Musical tuning

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…

Eschewing hypothetical startles and unnecessary intricacies, “East 97th”, the encouraging debut album by Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Leonardo, provides agreeable listenings through the aggregation of well-composed textures within clarified structures. The record was recorded in New York, where Leonardo lived for a couple of years, and features an international quartet comprising the also Portuguese André Matos on guitar, Spanish Yago Vazquez on piano and Rhodes, and American Tommy Crane on drums.…

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.…

and airy affect was the strings and the bassoons gave an accented popping sound. The string section build up though a crescendo. The small brass section consists of French horns, trumpets and trombones. French horns add a lively tune into Brahms musical vision. Each instrument has a specific sound that is very meticulously played. When the cellos are being plucked in this song they give off a…

understand the concept of the motet, one must first be familiar the musical developments preceding the motet. Although the motet first appears in the 13th century, we can trace its ancestry back as far as the 9th century with the rising popularization of polyphony. Beginning in the Carolingian period (800-1000), composers began to take preference in writing polyphony which provided many opportunities to further explore the depth of musical texture. Early polyphonic music became known as Organum.…

This week I have been focusing on technique. My mentor said that was one of the most important things, when learning how to play the guitar. He said, since my fingers hadn’t learned the difference yet that I might as well learn how to do it the correct way. This is because as I continue it will be easier to play, and will in the end, sound better. He always says that anybody can pick-up a guitar and learn how to play, but to become a musician it takes practice and dedication. I asked my mentor…

Katherine Siochi, Harp and Piano On Sunday, January 22, 2017, at 3pm Katherine Siochi played several compositions by a variety of composers on her harp and the piano. The performance took place at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Watertown, New York. The artist, who wore a formal dress in turquoise, brought her own harp from New York City for this recital and the harp stood precisely in front of the altar of the church. Thirty minutes before the concert started, I arrived. Although, I have seen…

Band has produced the best experiences I had in my life. It was the flint that needed to be striked and once sparked the fire could not calmed. The fire burns with a white hue and joins with other flames to become stronger. This is the passion for a love of music and the community of other musicians joining together. I am happy to say that i regret nothing when it comes to band. When I was younger, I would hang on to my parents and i would never venture out of my comfort zone. As i grew older I…

I have always loved music. It started around nine years ago when I started playing piano. Piano was an instrument that my sisters and mom played and I was fascinated by the sounds that it could make and how you could make songs your own. Fourth grade I played violin but it wasn’t my thing because I could not find the thrill that the piano gives me when I play. Fifth through eighth grade I played clarinet but I stopped playing so I could continue to push myself on piano and start color guard. I…