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Tick Tock
I figured I’d try to get one more post up this summer, which obviously wasn’t my most prolific as far as writing.
The situation in Detroit could eventually have a profound impact on anyone with an orchestra job- it’s sort of a perfect storm involving one of the country’s most esteemed ensembles. The outcome there could be a bellwether for the business in certain ways, and the whole situation is worth observing very closely.
A Question of (Ir)relevance.
Around this time every year, I find myself reviewing the past season with its inevitable peaks and valleys, and try to process it all in some kind of meaningful way. For me it’s very helpful to think over the litany of chamber music concerts, solo dates, and orchestra concerts to try and digest what actually happened from more of a distance. Happily, this year I often find myself mentally replaying some of the high points of our orchestral season here in Milwaukee, the first under our new Music Director Edo de Waart. Clearly the orchestra is at its artistic peak (at least during my time there), and overall morale is pretty high, even with the requisite financial challenges we have in common with so many other orchestras. That’s very unusual in our business these days, as some recent articles have reminded us…
Still No Excuses
Like a lot of string players, I spend quite a bit of time trying to play in tune. I realized pretty early on that there were lots of factors involved, and in fact it’s really an endless quest from a purely mathematical standpoint. Over the years some of my colleagues (especially pianists) dismissed my efforts as a little too obsessive (and maybe not all that successful), but a recent article indicates I’m not so crazy after all. At least about that subject.
Podium Update
There has been lots of interesting conductor news over the last month, so for those of you keeping score….
Circus Animals
First off, happy 2010 to everyone, and welcome to the new decade. I’d barely taken enough Tylenol when I played my first concert of the year on Jan. 1, a Pops show with Cirque de la Symphonie. For those of you who have never seen this, it’s pretty amazing, a sort of hybrid symphony concert and acrobatic display. As amazing as it was, it got me thinking about lots of issues related to the orchestral business these days.
Santa Track
It’s that time of year again, and NORAD is right on top of it here. But read on for a classic video…
Silly Grant Update
This guy says there’s no problem with epilepsy-as-art (see previous post).
