The American Band(stand)

This week I have spent copious amounts of time just listening to music. There have been a number of end-of-quarter ensemble concerts as well as my Romantic-era Music History Final (studying for which required a lot of listening). In order for this post to make sense, I need to elaborate on my love of program music. I love any song, work, or ditty that tells a story or evokes a setting different from the here and now. That's probably why I've always found film scores to be so effective. 

When maestro Mark Gibson gave us a dress-rehearsal pep talk about playing Mahler's Symphony No.6 as though we (the orchestra) were the hero missing from the story composed by a supposedly content (at least at that point in his life) Gustav Mahler, it was as though the world of the symphony sprung to life right before my eyes. For those of you unfamiliar to the piece, it's particularly dark, even for Mahler, though I don't think I would call it sad. Creepy would be a more fitting adjective. Or, as Maestro Gibson so aptly put it, 'like a Johnny Depp movie'. 

Playing in this Mahler concert was perhaps one of the most invigorating and simply enjoyable performance experiences of my life. The piece came alive onstage as it never had for this orchestra before. On page 19 I got so wrapped up in the music that I grabbed the wrong instrument and played flute instead of piccolo (or was it piccolo instead of flute? ...oops. Good thing the part was doubled!) for about half a page. It felt as if the orchestra really had become the missing hero that Mahler himself couldn't compose. 

The next day I was able to attend an all-Sousa concert by the Wind Symphony. And what a concert it was. I've always been a fan of some good ol' American music. Love me some Copland, Barber, Liebermann...but I suppose most of you already knew that. I also spent a good chunk of my childhood wishing that I lived in River City Iowa about a hundred years ago so I could hang out with Professor Harold Hill, but I digress... Since there is nothing like music to take you away, the concert was a really great opportunity to take a load off from the emotional overload that was the Mahler symphony. I felt as though I really had taken a mini vacation to a simpler time where the most pressing issue at hand was finding a date to the town picnic. Gosh, wouldn't that be the life? 

I will leave you now with some turn-of-the-century inspiration in the form of Robert Preston (The Music Man. Matthew Broderick just can't compete) and vintage-inspired dresses by Modcloth. 

Photo credits: Google images and Modcloth.

If Taylor Swift Had Been A 'Band Kid'...

It has been far too long since my last entry, which I swear won't happen again without good reason. It's been a busy two weeks; I went to the masterclass in Malibu and last week I got back to the cycle of work, practice, eat, repeat. Today I taught another beginning flute lesson, which was less inspiring than a Dr. G masterclass, but still made me reflect on my life as a flute player. It's been my life for the last eight years, and even before then it was something I took relatively seriously. In sixth grade I played in the entry-level Minnesota Youth Symphony orchestra. The following year I won my division of the Upper Midwest Flute Association's annual competition. I took these (along with my growing appreciation for the orchestral repertoire) as signs that this was what I was meant to do. Obviously these successes were in part due to my work and practice, but (I realize this sounds cliche, but I swear it's true!) I wouldn't have come close without the people around me who (whether they knew it or not at the time) inspired, encouraged, and pushed me to practice harder, better, faster...stronger?
My most obvious helper was my mother, who until about eighth grade sat in on all of my lessons and practice sessions. She knew I wanted to be the best I could be, and I think that she wants my dreams to come true just as much as she would had it been her dream. Today, she couldn't sit in on my lessons even if she wanted to and her practice-time comments have waned into friendly reminders rather than [what I considered] harsh, persistent critique. Without this second pair of ears, though, I don't know where I'd be.
My teachers and conductors (ALL OF THEM) taught me what music really means. Not only did each and every person I've worked with give everything they had for the sake of the music, but they painted a picture or a scene or a story to make every piece of music come alive. It was these fabulous musicians who really inspired me to get inside the music, to go beyond the notes, and to give the audience something to really chew on. They also taught their entire ensemble how to manage teamwork. Teamwork is especially difficult in a situation like an orchestra where every single person has such a strong personality...
...but it was these personalities that I found amongst my peers that really gave me a sense of competition and drive. When I got placed in an ensemble with better musicians than myself I'd practice extra hard so that I'd know I was pulling my own weight. When I knew my friends were practicing hours every day, I'd see if I could practice that much to keep up with them. And finally when I just knew that 'all the cool kids' were going to be in the best ensemble, I'd put on my game face and do whatever I needed to do to ensure a spot amongst the elite. The personalities found in an orchestra are not unlike high school cliques...
(Keep in mind, the following is not inteded to be offensive, nor is it what I believe. These stereotypes are merely cumulative generalizations based on stories, experiences, and individual incidents. They are not in any way directed at any individuals.)

• violins-(the student council kids) these hard-working yet soft-spoken folks carry along the orchestra, though usually only the concertmaster really gets to shine as an individual.
• violas-(the geeks) no other section in the orchestra is this tight-knit, has this many inside jokes, or for that matter is the butt of as many jokes...
• cellos-(the bookworms) generally well-liked, the cello section is where you go to find those guys who weren't hot until you took off their glasses a la Clark Kent...
  
• stringed bass-(the artsy kids) they don't care what you play or what you think about them. They just want to play some music.
• flutes-(the cheerleaders) they won't say or do anything mean to your face, they'll just give you 'the look' then tell all their friends that you play out of tune.
• oboes-(the NHS kids) similar to the violins, the oboes are the well-dressed nerds; earnest and friendly once you get to know them.
• clarinets-(the gossip girls) remember that kid who told you every dirty detail of everyone's lives (and was probably telling everyone the details about yours)? He played clarinet.
• bassoons-(the dorks) you might love them, you might hate them...but when push comes to shove you can't play Stravinsky without them.
• trumpets-(the preppy jocks) they can play higher than you, they can play louder than you, they can also probably get the girl quicker than you.
• trombones-(the dumb jocks) sometimes you just have to sit back and wonder what's going through their heads...oh wait...it's nothing...
• french horns- (this guy) everybody knows them, nobody can label them, everybody in some way wants to be like them.
• tubas-(that guy)-you know that redhead kid who seems to be on every Disney Channel show at some point and is always named Bob? He'd make a great tuba player.
• percussion-(the space case) the kid who is always late, never does his homework, asks ten questions every class, and the teacher still loves them...

It is a combination of these personalities that make my life as a musician so much fun. Whether I love them or hate them, life is never boring. Gosh, now I only have to wait two months to get back to the land of Milk and Honey where I'll be living in this saga every day!

Looking for Inspiration

For me, life is all about finding a source of inspiration, using that to make my own art (which ranges from anything from flute practice to finding an outfit that matches to decorating my living space) more passionately, and finally inspiring others through that art. The problem is that lately I've found myself making excuses to not get inspired more often than I'd like; 'If it wasn't so early I'd have better tone', 'If I wasn't so tired I'd play this sonata more musically', 'If I was fifteen pounds lighter I'd look cute in any outfit', 'If I had a real job I'd be able to afford nice furniture for the apartment'...the list goes on and on. I guess my goal is that by thinking out loud (or I suppose in this case, online) I'll more likely to find creative and functional solutions to these dilemmas that seem so very present in my day-to-day life.

Today I am blaming my lack of inspiration on being home for the summer. I'm not in the fishbowl of musical and creative genius that I've gotten so used to, and now I feel like there is nothing pushing me to be the best Hannah I can be. On the other hand, in the two days I've been home I've already listened to three full symphonic works and begun to read Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence. There is nothing like going right to the classics to remind you why you do what you do. So that's what I plan to do this summer, learn as much classic orchestral repertoire as I can, read as many books from The Modern Library's Top 100 Best Novels list (http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html; so far I've read no. 2, 7, 10, 20, 35, and 45 from the Board's list and 5, 12, 13, 22, 24, 51, 63, 67, and 94 from the Reader's list) make enough money to keep me fed and somewhat entertained over the school year, and of course practice until I can't anymore. Oh! And I haven't even mentioned the apartment challenge yet! My roommate R and I have leased a sick apartment next year that remains yet unfurnished. I'm going to see if I can take care of my half of the household for under $100? So far I've got a surprisingly nice armchair that mom bought me for $10 at a garage sale, and the kitchen table and chairs set that the parents are getting rid of! Looks like the rest will be coming from Craigs List and thrift stores!