Youths discouraged by Co-op classical music!!

The front page of our local paper yesterday made me laugh so much, I HAD to write about it
The Headline was "Yobs discouraged by Co-op classic music".
It read: "Classical music is helping fight crime across the city. A series of speakers have been placed outside the Co-op playing classical music, this is to discourage gangs of youngsters from hanging around outside the store".
"The blasts of Beethoven have proved so unpopular with the gangs that they have moved on. The music is controlled by staff who can adjust the volume to deter youths who gather outside".
Not quite sure how I should be feeling about this, but it is funny.
Well, Beethoven's famous quote was " They'll learn to like it one day".

Ancient and Modern

Apparently the most downloaded thing on "You Tube" at the moment, is "The Zimmers".
The documentary was on this week, about the making of a record by senior citizens, some previously in care homes, and some who hadn't left their homes for years.

The video of the song they recorded is worth watching on "You Tube", very moving.
It reminded me of a fantastic project I did for the Stables theatre a few years ago. I worked with two choirs separately, a first school choir, and a senior citizens choir. They both worked on the same fun repertoire but rehearsed at different times.
Each member of the choirs had a pen pal in the other group, and each time I attended rehearsals I took letters to and from the pen pals.
The two groups didn't meet until the concert, and the adults had taken Easter eggs for the children.
It was a most memorable day musically and emotionally, and it was such a shame the whole process wasn't recorded. I would love to do it again (with Sizzling songz this time).
We called the project Ancient and Modern.

Watch "The Zimmers" www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqfFrCUrEbY

How about this?

I have been reading a very interesting book about resting (!).
Today's section was particularly good, it started with this quote:
"For rest time, I play Japanese flute for at least an hour a day. The practice I use, is to play one sound which brings my full attention to each note. I do this rather than cruising through a melody (Ahh! long note practise).
"The music I play comes out of the forests of Japan. The instrument is my friend, we lose ourselves in each other"
The book goes on to say "For many, music is a language that connects beneath words, deep in the body and heart. For centuries people have used hymns, chants and sacred melodies to attune their souls."
I have to say I do feel a compulsion both to rest and play long notes after reading this, I just wish I had the time.

Seasons Greetings

It has been the most amazingly sunny day today, and what have I been doing?... . Listening to Christmas carols!.

"Band in a book" Christmas carols is now complete, and I have been listening to the CD backing tracks.

I decided to do the book with a more traditional slant so that the band parts could accompany carol singing, and so this could be used for any group, of any combination, of any age .

The arrangements are easy and in easy keys, but with traditional harmonies and singable ranges.

When we first did the backing track we just put on the piano accompaniment but it sounded rather dull and I thought the people who have used "Band in a book" or The "Razzamajazz really easy band book" which have more razzy accompaniments may have been disappointed.

We have zizzed up the backing with bass, lute, and some light percussion.

It sounds really bright now, and I'm very pleased with the whole thing. I think it could be very useful for anyone accompanying carols with "any" ensemble.

Roll on spring!.

Very worrying

I have received a petition to sign on behalf of the "British Academy of Composers and Songwriters" and some of the main music publishers.
The petition concerns the "Associated boards" intention to publish books for grade one to seven for flute and clarinet ( a bit like the piano ones) containing a small selection of the pieces from the syllabus for those grades.
The accompanying letter states that the petition is to make the four colleges and the trustees of the examining board aware of the detrimental effect this move will have on Educational composers, publishers, retailers, and consequently teachers and pupils. If you think about it, the effects could be quite serious.
Because of the value for money that such a book would offer it would be most likely that pupils would use it, thus restricting their repertoire and minimising considerably the amount and breadth of music purchased, commissioned and performed.
The strength of feeling on this has been huge and the list of names on the initial circulation includes composers, writers, publishers, music Educationalists, and retailers to name a few.
The letter sites many good reasons to consider this matter. For more details contact petition@fabermusic.com

What a shame

Just found this. I think it says " The playing of percussion instruments is forbidden in this pinewood". (?)

interesting article?

Chloe's friend found this article in the telegraph about choosing your child's instrument.

It caused a lot of hilarity. I have to say its worth a read, ...quite amusing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?xml=/education/2007/05/12/emusic12.xml

Musical Allergies

I was reading an old copy of the Readers Digest today in the dentist waiting room (probably the copy that I always read).

There was a joke, that went something like "The best tone I ever heard from an accordion was the sound it made as it was thrown on the skip". I know that's a typical "Musical Joke", but it got me thinking.

I recently contributed to a very good series of books. The idea of the series was that real living composers were commissioned to write a piece, and then put some every day facts about themselves to prove they were normal people (!!!).

When asked what instruments they liked, one of the composers said that they were allergic to banjo's and ukuleles. I know it was supposed to be funny, but I did immediately have a picture of the person as a very narrow minded musical snob. (Sorry if you're reading this composer!!)

One thing we're really proud of at the music camp is its musical diversity. Its a real "Allmusic" environment where we encourage the campers to be sympathetic to other peoples musical styles, and to have broad minded unblinkered musical experiences.

Actually there's a famous quote from Buddy Rich the Jazz drummer who on being prepared for an operation in hospital and being asked if he was allergic to anything said "country and western music and opera".

That really was "Musicians humour", but perhaps there are some musicians who feel that certain music is beneath them, a kind of musical class distinction.

Perhaps this is all a bit heavy and unnecessary. To lighten up, see MUSICAL JOKES. www.musicalwarehouse.co.uk/frames.htm (click on "Musical Joke" in blue at the left of the page.)

The weather!!!!!!!!!! (and Razzamajazz)

My mother blames everything on the weather, and I have spent most of my life laughing about it, but I sometimes think she might be (just a bit) right.

I know I have been sitting at the piano in our loft writing gloomy and melancholy pieces over the last few days with titles popping into my head like "I need chocolate" and "Molehill mountain" (actually that's quite good, I might use that!). Well, what else can you do when there's rain running down the window and the sky looks like charcoal?.

Its true, the sun does inspire, there have been occasions when I've written pieces like"Sunshine Green" or "Lawn dance" inspired by the weather.

Actually, I am inspired.

I'm loving revamping Razzamajazz. I have finished book one and have written seven new pieces that I'm pleased with and think will be useful and a lot of fun, then its into book two.

I was wondering what to do with book one. If you put "All new RAZZ!" or "Razz Remix" or "Razz Revamped" It sounds a bit lame, as if it was rubbish in the first place and you are desperately wanting to bring the book up to date. Perhaps we'll just Razz up the cover and give people a surprise when they see the pieces and play the (new!!) C.D.

The sun has come out! Just off to write a ballad.

Silent Movie.

My Mum is a pianist, and has been a big musical influence in my life.

She played in a dance band during the war, has taught music in schools, accompanied just about everything (even Lennie the Lion ventriloquist dummy) been musical director for reviews and pantomime, and she's also been in great demand to play at parties!.

Well, she has just started a new musical phase in her life. She is playing the piano for silent movies at the local war museum.

Its actually one of the most demanding musical gigs you could ever have. You have watch the screen all the time and improvise appropriate music (Film composers get a lot of money for that!). The first week she played it was part of a film festival and the films went on for an hour and a half!.

"Yehhhhhhh!

I have just come home from posting off the final score for our musical (now called "Getting Real") I got it photocopied and bound this morning and posted all 103 pages of manuscript this afternoon. What a great feeling!. I celebrated with a packet of raisin poppets I bought at the post office, and the kettle is ON!. I have had a bit of early feedback about "Sizzling songs" which is wonderful. Any more comments and news would be lovely. (nobody leaves comments any more!).

Staff needed for National Youth Music Camp.

We still need one or two staff for the "National Youth Music Camp"

We need a guitar/pop tutor, a handbell tutor, and a woodwind tutor for teenage camp. We are also still on the lookout for a maintenance man.

If you or anyone you know would be interested or like more details, please leave a comment below (Anyone can post, just click on anonymous if you don't have a blogger account. I won't publish it). There's more information about what is involved in previous posts about the music camp.

"Black and white rag"

This post has absolutely nothing to do with music what so ever, but I just need to share that an area of great tragic memory has been healed today.

A few years ago, I had a beautiful black and white dress. I bought it from Oxfam, and it was "the real thing!". It was a real 50's dress with a bodice and the fullest circular skirt you could imagine.

It was the most comfortable dress I had ever had, and I actually felt good in it.

We live near a park where I used to play as a child and one day (while wearing the dress), I was walking home and noticed the American seesaw had been replaced by a slide.

The temptation to have a go, was too much, and looking around and making sure there was nobody about I quickly climbed the ladder and started my descent.

Well! half way down I realised that my (large) circular skirt was hooked onto the top of the slide and I was suspended on the slide (with my skirt hooked up above my head) and couldn't go up or down.

I prayed hard for (a) a solution, and (b) that nobody would come around the corner.

After what seemed like hours, there was an almighty rip, and my beautiful black and white dress unattached itself from the slide and part of me, and I was able to escape.

My dress was beyond repair, and I was gutted.

Today, I bought another black and white dress.

To applaud or not to applaud?

I have been to two very different concerts recently that made me think. The first was Chloe's A level recital (went well, very proud parent), and the other was a reunion Jazz gig with John Dankworth and some of his old band mates that played in the Newport Jazz festival in 1959 (amazing!).

The contrast in the two situations was interesting.

At Chloe's recital it was a classical situation where some less informed audience members were clearly nervous about showing ignorance and clapping between movements , despite the fact that they might have been burning to (proud parent).

The Jazz gig was just the opposite, the audience applauded enthusiastically after every solo (whether it was good or not), laughed with uproar at every joke (every joke!), and gave a standing ovation at the end (it was pretty special).

Why shouldn't we show approval and appreciation at any point in a great work, or after an amazing cadenza?. By the time the generally polite applause comes at the end, the "wowwy" bits have perhaps been forgotten.

Is music elitist? Is the classical audience worried that they're clapping in the wrong place, and the jazz audience worried that they're not clapping in the right place?.

One day these musical traditions will be upturned, but who is going to be the first brave person to clap after the slow movement? (NOT ME!!)

Back to Razzin'.

"The Squares call me hip, and the hips call me square" (Henry Mancini")

I love that quote, I can kind of relate to it.

I have had an interesting day today, Having now more or less finished my last project, I am onto the new, and revamping the old "Razzamazz" as well as doing a "Razzamajazz Two".

"Razzamajazz"was actually an early work, and although it has remained popular there are many things about it I really need to upgrade now.

I am writing some new pieces, not to replace the old ones, but to supplement them in areas where I felt there were gaps. There are a few technical things that need to be changed and we are going to do a much better backing track with a selection of speeds.

I have learned such a lot about writing over the last few years, and it will be great to have the opportunity to improve on this.

Lots of people have asked for a "Razzamajazz two" to take the player into the next octave. There is a real need for something to go between "Razzamajazz" and "Razzamajazz Repertoire".

Anyway, back to the interesting day.

I started some of the pieces for the new books, and felt GREAT!!. It occurred to me that I hadn't written anything of this nature for months. Before Christmas was "Sizzling Songz" which were mostly arrangements (but great fun!), then came "Christmas Band in a book" (arrangements), then the musical, music to lyrics, not quite the same freedom.

I just felt so excited to be writing like this again, it was quite liberating. Its great to have real enthusiasm for a project, it doesn't seem like work.