Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Departmental
Today, I went to the 12:30 departmental recital. Sadly, I was not able to receive a program because the usher gave them all away by the time I got there. Even arriving early there was not enough. I hoped that the program would be posted online but it is not. Despite this, I took some notes and apologize for the lack of fine detail. The performers included a female vocalist, female string bassist, two female violin player, and a bassoon duet. Just before the recital started I was able to jot down the first performer Joey Neale who was to perform on Clarinet Three Pieces by Stravinsky. Unfortunately, for some reason he did not perform, resulting in the recital starting with a vocalist. The female vocalist performed one piece with piano accompaniment. She was followed by two separate violin performance by female students. The first played unaccompanied and the second played with accompaniment. The final two performance were a female string bassist and a bassoon duet. I knew Ashley, the feminine half of the coed bassoon players. I know Ashely from playing in the Wind Symphony. With the conclusion of the performance, I went to pick up a program because the usher informed me to visit him after the performance to get one but he did receive anymore like he said he would during the recital. In all, I enjoyed listening to my fellow classmates despite not having a program. They all did a fine job.
Concert Review
On Saturday night, September 12, 2009, I went to go see Mike Gordon at the State Theater in Falls Church, Virginia. Mike Gordon is a bassist and vocalist who is most noted for his work with the renowned rock band Phish. Gordon is also an accomplished banjo player, pianist, guitarist, percussionist and blues harpist. He has also had award winning success in documentary filmmaking. Though Mike Gordon is an efficient and talented pianist, he strictly played bass, guitar and lead vocals. The rest of his band consisted of guitarist, Scott Murawski, percussionist, Craig Myers, keyboardist, Tom Cleary and drummer, Todd Isler.
For the most part, Mike Gordon’s music is a psychedelic rock pop with shades of bluegrass and folk. The keyboardist, Tom Cleary, played mostly accompaniment for the whole show by playing behind the melodies of the guitar and bass. There were a couple of songs where the keyboards were prominent. For instance, they did a cover of “Aint Wastin Time No More” by the Allman Brothers which Cleary had a dominant role in. However, Cleary’s main role in the band was to play psychedelic tones to give the music the full acid rock effect. His psychedelic tones also gave full effect to the light show which was a pleasant addition to the music being played. During one of the songs in the middle of the set, Cleary had a keyboard solo which went on for about 2 or 3 minutes. At some point in the middle of the solo, Cleary stood up out of his chair and started to play more aggressively while building up the tempo. The music was at its height and so was the lighting effects and then finally, after a heavy dosage of keyboards, the band breaks back into the chorus and the crowd, as one would imagine, applauded enthusiastically.
The show went on for about 2 and half hours including 2 encore songs. Overall, I enjoyed myself while listening to Mike Gordon and his band mates, including Tom Cleary. What made this experience different was that I was strictly listening and watching the keyboardist which would be the first time I have ever done so at a rock concert. Usually, I just watch and listen to the guitarist so that I can pick up some things to play for myself. Focusing my attention more on the keyboardist has probably made me a better keyboardist or at least more knowledgeable about the instrument itself.
For the most part, Mike Gordon’s music is a psychedelic rock pop with shades of bluegrass and folk. The keyboardist, Tom Cleary, played mostly accompaniment for the whole show by playing behind the melodies of the guitar and bass. There were a couple of songs where the keyboards were prominent. For instance, they did a cover of “Aint Wastin Time No More” by the Allman Brothers which Cleary had a dominant role in. However, Cleary’s main role in the band was to play psychedelic tones to give the music the full acid rock effect. His psychedelic tones also gave full effect to the light show which was a pleasant addition to the music being played. During one of the songs in the middle of the set, Cleary had a keyboard solo which went on for about 2 or 3 minutes. At some point in the middle of the solo, Cleary stood up out of his chair and started to play more aggressively while building up the tempo. The music was at its height and so was the lighting effects and then finally, after a heavy dosage of keyboards, the band breaks back into the chorus and the crowd, as one would imagine, applauded enthusiastically.
The show went on for about 2 and half hours including 2 encore songs. Overall, I enjoyed myself while listening to Mike Gordon and his band mates, including Tom Cleary. What made this experience different was that I was strictly listening and watching the keyboardist which would be the first time I have ever done so at a rock concert. Usually, I just watch and listen to the guitarist so that I can pick up some things to play for myself. Focusing my attention more on the keyboardist has probably made me a better keyboardist or at least more knowledgeable about the instrument itself.
Concert Review
Piano Departmental Concert Review
September 14th
12:30pm
Harris Theater
I enjoyed this concert very much. Seeing as I entered into the class late, the only concert I could attend in time was a piano departmental. One of the piano performers was accompanied by a vocalist. The two of them struck a very nice balance, neither one overpowering the other. The pianist played arpeggio chords to help the singer stay in the correct key. Both musical parts were equally beautiful, and at the end of the piece there was quite a big applause. The rest of the performance was strictly piano. I could not help but stare in fascination of how quickly, and nimbly the different pianist fingers seemed to flutter across the keys. I also enjoyed the contrast between the different performers. One would play a piece with a slow tempo, the next a faster tempo. I found myself pondering why I was so interested in one piece over another, even though I enjoyed all of the songs I heard. I then realized technique and artistry made quite a huge difference in a performer’s piece. I already knew this, but I had not ever paid attention to it before. The more involved and emotion that the performer applied to their piece, the more I found myself enjoying the music. At one point of the concert, a performer forgot the next notes that came in the piece. They improvised on the spot, and it actually sounded quite pleasant. I had already recognized the piece, but to a listener who did not know the music, the improvisation that the performer played would not have clued them that the pianist had forgotten the piece. Overall, it was a very beautiful concert. One piece flowed effortlessly into the next, and gave the audience a chance to escape from the pressures of the world, and sit back and enjoy wonderful music.
September 14th
12:30pm
Harris Theater
I enjoyed this concert very much. Seeing as I entered into the class late, the only concert I could attend in time was a piano departmental. One of the piano performers was accompanied by a vocalist. The two of them struck a very nice balance, neither one overpowering the other. The pianist played arpeggio chords to help the singer stay in the correct key. Both musical parts were equally beautiful, and at the end of the piece there was quite a big applause. The rest of the performance was strictly piano. I could not help but stare in fascination of how quickly, and nimbly the different pianist fingers seemed to flutter across the keys. I also enjoyed the contrast between the different performers. One would play a piece with a slow tempo, the next a faster tempo. I found myself pondering why I was so interested in one piece over another, even though I enjoyed all of the songs I heard. I then realized technique and artistry made quite a huge difference in a performer’s piece. I already knew this, but I had not ever paid attention to it before. The more involved and emotion that the performer applied to their piece, the more I found myself enjoying the music. At one point of the concert, a performer forgot the next notes that came in the piece. They improvised on the spot, and it actually sounded quite pleasant. I had already recognized the piece, but to a listener who did not know the music, the improvisation that the performer played would not have clued them that the pianist had forgotten the piece. Overall, it was a very beautiful concert. One piece flowed effortlessly into the next, and gave the audience a chance to escape from the pressures of the world, and sit back and enjoy wonderful music.
Concert Review
September 19th I went to see MGMT at what was dubbed the KIA Soul Collective Warehouse. Currently MGMT is touring with the KIA car company and if test-drive a KIA before the show, you get to two free tickets to wherever MGMT are playing that night. In DC it was a warehouse that they temporarily turned into a venue. It was cheesy to say the least. There were fake KIA Graffiti on the walls, a free Pepsi stand, and cardboard robots shooting lasers out of their eyes.
The band MGMT play an eclectic mix indie-rock, some songs are mellow indie kid jams and others are synthesizer heavy dance tracks. The band consists of a drummer, a keyboard player, a guitarist who also plays keyboards and a bass player who sings most of the time. But often the other band members sing backing and occasion lead vocals. This is an augmented tour line-up, because the band really is just two guys most of the time, Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser
Truthfully the venue was a lame place for a show, and I think the band knew that. They seemed to be making fun of crowd with comments asking everyone if they wanted to hear the same song again, and asking if the audience liked KIA’s and what not. Also the sound at the venue was very bad. The vocals got washed out in the huge space, and the mix of the instruments was muddy. But dispute their attitude and overall sound they played quite well. The guitar player was particularly impressive; he would go from arpeggiated chordal accompaniment, to raging solos, to playing catchy keyboard lines, a very energetic display of musicianship. Overall it was an ok time, and was bearable on account MGMT were the only band playing that night.
church music review
I attended a church service at All Saints Catholic Church at which I’d assumed there would be piano. I was wrong. There was organ instead. Now, no matter how scary I think piano is, organ is much, much worse. Just making my hands move independently took me a while. Making my hands and feet...no, I don’t even want to go there.
This service was composed of both traditional Bach-like tunes and hymns by modern American composers like David Haas. Although the hymns were led by a rather sub-standard singer, the organist, William Atwood, was an excellent player. One really good thing I noticed about his playing was his tempos. Although he did have the tendency to slow down as the verses progressed, he started the hymns at good, alive tempos (necessary to keep the choir from dying).
One cause of this slight tempo issue might be his unusual use of harmonies and ornamental runs. In the first verses of each song, Mr. Atwood played the traditional harmonies and chord progressions. As every organist I have ever heard plays the same exact harmonies, this definitely gets boring. However, in the final verse of the hymns, he used new harmonies and strange chord progressions I had never heard before. These new harmonies were very interesting, though I didn’t always prefer them to the originals. He made no technical errors—I was just not very fond of some of his musical choices. For instance, in “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say,” which traditionally is played using the harmonization of Ralph Vaughan Williams, he played the third verse with almost completely new harmonization. I didn’t think that it had the same fulfilling qualities as Vaughan William’s version. But I am picky—and I doubt anyone else noticed at all. However, no new harmonization occurred in any of the modern pieces, such as David Haas’ “Here I Am, Lord.” But generally I prefer Haas’ music to be played on the piano rather than on the organ; I feel that the piano lends itself to gentler emotion, and more pliable rhythm, than the organ does.
Overall, Mr. Atwood added a lot to the service—where would church music be without the organ? Also, I really appreciated the fact that he took the time to write new harmonies for some of the tunes. Even if there were a few strange chords, he showed a great care and interest in reviving this music, which is usually so boring that no one even notices it.
This service was composed of both traditional Bach-like tunes and hymns by modern American composers like David Haas. Although the hymns were led by a rather sub-standard singer, the organist, William Atwood, was an excellent player. One really good thing I noticed about his playing was his tempos. Although he did have the tendency to slow down as the verses progressed, he started the hymns at good, alive tempos (necessary to keep the choir from dying).
One cause of this slight tempo issue might be his unusual use of harmonies and ornamental runs. In the first verses of each song, Mr. Atwood played the traditional harmonies and chord progressions. As every organist I have ever heard plays the same exact harmonies, this definitely gets boring. However, in the final verse of the hymns, he used new harmonies and strange chord progressions I had never heard before. These new harmonies were very interesting, though I didn’t always prefer them to the originals. He made no technical errors—I was just not very fond of some of his musical choices. For instance, in “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say,” which traditionally is played using the harmonization of Ralph Vaughan Williams, he played the third verse with almost completely new harmonization. I didn’t think that it had the same fulfilling qualities as Vaughan William’s version. But I am picky—and I doubt anyone else noticed at all. However, no new harmonization occurred in any of the modern pieces, such as David Haas’ “Here I Am, Lord.” But generally I prefer Haas’ music to be played on the piano rather than on the organ; I feel that the piano lends itself to gentler emotion, and more pliable rhythm, than the organ does.
Overall, Mr. Atwood added a lot to the service—where would church music be without the organ? Also, I really appreciated the fact that he took the time to write new harmonies for some of the tunes. Even if there were a few strange chords, he showed a great care and interest in reviving this music, which is usually so boring that no one even notices it.
Concert Review
Lisa Hauer
Keyboard Skills III
September 27, 2009
Concert Review
The concert I went to see was actually in the Sikh temple, otherwise known as a Gurdwara. The group was without a name but they played acoustic guitar, tablas, and electric keyboard. The name of the keyboard player is GuruSangat Singh Khalsa, the Gurdwara is Raj Khalsa Gurdwara, and the date was Sunday the 27th of September at 1030 AM.
In the arrangement of Gurbani Kirtan, there is what is called American Kirtan or devotional music. It consists of poems written in Gurmuki (a five hundred year old language that the Sikh holy book is written in). In American Kirtan, the players create new musical arrangements for the poems, typically in an ABAB song format. The style is a call and answer form and the music is primarily kept simple and easy to follow in order to encourage the sangat, or congregation, to join in singing.
All three arrangements performed by the players included guitar, tabla and keyboard accompaniment. The accompaniment was very simple and consisted of the left hand playing the base notes followed by the right hand playing arpeggiated broken chords. It was very simple and without a lot of flashiness or solo improvisation. I saw how the skills we are learning in class can be applied to this type of accompaniment, and how the ability to hear a chord progression can easily turn into playing the figured bass and arpeggiated chords.
concert review
Concert review
I attended the vocal convocation on September 12, 2009 at George Mason University at the Grand Tier III of the Center for the Arts. There were six singers for the master class with Dr. George Gibson. Ronny Bell sang Spriate, Marcos Rivera sang On the Road to Mandalay, Emma McDermott sang Will there Really be a Morning, Nigel Tangredi sang The Vagabond, Wayne Jennings sang Il mio tesoro, and Adrianna Scarlata sang Caro nome. They were accompanied by either Dr. Patricia Parker, or Prof Michael Crabill. One could appreciate the musical preparation to create a magical musical moments. There is a teamwork involved between the singer and the accompanist.
I attended the vocal convocation on September 12, 2009 at George Mason University at the Grand Tier III of the Center for the Arts. There were six singers for the master class with Dr. George Gibson. Ronny Bell sang Spriate, Marcos Rivera sang On the Road to Mandalay, Emma McDermott sang Will there Really be a Morning, Nigel Tangredi sang The Vagabond, Wayne Jennings sang Il mio tesoro, and Adrianna Scarlata sang Caro nome. They were accompanied by either Dr. Patricia Parker, or Prof Michael Crabill. One could appreciate the musical preparation to create a magical musical moments. There is a teamwork involved between the singer and the accompanist.
Vincent Prinzivalli Concert Review
Saturday, September 26th marked the annual Arts by George event at Mason. The purpose of Arts by George is to celebrate the arts at Mason and to raise funds for scholarships and performances. Beginning at 5pm, guests were invited to enjoy a multitude of musical performances, including a vocal studies showcase, interactive jazz sessions with the GMU Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Professor Jim Carroll, and small chamber ensembles such as piano solos, flute trios, string quartets, and jazz combos. These musical performances were well complimented by dance, paintings, sculptures, and video, which were all on display throughout three floors of the performing arts building. One nifty feature which spanned the entire day was the use of a marimba and gong. A group of about four Mason percussion students took turns playing everything from Bach chorales to improvisation on the pentatonic scale on a Marimba that was positioned at the bottom of the stairs on the first floor. This served as background music as guests mingled and enjoyed hors d'œuvres and wine. Then, five minutes prior to each performance, a gong, positioned on the fourth floor, was struck to signal that a performance was about to begin and guests were directed to the various performance spaces.
The highlight of the festival, for me at least, was the inaugural performance of a new orchestra, the American Festival Pops Orchestra, under the direction of Mason’s own Professor Anthony Maiello. The orchestra, which included many Mason faculty members, and even some students, presented a fabulous display of musicianship and artistry. Following a brilliant opening overture-type piece composed by Mason graduate student Vincent Oppido, the orchestra accompanied the guest artist, Tony Award-winning Brian Stokes Mitchell. Mitchell’s Broadway credits include “Man of La Mancha,” “Kiss Me Kate,” and “Oh, Kay!” The audience, myself included, thoroughly enjoyed his full baritone voice on many Broadway and jazz favorites and standards such as George Gershwin’s "'S Wonderful,” and “Take the A Train.” The evening closed with Mitchell’s second encore, “The Impossible Dream,” for which he is famous. His regular backing group also played with him and the orchestra and included a pianist, bassist, and a drummer. The pianist, in particular, impressed me with the way he altered his accompaniment style to fit with the orchestra. He also arranged one of the songs himself, which was performed without the orchestra. This gave the talented pianist a chance to show off more of his well-developed solo style. According to Mitchell’s on-stage commentary, he often plays with just these three musicians, and sometimes with just the pianist, whose name I unfortunately did not get. Watching Brian Stokes Mitchell in one of these different settings (without a full orchestra) is something I would like to see in the future.
The highlight of the festival, for me at least, was the inaugural performance of a new orchestra, the American Festival Pops Orchestra, under the direction of Mason’s own Professor Anthony Maiello. The orchestra, which included many Mason faculty members, and even some students, presented a fabulous display of musicianship and artistry. Following a brilliant opening overture-type piece composed by Mason graduate student Vincent Oppido, the orchestra accompanied the guest artist, Tony Award-winning Brian Stokes Mitchell. Mitchell’s Broadway credits include “Man of La Mancha,” “Kiss Me Kate,” and “Oh, Kay!” The audience, myself included, thoroughly enjoyed his full baritone voice on many Broadway and jazz favorites and standards such as George Gershwin’s "'S Wonderful,” and “Take the A Train.” The evening closed with Mitchell’s second encore, “The Impossible Dream,” for which he is famous. His regular backing group also played with him and the orchestra and included a pianist, bassist, and a drummer. The pianist, in particular, impressed me with the way he altered his accompaniment style to fit with the orchestra. He also arranged one of the songs himself, which was performed without the orchestra. This gave the talented pianist a chance to show off more of his well-developed solo style. According to Mitchell’s on-stage commentary, he often plays with just these three musicians, and sometimes with just the pianist, whose name I unfortunately did not get. Watching Brian Stokes Mitchell in one of these different settings (without a full orchestra) is something I would like to see in the future.
Concert Review
The Faculty Concert, on September 11th in Harris Theater, was not only an excellent way for students to see their professors perform, but a way for the professors to showcase their talent. In particular, Dr. Monson stole the show with her numerous performances, whether accompanying a colleague, or soloing, she really shined. I think Dr. Monson’s performance stood out because I don’t get to see her that often. Of course I’ve heard what a wonderful professor she is, but actually seeing her in her element was incredible.
Dr. Monson accompanied many of GMU’s esteemed staff, but she also debuted a piece that Dr. Glenn Smith wrote for her. The piece was fantastic. It was obvious that she wasn’t just playing it, she was enjoying it. From her body movements, her facial expressions, and the overall expressiveness that she conveyed through her instrument was just wonderful.
The showstopper, however, was when Dr. Monson and Dr. Balakerskaia performed together. Interestingly, the pianos were placed so that they fit into one another – the stage crew put the rounded out part of one piano into the curve of the other. I’ve never seen a piano duet before, but my friend next to me (a piano student) said she had only seen it where the pianos are side-by-side. The two women, who appear to differ greatly in personality, performed fantastically together – down to their matching scarves. They performed two Latin style pieces that had the audience tapping their feet and bopping their heads, which didn’t seem odd since both women were doing the same thing on stage.
The talent of these two women is indescribable. They play the piano with such ease, but produce a sound that is simply out of this world. It is easy to see now why GMU’s piano students are so talented and so successful, as their teachers are clearly world class performers.
Dr. Monson accompanied many of GMU’s esteemed staff, but she also debuted a piece that Dr. Glenn Smith wrote for her. The piece was fantastic. It was obvious that she wasn’t just playing it, she was enjoying it. From her body movements, her facial expressions, and the overall expressiveness that she conveyed through her instrument was just wonderful.
The showstopper, however, was when Dr. Monson and Dr. Balakerskaia performed together. Interestingly, the pianos were placed so that they fit into one another – the stage crew put the rounded out part of one piano into the curve of the other. I’ve never seen a piano duet before, but my friend next to me (a piano student) said she had only seen it where the pianos are side-by-side. The two women, who appear to differ greatly in personality, performed fantastically together – down to their matching scarves. They performed two Latin style pieces that had the audience tapping their feet and bopping their heads, which didn’t seem odd since both women were doing the same thing on stage.
The talent of these two women is indescribable. They play the piano with such ease, but produce a sound that is simply out of this world. It is easy to see now why GMU’s piano students are so talented and so successful, as their teachers are clearly world class performers.
Sarah Shapiro-Concert Review
On Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009, at 12:30 p.m. at the George Mason University School of Music Fall Convocation in the Harris Theater, Dr. Lisa Berger (soprano), Prof. Dennis Edelbrock (trumpet) and Dr. Linda Apple Monson (piano) performed the Haydn Trio for Soprano, Trumpet and Piano. This stunning performance showcased each musician individually as well as as a part of the ensemble.
In this trio, each instrument performs solo lines at times and is, at others, accompaniment. Although the piano is accompaniment most of the time, it uniquely supports the solo lines being played or sung by the other two performers. The attentiveness of the pianist is absolutely critical in any performance of this piece- all musicians must be completely locked in with each other in order to maintain the identical sense of tempo and emotion throughout the performance. Although the piano is accompaniment in much of this piece, it stands out as a solo instrument at multiple points throughout the performance. Many times when either the vocalist or trumpet player is performing the solo line, the pianist plays the response, creating a “call and response” characteristic of Haydn.
The piano is absolutely critical to the overall function of this trio; it is the concrete keeping the entire performance together. While the vocalist and trumpet player play in and out of each other throughout the piece, the piano is consistent. Although it becomes background music at some points, the piano is absolutely necessary to bind all members of an ensemble for a successful performance.
Concert Review
I attended one of the recitals from the Washington National Piano Festival at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage, featuring Ivo Kaltchev and Milen Petrov. The duo performed four piano duets featuring composers Poulenc, Milhaud, Piazzolla, and Copeland.
Their first piece “Sonata for Two Pianos” by Poulenc had heavy dissonance, octaves up the piano and hand crossing. It had a hauntingly beautiful melody line that went from one pianist to the other. It had a somewhat minimal approach at the beginning, then a heavy rondo section to then go back to the “A” section of the piece. I enjoyed it and their body language throughout the entire piece was as if they were one with every note they played. They would lean into the keys, almost as if they wouldn’t get their message across unless they put their whole being into it.
Their second piece “Scaramouche” by Milhaud was a contrast from the first one. It began with playful rhythms and jazz flair every now and then. Again, they had relaxed posture and their hands seemed to glide across the keys with ease. They weren’t smiling, but they looked like they enjoyed being up there.
Their third piece “Grand Tango” by Piazzolla had a unique melody line with syncopated rhythms. The “B” section I really enjoyed, but then it started getting boring at the end.
Their last piece “Billy The Kid” by Copland had probably the most jazz of all the pieces and, of course, syncopation. Towards the end it started getting exciting and much more movement from the performers as they swayed with the music. They made a big finish with a glissando from both performers.
I really enjoyed this recital from two talented musicians who displayed love for the art through their musical passages and lines. I’m definitely glad I went.
Their first piece “Sonata for Two Pianos” by Poulenc had heavy dissonance, octaves up the piano and hand crossing. It had a hauntingly beautiful melody line that went from one pianist to the other. It had a somewhat minimal approach at the beginning, then a heavy rondo section to then go back to the “A” section of the piece. I enjoyed it and their body language throughout the entire piece was as if they were one with every note they played. They would lean into the keys, almost as if they wouldn’t get their message across unless they put their whole being into it.
Their second piece “Scaramouche” by Milhaud was a contrast from the first one. It began with playful rhythms and jazz flair every now and then. Again, they had relaxed posture and their hands seemed to glide across the keys with ease. They weren’t smiling, but they looked like they enjoyed being up there.
Their third piece “Grand Tango” by Piazzolla had a unique melody line with syncopated rhythms. The “B” section I really enjoyed, but then it started getting boring at the end.
Their last piece “Billy The Kid” by Copland had probably the most jazz of all the pieces and, of course, syncopation. Towards the end it started getting exciting and much more movement from the performers as they swayed with the music. They made a big finish with a glissando from both performers.
I really enjoyed this recital from two talented musicians who displayed love for the art through their musical passages and lines. I’m definitely glad I went.
Kyra Wagstaff Keyboarding Skills 3 Concert Review 1
Went to the Brian Stokes Mitchell concert last night. It was fantastic, to say the least. Brian Stokes Mitchell performed for two hours straight with the American Festival Pops Orchestra conducted by our own Professor Maeillo, no intermission, which helped capture the moment without thinking twice about it.
What was especially enjoyable to this program was how the concert was organized. Each song seemed to flow right into the other, though each supplied something a little bit different than the previous one. and of course, right when you were getting a little too used to the slower ballads, he would replace it right then with an uptempo, show stopper which brought the audience to their feet every time.
After the second half of the concert, Brian Stokes Mitchell made the announcement of only having worked with this orchestra once before the show had started, enhancing the magic of the moment that much more as we were able to admire the close relationship between the orchestra and their singer, knowing only 24 hours before they were complete strangers to one another.
His "final" song could not have been more rivetting and made the concert more complete as he ended with his rendition of "My Country Tis of Thee" leading into his own patriotic anthem from Ragtime, "Wheels of a Dream." Naturally, the crowd went wild (I think I might have been the first to jump up) and an encore of "To Dream the Impossible Dream" ensued, leaving everyone in goosebumps and a feeling of motivation to do something they have always wanted but never thought could.
So, in a nutshell, a really fantastic show.
What was especially enjoyable to this program was how the concert was organized. Each song seemed to flow right into the other, though each supplied something a little bit different than the previous one. and of course, right when you were getting a little too used to the slower ballads, he would replace it right then with an uptempo, show stopper which brought the audience to their feet every time.
After the second half of the concert, Brian Stokes Mitchell made the announcement of only having worked with this orchestra once before the show had started, enhancing the magic of the moment that much more as we were able to admire the close relationship between the orchestra and their singer, knowing only 24 hours before they were complete strangers to one another.
His "final" song could not have been more rivetting and made the concert more complete as he ended with his rendition of "My Country Tis of Thee" leading into his own patriotic anthem from Ragtime, "Wheels of a Dream." Naturally, the crowd went wild (I think I might have been the first to jump up) and an encore of "To Dream the Impossible Dream" ensued, leaving everyone in goosebumps and a feeling of motivation to do something they have always wanted but never thought could.
So, in a nutshell, a really fantastic show.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Concert Review
I went to see a Jazz Quartet called the “John Kocur Quartet” on Wednesday, September 23rd at a club called the Utopia in D.C. John Kocur actually got his Masters from Mason, and he currently teaches at NOVA, and is actually one of my brothers professors; which is how I heard about this show. The Quartet consisted of an alto sax (John Kocur), a double bass (Oliver Albertini), a pianist (Amy Bormat) and a drummer (C.V. Dashiell).
For starters, these guys (and girl) sounded great together. The room they played in was perfect for acoustics; having a high ceiling and the place was all wood, so there wasn’t any carpet killing the sound. The instrumentation and their blend were also great, with no one member of the group overpowering anyone else. It almost sounded like a recording in that way because the levels were so good. They played from about 9:30ish that night until about 1, so they played quite a few tunes. A lot of them were very familiar, being tunes by legendary figures like John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. These tunes also worked perfectly with the instrumentation, especially the Coltrane ones, as Kocur’s sax really sounded awesome.
It worked the way any other jazz combo concert usually goes. The band would play the head through and then one, two or all of the members would improvise, before going back through the head at the end of the tune. Through the heads the pianist was the accompanist, and in most of the tunes she would improvise after the saxophone was finished followed by the bass, and the drummer even got to take a few. I was very impressed with the pianist’s improvisations, having never really witnessed very much jazz on the piano before.
For starters, these guys (and girl) sounded great together. The room they played in was perfect for acoustics; having a high ceiling and the place was all wood, so there wasn’t any carpet killing the sound. The instrumentation and their blend were also great, with no one member of the group overpowering anyone else. It almost sounded like a recording in that way because the levels were so good. They played from about 9:30ish that night until about 1, so they played quite a few tunes. A lot of them were very familiar, being tunes by legendary figures like John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. These tunes also worked perfectly with the instrumentation, especially the Coltrane ones, as Kocur’s sax really sounded awesome.
It worked the way any other jazz combo concert usually goes. The band would play the head through and then one, two or all of the members would improvise, before going back through the head at the end of the tune. Through the heads the pianist was the accompanist, and in most of the tunes she would improvise after the saxophone was finished followed by the bass, and the drummer even got to take a few. I was very impressed with the pianist’s improvisations, having never really witnessed very much jazz on the piano before.
Hello Class!
If you are having a hard time posting, wait until tomorrow. I reinvited you again. I invited all of you in the beginning of the semester and asked you to join the site and be the contributor. You should allow more than a day to prepare your assignments. Your weekly schedule and information on assignments are in the course syllabus. Please read it thoroughly and ask me questions.
See you all in class.
See you all in class.
Friday, September 25, 2009
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