Deciding What to Play

One of my favorite things to do - besides actually performing - is to dream up potential recital programs. Because I have interests that encompass many different areas of classical music, I’m always striving to satisfy both my own artistic palate and that of the audience that is paying to hear me play. Easily the most difficult part of programming repertoire - for me - is to come up with a recital that is diverse in style, character, era, and sound world but is cohesive enough to keep audience members interested throughout.

I don’t have specific steps that I go through when I program recital music. Often I think about three things:

1. What do I want to play?
2. What do I want to say to the audience?
3. Is the music that I’m choosing accessible to even the newest classical music audience member?
4.  Will anyone leave at intermission? (So, I don’t really ask myself this question, but I do wonder...) 

from Brian Kelly's Sonata for solo cello

Sometimes, a simple theme is enough for the casual audience member.  For example, when I was in graduate school, I developed a program that I called “Face à Face: music for duos.”  The repertoire include Zoltan Kodaly’s Duo for violin and cello, John Tavener’s Akhmatova Songs for soprano and cello, Beethoven’s Duo for viola and cello “with two eyeglasses obligato” and Brahms’ Sonata no. 2 in F Major.

By purposefully programming music for eclectic duos, I was hoping that the audience would find interest in the different sonorities presented - obviously, cello and piano is much different than cello and soprano! For all intents and purposes, it worked! Talking to audience members after the performance reinforced my belief that interesting music results in interested audiences.  

from Joseph Colombo's Not I for solo cello

In subsequent recitals, I’ve sought to mimic the idea of a unifying theme, even if that theme is known only to me!  A recent performance was titled - in my head - Op. 6 and included three works: Samuel Barber’s Sonata, op. 6, Richard Strauss’ Sonata, op. 6, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata in F Major, op. 5, no. 1. Certainly someone must have realized the subtle play with numbers. With these three pieces, what was actually on display was the early compositional method of three recognized masters.

from Andrew Paul Jackson's You are missing here
for solo cello

It would be difficult to talk about programming without discussing my current project, Queering the Pitch.  This project is the largest planed recital series that I’ve undertaken to this point in my young career.  In my mind, I see it as four separate but united parts: two for solo cello, one for cello and soprano, and one for cello and piano. The first challenge in programming such a project was first finding composers who were openly queer during their lives or, in the case of living composers, who are wiling to be known and potentially pigeonholed as a gay composer.

from Benjamin Britten's Third Suite for Cello

This was not nearly as difficult as I originally thought it might be. Throughout history, there have been a huge number of gay composers. There are countless composers currently living who are not only openly gay, but more than willing to be known as such.  The first challenge arose when searching for works for solo cello by these composers.  Solo cello repertoire between Bach and the 20^th-century is mostly non-existent (an exaggeration, but not entirely...) and some of the more prolific gay composers from the pre-20^th century wrote nothing for the genre.

Crazy fingerings from Ned Rorem's
After Reading Shakespeare

The three works that I settled on satisfy my three (non-mandatory) bullet points from above. I love playing Benjamin Britten’s Suites for Cello and I’ve been trying to find a reason to play Ned Rorem’s After Reading Shakespeare for a while.  I was worried that my fourth bullet point would come in to play, and that people would leave after hear the Rorem - I’ll be completely honest, it’s not the easiest piece to listen to at times.

from Dominick DiOrio's Tarantella for solo cello

Programming is not easy.  Music has a different influence on each individual. One person, who is dear to my heart and who has heard me play countless times, has told me on more than one occasion that a lot of the music that I play makes him uncomfortable and that he finds himself sitting on his hands during performances.  Sometimes, that’s the goal.  Discomfort is just as much a part of music as the music that they put on those Classics for Relaxation CDs. When programming recitals, I often stick to an infallible rule: would my mother still love me after she heard the piece I just played?  If the answer is no, then I should probably jettison that piece from the program. But if the answer is yes, well, then it’s a go!

Where I practice

Recently, I’ve been considering why I practice and how I practice.  This seems to be a semi-annual event, typically near the end of academic semesters or the conclusion of a large project.  Something that I never thought of before, however, was how I can make my time in the practice room more enjoyable for me -- more soothing, even.  There are dozens of resources on how to practice, but very few on where to practice.  I really enjoy looking at peoples’ practice rooms/spaces.  Maybe I’m the only one!  Regardless, I thought I’d type a little bit about the place that I sit six days a week for hours on end.  

Musicianly items

So welcome to my apartment in Athens, GA, a roomy-two bedroom abode that I currently call home. For much the same reason that I don’t want to eat my dinner in bed, I don’t have much desire to practice where I relax.  That said, I’m lucky enough to have a spare room that I am able to devote entirely to practice.  I furnished my practice room with the necessities that every musician needs to practice: a chair and a stand.  Also here is my modest library of music, both parts and scores, in hard copy and digital versions (kept on DVDs).

So much music...and a Dr. Beat

Additionally, I moved in an old IKEA desk that I’ve had since my days as an undergrad living in the dorms. The desk is quite large, and takes up a lot of space in my 11’x12’ practice room.  Over time, I realized that I could slightly modify this desk to suit my practicing needs.  Shown here is the final result: a drafting table styled as a large music stand.  

Balter, Colombo, DiOrio, Oh My!

With this huge table, I’m able to spread my music out (something that is necessary when playing some new music) and keep all of my things (pencils, metronome, tuner, rosin, etc) organized and in one place.  

Diplomas and a Memory shadow box

Adorning the walls of my practice space are various decorative and functional items.  Of course I display my diplomas - one sometimes needs the reassurance that goals can be met when the practicing isn’t going so well - and some concert posters from the past five years of performances.

Traditional practice rooms, the windowless boxes - sometimes soundproof, sometimes not - that adorn the hallways of music schools around the world, are very depressing.  I have never found myself inspired by a practice room.  Certainly, if a musician isn’t inspired, it becomes difficult to practice, and practicing is how we get better.  There are some practice rooms that are more technologically advanced than my humble practice space: Boston University, for example, has practice rooms that record and play back, and can replicate the particular acoustic of different spaces (from a small concert hall to a large airplane hanger).  This isn’t really necessary for me.  Northwestern University has practice rooms that look out over Lake Michigan.  Beautiful view, but drab and boring on the inside.

"Hanging" cello

Besides functioning as a large music stand, my big IKEA desk is a low-tech cello stand as well.  Using some picture wire strung through the holes in the modular desk legs, I fashioned a “cello holder” that allows me to begin practicing less than 30 seconds after I walk in to the room.  Just pick up and go!

Mirror

The most important thing - after the music and the cello - in my practice room are the multitude of mirrors hat I have placed in strategic places around me.  Through these mirrors, I take away the need for a person watching over my posture, bow position, contact point, finger height, etc.  I am now totally accountable for all aspects of my playing.

When it comes to technology, the best part of my practice space is the quick and easy recording device.  Atop my practice desk is my miniature Zoom H2 recorder.  When necessary, I can press the record button, stop when necessary and then listen to the section I just played as it is pumped out over the surround sound system that I use for various purposes.  This eliminates the need for a critical ear during my practice.  Constant analysis of the sound and musical gestures that I produce make for faster, more intelligent practice.

Should I be practicing? Yes.

Also around my practice space are some interesting “funnies” that I’ve come across over the past few years.  Many of them I’ve given to students to encourage them to practice; others are musical keepsakes that I just can’t pack away.  My favorite of these is the flow chart that hangs next to one of my mirrors.  It simply says, “Should you be practicing right now?”  Also hanging on the wall is the cover of my old International edition of the Popper Etudes.  During auditions for graduate school, I spilled a glass of wine on the cover after an unfortunate audition.  The cover subsequently fell off and now hangs in a frame, constantly reminding me that wine is bad and etudes are good...wait, I think that’s backward!

So this is my practice room. There is where I sit and get better at what I do.  This is where the music that I love comes alive and hopefully becomes a work of art.  I’d love to see where everyone else practices - or composes - and what things are similar to my space and what are very different!  Below is a quick video tour of my practice room and a few more photos!

Another view of the "hanging" cello

Practicing Commandments

I can't practice without tea!!

Daily Practice Schedule Cards

We Are. Penn State.

I am a Pennsylvania State University alum.  The University absolutely shaped me in to the person that I am today.  The University is bigger than the abuse scandal that has engulfed it’s hallowed grounds this past week.  The University is better than the person who perpetrated the alleged crimes.  The University is shamed by those who were complicit in the apparent cover up of these crimes.

Joe Paterno was integral to the evolution of Penn State over the past 60 years - from a small agricultural college to renowned research university.  Joe Paterno’s principles were the moral compass of the Penn State community.  But Joe Paterno is not Penn State. Former Penn State president Graham Spanier is not Penn State.  A few thousand student “rioters” are not Penn State.  The image of Penn State that ESPN and other media outlets have portrayed is certainly NOT Penn State.

Penn State is THON, the world’s largest student-run philanthropy, which has raised more than $78 million for the Four Diamonds Fund since 1973.  Penn State is a top 10 research and development university.  Penn State is a top 15 research library system.  Penn State is the largest alumni association in the world.  Penn State is a system of alumni that give more and more frequently to their alma mater than any alumni group in the Big 10.  Penn State is Nobel Prize winners, Tony- and Emmy-winning artists, renowned researchers, educators, and the first person to ever ‘see’ the atom.

Penn State is Fisher-Price, Ben & Jerry’s, and the Slinky. Penn State is Paternoville, the tent city of students outside of Beaver Stadium, camping each week to get the best seats in the stadium - all the while raising money for cancer research while they sacrifice their beds for a tent.  Penn State is the Proud to be a Penn Stater grassroots cause that has raised $270,000 (and still climbing) - EDIT: this total now sits at more than $458,000 -  in less than two days for RAINN, an abuse charity network.  Penn State is 96,000 students across 24 campuses in Pennsylvania.  Penn State is more than 500,000 living alumni.  Penn State is Making Life Better.

WE are Penn State.

This Musicians Ego

I've been thinking a lot about the musicianly ego recently, in particular, my own ego. This isn't a typical topic of thought or conversation for me; I've been pondering it because of some thoughts I've been having about how to promote oneself in the world.  WIthout a publicist, a performer must do all the work of finding concert venues, convincing those venues that they should hire (read: pay) said performer to perform, and after ALL THAT, the performer has to convince audience members to actually come to hear the performance! (which reminds me, har har, visit my WEBSITE)

I don't think that performers would be able to accomplish this task without a healthy ego.  Which brings me to the genesis of my thinking: is my ego, my self-esteem, my level of shame(lessness), appropriate for both the real-world performance process (above) and every day life?

How does one balance the extreme levels of self-assuredness necessary to compete and succeed in the modern world of music performance while also balancing friendships, professional relationships (in which you're often competing against those you have a professional relationship with for the next big gig), and one's own personality?

Personally, I can admit that my ego is rather fragile.  I'm sure that I'm not alone in this amongst my musicianly friends. We exist in a profession that is based on constant criticism. Newspaper reviews, weekly lessons with constructive teachers, feedback from ensemble leaders; musicians are faced with a barrage of (mostly) constructive criticism. The successful performer processes all criticisms - both constructive and harsh - and improves upon their criticized performance. Pushing past my weak self esteem is hard at times.  Am I good enough?  Do I bring something worthwhile to the music world?  Will I be able to forge a career for an extended period of time and not crack under the pressure?  And again, AM I GOOD ENOUGH?!

This is something that I've struggled with for many years, from the time that I decided to become a performance major in COLLEGE.  There were always hurdles to jump over: first, I wasn't sure that I could hack it as a performance major, so I thought about becoming a music educator, and not a performer.  When I realized that I was dedicated enough to become a performer, I switched my concentration.  Later, it was difficult to believe that I could be accepted to an outstanding graduate program for GRADUATE SCHOOL. I worked hard in the last year of my undergraduate degree and was accepted to a few schools with esteemed reputations.  After my graduate program, I never thought that I'd have the drive, motivation, nor the talent to make a career as a performer, so I entered a post-grad DOCTORAL PROGRAM.  In the midst of this degree, I began to promote myself extensively and pick up gigs.  Eventually the gigs got bigger and the travel became more intensive. I've performed across the country and the world.  You might think that my fragile ego is bolstered by these accomplishments.  You'd be right - and you'd be wrong.

Now, things have come full circle.  As the concerts and recitals that I play move around the world, in to unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar audiences, the criticisms become more pointed. I believe that I have a healthy ego.  I know that my opinions and musical ideas are sound.  Most of the time, I believe that I'm a good cellist.  But only most of the time.  We all have cracks in our armor.  It's hard to hear a teacher or colleague tell you that something you've worked so hard on sounds so poor.  It's even harder to hear that from the New York Times.  The musicianly ego - and I speak about my own, in particular - is not always the strongest (if only I had the immense ego of a Wall Street banker; I'd be unstoppable!) but the dedicated performer has the drive and motivation to persevere and succeed in whatever way they desire!

I'd love to hear thoughts!  Send me an EMAIL or leave a comment here!

Justin

#QtP and others - the composers

Recently, I've been thinking about what I could possibly write about in this blog!  I've finished my last solo cello Queering the Pitch concert (until February) and I'm in the process now of learning new music.  After battling writer's block for a few days and posting a cry for help on FACEBOOK and TWITTER, I received a brilliant suggested writing topic (many thanks to the suggest-or).  So here goes:

I posted a number of weeks ago a little stream-of-consciousness NOTE about the Queering the Pitch recital series: how it came to be in my mind, what it's original purpose was, and what it means to me now.  One line read as follows:

Members of the queer community exist in all walks of life and are prodigious contributors to humankind.

I believe this is shown perfectly in music, where members of the queer community are everywhere, from performers, conductors, administrators, and certainly composers.  So I created a project that would celebrate all that is queer in new music, one of my great musical loves.

In 2011-2012, I've commissioned composers to write eleven works for me to perform.  These pieces are being written for solo cello and soprano/cello.  My fantastic collaborator in the duo pieces is the outstanding soprano, Meredith Mecum (more about her later).

I wanted to profile just a few of the composers who have been so kind as to write these works and contribute to the Queering the Pitch project.  (Warning: In some cases, I'm just ripping biographical information from their websites!)  Not all of the composers listed are gay or lesbian.  I believe that “queer” is an all encompassing word.  One member of the queer community recently wrote to me and said: 

I love the word queer (it's how I identify myself; gay never seems to fit, and for men, seems to come with a whole bunch of requirements for admission that I don't meet, or that annoy me so much I don't want to join the club.)  Queer is it, for me.

“Straight” also has some connotations, so I think that we can all - gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, allies, etc. - come together under this term, queer.  Nobody fits in to a box, and we’re all a little bit strange in some ways, aren’t we?

Emily Cooley - Ms. Cooley is currently finishing her undergraduate degree at Yale where she's studied with Kathryn Alexander and Michael Klingbeil.  She has received awards from the National Federation of Music Clubs, the MacDowell Club of Milwaukee, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, MENC, and ASCAP, among others.  Her works have been performed by the Fifth House Ensemble, New Triad for Collaborative Arts, Yale Glee Club Chamber Singers, and the JACK Quartet.

Emily was recommended to me by a wonderful composer and colleague of mine in Boston (now a resident of San Francisco!!), Joseph Colombo.  I first spoke to her about my project in July via Skype while she was in Paris.  Having heard some of her works (click her name, visit her website, listen!), I really can't wait to hear what she writes for solo cello!  I'll be performing her as-of-yet-unnamed piece on the next iteration of Queering the Pitch solo cello in the summer and fall of 2012!  Visit her website HERE.

Dominick DiOrio - In August I put out a call for names of fantastic gay composers and JARED BERRY, a colleague of mine at UGA, recommended Dominick.  I was more than thrilled when he quickly (not kidding, I received a response to my initial contact email less than 40 minutes later) agreed to take on the project.  

Some bio info (literally copied and pasted):  

Composer and conductor Dominick DiOrio (b. 1984) is Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Music at Lone Star College-Montgomery. He is pursuing the DMA at Yale University, and has also received the MMA and MM in Choral Conducting from Yale and a BM in Composition from Ithaca College. In October 2009, he was one of only twelve conductors from around the world invited to Sweden to participate in the Eric Ericson Award, the top international competition for young choral conductors.  

Klytemnestra, Dominick's new opera with Divergence Vocal Theater, has been called "dark, engrossing" (Edward Albee), "deeply psychological" (Sequenza21), and "spiky... an amalgam of contemporary opera sounds" (HoustonPress). In conjunction with the opera's premiere in April 2011, Dominick was featured on Houston Public Radio's noon-time arts program, The Front Row. He has been the recipient of many composition awards including the 2009 Young New Yorkers’ Chorus Nathan Davis Prize, the 2007 Allen E. Ostrander International Trombone Composition Prize, the 2006 Cantate Chamber Singers Young Composers’ Competition, and the 2006 Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Prize given annually to one young composer by the American Choral Directors Association. He has received recent commissions for new music from the University of Houston Honors College, Divergence Vocal Theater, Commonwealth Youth Choirs, the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and the Cornell Chorale. Upcoming performances are planned for 2011-2012 with Houston Chamber Choir, Divergence Vocal Theater, and Juventas New Music Ensemble. His work is published with Alliance, Lorenz/Roger Dean, and Oxford.

For this commission, Dominick is writing a significant work for cello and soprano.  The cycle is based on texts of Edward Carpenter, CP Cavafy, John Addington Symonds, and Meleager.  Meredith and I will perform his song cycle, And the barriers had vanished numerous times in 2012.  The cycle is the anchor work in the Queering the Pitch II: music for soprano and cello. Everything that I have heard (both word of mouth and from listening to samples of his work) and read about Dominick excites me about this piece.  I'm also playing his composition for solo cello, Tarentella, in three or four upcoming performances in early 2012, both Queering the Pitch concerts and otherwise!  Visit his website HERE.

Andrew Paul Jackson - I first came to know of Andrew during my time at The Boston Conservatory, where we both completed MM degrees.  I frequently heard his works performed - one of my dearest colleagues, awesome cellist JENNIFER BEWERSE is a performer and great supporter of his music - but it wasn't until my time at UGA that we had any contact as far as commissions and premieres were concerned.

First his (edited) bio: 

Andrew Paul Jackson (b. 1984) is a prolific young composer with an eclectic style known for works of unfaltering lyricism and sleek construction. His compositions run the gamut of genres from short solo instrumental works to larger Pierrot and orchestral ensembles, a vocal cantata, and his first opera, Grigori Efimovich: The Memory of Liars. In recognition of his work as a composer, Mr. Jackson was the winner of The Boston Conservatory’s 2008-2009 Orchestral Composition Competition and was the recipient of the conservatory’s 2009 Roger Sessions Memorial Composition Award. Following graduation, Jackson founded and serves as the artistic director of The Fifth Floor Collective.
Mr. Jackson’s compositions have been performed by the Juventas Ensemble, the Xanthos Ensemble, The Boston Chamber Orchestra, The Moscow Chamber Orchestra, ensemble21, The Boston Conservatory Orchestra, and The Springfield Symphony and have been broadcasted on KSMU radio. He has studied composition with Andy Vores, Dalit Warshaw, and Carlyle Sharpe, as well as conducting under the tutelage of Christopher Koch and David Goza. Mr. Jackson holds an MM in Composition from The Boston Conservatory and a BA in Music Composition and Theory from Drury University.

Andrew will hopefully be writing two pieces for me to premiere soon (and play often afterward!).  The first, titled *You are missing here.* has already written as a part of my commission of The Fifth Floor Collective to write a set of works for solo cello.  The second - which we briefly discussed over tea and brunch in Boston just last week - is still a bit up in the air.  Hopefully we'll be able to work out details and Andrew will be writing a work for soprano and cello for Meredith and I to premiere and perform in 2012 and onward!  Andrew tells me that he played the cello in a past life.  He claims - I think jokingly - that he peaked in high school.  That said, during our communication, he mentioned that he played through You are missing here so he’s certainly no slouch with the cello: the piece is hard!  Visit his website HERE and the website for The Fifth Floor Collective HERE.


(EDIT - Andrew posted his own blog about You are missing here this summer!  Read it HERE!)

Bruce Trinkley - Maestro Bruce Trinkley is a Professor Emeritus at Penn State University, where Meredith and I completed our undergraduate performance degrees.  While we were students, Bruce was a on the composition faculty and conducted the Glee Club as well as writing two full length children's operas (in which Meredith had some roles!!).  As director of the Penn State Glee Club, Bruce has influenced countless singers, and his works - specifically York - The Voice of Freedom and the Pennsylvania Bicentennial Wagon Train Show - have been performed nationally and internationally (the latter was performed more than 2000 times in all 50 states in 1975-1976).

Some biographical info about Bruce from the Penn State School of Music WEBSITE: 

Professor Trinkley's music has been performed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and China. He has composed incidental music, songs and choruses for theatre and dance productions and has written extensively for choral ensembles, including more than 200 arrangements of folk songs, spirituals and popular songs for various ensembles. In 1976 he collaborated on The Wagon Train Show, which played more than 2000 performances during the Bicentennial. Santa Rosalia, a cantata inspired by paintings of Fernando Botero, was filmed for PBS. Mountain Laurels, a choral symphony using texts by Pennsylvania poets, was written to celebrate the centenary of State College, Pennsylvania, in 1996. Cold Mountain, a piano trio, was commissioned by the Castalia Trio for their concert tour of China in May 1998. His opera Eve's Odds won the National Opera Association's 1999 Chamber Opera Competition. Cleo, a comic opera about the making of the movie epic Cleopatra, won the competition in 2001. 

He has had composer residencies at Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, the Hambidge Center, the Ucross Foundation, and the Patrick Allan-Fraser Trust in Scotland. His works are published by Alliance, Alfred Music, Oxford University Press, Augsburg Fortress, Lawson-Gould, GIA, Hinshaw, Hal Leonard and Yelton Rhodes.

In 2012, Meredith and I will be performing a short song cycle that Bruce is composing with texts by Marsden Hartley.  Knowing Bruce’s reputation and having heard quite a few of his works, I can’t begin to describe how excited I am (WE are) to be performing a work by this fantastic composer!!  I have little doubt that his piece will be heard for years to come and played by countless performers. (DIAGENESIS DUO, perhaps?!)

Meredith Mecum - Last, but certainly not least, on this list of people intimately involved in my Queering the Pitch project is my wonderful collaborator, Meredith Mecum. My history with Meredith goes back years, to the time when we were both in the Harrisburg Junior Youth String Orchestra in seventh grade (I think? SO long ago…).  Since then, we've grown up musically together: we did festivals and played in Youth Orchestra together in high school; attended the National High School Music Institute at Northwestern University in 2002; went to Penn State together (graduating the same year); and now collaborate frequently, though we live in different parts of the country. (this doesn't touch on the fact that we went to prom together - but I won't post photos right now).  Meredith has performed on two recitals with me recently, one at The Boston Conservatory and once in Athens.  Both times we performed John Tavener's work, Akhmatova Songs, and both were local premiere's of the piece (each time, Ms. Mecum brought the proverbial house down).

I'm tempted to write my own version of Meredith's bio, but I certainly wouldn't do it justice, so here's a copy of the last version that I have from March of 2011 (I'm guessing things have changed, since the upcoming performances are now very much in the past!): 

Soprano Meredith Mecum was recently awarded Second Place in the first annual Ades Vocal Competition as well as an Encouragement Award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition. She has covered the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni as a Young Artist with Ash Lawn Opera, appeared as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance, as Frau Fluth in scenes from Nicolai’s Die lustige Weiber von Windsor, and as Rose Segal in the New York City premiere of John Musto's Later the Same Evening at Manhattan School of Music. She can be heard on the recording of Musto’s work, recently released by Albany Records. 

Other performances include scenes from Cosi fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro, Der Rosenkavalier and Madama Butterfly, and excerpts from Clara: Images from the Life of Clara Schumann by Victoria Bond, in which she premiered the role of Clara Schumann. As a recitalist, she has performed at the Third Street Music School Settlement in NYC, and at the State Street Academy and Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, PA. Upcoming engagements include performances as the Soprano Soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, a return to the Martina Arroyo Foundation in Cosi fan tutte and performing in a new outreach program being presented in New York schools. This summer, she will join Opera New Jersey singing the role of Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. 

Ms. Mecum completed her Master of Music degree at Manhattan School of Music in the studio of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell and her Bachelor of Musical Arts from The Pennsylvania State University in voice performance and art history. She has participated in such programs as the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, the Chautauqua Institution School of Music, Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance, and the Ash Lawn Opera Young Artist Program.

There are others composers and performers that I’ll be working with this year as well:

Adrian Childs - Dr. Childs is a professor of music at the University of Georgia where he teaches composition and music theory.  He is also the Graduate Coordinator and therefore, a guiding force in my pursuit of a doctoral degree.  The commission of a piece by Dr. Childs has not been confirmed (which is entirely a result of my procrastination) but I look forward to working with him!  The Hodgson Quartet worked with Dr. Childs last year for the East Coast premiere of Steven Stucky’s Piano Quintet, and his fantastic piano playing, infectious personality, and sheer brilliance made me want to play a work of his immediately.  I recently heard a rumor that Dr. Childs played cello in his youth, so I look forward to getting my act together and commissioning him to write a piece soon!  HERE is his bio on the UGA Hodgson School of Music website.

Joseph Colombo - Joe is a great colleague, a wonderful composer and a member of The Fifth Floor Collective.  We met while Joe was finishing his undergraduate degree at The Boston Conservatory.  He wrote a piece, titled Sweet, for solo cello that fit in to my program of Suites (by Bach and Britten).  The piece is ridiculously hard and his new piece is no different!  His work, Not I, will be premiered early next year along side Andrew Jackson’s piece for solo cello, You are missing here and some as yet unconfirmed works.  You can read more about Joe HERE.

Laura Kaminsky - Ms. Kaminsky is the artistic director of Symphony Space in New York City.  Her work, The Great Unconformity, was written in 2010 for my incredible teacher, the astounding cellist Rhonda Rider who graciously introduced me to Laura.  Though this piece won’t be a premiere, I will be one of the first cellists to have the opportunity to play this work.  Laura recently married her partner in New York City and her work will fit perfectly with the other pieces planned for Queering the Pitch 3: music for solo cello.  Visit Laura’s website HERE.

Brian Kelly - Brian and I met when he began his MM degree in composition at UGA.  Our first meeting didn’t turn out so well: he need an ensemble to record his string quartet and asked the Hodgson Quartet for help.  Unfortunately we weren’t able to offer our services, but from that came his Sonata for Cello, and perhaps a short work for cello and soprano.  In my brief experiences with Brian, I find him to be one of the most socially conscious people that I’ve met here in Athens.  His Sonata for cello will be premiered in late 2011 and will probably receive it’s Boston premiere/performance in January, alongside the premieres of works for solo cello by members of The Fifth Floor Collective.  In his own words, Brian is:

...originally from Phoenix, Arizona. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Ottawa University and is currently working on his Master of Music in Composition at the University of Georgia. 

His works tend to be of a somewhat darker nature, both in subject matter as well as harmonic language. More recent works have begun exploring political and religious themes, often in ways that attempt to express criticism of the status quo. Spanning from completely atonal to "semi-tonal," his pieces often juxtapose rhythmic intensity with lyrical sweetness.

So, I’m quite sorry for such a long blog post!  In MS Word, this document is more than five pages long.    I should have just done a video blog.  HEY!  A video blog!  That sounds like a great idea...now if only I knew what to video blog about...

Until the next 10-page post!

Justin D.

Music and musings

Performing nothing but new music, alone, for more than an hour is quite a workout.  I didn’t realize how tough it was before I began my Queering the Pitch recital project.  I just completed my fourteenth performance of the recital at the University of Georgia, where I am a doctoral student.  As I walked off stage for the last time following Britten’s Third Suite for Cello, I realized that I was literally sweating through my shirt where my cello meets my chest (GROSS!) and my arms were quite tired from such an acrobatic program.

This isn’t to say that performing alone is not exhilarating - it absolutely is!  All musical ideas and gestures are produced entirely by me alone without any interferences.  This also isn’t to say that I hate performing with others, quite the opposite!  As I’m typing this blog, I’m in my office waiting for the Hodgson String Quartet (in which I am the cellist) to begin our Wednesday rehearsal.  To paraphrase one of the most fantastic musicians I’ve ever played with, the pianist Judith Gordon, “music is so much more fun when you’re playing with others!”

This Friday I board a plane for Boston where I’ll be presenting yet another Queering the Pitch concert.  This performance has been generously sponsored by The Boston Conservatory, my second alma mater, and I’m terribly excited to return to play music in an environment that is ridiculously supportive of both LGBTQ rights/people and new music.  Read my previous posting to get more of a sense of the meaning of this project.

I sat down with the intention to write a long blog about music and recent experiences, but I’m finding it difficult to come up with words.  So, I’ll end this brief post by again quoting Ned Rorem:

"The hardest of all the arts to speak of is music, because music has no meaning to speak of."

About Queering the Pitch

For my upcoming performances of Queering the Pitch, I thought it was necessary to write program notes rather than try to explain my reasons for performing this music in words before the concert.  Here is what I've come up with:

I first thought of performing a recital of music by queer composers during the final year of my masters degree in Boston. I mentioned this thought to Rhonda Rider, my always-supportive teacher, and she casually suggested that I read Philip Brett’s musicological anthology, Queering the Pitch, which compiled articles dealing with the newly-emerging ‘queer musicology.’  I found the book to be an enlightening - though not life changing - good read, but as I often do when planning recital programs, I quietly tabled this project. 

When I moved to Georgia and began my doctoral studies, I decided to fully pursue my ‘gay recital’. At first, this project - which I originally envisioned as a series of recitals to include both existing and newly written works for solo cello, cello & soprano, and cello & piano - was entirely self-serving: not only had I found a relatively untouched subject matter suitable for my dissertation, but I also had musical material that would resonate within a community that is fiercely protective and profoundly responsive to it’s members’ contributions. In other words, I had a built in audience that could serve to further my career goals. 

As I began to perform this solo cello recital around the country, my self-centered attitude quickly melted away. Audience members - from elderly women to teenage men to middle-aged transgendered individuals - spoke to me about the benefits of celebrating queer composers. One west coast concertgoer called the project and my efforts, “incredibly brave,” while another described her deep connection to the music (which she said was, “unexpected, considering how recently this music was written!”) simply because the composers were members of “her” community. In short order I realized the good that I could do with this project. Instead of pursuing my ‘big break’ I should be helping to eliminate the deplorable prejudices that queer men and women still face. I began to have thoughts of changing the world with music, one audience member at a time.  

This project has become something personal to me, certainly more personal than the abstract and academic performances I had taken part in to this point. I find it hard to place in to words the emotion that I feel for this recital series. Members of the queer community exist in all walks of life and are prodigious contributors to humankind. The insufferable discrimination that many in the queer community face - from family members to Congressmen - for simply being who they are is unacceptable and can not be tolerated (we tolerate bad hair days; we love individuals). This project is my attempt to celebrate all the sweeping contributions that queer people offer the world and bring forth change that would eliminate hate and make this recital, with this title and subject matter, an irrelevant non-event.

Warmly,

Justin

PS - the bit about tolerance (hair days, and all) comes from Judy Shepard's fantastic book, The Meaning of Matthew, which should be a required read.

Break time!

It feels so good to relax! After a few crazy weeks of practice, travel, and performance, I'm able to go in to slow-down mode and relax until my performance schedule gets going again in September.  I'm looking forward to a few weeks to travel freely without my cello.  In the spirit of cello-related travel, I present my list of interesting (paraphrased) questions/comments that I received from fellow Delta Airlines travelers regarding my cello:

1. That a guitar? (most popular) - 8 times
2. So, you have to buy a seat for that thing? (close second) - 6 times
3. I bet you could fit a body in there! - 3 times
4. Would your travel buddy like a drink, as well? (from flight attendants, har har) - 2 times
5. :::BANGS on the case with fist::: What the HELL is this damn thing?! (Intoxicated woman) - 1 time
6. Ohhh, we had another one of those things [cellos, I assume] on this same flight yesterday!  Maybe you know her? She had a white case... (flight attendant) - 1 time

This was a surprisingly lax trip as far as guitar questions go.  And not one person came up to me and said, "Do you play the cello?"  Success!

As mentioned, I'm really looking forward to this break!  I'm going to reacquaint myself with Bach, begin learning the Haydn D Major Concerto, and start looking around for new music for the next 'Queering the Pitch' concert that I'll present in December-January. (though on a much smaller scale than this tour!)  If you know any gay or lesbian composers who might be interested in writing something - or who have already written a work for solo cello - let me know!  I'm always on the lookout for good music!

I was lucky enough to play fantastic concerts in San Francisco and Winter Haven, FL this week.  It was a real treat to play at the SF LGBT Center.  I'm a fan of getting out of the concert hall and experimenting with new venues, so I really loved the opportunity to play in this place where worthwhile work is being done.  I can't wait to begin an ongoing relationship with the Center. For those who read my last post about playing for small audiences, you know that I had a bit of a difficult time connecting to the five people who came to my first SF concert.  This was not the case at the LGBT center as we filled the room and everyone was so gracious and attentive.  Nobody left! Huzzah!  I felt much more alive playing this music for so many people.  It was great to see so many face that I knew and so many more that I didn't know.  I received wonderful comments and even signed two autographs (THAT was uncomfortable!!!)

Six concerts down, about 10 more to go September-November!  So exciting!

In other news, I'm looking for a new PR person to replace what I currently have.  Someone with better skills at getting the word out would be great.  I plan on basing my career out of the Bay Area and the west coast in general, so I need someone with ties out there!

I think for now, I'll sign off from the blog and drop out of sight in life too!

Best to all,
JD

Small audiences and large dreams

Last night, July 11, I played a concert at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Francisco.  It was a different kind of experience because the audience was so small - five people, only.  It turns out that doing no publicity tends to result in no attendance!  Who knew?!  It was interesting to play for such a small crowd because the concert experience becomes much more intimate.  Instead of lecturing on the music from the notes I've taken, which are very general in nature, I thought I'd talk a bit more about how each piece of music relates to the other, and how they all harken back to Bach.

The audience was nice, and they gave some nice comments after the fact.  Still, though, I prefer performing to a larger house, like the one that I had in Atlanta and will hopefully play for tonight at the SF LGBT Community Center.

In a somewhat unrelated topic, I'm happy to report that I've received a post-doc fellowship to be "redeemed" within three years (need to finish this doctorate straight away, then)!  This has caused me to start looking at my future a bit more closely.  Would I like to live on the West Coast? (Yes!!  Please!!)  Do I prefer cities in Northern California (like San Francisco), SoCal (LA), or the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Portland, et al)?  What do I really want to DO with my life?  I was pretty sure that I had it all figured out until recently: teach at a college/university, perform in a string quartet and do some recital work, and probably teach privately on the side. It all seems fine and dandy, and would make my life utterly complete, but is it reasonable in this country, culture, and economy?  Despite my big dreams, I still have bills and lots of student loans to pay!  Also...eat.  Dreams are wonderful, but I don't know if I'm the type of person who is willing to just take a leap and see where I end up.  I'm also only now becoming more entrepreneurial.  I have a long way to go!  My heart is palpitating just thinking about it!

I received a comment at one of my recent concerts about how the "new" music that I'm performing makes some members of the audience uncomfortable. To paraphrase, "It makes me squeeze my hands in to fists," he said.  Since I have always thought that my career was going in a 60/40 new music/traditional music direction, that comment caused me to rethink a bit the path that my career was taking.  When the audience doesn't like what you're performing, is that reason enough to change?  Or does one just have to go further to really sell the music to the audience.  Is personally enjoying what I'm playing enough to get by?  Or does my enjoyment need to REALLY shine through and be passed on to those listening?  I guess I had always hoped that the music would speak for itself and that audience enjoyment would come just from listening.

My friend, the fantastic cellist, Jennifer Bewerse, is so wonderful at connecting with her audience and expressing every emotion in the music, no matter how new, obscure, or - frankly - terrible.  I'm envious of her ability to do so; perhaps that's what I'm missing.  Maybe tonight, I'll try to lift that invisible iron curtain a little more and really pass on my passion for this music to those listening.  After all, this is a San Francisco audience - listening to music by gay composers at that! - and I think they will really be drawn in to what they hear!  This is something to ponder...

In the name of Bach,
JD

San Francisco

So here we are!  San Francisco!  I arrived at SFO on Thursday evening from ATL.  It was an interesting trip, to say the least.  After having no sleep for the previous 28 hours, I was pretty delirious in the airport.  I was looking forward to a nice long nap on the flight, but that proved to be impossible with a dozen screaming children and a lady who had received a few too many libations sitting directly behind me.

Usually, this wouldn't be such an issue, but some passengers felt it necessary to continue to pound on my cello case, asking what it was.  Needless to say, I had to stay awake to keep from finding my poor case in shambles upon arrival at SFO.

Yesterday, Friday, was a fantastic day in Napa with some dear friends.  It was nice to spend a day away from the cello in wine country.  Today, tomorrow, and Monday will be the last few hours of prep before the concerts that I have here in the Bay Area.  I'm looking forward to the dress rehearsals that I have in the spaces and the concerts.  Hopefully there will be some adventurous people in the audience!

My friend, Joey Brunelle, is working on a music video project and generously asked me to be involved, and I'm looking forward to playing some Rorem (or Bach...who knows!) for cameras.  It should be an interesting experience being a part of something professional - a big change from my one-man dog and pony show!!

I hung posters around the Castro and along Market Street today advertising my concert at the SF LGBT Center.  Hanging posters is terrible, I have to say!  People stare, as though they weren't aware that someone actually has to hang this stuff - those flyers don't just hang themselves, people!  It was nice to be out in the city early today.  I spent a few hours walking around, covertly hanging some cool flyers and advertising things on telephone poles, bulletin boards, and anything with a moderately flat surface.  The weather here is fantastic, and there wasn't a tremendous amount of fog this morning either!

In any case, concerts are coming up.  It should be a fantastic time.  For more information, as always, visit my website and Facebook page!  Everything you wanted to know about me, AND MORE!

Until the next posting,
Justin

4th of July weekend!

The fourth of July is always an exciting time of the year!  Usually, I'm in the midst of summer, wondering what I should be doing.  This year, however, I'm in working on and performing my Queering the Pitch recital tour.

I'm taking a break this weekend to celebrate the Fourth! My family has been going to Ocracoke Island, NC for decades and I'll be driving to meet my parents and younger brother for a few days before I fly off to San Francisco.  I'm bringing my cello, so it's not a great vacation, I still have to practice!

On Thursday, I jet off to California to play two concerts, three outreach gigs, and a jam session with Classical Revolution in the Mission.  It will be good to be back on the west coast for a few days, though I'm staying a bit too long.  Perhaps a trip to Napa, busking in the parks, and dress rehearsals will keep me out of the house and make my trip feel less...intrusive? :)

All-in-all, I'm looking forward to the next three weeks of travel, concerts, friends and good wine.  I can't wait to meet new people and play for some awesome audiences.

Next time I update, I'll be in the air!
Justin

QtP - Concerts 1 and 2

The first two performances of Queering the Pitch are over, and next week it's off to the west coast to begin some exciting performances in the San Francisco Bay Area!  This weekend I performed Bach, Saint-Saens, and Muczynski for a service at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta where I played my Atlanta concert Monday night.  During the service, I heard a fantastic meditation from a member of the UUCA congregation, Russell Washington.  His speech, "I am what I am (be what you are)," was wonderfully moving.  Read and listen to it HERE.

The performance went well; there was a sizable audience in attendance and I received a number of wonderful comments afterwards.

This weekend, I'm spending a few days with members of my family in both Atlanta, GA and Ocracoke, NC before heading off to San Fran.  In SF, I'll be busking in the Castro, hopefully spending some time playing at Maitri, and performing two recitals, at UUSF and the LGBT Center.  If you're from the Bay Area, please consider attending one (OR BOTH!) of these performances.  If you have friends in CA, let them know!  Details HERE and HERE.

One of the joys of traveling is schlepping my cello through airports and onto planes.  There are always enjoyable comments from fellow travelers about my 'travel buddy,' the 'guitar' that is strapped to my back.  I'll be keeping track of the best and brightest comments. :)

For now, keep on keeping on!

Justin

Six days!!

Six days from now is the first 'Queering the Pitch' recital in Atlanta! I'm super excited to get started with performances! Yesterday I played the complete program for David Starkweather, Megan Chisom, David Peyton and Ryane Dunnagan.  Playing for colleagues is always much more nerve-wracking than performing for an audience.  After listening to the recording, I've set out a practice plan for the next six days!

I'm also getting ridiculously excited for my west coast trip and the performances that I have planned over the next three months.  Ned Rorem's, After Reading Shakespeare is really growing on me.  I'm really loving the beautiful, lyrical lines that Rorem spins throughout the piece.  It's really an exciting, roller coaster work.  I'm sure that audiences will love it!

Gallery: Suite for Solo Cello is equally as wonderful and I think audiences will really cling to the angular rhythms and beautiful harmonies.  It goes without saying that Benjamin Britten's Third Suite for Cello is a modern masterwork that ranks up there with any and all of the Bach Suites.  It is my favorite of Britten's works to play, and I think that comes through in the passion that is written in to the piece.

Did I mention that I'm getting excited?!  Only a few days away from the premiere!  Will you be there?

Click HERE for more information on the June 27 premiere recital and HERE for information on me and the trip!

Warmly,
Justin

Operation: Total Practice Seclusion

I'm back in Athens today after a long two weeks out of town.  On my flight yesterday, only two people asked me if my cello was a guitar.  Only two!  People must be getting more aware of the cello!  There were a few lines:

[about my cello in the seat next to me] "Hey, is that your travel buddy there?!"  Har har.
[TSA] "Pretty big viola!"  Ooops.

Today begins my practice immersion week where I'll be secluding myself in my practice room with the goal of complete mastery of the Rorem After Reading Shakespeare.  This is different from my usual tactic because I'll be taking a total time-out from the real world.  No phone calls.  No internet.  No TV.  Nothing.

This thing will be done soon!  If you miss me durin this time, visit my website, Facebook and Twitter to keep up on my life!

On the road again...

After a fantastic week on the Brown Farm in Salem, NY, I'm traveling again, this time to Harrisburg, PA.  After this brief vacation from life, it'll be back to Atlanta where I'll go into seclusion for the next 17 days preparing for the commencement of my recital series on June 27 in Atlanta.

I love traveling for a few reasons, not the least of which are the questions I receive when carrying my cello:

-"Is that a cello?"
-"So how long have you played the guitar?"
-"Do you ever wish that you had a smaller instrument?  Like the flute?"
-"Do you have to buy a seat for that thing?  Full price?!"

I think over the course of my tour, I'll steal an idea from my dear friend, cellist Jen Bewerse, and keep a tally of my favorite traveling-musician-questions.  Does anyone else, cellists and otherwise, have these issues with curious co-travelers?  I'd love to hear stories!

All for now,
JD

The Cello Farm, round 3

I've been spending the week in Salem, upstate NY.  It's been a fascinating musical experience that I can't rave about enough!  Salem is quite rural, very different from Boston and Atlanta, and we live, rehearse, and coexist for the week on the Brown Farm.  Living quarters include a chicken coop, two barns, and a farm house.  A grand piano and rehearsal space is situated in the former hay loft of one of the barns.  Technology is not so up to date and my iPhone doesn't have service but in a 10 square foot area on the front yard.  Internet is spotty.

It's fascinating to immerse yourself in music in such an environment with no distractions.  I'm currently surrounded by some of the most fascinating and talented cellists and musicians that I've had the honor to meet.  I'm playing a work by John Harbison, Abu Ghraib, which was written for my fantastic teacher, Rhonda Rider to premiere in 2006.  It's gritty and contemplative and a joy to play, considering I'm working with the outstanding pianist, Judith Gordon.

Next week is back to Atlanta, going into practice seclusion before Queering the Pitch: music for solo cello recital tour begins on June 27.  Check my website for details!

Also, LIKE me on Facebook!  Follow me on Twitter!

In the name of the cello,
JD

It's a blog!

Look!  Up in the sky!  It's a bird!  A plane!  It's a...oh, it's just a blog!  I don't think there's really a reason for me to have a blog.  But here it is anyway!

I'll use this as a means to describe my travels with my cello and post things that I find interesting.

First up: Someone discovered Queering the Pitch: music for solo cello, and posted a VERY brief mention of it on Queerty today!  Exciting. :)

All for now,
J