QUADRE Queries
One of things that fascinates me is how we interpret our world. It seems that there as many perspectives as people on the planet. There are certainly tastemakers that influence our views, but by in large, I feel we each have a source of worldly insight that is unique given our upbringing, milieu, and experience.
For this reason, asking questions about the horn and music seem like a great opportunity to see some of those perspectives come to light. One of the pages on our ensemble's website is dedicated to these questions and answers. It is our QUADRE Queries page. For a laugh check it out here. And I pose a challenge to each of you - think of a question you'd like some perspective on and ask ten people independently. At the very least, it should provide a sense of connection between you and these ten individuals. At the most, you'll gain insights into your character and theirs. Good luck!
Composing for the Masses
Success is in the eye of the beholder. We live in a world where one hit wonders abound. Where the latest and greatest artists on the pop circuit today, may be a distant memory tomorrow. With these high peaks and deep valleys, how does a modern day "classical" composer function?
My first thought as one of those aforementioned composers is to just compose whatever comes to mind and disregard the establishment. However, I think that if one takes this approach a lot of opportunities can be missed. For example, a local brass quintet may want or better yet, need, a new piece for their concert. Do you turn down the work based on the fact that you're in the thick of constructing your requiem?
On the other hand, I think that bowing continually to societal pressures and composing what you think people will want is a recipe for artistic failure as well. While the monetary rewards may be great, I think taking such an approach can prevent the composer from finding their voice and establishing their style.
I think there can be a wonderful compromise in the middle that doesn't impinge upon a composer's aesthetics and allows them to be flexible to their artistic climate. What do I speak of? Why, the village bard of course!
These qualities seem central to the village bard's repertoire:
1. Finding the connections between their art and the community
2. Free expression of their thoughts and feelings
3. Learning to move on if the present crowd isn't into their style
The world has become so large, why not simplify it by bringing back the village bard. I'm all for it. Let the strings be strum.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Artists in Today's World and Momentum
Artists in Today's World
Check out this article forwarded by Derek Sivers of CD Baby. Fabulous piece about independent artists in today's world. Click here to read all about it.
Momentum
On Friday May 11, I spoke on a panel for the arts in Mountain View. The panel was brought together by Leadership Mountain View and moderated by Patricia Cheng, a local pianist. My hat is off to the great artists and arts organizations we have here in Mountain View. Participants on the panel included Scott Whisler, Executive Director of the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts; Jeffry Walker, Executive Director of the Community School of Music and Arts; Karen Simpson, Executive Director of Peninsula Youth Theatre; Phil Santora, Manager Director for TheatreWorks and Laura Deem, a local visual artist.
I found the discussions and ideas raised from the panel very illuminating. Questions like how are the arts relevant to our community, what would be an ideal future for the arts, and what does it take to create an atmosphere of creativity were raised. We even started a dialogue about the formation of a Mountain View Art Collective. We'll see how that develops.
In addition to the panel in the morning, each Leadership Mountain View (LMV) student chose a local non profit arts organization (either PYT, TheatreWorks, Quadre, or CSMA) to research. In the afternoon, the LMV students went over to Freestyle Academy where they worked with those students to create a public service announcement (PSA) based on the question, "Why is X organization important to Mountain View?".
I got a chance to hear and see the Quadre PSA done by LMV and Freestyle students in the afternoon. (Thanks to Sharlene Gee for getting it.) It went like this: "Caltrain's not the only horn in Mountain View... QUADRE - The Voice of Four Horns." Very clever.
There is an audio clip that goes with the slogan. Be sure to check it out by clicking here.
Check out this article forwarded by Derek Sivers of CD Baby. Fabulous piece about independent artists in today's world. Click here to read all about it.
Momentum
On Friday May 11, I spoke on a panel for the arts in Mountain View. The panel was brought together by Leadership Mountain View and moderated by Patricia Cheng, a local pianist. My hat is off to the great artists and arts organizations we have here in Mountain View. Participants on the panel included Scott Whisler, Executive Director of the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts; Jeffry Walker, Executive Director of the Community School of Music and Arts; Karen Simpson, Executive Director of Peninsula Youth Theatre; Phil Santora, Manager Director for TheatreWorks and Laura Deem, a local visual artist.
I found the discussions and ideas raised from the panel very illuminating. Questions like how are the arts relevant to our community, what would be an ideal future for the arts, and what does it take to create an atmosphere of creativity were raised. We even started a dialogue about the formation of a Mountain View Art Collective. We'll see how that develops.
In addition to the panel in the morning, each Leadership Mountain View (LMV) student chose a local non profit arts organization (either PYT, TheatreWorks, Quadre, or CSMA) to research. In the afternoon, the LMV students went over to Freestyle Academy where they worked with those students to create a public service announcement (PSA) based on the question, "Why is X organization important to Mountain View?".
I got a chance to hear and see the Quadre PSA done by LMV and Freestyle students in the afternoon. (Thanks to Sharlene Gee for getting it.) It went like this: "Caltrain's not the only horn in Mountain View... QUADRE - The Voice of Four Horns." Very clever.
There is an audio clip that goes with the slogan. Be sure to check it out by clicking here.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Will virtual sounds replace live music?
Last weekend I received an email from a student at Los Altos High School asking me for my thoughts on "digital music." He was trying to figure out if live music will be replaced by virtual sounds. What follows is a copy of the letter on the subject. By the way, this is certainly a great topic to utilize the comments feature on this blog. Hint, hint. :-)
VIRTUAL LETTER ON VIRTUAL MUSIC
(Written by Daniel Wood to a HS student in Los Altos, CA)
Glad you're taking this topic on. A great many people in the American Federation of Musicians have been talking about this for years. However, some of the recent advancements in technology have created an environment with disturbing trends. Synthesizers have reduced the numbers of musicians in Broadway pit orchestras. Musician unions, under pressure, reduced the minimum number of musicians required for services. Samples of live musicians utilized in notated programs such as Sibelius and Notion now offer the ability to tap a tempo with real-time playback thus allowing one person to literally tap an entire score.
For more information
1. Call the SF Musicians' Union (415)575-0777. Ask them for more resources on this topic.
2. Investigate the software NOTION online. There are higher end products out there that can do the same things with much more realistic results. However, this will give you a feel for it. Scroll down to hear Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker using this software.
QUESTIONS ABOUT DIGITAL MUSIC
Q) Do you believe that digital music can replace an orchestral sound?
A) I feel that, ultimately, digital music can get incredibly close to replicating an orchestral sound. If samples using live musicians are used, it can be very convincing. I heard a score at the beginning of April that sounded very realistic. It was a trailer for a movie. The composer was in Utah and was pitching the idea to a producer in Los Angeles. He did it in one night. It wasn't quite right, but very close. Enough to get the job.
The one thing that digital music will take a long time to do is interpret the same performance differently. Variety is a quality that some of us hold very dear. It will be a while yet until digital music not only replicates the sound accurately, but interprets the music in the myriad of ways that live musicians do.
That said, digital music is already replacing orchestral sounds on albums for rock, country, r&b, classical, jazz, soul, etc. If the audience isn't discerning or doesn't care, it is hard to justify the extra expense of hiring an entire orchestra for a studio session or tour.
Q) Do you think the increase in use of digital music has made it harder for you to find employment as a musician?
A) My focus is on solo performances and chamber music. I have never relied on studio work, musical theater, symphonic work, opera or ballet as a means of income. Also, I utilize digital music technology in my solo shows a great deal, so for me, I've actually seen more opportunities emerge as a live musician with the advancements.
That said, I have noticed trends in the employment for my peers and colleagues. The hardest hit has been studio work. When a visual component serves as the dominant medium of an art form, then all other aspects - such as audio - become secondary. This can also be said for modern-day musical theater.
While there has been a reduction in services and size of the ensemble from time to time for symphonic, opera and ballet work, I do not believe that digital music has been the primary cause for this trend. While opera and ballet do have a strong visual component, I think that since these arts forms are more traditional and fine art in nature the music gets equal footing.
Q) What kinds of new things has digital music enabled to you to do in the creation of music?
A) Live looping. Playing with an accompaniment. Ability to hear ones composition in a way that somewhat reflects how it will ultimately sound. Effects - reverb, delay, distortion, etc.
VIRTUAL LETTER ON VIRTUAL MUSIC
(Written by Daniel Wood to a HS student in Los Altos, CA)
Glad you're taking this topic on. A great many people in the American Federation of Musicians have been talking about this for years. However, some of the recent advancements in technology have created an environment with disturbing trends. Synthesizers have reduced the numbers of musicians in Broadway pit orchestras. Musician unions, under pressure, reduced the minimum number of musicians required for services. Samples of live musicians utilized in notated programs such as Sibelius and Notion now offer the ability to tap a tempo with real-time playback thus allowing one person to literally tap an entire score.
For more information
1. Call the SF Musicians' Union (415)575-0777. Ask them for more resources on this topic.
2. Investigate the software NOTION online. There are higher end products out there that can do the same things with much more realistic results. However, this will give you a feel for it. Scroll down to hear Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker using this software.
QUESTIONS ABOUT DIGITAL MUSIC
Q) Do you believe that digital music can replace an orchestral sound?
A) I feel that, ultimately, digital music can get incredibly close to replicating an orchestral sound. If samples using live musicians are used, it can be very convincing. I heard a score at the beginning of April that sounded very realistic. It was a trailer for a movie. The composer was in Utah and was pitching the idea to a producer in Los Angeles. He did it in one night. It wasn't quite right, but very close. Enough to get the job.
The one thing that digital music will take a long time to do is interpret the same performance differently. Variety is a quality that some of us hold very dear. It will be a while yet until digital music not only replicates the sound accurately, but interprets the music in the myriad of ways that live musicians do.
That said, digital music is already replacing orchestral sounds on albums for rock, country, r&b, classical, jazz, soul, etc. If the audience isn't discerning or doesn't care, it is hard to justify the extra expense of hiring an entire orchestra for a studio session or tour.
Q) Do you think the increase in use of digital music has made it harder for you to find employment as a musician?
A) My focus is on solo performances and chamber music. I have never relied on studio work, musical theater, symphonic work, opera or ballet as a means of income. Also, I utilize digital music technology in my solo shows a great deal, so for me, I've actually seen more opportunities emerge as a live musician with the advancements.
That said, I have noticed trends in the employment for my peers and colleagues. The hardest hit has been studio work. When a visual component serves as the dominant medium of an art form, then all other aspects - such as audio - become secondary. This can also be said for modern-day musical theater.
While there has been a reduction in services and size of the ensemble from time to time for symphonic, opera and ballet work, I do not believe that digital music has been the primary cause for this trend. While opera and ballet do have a strong visual component, I think that since these arts forms are more traditional and fine art in nature the music gets equal footing.
Q) What kinds of new things has digital music enabled to you to do in the creation of music?
A) Live looping. Playing with an accompaniment. Ability to hear ones composition in a way that somewhat reflects how it will ultimately sound. Effects - reverb, delay, distortion, etc.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Grant us this Day our Daily Nuggets
Ah, life in the fast lane. I can tell we are all getting ready to wrap up the spring and head into Summer. The season of barbecues, shorts, and swimming. It is also the season of grants. A time to take a break from the business of the year and prepare for the next. So in preparation for the season, here are a couple of nuggets I learned about the grant-making process after attending the Arts Council Silicon Valley's panel review for their Community Arts Fund.
IMAGE
How you look is so important!! People size you and your organization up first by what they see. The other four senses rarely get the first swing at the bat. So, always have lots of photos (color preferably), video, and text that is easy to summarize from a first glance. Time is such a commodity these days, so it is critical for a company and especially an arts organization that presents musical (audio-driven) performances to display a clean and consistent look that speaks to the organization's quality, mission, and passion. In our YouTube world, the people that evaluate you–reviewers, colleagues, and the general audience–need to see the most compelling visuals possible so that they can break from their routine and pay attention.
EVALUATION AND SURVEYS
"To be a good non-profit, you should embrace your mission passionately and reach your constituents effectively. To be a great non-profit, you should do the same and have the documentation to back it up." I'd say we're right in between. And after seeing the panel at the Arts Council Silicon Valley meeting stress the documentation that was or wasn't provided from each applicant, I realize that this piece of the puzzle is critical to folks that can't be there on the front lines to observe all the good that is happening. After visual aids, this is the second highest item on the totem pole for the uninitiated. Whether it be surveys, first-hand accounts, or reviews, an outside observer needs to weigh in to provide creditability to a project. After all, it makes sense. Think about the last time you saw a movie. You caught an ad on TV, saw a billboard, or watched a preview in the theater. All visual stimuli. You may have read a review in the paper or had a friend tell you how great it was. Both are reviews (documentation). Then you decided to see the movie. I'll bet that 9 times out of 10 these are the two primary reasons we are motivated to go to a theater. Things like subject matter and skill are important, but I think visuals and reviews set the stage. If the visuals and positive reviews aren't there, it is going to be a huge challenge for the subject matter or skill to overcome the first impression.
IMAGE
How you look is so important!! People size you and your organization up first by what they see. The other four senses rarely get the first swing at the bat. So, always have lots of photos (color preferably), video, and text that is easy to summarize from a first glance. Time is such a commodity these days, so it is critical for a company and especially an arts organization that presents musical (audio-driven) performances to display a clean and consistent look that speaks to the organization's quality, mission, and passion. In our YouTube world, the people that evaluate you–reviewers, colleagues, and the general audience–need to see the most compelling visuals possible so that they can break from their routine and pay attention.
EVALUATION AND SURVEYS
"To be a good non-profit, you should embrace your mission passionately and reach your constituents effectively. To be a great non-profit, you should do the same and have the documentation to back it up." I'd say we're right in between. And after seeing the panel at the Arts Council Silicon Valley meeting stress the documentation that was or wasn't provided from each applicant, I realize that this piece of the puzzle is critical to folks that can't be there on the front lines to observe all the good that is happening. After visual aids, this is the second highest item on the totem pole for the uninitiated. Whether it be surveys, first-hand accounts, or reviews, an outside observer needs to weigh in to provide creditability to a project. After all, it makes sense. Think about the last time you saw a movie. You caught an ad on TV, saw a billboard, or watched a preview in the theater. All visual stimuli. You may have read a review in the paper or had a friend tell you how great it was. Both are reviews (documentation). Then you decided to see the movie. I'll bet that 9 times out of 10 these are the two primary reasons we are motivated to go to a theater. Things like subject matter and skill are important, but I think visuals and reviews set the stage. If the visuals and positive reviews aren't there, it is going to be a huge challenge for the subject matter or skill to overcome the first impression.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Systems and Language
Occasionally I muse about curious things. At least, I think they're curious. For example, why do fences matter to some and not others? Or, who was the first person to say "by jove?" This week my thoughts fell upon systems and language.
SYSTEMS
I've become a big believer in systems. Should you take a stroll by the QUADRE office, you'll notice that my fervor is born out. Major things have binders. To be a major thing, you have to belong to either sales, grants, or general admin. Each binder has a to-do list so I can keep track of everything. And each item on the to-do lists have a priority and ease number associated with it. A 1 priority is urgent, 5 not so. A 1 ease of use is simple while 5 is hard and complicated. Dates are attached to everything as well.
There is also a Macro To-Do List to keep track of the big things that need to be done over the course of the year. This includes conference, major grant and advertising deadlines as well as event details that recur every year. Since every to-do item is associated with something, there are also files to store this information. The files include jobs (past, current, and proposed); marketing; contacts; clients; grants; fundraising; publishing; non-profit governance; resources; and my personal favorite, miscellaneous.
With limited time every week in the office (got to continue to make a living doing other things for the time being), I make sure to tackle all the lists regularly and consistently. As much as I would love to do all the easy things first, the hard stuff is usually what makes the difference in the long run.
LANGUAGE
I find language to be such a tricky thing. Being as sarcastic as I am, I know I don't help matters. However, with email, phone, and text messaging being so prevalent today, it is so important to be clear in our language to convey accurately what we mean. In my case, I know that I have emailed every member of QUADRE at some point and-in my zeal to express myself completely-have managed to convey the opposite from what I mean.
Why? Because words are tricky. They can be interpreted two or more different ways half the time. For example, let's take the common phrase, "See you later." Do I mean that I will actually see you in the future? And how soon will it be? If I just mean "see" in a figurative sense, how will the communication continue instead? Also, what tone was used? Did I say it with a happy spring to my step or as a depressed and tormented artist? If you type it, one never knows.
To add to the confusion, I suffer from what some of my friends call "Daniel-isms." simply put, I use words that very few other people use or that don't exist at all. Two recent examples that I'm trying to coax out of my vocabulary include "irregardless" and "gals." My colleagues have fun with them and thank goodness they know me. The rest of the public at large, however, probably just think I have a screw or two loose. In turn, when I talk or type to this population, I end up being interpreted incorrectly or get written off as a dodo. Ah, what to do.
So, the moral (or as I used to say, morality) of it all is, speak and type like Ernest Hemingway. Keep it simple. Have a great day. Enjoy your week. Try to use "gal" in a sentence. Cheers.
SYSTEMS
I've become a big believer in systems. Should you take a stroll by the QUADRE office, you'll notice that my fervor is born out. Major things have binders. To be a major thing, you have to belong to either sales, grants, or general admin. Each binder has a to-do list so I can keep track of everything. And each item on the to-do lists have a priority and ease number associated with it. A 1 priority is urgent, 5 not so. A 1 ease of use is simple while 5 is hard and complicated. Dates are attached to everything as well.
There is also a Macro To-Do List to keep track of the big things that need to be done over the course of the year. This includes conference, major grant and advertising deadlines as well as event details that recur every year. Since every to-do item is associated with something, there are also files to store this information. The files include jobs (past, current, and proposed); marketing; contacts; clients; grants; fundraising; publishing; non-profit governance; resources; and my personal favorite, miscellaneous.
With limited time every week in the office (got to continue to make a living doing other things for the time being), I make sure to tackle all the lists regularly and consistently. As much as I would love to do all the easy things first, the hard stuff is usually what makes the difference in the long run.
LANGUAGE
I find language to be such a tricky thing. Being as sarcastic as I am, I know I don't help matters. However, with email, phone, and text messaging being so prevalent today, it is so important to be clear in our language to convey accurately what we mean. In my case, I know that I have emailed every member of QUADRE at some point and-in my zeal to express myself completely-have managed to convey the opposite from what I mean.
Why? Because words are tricky. They can be interpreted two or more different ways half the time. For example, let's take the common phrase, "See you later." Do I mean that I will actually see you in the future? And how soon will it be? If I just mean "see" in a figurative sense, how will the communication continue instead? Also, what tone was used? Did I say it with a happy spring to my step or as a depressed and tormented artist? If you type it, one never knows.
To add to the confusion, I suffer from what some of my friends call "Daniel-isms." simply put, I use words that very few other people use or that don't exist at all. Two recent examples that I'm trying to coax out of my vocabulary include "irregardless" and "gals." My colleagues have fun with them and thank goodness they know me. The rest of the public at large, however, probably just think I have a screw or two loose. In turn, when I talk or type to this population, I end up being interpreted incorrectly or get written off as a dodo. Ah, what to do.
So, the moral (or as I used to say, morality) of it all is, speak and type like Ernest Hemingway. Keep it simple. Have a great day. Enjoy your week. Try to use "gal" in a sentence. Cheers.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
By Hook and By Crook, By Bell and Buy Book
This week's focus revolves around two interesting issues that look seemingly unrelated, but have more in common than we care to think. The issues revolve around how philanthropy can change a community for the better while at the same time our society's value-to constantly achieve and want more-blinds us to these positive changes. So I give you a book and a bell.
HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
Another wonderful reference from our volunteer, Sharlene Gee, this text speaks to how donors, boards, and nonprofit organizations can transform communities. Written by Kay Sprinkel Grace and Alan L. Wendroff, you can learn more about the book and order your copy by clicking here.
BELL CHIMES IN DC
Mat Croft, one of QUADRE's artists for those not in the know, sent me the following article from the Washington Post. The paper tried an experiment. What if you took one of the world's greatest violinists, Joshua Bell, and had him play for spare change, incognito, outside a bustling Metro stop in Washington DC on a multimillion-dollar Stradivarius. Would anyone notice?
Click here for this fascinating read complete with hidden camera footage of what took place. It is a truly amazing and telling snapshot of contemporary American life. My hat is off to the wonderful writer of this article, Gene Weingarten.
HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
Another wonderful reference from our volunteer, Sharlene Gee, this text speaks to how donors, boards, and nonprofit organizations can transform communities. Written by Kay Sprinkel Grace and Alan L. Wendroff, you can learn more about the book and order your copy by clicking here.
BELL CHIMES IN DC
Mat Croft, one of QUADRE's artists for those not in the know, sent me the following article from the Washington Post. The paper tried an experiment. What if you took one of the world's greatest violinists, Joshua Bell, and had him play for spare change, incognito, outside a bustling Metro stop in Washington DC on a multimillion-dollar Stradivarius. Would anyone notice?
Click here for this fascinating read complete with hidden camera footage of what took place. It is a truly amazing and telling snapshot of contemporary American life. My hat is off to the wonderful writer of this article, Gene Weingarten.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Money, money, money, MONNN-EEEEY
This week's focus revolves around money and how it can make our local economies go round and round. The following articles could be applied to anything. Sharlene Gee, one of our stellar volunteers, is to thank for coming across these gems. Enjoy.
And in related news, last Tuesday marked the first congressional hearing on federal arts funding in a dozen years. YEAH!! Took them long enough! Artists and arts advocates got to explain why the National Endowment for the Arts funding should be returned to its 1994 level of $176 million, up from this year's $124 million. Thanks to Mat for passing that on.
LEAKY BUCKET
Written by Bernie Ward and Julie Lewis, "Plugging the Leaks - Making the most of every pound (dollar) that enters your local economy" explains in an easy to understand way how keeping your money in your community makes a huge impact. From QUADRE's perspective, this means encouraging our audience members to dine locally and forging relationships with local vendors whether it be a printer, music store, or restaurant. It also means educating our clients like schools, corporations, and performing arts venues the local economic benefit of employing a music group based in Mountain View. This same strategy applies to each community that each of the artists and board members live in - Saratoga, Foster City, Chicago, Sioux Falls, etc. To read the book, click here: Plugging the Leaks.(pp. 9, 15-16, 22)
MULTIPLIER EFFECT
The second book speaks to how far money can go when spent in the local economy. I'd tell you more, but the link for the text is down right now. Hopefully, by the time you read this, it will work. Go here for more information: Multiplier Effect.(pp. 12-18)
And in related news, last Tuesday marked the first congressional hearing on federal arts funding in a dozen years. YEAH!! Took them long enough! Artists and arts advocates got to explain why the National Endowment for the Arts funding should be returned to its 1994 level of $176 million, up from this year's $124 million. Thanks to Mat for passing that on.
LEAKY BUCKET
Written by Bernie Ward and Julie Lewis, "Plugging the Leaks - Making the most of every pound (dollar) that enters your local economy" explains in an easy to understand way how keeping your money in your community makes a huge impact. From QUADRE's perspective, this means encouraging our audience members to dine locally and forging relationships with local vendors whether it be a printer, music store, or restaurant. It also means educating our clients like schools, corporations, and performing arts venues the local economic benefit of employing a music group based in Mountain View. This same strategy applies to each community that each of the artists and board members live in - Saratoga, Foster City, Chicago, Sioux Falls, etc. To read the book, click here: Plugging the Leaks.(pp. 9, 15-16, 22)
MULTIPLIER EFFECT
The second book speaks to how far money can go when spent in the local economy. I'd tell you more, but the link for the text is down right now. Hopefully, by the time you read this, it will work. Go here for more information: Multiplier Effect.(pp. 12-18)
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