Another gig for the all-around percussionist

So, Matt has this gig coming up for St. Francis de Sales High School here in Toledo.  He is friends and has worked quite extensively with the band director there and is working for him as the sole percussionist for the pit for their school's production of Les Misérables.

The percussion part includes (quoting from the description of the performance packet that they have to rent for the scores and scripts) "Timpani, Tam-tam, Sleigh Bells, Bell Tree, Xylophone, Bongos, Xylo Beaters, Glockenspiel, Tambourine, Gong, Suspended Cymbal, Chimes, Triangle".  Matt appears to be working on this in a very innovative way.  He is using his composition and recording software on his laptop to set up all the instruments he needs.  Then he will actually perform the instruments using his laptop, reducing substantially the amount of space his set up will take and helping him manage all the different parts he has to cover.  It seems pretty awesome -- I hope to have the opportunity to see it in action.

Here is a link to the calendar of events at St Francis, with the dates and time of the performances.  For those who do not like to follow links, the performances are : Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4, and May 10 and 11 at 7:30 PM. There is a minimal cost for tickets (don't know what that is, but you can call the school to find out at 419.531.1618)

And just to tie things all up with a nice fancy bow, here is a picture of the set up that Matt will be using starting tonight and for the next two weekends.  PS -- I found out that the performances are pretty much sold out -- pretty amazing for a high school production!

Growing skills, stretch opportunities

There has been a tabla master at BG for about a month.  For those not familiar with the term, tabla is "... is a membranophone percussion instrument (similar to bongos), used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres. The term tabla is derived from an Arabic word, tabl, which simply means "drum." The tabla is used in some other Asian musical traditions outside of India, such as in the Indonesian dangdut genre."

If I understand it correctly, the way you learn to play tabla is to study with a master, and you learn the methods of his school.  Different masters have different methods, so each teaching is a little bit different.  Matt has had the good fortune to study with a teacher whose master has been making annual visits to the US.  This year on his visit, Matt has been able to work with him, and on his departure he was given the great honor to purchase his tablas from him.  This is such a unique experience and fits so perfectly with the other opportunities for musical growth that Matt is pursuing.  I had a chance to see Matt's tablas for the first time today -- they are as beautiful in workmanship as they are in the sounds that he can make with them -- here are a couple photos:

 

 Matt's Tablas

Here also is an interesting short video from YouTube to give you some context for the complexity and level of uniqueness of this very cool instrument.

Last concert

Concert this afternoon culminating with Ravel's Bolero. The audience loves the percussionist.  :)

And the piece is kinda tedious for the performers who spend a lot of time waiting for their cues  ;-)

It's that time of year for music majors...

Concert and recital time!

So far,  Matt has had the concert for the Percussion studio of BGSU and will on Sunday be performing with the BGSU Orchestra.  The Percussion concert was an awesome experience with a lot of works by John Cage, including Sonata II for Prepared Piano, Living Room Music, and Third Construction, which was the piece that Matt's group prepared and performed. (sorry no live performance video, but recording and photograph is strictly verboten in Kobacher Hall -- with that in mind, below is a photo of them) -- (-:

Quite a weekend...

Soo...Matt had a paying gig this weekend playing "Carmina Burana"  as a hired percussionist for the University of Findlay.  He had equipment cartage, rehearsal, and performances in Findlay and at Tiffin Columbian High School with Heidelberg University chorus.  Was quite the sleepless and travel-filled weekend, but great experience and of course getting paid was cool, too.

Program from Carmina Burana performance in Tiffin, Ohio

Just for fun, here is a link to a YouTube video that kinda puts the weekend in perspective ;-)

Not everything is hard work...

Amazing percussionist Peter Erskine was at BGSU for a jazz clinic and concert yesterday.  What a cool opportunity to meet such an influential guy.  Looks like Matt hit it off with him pretty well, don' you think?

Making Progress

Yesterday started the submission of enrollment information and fees to SōPercussion. We're still working on getting all the funds in order, but are thankful to be so well on our way with your loving support.  Some pretty big challenges and amazing experiences are on the horizon, like:

Two weeks:

Studying with and learning from these guys :)

At:

Princeton University!

As well as a week as a student/guest at the home of composer:

Composer Stuart Saunders Smith

Learning directly from him the correct rehearsal and performance techniques for his piece, Two Lights.


Thank you so much for your continued interest and support.  I promise to continue to update here as more information becomes available.  :)

Working hard....

Here is the score for Two Lights.  When the going gets tough, the music major takes to the practice room!