The Grammys

Congratulations to composer Jennifer Higdon, who grew up in Seymour, TN; for her Grammy win last night! Higdon won the Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition for her Percussion Concerto.

As I watched the Grammys last night, I couldn't help thinking about what symphony pops shows will be like in another 20 years or so. It's easy for me to picture Taylor Swift performing a symphony show. Chris Botti is a no-brainer. I can even see Pink, The Dave Matthews Band, and Beyonce performing with a symphony in a dozen years or so (not together...). The Black Eyed Peas? Not so much. The thought of Lady Gaga performing with a symphony is both frightening and intriguing. (Much like Lady Gaga herself.) If it ever happens, I want to be there.

If you missed the Grammys or you want to check out the winners in categories that weren't featured last night on television, the entire list of nominees and winners can be found here.

The Taco Bell Musket

Taco Bell Cannon... Pachel's Bells.... Pachelbel by Canon... Taco Bell Musket... No matter what you call it, Canon in D by Pachelbel is one of the most popular pieces of classical music ever. People who don't even like classical music still seem to enjoy Pachelbel Canon. It is certainly a pretty piece, but there are thousands of other pieces with equally beautiful melodies that don't share a fraction of Canon's popularity. So what makes Pachelbel's Canon stick out?

An obvious answer is that this is a piece that many people have chosen to have played for their wedding. Music that has personal meaning can bring back all the emotions of time passed, good or bad. In my life before the KSO I was a Suzuki violin teacher. We often took the advanced violin students to perform at shopping malls and other public places. Pachelbel Canon was one of the pieces they performed and it was always fun to watch couples stop and listen. Some would tear up while others would smile at each other or hug. Our kids could play, but in this case it wasn't the performance that was attracting attention, it was the piece itself.

Emotional association doesn't explain WHY Canon achieved popularity in the first place, though. My theory has to do with the bass line. Not all canons have a bass line. In it's simplest form, a canon is a piece with a melody that is repeated by an additional voice or voices after a given interval. A round is a simple form of a canon. Row, Row, Row Your Boat is a good example of a round. Pachelbel's Canon is similar to Row, Row, Row Your Boat. Voices enter at regular intervals and play identical music. Canon in D adds a bass line in the cello part.

The cello part for Pachelbel's Canon is eight notes that are repeated until the piece is over. If Dante had conjured up a circle of Hell just for cellists, my guess is that their punishment would be to play Pachelbel's Canon for all eternity. Their part has none of the fun of the violin parts. As tedious as it is for the cellist, it is, I think, the key to the popularity of Canon in D. The cello part provides rhythmic and harmonic security. It grounds the listener. Although it is dull to play, there is so much going on in the melody that you don't really notice the cello part when you are listening. It's there, though, hammering the chord progression into your subconscious.

Many pop artists have used Pachelbel's Canon as inspiration. Some have used bits of the melody in their songs, but more often they use the chord progression. "Cryin" by Aerosmith, "Let it Be" by The Beatles, and "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister all incorporate part, if not all, of the chord progression from Canon in D. Doesn't it just make you smile to think of Steven Tyler rockin' out to Canon in D on his tour bus?

For a more complete list of pop artists who have been inspired by Canon in D, visit www.pachelbelcanon.com.

Stressbusters

Being a musician is a stressful job. We don't have people's lives in our hands like heart surgeons or government officials do, but when we have a bad day it's witnessed by a hall full of people and gets written up in the newspaper. (Don't misunderstand: being a musician is also an incredibly rewarding job which makes the stress worth the pain.) Stress affects different people in different ways, however, I have noticed that musicians tend to use their creativity as a weapon against their stress. We get the musical sillies.

My first season here my viola had an unfortunate accident. We were rehearsing in the pit when something flew in from the audience side and smacked my viola while I was playing. It was quite the jolt, knocking all my strings out of tune, collapsing the bridge, and even cracking the sound post and belly of the instrument. It was horrifying. I was devastated. What did we do? We made a movie about it, of course! With a cast and crew entirely made up of KSO musicians and their families, The Brown Viola premiered that summer and made the rounds at several parties and music festivals. It's a strange experience to be in Michigan for non-musical reasons and have a complete stranger recognize you as “that girl from The Brown Viola.”

Last week was crazy for my quartet. I am exhausted today and I didn't even play on the Bernstein Trio yesterday! I can't imagine how Andy and Edward are feeling this morning. I dedicate this bit of musical silliness to my fellow quartet members. We survived, y'all!

WDVX Performance

My quartet performed live on WDVX today. I was intimidated going in to today's radio performance. As I recently admitted, I am not very well versed in any music aside from classical music. I had never attended a Blue Plate performance and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I shouldn't have worried, because everyone was super nice and very helpful. We had a blast. The quartet started the show. We played a few selections and then Lucas and Jennifer Barnett took the stage to perform some of the songs they will play at the chamber concert on Sunday. Jennifer is an amazing soprano. She also happens to be the Director of Education and Outreach for the KSO. I especially enjoyed the song Amore by William Bolcom. Very humorous.

You can't exactly see it in this picture, but the thing that most impressed me was how many microphones we had on stage. We each had our own, plus there was another one to speak into.


Andy and I:


Jennifer:


Thanks to Stephanie for taking pictures today!

Pop Challenged

There is a note floating around the internet right now titled “The Top 25 Songs that Changed My Life.” I've enjoyed reading about music other people like, but I could never write my own list. I'm a little bit embarrassed to admit it, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't name 25 songs outside the classical music genre, let alone name songs that changed my life. I try to like popular music. Last week I was at the library, determined (after reading someone's “top 25” list) to find SOMETHING outside of classical music. I came away with nothing, overwhelmed by all the choices. I don't even know where to start. (suggestions?) I understand and sympathize with people who find classical music inaccessible and intimidating because I feel the same way about popular music.

I did listen to some popular music as a youth, but my choices were influenced by what my friends liked, or what my love interest of the moment was playing on his walkman. My family also played a role in my popular music diet. My sister was attending high school in the 1980's when MTV first made it's debut. We watched together. Those were the days when MTV actually played music videos. We watched Dire Straits get their money for nothing, Peter Gabriel's dancing poultry, and Michael Jackson's uncut Thriller video. My dad also did his part to expose me to the world of pop. We listened to the oldies station on car trips and I remember being amazed at his ability to identify all the songs from the 50's and 60's within the first few chords. For whatever reason, music from that era really clicked with me. When I do seek out popular music on my own, that is usually what I choose to listen to. Unlike my father, I can't tell you the names of the songs, artists, or the year they came out, but when I hear one of the oldie goldies, I can usually sing along.

This weekend the symphony is playing with The Lettermen. I enjoy playing these kinds of pops shows because I do know many of the songs. (I'll be in trouble when Brittany Spears starts giving symphony shows!) My aunt and uncle are passing through town and plan to attend the concert on Saturday. When I asked my aunt if she thought they would want to attend after a day of being on the road she said something about The Lettermen being from her era. “Mine, too,” I thought.