Author: Jeff Albert

Change or die

A look at the relationship between composers, orchestras, and their audiences, by Stephen McNeff.

Guardian Unlimited | Film & Music | Change or die

Most importantly, I want to persuade audiences that new music need not be intimidating. Last summer, a short work premiered at the orchestra’s outdoor concerts was heard by a staggering – for new music – 38,000 people. The BSO’s principal conductor, Marin Alsop, is not only committed to new music but is a skilled communicator who likes to introduce works personally. Ahead of the premiere of my new work Heiligenstadt last November, she and I spoke about it, while the orchestra played extracts.

The audience’s response convinced me that this was extraordinarily valuable in helping people be involved with what they were about to hear.

Rocketship

Check out this new blog from Bay Area musician Rob Ewing. It’s called Rocketship.

Developing players should from the beginning get used to the idea that all notes are available. Students should be encouraged to experiment with playing any number of notes and note sequences over various harmonic progressions, and get a feel for the way different pitches function on a continuum of relative consonance and dissonance.

You might recognize Rob as the trombonist from Married Couple, who you can hear on Scratch My Brain Podcast #3.

Nate Chinen review of Vandermark 5 performance in NYT

Giving Everything the Supercharged Treatment, Even Ballads – New York Times

Enterprise and industry aren’t qualities often attributed to jazz’s rambunctious outer fringe. In the case of Ken Vandermark, though, they dominate the discussion. Mr. Vandermark, a saxophonist and clarinetist based in Chicago, has spent his career fusing the exploratory fire of free jazz with the do-it-yourself ethos of underground rock.

For Downtown Clubs, the Uptown Classical – New York Times

For Downtown Clubs, the Uptown Classical – New York Times

“It’s not true that young people don’t like classical music,” said Richard S. Weinert, president of Concert Artists Guild, which is presenting this German-based quartet, QNG. “Young people don’t like recital halls.”

That’s one of the reasons that early on it was decided that the New Orleans New Music Ensemble (NO-NME) would only play venues that had a bar in the same room as the stage. I guess the drinking habit of the musicians and conductor might have had something to do with that as well.

Lately cellist Helen Gillette has been playing Cafe Brasil on Frenchmen St and other venues that don’t usually have cellists. It’s pretty cool.

Good music in places where people like to hang out. What a novel concept.

Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise: Celebrate Mozart by ignoring Mozart

There’s been lots of noise around Mozart’s 250th birthday…or maybe he died 250 years ago…I forget sometimes. Anyway, I came across this via The Bad Plus’ blog.

Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise: Celebrate Mozart by ignoring Mozart

As I once wrote, if Mozart were alive today, he’d be dead. If you really want to celebrate Mozart’s world, Mozart’s culture, Mozart’s life, you would ignore the man himself and listen to music by a living composer.

Sony doesn’t get it part deux, or is that DOH!

If you need another reason to believe that Sony has lost all touch with internet reality, dig this page that I got when trying to follow a link to Sony’s Connect Music store :Sony Connect:.

Internet Explorer only. I love this language:

You don’t seem to be using that particular browser at the moment, so, unfortunately, we’ll have to part ways until we support the browser you’re currently using or you upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer.

Even if I wanted to upgrade to the lastest version of IE…I CAN’T, because I use a Mac. Microsoft no longer suppports IE for Mac. (See this page for more on that.) Really that is fine with me, but you would think that since Sony is trying to sell stuff that they wouldn’t want to prohibit a noticeable percentage of internet users from even accessing their site.

According to this page, IE 6 was 82.46% of the market in Dec. 2005. According to Scratch My Brain stats, IE is used by no more than 35-40% of SMB readers. I know there is a big difference bewteen the whole internet and SMB readers, but SMB readers are probably music buyers, and Sony is trying to sell music, but at least 20% (probably closer to 50%) of us can’t come to the party. No wonder their business model is dying.