Spring Break with Alan Lomax

Hello all!

Well, my writing obligations are not yet completely fulfilled, so I need to make another brief (and late....sorry!) post.  However, the resource we'll be using is quite the treasure trove, and I hope it provides you with many happy hours of diversion, not only as solfa practitioners, but as people who are listening for the enrichment of your hearts.

All Levels:

First, read this:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2012/03/28/148915022/alan-lomaxs-massive-archive-goes-online
(I especially like the part where the blogger describes Alan's analytical system as being "like Pandora for grad students".....yeah, dude, if you only knew.....)

Then, follow the link in the article here:

http://research.culturalequity.org/home-audio.jsp
(the server seems to be pretty busy, so be persistent if it doesn't work the first time)

Break out your tuning forks and manuscript paper (or stick notation), and get ready to party.  You might even be able to add to your song collection!

Listen, transcribe, and enjoy!

Balance

Welcome, dear readers!

Spring-like weather is tentatively continuing here in Denver...I am attempting to remain skeptical, but all these sunny days have my hopes running sky-high for real spring!  My journey to Phoenix later this week will probably only make it harder to keep my spring fever at bay, since they're expecting high 70's and 80's.  I plan to bask unapologetically the entire time I'm there -- will any of you be joining the big OAKE party?  If so, let me know, and let's catch up!

Thinking about the weather is an extremely pleasant distraction from the rigors of degree-finishing and future-forging that occupy most of my head-space at the moment.  It's an interesting time, and my hopes are high -- I'm lucky to have good support from my faculty, and I believe that good things are on their way, employment-wise.  Keeping the sense of urgency at bay is hard, sometimes too hard, and panic kicks me around the schoolyard and steals my sleep (like so much lunch money) and makes me feel like I'd better get my hands on a refrigerator box ASAP.  And then, I'm lucky again...my dear friends help me piece my sense of well-being back together and remind me that sometimes I just need a good night's sleep and maybe an afternoon off...and having those things will not prevent me from getting everything done.

I'm sure I am not at all alone in this.  The middle path is difficult to keep track of, and I'm not really sure why.  It's just too easy to run to extremes -- enough somehow usually doesn't seem like enough.  It's too big an issue for one little blog, really.  But, a funny thing I caught myself doing two times today is sort of the inspiration for this week's assignment.  Immediately upon both church services finishing, I made for the out-of-doors and immediately did something extremely silly -- skipping in my choir robe, quoting this movie, maniacal giggling, you get the idea.  Why?  Not because I disliked the services (I actually like the services and the music quite a bit), but because I had to behave myself just so for a certain period of time, causing a backlog of silliness that demanded to be set free the moment such a thing became possible.  It felt good (like the proper resolution of a V7 or a 4-3 suspension), no one seemed to be the worse for wear, and balance was restored to my little corner of the universe.  So, in that vein...

Rising Level 2's


Here's a little gem for you:

http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/5/53/Praetorius_-_Wie_schoen_leuchtet.pdf

We've dealt with this tune before, so hopefully it sounds a little familiar to you, though the rhythmic language of this setting is a bit more complex than what we've worked on before.

Therefore, start with the lowest line (extra points if you can tell me a little something about what "Bassus generalis pro organo si placet" means), just so you're not distracted by melodic material.  Determine what meter you're actually in (hint: the top number in the time signature is NOT an 8, and neither should you count in 8), then tap or clap your way through.  Once that feels comfortable enough, sing that bottom line (note the clef changes -- you may choose whatever octave you want to sing in).

Now, go do something silly for five minutes.

At your next practice session, look at the top line and clap/tap your way through.  Try tapping the rhythm with one hand while you conduct with the other.

Now, go do something silly for five minutes.

Next time, sing through that top line.  Note that the B-naturals are just a little chromatic inflection that you will call "fi" -- they shouldn't pose much of a problem.

Guess what?  Go do something silly for five minutes.

Now, tackle the rhythm of the middle line....it's probably the most rhythmically challenging, and conducting along with your tapping is a good idea.

Done?  Good...time for your five-minute break!

Try singing the middle line...like the top line, it has a "fi" here and there, but no worries.

And one more five-minute break!

If you can, find a friend or two to sing through this with....it'll be fun, and then you can take your silly breaks together!

Rising Level 3's


And here's a piece for you:

http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/scar-exr.pdf

Note that there's a rhythmic error in the next-to-last measure in the alto part -- that last C-sharp should be a whole note, not a half note.

You're going to follow the same general practice-break scheme as the 2's, but your learning procedure will be a little different.

First, look over the piece up to m. 45 and find what material Mr. Scarlatti used imitatively -- basically, you're hunting for motives or themes.  The first one is easy: the opening of the soprano part, which I think you might call Theme A.  Does it happen in other parts?  Is it transposed?  Find and label any repetitions.  Then, find a few more themes like that in between the beginning of the piece and m. 45.

Now, what changes at m. 46 (hint: think texture)?  How are you going to deal with the chromaticism you encounter?  Go back through the whole piece and locate any places you suspect you may need to change keys.

Now, just tackle one vocal line per day.  If you whip through that easily, do a solfa chord analysis of m. 46-end.  Again, singing through the piece with friends could be a lot of fun....

Rising Level 4's


For you guys, something very Lenten and fun:

http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/f/fe/Battishill_o_lord_look_down.pdf

You're also on the alternation-of-work-and-fun plan, like the 2's, and your learning process is going to be rather similar to the 3's.

Begin by looking over the whole piece, noting any divisi and marking any homophonic sections.  Do a cursory examination of the accidentals you encounter, and decide where you might want to change keys.

Now, look over the text and see if you can associate particular themes or motives with textual sections.  Label these motives if you discover them.

Sing through the lines one at a time, paying special attention to intonation in any minor seconds or augmented seconds you encounter.

For fun, using the keyboard score (which is essentially a simplified reduction of the vocal lines), do a Roman numeral analysis of this piece.  Or, if you don't have time for the whole piece, focus on these spots:

mm. 71-86 (in C minor)
m. 107-end (trust the key signature)

Enjoy!

Choose to Bless the World

Greetings, dear friends!

Well, it's happened....I got older today -- a nice prime number this time around, and have had a great day of feeling extremely loved and remembered.  What more could a person want?

It's been a busy weekend (ergo the late post!), but a good one, filled in part with rehearsals with my beloved Denver Gay Men's Chorus.  They're prepping for a very exciting collaboration at the moment, and one of the pieces they've begun rehearsing has struck quite a chord with me, especially as a new year of life begins.  The piece is "Choose to Bless the World" by Nick Page, and is based on three divergent somewhat unlikely elements: Page's own arrangement of "Niska Banja," a poem by a Unitarian Universalist minister named Rebecca Parker, and Michael Praetorius' well-known canon "Jubilate Deo" --   you can listen to/watch a recording of one of my new favorite people conducting it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xabP5G-Q1A

(I know, it has the Lentenly forbidden A-word, but try to forgive me...)

The full text of the poem is this:

Your gifts
whatever you discover them to be
can be used to bless or curse the world.
The mind's power,
The strength of the hands,
The reaches of the heart,
the gift of speaking, listening, imagining, seeing, waiting
Any of these can serve to feed the hungry,
bind up wounds,
welcome the stranger,
praise what is sacred,
do the work of justice
or offer love.
Any of these can draw down the prison door
hoard bread,
abandon the poor,
obscure what is holy,
comply with injustice
or withhold love.
You must answer this question:
What will you do with your gifts?
Choose to bless the world.

Cynicism and exhaustion are by-products of almost any graduate program, I think (and as many of my AKI students will likely attest), and it can be hard to remember that we still have a choice.  We don't have to buy into the drama that our little grad program worlds tend to create.  Or, if we do, we can catch ourselves and make a new choice.  The circumstances of our lives are what they are, and on days when we're feeling the burn, it can be so hard to remember this, but we still have a choice.  In every moment, no matter how crappy we think we are, no matter how hard things have been, no matter how little we think we have to offer, the choice is still there.  We can choose to bless the world....and the secret wonder of making that choice is that it doesn't take anything away from us to do this.  Our egos and bone-weariness might convince us that trying to bless the world is like trying to get blood from a turnip.  But, it's not a matter of trying.  It's a matter of choosing to honor what we already are in a state of being....we are each and all a blessing to the world.


So, if you have the energy and the inclination, there are lots of cool things you could transcribe from the recording above, or you could teach yourself to hand-sign the canon in two parts (or three -- one with your voice and one with each hand), or you could always catch up on your sight-singing.  However, the assignment I'm going to work hard to embrace this week and in the coming year is this:


All Levels:
Choose to bless the world.

O tell me the truth about love

Greetings, much-loved solfeggists!

First, in honor of Valentine's Day, please indulge me in reading the following by one of my all-time favorite poets, W.H. Auden.  Benjamin Britten set it and three of Auden's other poems about love in his "Cabaret Songs" -- you can follow this link to hear a performance of all four songs (the audio quality isn't the best....sorry!).

Some say that love's a little boy, and some say it's a bird,
Some say it makes the world go round, and some say that's absurd:
But when I asked the man next door who looked as if he knew,
His wife grew very cross indeed and said it wouldn't do.


Does it look like a pair of pyjamas or the ham in a temperance hotel?
O tell me the truth about love.
Does its odour remind one of llamas, or has it a comforting smell?
O tell me the truth about love.
Is it prickly to touch as a hedge is, or soft as an eiderdown fluff?
Is it sharp or quite smooth at the edges?
O tell me the truth about love.


I looked inside the summerhouse, it wasn't ever there,
I've tried the Thames at Maidenhead and Brighton's bracing air;
I don't know what the blackbird sang or what the roses said,
But it wasn't in the chicken run or underneath the bed.


Can it pull extraordinary faces?  Is it usually sick on a swing?
O tell me the truth about love.
Does it spend all its time at the races, or fiddling with pieces of string?
O tell me the truth about love.
Has it views of its own about money? Does it think patriotism enough?
Are its stories vulgar, but funny?
O tell me the truth about love.


Your feelings when you meet it, I am told, you can't forget,
I've sought it since I was a child but haven't found it yet;
I'm getting on for thirty-five, and still I do not know
What kind of creature it can be that bothers people so.


When it comes, will it come without warning, just as I'm picking my nose?
O tell me the truth about love.
Will it knock on my door in the morning, or tread in the bus on my toes?
O tell me the truth about love.
Will it come like a change in the weather?  Will its greeting be courteous or bluff?
Will it alter my life altogether?
O tell me the truth about love.


Clearly, Auden isn't being too serious about all this (ergo the allusion to nose-picking), but his request is well-taken.  We've all been enculturated into the rosiest of illusions about love, courtesy of the Disney princesses, Hallmark, eHarmony, etc.  We've also seen the reality of our own and others' relationships, and the cognitive dissonance between the illusory and the real can be hard to take.  In particular, I've been noticing that this concept of the ideal often prevents people from having the guts to talk about what's real (and what's really bothering us) because we feel guilty that we haven't managed somehow to magick fantasy into reality.  Then, we get resentful because things drift ever further away from the way we want them to be, and it becomes harder and harder to salvage whatever's gone wrong.  Luckily, no one has a perfect memory, and we all forget many of our disappointments, which turns into a kind of accidental forgiveness....but it's clear that this isn't a real solution, and sometimes it isn't so easy to wait until the feelings pass.

My rising level 3's will remember me saying several times this summer:

Solfa is like therapy.  When you talk about your problems, it becomes a lot easier to solve them.

I'd like to add to that:

Your relationship to your own ideal musical self is like any other relationship.  It doesn't thrive because you feel fuzzy about it.  It thrives because you work on it.

This is not to say that you shouldn't enjoy the work.  Lucky for us, there's a lot to love about being a musician, and we should strive to immerse ourselves in the most satisfying parts of that as often as we can, whether that's performing, listening, composing, whatever.  But, there's also spinach to be eaten...and we can't expect to be virtuosi if we shy away from the aspects of our musicianship that fall short.  We have to be honest about them.  We have to talk about them.  We have to give them some attention, and be ok with the fact that it might be intellectually and emotionally difficult in the short run. But, if we believe it's worth it, we have to try.

All Levels:


Take a look at this love song by Hans Leo Hassler:

http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/hassler/hass-gmu.pdf

The gist of the text is, "Woe is me, I'm in love with someone too good for me..."

Sing through the melody first, and then as many of the harmony parts as you care to tackle.

Memorize the melody


Do a chordal analysis (rising 2's, do as much as you dare) -- you can take your pick of solfa chords (meaning that you start with a Do major) or Roman numerals.

Then, look at this setting of essentially the same melody:

http://www.saengerkreis-bamberg.de/noten/geistlich/passion/Bach_WennIchEinmalSollScheiden.pdf

Sing through the parts, and do a Roman numeral analysis (again, as you are able).

The text of this verse of the chorale (taken from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, and this harmonization is sung just after Christ dies) is:

When I must once and for all depart,
then do not depart from me;
when I must suffer death,
then stand by me;
when my heart will be
most fearful,
then snatch me from the terrors
by the virtue of your own fear and pain!


....and suddenly it's a whole other kind of love song.  You can listen to it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Q6rxdPT7A

And finally, to answer Mr. Auden's question:

Love is little, love is low
Love will make my spirit grow
Grow in peace, grow in light,
Love will do the thing that's right.
(Shaker Hymn)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Inspiration

Hello, my friends!

Summer seems to have arrived at long last!

So, it is the time to recharge, to re-group, and to rediscover ourselves in light of the past year. No doubt we all have plenty of work to do, and while I do feel I owe you an assignment (though only for your own enjoyment, I assure you!), I want to encourage you (and, since I am in the habit of preaching to myself in this venue, me) to pursue things that bring you joy and peace this summertime. As I type, I am listening to this:

http://www.rmpbs.org/content/index.cfm/show/228956/Great-Performances

It's magic....please, please watch a re-broadcast of it! In particular, I love the violin soloist's facial expressions and the oodles of fun these three titans are having as they play the Beethoven triple concerto. It reminds me of everything I love about being a musician....connectedness, expression, and the unfettered joy that comes in using mastery in a completely ego-less way -- for the sake of the music itself and for the people listening.

And, speaking of Beethoven:

Rising Level 2's

Here's a sweet little piece:

http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/e/e4/IMSLP59042-PMLP70932-Beethoven_Werke_Breitkopf_Serie_23_No_249_WoO_123.pdf

Begin by looking over the whole melody, noting that it moves along at a leisurely saunter rather than a brisk walk. Does it appear to change keys? What chromatic alterations do you see? What are their names in solfa? How are they approached? Do they resolve immediately? Try singing through the whole melody. If you have trouble, try playing the bass line of the piano along with your singing. If you still have trouble, fill in the harmony of the right hand and see if that does the trick. If you're feeling ambitious, do a Roman numeral analysis of the whole shebang.

Rising Level 3's

I like this piece an awful lot:

http://216.129.110.22/files/imglnks/usimg/0/0e/IMSLP59219-PMLP106600-Beethoven_Werke_Breitkopf_Serie_22_No_212_Op_121b.pdf

Don't be intimidated by the full score....or the funky clefs! If you've not seen it before, the clef in the "Voce Solo" line (which is the only one I really want you to worry about) is soprano clef, meaning that the bottom line is middle C. If I were you, I might consider setting myself in the appropriate key, but pretending I'm in G as I read through the piece. What accidentals do you encounter? Do you believe a modulation is in order? Why or why not? See if you can find a nice recording of this somewhere and have a listen....it's really a gorgeous, graceful piece. If you get inspired, round up a few friends and sing through the choral parts together! Mind the clefs...and feel free to use my wacky transposition tricks at will (sopranos pretend to be in G, altos pretend to be in D, tenors pretend to be in F).

Rising Level 4's

It would do you good to do the same assignment as the rising 3's, but since I know you love to have your own stuff, too.....

Take a look at this:

http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/c/ca/IMSLP08788-Ludwig_van_Beethoven_-_Hymne_an_die_Nacht.pdf

Sing through the melody....easy-peasy, yes? Try singing it as you play the lowest voice. Now, plunk your way through the harmonies. What do you make of that funky chord in m. 6? Oh, and what is the form of the piece? The first one to send me an email and tell me both the name of the form, the origin of that form, and the name of its constituent parts gets a cookie.

Enjoy, and embrace inspiration!

Greed

Salutations!

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Sweet Honey in the Rock perform live for the second time. If you don't know this group, you must, must, MUST check them out: click here, here, or here.

To my shame, I don't go to lots of non-classical concerts, but whenever I get wind of Sweet Honey coming to town, I'm there. Why? Because I always leave the hall feeling empowered and inspired, and I leave convinced that I'm not the only one who thinks what I think, that maybe there is such a thing as the larger human family. And, I happen to really love Sweet Honey's political agenda, which I'm sure not everyone does, but regardless of one's political views, they talk and sing about certain issues that transcend politics and reach into the realm of morals. At last evening's concert, there was a lot of talk about the dilemma of greed.

What is greed? Well, the woman who spoke about it said that Greed never shows up alone. Greed brings a bodyguard -- named Fear. And from there, human beings get scared of not having enough, of not being able to survive, and in response to this fear, they start hoarding. It happens to everyone, and it isn't just about money....for some of us, money never enters our consciousness as something to hoard. It might be about attention. It might be about our own expressions of love for others. It could be any substance or behavior even remotely under our control, and it is absolutely human nature to try to grasp, clutch, and hide away in order to keep ourselves from running out of whatever it is. What's the fix? Well, I doubt anyone can uproot it from themselves once and for all, but I believe that the practice of being present is a moment-by-moment antidote to freaking out and clamping down. Why? Because if you're invested in being where you are, doing whatever you're doing with all of your might, it's hard to be stockpiling off to the side.

I think musicians have a bit of an advantage here -- maybe that's why all those Greek guys talked about the ennobling attributes of music. High-level music-making, such as performing in a solo or chamber music context, enforces presentness -- hopefully ensemble performance of any kind enforces it, but if there's someone else singing/playing your part with you, there's always the possibility of zoning out and getting away with it, at least for the moment. Also, music-making that requires intense concentration, such as sing-and-play exercises or sight-reading, takes the mind away from the places it tends to get itself into mischief.

That being said....

Rising Level 2's

Sight-reading: Any Ottman example from 6.1-6.20 -- just scan, set your key and tempo, and go!

Sing-and-plays: Ottman, 5.38 and 5.39 -- read through each line on solfa, and then pick line to play on the piano as you sing the other. If you're very comfortable at the piano, play the harder line and sing the easier one. If you're more comfortable as a singer, sing the harder line, and play the easier one. I would also recommend practicing singing one part while just tapping the rhythm of the other as an intermediary step if you have trouble putting it together.

Rising Level 3's

Sight-reading: Any Ottman example from 12.18-12.25, 12.30-32 -- just scan, set your key and tempo, and go!

Sing-and-plays: Ottman, 11.33 and 12.39 -- follow the same instructions as the rising 2's.

Rising Level 4's

Sight-reading: Any unknown Ottman example from chapter 20 (we've done lots of them in the summer, so see if you can find a few we haven't used). Once you've found an unfamiliar one, just scan, set your key and tempo, and go!

Sing-and-plays: Ottman, 15.106 and 15.107 -- follow the same instructions as the rising 2's.

Strive for undivided attention in the few minutes you take to do these tasks. Try not to worry about how it's going to go or if you'll be able to do it. Be generous with yourself in the face of challenges and mistakes. Don't throw in the towel or try to give yourself too many crutches too soon. Take a risk on yourself. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you get in return.

You have a heart...

Heartfelt greetings, my dear students!

I just arrived home from several lovely days at the American Choral Directors' Association national convention in Chicago. Not only did I get to hear some fantastic choirs, I had the chance to reconnect with lots of my friends now living afar, and even have time for a little attitude adjustment.

That's right, an attitude adjustment. You see, I think we musician types tend to get all jammed up (to borrow a term from my beloved older brother) over many, many things, and we become extremely critical of both others and ourselves, and we forget why we're in this business. We forget it's not just a craft (or a business, for that matter), but a soul-baring art, and that the whole point is to be able to say something and to say it from the deepest and truest part of us. Yes, this sounds extraordinarily touchy-feely, maybe even more than usual, so let me explain.

Many of you will recognize the name Alice Parker, probably from the cover of countless choral octavos, many of which were co-arranged with the late Robert Shaw. Ms. Parker has been doing what she does for a very long time, and I don't think anyone would argue with the idea that she is a person who truly deserves to be thought of as the top of our field. As such, she could work with whomever she wants, and probably be able to present on any topic of her choosing at any ACDA convention ever. I know it was her name that brought me to the Chicago Hilton yesterday morning, but I was greeted by something I never expected. Joyful Noise Chorus and their conductor, Allison Fromm were Alice Parker's co-presenters, and they blew me away. Joyful Noise Chorus is a group comprised of singers with physical and intellectual disabilities, and they were co-founded by Allison Fromm and her sister, Beth. This group of singers performed with the beauty, honesty, and openness I've seen from my own sister (who, as some of you know, has autism and intellectual disabilities....and who is the person who forced me to learn to play by ear because she wanted to hear me play "Peter and the Wolf" and wasn't going to take "I don't have the score" for an answer!), and....well, let's just say the tears flowed freely throughout the session. No pretense, no judgy-wudgy nonsense from the floor, just honest music-making in collaboration with several giants in the choral field, people I never would have expected to see on stage with a choir of people with special needs.

I believe this is more than a photo op or a moment to grab a kleenex. This is the real story, and it's at least two-fold:

First, the singers in Joyful Noise obviously know a lot of things for sure that we don't feel sure about at all. They have no qualms about saying what's on their minds, or about singing straight from their hearts. This kind of openness and vulnerability is the antidote to the passivity and apathy so endemic in our culture. As the words of one of Joyful Noise's songs go: "You have a heart....so use it!"

Second, the interaction between Joyful Noise and the folks I affectionately refer to as ACDA royalty was incredibly beautiful. Why? Because nobody was copping an attitude. Nobody was carrying themselves as if they'd taken a step down. It was people being with people. And, if we believe in Kodaly's philosophy that music belongs to everyone, I think it has to belong equally to every human creature.

Does all this mean we shouldn't study to be technically proficient? No, not at all, but it does mean we have to remember where the music comes from. We all have a heart.

If you'd like, you can always go back and catch up on a week of Ottmans you missed, but this week's unapologetically touchy-feely assignment is:

All Levels:

You have a heart. So, use it!

Let your light shine!

What do you do?

Greetings, solfa-seekers!

The sun is shining brightly today in Colorado, despite forebodings of gloomy weather today, and I am grateful for the near-completion of a very busy weekend (and an unexpected reprieve from my usual Monday activities...hooray!). The University Singers' mini-tour to Winter Park was a success, thanks in large part to the cool heads and warm hearts of the Singers themselves. They did themselves proud from musical, logistical, and human standpoints, and I believe myself to be exceedingly lucky to work with them (and no, I'm not just buttering them up because they're stuck with me as their conductor for the remainder of the semester....though it probably can't hurt, right?).

For me, this month has been an exercise in learning my limitations. As I mentioned in my last post, I am a self-diagnosed adrenaline junkie. I have learned in my time how to do many things, and how to tiptoe right up to the line of the humanly impossible. In the past few weeks, I feel that circumstances have called me down on those choices and taught me several good lessons, but the heavy-hitters seem to go as follows:

1. When panic strikes, the ability to stop and ask yourself the question "What do you do?" is invaluable.

2. Being willing to accept help in a variety of forms can be hard, but it's absolutely necessary. And when it is offered, for gods' sakes, have the humility and the courage to accept it and accept it graciously.

I should perhaps explain here that the concept behind Lesson #1 was ruthlessly "borrowed" from a dear horn-playing-tenor-singing friend of mine who has two delightful and well-trained dogs, and when it's time to go for a walk, get a treat, etc., he says to them, "What do you do?" Now, before anyone gets upset because I'm comparing self-training to dog training, think for a second about that cue. The real message behind it is exactly right: "You know what to do. All you have to do is remember and do it." It's a message of confidence. It's a reminder of competence. It's a way of telling yourself that you can, even when it feels like you can't. As it pertains to solfa (Aha! You knew I was gonna do this!), this is really good self-pedagogy, because it asks you to draw upon what you already know to be able to deal with something that looks complicated....our favorite pedagogical progression of using the known to access the unknown. You're putting your own logged hours of effort to work for you, honoring your own work by not reinventing the wheel.

As for Lesson #2, it is also a message of empowerment: many supports are available to us as people and as musicians, and we (and especially I) like to beat our heads against the wall trying to do things without gathering the necessary tools and support mechanisms. We'd rather not have to think about how to get help because we're too proud or because getting the help seems like more effort than just pushing through. I would argue, however, that one learns much more from solving a problem when one is not so exhausted from the effort that all one wants to do is forget the whole thing ever happened.

It occurs to me that I've been preaching both of these messages to you, my students, for quite some time, but it's been a long time since I took a good, hard look at the way I get through my own tough tasks and rough patches. Studies in limitation are probably very good for all of us to take on sometimes, and it's probably never the same lesson twice, even if the principles are the same.

Rising Level 2's

Take a look at Ottman 12.1-12.10

Before you read through each example, consciously give yourself the following cues:

1. What do you do (meaning, what procedures should you follow in order to be successful)?

2. What help can I get to make this task more manageable (meaning, what pieces of information should you look for that will help de-mystify the examples -- formal patterns, scales/triad outlines, rhythmic repetitions, sequences, etc.)?

If you struggle with an example, revisit cue #2, and decide how to proceed with some sort of aid (i.e., reading through rhythm only first, transposing into a key that better suits your voice, accompanying yourself with block chords on the piano, going faster or slower, etc.)

Rising Level 3's

Take a look at Ottman 18.16-18.26 (read the chapter 18 heading before you start to give yourself a hint about why the rhythms look so scary, and pick your tempi accordingly....be musical in your choices of tempi, however -- if a super-slow tempo makes the music sound boring or yucky, that will make it harder for you to sing it).

Follow the same procedure as the rising level 2's

Rising Level 4's

Take a look at Ottman 19.2-19.5, 19.7, 19.12-19.13 (in my own examination of each of these melodies, I decided against changing keys in each case, but it's up to you).

Follow the same procedure as the rising level 2's, noting that audiation of the home tone is your friend in the chromatic passages, as is audiation of notes of resolution....remember, chromaticism is just an accessory!

And, for a little refreshment (only partly on these themes), click here.

One-trick ponies

Hello, solfa specialists!

It's good to be back to my home turf....

I've just spent several wonderful, incredibly stressful, highly enlightening days under the thrall of "The Tudors Conference" in my capacity as the grad assistant for the Center for British and Irish Studies. The conference, by all accounts, was a big success -- things were smooth, people showed up, and I felt like I'd gotten really lucky. Our keynote speaker, Michael Hirst, was not only a joy to work and interact with, he proved to be an incredibly engaging and thoughtful speaker. I was also especially impressed with the CU humanities faculty and our collaborators from the Denver Art Museum and the University of Wyoming -- they were so gracious and they, too, treated their presentations as we musicians treat a performance. They brought their A-game. They made it their business to say something relevant and exciting, and to truly communicate with their listeners. I feel extremely grateful to have been a part of the fine group of people who made this conference happen.

In the face of all the multifaceted knowledge and the extremely smart people I spent the last few days with, I definitely started to feel like a dumb musician. These folks not only knew a lot about their own field of expertise, they knew a lot about one another's....and a fair amount about mine, for that matter. Without the comforts of my own people reminding me of everything I know and know how to do, it was easy to begin to feel that I don't really know anything, that I'm not doing everything I can, that I haven't put time into being a cultured and well-informed person. And, to be sure, there are so very many, many things I want to know more about. I want to be a person who can talk intelligently about art, who knows why people compare Hitchcock to Bach, and who has read all the important books that smart people are supposed to have read. It seems like I'll need a lifetime to come close to hitting those marks.

But, now and today, I realize I am just one person. I've chosen a path that is almost bizarre in its specificity, and I am telling the truth when I say I love it with all of my heart. So, while part of me recognizes that I've sacrificed a lot of breadth for the sake of depth and feels sorry not to be able to say I have both, I am also grateful that there is time and opportunity to stretch out and grow more, and to benefit from the knowledge and experience of people whose depth lies in a different place than my own. Though I feel a little stung by humility in saying it, I am forced to believe my own sermonizing: the path from the known to the unknown is respectable in its own right when one chooses to travel on it, regardless of their specific trajectory.

That being said, I'm making this week's assignment a little different -- in loving tribute to this past weekend's subject matter.

All levels:

Find a copy of the 1998 film "Elizabeth" and watch it...it's worth your while and a little bit of cash, I promise. You can rent it on iTunes or Amazon for $2.99.

In the final scenes of the movie, there are two very famous pieces of music that are played -- neither of which are contemporary to the time of the movie itself, but both of which are incredibly evocative and probably readily recognizable to you:

Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar

Introit from Requiem by W.A. Mozart

After listening, proceed to the linked scores and spend a little time each day this week reading through the various voice parts of the Mozart and the familiar melody of the Elgar (note that when the G-sharps start showing up in the Elgar, it's probably a smart idea to use A-do, and when they are canceled out, to switch back to D-do). After spending some time with the scores, spend a little time reflecting on their function in the film. Do the scores alone evoke the same kinds of emotion when you're dealing with them on their own terms as they do when you consider them in the context of the film? Have these pieces changed for you after both studying them and hearing them in this context? Would you have chosen different pieces of music for these parts of the film? If so, which ones?

Enjoy, my friends!

Cooperation makes it happen

My dear friends:

It occurs to me today that I am extremely lucky.

School started back up this past Monday, which means a return to the helter-skelter busyness of my commuter-student lifestyle. And, a lot of big events are looming on the horizon, so there's a lot to think about. However, my path in the past week has been littered with little collaborative miracles. For example:

A colleague of mine completed a choral piece he wrote for my grad student choir to sing and for me to conduct and brought the first copy to our little basement office, and now I get to begin the process of helping to bring it to life. I think this is about the coolest thing ever.

A whole group of my choral pals and I gathered one evening to pool our collective skills for a listening/logistics/pedagogical strategizing party for an upcoming performance of the Bernstein Mass. Imagine: 9 conductors and 1 professional singer all in a room for the purpose of listening to a major choral work and deciding how best to handle its various challenges, and everyone not only contributed positively to the conversation, everyone had a good time.

And moments ago, a friend of mine who lived down the hall from me in a certain Hungarian monastery emailed me a document with an exhaustive poetic translation and analysis she'd put together for me, someone she hasn't seen or really spoken to in years. Why? Because I asked, and that's just the kind of person she is.

So, it seems that the fabric of this blockbuster of a semester is already shot through with threads of phenomenal generosity -- generosity of time, effort, and spirit, and I'm already amazed. It gives me hope, and it fills me with gratitude, and I'm hoping to spin this week's assignment to give all of you a chance to give and receive in this same spirit.

Rising Level 2's

Make a call or shoot an email to one of your classmates to see if s/he will be your buddy for this assignment. If you can't find a buddy, I'll happily fill in!

Prepare the following Ottmans:

8.20, 8.21, 8.26, 8.27

Make a phone date or two with your buddy and sing the melodies for one another. Encourage and help each other out, and offer helpful feedback. Share any tricks you used with your buddy. Then, take a few minutes and catch up on life!

Rising Level 3's

Make a call or shoot an email to one of your classmates to she if s/he will be your buddy for this assignment. If you can't find a buddy, I'll happily fill in!

Prepare the following Ottmans:

13.37, 13.38 (to modulate or not to modulate on the 3rd line....that is the question....), 13,39, 13.40

Make a phone date or two with your buddy and sing the melodies for one another. Decide whether to modulate or not and discuss the advantages to your choice. Encourage and help each other out, and offer helpful feedback. Share any tricks you used with your buddy. Then, take a few minutes and catch up on life!

Rising Level 4's

Make a call or shoot an email to one of your classmates to she if s/he will be your buddy for this assignment. If you can't find a buddy, I'll happily fill in!

Prepare the following Ottmans:

16.43, 16.44 (work on it in 4/4, but try to make it into 2/2, as notated) 16.48 (conduct, and don't go too fast!), and 16.51 (look at the whole thing before choosing your tempo)

Make a phone date or two with your buddy and sing the melodies for one another. If you think you'd like to modulate, discuss that decision with your buddy and see if s/he agrees. Encourage and help each other out, and offer helpful feedback. Share any tricks you used with your buddy. Then, take a few minutes and catch up on life!

Enjoy!