamic spectrum is wider, so the quiets are softer. If you think we can’t hear you texting someone while we’re playing, you’re wrong. Also, ask any musician from any genre and they’ll tell you they want your undivided attention. Why did you show up if you’re going to talk the entire time?

There was a performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite that I attended in college. Just before the beginning of the finale the ensemble was playing so delicately you could hear a pin drop in the hall. Just as the principal horn was taking their breath to entire a member of the audience hacked up the most disgusting hair ball any human has ever heard, and the horn player fracked the first note of their excerpt. Thanks sicky, you do know the hall has an endless supply of free cough drops right?

The next is obviously for respect of the rest of the audience in attendance. We want to hear this music. I’m very sorry that your attention span is so limited that you cannot go 30 minutes without checking your blackberry. I argue endlessly that people have the brain capacity to enjoy classical music, but someone needs to teach kids about patience! I don’t know if it’s bad parenting or bad education, but the fact that you can’t sit still without talking our goofing off during a 15 minute piece is pathetic.

I have been at so many concerts where someone who’s there for recital attendance credit has ruined the concert in some way or another. Even if you are not talking, and are simply writing notes back and forth on the program you are distracting me. I can see you, and you are ruining a great concert.

One of the major tragedies of poor etiquette is that it does mostly happen at student recitals. You put a bunch of people in a room that are only there for credit, and they haven’t been taught etiquette by their teachers, and they have the power to ruin a major achievement by a student. This is especially bad for two purposes. One is that students are generally more fragile. Professionals have been there and done that. They’ve had to do gigs where there were unruly audiences. But, if you have a kid who’s barely of age to drink and it’s their first ever experience standing alone on a stage playing solo, they can get thrown off pretty easily.

But, the bigger problem is that you are potentially destroying their hopes of getting into a good school or getting a good job. You see, we musicians rely on our live recordings to get a foot in the door. There are many Graduate Schools that require you to send a cd to get past the first round (same thing goes for many competitions). Most jobs require a cd or dvd of live music in the application. So, if you ruin someone’s recital, you may be ruining their chance at a good education or a job.

This isn’t an episode of Seinfeld. We can’t go into your workplace and heckle you if you disrespect our performance. However, you do have the power to destroy our workplace. Trust me from experience, a bad audience can destroy the best of opportunities.

I won a concerto competition my junior year of college that awarded me a performance with the Spokane Symphony. The concert that I played in was in downtown Spokane, and was free to the public. This was great for the fact that I had a mammoth crowd watching my performance… but it allowed for one homeless woman to enter. She sat in the back talking to herself for most of the piece, while her walkman was turned on. During my cadenza she began to have an episode, and was shouting and moaning. She was escorted out, but needless to say one of the biggest opportunities I have ever been awarded was ruined. I have no recording because of how much of a distraction it was.

Unfortunately for me that was not the first and definitely not the last time someone ruined a concert of mine. So please, if you are in attendance, have some respect for the performers. You never know how much damage you could really be doing.

One more post on new music: the joy of working with composers

2009-10-29T22:14:00.002-05:00

I love working with younger composers. I enjoy working on a new piece of music that is freshly written. I enjoy collaborating with a live composer. I enjoy helping to mold a composer’s thoughts and expectations of my instrument.

I have unfortunately been around many musicians my age who hate working on new compositions, especially with younger composers. One of the many problems is the “too-hard syndrome.” If you’re a musician, you probably know what I’m talking about. You get a brand new score and immediately see everything you think is impossible to play on your instrument.

This is not a new problem. Composers throughout history have been told that their music is too difficult. There are always stories of conductors or performers changing the score to make something more playable. As time goes on, people eventually figure out how to play it, and the resistance goes away (that is, if the piece is good enough to last that long).

However, I wonder if part of the problem right now is that performers are afraid of the composers. Maybe they feel that the composer will be rude and tell them to, “JUST PLAY IT!” There may be some validity, depending on the composer, but, communication is a two-way street. If you find a section that you feel is impossible, be polite about it. Don’t tell the composer it’s poorly written. If it all possible, try to explain to them WHY it’s impossible.

I think that’s an important task anyways. Percussion instruments are still a little new to some composers, and I have had many composers tell me they have no idea what they’re doing when they write for percussion. There are some books on writing for percussion available, but it is difficult for them to pick up. A major difficulty is the sheer amount of instruments that are available. When they have too much to choose from, that can be a little daunting.

I find that it is extremely rewarding to work with a young composer who is in this position. I feel like I can help them understand the logistics, technical demands, and musical potential of the marimba. All composers go through a developmental stage. If you can help them out from the beginning, you will reap the benefits: great compositions and great professional connections.

One major reason you should want to make these connections (other than helping composers write well for percussion) is that hopefully you can help them fall in love with percussion instruments.

The marimba is an instrument that many composers have discovered and fallen head over heels for. However, we don’t often find composers with a large catalogue of marimba works. I once attended an Evelyn Glennie masterclass where she stated, “if you find a composition you love, check out everything else that composer has written.” I tried this with a few composers I loved, and found that that solo was all they had ever written for the marimba.

So, working with composers might get them to compose multiple works for us! David Maslanka is a great example. He includes marimba in many chamber works, and writes beautifully for percussion ensemble. However, he has only written two solos and one concerto (for band, not orchestra). One of those solos (Variations on Lost Love) is my favorite marimba piece ever written. It may make me selfish… but I want more!!! I want three concerti and a handful of solos! Is it too much to ask that I want multiple pieces of music by one great composer?

No, it’s not. But, those composers need to earn a living. We do live in a capitalist society, and they need to pay the bills. So, many established composers pay the bills with commission checks. At this point, I’m not able to pay for a commission check, so I work with younger composers. My hope is that those composers and the pieces they write will someday become very popular.

Do you want more from living composers as well? Then you have to support them! Attend new music concerts, pay for their CD’s (don’t burn them!), buy their music, program their music on your recitals. Help them help you. The more you support them, the more they’ll be able to give back to you.

ps: Don’t be afraid of young composers. Also, try not to get frustrated with them. One of my more recent commissions (Brian van Winkle’s “/dances”) is extremely difficult in some parts. But, instead of writing him to demand changes in the score, I tried a little test. What if I forgot that this was new? What if I pretended it was a piece that I bought from Steve Weiss, and for better or worse I had to find ways to perform it? In the end, I asked him to change almost nothing about the score. And the sections I still found impossible were not technical challenges, but simple logistical challenges (like my arms not being long enough to reach certain wide intervals).

The Crisis of New Music: is the lack of new music hurting the classical music genre?

2009-10-17T13:50:00.003-05:00

Why isn’t classical music popular?

What an awful question to have to answer. In my Music Appreciation class a few weeks ago this was essentially the question I was asked. After listening to a piano piece a student raised her hand. She very strongly asked, “Why haven’t I heard of this before? This music is amazing, and the performing is amazing. I think it’s stupid that this is the first time I’m hearing this, why isn’t classical music more popular?”

There are so many theories and ideas about why classical music lost its audience. Of course, the predominant idea is that our music got too experimental for the general audience. Once that happened a new style of dance music came out America that swept the world (jazz). Once jazz got too experimental American pop took over.

While there is some truth to the fact that the rise of jazz and pop took some audience members away, I cannot in good conscience claim that as the reason to our rapid decline in popularity.

You see, while jazz was sweeping the world and pop was starting to be created the classical music world was still popular. Just because there were new types of music didn’t mean that classical music died. Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Copland, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and many other composers remained popular their entire lives. Leonard Bernstein is an even better example. The man was a conductor of some of the best orchestras in the world, and he was treated like a rock star.

Jazz and pop did not kill classical music. Self-inflicted wounds have been hurting our genre.

I, unlike many others, do not blame serialism and serialist composers for our demise. I also do not blame John Cage. I can agree that the vicious words spoken between composers from the fields of serialism, neo-classicism, and indeterminacy were not helpful. It never helps a struggling field of musicians when they are publically ripping each other to shreds. But, we’ve seen throughout history musicians and artists who publically hated each other, and it was eaten up by their fans.

I partially blame our demise on us, the performers. If a trained musician learns a piece of new music and says to their audience, “This is going to be a little weird, but I hope you enjoy it,” then the audience is going to find it weird. I think that musicians got to the point where they didn’t understand the new music that was being composed, and started looking backwards as opposed to looking forward.

Right now the majority of the classical world is living on the works of dead men. Our genre is lacking a pulse. When you hear something new, it’s exciting! And right now, we’ve lost our excitement. Yes, you should still play the classics. They have stood the test of time for a reason. However, you need a good balance. If your repertoire is 95% pieces written before 1950, then you are not doing anything to keep our genre moving forward.

Some performers and many orchestras view new music as death. But this is simply not true. All the evidence you need is in Orchestra Iowa’s current Classics season.

When I first looked at their season I was annoyed with the amount of overlapping. In a series of ten concerts they used three pieces by Mozart, two Beethoven symphonies, and two Stravinsky pieces. In a season this short I felt they could have taken away some of those pieces to include other composers that were left out of the series.

However, when beginning to write this blog I started to dig deep again, and I found something I didn’t think I would: The orchestra leans on music written since 1900.

By my count, the classics season (not including the Christmas concert) breaks down like this:
Pieces written before 1900: 9
Pieces written between 1900-1950: 14
Pieces written since 1950: 7 (most of which are premiers)

Isn’t that incredible? This orchestra is breaking the stereotype, playing 21 pieces written since the birth of jazz, and premiering multiple works this season. The amazing thing is that they are doing this here in the great state of Iowa.

Yes, Iowa is a state where there isn’t as much going on artistically (compared to states with larger metropolitan areas). However, here’s an orchestra that plays in a smaller market, and is currently without a home (destroyed in the floods of 2008). Yet, their audience has not dwindled, and as a matter of fact it’s growing! They decided that they weren’t going to go down without a fight. To combat apathy they go out into the community, they play multiple shows at remote locations, they held a monster outdoor event, the director is always in the news promoting their performances...

AND THEY PLAY MUSIC BY LIVING COMPOSERS.

Nine pieces from the whole of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras vs. seven pieces by living composers.

They are making classical music work by proving that it is alive, that composers of this generation have not lost their voice, and that new music is lovable and exciting.

As a footnote, two other things that I think hurt classical music: Snooty attitudes and cultural apathy. Many performers think that people can’t understand their music, and I do believe that that rubs the public the wrong way. You can read another blog from a few months ago about my feelings on the subject. But basically, if you tell someone they can’t understand your art, they won’t try.

That’s part two, apathy. We do live in a culture where many people would rather watch tv than read a great book; go to a football game than the ballet. You have to be active in your community convincing people that they should come and experience your music. Too many classical musicians don’t try to find an audience, and then complain when no one shows up.

(Also, it doesn’t help that promoters, radio stations, cd companies, the Grammies, etc. try to convince people that they should only enjoy one genre of music. This not only hurts classical music, it hurts all genres of music. Give everything a chance!)

The Crisis of New Music: do we need any more marimba repertoire?

2009-10-16T14:05:00.005-05:00

A while back I stumbled across a viewpoint online concerning marimba repertoire. The person questioned whether or not we needed any new literature. Their opinion was that there was a standard rep, and it was good enough. They weren’t a fan of new music that was being written, and felt that we don’t need any more.

Of course, I completely disagree. But, rather than get into a war of words in the heat of the moment I decided to think about that opinion. Really, it is the opinion of classical music lovers all over the world: “I don’t like new music, and we have some great rep written long ago that’s better. Let’s stop worrying about new music and just play the classics.”

To me it sounded like this person was just simply getting frustrated with the high amount of volume that has been written for the marimba. And yes, many of the pieces are not good and it is very difficult to find out which pieces are good, which pieces are standard, and which pieces are important. But, that’s more of a problem with the instrument being young, and many of the important figures in the field not being able to agree on what’s important.

But, that’s a whole other blog.

I thought about his statement that we’re fine without any more rep. I decided to try to figure out WHY I disagreed. I think I came to a pretty solid conclusion. Obviously, I could play the stuck up card: “Well, I like new music so I will play new music. If you don’t like it then you just don’t get it!” But, that wouldn’t help my cause much.

I have often been dissatisfied with many of the standard pieces written for the marimba, for many reasons. First, many of the earliest pieces written for marimba are not well written from the viewpoint of technicality. Either they lean too heavily on two mallets, or they are too basic with four mallets. Oftentimes early marimba music reads too much like a piano part, with poor left hand composition.

You can tell in some early compositions that the composers had yet to really figure the instrument out. This is not entirely bad! There are some early pieces that are not of high caliber from a compositional/technical standing that are absolutely amazing musically. However, some pieces from that time are not worth the trouble of learning because they are poorly written on all accounts.

I am also often disappointed with music written for marimba by marimbists. More often then not percussionists who write for the marimba lack compositional training. Because of this, they have no clue how to write memorable melodies or how to develop their music. This also means they lack the knowledge to compose in a specific genre (such as serialism, neo-classicism, true minimalism [all examples of genres popular during the growth of the marimba]). Because of this, marimba music by marimbists is often times a mixture of “jazzy” chords that are developed not harmonically, but rhythmically.

However, there are a few pieces written by trained composers that are in the standard rep that I absolutely adore. However, I hardly think they are enough. I would count probably 20-30 pieces of that nature. Chopin wrote that many pieces for the piano himself!

This is where I’m heading. Most other instruments have a massive collection of music that spans hundreds of years. We have only had fifty years of development compositionally. Think about the piano. They have early music that is very immature technically, but nice musically. Then, composers begin to figure the instrument out and start pushing the boundaries and rules of what they think it can handle. At this point the repertoire explodes. From Bach through Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and up to 20th century composers like Debussy, Prokofiev, Bartok Webern! As time goes on the list gets bigger, and better! The piano’s history encompasses many styles, many genres, and many changes. It grows as a solo instrument, an accompanimental instrument, a collaborative instrument, and a concerto instrument. And, I’ve never heard a pianist complain that they have too much repertoire.

Now imagine if they had stopped somewhere along the way.

One of the areas that I have a strong distaste for are the marimba concerti. We as a community are too in love the THE BIG 5: Hovhannes, Mayuzumi, Basta, Kurka, and Creston.

To me, these are not awful concerti. However, they were written mostly before the four mallet marimba had been figured out by composers. So to me they are extremely immature works. However, they are some of the most often requested, performed, and recorded concerti in our rep.

What if the piano world had stopped? What if all composers heard Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto and simply said, “we can do no better, let’s not even try.” Then we would have never gotten the piano concerti of Chopin, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, etc. Are you okay with that? I’m certainly not.

Promoting new music is important because it gives us newer and greater things. Composers have the opportunity to make improvements to the instrument by continuing to push its boundaries. Obviously, there have been concerti written since the big 5 that are popular, but more could be written. Ask yourself, have you ever truly been happy with any marimba concerto you’ve heard? Have you ever heard a perfect marimba concerto, something that compares to Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto?

I haven’t, but I’m still searching. Every week I find something new, and I fall in love with something new that I didn’t know existed before. New music shouldn’t be approached as something of a hassle. You should approach it with excitement. Today you might discover the next big thing in marimba rep. And maybe you’ll be the one who gets to premier it.

I think that’s pretty cool.

Continue onto the comments section for a Pre-Rubuttal and my opinions on how the marimba has improved in the last 60 years.

Shining Eyes at Beethoven 9

2009-08-28T21:52:00.004-05:00

As promised in a response to a comment, here's a story about why I think Classical Music is for everybody.

My wife and I moved from Boston to Iowa in the fall so she could attend the University of Iowa for her DMA. Before we arrived here the eastern portion of state was ravaged by horrible flooding. All of downtown Cedar Rapids was destroyed, and the music building at UIowa was destroyed as well.

The flood in Cedar Rapids destroyed the local Orchestra’s concert hall. So, for the start of the 2008-2009 season, they scheduled an outdoor concert in a park in Cedar Rapids. That evening they performed Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. I was in attendance, and my wife played 2nd Bassoon. The concert was extremely long, as they started with an overture and a few arias performed with a Mezzo-Soprano. After intermission, they got to the 9th.

What was interesting was that after they had begun the first movement, the people who were supposed to be guarding the entrance to the park left to listen to the music, and non-paying members of the public began to walk into the park. A couple came in and sat down next to me and decided to stay and listen to the rest of the concert. They had no idea what was being performed, and they had no interest what-so-ever in classical music.

They seemed entertained by the spirited Scherzo, but they seemed quite bored by the 3rd movement. Towards the end of the third movement they both laid back and rested their eyes, not really paying attention to the music. A funny thing then happened. They still had no interest when the final movement began with a shriek, and they didn’t stir when the orchestra recapped the previous three movements. However, once that beautiful melody began to weep from the basses and cellos, they both sat up and took notice. They seemed to be pulled in closer as the principal bassoonist entered, and when the whole orchestra finally began to sing they both had tears in their eyes. At the triumphant end of the piece they both leapt to their feet in applause.

They had no clue what they were sitting down to listen to. They had no idea who the composer was, or what the piece was. And yes, I realize that they slept during the 3rd movement. But that 4th movement struck them like a bolt of lightning, and I would bet that they are now fans of classical music.

“Classical music is for everybody.”

2009-08-27T10:14:00.003-05:00

“How would you walk, how would you talk, how would you be if you thought EVERYBODY LOVES CLASSICAL MUSIC, they just haven’t found out about it yet?!”

The following video is an excellent presentation given by renowned conductor Ben Zander. At the beginning of a new semester of Music Appreciation I end my first lecture by showing this video. I feel it is a perfect example of what I want to achieve over the course of 14 weeks, condensed into 20 minutes.

Now that you’ve watched it, I have some input on this video.

First of all, I have nothing but positive remarks about it. I think that it is insightful, funny, and extremely touching. I see two major points to this video (directed at two audiences), and one minor point.

This minor point is that nobody is tone-deaf. I hear it all the time: “I’m tone-deaf, I can’t hear a thing, I don’t know a thing about music.” It may be true that you don’t know anything about how music is constructed or how instruments are played, but you CAN hear EVERYTHING. Ever human being I have ever met sings in the car to the radio or their favorite CD. Many people mistake singing out of tune for being tone-deaf.

Take me for example! I can’t sing in tune, I can’t do it to save my life. Any time I sing to my favorite CD as I’m driving to work I’m never in tune with the vocal track. However, I can hear that I’m out of tune, and I try like hell to get on pitch. It’s just not something I was meant to be able to do. It wasn’t in the cards for me to be a singer, and I am more than okay with that.

I have been extensively trained so that I can hear certain things. Yes, I can label the difference between a third and an octave, and maybe you can’t. However, if I quizzed you, you’d be able to hear that there IS a difference; you just wouldn’t know how to label it. I guarantee you, nobody is tone-deaf.

The two major points are directed at the musicians and the audience. In my profession we are always pin-pointing the audience as an excuse for our failures: “Nobody came because the common person doesn’t understand us or like our music.” Mr. Zander instead shifts the blame on US: “Has is ever occurred to you that the reason you feel sleepy in classical music is not because of you, but because of us?”

I have felt this way for a number of years now, that it is our duty to find an audience, and to entertain them (not educate them). We have to entertain them, and we have to make them want to come to us. When people ask why I play so many little gigs, I know that they don’t get it. They don’t get that I am going out into the community to recruit fans of classical music, and to show them that classical music can be entertaining and enjoyable. He places a lot of the blame on the way we play instead of how we reach out to our audience which is something I agree with as well.

The second point is that classical music is for everybody. This is a two-parter. First of all, he takes time to explain a Chopin Prelude in terminology that everyone in the audience can understand. He breaks the piece down into its basic form: going from ‘B’ to ‘E.’ Why does it take so long? What does it mean? How am I supposed to feel? He helps the audience understand the piece in personal terms, not in musicological terms. Because of this, he has probably converted every single person in the audience into lovers of Chopin.

At that moment they get it: classical music is for everyone because it can convey emotions that no other style of music can. You will never weep after listening to a pop song the way you will after listening to Mahler 9. You will never feel as happy listening to a pop song as you will after listening to Mendelssohn 3. Nothing will relax you like Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and no horror movie will frighten you like A Survivor from Warsaw.

The second part of this point is not aimed at the audience, and it is un-spoken during this presentation. It is aimed at we, the musicians. I would like to address it now in my final statement:

Musicians: MUSIC IS FOR EVERYBODY. I attended a small conservatory in Boston, where a large portion of the student population viewed classical music as an elitist society. It was like a foreign language: you needed to study it extensively to be able to understand it. I think that is ridiculous. I think that anyone can sit in an audience and be able to understand the power of classical music.

To me, I like to compare music to food. Anyone can sit and try something new. Maybe they’ll like it, maybe they won’t. But, if they never try it, then it means they do not have an eclectic pallet. If they live their entire life eating pizza and cheeseburgers, they’ll never know if they like Chinese, Italian, Indian, etc. If you’ve never eaten sushi, should you start with the sashimi? Maybe not, maybe you should try something with imitation crab and edamame.

It’s the same with music. Should Stockhausen be the first classical composer you listen to? Probably not, start with some Beethoven, and work into classical music like an acquired taste. It’s also like wine: It tastes great to everyone, but it gets even more interesting if you understand how it’s made.

I applaud Mr. Zander. I try to approach each class and each performance with the same enthusiasm that he does.

Jungle Walk

2009-08-16T10:22:00.005-05:00

The following is my new Virtual Lesson on David Jarvis' Jungle Walk.

To watch the rest of this Virtual Lesson click here!

Rhythm Song

2009-07-26T21:51:00.005-05:00

Here is a new video of me playing Paul Smadbeck's "Rhythm Song." The performance took place at the Java House in downtown Iowa City, on 7/10/09.

Coffee and Marimba

2009-07-10T11:20:00.004-05:00

Be sure to come check me out tonight at the downtown Iowa City Java House, where I'll be playing from 8-10pm. Come for just a few minutes, or stay the entire time. It'll be a pretty relaxed and informal affair.

Here, for those curious, is my probable set list for tonight:

1st Half:
Paschal - "Rosebush"
Berg - "December"
Smadbeck - "Rhythm Song"
Tchaikovsky - "Morning Prayer"
Cangelosi - "Prelude in f minor"
Satie - "Gymnopedie No. 1"
Séjourné - "Katamiya"
Van Winkle - selections from "/danes"
Glennie - "A Little Prayer"

2nd Half:
Séjourné - "Nancy"
Abloniz - "Capriccio Flamenco"
Stout - "Two Mexican Dances"
Satie - "Gnossienne No. 1"
Schmitt - "Ghanaia"
McClure - "Prelude #4"
Zabel - selections from "Process"
Abe - "Michi"
Spencer - "Tribeca Sunflower"

Friday, July 10, 8:00PM
The Java House
211½ E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA

Cambridge Music / Yesterday Service

2009-07-01T14:47:00.004-05:00

News has reached me that the best music shop in the greater Boston area is about to close. For over a year I worked for Cambridge Music Center / Yesterday Service, selling classical print music to thousands of excited kids, students and professionals.

I have to say that the loss of a great store like this completely depresses me. I am the type of musician that likes to browse. Obviously, as a percussionist, I’m usually only given the option of buying online (like with Steve Weiss). However, whenever the opportunity presents itself, I enjoy digging through row upon rows of music: searching for at least one piece that will make my day.

One of the greatest words of advice given to me when it comes to searching for music came from my former teacher Nancy Zeltsman. She said during a marimba transcription and arranging class that she will go into the Berkley library searching for one thing, and sift through the entire section where she’s standing. Often times what she was looking for won’t work, but something else in that section will.

It’s terrible that people prefer to go online and put items on hold, never learning how to search in a library. I had a tenured professor once ask me how where the books were, because he had never actually set foot in the library.

The problem with stores like Cambridge Music is that they can’t offer the competitive rates (especially in shipping) that the online Music Walmarts can. But, with a store like CM/YS you get an opportunity to sit and play the instrument, or look through the print music before actually purchasing it. You may find something you never knew existed.

Here’s another story. I took a chamber music course called Contemporary Ensemble the last two years of my undergraduate degree. At the beginning of my senior year my teacher handed me a piece of sheet music that she had stumbled upon while in a tiny print music store in Chicago. She had seen it, loved the music, and thought of me. I, in turn, fell in love with the piece, found a great recording of it, and applied to the studio of the woman who had recorded it.

The piece was Andrew Thomas’ Merlin, the recording was on Nancy Zeltsman’s "Woodcuts." Should I have known about Merlin before that moment? Hell yes! It’s a huge standard. But, I hadn’t heard of it, and it gave me a point of motivation that I didn’t know existed. And, it wouldn’t have happened if not for that little shop in Chicago.

Here’s the deal: Cambridge Music is a great guitar shop filled with new and used guitars and amps. It also sells sheet music, some percussion equipment, and other various products. It houses the classic print music shop Yesterday Service. YS sells mostly classical print music from beginning piano music to advanced solos and orchestral scores.

HELP THEM OUT!! Call, go to their website, or simply visit their store. If you’re in need of something they have, please give them your business:

Cambridge Music
http://www.cambridgemusic.com/
1904 Massachusetts Ave. 2nd Floor (take the Red Line, Porter Square exit)
Cambridge, MA 02140
Info@CambridgeMusic.com

Phone: (617) 491-5433
Fax: (617) 661-9246
Toll Free: (888) 752-9487

Print Music Dept. (Yesterday Service):
Phone: (617) 547-8263
Toll Free: (800) 863-5150

Evelyn Glennie's "A Little Prayer"

2009-06-25T10:28:00.005-05:00

Here is my second Virtual Lesson, a performance and lesson on Evelyn Glennie's "A Little Prayer." Again, the point of this project is to help young marimbists who do not have the opportunity to study with a private instructor.

How about a contest?

2009-06-11T10:48:00.003-05:00

Another new post? Chris is going crazy.

I am performing at the Java House in downtown Iowa City on July 10th. I was planning on performing an electic set of classical, jazz, and some pop (on marimba?!). I've decided to have a little contest to pick some of the pop songs that I'll transcribe for the concert.

Send your ideas to either my e-mail: chris@wilsonmarimba.com; or you can message me here, on facebook, on myspace, or on twitter. The best ideas will be chosen for performance.

So, think about what pop songs YOU'D want to hear on marimba.

Also, I've got a new blog and video on the way for my facebook and myspace. As is the new case, you will have to befriend me/become a fan to see them.

CW

Another new video!

2009-06-11T10:47:00.005-05:00

Here is a sampler of songs I played at a recent Assisted Living Center performance. This fits into the tip of play music they are familiar with.

New features, and a grand online experiment

2009-06-10T15:35:00.004-05:00

Before I make any commentary, I just want you to know that "You're Still a Young Man" by Tower of Power just came on the radio... awesome!

..."I was accused of being too young..."

The grand online experiment is the addition of twitter and facebook pages, as well as the reboot of this blog. I am giving a clinic in a month on using technologies as an upstart artist. We'll see how I do between now and then in creating a buzz through these new mediums!

Today I updated the videos section of my website, and I updated the layouts for this blog, the twitter, and the youtube page. Let the comments fly! Let me know if they are difficult to read, etc.

On tap next for the wilsonmarimba sites: First of all, I've got a new blog on the way that will only be posted on myspace and facebook. That will be the case from now on. Only the most professional posts will be on this blog, while funnier stories and live pictures will be on the myspace and facebook. To keep updated and to view them, you will have to become a fan/friend!

Second, I've decided the next piece for my summer Virtual Lesson project will be Evelyn Glennie's A Little Prayer.

Take care, and stay healthy.

Performing and teaching "Rain Dance"

2009-06-08T11:39:00.006-05:00

Here's my second post of the day. Yesterday I recorded a performance and virtual lesson of the piece "Rain Dance." This is a new project of mine, aimed at helping kids who don't have the funds or means of aquiring a private teacher.

How to perform for an older audience

2009-06-08T11:36:00.005-05:00

In a recent interview (which makes me sound like I’m often interviewed [it was in fact my first interview in several years]) I was asked why I perform so often for audiences who are either very young or very old. My response is that it came initially out of need, and developed into a desire to perform for those audiences. The desire to perform for the elderly and the young is because they are audiences who are usually more gracious (and grateful) for classical music performances.

Often, I find that audiences from the collegiate age through middle age approach a classical concert with some sort of baggage. Sometimes an audience member is there because they’ve been forced to attend (maybe they’re on a date and their significant other dragged them there). Maybe they came in with the blanket idea that all classical music is boring. Sometimes you get audience members who think they know more about classical music than anyone else there, and have a pretentious demeanor! Of course, not all members of this age range are an extreme in classical knowledge, but many of them are.

On the other hand, the elderly and the young are extremely easy to please when performing. Kids are almost always open and excited about new experiences and new music. They have a level of enthusiasm that simply cannot be matched by any other age range. With the elderly you have a built in advantage that most grew up in a time where classical and jazz were the popular styles in America. Therefore, if you are looking for an audience that will be enthusiastic and entertained as a classical musician, there is no better place to look than at an Assisted Living Center, Retirement Home, or Unassisted Living Center.

The purpose of this blog is to convince other musicians of my age to perform more for the elderly, and to give tips and advice on performances. As you can see, there is a video that accompanies this blog.

As stated above, I began performing for the elderly out of need. After I graduated from the Boston Conservatory, I was working for a sheet music company and freelancing on the side. One of my first paying gigs was performing at an Assisted Living Center in Brookline.

That is reason number one to play for the elderly: a care center, living center or home will almost always pay for a performance. If you perform for a library or museum you will either not get paid, or you will be charged for using the space. In that case you will need to either charge for admittance or rely on CD sales. If you do not have a CD, then that is not an option. If you have a cover charge, then you run the risk of extremely low attendance. Now, I don’t discourage those types of performances, but when you are first starting out they may be a little risky.

This is also a perfect opportunity to introduce tip number one: knowing what to charge. First of all, every place is different. It would be nice to have a blanket fee that you always charge, but as an up-and-coming artist you must be flexible. Some places have a very small budget; some places have a very large budget. If you are flexible to their situation, then they will be more likely to hire you again. When you first start out, simply ask what they normally charge. Don’t worry, most of the time they won’t lie to you.

When you book any gig it is important to be as professional as possible (be punctual, be prepared, dress well, etc.). When performing for the elderly, I always wear a pair of slacks and a button up shirt. This may seem extremely obvious to some, but our world is becoming less and less formal when it comes to dress. I think it’s better to err on the side of too formal.

Finally, we get to the actually performance. As I said, the advantage you have with an older audience is that they are (usually) already a fan of classical and/or jazz. I find it’s best to mix up my repertoire, and not focus too much on one style of music. I found very early on that when I performed too much marimba repertoire that none of them had ever heard, I would lose their attention. So, now I include some of that marimba rep, as well as classical transcriptions, a couple of jazz standards, and many songs from early Broadway musicals.

Often times when I play concerts (no matter what the age range), it is usually the first time most of them have heard the marimba. This is a great opportunity to share my knowledge on the history of the instrument to an interested audience. I find that older audiences love to learn more about what I’m playing and the instrument. As with any performance, be sure to speak clearly and audibly!

Finally, I have learned that older audiences are some of the most caring and appreciative audiences in the world. In a recent concert at a care center, I joked that the piece I was about to perform was extremely difficult. While most of the audience chuckled, one lady in the first row barked out, “You just play the best you can! If you mess up, we won’t notice!” Almost every single time I have performed for an older audience, they have been very warm and complimentary. You’re not just giving a performance; you are visiting them and interacting with them while entertaining. Usually, they are extremely appreciative of any younger person wanting to spend an afternoon with them.

On that note, don’t be discouraged if they fall asleep! When I was booking a concert in Boston, the director of that assisted living center warned me that when I was performing was just after a large portion of the attendants had taken medication. Therefore, I could have been playing crash cymbals and wouldn’t have woken some of them up!

Hopefully this encourages more people to perform for the elderly. It has brought me extreme satisfaction to perform in those types of venues, and I hope it does to you as well.

CW

ps – don’t forget to plan time afterwards to sit and talk with your audience, especially if you play the marimba. In any public setting, people are going to want to come up and look at the instrument and learn more about how you play it.

Burlington Videos Galore!

2009-05-02T15:06:00.007-05:00

Here, at long last, is my newest video blog. This video follows me as I performed around Burlington, IA. Enjoy!

For your viewing pleasure, here are two more videos from that day. This is a performance of Cydne Zabel's "Process."

The death of my internet

2009-04-29T14:16:00.004-05:00

Where have I been? At home combating the flu... and without an internet connection. However, I do have one new video. Better late than never!

In the next couple days the new video blog will surface, as well as a full length version of Cydne Zabel's "Process for Marimba."

In the mean time... stay healthy.

The Hawkeye, and other such nonsense

2009-04-22T14:15:00.007-05:00

Welcome back! Yesterday Burlington was invaded by the marimba. I performed multiple times, was interviewed by the HawkEye (thehawkeye.com/print/marimba-042209), and even had time to stop by my favorite store growing up (Weird Harold's).

4/21/09 Schedule:
8:45am - Assembly #1 at Grimes
10:00am - Assembly #2 at Grimes
1:45pm - Assembly #1 at Corse
2:30pm - Assembly #2 at Corse
7:30pm - concert at The Arts for the Living Center

it gets better....
4/22/09 Schedule:
11:00am - class #1 at Kirkwood
1:00pm - class #2 at Kirkwood
3:45pm - class for Eastern Iowa Arts Academy
7:00pm - concert at Cottage Grove Place

When it rains, it pours. But, as I said to my wife, I'd rather be going crazy with gigs than sitting on the couch eating potato chips.

But, what's the real point? That I have a new video blog from my adventures yesterday... but it won't be posted until Friday.

Last night, btw, was a huge success! Brian's premier went very well. The audience was very fond of it. Hopefully, depending on the sound quality, I will be posting the piece in its entirety this weekend.
CW!

Don't call it a comeback

2009-04-16T15:42:00.002-05:00

GREETINGS MARIMBA FANS!!!!

This is the glorious reboot of the Chris Wilson blog. Are you excited? I hope so. There is a lot going on in my life. Since this is the first blog in a very, very long time it’s going to be very, very long.

First of all, I have two teaching gigs that I am very excited about. I have been teaching Music Appreciation at Kirkwood Community College, and will continue to do so next year as well. I also have been conducting a percussion ensemble through the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy. Right now I have nine very enthusiastic 4th and 5th graders. We are currently working on African drumming

Second, I have just today learned that I will not be performing at PASIC 2009. For those who do not know, in December I submitted a proposal to perform new music at PASIC. The convention has many different types of concerts that they put on, and I applied to perform for one of the smaller informal events. My proposal included performing all new works for the marimba. This included using works that I had been performing for a couple of years, as well as commissioning a few new pieces special for the event.

I am very humbled to have not been selected, but I am very grateful that so far this project has been a success. I have had great interactions with all of the composers, and am planning on presenting the pieces on a concert this fall. I also plan on posting videos online revisiting the collaborative process with a few of the composers. Although I was not selected to perform, I would like to use the opportunity to help promote new music, and to encourage collaboration between young percussionists and young composers.

Finally, I have a big concert coming up on APRIL 21ST, at 7:30PM in Burlington, IA. I will be performing at the Arts for the Living Center in conjunction with their current art exhibit, “30 Under 30.” The is promoting the works of artists under the age of 30, so I am performing music written within the last year. I will be premiering one of the pieces written for my PASIC application, Brian Van Winkle’s “/dances.”

For more information you can visit my website.

Coming in the future… videos, reviews, stories from the freelancing world, and so much more!