amtrpt

Hi all,
I'm in PA at my wifes family reunion and I wasn't planning on writing this week, but after I read Mr DiMonte's post I thought that I should make a quick comment.
If my post was misunderstood as being not prepared to perform, or too accepting of mistakes I apologize. It's not that I don't practice, or that I don't care if I miss notes. It's that I refuse to let it ruin the quality of my life. I believe in learning, not self mutilation, so when I mess up I try to figure out why and correct it for the next time. The fact that my dog still loves me is an example of how it's not worth getting too upset when things go wrong. There is more to my life than what happens on stage.
Mr. Dimonte I think the problem for you may be that you need a more understanding dog. Maybe then you wouldn't feel judged on those times when you may miss a note, or make a grammatical mistake. Just a suggestion.
Best to everyone!
Andrew

Pablo

Hi everybody! This is my first post on this fantastic forum.

I also saw the excellent BBC documentary.It was certainly thought provoking.
It seems to me that the group dynamics of playing in a large orchestra are not so different from those which exist in a smaller ensemble , regardless of the style of music.In fact I would go further and say that these issues exist in practically any organisation whether music related or not.There will always be people with dominant personalities trying to overpower others.
Perhaps the only difference is that as insecure/egocentric musicians we may be more sensitive to criticism, etc than your average office worker!

Regarding performance pressure, I have always marvelled at the way in which top jazz musicians perform gig after gig to such a high standard, creating new and exciting improvisations every night without fail.Do they reach a point in their development that it all feels incredibly easy to them? If that's the case then do they get bored of it? After all, we all like to have a go at playing something which is a bit beyond us don't we?

Bloomin Untidy Musician

I will solve your issue with making mistakes. Why don't we take the humanity out of music and replace it with midi trumpet sounds through a amplifier. Humanity is what gives music soul, and musicians individuality. I realise that classical music is very strict discipline but when it comes to mistakes, i would rather a professional musician takes chances for the sake of expression than to pump out a flawless, uninspired, "Galaxy symphony Orchestra" (Midi orchestra ) performance.

Bloomin Untidy Musician

In my experience of working within an organisation Pablo, you are 100% right. You will always find people of the "alpha" order that will try to exert a certain type of control or establish a hierarchy within it. So i suppose it isn't any different to an orchestra.

MJ

Welcome Pablo. Nice first post!

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godchaser

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'Regarding performance pressure, I have always marvelled at the way in which top jazz musicians perform gig after gig to such a high standard, creating new and exciting improvisations every night without fail. Do they reach a point in their development that it all feels incredibly easy to them? If that's the case then do they get bored of it? After all, we all like to have a go at playing something which is a bit beyond us don't we?'


Hey Pablo; nice post. Wish i had come across it before. -That's what appeals to me about wanting to pursue Jazz peformance: the freedom of improvisation. It allows for the Musician to watch the music as it happens, and let it show the way, while the influence of the audiences' 'sensitivity' comes through? I suspect we're all as sensitive as the next person's my meaning, but haven't had the same expressive opportunites as yet. Which may well be societies 'egocentric' accounting of artiest, being thought more sensitive? -It doesn't add up? We've all felt how the emotion of a crowd can move us. I'll never forget when i was just a little kid standing on the seat to try and see Hank Aaron hit a game winning Homer. The crowd was going wild for it- willing it- and he got out of the way and put it over the fence. The intensity of the crowd noise was astounding. Particularly so to a kid? This can't be any different than a Musician seeing the music and letting it be what's there? No way in the world, anybody'll ever convince me we're not all as sensitive as the next, however voyeuristic or perceptibly focused our universal position of 'Alpha' may be. I'd guess this dynamic of participation's no different between fellow artists?

Which i guess is why great Musicians are pliable and never fixated of positional-influence? Or better still, they're oblivious when the artist and audience strikes that elusive-connection found expression? Regardless of the formal structure of Orchestral peformance or the impulsive structure of improvisation, it's gotta be some high flyin' for sure. Least this is my romantic view as yet. Which was cause of my outloud thinking earlier.

It may well be that i gravitate to street-performance. Although i'd imagine that money and other peripheral distrations arun't anymore apparent on stage than the rest?



Chris

Joe DiMonte

Dear Andrew:
I do appreciate your clarification pertaining to the 'miss note' remark.
Please note,it's DiMonte and I'm neither a trumpeter nor a musician and I made NO remarks about grammatical mistakes or typing.
For the record,I'm a retired 'bean counter' who have supported "live" performances,mainly JAZZ for over 45 years both within these U.S. of A and around the Globe.


Your clarification of the 'miss note' remark confirms you possess the attributes and patience of a Professional in getting things done correctly.
Michelangelo once said : Genius is eternal patience.

Unlike most other Professions where to 'cover up' is the norm. Such norms do not exist in music as an error/mistake by a Musician is immediately recognized by most in the listening audience and they will most definitely talk about that error.

BTW,I hope you enjoyed your visit while in PA and had the opportunity to sample a Yuengling Lager (Pottsville,Pa) and/or Pittsburgh finest Iron City .

Live well,Laugh often,Love much .

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"Clark Terry - C.T.,as his friends call him,is not only a master of the trumpet and flugelhorn,but a master musician and a leader to the manor born." - Dan Morgenstern.

MrClean

Playing the trumpet isn't accounting. You can do everything in your power to prepare, but you do not have control over all the variables that go into a performance. Without trying to make excuses, these include but are not limited to:

The amount of playing that has been foisted upon you. Schedules can be grueling, and the people that put together those schedules don't understand the physical demands they are placing on the orchestra, nor do they care. You may have had a three hour recording session on a monster Strauss tone poem, or a pops rehearsal in the morning or afternoon, and are expected to turn around in a short period of time and pull yourself together for a completely different program/genre.

The player's personal life, health, family schedule, teaching load.

Temperature of the stage. Humidity of the stage.

The dynamics within the section/orchestra. How secure you feel within this dynamic, and the relationship you have with the conductor.

What the players around you are doing - do you all have a consensus of pitch and pulse? This can be extremely distracting if someone is throwing a wrench in the works, and can make the job damned near impossible. Sometimes this is not the fault of any player, but the acoustic properties of the stage/hall. Sometimes the conductor beats WAY out in front of what the orchestra is playing, and the musician has to make a split-second decision on where to place an entrance.

Any one of these will interfere with a players confidence about when to "pull the trigger", and where there is doubt, there is seafood buffet. It is amazing concerts go as well as they do.

Not being a professional musician, you have no way of knowing all that happens "behind the scenes". We as performers understand that, but please know that music is not an exact science. Ever concert is a unique, handmade product, and no two are exactly alike. If they were, there would be no reason for anyone to attend live performances.

We do the absolute best we can with what we have, and sometimes s*** happens, even to the best of the best. If you want perfection, program a computer.

J

ecarroll

Well said, J. Bravo.

Best,
EC

MJ

Thanks for the great post Mr. Clean!

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