Showing posts with label malcolm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label malcolm. Show all posts
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Halloween Organ Concert Ideas
I am often asked for repertoire ideas for Halloween Organ Recitals. It is not that difficult. Take any melody in a minor key, play it with a four foot flute in your right hand, maybe with a mutation, and with your left hand, do a slow palm glissando on both black and white keys with strings or softer flutes. Here are several songs I have played in the past:
Postlude Sollenele
https://youtu.be/aI2C6HZ2Khs
http://youtu.be/zDB6DmhE2LM
Night on Bald Mountain
(gasp, I can't find my vid)
Toccata and Fugue in D minor
http://youtu.be/TkjF2Vtzwjs
Chopin Prelude
http://youtu.be/WQlLgkAIkiI
Moonlight Sonata
http://youtu.be/dGxp_VYoMt8
Chopin Mazurka
http://youtu.be/lRIB7smyod8
Little Prelude and Fugue in G minor
https://youtu.be/r63p3WpF2UU
Addams Family
http://youtu.be/218Mw7kWI_g
The Munsters
(gasp, I can't find my vid)
London Bridge (because there are human sacrifices in each pillar - orphans)
https://youtu.be/8boxn3xvspw
Itsy Bitsy Spider
https://youtu.be/dbmLEB-3Bgg
Hall Of The Mountain King
http://youtu.be/hPYvKmGpY7c
Boellemann Toccata
https://youtu.be/qBhTWO4uhfg
The Lost Chord
https://youtu.be/L8u1BiruUaA
Flight of the Bumblebee
https://youtu.be/rzw1j0fEXoQ
March of the Marrionettes
http://youtu.be/2NgT1QMBIyo
Couperin Fugue
http://youtu.be/CKn73dPoCns
O Fortuna/Phantom of the Opera
https://youtu.be/yoV-CLYg10E
Variations on a Recitative Schoenberg
(gasp, I can't find my vid)
Ring Around the Rosie (about the plague)
https://youtu.be/Q4rgPlnQQgE
Monday, April 30, 2018
Point Of Sound
One of the causes for strain, stress, injury and
other maladies pianists, organists and typists experience is simply that
they press too hard into the keybed of their device or instrument.
Let's first take a look at sports and then physics (that HS subject you
think you don't use in real life).
As a baseball player stands at home plate and the ball is hurtling toward him, he back-swings, forward swings, hits the ball, then all the energy left over from the swing dissipates into the follow through. The same action occurs when an athlete swings a tennis racquet, kicks a ball, swings a golf club, punches someone, throws a ball, etcetera. That is Newton's third law of physics that every action has an equal and opposite action. In order to forward swing, one must first back swing. Even when we walk forward, as one leg is extending up and forward, the other leg is pushing backward. So according to the laws of physics, in order to type or play the piano down, one must first lift up. Many of us were trained or taught to play or type from a resting and relaxed position which actually creates tension because holding a position requires effort. So we know that everything requires an opposite motion and a follow through. I bet all you smart kids out there know exactly where I'm going with this.
Now imagine that our baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, football players or boxers are standing before a concrete wall and they backswing then forward swing but instead of hitting an object and following through, they strike the immovable wall. All the energy of the swing, instead of following through and dissipating, ricochets back into the athlete. That can hurt.
A piano is much the same. Many pianists press into the keybed of a piano and not only does that fail to produce any more of a tone but, all the energy of pressing down is being transferred back up into their finger joints and tendons. We often don't notice this until after an hour or so of practice or the next morning when we wake up with stiff fingers. We are taught by bad teachers "no pain, no gain." In this case, it is very much a lie. No pain, no gain is fine when building muscle but not for bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and certainly not for our technique. Often poor technique, strain or missed notes are a result of what we are not doing rather than what we are doing and often we are using the wrong muscles.
Sit at any acoustic piano and very slowly, depress a key so you don't play a sound. At some point you will hit a little bump in the action, then press through it and you will hit the keybed. That little bump is the point of sound once you actually play.
As a pianist drops the controlled weight of their arm onto a key, they must use Newton's third law. As they hit the point of sound, much like an athlete striking a ball, they must then follow through without hitting the keybed. When they press into the keybed, not only is their energy backfiring but, they are pressing down and according to Newton, we can't set up for the up motion if we are pressing down. This hinders technique. You can't play down if you don't play up and you can't play up if you are pressing down.
So, the key and cure to playing without tension or pain is learning to play to the point of sound and simply following through and not pressing into the keybed. Unbeknownst to most teachers, their students press into the keybed. It is a motion that is often invisible. When a student experiences problems with technique or pain, the teacher often says practice more or run exercises to build strength and endurance and the teacher is often oblivious that the way the student practices is what needs to be addressed, not a clock.
Danger Will Robinson. Before anyone tries to learn to play to the point of sound, there are other components of technique which must first be in place. This includes controlling arm weight, controlling up/down, controlling in/out from the shoulder and elbow, using the fulcrum of the elbow, controlling rotation of the forearm through the use of the pronator and supinator muscles. Likewise, there are movements to avoid such as abduction, curling the thumb under the palm, isolating a finger, equalizing fingers, radial and ulnar deviation, and trying to play too relaxed, still and quiet.
A virtuoso technique looks like it is effortless and relaxed. That is true, the fingers are relaxed because the arm does all the work. Observers are often looking at the pianist's hands and fail to notice the elbow and arm is actually doing most of the work. Pianists who attempt to play from the fingers and have fatigue, are told to relax so, they relax the same muscles they are continuing to use and they achieve nothing.
Once all of the proper motions are achieved and the improper ones eradicated, point of sound will just happen. Some "techniques" such as the Russian Technique, surreptitiously imbue the pianist with these movements but personally, I would rather learn the physics and ergonomics of movement rather than being tricked through mindless imitation. Although, it works to some degree. Where it fails is when a pianist encounters a passage they can't execute and if they knew the mechanics of the arm, would be able to figure out what sort of adjustment is required to play that passage.
I once studied with a leading concert pianist in my area who didn't know what he was doing but had a phenomenal natural technique. His instruction to me was to watch him play then imitate his motion. That would have been fine but I already had bad habits hardwired into my brain which were getting in the way. Since he didn't know anything about ergonomics nor physics, he had no idea how to fix me other than prescribing "practice more."
I once gave a lecture on this topic and a pianist disagreed with me about Newtons third law citing that the piano is down, not up. The finger must come straight down onto a key. If the pianist is playing with a "still and quiet hand" and they must also play black keys, note that the black keys are higher than the white keys. This results in the still and quiet pianist to stretch or twist to reach those keys which in turn create vector forces or, two muscles pulling one bone in two directions simultaneously. This creates tremendous imbalance in the arm which controls the hand and fingers and this leads to an incoordinate technique. Keep in mind your fingers have no muscles. They are moved by the flexor muscles in your forearm so that is where the pianist must first play from.
If you were to walk up stairs, your ascending leg would lift HIGHER than the next stair, then come straight down onto it. If you tried to walk upstairs without lifting your foot higher than the step, you'd trip. Playing the piano is the same. We must use the larger muscles of the arm to get the fingers higher than the notes we are desirous to play. Of course as we become more efficient, we minimize the height but make no mistake, although it may appear invisible, it is still there. Hanon knew this and prescribed the pianist to isolate one finger and lift it high but, this isolation engages the flexors and extensors at the same time resulting in strain to the long flexor tendons which leads to median nerve entrapment (AKA carpal tunnel syndrome). Remember the arm, hand and fingers can only move in one direction at a time. By abducting, for instance, the hand gets pulled in two or four directions despite the pianist trying to play a passage in a specific direction.
I have no conclusion to this post other than don't try this at home. Find a teacher who knows what a pronator and abductor is and work from there.
As a baseball player stands at home plate and the ball is hurtling toward him, he back-swings, forward swings, hits the ball, then all the energy left over from the swing dissipates into the follow through. The same action occurs when an athlete swings a tennis racquet, kicks a ball, swings a golf club, punches someone, throws a ball, etcetera. That is Newton's third law of physics that every action has an equal and opposite action. In order to forward swing, one must first back swing. Even when we walk forward, as one leg is extending up and forward, the other leg is pushing backward. So according to the laws of physics, in order to type or play the piano down, one must first lift up. Many of us were trained or taught to play or type from a resting and relaxed position which actually creates tension because holding a position requires effort. So we know that everything requires an opposite motion and a follow through. I bet all you smart kids out there know exactly where I'm going with this.
Now imagine that our baseball, tennis, soccer, golf, football players or boxers are standing before a concrete wall and they backswing then forward swing but instead of hitting an object and following through, they strike the immovable wall. All the energy of the swing, instead of following through and dissipating, ricochets back into the athlete. That can hurt.
A piano is much the same. Many pianists press into the keybed of a piano and not only does that fail to produce any more of a tone but, all the energy of pressing down is being transferred back up into their finger joints and tendons. We often don't notice this until after an hour or so of practice or the next morning when we wake up with stiff fingers. We are taught by bad teachers "no pain, no gain." In this case, it is very much a lie. No pain, no gain is fine when building muscle but not for bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and certainly not for our technique. Often poor technique, strain or missed notes are a result of what we are not doing rather than what we are doing and often we are using the wrong muscles.
Sit at any acoustic piano and very slowly, depress a key so you don't play a sound. At some point you will hit a little bump in the action, then press through it and you will hit the keybed. That little bump is the point of sound once you actually play.
As a pianist drops the controlled weight of their arm onto a key, they must use Newton's third law. As they hit the point of sound, much like an athlete striking a ball, they must then follow through without hitting the keybed. When they press into the keybed, not only is their energy backfiring but, they are pressing down and according to Newton, we can't set up for the up motion if we are pressing down. This hinders technique. You can't play down if you don't play up and you can't play up if you are pressing down.
So, the key and cure to playing without tension or pain is learning to play to the point of sound and simply following through and not pressing into the keybed. Unbeknownst to most teachers, their students press into the keybed. It is a motion that is often invisible. When a student experiences problems with technique or pain, the teacher often says practice more or run exercises to build strength and endurance and the teacher is often oblivious that the way the student practices is what needs to be addressed, not a clock.
Danger Will Robinson. Before anyone tries to learn to play to the point of sound, there are other components of technique which must first be in place. This includes controlling arm weight, controlling up/down, controlling in/out from the shoulder and elbow, using the fulcrum of the elbow, controlling rotation of the forearm through the use of the pronator and supinator muscles. Likewise, there are movements to avoid such as abduction, curling the thumb under the palm, isolating a finger, equalizing fingers, radial and ulnar deviation, and trying to play too relaxed, still and quiet.
A virtuoso technique looks like it is effortless and relaxed. That is true, the fingers are relaxed because the arm does all the work. Observers are often looking at the pianist's hands and fail to notice the elbow and arm is actually doing most of the work. Pianists who attempt to play from the fingers and have fatigue, are told to relax so, they relax the same muscles they are continuing to use and they achieve nothing.
Once all of the proper motions are achieved and the improper ones eradicated, point of sound will just happen. Some "techniques" such as the Russian Technique, surreptitiously imbue the pianist with these movements but personally, I would rather learn the physics and ergonomics of movement rather than being tricked through mindless imitation. Although, it works to some degree. Where it fails is when a pianist encounters a passage they can't execute and if they knew the mechanics of the arm, would be able to figure out what sort of adjustment is required to play that passage.
I once studied with a leading concert pianist in my area who didn't know what he was doing but had a phenomenal natural technique. His instruction to me was to watch him play then imitate his motion. That would have been fine but I already had bad habits hardwired into my brain which were getting in the way. Since he didn't know anything about ergonomics nor physics, he had no idea how to fix me other than prescribing "practice more."
I once gave a lecture on this topic and a pianist disagreed with me about Newtons third law citing that the piano is down, not up. The finger must come straight down onto a key. If the pianist is playing with a "still and quiet hand" and they must also play black keys, note that the black keys are higher than the white keys. This results in the still and quiet pianist to stretch or twist to reach those keys which in turn create vector forces or, two muscles pulling one bone in two directions simultaneously. This creates tremendous imbalance in the arm which controls the hand and fingers and this leads to an incoordinate technique. Keep in mind your fingers have no muscles. They are moved by the flexor muscles in your forearm so that is where the pianist must first play from.
If you were to walk up stairs, your ascending leg would lift HIGHER than the next stair, then come straight down onto it. If you tried to walk upstairs without lifting your foot higher than the step, you'd trip. Playing the piano is the same. We must use the larger muscles of the arm to get the fingers higher than the notes we are desirous to play. Of course as we become more efficient, we minimize the height but make no mistake, although it may appear invisible, it is still there. Hanon knew this and prescribed the pianist to isolate one finger and lift it high but, this isolation engages the flexors and extensors at the same time resulting in strain to the long flexor tendons which leads to median nerve entrapment (AKA carpal tunnel syndrome). Remember the arm, hand and fingers can only move in one direction at a time. By abducting, for instance, the hand gets pulled in two or four directions despite the pianist trying to play a passage in a specific direction.
I have no conclusion to this post other than don't try this at home. Find a teacher who knows what a pronator and abductor is and work from there.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
A better send-off than wretched 2016 deserved
Songs to Amuse, Steamer No. 10 Theatre, Dec. 31
Keyboardist Malcolm Kogut and singer Byron Nilsson (aka B.A. Nilsson in these pages) brought their cabaret act Songs to Amuse to the stage at Steamer No. 10 Theatre on New Year’s Eve, where a happy crowd heartily laughed at a two-hour (including intermission) program of (mostly) 20th-century songs intended to, as advertised, amuse.
They began with “Lydia the Tattooed Lady,” which was originally introduced in a 1939 movie by Groucho Marx, and widely known now thanks to Kermit the Frog’s version. It’s a pun-filled, slightly salacious chronicle of one woman’s varied and outlandish body art, and as an opener, a pretty good indication of what was to come. Written by Harburg and Arlen around the same time they were composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, Nilsson also told the story of–and sang–a lyric excised by a studio exec out of concern that it would “date” the number. The line? “When she sits, she sits on Hitler.”
What was the thing with everyone underestimating Hitler’s long-term prospects?
And that was the show: Smart, varied musical approaches by Kogut, fine singing and snappy patter by Nilsson. There were songs by Noel Coward and Tom Lehrer (the latter allowing Kogut to add a little synthesized Irish fiddle); songs made famous by the likes of Al Jolson (“Why Do They All Take The Night Boat to Albany”) and Blossom Dearie (Dave Frishberg’s “My Attorney Bernie”); a trio of thoroughly delightful numbers written by the Brit duo Flanders and Swann; and many more.
Nilsson even tossed out a couple of lines from DeSylva, Brown and Henderson’s “Turn On the Heat,” one of the more demented songs from that most demented year of Hollywood musicals, 1929.
Particularly enjoyable was the woe-filled (as opposed to woeful) temperance ballad, “Father’s a Drunkard and Mother Is Dead.” This horrible tale of 19th-century death and abandonment provided the opportunity for a jaunty sing-along. The duo helpfully included the lyrics to the refrain on the back of the program: “Mother, oh! Why did you leave me alone/With no one to love me, no friends and no home?/Dark is the night, and the storm rages wild/God pity Bessie, the Drunkard’s lone child!”
While there was no happy ending for “Bessie,” we in the audience had a fine time singing about her misery.
As the second half of the program wound down, the duo saved something special for the end: the 1937 labor ballad, “Capitalistic Boss.” This rich bastard’s lament gave Nilsson a chance to tear into a life of greed, exploitation, indolence, political violence and selfishness with an angry glee, as the narrator continually returned to one line of defense: “Something is wrong with my brain.”
The evening ended with everyone joining in on “Auld Lang Syne.” Kogut and Nilsson sent us out into the cold with warmer spirits than when we arrived, and ready to enjoy whatever revelry the last three hours of 2016 had in store.
http://thealt.com/2017/01/02/
Keyboardist Malcolm Kogut and singer Byron Nilsson (aka B.A. Nilsson in these pages) brought their cabaret act Songs to Amuse to the stage at Steamer No. 10 Theatre on New Year’s Eve, where a happy crowd heartily laughed at a two-hour (including intermission) program of (mostly) 20th-century songs intended to, as advertised, amuse.
They began with “Lydia the Tattooed Lady,” which was originally introduced in a 1939 movie by Groucho Marx, and widely known now thanks to Kermit the Frog’s version. It’s a pun-filled, slightly salacious chronicle of one woman’s varied and outlandish body art, and as an opener, a pretty good indication of what was to come. Written by Harburg and Arlen around the same time they were composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, Nilsson also told the story of–and sang–a lyric excised by a studio exec out of concern that it would “date” the number. The line? “When she sits, she sits on Hitler.”
What was the thing with everyone underestimating Hitler’s long-term prospects?
And that was the show: Smart, varied musical approaches by Kogut, fine singing and snappy patter by Nilsson. There were songs by Noel Coward and Tom Lehrer (the latter allowing Kogut to add a little synthesized Irish fiddle); songs made famous by the likes of Al Jolson (“Why Do They All Take The Night Boat to Albany”) and Blossom Dearie (Dave Frishberg’s “My Attorney Bernie”); a trio of thoroughly delightful numbers written by the Brit duo Flanders and Swann; and many more.
Nilsson even tossed out a couple of lines from DeSylva, Brown and Henderson’s “Turn On the Heat,” one of the more demented songs from that most demented year of Hollywood musicals, 1929.
Particularly enjoyable was the woe-filled (as opposed to woeful) temperance ballad, “Father’s a Drunkard and Mother Is Dead.” This horrible tale of 19th-century death and abandonment provided the opportunity for a jaunty sing-along. The duo helpfully included the lyrics to the refrain on the back of the program: “Mother, oh! Why did you leave me alone/With no one to love me, no friends and no home?/Dark is the night, and the storm rages wild/God pity Bessie, the Drunkard’s lone child!”
While there was no happy ending for “Bessie,” we in the audience had a fine time singing about her misery.
As the second half of the program wound down, the duo saved something special for the end: the 1937 labor ballad, “Capitalistic Boss.” This rich bastard’s lament gave Nilsson a chance to tear into a life of greed, exploitation, indolence, political violence and selfishness with an angry glee, as the narrator continually returned to one line of defense: “Something is wrong with my brain.”
The evening ended with everyone joining in on “Auld Lang Syne.” Kogut and Nilsson sent us out into the cold with warmer spirits than when we arrived, and ready to enjoy whatever revelry the last three hours of 2016 had in store.
http://thealt.com/2017/01/02/
Monday, January 18, 2016
Becoming a Better Singer
Ugh, I went to an organ recital recently
and the organist, though technically proficient, was devoid of energy,
interpretation, originality or excitement. No wonder today's youth are
not taking up the organ as an instrument because they have to listen to
people like that in their churches every Sunday. What a turn off. In
many of our churches on Sunday, the organ is like a sports car, backed
out of the garage for one hour each week and only to the end of the
driveway then back into the garage.
When I work with singers either in the church, workshop or theater venue, I often share one of several simple videos with them. We first watch the video with the sound off. Then we watch it a second time but this time I tell a story based upon the facial expressions and movement of the singer. Then the singers each take a turn doing the same. I then tell them the story of the song and we watch it one final time with the sound still off. Finally, we watch it with the sound on. Listeners often hear the notes and not the words because singers, like organists, put more effort into the notes rather than communicating.
This exercise not only makes the singers aware of their expressions, movement and inflection, but it also makes them cognizant of the importance of words and story telling. All too often singers are mired down with technique, notes and style rather than simple communication. This applies not only to theater performers but church musicians often fall down into that hole, too. I'm not saying they need to employ theatrics into their delivery of the Psalms and holy scripture, just become better communicators of it through basic facial expression, making eye contact and most importantly - BEING PREPARED. If you have to look at the page more than 20% of the time, you're not prepared to interpret.
I'll say no more on the topic. You can use any video you like but one of my favorites to start with is Betty Buckley's interpretation of the song "Meadowlark." The first video with commentary but, without sound can be found here:
https://youtu.be/NaLch5-ItPg
Here is the original video with sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqI6-Lrvi68
So, all you singers, story tellers, poets and organists, "SING . . . " for me.
When I work with singers either in the church, workshop or theater venue, I often share one of several simple videos with them. We first watch the video with the sound off. Then we watch it a second time but this time I tell a story based upon the facial expressions and movement of the singer. Then the singers each take a turn doing the same. I then tell them the story of the song and we watch it one final time with the sound still off. Finally, we watch it with the sound on. Listeners often hear the notes and not the words because singers, like organists, put more effort into the notes rather than communicating.
This exercise not only makes the singers aware of their expressions, movement and inflection, but it also makes them cognizant of the importance of words and story telling. All too often singers are mired down with technique, notes and style rather than simple communication. This applies not only to theater performers but church musicians often fall down into that hole, too. I'm not saying they need to employ theatrics into their delivery of the Psalms and holy scripture, just become better communicators of it through basic facial expression, making eye contact and most importantly - BEING PREPARED. If you have to look at the page more than 20% of the time, you're not prepared to interpret.
I'll say no more on the topic. You can use any video you like but one of my favorites to start with is Betty Buckley's interpretation of the song "Meadowlark." The first video with commentary but, without sound can be found here:
https://youtu.be/NaLch5-ItPg
Here is the original video with sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqI6-Lrvi68
So, all you singers, story tellers, poets and organists, "SING . . . " for me.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Halloween Organ Recital Q&A
Where? Trinity Lutheran Church, 42 Guy Park Ave, Amsterdam, NY 12010 (the United States one, not the other one where pot is legal).
Is there a Cost? Only my blood, sweat and tears. All others, free.
Will there be refreshments? I wouldn't play otherwise.
Is the church handicap accessible? Yes, there is a spacious elevator located on the parking lot side entrance. If need be, I will carry you up the stairs (I've done it before). Watch the end of the demo video, I show you how to find it.
What kind of organ are you playing? It is a newly installed three manual tracker, built by a local builder. There will be a dedicatory recital in the upcoming months. Come to find out when and all the other pertinent deets.
I hate organ recitals, they are boring, arcane, esoteric, stuffy, recondite and they all sound alike. What are you playing? I hate organ recitals, too. I will be playing the ubiquitous, standard "scary" organ music such as the Chopin Funeral March, Bach's (sic) Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Boëllmann's Toccata plus a few novelty songs and pieces arranged by me.
The organ is currently lounging in it's summer tuning estate but, here is a demo video of me at my first practice session getting to know the instrument and finding my arm weight. Here I demonstrate the en chamade and the full organ (which distorted my camera's microphone).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lldWqEhIkbs
See you then.
-Malcolm (The pastor wants a bio) Insert pretentious crap about myself here)).
Malcolm, a true Capricorn, is actually not funny. He is just really mean and people think he is joking. He is a lover of ice cream and a runner - because of all the ice cream. Malcolm is a Nomad in search for the perfect burger and is an especially gifted napper with killer abs (want proof, check out "Mount Baker Glacier Clips." Do not judge him before you know him, but just to inform you, you won't like him. He is not on Facebook and most likely wouldn't friend you anyway so this is all you are ever going to get. Malcolm feels sad for seedless watermelons because, what if they wanted babies? The humanity.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
A Peek Under The Hood Of Modes
Modes are ancient scales of the church which are still used today by jazz musicians. You can also hear modal music in many of today's film scores and in some churches who still value their rich musical heritage. Film composer John Williams composes many of his movie themes in modes. One of the first jazz musicians to come to mind when I think of modes is Chick Corea. Most jazz musicians are actually drawn to these classical scales because they are very rich in melodic and harmonic possibilities. The church, in an effort to dumb down for the common person is actually dumbing down the common person. If you can find a church offering a Tridentine Mass, most likely you will hear a lot of modal music. As much as I love contemporary Christian music, it is very much trapped in the Ionian Mode (major scale) and doesn't give a sense of the sacred as many other modes do. When I attend other churches, I usually leave feeling numb from the "white bread" music and musicians.
This video is a simple example of how one may explore the modes as an improvisational tool. One does not need to explore the modes for only jazz styles, but they are a great tool and inspiration for writing melody and fleshing out rich harmony.
For further listening:
Theme from the movie ET, Jurasic Park, The Simpsons
Monday, April 27, 2015
Owning our Mistakes, Honoring our Mistakes, Everybody Makes
I recently performed a concert with a young artist who is going off to college to study opera. He has dreams to then move to Europe to live and perform music. Not only does this young man have a deep and rich bass voice but, he was also a pleasure to accompany. Rarely do I get to play for someone who can both lead and follow an accompanist at the same time. Many singers will either hijack a piece and force the accompanist to blatantly follow them or in contrast slavishly follow the accompanist. When I encounter a singer who is neither a leader nor follower but does both, that is when music happens and a pleasure to work with.
I once played the show "Nunsense" for a year and a half, performing six shows per week. All the musicians in the pit had the score memorized. One evening, Mother Superior accidentally sang the wrong lyrics and without a second thought, all the musicians looked at one another and we all seamlessly jumped to the spot where she was. After her verse was over, knowing that she skipped an important lyric, Mother Superior walked to the edge of the stage, looked down and said to the pit "Vamp boys." Then she proceeded to tell the audience that she skipped a verse and said to the pit "take it back to the second verse" and we all flipped our pages, she counted us off and it was magic to have a mistake a living and breathing part of the performance.
At my concert last weekend when my bass started to sing the wrong lyric and melody, I knew exactly where he was and was prepared to jump to that spot because I was prepared for the possibilities. When I practice music, I jump around on the pages, mixing and matching beginnings and endings, playing the piece in different keys, different styles and in general, exploring the possibilities of the work. This helps me to learn it and to be prepared for whatever may go wrong or, in other words - own the song. I thrive on these challenges.
My suggestion for all musicians, especially singers, when you practice with your accompanist, don't just practice the song the way it is "supposed to go." Play with it. Try different rhythms, accents and styles. Without notice, jump to a different section so that the accompanist has to find you. If your accompanist can't do this, find a new accompanist. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to make music with someone who is not a "musician." Music should not be something which is regurgitated from a page or set in stone. It should be a living breathing expression of our selves and spirit.
The worse thing for a musician to do when they encounter a bump in the road is to stop. Don't train your mind to stop. Don't practice making mistakes. Train your mind to be flexible and prepared for the possibilities. I once worked with a great singer who during rehearsals would stop every time she made a mistake. That practice manifested itself when she made a mistake on stage, she didn't know how to recover and everyone in the audience knew it. It also made rehearsals unbearable for me.
If one were to tell the story of
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, chances are we are not reciting a
memorized version of the story but, extemporizing, improvising and
re-living the story pretty much in our own words. If we make a mistake,
we don't stop, go back or apologize. We effortlessly and almost
invisibly correct it on the fly and continue with the story. Nobody
would even notice. Music can be like that too if we are not a slave to
notation, propriety or our egos. The purpose of telling the story is to
tell the story. The purpose of music should be to tell a story, not
put on a concert. Janis Joplin once said that she doesn't put on
concerts when she sings, she makes love to the audience.
This is what making music should be about.
That is the difference between an amateur, professional and artist.
Very often amateurs can also be artists and very often, professionals
can be mere amateurs.
Better Late Than Never; Halloween Organ Recital
Do you think organ recitals are long and boring or that organists can be uninspired, uncreative, they play safe or all sound alike? Are you afraid the music will be stuffy, long haired, or worse - like Sunday church organ music?
Then you should come to this one which I promise will be unique, fun, engaging and filled with surprises. Come experience "The Scary and Fugal Side of Nursery Rhymes" May 3, 3:00 p.m. at the Foothills United Methodist Church on 17 Fremont Street, Gloversville, 12078. The price is freeeeeeeee! So that you won't suffer from organ indigestion, in addition to the organ solos there will be guest singers, singing bowls and instrumentalists.
Here are two samples of what I will be playing (the second half of each video BTW, is of Len Anderson who took my collection of arrangements and improvisations then rearranged each piece for his saxophone quintet):
http://youtu.be/0GMUG7Wr5RA BINGO in Fugue
http://youtu.be/h-ZWaiXVnLY Old MacDonald Had A Farm
Did you know that there are dozens of diseases a human can catch from a lamb? There are orphan children buried alive in the pillars of the London Bridge? Ring Around the Rosie is about the plague? The original lyrics to "Ten Little Indians (which is still not politically correct)" was also racially offensive? Come discover what other creepy, rapey and phobic topics our joyous childhood songs are really about.
The church is handicap accessible with an elevator but it is squirreled away in a closet. Here is a short video tour showing where the elevator is hidden within the building:
http://youtu.be/qXO5NFGKo9c
-Malcolm.
After watching his parents murdered by a mugger in a back alley, Malcolm Kogut grew up vowing to become the world's greatest crime . . . wait, that's Batman. Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Mr. Kogut stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator . . . no, that was Sam Beckett. After being bitten by a radioactive spid . . . uhm, Malcolm suffers from nefelibata. Truth.
Then you should come to this one which I promise will be unique, fun, engaging and filled with surprises. Come experience "The Scary and Fugal Side of Nursery Rhymes" May 3, 3:00 p.m. at the Foothills United Methodist Church on 17 Fremont Street, Gloversville, 12078. The price is freeeeeeeee! So that you won't suffer from organ indigestion, in addition to the organ solos there will be guest singers, singing bowls and instrumentalists.
Here are two samples of what I will be playing (the second half of each video BTW, is of Len Anderson who took my collection of arrangements and improvisations then rearranged each piece for his saxophone quintet):
http://youtu.be/0GMUG7Wr5RA BINGO in Fugue
http://youtu.be/h-ZWaiXVnLY Old MacDonald Had A Farm
Did you know that there are dozens of diseases a human can catch from a lamb? There are orphan children buried alive in the pillars of the London Bridge? Ring Around the Rosie is about the plague? The original lyrics to "Ten Little Indians (which is still not politically correct)" was also racially offensive? Come discover what other creepy, rapey and phobic topics our joyous childhood songs are really about.
The church is handicap accessible with an elevator but it is squirreled away in a closet. Here is a short video tour showing where the elevator is hidden within the building:
http://youtu.be/qXO5NFGKo9c
-Malcolm.
After watching his parents murdered by a mugger in a back alley, Malcolm Kogut grew up vowing to become the world's greatest crime . . . wait, that's Batman. Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Mr. Kogut stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator . . . no, that was Sam Beckett. After being bitten by a radioactive spid . . . uhm, Malcolm suffers from nefelibata. Truth.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015
Entropy Happens.
Someone asked me if I missed the holidays of my childhood. Sure, who
doesn't remember those halcyon days with melancholy and joy. The house
was decorated, there was a lot of cooking in the days leading up to the
holiday and for days after, the smell of home cooking lingered in the
air.
At the time, I didn't enjoy those gatherings very much because the house was packed with about thirty friends and relatives, some I didn't know. They got in the way (and in my stuff) of my routine, practice and work. It was difficult for me to take a day off back in those days so holidays were almost traumatic for me, a workaholic.
What I do miss is the joy and care my mother put into the holidays with the decorations and all that cooking. Both my sisters were married with four kids each and all those people meant more food, more noise, more chaos and long hours. That was something my mother thrived on.
After my two sisters became Jehovah's Witnesses and my brother married and moved away, it was just my mother and me on those holy days. At this point she was very ill with COPD. On her last Thanksgiving, she cooked up a feast as always and it was just my mom and me. I took the dog for a walk after the meal and clean up and we walked down by the lake and past a neighbor's house where I saw in the window that there were about 20 people inside and it reminded me what our holidays were like. I wasn't sad that I wasn't embroiled in a sea of relatives but, sad that my mother and all she loved was fading away.
As I walked around the lake I remembered how when I was about ten, the older kids ruled the lake, the dyke, the dam, the docks and I looked up to them in awe, respect and fear. Then when I was an older teen, I realized that I along with my friends ruled the lake. I recently met someone who now lives on the lake and I realized that other young people now rule the lake, maybe. I have heard that the lake association closed all the swimming holes by dumping rocks on the beaches, putting up barricades so no one can park on the side of the street and fencing off the dyke. This wondrous place for a kid to grow up is now off limits but I guess that is okay. Kids today have Facebook and the internet to explore their worlds and interact with people.
Nothing is so good it lasts eternally. Perfect situations must go wrong. There are some facts about life which no one can escape; That life is short and almost always ends messily; that no one thinks as well of you as you do yourself; that in one or two generations from now you will be forgotten entirely and that the world will go on as if you had never existed. Another fact is that to survive and prosper in this world, you have to do so at someone else's expense or do things that are not pleasant to face.
One of these gifts that we enjoy is freedom but it comes at the cost of the innocents murdered in the aerial bombing of Europe and the final bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And not just the bombings. It's also an unpleasant fact that we are alive and well because the generation before us killed people with bullets, shells, bayonets, or knives, if not in Germany, Italy, or Japan, then Korea or Vietnam. Our politicians have connived at murder and war, and we enjoy the freedom for it today. The truth is that if we get what we want, it turns out not to be the thing we wanted, or at least at the cost.
I hope we remember that.
At the time, I didn't enjoy those gatherings very much because the house was packed with about thirty friends and relatives, some I didn't know. They got in the way (and in my stuff) of my routine, practice and work. It was difficult for me to take a day off back in those days so holidays were almost traumatic for me, a workaholic.
What I do miss is the joy and care my mother put into the holidays with the decorations and all that cooking. Both my sisters were married with four kids each and all those people meant more food, more noise, more chaos and long hours. That was something my mother thrived on.
After my two sisters became Jehovah's Witnesses and my brother married and moved away, it was just my mother and me on those holy days. At this point she was very ill with COPD. On her last Thanksgiving, she cooked up a feast as always and it was just my mom and me. I took the dog for a walk after the meal and clean up and we walked down by the lake and past a neighbor's house where I saw in the window that there were about 20 people inside and it reminded me what our holidays were like. I wasn't sad that I wasn't embroiled in a sea of relatives but, sad that my mother and all she loved was fading away.
As I walked around the lake I remembered how when I was about ten, the older kids ruled the lake, the dyke, the dam, the docks and I looked up to them in awe, respect and fear. Then when I was an older teen, I realized that I along with my friends ruled the lake. I recently met someone who now lives on the lake and I realized that other young people now rule the lake, maybe. I have heard that the lake association closed all the swimming holes by dumping rocks on the beaches, putting up barricades so no one can park on the side of the street and fencing off the dyke. This wondrous place for a kid to grow up is now off limits but I guess that is okay. Kids today have Facebook and the internet to explore their worlds and interact with people.
Nothing is so good it lasts eternally. Perfect situations must go wrong. There are some facts about life which no one can escape; That life is short and almost always ends messily; that no one thinks as well of you as you do yourself; that in one or two generations from now you will be forgotten entirely and that the world will go on as if you had never existed. Another fact is that to survive and prosper in this world, you have to do so at someone else's expense or do things that are not pleasant to face.
One of these gifts that we enjoy is freedom but it comes at the cost of the innocents murdered in the aerial bombing of Europe and the final bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And not just the bombings. It's also an unpleasant fact that we are alive and well because the generation before us killed people with bullets, shells, bayonets, or knives, if not in Germany, Italy, or Japan, then Korea or Vietnam. Our politicians have connived at murder and war, and we enjoy the freedom for it today. The truth is that if we get what we want, it turns out not to be the thing we wanted, or at least at the cost.
I hope we remember that.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
THE HUMANITY
Last Sunday, the phone calls and emails started coming in saying "We're canceling Tuesday." Even some of my Wednesday appointments have been canceled. You see, a once every hundred years, storm of the century, snowmagedden was coming and people were canceling appointments, meetings and life in general to prepare to be socked in and and thusly pounded by Mother Nature.
Well, let me tell you, the storm was so bad, that the plows haven't even been down my street yet. I live at the end of a dead end street so we are always the last to be plowed so, here is a picture of my street Tuesday morning at the height of the blizzard.
The weather forecasters are so embarrassed (none have yet to admit or apologize for their error), that they are showing footage from cities over 300 miles away in an effort to justify their "sky is falling" mentality. It's all about the ratings, isn't it.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Cantors Verses Soloist
For a series of cantor workshops, I complied a video of cantors singing the responsorial psalm. These clips were culled from the Sunday morning Roman Catholic televised Mass in my diocese.
As you listen and watch, don't judge the singer. Don't judge their training or quality of voice. Instead, listen for inflection. Do you beleive what they are proclaiming? Do you think they beleive what they are proclaiming? Are they proclaiming? Are they preoccupied with performing? Do they appear warm and welcoming? Do they seem nervous? Are their gestures on the beat? Do they have any unnecessary movements? Do they make eye contact with everyone? Do they stare at their music? Does it seem like they are proclaiming the Word of God or singing a song? Do they look happy to be there? Are they dynamic? Do they smile?
I had a conversation with a singer regarding the subtle difference between a cantor and soloist. Here are some of the thoughts I shared with her.
A cantor proclaims.
A soloist sings.
A cantor looks at the congregation during the introduction.
A soloist looks at the music, floor, pianist.
A cantor has part of the music memorized (like the refrain) and looks at the people while singing it.
A soloist stares at the music.
A cantor gestures and cues the assembly.
A soloist just stands there.
A cantor (during the Psalm) doesn't sing the refrain but looks at the people as they respond to her.
A soloist sings her own response.
A cantor prayed the text during the week that she is going to proclaim on Sunday.
A soloist learned the song she is going to sing.
A cantor has people come up to them after the service to tell them how the text spoke to them.
A soloist has people come up to them after the service to tell them how beautiful they sang.
I demand that all my cantors memorize part of the Psalm so that they can look out at the people. If a cantor sings from Psalm 27, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom shall I be afraid." and looks out at someone who is scheduled for surgery tomorrow, it can have a huge impact on that person.
If a cantor sings from Psalm 42, "Why should I mourn and toil within when it is mine to hope in God?" and looks out at a teen thinking about suicide, it can make a difference in their life.
If a cantor sings from Psalm 63, "As morning breaks, I look to you to be my strength this day." and looks at someone starting a new job tomorrow, it could make a difference for that person.
If a cantor sings from Isaiah 43, "I have called you each by name. I love you and you are mine." and looks at someone who is lonely, it might make a difference in their life.
A cantor, if they do all those things, will grow by leaps and bounds.
A soloist, may grow through years of repetition.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
How To Warm Up A Choir
I am not a fan of "warm ups." Any athlete or pianist will tell you that isolating a single part of the body to "warm it up" is not effective. The whole body must be warmed. A pianist who plays in a warm room will play much better than one who attempts to "warm up" his hands by blowing on them in a cold room or playing an hour of scales. Warming up is a whole body experience.
Vocal exercises are excellent tools if used for educational or instructional purposes but "warming up" comes from a different place. A choir director who runs meaningless scales is just wasting everyone's time, especially if there is no educational purpose behind them.
Warming up the voice and the vocal apparatus is much the same as warming up the whole body but with a few additional parameters. First, many choir rehearsals are held in the evening and the singers have already been walking, talking, breathing, eating and drinking during day. Most likely, their voice is ready to sing. However, there are usually a few components missing.
Imagine that a child is about to run out into the street and a car is racing toward him. In an effort to save his life you would yell "STOP!" or "NOOOO!" or "Billy!" Did you need to warm up to do that? The force, confidence and conviction for that vocalization came from your brain because you knew little Billy was about to get smooshed. It also came from your heart (the emotional one) because you knew little Billy was about to get smooshed. Your diaphragm naturally rose to the occasion and your soft palate also raised in sympathetic response to the brain and heart in order to convey the message as fully, open and forcibly as possible.
What if your dog were to pee on your new $1,000 carpet? If you are an owner who believes in negative reinforcement, you might yell "NO!" or "BAD DOG." Did you need to warm up first? No, because it came from your brain that the dog was about to soil your new carpet, it came from your angry heart because your dog was about to soil your new carpet and as a result, your diaphragm and soft palate unequivocally made your angry intention known to your pooch.
A friend has a new born baby and it is sleeping in her arms. With your best stage whisper you comment on how it is the most beautiful baby you've every seen and you ask to hold him. You can whisper loudly because your brain knows the baby is sleeping and your heart doesn't want to wake him so your diaphragm and soft palate do what it takes to convey your message with delicacy in hushed, dulcet tones.
You go to a birthday party and everyone sings "Happy Birthday." The whole gathering of well wishers erupt into a rousing and full throated rendition - including two or three part harmony. Did anyone need to warm up first? No, because the brain and heart automatically engaged the diaphragm and soft palate with earthy bon ami.
Whether you cough intentionally to get someone's attention, sigh on "arrrgh," in frustration, groan at a bad joke, say "awww" at a cute kitten, jump out at someone and yell "BOO," "Ho-ho-ho" like Santa, or bark like a dog; your diaphragm and soft palate will naturally and fully engaged without warm up because the vocalization comes first from the brain and emotional heart.
All these body parts and mechanisms are already in place and will work on command if we beleive what we are doing, singing or saying. The first job of any choir director is not to engage the choir in meaningless warmups but to give our text meaning and purpose which should be the primary task of any director.
I'm not saying that our church choirs don't beleive but, if they need to warm up, something else is missing. Why can't we automatically sing songs of adoration to God the way we would vocalize the first time we see a loved one who we haven't seen in ten years as they get off an airplane? Why can't we sing in contrition they way we would if we broke our mother's prized antique vase and bellowed "I'm am SO sorry. I WILL replace it." Why can't we sing songs of thanksgiving to God the way we would profusely thank someone who just returned our lost wallet with all the attendant money intact? Why can't we sing songs of supplication to God they way someone would beg for a significant other not to leave them? If the answer is that we need to warm up first, something else is missing.
Why do so many choir directors have to trick their choirs into engaging their soft palates and diaphragms through the use of warm ups? The answers can be many and varied. Maybe we don't beleive in God. Maybe we don't know how to beleive in God. Maybe we are afraid to express our belief in public. Maybe we don't have the conviction to beleive in God. Maybe we have directors who don't beleive in God. Maybe we have directors who beleive in music. Maybe we have directors who are only regurgitating what they've been taught. Maybe we have directors who just haven't figured it out yet. Maybe we have directors more concerned with the notes rather than the words. Maybe we don't know or believe that our music has purpose, meaning and power. Comprehension does not imply belief and without belief we can't fully activate our bodies.
The solution then, isn't to do warm ups. It is to network our emotions with our bodies and that takes effort not related to music but - is wholly related to music. At a job interview once, a member of the search committee, who made sure I knew she was a Juilliard graduate and a soloist in the church, asked me if I did warmups and I spouted to her an abbreviated version of this blog and then I told her that I do lead sung prayer before every rehearsal and she asked, "What does any of this have to do with directing a choir?" My reply was more advanced than a mere Juilliard grad could understand; I'm not a choir director. I am a pastoral musician who trains the choir to be music ministers and, that music should not be their ministry but a vehicle to ministry. Directing a choir has a great deal to do with reversing foreground and background.
First and foremost though is to support what the text and music itself is saying, not to necessarily inflict our own views and emotions on it. The last thing we need to do is sing and play as if our feelings were being injected into the music. That happens a lot in church choirs.
Ultimately, the universe has given us everything we need to vocally do what we need to do. The only thing that stands in our way is ourselves. I know many music directors will disagree with me and that is okay. Just remember that no agnostic ever burned anyone at the stake or tortured a pagan, a heretic, or an unbeliever. If you disagree that fervently, chalk it up to differences of opinion.
If you'll excuse me, I need to go warm up gravity because I am going jogging and I want to make sure every time I take a step, my foot will return to the ground.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The Dix Range
This autumnal grand-daddy of all hikes led us to the serene and beckoning summits of Macomb, South Dix, East Dix, back to South Dix, then to Hough and Pough, over the Beckhorn, to Dix, back to the Beckhorn, then straight down the SW ridge of Dix and Beckhorn. We camped at Slide Brook then ascended via the land slide of Macomb Mountain with its beautiful view of Elk Lake. Each mountain has its own beckoning gleam of silver track slides. Bear Grylls would be proud.
Some Pictures from A Recent Hike
I recently went camping up in the Adirondacks and encountered two friendly women with more tatoos than Justin Bieber. They were going to attempt almost the same hike I had done a few days earlier and were of very muscular estate. Here are some of the pics.
Autumn Gold
Jim at the Beckhorn
East Dix from Hough
Elk Lake From the Macomb Slide
Gothics from East Dix
Heart Lake
Our Lean-to
Macomb Slide
Macomb Slide
Me and Jim on an Eratic
Me shirtless taking a sponge bath in Slide Brook
To watch the video of my hike, check out this link:
The Dix Range
http://youtu.be/RusfvOQuGec
Nye and Street
http://youtu.be/VrQhv56lRME
To watch the video of my hike, check out this link:
The Dix Range
http://youtu.be/RusfvOQuGec
Nye and Street
http://youtu.be/VrQhv56lRME
Friday, September 19, 2014
Simple Improvisational Device for Organists
Here is a short lesson I created for church organists who on occasion may be desirous to employ a simple re-harmonization device without getting too carried away. I apologize for the little rant in the beginning of the video about organists getting in the way of the congregation. I too am a frequent offender of this practice. It is part of the organist ego. The devil makes us do it. Bach's congregation had the same plaint.
This device is simple. Whenever the melody is on the third tone of a chord, or you change the chord to make that note the third, leave the melody where it is but raise the chord up half a step to it's minor equivalent, then drop it down to its dominant seventh. Keep the voicing open as that will leave a lot of room for inner linear movement and a lot of room other chordal substitutions and leading. If you don't know what that means, that is okay, listen to your ear. It knows.
I often throw something like this in toward the the end of a verse to signal to the congregation that I am about to do something such as a key change or interlude. I usually only throw in interludes when the liturgical movement calls for it because the people on the dais need more time to get where they're going or to do what they're doing. If a choir is processing and they just hit the stairs to the balcony, I may do the same thing.
Personally, if I am pew-side of a church, I like to sing the harmony to the hymns and when the organist doesn't play what's on the page it renders me mute. Organists need to be cognizant of the text, too. I remember being at a music convention for Pastoral Musicians and on the fifth verse of a hymn, the text stated something about not toiling or mourning for, the gentle presence of God will carry you through the tough times. I thought it ironic that the organist was re-harmonizing, ratcheting up the crescendo pedal and tossing out trite-trumpet-triplets all as we were singing words such as "quiet" and "gentle."
Read your texts, love your people, help them to sing, hold their hand if necessary. Think of the church in the theater model; the congregants are the actors, God is the audience and you are the prompter. Prompt, don't hijack.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)