On campus organization: MSU Concert Band

 
Below is a picture of the Sparty statue -- right in back of that is Dem Hall, where theMSU concert band rehearses.

There are various MSU bands that are open to music majors and non-music majors alike. The one I participate in is the MSU concert band.  Rehearsals are for fifty minutes Monday through Thursday of every week. The band is directed by Dr. Cormac Cannon, but usually on a piece or two, one of his conducting students will direct a piece. 

A lot of people have participated in ensembles and bands in high school, but university level ensembles, as well as professional and extracurricular ensembles (such as the spartan youth wind symphony run by MSU), really push rehearsals to a higher, intensely focused level. 
The biggest difference you'll notice in a university ensemble is that rehearsals don't help you to learn your part -- that's what is required of you outside of rehearsal. Instead, rehearsals focus on matters of the ensemble. In other words, rehearsals are not about your ability to play as an individual, but the ability to play together as a group. This includes the ability to blend and balance the sounds of each instrument, to be able to play rhythms in sync, to be able to match style, to work together to create the feel and tone of a piece -- the list is really infinite. Showing up to rehearsal with just your part learned is not enough. Rehearsals are not a test where you exhibit your knowledge, but they are like any other class where you show up to learn. In a rehearsal, you learn how to all become one performer.

Of course, the overarching purpose in an ensemble is to make music. You'll find in the music community "making music" means a lot of things. It can't be defined simplistically, because so many things go into making music. Music is not just simply playing notes on a page. It's not even playing a combination of notes. Music making is everything beyond what is notated on the page -- written out music is simply a mediator between the musician and music making. It is a sort of translation to breifly understand what the music means. But as a soloist, an ensemble member, or any sort of performer, your job is to work to portray all that beyond what's written.

Breathing and Breathing techniques on Oboe

Breathing is no new concept to even non-musicians -- you must breathe in order to play a wind instrument afterall. How to breathe is something that even non begginners have to review time and time again. 
So, naturally, as I had my oboe lesson this week, my professor reminded me of how to breathe. And I did learn some helpful new things about breathing, but for me and those reading it, it won't hurt to cover the basics one more time. 

Now, for any wind instrument or voice, it is obvious one needs good air support. The most common mistake begginers make is breathing with their shoulders. Take a deep breath. Did your shoulders go up? If yes, you're doing it wrong.  Breaths should make the stomach, rib cage, and lungs expand. Pushing out the air should make your stomach feel tight . In his Oboe Art & Method, Martin Schuring points out that "The idea [of breahing] is to expand the torso -- to make it wider, not taller. If breathing makes you taller, reexamine your posture..." (7). Something my oboe professor (Jan Eberle) has helpfully pointed out as a test for proper breathing is to place three fingers spaced out on your sternum. Take a breath. The three fingers should not move.   

Another important aspect to breathing is the diaphragm.

A lot of music students know the diaphragm plays an important part in in the breathing process, but, as I embarassingly discovered this week in my lesson, the function and location of the diaphragm is unclear. As shown in the diagram above, the diaphragm is right before the lungs and rib cage. A lot of people think like I all to recently did, believing that the diaphragm was beneath the stomach or at least farther down from its actual location. The function of the diagphragm is to push the air out from the bottom of the lungs, which uses all the air in the lungs instead of the air in just the top half of the lungs -- using only that top half of the lungs is much less effective and what is internally happening during "shoulder breathing".

Now, just as important as breathing in on oboe is breathing out -- this involves using a technique called puffing. This is a technique most common and essential to playing the oboe. Puffing involves breathing out small puffs of air during the course of the piece. The structure of the oboe and the reed creates a build up of air that must be exhaled when playing. The puffing technique is a better alternative to breathing in and out at once.

Something new I learned in my lesson this week is that you have to breathe in less than you think, and you have a lot more air stored in the lungs than you think. My professor demonstrated an exercise to exemplify this. Breathe out. Then hold a note on your oboe for as long as you can. She can sustain a note for 45 second after emptying her immediate air supply. She even noted that when you breathe out before playing, tone production is often better -- you use a lot more support when you have less air, which supports the note much better. 

Another last point on breathing is PLAN. Plan out a breathing schedule in whatever piece, etude, excerpt, etc you are playing. This goes for any instrument. (In fact, and I speak from experience as a pianist for 11 years, non wind instruments should even breathe and plan out where they are going to. But that is another rant for another time.) A breathing plan helps you stay consistent with your breaths as well as allows you to figure out beforehand where the best places to breathe in and out are. I have also found that a breathing plan helps during an audition or performance, because I get very nervous and want to take more breaths, which messes up phrasing, tone, etc. With a breath plan written in, I can't forget and I know where to breathe. 

After reviewing and learning more about breathing techniques, I was left very enthusiastic to practice. I wanted to test my breath limits. I wanted to get right to practicing and marvel over the improvement in tone production. Writing this post, I feel the enthusiasm all over again. Breathing is of course a very crucial element to being a musician, and I think sometimes we, myself included, forget to review the basics. And sometimes when you do, you'll find out something you didn't know before.

Works Cited:

Wikipedia 


 Schuring, Martin. Oboe Art & Method. New York. Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.

"Thoracic Diaphragm." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Sept, 2012.

Style And Delivery: writing in the music world

In my "about me" page, I pointed out how this blog is a good example of how music penetrates all areas of my life. But as it turns out, this blog may be an example of how writing penetrates all aspects of anybody's life. For example:
A blog by musician\composer\educator\other talented things David Cutler on : http://www.savvymusician.com/blog/2012/06/the-future-of-the-arts/
A scholarly article by Liora Bresler about music education: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40318589?seq=1
A newspaper article detailing the top ten christmas gifts for broke-ass musicians: http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/821216698/13937DB83C01844D525/38?accountid=12598

All writings, however, serve different purposes for different audiences.

The blog is like most blogs -- on the informal side, a personal element throughout, used to connect to people in many different parts of the world, and so forth. The audience for this blog is musicians of various types -- musicians that want to be "savvy" and "1. build a career 2. earn a living 3. make a difference" -- all of that is jargon from David Cutler's book The Savvy Musician. In fact, part of Cutler's purpose in this blog is self promotional. He advertises his book, and not only his book but himself: he uses the blog to create an image of himself, to connect to people, and this may further persuade people to be interested in\buy his book. However, with that said, his purposes are not strictly business -- musicians like to connect with other musicians, so this blog is also about connecting with musicians and providing them with useful information. If you couldn't guess from his book, Cutler's blog has a focus on musicians in the working world and how to be successful in that area.

The article has a much different purpose. It's strictly educational -- so educational it's even about education ;) Compared to the blog, it is significantly more formal. The author has no persona. The author is not trying to promote herself or her beliefs. Instead, the article is strictly information, and the focus is on an aspect of research in music education. The audience for the article is most likely college students like me looking for scholarly articles for research, essay, or blog purposes. Since this is a formal essay, the purpose is very clear and even outlined in the title "Teacher Knowledge in Music Education Research".

The newspaper article is the least formal among the three. The vocabulary inludes text talk, slang, and is written in list form. The audience is also vastly different -- the article is directed at friends of musicians as well as a different type of musicians: the classic garage band type. The tone includes humor and wit in it as well, indicating that while the purpose is to inform readers of the "top ten christmas gifts for musicians", the purpose is also to create a comic relief to the issue of being a starving artist as well as creating humor for the sake of being funny! 

Works Cited:

Bresler, Liora. "Teacher Knowledge in Music Education Research." jstor.org. ITHAKA 2012. Web. 9 September, 2012.

Cutler, David. The Savvy Musician Blog. David Cutler, 2012. 10 September, 2012. 

Lopez, Christopher. "Top Ten Christmas Gifts for the Broke-ass Musician." miaminewtimes.com Miami New Times. 23, December 2012. Web. 10 September, 2012. 

Bipolar disorder: The Correlation to Creativity

This week I stumbled into theories that bipolar disorder is closely related to creativity -- many artists, actors, musicians, composers, poets, and writers have been associated with the disorder. This, in turn sparked my interest, and turned up some interesting research.

Some of these famous artsits, across various time periods, include:

• Tchaicovsky, composer
• Rachmaninoff, composer
• Robert Schumann, composer 
• Sylvia Plath, poet
• Handel, composer
• Virginia Woolf, poet
• Dickens, writer 
• Van Gogh, painter
• Catherine Zeta Jones, actress
• Robin Williams, actor\commedian
• Tim Burton, producer
• Jimi Hendrix, musician
• Edgar Allen Poe, poet 
• Kurt Cobain, musician
• Robert Downey Jr., actor 
• Pete Wentz, musician
• Mel Gibson, actor\director

(Note: because some of these people did not live in our modern day world, we can only theorize that they had bipolar disorder from their writings, music, diaries, etc.) 

Is this a coincidence? Is it that bipolar disorder causes creativity or that creativity causes bipolar disorder?  Research points to the first -- that bipolar disorder sparks creativity. An article documenting research on the subject, funded by the scientific board for the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research, states,  "Several studies suggest that people with bipolar disorder believe that their positive moods and manic symptoms can enhance creativity....In a study of 47 accomplished writers and artists, 89% described intense creative productivity during periods of high mood and energy (Jamison, 1989)" (Johnson et al). 

The mania or highs of bipolar disorder seem to be what causes productivity and creativity. However, research is still unclear about the exact correlations to creativity. What's certain is that there is one. The rate of bipolar disorder is higher among musicians\other artists than the general population. Also noteable is the fact that the most creative among bipolar are those with milder symptoms rather than full blown mania and\or depression.  

As a musician myself, my response to this is not too surprised -- You quickly learn, especially being surrounded by other musicians, that everyone is crazy. (You also learn just as fast that it's not a bad thing -- everybody connects with one another easily, and you have some fabulous times.) Emotional adversity, in the form of mental disorders, seems to make more passionate people who are able to express emotion through various art forms. It makes sense, then, that bipolar disorder is connected to creativity -- there is a broad range of emotions associated with bipolar disorder. 

Reading up on this subject brings up another interesting look into the arts field, however. I have heard vague theories about the correlation to bipolar disorder and creativity before, but to actually see the statistics proves it's not just a coincidence.


Works Cited:
"List of People With Bipolar Disorder" Wikipedia. Wikimedia foundation. 9 Sept. 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
Sheri L. Johnson et. al. "Creativity and bipolar disorder: touched by fire or burning with questions?" Clinical Psychology Review. 32.1 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.

a Q and A about being a performing oboist (beggining basics)

Here are some of the basics of being an oboist (based on Martin Schuring's Oboe Art & Method ):

1. Q: What constitutes a good reed?
    A: Based on sound and feel, the reed must vibrate freely with little resistance but also have a stable sound --  you should NOT be playing on a reed that feels uncomfortable or fights you. "The reed is an essential link in the sound-production chain. If the reed is uncomfortable or reluctant, no effort to produce a free singing tone can succeed," ( 8). Though oboists may rightly blame some problems on the reed, efforts must be made to make sure the reed isn't the only problem. Young oboists especially tend to fight the reed, have a tense embochure, or use shallow air to support. This can cause the reed to not respond correctly.

2. Q: What is the correct way to breathe while playing oboe?
    A: Oboe is unique from other instruments in many ways, and one of them includes breathing. The structure of oboe uses air differently, which in turn results in the oboist having to exhale and then inhale when taking breaths in a piece. This can be done on the same breath or alternating beats -- breath out on one and in and the next. The best way to do this is to plan your breathing. "The most common reason for player exhaustion is a failure to plan breathing," (10).

3. Q: Is circular breathing possible on oboe?
    A: Yes! The particular breathing practices an oboist still allow for circular breathing. (Circular breathing is where air is both coming and going out of the lungs simultaneously.)

4.Q: How much of the reed should an oboist take?
    A: Not a whole lot at all. Always play on the tip. "The advantages of playing on the tip of the reed are clear. The reed is thinner and more pliable there, and thus more easily manipulated with the embouchure," (19). However, the higher notes DO require you to take more reed. However, make sure to take less as you descend from the higher range.

5. Q: What can be done to improve technique on oboe, especially in fast passages?
    A: First of all, be holding the oboe in the right position -- this means ALL fingers are curves (including the rascally fourth finger, which tends to collapse). Also, lift fingers lightly and relaxed. Tension and forced movement will hinder not only technique but sound as well. Schuring also points out, "relaxation in technique flows from a relaxed and efficient tone production. If tension is required to make the sound, the tension will spread through the rest of the body" (31).

6. Q: What about tounging? What can be done to reduce a heavy toungue in young players?
    A: Again: relaxation. The toungue should not be forced. Keep the tounge closer to the reed, and make sure it strikes the tip of the reed lightly. Another important note is that "the toungue should always start the note and never stop the note" (38).

7. Q: True or false: expression is a natural gift, and nobody can really learn how to be expressive.
    A: False. While expression is a natural, inspired part of musicality, "it is also the result of study, practice, and the lifelong acquisition of taste," (45). It is one thing to know a piece technically. To know every note and rhythm correctly. But expression is knowing what they notes are saying -- the tone of the piece. Study the piece carefully and think about what it is trying to say and where it is going.

8. Q. What are some components of learning how to be expressive?
    A: A good place to start is phrasing. A phrase is a musical sentence -- and as the musician you have to decide how to shape it in what makes the most sense. It is a popular teaching, and one that I have heard many times, that music is always coming or going somewhere. Use that as a guide line to determine where a crescendos in dynamic and\or intensity should occur or, reversely, where you should descrescendo from. In more complex music "simplifying the phrase...can be a useful first step to finding the correct shape," (48).

9. Q: What about practicing? Is there a right amount? A wrong amount? How should I practice?
    A: It all depends! A college music major, such as myself, will have to practice MUCH more than a beggining student. The key is practicing everyday, and keeping your practice focused. Something worthwhile to note is the difference between practicing and practicing performing. Practicing performing is running over a piece over and over as if you were playing it with an ensemble is practicing performing. This should be a portion of practice, but not all of it. Practicing involves actually fixing mistakes instead of hoping they get better. Schuring suggests this way of practicing, "One third should be spent on warm-ups and scales, one-third on etudes and specific technical exercises, and the last portion on solo pieces, ensemble music, and excerpts," (74).

10. Q: I'd like to start making my own reeds. Where do I start?
      A: Reed making is a laborious process. "As a beginner you are not making reeds. You are learning to make reeds. There's a big difference" (102). The best way is to consult your private lessons teacher. Don't have one? Get one! It's harder to learn yourself at first. Eventually, you will have to learn yourself. Making reeds is about learning how you play and what suits you best. Though it is frustrating, making reeds allows you to have more control over your sound, intonation, and so forth. Just like practicing, keep reed making in your daily routine. The best way to learn is focused and repetitive practice. That goes for all areas of being an oboist -- as well as any other musician.

Work Cited:
Schuring, Martin. Oboe Art & Method. New York. Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.