Musical improvisation

On Tuesday, October 6th, the Allen High School Philharmonia & Sinfonietta orchestra performed Concerto in D Major by George Phillip Telemann and arranged by McCashin. They also performed, The Explorers by Keith Sharp. The first piece Concerto in D major starts off with a unified chord that slowly transitions to a dissonant chord that the entire ensemble plays, to build tension, which almost instantly is released and becomes a consonant D major chord. The music then transitions into its…

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on October 7th treated a full house in Eisenhower Auditorium to an abundance of riches. The auditorium was packed with enthusiasts who would come to hear the famous ensembles that is superlative in jazz history. Marsalis and his orchestra presented endless cycle of instrument solos. Certainly, audiences were not disappointed. Several beautiful pieces brightened Wednesday’s program, starting with an Afro-Latin tone poem "Cal de Aro." (I…

The UNL Symphonic Band concert, I Raise My Song To You, was on Tuesday, October 13. The first piece was the Overture to “Candide”. It was in a major mode and in triple meter. The piece started off with a quick paced forte dynamic with monophonic texture. In the beginning, brass instruments would play a melody and the percussion and woodwind instruments would play a melody in response. There is a decrescendo about halfway through, and the piccolo comes in quietly playing the high-pitched melody.…

Taking an online music lesson was the most feasible in my situation because of time constraint and also how expensive music lessons can be in Palm Beach County. PianoOnlineBlog was the source of the piano lesson. The instructor who was a female started the lesson by explaining the key objectives that were meant to teach the student a greater understanding of playing the piano. The objectives were as follow: • Sitting at the piano • Distinguishing high notes from low notes. • Combination of…

When you start something new, you almost always start from the bottom. When you enter high school, you’re at the bottom of the food chain as a freshman. When you start a new job, you begin your training knowing close to nothing about your position. When you learn a new instrument, you must learn all the parts and their functions before even touching it. When I was in high school, I was one of the best musicians in my concert band. Now, as I enter my first year of college, I’m one of the worst…

As I am watching piano recitals played by different performances, I realize that each person has his or her own strength, and they also have many characteristics in common at the same time, such as concentration, professionalism of performance and so on. After I watched all five piano recitals, I know that it is important for a piano beginner to learn their skills, body movements and emotions. In the Bach's Italian Concerto, BWV 971 played by Andras Schiff, there are three movements with…

On October 7th I attended a concert by the Auburn University’s very own Chamber Winds / Percussion & Symphonic Band. They performed 11 pieces altogether that were all met with enthusiastic applaud and commendation. The first piece that caught my attention was “Broken Clouds”, a piece composed strictly of percussions, specifically the marimba, vibraphone, and the darbuka. This piece caught my attention due to each instrument having its own solo portion in the piece with a synchronous medley of…

are thrown against a one-note guitar ostinato. Matos’ melodies are slightly reminiscent of Abercrombie’s “Spring Song” while the rhythmic pulse mutates to support the improvisations of Vazquez and the bandleader. Advancing with a laid-back beat and influenced by Western music, “Easy Going” is pampered by a pair of inspired improvisations, first from Vasquez, whose bluesy approach flourishes with a few outside escapades and soulful motifs, and then from the adventurous Matos, who boasts an…

The inspiration for the clarinet dates back to the 1600s, where an instrument called the Chalumeau was used. It was used mostly in Europe, and its name was derived from Latin/Greek origins, meaning pipe. True to its name, it was a 20 cm long pipe, with 5 holes. It looked much like a recorder, and was not very important to musicians and composers back then. It was different from todays, clarinet, as there was no upper register, only a lower one. It has influenced today’s clarinet, as nowadays…

When I was preparing myself for my RCM Level 10 Violin Examination, I had agreed to do a solo performance of one of my pieces for an annual exhibition which my music academy organized. While it wasn't a competition, there would be an audience of hundreds of people - the students, the parents, teachers, and any friends they might invite. I had previously partaken in this yearly event but always as part of a group, never a performance of my own. This was foreign and completely daunting to me.…