Contrasting Periods Comments http://mconnor.blogsome.com Thoughts about music, teaching, and life in general Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:38:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Elaine Fine http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/07/09/low-self-esteem/#comment-132 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:35:40 +0100 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/07/09/low-self-esteem/#comment-132 I like the guy in the "two peas in a pod" outfit too. I like the guy in the “two peas in a pod” outfit too.

]]> by: Wes F. in Cincinnati http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/07/09/low-self-esteem/#comment-131 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:19:24 +0100 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/07/09/low-self-esteem/#comment-131 Remember, Mark: Conservatism cannot fail, it can only <i>be</i> failed. Already the reich...erm, right wing in America is claiming Bush is not a "real" conservative. Man, those folks are easily duped. WF Remember, Mark: Conservatism cannot fail, it can only be failed. Already the reich…erm, right wing in America is claiming Bush is not a “real” conservative.

Man, those folks are easily duped.

WF

]]> by: Wes F. in Cincinnati http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/07/01/not-much-interest-in-blogging/#comment-130 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:35:41 +0100 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/07/01/not-much-interest-in-blogging/#comment-130 Mark, it's good to see you back. And I dig the job thing; I had two great interviews back in February, including one where it looked like the job was mine. After five weeks, they notified me that it had gone to someone else. For a long time, there was then nothing, which stung. Things worked out later (within the past three weeks), but it was really difficult slogging through that; not knowing if I was going to have any job in my field (and my wife's gig is not enough to pay the bills by itself) made sleep and digestion problematic. Good luck to you; I hope something tenure-track manifests itself soon. (And if you want to talk to someone who made/is making the transition from comp teacher to full-time theory teacher, e-mail me; I met someone doing just that while grading the AP Music Theory exams in Nebraska a couple of weeks ago.) Mark, it’s good to see you back.

And I dig the job thing; I had two great interviews back in February, including one where it looked like the job was mine. After five weeks, they notified me that it had gone to someone else. For a long time, there was then nothing, which stung.

Things worked out later (within the past three weeks), but it was really difficult slogging through that; not knowing if I was going to have any job in my field (and my wife’s gig is not enough to pay the bills by itself) made sleep and digestion problematic.

Good luck to you; I hope something tenure-track manifests itself soon. (And if you want to talk to someone who made/is making the transition from comp teacher to full-time theory teacher, e-mail me; I met someone doing just that while grading the AP Music Theory exams in Nebraska a couple of weeks ago.)

]]> by: Mark Connor http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/04/20/bad-news-for-the-trombones/#comment-129 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:03:02 +0100 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/04/20/bad-news-for-the-trombones/#comment-129 It is certain that sitting in front of the brass and/or percussion for a lifetime can cause hearing loss and that it is a serious problem for many musicians, but I was actually struck more by the comments of the orchestra manager. Perhaps it was just a bad translation, but how tactful was it to point out to composers that the performers are alive when orchestral musicians make the bulk of their salaries playing music by composers who are dead? It's not that there's really anything wrong with the system, but I still found it ironic and a bit sad. It is certain that sitting in front of the brass and/or percussion for a lifetime can cause hearing loss and that it is a serious problem for many musicians, but I was actually struck more by the comments of the orchestra manager. Perhaps it was just a bad translation, but how tactful was it to point out to composers that the performers are alive when orchestral musicians make the bulk of their salaries playing music by composers who are dead?

It’s not that there’s really anything wrong with the system, but I still found it ironic and a bit sad.

]]> by: Wes F. in Cincinnati http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/04/20/bad-news-for-the-trombones/#comment-128 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:31:34 +0100 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/04/20/bad-news-for-the-trombones/#comment-128 On one hand, one of my conducting teachers - a stellar musician and outstanding conductor - has suffered notable hearing loss because he worked extensively with marching bands as a younger man. These problems are most assuredly real, and I avoid prolonged loud and sudden noises for those very reasons. On the other hand, sometimes the only way to say it is with ffff dissonances. WF On one hand, one of my conducting teachers - a stellar musician and outstanding conductor - has suffered notable hearing loss because he worked extensively with marching bands as a younger man. These problems are most assuredly real, and I avoid prolonged loud and sudden noises for those very reasons.

On the other hand, sometimes the only way to say it is with ffff dissonances.

WF

]]> by: Jeffrey Quick http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/part-writing-overload/#comment-127 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:16:12 +0100 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/12/part-writing-overload/#comment-127 I think the problem comes when there's no hierarchy of desiderata. One gets to a point where one feels that it is impossible to do an assignment without "breaking a rule", and all the rules seem to be equally important. When I had honors theory with James Dapogny at Michigan in the '70s, he gave us a list of "Offenses against tonality and their penalties." Yes, he would objectively grade 4-part writing: -3 for parallel octaves, -1 for direct fifths, whatever. And the grading scale was brutal. But at the times when it seemed like we could only do one of 2 bad things, we could choose the less-bad thing to do. I think the problem comes when there’s no hierarchy of desiderata. One gets to a point where one feels that it is impossible to do an assignment without “breaking a rule”, and all the rules seem to be equally important. When I had honors theory with James Dapogny at Michigan in the ’70s, he gave us a list of “Offenses against tonality and their penalties.” Yes, he would objectively grade 4-part writing: -3 for parallel octaves, -1 for direct fifths, whatever.
And the grading scale was brutal. But at the times when it seemed like we could only do one of 2 bad things, we could choose the less-bad thing to do.

]]> by: Crystal http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-126 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:22:50 +0000 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-126 Unfortunately, I can't move much past WWI - we're supposed to stick to what we've studied thus far and that's where our unit ended. x.x But thanks a ton for the suggestions - I'll give them a shot. Unfortunately, I can’t move much past WWI - we’re supposed to stick to what we’ve studied thus far and that’s where our unit ended. x.x But thanks a ton for the suggestions - I’ll give them a shot.

]]> by: Mark Connor http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-125 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:33:07 +0000 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-125 Berg also served in the Austrian Army and now that I think about it, I believe Edward Elgar wrote his cello concerto in response to the war. Berg also served in the Austrian Army and now that I think about it, I believe Edward Elgar wrote his cello concerto in response to the war.

]]> by: Wes F. in Cincinnati http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-124 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:28:46 +0000 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-124 As far as specific composers in that era, remember also that Schoenberg served in the Austrian army and Virgil Thomson served in the American Expeditionary Force. There are others, I'm sure. WF As far as specific composers in that era, remember also that Schoenberg served in the Austrian army and Virgil Thomson served in the American Expeditionary Force. There are others, I’m sure.

WF

]]> by: Mark Connor http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-123 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:17:57 +0000 http://mconnor.blogsome.com/2008/03/21/growing-notoriety/#comment-123 Remember that the post-tonal revolution in music was already under way when the war began as were similar Avant Garde movements in the visual and performing arts. It might be difficult, particularly if you limit yourself to the internet, to make the firm connections that I think you are seeking. That being said, you have to start somewhere and though I'm not a musicologist by trade, I would probably start by looking at one of the fine historical surveys of 20th Century music (Morgan, Cope, Salzman, et al.) and see what kinds of ideas and references those volumes contain. From there, you might be able to narrow down your research to better fit the scope of your topic. Another worthy idea, off the top of my head, might be a bit of research into the troubled history of the Inter-War period and the performing and visual arts of the time to see if you can make any connections. If all else fails, remember that ultimately, Hitler and the Nazis rose to power from the ashes of the First World War and the Russian Revolution was triggered by it. Thus, if you consider your topic loosely, any research into composers affiliated with Nazi propaganda (Strauss?) or Russian Socialist Realism (Shostakovich?) fit your general theme as well. Remember that the post-tonal revolution in music was already under way when the war began as were similar Avant Garde movements in the visual and performing arts. It might be difficult, particularly if you limit yourself to the internet, to make the firm connections that I think you are seeking.

That being said, you have to start somewhere and though I’m not a musicologist by trade, I would probably start by looking at one of the fine historical surveys of 20th Century music (Morgan, Cope, Salzman, et al.) and see what kinds of ideas and references those volumes contain. From there, you might be able to narrow down your research to better fit the scope of your topic.

Another worthy idea, off the top of my head, might be a bit of research into the troubled history of the Inter-War period and the performing and visual arts of the time to see if you can make any connections. If all else fails, remember that ultimately, Hitler and the Nazis rose to power from the ashes of the First World War and the Russian Revolution was triggered by it. Thus, if you consider your topic loosely, any research into composers affiliated with Nazi propaganda (Strauss?) or Russian Socialist Realism (Shostakovich?) fit your general theme as well.

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