tag:suterry.com,2005:/blogs/blog?p=1
BLOG
2023-10-16T10:55:44-04:00
Su Terry
false
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088988
2016-02-08T10:19:44-05:00
2019-12-18T19:17:36-05:00
YOUR FIRST RECORDING SESSION
<p>YOUR FIRST RECORDING SESSION<br><br>You’re feeling pretty good about your playing…you’ve got a bunch of tunes you want to record, and the band is lined up. Or maybe you are a side musician on someone else’s record date, but you're nervous because you've never actually been in a recording studio before. Though applicable to side musicians, much of the following advice is directed to bandleaders.</p>
<p>You might not have a record deal, but that’s okay, so few do these days. You must, however, begin documenting your music. That’s why we call ‘em “records”!<br><br>Your choice of recording studio is very important. Check out the studio's equipment ahead of time. Piano, keyboards, drum kit, mics, board–get the equipment list and make sure it meets your needs. Also note the dimensions of their space, including the main room and the iso booth. If you have a nine piece band, you're not going to fit in some studios.<br><br>Studio time is expensive. Be organized. Rehearse ahead of time. Have all the charts ready. Have a list of the tunes in the order you'd like to record them. Do the hardest one first. If a tune train-wrecks, or someone plays a clam, don’t start over at the beginning. Rather, you’ll “punch in” from before that point in the song. Usually you will play along with the track a few bars prior to the punch, and the engineer will press the Record button at the proper moment.<br><br>Recording studios are never an ideal temperature. Pro studios tend to be too cold due to the air conditioning, and home studios tend to be too warm, because the equipment heats up the room and home AC systems are too noisy to have running while recording. Bring a sweater to layer over your tank top. Also be aware that there may be photographers and videographers present, so do you really want to wear the bunny slippers?<br><br>Wear pants with pockets. Why? Because the wire from the cans (studio parlance for headphones) will probably be in your way while you're playing, and you need to tuck the slack into a pocket so it doesn't interfere with your instrument, or your sightline to the music.<br><br>The studio will not always have separate headphone mixes. Even when they do, you may not hear every single thing to your liking. Sometimes you just have to roll with it. But if there's an extreme condition–like, you can't hear the bass–then it needs to be fixed before the engineer says “Rolling.”<br><br>Don't forget a little reverb in the cans, it's the aural equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate.<br><br>Take breaks. When faced with something challenging, like a difficult written part or a solo with weird changes, ask for a couple minutes to look it over. On one session, I even went to the piano for five minutes so I could check out the harmonic sequence of a tune I was asked to solo on.<br><br>Bring food. A sandwich, some energy bars. Most pro studios have coffee machines, but that doesn't mean the coffee will be good.<br><br>Be nice to the engineer. He or she often (but not always) knows as much about the equipment and the recording process as you know about music. Many are musicians themselves, which is ideal. The best engineers are really cool people, because they know how to deal with fragile musician egos. There's nothing like being put on the spot in the studio to make a musician have a meltdown.<br><br>Microphones: An expensive mic, such as my favorite–-a Neumann U-87–-will only be found in the best studios. Engineers are as picky as musicians about which mics to use. But you can sometimes override their opinion, or ask for a different mic placement. You need to get your sound–-this is critical.<br><br>The first hour or so will be spent "getting sounds.”<br><br>Allow one hour for each tune you want to record. I can hear you now: “An hour to record a three-minute song?”<br><br>Yes. If not more.<br><br>It’s not necessary to listen back after every take. But ALWAYS listen back after the first take of the session.<br><br>These days the process is almost always computerized. Disasters can happen. Don't freak out. If something really bad happens that is the studio’s fault, they will make up for the lost time.<br><br>Lastly, have fun! As I told the band at one session after they were complaining about doing a lot of takes on one tune: Hey guys, when you’re ninety years old sitting in the day room watching Jeopardy and eating applesauce, you’ll remember when you were making records in the studio and you’ll say, “Those were the good old days!”</p>
<p><br>© Su Terry</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088987
2015-02-09T11:40:21-05:00
2020-01-11T20:10:17-05:00
Getting a 2nd Opinion
<p> I learned something today. My husband has been in medical treatment for a while, and I'd been putting off getting a doctor's second opinion on a surgery that had been proposed. All I could think of was the seemingly endless list of all the documents, test results and the like, that I would have to somehow get copies of and assemble for the new doctor. I figured I'd have to track down all the departments and people involved to get everything, and it would be an interminable project that would weigh me down for days on end. <br> Finally I called the new doctor's office and spoke with a woman in his office about how to go about getting a second opinion. At the end of a long spiel, during which my fears began to come true as she told me all the documents that would be needed, she said something that perked up my ears: "We have a checklist of everything we would need, if you'd like us to fax that to your primary care doctor."<br> Eureka! I suddenly realized—this isn't something I do, it's something THEY do! All I do is call up the primary care doctor's office, tell them we want a second opinion, provide the new doctor's name and fax number, and the medical office people do everything. They do this every day. THAT'S THEIR JOB! <br> Wow. What a relief. Now I can go back to MY job of playing the clarinet!</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088986
2015-01-26T09:02:08-05:00
2020-01-11T20:10:14-05:00
I Like Modern
<p> </p>
<p>I like modern.<br><br> I may not be the first in line to buy the latest [whatever] but I keep watch on emerging tech butterfly chrysalises and social trends. When something attracts me, I check it out—often with my original iPad 1, which I pre-ordered before they were available. (It still works great so I haven't upgraded.) <br><br> I went into Staples the other day and was completely overwhelmed by how many new products there were. I can't be bothered to look at all this stuff. The gods of Destiny and Expedience will have to be trusted to guide me to exactly what I need, when I need it. The god of Finance will have to provide the funding for it, and if the gods of Weather can let me get out of my iced-over 45 degree graded driveway, then they will also receive a sacrificial groat. [Animal lovers, I said GROAT!]<br><br>Yet there's another side of me...an alternate personality...that wants to do something totally archaic and hopelessly Old School...namely, play the clarinet. Hello god of Balance, thank you for weighing in.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088985
2014-12-16T07:30:40-05:00
2021-04-21T23:52:51-04:00
Labels
<p> I'm in a men's store waiting for my husband who is trying on pants. I get in a conversation with the clerk. His name is Gary. I'm on my way to a sparring session and I'm wearing a Patagonia fleece vest, Patagonia nano puff hoody, and a Patagonia backpack that I got free with cardmember points. Gary says to me, "You're all Patagonia-ed out." <br><br> Harrrrumph. Dissed by a clothing clerk.<br><br> I go home, rip the labels off the fleece vest and the backpack. The nano puff label I leave on. For now.<br><br> Patagonia stuff is pricey, but it's good quality and they use ethical business practices. For example, all their goose down products use traceable down. That means the manufacturing process, which usually takes place in another country, is inspected all the way down the line for humane treatment of the geese. They are not live-plucked. This is the only company, as far as I know, that will make that guarantee about their goose down products.<br> <br> Nevertheless, I don't want to be a walking billboard for Patagonia, or anybody else. <br><br> In my early New York days, I had a great band with Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico and Clifford Barbaro. I remember Benny would never wear any clothes that sported a label or a logo on the outside. He was an early adopter in the War Between the Corporations and the Customers. The funny thing is, the Corporations have bamboozled customers into advertising their products without compensation. Not only that, customers actually PAY THE CORPORATIONS for the PRIVILEGE of wearing clothing that displays the Corporate ID.<br><br> "All Patagonia-ed out", huh? I had to put my LL Bean-slipper-moc foot down on that one.<br><br> <br></p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088984
2014-12-07T14:13:53-05:00
2020-01-11T20:10:07-05:00
Loving the Notes
<p> To be an excellent musician you have to love the notes. Each note, you love it, and the way you play it reflects that. Each rest you love also. Good cooks know that the secret ingredient is love. It's what isn't written in the recipe. It's not written on the music either. You can't write it down, you can only feel it.</p>
<p> Yeah. You sit in the orchestra/band/pit/ and you hold out that whole note, and while you're holding it out, you're loving holding it out. You're shaping it, sculpting it into a beautiful tone. Every part of that note has to be cared for: the attack, the sustain, and the cutoff (or the tie or articulation into the following note.)</p>
<p> How do you love a note? By giving your attention to it, and feeling joy in creating it.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088983
2014-12-03T13:21:20-05:00
2020-01-11T20:10:03-05:00
Why I Don't Use a Music Notation Program
<p>Why I don't use a music notation program
First off, I spend quite enough time in front of a computer as it is. E mail is most people's preferred mode of communication these days, not to mention all the superfluous communiques that have to be sifted through. I often write my articles and books at the computer, do editing work, make videos, make promotional material, and do research with it. And write blog posts. After all that, I'm done.
There is something about composing with pencil and manuscript paper that I enjoy. I even like how it looks. Everyone's hand is different. Computer music all looks the same.
When I'm presented with computer music in an ensemble, I have a trepidation that there will be mistakes. The notation program often doesn't transpose a note correctly. And it has no understanding of music, so it writes G# when it should write Ab. It puts an eighth note and eighth rest on a downbeat, instead of a short quarter note. It spaces everything the same, whereas in hand written manuscript, you space things in a natural way. (Because space also has meaning.)
Here's another problem, perhaps philosophical but relevant nonetheless: a hand-written manuscript, like the ones my generation and previous generations used, had a human quality of "asking to be interpreted." Do you know what I mean? Notation is not the music. It's only a representation of the music. The music has to be created by the player. When players in an ensemble look at computer-written music, instead of this notation asking to be interpreted, it is presenting a rigid form. It is saying, "play it like this."
In reality, you can never "play it like this" because "this" can only exist as music is played, not when it is notated. So I resent the ERSATZ AUTHORITY of computer notation. Especially when it makes mistakes and then I no longer trust what I'm reading so I'm always second-guessing it.
I do recognize the usefulness of notation programs. But it's a trade-off, and it's one I'm not willing to make so readily. That said, when one of my colleagues wants to put my lead sheets or parts into Sibelius or Finale, I don't say no. It's 2014 after all.
Finally, let's put things in perspective. Mozart had over 600 Köchel numbers by the time he died at age 35. Advice to young composers: learn how to write your music. (Let's see...quarter rest: backwards and down to the right, then to the left, then to the right again, and finish it off with a little semi-circle...and don't take up more than 2 1/2 spaces.) Practice. When the power grid goes down, you'll be grateful for this skill.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088982
2014-12-02T07:58:16-05:00
2020-01-11T20:09:59-05:00
Buying a "no name" saxophone
<p>My friend Luiz wrote to me. Here's his question, and my reply.
"I need your input about something. A friend of a friend of mine in Brazil wants to buy a decent soprano (used or new) between $200 and $300 or a little more. Is that possible? He's a bass player, just got interested in sax recently.
He found the following ones at Amazon.com:
Mendini MSS_N+920 Nickel plated $280,00
Lázaro 300 LQ Golden Laquer $319,00
Allora AASS_301 serie student $ 349,00"
Sue's response:
What is happening now is that there are many private instrument makers. The same thing that happened in the music biz where you could make your own CDs instead of going through a record company, or publish your own books
without a publisher, is going on in many fields. These instrument makers are sometimes very good and very knowledgeable. Often they themselves are players, so they really have a deep understanding of how to make a
good instrument. They develop the prototype in their home country, then they outsource the actual manufacture to another country, like Taiwan. That's how they keep the price low.
That said, i would not buy one of these "no-name" horns without doing some research on the internet first. Your friend should try to get some opinions from players who have tried them.
I personally am not familiar with any of these brands, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are no good.
Hope this helps!</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088981
2014-11-25T10:00:00-05:00
2023-10-16T10:55:44-04:00
"Sweet Su" by Michael J. Wetmore
<p style="text-align: center;">SWEET SU</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">BY<em> MICHAEL J. WETMORE</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Intermission</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Living out her name she goes table - to - table</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">A cosmic momentum captures the room</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We are her faithful - and she is ours</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">But, now</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Showtime!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">A phalanx of noir notes</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">A dulcit overtone</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">A fine blue mesh, and then an explosion!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">She sees the sax</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">She becomes the sax</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">She is purest Zen</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Pity</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Kerouac didn't live to hear her</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">He'd write about her just like Bird and Pres</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Maybe he'd say: "So I am in this little place in the mountains in PA, see, and this chick's groovin's sax she got it goin bad, and I'm yellin'... Go! ...Every couple of seconds and God! dont ya know.. I think I'm in love...Wooo...!"</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">She speaks - and the glow is almost unbearable</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We need charisma glasses</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">But now its that bittersweet time</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We, the faithful file out</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The ultimate Joy of Sax</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Leaves our glass half empty</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">'Cause that's all for tonite</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">And half full</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">'Cause she'll return</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The silent streets welcome her</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We realize there's been more than a show, a performance</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">There's been an event,..... a satori</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">She is the superwoman</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The High Empress of Cool</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Sweet Su, Sweet Su - Just You</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Oh, Man</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088980
2014-10-06T09:48:01-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:54-05:00
Eric vs Troopers, Chapter 3
<p> "Area...closed...to hunting" said Billy slowly, reading the temporary roadside sign as he and Hank drove south on Rt. 447 in Hank's beat-up pickup. </p>
<p> "Yeah," said Hank as he shifted back into fourth gear to continue down the nearly deserted country road. "That jerk spoiled the hunting season. And how'm I gonna feed my family this winter? I'll have to hunt somewhere's else. But dang, these woods is what I know, Billy."</p>
<p> "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinking?" asked Billy.</p>
<p> "Yeah, I think so."</p>
<p> "How we gonna do it?"</p>
<p> "Dunno yet. Gotta think about it. Hey let's stop at the pizza place and get a couple six packs. . . "</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088979
2014-10-05T18:00:18-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:52-05:00
Eric vs Troopers, Chapter 2
<p> In the previous entry we found Eric with his battalion of trained chipmunks (and squirrel officers). I realize this is really going out on a limb; but I thought I would offer it just in case Disney wants to branch out.</p>
<p> This is also a rather low-tech approach. Maybe we'll have Eric using a Blackphone instead. Blackphone encrypts all your communications between itself and another Blackphone (Google it if you're clueless) so he could be communicating with his sister, for instance, and receiving information on law enforcement coordinates and so forth. </p>
<p> But frankly, I think he should have both. The Blackphone might go kaput (not to mention whatever solar-powered charger he's got) whereas female chipmunks usually have litters of four or five, every year.</p>
<p> Although it's almost time for the Eastern chipmunk to go into hibernation for the winter. Back to Blackphone.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088978
2014-10-05T07:26:31-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:49-05:00
Eric Frein, Chapter 1
<p> What the police don't realize is that Eric has been training an army ever since his arrest in 2004, when he served a few months in jail, then upon his release, resolved to get revenge. In the 2 million acres of woods behind his parents' house, he trained an army of chipmunks to do his bidding, including patrol duty and delivering messages. (My friend Sharon heard this part and said I should make squirrels the officers, because they are very crafty. Sharon, consider it done!)</p>
<p> The life span of the Eastern Chipmunk is only about 2 or 3 years. Therefore, Eric has trained three generations of chipmunks, and the duties to which he's entrusted them are slowly being imprinted on their DNA. Today, Eric's chipmunks run faster and see further than their counterparts who've received no such education. Of course, if the Hundredth Monkey hypothesis holds true, soon all chipmunks will display these qualities. Time will tell.</p>
<p> Meanwhile, the manhunt continues. Helicopters cruise over the forest canopy of this sleepy Pennsylvania township day and night. Residents are becoming restive.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088977
2014-09-29T14:03:52-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:47-05:00
Eric Frein: The Real Story Outline: Preface
<p>You may have seen it on the news: Alleged cop-killer Eric Frein is being hunted by hundreds, maybe thousands of law enforcement and military personnel, and it's happening in my very own neighborhood. Here's the thing: the cops seem clueless, and the news media are feeding us days-old information over and over again. </p>
<p>I do not know the Frein family. I want this to be over, as do all of us residents who are affected by the searches, the lockdowns, the curfews, the roadblocks, the helicopter noise 24/7, the searchlights, etc. </p>
<p>Since I am a writer, I thought I would provide some new content, in the form of an outline of a WORK OF FICTION. Disclaimer: Did I mention this is a WORK OF FICTION?</p>
<p>I will post new ideas as they occur to me, until Frein is apprehended or until I am bored, whichever comes first.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088976
2014-09-21T17:46:02-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:45-05:00
Special Band; Bob Siebern RIP; Lock Down
<p>Yesterday I traveled to my musical hometown of Hartford to play a concert at the Artists Collective. Onstage, as a huge portrait of my teacher Jackie McLean smiled down on me, Vic Juris, Bob Cranshaw and Steve Johns, we ventured into a playful and diverse program that included music by composers from Freddie Hubbard to John Mayer. The thrill of playing with these great musicians, the standing ovation we received, the Collective staff's gracious hospitality, and seeing Melonae, Dollie and Cheryl again were all highlights for me. <br><br>Gil and I drove home from Hartford today with bittersweet thoughts after learning of the death of our dear friend, drummer Bob Siebern, in Florida. If there's someone in your life you've been meaning to call—do it today.<br><br>We are back home now. The manhunt for FBI poster boy #2 continues as half our neighborhood is in 24-hour lockdown, and the other half is in after-dark lockdown. I was lucky to be able to get out and make the Hartford gig; it was looking dicey for a while. Stay safe everyone.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088975
2014-09-19T11:16:43-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:42-05:00
Jr. High School Band, Mr. Burbank
<p>Reprinted from the <a href="http://www.local802afm.org/2014/09/how-much-my-music-teacher-meant-to-me/" target="_blank" data-imported="1">September 2014 issue of Allegro:</a></p>
<p>’ll never forget Mr. Al Burbank, who was my junior high school band and jazz band director. Mr. Burbank was a trumpeter. He had the last joint of his ring finger missing, which I always found fascinating. I believe the secret to his success was his relaxed attitude – an attitude I try my best to cultivate not only in my playing but also in my approach to teaching. Mr. Burbank’s famous aphorisms? “Don’t play during the rests,” and “Let’s do it again to make sure we didn’t get it right by accident.”</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088974
2014-07-19T06:32:54-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:40-05:00
Paw Points
<p>I have two cats. Their favorite cat litter is Fresh Step, which offers a "Paw Points" coupon on every box. It's always been an ambition of mine to collect the Paw Points and exchange them for items in the Fresh Step catalog--like a fancy "fountain" water dish, for instance. <br> Unfortunately, the Coupon Clipping gene is not in my DNA. (I was made aware of my deficiency in coupon-clipping during a recent genetic screening--but I always suspected I wasn't cut out for it.) Nevertheless, I do have a pile of cardboard Paw Points coupons sitting on the shelf, clipped during sporadic attempts to rebel against my DNA programming. But usually, I just toss the whole empty box into the recycling bin. <br> My sweet felines are now seventeen years old. I just realized that had I saved up all those Paw Points, by now I could've gotten them one of those carpeted, multi-tiered cat condos . . . in Miami Beach.<br> It's times like this when one must seek comfort in well-worn platitudes. <br> Neither a spendthrift nor a wastrel be?<br> But I can't help it--woe is me.<br> I'll have to change my reality<br> From 'woe is me' to 'c'est la vie</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088973
2013-11-12T09:17:30-05:00
2020-01-11T20:09:37-05:00
LAST NIGHT AT THE DEER HEAD
<p>Steve: What was the name of that tune?</p>
<p>Me: Rhythm-a-ning.</p>
<p>Steve: Thank you! We've been wracking our brains!</p>
<p>Bud: I don't think it's Rhythm-a-ning.</p>
<p>Me: Would you care to make a small monetary wager? Say, a hundred bucks?</p>
<p>Bud: Ten bucks.</p>
<p>We shake. I turn to Gil and say "I just made ten bucks!"</p>
<p>Bud to Bill Goodwin: What was the name of the last tune?</p>
<p>Bill: Rhythm-a-ning.</p>
<p>Bud opens his wallet. A tenski flies into my pocket. </p>
<p>Gil: Don't bet with Sue. She only bets when she knows she's right.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088972
2013-11-08T12:08:58-05:00
2020-01-11T20:09:35-05:00
PERSONAL POWER
<p>The world wants you to validate yourself according to ITS standards--not your standards. When you are constantly measuring yourself against what you are being told by the media, or by other people, you're letting them be in charge of you. </p>
<p>Your personal power comes, in large part, from the stuff you are working on that no one else may know about. What are you doing every day? What are you working on? THAT's where your power comes from! </p>
<p>We must keep developing ourselves according to what we ourselves deem important. If I had listened to the <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sweetsueterry" target="_blank" data-imported="1">red-haired kid</a> in my class in 6th grade who told me girls weren't supposed to play the saxophone . . .</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088971
2013-10-16T07:19:01-04:00
2022-05-09T14:28:35-04:00
COULD BE GREAT IF SHE WOULD PRACTICE
<p>I've been playing the clarinet for 45 years. I should be better by now! When I started playing saxophone I practiced like crazy, but I let the clarinet slide a bit. </p>
<p>The saxophone and the clarinet are entirely different creatures. They may come from the same Family, but once you hit Genus, all bets are off. At the Species level, as we say in Brooklyn, fuhgeddaboudit!</p>
<p>If I had practiced clarinet one more hour for each day I've been playing, I would have an additional 16,425 hours of practice under my belt. I'd be a black belt clarinet player!</p>
<p>When I was in college, Kal Opperman commented on my evaluation sheet during an adjudication, "Could be great if she would practice." I still have that sheet. . . and I'm making up those lost hours.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088970
2013-10-01T13:31:24-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:31-05:00
LISTENING IS THE KEY
<p>I'm not into politics, but I would be stupid if I didn't acknowledge that political decisions directly affect my way of life as an individual. Therefore, I observe political trends so that I don't get caught up in any of them, if possible. </p>
<p>There's a lot of conflicting information out there, and sometimes you don't know what to believe. That's why what we do as musicians is important. When you listen to music--and I mean listen to it, not have it on in the background while you're vacuuming the rug--you develop a quality of awareness in yourself that no one can take away from you, and can serve you well in times of stress or danger. The quality of awareness cultivated while truly LISTENING to music is gained by accessing a deep part of you that can show you the truth when your mind has other thoughts running through it that may not be your own. Because let's face it, we're constantly bombarded with images and sound bytes purveyed by government and businesses who want us to buy their product. It doesn't matter whether that product is a deodorant, a prescription drug, or a war. </p>
<p>At the end of the day, we simply cannot just accept carte blanche what we are told. There are too many factions with their own agendas out there for us to trust we are being told the truth, about anything. To really discover what we in our hearts believe is true, we must go to the heart itself. We must go deep enough into ourselves to obtain a feeling that will tell us what is true and what is not. We cannot afford to give away this basic human ability to have a gut feeling about what rings true to anyone other than ourselves.</p>
<p>That's why musicians are important. Music provides a direct route to the unconscious mind and the heart and soul of a person. The power of music to bypass the circuitry of the brain is well-documented and I won't go into it here; suffice it to say that LISTENING to music, as opposed to background music, may be the most effective antidote to the mind-poisons that are being foisted upon us daily.</p>
<p>Music: the palate cleanser for your mind, the medicine for your soul.</p>
<p>NB: You do need to exercise some judgement over what music you listen to. Heavy metal may not cut it.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088969
2013-09-27T06:51:22-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:29-05:00
A = 432 hz
<p>I've been delving into the 432 Movement for a few days now. Apparently this is a fan-driven movement and the musician community has largely not picked up on it. Obviously there is a market out there for music created by tuning to A=432 as opposed to A=440. Go onto YouTube and put 432 in the search window, you'll see what I mean. A lot of fans have used computer software to detune their favorite songs, and they've posted these online. Then you can A-B the results by searching for the original version of whatever tune it is. </p>
<p>If you live in the country, as I do, you can go outside and listen to the cicadas humming an F#, and the crickets or frogs or whatever they are croaking on a C#--but they are tuned to A432, not A440! </p>
<p>I was at Mike Manning's Custom Woodwind shop yesterday and was discussing this with him and his employees. Mike pointed out that if you pull out your horn to get down to 432, your octaves might not be in tune-which is a drag. Nevertheless, I am experimenting with this because I think there's a great deal to be gained by the music community returning to a more harmonious--literally!--synchronization with Nature, as evidenced not only by tuning up with the crickets, but also by having human-made music align with the frequencies of crystals, the vibrations of Platonic Solids, planetary movements, etc. </p>
<p>If you don't know what I'm talking about, just go do some research on your own. I'll write more about this at a future date.</p>
<p>Before I went over to Manning Custom Woodwind, I was at the Yamaha Artist Atelier speaking with Tomoji Hirakata about the same subject. He was complaining that the difference in pitch standards (A440 for North America vs A445 for Europe) creates a challenge for instrument makers. He advocates actually making different models depending on which standard the instrument will be tuned to. This is essentially the same thing that Mike was saying, that if you deviate too far from the tuning range the instrument was designed for, the instrument will become out of tune with itself.</p>
<p>Well, that problem would be solved if the whole Western world went back to an A=432 standard, which by the way is probably very close to the A used in Mozart's day. </p>
<p>If you have an iPhone or iPod, go to the app store and download a free program called 432 Player. Then you can listen to any song in your iTunes library played in A432. </p>
<p>Please leave comments in the Guestbook, thanks.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088968
2013-08-23T18:00:00-04:00
2020-12-04T15:57:35-05:00
Harry Speaks From Beyond The Grave
<p>Harry Speaks From Beyond the Grave<br> by Su Terry<br><br> I recently had a session with a medium who came highly recommended as someone experienced in communicating with those who had passed from the Earth plane. She was very good; I appreciated her work and her abilities. But when she said there was someone there named "Harold", all I could think of was my dear Chihuahua, Harry, who had died a few months prior. <br> Harry had cataracts and had lost vision in one eye before becoming completely blind. He eventually also lost his teeth (we found out later his jaw had decomposed due to cancer) and could no longer engage in his favorite sport, chomping on chewsticks. <br> The final straw in Harry's decline was the sudden death of his mate Zsa Zsa, from congestive heart failure. He was despondent but hung on for another eight months, a blind, toothless widower. <br> On the up side, Harry had a good ten years or so during which he frolicked with Zsa Zsa, paraded down the streets of Aspen with a line of "OMG he's SO CUTE" teenaged girls in tow, vacationed in Florida, peed on the Washington Monument, toured the Palermo apartment building in Cuenca, Ecuador (where he took the elevator to the lobby and was found by a cleaning lady who put him in a bucket and locked him in the janitor's closet for safekeeping), and was taken to the finest restaurants, where he and Zsa Zsa enjoyed the aromas wafting into the mesh sides of their carrier located underneath the table.) <br> Harry apparently had the canine equivalent of Bipolar Disorder, going from brief manic periods to depressed states in a blink of a cataract-covered eye. When he was a youngster, he was always doing something wrong and had to be scolded. Gil used to say Harry had a criminal mind. <br> The following transcript of Harry's purported visit from the afterlife has not been altered in any way. The medium did not know that Harry was a dog. What she 'saw' was a man standing with his hands in his pockets. For all anyone knows, that is indeed my dear Harry's preferred form. <br> I reproduce this exchange with all due respect to the medium, who gave me lots of interesting and relevant information during our session. <br><br>MEDIUM: Harry, would you like to come in? <br> PAUSE<br> I'm not feeling him yet. . . what's his last name?<br>SUE: Favisham. But we never used that. We just called him Harry.<br> PAUSE<br>M: He says he's a live wire.<br>S: Yeah. . . is he with anybody? [Zsa Zsa had died the previous year.]<br> PAUSE<br>M: Harry, can you come in a little closer?<br> PAUSE<br> Did he know a "Linda"?<br>S: No, I don't think so.<br>M: Well, he's got a "Linda" there.<br>S: A "Linda".<br>M: Yeah, a Linda's there with him.<br> PAUSE<br> He's talking about Miami. Is there any reason why he'd talk about Miami?<br>S: Harry, it wasn't Miami.<br>M: What was it?<br>S: St. Petersburg. Clearwater.<br>M: Oh, well, thank you, he got me to Miami.<br> (to Harry) You know, you could stand in a little closer.<br> (to me) This is what happens when spirits get shy.<br>S: And he. . . I don't know if this is the same Harry that I'm thinking of.<br>M: Uh, can you come in a little closer, Harry?<br>S: (to Harry) Can you give us some identifying marks? There's a lot of 'Harrys' out there.<br>M: He's shrugging his shoulders, putting his hands in his pockets.<br> PAUSE<br> Was there a lake nearby?<br>S: Not really. [Actually, there was a lake we used to take the dogs to sometimes. Harry was deathly afraid of water so he wouldn't go near the shore with a ten foot pole.]<br>M: (to her personal spirit guide) Mirabelle, can you help?<br> (to Harry) Harry, you'll have to work a little harder.<br> (to me) I can't get him to work.<br>S: I never could either.<br>M: Yeah, he's a little passive here, and he doesn't know how to step up to the energy.<br>S: It's okay Harry. You're a good boy.<br>M: ( to Harry) Thank you, thank you very much.<br> INTERLUDE WITH OTHER, MORE COMMUNICABLE SPIRITS. MEDIUM STILL HAS NOT BEEN INFORMED HARRY IS A DOG.<br>M: Oh, Harry wants to speak. Harry's back.<br>S: Really? Okay.<br>M: Because Herbert said, "Harry--speak!" just now. So can we try again?<br>S: We can try again.<br>M: Okay. Harry? You ready? You ready Freddie? Step up to the mic! Yes, we heard you say you were a live wire.<br> (to me) Was he stoned a lot?<br>S: Well, he acted like it sometimes.<br>M: Okay. Uh, I wasn't really stoned, he's saying. <br> PAUSE<br> Oh okay, maybe I was.<br> [sound of my laughter]<br> Okay, I was a little stoned.<br> (to Harry) Okay, you can't be stoned now. What do you want to say? You've got to work a little harder here. You can't have us do the work for you. You know, I can't reach into you and grab a message out of you. And neither can Mirabelle. It's not fair.<br> PAUSE<br> He's talking about music with you.<br>S: Okay.<br> PAUSE<br>M: He says something about. . . he was not a good communicator. He wished he could let the music speak for him all the time, is what he's saying. [Gil and I played our saxophones in front of the dogs all the time. In fact, Zsa Zsa's introduction to our lifestyle was being brought to a jam session at Dave Glasser's apartment in Chelsea immediately after we picked her up from the breeder at the Westminster show. In retrospect, probably not the best thing for the dog, but it sure was a great session!]<br>M: And part of it was. . . the music said it much better than he could. He felt like, almost intimidated by the music. There's a sense of . . . it's bigger than he is. [Pretty much everything was bigger than Harry, he only weighed three pounds.]<br> (to Harry) I hear you.<br> (to me) He's saying, I'm not a jerk. . .<br> [sound of my laughter]<br> I'm not lazy, it's just that the music is more powerful.<br> PAUSE<br> (to me) Did you ever listen to Cole Porter?<br>S: Sure.<br>M: 'Cause he's saying, Cole Porter is a way in which Harry tries to contact you. Whenever you have Cole Porter on, Harry's right in there.<br>S: Harry, I didn't know you had such good taste.<br>M: See, there's a lot you don't know about me.<br> [sound of my laughter]<br> PAUSE<br> Let's try again Harry, you're doing pretty good. Mirabelle? Okay, all hands on deck with Harry.<br> LONG PAUSE<br> If we had lived in another culture in another time, Harry would have been a shapeshifter. He would have been, like somebody who just. . . shapeshifted. He says, the human condition, and having to stay in it, was weird for him.<br>S: Uh huh.<br>M: And he's saying, in my Druidic lifetime, it was easy, 'cause I could shapeshift. And in the Navaho lifetime it was easy 'cause he could shift. . . and he's showing me a lot of other cultures. . . he's taking me to Africa, where he could shift. . . China, there were a lot of other places. . . Tibet, he could shift there. But it was tricky. And he's saying, it was a Karmic lesson for me to have to try to be one person.<br>S: Or in one shape.<br>M: Or in one shape. Yeah. And I'm still learning from that lifetime. I'm still learning from it. Because, quite honestly, you know, it's not my favorite lifetime, he's saying.<br>S: The one he just had.<br>M: Yes. Not my favorite lifetime.<br>S: Yeah, I could understand that. But there were some good times, though, Harry.<br>M: Yeah, no, you're right. He's saying, I'll buy that, you're right. But his lesson, and he says I'm still working on it, they're still trying to get me to see that staying in one shape, that there's divinity in there. So it's a big, big, big lesson. It's a big spiritual lesson.<br> (to Harry) I hear you! Well, now you're getting loquacious!<br> (to me) He's saying, I had a lot of arrogance, a lot of pride to work through. I'm still working through it. And because I was used to being able to [she snaps fingers] shift--never be accountable. Shapeshift, and never be accountable. "Whoops, he's there, whoops he's there." So, responsibility, accountability, these are all things he's still working on.<br> When I come back, I'm going to have to come back to a similar area geographically. With similar circumstances. The vibrations, the rhythms will be really similar. But my physicality is gonna be such that I won't be able to move.<br> (to me) So he's gonna be--and he's choosing that--he says I think it's the best way for me to learn, is to be handicapped.<br>S: As a human.<br>M: Yeah. So, to help to stay in one place. To help him learn that.<br> (to Harry) Thank you, I know that took a lot of energy on your part.<br> Tell Sue I think she's a great kid. <br> (to me) He thinks you're a great kid.<br>S: Okay.<br> PAUSE<br>M: I'm sorry, this is getting a little personal. Did he ever. . . want to make love to you?<br>S: Not in the form that he was in, no. I don't think. [But I was always cuddling him. . . I guess he could've taken it the wrong way!]<br>M: Well. . . had circumstances been different--yes.<br> PAUSE<br> And it's something he thought about, actually. It's something he wants you to know.<br>S: Thanks Harry. <br> (to the medium) I think we're going to say goodbye to Harry now.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088967
2013-08-11T11:36:49-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:25-05:00
Transferring Exercises to Different Instruments
<p>If other doublers are like me, they have certain exercises they do on certain instruments. But they don't try those exercises on their other instruments, even if it would be an easy switch. </p>
<p>Last night at the Deer Head Inn, Lew Tabackin was playing his ass off with his "International Trio" of Boris Kozlov (who used to play in my band Terra Mars) on bass, and Mark Taylor on drums. During the break Lew sat down at our table to continue a conversation he and I were having earlier. </p>
<p>Since we were a table of sax players (with my husband Gil, and even my brother Brian, who was visiting, used to play bari in high school) we were talking shop, and Lew mentioned that he does the Marcel Moyse flute exercise (longtones descending in half steps, 2 at a time repeated) on saxophone starting on the lower G and going down to Bb, with the loosest embouchure possible. </p>
<p>I thought that was a great idea and I plan to implement it immediately.</p>
<p>BTW if you are not hip to the astounding tenor and flute mastery of Lew Tabackin, I suggest you immediately check him out. He is a true Artist. </p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088966
2013-01-06T11:58:50-05:00
2020-01-11T20:09:24-05:00
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST BE GREAT
<p> My mind keeps returning to the 22 year old chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. I wrote about him in my book For The Curious. If you don't know who he is just Google him; he's the number one ranked chess player in the world. When he was asked how he comes up with his seemingly-precognitive moves, he replies, "I don't know; sometimes a move just feels right." <br><br> For a long time, it hasn't been enough to be good. Now, it's not even enough to be great. Now you have to have that extra, undefinable thing. <br><br> If you want to be a truly amazing artist, you must go very deep into yourself, into the world, into the universe, into the meaning of things. You must go to the very source of everything. Luckily, we can do that, because we ourselves come from that source. It's not something outside ourselves; we are part of it, so it is in us. <br><br> Mine that source, and you will connect with what is important, and universal. You will connect all the parts of yourself, and you will connect with the other beings on the planet. And that's how you will be able to offer your art as a contribution to the universe, and you will be paid for that.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088965
2012-09-20T05:51:47-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:22-05:00
UFO Trio
<p>Last year I started a "series" at the Deer Head called Meeting of Musical Minds. The first event featured myself with the great trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, with Bobby Avey (Thelonious Monk composition competition winner) on piano, Evan Gregor on bass, and Mike Stephans on drums.
I call it a series but it doesn't have a regular schedule, it's just when I decide to put an event together. The criteria for a MoMM event is that all the players have to be deep--as in profound. They also have to be free from the ego-driven stance that some players have. Because it's all about listening to each other and sharing the spotlight, musically speaking.
The idea is that when these musicians play as a group, incredible music can be made. There is a focus on improvisation, especially collective improv where everyone is creating the arrangement right on the spot. This is fun for the audience as well, because they get to see the creative process at work.
For the second MMoM, I chose pianist Jesse Green and bassist Gene Perla to be my musical partners. Anyone who's ever heard Jesse knows that he not only has chops up the whazoo, but also he is one of the most inventive musicians alive today. Gene has what we musicians call "big ears", meaning that he can hear and instantly understand whatever someone else is playing, and come up with a bass accompaniment that is absolutely perfect. He is also a fine soloist.
I asked Jesse and Gene to play acoustically so that I could play passages in the lowest register (the chalumeau) of the clarinet and still be heard. The audience complied as well, you could hear the proverbial pin drop in the rests. We played mostly standards, but we made up spontaneous arrangements. We also did some completely improvised selections that were amazing!
At the end of the last set, the audience would not stop applauding so we had to do an encore, which is extremely rare at the Deer Head because the gig is 4 hours long already! So we did a final improv, and I'm still kicking myself that I didn't record it. Gene started it with a really hip Latin-y bass line, and Jesse and I entered at the same time and it developed from there. It actually sounded like a fully-formed tune.
Because we so enjoyed this gig, we are going to try and keep the group going with some more engagements. We had had one short rehearsal at Jesse's house, and afterwards we were watching UFO footage on YouTube, so we are thinking of calling the group UFO Trio.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088964
2012-08-05T08:37:58-04:00
2021-06-28T02:50:46-04:00
FOR WHOM AM I WRITING?
<p>Last year I started a saxophone website, which I intended to be a repository for all the knowledge and insights about saxophones and saxophone playing I have gleaned over the years. </p>
<p>I signed up for a website service that checks all your pages for the correct number and placement of keywords, so that your site can be found by search engines and spiders (automated web patrols.)</p>
<p>I wrote a lot of material for the site and posted it, carefully chopping up and simplifying my prose until it was dumbed down enough to satisfy not only the web spiders, but also the lowest common denominator of human visitors.</p>
<p>I am taking the site down. After the realization sunk in that I was working my ass off to please automated Internet programs, instead of my readers (and myself!), I was horrified. Yes, I know it will be harder for people to find my stuff now. </p>
<p>Good. <em>Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi.</em></p>
<p>I guess this is why I'm an artist and not a businessperson. </p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088963
2012-07-19T09:05:17-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:18-05:00
Male Jazz Cats, Please Take Some Responsibility
<p>Someone recently sent me trumpeter Philip Tauber's "The Language of Modern Jazz Improvisation for Trumpet", a nice compendium of practice material. In the beginning of the book he lists 120 trumpet masters, serving as a listening guide as well as an homage to colleagues and past masters. </p>
<p>Out of 120 players, there are 2 women: Ingrid Jensen and Louise Baranger, both of whom I know and have played with. </p>
<p>I realize that one can't possibly mention all the great players in a list of that sort--but here's the thing--you've got to make an effort towards making the world a better place. If you have to go out of your way a little bit to research the women players, then do it! On that list were white guys, black guys, American guys, guys of other nationalities, but only 2 chicks.</p>
<p>Any list of this nature should include Pam Fleming, Ellen Seeling, Barbara Donald, Jami Dauber, Tanya Darby, Rebecca Coupe Franks, historic players like Valaida Snow and Clora Bryant, amazing lead players like Laurie Frink and Liesl Whitaker--and these are just the ones off the top of my head!</p>
<p>Please people, when you put together a list, think about the young people you are serving with it. They are hungry for information, they are the players of tomorrow, they are our future. They are guys and they are gals, they are transgender, they are whatever they are. Please make an effort to portray more of a cross section so the stereotype of guy-trumpet-player can be dispelled, and we can move on to more interesting, and funnier, trumpet-player stereotypes, a la "how many trumpet players does it take to screw in a light bulb?"</p>
<p>In order for the music--and its audience--to grow, all .great players must be recognized. Please do your part. Thank you.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088962
2012-07-18T08:27:21-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:16-05:00
Alternative to Being a Professional Musician
<p>Music students are certainly aware of the scarcity of professional music jobs available when they graduate from music school ready to embark upon a career. I always tell people, don't try for a career as a professional player unless you are totally committed to it, because it's hard. Most of us pros resent the fact that we are compelled to not only keep ourselves in top condition (practicing, rehearsing, composing, recording, listening, performing, traveling to jobs, studying further---this is more than a full-time job already) but also to market ourselves. </p>
<p>Marketing is also a full time job. That's why you can major in it at school, just like you can major in music. </p>
<p>My advice to would-be pros is that you team up with fellow students in marketing, in art, in film/video, in radio, in business, etc. Make your team now. You are an adult already, might as well start doing what you want to do. If I were studying marketing or business at a college, I would be thrilled to team up with real live musicians and artists and start trying to market them! Isn't that what you're studying how to do? So do it!</p>
<p>Music students should keep in mind that there are MANY job opportunities that call upon their skills in music. Consider, for instance, majoring in acoustical engineering. Acoustical engineers work with architects, contractors and others in design and construction to soundproof and improve sound quality in work environments as well as performing environments. </p>
<p>Pro musicians, especially those who travel to play in a lot of different places, know firsthand how infrequently the acoustics of the venue (this includes a lot a famous venues too!) are up to the task of allowing the performance to be heard both by the audience and the performers in a suitable manner. I wish it were not like this, but it is. </p>
<p>At my alma mater, the University of Hartford, you can major in acoustical engineering. You have to audition to be accepted into the program, just as if you were applying to Hartt, the performing arts school.</p>
<p>Robert Celmer, the director of the department, says they have a job placement rate of 93.3%!</p>
<p>Their graduate school acceptance rate is 100%.</p>
<p>Oh, how I wish some of you talented folks would consider becoming acoustical engineers, arts administrators, and Congresspersons! The world needs you!</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088961
2012-06-10T14:25:36-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:15-05:00
The Gods of FUBAR
<p style="text-align: center;">The Gods of FUBAR</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">by Sue Terry</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Sometimes, in the course of human events, we are visited by alien entities who descend upon us to mess up our projects. In the military they have a descriptive name for these happenings: FUBAR. This is an acronym which euphemistically translates as "Screwed Up Beyond All Recognition." <br><br>The chief weapon in the hands of the gods of FUBAR is Surprise. When one realizes the debilitating strength of their onslaught, one might easily succumb to the second weapon--Fear.<br><br>Here's what happened: I was in a top recording studio with a top engineer, getting ready to do an important phone interview with a top Jazz journalist, to be broadcast on NPR during my upcoming tour. I had worked hard to make this happen, and it looked like all the ducks were in a row and we were ready to go. <br><br>Setting up for the interview, the engineer checked the phone line, the microphone, the feeds--everything was in order. The interview went great, and my husband said it sounded excellent from the control room. After the interview I said my goodbyes to the interviewer, and the engineer arranged to send him the files.<br><br>I went into the control booth to listen back. Curiously, the playback was completed distorted and barely intelligible. The engineer was mortified. He could not figure out what the problem was, but he knew the recording was useless. His wife came in and tried to offer some helpful suggestions as she was very familiar with the recording process, but he told her in no uncertain terms there was no way to rescue the tracks. He was freaking out--in that low-key way that recording engineers have. (In the etheric aura surrounding his body, he was tearing his hair out and screaming.)<br><br>The engineer and his wife were old friends of mine, and I had recorded at their studio in the past but not for some time. The homecoming party was not turning out so well. <br><br>My husband and I went over to the main house with the engineer's wife. We drank some fruit juice and talked about how weird it was that the track had gone all FUBAR on us. While the wife and the engineer were beside themselves with embarrassment and anxiety, I myself felt quite calm. I can't explain it, but the whole scene had a "my plan is working perfectly" vibe to it that was completely illogical. <br><br>While the rest of us were in the house, back in the studio the engineer had to call up the interviewer and explain what had happened. That must have been a tough phone call to make.<br><br>We returned to the studio, and the engineer was working on the other project I had brought him--making a compilation disc from several different albums of mine. As he sensed that I was not at all upset, he began to relax, and soon we were working at a nice pace and finished the project quickly. I then suggested that we recreate the interview by listening back to the distorted recording and writing down the interviewer's questions. Then I could go back and record my part again, inserting the cues for the questions. (In radio interviews like this, interviewers normally re-record their own voice when they are making the edits for the final program, so he would have had to do this anyway.) <br><br>I tried my best to recreate the spontaneity of my original answers as I asked myself the questions and answered them all over again. In my humble opinion, it came out even better because I trimmed out some of the rambling parts. <br><br>We sent the interviewer the new files, and he e mailed back saying they would be fine. He thanked us for the extra work we put in. <br><br>"How much do I owe you?" I asked the engineer as he was handing me my discs. <br><br>"On the house," he said. So I got my NPR segment recorded, plus my compilation CD, for free. Aside from the extra 90 minutes or so that I spent at the studio. <br><br>Moral of the story: Stuff happens. Don't freak out. Be calm, deal with it. Relax and let the river settle back to its natural flow. If you agitate yourself you stir up the mud and make things worse. Are you a Jazz musician? Then improvisation is your coin of the realm. Heads or tails, baby, make it work.<br><br></p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088960
2012-05-08T12:43:17-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:13-05:00
Embassy Tour Next Year in Ecuador
<p>Last Friday I was in Quito, the capital of the country of Ecuador. I met with the Cultural Affairs Director at the U.S. Embassy and we discussed plans for a tour with my South American-based group in 2013. We will bring Jazz to several of the outer regions that don't have access to many cultural events. The aim of the project is not only to bring top quality Jazz to these areas, but also for the group members to speak to the audience in both English and Spanish, in order to promote goodwill between the North American and South American communities that are living together on the continent. I'm really looking forward to it!
I also got a chance to check out the weekly jam session at Cactus, where faculty and students from the Institute of Contemporary Music (Univ. of San Francisco, Berklee sister school) blew me away. My buddy Walt Szymanski, trumpeter extraordinaire, is a professor there and he will be playing with me on the tour.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088959
2012-04-20T04:35:22-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:12-05:00
The Problem With School
<p>When I went to college, it was relatively inexpensive, especially if you went to a State school. I went to a music conservatory at a private university so it was more expensive: tuition was $6,000 per year. That was affordable. At $20K + per year, school is no longer affordable.
Affordable means that you can afford it. If you have to take out a loan to pay for something, that means you cannot afford it.
What do you come away with after a typical college education? A degree, for starters. A degree that is recognized and valued mainly within the system that created it--Academia.
More and more we are seeing that lots of successful people are turning away from traditional employment routes, and creating not only their own businesses but also their own lines of work. A "job" is not necessarily satisfying to the soul, although it may keep the landlord and the electric company happy. But why should you spend 40 hours a week doing something you are ambivalent about, or that you hate, just to please the landlord and the electric company?
It is your obligation to discover the type of work that is meaningful to you and makes you happy. This may be hard to do. Many people are so unconnected to their soul, their inner being, that they can't even figure out what would make them happy.
Meanwhile, you go to school hoping for school to hand you this type of meaningful work on a silver platter. And school is happy to lead you on in thinking this will happen. The typical college will fill up your dance card with so many required courses that you wont even have time to sleep.
I was at a dinner party at the home of a colleague. Another guest brought his daughter, who was 17 and was applying to colleges to study photography. "Don't do that," my colleague advised her. "If you want to be a professional photographer, just go to the photography schools and labs, and look on the bulletin boards for professional photographers seeking an assistant."
My friend's daughter was shocked. How many adults advise a kid NOT to go to college? She listened as my friend continued: "Be the assistant of a professional photographer, get paid, learn the techniques, learn the business, make contacts, and start meeting other professionals in the field. At the same time, you can be doing your own work. Why do you need to go to school and get a degree? Just go out and start doing what you want to do, right now!"
As school becomes more and more expensive, the above method is preferred by more and more young, aspiring professionals. You can apply this method to virtually any field, including medicine.
Medicine? Why not. Are you passionate about being a healer? Then why do you need the traditional medical school route? There are many, many other healing modalities that work, and have been working for thousands of years. Don't let the AMA fool you into thinking that they invented medical care.
Don't get me wrong--school can be a great experience and a great opportunity. If you can afford it, go to school. But is it still worth it if at the end of your senior year you're buried under $80 K in debt?
Finding meaningful work is not only your obligation to yourself and to the universe, it is also your birthright. Each of us has natural skills and talents that can be developed into something that is of service to others, and therefore marketable. If you need help figuring out what kind of work you would love to do, check out Clif High's advice here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Ag0c8ZId0
The old models aren't working anymore. Let's change them.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088958
2012-04-19T14:29:49-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:10-05:00
From "Call List" to "Do Not Call List"
<p>While we were in South America, my husband thought I was paying the U.S. phone bill ...and I thought he was paying it. Result: the phone was disconnected. So I call up Verizon and they say we can't get our old number back because it's already in use. First thing I do when we get back, naturally, is call up the old number. It's not in use. So much for the efficiency of Verizon.
On a side note, we went to check out a new restaurant today; the woman there said they were without phone service for two months when they opened because Verizon was on strike. I guess she meant the Verizon workers were on strike. Which I applaud. If it weren't for unions there would be no weekend, and your 10 year old would be doing the morning shift at the local sweatshop.
I proposed to my husband that we call up Verizon and get the old number back, instead of advising everyone of the new number. But he likes the new number. And I like it too. So we're going to keep the new number, because it's more numeralogically mellifluous...or something.
But since the Do Not Call List takes a month to go into effect, we are receiving skoo skads of hang-up calls when the machine answers. (We never answer the phone. That's what machines are for, after all.)
And I'm thinking, what sense does it make that you have to list your number on a Do Not Call List? Are they suggesting that there are people who actually ENJOY having their breakfast and dinner continuously interrupted by unsolicited purveyors of various products and services? "Yes, please put me on the Call List!"
Apparently, yes, there are enough people who like receiving sales calls that everyone who has a telephone account is assumed to be willing to receive such calls until they take it upon themselves to prove otherwise.
I wonder what Dean Clifford has to say about all this.
Google him. NOT the weightlifter.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088957
2012-04-19T05:06:34-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:09-05:00
Does iTunes Get You Any New Fans?
<p>Here's a gnarly nugget to gnaw on: Does offering digital downloads of your music result in acquiring new fans? Speaking for myself, I usually download one or two songs from an artist I've just been introduced to, and that does it for me. On occasion I download an entire album, and that does it for me. Rarely, if ever, do I become that artist's "fan" in terms of buying more of their products.
As artists, we must ask ourselves what the purpose is of selling our wares. If it's to make money, we have to crunch numbers and see how many units we are actually selling. If it's to make new fans, is that happening? If it is happening, what do we have to sell to the new fans when they show up? If it's to document your music as it evolves over the course of your career, well, that's fine. No worries, you're done.
Maybe we should be reconsidering this whole download thing. It takes a lot of effort, and are we getting the results we want from it?
Back in the days of vinyl, with somewhat of an overlap into the days of compact discs, we had the ability to garner new fans through not only the music we were offering, but also from the information on the liner notes, and the artwork accompanying the music. Not so on a download. As a sidemusician on a download, no one will even know you're on it since sidemusician info is not included, nor are liner notes...unless a "digital booklet" is offered along with the album download, and unless the customer actually downloads the digital booklet, and unless they actually look at the digital booklet.
People are spending far too much time in front of their computers these days. After folks have read and answered their e mail, done their online banking, paid their bills online, updated their status on Facebook, played Angry Birds, written the day's blog entry, edited their new photos, ordered fill-in-the-blank from Amazon, not to mention the computer tasks needed for their job--are they really going to pore over your digital booklet? Maybe once.
Back in the days of vinyl, you memorized the liner notes, and studied every detail of the cover. Especially after smoking the joint that you rolled after cleaning your weed on it. And that, my friends, is how fans were made.
So if you're looking to expand your fan base, is iTunes really going to do it for you? I say, not.</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088956
2012-04-11T11:46:36-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:07-05:00
Technique vs Musicality (reprinted from the December 2011 issue of Allegro)
<p>http://www.suterry.com/publicfiles/Technique_vs_Musicality_by_ST.pdf</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088954
2012-04-11T11:43:06-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:03-05:00
Wavelength & Frequency, Compared
<p>Buckminster Fuller said that 99% of what is real can't be seen or touched. This chart http://www.suterry.com/publicfiles/Wavelength_and_Frequency.jpg shows how small the field of visible light is. Surrounding this field are all sorts of invisible energy fields: gamma rays, x rays, infrared and ultraviolet light, microwaves, audio waves and so forth. So it's just like they said in the sixties: "Everything's vibrating, man!" Notice how the length of the wave aspect of all these energies increases as it moves toward the right of the chart. And notice how the FREQUENCY increases as it moves toward the LEFT of the chart. Interesting...</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088955
2012-04-11T11:42:53-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:05-05:00
Ranges of Instruments
<p>At the Hartt masterclass yesterday, I promised students I would post the range chart on my website so it could be downloaded and printed out, and here it is. When you are arranging or composing, it's essential to have an understanding of the ranges of the different instruments and where they overlap. Note also that there is a frequency number corresponding to every piano key. This is very useful when you start examining different temperaments. Actually, the only ones tied to equal temperament are piano players and players of vibes/marimba/glockenspiel etc. All others will naturally use the pure ratios when they are not forced to conform to the tyranny of equal temperament. In the masterclass, we also discussed the fact that we are surrounded by the 60 Hz Bb-B hum of electric motors everywhere we turn. So go home and jam with your refrigerator. http://www.suterry.com/publicfiles/Range_Chart.jpg</p>
Su Terry
tag:suterry.com,2005:Post/6088953
2012-04-11T07:11:49-04:00
2020-01-11T20:09:01-05:00
Telling A Story. . . Or Not
<p>TELLING A STORY. . . OR NOT
By Sue Terry
Telling a story has always been the raison d'etre of a Jazz solo--at least that's what they told us in music school, and in practically every Jazz instruction book ever written. Tell a story, tell a story; your solo has to have a beginning, a climax, an ending. Not only Jazz solos, but whole songs, of any style, are expected to have this structure.
When you think about it, you realize most music is like this. It is linear. It follows a timeline of development. There have been many brilliant examples of this type of music, so one cannot dismiss the idea, by any means. Indeed, not only is the narrative element an important component of music, it's also one of the most notable characteristics of humanity.
Cultures, mythologies, religions, even familial and societal roles revolve around the narratives we tell ourselves daily, hourly, minute by minute. With these stories, we compose our lives. They run in the background of our minds, guiding us along trajectories we may not even be aware of.
It is our stories that program our actions. Consider, let's say, a person who suffers a tragic accident. The accident was something that happened: it doesn't have anything attached to it, it's just a fact. But in order to justify it, or understand it, the person manufactures various stories. One could tell oneself that one deserved the accident because of bad things one did. Or one could blame forces outside oneself. Or one could use the "blessing in disguise" explanation. There are many variations; any number of stories can be concocted around the facts, each story having a different slant and creating in the storyteller different attitudes as a result.
Are the stories we tell ourselves important? Of course! Sometimes we need a story more than we need food, water or shelter. Without stories, it would be very difficult to free oneself from the bonds of one's history or circumstances. Stories stimulate our emotional center, motivating us to change our behaviors and attitudes. Conversely, the story can also be a cage we build around ourselves, closing our minds to other possibilities.
We could say, then, that stories are a good thing if they benefit us in some way. Keeping in mind that even the basest story very likely presents one or two points to ponder somewhere in there. As my Auntie used to say, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Since this essay is about music, let's get back to that. My friend Derwyn Holder, the composer and bassist, says that TV shows are designed to guide the viewer's nervous system through a journey of conflict, climax, and resolution--the background music being very important to the success or failure of such a goal. The genre of film music is another situation in which the narrative of the music is subservient to the visuals it accompanies. Yet despite the subservient role of film and television music, some of our most talented composers and orchestrators have been drawn to the genre, and made significant compositional contributions within its rigid bounds. When one separates film music from the visual story, one doesn't necessarily hear a narrative thread running its musical course, but rather a series of visually suggestive musical sections.
Film and TV composer Bernard Herrmann is just one example of an extraordinary writer who was not tied to the idea of musical narratives; he created moods, textures and tone poems that fit together in a less formal way, without using a traditional structure or form (sonata, fugue, AABA, etc.) This type of composing represents the non-linear aspect of music.
Physicist Niels Bohr said "A Great Truth is a truth whose opposite is also a Great Truth." While it is true that music unfolds in time, it is also true that music alters one's perception of time. (Obviously music is not the only thing that can do this--medicines, drugs, sex, tragic events, intense experiences of any kind can do it as well).
It must follow, then, that not all composers or improvisers intend to express themselves according to a narrative line. Some of them wish to move not in a lateral direction, but in a vertical one. Such a concept allows us to make sense of music that may have previously mystified us, for example, the music of John Coltrane in his later years. If one listens to this music with the hope of hearing a melodic line, chord progression, or some other type of linear expression, one will be sorely disappointed. The object of this music is not found in its narrative, but in its feeling. It doesn't want or need to tell any kind of story. Rather, it wishes to express the depth of each successive moment in time.
Some may say, if there is no narrative, then what's the point? One might answer: what's the point of a rainbow? A flower? A giraffe?
As we ponder this, let's imagine a panel discussion amongst a group of mountaineers:
Moderator: Why do you want to climb the mountain?
Mountaineer 1: To challenge myself.
Mountaineer 2: To look at the view from the top.
Mountaineer 3: When I'm climbing, I forget about my troubles.
Mountaineer 4: To conquer my fear of heights.
Mountaineer 5: Because it's there.
It's part of the human condition to seek reasons and justifications for the things we do and the things that happen to us. But in keeping with the paradoxical nature of life, we must realize that sometimes no reason is needed. Once our emotional center has "heard" the story, it can be discarded at any time. We hold onto our stories after they've outlived their usefulness because they provide a handy focus for mind, but if mind can be quieted, other equally valid thoughts and experiences can be allowed to surface.
That said, we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Studying the traditional musical forms is an indispensable component of a solid musical foundation. The old expression "you must learn the rules before you can break them" comes into play here, as we realize that progress, development, evolution and enlightenment in music necessitate that we study the wheel in order to not reinvent it. Life is short, after all.
If, after studying and gaining an understanding of the traditions of one's chosen field, one wishes to go in another direction, one's path will be dramatically streamlined by virtue of this understanding.
A student (keeping in mind that we are ALL students when it comes to music, and life) may wish, at certain points, to reinvent ASPECTS of the wheel, in order to better understand them. I recall playing flutes with saxophonist Jay Branford one afternoon long ago, during which we decided to map out all the difference tones (aural illusions produced by the frequency difference between two simultaneously sounding tones.) Little did we know that Hindemith had already done this in 1942!
In scientific circles it is common to repeat historical experiments. Much can be learned from this practice; indeed, new theories and even corrections have happened as a result. As we musicians move further into the 21st century, we will be increasingly challenged (by ourselves and the public) to raise the bar for music creation. It behooves us, therefore, to study our craft with as much intensity as we can muster. And go ahead, break the rules. Just don't leave a mess behind for someone else to clean up.
© 2012 Qi Note, Inc.</p>
Su Terry