Musical Cheer

            It is that time of the year, tis the season to be jolly, my favorite time of the year. Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year, as every song suggests. The best part about Christmas, the music. There isn’t one thought that runs through my head without music, no matter the time of year, but around this season, my thoughts are jollier, if you will.

I’m guessing that as soon as someone thinks of Christmas, their favorite carol or jazzed up version of it popped up in their heads. It’s inevitable, at some point in every human’s life a Christmas song has gotten stuck in their head. What makes a simple song about a reindeer so catchy? Any other song about, say, a squirrel with a glowing tail would just be weird. If you truly think about it, what is so significant about a reindeer born with a birthmark? It’s the simple, elementary, style of the song that we are taught as young children that just sticks with us.

All Christmas songs are taught at a young age, that’s what makes them so dang catchy. Every time the radio plays a rendition of simple songs such as Rudolf or Jingle Bells we can’t help but start humming along. We are all guilty, hell, even I can’t help but sing along to Sleigh Ride. It’s also what makes this time of the year so wonderful. The only time of the year where everyone gets along and truly cares for each other.

Christmas songs bring the best out of each and every one of us. Simple melodies bring flashbacks of simpler times, of times where you thought the world was perfect, of the times before you knew all the corruption and destruction the human race can bring. Essentially, Christmas is a time to repair relationships and build new ones. All this could not be achieved without the help of the cheerful music in the background.  

Remember that the cheer of the season is up to you, the music is only a kick start. I hope that your days may be merry and bright, may you have yourself a very merry, little Christmas. 

Tenor Madness?

            Tenor. A simple word that has many different meanings: a vocal tenor, a clef, a range, a tenor sax. The latter is the most interesting to me. Saxophone is my specialty and I recently got the privilege of learning how to play tenor saxophone.

            You might be thinking, aren't all saxophones the same? You couldn't be more wrong. Every saxophone has a different personality that a non-saxophone player wouldn't understand. Each sax is like a person; no two are alike, each has a unique personality which a player has to figure out. The saxophone is an interesting object, you have to caress it and learn to love it or face the consequences.

            I normally play the baritone saxophone in jazz band and alto sax in concert band. Both these intricate machines have different sounds, tones, personalities. The bari is the low humming engine of a roaring Hummer, it always gets the job done. The alto is the high intoxicating sound of a Lamborghini, the more interesting and, in its own way, beautiful sound. Coming from the same family, these two machines could not be more different.

            And then there’s the tenor, the Challenger, not quite a tank but not quite a sports car. A beautiful machine that has the sweet purr that runs through your body, but also, a sense of power. I have gotten addicted to this wonder, tenor madness if you will. No, not tenor madness, but might as well be.

            Tenor is fun, it’s like nothing I’ve ever played. Last night, the first time I ever played a tenor sax, I realized why there are so many more tenor sax players known than any other sax. For example, to name a few: Ernie Watts, Joe Lovano, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt. And that’s just the few off the top of my head. Tenor madness must truly be real. I've caught a virus that is all consuming, I can’t wait to let it take over, that is, if it hasn't already.

            I caught this bug all due to my church. This coming Sunday I am involved in a musical, if that’s truly the word for it. This virus overcame me when I was asked to improvise, without chord progressions I would later find out, and the instrumentation called for a b-flat instrument. I don’t own a tenor, (hard to get addicted to it then huh). I was planning to just play alto until I was offered a tenor to borrow for this one occasion.

            Instantly I took up this opportunity, as I have wanted to play a tenor for a while. The question is then raised, did tenor madness reach me before I had even touched the brass keys of a tenor? In any case, I currently have a bad case of tenor madness. I am figuring out how to play and sound good all for a silly children’s program at my church. This one time, I could not be more happy about the opportunity given to me.

            Perhaps this tenor madness could lead me to an award winning album, (I highly doubt it but go big or go home, right?) In all honesty this epidemic will most likely lead to further studies in saxophone. Maybe this is how all great musicians get their start, by playing at their churches. Only time will reveal the truth.

            

How do you DO that?

            Explaining music, how to play certain instruments, pitches, those wired dots, etc., can be a difficult task to anyone who hasn't touched a sheet of music. There are many factors that are involved in music that people may not realize. The simple concept of a major chord becomes difficult to explain.

            For many musicians, such as myself, the concepts come easy. When asked, “How do you do that?” is there any other answer than simply, “I just do.” Music is a hard concept to completely understand. To master an instrument or style, it may take years of practice and constant work to sound decent. Personally, I have spent the last 6 years of my life trying to master the saxophone. I have spent countless hours sitting in my room pushing myself to the limits. There are times when I have difficulty understanding a topic, such as the blues.These amazing musicians will be able to explain jazz better than I could: Ernie Watts,  Joe Lovano , Gerry Mulligan. 

            Over the weekend I was asked, “What is that you are chewing on?” I was at a gig over the weekend and I was getting ready, as usual, someone behind me asked this question. I turned around and said, in probably not the most respectful tone, “This is a reed. It’s what makes the sound.” I felt kind of bad afterwards because I realized my tone; I had spoken to that person in a condescending manner, like she was just supposed to know. It comes back to the main question, how am I supposed to explain something that seems so obvious to me? It’s hard to dumb something down when I have always been told, “This is the way it is and you will do it that way.” Is there a way where I can give a legitimate answer without sounding like a complete jerk? The answer, no. When it comes to music I just know the concepts and know what I can do to achieve my purpose.

When a complete stranger asks me, “How do you do that?” all I can say is, “Practice.” I can’t explain to them specifically how I do what I do because it would take 6 years to explain. I don’t mean to sound like a jerk but there are some musical concepts that I can't explain well enough. My lesson teacher once told me, "Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong." My best advice for those asking this question, pick up an instrument and try it for yourself. 

68th Annual

The 68th Annual All-State Music Festival was one of the best in the history of the festival. Alright, I might be a little biased, for I was one of the top baritone saxophones in the state. This experience will never be forgotten in my memory. For better or for worse, it is stuck with me until the day I die. 

My adventure of All-State started with one of the most stressful auditions I have ever had. I usually don’t get nervous for auditions but for some reason, I was this time. I was standing outside my audition room feeling my heartbeat throughout my whole body. For some reason, unknown by me, I could not calm down. The fact that nerves got to me might have contributed to the failure that was my audition. To make it worse, the cellos went over their planned time which made me wait even longer, which, in turn, made my nervousness grow. By the time it was my turn to go into that torture chamber, I had become so nervous that I could hardly stand. It was a bad situation and the storm of nerves was heard through my instrument. It was not one of my best auditions but I survived. When I was finished with my audition, I had about an hour to wait until I received the chair placement; that hour felt like an hour of impending doom. Finally, I look up at the clock, the hour I had despised; it was time for the results. I walk into the room first, the judges look at me and quickly glance away, not good. At that moment I knew I had not made the chair I desired. They handed out little red cards, this card was the color of my blood and as I read the number on the card, the room began to spin. 4. Not good. One chair too low, no, 4 chairs too low. 

I walked out of that room into the smiling faces of my friends. They could tell by the look on my face that I was upset. They tried to comfort me and help me accept my position. Try as they might, I was still disappointed with myself and I wouldn’t accept my fate until later on that night. I started to realize that being the fourth out of sixth bari player in Iowa wasn’t that bad at dinner. There isn’t a better restaurant to bring my hopes up than Hickory Park. Hickory Park is, without a doubt, the best restaurant in Ames. When my food was finally brought out, all my worries and stress went away. I was happy and I accepted my chair placement after two hours.  

Auditions were only the first part of the adventure I took part in, I had two whole days that I was going to play in the best band in Iowa! The start of the second day at Iowa State would bring back the self disappointment, but it would quickly be washed away. When I got to Hilton Collesuem and found my seat, in the very back, we warmed up and I finally met the person who I was stuck with for the next two days, the director. His name is Dr. Andrew Mast. He is an intersting person; he uses many analogies to explain how a part of the music is supposed to sound. My favorite was, “That tympani line should sound like orc drums getting ready for the battle.” It was a great way to describe a sound to copy. Most of the comments he made were confusing to other people; not me though, I take from Lynne Hart and have to be able to decipher strange analogies. One of the wierdest analogies he told us was something about a hamster ball and how the song is supposed to, somehow, make an impression like that. Can you tell it was a fun weekend? I enjoyed being part of Dr. Mast’s band and was glad I had that learning experience. 

Apart from the intersting director, the music was some of the best I have heard produced by high schoolers. Going from the Kennedy Wind Smphony to the All-State Band was mind blowing. The best part about it was that every section knew their music, every single one! There wasn’t a weak link, everyone there wanted to play and were good at it. From the first note, to the last, I was never disappointed or annoyed. Every section sounded amazing. At the concert, I looked up at the audience and saw total engagement. Our set was interesting and we were good enough to pull it off. I loved the experience at the end of the whole stadium standing on their feet and clapping, not out of pity, but because it was just that good. I can only hope that the 68th All-State Band was able to inspire and bring enjoyment. 

The All-State experience was wonderful, I learned about myself, about where I was in the ranking of bari players in the state, about what a band should sound like. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. I can’t wait to go back next year!

                               

      

Madness

Madness. A feeling I experience and question whether or not I am truly mad. The song Madness by Muse is a song that is interesting at the same time that it describes my personality. 

This techno/hip-hop song has many different moving parts and a driving beat that make it appealing. To me, the slow start gives the climax a stronger effect. By starting out with a strong beat and a quiet entrance, there is more to build upon than if it was a sudden loud start. At the beginnings of songs I like quiet starts or low sneaking entrances; just like in Madness when the driving beat starts. I also like the mixture of techno bass with the electric guitar and sweet tones of the singer. 

Overall, there is a nice balance between new sounds with nice vocals to back it up. I like how Muse put together this song and the overall effect of the driving tones and strong harmonies.

http://youtu.be/Ek0SgwWmF9w

Rooms of Music

There are many different kinds of music: music that is soft and soothing, music that fills your soul with joy, and music that gets you excited. To me, music influences my actions. Without music I would not be able to function. 

I don’t have any one genre that pumps me up or makes me happy. I listen to all different kinds of music and it all depends upon which room I am in. For example, if I am alone and just trying to relax, I usually listen to jazz or some slow soundtracks, if I am in the weight room lifting, I tend to listen to rock or country. It depends upon the activity that I am doing as to what music I’m in the mood for. 

When I work out, I tend to listen to rock or music with a hard beat. It gives me more power when I hear the strong chords of an electric guitar rather than the soothing tones of a sax. Rock music makes me push harder than I would without music or any other kind of music. I’m not sure whether it is the beat of the drums, the hard bass, the rhythmic changes in the guitar, or the compelling voice of the singer that makes me feel this, but something in my mind changes whenever rock is turned on. There really is no other reason as to why rock has this affect on me. As soon as Thunderstruck by ACDC is turned on, the electricity flows through my veins, I feel more excited than I usually do. If rock music isn’t on when I work out, I feel as if I didn’t work as hard, as long, as much as I could have with it on. 

On the opposite side, jazz usually makes me feel more relaxed and mellow. If I need to unwind from the day, I can turn on the awesome beats of jazz players such as: Gerry Mulligan, Charles Mingus, Joe Lovano, Ernie Watts, Etienne Charles, Art Pepper, etc. The list goes on forever. That is what I love about jazz; each player brings a different element to the field, a different sound and style that no one can copy. When I listen to jazz I always hear something new: a new idea, a new technique, a new rhythm. Unlike another kind of music, jazz cannot be copied by another person. There can be new ideas and different styles of the same piece, but there are not two jazz players that are alike. If you look at other genres, the style and sound can be copied by a computer, but no machine can insert a human element into jazz. Jazz is, and always will be, the last of the genres that is truly soulful, that is played from the heart. That is why I love to relax to jazz, every piece is played with passion. 

Through music, my personality has changed, through music I am able to change my mood, through music I am able to create my mood. Music is the best tool for relaxing and for getting excited. Each person just has to know what each style of music does to them in order for music to be used for different situations. 

Band Teeter-Totter

Playing in an ensemble is harder than the musicians in penguin suits make it look. To be a successful and good sounding band/group, there has to be a balance of the vibrations of every different instrument. If one section thinks they are heroes and plays too loud, then the rest of the band will sound insignificant. The band is like a teeter-totter; without a counter balance, it wouldn’t be fun, and without balance between the sections the band wouldn’t be entertaining. 

I have to deal with this careful equilibrium every day in band, just as any other good musician would do. I am constantly listening to the people around me and fitting into their sound and balance of the band. The best balance that a band could achieve is more on the lower end and less on the higher end. That means that the low brass, such as tuba and trombone, have to play out more to achieve an amazing balance. It also means that the other sections have to listen to the lower instruments to fit into this texture. The whole point of an ensemble is not to make yourself sound good, but to make others sound better. Without careful balance, a song will be too heavy in one instrument; to the audience, if the trumpets play louder than the other sections—which is more rather than less—the other sections would sound small and like they aren’t even playing. Sadly, the Kennedy Wind Symphony has troubles figuring out what the correct balance is. Even though I, and my section, listen and fit our sound with the band, it doesn’t help if another section doesn’t listen. Band is probably one of the biggest team activities that I know. If one person plays the wrong note, or is too loud at a certain time, then the whole song has a negative effect on the listeners. 

Generally, in the Kennedy Wind Symphony, the section that usually sticks out is the trumpets. I don’t know what it is about the trumpets that makes them think that they are better than any other section but I think that is part of the problem. Because they think they are better than everyone else, they might think that they should be allowed to play as loud as they want, whenever they want. That is what makes the wind symphony sound bad; the trumpets don’t want to accept that there are other players in the band. What makes it even worse, is that the trumpets don’t have the best sound so when they do play out it drops the whole band a couple of levels. If the trumpets were good I wouldn’t be as upset when they play out when they shouldn’t. 

The key to a great band or small ensemble is balance; without it, bands would not sound as full or effective. Without balance the teeter-totter would merely be a stick lying on the ground. I always try my best to make the band teeter-totter fun and enjoyable, I just wish the rest of the band would see this and jump on.