Transcend

 

I have been thinking a great deal lately about the meaning of the word transcend.  I have a colleague that started me thinking about it this summer. He challenged me to find ways to lead young musicians to transcendent performances.   How do we, as musicians, achieve a musical experience that is transcendent.  And, what does it transcend?  It is, in my opinion, much deeper that playing the correct notes and rhythms.  But, how do we get there?

Think about it.  We have all experienced music that we feel is transcendent.  As listeners, we have all been swept up in that wave of emotion on which great music can carry us.  As musicians, we know it when we are in the midst of it. We feel it.  I sometimes say it is where physics becomes metaphysics.  We get chills.  We feel like we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.    A transcendent performance is always the goal.

I met my new orchestra students at NCSSM for the first time today.  I told them that this concept of transcendence is on my mind during this season of a new academic year.  Here is something that I do know.  I looked into the faces of a group of young musicians that are ready to go wherever I lead them.  So, my job is clear.  I need to lead them to a transcendent experience.   I am thinking that this experience must be musically transcendent, personally, transcendent, academically transcendent, and perhaps emotionally transcendent.  The goal is set.

Now we go to work.  We begin the journey together.  We will get there together.  It will take some time.  it will take some trust.  But, trust me, I know we will get there.  I can't wait!

Peace.
Scott

Fantastic Kids, Hot Weather! (Practice and Perspiration)

Today, a couple of words about my first two days of rehearsal at Interlochen:

 

First, I have really enjoyed getting to know my students and starting up with rehearsals. My orchestra is filled with serious string students that come into rehearsal ready to work each day. We have already "dug in" to a great deal of the literature that I have programmed for the first concert next week and I am really pleased with the level of musicianship and dedication to excellence that is apparent in the rehearsals. I know that it will be a rewarding musical experience for both me and the students. I can feel the community developing before my eyes and ears in only two rehearsals. Very exciting!

 

With that being said, the big story here, and across the United States, has been the incredibly hot weather. Each day that that I have been here has been hotter than the previous. Today was in the high 90's and the heat index has been well above 100 degrees. While my rehearsal space is absolutely beautiful, with a full view of Green Lake, it is unbelievably hot. Sure, we have the fans going and the windows all open. But, ultimately, as Cramer said so eloquently on the Seinfeld show so many years ago, "It's like a sauna in there!"

 

For those of you that know me, I sweat. There. I said it so you didn't have to. I sweat a lot. I sweat when I work out. I sweat when I am at work. I sweat when I am at home. Simply put, I pretty much sweat all the time. Well, in those 3-hour rehearsals in 100 degree heat, I am a soaking mess. At the first rehearsal on Tuesday, I had sweat through my nice light-blue oxford shirt (part of the traditional Interlochen uniform) in about the first 10 minutes of rehearsal. The kids had to wonder if I was going to be OK! It was really embarrassing. I could have literally wrung out my shirt and filled a small drinking glass with sweat following the rehearsal. I was riding my bike home after rehearsal and another faculty member, who I did not know, asked me if I had been in the lake! That evening, my wife and I went out to sporting goods store to buy some of those "dry-fit" golf shirts that keep the moisture away from your body and don't show the moisture nearly as much. It took some searching, but we actually found the "Interlochen Blue" (Pretty close to Carolina Blue) on a clearance rack for about $14.00 per shirt. We quickly bought all three that were left in my size!

 

Today, rehearsal was just as hot, but I was certainly dressed more appropriately for the temps. Amazingly, the kids hung in there for the entire rehearsal and gave it all they had. I am really impressed with them! And, I wasn't quite as much of a conversation piece as I had been the previous day. Tomorrow is supposed to be similar to today and the heat seems to be sticking around for a few days. Possibly right through the weekend and into next week. No worries though. I am really happy. This place is really special. The heat doesn't really bother me that much. It is so great to be in this arts community and rubbing elbows with teachers and students that are soaking up the environment for all it is worth in every second of every day. A little bit of perspiration can't put a damper on that!

 

I wish you all some good feelings in the midst of a good sweat this summer. For my friends in DC and NC, it is coming your way!

 

Peace,

 

Scott

Honoring a Good Man

Today, I want to take a moment to honor my friend and former colleague, Ray Church. Ray served as a music instructor at NCSSM for 22 years and was my colleague here for the first 7 years of my tenure at NCSSM. Ray was a kind, gentle man. He was a fine oboist and musician. In the later years of his teaching career, he became very interested in jazz and jazz pedagogy. He was also a pioneer in distance education for music educators, teaching some of the first music-technology online courses in the country. He loved NCSSM and he loved the students at NCSSM. He made me feel welcome here and always acknowledged my contributions to the effort. He retired from NCSSM 3 years ago and was living in Hickory, caring for his elderly mother. He was a dedicated son and brother. Ray enjoyed tuning pianos, bee-keeping, and in recent years, really enjoyed tending to his mother's gardens and property. He recently told me that "he was really just a jazz-lovin' country boy at heart. Give me a tractor to ride on and I will be happy." That made me chuckle.

Ray stopped in to see me last Tuesday. We talked about the NCSSM Music Department, my family and his, life in Hickory, and many other topics. It was a light and enjoyable conversation. I wondered if it might be "goodbye."

Ray was an important part of my life for the past 10 years. He was my friend. I will miss him. Thanks, Ray, for caring for me and my family.

His obituary is below.

HICKORY -- Ray Edward Church, 61, of Hickory, passed away on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory.

Born July 14, 1949 in Catawba County, he was the son of Elenoir Huffman Church and the late George Thomas Church Sr.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by two brothers: George Thomas Church Jr. and Gary Gene Church.

Mr. Church had graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Music from the University of Miami.

He taught in Nash County schools, St. Stephens High School and 22 years at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. He also played the oboe for the Ft. Lauderdale Symphony and he was a Fulbright Scholar in Germany.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by two brothers: Larry Dean Church and wife, Karen of Hickory, Richard Lewis Church of Lincolnton; and two sisters: Brenda Church Baker and husband, Seth of Asheville, Pauline Church Troutman of Newton.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 11, 2011 in the chapel at Bass-Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Scott Frady officiating.

Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service from 1 to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the American Liver Foundation, 75 Maiden Ln., Suite 603, Hickory, NC 28603.

On-line condolences may be left for the family at www.bass-smithfuneralhome.com.

Bass-Smith Funeral Home is serving the family of Ray Edward Church.

It is always better to do it right

I had an experience yesterday that I want to share with my music educator friends out there.

Let me start by saying that it has been a fantastic start to the school year in my orchestra. My ensemble is a nice mix of seasoned seniors and talented juniors that are figuring out the NCSSM way of doing things. Most of my students are super-busy and have really made a big commitment to participate in orchestra. We are a busy community. We are primarily busy academically. Our students all take a rigorous schedule of science, math, and humanities courses and have very high expectations of themselves. A good way to describe it would be to take your top 5% of your students and put them together with about 600 more of them. That would be us.

Over the past term, we have been preparing for our October 31 concert, among other things. One of our planned pieces for the concert was to do the Carl Simpson adaptation of Pictures at an Exhibition. We were to do it with our Wind Ensemble and Orchestra combined. As many terms go, we could have used a bit more rehearsal and sort of came down to the wire on this one. Things were a bit ragged at our penultimate rehearsal and we decided to have one last extra rehearsal on Friday after school.

At this point, it is important to mention that there is plenty of other material for the program tomorrow. The orchestra has several numbers that they will do, along with a couple of accompaniment pieces to do with our Chorus. The Wind Ensemble has several pieces as well and will also welcome a local community group to their concert as a guest. All other pieces are very well prepared and will go really well.

Friday after school, after a long day of finishing up classes for the term, prepping for exams, and a variety of other details to finish, everyone showed up after school for our last rehearsal on Pictures. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Everyone was into it. They were on task, prepared to work, and very focused. There was only one problem. We were still under-prepared. These fine young musicians and scholars just needed some more time on this difficult and mature piece of music to fully pull it off in a concert setting. We were certainly getting closer, but we just were not there yet.

Decision time. As I sat and weighed our options, it occurred to me that we could go one of two ways. We could play the piece with a bit of an apology to our audience. "We really wanted to tackle this piece." Or, "It really is a hard piece, so please excuse the wrong notes." Or, we would do what I consider the right thing and hold off on the piece until it is fully prepared. So often, I hear orchestras perform music that is only partially prepared. Or, music that is simply too hard for the ensemble. It never really makes sense to me. Why try to play something that is not fully achievable?

So, as I sat, trying to decide what to do, I knew there was only one solid and appropriate decision; table the piece until our next concert. I touched base with our Wind Ensemble director and he agreed. As I told the kids, I could almost see and feel a collective sigh of relief. They knew it too. Their standards were and are the same as mine. If we can't do it to our standards, let's hold off and do it right later. I told them how much we respected them and never wanted to put them in a position of embarrassment. I thanked them for such a dedicated and focused rehearsal. Rehearsal ended. Everyone headed off to dinner. As my colleague that leads our Wind Ensemble and I talked it over, we knew we had done the right thing. We respect the musicians under our baton too much to put them in an awkward position. We fully agreed. Decision made. Suddenly I felt a real "peace" about the decision.

We will still give a concert tomorrow. It will be fantastic. Every piece will be fully prepared and musically fulfilling for the audience AND the musicians. After all, isn't that our role - to teach solid musicianship and decision-making skills. I feel like we did a good thing yesterday.

For you young teachers out there, I encourage you to give this a bit of thought. I can't tell you how many orchestra festivals that I have adjudicated where an orchestra played a piece that was either under-prepared or simply too hard for the ensemble. I really don't know what could possibly be accomplished by this. In fact, some of my more seasoned colleagues could probably benefit from hearing this too, come to think of it. I am reminded of a festival that I adjudicated a few years ago, where a long-time string educator who really knows their stuff, simply butchered a well known piece. All in the name of, I imagine, "at least we can say that we did it." I can't imagine that it was worth it.

We will do "Pictures." Probably in February. And, it will be something that all in the orchestra can be proud of. I promise. I can't wait for the concert tomorrow.

Peace.
Scott

Hello to PMEA District 7 Fall In-Service October 11, 2010

This is just a quick note to all of the folks who attended my PMEA sessions on October 11. My goal for the day was to share some of my teaching secrets with you, renew some old friendships and establish some new ones. I certainly hope that all of these goals are realized during the day.

My blog is the spot where I share secrets all the time. It is for my students, my friends, my colleagues. Please feel free to share it with your students and colleagues. I write about music and music ed, performing and favorite performers, products that I use, great books that I have read, and philosophical ideas that I encounter.

I also encouraged all of you to try to leave the in-service with at least one good spinach dip recipe. So, if for some reason that didn't happen in my sessions, here is your recipe, courtesy of foodnetwork.com. Trust me, I have tried it and it is great!

It has been a pleasure to be back in PA this week and I truly look forward to the next time! Also, let me say a special word of thanks to Menchey Music and Sandy Neill as well as D'Addario for their efforts in putting this together.

Sincerely,
Scott

Spinach Dip

(Recipe courtesy Barbara Smith)

Prep Time:
15 min


Ingredients

* 1 large clove garlic
* 1/2 cup chopped scallions (white portion only)
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 dash hot pepper sauce or more to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
* 1 round loaf crusty bread (country white, pumpernickel, etc.)
* Paprika

Directions

In a blender or food processor, finely mince the garlic and scallions. Add the remaining ingredients, except the bread and paprika and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Just before serving, make a bread bowl: Cut about an inch off the top of the round of bread and save it for a lid. Remove the bread from the center, hollowing out the loaf. Stir the dip well and place in the bread bowl. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Serve the removed bread chunks along with crudites for dipping.

Inspiring the “Net Generation” Music Student with Instructional Technologies

Greetings to all!
This weekend, I am at the NC Music Educators Association Honors Orchestra Festival and Teacher In-service Conference. It is a busy weekend for me as I am chaperoning 7 students from NCSSM that are in the All State Honors Orchestra, presenting a session on Inspiring "Net Generation" Music Students with Instructional Technologies (with my friend and colleague, Phillip Riggs), accompanying the NC Honors Chorus on violin for a Telemann piece, giving a session on electric violin technology, and attending some of the conference as well.

Right now, I am sitting in the Stevens Center concert hall in Winston Salem, enjoying an evening rehearsal of the Honors Orchestra. I love this space and the kids sound wonderful. My friend, Dr. James Anderson from Appalachian State University is the conductor and he is getting the most out of the students. I love his work.

Today, Phillip Riggs and I presented our session on Net Gen Students. We encouraged our audience to think about their role as a teacher in a new way. We encouraged them to look for ways to more efficiently deliver content to their students through the use of instructional technologies. For instance, in my piano and guitar class, I am delivering guitar and piano lessons via my Moodle site on video. Students can access the lessons any time of day or night. The key to this being successful is the ultimate interaction with you, the instructor. Instructors must hold students accountable, provide assessment, tutoring, mentoring, facilitate good learning, help to motivate, and encourage just as we always have. We just need to think about how we might deliver the content of our courses in the most efficient manner possible.

For my orchestra, I provide video lessons on vibrato, upper positions, scale fingerings, bow hold, shifting, and a variety of other techniques. for my piano and guitar courses, I provide lessons on individual instruments, theory lessons, links to theory sites, and other content delivery tools. My class is no longer teacher-centric. It is student-centric. In my Music history class, I provide links to tremendous performances on Youtube, links to great biographies of composers, interactive quizzes, homework assignments, assessments, and more.

Today, if you are a teacher, I challenge you to consider what percentage of your class is spend delivering content - facts. That is the area that I believe we must be more efficient. Even this blog is an expression of the concept. this is where I lay out my more abstract thoughts for my students. I could take time in my class to explain this, but there is no need. Yes - even this blog, my thoughts, is/are content. So I choose to deliver it efficiently.

Consider how you might implement this, too. In small ways. No need to jump in headfirst. Just consider one way that you might deliver your content in a more efficient way. It just might save you some time and inspire one of your "Net Generation" students in a new way.

Peace.
Scott

Movement 2 of the Chadwick Serenade, NCSSM Orchestra

Here is the 2nd Movement of the Chadwick Serenade for Strings. This perfomance was October 31, 2009 at NCSSM. Enjoy!

What are YOU going to do?

The second week of school is almost over and it has certainly been a fantastic start to the school-year. My classes and students are wonderful and I am really pleased with the prospects for the academic year. My Classical Piano and guitar classes and full and the students are right into the swing of things. My Music History class is a bit smaller than usual (10 students), but they are really into it and are offering thoughtful preparation and responses to the music that is discussed. My orchestra is as big as it has ever been at NCSSM (55 strings) and is already producing a wonderful sound.

Early in the year, I like to really challenge the orchestra members to consider why they are participating in the ensemble and to reevaluate their commitment to their art and their instrument.

At NCSSM, many students are driven by grades. The students are high achievers and have spent a lifetime working to get A's in class. Orchestra is a little different animal. Of course, I have a very clear set of course expectations and grading policy which I outline for the students on the first day of class. Everyone understands the expectations and the vast majority of the students earn A's in Orchestra. I suspect that this is the case in most public school and university orchestras as well. The students want to be there, they want to receive an A, so they fulfill the requirements.

But, for an arts class, that seems a bit hollow to me. It has bothered me for years, to be honest. Don't we really want our arts students to be invested at a much deeper level that simply meeting the baseline expectations that are outlined in a grading policy?

This notion was driven home for me a few years ago while reading "The Art of Possibility" by Ben and Rosamund Zander. (If you haven't read it, I recommend it highly. I'll try to remember to write another post that covers more of the ideas in the book at a later time.) In one chapter, Zander outlines an exercise where he asks students to write him a letter detailing what they intend to do for their A, as well as what they intend to invest and hope to gain from the course. It is a marvelous and inspiring chapter and I decided to adopt a modified version of his idea in my class. I still have the course expectations, but ask the students to take it one step further and to write me a letter about their self-expectations for the course, explaining in more detail what they plan to invest, techniques they hope to develop, ideas they hope to gain, and experiences they hope to have.

This has turned out to be a wonderful activity in my class. Many students write deeply personal letters to me, detailing their reasons for playing their instrument, struggles they have had, anxieties that they ahve regarding orchestra, and unbelievable expectations that they have for themselves and their colleagues. I get to know my students in a much different way by doing this activity and it provides me incredible insight into the individuals in the ensemble. (Let me also be totally honest and say that not every students gets it. Some provide a very basic letter that doesn't really get into these details and seems more like an assignment than a heartfelt letter to me. But, this is the minority.)

I have been receiving and reading these letters this week and it has been and incredible experience. As you probably know, if you have been reading my blog, I believe in community first. Strong communities make strong orchestras. It has been clear to me in reading the letters this year, that my message is getting through to my students. I am hearing this in many ways from many of my students. I would like to share an excerpt of one such letter with you. It moved me tremendously and I don't believe that I could say it any better.


Dear Mr. Laird,

It’s hard for me to articulate exactly what my expectations are for orchestra at NCSSM this year. I could say that I expect dedicated classmates who care about our ensemble and our community, but I couldn’t really imagine a more committed and hard-working group of musicians than the ones we have at NCSSM. I realize that the orchestra as a whole will exceed any expectations I might have. So, as the year begins, I have found it more appropriate to address certain expectations I have for myself, in the hope that I may live up to the standards of musicianship and community set by both you and my fellow orchestra members.


1. I expect myself to love playing in the orchestra. Though I am far from being an advanced player, I have been blessed with the opportunity to play in some amazing orchestras. More than anything, playing in the Eastern Regional Orchestra, my Youth Orchestra at home, and the NCSSM Orchestra has shown me what a joy it is to create music with good musicians. I have neither the talent nor the ambition to be a soloist, but I have found that there is nothing better than making beautiful music with a group of my peers and being a part of something so much bigger than myself. To truly love and appreciate this, though, a few things are required of me:

One, I have to practice. I remember realizing something so simple yet so profound last year: I enjoy orchestra rehearsal when I have practiced the music, and I hate it when I have not. To truly love playing in an ensemble, I have to feel like a contributing member. When I am stumbling through passages as a result of not practicing, I cannot take pleasure in rehearsing.

Two, I have to be focused and play musically. I must have good posture, pay attention to dynamics, and watch the conductor. I must actively count. I must listen to the ensemble as a whole. Simply playing notes will get boring all too quickly. To love playing, I have to be truly engaged in the music and in the sound being produced by the group.

2. I expect myself to love my fellow orchestra members. This year, I have the responsibility to help create the community that you were talking about on the first day of class. I expect myself to be an encourager, a listening ear, and a friend to the rest of the orchestra. I expect myself to love much and love well. I will have wasted my time in orchestra this year if I play every note correctly but fail to love the people around me.

I am looking forward to a great year in orchestra!


This is my hope for all of my students and yours!
Peace.
Scott

Orchestral Seating Arrangements

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from an old friend with a question about orchestral seating arrangements. I wrote a rather extensive response and thought that some of you may be interested in my thoughts. So, I have copied it below. I welcome your comments.
Peace.
Scott

Hey Scott! I hope that you are enjoying your summer. I have a question and I thought that maybe you'd have some good input. Can you shed some light on the various orchestra string arrangements? I've been having long discussions about it and I would like some more input. What I mean by that is I see the following set ups and I would like your input.

1st-2nd-Vla-Cello

1st-2nd-Cello-Vla

1st-Cello-Vla-2nd

Thanks

I have actually tried all of these. I think they can all be effective in various settings.

The following is from the Wikipedia Entry on String Orchestra Seating:
The most common seating arrangement is with first violins, second violins, violas and cellos clockwise around the conductor, with basses behind the cellos on the right.[2] In the 19th century it was standard[3] to have the first and second violins on opposite sides (violin I, cello, viola, violin II), rendering obvious the crossing of their parts in, for example, the opening of the finale to Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony.

If space or numbers are limited, cellos and basses can be put in the middle, violins and violas on the left (thus facing the audience) and winds to the right; this is the usual arrangement in orchestra pits.[4] The seating may also be specified by the composer, as in Béla Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta which uses antiphonal string sections, one on each side of the stage.

I have reverted to the traditional 1st-2nd-Vla-Cello at this point in my conducting life - most because I have a set of gestures that seem to be most effective with that set up.

Having 2nds on the left outside seems to bring them into a more prominent role, but the downside is that they are sort-of set up for their sound to go backwards into the stage. It is good, however to get the fundamentals that are being played by cello/bass into the middle of the orchestra. Everyone seems to tune differently/better with them in there.

The other set up - with the violas on the outside/left grows from a string quartet set-up. Same deal though - the viola sounds tend to get swallowed up, in my opinion. It is hard enough to get their sound out there. I would only use this if I was doing string quartet literature with a string ensemble - like a Mozart Divertimento or something.

It is funny - because I was working at a camp this summer where another conductor was using the set up with the 2nds on the left and I felt the ensemble was really lacking between the 1sts and 2nds. Anyway, I sort of revisited the arrangement issue and, again, decided that the traditional arrangement works best for me.

I don't like switching around, especially when conducting difficult literature, because I throw cues to the wrong place. Also, if I used one of the other set-ups in my orchestra and then go to guest conduct with a traditional arrangement, it is easy to get confused and I just don't like that. I want my gestures to be accurate and predictable from the first rehearsal.

I hope this helps.
Take care!!
Scott

NCSSM Fine Arts Series Dates and Performances

Hi all! It is my pleasure to announce the 2009-2010 NCSSM Fine Arts Series Events. All performances are in the NCSSM Educational Technology Center located on Maryland Avenue in Durham, NC unless otherwise noted and, as always, are free of charge. We look forward to seeing you at one of our wonderful fine arts events!

NCSSM Fine Arts Series, 2009-2010

• Fall Drama Production, October 23-25,
7:00 pm shows on Friday and Saturday
3:00 pm show on Sunday,
featuring Art Exhibit Opening Friday, October 23, 6:00-8:00. Exhibit
runs from October 23-Nov 20

• Fall Orchestra Pops Concert, October 31, 3:00 PM

• Fall Wind Ensemble Concert, featuring Durham School of the Arts Music Department , November 1, 3:00

• Bach and Beyond: Redefining the Harpsichord, 3 Harpsichords, 2 Composers, 1 Unveiling , featuring Beverly Biggs, Elaine Funaro, and Rebecca Pechefsky, November 12, 7:30 pm

• Tejasvii Bharat: Indian Dance Masterclass and Recital with Nina Dash and NCSSM Dance Ensemble , December 5, 2009

• Winter Wind Ensemble Concert January 24, 2010, 3:00 PM

• Masterworks Concert, featuring NCSSM Orchestra and Chorale with Blacknall Church Choir
Featuring Missa Brevis in D major, Mozart K 194; Dona Nobis Pacem from the B Minor Mass, Bach; Tragic Overture, Brahms; and Iridium, Jack Stamp

February 6, NCSSM, 7:00 PM
February 7, 7:00 PM, Blacknall Church

• Winter Musical February 12-14, 2010
7:00 Show on Friday and Saturday
3:00 Show on Sunday

• Eastern Regional Orchestra, Feb 26-28, Concert: Feb 28, 3:00

• Spring Dance Recital, April 10, 2010, 3:00 pm

• NCSSM Jazz at Broad Street Café, April 10, 2010, 5:00 pm

• Pulsoptional – May 7-8

• Spring Choral/Vocal Department Mother's Day Recital, May 9, 3:00 PM
Featuring NCSSM Chorale and Voice Students

• Spring Drama Production: A Weekend of Shakespeare, May 14-16, 2010
7:00 Show on Friday and Saturday
3:00 Show on Sunday

• Art Exhibit Opening, Friday May 14, 6:00-8:00, ETC Lobby
Show runs – May 14-June 4

• NCSSM Annual Concerto Concert, May 16, 2010, 2:00

• Spring Wind Ensemble Concert, May 16, 2010, 4:30

Let's be a Light

Hi all -
Commencement at NCSSM is tomorrow and I have been thinking a great deal about the seniors that will be leaving NCSSM and going on to college next year. We have had a wonderful 2 years of music-making and fun and I hope you all know that I will miss each and every one of you. I look forward to hearing about all of your future successes in your various fields and , of course, your musical endeavors. I hope that you will all stay in touch with me and visit from time to time.

I was considering writing a "Commencement Address" today, but, you will hear enough of those in the coming days. So, I will keep my thoughts brief today. I will simply provide one thought to leave with you.

Be a light. That is it. It is such a simple metaphor. Light and dark. But, you know, we can all get it. And, we can all do it. It really isn't that hard. Each day, when you get out of bed, think to yourself, "Today, I am going to be a light in this world." With that framework for your life, you can't really go wrong. For really, it is the one thing that we all have control of: our attitude and our approach. Other stuff might hit us hard. Circumstances are sometimes out of our control. Sometimes bad things happen. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we don't feel good. Sometimes people let us down. The one thing we can do, is endeavor to be a light in the world.

Where can you be a light? With your interactions with others? With your scholarly contributions? With your art? With your caring for others? With your service? Or maybe some or all of these. We all have our gifts. We all have our strengths. Use yours to be a light in the world. I'll try to do the same with mine.

Thanks for a great couple of years. Thanks for sharing so much of yourselves with me. Thanks for opening your hearts to the things that I have tried to contribute. I will miss you all.

Let your light shine!!

Peace.
Scott

NCSSM Symphony Orchestra, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt 1, Audrey Chang, piano

NCSSM Symphony Orchestra, Ravel Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt 1, Mindy Yuan, piano

NCSSM Symphony Orchestra, Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2, Mvt 1, Darren Zhu, piano

NCSSM Symphony Orchestra, Poem for Flute and Orchestra, Griffes, Connie Zhu, flute

NCSSM Symphony Orchestra, Elgar Cello Concerto, Mvt 1, Adam Collins, cello

I am pleased to post the first video from the 2009 NCSSM Concerto Concert.
The concert was huge success. Congratulations to the soloists and orchestra. Keep watching this site for more video from the concert.

End of school year

Hi all -
I have to admit, I have been feeling pretty guilty lately about not posting much to the my blog. It's not that I don't want to post. Or that I don't think about it. Really, I just haven't had much to say. So, I have been thinking about it a fair amount and I have come to the conclusion that this is natural and I shouldn't fight it.

Let's look at the facts. We have been pushing hard all school-year. we have opened up school, met a whole new slew of students, put on a variety of performances, prepared a ton of music, dealt with the standard issues that come with every school year, seen budgets cut, seen a state employee furlough enacted, watched health care costs rise, sat on boards and task forces, and more. The fact is - teachers are all tired at this time of year. I, for the time being, am out of stuff. My philosophical edge is a little dull at this point of the year.

Realistically, I still have a little way to go. We still have a concerto concert to present on May 31 and my orchestra and soloists are nothing short of fantastic. The strings will be performing at our Annual Sr. Awards Ceremony in early June. And then, of course, there is commencement. We still have a ton of music to prepare and to perform. And we will. With joy and energy. After all, that is what we do.

But, if the blog is a little dull for the next few weeks, please be patient. I will get my mojo back. It just might take 2 or 3 weeks of summer, cycling, camping, family, and life outside of academia for me to get back into the philosophical groove. I am a little spent right now. Spent, but happy. It has been a great year. One that I will never forget. And, always, I am so psyched for the next one!!

Hang in there gang!!

Peace.
Scott

NCSSM Fine Arts Weekend and Funding

Here at the North Carolina School of Science and Math, we are just finishing up our annual Fine Arts Weekend that is made possible by generous grants from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, The Embarq Corporation, and others. The event was a marvelous success on many levels.

On Saturday, renown jazz vibist, Jon Metzger (www.jonmetzger.com) presented a masterclass to area jazz students that was really enlightening and fun. Separk Music of Winston Salem was on hand with Jon's new method book and a variety of other jazz materials for the student to peruse while hey were there. Jon then gave a magnificent performance at NCSSM that evening along with his quartet which included Ed Paolantonio of UNC Jazz on keys, John Brown of Duke University on Bass, and Thomas Taylor of NC Central University on drums. They were simply magnificent. All that attended really had a wonderful musical treat on Saturday night. Jon's musical virtuosity and generous spirit shown through and everyone felt so good about the day. As part of the performance, the NCSSM Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Kathy Berberian performed with the quartet on two of the numbers. The results were really stunning and beautiful. The kids that participated in the master-class were invited on stage as well to perform with the band. It was a great night all around.

On Sunday, there were two wonderful performances at the school. First, the Dance Ensemble hosted a Community Dance Concert where dance groups from around the Triangle were invited to perform as part of a larger concert. It was really great. The artistry that was demonstrated was simply stunning. Kathy Berberian has really brought the NCSSM program to a new level and the dance community is certainly thriving at NCSSM as a result.

After the Dance Recital, the NCSSM Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Phillip Riggs, performed at nearby restaurant, The Broad Street Cafe. The place was jammed on a Sunday afternoon for this performance and, again, the kids were terrific! All that attended had a great time, heard great music, and had a great meal. What more could you ask for?

On Monday evening, the Western Carolina Catamount Singers and Electronic Music Ensemble will be performed at the school and that performance was wonderful as well. The group did a variety of Motown classics and the audience really had a great time. Both the singers and instrumentalists were outstanding. It truly was a wonderful weekend of the Fine Arts at NCSSM.

All of these wonderful events are an important part of the overall Fine Arts Program at NCSSM and provide a wonderful opportunity for the school to open its doors to the greater Durham community. All of these events are presented free of change and we encourage families to bring their kids to these events to get them interested in the fine arts at a young age. This wonderful weekend is what arts education is all about. It isn't about ticket sales. It isn't about snobbery. It's not about knowing more than the next guy. Arts education is all about expression. We learn how to feel when we participate in the arts. The performers are able to express and feel regardless of their experience or age. The audience is given the opportunity to express and feel as well, again, regardless of their knowledge, background or age. The arts unifies us. The arts express our humanity. What better place to learn this than at the School of Science and Math?

We, at NCSSM, are deeply indebted to the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, the Embarq Corporation, Kiwanis of Durham, Conn-Selmer Corperation, Musser Mallets, and Separk Music of Winston Salem for their contributions to this event. In these unstable economic times, no one can take financial contributions lightly. These organizations understand the importance of the arts in the lives of students and the community and have stepped up financially to allow us to bring these events to the public for free. We so appreciate their contribution and support.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend of the arts at NCSSM and so many folks contributed to the success of the event. All that participated, from performers, to audience members, tech workers, choreographers, support staff, and others, come away from the weekend a little bit richer. Many thanks to all.