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!
Showing posts with label tuning forks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tuning forks. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The Pilgrim's Progress
My dear fellow travelers:
First, an exciting announcement! Next week, The Other 49 Weeks of Solfa will host its first appearance of a guest blogger! Our guest is none other than my own much-loved and revered teacher, Dr. Cetto, who has graciously agreed to cover for me during the week of my dreaded exams. We're in for a treat, and I'm so grateful for his help!
Over the course of this week, I've continued to immerse myself in exam materials, working with all my might to permeate my poor little brain with everything there is to know about the things I'm supposed to know. And, I can already tell that it's going to be a tremendous relief in some ways to just finally sit down at that computer in the music library and start typing....I'm sure it'll be a relief to all of you when I finally stop talking about it (insert sheepish grin here). In the meantime, I'll keep walking my path and doing my work for a few more days until it's Wednesday, and the only thing to do is open the floodgates and see what comes out. It's sort of like a five-day performance, I guess. I'm on the spot, I know what I know, and I just have to do it.
This is the nature of a test, and this is the nature of performance. Perhaps this is why some of what we do as musicians makes us seem so insane to the non-musician world. We lock ourselves in little rooms and play/sing scales and arpeggios for hours. We go over the same 4 measures 97 times. We go over those same 4 measures 97 more times in our private lesson with a person we pay a lot of money to tell us how those 4 measures really ought to sound...97 times! The outside world has a point: this behavior is pretty darn crazy, but it's for a purpose. We are on a journey unlike that of a lot of other people. We live by what our minds and bodies can do to pay homage to the past, create beauty, and evoke emotions in other people, and often we must do it from memory, all alone on a big stage with only our instrument and our wits while a crowd of people sits across from us, waiting to hear and see what we will do. This is extreme. This makes Survivor look like a piece of cake. This is our pilgrim way.
In order to be successful on our journey, we not only have to learn how to do something (for example, play a scale) once, we must learn how to accomplish that task in an infinite sea of musical variables (tempo, key, articulation, fragmentation, ornamentation, dynamics, register, etc.) as we swim in the infinite sea of extra-musical variables (room temperature, crying babies, head colds, low humidity, cell phones, performance anxiety, newspaper reviewers, bad lighting, etc.). Knowing this makes us the neurotic people that many of us are, and it also means that over-practicing the basics is almost never a bad idea. It's just part of our pilgrim's progress -- sometimes we're on the Hill of Difficulty, scrambling over boulders and scraping our knees. Sometimes we're in the Palace Beautiful, putting up our feet. Sometimes we're in the Slough of Despond, and we have to get a friend to come pull us onto dry land. But all the while, we know where we're going. We must keep to the narrow way, the pilgrim way, and trust that we got on the path for a reason.
All of that being said, I want to keep the workload simple and fairly light this week.
Rising Level 2's
Dig up your copy of "Our Tuning Forks, Our Selves" (if you can't find it, you can print yourself a shiny new one from the link on the right side of your screen), and locate your tuning fork.
Take a day to re-acquaint yourself with the methods for finding each key -- if something doesn't make sense, shoot me an email.
Then, on a daily basis, check yourself and your key-finding ability. Sing songs in your classroom in odd keys that are more difficult to find. When you're listening to music, get out your fork and see if you can figure out what key it's in (sort of the inverse of the key-finding process). Ask a friend to randomly test you throughout the week (over the phone works just fine for this task). Immerse yourself in the world of tonality, and make A440 your mantra for the week...just for fun!
Rising Level 3's
If you know that you have troubles finding keys in a logical, consistent fashion when you're put on the spot, use the same assignment as the rising 2's this week.
However, if you're completely confident in your tuning fork skills, check this out:
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/9/9c/Moza-intr-kyr.pdf
Most of you will recognize this piece by reputation, if not by having sung/played/heard it lots of times. What you may not know, however, is that the soprano solo (starting in m. 21) and the choral soprano line that immediately follows (mm. 27-32) have everything to do with pilgrimage: they are each a statement of the tonus peregrinus, or the pilgrim tone. Tonus peregrinus is a psalm tone, used in Christian churches since the middle ages for chanting biblical psalms (a Google search will get you lots of interesting information, I'm certain). This psalm tone differs from others because the reciting tone (the note used to articulate most of the words in a psalm, usually the same note in both halves of a psalm tone) changes from the first half of the tone to the second half, so those fanciful medieval types gave it a name (peregrinus, the Latin word for "pilgrim") describing that very characteristic. So, sing through these two passages in a comfortable octave (I recommend B-flat do for that section), then tackle the remainder of the Introit movement (notice that it's a sloooooow movement). What keys do you expect to visit? Does the journey in fact take you there? If you're feeling ambitious, feel free to check out the Kyrie that follows -- it's SO cool, and that way you can try your hand at something a little zippier.
Rising Level 4's
If you have any doubts on the tuning fork front, please avail yourselves of the rising 2's assignment. However, I have another pilgrim-y treat for you:
http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/0/0e/Bach-suscepit.pdf
If you don't know the Bach Magnificat already, I recommend that you stop whatever you might be doing and go listen to it right, RIGHT now. I like the John Eliot Gardner recording (though his tempo on this movement is soooooo sloooooow and his "Omnes generationes" might singe your eyebrows if you stand too close to the speakers....though it's really fun at that tempo!). Anyhow, this piece provides plenty of fodder for sight-singing and key analysis fun. It's not terribly straightforward, to be honest, and you'll probably find yourself moving within some odd key relationships. Definitely take the time to listen to at least this movement, as it does all sound beautiful and make sense at the end of the day. Now, how does this relate to the pilgrim theme? Well, check out that oboe line. Compare it to the soprano solos in the link listed for the rising 3's. Any correlation? Yup, this, too, is a tonus peregrinus sighting....isn't that neat?
All right, my little pilgrims...good luck to you, and I'll be back in the blogosphere in two weeks! Cheers, and wish me luck!
First, an exciting announcement! Next week, The Other 49 Weeks of Solfa will host its first appearance of a guest blogger! Our guest is none other than my own much-loved and revered teacher, Dr. Cetto, who has graciously agreed to cover for me during the week of my dreaded exams. We're in for a treat, and I'm so grateful for his help!
Over the course of this week, I've continued to immerse myself in exam materials, working with all my might to permeate my poor little brain with everything there is to know about the things I'm supposed to know. And, I can already tell that it's going to be a tremendous relief in some ways to just finally sit down at that computer in the music library and start typing....I'm sure it'll be a relief to all of you when I finally stop talking about it (insert sheepish grin here). In the meantime, I'll keep walking my path and doing my work for a few more days until it's Wednesday, and the only thing to do is open the floodgates and see what comes out. It's sort of like a five-day performance, I guess. I'm on the spot, I know what I know, and I just have to do it.
This is the nature of a test, and this is the nature of performance. Perhaps this is why some of what we do as musicians makes us seem so insane to the non-musician world. We lock ourselves in little rooms and play/sing scales and arpeggios for hours. We go over the same 4 measures 97 times. We go over those same 4 measures 97 more times in our private lesson with a person we pay a lot of money to tell us how those 4 measures really ought to sound...97 times! The outside world has a point: this behavior is pretty darn crazy, but it's for a purpose. We are on a journey unlike that of a lot of other people. We live by what our minds and bodies can do to pay homage to the past, create beauty, and evoke emotions in other people, and often we must do it from memory, all alone on a big stage with only our instrument and our wits while a crowd of people sits across from us, waiting to hear and see what we will do. This is extreme. This makes Survivor look like a piece of cake. This is our pilgrim way.
In order to be successful on our journey, we not only have to learn how to do something (for example, play a scale) once, we must learn how to accomplish that task in an infinite sea of musical variables (tempo, key, articulation, fragmentation, ornamentation, dynamics, register, etc.) as we swim in the infinite sea of extra-musical variables (room temperature, crying babies, head colds, low humidity, cell phones, performance anxiety, newspaper reviewers, bad lighting, etc.). Knowing this makes us the neurotic people that many of us are, and it also means that over-practicing the basics is almost never a bad idea. It's just part of our pilgrim's progress -- sometimes we're on the Hill of Difficulty, scrambling over boulders and scraping our knees. Sometimes we're in the Palace Beautiful, putting up our feet. Sometimes we're in the Slough of Despond, and we have to get a friend to come pull us onto dry land. But all the while, we know where we're going. We must keep to the narrow way, the pilgrim way, and trust that we got on the path for a reason.
All of that being said, I want to keep the workload simple and fairly light this week.
Rising Level 2's
Dig up your copy of "Our Tuning Forks, Our Selves" (if you can't find it, you can print yourself a shiny new one from the link on the right side of your screen), and locate your tuning fork.
Take a day to re-acquaint yourself with the methods for finding each key -- if something doesn't make sense, shoot me an email.
Then, on a daily basis, check yourself and your key-finding ability. Sing songs in your classroom in odd keys that are more difficult to find. When you're listening to music, get out your fork and see if you can figure out what key it's in (sort of the inverse of the key-finding process). Ask a friend to randomly test you throughout the week (over the phone works just fine for this task). Immerse yourself in the world of tonality, and make A440 your mantra for the week...just for fun!
Rising Level 3's
If you know that you have troubles finding keys in a logical, consistent fashion when you're put on the spot, use the same assignment as the rising 2's this week.
However, if you're completely confident in your tuning fork skills, check this out:
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/9/9c/Moza-intr-kyr.pdf
Most of you will recognize this piece by reputation, if not by having sung/played/heard it lots of times. What you may not know, however, is that the soprano solo (starting in m. 21) and the choral soprano line that immediately follows (mm. 27-32) have everything to do with pilgrimage: they are each a statement of the tonus peregrinus, or the pilgrim tone. Tonus peregrinus is a psalm tone, used in Christian churches since the middle ages for chanting biblical psalms (a Google search will get you lots of interesting information, I'm certain). This psalm tone differs from others because the reciting tone (the note used to articulate most of the words in a psalm, usually the same note in both halves of a psalm tone) changes from the first half of the tone to the second half, so those fanciful medieval types gave it a name (peregrinus, the Latin word for "pilgrim") describing that very characteristic. So, sing through these two passages in a comfortable octave (I recommend B-flat do for that section), then tackle the remainder of the Introit movement (notice that it's a sloooooow movement). What keys do you expect to visit? Does the journey in fact take you there? If you're feeling ambitious, feel free to check out the Kyrie that follows -- it's SO cool, and that way you can try your hand at something a little zippier.
Rising Level 4's
If you have any doubts on the tuning fork front, please avail yourselves of the rising 2's assignment. However, I have another pilgrim-y treat for you:
http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/0/0e/Bach-suscepit.pdf
If you don't know the Bach Magnificat already, I recommend that you stop whatever you might be doing and go listen to it right, RIGHT now. I like the John Eliot Gardner recording (though his tempo on this movement is soooooo sloooooow and his "Omnes generationes" might singe your eyebrows if you stand too close to the speakers....though it's really fun at that tempo!). Anyhow, this piece provides plenty of fodder for sight-singing and key analysis fun. It's not terribly straightforward, to be honest, and you'll probably find yourself moving within some odd key relationships. Definitely take the time to listen to at least this movement, as it does all sound beautiful and make sense at the end of the day. Now, how does this relate to the pilgrim theme? Well, check out that oboe line. Compare it to the soprano solos in the link listed for the rising 3's. Any correlation? Yup, this, too, is a tonus peregrinus sighting....isn't that neat?
All right, my little pilgrims...good luck to you, and I'll be back in the blogosphere in two weeks! Cheers, and wish me luck!
Monday, June 20, 2011
People, Get Ready!
Though it is unseasonably cool and cloudy in my beloved Denver today, I am nonetheless keenly aware that the sultry heat of July in Baltimore draws nigh. And, while I am likewise extremely grateful for the slower pace of life that I’ve been graced with since the end of the spring semester, I feel the pace quickening as “the other 49 weeks” draw to a close and the 3-week stint we all spend in the classroom together approaches.
So, as I pore over past lesson plans and materials, think through what worked and what didn’t, and begin the process of figuring out what to bring (I might get really clever this year and make a shiny, organized binder that is The Big Book of Musical Examples for Solfa....and perhaps discover a life without piles of random books and 3 bajillion pieces of loose paper EVERYWHERE), I’ve also begun to think about what I might do to get myself ready if I were a student in my own classroom:
1. I’d physically track down all my books and make sure that I have them all.
2. I’d find all my notes and handouts from last year (and the year before, if applicable)
3. I’d make myself a list of what supplies I knew I’d need (because trying to find a music store to buy a new tuning fork after class has already started is an annoying process).
4. I’d take a little time to think about what happened last year in my solfa/AKI experience and make a mental (or physical) note about what I’d like to change for this year.
Note that any of your reflections from item 4 would likely be very useful to me as well, and I’d be very grateful if you’d be willing to share them. Upon looking through last year’s lesson plans, I know there are a lot of things I’d like to change. Maybe the biggest thing is that I want to be certain that my students have a strong sense of the relevance of what we do in solfa class to the rest of their musical lives. I want my students to leave solfa class on the 29th of July feeling more empowered and more musical than ever before, and I want that to be something that they own independent of me. I have several ideas for how to help make that happen, but as usual, I will crave your kind assistance:
Rising Level 2’s
Have fun with these preparations! If you have your tuning fork (and a mobile device with some nifty keyboard app to check yourself, if needed), you can even do this by the pool (umbrella drinks optional)! Bonus!
So, as I pore over past lesson plans and materials, think through what worked and what didn’t, and begin the process of figuring out what to bring (I might get really clever this year and make a shiny, organized binder that is The Big Book of Musical Examples for Solfa....and perhaps discover a life without piles of random books and 3 bajillion pieces of loose paper EVERYWHERE), I’ve also begun to think about what I might do to get myself ready if I were a student in my own classroom:
1. I’d physically track down all my books and make sure that I have them all.
2. I’d find all my notes and handouts from last year (and the year before, if applicable)
3. I’d make myself a list of what supplies I knew I’d need (because trying to find a music store to buy a new tuning fork after class has already started is an annoying process).
4. I’d take a little time to think about what happened last year in my solfa/AKI experience and make a mental (or physical) note about what I’d like to change for this year.
Note that any of your reflections from item 4 would likely be very useful to me as well, and I’d be very grateful if you’d be willing to share them. Upon looking through last year’s lesson plans, I know there are a lot of things I’d like to change. Maybe the biggest thing is that I want to be certain that my students have a strong sense of the relevance of what we do in solfa class to the rest of their musical lives. I want my students to leave solfa class on the 29th of July feeling more empowered and more musical than ever before, and I want that to be something that they own independent of me. I have several ideas for how to help make that happen, but as usual, I will crave your kind assistance:
Rising Level 2’s
Go through my numbered list above.
Find the “Our Tuning Forks, Our Selves” handout (if you can’t find a physical copy, check out the right side of your screen) and give yourself a refresher course. Check your accuracy with finding keys at a recently-tuned piano (if you find that you’re having lots of trouble, check to make sure your tuning fork itself matches the piano).
Practice your tuning fork skills with these Ottman examples:
11.28, 11.30, 11.31, 12.7, 12.16, 12.34
Also, if you haven’t already done so, download a copy of “Modes Made Easy” (see the right side of your screen) and give it a read-through.
Rising Level 3’s
Go through my numbered list above, and also track down your tuning fork and spot-test your key-finding abilities. If modes are a struggling point for you, you might want to check out “Modes Made Easy” as well.
Look through your notes and find your notation of the chromatic exercise we used last year (d...d t,d r.....r di r m.....m ri m f.....f m f so...., etc.). Sing through both the ascending and descending versions.
Use your refreshed chromatic savvy to peruse Ottman chapter 14 and find a few challenging musical knots to unravel.
Finally, draw yourself a musical timeline:
Take a piece of paper and draw a horizontal line.
Along the line, write: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th/21st Century.
Under each designation, write all the musical innovations, composers, forms, and instruments/voice types you associate with each time period. Don't worry if you have a lot more to say about some things than others -- just go off the top of your head.
Once that’s done, mark the items you’re personally curious or confused about, and share those items with me.
Rising Level 4’s
As you prepare for the less-musical portion of your graduate studies, I’d be thrilled to help you in any way I can. Give me a shout if you need anything...
And, just for old time’s sake:
Check out Music for Analysis, pp. 302-04
Sing through the violin II line on p. 302 -- you may wish to skate over to a new key at the beginning of the second system, but you’ll probably want to come back.
Sing through the oboe II line on p. 303...relish the chromatics!
Switch to the violin I line at pickups to the last measure (28) on p. 303, and continue until m. 36. What do you make of that A-flat?
At pickups to m. 37, switch to the flute line until the end of the minuet (if you’re overwhelmed with curiosity, take a look at the trio that follows...mind the key signature!)
Practice your tuning fork skills with these Ottman examples:
11.28, 11.30, 11.31, 12.7, 12.16, 12.34
Also, if you haven’t already done so, download a copy of “Modes Made Easy” (see the right side of your screen) and give it a read-through.
Rising Level 3’s
Go through my numbered list above, and also track down your tuning fork and spot-test your key-finding abilities. If modes are a struggling point for you, you might want to check out “Modes Made Easy” as well.
Look through your notes and find your notation of the chromatic exercise we used last year (d...d t,d r.....r di r m.....m ri m f.....f m f so...., etc.). Sing through both the ascending and descending versions.
Use your refreshed chromatic savvy to peruse Ottman chapter 14 and find a few challenging musical knots to unravel.
Finally, draw yourself a musical timeline:
Take a piece of paper and draw a horizontal line.
Along the line, write: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th/21st Century.
Under each designation, write all the musical innovations, composers, forms, and instruments/voice types you associate with each time period. Don't worry if you have a lot more to say about some things than others -- just go off the top of your head.
Once that’s done, mark the items you’re personally curious or confused about, and share those items with me.
Rising Level 4’s
As you prepare for the less-musical portion of your graduate studies, I’d be thrilled to help you in any way I can. Give me a shout if you need anything...
And, just for old time’s sake:
Check out Music for Analysis, pp. 302-04
Sing through the violin II line on p. 302 -- you may wish to skate over to a new key at the beginning of the second system, but you’ll probably want to come back.
Sing through the oboe II line on p. 303...relish the chromatics!
Switch to the violin I line at pickups to the last measure (28) on p. 303, and continue until m. 36. What do you make of that A-flat?
At pickups to m. 37, switch to the flute line until the end of the minuet (if you’re overwhelmed with curiosity, take a look at the trio that follows...mind the key signature!)
Have fun with these preparations! If you have your tuning fork (and a mobile device with some nifty keyboard app to check yourself, if needed), you can even do this by the pool (umbrella drinks optional)! Bonus!
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