#as opposed to just like. student musician in the orchestra.

[supercantaloupe]

also i swear to gd i Need to get less weird and anxious about the mere concept of talking to maestro. i have known and played with him for seven years and in that time he has been literally nothing but kind and friendly and helpful and supportive. and yet every single time i have to ask him a question (or if he comes to talk to ME or like sends me an email or something) i swear to gd my heart starts racing like i’m about to get banned from every orchestra ever or something

[thequeenofthenightgentlyweeps]

Something About Aria,...

PART 1 OF 3

***

PRESENT ( Part 2 Of 3 )

• How does she fit into her story? Give a brief summary of the effect she have on the events around her.

~ As recently discovered by Giorno Giovanna and Bria Adal ( @mrsgiovanna 's lovely OC ), Aria has a Stand that has the ability to give people endless torment through vivid nightmares that may cause instant death. Witnesses / victims within a 5 - meter range ( maybe more ) could also be affected. But the most frightening part about the Stand is that Aria couldn't control it. It will manifest when she feels threatened, or when something triggers / provokes it to attack. Giorno is looking for a way to help Aria control this Stand, so he sought the help of Bruno Bucciarati and his team. If all else fails, the team must kill her. Either that, or Giorno will do it, himself. Bucciarati vows to protect her whatever happens, so he searches for ways to stop Aria's Stand from manifesting. He even went as far as to stand between her and his team as of the current events in her story.

• What is her current occupation, if any, and how did she end up there? Does she enjoy it?

~ While Aria is still a student, she is a pianist who works part - time at the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra. She often gets invited to play at concerts and do collaborations. She enjoys her work and she loves performing in front of a large audience.

• Does she belong to any factions or groups? Why and how did she join, and how does she feel about it?

~ She is only affiliated with the I.P.O. . She got recruited after her very first public performance because of her talent / skills, and because of this, she earned a scholarship to the Genova Academy of Music. This gave her even more opportunities to grow. She's also invited to perform during two of Passione's important gatherings. Despite her having connections with some of the most important people in this crime organization ( Giorno Giovanna, Bria Adal, and Bruno Bucciarati ), she's never really considered a part of it. She feels overwhelmed because of Passione's kind treatment towards her, so she doesn't want to provoke them.

• Does she have any enemy factions or groups? Why and how are they opposed, and how does she feel about it?

~ N/A

• What kind of people does she usually interact with? Who are her friends, the people she look up to / trust, and who are her “associates”?

~ Being an active musician at the age of 15, Aria got to meet many influential people in Italy's classical music industry. While she doesn't consider any one of them as close friends, she does look up to her instructors at the G.M.A., and the Conductors and co - Conductors of I.P.O. . Scipione Inganno, who she performed Rachmaninoff's Cello sonata with, was her associate until 2001 when he attempted to murder her.

• What is her current relationship with her family?

~ Bria Adal and Giorno Giovanna are the only two people she considered as family, since Saliera Anima refused to have her. She considered Bria as her sister, and Giorno, her brother.

• Does she have a partner? How did they meet, and what’s their relationship like now?

~ Scipione Inganno was her very first lover, and they were in a relationship for only a few months before the unspeakable thing happened. As of the current events in her story, Bruno Bucciarati has shown deep affection towards her, protecting her from his own friends, saving her from death, vowing to help her solve her Stand problem, even giving her a pet rabbit. He's always there for her, and he plans to officially confess his feelings for her later on.

• What hobby or pastime of hers does she consider most important to her and why?

~ After practicing with the piano, she unwinds by watching her favorite movies or reading her most beloved Judith McNaught novels. Indulging in these things makes her momentarily forget her troubles, allowing her to dream and just drift off into more pleasant thoughts. It's also during these times where she doesn't feel the threat of her Stand.

• What kind of place do they live in?

~ Aria moved to Procida, to the beach house given to her by Giorno and Bria. It's a small and yet elegant 2 - storey house with a living room, a dining area, a kitchen, a powder room, a sunroom where she stays most of the time, a master bedroom with a walk - in closet and bathroom, a guest room with a small bathroom, a balcony overlooking the beautiful ocean, and a garden where Bucciarati's team held their meeting.

• What does she always carry with her and why?

~ Aria always carries her phone. Bruno made her promise to call him if she needs his help with anything.

• What’s a typical night’s sleep like for her?

~ Sleep? What sleep? She sleeps in a bit late at times, around 1 to 2 in the morning, or sometimes later than 4 when she's having a nice chat with Bruno over the phone, or while they're enjoying their cookies and a cup of tea.

• If someone mentioned her name to someone else, what would they immediately think of ( i.e. defining characteristic, appearance - or personality - wise )?

~ They immediately think Aria is this small, sometimes moody, girl who plays piano really well. Ask Bruno and Bria and you may get more interesting information about her.

• What’s the worst ( in her mind ) way her current situation could end up?

~ She fears Bruno, and the rest of his team, including Giorno and Bria, would end up dead if, one day, her Stand went berserk and she's with them.

• What matters most to her right now?

~ After being saved by Bruno, she wanted to focus more on how to control her Stand and not let her worst fear happen. She has also began to cherish the special relationship she had with him.

***

PART 3 OF 3

***

[sleep-i-ness]

Love At First Coffee (Vanya Hargreeves x reader)

Summary: Y/N is a struggling flautist, trying to make ends meet, but when a violinist catches her eyes, life doesn’t seem quite so difficult.

Request: No

TUA Taglist: @neymarlionelmessi7​

Beep beep beep. Y/N groaned, stretching out languidly as she patted her bedside table. Her fingers found nothing but the worn wooden surface. Blearily rubbing her eyes, she pushed herself up onto one elbow. The alarm was incessant. Where on earth was that phone?

The bitter smell of coffee filled the kitchen as she poured the boiling water into her chipped mug.  A lethargic ache had settled into her bones; the haphazard pile of unopened letters mounting her dread the more she looked at the mess. A quick glance at the plastic clock ticking merrily away warned her she was on the verge of being late if she did not leave now.

Y/N slung the straps of her flute case and tattered leather satchel over her shoulder, her crumpled sheet music clutched in one hand. The lock of her apartment was always such a fiddle and she stuffed the sheet music in her satchel, wincing as it creased even further. She yanked the door shut, leaning backwards to align the lock as she twisted the key.

With a huff, she blew the strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes during her tussle with the door. Her path was a familiar one; down the hallway over the scuffed tiles, where she’d have to wait for the creaky elevator to haul itself up to her, and then out onto the street. Past the rowdy bar that never seemed to shut and the hot dog street vendor to the bus stop, littered with chewing gum and graffiti. Then, depending on whether she had the time to waste on the agonizingly slow journey, it was either onto the grimy bus, nodding to the leering driver, or straight past, a brisk walk of about 20 minutes to the concert hall.

Today was not going in her favor. Y/N sighed as it pulled away from the stop. No need to make a choice now. The walk into the more central and less dodgy area of town was usually quite unpleasant; the streets were still reeling from the nighttime activities. She wrinkled her nose as the putrid scent of rotting garbage filled the air, a dumpster nearby overflowing with ripped trash bags. 

Keeping her head down, she hurried through the streets, neatly sidestepping the ‘businessmen’ on their flip phones and the gossiping ladies, one hand always clamping their handbags shut. A rush of balmy air burst through the vent as she passed over it, the warm stench of urine and cooking garbage wafting upwards. Left, then a right, then straight on past two crossroads and lines of honking traffic and foul-mouthed drivers, swearing at the day for daring to begin. Wait for the lights to turn red, cross over and continue down the road until you reach the performers door.

The Icarus Theatre. Y/N would have liked to be one of those performers who gushed on about how their performance center was ‘like a second home’, but that was cheesy and frankly unrealistic. Her dreams of being a world-famous flautist had been crushed the moment she’d received her first lot of bills and realized how naïve she truly was. The joy in performing in an orchestra was short-lived as every day felt like a struggle to scrape together enough money to keep herself out of debt and prove her parents wrong. That was enough to dampen anyone’s spirits.

Every hour she didn’t have a rehearsal, she was booked chockful with students of all ages and genders who turned up with a passion for the flute. Or their parents were forcing them to go. Either way she got paid and hoped that maybe she was imbuing someone with a new appreciation for classical music.

“Morning, Will.”

The principal piccoloist was already sat in his seat, absorbed in conversation with Lucy, one of the second violins. He glanced over and raised a slender hand in acknowledgment. Will was always punctual and smartly attired, wearing crisply ironed shirts and smart blazers, free of lint. Y/N was sharply aware of the contrast between them, her shirt creased and half-untucked and her hair escaping from its bun.

She flipped open the latches on her case; there was a trick to it, you needed to open both at once while opening the lid at the same time. Her prize and joy, her baby lay inside. The first time she had ever saved up enough money to buy herself something worthwhile, she had bought a professional flute. Before then, she’d been using her aunt’s old flute from the 60s, a battered old thing that was lucky to even still be able to play.

The murmur died down as Lorin Toscanini, the conductor, stepped onto the raised podium and raised his baton. Y/N slipped into her seat next to Will, who raised an eyebrow at the creased sheets she deposited onto her stand.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today we need to fix the timing on the opening sequence. Remember this is iconic and it needs to be perfect. Second violins, I hope you have improved since yesterday.” The nasally tone of Toscanini grated on Y/N’s nerves, especially so early in the morning when she would much rather be in bed.

Y/N raised her flute to her lower lip, watching the baton as it swayed in time with the music. Down, left, right, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. The violins and cellos came in in unison on the downbeat, bows drawing across the string in harmony. The harmonies in perfect time caused shivers to run up and down her spine as the bows swayed mournfully across the vibrating strings in unison.

Okay. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-

“Stop, stop,” Toscanini cried out, baton smacking against the stand. All instruments were immediately lowered, as a sign of deference. Something about stroking his highly inflated ego. “Someone in the clarinets is playing a B natural instead of a B flat. Now remember, we want to create a sense of tension, so the dynamics start off at piano and then we reach mezzo forte. But this isn’t the most dramatic section; we are building up to that. So, at bar 4 we need an audible diminuendo. Like tiptoeing... From the top!”

There was something so magical about playing in an orchestra when it all slotted into place. You stopped being an individual person and instead became immersed in a group movement of sound and emotion, compelling the listener to be draw in with you. The different melodic lines weave together into one, playing off each other to create a final piece.

It was an almost addictive sensation. The feeling of being swept away and losing sense of oneself in the bigger picture of a whole was something Y/N craved when she wasn’t playing. Music restored a part of herself that she sometimes didn’t realize she was missing. It lifted her away from the mortal world, to a place where the music and the notes were the only thing that mattered.

Y/N’s eye fell upon one of the first violins, newly promoted, her brown hair pulled back tightly in a low ponytail. The woman’s brow was furrowed as her fingers danced over the neck of the guitar, swaying gently with the music. Momentarily transfixed, Y/N’s mind turned foggy as she lost count, all thoughts focused on the violinist.

The piece drew to its climax, as if a great beast had climbed to its hind legs and roared. A mounting rush of notes as each musician lost themselves in the crescendo, furiously playing. Cascading melodies toppled over each other, nimble fingers tumbling up scales and bow strokes timed impeccably.

E, G, A!

An audible sigh of satisfaction echoed round the room as the piece ended without any pauses for tinkering; the joy of a composition well played shared throughout all the players.

“Beautiful, just beautiful. I think we’ll call that a day, there. Our next rehearsal is at one on Wednesday, now do not be late.”

Now that the piece had ended, Y/N glanced over to the violinist she had spotted earlier. While Y/N quietly packed her instrument away, the woman prepared to slip out, unnoticed. Should she…?

“Hey,” Y/N flagged down the women, fingertips brushing the cuffs of her dark shirt. “I’m Y/N, I noticed you playing. It was beautiful! You recently got moved up from fourth chair to third, right?”

“Yeah,” the woman seemed flustered by the attention, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. “I’m Vanya, it’s nice to meet you.”

Y/N pulled her slipping straps back onto her shoulder as she grinned at Vanya from beneath the curls threatening to fall in her face. “Pretty name. Say, are you busy now? I know an excellent little coffee shop across the road.”

Vanya flushed as she murmured some expression of gratitude. She hesitated, carefully switching her phone on and off again before sliding it back in her pocket when no notifications showed up. “I’m free for a couple of hours. I have to teach lessons from 3 though.”

The coffee shop was quaint and always quiet; since a Starbucks had opened only a few doors down, business had slowly dried up until only a few regulars and those who were opposed to coffee from chain shops came along. Vanya fidgeted with the strap of her violin case, her eyes darting around the shop’s wooden and gold furnishings.

“Hey Marjorie, I’ll have a cappuccino and a chocolate éclair. Vanya, what do you want?”

“Oh, you don’t need to order for me, I can pay for myself.” Vanya’s eyes widened as she protested profusely.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, leaning nonchalantly against the bar, “I asked you to come with me for coffee, there’s no way that I am going to be so rude as to make my guest pay for her order. So?”

“I’ll have a mocha, thanks.”

Y/N soon joined Vanya where she was sitting, tucked away in a booth in the corner.

“One mocha, milady.” God, she sounded like one of those ‘nice guys’ in the Instagram DMs.

“Thanks,” Vanya laughed, and Y/N decided she quite liked hearing that sound and that she was definitely going to try and hear it more often. Especially, she wanted to see the way Vanya’s eyes crinkled as she tried to stifle her giggles and how her hand flew up to try and cover her face.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Y/N propped up her head on one hand as she sipped at her cappuccino, blowing softly on the frothy layer.

“Umm, I don’t know what there is to say, I’m a pretty boring person.”

Y/N could not believe that. There was something so hypnotizingly attractive about Vanya; a quiet sort of pretty that crept up on you when you were least expecting it and stole your breath away. Someone like that could never be boring, every inch of her whispered of a tale to be told.

“Have you got any siblings? Pets?”

Vanya’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before she smoothed her features out, as if to imply Y/N should know something. “Yeah, I have a sister and 3 brothers.”

“Wow, 3 brothers. That must have been a nightmare!”

“Yeah, I was kind of the black sheep of the family. But I haven’t spoken to them in years; we just ended up drifting,” Vanya’s tone appeared nonchalant, but a nervous hand gave her away as she massaged her neck. “It was my fault basically.”

“No that’s ridiculous. The only real excuse for cutting you off is if you killed someone or put someone in danger, and no offence, you don’t seem particularly capable of either of those things,”-Vanya pulled a face-“in a good way!”

“I don’t know, I feel like I deserved it.”

Y/N tore the éclair in half, messily coating her fingers in chocolate as she pressed her fingertips into the half-melted layer on top. “For you. Because fuck shitty families. Who needs them, am I right?”

Vanya giggled and raised her half in response, touching them together to make a toast. “Amen!”

There was a lull in conversation as attention was redirected to eating the intoxicatingly good pastries.

“What about you?” Vanya mumbled; mouth full. There was a tiny dot of cream on the left corner of her mouth and Y/N stared, transfixed as her tongue darted out to dab it away.

“Oh, me. Well, the whole struggling artist career path was not one my parents had hoped I would go down. In comparison to my banker brother, I’m a bit of a disappointment and they make sure to let me know.”

Christmas this year had been a nightmare. It was full of meaningful looks from her parents as her brother prattled on about his new promotion, or the last exotic trip he went on, or the wonderful restaurants near his place of work on Wall Street. She didn’t know what they expected her to do; just suddenly become a high-profile surgeon?

Vanya placed her hand over Y/N’s, looking earnestly into her eyes. “You’re not a disappointment. Fuck what they think.”

Y/N cracked a half-hearted smile at the sentiment of Vanya’s sentence, although there was a certain strangeness to hearing her say ‘fuck’. A hot sensation prickled the back of her neck as Vanya kept her hand where it was, her gaze never wavering as she seemingly searched for something in Y/N’s eyes.

“Well, now we’ve got the family trauma out the way, what do you like to do for fun?” Y/N said, every muscle relaxing as Vanya moved her hand to pick up her mug. She hadn’t realized how tense she was, nervousness laced into every tendon.

“Well, my life seems to be taken up with violin, but I enjoy writing. And I can cook.” Vanya paused to think about what she was saying. “Somewhat.”

“Somewhat?” Y/N laughed, trapping her lower lip between her teeth as she awaited Vanya’s response.

“I’m not about to be out here claiming that I’m world-class standard. However, I do make a mean cottage pie which you will have to try someday.”

Someday. That was promising. Y/N smiled sweetly, nodding fervently. “I’d like that very much.”

Y/N took a sip of her cappuccino, recoiling as the tip of her tongue was scalding by the still piping hot coffee. Vanya took one look at her and grinned.

“You’ve got something there,” she said, tapping the tip of her nose.

“Where?” Y/N rubbed her nose.

“No, wait, up a bit- to the right, no, left, umm-”

“Would you mind just getting it for me?” Y/N interrupted her, and Vanya froze.

“Yeah, uh,” she leant across the table, thumb extended as she brushed the callused pad gently across Y/N’s skin. “There. All gone.”

“Thanks.”

They shared a soft smile.

The walk back to Y/N’s apartment was swelteringly sticky, especially in the noon sun. However, today felt different. Buoyed along on a cloud of joy, she practically skipped over the cracks in the sidewalk and past the piled trash bags. Her mind swooped over the fields of possibilities, whirling thoughts on a tangent of their own. The storm in her mind had cleared to allow a small shaft of sunlight through to shine on the choppy waves below, great dark clouds parting with hope.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Hi Y/N, it’s Vanya.

Y/N could barely contain the gleeful grin as she read the message, pressing her phone to her chest.

Hey Vanya, it was really nice to have coffee with you today. We should do something like that again.

Barely a couple minutes had passed when her phone emitted the telltale ding, alerting her to a new incoming message.

Absolutely. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you promised to try my cottage pie.

Y/N tapped out a quick response, finger hovering over the send button as she reread it.

It’s a date.

[sasuhinasno1fan]

To play again - Luka Appreciation Week Day 1

So I’ve kinda given up on ML, just in terms in how they treat their charaecters and such, but I still love Luka and I thought I should at least write something for him for @lukacouffaineappreciation event. I was trying to think of an idea and I’m not fully familar with the story for the Ballet AU where Luka plays violin, so I went a different direction, Shugo Chara and Ikuto. Black Diamond is one of my fav songs from the show and I thought it fit with Kitty Section, if it being a softer version compared to their hardcore stuff. I’ll admit, halfway through I remembered the song Inviciable by Escape the Fate with Lindsey Stirling which fit them better but I still wanted to do this one, even though we don’t actually see them sing it in this fic. Anyway, I did find a French version of Black Diamon, though it’s more rock and doesn’t have the violin. Someone had taken the cover and dropped it on top of the actual song and it didn’t sound right, but just so you can get an idea of it. This is the French cover and just so you know what the actual song sounds like, check this out. Violin

Luka didn’t know how the knowledge about him playing violin suddenly making him an ok person for Adrien to associate with, at least according to the model’s father. But here he was, instead of having to wait until Adrien was essentially alone or sneak out of his lessons to come hang out with his friends, he was currently being led to Adrien’s room by his father’s assistant.

Nathalie knocked on the door, “Adrien?”

“Come in!”

She opened the door and Luka followed. He spotted Adrien sitting at his computer watching something.

“I thought you were supposed to be practising?” she asked.

“Luka?” Adrien answered instead, noticing the rocker in his room.

“Yes, M. Couffaine was asked by your father to practise your latest song with you. he said it sounded better with a violin and M. Couffaine attends an illustrious music school so he was perfect. You two will start immediately.”

“Does this mean, he can come to my place to practise? My mom knows Jagged Stone if getting a classical piano is an issue.” Luka asked.

“We shall see. If you’ll excuse me.”

When the door closed behind Nathalie, Adrien got up from his desk.

“Happy to see me?” Luka asked.

“Always. But what are you doing here? What was she talking about, illustrious music school? Aren’t you home schooled?”

Luka shrugged. “I am, but it’s through the same school. They’re the ones who grade my exams and such. I did attend it but during one of my exams, I happened to start playing one of the proctor’s heart song and then turned it into jam session when it occurred to me at that moment how much happier I felt playing that one heart song compared to the massively long piece I’d practised and slaved over for weeks. Mom decided it’d be better for everyone if I was home schooled. Thankfully the school offered to still treat me like a student, since I worked so hard to get in and was one of the best students.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow, taking Luka in. it was hard to imagine the guy with dyed hair, piercings and a pretty literal pirate for a mom attending a ridged music school. But if being away from it made him happier, and also allowed the two to meet, he couldn’t complain.

“Well here’s hoping my dad doesn’t find out. This is gonna make piano lessons so much more fun.”

“Well, it’s more like, have time to practise with you for Kitty Section. Even though you are a part time member, you’re still a member. We’re doing a mini concert for your class and anyone else who’s interested. Would you like to join us?”

Adrien brightened at the thought of playing with his friends. “Absolutely! What are we gonna play?”

“Can I borrow your computer? I sent the piano music sheets to myself and we have a small playlist on Spotify since Rose has been having a bit of trouble writing songs, we’re doing a lot of covers.”

“Sure.” Adrien let Luka sit in his computer chair and watched as he opened an incognito tab, not commenting on the anime he’d been watching when Nathalie came in. his eyes drifted to the violin case, sitting on the desk. Like his guitar, Luka’s case was covered in stickers.

Adrien loved all musical instruments, though the piano held a special place in his heart. The violin though, seemed so cool. Granted he still had trouble figuring out what was the difference between a violin and a viola, other than don’t ask if you don’t know cause the owners get annoyed about it. He watched Lindsey Stirling jump around her stage playing it, violin covers always sounded cool, especially on electric violins. Then there was the guy he’d admit he tried to emulate as Chat. Ikuto Tsukiyomi from Shugo Chara.

“Here we go.” Luka said, bring Adrien back, “Here’s the playlist. It’s a bit all over the place at the moment, we can’t decide what we want to go for since Rose really wants to have at least one of our songs on it. If you have any suggestions, by all means.”

“Do you play your violin often?” Adrien asked.

“Um, not totally. I mean, I do to still keep in practise, but not like in an orchestra or anything. Very rarely do I play it when the family is jamming.”

“Would you be opposed to playing it in Kitty Section?”

Luka was curious were this was going. “Why?”

Adrien leaned over, taking the mouse from the older boy. “Well, you don’t have to say yes and it would be work to switch the language over, which I can do by myself if need be, but I thought this song would be kinda cool to try this.”

He pulled up Black Diamond from the Shugo Chara anime. He could have also tried Tsukiyo no Marionette, but he felt like this one fit better with the band. He watched Luka listen, no doubt not fully understanding since it was in Japanese but he was tapping his finger on the table so Adrien had hope.

“This actually sounds good. It’s from one of your animes isn’t it?” the rocker slightly teased.

“Yeah, Shugo Chara. You should ask Rose about it. I introduced it to her and she loved it. Do you think the others would go for it? Would you even want to play it?”

Luka listened more, listening how the violin blended with guitars and drums, not out of place. It reminded him of how he wanted his music to feel back when he attended school. Maybe it was because of life with his mom, but when he got into that school, he thought he’d be able to play the way he wanted. Instead, they were trying to shot out numerous copies of this type A, perfect musician who only played classical. As much as he loved his guitar, and the chances to try out his harp skill on his lyre as Viperion, he really missed playing his violin.

“There’s also Invincible by Escape the Fate, Lindsey Stirling is featured on there. It’s more Kitty Sections style.” Adrien said, when Luka hadn’t said anything.

“I know of the song. It’s not in Rose’s key and it doesn’t feature keys and we want you there. But we’ll definitely add it to the list in case we decide to do it. I’ll run this song by the others and see what they think. How quick do you think you could transpose this?”

“Anything to get me away from playing classics for the next 2 hours.”

                                              ____________________

Juleka listened to the music that sounded vaguely familiar from when she’d watched the show with her girlfriend, but she was paying more attention to Luka. because their mom thrived on music and noise, from a very young age, both she and her older brother were taught many instruments. Luka took to them way more, a near prodigy at stringed instruments but she remembered guitar and violin battling for his favourite. After he left that school, he’d put his violin back in its box and shoved it away, only ever checking it to make sure it was still in tune and the bow didn’t need to be replaced. So watching him change the strings like he did after days of practise.

“You know, not that I’m mad about it, but I’m surprised you agreed to this. Playing your violin in the band.” Juleka said, as Luka plucked at each string to see if it was finally in tune. He’d forgotten how much he hated restringing his violin.

“I know. I’m a bit surprised to, but.” Luka shrugged, pulling out the shoulder rest. “The song just works with it and it fits with what I wanted to do before I went to that school. I mean, I’m doing whatever I want in terms of music now, why does the violin have to be exempt from that?”

Juleka flashed a small smile to her brother. “I’m glad. I missed you playing around the house. As long as it’s not classics 24/7 again, play to your hearts content. Though, now I really think we should do Invincible.”

“See if you can get Adrien to help you transpose it in a lower key for Rose and you’ve got a deal.”

“Fine. But we wear outfits like the band in the show does.”

Luka furrowed his face. He hated the late-night sunglasses look. The thing he did so he could play violin, it never stopped, just evolved. Expect now he didn’t mind this one.

[firelord-frowny]

!!! i just had a happy College Memory! <3

During my first two years, i was friends with another violin performance major named Yena. She was ~older~ for an undergrad college student lmao I think she was like 25 or 26, and I was a wee 16ish 17ish year old. She wasn’t a particularly skilled player in that she didn’t have the technical skills to really play virtuosc repertoir solidly. 

BUT, when she played stuff that had a difficulty level that didn’t exceed her skill level, she played BEAUTIFULLY. like. she was SO expressive and was always able to impart her artistic vision with such ease onto anything she performed. Like, she did Vivaldi’s “Summer” for one of the major recitals, and it was PHENOMENAL. Stunning. Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.

So, most music programs require that all students participate in a ~chamber ensemble~, which is basically a small group of musicians as opposed to a soloist or a full orchestra. the most popular form of chamber music is a string quartet, which usually includes two violins, one viola, and a cello. 

I LOVE playing in quartets. And usually a professor assigns a particular piece, and chooses which students are going to be in a particular group.

But I basically demanded to my professor that my group be assigned to play the Debussy string quartet, and I demanded that Yena be my 2nd violinist, and so that’s what happened. 

And it was just! Incredible! She was so wonderful to play with, and it was so easy to vibe off of her energy, and it was my faaaaaavorite experience in college. I loved playing with her so much! I hope she’s enjoying her life!

[sigmastolen]

just had a dream that took me straight back to my student teaching, with high school orchestra students in an affluent seaside community who definitely thought they were much hotter shit than me

anyway in this dream for some reason one desk of violins were unhappy about having to count a 9-bar rest, like, oh it's too long to comfortably count in my head whatever shall i do?

and both their teacher (my master teacher) and i told them to count on their fingers, then

(i've always found that certain high schoolers are reluctant to count on their fingers and write in their parts bc they think they lose face by doing so? if any young musicians in your life think that, please try to make them understand that they lose more face by losing count, or by continuing to make mistakes that have already been corrected, and they should feel welcome to do whatever helps them to succeed)

anyway, these whiny violins were like, but it's greater than five and we only have one free hand to count on! (you stupid heathen wind player) and i said then count to five once and then count to four *eyeroll*

but they continued to object so i determined that Now Is The Time For These Little Shits To Learn To Count On Their Fingers In Binary! except i had been chewing an impressively large wad of gum that had become extremely stuck to my palate and upper front teeth, and it was making me lisp (like a retainer) and i kept having to stop to pull stretchy gobs of it out of my mouth, which was disgusting and embarrassing, and i woke up just as i was trying to navigate 4 (2^2) being on the middle finger without flipping them all the bird (or getting flipped off by a room full of adversarial teenagers)

anyway the most important thing i learned from my student teaching is that i hate everything about teaching in a classroom and i also hate being on the podium (as opposed to being in the ensemble, making sound), so i'm grateful to have had that experience before i locked myself into a classroom-teaching career. i have adored every one of my private bassoon students, but teenagers are way cooler people one-on-one than in a class of thirty or more.

[inapat13]

Concerning Jazz Music

A complex debate

 An important debate about jazz music affects the question of its ethnicity and its history. As jazz began to develop at the turn of the twentieth century, many people wondered how it would influence representations of white people about the African American community - with which jazz was usually associated. For some African-Americans, jazz music highlighted the contribution of black people to American culture and society, and has drawn attention to black history and culture. Others believe that music and the term “jazz” are reminiscent of an oppressive and racist society, which restricts the freedom of black people.

The various forms of music developed by enslaved Africans in North American and their descendants were rooted in Africa, particularly West Africa. There are several music behind jazz. The music genre was born from the work songs of the slaves. It also includes the music later known as the blues, which expressed hopes and pains of people. Moreover, St. Louis had been a center of ragtime, one of the musical tributaries of jazz music, at the beginning of the century. “Jazz,” according to the pianist Dave Brubeck (speaking in 1950) was “born in New Orleans about 1880” consisting of “an improvised musical expression based on European harmony and African rhythms.”

 The term of « jazz » has a contested employment. The musician Max Roach didn’t accept the word : in 1972, he said that he prefered to describe the music as « the culture of African people who have been dispersed throughout North America […] jazz meant the worst kind of working conditions, the worst in cultural prejudice, the worst kind of salaries and conditions that one can imagine … the abuse and exploitation of black musicians ». Later, it was the turn of Artie Shaw : in 1992, he said that the word « jazz » was ridiculous. Archie Shepp also explained to Franck Cassenti in Je suis Jazz that he didn’t like the word neither. Whatever the case, it appears that the first authenticated appearance of the word “jazz” in print was in a newspaper, the San Francisco Call, on 6 March 1913. Originally, the term used to describe this music was associated with sex, and it was seen as a negative connotation.

New Orleans is famous because it’s the place where brass bands were born . The first jazz recording was released in March 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, an orchestra composed exclusively of white musicians. The pianist Jelly Roll Morton calls himself "inventor of jazz". If he’s indeed a ferryman between ragtime and jazz, it’s Sidney Bechet and especially Louis Armstrong who stand out as the great soloists of the New Orleans bands, characterized by collective improvisation. Jazz categories include Dixieland, swing, bop, cool jazz, hard bop, free jazz, jazz-rock, and fusion. The first jazz-style to receive recognition as a fine art was bebop, which is mainly instrumental and was formed by black jazz musicians during the late night jam sessions. Bebop evolved in the 1940s and was said to have been created by blacks in a way that whites could not copy.

  Until recently, the question of the "belonging" of jazz music to white musicians or black musicians has been highlighted by actual jazz musicians. For example, Jacob Collier published on his Instagram account these words (on June 2020):

 In the past few days, I have seen just how much power a white voice like mine has to detract from the truth and contribute to the noise, but what I can say with certainty is this : racism is a problem – in the UK, in the USA, ans across the world at large. Those who deny this, and are unwilling to engage with it, are the fabric of the probleme. As a white musician, I walk a path each and every day that has been trail-blazed, paved and illuminated by the colossal, unshakable legacy of black musicians stretching generations before me : the master alchemists, who transformed unspeakable suffering into everlasting power and music.

 In the same way, another famous white musician, Jamie Cullum, wrote this, also on June 2020:

 I remember when Twentysomething came out in 2004 I used to receive a lot of old fashioned paper mail. There was one short letter that asked me to consider what it meant to be a non-black musician, profiting off of generations of black artistry and culture. The reason I bring it up now is because I remember so clearly how it wasn’t a conversation I was ready to have with myself, as a 23 year old. But these are exactly the kinds of conversations that need to be had by people like myself, by all of us, however uncomfortable.

 Both of them underlined that the soul of this music is connected to the roots of the generation that came before us. They explain how it’s important to considere the complexity of this culture and the history.carried for years. It’s important to not avoid or erase the question for the next generation. Of course, jazz music has created a sense of fellowship between black and white musicians. White musicians were hired to perform with several black bands (for example, Roswell Rudd was introduced to jazz audiences by Archie Shepp). It has not only integrated people in the United States but also brought them together, in the entire world, integrating international ideas into the music. But discrimination has existed, and still is.

  Social effects of jazz music

 In the 1920s, jazz became popular when the music began to spread through recordings. Some black jazz musicians believed that they didn’t get full recognition and compensation for being the inventors of jazz as African American culture. Furthermore, some people oppose the idea that jazz was invented by blacks.

Gradually, opportunities were given to black musicians by the radio and recording industry. Popular black bands were promoted as long as there was a demand for jazz music by white Americans. Some of these jazzmen (and women singers) received recognition as serious artists and several were invited to give concerts in Carnegie Hall, but still encountered criticism and racism. To some extent, jazz music would not have been widely distributed to the general public without the recording industry. However, black jazz musicians were less credited for their innovation of jazz music.

Many musicians expressed their demand for identity, self-expression and community, participating to the « Black Arts Movement » in the 60’s and rejecting the white western gaze. It consists on using slang in literature, the orality rhythm of the blues or the gospel in music. They fight for the destruction of racist stereotypes and some of them conceptualized the « blacknes ».

 Artists’ voices in the Civil Rights Movement

In 1939, Billie Holiday’s rendition of Abel Meeropol’s poem, Strange Fruit, described the horrors of Jim Crow ‘s era lynching. The song is often considered as the first and most influential jazz protest song.

 Southern trees bear a strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop Here is a strange and bitter crop

 Decades later, while governments and individueals attempted to silence the black political voice, jazz became a way of deep expression. Many jazz musicians became outspoken activists, they made their voices heard and started creating soundtracks to support the Civil Rights movement. Indeed, huge cultural and political shifts were underway in the form of the civil rights movement, which sought to break down the existing social order. Evolving in parallel by similar cultural and historical questions, the civil rights and jazz movements (especially the avant-garde) influenced each other.

John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Nina Simone and some jazz pioneers made their voices heard during the civil rights movement. For instance, Coltrane was deeply involved in the movement and shared many of Malcolm X’s views on black consciousness and pan-Africanism, which he incorporated into his music. In the 60’s, he was at the height of his career. He performed a song (in fact, a dirge) in 1963, called Alabama, to mourn the Birmingham church bombing that took the lives of four little girls.

In 1964, Nina Simone sang the incendiary song Mississippi Goddam (responded to the 1963 murder of an activist, Megdar Evers) in front of a white audience at Carnegie Hall. The song starts off as a jaunty musical tune, before it evolves into an documentation of racial inequality in the South. In the recording, we can understand that the atmosphere of the concert is changing, as the public realize the intentions of the song. She used her lyrics to prolong her political commitment. She has also composed another famous song, Four Women : it highlight four specific stereotypes about black women.

Charles Mingus, for his part, wrote a song called Fables of Faubus about Orval Faubus, a racist governor of Arkansas, who infamously ordered the Arkansas National Guard to prevent black students from enrolling at Central High School in 1956. Mingus’ record label, Columbia, felt the lyrics were too incendiary, so he released the full version of the song on a record for another label.

To conclude this theme, I want to share an excerpt written by Dr. Martin Luther Link about jazz, for the Berlin Jazz Festival, in 1964 :

“God has wrought many things out of oppression. God has endowed creatures with the capacity to create-and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed humanity to cope with the environment and many different situations. Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life’s difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them to music, only to come out with some new hope and sense of triumph. This is triumphant music.”

This quote, from one of the most important figure of the Civil Rights Movement, underlines how jazz music has been a powerful form of art, but also a very political one, fighting against racism and advocating social, economic and political equality.

Anne Vinet

[oselatra]

On the value of art

I have a cousin who majored in dance. He flies Vipers for the Marines.

On the value of art

In response to an Arkansas Blog post on state Sen. Bart Hester's tweeted question of UA Little Rock's decision to advertise its dance program, "They lease a sign to encourage computer science degrees or math teachers? No they push for dance majors? Lots of hardworking Arkansans subsidizing this. Not ok.":

"It shouldn't be necessary to ask why the arts are worth fighting for, nor should it be necessary to answer such a question. The answer should be self-evident, making the question redundant. It is distressing, to put it mildly, to have reached a moment in the decline of the West at which the question is being asked and needs to be answered.

"Art can afford us exaltation ... the emotional force of great music, the profound effect of great words, the new ways of seeing we are shown by great images. It brings the extraordinary into ordinary life and nurtures and lifts up our spirits.

"It is telling that authoritarians and fanatics make the arts their first targets. Dictators the world over imprison writers; the Taliban banned song, dance, and theater; terrorist bombers attack music venues. Censorship and persecution are tyrants' ways of saying they know how important the arts are, how closely connected to liberty.

"Those of us lucky to live in free societies should value and support what the enemies of freedom fear. Without adequate funding, theaters close, orchestras disband, films are not made. The arts are strong and will endure, but artists need and deserve our support.

"Nourish the arts, and they will nourish us right back." — Salman Rushdie

John Gaudin

North Little Rock

I have a cousin who majored in dance. He flies Vipers for the Marines.

Vanessa

As a dancer, artist and dance teacher, Sen. Hester's comments about the UALR dance program do not sit lightly with me. The sign itself says "Unlimited Pathways." I think that is one of the greatest things about the arts. Dancers, musicians, artists, writers ... are always trying to push the limits and create new things. In the arts, we are always told to "think outside the box" and look at things in a different light to see the vast amount of possibilities. The world needs these creative minds just as much as we need our scientists, physicians, lawyers, etc.  Several years ago, if the university had have had a dance program at the time, I probably would have stayed in Little Rock for my college career, but instead I went to school out of state where I could get a degree in dance. And now I am proud to be back in Little Rock sharing my love for dance with my students and audiences. Dance has helped me to not limit myself and has given me so many wonderful opportunities in and out of Arkansas. I am currently teaching a blind woman ballet and will be starting to work with students at the Arkansas School for the Blind. I love that I can share my passion for dance with my home state and give back to a community that I grew up in. Those dance majors are the artists performing at Robinson Performance Hall, the actors/actresses on the stages of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Weekend Theatre, the Children's Theatre and dancers who grace the stage at The Nutcracker each December. All of these things bring revenue to our state. Why limit that?

Mccartylauren1

If the "dance" was the "Two Step" and at the Electric Cowboy he'd be for it. Where seldom are minorities found he'd be for it.

Tucker Max

Oh, he's beyond backwoods. In fact he makes primitive Neanderthals look like a tribe of Einsteins. No, Bart, like President Trump, revels in his own truth. So what if it is diametrically opposed to fact? Bringing another reality to replace the present one is heaven on earth for these folks.

Maxifer

Coming from a Baptist background I know that all dancing leads right to mouth gasping, hair pulling, clothes-sofa-car seat smeary hot sex! Hot, hot, hot, hot sex! And in the mind of Bart Hester, prayer, blood-letting and leeches are the only medical treatment needed. He no doubt wishes white people could still own black slaves and believes that wife beating is recommended in order to promote a good Christian home. Jesus says, don't you know? I hope to die in Arkansas in the 21st century, but first the state needs to move out of the 19th century. Electing and re-electing assholes like Hester and Jason Rapert and Denny Altes will prevent that from ever happening. This country laughs at Arkansas, and it's not very hard to understand why.  One must wonder if Mrs. Hester was forced to undergo a clitoridectomy before the wedding?

DeathbyInches

Now, this Mr. Hester may be onto something, re wasteful expenditures!  As noted above, legislator per diem? Gee, don't think too many Wal-drones get money to travel to the place of their employment. CUT!  Home office tax-credit? They turned what was otherwise likely a little-used room in their house into an office. CUT! $40k a year for part-time work? In the interest of a living wage, how's about $15 per hour during the workday hours that the legislature is in session? CUT! He's right about ONE thing: "Lots of hardworking Arkansans subsidizing this! Not ok."

tsallenarng

Hester is the kind of guy that probably gets all weird feeling when he sees anything slightly artistic. He'd probably see the statue of David and make a penis joke.

RYD

In response to the Times' Feb. 8 feature on the new Windgate Center for Art and Design at UA Little Rock:

Sen. Bart Hester demands it shut down because he doesn't understand it.

TuckerMax

In response to the Arkansas Blog's post on Donald Trump's tweet that "lives were being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation," apparently in defense of his former aide who was accused of abuse by two former spouses:

MAGA = back to the days when husbands can beat their wives with impunity.

Rush Lemming

In response to the Feb. 8 review of The Avenue restaurant in Hot Springs:

The duck confit might have been as good or even better than what you had in Paris. It also cost about twice as much. I'm in Paris now and just had duck confit at our favorite cafe, just a 10-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower. It was 12 Euros. And it was a larger piece than what's pictured here. Remember, this is freakin' Paris, not Hot Springs. Been to the Avenue once —and enjoyed the food. But thought the prices were nuts, especially for a mid-sized town in Arkansas. $26 duck? $28 halibut? Apparently that hasn't changed.

Big Fun

I do not hold with fruit and meat. Or fruit and fish. Fruit and fruit is fine. Or just fruit. But it's this degenerate mixing of the foodstuffs that is destroying America.

Carrick Patterson

In response to the Arkansas Blog post musings about the upcoming action on Medicaid expansion by the state legislature:

If A$a! thinks that failure to continue Medicaid expansion will blow a hole in the budget, wait till he gets a load of Drumpf's infrastructure plan that shifts costs to the states, bigly.

tsallenarng

On the value of art

[blog-researchblog]

Inside the Mind of a Musician

 Olivia L

Reflection:

      From the time I was a young girl, I have been surrounded by musical, theatrical, and artistic people. Because of this, music has always had a special place in my heart, which is why I am pursuing a career in this industry. Because the musical world is so multi-faceted, I used an article written by Scott Christ entitled, “7 Powerful Questions To Find Out What You Want To Do With Your Life”, to help me narrow in which direction I am most interested. 

      Through this article and the specific questions that were asked, I feel even more strongly about how passionate I am towards anything musical! Jazz, rock, pop, classical - it doesn’t matter. I’ve been figuring out that I can really appreciate anything once I know a little bit about it. But I am most passionate about playing music. For me, there is something so special about being the vessel through which music can speak to people in a way that words sometimes can’t. I am repeatedly astonished by the power just a couple of sounds can have over a person’s emotions. I often feel that my job as a musician is to tell the story of the composer. Many times, music is created from personal experiences or feelings. And while those people are no longer around to express themselves to others, their emotions are still valued and should be appreciated. As the person playing this music, I need to be able to interpret what emotions the music should evoke, and maybe offer some insight into the life of the composer. 

      In the last 4 or 5 years or so, I feel that I have accomplished a great deal musically. In high school, I was able to secure a job as an accompanist for different choirs, which taught me many useful skills such as learning how to follow a conductor, and keeping a steady tempo, which sometimes proves difficult as a solo performer. During this time I also had the opportunity to work as a church organist. This was also a big help in the development of my technical skills.  I was able to learn a whole new instrument, and also work on developing my improvisational skills. In my senior year of high school, I won my first classical piano competition and was awarded a scholarship to go to college. After being in college, I have had a plethora of opportunities that have helped me become a better musician and performer. Prior to college, I had severe performance anxiety, but now, I have no problem performing whenever I need to. I always get nervous, but I can manage my anxiety in a much healthier way than before. Last semester, I won two different competitions, one of them pop and one of them classical. For the pop competition, I now have the opportunity to fly to LA in the summer and be on the filming of a musical TV show! For the classical competition, I have the opportunity to play a very famous concerto with a seventy-piece orchestra, which I am very excited about. But I would say that overall my biggest accomplishment has been being able to perform through my nerves and not letting that deter me from competing. Even if I could, I wouldn’t choose to do anything differently. I’m currently exploring, learning, performing, and experiencing. 

      Right now, my main goal is to be a successful recording artist both singing and playing the piano. I will try to exhaust every option to get myself there because at least if I don’t, then I can take comfort in knowing that I did my best. To be able to support myself solely on my music would be a total dream come true, and signifies a certain level or success to myself that I would like to attain. So for now, I am taking one step at a time. 

      The main reason why I have such a deep love and desire to pursue a music career is because of my nana, who I admire most in the world. It is because of her that I can play the piano. I admire her so much because she did everything she could to get what she wanted out of her dream, which was to be a singer. She went to Julliard as a voice major and a piano minor, and traveled the world as an entertainer. Later, she made it to Broadway and was in a couple of shows before deciding that life wasn’t actually for her. She is the only person I know that reached her goals and then decided she had different, more important priorities. Many times in the arts, there are people who are bittered by the thought of music and art because they don’t get what they want out of the industry. But to this day, she doesn’t regret ever leaving Broadway, and she still loves music and the piano more than anything. I hope to have this kind of mindset as I get older, even if life doesn’t go exactly the way I’d like it to go now.

      Because of this desire to attain my goals as soon as possible, I tend not to like anything that takes me away from practicing or reaching those goals. It is something I struggle with sometimes, especially as music has become an even more important and time consuming part of my life in college. Ideally, I need about 6 hours of practice a day because of the amount of music I have to learn and master, and because of the caliber of which I’m playing at. 

      To ensure that my future self is happy, I am willing to give it my all! I will continue to devote myself to practicing, developing and discovering, and I will always be open to new things. I will most likely be working towards these goals my entire life. I understand what comes with the life of an artist, as I’m already feeling the effects of that. Practicing even just 6 hours a day, as opposed to the normal 8-12 for full time musicians, definitely takes a toll on my social life as well as my family life, as I am not around and can’t be involved in as many things as I’d like. However, my desire to succeed and improve outweighs my desire to be a very social person. I think these feelings won’t change as I grow and may only get stronger. In order to find the most recent information in this field, I consulted the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 The Reality of the Job:

       According to the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook entry entitled, “Musicians and Singers,” the musical world is ever changing and growing, offering one-of-a-kind opportunities to performing and recording artists who are dedicated and ambitious enough to take on the challenges that come with this field. Typically, recording and performing artists such as musicians and singers play instruments or sing for live audiences and/or in recording studios to make a living. An artist that is on the path to success will audition around, travel, and book as many gigs as possible in order to promote their brands and careers, and ensure some sort of income. To make themselves more marketable, a musician will also commonly become proficient in many instruments or in many styles of singing. In recent years, most musicians not only record and perform music, but also compose and write original music. 

      The path to becoming a performing artist is different for every individual. There are no education requirements in this field. However, most performers of classical music have been trained and at least have a bachelor's degree. While no formal education is needed, many artists put long hours into practicing and rehearsing so that they can interpret and understand the music at a professional level. Because of the nature of the field, many successful artists must have specific qualities including dedication, motivation, talent and promotional skills.  The pay for performing artists is also something that is very specific to each artist, unless that artist has a steady job and source of income. Many musicians and singers find only part-time or intermittent work and may have long periods of unemployment between jobs. In regards to job outlook, in the coming years there will likely be almost no change in the employment numbers of performing artists. However, while the new and improving technology such as digital downloads and streaming will help musicians and singers in terms of publicity and commercial interest, employment is projected to decline in orchestras, opera companies, and other classically rooted organizations that are lacking funding. 

On the Job Interview:

      To get more insight on the nature of this career, I interviewed Dr. Maria Asteriadou, a seasoned musician, performer, and concertizing pianist who currently teaches at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Very few understand better than her how the desire to have a life full of music and performance is both a blessing and a curse. As Maria is someone with great experience who I truly admire, I was curious to hear what her story was as she was entering the musical world. I also hoped, as a young person trying to make a path for herself in this industry, that she could offer me some advice or insight on how to be a successful artist.

      During our interview, Maria recalled the first time that she received attention for her playing abilities. When Maria was just 5 years old, the people around her recognized special and great potential in her. Once she entered conservatory at age 8, she knew that her path was made for her. In a joking matter, she expressed why she stuck with music. “After I made this decision, my parents treated me as their favorite, and my brother hated me for that,” she said. Even as a joke, I related to this immediately as I recently have been understanding how relationships can change in a family when there is one or more artist pursuing a performance career. 

      She then said something which put me at ease in terms of practicing and time management. As a full-time student, and working performer, it is often difficult to find what feels like enough practice time in the day. But Maria’s practice schedule helped put mine into perspective. She explained, “Before I got married and had kids, everything had to be perfect when I had to perform. I had to sleep my 8 to 10 hours, I had to get up, practice, eat well, take my nap, then get ready and everything would go smoothly. And then I got married and pregnant with my first kid and then my friend, a clarinetist, told me that now I had to learn how to play with no sleep, how to play with no food, how to pretty much go up on stage and play any time . I thought I could never do this, and of course then I had the kid and he was right. But what happens? You adjust.” She then went on to explain that even practicing efficiently is time consuming. Sometimes even when Maria is just “microwaving” a piece, or trying to get an old piece back into her fingers, it can take 3 to 5 hours of practicing a day. For a new piece, she would have to put her normal 10 to 12 hours a day! Reminiscing about her days as a solo pianist, she fondly remembered the time that she had a recital in Croatia, and was expected to play with a percussion ensemble a piece that she had previously played. However, right after that performance, she had to rush to Greece to record a piece that she had never even seen before. She spoke in distress, almost as if she was reliving the event, as she explained her almost crippling anxiety as she begged for a piano to practice on in Croatia. She only wished to perform well in Greece. After pleading, she got her hands on a piano and was able to practice for the entire day after her performance with the percussion ensemble.

      After returning to the interview questions, Maria then began to talk about an aspect of this kind of life that could easily be misconstrued as negative. She explained that she often felt growing up a lot of pressure and anxiety, because every free second she had she felt the need to practice. There seems to be a lack of relaxation in this field, which sometimes drives serious performing artists like this to almost be workaholics, with no ability to appreciate anything else if they are feeling under practiced. This was something that I really struggled with last semester, as I was involved in two different competitions, and was having trouble balancing the practice I felt I needed for that, plus my own personal repertoire, chamber groups, and academic school work. It made my life very difficult in some aspects as I couldn’t have a social life or even just one second when I wasn’t thinking about all the practice I needed to do. It was very exhausting. However, something Maria and I agree on, is that after putting in the work needed, it is more rewarding than almost any other type of work.

      Another very rewarding aspect in this job is recognizing the progress in stage presence and the management of anxiety. Maria explained that this is the time to learn, in college, and in conservatory. And every time you perform, you get a little better at handling nerves in front of people. As Maria knows that I’ve always suffered with severe performance anxiety, she excitedly stood up from her chair and moved to the piano. As she played a passage from the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto, which I am preparing to perform in April, she spoke loudly over the music. She encouraged me to embrace my nerves, and channel them in a certain direction of excitement and emotion, so that those feelings would be accurately conveyed to the audience. 

      After this mini piano lesson, I expressed to her that it seemed to me as though the professions that require the most love, feeling, and emotion, lack general funding and money. She compared the reality of this path to the unrealistic dreams that young performers usually have. She said that the common dream of making a living solely based on performance is not really the case nowadays. Now, regular people working 9 to 5 jobs will have multiple jobs in their lives, and the same goes for musicians. Then, she said something very true to the industry; that one must be the full package, meaning that people can’t just be technically trained. They also have to have social skills so that they can market themselves, and make themselves stand out from their competitors. Again, she remembered a moment from her childhood, recalling the arguments she used to have with her father who always pushed her to be sociable. “I hated talking to people” she said, “I always used to say, ‘I’m not selling anything, you’re selling!’” Chuckling, she looked at me and acknowledged that after all, he was right.

      Coming away from this interview, I feel much more secure about my choice to pursue a music career. I realize now that I can’t expect to have just one job, or my “dream” job immediately after school. This field is constantly changing, and I have to be adaptable. But more than anything, my happiness should not be dependent on what my current definition of success is. I should remember why I decided to pursue this, and why I devote so much time, effort and energy to it. I now have a deeper understanding that it is my responsibility to share my love of music with the world, and my happiness will only come after I fully embrace and chase after this in the future. After interviewing Dr. Asteriadou, and hearing about her success, I decided to do more research specifically on the topic of job opportunities in the performing arts field. To do this, I consulted a New York Times article. 

Career in the News:

      The article, “What Will All These Musicians Do?”, written by Bernard Holland, an American music critic, focuses on the relationship between the technical training of young musicians and the demands of the musical world itself. He explains that music schools in particular have been producing more students with technical skills of a higher caliber than ever before, but the problem that remains is what those students are going to do after they graduate. There is not enough funding , publicity, or room in this field to accommodate all of the skilled musicians flooding in; only a few will be lucky enough to have solo careers. This is because the field is already fully employed. Another point Holland touches upon is how the struggle to find a job in this field affects the art and music being produced. The intense, fierce fight to the top seems to contradict the rather sensitive and emotional subject matter. One solution to this problem would be to have music schools stop producing specialists, and start producing students that have a wide variety of skills. This also includes teaching young musicians to not only play well, but also market themselves in the real world after school. Another suggestion offered is to avoid instilling in the minds of young musicians that playing louder and faster equals being a better musician, and that being emotionally invested in the music that is being created is more valued and appreciated. 

      This is a very interesting topic to me because it is directly related to my major and area of interest. I chose this article because it speaks specifically about the challenges of securing a job in the musical world today, and how an already intense and narrow field is becoming ever more so. It offers some explanation as to why it is so difficult to become successful, and gives some suggestions as to combat these problems which are arising everyday. This is so closely related to what I am studying because it is directly linked to performing artists in a classical and non classical setting. Becoming a successful performing artist with a solo career is something that is constantly on my mind, as I am already half-way through my college career and still have so many things to experience and explore before I graduate. Unfortunately, most of those things that I enjoy do not present me with a variety of musical opportunities for later in life. In addition to this, job stability has been something that I have accepted as virtually unattainable for myself especially coming right out of school. However, at some point it is important to become successful enough where I am able to support myself financially and have a healthy lifestyle. The problem with this is that the older one gets, the less attractive they are to the public, however, job opportunities as a young person are almost nonexistent as those positions are already filled by older, more experienced musicians, or by the very few, rare, exceptionally talented people. 

      I have always known that this was a very difficult and narrow field to pursue, but this article has shed some more light on why exactly it is becoming more and more challenging everyday to secure a job in the music industry as a performer. I have learned that schooling and education play a bigger role in the success of musicians than I anticipated, as schools do not seem to be teaching students how to prepare themselves for the real world. Also, I found it very interesting that the way students are taught can make an impact on the amount and which jobs are available to them. For example, if a student is taught only to be a virtuoso classical pianist and nothing else, then they have almost no other options career wise, and their whole life and living is at stake if they have a lot of competition, which is what is happening now. Something I would still like to learn more about are the roles that funding and economics play in creating job opportunities in this field, as the article mostly talked about how education affected the job outlook for students once they left school.

[ccinthecity]

Philip Venables & David Hoyle Illusions | HUM4938 | Excursions

Illusions by Philip Venables at the festival of New Music Biannual was an enthralling introduction to the contemporary composition scene in London, as well as a much-needed thrust into the relevant discourse of the LGBTQ+ community to get a gauge on queer issues in British culture, only a day after the PRIDE parade, which was a display of the happier, joyous side of the culture, the celebration that was only happening because of the depoliticisation of the event, diminishing the protest to a parade. This performance was in stark contrast to that environment. Venables, who also is a part of the community, has received acclaim for his work focusing on sexuality and political themes, and this piece certainly did not fall short.

Combining the cacophonous noise of a sinfonietta, the brash ideas of avant-garde drag performer David Hoyle (known by pseudonym “Divine David”) in a stream of consciousness, and a soothing but quirky "elevator music" bossa nova, Venables delivered a hard hitting video-audio commentary into the thought of the average British Queer individual, in four movements:

democracy: the role of democracy in queerness,

gender: how one would begin to learn of their identity (and the struggle involved therein, of finding appropriate jargon and space to realize it),

assimilation: the political influence and repression of queer culture, and

revolution: against that political influence.

It wasn't really made as a piece of talking to any member of the LGBT community, although there were some asides made to people who identified so—it was largely not a rant but a passionately intellectual (albeit, rather polarizing) and a little bit condescending, although comedic, statement to those who are not a part of the community, or rather opposed to it (the conservative parties, or minded individuals).

David’s dialogue was not the parameter by which the music took place—it was not speech sound, by any means: the orchestra took on the rhythmic constancy of his video, and although they augmented the speech to a point, enunciating and emphasising certain fluttered repetitions in an almost post-apocalyptic overlapping big-top sound, the ensemble too provided a possible medium by which David’s words were muffled; as his cries to action grew louder, so did they (perhaps this was an issue of the technical variety, but so is live art; so is the experience of contemporary music and the projection of one’s inferences onto a presentation or work of art). Was the orchestra his foundation? His greek chorus? Or was it the very foundation he spoke against, the people he was speaking to, cluttering the message, interpreting it and dissecting it to their needs to distribute its message to their best advantage? Regardless of the role of the orchestra at a metaphorical level, I did enjoy their physical playing as well. The conductor, Richard Baker, was a perfect fit—his movements were percussive, distinct, yet embodied a postured grace and length to movements. My favourite sections of the sinfonietta were the strings, which often had legato sostenuto passages, sliding between notes in a taffy-like manner, still elastic, but providing a canopy over which the avant-garde Hoyle pronounced his qualms, but so too had double stopping, frantic jumps. I also enjoyed the role of the piano, and although I cannot pin point my exact attraction to its part, I do remember noting its presence, and the delicate yet pronounced, intellectual tone it brought to the conversation of the instruments. Brass and winds were overwhelming, I think to me as they always are, for their kind of louder, screeching qualities, but they were the characteristic of this piece, that which pronounced the offence, the effect of the words. The percussion was minimalist but lovely, providing a rumble, the electro-static underneath the tonal parts of the piece, keeping a rhythm and stopping only to blow the whistle between movements. Some parts of the piece weren’t live, but recorded. Aside from David’s video footage, a bossa nova track (which Venables described as “elevator music”) played in the sections before the entrances of the orchestra, often highlighting moments of condescension or humour throughout. Each movement came to its own climax, but most certainly, the hardest hitting crescendo was that in the third movement, queer assimilation, when Hoyle explored the concept of human beings having to demean themselves in an act of subjugation, “to beg for the right to be themselves,”, condemning any person who directly denies others the right and the dignity (or even supports the system that upholds it) of being themselves in the first place. The music became more and more frantic, dissonant, and pleading.  

In the same way that Hoyle was protesting traditional or conservative ideas of gender and identity or political control of personal expression, so was Venables against the ideas of traditional, conservative music. Music, in comparison to the other art forms of theatre, dance, creative writing, sculpture and 3D art and two dimensional fine art, is a very conservative field. As a music major, and as a dabbler in music education, unless in the field, in an area where the teachers are experienced or come from similar schools, there is often a lead by younger students and even those in the profession that more strongly and vehemently defend traditional ensembles and genres than new popular and contemporary forms of compositions. So often do we exclude or deny digital music or popular genres of their legitimacy in academia, in the profession, that we alienate ourselves from the majority of musicians today (who are amateurs or self-taught, not involved in academia, and thoroughly or even casually entrenched in more exciting, faster moving, progressive areas). Music pedagogy (and education in general) in the UK is far more progressive, and to see these kinds of themes persist to acclaim here, was encouraging, to say the least. It might be rather obvious, but to see the parallel between the conservative art form of music to its fellow forms, to conservative politics and values to a population, was personally significant. I enjoyed the composer’s commentary on this part, and his further note that some musicians prefer to look at music as just music; an aesthetic, not a political vault. However, as an art form, it exists for expression, and should be encouraged as a medium for communication of these values.

Moreover, I realized sometime during the interview and the second performance of the piece, that this was not just only a testament to gender expression as a political issue, but also an affront to what offence really meant. Of course, there was a quote from Philip that I think rang true to the audience and stood out from his interview, that "If you’re more offended by a performance than the offensive concepts, then there is an issue,”, which is certainly true. But I think the entire perception of the offensiveness and abrasive qualities of the performance, although it was dissonant and chaotic, kind of lie in the mistaken understanding of what intended offence would be. As, to some extent, the purpose of the composition was not to offend, but to speak to a larger issue, to engage. In social justice communities, and especially in the queer community, calling people out for negative or mutually detrimental behaviour is a common phenomena, essential to positive discourse. What is called “tea” or “shade” or “drag” or whatever have you is simply a nod to expecting others in your community, in your diaspora, to cease withholding toxic behaviours and opinions often instilled by assimilative systems. To correct someone, to plea for their needed involvement and awareness, acceptance, is not offence, and should not be taken so. It is a necessary part of the conversation. To be corrected, very blatantly is to be loved, to be cared for, and invited into the discussion, and although at some times it can be seen as aggressive, being as informed and as unproblematic (or, moreso aware of your problematic tendencies, privileges, and effects on your perspective) as possible is to be a proactive member of discourse on any given subject, especially in scenes of rights, and of expression. It was an abrasive performance, absolutely—to downplay the inherent anger of the LGBTQ+ community in making these remarks would be to miss the point of the piece entirely. But I hesitate to call it even potentially offensive to those who are not in immediate agreement with Hoyle or Venables.

If possible later on, I would like to hear the recorded version of the piece, if it does change from the live performance, and how that effects the interaction between the pre-recorded material featuring Hoyle and the music of the ensemble.

sources and further reading: Illusions - Philip Venables & David Hoyle Interview with Philip Venables about Music, Violence, and Text

[ellie-steiner]

5 Directors and The Way They Ace Pace

Published on the Raindance blog 05/09/2018

Someone once compared watching a film to listening to a piece of music. Thinking about the whole process, it makes sense. Music notes on sheet paper guide musicians to play a piece of music in harmony led by a conductor. And yet music is not just about fitting all those components together like a puzzle. Instead they meld and cohere so invisibly to create a mood and flow of that piece. This is like film. Cinematography, sound design, editing, writing and actors all lift a story onto the big screen but don’t work in and of themselves. Their roles sync to create the right atmospheres for engaging narratives.

Understanding film like music cannot be a better comparison to situate pace in film: because pace is all about establishing mood and flow. Watching a film is about experiencing its patterns, the symmetry of its parts and, very importantly, timing. Pace relates to the progress of the narrative arc; how we are guided through the story. We engage with the scenes in terms of the flow of dialogue and action, in other words, its rhythm.

But understanding what we mean by pace can be very difficult because it is subtle. Let’s just say that bad pacing is when something happens too long on screen or contrarily too short: we’re either twiddling our thumbs, waiting for the next piece of information to reveal itself or are confused because we haven’t had enough time to process what we see. Good pacing constantly mediates that middle ground, adjusting between fast and slow to keep us emotionally engaged through one and a half hours of storytelling.

I’ve chosen to examine how 5 contemporary directors use pace in order to understand how films can be read this way. Although it’s not often explicit, the way these directors have paced their films have been influential in defining their specific directorial style.

1. David Fincher

David Fincher is perhaps most known for his hard-boiled, fast-thinking and emotionally twisted protagonists. Think the insomniac narrator in Fight Club, whiz brain Zuckerberg in The Social Network and the frantic but driven cartoonist Graysmith trying to find a killer in Zodiac. By following the journey of these characters, the pace of Fincher’s films are mostly fast, sharp and succinct. His punchy dialogue is definitely key to this, but also his slick editing and camerawork. Fincher for instance has this camera technique of following the movement of characters, tracking alongside them as they walk; lingering as they pause. It’s as if we’re experiencing the events alongside them, searching for truths the same time they are. Fincher always provides us with a lot of information to grasp in a short space of time, often jumping between different points in time, yet his films’ steady pace helps us process all of that whilst focusing on a clear plotline. As a result, you can pick up new details in his films with every viewing. However, Fincher’s best achievement lies in the way he brings his viewers to the level of his protagonists’ pace of thinking. When we watch the Social Network we can’t help but start think fast like Zuckerberg. This is the crux to the way Fincher builds suspenseful plotlines.

2. Quentin Tarantino 

People usually associate violence with fast-paced thrillers. Violence in Tarantino’s films however occurs at a purposefully measured pace, usually at the end of a very long piece of dialogue, to make it all the more unexpected and ruthless. If you think of the opening scene of Inglorious Bastards, SS colonel Hans Landa has a pretty banal conversation with the dairy farmer, but psychologically transforms him into such a nervous wreck that he is led to reveal the Jewish family hiding under his floorboards. This scene draws out the characters’ conversations line by line, dragging out the tension without changing pace for as long as possible to the point of becoming unbearable: then he brings out the guns. Pensive but suspenseful pacing is particular to Tarantino in making viewers wait to jolt at newly erupted action. Additionally, Tarantino often utilizes confining claustrophobic spaces to establish power dynamics between characters. The intrusion of a Nazi officer in the basement bar of Inglorious Bastards for instance is a visual disruption because he walks in from a different camera angle within that space. This change in framing is disarming and considerably changes the flow of the scene, showing how instrumental shot composition is to pace.

3. Damien Chazelle

Music has been the main subject of Oscar-winning Damien Chazelle first two features, Whiplash and La La Land. As a musical, La La Land is obviously filmed and edited according to the film’s soundtrack but I found Chazelle’s other film Whiplash equally fascinating in a rhythmic sense. Chazelle’s debut feature centers on an ambitious student drummer challenged physically and psychologically by a renowned but abusive conservatory teacher, Terrence Fletcher. Whiplash opens on the protagonist, Andrew Neiman, playing on his kit, his drum roll in gradual crescendo as the camera pushes forward to a close up. This audio-visually establishes the increasing emotional frustration Andrew experiences throughout the film on the pulse of a drumbeat, pushed further to the brink of sanity. Sound architects Andrew’s state of anxiety and the film’s spiraling tension. In a finale jazz performance, when Andrew realizes he has been cheated by Fletcher he takes the orchestra into his own hands with an electrifying drum solo. Conductor and drummer lock heads in battle on the basis of whether Andrew will lose his furious beat, at times matching viewers’ racing heartbeat. Chazelle’s method of pacing posits Whiplash’s key point of contention: is Fletcher trying to screw Andrew over, or by challenging him does he help him become famous?

4. Terrence Malick

Whilst for Fincher pace is key to locking viewers into characters’ minds, the films of Terrence Malick remove them from the main narrative focus altogether. Malick’s films have often (controversially) been described as poetic essays, extended philosophical enquiries on the meaning of life. This is because he has a specific form of cinematic storytelling that is based on loosely associated images, using a drifting camera wafting in and out of a scene, placing characters in an out of focus. This is particularly distinctive to the flow of Malick’s work that doesn’t impose a particular way of viewing action according to characters’ perspectives. Malick builds his filmic narratives around moments and gestures, as if we’re guided by characters’ stream of consciousness. In Tree of Life for instance, Malick tries to express how protagonist Jack searches the farthest recesses of his mind to bring back his earliest childhood memories. The dislocated images and snippets of voices embody that indeterminacy of remembering. It’s Jack’s sensorial rather coherent experience that Malick tries to convey in his particular cinematic language. His sense of pace establish that illusion of what is floating, lilting and lyrical; to show how action doesn’t have a purpose or ending but just wafts in front of the camera.

5. Lynne Ramsay

Studying the pace of Lynne Ramsay’s work is intriguing on the basis of her formal background as a photographer. Her aesthetic practice weaves into her cinematographic work because they are as detailed as photography itself. What we see in her films are studies of characters, focusing on details that break free from the confines of the plot and set up a  pace to her films both tender and meditative. Ramsay tells stories of ordinary people’s lives, oftentimes harrowing or burdened by grief or pain, and within the worlds they inhabit she unfolds images and sounds that make us immerse in its folds and textures. As opposed to Whiplash’s plot-driven sound and image, to Ramsay they are part of her attention to detail. This is to show the way James in Ratcatcher wraps himself in a curtain, as if shrouded by his friend’s death who drowned in a bog. There’s this memorable close-up shot of ants crawling on a jam sandwich in We Need To Talk About Kevin. This not only reveals the mess left by an ill-mannered boy, but also how his parents, by post-poning the problem, let it grow into a bigger one. Through careful framing and shot choices, both films portray different portraits of childhood and adulthood, revealed in the visual pacing of their day-to-day lives.

[justingarcellano]

Whiplash (Movie Review 3)

Whiplash, a word so short but has made a man’s dream into reality. This is how Andrew Neiman achieved his dream. He’s just a normal person like everybody else, the only thing that differs him from the rest of us is his way of achieving his aims.

One day, while playing drums in the practice room, Terence Fletcher, a famous conductor of Shaffer, saw him and asked him to play, as he plays the drums, he realized that Fletcher already left. That is when he wanted to become the core drummer of Fletcher’s orchestra.

The next day, Andrew, together with other musicians, plays the instruments when out of the blue, Terence welcomed himself and invited Andrew to be the alternate drummer in his group. He accepted it and was asked to be in their practice room at 6 A.M.

To his surprise, no one was there but himself, so he waited for 3 hours until all the members went in. He sat curiously beside the core drummer as he watches how Fletcher conducts and manages the group. Shocked to see Fletcher suddenly shout, he remained quiet. He was confused and amazed how his mentor detected the tune that was ruining the melody.

Days passed and with his passion on drumming, he practiced hard and well until he was promoted to be the core drummer.

When he had a dinner with his family, each child stated their achievements, Andrew’s brothers were applauded by their parents but when he told them his achievement, they barely listened and didn’t even congratulate him. After that, he stood up and went out. Knowing that his parents aren’t even proud of him, he worked harder and practiced better, pushing himself to the limit.

When the orchestra met again, he was shocked that he was only given the title TEMPORARY core drummer, and so he worked harder than before, his passion for drums led himself a thousand feet over his capability. And so he finally reached the fruit. He became the core drummer.

One day, the group had to attend a competition. Andrew rode a bus and unfortunately, it had a flat tire. So he rented a temporary car, without noticing, he forgot his drum sticks on a chair. When he reached his destination, he met the other members and Fletcher. When Terence supervised him, he noticed that he didn’t have the drum sticks, Andrew said he could just use the sticks of the alternate drummers but he opposed him and forced him to get his own sticks. Without telling the truth, he drove back to the place where he rented the car, took his sticks and drove back to the theatre. On his way back, he met a car crash, but because he wanted to prove to Fletcher that he is a worthy core drummer, he went out of the wrecked car and ran to the place. With bleeding and wounded hands, he played the part but his hands failed him. Fletcher told him that he must stop and that he failed to earn the roll. Wrath overwhelmed Andrew and he fought Fletcher.

With his boring life now, he did nothing. While walking on the street, he saw a poster of a jazz band and Fletcher’s name. He went inside and saw him, they made eye contact and Terence invited him to have a drink. He accepted and they had a short chat. Fletcher invited him to be the drummer of the group and then again, he accepts it. When the band performed, Andrew was shocked. The piece that the group was playing was not on his note, so just to cover himself, he made his own tune. Due to the out of tune sound Andrew made, all eyes were on him, he was filled with humiliation. He stood and tried to walk away but he thought that this is the chance to prove to Terence that he deserved that part. So he went back, started playing and led the orchestra, as a wonderful product, they made harmony.

Guide Questions:

1.)    What life lessons can be learned from the movie?

It starts with “Never give up your dreams”. Andrew Neiman, a drummer whose been pushing himself over his limits just to achieve his aim- to become the core drummer, showed that a strong and a tough person can make his own dream into reality. He never gave up despite the excruciating experience he went through with his instructor. Another one is “Don’t mind what others tell you, just do what you love to do”. Like what Andrew showed, when he had supper with his family. His parents applaud the success of his brothers, but when he told them his achievement (becoming the core drummer), they barely listened and didn’t even congratulate him. But he took that moment not to get revenge or be haughty, he took it as a source for him to work harder and better. Finally, the early bird gets the worm. A scene of which this was shown is when he tried to court the cashier girl in the theatre. Since he focused more on drumming, he told the girl that they can’t be together and they will never be. But when he failed to take the part and earn the roll, he called the girl if she can give him a chance, unfortunately the girl already had a partner.

 2.)    What part of the story told by the movie was the most powerful? why?

The most powerful scene in the movie is when Neiman didn’t stop even after meeting an accident, he went out of the wrecked car and ran his fastest pace with a bleeding head and a wounded hand.  Though weak and losing pints of blood, he still played the drum set. He did what he can do, he did his best, he put himself over his capability. Unfortunately, his hand failed, yes, his hand failed, his mind still on playing the roll but his bloody wound didn’t make it. This part of the movie is the most powerful because he never gave up his dream, his aim, his chance, Neiman didn’t even mind the accident as if nothing had happened, his mind still on playing the part. He never gave up, he never stopped, he did his best. And that’s all that matters.

 3.)    Who was your favorite character in the movie? Why?

For this movie, my favorite character is Andrew Neiman. Why? Because he is the best example of NOT GIVING UP. He is a role model to me. As a student, I intend to give up easily because of the endless requirements, but I was motivated and inspired after watching this. That my hardships will one day be fruitful as Neiman’s.

 4.)    Did anything that happened in the movie remind you of something that has occurred in your own life or that you have seen occur to others?

Yes, my old classmates who played baseball. They didn’t really care about their health or the weather, even if they get sick from the pouring rain, they just continue on practicing or playing. Like Andrew, he continued even after an incident.

 5.)    If you had a chance to ask a character in this movie a question, what would that be?

I would ask Terence Fletcher “Why do you have to be so harsh to your group? You can just teach them calmly with patience and not shouting at them and embarrassing them in front of the whole group, It’s not like you’re going to die if you lose in a competition” :3

[2700fstreet]

CLASSICAL / 2017-2018

Cantus

PERFORMANCE / DEMONSTRATION

So, What’s Going On?

Meet Cantus--eight men who use their voices to make a big sound and an even bigger impact within the music community.

Cantus (pronounced CAHN-toos) is a choral chamber ensemble committed to creating excellent and meaningful music for its audiences. With such a small number of singers, you might be surprised at how the group can fill a room with sound. But rest assured, they do this by performing mostly a cappella singing (singing without musical instruments), although occasionally singers are accompanied by percussion or an acoustic—as in, not electric—instrument.

With less than a dozen singers, and little or no instrumental accompaniment, each singer must be on his “A game” at all times—perfectly in tune, rhythmically accurate, and matching the energy that each song requires. The members of Cantus accomplish this with a shared goal of musical excellence and a commitment to one another.

Cantus performs choral singing, where most often the goal is to create one sound, or a single “voice” that emerges from the group. That doesn’t mean everyone sings the same part, but rather, that the audience hears the ensemble rather than eight individual voices. Even when a soloist is featured, he’s supported by the other members as a unified force. From classical to folk to pop music, Cantus does it all.

The group was founded by four students at St. Olaf College in Minnesota in 1995. The group eventually grew in order to be able to perform the choral classic Ave Maria by Franz Biebl. It’s become one of their signature pieces.

You can listen to Cantus sing Ave Maria here:

But Cantus isn’t all “classical business.” One of its goals is to spread the joy of singing, whether that’s through traditional classical music, American folk standards, or modern compositions. And they don’t take themselves too seriously, either. Watch this parody of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s song “Thrift Shop,” which the group renames “Barbershop”—rap and all!

So What’s a Chamber Ensemble?

The mention of chamber music might bring to mind a small group of instruments, like a string quartet, and rightfully so. Chamber music is traditionally associated with a group of instruments where, rather than multiple instruments playing a part (like in an orchestra), each instrument carries a part by itself. And just like instrumental music in a choral chamber group, the group of singers typically sing an individual part, as opposed to a choir, where multiple voices per part are present.

Cantus is more than just a performing group, however, as they routinely share their love of music in concerts for adults and young people alike. The group is also heavily involved in educational outreach, providing guided performances that draw on repertoire from modern Grammy®-winning composer and choral conductor Eric Whitacre to international folk music.

In this performance and demonstration, Cantus takes their audience on a trip around the world while telling the story behind each of the songs. The program will include some of the following repertoire:

“There is a Meetin' Here Tonight” by Joe Gilbert and Eddie Brown

“Hotaru Koi” Japanese folk song arranged by Ro Ogura

“Lux Aurumque” by Eric Whitacre

“True Colors” by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

“As One Sky” by Paul John Rudoi

“Simple Gifts” American folk song arranged by Stephen Caracciolo

“Yonder Come Day” American spiritual arranged by Paul John Rudoi

In addition, Cantus will add a couple of Christmas tunes to the concert, as well as a Question and Answer session. Have your questions ready!

Who’s Who

The word “cantus” comes from the Latin word cantare for “a song or singing.” In the history of music, the term “cantus” refers to a kind of church singing called chant, where there is a single line of melody. It was later used to refer to the melody line (specifically called the “cantus firmus”) of a choral work in polyphonic style, where two or more independent lines of music occur at the same time, creating a “thick” musical texture. The definitions might seem like opposites—a single melody versus a complicated composition—but they’re a perfect juxtaposition for the breadth of musical abilities that Cantus features. Each singer is an accomplished and respected musician individually, but together they create music greater than the sum of their individual voices.

Cantus is one of the few full-time vocal ensembles in the country. The group proves that making music can be a day job by rehearsing, performing, and professionally instructing 46 weeks out of the year. Cantus performs with no conductor; instead, the members perform as a true chamber ensemble, each an integral part of the group’s vocal dynamic. From choosing songs to interpreting the music, to rehearsing, each singer leaves his fingerprints on the music they present.

The members of Cantus are: Jacob Christopher, tenor Zachary Colby, tenor Adam Fieldson, tenor Chris Foss, bass David Geist, baritone Matthew Goinz, baritone Samuel Green, bass Paul Scholtz, tenor

What Makes Cantus Different

Since there isn’t a conductor leading Cantus, one singer in the group is assigned the role of “producer” on each piece. He’s responsible for its interpretation, rehearsal schedule, and what you might call “quality control”—all the tiny parts of a piece of music that impact its effect. This can include tempo, rhythm, note tuning, and any one of the other pieces of the song’s musical pie. The producer doesn’t do this in isolation, though, he welcomes and counts on feedback from his fellow singers. This collaborative style is unique to the group—many other ensembles have a leader or conductor—and the group believes it allows them to be more flexible, try new things, and bring many different voices to the table.

Another unique quality of Cantus is that they seek out contemporary composers to write the works that they perform. Cantus frequently plans programs centered around a theme with a social message—one past theme focuses on the sacrifices of soldiers—and by commissioning new music related to social themes, Cantus opens up conversations that give their music an impact beyond the stage.

See how Cantus tackles modern issues in a recent program, Alone Together:

Check This Out…

Cantus is a group of male singers whose members make up each of the three major male “voicings,” a term that explains how high or low each singing part’s musical notes are in relationship to one another. Male singers are voiced as either tenors, baritones, or basses. In a larger chorus, all of one voicing might sing the same part; for example, often the tenors all sing the melody. But in a chamber group like Cantus, each singer has a unique part, which results in a full and vibrant sound.

Tenor voices are higher than most other male voices (the countertenor, not found in Cantus is voiced higher than tenor), falling somewhere between a female alto and a male baritone and bass.

A baritone is a male voice whose range falls between the tenor and bass voices. The name “baritone” comes from a Greek word meaning deep or heavy sounding.

Bass voices have the lowest range of any voice type. Bass voices often provide chordal and harmonic support to the vocal line, much like a low-pitched instrument such as a string bass or tuba.

Cantus performs without a conductor. When you watch them perform, what methods do the singers use to create one vocal sound? Look for eye contact and body movements, including how the group starts and stops vocal selections and how and when the singers breathe.

A cappella music is group or solo singing that has no instrumental accompaniment. When Cantus sings a cappella, how do the voices “fill in” the places where instruments might support the voices (hint, do you hear any long, held notes)? Compare Cantus’s a cappella rendition of Simple Gifts to the accompanied version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. What are the similarities and differences between the performances? Cantus:

Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Think About This…

One of the most unique parts of Cantus is that, along with performing classics and folk music, the group commissions modern artists to write original music for them to sing. In doing this, they have a unique ability to perform songs that tackle important modern topics and issues, including the sacrifices of soldiers, stewardship of the planet, and connection in the age of technology. They call this making music about “shared human experiences.” What human experiences do you hear about in their music? Is it only newly written pieces that can make an impact in this way, or are there shared human experiences in the classics, too?

Part of the mission of Cantus is to spread the joy of singing. How does this come across in their performance? Can joy in an artistic form (like singing) be present even when the subject of a song is serious or upsetting? What do you think?

How do you compare the kind of group singing Cantus performs with the singing you’re familiar with? Is there simply a variance in the type of music or is there something more that makes Cantus different?

  Take Action: Share Your Voice

The mission of Cantus is to engage audiences in meaningful musical and human experiences, especially through collaboration—working together. Think of a way that you come together with others to give a voice to shared human experiences. It could be, like Cantus, through music, or perhaps you collaborate through dance, or visual art, or even serving others.

Take a picture or video of how you share your voice and post it to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, or any other platform. Make sure if other people are part of what inspires you that you have their permission to include them in your post. Then, tag five friends and ask them to share their inspiration. Use #shareyourvoice as your hashtag.

Explore More

Go even deeper with the Cantus Extras.

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All photos by Curtis Johnson.

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The Fortas Chamber Music Concerts are supported by generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund, and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

Additional support for Events for Students is provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

  Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program. 

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

© 2017 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

[great-gramps]

Excessive Expectations

When I was a teenager I became aware that people in our little farming community, and the school I attended, had a dangerous and contagious condition. It was most obvious in the sports teams, and in the music department. We seldom won a basketball or football game. When it came time for district choir or band, we had two or three participants, only because the state allowed at least two from each school system, qualified or not. Most kids did not know that, and I only learned about it after I graduated from college and started teaching music. But there it was, year in and year out. No matter what teachers expected, the children had an attitude that we called “I can’t,” and it stuck.

I don’t remember how often it came up, but when I realized that I was hearing it over and over, I gradually came to understand it was a dangerous and contagious attitude to have. Another one that means essentially the same thing happens when “I don’t care” precedes whatever you hear next. The fact is, you don’t hear what’s next after those statements. The speaker may as well not say any more, but they usually do. Whatever they say, we understand the first part is truth, the rest is BS.

It has been said that there is nothing new under the sun. But there is. Creative things happen every day, by people who do not have that “can’t” or “don’t care” attitude about life. Recently there has been a creative wave of energy we can all observe. It does not depend on lethargy and apathy, but on visionary energy, inspiration from the Creator of all energy. It is a positive outlook, an optimistic view of life that says, “every challenge is an opportunity.”

Great inventors and great leaders are built with such energy. People who think they are victims, who believe whatever someone else has really belongs to them, or who envy and oppose those who are successful cost society an excessive amount of resources. From cradle to grave, we learn which of these two extremes we will follow. Will we contribute to society--create, invent or improve it--or drag it into a vicious whirlpool of apathy, games of pretend, wasted time and wasted minds. Where are you in this pool? An overcomer (survivor) struggling to escape the drag, or a victim getting sucked under?

Today we in the United States are experiencing a revolution in thought and energy brought about by one person, Donald Trump. We are mired by another “old school” condition with a pretend leader named “Mitch McConnell.”

What Trump proposes Mitch calls “excessive expectations.” Tell me, how is that different from “I can’t” or “I don’t care...” attitudes? The speech is different, but the meaning is the same.

It is true that President Donald Trump has great expectations of us. I learned as a graduate student at Ithaca College that you don’t get quality if you don’t expect it. I learned it as a high school band director as well.

The basketball teams at Montrose high school in Pennsylvania consistently earned playoff spots and a state championship the year before I arrived. I can’t take credit for their music success, but I was fortunate to participate in it, because the first year I taught there I supplied a woodwind quintet (the most challenging instruments) and a tympanist to the Binghamton, NY school district when their community orchestra tour included New York City. Traditionally, you don’t go outside your state for talent. These children were from a high school that started their music program is grade seven, not grade 4 like the rest of the country.

In Ithaca, it was not the college band that impressed me, though it remains the single best ensemble I ever played in, nor because it produced professional musicians like Gen. Arnold Gabriel, former director of the Air Force band in DC. No, it was the Ithaca High School band and orchestra programs. Both sounded like professional groups, partly because their students were encouraged to study privately with Cornell and Ithaca teachers, partly because they had great community support. They were able to commission famous contemporary composers to write music for them and hire famous musicians to feature at their performances.

That’s a lot to say about three communities that I have lived in. I’m sure you know others equally diverse, equally productive. The Ithaca, NY and Montrose, PA schools represented communities what shared a “can do” attitude with their children and encouraged them to struggle for success at whatever they chose to do.

Now return with me to the case in point.

From the onset, President Trump has had an uphill battle. First it was with his challengers and the media flood of false information. Then it was from opponents from the Clinton/Obama political machine and those in his own political party. When he was elected, the disbelief was rampant, only because people were blinded to the true nature of the contest. It was about the difference between apathy (read “status quo”) and energy (read “crisis and challenge”). And this 70-year-old “outsider” with no “experience” in DC took on the establishment like a tornado, with results you expect from such storms.

As always, people tend to gravitate toward energy; that is how great leaders become great leaders, they exude energy. That is what Donald Trump brings to the table.

The energy of Obama was misleading. His message was pretty rhetoric, and nothing but lies. He said “If you like your doctor you can keep him.” “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” Did that happen? Not even the first year. He said, “Your premiums will save you $2,500.00.” Instead, they doubled. Now if you voted for Obama, you probably will stop reading this. Go back to your bed and watch football, that’s where you’ll be in eight or ten years, still stagnant and going town for the third time. You will have learned nothing here.

By contrast, we learned just this morning (August 11, 2017) the results of President Trump’s agenda regarding regulations. In the first six months of the Obama administration, his regulations cost the American taxpayer $1.4 billion dollars. By contrast, President Trump promised to do away with two regulations for every new one he wrote. Has he done that? In truth, he has trashed 19 regulations for every new one he has written. And his action is saving the economy massive administrative costs associated with those regs. This savings is one reason why our businesses have hired more workers, the stock market has soared to new heights, GDP is above 2% for the first time in years, and one million jobs have been created. Democrats are flipping parties, world leaders are following his lead, ISIS is going down with help from former adversaries. This is happening IN SPITE of the failure to repeal Obamacare, in spite of the fact that no changes have been made to our tax system yet. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the opposition from the few remaining Democrats, most of the media, and a few RINOs (Republicans In Name Only).

In short, the Trump Effect is happening because one person chooses to look at every challenge as an opportunity to overcome.

Then there is Mitch McConnell. He says Trump’s expectations are excessive. Is that true? Of course not. Mitch McConnell has simply voiced the same “I can’t” attitude I remember from childhood. For the past seven years the Republican party has complained about Obamacare and promised to repeal and replace it. Now that they have their opportunity, their vacation is more important than their commitment. ANY EXCUSE WILL DO is an old mantra, but it is the one they currently live under. Their attempt at stress relief will be futile as they go home to face a flood of response to their apathy, along with the threat of a Convention Of States (COS) that will give states back their right to rein in a runaway government that will remove them from office.

You haven’t heard much about the COS, have you? Keep listening to that same news source and be surprised. Or stay tuned. Two of the items on its agenda are term limits for Congress and a requirement for all legislators to abide by the same laws as the people they represent, or be prosecuted for violating them. If they have been there 12 years or more, they will be retired. They have this one chance to do the right thing. The message they should take home: “REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE. THEN IF YOU LIKE YOUR JOB, YOU CAN KEEP IT.”

There are two things emerging expect–and I use that word in its fullest optimism–greater things to happen in the near future. The first is a simple point you will come to understand if this doesn’t convince you: YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU EXPECT. You cannot rise above what you perceive as your limit. Put another way, the biblical way: “without a vision the people perish.” Trump expects great things ahead; he will achieve them because that is what great leaders do.

Mitch McConnell fails as a leader because he responds to every challenge with the same excuse, like it is a legitimate and productive thought process. But the simple truth is:

“EXCESSIVE EXPECTATIONS” = “I CAN’T”

Period.

[rbeatz]

rBeatz Exclusive Interview with dwilly

We here at rBeatz have had the pleasure of interviewing dwilly, who released his first single in 2017, Birds and the Bees, last week featuring one of our favorite new artists, Kyle Thornton.

David Wilson, aka “dwilly,” gave us some insights into the charismatic young producers life and story.

INTERVIEW:

Where are you from and how has that shaped the musician you are today?

I’m originally from Greenville, South Carolina a southern town not too far from Atlanta and Charlotte. It’s pretty much the perfect place to live besides the fact that musical opportunities are sparse. People are huge into trap and hard rap down here so I believe that living close to ATL has definitely had a “harder 808ish” impact on my sound. People generally don’t listen to electronic music where I’m from so I really wasn’t exposed to it until I came up to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music.

 Where does the name dwilly come from?

“dwilly” is the alias derived from my name David Wilson. I was formally known as “D-Will”, but changing it to “dwilly” recently was a decision my crazy dope manager Noah and I thought would be better for my branding. It has a sense of “silliness” to the sound of it and I’m a silly ass mofo.

   What was the best studio moment when you recorded, ‘Birds and the Bees’ with Kyle Thornton?

Hitting the studio with Kyle was a blast. We’re both goofballs so in between moments of seriousness were pretty much joking around and laughing our asses off non-stop. My favorite moment was bringing Kyle out of the tracking room into the studio room and thinking of crazy moist harmonies for the chorus together. Most of the creation behind the track was very spontaneous. We definitely spent a good amount of time in the writing process to experiment and play around with ideas until we were satisfied.

Can you explain a bit how you made that bird synth sound on  ‘Birds and the Bees?’

Honestly, I had no intention of replicating the sound of a “bird” when I was designing that patch. The character of the sound is a result of both pitch envelope and basic filtering. My whole manifesto as a producer is designing my sounds from scratch with intentions to make my music both powerful and unique. It wasn’t until after I had designed the “drop” that I titled it “Birds and the Bees”. I had my buddy Demitrio Albano, a brilliant sound designer that works in NYC, send me some samples of outdoor bird nature and you can hear those ambiences throughout the track, especially in the intro. After finishing the skeleton of the track, I sent it over to writer and a good friend Jake Torrey out in LA where he quickly became inspired with the theme of the track to write the hook. Jake also recently wrote on Lupe Fiasco’s recent single “Wild Child”.

 What instruments did you play when you were younger?

My parents pushed me to learn as many instruments as possible. Fortunately, they realized my love for music at a young age and had me taking classical lessons when I was 5 with the amazing instructor Steve Griner. Later on when I was in middle school, I started taking drumset lessons as well. I was inspired by classic rock legend drummer Neil Peart (Rush) after my dad showed me his performance videos online. After being accepted into the Fine Arts Center high school in Greenville, I expanded my musical studies into orchestral percussion and jazz drums. There, I joined several student orchestras focusing on timpani and mallets. My percussion professor Gary Robinson helped me organize my audition for Berklee where I was accepted for my principal instrument as Orchestral Percussion. Now, I am graduating in May with a degree in Electronic Production and Design. I believe the best producers are performers as well. My piano and drum skills contribute to both my melodic and rhythmic process of producing records.

Are there an instruments that you currently wish you COULD play?

Saxophone. I’m always amazed at how much expression a monophonic (one voice) instrument is capable of achieving. Maybe one day I’ll have time to pick it up and figure it out. 

What do you like to do when you’re simply hanging out – aside from music?

You’ll find me either kicking it with my friends around Boston or watching Netflix in my underwear. Every activity I do in my free time is pretty impulsive since it’s rare when I not working on music in some way or the other. In the summer time, I spend a lot of time outside exploring the city on my longboard with my best friend Zach. Usually when l let off some steam on the weekends we’ll hit our local favorite bars/restaurants around the area.

Who are your musical influences?

Growing up on legendary artists like Michael Jackson and Rush rooted me in a strong respect and understanding for music and theory. But sonically, my influences come from current artists and producers like Porter Robinson, Skrillex, Disclosure, and Graves. Like most kids, I went through a variety of musical phases including classic rock, metal, and rap. Even classical composers like Bach and Beethoven contribute to how I choose to dictate melodies and phrasing. I love where Pop music is headed and how artists/labe ls are integrating more contemporary styles like electronic and hip hop into the charts. 

What DAW do you use and why? 

Ableton is more than my go-to-DAW, it’s like a family member to me lol. I use Protools as well but explicitly for recording. I find that sequencing and composing in Ableton is much faster and efficient than alternative DAW’s like Logic and even Protools because of the way that the workflow is designed. Ableton has an amazing capability to synchronize external devices within the workspace. Also, the way it handles automation allows me to create extremely precise and flexible paths for instrument and plugin values.

What is your favorite MIDI Controller right now?

I really enjoy using Ableton Push. It’s great for drum sequencing and creating loops. Using a surface pad such as Push is a luxury that most producers don’t have. Honestly, I don’t even use controllers in my production except when I need to hop on my Akai 49-key midi keyboard to play a quick loop or idea. Most of my composition is done internally within the software on my mouse and keyboard.

What is one of your favorite or go-to VST Plugin?

SERUM!!! I hopped on the bandwagon a couple semesters back during the earlier version and it has been the best decision I’ve made as a producer. It has so many capabilities such as FM modulation and the ability to design your own wavetables. It has a very “sharp” sound so I mainly use it for heavier synthesis in my tracks. For more “bread and butter” patches like bass or super-saws I tend to use Massive. It’s a classic reliable VST that always yields incredible results.

Do you have a key production tip for our young producers out there?

I’d say the biggest thing is to trust your ears. There’s a lot of great software to utilize these days and it’s easy to get distracted by fancy visuals. Also, use reference tracks in the mix-down process. It’s taken me years to get to the point where I am as a mixer and I still use references to ensure that my tracks are sounding commercial. Another important thing– send your music around to your fellow producers and friends and ask for feedback. Sometimes a non-musician’s opinion is more important than a musician’s because their impression on a song is often based on “how it makes them feel”.

What is your biggest accomplishment to date? 

Recently I got picked up by a student organization here at Berklee that sends artists to summer festivals. They are sending me to Outside Lands Festival where I will be performing my music to big crowds. That’s my biggest accomplishment so far.

What has been your top favorite venue to play and why?

I’ve played at several venues here in Boston, but my favorite place to play so far has been at this basement house party in Allston outside Boston. It’s a very intimate experience playing at house parties as opposed to playing in a club. All these kids were just crammed in this basement bouncing around and having a blast. It was an amazing experience just being able to party with people and see the crowd react to my music.

What is your favorite color?

Red.

What food do you eat the most?

I eat a lot of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

 What is your favorite social media platform and why?

My personal favorite is Snapchat. Like I can post the most savage things and I don’t have to worry about it really affecting my image as an artist or professional. **Knock on wood**

What is next for Dwilly?

More releases throughout this summer, and appearances at several shows in Boston and LA!

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[ccinthecity]

Discussion Posts

Text for my guided excursions! As all posts aren’t yet finalized to complete report, here are the basic blurbs made for each.

Guided Excursion 2: Illusions

Illusions by Philip Venables at the festival of New Music Biannual was an enthralling introduction to the contemporary composition scene in London, as well as a much-needed thrust into the relevant discourse of the LGBTQ+ community to get a gauge on queer issues in British culture, only a day after the PRIDE parade, which was a display of the happier, joyous side of the culture, the celebration that was only happening because of the depoliticisation of the event, diminishing the protest to a parade. This performance was in stark contrast to that environment. Venables, who also is a part of the community, has received acclaim for his work focusing on sexuality and political themes, and this piece certainly did not fall short.    Combining the cacophonous noise of a sinfonietta, the brash ideas of avant-garde drag performer David Hoyle (known by pseudonym “Divine David”) in a stream of consciousness, and a soothing but quirky "elevator music" bossa nova, Venables delivered a hard hitting video-audio commentary into the thought of the average British Queer individual, in four movements: democracy: the role of democracy in queerness, gender: how one would begin to learn of their identity (and the struggle involved therein, of finding appropriate jargon and space to realize it), assimilation: the political influence and repression of queer culture, and revolution: against that political influence. It wasn't really made as a piece of talking to any member of the LGBT community, although there were some asides made to people who identified so—it was largely not a rant but a passionately intellectual (albeit, rather polarizing) and a little bit condescending, although comedic, statement to those who are not a part of the community, or rather opposed to it (the conservative parties, or minded individuals).   David’s dialogue was not the parameter by which the music took place—it was not speech sound, by any means: the orchestra took on the rhythmic constancy of his video, and although they augmented the speech to a point, enunciating and emphasising certain fluttered repetitions in an almost post-apocalyptic overlapping big-top sound, the ensemble too provided a possible medium by which David’s words were muffled; as his cries to action grew louder, so did they (perhaps this was an issue of the technical variety, but so is live art; so is the experience of contemporary music and the projection of one’s inferences onto a presentation or work of art). Was the orchestra his foundation? His greek chorus? Or was it the very foundation he spoke against, the people he was speaking to, cluttering the message, interpreting it and dissecting it to their needs to distribute its message to their best advantage? Regardless of the role of the orchestra at a metaphorical level, I did enjoy their physical playing as well. The conductor, Richard Baker, was a perfect fit—his movements were percussive, distinct, yet embodied a postured grace and length to movements. My favourite sections of the sinfonietta were the strings, which often had legato sostenuto passages, sliding between notes in a taffy-like manner, still elastic, but providing a canopy over which the avant-garde Hoyle pronounced his qualms, but so too had double stopping, frantic jumps. I also enjoyed the role of the piano, and although I cannot pin point my exact attraction to its part, I do remember noting its presence, and the delicate yet pronounced, intellectual tone it brought to the conversation of the instruments. Brass and winds were overwhelming, I think to me as they always are, for their kind of louder, screeching qualities, but they were the characteristic of this piece, that which pronounced the offence, the effect of the words. The percussion was minimalist but lovely, providing a rumble, the electro-static underneath the tonal parts of the piece, keeping a rhythm and stopping only to blow the whistle between movements. Some parts of the piece weren’t live, but recorded. Aside from David’s video footage, a bossa nova track (which Venables described as “elevator music”) played in the sections before the entrances of the orchestra, often highlighting moments of condescension or humour throughout. Each movement came to its own climax, but most certainly, the hardest hitting crescendo was that in the third movement, queer assimilation, when Hoyle explored the concept of human beings having to demean themselves in an act of subjugation, “to beg for the right to be themselves,”, condemning any person who directly denies others the right and the dignity (or even supports the system that upholds it) of being themselves in the first place. The music became more and more frantic, dissonant, and pleading.      In the same way that Hoyle was protesting traditional or conservative ideas of gender and identity or political control of personal expression, so was Venables against the ideas of traditional, conservative music. Music, in comparison to the other art forms of theatre, dance, creative writing, sculpture and 3D art and two dimensional fine art, is a very conservative field. As a music major, and as a dabbler in music education, unless in the field, in an area where the teachers are experienced or come from similar schools, there is often a lead by younger students and even those in the profession that more strongly and vehemently defend traditional ensembles and genres than new popular and contemporary forms of compositions. So often do we exclude or deny digital music or popular genres of their legitimacy in academia, in the profession, that we alienate ourselves from the majority of musicians today (who are amateurs or self-taught, not involved in academia, and thoroughly or even casually entrenched in more exciting, faster moving, progressive areas). Music pedagogy (and education in general) in the UK is far more progressive, and to see these kinds of themes persist to acclaim here, was encouraging, to say the least. It might be rather obvious, but to see the parallel between the conservative art form of music to its fellow forms, to conservative politics and values to a population, was personally significant. I enjoyed the composer’s commentary on this part, and his further note that some musicians prefer to look at music as just music; an aesthetic, not a political vault. However, as an art form, it exists for expression, and should be encouraged as a medium for communication of these values.    Moreover, I realized sometime during the interview and the second performance of the piece, that this was not just only a testament to gender expression as a political issue, but also an affront to what offence really meant. Of course, there was a quote from Philip that I think rang true to the audience and stood out from his interview, that "If you’re more offended by a performance than the offensive concepts, then there is an issue,”, which is certainly true. But I think the entire perception of the offensiveness and abrasive qualities of the performance, although it was dissonant and chaotic, kind of lie in the mistaken understanding of what intended offence would be. As, to some extent, the purpose of the composition was not to offend, but to speak to a larger issue, to engage. In social justice communities, and especially in the queer community, calling people out for negative or mutually detrimental behaviour is a common phenomena, essential to positive discourse. What is called “tea” or “shade” or “drag” or whatever have you is simply a nod to expecting others in your community, in your diaspora, to cease withholding toxic behaviours and opinions often instilled by assimilative systems. To correct someone, to plea for their needed involvement and awareness, acceptance, is not offence, and should not be taken so. It is a necessary part of the conversation. To be corrected, very blatantly is to be loved, to be cared for, and invited into the discussion, and although at some times it can be seen as aggressive, being as informed and as unproblematic (or, moreso aware of your problematic tendencies, privileges, and effects on your perspective) as possible is to be a proactive member of discourse on any given subject, especially in scenes of rights, and of expression. It was an abrasive performance, absolutely—to downplay the inherent anger of the LGBTQ+ community in making these remarks would be to miss the point of the piece entirely. But I hesitate to call it even potentially offensive to those who are not in immediate agreement with Hoyle or Venables.    If possible later on, I would like to hear the recorded version of the piece, if it does change from the live performance, and how that effects the interaction between the pre-recorded material featuring Hoyle and the music of the ensemble. sources and further reading: Illusions - Philip Venables & David Hoyle  (Links to an external site.) Interview with Philip Venables about Music, Violence, and Text  (Links to an external site.) This post is also available here

Guided Excursion 3: Queer Tours of London

Following the steps of three activists from different phases of LGBTQ+ expression and community development, Stuart Feather, Dan Glass, and Lyndsay Burtonshaw, we explored a series of landmarks in central London significant to the Gay Liberation Front of the 1970’s, and received an intergenerational perspective of how these places and the queer community of London thereof, have changed.

In particular, we touched on the issue of visibility and accessibility of queer spaces (the change from clandestine underground languages such as polari and covert interactions such as cottaging/cruising, to open and active resistance and pride, and current open discussions about queer spaces, as well as the political influence ie section 28 and its effect on queer expression, and the relationship between digital and physical places of connection), the extensive stigmatization of the homosexual community at length (discussing the issue of W.H. Allen's publication of a homophobic book on sex, lack of existence of Lesbian-specific spaces in general, but very little about bisexual, trans*, or others), and the history of activism and revolution in the LGBT community (which was augmented certainly by each of the guides, although Stuart was an original member of the GLF in the 70's--more discourse about PRIDE as a protest, pinkwashing, trafalgar square, interrupting fundamentalist christian conferences, and contemporary issues, standing in front of Whitehall, the home of   Theresa May, who still is relatively homophobic).

I was surprised that even in such a large city as London, LGBTQ+ community spaces do not exist in permanence--and Lesbian resources, in particular, are even less common.

Guided Excursion 4: Brick Lane

The development of Art into popular market has historically, almost always encountered a delay of interest. There are mini paradigms, so to say, of what is considered aesthetically acceptable, let alone politically acceptable to portray, which is why many of the famous artists after the classical period, members of movements that seemed to be underground and under published, received far more posthumous acclaim than when they were living—Van Gogh is a prime example, as is Vermeer, Monet, Cezanne, Manet, and countless others. Recently, the half lives of pop culture seems to have become less and less lengthy, in the interest of entertaining new art forms, and perhaps too, in the interest of catching up to the forefront of artistic movements, something that is now possible in a digital age.That chase is especially relevant in the streets of East London today, where yet another marginalised form of artistic expression, graffiti writing (and the distilled street art), faces both vehement prosecution and pointed interest. Despite the fact that the artists themselves are usually youth (and usually, men) influenced by the culture itself, already marginalized and potentially harassed for their expression (as artistic, sensitive fields are not gendered towards boys growing up; graffiti and hiphop, in a way, are reflections on the artistic cultures of men, an attempt at expression through the filter of masculinity) The off-gassed physical expression of hip-hop culture is at the crossroads of the popular market, appreciating or appropriating the works, and a system that finds it still too revolutionary to the paradigm of acceptable aesthetic and political contemporary expression.    Although graffiti and street art have both been widely appreciated elsewhere, in the states, and even on a global scale supported to a wide degree (artists like Shepherd Ferry “OBEY”, Invader, Ronzo, Banksy, etc are internationally recognised and make quite a lot of money from the overground market), the place where individuals still seek to express their original ideas in the form of the original art is restricted. In part, because of the clash between the historically socioeconomically displaced neighbourhood there, and the growth of an illustrious business district that, understandably, seeks to expand. Not by adoption of the community, but by appropriation of the popular community inter actives and gentrification of the areas surrounding. On its side is the police and local government, which still holds graffiti artists accountable for up to £2,500 or 10 years in prison (if above the age of majority) or two years for minors age 12 to 17, under section one of the criminal act of 1971, regarding criminal damage and prosecution. That being said, not all sites are illegal to tag (Star Yard is one of those grey-areas, an open gallery)—but with increased security brought on by the financial district, and more pressure, financially, for surveillance to take place, the original significance of graffiti, to tag and write where the artist wanted as a means of communication with other artists, becomes harder to do.    That is, unless you’re commissioned or sanctioned to paint a piece—which changes your status from public enemy, to public servant. Larger pieces seen down fashion street or in Eli’s yard, painted or installed by more mainstream or popular artists. A local artist might too be asked to paint a local business’ building, but when this art piece becomes a permanent installation, the form of art changes, from Graffiti, and street art, to something else.    This implies a kind of sanctity to street art that isn’t necessarily a part of the original intent of the form. Graffiti and street art are recyclable—they’re a form of communication, after all. When someone tags, it stays until someone else can cover it with theirs, in a more elaborate way (as to show respect—a simple tag or stencil that interrupts the piece might not be the best idea)—it evolves. When a piece is worn down, another artist can build on top of it. But the newfound culture of appreciation of graffiti, of interpretation and projection of meanings that might not necessarily have been intended, is a part of the popular art culture (of museum art culture) that simply seems alien to street artists. Upon encountering a piece by artist Stik, who is of some relative popularity, we were told that he’s on occasion asked to return to the particular piece to touch it up and restore it—something that is never really thought to happen. In protest, a few other artists (including the main one in silver, Sony) have tagged over it—not in disrespect to Stik, so to say, but to those that keep the art up when it’s meant to expire—the tourists that apply themselves to the culture of capitalisation and gentrification that is threatening the art form in its place.

Guided Excursion 5: Seven Sins Cabaret

Cabarets are infamous for impromptu and enthralling performance—even moreso as their roots lie in risqué and raunch characteristic of saloons, bars, and the red light district of Paris at the turn of the twentieth century.  The Café de Paris exemplified that atmosphere, embodying the lush and dark and extravagant setting that would be a vaudeville-era club owner’s take on the circles of hell.    The show opened with a vibrant introduction from the house emcee, drag performer extraordinaire, Ruby Kaye, who entered in a bedazzled priest robe, smoky eye, and glittering lips. It was clear that the performance to follow would be a company of different but all the same extravagant, agent dancers and acts that presented seductive and powerful versions of their sins. I’d been a part of theatre before, but it’s been a while since I’d partaken in Cabaret (any theatre is really an interactive experience, never just a show, but the nature of Cabaret is far more intimate).    The show spoke to so much more than a spectacle of performers—it was empowerment, ownership of sexuality, through acts that stretched the limits of what it meant to be envious, gluttonous, greedy, wrathful, lustful, sloth, or proud.    When I tagged Ruby in an instagram post, they responded “Perform, Educate, Empower!” and I think that was really the takeaway from this entire experience

Guided Excursion 6: V&A LGBTQ+ Tour

the V&A contains the largest collection of artworks in England, with pieces sourced from local artists and nationally renowned creators to individuals from its previous and current territories and commonwealths and countries beyond. Not only are there paintings and two dimensional works for aesthetic and historic value, but also culturally significant statues, sculptures, models, jewellery, metallurgy, and functional furniture, jewellery, pottery & ceramic and stoneware, and more. It comes to no surprise that there are at least a few LGBTQ+ artists works on display in the museum, and even less of a surprise that there are culturally significant works from queer activist movements. With the fiftieth anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act on the horizon, and PRIDE just behind, the Victoria and Albert museum’s housing of these works and artists has become all the more relevant.    We started in the hall that housed a variety of plaster sculptures made of moulds of the greater works in history, standing at the feet of Michelangelo’s David, and were explained the main parameters by which artworks may be considered significant LGBTQ+ works, which in brief, fall under three distinct categories:

if there are obvious homosexual or queer themes that are apparent in the work,

if the creator identifies as an LGBTQ+ individual, either openly or in historic documents, OR

if the piece has been assumed or reappropriated by the LGBTQ+ community or various movements.

David, in particular, was a representative of all three. Not only is Michelangelo regarded as a gay figure in history, but so is david, in literature.    We continued from pottery focused on queer and punk iconography, to a japanese lacquered screen made by Eileen Gray, a bisexual woman who became a part of a queer artists collective at the turn of the twentieth century in Paris, to artworks featuring imagery of Sapho (famously known for homosexuality), modern art reflective of the AIDS crisis and acceptance of homosexuals before complete decriminalisation, iconography of recent movements involving liberation of minority groups that directly intersect with the issues of LGBTQ+ movements today: the 2016 olympic refugee flag, the design of the burkini (important for the widespread acceptance of muslim women & their agency), nude heels (multi-racial representation), among others, concluding the tour in the theatre collection, surrounded by the props, costumes, and artefacts representative of a place of expression and security, that inspired and held so many queer performers in its ranks.    The tour was not the most intriguing of all the excursions, as the V&A, although filled to the brim with artworks probably rich in queer history, we only stopped to see a few—I think in part due to the pace and separation of our group, which due to the size, wasn’t the most efficient in moving, or in gathering around exhibits. It was harder to hear, and had the groups been split up, there might have been time to see more or have a more in-depth conversation about the relationship between all of the artworks pointed out, or the historic art movements that prompted their craft.

Sources & further reading

Eileen Gray http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/e/eileen-gray/ (Links to an external site.)

Michelangelo http://www.uis.edu/lgbtqa/michelangelo/ (Links to an external site.)

V&A LGBTQ tour http://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/va-faces/why-the-va-gay-and-lesbian-tour-is-essential

Guided Excursion 7: Rock N Roll Tour

The twentieth century and arrival of the new popular genre (started by the african american diaspora as those individuals began to gain and fight for community spaces in the United States) was an effective revitalization of Britain's prowess in the world of music, comparable degree of Handel in the Baroque. In years prior, especially during the romantic era, French, German, and Italian musicians came to show the essential properties of the movement, but the wave to come in the 1960's through 80's would so too redefine popular musics, and the personalities and variance of identities that would make it up. From Beatles to Bowie, Pistols to Pink Floyd, Elton John, Rolling Stones, and Queen, the Rock N Roll tour of London explored both the streets and significant sites where these icons made their mark, and the very meaning of icon as it came to be in a new century of marketing and managing, setting new standards in show-business, producing the "image" of talent. This new portrayal, subject to the press and public attention, opened doors to new venues of creative and personal expression. Living such public lives, these musicians and showmen made statements on and off the stage. Private accounts and affairs were no longer so, and everything became objective—habits, performance—relationships. Sexuality and sex appeal contributed to certainly the success of these stars in a changing, more welcoming culture, but also changed the culture itself. When an artist used this venue to express a change, especially a deviance from social norm, it would generate media, support & disdain (attention is attention) and perhaps most importantly, allow a means of identification for queer youth (punk movement especially, but present in brit rock especially), and the normalization and destigmatization of queer culture.