Gratitude

Yesterday was the last official day of the Academic Year for faculty members at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. As part of the daily activities, the Humanities Department had our final meeting of the school year. Rather than a formal agenda for the meeting, we were simply given a forum to express our gratitude for each other and for events that had occurred during the course of the year. This was an incredible exercise for me and I believe for many of my colleagues on the last day of school. We heard stories of gratitude for colleagues, for help during times of ill-health and family crisis, for curricular inspiration, for facilitation of professional in-service and ideas, for lovely unexpected gestures, and many others. 

How rare for a group of colleagues to have an hour to simply sit in a circle and thank each other!  I am so appreciative for that opportunity and for the opportunity to hear the thoughts of gratitude expressed by my friends and colleagues.  It was a beautiful way to end the school year.

So, in this post, I would like to express gratitude for a number of opportunities that have come to me throughout the course of the past year.

First, I am thankful for my family.  My wife is so supportive and literally adjusts so many facets of her life to accommodate my busy work and performing schedule.  She understands my priorities and challenges.  I couldn't do it without her and I truly appreciate her guidance and support in my life.  I am also thankful for my kids.  I have three sons who make me proud on a daily basis.  They are growing to be fine human beings, exhibiting compassion, work ethic and sensitivity on a daily basis.  We live in a harsh world and I know my boys will be part of the solution, not part of the problem.  I feel so fortunate to have a role in their lives.

I am thankful for the many conducting opportunities that have come my way this year.  I am so privileged to work with students all over the US and appreciate the opportunity to have a small part in shaping the musical understanding and passion of so many kids.  It is such a joy for me to travel and experience the excitement of orchestra events over and over.  I always knew that I wanted to do this and I am truly living my dreams.  If you had a part in providing me one of these opportunities, thanks!

Similarly, I am thankful for speaking and conference presentation opportunities.  These presentations keep me on my toes and fresh.  They give me the opportunity to articulate my pedagogical thoughts to other teachers and to gain constant feedback on my ideas.  In return, I gain motivation from their enthusiasm for my material.  Truly, I appreciate the opportunity to share my ideas with colleagues.

I am thankful for colleagues.  My colleagues at NCSSM support and inspire  me every day. We collaborate, discuss, share, laugh, and commiserate.  I couldn't ask for a better daily environment. 

My colleagues around North Carolina are an inspiration as well.  I look forward to our regional and all-state events, not only for the opportunities my students receive, but also to hang out with my friends!  We share laughter and common situations.  The string ed community in NC is strong and welcoming.  And, I am thankful for colleagues around the country.  It is so great to watch your accomplishments and lives via Facebook and other digital media.  And, of course, I love seeing you, hanging out, sharing meals, and touching base at conferences and other events throughout the year.  This community isn't that big and I am always reminded that this is our "tribe."   It is wonderful to be in this together.

I am thankful for NCSSM.  This institution has been so wonderful to me over the years.  The school's mission is a perfect fit for me.  The administration appreciates my talents and does all that they can to allow me to thrive and be my best at every turn. And, when I need a little latitude, they always provide me with what I need.

I am thankful for smiles from students.  There is no greater feeling than making eye contact with a student while conducting a piece and receiving that smile that says, "Thanks, Mr. Laird. This is awesome."  Similarly, it is great to just get that smile in the hallway or during a break in rehearsal.  Again, the community of string players and orchestral musicians is small.  It is so nice to be connected with young people by such a cool and meaningful pursuit.

I am thankful for the love and support that I have received from so many people in the past year.  It is truly awesome to have folks that care for us.  That has definitely been palpable in my life in recent months.  Thanks.

I am sure there is much more:  health, happiness, recreation, engagement, good fortune, and others.  I am certainly grateful today.  

Thanks to you for taking the time to read this.  Peace.

Scott

Backbeats as a Vehicle to Steady Tempo (Groove)

Exactly where does the intersection of folk, rock, and jazz idioms and classical music lie?  To me, the answer to that question is "Everywhere."  Certainly, the experts in each of these genres can clearly articulate and perform their idiom's most important aspects.  But, how do we bring the best of each to the other.

I have been thinking about this a great deal lately, especially since my conversation with Chris Howes on his Creative Strings Podcast. 

Last week, my orchestra was in the middle of rehearsing the Double Clarinet Concerto by Felix Mendelssohn for our upcoming Concerto Concert. There are a couple of passages in the work that are very metronomically stable, but, somewhat rhythmically difficult to master. My string section was having trouble holding a steady beat without pushing the tempo. 

I decided to experiment a little bit with pulse and backbeats in an effort to provide context for my students to remain steady. This idea grew from the conversation that I had with Christian just  a few weeks ago.  Of course, I had done this before with student ensembles, but it has come to front and center in my thinking and it was time to get some data!  (Incidentally, I alwasy encourage my students to practice and rehearse like a scientist.  Limit variables and gain data with every pass though a section. )  

I decided to first have the students play the passage slowly without any oral or clapped pulse. Results: rushing and instability.  Then, I ran the passage, clapping on beats 1 and 3.  Results: about the same. Following the less than moderate success with that scheme, I decided to try backbeats. I clapped on two and four while the students were playing a very traditional classical piece. After running the passage 2 or 3 times the passage became beautiful and steady. The backbeats were the answer.  My friend Christian would be so proud!  He is definitely on to something here. 

I wanted to collect some more data, so I asked the kids about their reaction to the exercise. Here are some of the thoughts that they gave me:

1. "Initially it's more difficult because it's unfamiliar."  
2. "After getting over the initial shock and discomfort, it caused me to think more deeply about exactly what was happening."
3. "It provided something that I could lock in to rhythmically and I had to take personal responsibility for the strong pulse."
4. "It really helped to steady the tempo."

I am convinced that  there is something much deeper going on here, but am not sure how to articulate it yet.  I will need to do more study.  But, here is what I know anecdotally:  Providing backbeats helps to establish groove.  By the way, I am not talking about  swinging the pulse in any way.  We are simply providing backbeats or the "snare drum" in the pop/rock setting.  

Which brings me to my hypothesis.  Student musicians are used to hearing groove in dance music and there is always a backbeat provided there.  Conversely, in classical repertoire, the backbeat is rarely provided and students feel more compelled or premitted to "fudge" the pulse a bit.

More research is required here. but, I am interested in your experience with backbeats in classical repertoire.   Meanwhile, I will keep digging.

Peace.

Scott

Perception is Reality and No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Recently, my school agreed to host a regional university wind ensemble for performance on a Sunday afternoon. We were asked to do this when another local high school had to back out of their commitment to host the performance. We did it as a favor to the other high school director who was an alum of that school and explained that Sunday afternoon performances, particular on beautiful spring days, were usually lightly attended and we had some difficulty generating audience for this type of performance. It also happened to be the day after my school's prom.  Students from our school would be there in all likelihood. The ensemble leaders understood the concern but were interested in getting one last dry run before a trip to New York City the next day. So, we agreed to host the performance as a gesture to the university wind ensemble.

The school that backed out of hosting the performance agreed to provide all of the publicity, send students, and to contact local alumni about the performance. They were essentially in charge of generating an audience. Sadly, the day of the performance came and went and the audience was very thin. Actually, extraordinarily thin. The performing ensemble certainly understood and really weren't concerned about it at all.

Here's where "perception is reality" steps in. About an hour after the performance, I received a scathing email from a local resident who heard about the performance, came to the concert, and was enraged that so few people were there. Their ire was directed at me for not generating an audience for the performance. You see, I am the face of our Fine Arts Series and I am the one that sends out publicity emails regarding upcoming events. Earlier in the week, I had sent out a quick email to numerous area list-serves that letting people know that the performance would be on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock. To make matters worse, there was a small typographical error in the email I had sent.  The error was small (a typo in the information that I had received) and I don't believe that it would have kept anyone from attending the performance.  This constituent's perception was that I hadn't done my job. I hadn't generated an audience. I had had not honored the group that was performing. I had not corrected the error in the email. And I had not advertised the concert appropriately . Here is the letter:

What an embarrassment!! The Symphony deserved a much larger audience!! When a member of my neighborhood association forwarded the March 23 email from you, we noticed the error immediately and sought clarification. Where might we have found a correction?? How was the news of the concert communicated to the public?  Facebook page? Website? Who is responsible for communication of any and all events at your institution? Has anyone stepped up to take responsibility for this attendance fiasco, and please don't suggest you just printed what they sent!! As a taxpayer and lifelong resident of this community, my expectations are high but readily achievable if those in charge do their job!!

What a horrible way to end my Sunday evening. Clearly, this constituent didn't have all the facts. But, it didn't matter. Their perception was their reality. Obviously, we responded to the letter and gave them some more of the facts, but I believe the damage was done. Their perception of our institution and our programs had been , more than likely, altered irreparably.

Which brings me to the second part of my title: "no good deed goes unpunished." Clearly, we were looking to help out this university wind ensemble. We were also looking to help out this local area band director. In the end, we have probably been better off saying no. But, that is not how I want to operate. I always want to operate in a mode of saying yes. In this instance, it didn't pay off for at least one audience member. But, I do believe that the university wind ensemble was thrilled to have that opportunity. They worked for about an hour with a well-known composer who lives in our area and had a final dry run before they headed off to New York City for more performances. Saying yes, in the end, was the right thing to do.

Of course, we will continue saying yes and trying to be an optimistic force in the arts and music in our area. All that being said, it really stings to receive an email like the one I received. I wish that people would take the time to get all the facts before unleashing their sometimes ignorant rants.

As for those of us in the arts at my institution, we will continue to say yes.

Peace.


Scott

Christian Howes Interview

Hi all -
I was recently interviewed by renown jazz violinist, Christian Howes for his podcast.

You can find the interview here:  https://soundcloud.com/christian-howes

I hope you enjoy it. We cover a lot of ground in the interview and I feel like it brings out some of my thoughts about ensemble, pedagogy, and teaching.

Peace.
Scott

Hall of Fame

Today I'm thinking about Hall of Fame careers.

Recently, Terrell Davis, former running back for the Denver Broncos, found out that he will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame this coming year. What a wonderful recognition of a great career, albeit a short one. A couple of days ago, I heard Mark Schlereth, former offensive lineman on the same team and current radio broadcaster, tell a great story about Terrell Davis. He said that Davis was on his Radio Show recently when Mark expressed a real sense of pride that his teammate was going into the Hall of Fame. He said, "It's almost like I am going into the Hall of Fame." Terrell Davis responded by telling Schlereth that he is, in fact, going into the Hall of Fame. He, in fact, owns a piece of that bust that will be put up and that yellow jacket. For, they were teammates. And nothing great ever can happen without a Hall of Fame team.

Schlereth then went on to tell Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, hosts of Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN radio, that he was really proud to have been on two Hall of Fame teams over the course of his career. The Denver Broncos, the team that Terrell Davis was being recognized for, and Mike and Mike in the Morning, the magnificent morning radio show that has been on ESPN's radio waves for the past 16 years. Schlereth went on to articulate how all Hall of Fame teams require sacrifice on the part of each individual. It's family. It's about taking care of each other and loving each other in many ways. Sacrifice is the central  important  concept.

I heard this story while I was driving in the car and it really moved me. I began reflecting on my career and the amazing Hall of Fame teams that I have been part of. I have made three stops in my professional career. First in Palmyra Pennsylvania where I was so fortunate to be mentored by magnificent music educators and others that cared for me as a young professional. They were, effectively Hall of Fame mentors and teachers for me.  Three of those individuals are: Dan Hoover, an amazing elementary instrumental teacher who modeled excellence, stellar musicianship, and consistency every day; JB Yorty, a lively and unique individual who taught elementary classroom music, kept me in line, and challenged me to look and act like a pro during my time in Palmyra; and Fred Otto, a hilarious and totally effective middle school music instructor who inspired kids to keep playing and laughing every day at Palmyra Middle School for many years.  These guys really shaped me during those formative years in my teaching career.

In 1991, I moved on to Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt Maryland where I became part of my 2nd Hall of Fame Team. When I landed at Roosevelt it became clear to me that I was working side-by-side with some of the best instructors and teachers that the music education business could possibly provide: Sally Wagner, Barbara Baker, and Judy Moore, along with principal Dr. Gerald Boarman. Sally Wagner was the band director at Eleanor Roosevelt High School for about 40 years and is the author of The Band Directors Guide: In the Pursuit of Excellence.  Sally and I shared an office and many great musical and professional moments over the years.    Dr. Barbara Baker, who was at ERHS for many years as well, is now retired and enjoys a vibrant career as guest conductor and speaker all over the world in the area of choral music. Barbra taught me more than I could ever express in one blog post.  Judy Moore was our department chair and administrative department leader. She had a keen sense of how to keep our multi-tasking department moving in a common direction and all on the same page. Dr. Gerald Boarman, principal of ERHS at the time, went on to serve as Chancellor of the North Carolina School of Science and Math and is now the head of the Bullis School in Potomac Maryland. He is noted nationally as a progressive leader of specialized and innovative academic institutions.

16 years ago I found myself at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham North Carolina and knew that I had left and amazing, Hall of Fame team of colleagues in the music department at ERHS. Since that day I had been seeking to recreate the environment that I experienced at Eleanor Roosevelt. There was something exciting about every single day working with these amazing colleagues and knowing that something special was going to happen in the classroom and on the performance stage each time we got together. We at NCSSM certainly have that team in place now!  Currently, I am so aware that things are really clicking in the Fine Arts Department at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. I am so blessed to have these Hall of Fame colleagues to work with. My colleague in the music department is Phillip Riggs, 2016 Grammy Award winner for Music Education. I couldn't have a more caring, humble colleague. He is a fantastic musician and and magnificent advocate for our students and our institution. David Stuntz, our Choral Director has just the right mix of musical expertise, choral chops, and caring father figure. Adam Sampieri, Theater Instructor, brings a young energy, artistic experience, and impeccable pedagogical sense to the classroom and theater rehearsal every day. Cary Alter, the newest addition to our team, rounds out this Hall of Fame team, bringing a real air of deep thought, fresh energy, and artistic talent to our Visual Arts discipline.

Hall of Fame teams require sacrifice on the part of each individual. It's family. It's about taking care of each other and loving each other in many ways. Sacrifice is the central  important  concept. I have had this 3 times in my career.  It is such a pleasure to go to work every day as part of a great team. Somehow,  Mondays rarely bother me. 

I wish each of you the opportunity to be part of a Hall of Fame team. It starts with sacrifice. 

Peace.

Scott 

Ives and Autumn

Last night, I attended a wonderful lecture at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh North Carolina. Associate conductor of the North Carolina Symphony and Musical Director of the Durham NC Symphony, William Henry Curry, presented a wonderful lecture on the life and music of Charles Ives . He will be conducting Ives's 2nd Symphony next Friday night at Meymandi Hall with the North Carolina Symphony. Quail Ridge Books is a progressive retailer that frequently features speakers, musical performances, and authors. They have a magnificent facility and really provide a great scholarly environment for folks to experience these educational and artistic events.

I found Curry's remarks to be insightful at every level . I took 16 students from the North Carolina School of Science and Math to the lecture as well. The kids were engaged throughout and the folks at Quail Ridge Books were very excited to see such a wonderful group of high school students at this lecture.

I learned a lot about Charles Ives last night and hearing it through the perspective of William Henry Curry was particularly interesting. He covered lots of the standard Ives details which include his commitment to dissonance as a reflection of the sounds he heard in nature and music around him, his love of patriotic music and folk songs and how he incorporated them into his classical music, and, some things that I didn't know before.  One of my favorite aspects of Ives' composition is that he would depict sounds that happened accidentally around us - like folks singing out of tune, random sounds and noises, marching bands in 2 keys being heard on the street at the same time, etc. - and include them in his composition.  In my 20th Century Music History courses, I admiringly refer to this uniquely Ivesian compositional technique as "Accidentalism."  He talked a good deal about Ives' relationship with his father and how important that was to his development as a musician and composer . He also spoke a great deal about his wife, Harmony who supported him throughout his life and career. I also learned a fair amount about some of his insecurities which included his reaction to being called a sissy when he was a young boy because of his interest in classical music. Curry speculated that perhaps some of the dissonance and masculinity in Ives' music grows from that insecurity. This is something that many young classical musicians can probably relate to.

Curry also shared several audio excerpts for us to learn from . the most interesting was certainly a rare recording of Ives playing piano and singing a raucous politically charged Anthem that he wrote. The nearly unhinged tone of his voice and heavy-handed piano playing was incredibly telling. I enjoyed this very much.

One of the most interesting stories of the night really didn't involve Ives, but rather provided some insight into the life of a composer. Curry told a story of when he was Associate Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony and was assigned to be assistant to Aaron Copland while he was conducting the symphony for a week. Curry explained that he was afraid to speak to Copland for the entire week and never said a word to him until the last day when he found out that he had to drive him back to the hotel after rehearsal. Curry introduced himself to Copland as his assistant and asked if there was anything that he might need. Copland asked for a few minutes to simply sit and relax after the rehearsal, before the trip back to the hotel. Curry explained how physical the act of conducting is and likened it to claim an entire football game. (I could really relate to that because I am always sore after a day of conducting at an honors festival that lasts all day. I have developed a close relationship with ice bags on my shoulders in the evening!) While Curry and Copland sat for nearly 40 minutes after that rehearsal prior to going back to the hotel, Curry had the opportunity to speak with him on a very personal level. Upon getting to know him a bit , Curry allowed to Copland that he was interested in becoming a composer . Copland's response was to remind Curry that when you're conductor you are competing with all living conductors. But, when you are a composer you are competing with all living and dead composers . What an interesting thought! And, it would really give all aspiring composers pause. Just consider the folks that are programming for symphonies having the conversation,  "What shall we program on this concert Beethoven or Curry "?  Fortunately, William Henry Curry continued to compose and has contributed a great deal to the repertoire!

Which brings me to the final part of his talk . William Henry Curry will be premiering one of his original compositions on the same concert, entitled Autumn. He talked a bit about the piece and the title which is semi-programmatic. He explained that as a sixty-two-year-old man, he is facing his mortality on a daily basis. "Autumn" refers to his stage in life as well as a more symbolic thought about the season of autumn and the turning of leaves. He shared a good deal about his thought process and particularly some of the imagery associated with the season of autumn. He explained that when leaves turn and fall off a tree, they beautiful, yet are essentially dying. As they decompose on the ground, they provide nutrients and food for new life to thrive. These concepts are embedded in the music that he will be presenting at the upcoming concert.

I found the talk to be extraordinarily enlightening and inspiring. I've thought a great deal about many of the topics that William Henry Curry covered. I would encourage everyone to check out Quail Ridge Books and attend one of their lectures for musical performances.  NC Symphony Musical Director, Grant Llewellyn will be giving a talk on The Music of World War I on April 3.

Peace.

Scott

TMEA 2017

Hello to all of my new friends at TMEA 2017.
I am honored to be here to share some of my pedagogical thoughts with you and hope that you gained some new ideas from my sessions.  I am posting some documents and links here that you may find helpful!

Pedagogy from the Podium: Thursday 11:30

• Handout

• For those interested in finger pattern resources

Handout

Shared folder of resources

Backtracks and playlists

10 Practical Strategies: Thursday 2:30

• Handout
• Good Article

Teaching Habits of Mind of the Orchestral Musician: Friday 1:00

• Handout
• Presentation

Approach Arrive Depart: Friday 4:00 with Julie Post and the Bradley Middle School Orchestra

• Handout

Please let me know if I can provide anything else for you. I am always happy to share ideas and materials!

Peace.

Scott

PS A really great Spinach dip Recipe :)

INGREDIENTS
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
1 container (16 oz.) sour cream*
1 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped (optional)
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers to your favorite people.