Super Ma to the Rescue

ART and LIFE are inseparable, both needing nourishment for a functional, thriving society. Yo-Yo Ma is a real life superman trying to change the world for the better, by advocating for the place of the arts in our country.

NPR Article on Yo-Yo Ma

Adventures in Louisiana

So it's about three weeks after my recital. Naturally, I'm wondering, "What's next?" I've always had trouble keeping a high level of motivation for long term endeavors. Well, SCRTEC ('Sir-Tech) came around at just the right time.

For those of you who don't know, SCRTEC stands for South Central Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference. It's kind of like the auto show for tuba players... Well actually the regional auto show for tuba players. Every two years ITEC (International Tuba Euphonium Conference) is hosted some where in the world. And in between those years, regional conferences are held all over the USA. It's rumored that next year's ITEC will be back in Bloomington, Indiana on the Indiana University campus.

So anyway, SCRTEC. It was a cool experience; my first tuba conference. There were some great performers who gave inspiring performances. Some of the usual big names were there: Demondrae Thurman, Ben Pierce, and Adam Frey among them. But what inspired me most were some of the people who are not always included in that constant adoration of tuba-euph performance. The first of which was Justin Benavidez. He played a program of Piazzola (Etude No. 3), Tibault (3 Danses), and Romanyhi (Parallels). My favorite was the Romanyhi. It was full of musicality and effortless phrasing. It left me breathless at one point; the second movement I think it was. It was just really good music playing.

Another mesmerizing performance was that of Kevin Wass. He's the Tuba-Euph Prof. at  Texas Tech. He premiered a piece by Carson Cooman called Shadowbook (Three Songs in the Night) written for tuba, clarinet, and piano. It had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. The music itself is really interesting. But what made the performance excellent was the intensity of the players. They took on the character of the movements without crossing a line into the overly dramatic. Dr. Wass really showed off  with his abilities to play with so many colors in rapid succession. It was a demanding piece and it didn't seem so hard for Wass.

By far my two favorite performances. 

I wasn't a big fan of the lectures I attended. Between speakers that were too awkward in front of a group of people and straight up boring presentation, I did not leave most sessions with a lot on my mind besides how I could've gotten a beer instead. There was one discussion, however, that really caught my attention and kept it. Joe Skillen, LSU tuba/euph professor, gave a presentation on entrepreneurship in art music. It was enlightening and informative as well as affirming. He's direct but also easy-going; the kind of guy who loves sharing new ideas but also likes putting them into motion. Skillen has a lot of it figured out and I have a lot to learn from him.

One word: Crawfish. 

LSU SCRTEC hosts Brian Gallion and Joe Skillen had a crawfish boil for the attendees and guest artists. First time I've ever eaten crawfish and it definitely won't be the last. It was a lot of work but it was delicious.

Had some gator for the first time at The Chimes, a Louisiana staple. It was really good. Chimes was great for its beer too. It's got a ton of beer on tap (a lot like Ashley's in Ann Arbor but way bigger). Juke Joint IPA was my favorite local beer. It's hoppy but just a little bit sweet, unlike the sharp citrus tastes that IPAs often have. So, it's something a bit different as far as IPAs are concerned but very enjoyable.


Also got to meet Mike the Tiger, official mascot of LSU. 

Recording History

I'm starting a new project involving some of the tuba/euphonium community's most important figures. It is a mix of interviews and pedagogical articles. I started phase one with my first interview earlier this afternoon. Hopefully within the year, I'll be published!

I used something called Screenflow and I am crazy about it. It is a program that records your computer screen and audio. And since my first interview was done using Skype, it was perfect. The trial version is free (has a watermark on exported video) and the full version is $100. It is totally worth the money. So if you're into making instructional videos or tutoring or give music lessons online, this program is quite useful in documenting your work and/or your students' progress.

Screenflow's Website

It's Great To Be

A Michigan Wolverine!

Talk about rising to the occasion... I mean, damn.

Gender Roles in Art Music

I just read an article today that made me want to comment on it. My response to the article is below and so is the link to the article.

http://www.symphonynow.org/2013/03/harpist-in-the-lions-den/


The opportunity for women has definitely increased in the art music community. Unfortunately, I believe these increased opportunities to be lacking still. The first reason I say this is because of the extreme male dominance in "positions of musical power" (e.g. concert masters(mistresses), principal flutists, timpanists, trumpeters etc.).  But this is pretty obvious. Something concerns me more, however.

There seems to be constraint on how a woman can express herself depending on what sort of position she holds. For instance, successful female soloists seem to take on a more sexualized or traditionally feminine image (e.g. Amy Porter, Hilary Hahn). The same goes for high positions in orchestras (who often serve a soloist function) such as concert masters. Famous female conductors, on the other hand, insinuate a more androgynous, and at times traditionally masculine, image or persona.  What is interesting and unfortunate is that these two expressions of feminine energies are virtually mutually exclusive. It is irregular to see a "traditionally feminine" conductor or more masculine concert mistress. Shouldn't be that way.

Males, on the other hand, have been afforded the privilege to express themselves however they want in any art music arena. Whether you talk of the brilliance (and flamboyance) of the late Leonard Bernstein or the stolid demeanor of some principal male woodwind players, the fact remains that there has always been freedom in all art music arenas for a man to express himself in anyway he felt. It would be great if women openly had this freedom too.

DONE!

Thank you to everyone who came to my recital and to those who encouraged me along the way. I had some fun (and some disappointments). But mostly I learned a lot and am most certainly happy it's over. Spring Break is here! Thanks for being apart of a growing experience with me. -SJB

The Delight of a Bad Habit

My recital is close (8 days). My anxieties are high. But this has made it better:

My grandfather maintains til this day that coffee turns you black inside. So by standards of old people, I have no business drinking coffee. It's funny though, he drinks it everyday and is the sweetest man on Earth.

I am in love with this coffee (the one on the left). It has made every morning (and some late nights) both delicious and easier to deal with. I have been drinking coffee since I was about 7 years old, thanks to my mom. It was a tradition for us to drink coffee on Saturdays. Only a cup or two, though.

If you're a coffee lover, you've gotta try it. Or maybe you've discovered it already. I'm generally late to parties.