06/22/2007

There is another violin-related website in the works that will make its debut in September*. Can't say too much yet except I'm working on some technical issues to get the content up and running to my satisfaction.

The treble violin is a very specific niche which I don't expect a proliferation of these instruments being made or played anytime soon. Of course, maybe this will change when someone can find a way to make the treble violin bigger in size and therefore easier to play. So in the meantime, this site will be minimally maintained until further notice.

Part of what's driving me to create this other website is to create some guide online on violin playing basics, for those who are interested or those who are already playing to some degree. Also, I am creating some music accompaniment tracks with more contemporary sound for beginners to play along with. This won't be the simple I V I progression all the time.

So lots of new ideas floating around... but darn it there's lots of technical aspects to web 2.0 to learn!

*Well it may take a lot longer than I thought. But will keep you posted when it's available.

05/01/2007

As if the commuting to Seattle weren't crazy enough, I moved last week to another house in Southeast Portland, within walking distance to the Powell Butte Park Reserve. You will not find this on the top ten hotspots in any of those Portland magazines, and it's not "close-in", but it's a gem of an area. The neighborhood is residential in a park-like setting. One block away there is a hiking trail that takes you to the top of the butte. You get 360 degree views up there. My neighbor's three chickens are recipients of salad leftovers which I throw over the fence. There are deer and other wildlife that come around sometimes. My calico cat enjoys prowling outside, but our neighbor saw a coyote in their yard the other week...

04/04/2007

Teatro Zinzanni is a lot of fun, a place where you hang out with the contortionists, magician, trapeze and pole artists, the comedians, singers the band musicians, plus the behind-the-scenes staff. It makes for an interesting vibe.

This theatrical experience also gave a chance to play charts and improvise- something I never do in an orchestra setting. In one prominent violin piece, while Elena is dangling high above the circus tent in a hoop, I add my own riffs, trills, embellishments to heighten the mood.

I am in awe of the regular ZinZanni band members, all very accomplished. Luis, the drummer, performed with Dizzy Gillespie in the 60's.

One little tip for those interested in using a pickup on their acoustic violin:
It can pick up the noise of your left fingers, any buzzes, taps and subtle movements. Maybe it's just the particular pickup I have- although I love the tonal sound. Just before one show, the wire on my pickup decided to be finicky, creating panic for the music sound guys. Taping the wire to the violin body did solve the problem for the short-term.

In between the shows, I was called to sub at the last minute at Portland Opera's "The Flying Dutchman" by Wagner. I had one rehearsal, but at least we ran through the entire opera. There were three two-and-a-half hour performances with no intermission, with lots of double notes and tremelos (fast moving bows). Now I go back to Seattle.

03/03/2007

For a few months, starting in March, I trade in the concert stage for the elegant, turn-of-the-century circus tent. I trade in playing in an orchestra to playing with a five-piece band. My Whedbee violin with the Shadows Electronic pick up is ready to play. This Whedbee violin, by the way, is the one I used for my audition with the Oregon Symphony. Yes, I'll still read music, but some of it will be improvised too.
Where am I going? To Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle, to sub for my friend Tom. This is unlike any gig I've done. It's a show with acrobats, cabaret, magic, good laughs, music and a five-course meal. It's something you have to experience for yourself.

On that note, the New York Times (February 6, 2007) features Ted Atkatz, who traded in his principal percussion role with the Chicago Symphony last May to devote himself exclusively to his alternative rock band. I say, YEAH! You go, man! It's a gutsy move to leave one of the best paying orchestras in the world to follow his own path.

The link may still be available below:
"http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/06/arts/music/06ted.html?ref=music"

02/13/2007

A blog from Charles Noble, and the Oregonian, which sums up my feelings about the two fine Eugene Symphony musicians. My deepest sympathies to the families of Angela Svendsen and Kjersten Oquist.

To see Charles' blog, go to:
http://myauditions.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9196090323/m/6381059762
Online memorial space:
http://books.dreambook.com/nobleviola/main.html

To see the Oregonian blog:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/classicalmusic/2007/02/niel_deponte_was_the_first.html

11/13/2006

The violin sabbatical has been a real luxury, allowing me to be free, travel, soak in new ideas and let go of old beliefs. I have a new perspective on life. I'm still playing but my projects are more varied. Last week I was at Warner Brothers at a studio recording for "American Dad" in Los Angeles. The International Musician paper will be coming out with an article about studio recording musicians soon, since they visited the session and took pictures. This month, I'll do some opera work. Scott Routenberg has completed the fiddle concerto, but I need to look at the 2nd and 3rd movements. The treble violin may be inserted somewhere in the piece. So what next? I don't know but I am open to surprises!

08/04/2006

I would like to highlight in simple terms the life of an orchestra musician versus a freelance musician, based on my experience. Keep in mind I point out the positive aspects of each one. Playing in an orchestra does have its perks: You are paid a salary plus health and pension benefits. You play a regular stream of music and repertoire. There are satisfying musical performances throughout the season. Tenure position. As long as you are performing well, you could keep that job until you retire. The life of a freelance musician has its rewards too. It opens the door to new opportunities that would not be available otherwise. Variety. You never know when you will get called, and for what. You may work with many different people all the time. Flexibility. You can theoretically say yes or no to the jobs offered. Although as a freelance musician, it's better to say yes until you are more established. You can decide when you work or not. Networking is very important. You are in business for yourself. You need to tend to both your music artistry and business sense in order to have some success in the freelance world. Income can be more, sometimes a lot more, than a musician on a salary. Right now I'm starting the freelance cycle, and so far it's been refreshing. It is humbling to have to start back down on the totem pole while I re-establish a freelance presence.

04/24/2006

Now that the ipod video is out, I am looking to see if the Goldfinch music video can be made available on iTunes. If anyone has any suggestions on how to do this, let me know. Yes, I've applied for consideration through the Apple website. But I really don't know how responsive they are when it comes to independent artists, or independent labels.

03/29/2006

This is the first day I picked up the treble violin since last November. I've been experiencing what might be called a creativity block. What jazz? It's just a distant memory. What treble violin?

Finally, the block began to loosen when I took a week to housesit for a friend. Her place is within walking distance to a beach. There I walked for great lengths, enjoyed the weather, said hello and smiled to relaxed people roller blading, jogging, or walking by. I also recommend the book "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron.

It occurs to me that in a few months I will be on a sabbatical- free from the regular/irregular schedule of playing in a full-time symphony orchestra. The choice on how to spend my time, my energy and creativity is something I have wanted for a while now. There are some decisions to make. Should I move to a bigger city that has a variety of artistic and freelance opportunities? It is just a feeling that this change will feed the kind of personal growth that I'm searching for.

11/26/2005

It was a such a treat to meet Gregory Sedukh, treble violinist from St. Petersburg, Russia at the New Violin Family Conference. He picked up the treble violin maybe ten years ago and has found numerous pieces arranged for the instrument, which he plays wonderfully. I hope one day we will collaborate more, as we have many ideas. Recordings? Recitals?

Then, it was back to orchestra, where I promptly forgot about the treble violin, and prepared four challenging different programs in eight days, AND participated on the violin audition committee the same week. I've resigned to the fact that achieving a balanced life may not always be possible, but I can try to make it less stressful. I like going to a non-profit wellness center that lets me use the hot tub/jacuzzi and sauna by the half-hour. It helps relaxes an overworked bow arm.

05/18/2005

As I prepare for the Goldfinch concerto solo with the symphony, I am always amazed how much manevering I need to get around the fingerboard. In fourth position, half-steps become a pain in the .... This is where I spend much of my practice time. Also, after my solo, I sit back in the orchestra and perform the rest of the concert. To make the transition quicker I want to use the same bow for both treble violin and violin.
I hope that the the Schnitzer auditorium is favorable to high sounds. This will be the first opportunity to play in a hall that has over 2500 seats. That's a large space to fill for such a tiny acoustic instrument.

03/28/2005

On my first visit to Washington, DC, I went to National Public Radio studio on Friday for an interview with Robert Siegel, co-host on All Things Considered. Mr. Siegel actually came into the lobby to greet me- a pleasant surprise. It was great to match the voice to the face of these renowned personalities. We went into A4, a beautiful recording studio, and the largest one in DC. I brought both violin and treble violin to demonstrate the the differences between the two. Afterwards, we sat in the engineering booth during the live radio broadcast of All Things Considered. It must be an adrenaline rush to deliver news as it happens, because unexpected developments could require problem-solving on the spot.

I would like to promote the treble violin here and abroad, especially in Italy and France, where there is a rich history of violin making. Andrea Amati created violins as early as the 16th century. I wonder how the Europeans would react if I played this 20th century, American-founded treble violin?

For two days Matt and I walked everywhere we could in DC. We went to the National Museum of American History, the National Art Gallery, and took a Monument and Memorials tour. The Vietnam Memorial in particular moved me, seeing the notes and flowers people left behind. At night, we checked out Capitol Hill, and found neat restaurants, coffeeshops and bookstores in the Dupont Circle and Adams-Morgan area. Wear comfortable shoes. I walked out of of the National Air and Space Mueseum without shoes on, it felt so good to feel the pebbly sidewalk after a long day.

12/22/2004

Time to do maintenance work on the violins, now that a short winter break is here. I started replacing the strings on the treble, but the E string (which is one octave above a standard violin E string) made me nervous. I wore a safety google, and angled the violin away from me as I tightened the string. There is supposedly another company producing a treble violin E string made with titanium alloy. I will have to call Joe or Reggie from the Hutchins Consort to find out more.

11/17/2004

November is an especially busy month with six seperate symphony programs, chamber music at City Hall, and this treble violin music video release. One day it's British music of Elgar and Vaughn Williams, the next day, I'm playing 26549 offbeats while bellowing a tune in the Egyptian March (by which Strauss? I forget), and the next day, rock/classical crossover fusion. I missed one Big Band concert because of some terrible stomach flu; I'm glad I left the concert hall before the downbeat.
I'm looking forward to preparing for a treble violin concert..somehow.

08/05/2004

Does anyone remember an episode on "The Simpsons" that parodies Mary Poppins? I think there was a character named
Shary Bobbins . Alf Clausen, the music writer for that television show, came to conduct his music with the Mancini orchestra from that episode, among others. It's amazing to think about the quantity of original music Mr. Clausen has to compose in one week per episode. The hired studio musicians at Fox then sightread and perform that music perfectly for the recording. I would describe Alf as an approachable, very friendly man who has lots of fun stories to tell about the tv music business.

07/29/2004

Hello from the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles. We have been busy rehearsing for the upcoming concert featuring American film music, in addition other performing opportunities. There are so many fine people who come share their experiences here but I'd like to mention that today, for instance, David Newman, Charles Fox, Mark Isham and Patrick Williams conducted the orchestra in the morning and shared their experience about the music and the film music business. I received good advice from Jeremy Cohen, a fantastic violinist with an award-winning tango quartet. Lesa Terry, also a terrific jazz violinist, introduced us to Latin music. I would love to be part of a salsa or Latin band when I come back to Portland! So friendships are being formed, and many creative ideas are bubbling here.

04/01/2004

Yesterday Ed, the cameraman, Takafumi, the music video director and I reviewed the video film that took place over the weekend. It was great to relive what happened, because the day was a blur of activity. By the time the shooting wrapped up around 6:20pm, I was growing delirious from playing what must have been 30 takes without taking a lunch break. The sun peering through the fabulous Montgomery Park building by mid-afternoon cast a wonderous golden glow.
There were lots of good takes. Even the take where I rode up on the escalator while playing and nearly tripping getting off was okay.