Tag Archives: chamber music
Art and Wallpaper, Part 3: Why Wallpaper Is Not Art
As I was saying, that beautiful wallpaper … does it evoke a heart response? By looking at our three tenets of creating art (link here), it should become obvious why wallpaper is not art. Wallpaper does not engage with any of these— it is not specific in its emotional conveyance, it is purposefully unclear in […]
Art and Wallpaper, Part 2: The Three Tenets of Creating Art
In my previous article, we addressed the notion of what art is—it is a fundamental piece of the human condition that connects two or more people in a shared emotional state. An artist is the person who creates the thing (painting, dance, musical performance, creative writing, etc.) that transports the audience member into a similar […]
Worth the Exposure
Later today I’ll be heading to Las Vegas with Phoenix Chamber Brass to perform at the Western U.S. Horn Symposium at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas. While spending a couple days (and probably more than a few dollars) in Vegas will be fun, it got me thinking about a regular topic for our group (and […]
What Music Looks Like / Phoenix Chamber Brass
Okay… so this is a bit of a selfish plug. These videos were just finished up, so I wanted to pass at least one of them around. My brass quintet, Phoenix Chamber Brass, is in the process of completing an application for the American Voices American Music Abroad Project. If we are selected we will […]
What Music Looks Like: Brooklyn Rider
Brooklyn Rider is a NY-based string quartet that has been (as NPR put it), “recreating the 300-year-old form of string quartet as a vital and creative 21st-century ensemble.” Their concerts blend traditional string quartet repertoire with brand new music that is created from a myriad of influences. By being as committed to creating new and relevant […]
Building a Residency: The Proposal (Part 2)
A couple weeks ago we talked about thinking big when it comes to residency programs. Next let’s talk about next steps. Now that we’ve found our dream home, we have to go about moving in. When I first began working on the proposal for PCB’s residency I hesitated and faltered—a lot. I was scared of […]
Building a Residency (Part 1)
Over this first year of PCB’s current history, there have been many obstacles to overcome. Two that seemed to crop up constantly were the problem of time and space. I’m not referring to some sci-fi version of time and space. We needed time to rehearse, and we needed to find space to rehearse in. This […]
Commissioning Project: Build Your Own Repertoire
Just over a year ago, when PCB was still just a gleam in my eye, I had an idea. It stemmed from my desire to really advance the brass quintet in its micro-genre and in the macro-genre of chamber music. What I noticed about other groups in the chamber music world was that composers were […]
Are Your Relevant?
(That is, is there anyone at your concert?) One of the several blogs I keep up with is The Rest Is Noise, from the New Yorker’s music critic, Alex Ross. He really has his finger on the pulse of classical music in the modern age. There is rarely an event worth noting that makes it […]
What Music Looks Like / African Suite
Heard this on NPR the other day and found it enchanting. Andrew York’s Mbira (from the African Suite) played by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.
Long Tones: The Pursuit of a Life in Music 