Christmas time?

I hope everyone is having an exceptionally grand Holiday Season. As per the picture above, I would like to address the Christmas season. So please excuse my christian-centric prose below.

I must say that this year, I have been disappointed in the Christmas season. Not at the commercialism, or the loose religious conviction most christians have during this time of year, but with the crappy music I have heard. I am not talking about the "Christmas" carols popular this time of year, but the music heard in church. Most of it totally SUCKS. I never thought I would yearn for a Palestrina Mass more than I do now. Most of what I have experienced has been guitars played by marginally talented musicians, employing singers that can barely carry a tune. I know what you may be thinking: "Churches don't have much attendance, thus barely have the funds to function, not to mention pay musicians." This is simply not the case. The last church I attended, a moderately sized congregation, raised over 40 grand in one night to fund an anti-abortion campaign. So I guess the message here is that a churches political agenda is more important than its worship service.

For me, music is a big part of the religious experience. I would suspect that anyone involved with music in any capacity would agree with me. And, it seems that music is not a priority of most churches nowadays. So, I guess what it comes down to is this: why can't we come up with some tolerable church music? Why does it have to sound like bad folk music? Why should the music be left to unimaginative and short-sighted musicians with no concept of the grand tradition of music in the Church? To hear music that comes close the majesty of traditional music (circa 19th century at the latest), one must seek out their local cathedral. Here in Seattle, we are lucky to have St. James. The music is exemplary, and Dr. Savage does a great job of programming interesting music.

I wish they would encourage the same behavior in churches within their archdiocese.

Some Seattle music pics...

Here are some pics related to the Seattle music scene:


The legendary Jimi Hendrix



The Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall



A concise history of "Seattle Grunge"



A historic picture of the 5th Avenue Theater



Interior of the Paramount Theater

More coming soon...

Is it alright to like Disney?

In some circles, it is taboo to appreciate Disney. More specifically, it is a no-no to like Disney music if you're a "serious" musician. I am not sure I agree with this. It may be important to state here that I was an avid Disney fan when I was younger [middle and high school]. I was ashamed to admit it then, and I am just beginning to embrace it now [more than ten years later]. I have finally come to a decision about Disney movies and their soundtracks: they are extremely well made. Yes, for the most part, they do not break new ground in the field of film music. There are few if any moments of utter brilliance, but they are always, without fail or question, well conceived and flawlessly executed.

Let us take a quick tour through some of the most notable and recent examples of this phenomenon. Let's start with a classic: "Aladdin". One cannot deny that this classic soundtrack is so well written, and performed, it ranks on the level of some of the great classics in classical music. I am not saying that it is as ground-breaking as Beethoven's Ninth, or as well balanced as Mozart's Fortieth. I am saying that its construction is as solid as anything Mozart or Beethoven conceived. Its execution for the movie is near perfect. You cannot deny that it is some of the best constructed music ever written.
Here is another example: "The Lion King". Hans Zimmer wrote the soundtrack to this movie, and did a fabulous job. If you take out the song written by Elton John [which is a great pop song, not applicable here], you find a plethora of examples of music that became instant child classics. The orchestration, melodic construction, and harmonic principles are all outstanding, and worthy of further study.

There are many more examples of great Disney music, worth serious study and consideration: Pete's Dragon, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, amongst others. The simple fact remains, that if I see two buildings and one happens to be a Cheveron station, I will not dismiss it. Just because something exists in a form that is not considered ground-breaking, cutting edge, or artistically provocative, doesn't mean it is without merit. If I see a well built gas station, I will stop and admire its construction, just as I would if I was staring at the pyramid built at the Louvre.

Wind Storm Mass Hysteria

I will never understand it. Maybe I do understand, but I am ashamed to admit it. How did everybody get so worked up about a power outage? I have to admit, I was drawn into it momentarily, but I found my way back to reality quickly. I also want to say that some people have a reason to get worried [but they are the ones keeping their cool]. Let me give some illustration as to the depth of the hysteria.

I live in an area that was moderately affected by the windstorm and subsequent power outage. I live on a hill over looking a valley. The valley was largely unaffected. Almost every business had power, as did the gas stations and grocery stores. Now, mind you, we had at least a weeks worth of warning this storm was coming. It lived up to every prediction that was made. It was the worst storm we have seen since 1993. what was unbelievable was the hysteria that FOLLOWED the storm. Bread was a hard-to-find commodity. I was trying to make my way across the valley, and it took me an hour [when it usually takes me about 20 minutes]. The reason for the slow going was NOT that the intersections were dark, and every stop was a four-way stop, it was because there was an UNBELIEVABLY long line into an Arco station. C'mon! Give me a break. There are SEVERAL gas stations in operation in the immediate vicinity, and people were FRANTIC to get gas.

Let's examine why.

The media has been spouting the dangers of having no power. And, they have been telling people that the power won't be restored for 7-10 days. I am sure those were "official" numbers. But, what ever happened to walking out your front door, and looking for yourself. Why let the media dictate your situation? Why not call the power company for yourself to find out when your power might be restored? And why, for the love of God, do you need to gas up your car at ONE gas station when there are several stations within a mile of the Arco. I went to the store to buy normal dinner groceries, and I couldn't find bread [which doesn't surprise me...it kept the Egyptian Empire going for hundreds of years], and I could not find chips. Chips?!?!? You can't go a couple of days without chips? And futhermore, why weren't these things bought in advance? It is a power outage people.....not Armagedon.

Finally, I am tired of hearing that line crews restoring power are "Heroes". This term has become TOTALLY diluted since
9/11. I mean, these people are doing a great service to the community by doing their jobs well, and as quickly as possible. But heroes? What about the doctors, policemen, and firefightrs that do their jobs in unfathomable circumstances EVERYDAY...not just after a storm. The electric company, and its service people are to be commended for sure, and probably paid double wages. But let us not throw this term around to willy-nilly.

Let me repeat myself. There are plenty of people in dire straits because of this storm. But the guy who rushes down to the grocery store to buy 20 loaves of bread, 15 gallons of purified water, and goes to gas up his Mercedes SUV at the gas station, ISN'T in a bad situation.

Too many projects, too much time to do them...

Currently, I am working on about seven composition or arranging projects. This is not a point of pride, but a point of panic. Part of me knows that this will keep me busy for a time, but another part of me knows that I may never finish some of them. It seems that if I don't have a deadline to keep me motivated, I begin to languish over every small detail. There are a few projects that if I finish them I may make some money, so that is a good motivator, but the others are for my eventual application to a PhD program [yawn]. I have read books dealing with routines of other composers (Beethoven and the Creative Process, Aaron Copland: 1900 Through 1942, and others). This doesn't seem to help, as I cannot seem to stick to a regular schedule.

After a while I begin to doubt my prospects as a composer, but quickly remind myself to keep on plugging. It doesn't matter if you compose ten hours a day (although that would help), or if you write ten pages of orchestration a day (Phillip Glass). It matters that you love what you do, when you do it. I am luck in the fact that when I do have a deadline, I tend to really enjoy composition.

For those that care, I am working on the following projects:
1. Solo flute piece (untitled)
2. A piece for solo clarinet and piano (In The Village)
3. A piece for full orchestra (Untitled)
4. Reharmonizing three pieces for Sound Music Publications (vocal jazz)
5. A piece for full chorus and mixed ensemble (Untitled)
6. A series of snare drum and timpani etudes and solos (All Unititled)
7. A collaboration with my friend Josh (all songs unititled)

There you have it. It would be niceto knock a few off of tis list, although I know other composers that have a much fuller (is that eeven a word?) plate that I. Kudos to them...

Another public announcement...

I need to add to my previous list of TV shows that should never be seen by the eyes of man:

11. Day time talk shows - this includes Oprah, Tyra, Montel, Jerry Springer, and other one name wonders

12. Day time soaps - including, but not limited to: General Hospital, One Life To Live, Young And the Stupid

13. Morning "news: programs - they rarely have news on them, just Rachel Ray destroying another crappy dish on live TV

14. E.R. - because, hey isn't it just time?

15. "Lawyer" shows - they don't have a lot to do with the realities of legal work

I know some of you may think of this list as being negative and touchy. To prove that I am not a total whiner, I will list some shows that should be praised for their content:

1. Family Guy - real humor that REAL people think is funny

2. Simpsons - this show hasn't been on as long as it has because it sucks

3. CSI Las Vegas - the tag line just before the intro muic starts makes this show worth it ("This guy must have checked out early." GOLD!!!)

4. Dirty Jobs - A show about playing with poop...how could this be a bad show?

5. Grey's Anatomy - stylishly filmed, and the obligatory music video style at the end makes it different from the rest of the drama crap at night. Plus it is set in Seattle.

I think that 5 is a good start! Let me know if I missed one or two...

Some interesting sound bites...

I have heard some interesting commentary on various news stories lately. Probably the one that sticks out the most was a NPR commentator who pointed out the fact that our presence in the Middle East, no matter what you may think about it politically, amounts to one simple concept: a bunch of Christians trying to "liberate", or pacify violence in a region dominated by Muslims. I think that is an interesting concept. In fact, I heard another sound bite that was from FOX News, but was coincidentally related to the former. The commentator quoted a prominent sheik from Iraq who was disheartened that there was Muslim/Muslim violence, and this was being combated and stopped by a bunch of Christians. Where are the moderate Muslims. I am sure there are moderate activists, standing up for a more wholesome, life loving Muslim message, but they aren't making themselves heard in the mass media (not in this country, anyway).

It got me thinking about Christian terrorists in the good ol' USA in the 1960's. Some were outspoken "white-power" activists in the KKK, and others were closet terrorists that had high ranking government posts (the Governor of Alabama for instance). The atrocities beheld by the public during that turbulent time in our country may not have consisted of suicide bombers or road side bombs, but there were some ugly stories to be told. On the menu at that time was lynching, random murder, church bombings targetting children, burning crosses, and assassination. Hmm....sound familiar? Didn't a Lebanese minister just get assassinated?

What I am trying to say is I think it is interesting that we are not hearing more from the Muslim moderation. During the Civil Rights Crisis in America, there was an outspoken and effective movement from the Christian moderation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one leader of this movement.

Maybe it is still early. Maybe we still have to wait for the more intelligent, and more importantly, the more life-loving Muslims to come out of the woodwork and save the world.

I know there are millions of them out there!

Feedblitz

I have added a subscription service to the blog. This will allow you to get new blog entries to your email. I know it is wishful thinking that I would have a readership, but just in case I have friends...SIGN UP!!! It's free!

!!!Attention!!! Major announcement to follow...

I have been watching TV for the past hour, and judging by the ads, and the tripe I have been watching, the following TV shows should never be seen by the eyes of man:

1. Dirt - what the hell is this show about, and who the hell cares?

2. Nip/Tuck - not only is it a show glorifying something that is shallow and full of vanity, it is a shallow and full of vanity...

3. American Idol - apparently, if you win, you drop off the face of the earth. Either that or you lose the ability to make decent music...

4. Survivor - it has become an unhealthy addiction for too many people. And besides, enough is enough...

5. The Real World - it isn't real, and it IS stupid... [also, Road Rules, and Real World v. Road Rules]

6. Laguna Beach - let's make rich spoiled girls more rich and more spoiled...

7. Dancing with the Stars - Jerry Springer was not meant to move that way...

8. Dr. 90210 - first of all, give me a break. Second of all, the lives of the patients aren't that interesting, so why would their doctor's lives be any different?

9. The Biggest Loser - enterprising on someone's weight problem...only professional comedians should be allowed...

10. To round out the top ten...every entertainment "news" show on the air [E.T., Extra, the E channel, etc.]

If you have any others, let me know...more to come.

Jim Cutler Big Band!!

WOW!!! What a gig last night! The big band I am in (EdCC Big Band) opened for the Jim Cutler Big Band and they were fantastic. There set was full of original compositions by various members of the group. They balanced this with standard tunes from the Kenton Orchestra, among others.

Great sound, great tunes, and they were tight! I am planning on attending more of their Sunday night performances at Tula's.

The Daily Record - November 18, 2006

Although this won't be daily, it sounds good, doesn't it? It makes it sound like I do some quality listening to good quality music everyday...I wish. This forum will just be some thoughts on the music I am listening to on any particular day. It may at times be analytical, or sometimes be purely subjective thoughts on whether or not I thought the piece sucked.

So...without further ado...

Today I am listening to "Mathis Der Maler", by Hindemith.

This formidable German wrote a ton of great music. The version of the piece is the symphony Hindemith extracted from an opera he wrote of the same name. The opera was premiered in 1938, and is about a struggle between peasants and nobility, most notably the Peasant's War. He began its composition in the early 1930's when the Nazi's came to power in Germany.

I have never heard of any opera company putting the operatic version together. The symphonic version is widely performed, but it has not become part of the popular symphonic lexicon.

To my ears, it is highly accessible to the average listener. It is tonal, and the dissonances are not far outside the acceptable limits of conservative classical music. I find the music highly expressive, and the ideas very clear. The orchestration is interesting in its use of percussion (something that caught my ear immediately). The orchestra I am listening to is the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy. I must say, that they sound like their usual perfect selves.

One of Hindemith's best...

It's all about politics...

Why does it seeme to that politicians, from either party become hell-bent on making stupid decisions (or what seem to be stupid decisions) as soon as they gain power. Let me be the first to say that I am glad that the Republican party is no longer in control of our government. It was getting pretty ridiculous. South America was laughing at our inability to govern ourselves.

Now, the Democrats, the party I affiliate myself with, is in power, we have the first woman speaker in history, and a big job to do. Why is it that Ms. Pelosi is making "audibles" from her chair that her party does not understand? Why is she seemingly going against what the majority of Democrats expect her to do. I understand that she is an individual who can think for herself, but there has to be some kind of organization here. She seems to take her personal affiliations with friends, and political backers over her obligations to listen to those around her. Sounds like someone else in a high ranking position in government.

Now, I am no more a political insider than I am a good speller, or a fan of algebra. I mean, I am the last person who should criticize those people who have obtained a high level of influence in our government, but then again, I am a voter. I am the one who has input into what decisions are made, at least that is the idea. I abandoned, long ago, the notion that we live in a democratic society. We don't. What we have here is a Republic. I know that is not new to everyone, but we need to remember it.

Welcome Seattlites!!!

Welcome to all that have stumbled onto my little space on the net!!

I trust you will enjoy yourself. I know this might dissappoint some of you, but there are no nude pictures of me on this site. As a matter of fact, I consider it a service to the rest of the Internet that I am nowhere on this blog unclothed.

What you will find is ramblings and insight into the world of contemporary music in Seattle, and most of all, random thoughts that pass through my mind.

If you are interested in any of the following, this is the blog for you:

1. Music (contemporary or otherwise)
2. Politics
3. Local government
4. Art
5. The daily life of a struggling composer
6. Feeling like you are superior to someone else (me)
7. Being up at 4 am debating on whether or not a Jack In The Box run is a good idea

If any of these things is interesting, or it sounds like something you would like to read about, we are cut from the same cloth.