Archive for October, 2011
A Multi-Track Musical Mind
Posted by Browning Arts in Music on October 31, 2011
Image by u m a m i
For as long as I can remember, my brain has been attuned to music. It’s an auditory addict, a music junkie. It sucks up new input like crazy … recording, replaying, obsessing, dissecting. It also generates its own music (which I pray I’ll learn to transcribe!).
My husband Michael loves music too, but his brain doesn’t process it quite like mine does. We’ve talked about the differences in our perceptions. He can’t fathom how I have so many detailed recordings in my head; I can’t grasp the linear way he perceives the music he hears and plays. We’ve wondered what it would be like to swap brains for a day and experience music through a new set of filters. Our feelings seem so radically different, it might be like visiting another planet.
Well, along comes Radiolab, my favorite ear-candy podcast, with a story about Bob Milne, a ragtime pianist with musical superpowers. (No, that’s not hyperbole. Listen and you’ll see what I mean.) If Michael and I are on different musical planets, Bob Milne has his own super-sized galaxy all to himself!
There’s so much I could say about this man’s mind-blowing abilities. I’ve tried to write something intelligent-sounding about the untapped power of our brains … the amazing skills we might discover if we knew how to make the right connections … the depth of the human connection to music … but I keep hitting backspace. There’s just no way I can touch the beauty of this man’s gift or the wonder I felt while listening to his descriptions of it. His experience of music is similar to mine in some ways, and yet it’s just so … beyond.
It would be quite a trip to swap brains with Bob Milne. I wouldn’t ask for a whole day, though. He would get bored with my brain in a hurry!
Octavia Harp Trio and Ensemble
Posted by Browning Arts in harp, Harpists, Harps, The Harp World on October 13, 2011
Octavia Harp Trio, L to R: Laura Logan, Jaymee Haefner, Maia Jourde. Photo by Brad Haefner.
Last month, Michael and I had the fun of attending a faculty recital by Texas Christian University’s harp instructor, Laura Logan. This performance was a special treat because Laura was joined by the other members of the Octavia Harp Trio, Jaymee Haefner and Maia Jourde, for a program of harp ensemble pieces. Grandjany’s “Aria in Classic Style” and Debussy’s “En Bateau” were highlights, and given my interest in Chinese folk songs, I was bound to like the Kondonassis arrangement of “Small River Flowing.” The piece I found the most interesting, though, was “Adagio from Symphony in C” by Bizet, arranged for harp ensemble by Clifford Wooldridge. Laura told the story of her accidental discovery of this arrangement and her growing appreciation of it. I agree it was a great find, and I hope to hear it again someday, as it seems to be the type of piece that unfolds more with each listen.
Now, you may be wondering why a harp trio would go by the name “Octavia.” (Good question!) It’s because they’re part of the Octavia Harp Ensemble, a larger group of eight professional harpists. My harp teacher, Sydney Howell, is a member of Octavia, so I learned about the group after I started my lessons with her. At that point, I was still getting used to the miracle of hearing one lever harp in person, so I couldn’t fathom a chorus of eight concert harps singing together! That was a sound I wanted to hear … and in a short time, I got my wish. Octavia was having a rehearsal for an upcoming private concert, and Sydney invited us to watch.
When Michael and I arrived at the rehearsal, we were ushered into a living room that had been rearranged to accommodate a semicircle of eight concert grand pedal harps, eight benches, assorted music stands … and eight awesome harpists. One piece of regular furniture that remained was the sofa, which was smack in the middle of the harp circle. That’s where we got to sit. Talk about a place of honor! Michael and I were treated to a full surround-sound harp experience that afternoon!
It was fascinating to have such a close-up view of professional musicians working together to hone their craft. Their playing was great, but I was also impressed by the warm welcome they extended to me as a baby-beginner. I still remember their kind, encouraging words, which is probably why I have a soft spot in my heart for this group of harpists.
Sunset Serenade
Posted by Browning Arts in Creative Journey, Dreams, harp, Music on October 5, 2011
Last night, Merlin and I went out on the balcony to hang out with the sunset. I had dishes to wash and a stack of paperwork to finish … but who can pay attention to things like those when golden, early-autumn light is painting halos over the trees and there’s a tantalizing hint of coolness in the air?
Alfresco harping is a refreshing change from playing indoors. I don’t know what my neighbors think of it, but the harp loves it. The minute it’s brought into a wide open place, its voice stretches luxuriously, then opens up in ways I never hear in my practice room. It’s a fascinating transformation, and I love getting carried along with it. That harp seems to crave musical expression as much as I do.
There’s so much harp sheet music I want to learn, but I’m more interested in playing “the music of the moment,” the stuff that bubbles up in a particular time and place. That kind of music exists in a universe unfettered by notation. For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt close to that other realm. I hear music in the Creation around me, and I ache to play those songs. That yearning was strong last night as I kept company with the sunset … playing what I could, dreaming of more.
“My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around us, the world is full of it and you simply take as much as you require.” — Edward Elgar
“The earth has music for those who listen.” — William Shakespeare
