Jason Heath's Double Bass Blog » music news

Ringing Cellphone Disrupts New York Philharmonic Performance | Fox News

Jason — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:43:24 +0000

Ringing Cellphone Disrupts New York Philharmonic Performance | Fox News.

Dubstep’s Breakout Year in One Infographic

Jason — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:00:05 +0000

Dubstep’s Breakout Year in One Infographic.

Trent Reznor – Digg Dialogg

Jason — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:00:38 +0000

This is from a few years ago, but if you haven’t checked it out before and have any interest in Trent Reznor (one of the most brilliant musicians active today, in my opinion) or have any interest in electronic/industrial music, it’s a must-see:

Theaster Gates & the Black Monks of Mississippi

Jason — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:00:34 +0000

I’ve been quite interested in Theaster Gates and Dorchester Projects ever since reading about it in the local Chicago press this year. Theaster is a sculptor, urban planner, and musician who is based on the South Side of Chicago just south of my neighborhood of Hyde Park. If you haven’t heard of it, I’d highly recommend checking out Dorchester Projects, which is Gates’ initiative at spawning a cultural renaissance in the Grand Crossing neighborhood of Chicago.

I find Dorchester Projects to be a really interesting and bold attempt to revitalize an economically distressed neighborhood of South Side Chicago. Their Tumblr blog is filled with photos of the structure and videos featuring the musical offerings at Dorchester Projects, including the articulate and charming Ayana Contreras spinning old soul records (if you happen to visit her site on an iPhone, or even better, an iPad, you’ll see a beautifully formatted site from Ayana–the iPad-formatted version is ridiculously cool). Check out this New York Times feature on Dorchester Projects for more background on the project.

Musically speaking, Gates has worked in a group called the Black Monks of Mississippi, which combines chanting, jazz, blues, and spoken word in what I find to be an interesting musical mixture. Check out a collaboration between the Black Monks of Mississippi and a group of Dutch monks. This multinational group rehearsed for three days (documented in the following video) and then performed at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.

How guitars really resonate

Jason — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:00:40 +0000

Here’s a cool article as well as some accompanying BBC photos in which lasers are used to show how soundboards really resonate on a guitar. Cool stuff via audiogeekzine.

New York City Opera to leave Lincoln Center

Jason — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:01:48 +0000

This came across my desk last week–I didn’t get to it until now, but it is of likely interest to a contingent of readers:

Associated Musicians of Greater New York

MEDIA ADVISORY
For Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Contacts: Augustino Gagliardi / K.C.Boyle
Local 802, AFM
212 – 245 – 4802
TGagliardi@local802afm.org
KBoyle@local802afm.org

Musicians and Performers of the New York City Opera to hold press conference protesting Opera’s plan to leave Lincoln Center

Opera artists’ gathering will immediately precede press conference to be held by Opera management advocating move from Lincoln Center

NEW YORK, NY—July 11 2011: Musicians and singers of the New York City Opera will conduct a press conference tomorrow, Tuesday, July 12th at 12:00 p.m. outside the Guggenheim Museum on the NW corner of 5th Avenue and 88th Street. The press conference will assail the decision of George Steel, the Opera’s General Manager and Artistic Director, to leave Lincoln Center, the opera’s home since 1966.

The singers and musicians will appear in formal wear (tuxedoes and gowns) normally worn during performances. The Opera’s chorus also will participate. New York City Opera orchestra musicians will perform an operatic piece at the protest.

George Steel’s decision to relocate the Opera will adversely impact audience members who have enjoyed attending world-class performances at a venue that has magnified the beauty of opera for more than 50 years. The move from Lincoln Center also may signal a potentially drastic reduction in the number of performances conducted by the Opera, a move that would cheat audiences as well as severely jeopardize the incomes of opera artists.

For more information and to sign a petition supporting New York City Opera Orchestra musicians in their fight to stay at Lincoln Center, please visit www.SaveNYCO.org.

Jason — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:00:45 +0000

Wow–I forgot how cool future-posting is. Just gotta sit down and remember to do it. The beauty of the school year wrapping up…

This sounds interesting:

Dear Jason,

I am writing to tell you about a little orchestral project that I am involved with in Toronto and which I thought might interest you.

With so much doom and gloom surrounding the world of symphonic music here in North America, a group of musicians, supporters and I thought that perhaps it was time for some radical action. So, we are in the process of creating euphonia, an orchestral ensemble that will explore every aspect of how we interpret and perform music, relate to our audience and appear on stage.

Our first performance is not until November 18th of this year, and we are hoping that between now and then our ideas might stir up some lively and productive discussion.

Please visit www.euphonia.ca for more information. Our vision statement can be found at http://www.euphonia.ca/vision/

If you have any questions or would like to chat about what we are attempting, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Very best wishes,

Simon

www.simoncapet.com
www.euphonia.ca

John D. Kendall: August 30, 1917 – January 6, 2011

Jason — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Not a bass pedagogue, but one of the most influential American string teachers of the 20th century:

John Kendall, 93, violin pedagogue known for his role in introducing the Suzuki method of music education in the United States, died at Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on January 6. Kendall’s health had been in decline after he suffered a mild stroke in November 2010.

In 1958, Kendall and several other American violin teachers saw a film of 750 small Japanese children, students of Shinichi Suzuki, playing the Bach Concerto for two violins. Impressed and curious, Kendall applied for and received a grant to spend three months in Japan observing Suzuki and his young violin students.Upon his return to the U.S., he laid the groundwork for implementation of the Suzuki method, publishing the first English-language edition of the method books and helping to organize a 1964 concert tour by Japanese Suzuki students.

A memorial service is planned for April 23 at 2 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Donations in his memory may be made to Nature Preserve Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 843, Edwardsville, Illinois 62025; or to
Suzuki Association of the Americas, memo to “John and Catherine Kendall Memorial Teacher Development Fund,” P.O. Box 17310, Boulder, CO 80308.

more news from ASTA

Jason — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

ASTA String Curriculum: Ready for Prime Time

The American String Teachers Association proudly announces the release of the ASTA String Curriculum, Standards, Goals, and Learning Sequences for Essential Skills and Knowledge in K-12 String Programs.

This K-12 teaching curriculum debuts at the national conference, March 16-19, in Kansas City, Missouri. ASTA’s publishing partner, Alfred Publishing, will sell this valuable book for just $49.99 at their exhibit hall booth.

According to Mary Wagner, one of its authors, “It is a great sequential teaching guide that lists strategies and assessments. A terrific tool for any teacher!”

Breaking it down even further, the book provides a scope and sequence, specific teaching strategies, curricular guidelines, and establishes performance benchmarks, with a focus on studio and school string programs.

ASTA sincerely thanks the books authors who worked tirelessly to produce this landmark publication: Stephen J. Benham, Mary L. Wagner, Jane Linn Aten, Judith P. Evans, Denese Odegaard, and Julie Lyonn Lieberman.
Step-by-Step Guide for Increasing Access to Strings Program
A step-by-step guide to creating after-school music programs is now available on ASTA’s website. The Increasing Access to Strings program was made possible by a generous grant from NAMM. The guide was developed by ASTA and written by Stephen Benham, Ph.D. and based on successful programs from around the country. Click here for guide.

String Research Journal

The much anticipated String Research Journal (SRJ) is now available to members on ASTA’s website. As many of you know, after Michael Allen became critically ill, John Geringer graciously stepped forward and completed the journal. The SRJ is an annual publication and soon may be purchased from Alfred Publishing for $19.99. In the meantime, ASTA members in good standing may click here to download this scholarly research journal.

ASTA Green Paper Published

ASTA’s “Future of Strings” green paper is now published in a new online music education journal, Leading Notes. The green paper appears in its February “State of the Profession” issue. Click here for link.

YouTube Symphony

Jason — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 12:00:00 +0000

From last week:

Members of YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 Announced Today

101 musicians from more than 30 countries will perform for a global audience at Sydney Opera House in March, 2011

YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 is a partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Sydney Symphony, and other leading institutions of the classical music world. Presented by Hyundai.

(NEW YORK, NY – January 11, 2011) — YouTube today announced the 101 musicians who have been selected to form YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 at Sydney Opera House. The announcement was made after a global audition held online at YouTube.com/Symphony. The winning musicians will be flown to Sydney for a week of rehearsals and concerts from March 14-20, 2011, with a final performance on March 20 that will be live-streamed around the world.

The 97 members of YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 come from more than 30 countries, and range in age from 14 to 49 years old. They include amateur and professional musicians, students and teachers, and include some who have never set foot outside their home country. In addition, four soloists have been selected to perform an improvisation to a piece composed specifically for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by American composer Mason Bates. Invited to audition on the instrument of their choice, the selected soloists performed on electric guitar (Brazil), violin (USA), the guzheng (China), and electric double bass (Australia). For more information on the orchestra members and soloists, visit YouTube.com/Symphony.

“The applicants for this year’s YouTube Symphony Orchestra have been truly outstanding,” noted Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductor and Artistic Advisor. “It has been inspiring to listen to such excellent music-making by people from all over the world, and to see the great reaction from the online community to the auditions. I am looking forward to getting together with everybody in March and creating a fine orchestra.”

After an online audition period on YouTube last fall, a panel of experts selected more than 300 finalists from 46 countries based on skill and technique. Nine orchestras around the world participated in the judging, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, and Sydney Symphony. During a week of online voting in December, the YouTube user community gave their input on the finalists. Online votes were then taken into consideration by Michael Tilson Thomas in selecting the final orchestra.

In March, 2011, the musicians will be flown to the iconic setting of Sydney Opera House to participate in a week-long classical music summit with Grammy Award-winning conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and leading performers in the field, culminating in a final performance on March 20, 2011, which will be live-streamed on YouTube. The YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 focuses on celebrating musical education, offering online master classes with orchestras around the world and classes for Australian musicians during the summit week.

YouTube Symphony Orchestra is one of several collaborative efforts by YouTube to push the boundaries of music, art, and film. Along with the film project Life in a Day, and YouTube Play, a collaboration with the Guggenheim Museum, YouTube Symphony Orchestra is an example of the convergence of online video with more traditional art forms.

About YouTube
YouTube is the world’s largest online video community, allowing millions of people to discover, watch, and share original videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original-content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, California, and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

US Winners, by location
Scottsdale, AZ; Irvine, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Palo Alto, CA; San Francisco, CA; Denver, CO; New Haven, CT; Boca Raton, FL; Miami, FL; Naples, FL; Orlando, FL; Evanston, IL; Bloomington, IN; Ann Arbor, MI; New York, NY; Rochester, NY; Oberlin, OH; Cleveland, OH; Mingo Junction, OH; Wayne, PA; Austin, TX; Sugar Land, TX; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; San Antonio, TX; Woodinville, WA; Spokane, WA; Milwaukee, WI. Bayamon, Puerto Rico

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT

YouTube
Abbi Tatton
press@youtube.com

Louise Barder
21C Media Group
lbarder@21cmediagroup.com