Shopping around

I have had the chance to visit a lot of universities over the past 10 years, both with my regular job, and as a member of Valor Brass. I was in Texas last weekend and while there, I had the chance to discuss with a young trombone player his upcoming graduate school auditions. We talked at length about the experiences he's had so far just setting up his auditions. It's always interesting to visit different schools. Like auditions, I feel like you often can tell within a few minutes of walking in an institution what kind of atmosphere you will find as a student. Correspondence with the admissions office, registrar, and faculty is a good indicator of how that institution feels about your application and about you as a student.

Some schools are welcoming, open, helpful, accommodating, and just downright encouraging. Others are unresponsive, rigid, not accommodating, and may make you feel as if they are doing you a favor by opening your application!

It might be true that a specific teacher will be best for you in spite of the institution where they teach. However, there are definitely numerous options for less-expensive, smaller, less well-known programs from which to choose. Bottom line is, find a teacher that works for you, and if it doesn't cost $50,000 per year, then all the better!

So, as you hit the college audition trail, think about the way you are received. Besides finding a great teacher, you are shopping for a great institution as well. There are a large number of hidden gems out there!

Good luck,

The Virtual Trombonist

Book review: David Byrne - How Music Works

Years ago, if you had told me a rock musician had written a book, I probably wouldn't have thought too much about it. After all, rock musicians, to me, were mostly self-taught, less technically skilled, and possessed little versatility, only able to play a few tunes that they had written themselves. Well, thank goodness for enlightenment and the death of ignorance! I got over my self-important and arrogant view of other musicians' work and now I can appreciate the artistry and skill of anyone, provided it's there to begin with! It's always been funny to me when people want to ask me "what's your favorite type of music?" I just can't answer. I like too many different types! I always say, as long as it's good, I'll listen!

Upon the recommendation of one of my favorite authors, I picked up David Byrne's book, How Music Works. Part autobiography, part how-to, part manifesto on the creative process and music's place in our society, I am totally knocked out with this work. As the front man for the Talking Heads, this guy has done more different things in music than most people can ever dream of. As I really only (sadly) knew "Burning Down the House", I have remedied that and discovered how many great albums Talking Heads put out over their career.

Mr. Byrne discussed many different topics in his book. He gives an overview of his beginnings as a musician, as well as the rock music scene in the 70s. For those of us "children of the 80s" (you know who you are), he describes how and why the New Wave and other movements began.

There are great chapters on technology: Technology Shapes Music: Analog, Technology Shapes Music: Digital, and In the Studio. Mr. Byrne has been active throughout all eras of modern recorded music and offers interesting insight into how real (successful) bands make (and made) their music in the studio, then how they were able to recreate that music in live shows.

Included as well is a deep discussion about the importance society places on different forms of music. The idea that classical music is somehow superior to other forms, he maintains, is one that has clearly been perpetuated by society, namely the wealthy patrons who might want to attach their name (and reputation) to something deemed worthwhile and prestigious. This is certainly not a new idea, but Byrne's further relation to the importance placed on rock and pop music by our society and education systems really made me think hard about my own biases and the musical world in which I have often been a participant.

Mr. Byrne's book contains a fantastic chapter, entitled "Amateurs". He discusses the importance of amateurs in the arts, and the contributions to be made by those who don't depend upon their passions to make a living. He discusses a 1906 essay by John Philip Sousa ("The Menace of Mechanical Music") where Sousa opined that "automatic music devices" will usurp the place of town bands, choruses, and listening to live music for socializing and enjoyment. Interestingly, Sousa also foresaw a time where we wouldn't have "not music", or rest between performances. He maintained that those times are critical as they allow for the formation of social bonds. I can only imagine Maestro Sousa rolling over in his grave at Congressional Cemetery over "advances" such as iPhones and Spotify.

Really, I could go on at length about this interesting and thoughtful work. Do yourself a favor and give it a read. Oh, and download something other than "Burning Down the House".

Cheers, The Virtual Trombonist

Listening lots lately

First of all, to everyone who has been reading this week, thank you. I have been participating in the Your Turn Challenge - posting daily for 7 days. It's been great and has forced me to just out thoughts to paper daily. To those of you who have generated discussion, my sincere appreciation. That is what my blog is about. Now, on to today's post!

It has been on my mind quite a lot lately just how hard it is to fit in all the listening I want to do. I find myself limited both time wise and from sheer ear fatigue! It sure is fun though!

As life has taken me back towards a music-heavy period, my listening wishes have increased exponentially. I have spent many nights lately after the kids have gone to bed catching up on some things. In no particular order, here's some of the things occupying me:

1. The Black Keys - I saw a couple of their albums on vinyl today at a bookstore...which just increases my wish for a turntable!

2. Ewald Brass Quintet No. 2 - performing it in a couple of weeks, so I've been reviewing it a bit as it's been a while since I've played it!

3. Dirty Loops - I just can't get over the bass player. And the Jerry Hey Horns on a few of the tracks. And the drummer. Dang.

4. Esquivel - both Merry Christmas from the Space Age Bachelor Pad and Cabaret Mañana. Fantastic playing on these albums and some pretty amazing arrangements too. Thanks to Chris Tiedeman for these. I would love to find those on vinyl. If I can, I might have to combine listening to them with a vintage barware set from The Hour. This is one of the most awesome antique places I've ever seen.

5. Jack Johnson - From Here to Now to You. Very relaxing...

6. Valor Brass CD edits. For those of you who have asked lately, Matt has finished the 2nd round of editing! We are getting closer! Probably one more round of minor edits, then we head back to Ed Kelly for mix and mastering.

7. Top secret trombone related project of which I am sworn to secrecy. More later when I can talk about it - I will just say it's a LOT of listening.

8. Results of a late night mouthpiece/trombone testing session conducted with my friends Tim Dugan and Chris Tiedeman.

9. I had the good fortune to sit in the control room on a recording project at work this week. 3 days of Sousa! Our band records fairly regularly and our directors/producers and audio engineers have a great system down to get the recordings produced. Be on the lookout for some very cool stuff on the Marine Band's website later this spring!

10. The Kyle Clark Band - yep, I have a budding song-writer/rocker in my house. As I have been working on learning Logic Pro X, I helped Kyle record a couple of "songs" he came up with on the fly. We cut an "album" and are listening to it in the car, at school, etc. a copy of the CD (entitled Debut) goes everywhere with him!

11. Wheels on the Bus - I have a 2-year-old, enough said.

12. Talking Heads - I can't believe all I really ever heard was Burning Down the House! In reading David Byrne's book, How Music Works (future blog post) and I'm totally blown away. I especially like the album Naked.

Phew! Alright. Time to go find a quiet place to hang out!

If you have something awesome you would like to share, leave it in the comments!

Always Listening, The Virtual Trombonist

Let's talk about email!

Yeah, that's right... What on earth could be MORE BORING! Well, honestly, not much! The suggested Day 4 topic for the #yourturnchallenge is "teach us something you do well". Since learning to play trombone (even poorly) takes a bit more than a day, I thought I'd address something else that I have at least tried to improve upon over the last few years. Yep, that's email. Not more, but less. Not longer, but short, to the point, and incapable of misinterpretation. I now treat email as a form of almost formal communication. If I need to reply to an email, I strive to do so in a tone that shows respect towards the person I'm writing. That might mean simple things like punctuation, complete sentences, and capitalizing words. Nothing shows me a blasé attitude more than an email with grammar that was modeled after prose on a bathroom wall. I might also use phrases such as, "might I suggest", or "I would like to recommend". Always follow a suggestion with a solution, otherwise your great idea is just a complaint!

I tend to get a fair amount of email, although not near as much as many people I know. I love to have an empty, clean desk. I also love to have an empty email inbox! When I receive a message, I take one of 5 actions:

1. Delete it if at all possible. 2. Unsubscribe: for spam 3. Reply if it can be taken care of in a short format of a few lines or less. 4. File it away for future reference - only if absolutely necessary! 5. Leave it in the inbox if it is something I am currently working on or needs to be done by the end of the day.

My inbox currently contains 3 messages, all pertaining to the same project.

Finally, I strive to not leave my message open for interpretation. I try to be clear and write the message from the standpoint of the reader who has no preconceived idea about what I am trying to say. I avoid humor, as it is very easy to misinterpret jokes over email. Yeah, I know you can use emoticons, but I save that for people who know me well. :)

There you go! Please respond in the comments, NOT via email... :)

Yours virtually,

Chris