What Is Musicianship?

Anyone who has studied music at a conservatory or college level has taken an ear training class typically called “Musicianship.”  This is where we train our ears to recognize intervals and chord qualities, learn how to perform melodies and rhythms accurately at sight and practice writing down musical examples upon hearing them.  I wonder if, bogged down in the details of teaching those various skills, we’ve lost track of what musicianship really is, and why we would use that name for such a class, as opposed to just, say, “Ear Training” or “Sight Reading”.

I have occasionally seen the class referred to simply as “Solfège.” This reveals a common misunderstanding:  solfège is just one of many tools used in musicianship training—not an end, but a means.

Berlin, 1989.

Long story as to how and why, but within a few days of the Berlin Wall opening on November 9th, 1989, I was on an overnight train from Budapest to Berlin to check out the scene.  Then I was removed from the train in the middle of the night at the Hungarian/(then) Czechoslovak border.  The Velvet Revolution in Prague wasn’t scheduled to happen for another week, and I found out they were actually still serious about the whole “transit visa” thing.  So I hung out with the border guards until the next train came through on the way back to Budapest.

John Adams Now Blogs

John Adams’ newly remodeled web site now includes a blog.  Am I the last person to realize this?

Posting has been consistent for the past week or so.  The name “Hell Mouth” promises a lot.  I hope he’ll have time to stick with it.  Interestingly, he has enabled comments.  Brave, brave man.

More Fascinating Folk Music: Sutartinės of Lithuania

Well, now I have Lithuania to add to the list of countries whose folk music to be obsessed with. In a discussion with my teaching colleague Arkadi Serper about what folk music traditions might have influenced Stravinsky’s ear in his youth, I brought up the amazing vocal music of the Caucasus region, particularly Georgian table songs.  Arkadi agreed, and then went on to alert me to several others from within Russia and the former Soviet Union, including Lithuanian sutartinės.

Seán Deibler, 1947-2009

My college teacher, mentor and great friend ever since then, Seán Deibler passed away on August 19th. Most of what is important enough to me to write about on this blog can, in one way or another, be traced back to my 24-year association with him. He was a conductor, a singer, a clarinetist, a composer, a teacher, a motivational speaker, a clown, a therapist… The list goes on, and what’s really exceptional is that he was phenomenal at all of the above.

The Magik of Orchestral Indie Rock

There’s nothing new about the use of orchestral instruments in rock music, but this is particularly lovely. Founded last year, the Magik*Magik Orchestra‘s elegantly stated mission is to “simplify the collaborative process between independent rock musicians and classical artists.” Here they join indie rock artist John Vanderslice in a classroom at the San Francisco Conservatory where founder and Artistic Director Minna Choi recently earned her master’s degree in composition.

John Corigliano Web Site Launched

Composer John Corigliano has just launched a strikingly beautiful new web site. Check it out of course for it’s complete information on performances and recordings, etc., but stick around for the pictures from his amazing art collection.

Conrad Susa on “The Blue Hour”

I’m thrilled to have just stumbled across this picture montage and interview excerpt of my former S.F. Conservatory composition teacher Conrad Susa discussing his beautiful orchestral work The Blue Hour. It was prepared by music journalist and long-time Conservatory faculty member Scott Foglesong for this article about a concert of music by Conrad and another beloved former teacher Elinor Armer that took place last year.

Video: “American Standard” for Clarinet and Piano

American Standard was premiered in Shrewsbury, England in 1993, but the U.S. premiere was given the following year as part of the New Music Delaware Festival at the University of Delaware.

Last week pianist Julie Nishimura, who participated in that 1994 performance, gave me the honor of including the piece in a concert celebrating her 20 years as faculty accompanist at the university.  This time she was joined by the wonderful clarinetist Marianne Gythfeldt, also of the U. Delaware music faculty.

Here’s a high-definition video of the performance.

“City Walks” Recording Posted

I’ve posted the recording of last week’s premiere of my new string quartet piece City Walks.  Please visit this page to hear excerpts or the entire piece.