Indeed

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on Indeed · Categories: Read Online

Research of our brains on music leads to the conclusion that music education needs to be preserved—and revamped, as needed, when further insights demonstrate, say, how the concentration mustered to play the clarinet or the oboe can help a problem student focus better in math class. The main reason for playing an instrument, of course, will always be the sheer joy of blowing a horn or banging out chords. But we should also be working to incorporate into the curriculum our new knowledge of music’s beneficial effect on the developing brain. Sustained involvement with an instrument from an early age is an achievable goal even with tight budgets. Music is not just an “extra.”

I read it here.

PLEASE VOTE

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on PLEASE VOTE · Categories: Ramble

I just read that our ranking is falling … if you are a Facebook user and haven’t yet voted PLEASE do so!

1 MINUTE OF YOUR TIME WILL HELP ENSURE ARTS EDUCATION FOR 100,000 LOCAL KIDS!

This is an “event” you can do on your own time–Voting open until 9:00pm PST tonight (Facebook made me add a date & time): Arts education has largely been lost in California Schools. Recent budget cuts have spelled the end of San Jose’s 30-year-old Arts Express program. To fill the void, Symphony Silicon Valley has crafted the most ambitious multidiscip…linary… program in the United States. Starting this fall and ramping up to full operation over the next 3 years, it will soon reach EVERY 3rd-6th grader in the County–100,000 kids per year. See our 60-second video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo8sVVEb2Cc

To this end, we are competing for a grant from Chase Community Giving for some of the start-up funds for this program. Your vote today for us could mean up to $500,000 for this program. We are already in the top 100 charities in the nation & need your help to stay there thru May 4 to win. Vote right now and ask your friends to vote! Share this with everyone you know. No need to be a resident of Santa Clara County–or even the US–to vote, so please take a few seconds of your time to ensure this program can reach all the children of our region.

VOTE and learn more about Chase Giving here: http://bit.ly/fAQt6p

You can read more about the program here: http://conta.cc/ebln3c

“Like” our Facebook Page for daily rank updates on our voting progress: http://www.fb.com/symphonysv

& NO Reeds Required

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on & NO Reeds Required · Categories: Videos

Ensemble Offspring: Musique de tables by Thierry de Mey

FBQD

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on FBQD · Categories: FBQD

I don’t even know why everyone laughed at my oboe today. I’d like to see them play two double reed instruments back to back and still sound pretty.

Typical Musician Response!

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on Typical Musician Response! · Categories: Other People's Words

… I am so hard on myself. In fact, it was very hard for me to accept compliments for a very long time. I sort of learned to do it. Because I wanted to say, “Are you kidding? That sucked!” I always feel like I could have been better. You have to have that, because if you think you’re great you’re not going to get better. But I once had a guy stop me on the street who said something really over the top, but kind of sincere: “I saw your concert, it was the best night of my life” or something like that. And I was so uncomfortable with it, I said, “Well, you need to get out more!” He seemed horrified, and I felt so bad afterwards. I thought I was being self-deprecating, and I realized that that’s not what someone like that wants to hear. So I’ve had to learn how to just say thank you.

This is part of a Mother Jones Joshua Bell interview. (Warning: f-bomb)

Double Piano … But Can He Make A Double Reed?

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on Double Piano … But Can He Make A Double Reed? · Categories: Videos · Tags: ,

Huh? Huh? I’ll just bet not! And what good is anyone who can’t send me a reed? (But maybe he’ll prove me wrong and mail a reed to me. I will gladly accept one. Or more.)

… and then there this … on a more serious note, but in a light-hearted way: Super Mario Fights Cancer

WorldReeds™: Arghul

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on WorldReeds™: Arghul · Categories: WorldReeds™ · Tags: ,

You can read about this instrument here.

TQOD

04. May 2011 · Comments Off on TQOD · Categories: TQOD

I feel like i fall in love with playing oboe more and more every time i play