Musicians in Sheep's Clothing

Every once in a while, a hard-working musician lands an opportunity to strip our appropriate black attire and wear a costume. This can be fun. Or not. This is why: Costumes often come with costume designers. Naturally, their main priority is what you look like on stage. Their last priority: that you can breathe or play your instrument. Another compounding factor is that the decision to put musicians in costumes and parade them around on stage is often a last minute decision on the part of the director. Thus, costumes must be scrounged from whatever is left on the floor. In my case, standing all of four feet eleven-and-a-half inches, the costume is twelve sizes to big and held in place by no less than twenty safety pins.

On one occasion, the size worked to my advantage as it allowed space for four layers of clothes underneath- very important when you play the outdoor Shakespeare festival and the temperature is a tropical forty-five degrees. The costume in question was a tuxedo.

Oddly, this was not the last time I was dressed as a man.

And then there is body paint. If you don't love being slathered in layers of toxic green do not play for the circus. Although, I once wore a three-foot beehive wig when playing for a circus. Talk about a balancing act...

Perhaps the most elaborate costume was the one I wore for the International Dance Festival in San Francisco. Two words: Polka Band

What you can't see from this angle is the thick braid of fake hair attached to the back of that bow. Shirt- twelve sizes too big. I could barely find my hands. The look is completed by bright red lace-up boots, which would have looked great with any other outfit.

By the way, the other guys (Dan Cantrell and Eric Perney) looked pretty snazzy in their outfits.

All in all, we all like a bit of dress-up, though most is better as a distant memory.

Rockin' Bands for the Whole Family

Today I would like to introduce a few musical acts that may inspire your kids to become avid music listeners and concert goers.

Last Saturday we took our three-year-old son Joe Frank to a children's concert at the lovely Subterranian Arthouse in downtown Berkeley.  Joe Frank loves a good concert and will sit through most anything but, oddly, he had never attended a show designated to children.  So, you can imagine his surprise when the audience broke all etiquette and danced in the aisles and sung along with the music.  Then, there were the puppets, bubbles and scarf-throwing fun.  Needless to say, we went home with our very own CD, which has currently become the ONLY album listened to in Joe Frank's presence.  Unlike a lot of children's music, however, this CD is not only tolerable to adults, it's very enjoyable and I suggest you get one for yourselves.  The band in question is...

Octopretzel

Their self-proclaimed intention is to create music that in enjoyable for families, not just kids.  And in this they succeed.   From the Octopretzel website:


Best described as folk music, it crosses generations and genres, weaving together styles such as bluegrass, rock and roll, lullabies and even nursery rhymes.  Our shows integrate elements of many cultures such as African drumming, klezmer fiddling, middle-eastern percussion and singing styles, and songs with words in Spanish, Hebrew and even Quechua.

The next group is not targeted for children at all, yet I mention them because they are an ensemble of the highest quality of musicianship and skill, which the entire family will enjoy.  The vast range of their repertoire offers something for everyone and their friendly approach to the audience encourages all levels of listeners.  I am speaking of...

Real Vocal String Quartet
 From the Real Vocal String Quartet website:
Real Vocal String Quartet's inventive take on chamber music combines the magical textures of a string quartet with a folk- and pop- influenced women's vocal quartet.  Original songs, improvisations, and unique arrangements pay tribute to a fantastic array of music from Appalachia to Kenya to Brazil.

Last but not least (and there are many more in my head that I don't have time to post today), check out the unusual sounds from the women's chorus 


Kitka
A good place to start if you have kids is their lullaby CD titled "Cradle Songs".  This is not your typical collection of lullabies, and I highly recommend it to any family that needs a break from the usual kid's stuff.

Kitka is an American women's vocal arts ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe. Dedicated to developing new audiences for music rooted in Balkan, Slavic, and Caucasian women's vocal traditions, Kitka also strives to expand the boundaries of folk song as a living and evolving expressive art form.
Let me know what bands your whole family enjoys, especially if it's off the beaten path of normal kid music. 

I Hate Practicing

I don't like to practice.  I have never liked to practice and I probably will not learn to enjoy it in the future.  And yet, somehow I have made a career in music.  How?  I practiced, I practice, and I will continue to practice.

Does this loathing of daily scales and lonely etudes mean I'm in the wrong business?    Perhaps.  Or maybe I just know how to get where I'm going.   Because I love to perform.  I admit, I like being on stage, the center of attention.  I relish the risk that the audience may or may not agree with my musical ideas.  I thrive on the challenge of overcoming physical boundaries in order to express emotion through music.  And nothing feels more right than playing with old friends, communicating subliminally through music and expressing more than I would ever say in words.

So, just as I brush my teeth so they don't fall out, I practice.

Perhaps I don't like to practice because, unlike other activities, playing violin does not come easy to me.  It never has.  I am not inherently good at it.   Practicing reminds me of this on a daily basis.

The number one concern expressed by parents of young music students is "should I make them practice?"  Once the thrill of getting your first tiny violin gives way to the endless complications of making the poor thing work, many students experience a dip in enthusiasm.  Wouldn't you?  On top of that, you're supposed to subject yourself to this frustration every single day?!  Unfortunately, repetition is the only way to teach those fingers new tricks.

Don't get me wrong, there is the occasional young student who can't get enough.  The child who practices every chance they get until their parents have to force them to stop.  If you have such a child or you are such a child- you are truly blessed.  As for the rest of us...

Don't give up.  For some, the motivation to play music lies beyond the process.