Gods on the Ceiling

What do our musicians think about the music for our concert on Friday April 13? Read on to get the inside scoop on this program with the mystery name, "Gods on the Ceiling." If there is a music word you don't understand, we have a short dictionary at the end of the post. PROGRAM Cherubs on the Ceiling by Paul Hayden Duo No. 2 by Bohuslav Martinu Adria by Christain Lauba Clarinet Quintet by Johannes Brahms

MUSICIANS Hannah Frey, violin Elizabeth Ramos, violin Chris Tantillo, viola Valentina Takova, cello Dana Hotle, clarinet Michael Holmes, saxophone Adrianne Honnold, saxophone

First, we hear from our guest saxophonist, Michael Holmes. He joins us from Champaign Urbana, Illinois. 

Michael: Adria, written in 1985, is a very intricate piece that features many idiomatic compositional techniques specific to the saxophone. The composer, Christian Lauba, is well known for his avant-garde saxophone compositions. Lauba tends to explore many extended techniques, wide ranges of dynamics, and extended ranges of the saxophone in his compositions... this is certainly showcased in Adria. This composition, for two saxophones, is said to evoke the sounds of the Adriatic River which is sometimes tranquil and at other times agitated.

I think that a good composition has two primary objectives: tension and release. Adria certainly incorporates both of these objectives, and there are few moments that are extremely successful during the composition. My favorite moments of the piece are  when the composer asks both of the saxophonists to play at extraordinarily soft dynamics and then creates very tight melodic lines with a hemiola (3:2) between the two parts. These moments create such a beautiful shimmer and texture... I hope that the audience enjoys them as much as I do!

Adrianne and I have had the great fortune to play to together in various ensembles throughout the years, but it has been many years since we have had the chance to play a duet together. I am delighted to be performing with Chamber Project St. Louis and with my dear friend Adrianne!

Next we hear from our clarinetist, Dana. 

Dana: I've really been looking  forward to this particular program all year. First of all, I love the name, and I love the crazy variety of music being showcased, and more than anything, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Brahms Clarinet Quintet. I've been listening to the Brahms since high school. Over the years I've amassed more recordings than I care to admit, some of which I never even listened to until I started prepping for this concert. (A 1962 recording on vinyl by Members of the Vienna Octet, Alfred Boskovsky on clarinet, has become a favorite.)  What is it about this piece that draws people in, and not just clarinet players? Well, from a musicians standpoint, it's quite a masterpiece - but even to the neophyte, this music can strike a deep chord. It begins with one of the most beautiful and plaintive melodies ever heard, and meanders from there into intense rhythmic exclamations, and then back and forth through a variety of emotions and intensities. There's a rhythmic drive in this movement that I love.

The second movement, which is incredibly difficult, is absolutely worth the effort. To me, Brahms better than anyone, can capture the feeling of nostalgia, the essence of memory, of being half asleep and half awake. This is what I love about Classical music, it can express these more subtle and complex emotions and experiences - far beyond just happiness and sadness. In this particular movement, the sense of nostalgia is so intense, it at times overwhelms me. As do the thousands of notes I have to play to pull it off. When I listen to it, I sometimes get intense color sensations (you know, that golden color that happens in the fall when the sun is setting, that color happens a lot.) When I'm playing it, I can't really think about that at all because the music is so difficult to play with either very slow, long phrases, or the embellished, dramatic ones with too many notes!

The third movement is a simple tune that wanders on and on like a  beautiful spring afternoon, with a brief rainstorm in the middle -  and the last section is a theme and variations which features each instrument. The entire work is cyclical - the beautiful and plaintive melody from the beginning comes back at the very end.

Brahms wrote this near the end of his career, when he was fully a master of his craft. You can hear it in the music, that this is written by a mature man, fully confident in his art. It's amazing really, when you look at a score and you realize that he thought about and wrote, by hand, every single note. 

We finished our first rehearsal just a few hours ago, and I was so stunned at the beginning of rehearsal that I was actually playing the music and not just listening to it I kept messing up!  I was also floored by how amazing our string quartet sounds!!!  You don't want to miss this concert!

Finally, our violinist Hannah answers a few questions about the program. 

What is your favorite piece on the program and why or what do you love about the piece you are playing? I am torn between the Brahms Clarinet Quintet and the Martinu Duo.  Brahms is one of my absolute favorite composers, but (sorry Dana!) the [Brahms] Violin Sonatas are my first love.  Quintets are tough for a self centered violinist like me, because I have to share the spotlight more than I'd like.  Seriously though, the piece is absolutely genius, but I almost more prefer listening than playing (and yes, it's been on in my car for the past several weeks!).  The Martinu on the other hand is so much fun to play.  I've already performed it in March with Laura, and I'm really looking forward to playing it again.

What is the most challenging aspect of this program?  Well, playing Brahms well is a weakness of mine.  Perhaps it's a weakness for everyone...when he writes sotto voce I always freak out because I feel like a gorgeous soft sound is just hard to do.  I'm much better at loud and bombastic!  The other really challenging thing is this one run of octaves in the last movement of the Martinu.  It's one of the most difficult technical passages I've had to play in a long time, and it happens twice.  I've been practicing it every day, but it just never sounds the way it should.  (Octaves, meaning two of the same notes, but one higher and one lower, and I have to use my first finger and my pinky finger while playing on two different strings and I have to move or shift my hand for EACH note.  Fast.)

 Is there a ‘magical moment’ for you in this music? You'll just have to watch my face to see.  There's a place in the Hayden when the saxophone enters and it just cracks me up, the effect is so cool. Brahms is full of magical moments, though I have a couple favorites, like I said, watch my face and you'll know...and I love the second movement of the Martinu--it's so dark and icy, and reminds me a lot of some of my favorite Shostakovich Symphonies.

Any fun/interesting stories from rehearsals?  ALWAYS.   But I think it's hard to tell a story from rehearsal in a way that is interesting to anyone else.  It's usually one of those "you had to be there" stories... I'll just say that it's always a challenging experience to work with my husband Chris [Tantillo, on viola].  We are both very passionate people and don't always work well together. We don't play together very often, and I think sometimes it can be tough for other people to work with us.  I'm almost more excited about our Martinu [Duo for violin and viola] because we can rehearse without worrying about if our interaction makes other people uncomfortable! {Dana here: rehearsals have been great! It's so fantastic to work with such passionate, engaged players who are pushing each other to be their best!}

Have you learned something new or interesting from studying for this concert? It's the first time I've performed a piece with one player (the Martinu with Laura in March) and then had to perform it just two weeks later with a different person [Chris].  I already know how I want the piece [to sound], but the new collaboration makes me see it in a whole new light.  It's really very fun, and one of my favorite things about music, which is also one of the things that most overwhelms me, is that there are a million right ways to turn a phrase.  I always tell my students,  "I don't care if you get louder or softer, or how you phrase this - really the only thing you can do wrong is to do nothing."

MUSICAL TERMS

avant-garde: A term generally used to describe art that is outside of the real of what is considered 'popular'. Art that pushes the boundaries of what art is. 

dynamics: The volume - how loud or soft the music is.

extended range: Refers to notes that are not considered within the everyday usage of the instrument. Usually very very high notes, but can refer to the very lowest notes on certain instruments, like saxophone and bassoon. These notes usually require unusual fingerings and are difficult to play.

hemiola: A way to use rhythm. When an even and an odd (or, two odd) amounts of notes are played within the same amount of time, within one beat. In this case, one person is playing 2 notes while the other is playing 3.

idiomatic: When the music is written in a way that fits very well with the natural abilities and strengths of the instrument it is written for.

movement: Large pieces of music are usually divided into sections, like chapters in a book. Each with its own character(s). Typically, movements are organized in groups of three or four, with the first movement being fast, the second slow, the third dance-like and the fourth also fast. In a three movement work, the dance-like section will be omitted.

phrase: Like a musical sentence - it's a smaller section of music with a recognizable beginning, middle and end. To "turn a phrase", how you shape the phrase, placing emphasis on some notes more than others.

score: The score contains all of the individual parts. The performers have only their own music, they don't see what the other musicians are playing. A conductor uses a score.

sotto voce: Literally, "under voice". To intentionally lower the volume of one's voice to create emphasis. In music, it means to play softer in a particular way, usually with a degree of intensity. Sometimes when there are two melodies at the same time, the composer will indicate the slightly less important melody with "sotto voce" to make it clear to the musician.

theme and variation: A way to structure music, a "form".  A melody is stated at the beginning, and the followed with variations on that theme. It's usually easy to pick out when the different sections begin and end because they will each have a unique character.

Wine Press Concert

Di you know our violinist Hannah is a blogger? She wrote a nice little post about our concert this past Friday night, with lots of pictures!

Meet Valentina

Our cellist, Valentina Takova shares her story.

I am from Sofia, Bulgaria. My childhood experience was very different than that of the kids here in the U.S., but I like where I come from and I think I turned out OK. I started playing the cello when I was six years old, but actually my big dream was to play the violin, because my older brother, my first cousin and my aunt played the violin. So naturally, I expected to play the violin. I could not wait to start.

Well, during communism you couldn't really choose what you want to do, and the Dean of the Sofia Music School had other plans for me. Getting in to the  school was very competitive at the time and of course, he had to make sure that all the kids of famous people got in. So even though the audition process was "official", there was quite a bit going on behind the scenes (many of the violin positions were already filled!). He counted the open violin spots, and then he counted the kids that he "had" to accept and realizing all the violin spots were taken, assigned me the cello. Major drama ensued in our house:  my dad showed up at home with a cello in a plastic bag, I ran away from him and cried…and cried….I was supposed to play the violin…my life was over…my world was falling apart! This lasted a few days. Once the initial shock was over I got used to playing the cello, and I am so glad it turned out this way. Violin players have very hard parts with so many notes! We cello players have to keep it together in the foundation of the group, but we get to play the most beautiful and heartbreaking melodies. With so much amazingly beautiful music written for the cello, I cannot complain!

My musical training was very strict and growing up in a music school we had lots of extra subjects like music theory, music history, solfege, harmony, acoustics (and more that I can't even remember) and of course I had cello lessons twice a week, chamber music and orchestra. I did not do much sports and most of the time while my friends were playing on the street, always whistling under my window to come out and play, I had to stay home and practice.

But now I am thankful. Because of my cello I was able to leave Bulgaria at the most difficult period, the late 1990s, get full scholarships in every school I attended, travel the world and live a life with beautiful music every day. I was able to escape the impossible task of finding a job in a post-Communist country where nothing was working right. Here in the United States I can (as Dana says) "Do what I love", and have a life that would be impossible in my country. I love Bulgaria and I miss it every day, but I know that my cello saved me and I am grateful every day.

Inspiration

"Art forms begin to die when they become bound by tradition rather than inspired by it; when they become deaf to the shout on the street; when they grow static as contemporary life gains speed and draws away; when they  become too refined, abstract and refuse to touch the ground." - Eddie Silva*

We couldn't agree more. This is why we started Chamber Project. As young passionate practitioners of an old and storied art form we feel its life, vitality, and tremendous energy. We want to share this with our community - for the people and for the art form itself. We want to let people in on the depth and breadth of the emotional, intellectual and even spiritual enjoyment that Classical Music has to offer.

In a time when we are bombarded with music everywhere - at the gas station, at the grocery store, from ring tones of the person behind us in line, it seems that our ears have become less attuned and less sensitive to music. How can we, as musicians, offer music to our audience in a fresh way?  In a way that doesn't just keep up with contemporary life, but becomes a part of it?

Inspired by the tradition of chamber music being performed in intimate social settings, we are experimenting with concert formats, and even more boldly with rehearsal formats. Opening the door for people to experience music in a personally relevant way is something we're passionate about. So next week we offer our second Very Open Rehearsal.

The V.O.R. is your chance to work with us as we explore music we are learning for an upcoming performance. Our first V.O.R in January was fantastic. The audience feedback during and after the event was incredible. There aren't really any rules - we play, we rehearse, and you ask any question that comes to mind (about the music that is), and we answer it. We get feedback about what we're doing in a truly useful way. In January, the audience helped us decide how slowly we should play the slow movement! You can watch a short video from the event at the end of this post. If you want to read a little more about what a V.O.R. is exactly you can read our post  A What? A VOR? from January.

On Wednesday March 14 Jen, Laura and Valentina will be having a Very Open Rehearsal of  Albert Roussel's Trio in preparation for our performance at The Wine Press on March 23.

Very Open Rehearsal Wednesday March 14, 7:00pm The Tavern of Fine Arts 313 Belt Avenue 63112 free/free parking all welcome

The Tavern of Fine Arts has new art on the walls this week- we can't wait to see it, we hear it's really amazing!

*Thanks to Eddie Silva, blogger for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for the inspiration for this post! The quote above was from "Celebrating The Ballets Russes" which I found in my SLSO program this weekend. You can read more of his writing on the SLSO blog. http://www.stlsymphony.org/blog/

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lqAJ6_-8k84]

Related articles

• A What? A VOR? (chamberprojectstl.wordpress.com)

Intimate Songs

As you might know, we don't print detailed program notes for our concerts, preferring to converse with our audience during the concert. We know our audience to be a curious bunch, so once again we want to bring you a little more perspective about the music here in our blog. On Thursday February 23rd, we will present the program we call "Intimate Songs". This concert features an unusual assortment of instruments; voice, viola, saxophone and piano. This program was such a huge hit with our audience last year, we wanted to do it again. The musical selections span over 120 years, from the height of the Romantic Era in 1884, to modern living composers in the last decade. The program contains a rich, deep spectrum of styles and emotions; from a lullaby written for dear friends expecting their first child, to a powerful work that reflects on the events of 9/11.  If you want your music experience to be more than toe tapping computer generated beats (which are great from time to time - no offense to the dub-step lovers!) this is the program for you!

I asked the performers to answer a few questions about the music in this program and compiled it.  First, the necessary info: Who's performing and what will they play? Then the musicians' thoughts and feelings about the music.   At the end is a glossary of musical terms that come up in the musicians' answers the average music lover might not be familiar with.

THE MUSICIANS

Debra Hillabrand, mezzo-soprano Adrianne Honnold, saxophones Larua Reycraft, viola Peter Henderson, piano

THE MUSIC

JOHANNES BRAHMS l Two Songs op.91 (1884) mezzo-soprano, viola, & piano I. Gestillte Sehnsucht        II. Geistliches Wiegenlied

LORI LAITMAN l Living in the Body (2001) based on poetry by Joyce Sutphen - female voice & alto saxophone I.    Burning the Woods of My Childhood     II. Living in the Body      III.  Not For Burning IV.  Lost at Table     V.   Bring on the Rain      VI. Crossroads

LIBBY LARSEN l Sifting Through the Ruins (2005) mezzo-soprano, viola, and piano I.   A Listing II.  To the Towers Themselves III. Don’t look for me anymore (from the wailing wall at Grand Central Station) IV. Untitled V.  Someone Passes

PAUL HINDEMITH b Trio op.47 (1928) viola, tenor saxophone, piano I. Erster Teil           II. Zweiter Teil: Potpourri

Tell us a little about this program. 

Peter (piano): It's a great pleasure to collaborate again with friends from the Chamber Project and with the talented singer Debra Hillabrand. I'm grateful to be revisiting three beautiful pieces with them this month on the "Intimate Songs" program.

Libby Larsen's powerful song cycle Sifting Through the Ruins skillfully balances musical contrast and repetition in setting texts drawn from personal responses to 9/11. Reflective and visceral by turns, Larsen's music makes a tremendous emotional impact.

I'm also fascinated by Hindemith's Trio op. 47. Hindemith's trademark counterpoint is on display throughout the work, but what amazes me the most is the tremendous rhythmic energy sustained. Aside from the Arioso, a duet for saxophone and piano near its beginning, the entire piece is electric. The second part ("Potpourri") begins in a high energy state, ratchets up the tension in a whirling fugato, and ends with a truly manic, Prestissimo coda. Apart the extreme concentration in its style, Hindemith's Trio features an attractive touch of whimsy. We hope that you enjoy this unusual and vibrant program!

Do you have a favorite piece or musical moment on this program? 

Laura (viola): I really love the lyricism and expressiveness of the Brahms songs.  The second Brahms song is a cradle song and I can imagine rocking a child to sleep, especially at the close of the song.

Sifting Through the Ruins [Larsen] is very effective in the way it draws the audience in emotionally. Susanne Mentzer, the mezzo-soprano who premiered the Larsen, privately collected the texts used in Sifting Through the Ruins from memorials around New York City as part of her quest to understand the events of 9/11. The third movement of the Larsen is the pinnacle of the work.  It really gets to the heart of what the piece is all about - searching for a lost loved one and the process of grieving and moving on.  The voice of the missing gives permission for the living to do so.

Debra (voice): Really, Sophie's Choice?  You're going to make me choose between my children?  Well, if I must, would have to say the Larsen.  Simply because during the performance, the audience becomes so involved and inspiring.  Their reactions and silence add to the intensity.

In the "Sifting Through the Ruins", the transition from the second to the third movement is bone chilling.  The end of "To the Towers Themselves" has grown into the loudest wail

we've heard yet, and then "Don't look for me anymore" begins with a solemn, lone sounding of the viola.  It almost takes my breath away before singing the weary text [that follows].

I'm always inspired by extremes and intense growth in a musical phrase. In "Geisliches Wiegenlied," [Brahms] the lullaby grows in intensity as the mother becomes worried about the wind.  She asks the roaring wind how it can so angrily bluster today, then exclaims "O rauscht nicht also" (oh roar not so).  At this moment, voice, viola, and piano all reach the climax of dynamic and intensity.  I get chills every time.

Adrianne (saxophones): I came across Laitman's "Living in the Body" because I knew of one of her more well-known works for alto saxophone and soprano voice entitled "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" which was performed at a saxophone conference at Northwestern University back in 1998.  The piece turned into somewhat of a "hit" amongst saxophonists, but we weren't able to program it for Chamber Project with Debra because the range was too high for a mezzo soprano.  I'm so glad we came across this work of Laitman's instead.

I think it's cool that both the poet and composer of the work are women who are living and working in the arts today.  As a saxophonist, I've only had a handful of opportunities to

perform with vocalists over the years so this is a fun and unique experience for me.  Also, Debra and I have enjoyed bringing to life the subtle nuances, the humor, and sometimes even the sadness that is expressed through the text and so adeptly through the music that Lori Laitman has composed.  Kathryn Mary Drake, DMA voice student at LSU had this to say about the piece in her doctoral dissertation:  "The saxophone adds to the rather bleak texture, creating a distinct atmosphere of nostalgia and often creating musical imagery to further describe the meaning of the text."

This is not the kind of piece you hear everyday...glad to be presenting it here in St. Louis again!

Is there anything you disliked or were challenged by on this program?

Debra: Anything that I didn't like initially, I tried to figure out how the composer was using the music to convey the goals and/or emotions of the character.  Once I figured how the composer was using the seemingly disagreeable music and I had character-driven motivation, I didn't find any parts that I really disliked.

Because the Laitman is for voice and saxophone only, the harmonies are not as obvious as a piece with piano or multiple instruments would be.  As a singer learning a piece, I listen for the harmonic progression to help me find my pitches and lead me where I'm going.  I had to dig a little deeper when learning "Living in the Body."

Adrianne: The Hindemith definitely ranks up there as one of the hardest pieces I've ever performed because of the rhythmic complexities inherent in his writing.  Totally worth it though!

Laura: The last page of the Hindemith is the most technically difficult for me, but the whole piece challenges the trio to play faster, louder and more brilliantly.

The opportunity to play the program again is fantastic.  I think that letting the Hindemith sit and age for almost a year is exactly what we needed to play it even better this time, even though it is still difficult after all of this time!

Does any of this music create a story line for you?

Debra: Since I almost always have text to work with, the story's framework is usually apparent.  The biggest joy I have in preparing songs is discovering the characters' journeys and emotions within the framework.  I love discovering how I think the composer feels about the character by analyzing the text treatment and text painting. The discoveries are endless!  These discoveries reveal a very specific story for each piece which I love conveying to the audience.

-cpstl

MORE

To learn more about the Two Songs by Brahms, and their touching and tragic origins, click here

IN CONCERT:  Thursday February 21st, 7:30 pm Washington University Danforth University Center Goldberg Formal Loung free

DEFINITIONS: 

coda: the ending section of a large piece of music. Is usually set apart from the rest of the work somehow. In this case, the Hindemith, it's by the tempo - the music speeds up in the coda (this is a common coda thing to do).

counterpoint: A type of musical texture. A musical texture is the way the various 'lines' of music are layered. Counterpoint is one of the more complicated textures in which two more more melodies compete for the attention of the listener. The music tends to sound very 'busy' and intellectually stimulating.

fugato: a more specific type of counterpoint loosely modeled on the formal structure of a Fugue. This will contain "imitative counterpoint". A simple example of imitative counterpoint is the Round. (Think:  "Row Row Row Your Boat".) Basically, one instrument 'states' the melody, and others jump in with the same melody while the first is still making it's statement.

harmony: two or more notes sounding at the same time. Some combinations are common, others are not.

harmonic progressions: Also known as chord progressions. The order in which harmonies are played. There are very standard progressions that you have heard thousands of times. In classical music, creating unusual and effective chord progressions is a huge part of the music.

musical phrase: a section of music that has a distinct beginning, middle and end. Much like sentence structure.

pitches: notes

Prestissimo: very, very, very fast

text painting: Loosely refers to the way that the meaning of the words being sung is reflected in the way they are put to the music. If the word is "high" - the note sung might be a very high pitch. (also called 'word painting')

Starting to plan next season

This is by Hannah, violinist and one of the newest members of Chamber Project:

First of all, congrats to everybody on a wonderful concert Saturday afternoon at Forest Park Community College.  I was happy not to be playing for once, so I could sit and enjoy the awesome music!  It was a great program and a great crowd, and Adrianne, Melissa, Jen, Dana, and Nina outdid themselves.

Can you believe it's already 2012?  We have several more concerts scheduled, all the way into June, BUT what you may not know is that we are already starting to plan the 2012-2013 season.  This is my first year being involved in the planning and I wanted to share with you a bit of how this gets started.  After all, with (now) eight musicians and virtually endless repertoire possibilities, how on earth can we narrow it down to approximately six different programs?

Well, honestly, I can't answer that question.  It seems like a truly daunting task!

What I can do is tell you a little about our meeting last Monday.  We got together for lunch and brainstorming about next season's repertoire.  Everybody was instructed to make a list of pieces they wanted to play, along with the timing and instrumentation (meaning, is it for violin, saxophone, piano?  Or what?) of each piece.

You can see somebody's notes in the background, if you squint, but most importantly you can see brownies!  I personally had a hard time focusing on the meeting due to the presence of the brownies, but that's just me.

After we ate lunch, we went around the table and talked about various pieces we each wanted to perform. 

This is all a new process for me, but I was told it works best to come up with the longest work or most involved work and then plan the program around that.  Having a theme (for instance this year we had concerts called  "Combinatorics" and "Folk Freedom") helps too, as then we can choose repertoire based on that them for the concert.

We brainstormed a few concert themes, and talked about some larger pieces that would be the bread and butter of those concerts.  Another thing we have to keep in mind is that not all of our venues have a piano, so we need a few programs without piano. 

Everybody had a chance to put in their input and we took many notes.  I personally was shocked by how knowledgeable everybody is about various composers—many that I had never heard of! 

You can see Dana getting very animated about something!  You can also see that the other end of the table hadn't finished all of their brownies, and again, this was distracting to me.  How can they be talking when there are BROWNIES in front of them?

After about two or three hours we had to wrap up the meeting.  We probably ended up with five or six concert themes and numerous pieces suggested for each one. It was a very successful meeting!

The next step is narrowing it down to a series of programs that is a good length, interesting for the audience, and not too challenging for any one musician, and Laura and Adrianne will be doing most of the work on that, I think.  It helps to have eight people, but sometimes it's better just to have a couple people working together.

Did you think I would tell you anything we have decided?  I can't do that!  I am sworn to secrecy not to give anything away (okay, and we really haven't finalized anything yet!).  I do know that next season is going to be even better than this season, and that's a tough act to follow, in my opinion.

So, what do you want to hear?  If you have attended concerts this year, what has been your favorite piece so far?  We'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Meet Melissa!

Melissa is performing with Chamber Project for the first time this Saturday! She is a Core Member of Chamber Project, and brings a lot to the table! She writes about her instrument, her story,  and gives a preview of the music we're performing on Saturday Greetings from the Bassoon section!

Being a woodwind player, and especially a bassoonist, I approach chamber music with two minds. On the one hand, I have some great repertoire, by great composers, that I love to play. But I also am extremely envious of string players and pianists and their seemingly endless supply of Beethoven Quartets, Mozart Sonatas, Bartok Quartets, and Shostakovich Quintets. The woodwind repertoire has so few works that I feel like are on that level, that some days I wish I had picked up the viola or the cello instead of the bassoon. That being said, I love my instrument, how it sounds (on good days at least), and I love playing chamber music, whether it’s by Walter Piston or by Mozart.

I switched to bassoon (from flute) as a freshman in high school, so almost as soon as I could figure out how to hold the thing I had teachers recruiting me for orchestras and chamber groups. Chamber music has been a part of my musical life from the very beginning. Chamber music is intimate, communicative, fun, conversational, challenging, and always different with different people. To be good at it, you have to be good at your instrument, good at accompanying, good at leading, and good with all kinds of personalities. I think most musicians think of it as the most fun you can have while playing your instrument.

I have played all the pieces on Saturday’s program at other points in my life (except the one work that has no bassoon part…) So in some ways this program has been a walk down memory lane, reminding me of places and people from my musical past. But I’ve never played these works with the ladies of Chamber Project, or in St. Louis before. The Piston trio (Three Pieces) is the work I have the most experience with. It was really fun to play it at the Very Open Rehearsal with Jen, Dana, and an audience. It’s a great work. Piston is a really smart composer. Each movement has a small kernel of an idea with 3 layers (one layer in each instrument). He develops the movement by playing with the layers, rearranging them, shifting them, and repeating them. Listen carefully to the first few measures of each movement, and you can unfold the rest of the piece from that first idea.

Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) is not a particularly well-known composer, although many of his works have finally been published in the last 20 years or so. He was a student of Faure. He was a big fan of Bach’s music, and you absolutely hear that influence in his Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon. Like the Piston, each movement is based on a small idea, but gets developed in a Baroque style rather than a more 20^th Century style. (Interestingly, the works were written a year apart- Koechlin’s in 1924, and the Piston in 1925.) While the way he develops his ideas are old-fashioned, his harmony and use of instrumental color are all 20^th Century, and reminiscent of Faure. The first and second movements of the Trio have a theme that gets passed around and is ever-present, while the other two voices add counterpoint- similar to a chaccone or use of a cantus firmus. The last movement is a fugue. (You can’t get much more Bach-like than that.) I am a giant fan of Koechlin’s, because his Bassoon Sonata is gorgeous, and probably my favorite solo work.

The first time I played the Poulenc Trio was in the spring of 1992, almost exactly 20 years ago. I’ve been practicing from the part that I used for that performance. (You should be impressed that I still have it, after all this time, and through the 7 moves to different cities I’ve made since then.) It’s comforting and horrifying to me that the passages I marked back then as needing “some extra attention” are exactly the same passages that need attention now. I’m telling myself that they don’t need as much attention now as they did then, but I’m not sure if that’s true. Some things are just difficult, no matter how experienced you are. I love this piece as much today as ever. It’s exuberant, highly influenced by the French cabaret music that Poulenc’s life was filled with, and so much fun to play. When Adrienne suggested substituting soprano sax for oboe, I was a little skeptical, but curious to hear how it would sound. At the risk of offending some oboists, I have to say that I think it’s a great substitution, and Adrienne is doing a great job. I think Poulenc would approve.

Another First!

When you start something from nothing, as we have with Chamber Project, you have a lot of "firsts" along the way. Our first concert, our first write up in the paper, our first dollar, our first fundraiser. The mix of scary and exciting and rewarding is difficult to explain, but it's quite an experience! Last Thursday, on a bitterly cold and windy night, we had our first ever Very Open Rehearsal. We were more than a little worried that the weather would scare people off, but it didn't! We had a great crowd!  We set up the room to get as many people as we could as close as possible to us.  Another first this night was that we had never, ever, played the music together that we were about to play in front of a crowd of people. This felt a little like showing up to play a formal concert in a swim suit. Just wrong. We got our first question before we even started to play, which loosened us up a bit.  We played through the first movement, had to stop once and restart. It was a little ragged. We had tons of great questions from the audience, and the improvement made in the music was  fantastic.

We put together a little montage of the event and put it up on youtube (another first!). Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqAJ6_-8k84]

Rehearsing with an audience was an amazing experience. It forced us to focus more, we took bigger risks musically during the rehearsal than we usually do. It was really fun to laugh and play with the audience. The positive response from the audience was overwhelming. We will be doing this again! Thanks to The Tavern of Fine Arts for having us!

This Saturday we perform the music we rehearsed at our VOR in our concert called "Combinatorics".  The program is full of energetic, spirited music, including one of the great chamber works of all time by Poulenc for oboe (we're using soprano sax), bassoon and piano.  All of the music has a connection to France.  It will be about an hour long.

DETAILS

Saturday January 21, 3:00 Mildred E. Bastian Center for the Performing Arts St. Louis Community College @ Forest Park 5600 Oakland Ave. http://www.stlcc.edu/Maps/Forest_Park.html free, free parking, kids 8 and up welcome

MUSICIANS: 

Jennifer Gartley, flute Dana Hotle, clarinet Adrianne Honnold, saxophone Melissa Mackey, bassoon Nina Ferrigno, piano

COMBINATORICS PROGRAM

5 pieces for trio (1935) Jacques Ibert

Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon (1924)
Charles Koechlin

Sonate for Flute, Clarinet and Piano (1907)
Maurice Emmanuel

Three Pieces for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon (1925) Walter Piston

Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano (1926)
Francis Poulenc

A What? A VOR?

post by Dana

A WHAT? A VOR!

What is a VOR? It is a Very Open Rehearsal. Well, what is that? It's an interactive music experience, where the audience works with the musicians during a real rehearsal.

Musicians practice for hours and hours individually, locked in a room, alone with our instruments and the music in front of us. Coming up for air to look up a term or check in with a recording, then back to work. Then we rehearse with other musicians, behind locked doors, and then finally, we go public in performance. But what exactly are we doing behind those locked doors? Why does it need to be such a secret? I think most musicians would agree that one of the most interesting aspects of being a musician is the transformation that takes place between the rehearsals and the performance. For me, this is the single most interesting thing about music, the transformation from start to finish. And now you get the chance to be a part of the transformation.

Next week, Chamber Project will be having our first ever VOR. To our knowledge, this is the first VOR that is open to the public in St. Louis. Pioneered in New York by Thomas Cabaniss and the New York Philharmonic's education initiatives,  the VOR invites the audience to engage with music in a new and active way. The musicians rehearse but the audience can interrupt at any point and ask any questions that they have about what is going on in the rehearsal. Yes, that's right. The audience interrupts and asks questions.

Our musicians; Jen, Dana and Melissa, will be rehearsing music that we are performing on our January 21st concert. This will be the first time we rehearse this particular music. We will play through the selected music (about 5 minutes long), and then begin rehearsing, at which point the audience is invited to question anything we say or play. We might just ask a few questions back. After we've rehearsed, with your help, we will  finish by performing the musical selection.  You don't just hear the transformation, you get to be a part of it!

One of the things we have learned from getting to know our audience, and from being educators, is that musicians hear differently than everyone else. But we also know that it's because we are trained to hear. All those lessons our parents paid for? All those years and years of college?  It's not to learn to play, it's to learn to listen. If you cant' hear it, you can't do it on your instrument.  The act of listening is something that is learned. The more you know, the deeper your potential for enjoyment is. Having personally meaningful and fully engaging listening experiences is a joyful and even empowering event. We want to open the door to everyone to a deeper listening experience. We think that the VOR is the perfect way to do this.

VOR will be held on Thursday January 12, 7:00 at The Tavern of Fine Arts. It will last about an hour. Come anytime during that hour, and enjoy the great wine list and food at The Tavern!

313 Belt Avenue, St. Louis MO 63112         http://tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com/

What does it all mean?

posted by Dana We are in the midst of our first ever fundraising campaign - our "Countdown to 2012".  It's an incredible time for us.  This time of year, we are all asked to give so much, yet people have given more. We are humbled, overwhelmed, encouraged, inspired, thankful, very very thankful. And, we're sorting through what this all means. Beyond having the funds to pay our musicians, and the funds to have a professionally built website and much more - what does this mean?

We had no idea what this would be like. Would people give? How much,  how often? We put this campaign together literally in hours. We meet with a professional development person who said "What are you waiting for - START NOW". So we did, in a burst of activity; calling a few supporters to get the initial challenge donations, making the database, the thank you follow ups, and everything else as we went. It's been a rush! And, to top it all off, we're doing this during the holidays. This made us wonder, "Would people give? Is it a bad time of year, or good time of year to start this?" This is always an intense time of year for me personally, and then we added this. And boy have my wheels been turning!

What does it all mean? Hanukkah? Christmas? The New Year? People giving money to this Project I helped start?  I always wonder, as a spiritualy unconventional person, how do I fit into all of this holiday craziness?  As one who is always seeking the deeper meaning and substance in life, who is appreciative of, but not belonging to any organized religion, what does all this holiday stuff mean?

Somehow, this fundraiser has finally given me an answer. In the midst of populating a database and sending emails, I paused and cleaned up my desk. I stumbled on a letter from a friend who is raising money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (She's doing the St. Anthony's Triathlon in April!). I immediately put a check in the mail. It felt great. And then I began to figure it out.

It all started to make sense to me. All because of the Countdown to 2012 Fundraising Challenge. Somehow, the generosity that has been bestowed upon us, has shown me what all these religions are celebrating. It's the gift of gratitude, this is what this season is about. It's about gratitude. We give to people (or fledgling non-profit arts groups) that we are grateful for. Christians are grateful for the gift of Christ. Jews are grateful for the miracle of light in the Temple. We are grateful for the gifts we receive, and perhaps even more grateful, if we sit and think about it, for the gifts we are able to give.

We have a few more days left in our Challenge to 2012 Fundraising Countdown. If you'd like to make a contribution, of any amount (somehow the smallest donations pull at the heart strings the most), we will be grateful and put your hard earned money to work in our community with enthusiasm and generosity.

by check:   Chamber Project St. Louis, 4195 Wyoming Street, St. Louis MO 63116

online:  click here for PayPal link

Thank you and Happy New Year from all of us at Chamber Project!

Dana playing with a Rock Band. Scroll down to listen to the whole thing for free. It's great. This has generated over $4000 for a local food pantry so far!

The full poem "Sixth Night"

The Rabbi James Stone Goodmans Blog 

MAGIC

post by Dana MAGIC. What is it? Is it real? Where is it? How do we get it? I'm not talking about card tricks and stunts, although those are great too. I'm talking about real Magic. 

What is it?   It's that moment, that moment when suddenly something extra is there. Something you can't at all explain in words, a feeling, an awareness that is somehow more alive than other moments.

Music has the potential to create these magical moments. Musicians dedicate their entire beings to getting just the right formula of work, rest, practice and patience to create these moments for themselves and their audience. And every musician will tell you, that you just never know when it's going to show up. You just never quite know when all of a sudden, the sounds you are making with your instrument will  just come alive. Sometimes you can feel it coming, you know it's going to be a good night, other times, it takes you by surprise. You know it, the audience feels it.  It's addictive. It can be elusive. It's why aging millionaire rockers keep touring, it's why athletes are superstitious, it's why near deaf musicians won't retire, it's why people return again and again to hear live music. But still, what is it? 

Magic moments happen with varying intensity and duration. Some are breathtaking and life altering events, others are little sparkles and glimmers. Some are passive - the light hitting a loved ones hair just so, others are active - like making music or laughing with friends. For me, these moments somehow transcend the ordinary sense of time. It's like they've always been there and always will be there, there's a sense of continuity of history and future and present.  It's thrilling when I am creating the moment for myself and the people with me through music. It's also thrilling when they catch me by surprise, during a lesson with a student, talking to a friend. They can happen anywhere, but the one thing they all have in common is that you have to be aware of them.

I've decided that magic is created by focus and awareness. It's a moment when we're not listening to the to-do list in our head, or the worries that this or that need to be done. We're in that moment and only that moment without judgment, without urgency, with simplicity. We luxuriate in the space of the experience.

This time of year it seems that the whole world is striving to create magic, with force. With money, with colorful lights. What if the magic doesn't come? Expectations for its arrival are high. I've learned, by being in the business of musical magic, that you cannot force it into being. I've learned that a good portion of the magic is enjoying the journey towards the event. You can only set the table for it, and invite it in. The setting doesn't need to be perfect, and in fact can be full of mishaps and accidents. But the intention needs to be clear and the invitation made. Then it's time to breathe deep and be open to whatever happens next, without judgment or worry.  Perfection is not a requirement for magic to appear, but your willingness to open yourself to its many possibilities is.

We hope your holiday season if full of magic, peace and love. We'll be back in 2012 with magic of our own to share with you!

-Dana, Jen, Laura and Adrianne

Our Venues

One of our missions in Chamber Project is to perform chamber music in intimate, casual settings. This is the way this music is meant to be heard--up close and personal. We regularly play in two venues that are perfect for this. Each has its own personality. Both venues are located in neighborhoods surrounding Forest Park.

THE CHAPEL: a sanctuary for the arts

The Chapel is an incredible venue, and is truly "a sanctuary for the arts". The members of Memorial Presbyterian Church decided that their old, small, unused chapel should be, well, USED for something. Lucky for us, they turned it into a performing space, attached to an art gallery. The space was renovated beautifully - it has this fantastic gothic plus modern look. The acoustics are great, with the stunning peaked roof allowing for plenty of room for the sound to blend and project.  We musicians get to use the space for free, and keep 100% of the door. Additionally, the venue provides two free beverages to our audience, as well as volunteers to run the bar and the door. This venue is an incredible gift to our community! The vibe at The Chapel is casual, yet elegant. As our community of music lovers grows, we see them get to know each other and catch up at intermission and after the concert. This has been our "home base" since 2009.

location: 6238 Alexander Dr. St. Louis Missouri 63115  GOOGLE MAP IT website: www.chapelvenue.com parking: free and plentiful on neighborhood streets. Avoid blocking driveways please.

THE TAVERN OF FINE ARTS

The Tavern is a relatively new performing space in St. Louis. The owners are both musicians and true "foodies". They've put their passions for music, art, and great food into one place. The Tavern is divided into two rooms, one with a bar and seating area, the other with a grand piano on a stage, and more seating, including a living room area near the back. The walls around the venue are adorned with local artists' work. This space blurs the line between performer and audience in a way we've never experienced. The audience members sitting in the front row are basically on stage with the musicians. There is no 'green room', no elevated stage, simply a front of the room where we set up, so the musicians are in the audience as soon as they are done performing. The vibe is energetic and the audience is a great mix of people from the neighborhood, music fans, artists and students!  The wine list is unique and amazing, each bottle hand picked by the owners.  You can choose a great glass, nibble on some food and enjoy great music and atmosphere in this venue.   Space is limited - at 45 people, we're at standing room - so come early!

location: 313 Belt Avenue 63112 MAP website: www.tavern-of-fine-arts.com parking: free and plentiful on streets or in lot across the street from The Tavern on Belt.

bringing down the wall

posted by Dana One of the reasons we began Chamber Project is that we passionately believe Classical Music can be enjoyed by anyone. We felt we could find a way to break down some of the imaginary boundaries that isolate Classical Music from popular culture. To bust the myth that you have to have some secret knowledge or privilege to understand and enjoy Classical Music. We love it, and we're just people like everyone else! Music is Music - it's all made of the same stuff. It's available to anyone, and we're striving to develop a concert format that opens the door to anyone willing to give it a chance and walk in. We think we've found a pretty good presentation that's inviting and fun, and we're always thinking about how we can go further.

This past week, we presented our program, Stings Attached, Thursday and Friday nights.  In both concerts, I felt that we accomplished our mission of opening up the joy of live music for our audience. I began the evening by putting a frame around the music we were presenting - providing context for the audience to build their listening experience on. We do this for all of our concerts. For this program it turned out that the best way to talk about this music was through a mini history lesson about how through time, the way people value personal self expression and dramatic emotional energy in music has changed. Some Eras like the drama, others don't.

I could feel the rapt attention of the audience (as performers, we have a strange 6th sense about how the audience is feeling). Both nights, they loved getting this information. I could feel the energy, I could see it in their faces as I spoke. They were eager for this information, and as the music started, the energy carried through.

At intermission, we mingled with our audience. At The Chapel I had a great conversation with an amateur clarinetist about pieces for clarinet, and he tipped me off to a composer I should look into.  At The Tavern I continued a conversation that had started before the concert began with a table who had been in for dinner as I was warming up. As it turns out, our mothers both played clarinet in high school! I handed out ballots to all of the tables at The Tavern at intermission, making contact with pretty much every person in attendance. This was a very happy surprise for me, and I plan on doing it again!

For us, conversing with our audience is just as rewarding as performing for them. Our audience is getting the hang of this too - it's not everyday someone walks off stage and right up to you and asks you if you're having a good time! It gives them an opportunity to ask questions about the music, about the instruments, about us. And we get to ask them what they think of the music, what brings them to a concert, what is their relationship with music, what is their story?

We are going to continue to come up with fun and new ways to connect with our audience! We hope you will be there! We play a 30 minute set at the Women in the Arts Conference on Saturday November 12 at 2:30 on the UMSL campus. It's free and we are in the JC Penny Conference Center. Our program will be a reprise of last years 'Superwomen Explored", a program of music composed by women.

We hope to see you there!

Inside Scoop on Strings Attached

posted by CPSTL. 

This week we perform our program we're calling Strings Attached. If you've been to our concerts, you know that we don't print stuffy academic program notes for you to read while listening to the concert. We don't want you to feel like you need to multi task - we want you to sit back, relax and enjoy the show.  We get up and talk to our audience about the music, giving them information that enhances their listening experience, then we play the music. We started this blog because we know our audience is curious to know more about us and about music. So we thought we'd start a new approach to program notes that will give you some insight into the musicians mind!

We asked our musicians some questions about the music in this program, and compiled their answers to give you insight into how we feel about the music, and why we're so excited to play it for you this week.

Occasionally, we musicians use musical words to describe music that no one but musicians understand, but we forget this and use them anyway.  As the words come up, they've been underlined and there is a little tiny dictionary at the bottom you can reference if you wish. We also use the last name of the composer to identify the piece we're talking about.

musicians Hannah Frey, Violin Laura Reycraft, viola Valentina Takova, cello Jennifer Gartley, flute Dana Hotle, clarinet Nina Ferrigno, piano

program Trio for Flute, Viola & Cello by Albert Roussel Sonate for Flute, Clarinet & Piano by Maurice Emmanuel Piano Quartet No. 2 in E flat Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (violin, viola, cello, piano)

NINA    "As I head into this exciting week of concerts with Chamber Project, I've been thinking a lot about the Mozart E-flat Quartet that ends the program.  It is a piece I have played before although not for a number of years.  Actually, not since the summer after I graduated from high school when I was seventeen!  My music is a kind of time capsule of fingerings, phrase marks, dynamics and instructions which compel me to remember my past experiences with this great piece.  At one point in my music the cryptic mark of simply 'Donna' appears encouraging me to remember a friend who was such a part of that experience and, apparently someone I needed to watch for a cue!!  It has been really fun revisiting that time, but also great to discover just how differently I perceive this piece now.  Even before Chamber Project rehearsed for the first time, I was busy erasing most of the markings from long ago.  I just don't move my hands in the same way or hear these Mozartian phrases in the same way.  This piece seems so much more joyfully personality driven than it did years ago to an earnest 17 -year old about to start a career in music.  I hope you enjoy these performances as much we will enjoy playing them!"

What is your favorite piece on the program to play?

LAURA    “Mozart is fun to play and has a sunny and not too serious character. I like the Roussel more and more as we rehearse it, the tunefulness is becoming more apparent to me.”

VALENTINA  “I perform on two pieces on the program. Both are very different and interesting in their own way. The Roussel Trio is getting more and more interesting as we untangle all the strange and unusual voice leading and harmonic progressions. I am starting to realize that everything on the page makes a lot of sense, even though for a first time listener it might be a bit abstract. The Mozart Quartet on the other hand is purely enjoyable for the players and listeners alike. The music is light, beautiful and accessible. I hope everyone has a wonderful time at our concerts this week.”

DANA    “I only play on one piece in this program, but I am really excited to hear the Mozart. I caught a little of the rehearsal yesterday and it sounded great. I love the way Mozart writes for piano in chamber music, and I love hearing Nina play Mozart -so this is going to be good!”

HANNAH   "Mozart:  Of course I love Mozart.  I always love playing Mozart.  He is a genius, and one of my favorite composers to play.  When you play with piano, intonation is easier, because the piano is always right.  No arguments."

Is there a ‘magical moment’ for you in this music?

LAURA  “I really love my part in the coda of the 3rd movement of Mozart.  It is so joyful and carefree at that moment.”

DANA   “The second movement of the Emmanuel is so interesting, the way there is this ominous "boom boom" in the low piano, and these slow melodies weave around, talking to each other, with the 'boom boom' randomly pulsing underneath. It's erie and strange and really cool. Nina thinks it's just way too weird, but I like it.”

Does any of this music tell a specific story for you?

DANA    “All music can tell a story, but one that came to me right away when I listened to it was in the first movement of the Emmanuel. It sounds like a beautiful dream, cheerful, everything is going fine, and then, out of nowhere these weird harmonies surface to remind you that this is really a dream, surreal like a dream.  Some of the stories I've learned about how the pieces were written are very interesting. Mozart was commissioned to write three piano quartets by a famous music publisher (we are playing the second one). After the publisher got the first one, rumor has it that he hated it so much that he paid Mozart to NOT write the second one! Perhaps Mozart had already written the second one, we don't really know, but we have it, and it's fantastic. It's too bad he never wrote the third. I have to say the the second one is a bit nicer than the first. It's also really interesting that Roussel wrote his Trio in 15 days. I'm pretty sure the collective practice time of the three people playing it this week greatly exceeds that. It's hard!”

JEN  "The third movement of the Roussel could be described as a "rondo," which means the same theme keeps returning over and over again.  But in this case, it seems like the rondo theme keeps getting lost and then all of a sudden it will appear out of nowhere, and you will know where you are musically."

What is the most challenging aspect of this program for you?

LAURA   “The Roussel. He writes in a difficult register for the viola in several passages, and their are many dissonances which are hard to tune.  I began preparing the Roussel about a month ago.”

VALENTINA    “The Roussel Trio has some tough passages for cello. I have a couple of really high solos and it has been fun trying to figure out the intervals and the harmony. I do like the challenge very much.”

JEN   "I am honestly more attracted to super passionate music and people and subtlety is sometimes not my strong point.  But I HATE movies like "The Notebook" that are emotionally manipulative intentionally.... so the restraint of this program is a nice challenge to both sides of my personality. The Roussel is a tough piece, the harmonies take awhile to fit into your ear and it is a surprisingly complicated piece of music, all of the parts are very intricate and are woven together meticulously.  If you miss even the slightest tie, it throws off the entire rhythmic continuity."

We hope you enjoyed hearing a little of what we think and feel about this music! Is there something else you want to know? Just ask! We'll share more insight to the music and the composers in our concerts, We hope to see you there! www.chamberprojectstl.com for more info!

MiniMusicDictionary harmony: two or more notes sounding at the same time. Some combinations are common, others are not. dissonance: a type of harmony where the notes sounding together produce a ‘crunchy’ or ‘disagreeable’ sound. Usually defined as ‘unstable’ harmonies in music lingo. Traditionally followed by consonant, or pleasant and stable harmonies. harmonic progressions: Also known as chord progressions. The order in which harmonies are played (e.i. dissonance followed by consonance). There are very standard progressions that you have heard thousands of times. In classical music, creating unusual and effective chord progressions is a huge part of the music. voice leading: describes the way in which individual parts or 'voices' interact, creating and embellishing the progression from one chord to another. interval: The distance between two notes.

intonation: playing in tune

tie: an aspect of rhythm, when two notes are 'added' together. coda: A musical epilogue of sorts. The ending section of a movement.

Did we leave something out? Just ask! There are no stupid questions!

HI MOM!

posted by Dana

LOOK MOM! I WAS ON TV!

A few weeks ago, we were asked by STL TV to come on their weekly show STL LIVE! This was our second TV appearance this year, and it was really different from the first one, which was live on Fox 2 News really early in the morning. This time we actually got to be on the set in the studio! The set looks different in person than it does on TV, some crazy thing they do with perspective. On TV it looks like you're standing on the same level as the furniture, but really, you're standing a foot lower and much closer to it than you'd think. And it was cold in there!

Danielle, our host, was great, and our camera guys were really supportive and kept us laughing. We didn't get to play live on the air, like we did at Fox, but we hope to get back to STL TV sometime to do that! I wasn't able to shout out a "HI MOM" in either appearance, so maybe I'll get that in next time too! Thanks also to April, the program director who invited us on! Below are YouTube links to the two parts. Check them out if you want to learn more about us or our upcoming concerts in November. Or just watch me be slightly bewildered by having to answer questions under the glare of really bright lights.

Part 1: We talk about what we do and where we perform, with a recording of us playing in the background.

Part 2: We talk about the music on our upcoming Strings Attached program.

We got about 24 hours notice for this appearance, and luckily Hannah and I were available to come in. And yes, we were nervous! And yes, it's sort of weird watching yourself on camera! And no, being a performer does not really prepare you for something like this! Hannah has a little post about this on her blog if you'd like to see a few more pics of inside the studio.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR US

Saturday October 29,  Webster Groves Presbyterian Church                                 1:00 and 3:15, free.    These performances are  part of a really fun event in Webster Groves called Art on the Town. There will be events all over Webster all day. CLICK HERE for a full schedule. We're going to play some old favorites, including one of the pieces you hear in the background of our TV appearance, and will give a sneak peak of our Strings Attached program. You can also hear the Musicians of MOCM and some of the CMS Prep students at the same venue. We hope to see you there!

Strings Attached - November 3 @ The Chapel, November 4 @ The Tavern of Fine Arts.  We started rehearsing for our Strings Attached program last week. The Emmanuel came together really easily on Wednesday, although there are some tricky moments in the last movement! There were two rehearsals on Friday, Mozart in the afternoon, and Jen, Laura and Valentina spent their Friday evening working on the Roussel.

Next week our post is going to be all about our Strings Attached program from the musicians perspective. Do you have any questions about any of the music we're performing soon? Let us know, we'll answer give you an answer next week.

Saved by the Band

This post is by Jennifer - the flutist of CPSTL. Recently at Washington University, a much beloved dean passed away.  Dean McLeod was a leader and visionary, but he genuinely was interested in people.  He would ask people upon meeting them, "tell me your story."  I share his love of listening to people's stories.  So here is a little part of my story  - the real story - of how the flute brought me back to a place of happiness.

I grew up in Maine through the 6th grade. My family was awesome, idyllic if not a little quirky.  My dad was a war hero and my mom was a Southern lady transplanted to the great white North.  We spent summers between Northern Maine and the Isle of Palms, SC and there was never a shortage of laughter.

Life was good.  My mom decided from around 1984-1987 that she would dress all of us alike... all the time.  This may be considered a slight form of child abuse, and you can tell from our faces that we were thrilled about Mom's fashion demands....but honestly, that was the largest problem we had to deal with.

I started playing the flute in the fifth grade.  It was my second choice because I was dying to play the French horn.  My mom was convinced it would leave a ring around my lips and my dad was much more interested in the $18 a month price tag of the flute vs the $52 price tag of the French horn.  So since I had already failed at piano, I decided that I would play the flute.  I never practiced. Ever.

Sixth grade rolled around, and my world fell apart.  A couple things happened - I decided my eyes were too small for my face and my parents got divorced. I learned words like "mediation," and "custody," and "guardian ad litum."

Everything I knew was changing, and we were moving to South Carolina.  Three little girls and one baby boy were leaving everything they knew to start again.  And Dad was staying behind in Maine.  Some kids bounce back quickly from divorce, but in our case, it was catastrophic.

Seventh grade rolled around and I learned words like, "y'all" and "sir" and "maam."  Things were not good, I was so angry about everything and I had no friends.  Then, I had my first day of band in my new school, and surprise surprise - I was REALLY good at the flute in South Carolina (I was not great in Maine).  We were playing things like the theme from Robin Hood (the Kevin Costner version) and I remember spending hours mastering the complicated rhythms from the theme music from Beverly Hills Cop starring Eddie Murphy.  It may not have been Beethoven or Mozart, but for the first time in a long time, I was happy and excited about doing something.  I may not have loved music at that time, but I LOVED band.  I just loved it and the friends I made in middle school and high school band are friends I have carried with me for life.

Things eventually got better and better, but playing the flute was my always my constant.  Through music, I was able to become a normal kid again... with great friends and a real zealous love for band - total nerd alert.  As I grew up and started playing really great music, I came to realize that not only did I love band, I loved music.  I think even to this day, I treasure the friendships and the music making in my life, because I know where it started and what it has blossomed into.  My family is still awesome and amazing - just a little different, but I cannot imagine where I would be without band class....