Steve Martin plays the banjo!!

Long time no type!

Last Monday, I saw Steve Martin (yes, the actor/comedian) play banjo at Orchestra Hall in Detroit with a band called "The Steep Canyon Rangers." THEY WERE INCREDIBLE! Steve Martin started his career doing stand up comedy and his routine included a banjo (and a plastic arrow through the head). Even though he used it for comedy, he is an extremely talented musician. The band he played with is from North Carolina, and they play Bluegrass music. It is a sort of blend of Country and Folk music that usually includes instruments like banjo, guitar, violin, mandolin and string bass. I'm not a big fan of country music, but this stuff was amazing. Their website is: http://www.steepcanyon.com/. You can get track samples and other info there. Check it out! They are well worth listening to.

ALSO - check out this video of Steve Martin with Bela Fleck on the David Letterman show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jn3KCZEqxc. It's great!

London Trombones play "Layla"

Check this out -

go to this link: The London Trombone Sound - Layla

This is a recording of the trombone players from the London Symphony Orchestra playing Eric Clapton's "Layla." There's no video to go with it, but the tune is amazing! It's really cool to hear a trombone choir playing a rock song.

Eric Clapton is an English songwriter/guitarist. He is one of the most famous and influential rock and blues guitarists of modern popular music. He has played in bands such as the Yardbirds, Cream, and as a solo artist since the 1960's and continues to perform today. If you aren't familiar with his music, check him out! It really is great stuff.

Music is Between the Beats

If we listen to a piece of music, where does the music actually exist? If we think of the beat as home, it's not as exciting as those awesome vacation spots we visit. Those vacation spots between the beats are where all of the excitement and beauty of music lives.

This is very clear is SLOW music (I can hear all of my students groaning). As musicians, we are responsible for keeping the SUBDIVISION of the pulse. So if we are playing in 4/4 time, the beat is counted 1 2 3 4. Keeping the subdivision means that we are constantly thinking/feeling this: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +. The subdivision is crucial during slow music so that we make what we are playing clear.

In general, we think of fast music being fun and exciting, while slow music is long and emotional. In a piece of music with both (for example, Heartland Overture or Crystal City Overture), the band will often enjoy playing the fast section more than the slow section because the fast section is more "fun." We should think of the slow section as fun too, and here's why:

When we play fast, we just play the notes. Sometimes we put dynamics in to make it a little more interesting. Usually though, fast music plays itself. It doesn't take a whole lot of musical input for us to make it sound good. The slow stuff takes much more musical input. This is why it should be just as fun! We can use our own creativity to make the music more interesting! The composer left it up to the musicians to make his or her music beautiful. We should do that by paying attention to the MUSIC BETWEEN THE BEATS. Try it next rehearsal. You might end up liking that boring slow section.

Boston Brass

As most of my students know, while I was at the Michigan Music Conference last weekend, I had the opportunity to see Boston Brass in concert. It was an awesome show! Their music was outstanding and their showmanship was great too. If you are interested in finding out more about them, their website is www.bostonbrass.com. They have a load of info, plus recording samples to listen to.

Listening to professional music groups (or better yet, seeing them live) is a great way to improve your own musicianship. It can give you ideas on how to improve your sound, fit your tone to small or large ensembles, perform different styles of music, etc. Even if you see a group that doesn't involve your particular instrument, it can still be beneficial! On top of that, you might even enjoy it!