Negotiable instrument

between those men there were 8 different instruments. The 8 instruments that were used were: the guitar, baritone saxophone, saxophone, bass, drums, trumpet, piano, and trombone. During this concert, there were 7 songs played that were written originally by well-known Jazz artists. I was amazed during this concert how well 3 or 4 different instruments sounded in such perfect harmony together. I was very glad that the performers who were playing the instruments were so into the songs. It made…

Some of the most defining music for the United States undoubtedly comes from the unique instrument known as the banjo. Few can deny the images of rural America and Appalachian folklore that come to mind at the sound of the instrument. Forever known for their bright and cheery contribution to old-time music, banjos have long epitomized the rich history of America and the rugged days of our ancestors. However, the sweet, traditional facade of the banjo effectively hides an ugly history, suggesting…

"Actors to places." I tap my fingers restlessly on the first page of my binder, waiting to hear the OK from my Assistant Stage Manager backstage. Opening night is always a bottle of anticipation. I hear the orchestra tuning their instruments, the music disjointed but with such a harmonious structure. The lights have just gone down and the audience members find their seats quickly. I run through my preshow checklist in my head once more to make sure everything is prepared: Props preset, lights…

perfect or always getting the top chair and beating everyone else. Fortunately, there is much more to being a musician. Musicians of the highest level practice hard so that they can send a clear message, entertain, and lend the mastery of their instrument to the music. If all I want is to beat other people at auditions, then I am wasting my talent as a musician, and I will never get to fully enjoy the gift of music. When I genuinely put my heart and soul into my music, I was able to perform and…

Since I was very little, music has been a passion of mine. I began playing the piano when I was about 4 years old, and to this day I just love to play. I believe music is a thing that comes naturally to me. So, naturally, I signed up for band in sixth grade. From the beginning, I knew I would continue band into high school – I have always thought highly of marching band, and besides, playing clarinet is fun. It wasn’t until my first halftime show, however, that I felt a legitimate fear of…

I bit my lip and tried the scale again. I felt my fingers fly through the progression, and I played the phrase just as my mind imagined it should sound. I rested my hands and waited for my teacher, Ms. Julie to respond. We had been practicing this piece exclusively in preparation for my audition to a prestigious middle school for the performing arts. I was intimidated by the audition as it was, but I was beginning to feel more intimidated by my teacher. She clicked her tongue in disapproval and…

The drummer lays down a nice simple 4:4 groove. The rhythm guitarist starts with some bluesy chords. I ponder how to enter into this jam. As the lead guitarist comes in on the blues scale, I decide to let it out and enter on the downbeat, holding down the rhythm. I disregard technicalities and established norms and let myself play what feels right. Feeling the vibrations ring through my soul, I let the music take me. Suddenly, a phone call interrupts us; we realize we have been jamming for…

"Ombra mai fu" is the opening aria from the 1738 opera Serse by George Frideric Handel. It has often been arranged for other voice types and instruments, including solo organ, solo piano, violin and piano, and string ensembles, often under the title "Largo from Xerxes", although the original tempo is marked larghetto. For most of the piece the vocalist is in piano (soft) and only forte (loud) one time close to the end of the piece. Even though many composers write on the music sheet how the…

on when watching a recording, is hearing the live gamelan sounds flood around you and all the energy in the concert hall. Over all, I prefer the live version. The melodies in both versions have very large ranges due to the various instruments. Each type of instrument plays their own rhythm and when layered together, produces one large song. The rhythms differ in tempo, and are generally disjunct and dissonant. The texture is…

I will compare and contrast two stories I have read. Drumbeats and Bullets and The Drummer Boy of Shiloh. These will both have two young boys. These young boys go on an adventure. Here are the statements I will make. In Drumbeats and Bullets a young boy enlisted at fifteen. After running away this young man was 11 and later on he decided to join the army. His name is Johnny Clem and he was a drummer boy. He took roles as carrying people off the battlefield and helped lead the way with his music.…