by Kenneth Woods | Jun 8, 2007 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts
Excerpted from Marth Graham, “I am a dancer” …I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each it is the performance of a...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 8, 2007 | A view from the podium, News and Reviews
UCPOMING CONCERT Lancashire Chamber Orchestra 7:30 PM Saturday 16 June, 2007 Altrincham Grammar School for Girls Cavendish Road, Altrincham Copland- Quiet City (trumpet solo by John Bush) Shostakovich- Piano Concerto no 1 (soloist Ivan Hovorun, by kind permission of...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 7, 2007 | A view from the podium
I’ve long been a big fan of Pliable’s blog, On an Overgrown Path, but I was saddened to read his post today- “How Green Was My Concert?” Pliable asks if “shouldn’t we be more concerned about the greenhouse gases that are produced by a season like the 2007 BBC...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 7, 2007 | A view from the podium
One of the most common questions I get both from audience members and fellow performers alike is “I just don’t get so-and-so’s music, what am I missing?” I think that is a great question, regardless of the composer, whereas hearing “I don’t like so-and-so’s music” is...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 3, 2007 | A view from the podium
1. My teacher told me to do it that way 2. I heard it that way on a recording 3. I like it that way Just thought I would underline the point…. See previous post for more detailed discussion…....
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 3, 2007 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts
Guiding principal- The more selflessly a performer follows the written instructions of the composer, the more personal their performance becomes. The more subjective their approach to what’s on the page, the more generic their performance tends to sound. This...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 2, 2007 | A view from the podium, Music and Media
I’ve been rather saddened and even a little baffled in the lead up to the 150th anniversary of Edward Elgar’s birth to come across statement after statement to the effect that, even today, the jury is still out on Elgar’s significance as a composer. With all due...
by Kenneth Woods | Jun 1, 2007 | A view from the podium, Music and Media
Here’s a nice follow-up/comment from David Sabler’s blog about his recent article on the Oregon East Symphony. There’s also this and this from Oboinsight. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised how many folks have responded to the Haydn thread. Hopefully this means real...
by Kenneth Woods | May 30, 2007 | A view from the podium
Margaret…. How can you not love Margaret, even when she makes you crazy? A woman of so many talents, even she can’t keep track of them. Mortal enemy of deadlines everywhere. Creative and sophisticated graphic artist- she does most of our posters and brochures....
by Kenneth Woods | May 29, 2007 | A view from the podium, Favorite posts, Haydn
I think I’m falling in love…. Strangely, the object of my affection is a dead Austrian who is one of the most misunderstood figures in music history. Boring, stuffy, old fashioned, a relic from music history class, dry, academic, fussy and even quaint- he’s been...
by Kenneth Woods | May 29, 2007 | A view from the podium, Music and Media, Nuts and bolts, Performing Life
Think of the pianist and the piano….. I never thought I could be too sympathetic to instrumentalists who never have to worry about intonation.:) Deep down, most string players think pianists have it pretty easy in life, even if they do play a lot more notes than we...
by Kenneth Woods | May 28, 2007 | A view from the podium
From the Oregonian- “At 38, Woods looks like a younger, dark-haired William Hurt, only not as depressed.” Not as depressed? Not as depressed?!?!?!? Tell me who looks less depressed….?...
by Kenneth Woods | May 28, 2007 | A view from the podium, Music and Media, Performing Life
Well nothing gets your inbox hopping like having your picture on the font page of the Sunday edition of the state-wide paper. The Oregonian ran a huge feature article by their senior music critic, David Stabler, on the Oregon East Symphony’s performance of Mahler 1...
by Kenneth Woods | May 25, 2007 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts
Here is an interesting email exchange with a young conductor (not “quasi” that I can tell) in the Philippines. I love this aspect of the internet. Offered here, typos corrected where found (mostly mine as my message was written in great haste), for...
by Kenneth Woods | May 25, 2007 | A view from the podium, Performing Life
Thanks to YouTube’s clever linking system, I’ve just come across a nice blog post about my clip of the first movement of Prokofiev 5 with the State of Mexico Symphony over at Downbeat TV. This is from the blog of an 18 year-old trumpet player in Arizona (he goes by...
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