ecarroll

TMers,

A summertime quote that just caught my eye:

"Diversity is the most basic principle of creation. No two snowflakes, blades of grass, or people are alike."
-- Lynn Maria Laitala

If diversity is the mother of balance then perhaps it’s the cultivation of our individuality as performers that should be foremost in our quest to become better trumpeters and musicians. We often harbor the illusion that balance and sameness are identical. Sameness, afterall, feeds our illusion of being in control. Diversity, on the other hand, offers us the musical creativity of balancing-unbalancing-rebalancing – a lifetime process. Balance is an ongoing process and isn’t static.

As trumpeters many of us push and push for sameness, blind to the idea that sameness feels imbalanced eventually. We want to hang around with other trumpeters who are similar to us. We want our overly familiar methodology to cover the globe (fat chance, that). We choose to copy performances from CDs rather than create our own interpretation.

Yikes.

We have a few weeks left before seasons and classes start. Let’s start something new and report back here occasionally to discuss how it’s coming? I'm very, very interested in this subject and hope that a few of you are as well.

Best,
EC (longing for the days when orchestras and solo performers sounded not so bloody much alike)

mahaberio

Ed,

I'm working on programming my senior recital right now and am hoping that I can make it more than than the standard formulaic program we hear all too often.

Some of the things I'm hoping to incorporate are some dancing (not me) and theater and I have some pieces that lend themselves so well to both. So far the instrumentation throughout the recital is really varied, ranging from just solo trumpet; solo trumpet and dancer; trumpet, horn, trombone, and claves; trumpet and piano; a five-piece ensemble with an actor; and even a nine-piece chamber ensemble with conductor. I don't think we utilize these types of pieces enough in student recitals. We have how many instrumentalist friends and how many student conductors available to us who are dying to conduct a public performance?

-Matthew

ecarroll

Matthew,

Me, for one.

I'm advocating diversity in repertoire and diversity in how we play as well.

Watching,
EC

mahaberio

I think in a lot of ways diversity in repertoire and diversity in how we play goes hand-in-hand. We're profoundly influenced as musicians both by what we play and what we listen to. Maybe we don't realize it, but I think us playing Scelsi definitely impacts how we might turn around and play Haydn.

It's a struggle to find your own sound and I think a lifelong one. It's much like a composer or a painter finding their own style. It's always an uphill battle and everything that we do influences it. Let it.

-Matthew

hornblatt

I'm commissioning a piece(perhaps a new sonata for the rep?) from a young composer at pre-college. He's in Japan right now so I'll probably start working with him in September. I'll try to keep you guys posted on how it goes. I think it's his first solo commission (I know he's had orchestral) and I'm really excited!

Wish me luck!

Annie

Sophar

Ed I thank you for you statement. I will quote the greatest principal trumpet Mr. Herseth said " there are many different ways to play the trumpet some are better than others"

ecarroll

Sophar,

I greatly admire Bud and used to study with him off and on when I was growing up as a neighbor in Oak Park, Illinois.

My own viewpoint might be stated, in Herseth-speak, as "there are many different ways to play the trumpet. Some sound better than others to me but all are interesting".

I'm not trying to be PC about this. . . I really am searching for diversity. Listen how different Bud, Roger Voisin, Gil Johnson, and Bill Vacchiano used to sound from one another back in the day. Note also how different the Chicago sounded from the Boston, Philadelphia, etc. (not even touching the European orchestras for the moment)

Best and watching,
EC

Billy B

True diversity seeks the truth. Too many times those who advocate diversity become so wrapped up in political correctness they fail to acknowledge how alike we are. This likeness is the very essence of diversity and must be dealt with. Without consonance, dissonance would be meaningless.

ilikethetrumpet

About a month ago, I got married (hence my long posting absence!). My wife is a violist, and while we've been setting up our new place our only non-computer "sound system" is a late-70s Montgomery Ward turntable and a stack a mile high of Philadelphia and New York Phil Orchestra records. She really loves the Philadelphia sound, and asked me to characterize the reputation and the way most people think of the Philadelphia section especially of old (Stokowski/Ormandy/Hering/Johnson). Other than saying that David Bilger's a monster, the only way I could really answer that was by referring to the hallowed Gabrieli disc as well as Gil Johnson's recording of the Hindemith.

One way I think we can add some diversity to our playing (or even our listening) is by trying to appreciate, or at least understand and admire, some outmoded performance practices. On the Gabrieli disc, that nobody would mistake for a period performance, it's nonetheless so refreshing to hear such contrast, such euphony, but also so much individuality. There's no mistaking Gil Johnson's sweet echoes in that. The Johnson/Gould Hindemith is such a fascinating recording as well because it betrays all of the millitaristic mythology we feel we have to tackle when we play that piece; Gould is so facile and true with it, while Johnson is so sweet.

I've also been listening to a recording of some classic string music, the million dollar trio with Feuermann, Heifetz, and Rubenstein (violist William Primrose joins on a couple cuts). While these are not "perfect" recordings, it is fascinating the sense of warmth and the sense of voice you get from these recordings, like old friends having a conversation. Diversity in music sometimes means looking forward to look backwards and looking backwards to show the way forward.

ecarroll

Ilike,

Firstly, and most importantly, congratulations!

That old CBS/Glenn Gould LP of the complete Hindemith (brass) Sonatas is a trip, isn't it? What a unconventional musician and precisely what I'm talking about here...

Best and welcome back,
EC