(sigh) Apparently --Someone-- was bored...

So here's a new post...

It's nice to be working on newish music for once. I'm getting a chance to learn a few new patterns for the fingers and give the brain a workout on the musical end of things. It's good to have to sit and make musical decisions based on the harmony and sequences found and implied by a piece. So far, though, I've been really only working on learning the Bach/Hasty previously mentioned. As I've finally finished all of the pitch detective work on the Schuller, I should ramp up finger work there too. As I wrap up the rest of the analysis, I'll be able to start to making sense of how these varying tempo changes are supposed to happen. Ack...to be a musician...

What's the simplest way to post audio files to Blogger? I'd like to phase in a project that's interesting to me, but I need a simple way for you reader folks to be able to listen (via streaming or download) to quick clips. Should I just use a file host somewhere out there in the tubes, or is there a simple way to embed a player? I could use suggestions on where to look. I'm sure I could figure it out were I not spending so much time making a living and practicing right now. Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

Oh yes...Anyone have this phone? I can get an awesome price on it, but I'd kind of like to either play with it or hear someone's 1st-hand account of their experiences with it.

Ah, perhaps next time I'll plug my friend's upcoming Carnegie recital. If I'm not a total doof, I'll look up the appropriate links so you can go too if you please. It's still a few weeks away, so no hurry. Also, I'll try to remember to pimp the orchestra's upcoming auditions and concerts. If you come to them, perhaps we can all go to the track...

Sexxxy

Look at that. Ladies love that stuff. It's like pheromones for nerds. Take a whiff.

FYI

Since I'm too lazy to answer an email about the Shapey, I added a link in my last post. Oh yeah...in this one too. Same link (link fixed).

If it ain't broke, fix it

As always, I'm experimenting with my clarinet again. As I can't find my Bunsen burner and pipettes, I'm experimenting with reed tip to mouthpiece tip measurements and front teeth alignment on the beak of the mouthpiece. The goal is to great a slightly smaller, pop-ier sound; a little more focus, if you will. (Does that mean my current sound has ADD?) As my current reeds are built for the other, bigger sounding setup, I'll have to be setting up a new batch of reeds. Oh bother...

I'm damned near finished with the grunt work on the Schuller.

Oh yes, another new project. Looks like there's a pretty good possibility that I'll be playing Ralph Shapey's Clarinet Concerto in Boston next Fall. Yeah...It's another one of those short (about 10 minutes) chamber concertos, but it seems like a neat piece. Maybe my next paper will be on this one. I'll show you a graven image. Either that, or I'll show you where I can put Shapey's graven image.

No pictures today...and you'll like it.

(link fixed)

Zing (without an exclamation point)

Uh oh...my brain seems to be spinning again. It's not dizziness this time. Instead, I've got ideas. Ideas, I tell you! (I've been told I need more exclamation points in my writing.) I've got one that takes advantage of the acquired knowledge (and inability to not share it...it's a sickness we all have) of all of those clarinet players out there. I've taken a quick look to see about the technological needs of this little scheme. Looks like it won't cost me a thing. I need to look into a more direct, less complicated way of implementing this, but it's coming along. (Thank FSM for Web 2.0 and all that jazz.)

Well, it's coming along slowly. I'm still trying to finish the analysis of Schuller's piece. A few sections have stumped me a bit, so I need to take a second look at them. I'm trying to get a fairly complete picture of the piece before I go to the books and articles out there. I'd rather not get trapped into one way of thinking before I even get to the puzzle. (If you haven't figure it out yet, I'm frequently interested in the puzzle-like nature of analyzing a piece rather than the "artistic impact.")

Rebuild

These days I'm reveling in the act of learning new music. Some of it is New Music while all of it is new music to me. Hasty's transcription of the Bach Chromatic Fantasy is beautiful and all, but it's awfully difficult. Thank the FSM for all the time I put into scales and the like. I can only imagine what my response would have been had I tried to learn this piece during my first years of undergrad. Probably something along the lines of uncontrolled weeping.

During my first year of undergrad, I worked on Copland's Clarinet Concerto for quite a bit. I distinctly remember spending quite a bit of effort on just playing the piece in tune with some kind of legato in the intervals. I can even hear the tone I had in my head. Strange...I'm toying with idea of adding this to my PhD audition list, but I'm not sure yet. I'll need to add at least one more piece, but the differences in the pieces involved are important. There should be quite a variety while still highlighting what I do well with the clarinet.

Typhoon really knows what the hell they're doing with the crispy duck. Apparently, their chefs are quite handy with the tofu too. My hippie veggie friend had very good things to say about their substitution of tofu into an otherwise meaty dish. I've also heard good things about the sushi. Perhaps I'll have to visit here more often.

Currently reading: Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat. I'm only 38 pages into it, but I'm hooked. I'm going to have to try to avoid reading it when I should be doing other things. Any ideas on how I should globalize and/or outsource some of my work?

My day's work: learning these new pieces (Schuller and Bach) and doing a bit of research on a possible new job. Gotta study up so I'm fully aware when I start the razzle dazzle (Just looking for an excuse to use "razzle dazzle" there.)

My LONG day trip

Oh FSM am I tired. I managed to stroll back into my house around 9:45 am. In case no one is aware, the kind of people who take 330am buses from NY to Boston are also the kind of people one might find at a typical Jerry Springer taping. If you're doing anthropological research, the Port Authority is certainly a hotspot. If you're planning on having a dinner party with barons and whatnot, I'm thinking that you should forsake this particular group of people. I don't have proof, but I'm pretty sure they're all New Jersey natives...is all I'm sayin'.

I was not particularly ecstatic with my meeting with the Japanese. They were lovely, but I was not up to snuff. I'm really starting to hate the dog and pony show. I'd rather just play concerts. (Mainly, because I'm not very good at audition-like situations.) It's of much more interest than all this other business.

In other news, new friend CM and I hit the Stone Rose Lounge in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. I, of course, went the chocolate route with some girlie drink involving raspberries. It looked fantastic in the glass, but left an unappealing aftermath in terms of a dirty glass sitting at the table. I was told that it would be considered bad form to fling it from my sight so I refrained. The place had nice views of the Circle and surrounding city, but was overall not a stunning establishment.

Next up (with a brief stop in between in Colonial Williamsburgtown), Cafe Mogador in the East Village. Upon a recommendation, I went straight for the Couscous, but with lamb instead of the raved-about chicken. Oy vey...I continued stuffing my face well after reaching my full-status as I just wanted to continue tasting this meal. Even the post-gorge tea was wonderful. It cleared my palette quite well.

The rest of the evening was pleasant, but uneventful, unless you count burning/freezing to death, a Movie Captain (an officer no less!) with a nice buttocks, and a sad little girl with no more pinatas. Won't someone get the girl a load of candy, a big stick, and a great deal of paper mache? Think of the children...

Ya-ta!

On the road yet again...This time, a day trip into the heart of darkness, if you're Jesse Helms, or the very center of Western Culture, if you're a kneejerk liberal. I'll be taking an early transport down to Manhattan to meet with the Japanese to see what my Fall may bring in terms of international travel. After my obligations, I'm fairly certain I'll do a bit of socializing. FSM knows when I'll get back to Boston...maybe via a few casinos? There's a 330am bus from the Port Authority that takes about 7 hours to make it back to Boston. I'm sure you can guess what nefarious nooks of knavery it visits on its way.

As of Monday, however, I get to screech off into practicing my repertoire for next season. Schuller's Episodes and the Bach/Hasty Chromatic Fantasy are at the top of my to-do list. Somewhere in there is the preparation for two ginormous orchestra audition lists. It appears that they'll be separated enough that I can focus on each in turn (should be at least 8 months apart), but one can never tell. I still need to get the list for the first one as it should be different than the standard fare. Bring on a summer of steady work and very little stress!

Oh...and to continue an inside joke (way inside...)...For those about to Rock, we salute you.

I was the only one in the audience without a camera...

So, my friend TM called me up on Tuesday and convinced me to brave the public sphere last night. She wanted me to accompany her to a performance of Blonde Redhead, of whom she was shocked I had never heard. (Look at that grammar...just look at it. Beautiful thing, eh?) I claimed ignorance and agreed to attend even though I was assured that it would be inappropriately loud and raucous.

They were loud, but not inappropriately so for most of the gig. Frankly, they were very good. The music was original, showed some talent for composition, and they were obviously competent professionals. They were easily as professional about performing their music as most of my colleagues are their music. Now I'm going to have to go out and find their music online so I can get to know it even better. On the way to teach today, I did hear one of their tunes on Emerson's radio station.

Oh FSM...had an 8am meeting after getting my butt in my house at around 3am. At least I didn't have to play, but I certainly don't recommend it. It appears I'll be spending the rest of my day, including tomorrow, practicing and making sure everything is on the up and up for the Japanese.

Anyone have any comments on Art of the States? Heard the show before? Spent much time listening to the stuff on the site? Recorded anything for them? What's the word?

Also, it seems as if I still have my habit of playing expressively through adjusting the time rather than relying purely on tone, articulation, and dynamic adjustments. Damnit.

Gratuitous PIc

This is Gustav. I'm posting this photo because his owner asked that I do so. That is my score of Beethoven 5-7 under his head. That keeps this posting on topic, somewhat. Gustav is just playing harmless here. Later in the day, he pillaged.

Leave of Absence

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on my blogimification lately. I'm outside of Boston at the moment, getting ready for a concert on Sunday. We're doing Beethoven 5 and the Poulenc Double Piano Concerto. The soloists are good...The pianos used thus far have been shamefully poor. Hopefully, for tomorrow morning's rehearsal, that little hitch will have been smoothed out. Frankly, considering the condition of one of the pianos, the best choice might be a funeral pyre.

On the other hand, maybe an old friend from undergrad will visit in June. I believe that "yay" is the appropriate word here. If she's not careful, I may trick her into reading some repertoire with me. I'm on the prowl for a flexible pianist for a number of concerts next season. (Also, I was just looking for an excuse to use the word "prowl.")

Anyone know where I can get 다방거비 (dabang coffee)? The Vietnamese have an instant coffee that is very similar, so that'll do too. Anyone? Bueller?

Ack...It starting to look like my trip to see the Japanese next weekend is going to be a day trip. I hate those. Drive down in the morning, do your business, load up on caffeine, and drive back in the afternoon/evening. Somewhere in there, you hope to not include a near-death experience, or a death experience. I'm seriously considering splurging on a bus or a train this time. I just don't think I have the energy to bother driving myself. Looking for parking alone would cause me to become manic, I'm afraid. What would happen if/when my car decides to go wonky...right in the middle of 59th?

Just found out that another friend is going to Singapore in the Fall. He'll just be visiting the country occasionally for a while due to his work, it seems. It'd be nice to see a friendly face if I end up spending time there myself.

No pics for you!

A little of this, that, and the Other

Just kidding about the pitchforks. Pretty sure no one uses pitchforks anymore. Since when did we stop traveling in mobs brandishing sharp objects? Ah, the good old days...Of course, that means that someone has to be the focus of the mob's wrath. I'd rather not be that focus. How about drummers? No one needs 'em. Let the word ring forth! Let's get a mob together and rough 'em up a little. Remember the torches, at the very least.

Got a call from Japan today. On to round two! Wahoo.

Back to new reeds today. Grr...I know that some of you dislike my reed talk. As a result, I've resolved to discuss my reed woes whenever I damned well please. {evil grin} You know you like it. Don't act like you don't. They're not being frustrating yet, but it can take a couple of days to reign them in a bit.

PBS' The Mormons Part 2 is on now, so I'm going to go back to that. So interesting.