Tonight I went to see The London Klezmer Quartet at BEMAC in the Queensland Multicultural Centre at Kangaroo Point. I found this event as I was searching Google for "klezmer" in Brisbane. Klezmer is a musical tradition from the Jewish population of Eastern Europe. What attracted me to this music was the violin (naturally) and the accordion. It was part of the repertoire of The Underscore Orkestra whose performance I attended earlier this month - yes, I have been spoiled for music in January.
The show was in the auditorium, which seats about 200 people. I was lucky enough to sit next to a lady who was at the workshop the night before. She said about 30 people were there and most, if not all, showed up again tonight. In hindsight it was probably good that I did not go to the workshop. Although I don't doubt my enthusiasm, my skills were probably not up to it. Having said that, I am sure Patience and I would have been made welcome. I must say I felt slightly uncomfortable at first. For a long time I was the youngest person in the room and it seemed most of the people knew each other. Later on I saw some younger people.
There was a fair amount of talking and audience interaction as well as audience participation. The four ladies - Ilana (violin), Susi (clarinet), Carol (accordion) and Indra (double bass) - shared the talking duties fairly evening and all of them had plenty of stories and anecdotes to share. There was not a great deal of singing and Indra did most of that. She had a lovely deep voice which really suited the music and it wasn't hurt by her Ukrainian (I believe) heritage. At one point she introduced a song about potatoes. No, I'm not kidding. There is a klezmer song about potatoes.
Another anecdote, and one that would have amused by Christmas-light-crazed son, was of a clarinetist named Naftule Brandwein who formed an orchestra (him, a drummer, and a pianist - a three person orchestra). Apparently this chap would incorporate Christmas lights as part of his outfit and plug them in towards the end of the show. One time he sweated so much that the lights shorted out! They also talked a lot about Dave Tarras who is a modern-day influential klezmer musician.
One of the songs was in 10/11 time. Who comes up with these time signatures and why? The mnemonic for this rhythm is "my grand ma knitted-a jum per". I look forward to learning how to play some of this music if only for the funky time signatures. And if I'm not mistaken, Greek music has add time signatures too.
There was an interval. I wasn't going to go out to the foyer but I'm glad I did. The quartet was out there so I spoke to Ilana and a little to Susi. I even bought Ilana's book - 'Klezmer Fiddle – A How-To Guide'. I don't plan to form a klezmer group any time soon but some of the music is gorgeous and the embellishments are something it won't hurt to learn.
In the second half of the concert was the highlight of the show for me. Indra has been encouraging the rest of the quartet to sing. Tonight they did in one song, and oh my dear Lord... it was amazing. The whole room was captivated, and at the end there was a long quiet pause before a well-deserved round of applause. I don't remember that song on their CDs but it should definitely be on the next one. After the last song there was an encore, and as a tribute to the Australians in the crowd, it contained the chorus of Waltzing Matilda. I am not 100% certain but I believe this is something from one of Susi's other projects - She’koyokh. Regardless, it went down well with the crowd.
And that was the show. I really hope they come back to Australia, and indeed back to Brisbane. On the previous Australian tour they missed Brisbane. Look them up on Spotify or itunes or wherever else you look for music. They are well worth it.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Violin Lesson #56
Another week has passed, with less practice than usual. And it occurred to me that less practice time means more intelligent practice. I have to use the little time I have effectively. It is something Laura mentioned she had to when she was a student. She didn't practice as long as the others - but she made the most of her time.
This week was another double lesson with Sarisha. We had time for a quick chat while we were waiting for Ava to finish her lesson.
I have not learned any new scales or exercises lately so I start with the scales I know. Next week I'll ask for another scale. The g-minor melodic scale Sarisha played in her lesson sounded quite pretty so hopefully that will be one of them.
This week I played Raggle Taggle Hippie and Hear That Whistle. I am only playing the first half of the song but there are still a few things to work on. The starting note needs to be more pronounced. Currently I don't give it enough life, and because it is the first note it hampers the rest of the piece. You would think by now I would automatically use more bow, right? Thinking about it, perhaps it is a confidence issue. I may not feel confident enough to play that piece so it comes out with less intensity than it otherwise might. Patience can't sing if I don't use enough bow :) I also have to be careful how much bow I give each note, or group of notes, so they all get the same volume. Not enough bow means that note or notes will sound wimpy compared to the previous one. And I still have to be aware of my phrasing so the music flows naturally instead of sounding robotic - my biggest fear is to play something mechanically and without feeling so I really need to pay attention to the phrasing.
Hear That Whistle went okay. It's only a short piece but it has some cool "tricks" that need to be done correctly. There is a long glissando (slide up the string) which needs the third finger and must be played slowly so I have to count it correctly. The harmonics need the lightest touch and I still need to practice hitting them accurately. And again, dynamics are important too.
Then it was Sarisha's turn. She had some scales and exercises and two pieces to play. As usual, it was interesting to see her play and to see Laura teach her.
So, I still have my four pieces to work on, which I think I prefer than having just two at a time since it varies my practice a little, and I wouldn't be much of a programmer if I couldn't multi-task :)
This week was another double lesson with Sarisha. We had time for a quick chat while we were waiting for Ava to finish her lesson.
I have not learned any new scales or exercises lately so I start with the scales I know. Next week I'll ask for another scale. The g-minor melodic scale Sarisha played in her lesson sounded quite pretty so hopefully that will be one of them.
This week I played Raggle Taggle Hippie and Hear That Whistle. I am only playing the first half of the song but there are still a few things to work on. The starting note needs to be more pronounced. Currently I don't give it enough life, and because it is the first note it hampers the rest of the piece. You would think by now I would automatically use more bow, right? Thinking about it, perhaps it is a confidence issue. I may not feel confident enough to play that piece so it comes out with less intensity than it otherwise might. Patience can't sing if I don't use enough bow :) I also have to be careful how much bow I give each note, or group of notes, so they all get the same volume. Not enough bow means that note or notes will sound wimpy compared to the previous one. And I still have to be aware of my phrasing so the music flows naturally instead of sounding robotic - my biggest fear is to play something mechanically and without feeling so I really need to pay attention to the phrasing.
Hear That Whistle went okay. It's only a short piece but it has some cool "tricks" that need to be done correctly. There is a long glissando (slide up the string) which needs the third finger and must be played slowly so I have to count it correctly. The harmonics need the lightest touch and I still need to practice hitting them accurately. And again, dynamics are important too.
Then it was Sarisha's turn. She had some scales and exercises and two pieces to play. As usual, it was interesting to see her play and to see Laura teach her.
So, I still have my four pieces to work on, which I think I prefer than having just two at a time since it varies my practice a little, and I wouldn't be much of a programmer if I couldn't multi-task :)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Violin Lesson #55
This was the first lesson back after the holiday season. And it started with a double lesson. Sarisha had bought herself a violin at the end of last year from Animato. They originally sold Patience when she was brand new. We compared violins. Laura played them both, then we played each others. Sarisha's violin sounds quite similar to mine with the exception of the E-string. Her sounds is a little cleaner and crisper than mine. It will be interesting to see how the sound of each violin continues to develop over the years.
Again I will make the point that hearing Laura play on Patience shows to me a) what a wonderful sound can be coaxed from the violin by someone who knows that they are doing, and b) I have a long way to go. If I never get another violin I will be more than happy with Patience.
To my lesson... the lack of practice showed. I was a little rusty with the two pieces I played. They were okay, but I have to work on the finer points. Plesiosaurus was first. Laura showed me how to learn the rhythm when it looks unfamiliar. I just entered a few bars into Noteflight :) Laura suggested to break down the notes so they are of equal value (time-wise) and play them like that. Eventually I can slur the longer notes until I am playing with the correct rhythm. Some of my rhythm was off. And when a song starts loud it really needs to be played loud to allow room for the rest of the dynamics.
To someone else it may seem Laura is being picky, but I will have her to thank when, later on, people complement me for my playing.
First Base was next. This went pretty well. I need to do the "plane taking off" move for some of the notes - ha, it sounds like a Tai Chi move or something - where there is a long note and the bow lifts off the strings towards the end, otherwise the end of the note can sound abrupt. I need to respect the rests in the song. Most of the are too short and I need to play what is in front of me. Then there is remembering the difference between dots (staccato, short), accents (punchy), and the combination (short punchy).
Learning a violin piece if like a software project: the first 90% takes 90% of the time. The last 10% takes 90% of the time. But it will be the last 10% that takes it from "meh, okay" to "wow, cool".
After this it was Sarisha's turn for her lesson. She is doing Raggle Taggle Hippie, like I am, but she can play through the whole piece while I am doing just the first half. Even so I was able to pick up on some things I have been doing incorrectly. It also occurs to me that Laura may be teaching us to play the same song in slightly different ways to make the most our own styles and own violins. What I would really like to one day is record both of us playing that piece and comparing and contrasting the two. I would like to present them to people without telling them who played what and getting their interpretation. Then perhaps record Laura playing it too for another contrast :)
Sarisha also played a song Laura had arranged for her. I think it is from an Indian movie. That sounds really good too and different to anything else I have heard.
To finish off, and speaking of things I have heard, the London Klezmer Quartet is in Brisbane at the end of the month. There is a workshop one night and a concert the other. I don't have the time to go to both, but I would like to go to at least one if circumstances permit. It seems a little greedy especially since I had such a great time at the Underscore Orkestra :)
And Musica Viva have announced concerts for 2014. I may decide on three I really want to see and make those my shows for the year.
Again I will make the point that hearing Laura play on Patience shows to me a) what a wonderful sound can be coaxed from the violin by someone who knows that they are doing, and b) I have a long way to go. If I never get another violin I will be more than happy with Patience.
To my lesson... the lack of practice showed. I was a little rusty with the two pieces I played. They were okay, but I have to work on the finer points. Plesiosaurus was first. Laura showed me how to learn the rhythm when it looks unfamiliar. I just entered a few bars into Noteflight :) Laura suggested to break down the notes so they are of equal value (time-wise) and play them like that. Eventually I can slur the longer notes until I am playing with the correct rhythm. Some of my rhythm was off. And when a song starts loud it really needs to be played loud to allow room for the rest of the dynamics.
To someone else it may seem Laura is being picky, but I will have her to thank when, later on, people complement me for my playing.
First Base was next. This went pretty well. I need to do the "plane taking off" move for some of the notes - ha, it sounds like a Tai Chi move or something - where there is a long note and the bow lifts off the strings towards the end, otherwise the end of the note can sound abrupt. I need to respect the rests in the song. Most of the are too short and I need to play what is in front of me. Then there is remembering the difference between dots (staccato, short), accents (punchy), and the combination (short punchy).
Learning a violin piece if like a software project: the first 90% takes 90% of the time. The last 10% takes 90% of the time. But it will be the last 10% that takes it from "meh, okay" to "wow, cool".
After this it was Sarisha's turn for her lesson. She is doing Raggle Taggle Hippie, like I am, but she can play through the whole piece while I am doing just the first half. Even so I was able to pick up on some things I have been doing incorrectly. It also occurs to me that Laura may be teaching us to play the same song in slightly different ways to make the most our own styles and own violins. What I would really like to one day is record both of us playing that piece and comparing and contrasting the two. I would like to present them to people without telling them who played what and getting their interpretation. Then perhaps record Laura playing it too for another contrast :)
Sarisha also played a song Laura had arranged for her. I think it is from an Indian movie. That sounds really good too and different to anything else I have heard.
To finish off, and speaking of things I have heard, the London Klezmer Quartet is in Brisbane at the end of the month. There is a workshop one night and a concert the other. I don't have the time to go to both, but I would like to go to at least one if circumstances permit. It seems a little greedy especially since I had such a great time at the Underscore Orkestra :)
And Musica Viva have announced concerts for 2014. I may decide on three I really want to see and make those my shows for the year.
Friday, January 10, 2014
The Bearded Lady and Underscore Orkestra
Friday evening was wonderful.
It started off with dinner at Little Malaysia in West End. I have eaten there a few times and have never been disappointed. Okay, maybe once, when I went last time and asked for the Salty Fish With Eggplant. They were out of eggplant. Tonight was different. The waitress was about to give me a menu when I asked if they had the salty fish with eggplant. She asked if I wanted steamed rice as well. I said yes, and she sat me down at the only empty table in the place. It wasn't long before the dish came out. Good heavens it smelled amazing and I was not disappointed with the taste or texture. It was wonderfully spicy and definitely salty. The eggplant was soft and smooth and not oily. I was very happy with everything, including the price of $15.90.
After this I went across to the 7-11 for a peppermint magnum. I wandered up and down Boundary Street until I had finished, then went to The Bearded Lady. I have never been here before but one of the guys at work said he went there once and loved it. Well, I love it too. It's not very big so the place can fill up quickly. I didn't mind the decor, including the graffiti walls and the branches with fairy lights on the ceiling. There were clusters of comfortable looking seats about the place. Next time I go I'll definitely check out the beer list more closely because there looked to be a few interesting choices.
The stage was set up and the back of the venue. When I arrived The Underskore Orkestra were setting up. This time around they were touring with the boys only, which was a bit of a shame because I was looking forward to seeing and hearing Willo on the accordion. I believe female accordionists are quite rare. Having said that, one of the ladies who teaches at the music studio where I learn violin plays the accordion. It looked like they were having trouble setting up the sound. The accordion player was not a happy camper. He could not hear himself on the monitor and he was frequently covering his ears to block out some high frequency feedback or other. From time to time I could hear it too. Eventually, and with time ticking away, the band got under way.
They play a mixture of Balkan, Klezmer (Eastern European Jewish), Gypsy Jazz and Swing so quite clearly there is something for almost everyone. When I heard them and realised they have violin and accordion I just had to see them play. They started off with a few swing pieces before playing a Bulgarian piece and some other Balkan pieces. The band leader, Jorge, would often stop playing to dance with some of the ladies at the front of the stage. And for some of the Balkan tunes a group of ladies would start dancing. It was similar to Greek dancing with the holding of hands and kicking and light steps, but it's been too long since I had done any of that so I did not join in. One piece was, apparently, Norwegian, for which they had invited a special guest to dance with them. Her name was Bernie, and surely she did dance, and surely she did start removing her clothing. And she stopped just on this side of Queensland's nudity laws by the end of the song. She moved really well with the music. The band also had a talent competition (which was really quite lame) and a "guess the funky time signature of this music" competition. One of the Balkan-dancing girls guessed it. Oh come on, is 19/8 *really* a time signature? They ended off with a new track which had a Balkan Gypsy vibe. Looking around at the diverse group of people, everyone seemed to be having a great time. I certainly was, with no-one to tell me to stop clapping and singing and bopping along.
After the show I went up to Jorge, who was expertly flogging his merchandise. I was going to buy a CD, but I figured I could hear them on Spotify. Check them out. They are on there. Instead I bought a music box for $15. It is incredibly cute, and it plays the melody of the new song! I love it!! So does Princess Sage (although she was bummed that they did not play her favourite song 'Hobbiton'). As I spoke to Jorge he realised it was me who sent him an email that morning. I can't say the man is not switched on. It may have been just band talk, but he did offer to jam with me next time they came to Brisbane. I think an apple pie and hot chocolate is fair compensation for learning one of their Balkan Gypsy tunes =)
Unfortunately, I could not hang around for The Good Ship but I'll keep them in mind for another night.
Like I said, it was a great Friday night in West End for the sage. Great food, great music, great new venue.
It started off with dinner at Little Malaysia in West End. I have eaten there a few times and have never been disappointed. Okay, maybe once, when I went last time and asked for the Salty Fish With Eggplant. They were out of eggplant. Tonight was different. The waitress was about to give me a menu when I asked if they had the salty fish with eggplant. She asked if I wanted steamed rice as well. I said yes, and she sat me down at the only empty table in the place. It wasn't long before the dish came out. Good heavens it smelled amazing and I was not disappointed with the taste or texture. It was wonderfully spicy and definitely salty. The eggplant was soft and smooth and not oily. I was very happy with everything, including the price of $15.90.
After this I went across to the 7-11 for a peppermint magnum. I wandered up and down Boundary Street until I had finished, then went to The Bearded Lady. I have never been here before but one of the guys at work said he went there once and loved it. Well, I love it too. It's not very big so the place can fill up quickly. I didn't mind the decor, including the graffiti walls and the branches with fairy lights on the ceiling. There were clusters of comfortable looking seats about the place. Next time I go I'll definitely check out the beer list more closely because there looked to be a few interesting choices.
The stage was set up and the back of the venue. When I arrived The Underskore Orkestra were setting up. This time around they were touring with the boys only, which was a bit of a shame because I was looking forward to seeing and hearing Willo on the accordion. I believe female accordionists are quite rare. Having said that, one of the ladies who teaches at the music studio where I learn violin plays the accordion. It looked like they were having trouble setting up the sound. The accordion player was not a happy camper. He could not hear himself on the monitor and he was frequently covering his ears to block out some high frequency feedback or other. From time to time I could hear it too. Eventually, and with time ticking away, the band got under way.
They play a mixture of Balkan, Klezmer (Eastern European Jewish), Gypsy Jazz and Swing so quite clearly there is something for almost everyone. When I heard them and realised they have violin and accordion I just had to see them play. They started off with a few swing pieces before playing a Bulgarian piece and some other Balkan pieces. The band leader, Jorge, would often stop playing to dance with some of the ladies at the front of the stage. And for some of the Balkan tunes a group of ladies would start dancing. It was similar to Greek dancing with the holding of hands and kicking and light steps, but it's been too long since I had done any of that so I did not join in. One piece was, apparently, Norwegian, for which they had invited a special guest to dance with them. Her name was Bernie, and surely she did dance, and surely she did start removing her clothing. And she stopped just on this side of Queensland's nudity laws by the end of the song. She moved really well with the music. The band also had a talent competition (which was really quite lame) and a "guess the funky time signature of this music" competition. One of the Balkan-dancing girls guessed it. Oh come on, is 19/8 *really* a time signature? They ended off with a new track which had a Balkan Gypsy vibe. Looking around at the diverse group of people, everyone seemed to be having a great time. I certainly was, with no-one to tell me to stop clapping and singing and bopping along.
After the show I went up to Jorge, who was expertly flogging his merchandise. I was going to buy a CD, but I figured I could hear them on Spotify. Check them out. They are on there. Instead I bought a music box for $15. It is incredibly cute, and it plays the melody of the new song! I love it!! So does Princess Sage (although she was bummed that they did not play her favourite song 'Hobbiton'). As I spoke to Jorge he realised it was me who sent him an email that morning. I can't say the man is not switched on. It may have been just band talk, but he did offer to jam with me next time they came to Brisbane. I think an apple pie and hot chocolate is fair compensation for learning one of their Balkan Gypsy tunes =)
Unfortunately, I could not hang around for The Good Ship but I'll keep them in mind for another night.
Like I said, it was a great Friday night in West End for the sage. Great food, great music, great new venue.
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