zischen.org

Raisin Brahms

2009-06-26T10:08:00.002-05:00

He's probably best left where he is, but a funny little banner ad(vertisement) I found today when visiting a frequent website.

Highlights

2009-06-19T17:10:00.003-05:00

We gave this part out clean and received it back highlighted. Please don't use highlighters on music when a pencil will do the trick. It's not polite.

Ionization

2009-06-16T12:42:00.003-05:00

Pierre Boulez and Ensemble InterContemporain. Certainly some of the camera work here shows how complex each part of Ionization really is.

What's in a Name?

2009-06-10T16:35:00.003-05:00

If you're going to use the name of an operatic master, at least spell it correctly.

Fakin' It

2009-06-05T11:11:00.004-05:00

Sometimes when you show up to rehearsal and the proper instruments are not to be found, you make do with the instruments at hand. But when timpani are missing, can rototoms really be used as a substitute?

Why, yes!

Disclaimer: rototoms should only be used by a trained professional in the event of an emergency situation.

The J.C. Deagan Memorial Room

2009-06-05T10:26:00.007-05:00

A few days ago I went over to Deagan building in Chicago at 1770 West Berteau Avenue. This former home of the J.C. Deagan Company was once entirely a mallet instrument factory home to the J.C. Deagan and his master tuners. While much of the space in the building has been leased to other tenants, Gilberto Serna (a former employee of the Deagan company) now runs Century Mallet Instrument Service out of the second floor. I often rent extra chimes outside the range of a standard set of rack chimes, and while picking up a low B-flat chime for a performance of Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes from 'Peter Grimes', I visited the J.C. Deagan Memorial Room. Here's a few highlights of that historical space:

How about a nice dinner chime? Gilberto says this was often used by salesmen to sample the tone of J.C. Degan's dinner bells.

Here's a Deagan marimba made specifically for bowing. Note the convex outside ends of the bars. The upper manual also tilts downward for easier access with a bow. In the background, one of the 102 King George marimbas created in 1934 for the International Marimba Symphony Orchestra.

Above is what I believe to be Gilberto Serna's favorite instrument in the Memorial Room. This instrument is played by depressing keys on they keyboard. Each key carries an electrical current to a mechanism which, in turn, strikes each key rapidly in a tremolo fashion by the hammer. The literature surrounding this instrument shows that it was often used on the back of a truck, probably during parades. It is a very loud instrument!

My favorite instrument out of the lot. Here is a set of Deagan Shaker Chimes (or the Shake-a-phone). The instrument is played by shaking each "key" (which is sounds four notes at once!) to produce a beautiful rich sound.

I hope you enjoyed the photographs. Incidentally, the day before I was there was Gilberto's 40th year having been in the space (first with the J.C. Deagan Company, and then with his own company). Congratulations to Maestro Serna! Be sure to give Century Mallet a call if you need any mallet instrument repair or refurbishing work performed.

Nobody's Perfect

2009-05-08T16:53:00.005-05:00

Well, I guess we all miss an entrance here and there. I can imagine how that conversation went with the trumpet afterwards...

MTT: Hi, was there something wrong today?
Trumpet: Nah, we just wanted to make you smile on camera!

In other news, it's been a busy month and I've had lots of playing. I'll write about my new set of Michael Baker timpani mallets soon!

International Marimba Competition - Paris, 2009

2009-03-30T09:04:00.004-05:00

Frederic Macarez sent me a note about the 2009 International Marimba Competition in Paris, France, November 24-29, 2009. If you're a percussionist 25 years old or younger, please visit the competition's website at www.marimbamania.net. You can also contact the French PAS chapter via email at pasfrancechapter@noos.fr. Registration is April 1st through July 31st, 2009.

Evelyn Auditions for Oscar

2009-03-27T17:02:00.003-05:00

We've all gotta pay our dues, even the best of us, and here is the proof: a video of Evelyn Glennie auditioning for the Grouchketeers!

Alexader Lepak Dies

2009-03-25T13:18:00.004-05:00

_{Photograph credit: Mark Mirko, Hartford Courant (May 16, 2003)}

Reports are coming in that percussionist Alexander Lepak, co-author of the famous Friese-Lepak Timpani Method, 56-year veteran timpanist of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Percussive Arts Society hall of fame, has died at the age of 88 years old.

Update: here is a link to the story.

HSO Percussionist Alexander Lepak Dies At 88.

The Blues

2009-03-23T13:08:00.003-05:00

I haven't broken a stick or mallet in many, many years. The last time I broke a mallet was a week before my senior recital in college (and oh, how I needed that LHS 17Z too...and of course all my normal suppliers out of stock...so that wasn't good).

Yesterday I let a colleague borrow my "lucky" pair of Malletech Becker Blue's (why they're lucky, don't ask me...it's a superstition thing) and after a few glissandos, they were returned in the condition shown above. The shaft of one seems to have failed, along with the head becoming loose on the other. Funny thing is that they're not a matched pair; maybe they were mixed with another pair sometime in the past.

If I'm not thrilled to loan out mallets in the future, this is evidence as to why. Be nice to other peoples gear.

Ruddigore, 2009

2009-03-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

This was my setup for the The Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company production of Ruddigore.

I went to my stash of triangles and, instead of going with the usual Abel 6-inch default workhorse (in the 11-o'clock position), I went with a smaller Grover overtone series triangle (in the 4-o'clock position) and, in my humble opinion, it blended much better with the orchestra in a very dry pit.

Russell Peck, Dead at 64

2009-03-10T23:59:00.004-05:00

^{Photo credit: Joseph Rodriguez}

Composer Russell Peck has died at the age of 64 years old. Mr. Peck was best known for writing idiomatic music for orchestra and chamber ensembles, and is also the composer of several works featuring percussion including Harmonic Rhythm (concerto for timpani and orchestra), The Glory and Grandeur (percussion trio and orchestra), and other works for chamber ensembles.

We wish his family and survivors the best.

ZMF New Music

2009-02-27T12:39:00.004-06:00

The Zeltsman Music Foundation (ZMF) New Music is an initiative led by Nancy Zeltsman to generate 24 intermediate level marimba solos via a Commissioning Project, and Composition Contest. All 24 pieces will be published in two volumes called Intermediate Masterworks for Marimba, and recorded on CD. As of this writing, ZMF New Music needs your assistance and monetary support to make this project a complete success. Yes, times are tough...the economy is rough...but try to spare what you can to ensure future generations of marimba students have a bridge between entry-level music and our masterworks.

Also, make sure to put July 5, 2009 on your calendar. Let's all go to Appleton, WI for the premiere of these new works!

p.s. Have you donated yet? Visit the website, donate, enjoy your good karma!

You Know It's Going to be Rough When...

2009-02-27T12:37:00.003-06:00

You know it's going to be a rough concert when your snare drum stand, floor tom head, and snare drum strainer break within the first 10 measures of a swing concert. Luckily I had an extra snare drum and my trusty old Premiere snare drum stand that has served me well throughout the ages!

Louie Bellson, Dead at Age 84

2009-02-16T11:04:00.007-06:00

_{Photo credit: Paul Slaughter}

Jazz legend and drumset virtuoso Louie Bellson died on Saturday, February 14, 2009 at the age of 84 years old. Some of my first memories of seeing a live "drum battle" are watching Louie Bellson at the University of Illinois. My father and I watched this several times as it was broadcast on WTTW, the local PBS station in Chicago. I think that concert may have also inspired me to want my own set of rototoms. Mr. Bellson also is credited with pioneering the use of double bass drums.

Best wishes to Mr. Bellson's family and survivors.

Update: Hudson Music has put up a short biography of Louie Bellson on their website.

Pacifica Quartet Wins Best Chamber Music Performance Grammy

2009-02-10T10:47:00.006-06:00

Congratulations to the Pacifica Quartet for winning the Best Chamber Music Performance (2008) Grammy Award for their Naxos recording of the Elliott Carter String Quartets Nos. 1 and 5. The Pacifica Quartet is a Resident Performing Artist at the University of Chicago. If you haven't gotten a chance yet, pick up a CD or go see one of their live performances.

Pencil Happy

2009-02-06T00:27:00.006-06:00

Last weekend I played the timpani part in Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. I'm guessing that was my fourth time playing the piece, and third playing the timpani part; it's a fun piece, and is arguably one of the best uses of percussion in the orchestra literature. The parts are rental and I don't ever recall seeing a part where every single note played by the timpanist was circled by a previous performer. I'm not kidding. Here's some samples...

_{Somewhere in the Mambo section, circling the octave "E's" for clarity?}

_{Near the start of the Rumble. Missing this is like missing a train wreck at 110mph.}

_{Beginning of the Mambo at mm. 404. The markings really "wake up" the player!}

Now I completely understand the need to mark parts, especially when the parts are written in score form and difficult to read (as the Berstein is in some cases). But seriously, think about the performer that has to come along and read the personalized slop that you put on parts....please?

One other bit of advice (thanks to Todd Sheehan of the Evansville Symphony Orchestra): I highly recommend using the MaracaStix by John Tafoya of Indiana University. The sticks sound great, look great, and give you piece of mind that you won't accidentally break a real maraca during performance...you know...by accidentally hitting a lug. Not that I've ever had that happen...

Max Neuhaus, Dead at 69

2009-02-04T00:14:00.006-06:00

Max Neuhaus died yesterday (04 Feb).

"Our perception of space depends as much on what we hear
as on what we see." -- Max Neuhaus

Rest in peace.

Wicked Ends

2009-01-26T11:07:00.005-06:00

_{Photo: Flickr user wallyg}

The Chicago Tribune is running a small series of articles about Wicked closing this past weekend in Chicago. An estimated $10M production, Wicked was able to stay in Chicago for 1,500 shows at the Oriental Theater and gross an estimated $60M. Say what you want about the show, but that's a huge number of faces seeing a live stage production here in the Windy City.

Congratulations to the cast and to the musicians who made the show successful. We wish you the best of luck in your next venture, whatever it may be.

NY Times Article on the Rich, Warm Marimba

2009-01-23T14:34:00.003-06:00

The New York Times ran an article titled The Marimba, Rich and Warm, Makes Itself Heard a few months back. While there's nothing or earth-shattering in the article, it does contain a few good quote snips from Steven Mackey, Gunter Schuller, William Moersch, and others. Also, Nancy Zeltsman is displaying her affinity for mallets in varying hardness.

The Fantastic Machine

2009-01-21T11:50:00.003-06:00

Thanks to George Brown of the Utah Symphony for finding this one! Is it real? Is it fake? Who cares...it's fun.

Music Was There

2009-01-20T11:39:00.005-06:00

History was made today in the United States of America when Barack Obama was elected the countries first African American president. Months, years, decades, and centuries will pass with continued reflection on this day and the words spoken by President Obama. As a musician, I wish to give thanks and rememberance towards the music performers of the day: Aretha Franklin singing God Bless America, the United States Navy Band 'Sea Chanters' performance of the National Anthem, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill's delivery of John Williams' Air and Simple Gifts, and the United States Marine Band's excellent overall performance throughout the day.

My personal favorite? The first movement of Ralph Vaughn-Williams' Folk Song Suite being played by the Marine Band for the introduction of former president Bill Clinton. A great selection!

Thanks to all the women and men who made sure music was there while we were making history today.

Lazy, Lazy

2009-01-19T12:09:00.004-06:00

Last night I attended a rehearsal for an upcoming Big Band concert with the Bensenville/Wood Dale Concert Band. This was the best "drum set" that I could come up with... note the lack of even a snare drum stand.

Me = lazy.

A New Music Education Blog

2009-01-06T20:49:00.003-06:00

Bonnie Brown, a clarinetist from the Bensenville/Wood Dale Concert Band, recently joined the blogosphere with her writings at Music Teaching, Learning, and Performing. While she is just getting started with her posts, stop by and give it a read.

Good luck, Bonnie!