Orchestra Hero?
Will there ever be an Orchestra Hero (aka Guitar Hero/Rock Band)? Would that be cool? Lame? Food for thought from the Michael Gordon of The New York Times:
What is the hottest thing in music right now? A pair of video games ? Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Anyone can play. The games allow you to become a member of the band. Each game offers a range of pop music hits on game controllers that look and feel like guitars and drums. What makes these video games so much more impressive than “air guitar” is that through the use of something called the instrument game controller the player actually experiences the visceral feeling of performing music. You can even improve if you practice.
So, why not Orchestra Hero? What if I could “play” the horn solo in “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks” on a “controller horn” or the bassoon solo at the opening of “The Rite of Spring” on a “controller bassoon”? What if I could bang out the timpani part in the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony or the clarinet solo at the beginning of “Rhapsody in Blue”? What if I could stand in front of the entire orchestra and conduct Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, or sit in the brass section for a rendition of Janá?ek’s “Sinfonietta”? The possibilities are astounding.
Read the complete post here.
Caricature – Donovan Stokes
Here’s a video from former Contrabass Conversations guest Donovan Stokes:
Sofdu, Sofdu, Godi – Donovan Stokes
Here’s a video from former Contrabass Conversations guest Donovan Stokes:
Register now for the Chicago Bass Festival!
Registration for the 2010 Chicago Bass Festival (Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010 from 9:30 am – 5 pm) just opened up. You can register here or through any page on the Chicago Bass Festival website. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how much this event will rock–it’s a veritable powerhouse of bass clinician talent from the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera, the Chicago jazz scene, and faculty members of our major university program. Register now and I’ll see you there!
By the way, I’m the guy with the spreadsheet figuring out what session goes in what room at what time, so expect many updates on the specifics of sessions over the coming weeks, but rest assured that there’s be something for every area of interest and experience level. Looking to land that next spot in the Boston Symphony? This is the place to be. In middle school and having fun learning the bass? This is also the place to be. You get the idea.
Prajnaparamita Hridayam (2009) – Donovan Stokes
Here’s a video from former Contrabass Conversations guest Donovan Stokes:
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