Do I sound like a musical robot?

This is pretty cool....and fairly creepy.
Watch the videos and be amazed. And, afraid. Not perfect yet, but it will only get better.

Robots will soon have the ability to take our orchestral jobs AND sign the paychecks.

Toyota shows violin-playing robot - Yahoo! News

PASIC

PASIC starts Wednesday!

I'll be performing Wednesday around noon. I'm very excited about premiering In Search of Three Goddesses by Halim El-Dabh. The piece is fantastic and I think that it's a great addition to the timpani repertoire. It requires the performer to create number of interesting sound effects and also has some fast tuning changes. It's not easy, but it is beautifully written and very playable. I'm happy to report that Halim will be at the performance and will say a few words about the piece before I play.

It's been busy here because, in addition to learning the piece, I somehow managed to book myself with three orchestras this past week. I've done Firebird, Night on Bald Mountain, Egmont Overture, Symphonie Fantastique, Peer Gynt, Stokowski's arrangement of Tocatta and Fugue in D minor, etc, etc, etc.... Still, I've been able to put in a lot of time on the piece and the next few days will be full of timpani practice for me.

I'll post more details about the new work after PASIC, but for now, I've got to go practice. I hope to see you on Wednesday.

....OH, I got the Mozart book in (from the previous post). It is SPECTACULAR! More on that later.

The Best Book on Mozart - The New York Review of Books

The New York Review of Books has an excellent review of the new translation of Abert's W.A. Mozart. The review is a lengthy one, but since the book comes in at 1600 pages, not as long as it could have been.

I think I am going to have to order it right away. Despite all the great music out there, if I had to pick a favorite composer I would go with Mozart. He and I go way back. By the time I was in 10th grade I had two complete editions of his piano sonatas, a few piano concertos, a complete score to Don Giovanni, and all of his string quartets.

Those were just the scores of course. I had many more recordings. In fact, I spent a lot of afternoons playing viola along with my records of the Guarneri Quartet (yes, I did indeed play viola, but am now retired).

So, as you can imagine, I was pretty much the coolest guy in school....carrying around my viola case, my Vic Firth percussion case, and a complete score to Don Giovanni. Then, rushing home to work on the Piano Sonata in B-flat Major after telling everyone how excited I was about having tickets for the Atlanta Opera's production of Abduction from the Seraglio.

Yes sir, the coolest!!

Anyway, check out the link for the review.

The Best Book on Mozart - The New York Review of Books

MACKEY!!!

I am proud to announce the arrival of Mackey!


















She's 7 or 8 months old (that's the vet's best guess). She was abandoned and living on the streets until a rescue shelter in Little Rock took her in.

Mackey is super-fantastic and, luckily, gets along very well with the three cats already in residence at the Tyson Estate.

WNYC - Radio Lab

There is a show on the radio that I never miss. Of course, saying "on the radio" doesn't mean what it used to. In fact, I guess I should say I almost always miss this show on the radio, but thanks to the magic of the podcast I can always hear it (and listen to it again...and again).

One of my new favorite shows is called
Radio Lab. It's from WNYC in New York. It is kind of difficult to describe the show, so I'll just use the summary from prx.org.

"Radio Lab is an investigation. Each episode is a patchwork of people, sounds, stories and experiences centered around One Big Idea. On Radio Lab, science bumps into culture...information sounds like music."

or, from their website

"Radio Lab is designed for listeners who demand skepticism but appreciate wonder, who are curious about the world but who also want to be moved and surprised."

Check it out. The way the show is edited together can be sonically overwhelming or off-putting to some at first. Give it a chance. I think that it's (usually) quite brilliant.

Subscribe to the podcast over at itunes. It's free! The latest episode is about music. It is fascinating stuff.

Note: If you have a music degree or two, you may a few small quibbles with terminology and historical facts in the music episode. Don't let it bother you. The information about perfect pitch is really interesting and there's a computer that writes some pretty good Bach (although I'm less convinced by it's Chopin).


Radio Lab

King of Kong

I have not seen this movie. I will see this movie. I must see this movie!

King of Kong was recommended to me by my most trusted source. It is an independent film, so it may come and go from town to town rather quickly. If this movie is playing in your town, you should probably go see it tomorrow. If not, search for King of Kong on YouTube and watch a few clips. You will be amazed. Of course, maybe you should start with the trailer. Appropriately enough, the trailer prominently features "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (see last post).

Donkey Kong really is one of the all time greats. Back in my younger days I would spend a lot time at the arcade playing this game. A gas station near my house also had a machine. Were those quarters well spent? Some would say no, but I like to think I was forming neural pathways and developing my hand-eye coordination. The residual skills from jumping barrels and avoiding springs now allow me to play the marimba with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

I was pretty good, but not like these guys. These guys are absolutely crazy.

"What happens when a loser who needs to win faces a winner who refuses to lose?"

I've got to see this movie!

Edit: I had to get rid of the first clip I posted. I started automatically when the page loaded. I really hate that. Here's a different one that gives a nice overview of the game and some of the guys who are obsessed with it.

"it absolutely reeks of cow pies"

Here's a nice article about Edvard Grieg. It always seems strange to celebrate the anniversary of someone's death, but musicians just can't get enough of it.

I'm glad to see that Greig felt the same way about "In the Hall of the Mountain King" as I do....“something that I literally can’t stand to listen to because it absolutely reeks of cow pies, ultra-Norwegian-ness and trollish self-sufficiency.”

I think I would've liked that guy.

Here's the link.
Grieg Centenary - Music - New York Times

Also, the New York Times has called an end to the horrible idea known as "Times Select". Now NYT articles will not disappear into a pay site after a few days. Hooray!!!!

Mad Tambourine Skills

After reviewing the recording I am happy to report that there were plenty of great close-ups of Chris Lamb and his fellow percussionists on the Live from Lincoln Center broadcast Tuesday night. It was kind of strange to hear a complete performance of Carnival Overture. I'm afraid I've become used to fast-forwarding through the piece (to teach or practice the excerpts) and I didn't relize how long it had been since I had actually heard it from beginning to end.

By the way, I am now more convinced than ever that Chris Lamb is a robot....a musical robot. Just like that kid (Harry) in Spellbound. (I mean that in a good way for both Chris and Harry)

If you didn't see it, you should find someone who might have a copy. It is worth watching. The concert, that is. But, Spellbound is definitely worth watching, too.

A nice way to spend a Tuesday evening

Liana and I headed into Little Rock on Tuesday night to see Wilco. They were at Robinson Center Music Hall, where I had just played the Arkansas Symphony concert this past weekend.

If you had been me, this is how Wilco would have looked to you.


Or maybe like this...

What I can't get close to on the blog is a description of how incredible they sounded. They played for about two hours and proved to me that a band can sound absolutely great live. I think the key is having great musicians who understand how to play as an ensemble. that's not as common as it should be, unfortunately.

At 30 bucks a ticket (plus outrageous Ticketmaster fees), it has to be one of the best concert values out there today. The whole group was astounding, but as a percussionist it was a special treat to hear and see Glenn Kotche play live. Head over to Wilco World to check them out.

Jean-Jacques Perrey will make you happy

Have you ever been in the Magic Kingdom after dark? If so, you've probably heard the work of Jean-Jacques Perrey.

But there's more! So Much MORE! So head over to the website and click away. Be his friend on MySpace, watch YouTube videos of concert performances, look at the pictures, and listen to an mp3 of Baroque Hoedown (which was chosen by Disney for the theme song of the Main Street Electrical Parade). The site is a little confusing...but it's a lot of fun.

(The site is also going to be quite loud if your speakers are all the way up, so check your volume level NOW.)

Heads Up!

There are a couple of programs on PBS that you might want to mark on your calendars, set your VCR for, or Tivo.


I just caught the last ten minutes of Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends. It's part of the PBS American Masters series. I'll be recording the whole program on a repeat showing after midnight. It looks to be on the schedule for Tuesday as well (At least on Hi-Def PBS).

I've been lucky enough to see Tony Bennett twice. The first time was at Chastain Park in Atlanta with the ASO. That was probably in 1989 0r 1990 (just before his "comeback" really took off). My friend Myron and I got there in time to see the first half of the concert, which consisted of some of the usual summer pops light classics. Tony Bennett finally took the stage just as the sky opened up. He told the audience that the orchestra had been great in rehearsal but that he had too much respect for them and their instruments to ask them to stay out in the rain. He sent them home and said that he and his trio would finish the show.

The rain got worse and the majority of the audience left. Myron and I stayed. Hearing Tony Bennett was too important for us to be chased away by a little rain. After another song, Tony stopped and scanned what was left of the audience. He could have packed it in and headed back to his hotel. Instead, he yelled out to the audience, "You guys are so great to stay here for me in this rain...I'm gonna sing 'til the sun comes out!"

and you know what ?

He did!

Just a few years ago I saw him again at Symphony Hall in Boston. Although it had been almost fifteen years since I had last seen him live, he sounded better than before. Better than ever. No kidding.

He really is an amazing musician and an amazing person. So, check out that American Masters if you can.

Also on Tuesday night is the live PBS broadcast of the New York Philharmonic's opening concert. It's an all Dvorak program which includes Yo-Yo Ma playing the Cello Concerto. And with any luck, we'll get some good footage of Mr. Lamb and friends on Carnival Overture. Those of you with tambourines might want to play along at home.

Here are some links for more information.

American Masters . Tony Bennett | PBS

Live From Lincoln Center | PBS

26 letters in the shape of a Ring

Wagner's Ring is so complicated, convoluted and confusing that it never hurts to look at it from as many angles as possible. The Guardian gives you an alphabetical summary of the work. The list even includes xylophone (although xylophone fans may be disappointed with the results). I think it was just a dodge to avoid the most obvious "X" entry for Wagner....Xenophobia. Still, plenty of useful information (with a touch of humor) may be found by following the link below.

Joe Queenan provides an A-Z of Wagner's Ring

ASO Season Opener

I'll be performing on a great program with the Arkansas Symphony this weekend. We'll be playing Capriccio Espagnol, Fountains of Rome, and Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 2 (Age of Anxiety). Misha Dichter will be the piano soloist for the Bernstein.

So come on out and hear a few percussion excerpts as well as the Bernstein. I'm pretty excited about the symphony. I've loved Age of Anxiety since my undergrad days. It's rarely performed, though, and it looks like the first time I'll hear it live I'm going to be a little distracted by counting rests and playing the xylophone. I'm sure it will still be an amazing experience.

Check out the Arkansas Symphony website for more information.

Music gets a 6.8

6.8?

Actually, that sounds about right.

Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8 | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

blaketyson.com

blaketyson.com has undergone extensive remodeling. It was a long time coming, but the website has finally entered the 21st century. If you haven't already seen it, please do go and have a look. There you will find recordings of Vertical River and the trees are quiet, as well as the latest news and plenty of embarrassing pictures.

I am also going to start selling my compositions through the site. Right now the only piece that is available is my new work for solo marimba, A cricket sang and set the sun. Sometime in October you will be able to find my work for solo marimba with 3 percussionists called Cloud Forest. After that, I'll get more new pieces up as fast as possible. So, stop by the store and pick up that marimba solo you've been dreaming of for so long.

Music quiz

John Parks has thrown down the gauntlet. I accept his challenge and present my answers to Soho the Dog's latest music quiz. Please forgive my multiple answers to some of the questions. It is sometimes difficult to choose just one.

1. What's the best quotation of a piece of music within another piece of music?
For folk songs in classical works....
"Frère Jacques" in Mahler 1 is pretty wonderful. That's hard to remember after the 378th time you've heard the piece, but think back to when you were just a wee lad or lass. Wasn't it great?

Petrushka has a number of quotes, but, if remember correctly from when I looked it up back in 1988, the name of the song in the 1st Tableau is "She Had a Wooden Leg". It's very cool how it is worked in and out of the "crowd music".

With other classical works being quoted, let's go with...
Shostakovich's 15th Symphony. Rossini in the first movement, Wagner in the last, and a lot of others floating around (or at least close calls with others).

2. Name the best classical crossover album ever made.
The Juliet Letters by Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet. Sure, you can go on and on about how it's derivative (what isn't?) or simplistic, or you may describe it (as one reviewer did) as "Post-Eleanor Rigby Schubert". That's your loss. Oh, and if you try to tell me that Elvis Costello isn't one of our greatest singers, songwriters, musicians, interpreter of songs, etc....well, it's pistols at sunrise!

3. Great piece with a terrible title.
As a percussionist, I deal with these every day. Too many to name.

4. If you had to choose: Benjamin Britten or Michael Tippett?
Benjamin Britten.

5. Who's your favorite spouse of a composer/performer? (Besides your own.)
Well, the right thing to say here would be Clara Schumann. Then I would go on and on about how under appreciated she was/is and how, in another place and time, she would be recognized as the great she truly was. Or, I could jump on the new train leaving the station which is trying to do the same for Anna Magdalena. (Did she write those cello suites????)

All well deserved, but, I'll mix things up a little bit and answer Luciano Berio, husband of Cathy Berberian (for a while at least).

6. Terrible piece with a great title.
I plead the Fifth. I'll take John's approach. Great piece with a great title?....Banana Dumptruck by Steven Mackey.

7. What's the best use of a classical warhorse in a Hollywood movie?
From the opening, where F. Murray Abraham describes the single oboe note hanging in air (frorm the Gran Partita) to the "Requiem Montage" at the end, the use of many of Mozart's warhorses (if you can call them that) is spectacularly done in Amadeus.

But, really, can you beat the exhilaration you feel while watching Die Hard? The "Ode to Joy" never fails!

8. Name the worst classical crossover album ever made.
Kiri Sings Gershwin is the sentimental favorite for this question, but lets not forget Michael Bolton's opera arias

9. If you had to choose: Sam Cooke or Marvin Gaye?
Marvin Gaye. "Mercy, Mercy Me" would win this for him, even if he never recorded another thing. Luckily, he did.
Nothing against Sam Cooke, though. He's great, too.

10. Name a creative type in a non-musical medium who would have been a great composer.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Vincent Van Gogh, Martha Graham

I'll skip the extra credit.

These questions (and a great music blog) can be found at http://sohothedog.blogspot.com

Skull-A-Day

Wow! This is a great idea. Check back everyday for a new skull.
Skull-A-Day

Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle - The Story

Sing Faster: The Stagehands' Ring Cycle

I watched Sing Faster last night. It's been around for a while, but I only recently found out about it. If you want to see a lot of opera, this isn't the movie for you. If you want to get a taste of what happens backstage (and on stage) during rehearsals and performances then you should check it out. Also, the stagehands have a great way of explaining the complex story of The Ring so that anyone can understand it (sort of). Despite all the hi-tech "Mission Control" aspects of the production, it still takes a lot of people moving a lot of wood, metal and foam from here to there. It's amazing that things go as well as they do. Well, except the smoke. It seems that no one can control the smoke.

You probably won't find it at your local video store, but if you have Netflix, click here to add it to your queue.

Welcome, Foolish Mortals, to DOOMBUGGIES.COM

A number of years ago I became quite an expert on Disney animation and theme parks. I read everything I could get my hands on and I still have a lot of beautiful books about the animators, the comic book artists and the theme parks. I also have a pretty nice collection of antique Disney toys and comics.

Due to the "real world" encroaching on me I have been neglecting my "Disneyological" studies lately. I have spent a lot of time on this site, though. It really is an amazing behind the scenes look at The Haunted Mansion. It covers both the original one at Disneyland as well as the ones at the other parks.

If you've ever experienced the ride, you know how incredible it is. It was 1976 the first time I rode through the mansion in a Doom Buggy. I was 6 years old and was thoroughly impressed. I was a little freaked out in the "stretching room" but my mom assured my that no harm would come to me. After that I was able to relax an enjoy it.

If you've never riden it, you should probably get on a plane right now. If you have ridden it, I think you'll really love DoomBuggies.com! Check it out.

Welcome, Foolish Mortals, to DOOMBUGGIES.COM

Mstislav Rostropovich, Cellist and Conductor, Dies - New York Times

Mstislav Rostropovich, Cellist and Conductor, Dies - New York Times

Exciting news.... I think......I hope

I hope they can find the magic again. They have a long way to go to make up for the second (direct to video) Spinal Tap movie. I am cautiously optimistic.

Spinal Tap to reform for Live Earth | News | Guardian Unlimited Music

All in the mind

An interesting article about performing from memory.

I agree that it often has as many disadvantages (maybe more) as it has advantages. This article also offers a brief history of the custom of memorization

As a percussionist who usually plays without accompaniment, I face the problem of having my hands full with no rests available to turn pages. In pieces like Mackey's See Ya Thursday (rests for page turns are built in to the piece) or Druckman's Reflections on the Nature of Water (separate movements that require no turns) it is possible to read the score, but in a piece like Ewazen's Northern Lights there is nowhere to turn a page without breaking the mood of the piece.

Flat panel displays may soon change this for all of us. They offer the ability to scroll music by or to do page turns with a foot pedal. They can even be designed to "listen" to what you are playing and turn the pages at a predetermined spot.

All in the mind | Classical and opera | Guardian Unlimited Music

We need to revive the lost art of composition, says Stephen Hough | Classical and opera | Guardian Unlimited Music

A great article by Stephen Hough on the importance of at least trying to compose.

Just remember that the first thing you write will probably not be very good. Things will get better if you keep trying. I have plenty of embarrassing compositions hidden away (some very recent) and a few decent ones that I don't hide. Some would say that all of my compositions are embarrassing. They are, of course, entitled to their opinion. I learned something from all of them, though.

We need to revive the lost art of composition, says Stephen Hough | Classical and opera | Guardian Unlimited Music

Amazing!!!!

These percussionists are really letting Orff have it....Old School!