Category — miscellaneous

I write one of the few blogs independently-penned by an orchestra member, and I’m not sure why it’s such a lonely job description.  However, a rapidly expanding area of classical music blogs are blogs that are written as part of a symphony orchestra’s public relations and/or artistic arms.  [Read more →]

I finally feel like we’ve entered the 21st century with the addition of a brand, spanking new computer.  I’m waiting for it to transfer over all of the many gigabytes of files from the old machine (7 years old, to be exact) an then it will hopefully be life in the fast lane.  Here’s the photo for the wallet:

Model of the new PATH terminal at the WTC site in NYC.

I was reading the Sept. 1 issue of The New Yorker last night, and came across a profile of the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.  He’s arguably the most in-demand architect in the world right now, with his spectacular bridges, train stations, museums, and concert halls achieving near-instant landmark status upon completion (or sometimes even before).  I was struck by his humble, no-nonsense attitude about what he does, and more specifically, about how his work affects people other than the commissioners or himself:

I like doing [train] stations, because they are the home of everybody, and because you are providing a beautiful moment in the life of people who work so hard; I am not a food producer, I am not a doctor; I am an architect, and I use my work for a sense of philanthropy, and not for any glory…This is a Stoic concept: to stay in the middle, which permits you to be free from the ambitions of the high, and permits you, through your liberty, to deliver something to those who don’t have anything.

Click here for a slideshow of his current and past projects.

We took a nice outing to see Mt. St. Helens on Friday.  We hadn’t been for perhaps a dozen years, and the amount of regrowth in the blast zone was pretty amazing.  Also evident was some serious rebuilding of the mountain through the latest eruptive phase (recently completed) of four years.

click on photo to enlarge

Style vs. substance the duality that’s on my mind as I write this.  I’m at a loss.  Why do individuals or organizations who do impeccably prepared, virtuosic performances passed over in favor of those who cloak mediocrity in the guise of a fancy mission statement?  Does it really all come down to marketing?  Are we who play traditional forms of classical music doing ourselves a disservice by slaving away to perfect our craft?

I don’t think that the style/substance relationship is a zero-sum equation.  One can inform the other.  They can achieve a symbiosis together that they would lack separately.  But, still, are we in America so impressed by a slickly packaged idea that we can overlook the actual substance of that idea?  I’m afraid to answer my own question, because one answer indicates that I’m cynical beyond rescue, and the other answer says that I’ve hopelessly naïve.

Any thoughts?

I’ve been made aware by a few readers in the last week or so that some security features were making it impossible to contribute comments to this blog. This is obviously not a good situation! I’ve gone in and changed the settings to make it as simple as possible give public feedback to posts.

My bad!  I found the little hidden checkbox to eliminate registration as a requirement for commenting, and have also put up a new contact form here.  Feedback appreciated!

Wordpress, which is the blogging platform that I’m using, does not allow unsubscribed readers to comment. For that reason, if you wish to comment, you need to go to the register link up at the top right of the window and give a name of your choosing and a valid email address. You’ll receive via email (at the address you supplied) a link which will allow you to login along with an automatically generated password. Just click the link, enter your name and password, and you’re good to go.

After you login, you’ll be sent to your profile page - if you want to change your password, or give a new nickname or your real name or change your contact information, you can do that at this page.  I would suggest changing your password at your first visit, since it is computer-generated and difficult to remember.

If you have any difficulties, just go to the “contact me” tab and shoot off an email and I’ll do my best to assist you!

Tonight was our first Portland performance of the current classical series (we had a run-out concert last night in Newberg).  As usual, OSO president Elaine Calder came out to welcome the audience and to give nods to the major sponsors for the evening’s concert, and to reiterate the announcement of Carlos’ four-year contract extension.

As she began, a heckler in the audience yelled “It’s in the program!!”.  Very loudly.  Very rudely.

I want to take a few moments to address this, as it’s happened once before during this season (as far as I can recollect, during one of the concerts featuring the Adams Chamber Symphony).  

I understand that for some the pre-concert announcements are an irritating routine that must be endured before the concert’s music begins.  I sympathize.  I’d rather just get to the music, too.

However, the major sponsors and/or donors have done a great service to the community by underwriting these concerts, and it’s not too much to expect that, along with appropriate notice in the program, that they are acknowledged from the stage by our chief executive officer.  

Such niceties are greatly appreciated by those who give the money, I’m told, and the fact that they are giving to the symphony makes it possible for you to attend a concert that’s reasonably affordable, instead of nearly 60% more expensive.

I’m glad that the “gentleman” in the audience saw fit to indulge his impatience by bellowing his displeasure - because it created the opportunity to explain why these announcements are made and what purpose they serve.  

I’m sure that Elaine would rather spend more time right before the concert talking to patrons or relaxing in preparation for the concert, but she puts herself front and center for nearly every major concert to acknowledge the generosity of both corporations and individuals, instead of having a recorded announcement by some faceless radio announcer as is done by other orchestras.  

She’s doing her utmost to turn around the financial situation here in Portland, and deserves to be treated with dignity and decorum.

Just noticed on the counter that this blog passed the 60,000 viewers landmark a while ago.  Thanks for reading and coming back again and again.  I never really intended for this blog to become some sort of public vehicle for anything.  It’s really just my way of getting random jumbled thoughts out of my head and into some (semi) coherent form.  Since I can’t afford to take a sabbatical, this is my way of giving myself some therapy and context to my professional life.  Thanks for your support!

I decided to take an inventory of what was lurking in my viola case (aside from the instrument and bow, of course) - here’s what I came up with: [Read more →]

[click image to enlarge]

This afternoon I came home from rehearsal (don’t ask) to see both of our cats at the back window, making that strange chattering sound that we call “bird voice”. What you see above is what was strutting around our grassy area behind our apartment. I’d never seen a bird like this before, so I took a picture and emailed it to my friend, composer Daniel Ott (www.danielottmusic.com), who is a major birder.

Come to find out, this is a Varied Thrush, a relative of the common robin. Ordinarily they live in the highlands and mountains, as they’re cold weather birds. The strong and constant east winds must have blown this little guy out of the Cascades into the Willamette Valley. I hope he finds his way home - there are a lot of hungry outdoor cats around here, too!