Hi guys, Zhenxi here.
The QM is recalling all borrowed instruments* for purposes that will be made known in the near future *coughauditorcough*.
All borrowed instruments must be brought back by this Friday,24th of September, with drastic consequences being reserved for those that fail to do so. I am not clear on when the instruments can be re-borrowed, but please help to spread the message to those who sneaked off with their instruments without signing the borrowing list (Despite my pleas -.-) and are barred from any contact with electronic devices due to the current period of hardship.Alternatively,you could do us a great favour by smsing every single band/non-band person on your contact list to increase the chances of the message reaching everyone in band. That said,I am giving a call to those who signed in the borrowing list.
We apologise for the short notice and the inconvenience caused, but please understand that this is completely necessary.
On a really very much lighter note, good luck with the EOYs.
Zhenxi
*"borrowed instruments" applies to only those borrowed from the band, please do not create confusion by chipping in your own personal guitars and whatnot.
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Scores
Hi guys...please bring back the scores on the first practice after the exam break....everything should be clear by then
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Tank!
Hey guys!
Found this piece on the Internet. It's called "Tank!", and well, though it has nothing to do with what we play, but it is quite an interesting piece.
So, I hope everybody enjoys it!
If there is any comments, you can look for me, or you can tag it at the tagboard.
=p
Found this piece on the Internet. It's called "Tank!", and well, though it has nothing to do with what we play, but it is quite an interesting piece.
So, I hope everybody enjoys it!
If there is any comments, you can look for me, or you can tag it at the tagboard.
=p
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Tips for aspiring (and even professional) conductors!
Robert L. Ripley, a cellist from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has some tips for aspiring and even professional conductors! Read and digest at leisure...I found it very useful...
1. Know the Score!
Don’t just know the principal parts, but every last note of every instrument. Stravinsky said, “A good conductor is one who has the score in his head, and not his head in the score.”
2. Speak up!
The acoustics in wherever you rehearse are usually not as good as in the hall, so be sure you are reaching everybody. The ‘back stands’ of the string sections, starting with the third stand, are generally neglected. All too often, the back stands have no idea what is going on up front. (In the band this may mean the brasses and percussion at the back.) Look at them when you have something to say and reach out to them as you conduct the sections; remember too that the basses are far away. You may think that they are not watching you, but they are! If they feel you are engaged with them, and with the music, it will make all the difference in the sound that you get. Communicate with the entire orchestra! When a score would call for reduced strings, Stokowski would always have the very last stands play. It kept them on their toes, gave them a sense of belonging, and sounded wonderful.
3. Keep your remarks positive.
Avoid saying ‘Don’t.’ Instead of “Trumpet, don’t play so loud, you’re killing the oboe,” say “Trumpet, a little less,” or better, just indicate it with your hand; a little hand motion is fast, effective and unlikely to embarrass anyone.
4. Never be sarcastic and don’t lose your cool.
While it is hard to articulate what an orchestra likes, it is easy to say what they hate. When I was in Cleveland with Szell conducting, we played the Brahms Violin Concerto in Akron on a Tuesday night. Szell was ‘milking’ the oboist in his big solo at the beginning of the second movement for all he was worth. When he finished, the oboist made a ‘gimme a break’ gesture (like brushing a fly in front of you). The next day, there was a rehearsal with the chorus for the season finale of Beethoven’s Ninth. Szell became more and more impatient and finally blew his top in the scherzo, banging his music stand in tempo, and yelling, “I’ll teach you to play in rhythm****!” We never forgot the incident.
5. Don’t “conduct the mice.”
Keep your hands above your waist, so everybody can see them. This is often forgotten.
6. Give clear cues.
Cues are important for the confidence of the players, especially if they have had a long stretch of rests to count. Harpists, percussionists and the tuba will thank you. (These are instrumentalists who play very little in orchestras.)
7. Conducting from memory is dangerous.
Do not risk finding out your memory is faulty by painful experience. Use the score and TURN THE PAGES. Do not find yourself fumbling for your place; the orchestra is long gone ahead of you. Many conduct at least the standard repertoire from memory, but you must have every note mastered if you want to do that. Someone asked Steinberg how he memorised. He answered, in his gruff way, “I don’t memorise! I KNOW it!”
8. The baton is only a tool.
The choice to use a baton is completely up to you. When Leinsdorf came to Boston he was not using a baton. His motions were sometimes difficult to follow, so the Artistic Committee, upon direction of the players, asked him to use a baton. He was surprisingly nice about it, but it did not help much. We asked him to go back to the hands. The point is, your beat must be clear, baton or no.
9. Save your best for the concert!
Saving something for the concert can spark the orchestra and make for a better concert. Claudio Abbado was quite low-key in rehearsals. When he came to America, he knew almost no English, so he did not talk much. He used a miniature score, and when he would stop the orchestra, he would hold he score right up to his face. After what seemed to be a long study he would take the score down and say, almost inaudibly, “Is piano? Is pianissimo?” It was not terribly inspiring. But in the concerts, suddenly he was on fire! It was a tremendous boost to the orchestra, so unexpected the first time, and of course, it made concerts really exciting.
While every conductor has to develop an individual style of rehearsing, if you perceive restlessness in the orchestra, you are doing something wrong. Is your tempo too slow? Are you following, instead of leading? Are you communicating? Are you talking too much? Pay attention to the faces of those around you and react accordingly.
10. Don’t skip intonation.
Working on intonation is a bit wearing, too, but must be done. For multiple voices, always build a chord from the bottom note up. Do not just have everybody simply play the chord. Sometimes it is clear that one or another instrument is out of tune, but if not, then build from the lowest note.
11. Don’t conduct only the melody.
It has been said, “Don’t conduct the melody.” That is a bit of a misnomer; you are not going to conduct the bass line. What this means is, don’t conduct ONLY the melody. While you must communicate with whoever is carrying the ball at any given point, there are also elements of balance to adjust along the way, with the left hand, and whatever may come up at any moment. Szell said three things which have stuck in my mind: (1) Remember that the orchestra has played the piece many more times than you have conducted it (unless it is brand new), so do not waste their time with your needs. (2) Never stop the orchestra without telling them why. (3) Remember that you have a wrist. It can be very helpful.
12. Use a metronome.
A metronome is absolutely indispensable. You should not be a slave to it, but you need it for reference, and to set boundaries.
13. Don’t use every last second.
Even though you are entitled to use every bit of your rehearsal time, try to avoid doing it. Show your confidence in the players by trusting their professionalism to that extent. This is just a bit of psychology, but it may enhance your relationship between conductor and players. You won’t lose a thing by doing this and it is a gracious gesture that will be much appreciated.
=)
1. Know the Score!
Don’t just know the principal parts, but every last note of every instrument. Stravinsky said, “A good conductor is one who has the score in his head, and not his head in the score.”
2. Speak up!
The acoustics in wherever you rehearse are usually not as good as in the hall, so be sure you are reaching everybody. The ‘back stands’ of the string sections, starting with the third stand, are generally neglected. All too often, the back stands have no idea what is going on up front. (In the band this may mean the brasses and percussion at the back.) Look at them when you have something to say and reach out to them as you conduct the sections; remember too that the basses are far away. You may think that they are not watching you, but they are! If they feel you are engaged with them, and with the music, it will make all the difference in the sound that you get. Communicate with the entire orchestra! When a score would call for reduced strings, Stokowski would always have the very last stands play. It kept them on their toes, gave them a sense of belonging, and sounded wonderful.
3. Keep your remarks positive.
Avoid saying ‘Don’t.’ Instead of “Trumpet, don’t play so loud, you’re killing the oboe,” say “Trumpet, a little less,” or better, just indicate it with your hand; a little hand motion is fast, effective and unlikely to embarrass anyone.
4. Never be sarcastic and don’t lose your cool.
While it is hard to articulate what an orchestra likes, it is easy to say what they hate. When I was in Cleveland with Szell conducting, we played the Brahms Violin Concerto in Akron on a Tuesday night. Szell was ‘milking’ the oboist in his big solo at the beginning of the second movement for all he was worth. When he finished, the oboist made a ‘gimme a break’ gesture (like brushing a fly in front of you). The next day, there was a rehearsal with the chorus for the season finale of Beethoven’s Ninth. Szell became more and more impatient and finally blew his top in the scherzo, banging his music stand in tempo, and yelling, “I’ll teach you to play in rhythm****!” We never forgot the incident.
5. Don’t “conduct the mice.”
Keep your hands above your waist, so everybody can see them. This is often forgotten.
6. Give clear cues.
Cues are important for the confidence of the players, especially if they have had a long stretch of rests to count. Harpists, percussionists and the tuba will thank you. (These are instrumentalists who play very little in orchestras.)
7. Conducting from memory is dangerous.
Do not risk finding out your memory is faulty by painful experience. Use the score and TURN THE PAGES. Do not find yourself fumbling for your place; the orchestra is long gone ahead of you. Many conduct at least the standard repertoire from memory, but you must have every note mastered if you want to do that. Someone asked Steinberg how he memorised. He answered, in his gruff way, “I don’t memorise! I KNOW it!”
8. The baton is only a tool.
The choice to use a baton is completely up to you. When Leinsdorf came to Boston he was not using a baton. His motions were sometimes difficult to follow, so the Artistic Committee, upon direction of the players, asked him to use a baton. He was surprisingly nice about it, but it did not help much. We asked him to go back to the hands. The point is, your beat must be clear, baton or no.
9. Save your best for the concert!
Saving something for the concert can spark the orchestra and make for a better concert. Claudio Abbado was quite low-key in rehearsals. When he came to America, he knew almost no English, so he did not talk much. He used a miniature score, and when he would stop the orchestra, he would hold he score right up to his face. After what seemed to be a long study he would take the score down and say, almost inaudibly, “Is piano? Is pianissimo?” It was not terribly inspiring. But in the concerts, suddenly he was on fire! It was a tremendous boost to the orchestra, so unexpected the first time, and of course, it made concerts really exciting.
While every conductor has to develop an individual style of rehearsing, if you perceive restlessness in the orchestra, you are doing something wrong. Is your tempo too slow? Are you following, instead of leading? Are you communicating? Are you talking too much? Pay attention to the faces of those around you and react accordingly.
10. Don’t skip intonation.
Working on intonation is a bit wearing, too, but must be done. For multiple voices, always build a chord from the bottom note up. Do not just have everybody simply play the chord. Sometimes it is clear that one or another instrument is out of tune, but if not, then build from the lowest note.
11. Don’t conduct only the melody.
It has been said, “Don’t conduct the melody.” That is a bit of a misnomer; you are not going to conduct the bass line. What this means is, don’t conduct ONLY the melody. While you must communicate with whoever is carrying the ball at any given point, there are also elements of balance to adjust along the way, with the left hand, and whatever may come up at any moment. Szell said three things which have stuck in my mind: (1) Remember that the orchestra has played the piece many more times than you have conducted it (unless it is brand new), so do not waste their time with your needs. (2) Never stop the orchestra without telling them why. (3) Remember that you have a wrist. It can be very helpful.
12. Use a metronome.
A metronome is absolutely indispensable. You should not be a slave to it, but you need it for reference, and to set boundaries.
13. Don’t use every last second.
Even though you are entitled to use every bit of your rehearsal time, try to avoid doing it. Show your confidence in the players by trusting their professionalism to that extent. This is just a bit of psychology, but it may enhance your relationship between conductor and players. You won’t lose a thing by doing this and it is a gracious gesture that will be much appreciated.
=)
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Golden Jubilee
Jus some random notes on our syf choice piece and Alfred Reed.
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarch's reign.To put it simply,our choice piece is about a celebration and probably written for it.
Alfred Reed (January 25, 1921 – September 17, 2005) was one of America's most prolific and frequently performed composers, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, wind ensemble, orchestra, chorus, and chamber ensemble to his name. He also traveled extensively as a guest conductor, performing in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
He was born in New York and began his formal music training at the age of ten. During World War II he served in the 529th Army Air Force Band. Following his military service he attended the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Vittorio Giannini, after which he was staff composer and arranger first for NBC, then for ABC. In 1953 he became the conductor of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra at Baylor University, where he received his B.M. in 1955 and his M.M. in 1956. His master's thesis "Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra" was awarded the Luria Prize in 1959. He was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music.
From 1955 to 1966 he was the executive editor of Hansen Publications, a music publisher. He was professor of music at the University of Miami (where he worked with composer and arranger Robert Longfield) from 1966 to 1993 and was chairman of the department of Music Media and Industry and director of the Music Industry Program at the time of his retirement. He established the very first college-level music business curriculum at the University of Miami in 1966, which led other colleges and universities to follow suit. Some of his more memorable quotes while teaching music business courses are: "You can't give away what you are trying to sell and expect to stay in business" and "I am the second most published composer next to J.S. Bach" At the time of his death, he had composition commissions that would have taken him to the age of 115. Reed was a member of the Beta Tau Chapter of the National Men's Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Many of Reed's wind band compositions have been released as CD recordings by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.
Source from wikipedia.com
Sry,couldn't find any info relating the piece and the composer.
Have a nice day.
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarch's reign.To put it simply,our choice piece is about a celebration and probably written for it.
Alfred Reed (January 25, 1921 – September 17, 2005) was one of America's most prolific and frequently performed composers, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, wind ensemble, orchestra, chorus, and chamber ensemble to his name. He also traveled extensively as a guest conductor, performing in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.
He was born in New York and began his formal music training at the age of ten. During World War II he served in the 529th Army Air Force Band. Following his military service he attended the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Vittorio Giannini, after which he was staff composer and arranger first for NBC, then for ABC. In 1953 he became the conductor of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra at Baylor University, where he received his B.M. in 1955 and his M.M. in 1956. His master's thesis "Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra" was awarded the Luria Prize in 1959. He was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music.
From 1955 to 1966 he was the executive editor of Hansen Publications, a music publisher. He was professor of music at the University of Miami (where he worked with composer and arranger Robert Longfield) from 1966 to 1993 and was chairman of the department of Music Media and Industry and director of the Music Industry Program at the time of his retirement. He established the very first college-level music business curriculum at the University of Miami in 1966, which led other colleges and universities to follow suit. Some of his more memorable quotes while teaching music business courses are: "You can't give away what you are trying to sell and expect to stay in business" and "I am the second most published composer next to J.S. Bach" At the time of his death, he had composition commissions that would have taken him to the age of 115. Reed was a member of the Beta Tau Chapter of the National Men's Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Many of Reed's wind band compositions have been released as CD recordings by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.
Source from wikipedia.com
Sry,couldn't find any info relating the piece and the composer.
Have a nice day.
Saturday, 6 September 2008
Skills of A Modern Conductor.
What kind of skills do we expect the modern conductor to have?
Harold Schonberg, the highly respected former music critic for the New York Times, tried to summarise the skills a conductor needed to be successful; they are elaborated here by composer cum conductor Harold Farberman:
1. A conductor must play several instruments; a student should excel on one instrument and have at least a performer’s knowledge of the piano and one string instrument. More than that isn’t necessary.
2. Working knowledge of every instrument: it would be a significant achievement to know the individual fingerings of all the instruments on the stage, but it seems unnecessary (beyond the middle school conductor, at least.). The orchestra player knows the qualities, possibilities and quirks of his or her instrument better than the conductor, unless the conductor happens to be a virtuoso on the same instrument. Still, a student must learn the ranges and differing colours of the string, wind, brass and percussion groups, the qualities of sonority they produce, both individually and, more importantly, collectively in various combinations.
3. Easily read a full score: knowledge of clefs, instrument keys, transpositions, speed of metronome markings, time signatures, and the meaning of musical terms in various languages remains an absolute necessity.
4. Understand the structure and meaning of a score: harmonic, melodic, rhythmic and phrase analysis are relatively simple, but the “meaning” of music is inherently ambiguous and should not be fixed.
5. Decide what the composer wants and achieve the vision: a flood of scholarship and opinion on this subject has washed over the musical world in the last decades. What is clear (and fortunate) is that performance decisions change over time, if not from concert to concert. Compositions are live entities and should be subject to constant review. “Achieving the vision,” whether vast or limited, inevitably becomes a series of compromises because of the inadequate manner in which baton technique is understood and taught.
6. Technique and memory to assimilate a new work: does this mean the ability to memorise a new work? Toscanini’s (a great Italian conductor) weak eyes forced him to memorise, but an open score on a stand during a concert is perfectly normal and acceptable. It is interesting to note that Schonberg links technique to ‘new work.’ The truth is that every single piece of music, regardless of style and period demands new and differing technical solutions.
7. Absolute pitch and a ear for wrong notes: orchestra players are always impressed by conductors who possess perfect pitch, but it is useful only in rehearsals. Players generally know when they play wring notes and will eliminate them. If they do not, the conductor must make the pitch corrections during rehearsals. Good players will also adjust intonation automatically, but conductors with excellent relative pitch can achieve the same intonation and balancing results in rehearsals as conductors with absolute pitch. Pitch recognition is a single element in a complex hearing process. How one listens is the important factor. In my view, a highly developed sense of perfect rhythmic articulation is far more important than perfect pitch in individual phrase construction and overall structure.
8. Ability to compose and orchestrate: conductors must learn to mechanics of composition and orchestration. It is not necessary to become a composer, but it is necessary to learn basic musical procedures: creating melodic lines and shapes, accompaniments, writing counterpoints, combining instrumental colours and organising new sonorities. These are the daily vocabulary of every conductor.
Source: Training Conductors. Farberman, Harold.
Just a reminder that what is stated above is not all the stuff that makes up a conductor, it is merely the skills that a conductor should have if he is to become a professional one. As student conductors or even aspiring professional conductors, it is important to start learning these rubrics of music. It is never too late to learn them…
Terrence Wong conducts Threnody with NAFA Wind Ensemble, 3rd Sept 2008.
Monday, 1 September 2008
~Important Announcement~
Hey Guys! This announcement concerns all secondary one to secondary three members, so please open your eyes and do not miss out on any information.
There will NOT be any Band practice on Monday (1/9/08) as it is Teacher's day and the school will not be opened. So please do not come to school thinking that there is Band.
There WILL be practices on Thursday and Friday.
Secondary Ones are not required to turn up on Thursday practice, but attendance is compulsory for the rest of the band as Mr Tan will be down to work on our SYF piece.
On Friday, Mr Tan would not be coming down, and so all Secondary Ones to Secondary Threes are required to come down for practice. SLs, please take this opportunity to teach your Secondary Ones the warm-up exercises.
I have already put up a recording of Golden Jubilee on the blog. And for more details on the practices, please have a look at the band schedule.
There will NOT be any Band practice on Monday (1/9/08) as it is Teacher's day and the school will not be opened. So please do not come to school thinking that there is Band.
There WILL be practices on Thursday and Friday.
Secondary Ones are not required to turn up on Thursday practice, but attendance is compulsory for the rest of the band as Mr Tan will be down to work on our SYF piece.
On Friday, Mr Tan would not be coming down, and so all Secondary Ones to Secondary Threes are required to come down for practice. SLs, please take this opportunity to teach your Secondary Ones the warm-up exercises.
I have already put up a recording of Golden Jubilee on the blog. And for more details on the practices, please have a look at the band schedule.
For those who does not have the Band schedule, the following are the timings of the practices:
- Thursday (4/9) --> 1300~1800
- Friday (5/9) --> 1300~1800
Please do not be late and do not miss any practices without valid reason, as these two practices are very important to us.
If you have enquiries, you can tag your question at the tagboard. And that's all.
=)
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