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Gretchen Saathoff

~ Collaborative Pianist/Vocal Coach ~ forging partnerships, making memorable music together

Monthly Archives: April 2010

Show Biz

24 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in Fantasticks, musical theater, new experience

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Fantasticks, keyboard harp, new experience, theater

The Fantasticks
Image via Wikipedia

Playing keyboard harp in The Fantasticks in West Springfield is a new experience for me, and I love it!

We’re halfway through the 2nd week of a 7-week run.  This is what I’ve learned so far:

Plan ahead!

We have 2 days off.  All errands, appointments, and long phone calls (the ones that keep you on hold for an hour) need to be done during those 2 days, as there is very little free time otherwise.

Have a substantial meal at lunch, as late as possible.

You’re not going to get dinner at the time you’re accustomed to, and you really don’t want to eat dinner at midnight.

If you’re into caffeine, have it before the show.

Last week I had a glass of iced tea at intermission (9 p.m.), and was alert for the second act, and also awake until 4 a.m.

It’s important to say hello, get along with everyone, and work together.

Get to know everyone, including the box office staff, the house manager, the stage hands, everyone.  People will remember your name and help you out.

You can never own too much black.

The actor who has the most experience always credits others, taking very little for himself.

Glissandi can be played with the palm side of the hand.

(The Wikipedia definition is probably more than you want to know…)

When you time a gliss carefully, you can end on the note below the following chord.  To play the chord accurately, I finish the gliss an 8th note before the chord in order to reset my hand.  This type of writing must be a harp thing.  I’ve never encountered the same in piano music.

Stuff happens!  Deal with it!

Being aware is crucial, as stage mishaps can affect the actors’ timing.  So far in this show we have had a keyboard playing the sound from hell on its own, an actor’s sprained ankle (not from the show!), a prop in a slightly awkward place, props mistakenly dropped on the floor, and a ripped dress x3.

Did I mention that I’m having a blast?

What have you learned in the theater?  Please share your experiences in the comment section below!


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Go beyond the notes

17 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in preparation, process

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

emotion, performance, practice, process

Final Bow
Image by skwirrel via Flickr

Someone asked me recently how musicians are able to go from the first stages of learning notes to expressing emotion in performance.  (Thanks for the blog topic!)

My short answer is about all the tracks in our brains that participate in the learning stage:

  • look of the page
  • names of the notes
  • sound (remembering how it goes)
  • where hands are on keyboard
  • pattern on keyboard
  • muscle memory

In performance, if nerves kick in and one track stops working, there are several backups.  Having programmed tracks into your brain, a kind of auto-pilot takes over, allowing for expression.  The performer can communicate the music now.

The Process

Although “getting there” is different for everyone, this is what comes to mind:

  1. Printed music is a road map.  What do you see?  Dots and lines!
  2. Compositions have structure.  The various sections and transitions act as “landmarks.”  Soon after the initial note-learning stage, larger arcs are possible.
  3. A story is often involved, or one can be imagined.

Considerations Along the Way

Emotion is already in the mix when considering:

  • tempo
  • depth of sound
  • relative lightness/gravity
  • volume
  • articulation
  • type of attack
  • variety between sections

Character of the Piece

What kind of piece is this?  It is never generic.  Even a placid introduction or background has a purpose, i.e. supporting a calm, serene melody line.

Is it a:

  • dance?
  • lament?
  • folk song?
  • nocturne?
  • character piece?

Structure

Interpretive decisions are also structure related:

  • harmonic changes
  • repeats
  • sequences
  • variations
  • added parts in repeats
  • bass line in octaves in a repeat
  • ornamentation

Notable Examples

When coaching Frederica Von Stade, I saw her magically transform into her character in the third session.  No discussion, no apparent intention.  It was an amazing change.

Teresa Berganza, when singing “Voi che sapete” at Carnegie Hall, altered her posture.  Her dress, which had looked beautiful up to that point, looked completely different.  It didn’t fit!

The Goal

Every performer has an eye on the stage.  Becoming mired in learning a program is not part of the process.  Identifying goals while practicing gets me “there.”  The end zone changes constantly, but most of the time, there is a clear way to get there.

What have I left out?  How do you work, find ways to progress, and get music ready for performance?  Please leave a comment or ask a question in the comment section below.

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5 proven steps to your best demo

10 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in auditions, demo

≈ 2 Comments

Flat view of a CD-R, with interference colours...

Image via Wikipedia

This post is for musicians who want to book concerts independently (without a manager).  Many concert series will accept a demo when asked.

I can vouch for this:  my piano trio performed 12 concerts in one year resulting from one demo.

As there are no firm guidelines for doing this, it is helpful to construct a few of your own.

These are the guidelines we decided on:

1.  Choose the music

To interest as many presenters as possible, plan to cover all the bases.  You will need excerpts from various musical periods, different tempi, at least one solo per player, and several contrasting types of compositions (waltz, arioso, scherzo, sonata exposition, etc.).

Our excerpts were each several minutes long, including an entire scherzo, an exposition or two, and a slow movement.  When several excerpts are included, the demo is long enough for a listener to gain a comprehensive idea of your playing.  Most likely, no one will have time to listen to entire pieces.

Should a presenter want to hear more, they can let you know.  You could offer to provide more when you send your materials.

We were never asked to send a second recording.

A word to second-guessers:  don’t do it!  Once you’ve put your list together, stick to it. You will be happier in the end.  Changing things time after time will drive you nuts, and your demo will never get done.  You can always record another one, put everything on your computer, and play around with what to use for specific situations.

2.  Find a space to record

If your living room works, fine.  But you may want to find a space without too much fabric, such as carpet, curtains, and seat cushions.

We recorded in a classroom at NYU with good recording equipment and a good piano.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on professional equipment.  Several years ago, I used a Sony Professional Walkman.  Every presenter I contacted was enthusiastic about the quality of the recordings done with that equipment.  Now I have a ZOOM H2 digital recorder that would be quite acceptable for this purpose.

3.  Have the piano tuned!

If you will be using a piano, this is crucial.  Try to have the tuner come the day of your recording session.

4.  Turn on the recorder!

Even when you are “warming up” or doing a “run through” just to get used to the space, you may very well do the best take of the day!  Don’t risk missing it.

When recording an excerpt, decide in advance on a stopping point, and then play past that point for at least 2 measures.  You’ll want to fade the recording out so you don’t have an abrupt stop.

5.  Edit

The way this is done matters.  So if you have substantial editing experience, go ahead.  But if you don’t, hire a professional recording engineer.  The relatively low expenditure will pay for itself.

First you need to decide on the best order for the excerpts.  If you decide before your editing session, you will save substantial time, money, and frustration.  And if you are clear about what you want, the recording engineer will give you his/her best.

Always put your best piece at the beginning!  Don’t assume that the listener will get to the one piece you want them to hear later in the recording.

The lead time from the beginning of the CD to the point where the first excerpt begins should be short, i.e. 3 seconds.  When a busy presenter hears nothing, s/he may assume there’s nothing there.  And then you’re out of luck.  S/he will not spend the time to look around on your CD.  Make it easy for them to listen to you.

The time between excerpts should also be brief and consistent.

Make sure to order the excerpts so tempi and keys are varied from one to the next.

There is no need to order the excerpts chronologically.

The comments above apply to general auditions.  School, grant, and competition auditions (as well as opera companies, orchestra auditions, etc.) have their own requirements, and will be addressed in a separate post.

Do you have other experience with demo recording?  Questions?  Comments?  Please comment on the form below.

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Red maple

10 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Drummond's Maple. Drawing.
Image via Wikipedia

The red maple in front of my building is budding!  Today the red seeds were below the pale green shoots.

When you look at the branches against the gorgeous clear blue sky, the shoots look like miniature pearls.

I never noticed that before!

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Poll results

10 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in warm up

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

poll results, warming up

Polling Station
Image by Neil T via Flickr

Here are the results of the poll about warming up.  The poll is now closed.

The average frequency is daily.

The average time is 15 minutes.

Thanks for participating!

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Happy Bloggy Birthday!

05 Monday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Baby Steps
Image by San Diego Shooter via Flickr

Happy Bloggy Birthday! http://GretchensPianos.wordpress.com is 1 yr. old today!  Awwww…..

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Incentive (end)

04 Sunday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

the glaring eyes you can't ignore
Image by Pacfolly via Flickr

Kind of looks like he’s glaring at me. “Do you know it yet?” I think I’ll leave him there.

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Incentive (cont.)

04 Sunday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in Uncategorized

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Violin-kulcs / Treble clef
Image by budaipasa via Flickr

So now Andrew Jackson has a yellow treble clef paper clip on his head (from music director) partially obscuring his left eye.

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Incentive

04 Sunday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Day 23: January 23, 2007-Nothing Happened Thro...
Image by ashley.adcox via Flickr

Practiced show 3 hrs 2day. 1/2 way thru, I needed incentive 2 keep at it, so I propped up a $20 bill on the music rack.

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Warming up ~ vote in the poll!

02 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by GretchensPianos in directed practice, performing, warm up

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

concerts, performing, practicing, survey, warming up

polling station
Image by secretlondon123 via Flickr

Did you warm up today?

Strings Daily, a newsletter, recently published “Warm Up Before the Concert Like a Professional.”

Another good article on the subject appears on Gerald Klickstein’s* blog.

For me, warming up is important.  How about you?

Some musicians feel like they’re warmed up already if they’ve been playing often.  Others feel like warming up is not necessary.  Waste of time.

There are many ways to warm up

Some possibilities:

  • finger exercises
  • Hanon
  • Czerny
  • Chopin etudes
  • scales/arpeggios
  • stretching away from instrument

How long does it take?

That is an individual thing.  How long does it take you?

You may have one type of warmup for daily use.  This might be plenty for practice and rehearsal days.

Sometimes it’s fun to mix it up!

Perhaps you would want to warm up with specific passages before concerts.

Has your warmup changed over time?

Is your warmup different for various situations?

  • a piano with easier or stiffer action than your own instrument
  • does the size of the hall affect what you do?
  • do acoustics affect your warmup?

Can you warm up in the car?

That may sound silly.  But sometime you might need to try it!

Do you know when you are warmed up?

I’m asking because I couldn’t always tell.  Sight-reading for hours would not result in my being ready to practice.

Why do you warm up?

  • to avoid injury?
  • because your teacher told you to?

Just checking.  It can be such a mindless activity.  Have you ever thought about it?

Warming up is an important element in maintaining your playing for a long time to come.

A useful book

After years of not warming up effectively, I purchased “Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique” by Alfred Cortot.  It is quite expensive, but well worth the price.  It’s available in French and English versions.

This volume is packed with a variety of finger exercises.  Although the first few exercises are easy, you are then asked to move up 1/2 step at a time and repeat.  It’s amazing how a slightly different hand position can change everything!

I completed about 1/2 the book over a 6-month period, and can’t recommend it highly enough.

These days, I begin with Cortot, then add two Liszt finger exercises, for a total of about 10 minutes.  After that, if I’m becoming accustomed to a piano before a concert, I add passages from the program in order to check out the register breaks (so melodies sound even), pedals, dynamic changes, soft endings, the way trills feel, and anything else I need to know about.  My choices are not random, but are used to calibrate dynamics, listen to how the pedals engage, and other variables that change from instrument to instrument.

What do you do?  Please participate in the short survey below.  Only 3 questions!

Click here to complete the survey!

Thank you! Results posted next week!

*Gerald Klickstein is a professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and author of “The Musician’s Way.”

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