Monthly Archives: January 2010

Wow

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9p0Acf-SbU] A Japanese ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BAND at a band competition. Enormously impressive, more so because they are playing with the music memorized (note that the teacher/conductor is the only one with a score!). I’m constantly reminded of the undeniable fact … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

After Hours: Thursday Edition

Your turn, Thursday audience! Chime in down in the comments to tell us what you thought of tonight’s performance, and what you’d like to hear more or less of at future concerts. As always, your feedback helps us shape future … Continue reading

Posted in after hours | 10 Comments

After Hours: Wednesday Edition

If you were with us at Orchestra Hall tonight for the first of our Inside the Classics concerts featuring music of Debussy, here’s the place for you to let us know what you thought of the show! We covered an … Continue reading

Posted in after hours | 14 Comments

Cutting Room Floor: More Debussy Than You Can Shake A Baton At

In past seasons, Sarah and I have written a series of Cutting Room Floor blog posts in the weeks leading up to each of our Inside the Classics shows, highlighting extra material that we didn’t have time to include in … Continue reading

Posted in composers, cutting room floor | 3 Comments

And now for something completely different…

…a man with two noses. (It’s been a Monty Python kind of afternoon.) The phrase came to mind as I was flying back to Minneapolis last night (and in a decidedly non-Pythonian context) – I was putting Post-Its on my … Continue reading

Posted in conductors and conducting, philosophical musings | 2 Comments

Of Cough Drops & Futility

I’m sitting on my couch in a semi-comatose state right now, which is a position that has become all too familiar to me this season. I think, prior to this past fall, I had missed a grand total of four … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Insta-hit

So, to keep up with the levity here lately, have all of you been following the whole “Pants on the ground” phenomenon? If not, in a nutshell; last week on American Idol, contestant Larry Platt busted out with this incongruously … Continue reading

Posted in contemporary culture, popular music, the business of music | 6 Comments

As If There’s Any Such Thing As A “Common” Violist…

And speaking of viola jokes, here’s a little something I’ve been meaning to get on tape for quite a while now. Our viola section is notorious for always being up to something, and we frequently reduce each other to hysterics … Continue reading

Posted in fun, musical dorkery | 5 Comments

Viola-Matic!

Things have been getting pretty heavy around here lately (it’s the winter doldrums – I swear I’ll stop going off on rants once the sun comes out,) so it’s definitely time for a mental health break. This oughta be just … Continue reading

Posted in food, fun | 2 Comments

Labor Showdown, 21st Century-Style

If you follow the classical music business closely, you’ve likely read already that the vaunted Cleveland Orchestra, which many consider to be America’s best symphony, is on the verge of going on strike. The musicians have been working without a … Continue reading

Posted in orchestras not named minnesota, the business of music | Comments Off