Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser is a former band director that currently travels the country giving motivational lectures and workshops on education. Check out his bio at www.attitudeconcepts.com/timsbio.php . He is in Louisville this weekend for the Bands of America competition (marching bands), and gave a presentation at U of L this afternoon. Besides being simply amazing, the presentation was terrifically entertaining.
My favourite part of the presentation was a discussion of trust and interest. He presented a game that is basically a derivative of the philosopher’s “inmate dilemma.”
Based on ‘paper, rock, scissors,’ two players decide on the third ‘beat’ whether to throw a 1 or a 2. If A throws 1 and B throws 2, then A loses 3 points and B gains 5. If A throws 2 and B throws 1 the opposite occurs. If both A and B throw 2’s, then both players loose 8 points. If both A and B throw 1’s, then both players gain 1 point.
Since the net gain of the possibilities of throwing a 2 are –3, it never makes sense to throw it. However, this requires that the opponents trust that one is not attempting to deceive the other. The only way to win in this game is by accepting the smallest gain available.
Applications are obvious.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Considering Traditions
There are traditions in everything. And of course, not all traditions make sense when removed from the original context that birthed them. In Catholicism, one is expected to fast during Lent. What isn’t explained is that fasting was, in Hebrew culture, a means of showing respect for a loved one that had past. For instance, a widow would fast on the day of the year that his/her spouse had died. The obligatory Lenten fast is immediately a sign of respect for Jesus’s trials before his crucifixion, and a participation in those trials.
I have recently tried to break down some traditions in music in the same way, though to no avail. I am currently left with several questions, and no answers. Here are a few pertaining to orchestras:
Why is the first violinist the concert master?
Shouldn’t the member-leader of a group be chosen by the group? I understand that popularity and politics could influence this at some level, but musicians within the ensemble should choose their leader. When it comes to a member of a professional ensemble to whom all assent, musicians would typically rather have the member with the greatest level of musicianship than one that simply won an audition based on playing ability alone.
Why do musicians relinquish decision making rights to those who play higher sounding instruments?
If an orchestra only staffs one tuba player, and typically eighty to one hundred tuba players show up for each audition, one can assume that very talented tuba players are winning the jobs. However, there are at least three positions for trumpets and trombones each. The number of auditionees for trumpet and trombone is not approximately one hundred times the number of positions. Since the tuba player beat more people for their position, and therefore are likely higher in their respective field, shouldn’t they be consulted when it comes to musical judgements?
(I know this one has some holes in the argument, but the intent still holds.)
Why does the orchestra take the tuning pitch from an oboe?
This is not really an issue for professionals, as they are generally pitch-centered when they walk out on stage. For ameture orchestras it is a different matter though. As the oboe is a difficult instrument on which to hold a steady pitch, non-professionals may have considerable difficulty with this basic task. Despite this fact though, the majority of orchestras take their tuning pitch from the principal oboist every time they play together.
Why do string players persist in using out of date tuning systems?
String players play scales based on Pythagorean tuning. Basically this means that they play 8’s, 4ths and 5ths in tune, while playing extremely high leading tones. The result is that any chord played by the string section is litteraly out of tune. What I mean by this is that there are beats being created by unequal sets of overtones in the harmonic series. Once again simply, there are notes being produced (barely audible to the ear) that should match, but do not. This variance creates beats that are discernable. The strings are not the only members of an orchestra though.
Wind and brass players utilize what is called the ‘just’ intonation system. In this system, the beats are eliminated from each possible interval. The result is that not only 8’s, 4ths, and 5ths are beatless, but also major and minor 6’s, 7’s and 3’s. When a wind or brass section of an orchestra plays a major chord, there are (ideally) no beats. The chord even resonates better than the same chord would if played by strings.
As I am merely a student of music currently, and neither a conductor nor orchestra member, I do not have much ability to change any of this. Perhaps one day I will get some answers though.
pax.
I have recently tried to break down some traditions in music in the same way, though to no avail. I am currently left with several questions, and no answers. Here are a few pertaining to orchestras:
Why is the first violinist the concert master?
Shouldn’t the member-leader of a group be chosen by the group? I understand that popularity and politics could influence this at some level, but musicians within the ensemble should choose their leader. When it comes to a member of a professional ensemble to whom all assent, musicians would typically rather have the member with the greatest level of musicianship than one that simply won an audition based on playing ability alone.
Why do musicians relinquish decision making rights to those who play higher sounding instruments?
If an orchestra only staffs one tuba player, and typically eighty to one hundred tuba players show up for each audition, one can assume that very talented tuba players are winning the jobs. However, there are at least three positions for trumpets and trombones each. The number of auditionees for trumpet and trombone is not approximately one hundred times the number of positions. Since the tuba player beat more people for their position, and therefore are likely higher in their respective field, shouldn’t they be consulted when it comes to musical judgements?
(I know this one has some holes in the argument, but the intent still holds.)
Why does the orchestra take the tuning pitch from an oboe?
This is not really an issue for professionals, as they are generally pitch-centered when they walk out on stage. For ameture orchestras it is a different matter though. As the oboe is a difficult instrument on which to hold a steady pitch, non-professionals may have considerable difficulty with this basic task. Despite this fact though, the majority of orchestras take their tuning pitch from the principal oboist every time they play together.
Why do string players persist in using out of date tuning systems?
String players play scales based on Pythagorean tuning. Basically this means that they play 8’s, 4ths and 5ths in tune, while playing extremely high leading tones. The result is that any chord played by the string section is litteraly out of tune. What I mean by this is that there are beats being created by unequal sets of overtones in the harmonic series. Once again simply, there are notes being produced (barely audible to the ear) that should match, but do not. This variance creates beats that are discernable. The strings are not the only members of an orchestra though.
Wind and brass players utilize what is called the ‘just’ intonation system. In this system, the beats are eliminated from each possible interval. The result is that not only 8’s, 4ths, and 5ths are beatless, but also major and minor 6’s, 7’s and 3’s. When a wind or brass section of an orchestra plays a major chord, there are (ideally) no beats. The chord even resonates better than the same chord would if played by strings.
As I am merely a student of music currently, and neither a conductor nor orchestra member, I do not have much ability to change any of this. Perhaps one day I will get some answers though.
pax.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Open Letter to X
I understand you need money. I understand you have no concern for other’s belongings. I cannot to save me though understand why you have no concern for other’s personal items.
Suffice to say, I am not concerned with my speakers. Nor am I concerned with most anything else I will discover you stole. However, those cd’s you took have no value to you, and lots to me. As you have by now noticed, the cd’s in the folders you took are not run of the mill music cd’s. They are primarily recordings of performances in which I have taken part. My point here is: No one will purchase these recordings making them useless to you. Meanwhile, they remain important to me.
Suffice to say, I am not concerned with my speakers. Nor am I concerned with most anything else I will discover you stole. However, those cd’s you took have no value to you, and lots to me. As you have by now noticed, the cd’s in the folders you took are not run of the mill music cd’s. They are primarily recordings of performances in which I have taken part. My point here is: No one will purchase these recordings making them useless to you. Meanwhile, they remain important to me.
Sometimes it's Fun to Play the Horn
I have a regularly scheduled lesson with my French horn instructor (Bruce Heim, awesome) every week. I wasn’t sure what to expect this week, as I didn’t get to practice too much over the weekend. Despite this fact, I played quite well today. I am finally feeling like I am ready to begin a graduate level program. And that is nice.
In other news, I have been contracted for my first vocal quartet gig. There is a gaming convention in Louisville in November that is hiring us to do a half hour concert of game music and other such songs. I am not sure how much we will get paid, but who cares, there will be several hundred kids there listening, and that is pretty cool anyway.
i'll try to actually post during the day in the future so that posts aren't bound to suck...
In other news, I have been contracted for my first vocal quartet gig. There is a gaming convention in Louisville in November that is hiring us to do a half hour concert of game music and other such songs. I am not sure how much we will get paid, but who cares, there will be several hundred kids there listening, and that is pretty cool anyway.
i'll try to actually post during the day in the future so that posts aren't bound to suck...
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Dan Weeks is crazy
Dan Weeks, tenor who is both a member of the Metropolitan Opera and on staff at the University of Louisville, is simply amazing. He has not given a recital in quite some time, and he seldom performs in the midwest, so i had pretty much forgotten how great he really is. this afternoon, however, he performed one of the finest recitals i have ever heard.
he had the audience from his first note. these days it is hard to find any type of performance that doesn't have coughing and/or whispering throughout, but this was a nice exception. EVEN the children in the audience seemed to get that they were hearing something special.
i won't plug too many people, but i must encourage anyone that is within an area where Dan Weeks is performing (tyipically in an opera company) to check him out.
he had the audience from his first note. these days it is hard to find any type of performance that doesn't have coughing and/or whispering throughout, but this was a nice exception. EVEN the children in the audience seemed to get that they were hearing something special.
i won't plug too many people, but i must encourage anyone that is within an area where Dan Weeks is performing (tyipically in an opera company) to check him out.
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