Posts Tagged ‘Chicago’

International Horn Symposium

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

Don’t ever forget that classical music folks live in a small world.  I was at the International Horn Symposium at Western Illinois University this week for the premiere of my piece South Africa, (about which more later) and got renew acquaintances with several people I hadn’t seen in years.  First, I was delighted to see David Amram’s name featuring prominently on the day I actually got to spend at the conference.  When I was a senior in high school and at the MENC National Conference as part of the Ohio All-State Orchestra, Renee Goubbeaux and I were wandering the exhibits.  We stopped at the C.F. Peters booth to admire the score to John Cage’s 4’33”  (yes, it’s actually available for sale), when I noticed that manning the booth was the composer of the score next to it, who happened to be David Amram.  I had been composing for all of about two years at that point, and he had some very encouraging words.  I have always carried with me his good-natured approach and good humor and genuine kindness to a stranger.  He was the first “real,” “live” composer I ever met, and it was a good experience.  (The second was Libby Larsen, the same day, and the experience was just as positive.  It was just as great to get to talk to her a few years ago.)  I of course invited David to come hear my piece later that day, and he seemed to enjoy it.

Finding my seat for the concert featuring Amram’s music for horn (who would think a piece for horn, tenor sax and bassoon could work so well?), I noticed a man who looked familiar from the back.  It was indeed Colvin Bear, who plays in the Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra.  When I knew Colvin about eight years ago, his day job was teaching at South Vienna School, where I was the band director.  We played in Northeastern High School’s musical together, and I taught his son during his senior year.

At some point, I may delve into my feelings about that job, but I know that Colvin and I agree about many things about that position, and always did.  It is easy to admire someone who does the best possible work within a flawed system, continuing to excel despite unfavorable changes.

It turns out, as well, that Colvin was one of the first horn teachers of the wonderful player who commissioned the piece I was there to hear, Nancy Joy.

Nancy and I ran into each other on a plane from Columbus, Ohio to Albuquerque, New Mexico on New Years Eve 2007.  My wife saw her horn case, and struck up a conversation.  We traded ipods, and as I was thinking that I needed to write a piece for Nancy, she was thinking that she needed to commission me to write a piece.  Eighteen months later, the result was the piece she premiered fantastically with Fred Bugbee, her colleague at New Mexico State. 

It is always a pleasure to sit and listen to good musicians perform my music.  After the rehearsal in Las Cruces last week, I knew that this would be the case in Macomb, and it was just wonderful.  I’ve learned so much from these two performers that I will carry ahead with me as I write future pieces, and the feedback I got at the conference was overwhelming.  Just a fantastic experience.

Other highlights–I got to try an alphorn, and listened to most of a session about natural horn; Richard Todd gave some fantastic jazz horn performances–who knew horn was a jazz instrument?  I had some time in Chicago, and visited the Federal Reserve Bank and my new favorite sheet music store, Performers Sheet Music in the Fine Arts Building on Michigan Avenue.  I only wish my wife had been along!  The next trip I have planned for composition is to MInot State University in North Dakota in November, and hopefully Becky will be able to come then.

A long trip

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

I’m currently stuck in Denver at the tail end of a long trip, but it’s been fantastic.

First, I went with the OPSU choirs on their trip to Chicago.  Our choir director, Matt Howell, did a fantastic job planning and executing a great trip while still keeping it within a reasonable price range for the students.  The choirs performed, but more importantly, they got to spend a week in the big city, navigating public transportation and taking in cultural things that just aren’t available in the Panhandle.  The London Symphony Orchestra gave a fantastic concert of Prokofiev with Gergiev and Feltsman–core repertoire.  The woodwinds in that group are simply astounding, and really made the Classical symphony sparkle.  I first saw Feltsman play about 15 years ago in Cincinnati, and he hasn’t lost any of his charm or technique–the Prokofiev 2nd concerto was putty in his hands.  The program ended with Prokofiev’s fifth symphony, which was absolutely sublime.

We were fortunate to get both a backstage tour and take in a performance at the Lyric Opera.  The production values and musical technique made me feel like I’d never heard opera before.  If you are in Chicago, be sure to take in the Lyric.

On our last full day, I spent the afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago, which was absolutely worth the price of admission, even with their modern and contemporary collections currently in transition to the new building opening in May.  Then it was across the street to hear the Chicago Symphony play Mendelssohn (Italian), Prokofiev (left hand concerto), and Beethoven (Eroica).  I dare say it may have been an off night for the group… no need to mention any names.

Then it was back to Garden City, Kansas, where the choir headed back home and I hopped a plane to begin the rest of the trip.  I have now appeared in New York City as composer and trombonist.  David Morneau, Rob Voisey and Vox Novus set up a wonderful concert in the Jan Hus church in Manhattan, and I had a great time.  I played my trombone and electronic piece “Let Everything that Has Breath Praise the Lord” and my solo trombone piece, “What It’s Like.”  David, as always, had a fascinating collaboration with a dancer and a visual artist.  I only wish I was so cool.  A big “thank you” to David for making that happen.  Vox Novus does a concert at this fantastic venue on the East Side on the last Sunday afternoon of every month, so be sure to check it out.    It was a thrill to visit New York again (I hadn’t been since 1996) and to be there “on business.”  David and his wife Jolaine were wonderful hosts, and around the corner from their place in Astoria is an Italian bakery that I will remember until I die… amaretti!

So… I’m now stuck for the night in Denver because my flight home was delayed and I missed the connection back to Garden City, delaying my return to my beautiful, wonderful wife.  I still have one more stop on my “six weeks of insanity” that began with Oklahoma City in Feburary… the national SCI conference in Santa Fe.