tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59739596442101436042024-02-21T06:08:54.478-05:00Bennett's TenetsThoughts on Horn playing and teaching, and maybe some other stuff, too.Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-13413254601527845512014-04-24T12:44:00.000-04:002014-04-24T12:46:44.030-04:00To the Church Music Director This post is about offering some helpful advice to church music directors who hire professional freelance musicians to play for special services, such as Easter, Christmas, etc. I don't know if any church music directors read this blog, but who knows? I'm expecting some readers to comment with their own experiences and suggestions, so this could grow into a valuable resource.<br />
First, let me say that I love church music. While I was in grad school, I worked part time as the orchestra director at First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, AL. Also, I love playing church gigs. Besides providing a little extra cash, these performances can be musically rewarding and spiritually satisfying. We get to play in some of the most beautiful buildings in town, and the audience is always tremendously appreciative.<br />
Church gigs can also present some unique challenges. Sometimes rehearsal time is very limited, and the physical space we're assigned is even more limited. We are often asked to make last minute changes or additions to what we're playing. And many times, we are combining forces with amateur musicians that play at that church regularly.<br />
If the music director does what they can to make the experience a positive one for the instrumentalists, then they can be assured of getting the best talent to fill their needs in the future. These are just a few things that I think even experienced music directors might overlook:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><u>Scheduling</u></b> - Be organized and prompt. Be sure you know what the freelancers are used to. Around here, the pros are used to having rehearsals that last 2.5 hours with a 15-minute break. Don't start early, and definitely don't go too long (even if you started late). </li>
<li><b><u>Last minute changes</u></b> - It's usually not a big deal to throw in a simple hymn accompaniment late in the game, or to make cuts in a longer drama or program. Just be absolutely clear about the details, such as exactly which measures are cut? what kind of intro is there? how many verses do we play? who plays which verses? The best way to communicate this to the musicians is in writing. If it's too late to get it to them ahead of the first rehearsal, have a print-out on the stand when they arrive at the rehearsal or performance.</li>
<li><b><u>Warm-up / storage space</u></b> - Please provide a place where the musicians can warm up before each rehearsal/service/performance. Brass and woodwind players will start arriving between 30-60 minutes before the start time. If the choir is rehearsing in the sanctuary already, or if things need to remain quiet before the service, make sure the instrumentalists know where they can go to warm up. Also, please provide a secure place to store cases and other belongings during services.</li>
</ul>
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These last two are maybe the most critical:</div>
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<ul>
<li><b><u>Dynamics</u></b> - One of the most challenging things about church gigs can be having to play uncomfortable soft, so we don't cover up the singers. Brass instruments, especially, can only play so soft before the performance quality is going to suffer. If you have hired a large orchestra to accompany a medium-sized choir, please find a way to mic the singers so that the balance is not such a problem.</li>
<li><b><u>Conducting</u></b> - Instrumentalists need different things from the podium than singers. The most helpful thing is a clear ictus and a regular pattern. I've heard many music directors chide the orchestra for playing late or not playing together, when it's because we're not sure when to play! One thing that is particularly harmful and unfortunately common is when the conductor slows down as s/he approaches the downbeat of an entrance. This happens mostly before the soft, final note of a beautiful song. I think you can get away with this when leading a choir, but for instrumentalists, it just leaves us guessing where to place the note, and it's sure to lead to a ragged entrance that will spoil the moment.</li>
</ul>
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Please comment below if there are other helpful tips that I've left off. And if you're a church music director who reads this and finds it useful, please let me know!</div>
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Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-37730826089175415292013-04-30T09:12:00.001-04:002013-04-30T09:12:51.899-04:00Building vs. Sculpting There is a legend that goes something like this: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #000002; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A man who was seen chiseling a rock into a beautiful horse was asked, "How do you make a sculpture of a horse?" The artist responded, "I simply chisel away everything that doesn't look like a horse."</span></span></blockquote>
Supposedly, Michelangelo himself put it this way:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."<a name='more'></a></blockquote>
This is something that's been a big part of my thinking during practice lately. I try to visualize the process as "sculpting" rather than "building." The primary difference is that <i>building</i> involves addition/construction, whereas <i>sculpting</i> involves reduction/stripping away.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ-UMg-rNWLQ2YK1jGSAgNIKU0hLrYxg1TDNnpTLREdp1P6azUThfAVSw8yUtdfpQCZhDdBbEUJOLDbqsCQTJnJ5e93eWjIHMgOnHyJRh82ocC8Rh0FHKHpjwkFVZ4Z_XllevT-6BwcI/s320/572px-Michelangelo's_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="305" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michelangelo's <i style="line-height: 1.2em; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Pietà (1498-99)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ-UMg-rNWLQ2YK1jGSAgNIKU0hLrYxg1TDNnpTLREdp1P6azUThfAVSw8yUtdfpQCZhDdBbEUJOLDbqsCQTJnJ5e93eWjIHMgOnHyJRh82ocC8Rh0FHKHpjwkFVZ4Z_XllevT-6BwcI/s1600/572px-Michelangelo's_Pieta_5450_cropncleaned_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, the <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2008/12/perfect-performance-is-hole-in-one.html" target="_blank">ideal performance</a> of whatever piece you're practicing is the "angel" that you need to set free from the block of stone. The most important step is "seeing the angel." You need to have a crystal clear plan of how you want that music to sound, so that when you start "chiseling," you know what belongs and what doesn't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Get rid of all the unnecessary stuff: extra tension, extra noise between the notes (slurs and articulations), awkward phrasing, etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Further, get out of your own way. Make it easier and more efficient.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The composer <a href="http://adrianelliscomposer.com/AdriansBlog/2011/02/15/building-skills-sculpting-vs-painting/" target="_blank">Adrian Ellis writes about these same concepts here</a>. My favorite quote from his blog: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"The sculptor doesn’t look at the unformed stone as a hindrance! It’s simply the work that has to be done."</span></span></blockquote>
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<div>
<br /></div>
Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-80266527951926119522013-04-26T13:47:00.002-04:002013-04-26T13:48:35.623-04:00Scale Pong! This is a game I invented to play with my horn students each semester before scales tests and juries. Here are the basic "official" rules, which seem to change slightly each time we play:<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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One on one:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Place plastic cups in front of each player with the name of
a scale written on each cup. Players may arrange the cups on their side however they choose, as long as they are all touching.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt64c09h_IPZViPGLveyI4x77xFtmkD-ofkZAvGYATKYy6UYG73k8F41jCe8nOLbjLIw176hDA16rWuOMzx4vzrL_dMzrceEJ5Otj69RiKcmDAExYXi4Dk3dSttqxEdO5BOeB-14uBhE/s1600/Scale+Pong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTt64c09h_IPZViPGLveyI4x77xFtmkD-ofkZAvGYATKYy6UYG73k8F41jCe8nOLbjLIw176hDA16rWuOMzx4vzrL_dMzrceEJ5Otj69RiKcmDAExYXi4Dk3dSttqxEdO5BOeB-14uBhE/s320/Scale+Pong.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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The winner of the coin toss can choose whether to throw or play first.</div>
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<br /></div>
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One player
tosses a ping-pong ball into a cup on the other player’s side. When the ball lands in a cup (which often takes several tries), the
opposing player must play the scale indicated on the cup. The metronome is on while the scale is played. The other spectators rate the performance by consensus, on a scale from 0 to 10 (10 being the highest), with the studio teacher having the final say.
If the performer scores a 7 or better, that cup is removed from their
side.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Play continues (with equal turns) for a set number of
rounds, or to a predetermined score. If
the score is tied after the last round, replace all cups and have one round of
sudden death. The player with the
highest score wins.<br />
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b>Tips, possible variations, etc.</b></h4>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Before play begins, I set up a bracket (think March Madness), so that we can have a "Scale Pong Champion" after several rounds.</li>
<li>Depending on the level of the players, you can use minor scales in various forms. If the ball lands in a minor scale cup, the thrower gets to choose which form of the scale the player will play.</li>
<li>You need something to weigh the cups down, or else they will go tumbling with every throw. A few coins in the bottom of each cup work well.</li>
<li>Write the names of the scales on the inside of the cups, on 2 opposing sides. This makes it easy for both opponents to see which scale has been landed.</li>
<li>We usually play each round to 25 points. This can be adjusted depending on how many points are being earned for each scale, and how long you want the matches to last.</li>
<li>If you want to be really mean, you can impose a 5 point deduction and/or a loss of turn for a missed throw.</li>
<li>For a larger group of students, you could have teams of 2 or 3 face off, and students rotate turns playing.</li>
<li>The "spectators" should be moving their fingers along with every scale.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a really fun game that (most of) my students really look forward to each semester. The elements of competition and peer pressure are very good motivators! Let me know if you have other favorite games, or ideas to improve Scale Pong!</div>
<br />
<br />Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-45816663033674899662013-04-09T09:47:00.001-04:002013-04-09T09:48:01.181-04:00The Most Interesting Things On a recent Friday, I noticed that attendance was down in my Music Appreciation class, so I decided to give the ones who were there an easy way to earn a few extra points. I asked them to write down the answer to this question:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"What is the most interesting thing you've learned in this class so far this semester?"</i></div>
<br />
Some of the answers were too good not to share. Here they are, unedited, of course...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<ul>
<li>Learning how all theses famous composers lived abnormal lives and some dying very young. Also, the odd storys about them, like going crazy and insane.</li>
<li>The most interesting thing I've learned is that almost all of the famous composers were sickly, had awful relationships or died at a very young age.</li>
<li>The most interesting thing i have learned in this class is that the piano has a middle pedal that can sustain the left side of the keyboard and allow you to play detached on the right side</li>
</ul>
<div>
[Really?! <i>That's</i> the most interesting thing? Actually, 4 students mentioned the piano pedals, which I had just covered during that class period. So, I suppose it may not be the most interesting thing they've learned all semester, but rather one of the only things they could remember.]</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The most interesting thing to me, I would have to say the way music so serious that people would casterate a young man, with the hopes of creating a great singer.</li>
<li>Lizart was so popular that when he threw a cigar on the ground it was picked up by a fellow fan who had a locket made for it! </li>
</ul>
<div>
And the winner is...</div>
<ul>
<li>I liked that bit about Beethoven keeping that bucket of poo near his piano.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<br />Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-976210199767468322012-10-31T09:56:00.000-04:002012-10-31T09:56:00.119-04:00Follow-up: A Small Huge Equipment Change As promised in my last post, "<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-small-huge-equipment-change.html" target="_blank">A Small Huge Equipment Change</a>," I'd like to offer a quick update on how the change to a wider internal diameter mouthpiece rim is going.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I must say, the change has been more challenging than I expected! At the time of my original post, I had already been playing on the new rim for about 3 weeks, and had only reached a very modest level of comfort on it. In some circumstances, on some days, it felt great. And on other days, in other circumstances, it felt like I had made the wrong decision. Really, what the last 2 months has been about, is getting to the point where I was comfortable in (almost) every circumstance.<br />
Throughout the process, I was reminded of the difference between how something <u>feels</u> and how it <u>sounds</u>. I would say last week, I finally reached a very high level of comfort with the new rim. But before then, I had already played several successful performances on it, including a brass quintet concert, a solo with piano on a faculty recital, and a few orchestral programs (including Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2!). Even while I didn't "feel" entirely comfortable on these performances, I'm thankful that the audience didn't seem to notice!<br />
Of course it's nice when it feels good, but the most important thing is that it <u>sounds</u> good, no matter how it feels.Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-51423459609341734652012-08-23T11:13:00.002-04:002013-05-24T07:05:25.069-04:00A Small Huge Equipment Change<i>*Disclaimer: While I like to think many of my posts appeal to a wider audience, non-horn players will have to excuse me while I geek out on this one!</i><br />
<br />
About 3 weeks ago, I changed my mouthpiece rim. I'm not one of those players who changes mouthpieces and horns all the time. In fact, other than a change in my mouthpiece cup a few years ago, this is the only equipment change I've undertaken in the last 9 years. I usually subscribe to the old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Or, as this cartoon illustrates...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXOo46W-TSp55CXdNs8tdSoWy8lrdjUbblyDmKjayUKvaEpLVyyT1hC-ibFlFE86RiV5bLjmFdL1PpcA04oOI5B3JNuM1Xlnp8DsMm9YtPvumWAYBKnTtVbpEdqyOUBSgbUl2MuySWP8/s1600/g1345734675223411995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXOo46W-TSp55CXdNs8tdSoWy8lrdjUbblyDmKjayUKvaEpLVyyT1hC-ibFlFE86RiV5bLjmFdL1PpcA04oOI5B3JNuM1Xlnp8DsMm9YtPvumWAYBKnTtVbpEdqyOUBSgbUl2MuySWP8/s1600/g1345734675223411995.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
But, this is a change I've been considering for a while, and so I finally took the plunge.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I play on a <a href="http://www.horncups.com/" target="_blank">Paxman-Halstead-Chidell (PHC) mouthpiece</a>, and have for many years now. I changed from the 'AN' rim to the 'N' rim. That means I changed from an inner diameter of 17.5 mm to 18.5 mm. This is a <i>big</i> difference! I'll get to my reasons and reactions in a second, but first, as I began to write this post about a little gold ring, I couldn't help but think about another very powerful ring, and the quote below...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgvVJQdmD-nz__nIHfAwijRiBv5oQOetsOZcc0zEjYOqO2_-8tl8D6S1XKy39cvjocmpkXxb2i-DzuaVmd6lodmzl_8PT5vduX0JpdJ4CI0r_NnRntYLzwiHtVM84sUVI8Ha_7l9XJiM/s1600/200px-Unico_Anello.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgvVJQdmD-nz__nIHfAwijRiBv5oQOetsOZcc0zEjYOqO2_-8tl8D6S1XKy39cvjocmpkXxb2i-DzuaVmd6lodmzl_8PT5vduX0JpdJ4CI0r_NnRntYLzwiHtVM84sUVI8Ha_7l9XJiM/s1600/200px-Unico_Anello.png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>Boromir</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">: [</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i class="fine">holding the ring after Frodo has lost it</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">] "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></blockquote>
<br />
The main reason that I wanted to switch to a wider diameter rim was to have more room to work inside with my lips. Specifically, I wanted more room to be able to better negotiate one particular embouchure shift (I hate the term "break") around 4th line D that always... shall we say... demands my attention.<br />
So far, here are the pros and cons:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">PRO:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"> </span>Having more room to work inside makes the shifts easier to negotiate<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">PRO:</span> My sound is more open and warmer in general. On the smaller rim, I had to be careful to avoid getting a brittle quality to the sound at times.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">PRO:</span> I am less effected by subtle changes in my lips from day to day. With a smaller rim, a little puffiness was much more distracting.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">PRO:</span> The low range is easier and sounds better, and playing loud in the low register is easier.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">CON:</span> The wider rim means I have to work harder for endurance and high notes. This has been the greatest adjustment. To be honest, I'm still adjusting to it, and I still have days where I second-guess myself for changing. I'll know a lot more about how it's going to work out after some upcoming orchestra and brass quintet playing that will place greater demands on my endurance.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">CON:</span> It just feels different! We get so used to how the mouthpiece feels on our face, that a change in the width of the rim takes a while to adjust to. Oddly enough, I am now in "no-man's land;" when I try out the old rim again for comparison, it feels <i>really</i> tiny!<br />
<br />
Like I said, this was a carefully considered change, and I pretty much knew to expect all the pros and cons listed above before I placed the order.<br />
If you've read this far, you must be a serious horn geek like me, so I'll offer another disclaimer. I'm not recommending this type of change to anyone else. Everyone's lips and embouchure are different. This is the second time in my career that I've taken a step up in the diameter of my mouthpiece rim (the other was in grad school), and I certainly wouldn't recommend such a large inner diameter to a young player, unless they had very large lips. (In case you're wondering, I consider myself to have medium lips.)<br />
I'll try to post an update after my 2012-2013 performance schedule gets into high gear, and let you know how the adjustment is going.<br />
<br />
UPDATE: <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2012/10/follow-up-small-huge-equipment-change.html" target="_blank">Read the follow-up here.</a>Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-26670991688731585072012-08-11T19:53:00.002-04:002012-08-11T19:53:35.297-04:00I Love the Olympics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfORKLD_864Ye15HBEyu6cBkzMQtw3dX3FcEFZVexPmFfolC8Vghh1aX7BhxX-IjiiHmOw8pBiNvNx6Jo6cgbOCL7iK0RPDLfJu8rbQ0PKd53xgvimDO8rBzsf9MNdC0xcHt1hKTvQtQ/s1600/Olympic-Rings.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfORKLD_864Ye15HBEyu6cBkzMQtw3dX3FcEFZVexPmFfolC8Vghh1aX7BhxX-IjiiHmOw8pBiNvNx6Jo6cgbOCL7iK0RPDLfJu8rbQ0PKd53xgvimDO8rBzsf9MNdC0xcHt1hKTvQtQ/s320/Olympic-Rings.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As long as I can remember, I've always loved watching the Olympics, and the past 2 weeks I've been tuning in as often as I can. I think one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is that I can relate to the athletes (in a metaphorical way...). <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I can relate to their commitment and the sacrifices they've made to their daily training. Musicians have often been referred to as "the athletes of the small muscles." When I see the diver standing on the edge of the platform, about to perform an acrobatic dive into the water 10 meters below, I know a little bit about what it has taken to get them there. I know very little about the technical aspects of diving, or the prevailing training methods, but I know exactly what it feels like to practice something over and over until it's "reliably perfect" (or as close to it as possible). And I know what it's like to do that practice even when you don't feel like it, or when your friends are doing something else that's more fun. Unfortunately, the multimillion dollar endorsement deals are hard to come by for classical musicians.<br />
As an aside here, I think it would be great if we called our practice "training." To me, that word better implies that there is a goal in mind that we're preparing for - a specific standard that we are working toward.<br />
I can also relate to the fact that what the Olympic athletes are doing is a REALLY big deal to them. Our lives as performers are punctuated by those defining moments - the big auditions that could change the course of our life, the big concerto competition, the senior recital, etc. We know exactly what it's like to have a few minutes or a few seconds to show the results of years' worth of "training." I think an orchestral audition relates especially well to an Olympic event, because there is only one winner (forget all the frustrating auditions where they don't choose a winner). Too bad there are no hefty silver or bronze medals for those that make the finals.<br />
<br />
<b>Underdogs vs. Top Dogs</b><br />
<br />
I appreciate a heartwarming, inspiring underdog story, but what inspires me even more is seeing the best BE the best. I love to watch athletes who literally redefine what's possible in their sport. When Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods were in their prime, I <u>loved</u> the fact that they seemed to rise to the challenge <i>every</i> time. Their standards were just so much higher than everyone else's, and they had the ability to pull off what they intended. I love the fact that Usain Bolt is the favorite when he lines up for the Olympic sprints, and then--sure enough--he blows everybody away!<br />
Watching great performances, whether athletic or musical, inspires me to raise my expectations...raise my standards...expect more...in my own pursuits.Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-16959244620485016562012-06-06T11:56:00.000-04:002012-06-10T16:52:06.512-04:00Saint-Saens' Morceau de Concert, Op. 94<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I’ve been involved with a project
for the past three years that has finally come to fruition! My colleague at WCU, pianist Andrew Adams,
and I have created a critically revised performing edition of Camille Saint-Saëns’<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Morceau
de Concert</i>, Op. 94. This has
recently been published by <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><a href="http://www.faustmusic.com/cgi-bin/faustmusic/" target="_blank">Faust Music</a></span>.</div>
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnN-BXvRqw84JSz2EiiplLdMJZKb791H3SosDwj7-Hslo5XiDNMnv2GuXdbXGEELzawcHdTqQLf7yPYR6P19_5natwfTW1XSAtx97YE7S8cMGbKg1_4gDoYz31_LDWHJw1yXaZIjAcXw/s1600/Saint-Saens+cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnN-BXvRqw84JSz2EiiplLdMJZKb791H3SosDwj7-Hslo5XiDNMnv2GuXdbXGEELzawcHdTqQLf7yPYR6P19_5natwfTW1XSAtx97YE7S8cMGbKg1_4gDoYz31_LDWHJw1yXaZIjAcXw/s320/Saint-Saens+cover.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-indent: 48px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p> </o:p>Included with the music is a 5-page
foreword that explains the rationale behind creating a new edition of such a
standard work, and also highlights some of the changes between our edition and
previous editions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
From the foreword:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This critical performing edition
of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Morceau de Concert</i>, op. 94, by
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) is the first to be based on the composer’s
manuscripts housed in the Bibliothèque
Nationale de France in Paris. It addresses literally hundreds of discrepancies
found not only in the manuscripts themselves, but also in the scores most
widely used today: the Durand edition of 1893 and the International edition of
1956."</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Saint-Saëns first wrote a version
of the piece for horn and piano in October 1887, and then completed the version
for horn and orchestra one month later.
When you look at the two manuscripts, it appears that the piano version
was more of a rough sketch, and the orchestral version is a more thoroughly
thought-out work. Most of the current
editions are based solely on the piano version.
Our edition could be called a piano reduction of Saint-Saëns’ orchestral
version, but it really is more than that.
We looked carefully at both manuscript versions, and tried to faithfully
represent the composer’s intentions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This post is in danger of going on
way too long, so I’ll just try to whet your appetite so that you’ll <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><a href="http://www.faustmusic.com/cgi-bin/faustmusic/scan/bs=1/se=Horn%20and%20Piano%20or%20Harpsichord/sf=category/tf=title/ml=10%5D.html" target="_blank">buy the music</a></span>! There are many small but important changes in
the horn part, including a few note changes, articulation changes, and some
very interesting dynamic changes compared to the previous published
editions. The piano accompaniment has
been thoroughly revised to make it truer to the orchestral score and more
pianistic. I must give much credit to my
collaborator, Andrew Adams, because it was his feeling that the existing piano part
seemed a little clunky that led us to start looking into this piece in the
first place.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
One other note about this edition,
from the foreword:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“It is important to note that the
markings in this edition do not merely reflect an interpretation of the piece.
While performers may take interpretive liberties with such elements as slurs,
articulations, and dynamics, this edition hopefully presents compelling ideas
based on the original sources that will shed new light on this beloved piece in
our repertoire.” </blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-74174789144669871802012-06-04T17:12:00.002-04:002012-06-04T19:45:14.370-04:00SMBQ Jamaica Tour 2012 The <a href="http://www.smbq.org/" target="_blank">SMBQ</a> travelled to Jamaica May 13-20, and we played a total of 6 concerts in Kingston and Montego Bay, mostly at all-girls schools. We played for some huge audiences (1500+), and they were very enthusiastic! For the majority of these girls, this was the first time they had ever heard a brass quintet live, or any brass instrument, for that matter. <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Our program had an educational theme. Each instrument played a feature piece (mine was a shortened version of the Rondo from Mozart 2), and in between pieces we discussed the characteristics of the instruments. We also played a wide range of styles including jazz, fanfare, classical, contemporary, funk, and more.<br />
Far and away, the highlight of the trip for me was the moment captured in the video below. Towards the end of our program, we always asked for questions from the audience. Our first trumpet player, Brad Ulrich, is great working the crowd and answering their questions. At this particular concert, instead of asking about brass instruments, or the U.S., some of the girls started making requests. After one girl requested the Pink Panther theme, Brad had politely explained that we don't have the music for that, and we can't really play it well together without practicing it first. The next girl asked if we could play "Titanic," and just as Brad was starting to repeat his explanation, I started playing the famous horn solo - and the crowd went wild!! I hadn't played this solo in years, and I wasn't sure if I should play the whole thing, or if I could even remember it all. My mind was racing, but I managed to pull it off, and the reaction of the audience was the greatest thrill I've ever experienced with the horn in my hand! It brings a smile to my face every time I think about it. <br />
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I should probably just retire from performing now, because it doesn't get any better than that!<br />
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Like our trips in recent years to China and Germany, this trip also provided some excellent food! We had our share of local specialties like ackee and salt fish, spicy jerk chicken and pork, breadfruit (far right in the picture below), and festival (a yummy, fried breadstick-like thing, pictured far left).<br />
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When you order fish in Jamaica, you get a fish...</div>
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(It was delicious!) </div>
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Air conditioning is somewhat rare in Jamaica, so most of the dining was outdoors, but in the shade (thankfully). As you can imagine, it was VERY hot in the sun. But, in the shade, there was usually a nice breeze blowing, and it wasn't too bad.<br />
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When most people think of Jamaica, they picture white sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts. In reality, it is a 3rd-world country that suffers from rampant poverty. It was really eye-opening to see the conditions in which many local people lived. Here is a short video I took out the window on our bus ride from Kingston to Montego Bay. This wasn't even the saddest of it, but this was typical of the scene out the window for most of the ride.<br />
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Despite the poverty, the people of Jamaica were very warm and friendly, and it is a country of tremendous natural beauty. I'll close this post with some more photos from the trip...<br />
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After our performing duties were done, we had a little fun on the beach at Doctor's Cave in Montego Bay!</div>
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</div>Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-58617813566112417302012-03-29T13:40:00.000-04:002012-03-29T13:57:06.768-04:00Are You Pickin' Up What I'm Puttin' Down? I tried a new activity in our weekly Studio Class yesterday: <b>Dynamic Dictation</b>. If you've been through sight-singing and ear training courses, you know about rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic dictation. This is when the instructor plays something on the piano, and you have to write down what you hear. Well, in a Dynamic Dictation exercise, one horn student plays part of a prepared solo, etude, or excerpt, and the rest of the students mark the dynamics they hear.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I chose the selections in advance, and copied the passages to be played with all dynamic indications whited out. Then, the listeners mark the parts based on what they hear in the performance. The inspiration for this was the fact that I am constantly asking my students for "more contrast" and telling them they have to exaggerate their dynamics and do more than they think for it to translate to the listener. <br />
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I often compare it to an actor in a stage play. If you're up right next to the stage, everyone seems to be talking way too loud, making wild gestures, and wearing too much make-up! But, from further back in the audience, they look and sound more normal.</div>
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Dynamic Dictation has a lot of great benefits:</div>
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<ul>
<li>The performer gets extremely valuable feedback about what the audience is hearing, and how that compares to what they think they're doing.</li>
<li>It encourages the listeners to pay attention to the <i>music</i>, and notice what opportunities are being missed.</li>
<li>It's fun! Who doesn't like horn games? (I still need to write a post about Scale Pong...)</li>
</ul>
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Ideally, the listeners should mark the parts to look a lot like the original, but hopefully they hear even more contrast and expression than that!</div>
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You may not have a room full of students or classmates to try this with (or a jar of White Out), but many of the same benefits can be gained by having one or more friends listen to some music you're preparing and then describe your dynamics back to you.</div>Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-51567203340385019362012-02-26T18:10:00.000-05:002012-02-26T18:10:56.765-05:00On Counting Rests I recently played <i>Così fan tutte</i> with the <a href="http://www.ashevillelyric.org/" target="_blank">Asheville Lyric Opera</a>. I plan to post more on this later, particularly No. 25: "<i>Per pieta</i>", which has some hair-raising horn parts. But for now, this is just a quick post inspired by all the counting of rests the opera involved.<br />
First, an important point for any ensemble playing...<br />
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<b>It's YOUR job to count the rests.</b></div>
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Or, put another way...<br />
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<b>It's your JOB to count the rests.</b></div>
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Now, a tip, and hopefully a discussion starter. Some people seem to be able to keep track of long stretches of rests in their heads without trouble, but I'm not one of them. I use my fingers. I use a particular method; I don't think it's terribly original, but I'll share it here to see what others think.<br />
I count to 10 on one hand, starting like this:<br />
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My thumb goes out last for 5, then I start with the thumb for 6, putting my pinky out last for 10:<br />
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Then I start again with the pointer for 11, etc. So, all I have to remember is if I'm in the 10's, 20's, etc. (The longest stretch in <i>Così </i>was 69 bars!) <br />
I do this discreetly, in my lap where the audience won't notice. And sometimes I'm not even sticking my fingers out as in the pictures above, but rather I'm just pressing one finger at a time into my thigh or my horn to keep track of the count.<br />
One last point related to this topic: If you know the score really well, you don't even have to count every rest.<br />
I would like to know what methods you use to count rests. Please describe them in the comments section!Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-30179741314372019072012-02-23T09:47:00.001-05:002012-02-23T09:47:50.431-05:00My Philosophy of Teaching I recently re-wrote the following statement of my teaching philosophy, and I thought it would make a good post...<br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
believe the job of any teacher is not only to impart knowledge, but also to
equip the students with the ability to advance their own learning beyond the
classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I face two very
different audiences in my teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My horn students are music lovers who need to see “behind the veil” and
learn how music is made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Music
Appreciation class, most of my students are completely new to the world of art
music, and need to be convinced that the subject matter is alive and relevant
to their lives.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the Horn Studio, my primary objective is to make myself obsolete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I strive to give my students the tools
they need to identify and overcome obstacles to their growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since most of my students are future
educators, I place great emphasis on provoking them to become better musicians;
the horn just happens to be our preferred medium of expression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say “provoke” because the student
must be engaged and involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though I may tell them how to do something—physically or musically—they must
ultimately discover the concepts for themselves and take ownership of the
technique.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Helping
each student reach their full potential requires me to tailor my instruction to
their individual abilities, personality, and learning methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must deliver the material in a way
that they can easily understand and assimilate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I must find the right balance of encouragement and
exhortation that is most effective for each student.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
teaching Music Appreciation, I display an infectious enthusiasm for the music
we study.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see as an important
part of my job the cultivation of the next generation of consumers of
music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To paraphrase Benjamin
Zander, I believe all of my students love classical music, they just don’t know
it yet!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I show them the relevance
of this music to modern life by relating my own experiences as a performer, and
by drawing examples from the current news and pop culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I encourage them to allow the music to
impact them emotionally, and I try to give them an emotional blueprint of a work
based on the context of its composition, or having them relate it to their own
experiences.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
both the Horn Studio and the classroom, I have high expectations of my
students, and I maintain rigorous standards that require the students to be
active participants in their own learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Babying them might be easier for us all now, but it would be
crippling them in the long run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the same time, I sincerely want all of them to succeed, and I do my best to
help them achieve their goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-6545281958836970512011-12-06T12:33:00.001-05:002011-12-06T12:56:01.811-05:005 Days in the Life Tonight I will conclude a busy 5-day stretch that demonstrates what makes my job hectic at times, but also exemplifies one of the aspects I love about my job: the opportunity to perform and make music in a variety of settings. Here are the highlights...<br />
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<b>Friday, Dec. 2:</b><br />
- teach Music Appreciation, 2 lessons, rehearsal for upcoming performance<br />
- conduct the WCU Horn Choir in Christmas carols in Dillsboro, NC<br />
- Horn Studio party at my house!<br />
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<b>Saturday, Dec. 3: </b><br />
- <a href="http://www.smbq.org/" target="_blank">SMBQ</a> concert in Highlands, NC<br />
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<b>Sunday, Dec. 4:</b><br />
- church, lunch, hurry home to change clothes and head out to...<br />
- conduct the <a href="http://www.wcu.edu/" target="_blank">WCU</a> Horn Choir and play with the <a href="http://www.smbq.org/" target="_blank">SMBQ</a> in WCU's Sounds of the Season concert.<br />
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<b>Monday, Dec. 5:</b><br />
- teach Music Appreciation, Horn Choir rehearsal, 1 lesson, chamber music rehearsal<br />
- conduct the Horn Choir in the Brass Ensembles Recital<br />
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<b>Tuesday, Dec. 6:</b><br />
- teach 2 lessons, lots of office work<br />
- perform a Mozart octet with a faculty/student ensemble<br />
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That's 5 different performances on 5 consecutive days, both conducting and playing! It can really be challenging to balance all the different aspects of my job: teaching, conducting, rehearsing, performing, committees, correspondence, etc. It takes a lot of organization, planning ahead, and then living in the moment - focusing on the current task without being distracted by "what's next." I greatly enjoy my job, but I'll be glad to spend more time at home tomorrow night with my family! And in about 10 more days, my responsibilities at the university will be wrapped up until next year!Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-80185848389011213312011-11-17T16:23:00.001-05:002011-11-23T22:25:11.075-05:00In the Hot Seat Last week I had the opportunity to play Principal with the <a href="http://www.ashevillesymphony.org/" target="_blank">Asheville Symphony Orchestra</a> for Mahler's 2nd Symphony. I normally play 4th in this group, but due to a couple of absences in the section, I got to play 1st. If that doesn't deserve a blog post, I don't know what does!<br />
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This might sound super obvious, but playing 1st was <i>a lot</i> different than playing 4th. I have to admit that I was pretty uneasy at the first rehearsal on Wednesday, but by Friday night I was much more comfortable and had settled into the role. It's not that I'm unused to having every note I play be heard; I give a couple solo recitals a year, and I play lots of chamber music concerts, mostly with the <a href="http://www.smbq.org/" target="_blank">Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet</a>. But playing in a full orchestra, and leading a section of horn players is different.<br />
When I play 4th horn, my attention is very focused on the horn section. I'm playing in harmony or octaves with the 3rd horn... I'm matching the 2nd horn when we're in unison... I'm taking cues from the 1st horn for timing, intonation, dynamics, articulations, etc.<br />
Playing 1st, I got to listen all over the orchestra. I made music with the trumpets, the woodwind section, and individually with the flute, the oboe and clarinet. I listened to the concertmaster to make sure I changed notes just as he got to the end of his solo.<br />
As the Principal horn, I also got to assert my own musical initiative more, with regards to style, articulations, dynamics, and phrasing. I had to lead the section by establishing a good pitch center, and picking my spots with the conductor's baton without letting a tentative downbeat throw off the horn section.<br />
I know it's not PC to say that my usual 4th part isn't as important as the 1st, but I have to say that playing 1st was much more fulfilling to me musically. Yes, it's more pressure and more responsibility, and honestly there are some weeks when life is busy and I'm happy not to be the one in "the hot seat." <br />
Overall, it was a great experience that I will treasure for a long time. I had a great section; they were all fantastic players, and very supportive. What an amazing work that symphony is! The last movement is really transcendent.Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-25086525767356156072011-11-10T13:57:00.001-05:002011-11-11T07:34:30.694-05:00How Much Should a Teacher Play in Lessons? I'm a little behind on my <i><a href="http://hornsociety.org/en/publications/horn-call" target="_blank">Horn Call</a></i> reading. Recently, I was reading <a href="http://hornworld.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">James Boldin</a>'s interview with <a href="http://www.music.wisc.edu/faculty/bio?faculty_id=3" target="_blank">Douglas Hill</a> in the February 2011 issue (Vol. XLI, No. 2). This quote caught my eye. Discussing what it takes to be a successful, effective teacher, Hill says...<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Developing verbal skills is important, and maybe even developing vocal skills, or demonstration skills. I don't demonstrate much on the horn, mostly because I'm not asking people to imitate. If you rarely play for students in lessons, the best sounds come from them. I'm not denouncing imitation - it's useful for many things - but we can get that by listening to CDs." (p. 50)<a name='more'></a></blockquote>
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I was surprised that he said he doesn't play much in lessons. I try to play some in every lesson I teach. Usually this happens in any of 3 ways:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>When I assign a new etude, I usually play all or part of it to demonstrate tempo, style, etc.</li>
<li>I'll play duets with my students, to work on sight reading, intonation, etc.</li>
<li>I'll demonstrate a passage that they need to improve in an etude or solo.</li>
</ol>
<br />
I agree with Prof. Hill that verbal and vocal skills are very important. I try to explain things verbally in the clearest way possible, and I encourage my students to develop this type of vocabulary too, since most of them will become teachers themselves in some way. I also sing in lessons a lot. (Maybe more than my students would prefer!). But, many times, if I play something on the horn, it can save a lot of talking and singing. <i>A picture's worth a thousand words.</i><br />
I also get what he's saying when he says if the teacher doesn't play much, then "the best sounds come from them" (the student). Some students may get discouraged when they've worked on something so hard, and then their teacher picks up the horn cold and plays it even better.<br />
The amount of demonstrating I do on the horn depends partly on the level of the student I'm working with. Do they already have the musical "vision" inside them? (i.e. a crystal clear idea of the sound, tempo, style they're after). I've heard of other situations where a teacher plays along with the student on almost everything, particularly with younger students.<br />
Looking back on my own experience as a student, I studied with <a href="http://www.hornsociety.org/en/ihs-people/punto-recipients/355-capps" target="_blank">William Capps</a> at FSU for two years, and never heard him play a note. Yet, I learned a tremendous amount from him about horn playing, and especially about musicianship.<br />
In the quote above, Prof. Hill also mentioned listening to CDs for an example to imitate. This is super important. Since I don't take regular lessons anymore, this is how I stay motivated. Occasionally, I find I've started to get a little complacent, and I need a reminder of what our instrument is really capable of. Listen to as much great horn playing as you can, via CDs, iTunes, YouTube, horn workshops, etc. Soak up that sound and use it to hone your musical vision.<br />
I'd like to hear what your experiences and philosophies are about how much playing a teacher should do in lessons. Please comment!Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-90339019869650196932011-10-06T08:52:00.001-04:002011-10-06T08:52:31.957-04:00My Best Practice Advice It's been waaaay too long since my last post! There are lots of reasons for this, but one of my favorite sayings is: "A reason is not an excuse." I feel compelled to write this post because I've been giving this little bit of advice in several lessons lately. <br />
Back in February, I posted a list of <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/02/practice-tips.html">Practice Tips</a>. If I could only give one, this would be it:<br />
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When you make a mistake, slow down. <i>Every time</i>.<br />
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I'll call it <b>The Tortoise Principle</b>. You know: "slow and steady wins the race."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI5dCxVQ0vlS07pJP6MExS6qWkzvHXFvLHelQFMHva70tJyGVYvmdxPhFiIn6KcHm7x2aLLx_b-CxK6OAj9YO58IVsZmQ_yACwYopFv2Vlena3D9EtqibhSD3mVB4FK8FTVDFqTMxI-k/s1600/TortoiseHare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI5dCxVQ0vlS07pJP6MExS6qWkzvHXFvLHelQFMHva70tJyGVYvmdxPhFiIn6KcHm7x2aLLx_b-CxK6OAj9YO58IVsZmQ_yACwYopFv2Vlena3D9EtqibhSD3mVB4FK8FTVDFqTMxI-k/s1600/TortoiseHare.jpg" /></a></div>
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So, applying this practice technique goes like this: you set your sights on that tricky measure in your solo (or maybe an awesome Kopprasch etude!). You play it through, and it's kinda messy. What do you do? <i>Slow it down</i>. When you play it again, it's better than it was, but you still miss a couple notes. What do you do? Slow it down <i>again</i>. The next time through, all the notes are there, but you realize you weren't really playing the dynamics, or the proper articulations, or whatever. Slow it down <i>again</i>. Finally, you play it perfectly. NOW, you have torn it down to its foundation, and you can begin to build it up correctly. You can speed up the metronome gradually, and keep racking up correct repetitions. If you make a mistake, <i>slow it down again</i>. Even if you know it was just a fluke.<br />
This might seem tedious, and it might feel like a waste of time. But, if most of us would apply this technique diligently, we'd play <i>many</i> <i>fewer</i> mistakes than we normally do in every practice session. I know you've heard a million times that you should practice slowly. But I'm convinced that most of us don't use this tactic as effectively as we could. We don't trust it. It requires patience and perseverance. Don't rush the process. <i>Where we really waste time is when we have to overcome the bad habits that have been reinforced through poor practice. </i> By applying The Tortoise Principle, you're actually saving countless hours of frustration.<br />
I often talk to my students about keeping score mentally while they practice, between "right" and "wrong" repetitions of a passage. After all, every time you play it with mistakes, you're practicing (i.e. reinforcing) the wrong version. The Tortoise Principle ensures that you will have many more correct repetitions than incorrect ones.<br />
More advantages of The Tortoise Principle:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>-It helps avoid aimless, wandering practice.</b> It automatically makes you highly focused on what you're doing, because you want to avoid mistakes so you can keep increasing the tempo. It also gives a simple rule that you can apply without ambiguity: if you mess up, slow down.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>-Positive reinforcement replaces frustration!</b> This is the best part about practicing slowly. Once you tear a passage down to the tempo at which you can play it "perfectly," you start to have lots of successful repetitions! (By the way, the "tearing down" process should only take a minute. If it takes longer, then you're just being too optimistic about your abilities!) All of a sudden, that frustrating feeling of beating your head against a wall is replaced by the encouraging feeling of progress! The voice in your head changes from "I can't do this!" to "I'm doing it!" </div>
Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-20741682828380188932011-05-23T15:23:00.000-04:002011-05-23T15:23:43.584-04:00SMBQ Germany Tour 2011 I just recently returned from another successful international tour with the <a href="http://www.smbq.org/">SMBQ</a>. We visited southern Germany May 9-17, playing concerts at some of WCU's sister schools in Ludwigsburg, Weingarten, and Tübingen.<br />
On the map you can see some of the locations we visited...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=212014440076172022467.0004a3e226921465504d5&ll=48.268569,10.228271&spn=2.559583,4.669189&z=7&output=embed" width="425"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=212014440076172022467.0004a3e226921465504d5&ll=48.268569,10.228271&spn=2.559583,4.669189&z=7&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">SMBQ Germany Tour 2011</a> in a larger map</small></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div> If I were to go into great detail about every place, this post would go on forever. So, instead, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. Every day was just packed with great sights, great food and great people. My main reflection is this: I've been fortunate to gain a much more global perspective in the past 18 months, taking extended trips to Argentina, China, and Germany. I've realized there are wonderful people everywhere, leading wonderful lives. It doesn't matter if it's a big city, or a small village - in Beijing, or Isla Verde, or Weingarten, or Munich, or Cullowhee - it's the people that make the place. It makes me appreciate the people I live with more.<br />
Below are just some of the highlights. There are many more pictures and stories that I don't have room to share here. You can click the photos for a larger image.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrnt_AC_-Qhk4-7BXvYz0bekmgI7DgXOk-GiBh-LvfwWs40LStOAG8tvh8B5PiQJSWItBInTZvtk23A0pyJoJfzWN3bteaGYTS9CRFbYvOp2CVY1sxMptFJ2uY5ZCJcQdm0H7Rn8CEwM/s1600/IMG_4047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrnt_AC_-Qhk4-7BXvYz0bekmgI7DgXOk-GiBh-LvfwWs40LStOAG8tvh8B5PiQJSWItBInTZvtk23A0pyJoJfzWN3bteaGYTS9CRFbYvOp2CVY1sxMptFJ2uY5ZCJcQdm0H7Rn8CEwM/s320/IMG_4047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Ludwigsburg Palace</div> On a side note, across the street from this palace I noticed a hotel/restaurant called "Waldhorn am Schloss." There was a plaque on the side of the building that said in 1763 Leopold Mozart stayed there with his 7 1/2-year-old son, Wolfgang!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXltSKhcNPG5kFSQWoi_QxMX28t8mgIdcG9U0W09lSR62ZkkyirecfOyCvItItsg58sq4QMT9oFIWKpCccsVCks9F4yBORj2yG-p5WRIhV5kUefhiEP174kfD4E_m_9LePRs9Pgnl8TUc/s1600/IMG_4145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXltSKhcNPG5kFSQWoi_QxMX28t8mgIdcG9U0W09lSR62ZkkyirecfOyCvItItsg58sq4QMT9oFIWKpCccsVCks9F4yBORj2yG-p5WRIhV5kUefhiEP174kfD4E_m_9LePRs9Pgnl8TUc/s320/IMG_4145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Beer Garden in Ludwigsburg, Uferstüble</div> We were determined to play some German music in a Beer Garden while in Germany, and we got our chance early in the trip! The owner had said we could have free beer "if" we played well. I knew we were in good shape when we hadn't finished our second tune, and the waiter was already delivering 5 half-liter mugs! They must have really liked us, because there followed more beer (in liter mugs!) AND free food! The German Band arrangements we had didn't include a horn part, so I had to transpose down a 5th and read a Tenor Sax part - it took a little getting used to! Here's some video...<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="249" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BqOhoLyOqSM" width="400"></iframe><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe7qu8GeesGCh9vSczA3reERhoHLlq4_Jbo1kTDDUeIlCz_XrFLcvNfFxI4RFno9iDiF2A-Ph5N6xLRNTLQO0FoWWERqtC_h7GZIXDv2e46Jbc4x4a42D9raSYbA9OBN5yfWSYLEtZhk/s1600/IMG_4151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe7qu8GeesGCh9vSczA3reERhoHLlq4_Jbo1kTDDUeIlCz_XrFLcvNfFxI4RFno9iDiF2A-Ph5N6xLRNTLQO0FoWWERqtC_h7GZIXDv2e46Jbc4x4a42D9raSYbA9OBN5yfWSYLEtZhk/s320/IMG_4151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My first Wiener Schnitzel (not the last of the trip)! Delicious!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP5ktovoOvGhmwfAjD_mAJBdJz5YMDdvzYipDxzhUwi0ba6HRP8Mbb48eNQ87OHtnYcSgIyeMdhkbOnFj5Kj9mAbDraz6dw9WJNVCYJVXNh1nwbaoEqxA1G6Ot9yWK098hcE00pnxWRQ/s1600/IMG_4209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP5ktovoOvGhmwfAjD_mAJBdJz5YMDdvzYipDxzhUwi0ba6HRP8Mbb48eNQ87OHtnYcSgIyeMdhkbOnFj5Kj9mAbDraz6dw9WJNVCYJVXNh1nwbaoEqxA1G6Ot9yWK098hcE00pnxWRQ/s320/IMG_4209.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Basilica in Weingarten</div> It seemed like there were gorgeous churches everywhere we went. They looked impressive enough from the outside, but when you stepped through the door, it took your breath away. The paintings, carvings, etc were just awesome!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnepYVcBvy6dfG6aKMi_FqKerP6VTNPQKfwTRIYj_4XS7y5BsZRyWRqnRvG2XE1diugG09dYbtHhIiJkHva5Ib5d20e3CDMfMx90X8zn4HHbENSKnNTklc_YtnX4_PzyDaKozVnuhdlw/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnepYVcBvy6dfG6aKMi_FqKerP6VTNPQKfwTRIYj_4XS7y5BsZRyWRqnRvG2XE1diugG09dYbtHhIiJkHva5Ib5d20e3CDMfMx90X8zn4HHbENSKnNTklc_YtnX4_PzyDaKozVnuhdlw/s320/IMG_4234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Greeting the locals.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3AKwwa3DhwYKknYNopVWcbxiDQhyphenhyphenKljmQrCKwbySvKQGq9TLyhBMA4m1p-StBTKtBP1v_vvXt2jTJfsowD74B729Z7V5ee1VTle80isK5I0VSgJWc4SQ9Pre3MR0_pkcpce96GtdSnY/s1600/SMBQ+Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3AKwwa3DhwYKknYNopVWcbxiDQhyphenhyphenKljmQrCKwbySvKQGq9TLyhBMA4m1p-StBTKtBP1v_vvXt2jTJfsowD74B729Z7V5ee1VTle80isK5I0VSgJWc4SQ9Pre3MR0_pkcpce96GtdSnY/s320/SMBQ+Castle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Neuschwanstein castle in the background.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> On our way to the castle, we had stopped off at Lindau and stood on the edge of the Bodensee (Lake Constance), where you can see the Swiss Alps across the water.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWhrJqj8ZOmx04UeTOUyCVRiRCp9-gxbUXYngVpdQkoOAfw8O4CfZCw2Sj1BZHLPcvxSe6bjPU37GdlHF-65BayzyOcQd4ytcHm4w89QPN6hJy5ovCGxIoaDcWPbwSgXcBtQzavwPFKQ/s1600/IMG_4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWhrJqj8ZOmx04UeTOUyCVRiRCp9-gxbUXYngVpdQkoOAfw8O4CfZCw2Sj1BZHLPcvxSe6bjPU37GdlHF-65BayzyOcQd4ytcHm4w89QPN6hJy5ovCGxIoaDcWPbwSgXcBtQzavwPFKQ/s320/IMG_4336.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The Wieskirche</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0efjTUBs3FKAr2PdzPvYET3wDUwIw_yIER_ZtsgGbw_Dq-54Y0stOftPCK63CN_jmByg4dqX_3YByizQBZhXknkHmffKe40H723pVS2uddUsa-4JOe8b7jt9g2Mk4KD8r0B4Sp_ttxas/s1600/IMG_4353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0efjTUBs3FKAr2PdzPvYET3wDUwIw_yIER_ZtsgGbw_Dq-54Y0stOftPCK63CN_jmByg4dqX_3YByizQBZhXknkHmffKe40H723pVS2uddUsa-4JOe8b7jt9g2Mk4KD8r0B4Sp_ttxas/s320/IMG_4353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Weisswurst with pretzel and sweet mustard - a Bavarian tradition.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxe8HhKSENHZFd9qBN1t4CUlT-dhZENuGdLk2Ommadt-AqEl-6He2VqYnd-kQRYg8dQL-k9jyQ_w7CCHtQvLL7kZL9m7gTej0wCTOmNSdLX1FBAeRZdFX9OxUS-NFsM6-m2LOSG-9-CU/s1600/IMG_4368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxe8HhKSENHZFd9qBN1t4CUlT-dhZENuGdLk2Ommadt-AqEl-6He2VqYnd-kQRYg8dQL-k9jyQ_w7CCHtQvLL7kZL9m7gTej0wCTOmNSdLX1FBAeRZdFX9OxUS-NFsM6-m2LOSG-9-CU/s320/IMG_4368.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Hofbraühaus in Munich sells beer by the liter, and the servers handle them by the bunches!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxLc-414FID1X2sTn1cD1C9hJKRgRJmDDqcHSbkF0p9tabjGl7EY7f_5uwrzw9_JVYXgbB_-CaiNX5wZWtxfgJJobd7RAra4t2oAxeWnRvBi1OHtmf0v3NYzaZxDX4HefhZOO49gOzqg/s1600/IMG_4399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxLc-414FID1X2sTn1cD1C9hJKRgRJmDDqcHSbkF0p9tabjGl7EY7f_5uwrzw9_JVYXgbB_-CaiNX5wZWtxfgJJobd7RAra4t2oAxeWnRvBi1OHtmf0v3NYzaZxDX4HefhZOO49gOzqg/s320/IMG_4399.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The Asamkirche in Munich</div><div style="text-align: left;"> This was probably the most amazing church we visited, as far as the decor - it's just so dense! I could have spent hours looking at everything; it's really like sensory overload when you walk in!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-DN7p_hjW0oyz1_qQCUSh-ihYVN6NKB0G6V9e9p9ltID4GsO2hYUmkY_huIe-Q2jdiYYQiEGj2g0UKHrn8ZUaoTXg3B4vBJ-u6xKnzwsrRVayNVcKQLFB5MC69KjHOfC05VtGrZRANo/s1600/IMG_4427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-DN7p_hjW0oyz1_qQCUSh-ihYVN6NKB0G6V9e9p9ltID4GsO2hYUmkY_huIe-Q2jdiYYQiEGj2g0UKHrn8ZUaoTXg3B4vBJ-u6xKnzwsrRVayNVcKQLFB5MC69KjHOfC05VtGrZRANo/s320/IMG_4427.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The famous Glockenspiel in Marianplatz, Munich</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-s45hyphenhyphenLGPxfsdnv70Btv1VJx6ZryNwwk0ED6Yk7QfcOO6uHqNbv2twmczF24bwnU93I1DpEQsTk6JFzehP84mPXwHIW8fEe9dn-xpYPYYQXbLS2Y-6NotpLov0Hcl7Aon1vV4L2aEgQ/s1600/IMG_4439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-s45hyphenhyphenLGPxfsdnv70Btv1VJx6ZryNwwk0ED6Yk7QfcOO6uHqNbv2twmczF24bwnU93I1DpEQsTk6JFzehP84mPXwHIW8fEe9dn-xpYPYYQXbLS2Y-6NotpLov0Hcl7Aon1vV4L2aEgQ/s320/IMG_4439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My favorite meal of the trip, and another Bavarian specialty - Schweinshaxe (pig knuckle) with potato dumpling and saurkraut. Delicious! This was at the Augustiner Keller for lunch. VERY crispy skin.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Z1krF4OVU6g5SzJ1B0j85zObPTC5iR_CAP1GLm8wuxWDhxHvkNeHDKXUgeYgsKOchRUz0Fe8LMlMygrapqjbym1x0J6LAvIQScpoU6Cp5AkDQebrhYJzCtrYPXuxEeOXWW4vRE41NH4/s1600/IMG_4525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Z1krF4OVU6g5SzJ1B0j85zObPTC5iR_CAP1GLm8wuxWDhxHvkNeHDKXUgeYgsKOchRUz0Fe8LMlMygrapqjbym1x0J6LAvIQScpoU6Cp5AkDQebrhYJzCtrYPXuxEeOXWW4vRE41NH4/s320/IMG_4525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> On our way out of Munich Sunday we visited the concentration camp at Dachau. This is a picture of the entry gate - it was a Nazi lie meaning "Work will make you free." Almost fittingly, it was a rainy, dreary day. But standing in the rain without an umbrella, listening to our tour guide, I couldn't help but think what a small inconvenience that was, compared to what the prisoners suffered in that same space. I believe that mankind is predisposed to evil, but I still kept asking myself "how could this happen?"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKgM91U2ztY5UkfEJyZWhNauHlfeNnzZkrchFDDaPF0jMGqIPUfb3L5uYvrCQ-EtLmlb0sV5SR3LgoS1NRLaYWNd00Ybj9cfOQB8_PYec4ZKebuMnvmnLQYJlRXxfrVCOKfRDPJRxOdA/s1600/IMG_4533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKgM91U2ztY5UkfEJyZWhNauHlfeNnzZkrchFDDaPF0jMGqIPUfb3L5uYvrCQ-EtLmlb0sV5SR3LgoS1NRLaYWNd00Ybj9cfOQB8_PYec4ZKebuMnvmnLQYJlRXxfrVCOKfRDPJRxOdA/s320/IMG_4533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The next day was a much lighter adventure. Mike Schallock (tuba) and I made the 2 hour drive from Tübingen to Mindelzell, to visit <a href="http://www.french-horn.com/schmid/">Engelbert Schmid's shop</a>. This was a real highlight of the trip for me. He was very generous with his time, and even treated us to lunch where we had some wine from <a href="http://www.don-angel.net/">his own vineyard</a> in Spain! While they serviced my horn, I was able to try out a triple horn and a variety of bell flares in the concert space upstairs. After lunch, my horn was ready, and I was able to experiment with different bells on my own instrument. The work they did was great - my valves haven't moved so well in years!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRdrXGESu-czqECzOfhXmhklsu15Dud2aRKv5qsyVSIeoI16dyhWyibQIWPj7D-WFmOoiWRShW9pKoYmnRjKmOXULkFdMywZJXxHg1ne8-rHPKLFcOkVyaJCrWYul_djE7_hcJPQGxCI/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRdrXGESu-czqECzOfhXmhklsu15Dud2aRKv5qsyVSIeoI16dyhWyibQIWPj7D-WFmOoiWRShW9pKoYmnRjKmOXULkFdMywZJXxHg1ne8-rHPKLFcOkVyaJCrWYul_djE7_hcJPQGxCI/s320/IMG_4557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> This was the site of our final concert in Tübingen: Jacobuskirche, originally from the 12th Century, rebuilt in the Gothic style in 1500. I haven't said much about the concerts, have I? They all went very well, and the audiences were fantastically warm, enthusiastic, and appreciative.<br />
Germany is a beautiful country that I'd really like to visit again in the future. Every little village seems to be brimming with character.Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-7587120245739131202011-04-29T15:07:00.017-04:002011-04-30T20:52:19.107-04:00A World Premiere: "far beyond the dissonance" This week I had the opportunity to give the world premiere performance of a piece for solo horn. The title of the short but challenging work is "far beyond the dissonance," and it was written by <a href="http://www.gregrobin.net/">Dr. Greg Robin</a>, a colleague of mine at Western Carolina University...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rzjKDQt8pG9JIBBPt63xeBfVg0Wl8pv-o6oe4FyHL-aW6-YZ-Wpt2qOOP3rNrK2gful5EcasK4WmbmjzBWYaKd_LXi3BUR4_0uI0V_oTdoMmgm38_KmCu3tA0qBTYoLthJu83S7Do6Q/s1600/Me+and+Greg+Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rzjKDQt8pG9JIBBPt63xeBfVg0Wl8pv-o6oe4FyHL-aW6-YZ-Wpt2qOOP3rNrK2gful5EcasK4WmbmjzBWYaKd_LXi3BUR4_0uI0V_oTdoMmgm38_KmCu3tA0qBTYoLthJu83S7Do6Q/s320/Me+and+Greg+Robin.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The following program notes were written by the composer:<br />
<blockquote>Greg Robin’s <b><i>far beyond the dissonance</i></b> explores timbral variations of the [0,1] dyad. New intervallic constructs are a result of the latent intervals created from multiphonics and registral displacement. The opening gesture of a unison to an [0,1] dyad, by way of a multiphonic, creates the interval-generating motive of the work. Through timbral transformations of vocal glissandi, echo-gliss, muting, and flutter-tongue; a sense of sound transformation is perceived. This piece was written for and dedicated to Travis Bennett.</blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, it's a rare opportunity to give a world premiere, and preparing a piece that you've never heard before requires a bit different strategy. When I first got the music and stumbled through it like someone feeling their way through a dark room, it seemed like just a series of techniques or riffs that had to be learned. Only after I spent a lot of time with it, and could maneuver the extended techniques, complex rhythms, and unfamiliar intervals, could I begin to see the big picture and the piece really began to make sense to me. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The more I lived with the piece, the more interesting it became, and I made new discoveries at every practice session. I could see motivic connections across larger sections of the piece, and could begin to "tell the story" from beginning to end. I felt like the music was slowly revealing itself to me, like a sculpture takes shape out of a chunk of rock. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Since there was no recording to refer to, I had to tap into my musical instincts and experience to go beyond what's marked on the page in shaping my interpretation. The entire process was really quite exciting, and involved a fair amount of experimentation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> Thankfully, Greg is not one of those composers that waits until the last minute to get the music finished! I got the piece a couple months before the performance, so I had time to experiment and discover. There were periods during that time that I was busy with other playing, and didn't look at it for a while. Then when I returned to it, I had a fresh perspective, and could see things I hadn't before.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> One of the coolest effects in the piece is its use of multiphonics. I had only ever used multiphonics to create consonant chords, but the first measure of this piece calls for you to sing and play in unison, and then slowly bend your voice up a half-step and back down. This creates a really interesting sound, where the dissonance beats gradually faster and then slower again as you return to the unison.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Here's what this effect sounds like:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #232323; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #dd0000; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, Fixed; font-size: 13px;"><embed flashvars="audioUrl=https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B39jwf7EMZ4hNzczMzc3OTUtNDE5MC00OGVjLWFhMDctYThlMjBjYjZkY2Q4&export=download&hl=en" height="27" quality="best" src="http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3523697345-audio-player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300"></embed></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> I was gratified that the piece was well-received at the first performance. Honestly, I was unsure how it would strike people on just one hearing, since I had such a different perspective, having become intimately familiar with the piece.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">he experience of preparing and performing this work stretched me as a horn player and a musician, and so </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">I am grateful to Greg for this opportunity!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;"> (Incidentally, it also stretched me as a blogger - that's my first embedded audio clip!)</span>Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-48917196367251942232011-04-26T11:16:00.002-04:002011-04-26T11:18:38.541-04:00Recital Prep, Part 5 - Breathe Deep and Blow Fast! The title of this post says it all! It's time to go on stage and play the music that you've worked so hard on. You've <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/03/recital-prep-part-1-programming.html">carefully chosen your program</a>, <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-2-hitting-woodshed.html">worked out the details</a>, <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-3-continuity.html">played some run-throughs and mock performances</a>, and you're <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-4-visualization-and.html">mentally and physically</a> prepared to play your best.<br />
While you're on stage, it's important to keep things simple in your head. I love this quote from Keith Hill and Marianne Ploger at <a href="http://www.musicalratio.com/">www.musicalratio.com</a>:<br />
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<blockquote>...you must sing all the music in your imagination, as you play, with such intensity, conviction and energy that the little that "leaks" out into the music as it is heard will ravish the listener.</blockquote><br />
Then, all you have to do is breathe deep, blow fast, and enjoy making music!<br />
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Related posts:<br />
<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/03/priorities-in-performance.html">Priorities in Performance</a><br />
<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2009/02/recital-vs-road-race.html">Recital vs. Road Race</a><br />
<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2008/12/perfect-performance-is-hole-in-one.html">A Perfect Performance is a Hole-in-One</a><br />
<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2008/12/what-is-your-swing-thought.html">What is Your Swing Thought?</a>Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-59240034062884156862011-04-20T11:30:00.000-04:002011-04-20T11:30:22.201-04:00Recital Prep, Part 4 - Visualization and Tapering I'm a big believer in visualization: imagining yourself in the performance situation as you practice. This can really play a role from the early days of preparing your music, but should become an even bigger part of your routine once you can play your pieces start to finish. <br />
In your mind, picture the performance in vivid detail. <br />
<a name='more'></a>If you can practice in the actual recital hall, that's even better! Imagine being backstage before the recital. You walk out, smiling at the audience. They applaud (that feels nice, doesn't it?). You take your bow (go ahead and bow if no one's watching you practice). You take a moment to be comfortable in the space, adjust your music stand, if necessary. Glance back to be sure your accompanist is ready, and give them a nod to begin. As you play the piece, avoid telegraphing your mistakes with your eyebrows (this takes effort!). Hear the accompaniment in your head. When you finish, hear the applause, smile at the audience, and bow. <i>No matter how you feel about the way the performance (I mean practice run-through) went, you smile when people clap for you!!</i> (Even if the applause is all in your head.) Don't forget to acknowledge your accompanist!<br />
If you do this enough times, with enough detail, then when you get to the actual performance, it's almost as if you've been there before. Plus, it really is a good idea to practice the "extra" stuff, like bowing (look at your toes), smiling, acknowledging your accompanist, etc. That's all part of a live performance, and you've spent so much time practicing your music, you might as well be prepared for the other stuff, too.<br />
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Tapering is another concept that needs to be a part of your preparation as your performance approaches, and this has to do specifically with the last 24-48 hours before the show. Runners who are preparing for a marathon gradually build up their weekly mileage over the months leading up to the race. But then, the last week or two, they reduce their training significantly, so that their legs are fresh for the big day. In the same way, it's important that you take care to show up at your recital ready to play your best. Don't beat up your chops by over-practicing in the day or two beforehand. Personally, I like to have a full dress rehearsal 2 days before the recital, then the next day I take it easy, just doing a moderate amount of playing. At that point, I should have the music extremely well-prepared, and running over all those tricky spots again and again will not do as much good as a little rest and recovery. Experience will help you figure out what works best for you. Also, don't forget the importance of getting enough sleep and staying hydrated (to avoid drymouth!) in those last 48 hours.<br />
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Next, the final post in this series: "Breathe Deep and Blow Fast!"Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-80030178853345046802011-04-11T14:08:00.003-04:002011-04-20T11:31:14.107-04:00Recital Prep, Part 3 - Continuity<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
"The Incredible Shrinking Recital Program!"</div><br />
After you've <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/03/recital-prep-part-1-programming.html">picked your recital program</a>, and you've learned all the details of the music by <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-2-hitting-woodshed.html">hitting the woodshed,</a> then it's time to shift your practice gradually from detail work towards continuity work. This means playing through longer sections, run-throughs of your pieces, and even entire mock recitals. There are several benefits to this continuity work:<br />
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1) It builds your endurance for the big recital.<br />
2) It boosts our confidence that you can play this music convincingly, and you will make it through the entire program.<br />
3) It helps you see the musical "big picture," and you might find new insights and interpretations that you had missed when you were looking at everything under a microscope.<br />
4) Crisis management: You build the habit of getting <i>right</i> back on track after a mistake. This is critical for an effective performance. You may not make the same mistakes in your recital, but if you've practiced this skill, you can overcome just about any on-stage surprises.<br />
5) You learn where your weak spots are, and where you still need a little more detail work. Things feel different in context. <br />
6) The program shrinks!<br />
<br />
During this phase of preparing for a recital, I always have the same sensation: that the program is shrinking! This is because I can see the "big picture." I'm looking at the forest instead of the trees. I can imagine the entire program before me, and it seems less daunting and more manageable.<br />
(About this time, you should be <a href="http://hornmatters.com/2010/10/tips-for-a-successful-recital-poster/">designing your recital poster</a>!)<br />
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Next in the series: "<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-4-visualization-and.html">Visualization and Tapering</a>"Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-63388623192255694222011-04-05T08:24:00.001-04:002011-04-11T14:09:42.628-04:00Recital Prep, Part 2 - Hitting the Woodshed So, you have a recital date booked and you've <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/03/recital-prep-part-1-programming.html">picked your program</a>. Now it's time to hit the proverbial woodshed and get to work learning and refining all those pieces. I've already written some about <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/02/practice-tips.html">practice techniques</a>, so I'll just follow up here with a few words of caution.<br />
First and foremost, I want to stress how important it is to <b>get started correctly</b> on a new piece! All too often, a student comes to their lesson after they've been working on a new solo for a week or more, and they're playing wrong rhythms and/or notes! At that point, <br />
<a name='more'></a>they've spent several hours (hopefully) practicing the piece, but they've been practicing it wrong! Now it will require extra effort not only to learn the correct notes and rhythms, but also to erase the bad habits that have been formed.<br />
How do you make sure you're practicing the piece correctly from the outset? Listen to a professional recording (or several). Go slooooooow to make sure you're playing the notes and rhythms absolutely accurately. Use a metronome and tuner <i>daily</i>. I use a metronome and tuner almost every time I practice, even within days of a performance on a piece that I've been playing for years. Be sure to use these tools as training devices and not as crutches. Finally, just concentrate! Those first few days with a new piece, make sure you're reading all the dynamics, accidentals, key signatures, rhythms, etc. correctly.<br />
Another common mistake students make is to work on the first page of a new piece, and not even touch the ending. Don't procrastinate! That music certainly isn't going to get any better while you're putting it off. Plus, just think of how many pieces have the most difficult stuff at the end! If you're only going to practice one page, you'd be better off starting at the end! Even better: get through the entire piece so you get a sense of what you're dealing with. It's admirable to do some detailed work on a focused area of the piece, but to completely neglect the rest is asking for trouble.<br />
While you're in this woodshedding phase, it helps to be organized. <a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2009/09/plan-your-work-work-your-plan-3-step.html">I like to plan.</a> I always keep a folder in my horn case with all the music that I'm currently working on. That way, it's all in one place, and when I'm heading out the door, I just need to be sure to grab that one folder. I also use the folder to prioritize my practice. At the end of a practice session, I flip through the music and put the pieces in order for the next session, with the ones needing the most attention at the front. The next time I start practicing, I just open the folder and get to work. The folder doesn't have to be fancy; mine is just a regular manila file folder. Another way to prioritize your practice is just to keep a running to-do list. Update the list after every practice session to reflect the priority order for next time. Don't let more than a couple days go by without touching each piece at least once.<br />
Along these same lines, you may choose to keep a practice log, which is a way to journal your progress, breakthroughs, and frustrations. All of these methods of organization can help you avoid spending too much time on some of your pieces while not spending enough on others.<br />
Happy Practicing!<br />
<br />
Next in the series: "<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-3-continuity.html">Continuity</a>"Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-89293311817001049722011-03-30T10:52:00.001-04:002011-04-05T08:25:11.536-04:00Recital Prep, Part 1 - Programming This post begins a series on recital preparation that starts with picking your program, and ends with the performance.<br />
As I mentioned in my post on "<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/03/priorities-in-performance.html">Priorities in Performance</a>," I place a very high priority on audience enjoyment. This begins with deciding which pieces to play. During your student years, it's very important to cover many of the standards in the repertoire, and your teacher will help you pick your program. So, you have less freedom, and the audience might not get as much consideration in the process. Still, I think most performers <i>want</i> the audience to enjoy their playing, so this should factor into your decision-making.<br />
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I'm not saying that you shouldn't play avant-garde music that the audience might find hard to swallow, but perhaps give them a Mozart appetizer, and then allow them to wash down that Messiaen with a little Franz Strauss?<br />
Here is a list of questions to consider, in order, as you are deciding on your recital program:<br />
<br />
1) Which pieces do you want to play?<br />
2) (For students) Which piece(s) haven't you played that you need to play?<br />
3) What will the audience enjoy hearing?<br />
4) What can you play well?<br />
<br />
Then, once you have a list of works, you need to start putting the puzzle pieces together, and perhaps cut some if there are too many, or one that you just can't find a good place for. Which leads to the next question:<br />
<br />
5) How can you arrange the pieces to create a nice flow to the program, providing contrast and taking into consideration your endurance?<br />
<br />
Don't forget chamber music! This is a great way to provide variety for the audience, so it's not all horn and piano. (Unaccompanied works are great for the same reason.) Plus, chamber music gives you the opportunity to play some fantastic pieces, and to make music with others, which is a wonderful thing.<br />
I actually keep a running list of pieces I want to play. I add to it whenever I hear something on recording or at a horn workshop that I'm interested in. Then when I begin planning my next recital, I start with that list. At this point, I mix in a few pieces that I've played before, and fit them together to make a nice program.<br />
<br />
Next in the series: "<a href="http://bennettstenets.blogspot.com/2011/04/recital-prep-part-2-hitting-woodshed.html">Hitting the Woodshed</a>."Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-52428767580706234612011-03-24T11:21:00.006-04:002011-03-28T16:02:50.562-04:00Kiss Me, Kate! This week I'm playing in the pit for WCU's production of the Cole Porter musical <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>. I always enjoy working in the pit when I get a chance; it's different than what I do most of the time, and it presents new and interesting challenges. Plus, I get to play great music! In this case, I get to "get my big-band on," which is a style we horn players don't get to play very often.<br />
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If you're not familiar with the show, chances are you've heard several of the songs. Here's a quick review from <a href="http://www.tams-witmark.com/musicals/kissmekate.html">the licensing company's site</a>:<br />
<blockquote><i>Combine Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" with Porter's music and lyrics to get KISS ME, KATE an instant success with every cast and audience. This is a play-within-a-play where each cast member's on-stage life is complicated by what is happening offstage. Musical numbers include Why Can't You Behave, So In Love Am I, Wunderbar, Tom, Dick or Harry, Were Thine That Special Face, Too Darn Hot, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, I Hate Men, Always True to You (In My Fashion) and Another Op'nin, Another Show. KISS ME, KATE is fun, melodious and sophisticated.</i></blockquote><div>You can read more about the show at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Me,_Kate">Wikipedia</a>. And, there's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Soapsub">YouTube channel</a> where you can watch the whole show, in 22 parts!</div> The instrumentation calls for only 1 horn. The rest of the brass section consists of 2 trumpets and a trombone. As is quite common in these types of shows, several of the woodwind players are "doubling" (playing multiple instruments). And Cole Porter has treated the horn player as a variety of instruments, too. At various places in my part, it says "quasi clarinet, quasi cello, quasi trombone," etc. Indeed, I have to listen carefully and blend with the strings or woodwinds at times, and then other times I get to "let it rip" with the brass.<br />
There aren't any real major horn solos to mention, but there are some really nice moments scattered throughout. As always with show tunes, you have to watch out for constantly changing key signatures, and play much of the time with several sharps or flats. Of course, I mark my part if I miss an accidental, and I even sometimes mark one I don't miss, if I think I might miss it next time! The parts that require the most concentration are the "big band" sections. These are also the most fun parts to play! Here's a sample page from the ending to the lively tune, "Tom, Dick, or Harry" (click for a larger image):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MInZJwKPnmboxUZWppi3nNulDcki7FADphyGOle5wiDnvtWUCdnJ4q7LHn2u3mW2S1LVqXDBl2u3wU65kiMwQIwd55uBdq7IRYPYa7aJaiy4ZGg9W-HwjmWGj0HLxPu1kMAl70yQ3Pw/s1600/KissMeKate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MInZJwKPnmboxUZWppi3nNulDcki7FADphyGOle5wiDnvtWUCdnJ4q7LHn2u3mW2S1LVqXDBl2u3wU65kiMwQIwd55uBdq7IRYPYa7aJaiy4ZGg9W-HwjmWGj0HLxPu1kMAl70yQ3Pw/s320/KissMeKate.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>You can see, there are shakes, turns, and rips galore! One other challenge about this show is its length: my "book" is 144 pages long!<br />
This gig is very different from the last time I played in the pit, which was for the Asheville Lyric Opera's production of <i>Carmen</i>. For that production, we used a reduced orchestration--I was the only brass player--and we were in a very small pit. Consequently, I got "the hand" a lot during that run, and had to be VERY delicate with all my playing. For <i>Kiss Me, Kate</i>, we have a large pit, and a fairly large orchestra, so I get to play at much more comfortable dynamic levels--even quite loud much of the time.<br />
That's one of the things that's so interesting about pit work--every show and theater are different, and you have to figure out how to make it work. While I was in grad school, I played for <i>Jesus Christ Superstar</i>, and the theater didn't have a pit, so the musicians were in a closed room off to the side of the stage! Everything was mic'd, and the conductor followed the action with a TV monitor. It was summertime in Alabama, so we came to the theater in our shorts and sandals, and played the show. It took extra effort to remember that there was an audience listening out there.<br />
This week, I wish I could see what was happening on stage, but I'm in the back of the pit. It sounds like the Musical Theater students are doing a fantastic job!Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5973959644210143604.post-57984142874013264232011-03-21T15:43:00.012-04:002012-11-27T15:47:16.279-05:00The Horn in 'Pop' Music Below is a list of 'pop' songs that have prominent horn parts. Along with each artist and title, I've included a link to YouTube where you can hear the song. The times in parentheses indicate where the prominent horn part begins. If there’s no time indicated, the horn plays at the very beginning and/or throughout the recording.<br />
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I compiled this list from suggestions by many Facebook friends. I'm sure there are others, and I will be glad to update the list, so if you know of any not included here, please leave a comment! I've included a few names of who the horn players are when I could. Also let me know if you know who's playing.<br />
The variety of artists is really neat. Just about every genre is represented - it's certainly not limited to pop music. Many of these songs were totally new to me. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
(last updated 11/27/12)<br />
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Arcade Fire - “In the Backseat”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmEMk2QOnM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmEMk2QOnM</a> (3:18)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Badly Drawn Boy - “The Shining”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4o5tGajfYE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4o5tGajfYE</a> (extended duet w/cello in intro)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beach Boys - “God Only Knows”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMyS78o5YI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOMyS78o5YI</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Beatles - “Good Night”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdRgdiSizFE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdRgdiSizFE</a> (0:42, 2:55)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Beatles - “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOO8-Jp-xsg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOO8-Jp-xsg</a> (0:41)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Beatles - “For No One”</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz8zAijpmwM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz8zAijpmwM</a> (1:00)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="320" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lz8zAijpmwM" title="YouTube video player" width="394"></iframe></div>
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<br />
(Alan Civil played on the original recording. This is Jeffrey Bryant in the video. For more on this video, see <a href="http://hornmatters.com/2009/05/horn-solo-on-%E2%80%9Cfor-no-one%E2%80%9D/">Horn Matters</a>) Paul does a horn impression in this one: </div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJrXqrLtMw&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbJrXqrLtMw&feature=related</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Steven Curtis Chapman – “The Great Adventure - Prologue”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Goaxsde7o">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Goaxsde7o</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Chicago – “If You Leave Me Now”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlKaVFqxERk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlKaVFqxERk</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Nat King Cole - “Nature Boy”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSLb0Ov-jHU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSLb0Ov-jHU</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Harry Connick, Jr. - “When My Heart Finds Christmas”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5CaLcAA7ek">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5CaLcAA7ek</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Sam Cooke - “A Change is Gonna Come”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQU4torUz-Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQU4torUz-Q</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Sam Cooke - “Cupid”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdTnffOEn7I">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdTnffOEn7I</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cranberries - "War Child"<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bejlRMzFZoQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bejlRMzFZoQ</a><br />
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Dream Theater - "Octavarium"<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH_9lJxeiXg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH_9lJxeiXg</a> (22:10)<br />
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Yvonne Elliman – “If I Can’t Have You”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCw74x-nD34">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCw74x-nD34</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Aretha Franklin – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUf_BmoNGyc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUf_BmoNGyc</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Peter Gabriel - “Flume”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdR3_fTDF4U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdR3_fTDF4U</a> (0:33)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Peter Gabriel - “Mirrorball”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_qsGP6L9F0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_qsGP6L9F0</a> (1:23)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jimmy Helms - “I’m Gonna Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse” <o:p></o:p>(Terry Johns)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VGbbTQShrg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VGbbTQShrg</a> (1:22) <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Hollies - “The Air that I Breathe”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7S8-Iewi0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7S8-Iewi0</a> (2:08)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Shirley Horn – “Here’s to Life” (Richard Todd)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmoIkh6BC-g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmoIkh6BC-g</a> (4:15)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Elton John - “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from <i>The Lion King </i><o:p></o:p>(Richard Watkins)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8FM8nyy_Fk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8FM8nyy_Fk</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Annie Lennox – “Into the West” from <i>Return of the King</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgcoBKWTW14">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgcoBKWTW14</a> (1:25, 3:18)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Henry Mancini - “Days of Wine and Roses”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc510bkDJe4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc510bkDJe4</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Mannheim Steamroller – “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (<o:p></o:p>David Kappy)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM2pNLPRsZM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM2pNLPRsZM</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Monkees - "Shades of Gray”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3e3X5LAB1E">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3e3X5LAB1E</a> (2:01, 3:08)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jack Nitzsche – “The Lonely Surfer”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-spNkl3So88">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-spNkl3So88</a> (1:04, great rips at 2:10)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Eddie Palmieri – “Deseo Salvaje” <o:p></o:p>(Peter Gordon)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSMKaRDQq5I">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSMKaRDQq5I</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Polyphonic Spree - “Light & Day”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GewbAuTgu5g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GewbAuTgu5g</a><o:p></o:p><br />
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The Polyphonic Spree - "It's the Sun"<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9gk1PGZxaE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9gk1PGZxaE</a></div>
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The Polyphonic Spree - "Soldier Girl"<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCI81SghtpU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCI81SghtpU</a><br />
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Lionel Richie and Diana Ross - “Endless Love” </div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP7m5VqQ6f8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP7m5VqQ6f8</a> (0:34, 1:20)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Rolling Stones - “You Can't Always Get What You Want” <o:p></o:p>(Al Kooper)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF6dyZ5AEnM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF6dyZ5AEnM</a> (0:53) <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Shins - “The Past and Pending”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGSKJJmhDo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmGSKJJmhDo</a> (0:42, 2:08, 3:45)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dusty Springfield - “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AtGUyu64s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AtGUyu64s</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Morton Stevens – Hawaii Five-0 Theme Song<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwhvByj8YG8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwhvByj8YG8</a> (0:33)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Barbra Streisand - "People" (Ray Alonge)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9yepsv842U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9yepsv842U</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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U2 - “Unknown Caller” <o:p></o:p>(Richard Watkins)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4knmHjWTz8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4knmHjWTz8</a> (4:31) <o:p></o:p></div>
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U2 - “White as Snow” <o:p></o:p>(Richard Watkins)</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLroC6LRRks">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLroC6LRRks</a> (2:12) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Kanye West - “All of the Lights”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvMLRkLY6w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvMLRkLY6w</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Who - “Pictures of Lily”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BmkBroiw1s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BmkBroiw1s</a> (1:25)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
The Who - “Tommy Overture”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cryRk9uyAA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cryRk9uyAA</a> (0:38, 1:11, 3:04)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>No YouTube videos available:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Hem - “Sailor”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Natalie Merchant - "Life is Sweet" (Tom Varner)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dawn Upshaw – “My Ship”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Finally...</b></div>
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This would have been SO much better with live horns!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="320" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tt_ro2aerQg" title="YouTube video player" width="394"></iframe></div>
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*UPDATE: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzA9Opo3O1I">Here's a cool arrangement of "The Final Countdown"</a> played by the <a href="http://www.german-brass.de/home.html?&L=2">German Brass</a>!<br />
*UPDATE (12/10/11): Beirut - "The Akara", <a href="http://youtu.be/-ZuQolFrVik">http://youtu.be/-ZuQolFrVik</a><br />
<br />
*UPDATE (11/27/12):<br />
Patty & The Emblems - "All My Tomorrows Are Gone", <a href="http://youtu.be/WN5uz17HcdY">http://youtu.be/WN5uz17HcdY</a> (Kendall Betts)<br />
The Intruders - "Baby I'm So Lonely", <a href="http://youtu.be/MNmOonqJ4vo">http://youtu.be/MNmOonqJ4vo</a> (Kendall Betts)<br />
Jerry Butler - "Never Give You Up", <a href="http://youtu.be/T7WJLPGKOwM">http://youtu.be/T7WJLPGKOwM</a> (Kendall Betts)<br />
The Delfonics - "I'm Sorry", <a href="http://youtu.be/pBeu5VW1cYE">http://youtu.be/pBeu5VW1cYE</a> (Joe DeAngelis)<br />
The Delfonics - "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", <a href="http://youtu.be/qV7FHNT1HoY">http://youtu.be/qV7FHNT1HoY</a> (Joe DeAngelis)<br />
The Delfonics - "For the Love I Gave to You", <a href="http://youtu.be/NPDNS8oZRf4">http://youtu.be/NPDNS8oZRf4</a> (Joe DeAngelis)</div>
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Travis Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08891366352065069146noreply@blogger.com8