Battle Creek Symphony and Weekly Listening Update

If you follow me on Facebook then you know that I spent the greater part of this past week/weekend in Battle Creek doing a couple performances of Carmina Burana. In all honesty before I got the call to sub I had never heard more than the "O Fortuna" part of this work...and there is indeed A LOT more to it! I had such a blast getting to learn, rehearse and perform the piece and I really do hope that the Battle Creek Symphony calls me back again sometime! Amanda Sparfeld (whom I got the gig from) sounded gorgeous and it was so nice to be sitting near a powerful young flutist who is also just a really nice, genuine person.  Her sound has something very special about it almost like a frosted window at Christmas that holds within it a home full of love with a blazing fire in the fireplace keeping everyone warm and merry. I could honestly have listened to her play right hand pinky exercises for the entire rehearsal! Very inspiring. The music director, Anne Harrigan, reminded me a lot of my friend Chelsea. She was very knowledgeable about the piece and also was able to bring in elements from around the world as we worked through it together. I was really nervous to throw this work together in only TWO rehearsals but under her baton we not only did that but I think (specifically on Saturday) gave a compelling and polished performance that brought the piece across to the entire audience. 

This weekend marks the end of the National Orchestral Institute's audition season and now the REAL waiting game begins. I have my fingers and toes crossed and might even just hold my breath until I get the email from them. I really want to go! The deadline for Brevard is also coming up this week so hopefully in the next two weeks I will either know where I'm going this summer or will be able to plan on staying here and figuring out how to make enough money to keep paying off this flute.

Now for an update: I will no longer be doing weekly review videos. It's just a bit too much more work than I thought it would be so instead I will more than likely be doing a "recording of the month" video each month where I review/talk about my favorite classical recording, concerts, paraphernalia etc of the past month. I will still be listening though so there will be lists posted with each Sunday blog and every day you can see on my Facebok Page what I'm listening to that day. 

Have a good week and happy practicing everyone!!

Listening for this coming week:

Monday: Bach - Cello suite no. 2
     Recording - Yo-Yo Ma

          Edgar Meyer (still for fun)

Tuesday: Jennifer Higdon - Zaka for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano & Perc.

Recording - Higdon: Summer Shimmers, Zaka, Rapid Fire, Etc.

Wednesday: African Drum and Dance

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3D5Kt2nTEk

Thursday: Brahms - String Quartet #2 in a minor, Op. 51

Recording - Tokyo Quartet

Friday: Edwin York Bowen - Sonata for Flute and Piano, Op. 120

Recording - Jeffrey Khaner and Charles Abramovic

Saturday: Mahler - Symphony no. 2

Recording - Chicago Symphony & Claudio Abbado

Sunday: Stravinsky - Finishing of the Rakes Progress

Battle Creek

This week has been by far one of the best weeks I think I have had in months! I was told that I would have two more students starting up on Monday's at the store I teach at (which is literal music to my ears), 5 of the flute players at Jefferson High expressed interest in starting to take lessons from me once they get back from winter break and 9 of them are interested in being a part of the flute ensemble that I am going to be starting there! Add in that the Band Director (who is also the Choir Director) at Jefferson wants me to not only continue coaching the flutes but also start to coach the boys in the choir and that another middle school in the area would like me to start coaching and we FINALLY have ladies and gentlemen some form of viable work building up for me! The idea that I am going to have consistent income for almost every day of the week is making me so happy (especially with flute payments coming) and still none of this is the best part!

This week I was finally called for my first paid sub gig with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra performing Carmina Burana!!!! When I received the call that the piccolo player had a last minute emergency and they needed someone to fill in I almost starting crying on the phone from joy (although I do hope that it wasn't anything too serious that made their regular have to cancel). Two concerts in one month makes me feel like I'm really accomplishing something and not only that but I have not yet had the opportunity to perform Carmina so I cannot wait to add another major work to my repertoire list!

Friday saw me in East Lansing for the "Night at the Oscars" concert with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra. The rehearsal went well and the concert did also except that in "Charade" I played one line pretty out of tune...I was not happy with myself and hopefully it doesn't come up at the end of the season when they discuss my tenure. I am still on probation and now definitely cannot afford another mistake like that if I want to keep the job for a while longer. One a better note the highlight of the concert for me was getting the opening solo to "My Heart Will Go On" (which redeemed my out of tunedness slightly I hope). The vocalists were ok. I was not a huge fan of the woman...she was a bit too into herself and overindulged way too much in my opinion on some of the tunes. She also was just a tad too sultry compared to the content of a few of the songs. The man was good! He had a really nice vocal quality when he was in his "comfort zone" but outside of that got a bit pitchy...after hearing that he played the Phantom on Broadway for over 100 performances though I can forgive him. Just to be that close to someone who has that kind of role under their belt is amazing.

Second Flute Bryan and I at intermission

Time to practice! Carmina won't learn itself. Look below for my ratings of last weeks "My Week In Music" and the new list!

Review:

Sonata in d minor - Scarlatti: 4 quarter notes

Petroushskates - Joan Tower: piece - 4 quarter notes

                                                          recording - 3 quarter 

Ehru - Chinese - 4 quarter and 1 eighth

Piano Trio K. 498 - Mozart: Piece - 4 quarter notes

                                                   recording - 3 quarter notes 1 eighth

Sonata Op. 36 - Pierne: Piece - 3 quarter notes one eighth note

                                             recording - 5 quarter notes

Symphony No. 1 - Ives: Piece - 4 quarter notes one eighth note

                                             recording 3 quarter notes one eighth note

Rakes Progress - Stravinsky: Act II

Next week's list:

Monday: Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major

     Yo-Yo Ma: Inspired by Bach - The Cello Suites

     Edgar Meyer: Bach: Unaccompanied Cello Suites Performed on Double Bass

Tuesday: Charles Ruggiero - Fractured Mambos for Tuba and Tape

     Philip Sinder: Aerodynamics

Wednesday: Gamelan: Gamelan Cudamani

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGy1ANrWmY4

Thursday: Johannes Brahms - String Quartet No. 1 in c minor Op. 15

     Tokyo Quartet: Brahms; Shubert: String Quartets

Friday: Henri Busser - Prelude et Scherzo

     Ransom Wilson: Flute Music by French Composers

Saturday: Mahler Symphony No. 1

     Chicago Symphony led by Georg Solti

Sunday: Continuing with The Rakes Progress (Act II)

My Musical Week (in recordings)

First I need to brag (as all flutists do). I was featured on Muramatsu America's Facebook Page this week with my new purchase! Here's the photo they used:

Now on to the real reason you clicked on this posting:

When I'm making breakfast or generally starting my day I often like to listen to music as I cook, check my email etc and then start it all over again after either because I loved what I heard....or because I was so focused on whatever I was doing that I was unable to truly appreciate what was happening in the piece. As of late I have been really wanting to broaden my musical ear and listen/learn new works that I have either neglected or for some reason have never heard (cough Mahler cough). I also realized that there are more than likely many other musicians who want the same thing as I or listen to music actively throughout the day like I do to enhance whatever mundane task they're doing. So as follows below is my new "My Musical Week" which will be featured both in my blog and on my youtube channel (which I now feel I have enough content to go back to). After the list you will find a description of why I personally chose these themes so please feel free to change them to your own liking.

Monday - Breakfast with the Baroque

Tuesday - Twentieth Something

Wednesday - Not Western

Thursday - The Inner Chambers

Friday - Flute

Saturday - Symphonic

Sunday - Solely Opera

Why I chose what I chose:

Monday I'm calling "Breakfast with the Baroque". Throughout my undergraduate studies I shied away from anything baroque that wasn't Bach or a work written for flute that happened to be from this period. After living with my friend Josh in San Francisco (who is a wonderful traverso player) though, I realized how wonderful this music could be and how little I really know about it and its practices. I want that to change and so each week I will select something either that I know but have never heard on a period instrument or that I have never heard before to see what I do or don't like from this period.

Twentieth Something Tuesday came about because much like the music of the baroque I (and often many musicians) aren't always thrilled when we hear that we have to perform music from the 20th century to now. At SFCM I was Principal Flute of the New Music Ensemble and being a part of that group showed me that a) I can find music that I like from this period and b) Even the stuff I do not like can be interesting to learn about and hear at least for the reasoning and theory behind it.

Not Western Wednesday is inspired by my friend Chelsea. She has spent the last three years learning about cultural folk music from India in order to see how it has directly or indirectly influenced Western Classical Music. I admire very much the work she is doing and would like to hear more "world music" if you will from other cultures just to see what else is out there besides Mozart and Britney.

The Inner Chambers Thursday will feature chamber music. I am taking this a step further and defining (for the time being) chamber music as music written for one to ten players that could be performed un-conducted. Other than wind quintet repertoire (which will of course be selected from time to time) I feel there is a lot out there that I should hear like all the Beethoven string quartets or the Dvorak piano trio.

I am a flute player after all so Friday will be all about the Flute. I have so many pieces, recordings, players etc that I long to hear or do not know about and as a self-proclamed "Professional Flutist" I should have as much information as possible. With this segment I may also post what pedagogical book I might be reading at the time.

Symphonic Saturday will be limited to works that could be called or considered a Symphony. This may coincide with one of my other weekly goals to practice and prepare an entire orchestral concert each week to be performed Saturday afternoon by me in my living room along with my favorite recording.

Ongoing Opera Sunday is going to be the one category that carries over a bit from week to week. I will select (often at the beginning of each month) an opera and give a starting/stoping point for the week. I don't always have the time or energy to listen to an entire opera in one sitting and also do not often think of it when i do have free time but like many of the others this process is about introducing myself to things that I don't know about or understand.

When I post what I have decided on for the coming week I will also try to put links to scores and include what recording(s) I have selected for each work. Feel free listen to the same ones OR if you feel you have or know of a better recording I would love to hear about it!

As I said the above is just a guideline that I have decided to implement and follow. Feel free to change as you see fit and don't forget I wanna hear what you think as well!

First week:

Monday - Scarlatti Piano in d minor K. 1 (will analyze)

Score: http://sausage.whatbox.ca:15263/imglnks/usimg/5/55/IMSLP21370- PMLP11026-Scarlatti-SonatasK001-050.pdf

Album:Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas

Artist: Ivo Pogorelich

Tuesday - Petroushskates by Joan Tower

Album: The Composer-Performer

Artist: Joan Tower & Da Capo Chamber Players

Wednesday - Picking Flowers (Traditional Chinese Erhu)

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSGVSJGahU4

Thursday - Piano Trio in E Flat Major K. 498 - Mozart

Album: Brahms; Beethoven; Mozart: Piano Trios

Aritst: Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Richard Stoltzman

Score: http://imslp.org/wiki/Trio_in_E-flat_major,_K.

498_(Mozart,_Wolfgang_Amadeus)

Friday - Sonata Op. 36 - Pierne

Album: Revolution

Artist: Marianne Gedigian

Saturday - Symphony no. 1 - Ives

Recording: Detroit Symphony and Neeme Jarvi

Album: Ives: Symphony No. 1/Barber: 3 Essays for Orchestra

Sunday - The Rakes Progress - Stravinsky

Duration: Act I

Recording - Works of Igor Stravinksy (20 disc set)

Getting a New Flute!!

So many things have been happening the past two weeks that I totally forgot to post last Sunday! It seems that the ball of my freelancing career is FINALLY starting to roll. Now I just need it to pick up speed...and keep going forward...

By far the most exciting thing that I need to report is that I have officially decided to purchase the flute I have been trying out for the past three weeks! Investing in a new instrument is scary but in the short amount of time that I've had it every single person I've played it or a recording of it for have agreed that this is it. Since so many  flutes have been written about in this blog (it has been a long and tiring process) the flute in question is Muramatsu Platinum-clad PTP model with a Tsubasa style headjoint. The craziest part of all this for me is that originally I was looking just for a headjoint and then when flutes were added into the mix I was looking for something much lighter than my heavy wall DS but this flute is actually HEAVIER. It is technically a heavy wall silver DS that is then clad (meaning dipped so it is plated inside and out) in platinum (which is denser and heavier than silver). Now to figure out financing...luckily they will work with me but I hope we can come up with something that will make it affordable for me and my almost non-existent income.

My new baby!!

This past week I had one new flute student start at A+R but prior to that I had only one. She played for Solo and Ensemble yesterday and I am proud to say that she achieved the rating of 1! She has been working so hard. Now for her it is on to States which she has not yet ever gotten to compete at. I'm wishing her all the best as we move forward and for me it was so great to hear that I'm not the only one who has heard the vast improvement she has made since starting lessons in October. As teachers, more specifically private instructors, it can be hard to get real feedback that your techniques are working. Each individual student has their own potential that needs to be unlocked and this makes it hard to really see your total effectiveness at times. Seeing her text and knowing the pride that she feels from achieving this goal is so gratifying and I hope that in the coming years I get to help many other students to realize their own potential as musicians.

In the vein of teaching I have been hired as the Flute Technician at Jefferson High School in Monroe, MI. I was out there the past two weeks coaching chamber groups and a few soloists towards their solo and ensemble which was also yesterday. Hopefully they all did well! The band director Byran, who I met through my church choir, has expressed that he would like me to come out once a week to begin running a "Flute Ensemble" and he also is going to try to line up students for me. I really hope that this all works out as I really need more things like this so I can start to save up to pay back loans, pay off this new flute and hopefully move out on my own. Now that I have a better idea of pricing and how to really start to "sell" the idea of having a coach (or even a new ensemble...flute players sometimes really get into flute choir) I need to go back to emailing band directors to try and get my foot in the door. Wish me luck!!

I have been invited to submit recordings for the Seoul Philharmonic's Second Principal Flute audition. This is an honor and now comes the grueling task of trying to find and select recorded performances of myself (mostly in orchestra) that I feel represent how I sound now. I find that so much has changed with my sound and playing even in the last few months that I don't have too many recordings that give an accurate representation of myself currently. Recently I did record the Eneso "Cantabile et Presto" to send into Brevard so I at least have one current recording. Hopefully I can get a few things dug up from when I was at SFCM...I did so little performing with the Conservatory Orchestra and the outside performances that I did were either not recorded or are not something I may be able to get a hold of. Fingers crossed that I can find enough to maybe be granted a live audition or even a trial! I'm not sure that I really want to work and live over seas but a job is a job!

Coming up this week: a lesson with David Buck (Principal Flute of Detroit), a small audition for Joel Tse (Principal Flute of the Toledo Symphony) and my National Orchestral Institute audition.

Lansing Symphony: The Russians Have Invaded!

Whenever any musician is asked "Who is your favorite composer?" or "What's your favorite piece?" we instantly contort with fear that we are being asked to answer a question the answer to which changes sometimes hourly. Most of us would much prefer to be asked our top 5 or 10 of each (although that often changes as well). When I am asked this question (after freezing in horror at the prospect of what I'm being asked to decide), I often answer with something along the lines of "well...I love my Russians!" I spent this past week in East Lansing rehearsing and performing with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and was reminded why this reply fits me so well.

Of my top five favorite composers, Tchakovsky is always in the first three names I think of. He's the master of melody and can take me on a journey to the furthest reaches of my emotions while always bringing me back to reality (weather I want to or not). We performed two of his ballet suites yesterday; Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Having never been given the opportunity to perform Swan Lake I was so excited that I was finally finishing a personnel "set" and am now proud to announce that I have performed all three Tchaikovsky Ballet suites at least once! The orchestra's energy was flowing and each of these pieces book ended the concert perfectly. I think the audience would agree as well!

One composer in general is almost always well received by audiences but feared and revered by piccoloists around the world. Shostakovich's Cello Concert no 1 in E-Flat hit the audience like a wave of dark water before intermission. The soloist played beautifully (although a bit slow for my taste) and was given three ovations by the standing and cheering audience. I was so happy that my intonation was doing well and almost all my high notes spoke with ease (except those damn high C's!). Having another Shostakovich piccolo part under my belt feels great and hopefully next year they program another of his pieces!

After intermission we performed the almost never played ballet suite to the "Fairy's Kiss" by Stravinsky. The piece is lovely and I have compliment the Principal of my section (Richard Sherman) for his wonderful story telling throughout the entire work. Hopefully I get to perform it again in the future. The music was written as an homage to Tchaikovsky and much of this influence can be heard throughout the piece. Why it is not more often performed is beyond me! 

Over all I had an amazing week. It felt so good to be rehearsing and performing regularly again (even if it was just for the week) and it has revitalized my need to search harder for more gigs! Up next: Summer Festival auditions, possibly the Peoria Symphony audition and a few lessons here and there with hopeful colleagues. 

Concerts at St. Mary's - the International Low Brass Trio

Yesterday at 2:30 pm despite the promise of being pummeled with snow 45 brave concert goers came out to St. Mary's of the Annunciation in Rockwood, MI to attend the International Low Brass Trio's concert. The concert was to include a world premiere so I have to say I was a bit nervous that after months of planning and budgeting and finally getting the go ahead from the Pastor to use the sanctuary that the concert may have had to be cancelled but luckily the snow waited until a half hour after the concert ended to start coming down. The audience (many of whom had never attended a concert like this one) was gracious and many expressed how amazing the trio was and that they would indeed love for me to put together more concerts like this one. So I am happy to announce that I will indeed be starting a concert series named "Concerts at St. Mary's". Now more on the trio and how this concert came to happen!

In August I was contacted by one of my best friends Jess that her group (the International Low Brass Trio) would be fundraising to embark on their first International Tour to include Canada and the United States. She knew that I had been thinking about putting on a few concerts at my church and figured this may be a great way for me to kick off and see if there was a want or need for this type of thing. I agreed and we spent the next few months planning and preparing for their eventual visit to the "Mitten". The day they arrived was cold and snowy and honestly we almost didn't make it back to my house without sliding off the road but fate was with us and we made it in one piece and without loosing a valve! Jeff's mother picked them up and took them to Canada to start the first leg of their tour.

Jess and I post concert

I spent the time that they were in Canada trying to decide on a few things to have them do while they were here that would be distinctly "Detroit" and when they came back we had a few adventures! The night they arrived was relaxed and as I hadn't really gotten to see any of the trio since I moved to MI from SF we decided to go bowling and watch a movie. It was great to catch up with each of them in turn and of course we eventually got back to acting just like "old times" (the entire weekend was like this making it very hard for me to say goodbye to them yesterday).

Jeff, Gabe, Jess, Brandon respective bowling scores game 3

On Friday we spent the morning and part of the afternoon rehearsing and practicing respectively and then Gabe said a statement I had been dreading; "Let's eat somewhere we can only eat here." Now to me having grown up downriver, MI means Applebees and Taco Bell but of course I wanted to give them something not only to remember but something that they wouldn't be able to easily find in SF. For anyone who has ever been to San Francisco you know that this is no small feat as SF is famous for having all sorts of things you can't find elsewhere and some of the best food in the country. My sister, however, was able to come to my aid. She is a hostess at a restaurant around the block from my house named the "Hungarian Rhapsody". It is the only one of its kind being family owned and has amazing authentic Hungarian food and an amazingly cheap lunch menu (which was great for us as their budget was tight). They all enjoyed the meal we had there and admitted that they weren't sure if they'd find such a great place in the Detroit area to eat! We spent the evening in Midtown Detroit first at a store called "City Bird" which sells all hand-made in Detroit and Detroit themed products before heading to the Motor City Brewery to have some Detroit made beer. This was probably the Trio's favorite stop during their time here. We met up with a few old friends from the Conservatory who live in the area and ended the evening at a bar named "The Bronx" with a game of pool.

Saturday the trio awoke to the smell of bacon wafting through the house as I had decided to surprise them with a homemade breakfast much like I used to make when Jess and I lived together. We ate, warmed up, practiced/rehearsed and then headed to the Henry For Museum. I wasn't sure if this would go over well (not everyone enjoys this kind of thing) but each of them seemed to find something of interest there and of course what a better place to show them not only some of Detroit's rich history, but also the Country's history (not forgetting of course that Jess is from Australia and Jeff is from Canada). On our way back home to grab instruments for the dress rehearsal I made a pit stop at Biggby Coffee so they could have some MI made coffee (all of us having a particular need to caffeinate at lease 20 times a day) and then on it was to the church. The trio loved the sanctuary and had a great time playing there making me very excited for the concert to come!

Gabe with a giant cup at Biggby

The Trio rehearsing at St. Mary's

Sunday came and as already mentioned the concert went well. One never knows when they make something donation based if any profit will be made but as the audience so enjoyed themselves I think the trio did well. My good friend Jim Zang recorded and Justin Rito (the composer of the world premiere the trio did) even made it out all the way from Lansing! Now with the trio safely back in Canada after a longer drive than normal with the snow the house feels empty and I miss their presence. I can't wait to see them again! Next stop for them; New York, New York!!


More on the International Low Brass Trio:
Website: www.internationallowbrasstrio.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/InternationalLowBrassTrio
Twitter: twitter.com/ILBTrio

Happy New Year!

2013 marked a few milestones in my life. I graduated from the San Francisco Conservatory with my Master's Degree, I passed into the final rounds of four orchestral auditions and I won my first real job with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.

I am so grateful to have been blessed with such amazing supporters between my friends, family and other random persons I have encountered and gotten to know over the years through performing and I hope to be able to give back and continue to impact lives through my instrument. 2014 is unknown and holds many exciting adventures, probably a few setbacks and a myriad of other things yet to be discovered. As I and we move forward into the new year I sincerely wish us all the best and cannot wait to see what is to come!

Happy New Year!!!!