Give Peace a Chance

Hello All!

It's a snowy day here in Colorado, and it comes at the end of both winter break and a long weekend at a retreat here in town. And, as befits a snowy day, I'm staying in and preparing for the first week of a new semester. I'm also feeling pensive and sad in the face of yesterday's violence in Arizona, and like many, I fear we are reaping what we've sown. The way people talk to and about one another has been casually violent for a long time -- I know it's a part of my own vocabulary since I was a little kid. No one bats an eye when someone says, "Ugh! I think I'm gonna commit a murder!" or the like. It's just a way we vent our frustration, right? Maybe not. Maybe violence in our language and in our thoughts is a bigger problem than we realized. Maybe it has everything to do with how out of control we feel and how angry we are about some things.

Personally, I think it looks like a symptom of the political climate, but I believe the political climate itself may only be a symptom of a larger disease: passivity. See also apathy, the absence of meaningful engagement or expression, an inability to use one's own mind and heart to create and find purpose. It might seem that any individual's lack of personal fulfillment is far from a newsworthy item, but the sad truth is that yesterday's shooter certainly didn't act from a place of fulfillment. And maybe it's true that no amount of hugs or art classes or music lessons could have healed the sicknesses in his mind, it's probably true that there is much that could have been done to prevent what happened, and it is our responsibility to reflect on the circumstances that lead to this kind of violence.

Any statement of this kind is inevitably going to be an overstatement, but here it goes anyway: I believe Kodály was correct in his assertion that a world that is more cultured has the potential to be a world that is more peaceful. I believe this has less to do with the calming powers of music itself and much more to do with the fundamental human need for expression, the need to make meaningful subjective decisions, and the need to be secure in one's identity. Art is what enables people to fulfill these needs, especially when human beings actively engage in making art in whatever way is meaningful and appropriate for them. Voting for your favorite performer on "Dancing with the Stars" or "American Idol" does not get the job done, and while there's nothing wrong with these activities on their own, people treat these passive pastimes as a substitute for real live artistic activities. They neglect the part of themselves that needs attention, that needs to be creative, that needs permission to reach out and make mistakes, and so it channels itself into other things. It transforms into unbridled emotions and unconscious judgments, because the creative self is always a little kid -- and I don't have to tell an audience of educators what little kids do when they're ignored.

So, the assignment this week is the same for everyone:

All Levels

1. Listen. Spend time this week dosing yourself with music that soothes you and inspires you. Go to pandora.com and create a free account and make radio stations based on artists who move you, who make you want to dance, who make you want to cry, whatever. Open yourself up to the experience of listening as you get ready in the morning or as you settle down for bed at night. Listen with your child, with your significant other, with a friend. Just a few minutes makes a difference.

2. Create. Spend time this week making music on your primary instrument. If that's stressful, use your favorite secondary instrument. Just jam out a little bit. Dig out your favorite piece from your senior recital and play or sing through it. Get together with some friends and sing some canons over cups of cocoa. Sing in the shower or in the car. It doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering, it just needs to get you making a little music that's just for you.

3. Reflect. At the end of the week, or during a rare quiet moment, take a little time to think about the impact your listening and creating has had on you. Did you find it hard to do? Was it rewarding? If you like, write down some thoughts about the experience. Call a friend and talk about it. Shoot me an email. Whatever you like.

If you hate it when I get all soft-core and touchy-feely on you, I offer my apologies. I'm happy to send some Ottmans your way if you'd like -- just let me know. It just occurs to me that we have to set the example for healthy creativity if we expect it from others. We have to make peace in ourselves if we want to see peace in the world around us.

Scales of Rejoicing

Happy New Year!

The end of the Christmas season always makes me think of the closing of W.H. Auden's "For the Time Being", an extended poetic work Auden intended to be the libretto for an oratorio by Benjamin Britten. I learned about this work from my first solfa teacher and have been somewhat obsessed with it and the collaborations between Auden and Britten (including Hymn to St. Cecilia, one of my all-time favorite pieces of music) ever since.

"For the Time Being" contains the characters from the biblical Nativity story: Mary, Joseph, Gabriel, shepherds, Magi -- there's even a chilling and gorgeous stanza spoken by the Star in the east, but this ain't your mamma's Christmas story. The turmoil of the early 20th century and the struggles of human beings at that time to adjust to technology and its effects on culture are infused into the story, along with Auden's own personal struggles with faith and societal acceptance. "For the Time Being" is certainly and identifiably a product of its own time and circumstances, but for me, it also transcends that time, especially when Auden says this:

"...In the meantime
There are bills to be paid, machines to keep in repair,
Irregular verbs to learn, the Time Being to redeem
From insignificance. The happy morning is over,
The night of agony still to come; the time is noon:
When the Spirit must practise his scales of rejoicing
Without even a hostile audience, and the Soul endure
A silence that is neither for nor against her faith...."

Early January feels very bleak sometimes, when it's just after New Year's and everyone is trying to get to the gym, re-establish routine, eat more carefully, save money, be nicer to their relatives....it's a time of great energy and great promise, but the departure of holiday glamor can make for a rough go. I think that's what Auden meant by "scales of rejoicing" -- a new season of work has begun, and we are the ones who must find joy in it, 'cause Johnny Mathis doesn't sing any songs about January.

So, since this is the solfa blog, after all, let's see what we can do with a few scales of rejoicing:

Rising Level 2's

Your scales of rejoicing are: A major, E major, B major, F-sharp major, and C-sharp major.

Each day, use your tuning fork to find and establish one of these keys, then sing the scale in solfa & letter names.

Finally, find an Ottman example of your choice in that key and sing through it in solfa (or in letters, if you're feeling frisky).

Rising Level 3's

Your scale of rejoicing is Mixolydian mode (refer to "Modes Made Easy" in the right toolbar if you need to refresh your memory).

Each day, use your tuning fork to find and establish 2 different tonics (try to get through 12 possible starting points over the course of the week, avoiding double-flats) and sing Mixolydian mode with two different solfa systems, then in letter names.

After that, find an Ottman example of your choice that shares a tonic with one of your scales of the day and sing through it. If you're feeling ambitious, try changing the example into Mixolydian mode (meaning that you change "ti" to "ta")...obviously, this will work best if you choose examples in major keys.

Rising Level 4's

Your scale of rejoicing is Lydian mode (refer to "Modes Made Easy in the right toolbar if you need to refresh your memory).

Each day, use your tuning fork to find and establish 2 different tonics (try to get through 12 possible starting points over the course of the week, avoiding double-sharps) and sing Lydian mode with two different solfa systems, then in letter names.

After that, find an Ottman example of your choice that shares a tonic with one of your scales of the day and sing through it. Now, go back through the same example and change any "fa" to "fi". Does it sound modal, or does it sound like you're just tonicizing the dominant?

And, to close with yet more rejoicing...welcome to Baby Addie and congratulations to Mama Megan!!!

Something to sink your teeth into...

Hello, Holidaying Solfeggists!

I earnestly hope that you all are in the midst of a satisfying (and at least moderately slothful) winter break, and that the holiday season is reminding you of all the reasons why you love the holiday season!

Far be it from me to make your winter break less break-y, but I did want to provide an opportunity for some fun musical engagement if such things strike your fancy. Because (theoretically) this is a quieter time for many of us, I thought it might be fun to take time to get a good look at one piece. Hopefully, by the end of the exercise, you'll feel like you really know it well, and even if you'd had a more passing relationship with it before, you can feel like you've just made a new close friend.

Rising Level 2's
Take a gander at this:

http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/2/20/Bach-Cantata_140-Chorus-No7.pdf

You will notice that there are some accidentals running around in this score. Do not let them intimidate you. We'll get through this step by step.

First, read through the top line. Any snags yet? No? Great! What is the form of the melody? Have you encountered this form before (if you were raised Lutheran, or if you happen to be a Minnesinger, you'll have an unfair advantage with this trivia tidbit...)?

Next, take a stab at the bass line. What accidentals did you encounter? What are their solfa names? Knowing what you already know about the melody, and paying attention to how the accidentals behave (meaning how quickly they resolve and how long they last), do you figure that there are modulations happening, or is there another explanation?

Now, take a look at the alto and tenor parts. Any accidentals you hadn't already encountered?

Now, draw yourself a map of the piece. Indicate the length of phrases and the cadences and cadence types. Anything unexpected?

I bet this is the part where you think I'm likely to ask you for a full Roman numeral analysis, and you can do that if you really want to, but I'm more interested in you listening to some recordings of this guy (listen to the whole cantata if you'd like to treat yourself -- it's one of the loveliest pieces I know), either on youtube or elsewhere...do a search for Bach Cantata 140, and you should get plenty of hits.

Rising Level 3's
Take a look at this piece:

http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/brianrussell/037.pdf

First, take the time to sing through the top two voices in solfa -- this should give you a good sense of the melody of the piece. You may choose to take the key signature's word for it, but my guess is that your eyes and ears will give you a heads-up that all is not just as it seems. Trust your intuition....and my broad hint that you may want to be a fifth away from where it looks like you ought to be.

Next, sing through the bass line (which may confirm your tonal/modal suspicions), followed by the two remaining parts.

Now, take a good look at the phrase structure of the piece. Draw yourself a map of the cadences, noting particularly on what note they occur. You may want to do one page one day, another the next.

Remembering that this music was intended to be sung with only one person on a part, and paying attention to the text, work out a scheme for breaths and figure out a tempo you like.

Finally, hunt around on youtube for some recordings of this little ditty....there are bound to be a bazillion of them, and I bet you'll have a strong reaction to them if you followed the steps above.

Rising Level 4's

For you, I have a special treat:

http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/2/27/JohBrahms_WarumIstDasLichtGegeben.pdf

First, even if you think you hate Brahms, you should listen to this recording all the way through:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8OTz0h2-8k

I will not lie to you....I disagree mightily with the tempo of the second movement (I think Johannes wanted it to dance), but don't those little boys sound like a million bucks?

Now, while I am sometimes a mean teacher, I am not so mean as to make you analyze the thornier chromatic patches of the first movement, but if you are inspired, far be it from me to stop you.

Take a look at page 8 of the .pdf score (movement 3). Sing through the soprano 2 part in solfa, then the soprano 1 part, and go as far as the double bar on the bottom of page 9...chances are you found yourself going back and forth between two key choices -- I know I did when I was learning it. Do the same with the baritone and bass parts on the same two pages -- any illuminating discoveries? Now try the alto and tenor lines. What do you notice about the cadence on p. 9?

Now, look at pp. 10-12. This section is less tonally ambiguous, I think, but what do you notice about the rhythm? What kind of meter is in play? How does a faster or slower tempo impact the metric feel? How is Brahms treating the metric accents? How do you think those entrances on the second quarter note of the measure should be articulated? Sing through each voice part, and label the final cadence of this movement....what makes it out of the ordinary?

Finally, look at the melody of the last movement. Can you label the mode off the top of your head? Take a glance at the harmony, and listen to the recording again. Does it sound modal or tonal? Is that surprising, given the era of its composition? What do you know about Brahms that makes this discovery more or less surprising?

Bon appetit!

Under the shadow I will be...

Merry Christmas and Season's Greetings, my beloved students!

This isn't an assignment, except that I hope you'll take a few minutes and listen to this. Two friends of mine brought this piece to my attention, and I found this mini-testimonial about the young composer's experience when he finished it:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/12/10/regional_spotlight_st_olaf_scriven/

You will all notice, I am sure, that the melody of the piece has certain characteristics near and dear to the hearts of Kodály educators everywhere...behold the power of pentatony!

And, just in case your choral travels haven't included this little poem before (originally penned and set, I believe, by Elizabeth Poston), here are the words. They're definitely Christian in their content, but I think the desire for rest and safety is more relatable than usual for everyone at this time of year. So, my friends, may you rest under the shadow of whatever brings you peace.

The tree of life my soul hath seen

Laden with fruit and always green

The tree of nature fruitless be

Compared with Christ the Appletree

His beauty doth all things excel

By faith I know, but ne'er can tell

The glory which I now can see

In Jesus Christ the Appletree

For happiness I long have sought

And pleasure dearly I have bought

I missed of all, but now I see

'Tis found in Christ the Appletree

I'm weary with my former toil

Here I will sit and rest awhile

Under the shadow I will be

Of Jesus Christ the Appletree

This fruit doth make my soul to thrive

It keeps my dying faith alive

Which makes my soul in haste to be

With Jesus Christ the Appletree

Instruments of Peace

'Twas the week before Christmas on the Solfa Blog....

Just kidding. I don't think I could manage a rhyme scheme at this stage of the game. However, I warn you that I may indulge my muse-ier impulses on this week's installment. First, though, the assignment...

Rising Level 2's

Continue with our syncopation theme from last week with Ottmans: 15.96, 15.98, 15.100, 15.102, 15.108 (one voice one day, the other the next). I'm sure I don't need to remind you to conduct as you sing these examples....

Rising Level 3's

More syncopation for you all as well! Check out Ottmans: 15.95 (the chromatics are all just decorative -- remember to audiate the resolutions and you'll be fine!), 15.106 (both voices), 15.112 (both voices, try to do a true allegro tempo), 15.117, 15.123, and 15.124. Conducting helps!

Rising Level 4's

Take a stab at Ottmans: 15.126, 15. 128, 15.130, 15.132, 15.133, and 15.134. The melodies are easy, but their style lives at a particular tempo -- if it seems unsatisfying, try it a little quicker, and be sure to note whether an example is in 2 or in 4.

Obviously, it's possible and sometimes necessary to subdivide in order to get all the 16th notes in the correct place, and I get that. However, I MUCH prefer that you start to feel these rhythmic cells as gestures at least a beat long...especially if a figure happens repeatedly throughout an example. None of these examples should feel unnatural or contrived....and they should all sound fun!

Now, back to the title of this entry... The Denver Gay Men's Chorus is in the midst of their concert weekend (1 down, 2 to go), and things are going quite well, I think. Spending lots of time with the chorus this weekend keeps them at the front of my mind quite a bit, and I have to say, I really love and respect these guys. I'm not sure when I've seen a community chorus that takes such responsibility for putting on a show that they feel proud of musically, visually, and interpersonally. The singers bring so much energy to what they are doing, and as an occasionally cranky Christmas professional, I find their verve very inspiring. What's more is they take care of one another -- and in their minds, that even includes me. It's enough to make the heart of the grinchiest grinch grow three sizes at least.

So, after last night's concert, a lot of the chorus members and the artistic staff went out for some merriment and celebration, and towards the end of the gathering, a bunch of us were talking, and one of the singers started talking about modes...and naturally, a very geeky and giggly conversation (complete with singing) broke out. And, though it was just a silly moment at the end of a long and happy evening, it reminds me of why we do what we do, why I love teaching solfa, and why it's important. Any information, no matter how innocuous or boring or mathematical it may seem on the surface, can act as a catalyst for human connection. It can be the vehicle that teaches human beings to seek to understand one another, not merely to be understood. It is the reason why (to paraphrase ZK himself) a more musically literate world has the potential to be a more peaceful world.

So, while I am not quite so idealistic as to believe that Mixolydian will cause soldiers around the world to lay down their arms, nor do I assert that music is only valuable as an agent of social change, I do believe that music educators and performers and lovers of music have a responsibility to realize the power we bear. We can be instruments of connectedness....and thereby, instruments of peace.

Almost there...

Hello, my hard-working students!

The break is in sight! I've done the last of my academic chores (including the composition of a 30-measure 3-voice motet in 16th-century imitative counterpoint....yes, yes, I know you're jealous...maybe Santa will inspire me to bring it to all of you as an ensemble exercise next summer...oh, rapture. Or something.), and am now doing some prep work for next semester, getting ready for a weekend of concerts with the DGMC, and have been especially busy working on publicity for a very cool conference happening in February. And one of these days, I might even get Christmas shopping done...

I am more than certain you're all in about the same place, so I'm aiming to keep this week simple and straightforward. All I ask is that you conduct while singing all of the following, lest the syncopation render your task more difficult than need be:

Rising Level 2's

Read through the following Ottmans, paying special attention to the rhythms and phrase lengths:

15.70-15.76 (look, you can just open the book and not even have to turn pages!)

Rising Level 3's

Read through the following Ottmans, paying special attention to the rhythms:

15.85, 15.87, 15.88, 15.90 (resist all temptations to change keys!), 15.91 (ditto), 15.93, 15.98

Rising Level 4's

Read through the following Ottmans, paying special attention to the rhythms:

15.92, 15.94 (don't be pulled astray by chromaticism...hear the resolutions!), 15.95 (ditto), 15.99 (change solfa to A minor in the 3rd line, second measure), 15.101, 15.103 (think of the tied eighths before the downbeats as anticipations, and don't go too slow...trust me), 15.116 (remember the style...don't take it too seriously!).

And, if you are feeling overwhelmed, listen to this, or this, or maybe this (I don't necessarily recommend the videos, but the music is good stuff). Or, in case of a serious Christmas emergency, click here.

Best of luck to you all!

Wassail, Wassail!

Hello, Carolers and Holidaymakers!

As you may have seen on facebook, it's Holiday Festival weekend in Boulder -- which means that all the good little choristers (and instrumentalists galore!) are putting on four big shows....the current count is three down, four to go. This is my fifth year of Holiday Festival involvement, but because of the gap between degree #1 and #2, I've been watching the whole thing evolve since 2002. I must say, it's a good show. Lots of different things happening, lots of visual interest and genre diversity (my personal favorite act is the jazz combo performing a Latin rendition of "Rudolph"...it's quite sassy!), and the audiences are very appreciative. However, anyone who has ever done four of the same show in three days' time (especially at the end of a semester when you can think of 120,980,354,309,870 really important things you ought to be doing during each of those shows) knows that it's a little hard to keep up an ideal attitude through the full gauntlet. So, knowing that many of you are in similar boats at this time of year, this posting will be part assignment, but mostly refreshment.

Let's start with refreshment....it's the fourth night of Hanukkah as I type this, and I found this on YouTube today while looking for something else, but I was so struck by its sweetness that I decided to use it instead....the second half of the video is a little weird, but I do find the singing quite touching. So, take a few minutes and just listen and enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gMTvGmpVbI

Now, a little combo of refreshment and light work. My choir is singing this piece for the aforementioned Holiday Festival:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6o0amydcLU

But, you may be more familiar with this tune for the text (which is a little grisly...for the Feast of the Holy Innocents):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIvH5GdY4JE&feature=related

So, what are the obvious differences between the two tunes? Can you solmize both versions?

And now, though it was my intention to include a YouTube rendition of "Wassail, Wassail", I cannot find one that does not set my teeth on edge (if you find a good one, please send it on....the piece is deceptively difficult -- we're doing the Ralph Vaughan Williams SATB unaccompanied setting). So, instead, some alternative Vaughan Williams (sung by some cool Dutch people):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-wGUqMHN3w&feature=fvw

Take a stab at solmizing that melody as well...it's not so hard.

I'm including this one because it makes me smile....if you're feeling particularly ambitious, take a rhythmic dictation of just the chorus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_KiHRHwaAs&feature=related

And now, finally....some gratuitous humor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBWgWzNH-qI

Keep your chins up, my friends...