Washed by the Music

One of the true joys of playing in musical ensembles of all sizes is the opportunity to sit in the midst of the group and have the music pass over, around, and through me. It is a far different experience from even sitting with headphones on or turning up the volume in the car while driving. This is live music. It moves with life as the sounds are RIGHT THERE! They aren't being focused by speakers or electronics. The music vibrates the air from all angles. It sets up all kinds of unique harmonics and tones, colors and moods because it is happening at that moment.

In our concert in November, the Rochester Community Band performed a couple of those incredible numbers that make life worth living. One of them, Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music is superb. It captures the old Russian Orthodox moods and builds them into a piece that moves the soul. At one point, in the midst of a particularly long section of rests, I found myself shivering in awe at the music. The only way I could describe it was that I was being washed by the music. What an incredible feeling.

According to Wikipedia, Reed was commissioned to write the piece for a concert in Colorado in 1944. The aim was to improve US-Soviet relations in the midst of World War II. It has become one of the most popular and most performed pieces of concert band literature. It was written in 16 days and first performed on December 12, 1944. Here is the Rochester Community Band's performance from last month. (See a breakdown of the piece, also from the Wikipedia article, below the video.)

Notes on the piece:

1. The opening section, Carol of the Little Russian Children (mm. 1–31; approx. 3 minutes), is based on a 16th-century Russian Christmas carol. It is slow throughout; after a quiet opening by the chimes, contrabass clarinet, and string bass, the clarinets carry the melody. The other voices join in, and the section ends with a series of chords.
2. The Antiphonal Chant (mm. 32–85; about 2 minutes) is faster and louder, with the melody initially carried by the trombones, horns, trumpets, and cornets. The woodwinds join in, and the music becomes more and more frenzied until the section ends with a massive cymbal and tam-tam crash.
3. The Village Song (mm. 86–165; about 5 minutes) is much gentler by comparison; the Cor anglais has two solos, with soli in the flutes and a solo in the horns at the end of each. The piece enters a time signature of 6/4; the band plays a series of cantabile two-bar phrases back and forth between the woodwinds and brass, with the string bass playing long strings of eighth-notes, which are passed along to the bells. The song becomes quieter again, and the section ends with another English horn solo.
4. The Cathedral Chorus (mm. 166–249; about 5 minutes) starts quietly, as the end of Village Song, but a crescendo in the trombones and percussion brings the rest of the band in majestically. The music builds to a climax, but then backs down for a final chorale in the woodwinds; the sound builds once again, and the piece concludes with a thundering chorale marked by liberal use of the chimes and tam-tam as well as soaring horn counterpoint.

A typical performance of Russian Christmas Music lasts 14–16 minutes. As it was written to convey the sounds of Eastern Orthodox liturgical music, which uses the human voice exclusively, the entire piece must be played with some lyrical and singing quality.

The Years Accumulate

A 50-year memory- 1965.

This was before they tried to ban assault trumpets.

Defend your right to keep and bear trumpets!

A 67-year remembrance- 1948.

I sure don't have it in my memory bank!

A Classic Melody

From the Rochester Community Band's Concert at Charter House
May 28

A fine band arrangement of Copland's Variations on a Shaker Melody

Trying to Exorcise Old Ghosts

When it comes to playing solos with a band, I have had an amazing stretch of performance anxiety since, well... probably since high school. I have played in quintets, a Tijuana Brass-style group, church groups, brass choirs, and Big Bands. In the quintets, church groups, brass choirs and Alpert-style group I have no problems. I can play as the only person on the part. But put me into that trumpet solo in the band and my mouth dries up, I obsess and then make it less than good.

Well, Saturday night I had another opportunity to exorcise this old demon. I had the opening trumpet solo in one of the pieces in our community band concert. I never (repeat- NEVER) played it correctly in any rehearsal. I would flub something. I have been practicing it ad infinitum and working with my trumpet teacher on it. There was no doubt that I could play it. Except when the band was there. It is a huge mental block. My colleagues in the trumpet row were rooting for me. The director never made me feel small or incompetent. I was doing a good enough job on that myself.

I have been working on my own cognitive reframing of the situation including that information of 50 years of playing in all kinds of settings.I was the lead trumpet in that Tijuana Brass group in high school and the lead in our brass choir that played in churches around my home town. One week I realized that as the band was rehearsing and I was flubbing the piece- again- that I was feeling like a little kid- pulling into myself, mentally sucking my thumb. That got my attention. I don't feel like that often- I don't remember the last time I felt like that. So I started talking to myself about being an adult and working on my self-awareness. "Just play it," one of the other trumpet players said to me. "You know it cold!"

I work with people to do this all the time. When you find yourself having some emotional reaction that doesn't make sense, that means it is time for some cognitive reframing. Put simply, it is utilizing the human, rational part of the brain, the pre-frontal cortex, for what it is designed to do- deal with emotions to see if they are realistic or not. If not, then do some work on the underlying beliefs that are at work to undermine you. Dispute the thinking process and rewire the brain so it helps instead of getting in the way.

So, as the concert started I started the final work on those mid-brain, pre-conscious thoughts. I got into the third number and I realized that I was enjoying myself. The number we had just played was fun, challenging and exciting. I had enjoyed it. I was having fun. That is what playing in a community band is all about. We aren't here to put on a professionally perfect performance. We are here to share our joy of music with the audience. We were doing that. As we started the third number I remembered something an acquaintance said about his playing music: "It's a spiritual experience, man!"

I happen to think that third piece is a deeply spiritual composition. It touches some deep and profound emotions through the weaving of themes and instruments. So I decided to let the music unfold from my horn and allow the music from the band to move me as we worked together to move the audience. I allowed myself to play without thinking about it; to move with the music; to allow the soul to be touched. It worked- as it often does. I was no longer working at playing music- I was living with the music, spiritually.

You can also call this mindfulness. I was playing mindfully, in the moment, just being there and not analyzing or thinking. What a joy. It wasn't the first time that's happened for me when playing. But it was at an important moment for me.

Two more quick and fun numbers and we took a short intermission. We came back with the first piece of half two and then my solo that starts the second piece. That was the problem, hitting it cold, all by myself. I looked up at the director and he gave me a knowing nod. I was weak and tentative on the opening note and continued with an acceptable performance. I got a couple nods and subtle thumbs-up. But I wasn't done. At the end of the second page the song does a "DC," it goes back to the beginning. I had one more shot at the solo- one more chance to exorcise that old demon.

I did a quick millisecond talk to myself. I let my pre-frontal cortex have its logical say to the mid-brain.

"The hell with it. I'm going to step up, hit it, and give it all I've got. F-it." (Sometimes I think the mid-brain only understands profanity which is, I believe, part of its own emotional language.)

I sat up, leaned into it and let 'er rip.

I nailed it.

Not to put to fine a point on it, but I flipped off my amygdala- and it got the message.

That is not a technical neuro-scientific statement- it is an emotional one. It is an emotionally winning one.

I know the importance of the mid-brain and it's anxiety producing, emotional responses. It keeps all of us alive on a daily basis. But it is primitive and gets involved in all kinds of things. It is part of the flight, fight or freeze response. But it can learn to flow as well. It is teachable- re-wireable. It learned to be afraid of trumpet solos in a band setting somewhere in the mists of my time. Now it can learn to accept them as okay and probably no different from when I play in many other settings.

But no matter how you frame it, it worked.

And it feels damn good!

A Great Tradition

As an old Band Geek, things like Drum Corps Competitions (DCI) have always been fun. Last Sunday I had the opportunity to be at a local, early-in-the-season show featuring some great marching, music, and showmanship. It is called River City Rhapsody and featured 8 drum corps working on perfecting their shows over the next six-weeks of touring. They end in Indianapolis in August for the DCI Championship.

It is always impressive to sit in the stands as these marching groups of about 150 16-21 year old young people show off their hard work. They spend the summer touring and practicing- and pay for the privilege. They sleep on buses between events and on gym floors in schools willing to put them up. Each corps has its traveling entourage that keeps it all moving. The level of commitment is phenomenal! Don't let anyone tell you that youth are lazy. Maybe some are- but so are a lot of those over 21 (or even 60). It is for the music, the honor, the wonder of performance. What an experience it must be for them.

I was impressed last week by the energy that goes into the shows- and the ways they have to get creative in so many different ways. When the corps stretches across the whole 100 yards of a football stadium and still sounds together takes hours of practice. The ability to throw the "rifles" or "swords" into the air and then catch them- ON THE BEAT!- is remarkable. To memorize the music for the show and then play it while marching and moving in all different directions. I remember high school and college marching and how even after several weeks of playing the same pre-game show, I would have trouble remembering what I was supposed to do while still marching and hitting the yard lines. I even wrote one of our college drills - and had trouble with that one, too!

The winning corps last week was the Cavaliers from Rosemont, IL. They were the most accomplished of the groups, although the other top 4 were close behind and will probably tighten the scores and switch places in the winnings many times over the next weeks. I was struck by the Cavaliers use of space- the spacing of the different instruments and the way they allowed the sound to shift and move as a result. They managed subtlety in the midst of the loud and awesome, not an easy trick.

Here is part of how the Cavaliers wowed the crowd- a marimba feature.


I tend to be partial to the corps that placed #3 last week- the Madison (WI) Scouts, one of the pioneers in the field and one of the original founding corps of the DCI. For many years until the 1990s, the DCI Championship was regularly held in Madison. They seemed to lack energy and sound power, but it was also obvious that they knew they needed work on their show. It was obviously an excellent show, but it is early in the season. I have a hunch their proud heritage and commitment will keep them at the top of the corps.

Taking a look at the footage below, an early rehearsal footage with the explanation, I can see how they will have to really push the show in order to catch the crowd. It is a visually stunning show and could do really well if they can convey the energy across the field into the stands (and to the judges.)




The #2 Corps was another long-time favorite of many- The Phantom Regiment from Rockford, IL. Their theme this year was a beautifully done show on "Swan Lake." Here is one of their early videos showing the work that goes into it.



If you get the chance to see a DCI event this summer, you won't be disappointed. There is power and joy in what they do. These kids love it- and it shows.

Two Down- a Whole Bunch to Go

Summer is a big time for the bands I am part of. Lots of things happening. Even when the Minnesota weather doesn't exactly feel like summer, we have begun it musically.

Especially the Big Band.


We started last Friday with a benefit gig for a local animal rescue group, Camp Companion.

Don't let those sunset pictures above confuse you. It was the end of a day that saw nearly 3 inches of rain in the area, fields were soaked, the air was damp and cool. But lots of people showed up for the benefit, which was great!

Then on Tuesday this week we played for a local day nursery's annual picnic.

Again, it was cool and damp, but the rain had stopped. Finally.

No gigs for a couple weeks then there will be 5 in 8 days at the end of June. A community band concert, the Big Band at a local Ice Cream Social benefit, a parade, trumpets playing the National Anthem at a Twins Game (!!) and then a group of trumpets playing the national anthem at a local DCI (Drum Corps) Competition.

YEP! Summer is exciting... and filled with music. It doesn't get much better than this!

P o s t = 5 , 0 0 0

And Still Counting

I guess about the only thing I can say is that it takes a lot of words to make 5,000 posts in  just a bit more than 10 years.

It also takes just sitting down and doing it.

Let's see what happens next.

A March Video

How about one with some movement:

Classical Caffeine

That title is what the announcer on Sirius XM called this piece after playing on Sunday afternoon. Couldn't agree more. So I decided to share it.

The Stars and Stripes Forever

Discoveries (3)

An old picture from 1969 of the Lehigh university Band in a script "L" formation. 

 I'm in there somewhere.

Lehigh University Band 

Bethlehem, PA 

November 1969

Two of Five

I am currently in the middle of five gigs in 9 days. The first was the Rochester Big Band playing for the Friday evening under the bridge concert in Wabasha, MN. Here's a video of the band doing Summertime from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.



The sound is a little echo-y due to the way it bounced off the bridge which connects Minnesota and Wisconsin. (This is also for number three on Monday when the RBB played at an Ice Cream Social at Mayo Park.)


The second of the five was the Rochester Community Band concert last Saturday.

Here's a video of one of the numbers, Arban's Fantasie Brillante with superb trumpet soloist, Ashley Hall. I swear her trumpet has some things in it that mine doesn't.



I was worried when I had the bike accident that it might get in the way of the next two gigs, but it looks like everything will be just fine.

The Joy of Music

Last Sunday our Rochester Community Band presented our fall concert. We did some top-shelf numbers that made us feel good about what we are doing. I have posted the videos for the concert pieces at my You Tube Channel.

LINK to my You Tube channel with videos from our Community Band Concert last week.

Video of Loch Lomond by Frank Ticheli

A Slow Parade Made Fast

Well, the Rochesterfest parade wasn't slow. We (Rochester Community Band) just was # 118 out of 131 units. That means that we didn't move out of our spot until the parade was well started. In fact, we were still a ways back when the first units got back.

But, being the techno-geek that I am, I taped my video camera to the bed of our truck and did a 1 frame/second time lapse from the moment we first moved until the end. In real time that was over two hours. But hey, what's two hours in time-lapse time?

So, here it is. I added the soundtrack from other recorded music NOT from our band just to make it interesting.

Enjoy.

Just So You Know

The most often played rivalry in college football is over there in the Patriot League. It was played again yesterday and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks were victorious:

Lehigh 20
Lafayette 13

Lehigh was undefeated in the Patriot League for the first time since 2001.
ESPN Link

You say you have never heard of it? Well here is the lead in Wikipedia:

The Rivalry is the college rivalry between Lafayette College and Lehigh University...  The two institutions are located 17 miles apart in eastern Pennsylvania. The Rivalry is not limited to one sport, but is seen in any meeting of the two schools.

As of 2010, the football rivalry has been played 146 times since 1884, making it the most-played football rivalry in the nation. It is also the longest uninterrupted rivalry, since the teams have met every year since 1897. (Although Harvard and Yale began The Game in 1875, they did not play in 1885, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1899, 1917, 1918, 1943, or 1944). Furthermore, Lehigh and Lafayette met twice in each football season during World War II. "The Rivalry" is so old that it predates football trophies; the winning team just gets to keep the game ball. These are painted with the score and displayed in winning institution's hall of fame. The evolution of the shape of the football can be seen in the displays of past game balls.

The football game is always sold out months in advance and has inspired books and a PBS television documentary narrated by the late Harry Kalas. In 2006, ESPNU ranked The Rivalry #8 in their Top Ten College Football Rivalries and Sports Illustrated has told its readers that seeing it "is something you have to do once in your life."

Well, I have been there five times, 1966 - 1970, games 102-106. Lehigh won in 1968 and 1969.

Here's the PBS video from You Tube:



The Lehigh Band, The Marching 97, won every year.

View from the Band

We had our first concert for the community band on Saturday. What a wonderfully warm, sunny, and beautiful day to be in the downtown park for a band concert! We had a great turnout of all ages- family, friends, and just plain music lovers.

The Chatfield Brass Band played first.

Concerts in the park are not a thing of the past, fortunately. I have been playing in community bands now for almost 25 years. Many community bands just play summer concerts in their local parks. It is one of the great traditions that has helped develop musicians and local music for generations. It has not gone away. Fortunately, also, there are younger people who continue to play in community bands! There is a future.

Then the Rochester Community Band played.
Here are two views from the band.

The trumpet section in the bright sun. (No, I am not shirking my part. I had a bunch of rests at the start of the piece.)


Our director, Mike Mangan. It is truly amazing, I am sure, to a non-musician how much difference a good director can make. His or her ability to interpret the music, share with his his or her ideas, and then direct us to be able to execute it.

For me performing music is an essential part of life. As a trumpet player I am grateful to have opportunities like this (and the Rochester Big Band where I also play) to let that out. But it isn't just something for me. I am not all that good (or disciplined) at practicing unless I have a goal- a performance- to prepare for. For a musician just to play isn't enough. We have to play so someone else enjoys it.

I am not a professional at it. I will not even consider quitting my day job to make music. But without playing music I don't think I could do my day job. Music truly can move the soul- and to perform music is to be able to let a little of who you are join with others to bring even more to others.

At Last- Music in the Parks

Yes, a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the park in Zumbrota, MN. There were some clouds and a brief shower about half an hour before the Rochester Community Band was scheduled to start.

There were a number of bands. Even one who traveled all the way from Boone, IA, a 3 1/2 hour trip. (Picture at left) People in their lawn chairs, family and friends, and music lovers in general. It is an old tradition- music in the park on a Sunday afternoon. What a joy to be able to continue it!


Then it was our turn. Our concert two weeks earlier was canceled by a tornado warning as we finished our first piece. All that work done before we can enjoy it.

But Sunday was worth the wait. It is impossible to describe the feeling that comes from making music. This was my first concert in three years and I have been looking forward to it. There is something primal, basic, and natural about making music. I have been reading a book about music and the brain that has really got me thinking. It gives some of the underlying reasons that any musician can affirm. I was too busy playing to take a picture of our director and his huge, I mean HUGE smile as we went through each piece. Ours was no less so. A concert. A performance. Touching others with music.

Then last night, the other band I play in, the Rochester Big Band played at another local park (the one with the tornado warning two weeks ago). Another great experience. One thing I have discovered these past six months that it isn't necessarily easy to switch genres in music. I have played in concert bands for many, many years and the concert style and repertoire is familiar, even when playing new music.

But big band jazz has a different feel. I know the music. I listen to it a lot and love it. I can probably sing most of the music we play in the big band. But to play it has taken some training. Or rather, re-training. The connections between brain and fingers has to get used to the type of music. I have been fortunate in that this group is real easy-going (plus I play 4th trumpet) and they have put up with my wrong notes, dropping out and just plain learning.

But last night, like Sunday, was great. I played things I hadn't been able to play in practice. It all comes together, especially when you are playing for people and the whole things slides it all into the groove.

Quite an experience- and quite an honor.