| Plug |
[Apr. 1st, 2009|10:00 pm] |
So one of my professors, Valerie Gardner, has produced four instructional DVDs on the basics of violin. She is amazing and produces great players, if you don't believe me watch the demo videos on her site.
http://www.violinvirtuosity.com/
Even if you haven't heard of her, she studied at the Curtis Institute with Jascha Brodsky, the same guy who taught Hilary Hahn. She used to play in the Atlanta Symphony, but left to become a full-time teacher.
Valerie was famously good for explaining the nitty gritty details of all areas of basic technique in language a child could grasp. Her little students had the best sound production and bow grips I'd ever seen in my life. Go buy her stuff. |
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| Pantene Ad |
[Mar. 22nd, 2009|12:23 am] |
Cheeziest...use of classical music....ever.
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| (no subject) |
[Jan. 17th, 2009|05:40 pm] |
So we're starting the Beethoven sonata in this huge space with high ceilings, and as we start I think, "I can't hear the piano....and there's an echo....doop dee doo, hope this works out." It did.
The video camera was facing the audience, so it was interesting to watch the audience's reacting while I was playing Sarasate ("Oh cool, no one noticed that I dropped out on that note.")
Students are good, parents say I should be meaner. ????
A nerdy interview with the BSG composer (note clusters! diminished fifths!)
And an adorable boy.
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 21st, 2008|09:00 pm] |
Thought process during the concertmaster audition yesterday:
notenotenotenotenotenotenotenotenotenotenotenoteCRAP HAIR IN MY EYEnotenotenotenotenotenotenotenote |
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| Need sheet music |
[Sep. 10th, 2008|03:13 pm] |
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A friend of ours is getting married, and has requested the Florida State University Fight Song for the ceremony. Anyone know where I can get the sheet music for it, so I can arrange it for strings? |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 19th, 2008|11:30 pm] |
DVD is complete, have uploaded music samples to my site, if anyone wants to hear the entire piece let me know and I'll send you the file. :D
Got to hang out with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) skellerina and pigmassacre yesterday, who have escaped the mighty duck pond that is Iowa for the time being. Lunch consisted of refried beans and Shirley Jackson.
sysd and I visited an old client today, Larry, and discussed with him the option to speak with a member of the Positive Outlook Foundation, who send out professionals to the homeless to better serve their health needs, since a lot of guys living outside can't handle hospitals. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 10th, 2008|08:19 am] |
Recording went well yesterday, considering I'd only slept three hours the previous night due to 2nd trimester leg cramps. I didn't begin to feel tired until the last minute, when we had to re-do the last page of the Prokofiev, and my brain went on auto-pilot.
I listened to the raw tracks and I thought everything sounded awful, but once everything was processed into a DVD track, and this is without any editing, even the rough takes sounded good. Accents that had sounded crunchy to my ear sounded normal (gotta love church acoustics). |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 6th, 2008|11:14 am] |
Last coupla weeks I've been rehearsing for a demo DVD, with yet another GSU alumnist who came to UGA for his masters in order to study with a Russian. He's also in a band up in Athens.
Music vids should be posted at some point, I purposefully chose music that wouldn't put people to sleep, though it can't all be and Paganini Caprice #24 and Flight of the Bumblebee .
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| passed |
[Apr. 10th, 2008|01:46 pm] |
Passed the aural exams. Now I can drink Tang until I forget it all.
Theory was okay, the prof was super nice when I looked unsure. History I totally blanked on medieval music terms, and ended up spouting a lot of Latin when I couldn't name something. So anybody who's taking their music comps, forget the last 300 years of music, they won't ask about it very much.
The violin section was fine, I talked about the Beethoven sonatas for ten minutes, how they related to other works of Beethoven or Mozart. Then I rattled off the names of 20 contemporary violin concertos, though we didn't have time to talk about any of them.
And now I run off to rehearse for a composition recital this afternoon. |
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| sad movies |
[Mar. 31st, 2008|07:09 pm] |
So my roommate is stressing over this Ravel she has to perform soon, and said, "Let's rent a movie. Something that will make me cry."
Suggestions? |
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| Music comps |
[Mar. 31st, 2008|09:24 am] |
I have my comprehensive exams in less than 2 weeks, which entails three music professors sitting down and asking me anything they feel like for 20 minutes in the area of music theory, history, and violin repertoire.
So, you guys, ask me anything. I probably won't know the answer, but I should at least be able to fake one. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 4th, 2008|10:19 pm] |
And everyone should read the Umbrella Academy, if nothing else than you have a villain named Vanya who blows up stuff by playing her violin:
Vanya arrives at the Icarus Theatre where she is told to play her violin by a figure obscured by a blinding light. When the light goes off she is in front of many spectators and a skeleton in a suit who calls himself 'The Conductor' of 'The Orchestra Verdammten'. He claims that his new composition, 'The Apocalypse Suite', could destroy the world if played accurately. After hearing the plan, Vanya leaves but The Conductor anticipates her return....
I like to imagine her playing George Crumb... |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 27th, 2008|08:13 am] |
Played Appalachian Spring with carrotcake last night, it went well. I'm sure it's a beast to conduct.
I love playing La Traviata, all three leads are from the New York Met and glue the production together.
Interview with one of our fave writers, Lois McMasters Bujold:
The two speakers before me in Strauss seminar took a while, so I ended up having to summarize my 30-minute Salome presentation into two minutes.
"C major, because C is for criminal self-awareness inflected through a psycho-musical soundscape!" play a creepy half-step trill in high register of piano.
"The feminist argument that she's not crazy, John the Baptist's death is simply not important to her. What's important is the shift in power struggle to her advantage, and that she's avenged her mother's honor." all of which is signified within a c# chord.
"And finally, cluster chords!" smash hand on bottom octave of piano. |
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