Music can be very personal, as it can have different meanings for different people. A particular piece might revive a long-lost memory, bring up intense emotion, or connect complete strangers. No matter what style you enjoy, if the composer or songwriter connects with you on a personal level, music has the power to inspire you to […]
One, Two, Three, What?
Even with years of performance experience, an innate sense of various musical styles, and a professional demeanor, one of the unfortunate situations encountered by community musicians is an unorganized and/or unprepared director. I would guess this is not an issue that professional musicians must deal with. Conducting Style It’s all about communication. Numerous times I’ve conducted […]
Thoughts on the Effects of Stage Fright
I was talking to a band director friend last night and we got on the subject of stage fright. I said that I thought most folks would use their performance nerves/fear as a way to focus on the music while on stage, therefore putting forth a more accurate, musical result. He suggested that many players […]
Not Close Enough
These days, the saying “Close enough for jazz” has less meaning for me than it did when I first heard it. One thing that gets on my nerves is when non-jazz musicians assume that playing jazz does not require accuracy – it most certainly does. Randomly throwing together a collection of notes and ignoring the […]