Thanks to Susan over at Perfect PItch (when she’s not in the Met’s opera pit) for filling me in about my previous post. I had no idea that the Palin in the video was the one and only daughter of that gun totin’ tea party lady. Geesh. I’m really AM out of it, aren’t I?!
You can read about it here.
Handy that Palin can cash in on her teen pregnancy like that. It’ll help her pay for raising the kiddo, I guess.
I’m trying to think of something I can do to help fund my life. Hmmm ….
I don’t know the show. Never heard of the actors. But the line … well … had to put it here. (And yes, many of us had those dreams when we were younger.)
“We’re all teen moms–and musicians.”
“Everyone in this program?”
“The program . . . it’s for teen moms.”
“So I didn’t get here on my own?”
“Of course you did. You’re the world’s greatest French horn player, and I’m Yo-Yo Ma.”
Bristol Palin on ‘Secret Life’
Thanks to Elaine for this.
Dear Cynical Oboe Student: You think you know everything. Guess what? I WIN!!!!!!!!! Love, [name removed]
If we start valuing music only for its advantageous cognitive side-effects – as a kind of multivitamin for the brain – and not because it cultivates our humanity, we’ll have forfeited its soul.
That is from this article which talks about how music is good for your brain.
About to do a short open air performance on the oboe d’amore. Going to feel weird without a rack of compressors and distortion
I’ve attached the flyer to the Mozart Youth Camerata below.
I can’t encourage students enough to audition for this group! I got my start in youth chamber orchestra. It “grew” me musically in ways nothing else can, including the larger youth orchestra in which I also participated. This MYC is primarily for strings, but but advanced, gifted wind players are wecome to apply as well.
Here’s the flyer (Wish I were smart enough to figure out how to have it appear here, but … well … you’ve probably read this blog enough to know I’m just not that smart!)
Two in a row. Here is what I received:
Hello,
I’m Ana Becerra from Scotland during my search for teacher that would always teach my Daughter (Gloria) and I found your advert..Your advert looks great and it is very okay to me since you specialize in
the area I’m seeking for her.My Daughter would be coming to your City before the end of this month for a period of time and with her friend for 4Months.She is just 18yr Old and also a beginner, I want you to help me teach her during her
stay.So, kindly let me know your charges,in order for me to arrange for her lessons fee before she travel down to your City.I would also like to know if their is any Text Book you will recommend for her as a beginner so that she will be reading privately at home after the lesson during her staying.
I will be looking forward to read from you soonest.
Best Regards,
— and —
Hello,
I’m Helen Kurth from Scotland during my search for teacher that would always teach my Daughter (Gloria) and I found your advert..Your advert looks great and it is very okay to me since you specialize in the area I’m seeking for her.My Daughter would be coming to your City before the end of this month for a period of time and with her friend for 4Months.She is just 18yr Old and also a beginner, I want you to help me teach her during her stay.So, kindly let me know your charges,in order for me to arrange for her lessons fee before she travel down to your City.
I would also like to know if their is any Text Book you will recommend for her as a beginner so that she will be reading privately at home after the lesson during her staying.
I will be looking forward to read from you soonest.
Best Regards,
This is just a reminder to music teachers (and others) out there. These emails are scams. I would love to say no one has fallen for them, but they have. These scammers offer to send a very large check for these lessons. The check is far too large, so they ask that you send them some of the money back. Your check will be cashed. Their check will be found to be no good.
Note that these emails are incredibly vague. Usually an instrument isn’t even mentioned. Nor is your city. They go to anyone and everyone.
It’s such a shame that some fall for it, but as you all know, musicians are often searching for work, and a new student usually sounds like a good thing.
Some people respond to these, knowing they are jokes. They’ll say they charge some ridiculous fee. It’s fun to get back at these scammers, but it also lets them know that you have a legitimate email address. Don’t respond … or bounce the message back.
Which instrument is best the oboe, clarinet , or trumpet? What music do they play?
When I tested for band my teacher said that I would play the trumpet,clarinet, or oboe. Which one do I choose and why? I want to know a little bit of detail too.
This whole “tested for band” thing is just irksome.
There’s an article about minor thirds and how we are, perhaps, wired to hear them as sad. I’ll play things in major and then in minor and the majority of my students will say the minor sounds sad. But not all of them say that. I find it more beautiful and moving than sad, depending of course upon the music.
But what I was just thinking about was the calling out of our names when I was young. Back then parents might yell a name out the window or door to call a child home (people don’t do that all that much these days). Seems to me that was a downward moving minor third.
Which, now that I’m putting it all together, tells me that the parents really were hoping we wouldn’t return. Right?
Or maybe there were just sad, missing us so.
Yep, everyone has been talking about the things. Go figure.
Trumpet player Alison Balsom demonstrates her fine trumpet playing ability and her … well … you decided on the vuvuzela playing:
And here are some musicians from Konzerthaus Berlin to give you a bit of help on the thing:
But most important? There’s a new movie out about the instrument:
