lisa_20 (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} lisa_20) wrote,@ 2009-01-13 22:33:00 |
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The Class about Brass
So the best class this semester will probably be brass methods. It's only offered every two years so all the brass grads take it, and they happen to be practically the only people I hang out with anyway. And all four of the brass faculty teach at one time or another, and I love the brass faculty. We only met for about 1/2 hour tonight and talked about the class. The biggest/ only real thing we have to do is a presentation on a topic of interest to all brass players. It can be basically anything- breathing, literature, mouthpieces. Well that would be super boring, about mouthpieces. I am trying to think of what to do. We have to have 3 ideas by next week. I'm not doing breathing because a) everyone knows about it already and is sick of it, and b) everyone knows about it and is sick of it.
So the simple way to get some ideas is to think of what I'm interested in regarding my instrument, and find a way to broaden that topic.
1. I like reading about history of the horn, and knowing why/for whom different pieces were written- Uses of brass instruments from Baroque to Modern.
2. Tabuteau was an oboe guy, but he had all these theories for how to phrase different notes and I remember thinking in oboe methods that his ideas were really interesting and how they could apply to anyone's musical phrasing. I could look into this and see if it would be enough for a topic. Or maybe broader- how as brass players we should see to learn from other disciplines (espeically singers).
3. How technology is used in music, I suggested this one to a friend after class and she's like, actually that's a good idea...so maybe she'll steal it. And I am not technologically advanced. But if I could remember how to do podcasts, and research some other things like smart music, it might work...but it's not really my thing I don't know much about computers. But it's a good idea if they really stick to the "you absolutely need 3 ideas" thing.
One kid in my class, who happened to be in my theory class last semester and irritated me to no end before I realized he has a learning disability, raised his hand and asked what he was supposed to do about being incredibly nervous for this presentation. He was worried that everyone would laugh at him because that had happened before. The trombone prof. goes, "yeah and it will probably happen again!" which was really mean especially if you understand the social obstacles this kid faces...but I don't think he meant it that was- there was a segue into amusing anecdotes from misspeaks in front of an audience. My favorite story was from my own professor who in introducing the members of his quintet to a group of high-schoolers referred to the "fruit player" instead of, well, the flute.
After we talked about this stupid presentation we were all reminded of how serious of a class it is even though the brass faculty are all super laid back and honestly we all thought that we were going to have it really easy, and actually I think we are because I bet they don't grade that hard on the presentation. But apparently some people have gotten B's, C's and D's, and even failed. All the profs cracked up about that and so when met with confused glances from us, they shared a story of two students. They were both scheduled of present on the same day, but neither of them showed up. The entire class waited about 15 mintues, but when they didn't walk through the door the class decided not to wait around. So Tucker, the tuba professor, calls one students the next day and asks where he was. Apparently he'd had problems getting to class but thought he'd be ok if the other person showed up to present first. Well obviously that's a really bad call so he deserved to fail. I mean at least call someone to let them know what's going on. But what happened to the other student? Turns out, he was in jail. Apparently he was getting friendly with a 14 year old student. And I guess he didn't want his one phone call to be to the professor of brass methods. So I'm wondering, well, if the Warden signs the form does it make it an excused absence?
So the best class this semester will probably be brass methods. It's only offered every two years so all the brass grads take it, and they happen to be practically the only people I hang out with anyway. And all four of the brass faculty teach at one time or another, and I love the brass faculty. We only met for about 1/2 hour tonight and talked about the class. The biggest/ only real thing we have to do is a presentation on a topic of interest to all brass players. It can be basically anything- breathing, literature, mouthpieces. Well that would be super boring, about mouthpieces. I am trying to think of what to do. We have to have 3 ideas by next week. I'm not doing breathing because a) everyone knows about it already and is sick of it, and b) everyone knows about it and is sick of it.
So the simple way to get some ideas is to think of what I'm interested in regarding my instrument, and find a way to broaden that topic.
1. I like reading about history of the horn, and knowing why/for whom different pieces were written- Uses of brass instruments from Baroque to Modern.
2. Tabuteau was an oboe guy, but he had all these theories for how to phrase different notes and I remember thinking in oboe methods that his ideas were really interesting and how they could apply to anyone's musical phrasing. I could look into this and see if it would be enough for a topic. Or maybe broader- how as brass players we should see to learn from other disciplines (espeically singers).
3. How technology is used in music, I suggested this one to a friend after class and she's like, actually that's a good idea...so maybe she'll steal it. And I am not technologically advanced. But if I could remember how to do podcasts, and research some other things like smart music, it might work...but it's not really my thing I don't know much about computers. But it's a good idea if they really stick to the "you absolutely need 3 ideas" thing.
One kid in my class, who happened to be in my theory class last semester and irritated me to no end before I realized he has a learning disability, raised his hand and asked what he was supposed to do about being incredibly nervous for this presentation. He was worried that everyone would laugh at him because that had happened before. The trombone prof. goes, "yeah and it will probably happen again!" which was really mean especially if you understand the social obstacles this kid faces...but I don't think he meant it that was- there was a segue into amusing anecdotes from misspeaks in front of an audience. My favorite story was from my own professor who in introducing the members of his quintet to a group of high-schoolers referred to the "fruit player" instead of, well, the flute.
After we talked about this stupid presentation we were all reminded of how serious of a class it is even though the brass faculty are all super laid back and honestly we all thought that we were going to have it really easy, and actually I think we are because I bet they don't grade that hard on the presentation. But apparently some people have gotten B's, C's and D's, and even failed. All the profs cracked up about that and so when met with confused glances from us, they shared a story of two students. They were both scheduled of present on the same day, but neither of them showed up. The entire class waited about 15 mintues, but when they didn't walk through the door the class decided not to wait around. So Tucker, the tuba professor, calls one students the next day and asks where he was. Apparently he'd had problems getting to class but thought he'd be ok if the other person showed up to present first. Well obviously that's a really bad call so he deserved to fail. I mean at least call someone to let them know what's going on. But what happened to the other student? Turns out, he was in jail. Apparently he was getting friendly with a 14 year old student. And I guess he didn't want his one phone call to be to the professor of brass methods. So I'm wondering, well, if the Warden signs the form does it make it an excused absence?
