Recital Complete!

Angie's Dances

...if i should fall...

Dreamscape

Modern Classical

me, relieved that the performance went well

so much music that so many people learned!!
(so much viola music that Maria learned!)
so many people that i had to find!

Chris C. Anderson, Eddie Barksdale, Maria Boyer, Kylie Cassidy, Sage Coy, Rob Deitrich, Morgan Deters, Luke Engstrand, Dani Fenske, Helen Goldstein, Zein Hassanein, Heather Holland, Ian Kerr, Jaline King, Angie Misso, Rita Ombaka, Amory Parker, Caitlin Power, Branden Pursinger, Joseph Reed, Lucy Roberts, Lydia Simmons, Laura Specht, Abby Vining, Anya Walker, and Hanna White.

more pix: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150871051533275.526455.598863274&type=1&l=f70ff0cbc8

more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/159631387469017/

RANT: Preparing for my SENIOR RECITAL and GRADUATION

 So, my time at Lewis & Clark is quickly coming to an end, and I'm trying to get all of the insanities for my senior recital in order.  Finding musicians that will work for cookies and have the time to help me has been difficult, and I still don't have a full choir or a marimbist (although Brett Paschal is helping me with that one).

String Pieces

Coming to the end of college brings up a whole bunch of feelings and problems - and waiting to hear back from schools is completely out of my control, and I think I will soon have a control-freak type problem with my recital.  The main problem here is my inability to control players schedules, allowing the conductor of one of my pieces to do his job, and probably not being able to delegate tasks to others just so I can have full control of something.

I am having a great problem getting people to answer my emails so I can schedule rehearsal times...BBBAAHHH!!!  This is happening in 5 WEEKS people!!!!!!!

a piano duet

I have edited all of my scores - they all look beautiful now! - and that was a bunch of busy work.  Highlight the little boxes, hold an arrow key down forever; highlight next set of boxes, hold down arrow key forever.  Once that was complete - move all of the articulations and dynamics and everything to the specific space that it needs to be in because it got moved when you changed from studio view to page view.

On a happy note, I went on a beautiful hike this morning...it made me feel better.

Tryon State Park

Recital Event Information - date/time/place, what & by whom, etc.

Finishing the Music....

I am putting the finishing touches on the last piece I plan on putting on my recital - a neoclassical type thing for solo trumpet and string ensemble.

YAY! Then I get to start recital planning, and finding players, and designing posters and programs, etc.

Let's watch me go crazy!

World Application of Music History...

the random things I learn in orchestra with George Skipworth and in History of Western Music have become useful beyond my studies...kinda sorta, this is a FB conversation...but I won the prise!

Sister's Friend 1: did not believe Engelbert Humperdinck was a real person when she first heard about it on "Arthur"... until now .____.

Sister's Friend 2: Humperdinck? Like Humperdinck from Princess Bride?

SF 1: Uh, maybe? he's apparently a singer of some sort

SF2: You have seen that...right? Oh, then blah to him

SF1: yeah

SF2: OK, good, because if you hadn't...

Chrissy Misso: awesome composer!
he was one of the few students of wagner's
most famous for his opera Hansel und Gretel

Julie Geweke Workman (high school orchestra teacher): Chrissy wins the prize!

Alma's Dilemma, Almshee's Heartbreak

Gil Seeley has taken over my music history class for the remainder of the semester.  On our way to the twentieth century, we took a pit stop at Mahler.  We watched a good portion of the movie "Bride of the Wind" in class today - and our assignment is to write a poem about it.  (Gil really likes to make his students write poetry in response to whatever is going on in class, so I may be posting many of those in the next few weeks.)

Anyway, the movie is about Mahler's wife, Alma.  She was about 20 years his junior, a pianist, a composer, and the most beautiful woman in Vienna.  Alma was a very outspoken and liked to break tradition.  She gave up composing when she married Mahler and grew into resenting how much of her life and self she gave to their marriage.

Here's my stream-of-conscious-esqe poem from the first hour-ish of the film written from Alma's perspective (Mahler called her Almshee).

Alma's Dilemma, Almshee's Heartbreak

Vienna carnival, intoxicating, overwhelming, promiscuous

What is the cost of breaking the rules of my society?

Simplicity wars with complexity

Traditional constraints limiting my expression, my art

Speaking my mind sometimes causes me troubles

Sometimes leading me to pleasant surprises

Talents trying to fight their way through mishap and imposed constraints

Talent meets beauty, beauty falls for the big head

Overwhelming sound, a fight for the overwhelming beauty

A symphony for the world, a symphony about the world

Tradition causes tension, changing tradition leads to inspiration

Pleasant surprises changing old pans, creating new relationships

Traditions changing with the arrival of new peoples

I gave up one love and life for another, so many sorrows unforeseen

Death of our child, the saddest melody running through our heads

His heart irreparably broken

I met a new flame to dance away my pain

His heart emotionally and physically dying

My flame burning the bridge we had built between us

Only partially rescued when we left for a new world

Letters across the ocean keep me company

He returns home frail, his vitality shrivelling from his dying heart

I don't need to go to the cemetery to remember him

New flames try to bring back by soul and vitality

The Silver Swan

I just finished writing a setting of The Silver Swan, using the text from Orlando Gibbons.  George was really excited about it - he's decided that it should be on the student composition recital on April 19th and has set out to find me performers (2-3 for each part) and has volunteered to run the rehearsals since I have such a busy schedule with my science/music double major and the numerous projects I have for the last 5 weeks of the semester.

I'm quite excited about this!! I haven't really written for choir-like setting before.  If George can help me pull it together for the recital, I hope it turns out well so I get a decent recording out of it.

It has a kinda of renaissance-y sound aside from the modern-esqe harmonies and voice-leadings I've stuck in - slowly changing chords by moving one voice at a time, playing with major and minor resolutions.  Should be an interesting ear-training exercise for the performers. Haha :)

Artist Page

 

The silver swan, who living had no note,

When death approach'd, unlock'd her silent throat;

Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,

Thus sung her first and last, and sung no more.

Farewell, all joys; O Death, come close mine eyes;

More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise

Friends of Rain Spring Concert!

From Mountain Music to the Frontier of Jazz!

March 12, 2011, 8pm, Lewis & Clark College, Evans Auditorium

Lewis & Clark College faculty new music ensemble, Friends of Rain, presents an evening of wonderful music showcasing traditional mountain music to the beginnings of jazz. Featured composers include Robert Beaser, Greg Maroney, Edgard Varèse and L&C's composition professor Michael Johanson, and local jazz player & L&C teacher Dan Balmer.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome (suggested donation $10)

There will be a small reception after the concert.

For more information, please email us or call 503.768.7460, or visit the L&C Music Department page or find us on Facebook.  We also have an ad on craigslist.

Working on a Deadline

I've been working on a string quartet of dances - it will eventually have 4 movements. I finished the fandango, and now I'm working on the waltz in hopes of finishing it before the Alexander String Quartet (pictured on the right) comes to LC to do a residency at the beginning of March. They have been visiting LC for several years doing master classes with string players and reading student string compositions.

This will be the first year I've had something for a quartet - I had been waiting to finish other composition assignments, so I would have the time to devote to a multi-movement work.

Working with a deadline is somewhat new to me...I've always had my own goals as when to finish most of my compositions, but never an externally influenced one.


I've been studying composition with George Skipworth this semester. It is really fun (and sometimes amusing)! Last lesson he had me re-play 10 measures of a transition in the waltz because he liked it so much.

George also gives me exercises to do at the end of my lesson - usually a seed that I have to build from, I have 5ish min, and then we look at it. It is interesting how it pushes your creative juices! I regularly get an assignment for the next week: I have to compose 4ish measures of something. One week it was trumpet + accompaniment (he loved that one...I think I'm going to work on that more once I finish my quartet), one week was a rhythm cell, this week the second line of a poem for SATB (I did the first line during the lesson).

Better get to work! I have less than 2 weeks to finish the waltz! (and it's not the only thing I need to do!! other homework needs to be done too!)

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ASQ will have a performance at LC on March 4th.

Percussion Spectacular

I went to Percussion Spectacular the other evening by the Oregon Symphony.

It was a really nice concert!  From my seat WAY up high in the balcony, I could almost make out the faces of faculty from my college (Greg Ewer, violin, Brett EE Paschal, percussion).  I was impressed that I heard NO ONE clap between movements!  I think it has to have been the first concert I went to where NO ONE clapped between the movements!!

The Shchedrin arrangement of Carmen featured a lot of interesting parts, some which were of great interest to me because they gave me ideas of how to write the tango movement of the string quartet I'm working on.  Without the theatre aspect, this seemed really long at point.

The main attraction of the concert was soloist Colin Currie playing a percussion concerto composed by Jennifer Higdon.
It was really interesting watching Currie race back and forth, especially after reading the program notes that mentioned how a composer has to consider travel time for a percussionist when they are playing multiple instruments.

I found it very interesting  that the soloist joined the percussion section for Gershwin's Cuban Overture.  But that wasn't quite as exciting as getting more ideas for my unfinished string quartet (the tango and chacha/salsa movements are left)

It was a nice evening out with friends - two of us went for hot chocolate before the concert - and gave me a break from my studies and usual entertainment (the television or hulu :) )

Poll Results!

Thanks you to those of you that

participated in the Polls!
Please take the new one!

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What is the tippity-top reason you like

the artist(s) you listen to?

• 75% - They have talent!
• 25% - The sound - don't you like it?

 sadly, only 4 people voted in this poll :'(

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What are the important qualities in music?
(select all that apply)

click to enlarge

• 87% - The Quality!
• 75% - The Entertainment Value
• 50% - Relaxation Properties
• 87% - Evoking Feeling
• 25% - It sounds cool/good
• 25% - Dancin' Time
• 0% - Don't care as long as it has a beat
• 0% - It's on the RADIO...
• 0% - I need to know?

 Thank you to the eight people who took this!

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What do you think about memorising music?

click to enlarge

• 0% - It's Stupid!
• 42% - SO AWESOME!! ... to watch
• 14% - IT'S SSOOO DIFFICULT!!
• 0% - It's how I learn everything I play
• 0% - never have I ever, never will I
• 0% - whatever
• 28% - Love It!
• 14% - Do you know how many things I can randomly pull out for you???

 Seven People took this one...

The Life of Classical Music

The other night, I went out to dinner with some of my composer friends/colleagues (Cat, Branden, Will, Patrick, & David and our professor Michael Johanson).  We had a lengthy conversation about what music is and how one picks what they listen to.

Our conversation kinda foucsed around these questions:

• Do you put on different listening ears depending on the kind of music?
• Is there a difference between "art" song (like Schubert) and pop music (like Dido...?)?
• Do you listen differently depending on you mood? depending on what your doing?
• How do you pick your new (to your ears) tunes?
• What is the criteria for something to be music?

None of these really have any definite answers - at least none that people can agree on.

Let me tell you how we got to this conversation and some of the answers some of us posed along with more questions:

Branden asked if anyone would go with him to Ke$ha's concert with him next year - half of the group immediately said "NO!" and asked why he listens to "that stuff."

Defending himself, Branden argued that it was entertaining and, thus, fulfilled the requirement of music: to entertain.

Will and Patrick questioned this - what about evoking feeling?  the talent behind the artists?  what about invention?

Then we got to questions like:

• Are bands that are reviving old styles inventive?
• Can classically trained musicians really separate the music they hear?
• Why do all pop songs have the same chord progressions?
• Why do some have the same melodies?
• Have we written all of the possible melodies?

Cat brought up a YouTube video we had watched in Music History a couple years ago: every pop song can be related back to Pachebel's Canon...here's the rant.

What say you?

Please take the poll to the left since it is related!!!

The Four Seasons

...summer days

all about the musical craze

staring at the stars

waiting for Mars...

...autumn breeze

waiting for the first freeze

writing everything on a staff

playing it back to laughs...

...winter sheen

sitting by the fireplace like a queen

holiday spirits in the air

to the cheerful melodies nothing can compare...

...spring blooms

flowers sharing sweet perfume

music singing about rebirth

enjoying the harmony of the Earth...

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This was inspired by haiku and Vivaldi's Four Seasons.  We needed to write poetry for Music & Language.  I've plan on making a movie that has seasonal pictures and the music snippets I played with the words during class.

I've put ... at the beginning and end of each verse because I intended this to be able to start at whichever season you want (and then follow the cycle).

Stay Tuned!

The Rebirth of the Flame

(A short story for class - I'm not sure how good it is... :\  comments are appreciated)

It was dark and lonely, mostly lonely.  Fiammetta awoke, no longer surprised that it was still black and shadowy.  She had not seen any light for a long time, almost as long as she could remember.  Hearing anything but the scurrying of mice was not such a distant memory.  She did not even know where she was and had given up trying to figure it out once the music stopped—she knew from the music that she must be near the concert hall or the school.

The last time Fiammetta felt the warmth of the light was grand!  She had been the centre of attention…well, aside from Antonio, but he could steal some of the spotlight if he wanted.  At the front of the orchestra, the wonderful A Minor Concerto played by the best violinist in Venezia, Fiammetta singing out to the concert hall.

How she missed Antonio—how long had it been now?  It must have been years.  She never heard Antonio’s music anymore; he must be gone now.  She paused a moment on the ideas of where he could have gone without her.  He probably did not move away.  Venice was his home.  Had he forgotten her?  That would be horrible!  That could not be the reason she was left in this isolation.  She was his little flame, his friend, and his counsel in the most dismal days of his life.  That left only one reason for her solidarity.  He must have died.

This made Fiammetta feel even lonelier than before.  She would not be able to join him; she could not die and pass into the next world Antonio had talked about when he was a priest.  What was she to do now?

A few more years passed, but time was all the same to Fiammetta, nothing about her ever changed.  Even the scurries of the mice faded away—now she was really alone.

One day, there was noise from above.  It shocked Fiammetta, even scared her for a minute.  What could it be?  It was loud, just one at first.  Thud, thud, clump, thud, clump.  Each one echoing, making the sound grow all the louder.  Then more.  The last time she heard that much noise was when the orchestra set up.  But why would an orchestra be setting up?  Could it actually be an orchestra?  Maybe she was going to get stuck underneath the rubble from the building!

Then, almost as if to answer her question, Fiammetta heard a cello playing, then a horn, and a flute.  It shortly turned into a cacophony of instruments.  It had to be an orchestra!  Such excitement!  Fiammetta wondered if she would ever be found and played again.

She grew accustomed to hearing the orchestra play.  No one found her, and they did not play Antonio’s music very often, but she found herself enjoying it nonetheless.

A few weeks later, there was noise that seemed to be in the same room, coming closer.  Fiammetta wanted to scream, “who’s there?!”  Rustle, thud, clump, bang.  Something had fallen, but it was not her.  Phew! Then she heard a creak—and there was light!  It was so bright!  She had forgotten how bright.  Someone picked her up and glanced over her body.

Soon she was brought out of the darkness.  And was on stage!  Back to the concert hall!  Ready to sing so even the people in the back could hear.  But the man holding her handed her to a little girl with red hair.  “I thought I would find this beneath the stage.” the man said.  “It was your uncle’s.  He called her Fiammetta.  Here is the case with some of his music.  Make him proud Rufina, bring her back to life.”

Antonio’s niece?  That would not do!  She could not possibly be as good as Antonio or love Fiammetta as much!  But what could Fiammetta do about it?  There was no way for the man and girl to know what she, Fiammetta, wanted.  No way for Fiammetta to stop it.  And so “life” began again with this young redhead.  Fiammetta did not want to live for this girl.

Antonio Vivaldi

Rufina played for hours every day.  It was exhausting after all those years sitting underneath the stage!  Despite Fiammetta’s resentment and resistance, Rufina began slowly but burst with talent once she had the basic skills.  Fiammetta continued to hate her.  She missed the conversations of music and the feelings that she shared with Antonio—Rufina never had a musical conversation with her, never told Fiammetta about her thoughts.  Everything Rufina played was written already.  Never missing a note on the page, never creating one either.

Rufina was selected to do a solo piece with the orchestra in the spring.  “Great,” thought Fiammetta, “now everyone will see what a diaster this girl is, and I will be shoved back under the stage.”  But Rufina chose to do Antonio’s No. 6 A Minor Concerto—one of Fiammetta’s favourites, the last time she had been with Antonio.  It was hard not to help Rufina whilst she played; Rufina even added some of Antonio’s old tricks and frivolities.

When the night of the concert came.  Fiammetta could feel the tension in the concert hall as Rufina stepped out from behind the curtain.  Fiammetta was not expecting the fear she felt—what if she had lost something after all these years?

They started out a wobbly, but as they got farther and farther into the music, Fiammetta and Rufina became one.  Just as Antonio and Fiammetta had.  After the final draw of the bow across the string, the audience jumped to their feet.  Fiammetta could not have imagined the glow she was emitting.  This little red-haired girl had put the flame back into an old violin.