by natchaitkin | Oct 6, 2015 | Uncategorized
A recent article in the New York Times about a new attempt to make formalwear more comfortable for performing musicians reminded me of one of my favorite gripes – why do we wear this stuff, anyway?
The article is about Kevin Yu, pictured above in one of his “performal” hi-tech tux shirts, made of a stretchable, breathable fabric that has proven very popular – he’s already sold out his first run (at $120 each, by the way).
Kudos to Mr. Yu for taking initiative, being creative and knowing his market – all good. I wish him well, but only in the short term. Why? Because that market shouldn’t exist anymore!
The Times article begins by pointing out that much change has been made in clothing, citing the tweed hiker’s garb and full body wool swimsuits of yesteryear as examples of outdated, uncomfortable victims of progress. It also acknowledges that concert clothes have changed some since the days of Haydn, but not as much. Leonard Bernstein famously tried to dress the New York Philharmonic in Nehru jackets in the late 50’s – it wasn’t well received (not sure why – looks ok to me).
Men in orchestras usually wear white tie and tails, a tradition which dates back more than a century (to the days when there were no women in these groups, by the way). The formal clothes made some sense when the audience wore them too:
This photo (from Wikipedia, I confess) was taken in 1901 at something called a “Liedertafel smoke concert,” “a gathering of men who meet to listen to male choirs or male part songs.” The audience did have some women, seated up in the balcony. This is a pretty archaic setting- you’ve got a segregated audience, all male performers, and smoking (what did the singers think of that, I wonder?).
Along with improvementsin the areas of personnel, seating and air quality, there’s been a lot of changein what the audience wears since then – nowadays, they can look like this:
Maybe it’s time the orchestra caught up!
Recently, I spent a week subbing in the Cincinnati Symphony for their season-opening concerts. On the Saturday night concert, the male players and music director Louis Langree were in the customary tails and white tie. Not playing on the first half, I went out into the hall to listen to the guest soloist, Yefim Bronfman, play Bartok’s Second Piano Concerto. He came out wearing a black suit and shirt, and I’ll bet he was a lot more comfortable than the rest of us.
Many conductors and soloists have ditched their tails, usually in favor of something else black. However, here’s an eye-catching alternative, worn by Kiril Petrenko and his orchestra in Liverpool for a charity benefit:
I really hope Petrenko wears that outfit when he takes over the Berlin Philharmonic next year – now that would be progress!
With all this in mind, I asked my son to design a new outfit for orchestra musicians to wear – here it is:
The yellow shoes are my favorite. In any case, a little more color onstage would liven up orchestra concerts – so let’s hear some suggestions for newconcert clothes, please! Because frankly, right now we’re “dressed to kill” – our appeal to new audiences.
Till next time,
Nat
by natchaitkin | Sep 18, 2015 | Uncategorized
In a previous post, I wrote about my visit to Community MusicWorks and my plans to start a similar program in Cincinnati. Time for an update – there are a lot of things we’ll need help with, but I’ll start with the most pressing:
Wanted – violinist for community-based string quartet.
The ideal candidate will have significant experience with performing chamber music at a high level, teaching violin and chamber music, engaging underserved audiences and students, fundraising, board development, web design and SEO, budgeting, accounting, and social media. Must be willing to to work long hours with no immediate promise of compensation. Independent wealth, lack of social life and family obligations are preferred, though not required.
As the kids today put it: So……um……yeah.
All kidding aside, the person we’re looking for will have to wear several hats – which ones will depend on everyone’s strengths and interests. My hope is to eventually have a paid staff member to handle some of these tasks, but at the outset, we’ll be doing everything. I have two great colleagues already, violinist Sujean Kim and violist Kevin Boden – both are terrific players (and people!) who are committed to building a quartet that will be part of the fabric of Cincinnati.
So if you are or know the violinist we’re looking for, please let me know! Here’sa word document with a fuller job description:
violinist job description – Community String Quartet
Cincinnati is renowned for its musical institutions – the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the Cincinnati Symphony are both reminders that the city punches well above its weight class, culturally. Chamber music is well-represented, with two well-respected presenting series bringing world-class ensembles to town, as well as a resident quartet at CCM (the excellent Ariel Quartet).
What we don’t have here, though, is a quartet that is part of the community, performing and teaching in neighborhood settings, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’ll be working with kids who otherwise might not have the chance to study string instruments privately, and whose academic work will benefit from the boost music lessons are well-known to give, as well as the mentorship we hope to give them.
Along with private instrumental lessons, the kids will learn to play chamber music themselves, which helps them develops teamwork and leadership skills. As the program grows, we may include an El Sistema-style orchestra program, too.
When we find our fourth, we’ll start rehearsing and developing concert and educational programs. There’s lots more to do, though, and that’s where you come in.
We need to choose a name for the group – ideas that will resonate with Cincinnati residents are especially welcome (to my fellow Reds fans, please note – The Pete Rose Quartet has already been considered and set aside). Seriously, names of streets or local cultural/historical figures are great – please post or e-mail your suggestions.
We will also begin planning house concerts – much of the great chamber music repertoire was first heard in private homes, and that’s a tradition we’d like this group to build on. If you want to host a performance or know someone who would, please let me know that, too. These concerts will help us build a base of support in the community and raise funds for the most important piece of this project, the teaching.
This last part is the most crucial – we will need a home. I have had discussions with schools and community leaders in several neighborhoods, but haven’t yet found the right place. If you know of a community or school where we can be of service, please let me know!
To those readers outside the Cincinnati area, we’ll need your help, too. When we have the pieces I’ve described in place (most likely this winter or early spring), we’ll begin a crowdfunding campaign to help us start the teaching program. I will post again about that when the time comes, along with updates about what else is happening – please stay tuned!
Till next time,
Nat
by natchaitkin | Sep 4, 2015 | Uncategorized
Wouldn’t it be great if an orchestra concert started like this?
https://youtu.be/fSbFgt0wp_4&w=550&start=007&end=014
OK, maybe not – but we classical musicians can learn something about a good opening from the boxing world, and we need to. I’ll get to that in a second – first, some compliments.
Last night, I played in a great concert with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, a group I’ve been a part of for several years. This was the final concert of our new Summermusik series, and frankly, we killed it. Over the four weeks of the festival, we played a great variety of music – kudos to our interim Music Director (and candidate for the permanent job), Kelly Kuo, for his thoughtful and creative programming and energetic leadership – the orchestra sounded great. We also had great guest soloists, including Cho-Liang Lin, DaXun Zhang and Sarah Coburn, and enjoyed big and enthusiastic crowds – much thanks and credit go to the CCO board and hardworking staff – Ann Stewart, Ralf Ehrhardt, and especially acting General Manager, LeAnne Anklan! (A suggestion to the board – LeAnne’s title should be one word shorter.)
As you can tell, things went well, and I want to underscore that before I get on my soapbox here – everyone did their jobs very well. However, the opening of our last two concerts reminded me how pre-concert routine can undermine the excitement of a performance and make the audience feel distant, and I’ve got a proposal for orchestras to update a ritual that badly needs it.
At both concerts, the evening began with a welcome from our intrepid board president, Jennifer Funk, who warmly thanked the audience for coming, acknowledged major donors and supporters, and reminded everyone of our next concert – a standard curtain speech, well-delivered. What happened next, though, was very telling. Last Saturday, she ended her remarks with: “And now, please welcome Maestra Karina Cannelakis and your Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra!”, and went offstage. There was warm applause, and then, crickets.
This would never happen at a boxing match, and at a rock concert, the band would have bounded on stage right then and started playing. But that’s not how orchestra concerts work. The players were already on stage (minus one), and the conductor was nowhere to be seen. Why? Because it wasn’t time yet, according to the age-old ritual.
After a long, silent pause, our fearless leader, concertmaster Amy Kiradjieff, came out, bowed, turned to the orchestra and we tuned to the oboe’s A. Then she sat, and we waited some more, again in silence. Then the conductor came out, we all stood up, she bowed, we sat down again, and she took the mic and welcomed the audience too, while also giving a few remarks about the Mozart Symphony we were about to play. Again, well-done – she seemed very comfortable and kept it brief.
Let me reiterate here that everyone did their jobs perfectly – it’s not the participants, but the format that doesn’t work! Jennifer’s warm welcome and the enthusiasm it inspired were long past by the time we actually started playing, and in the interim, the audience witnessed a series of rituals that don’t really make a lot of sense, and which told them that this concert was serious business, not a show.
What if all three women had come out at the same time instead, perhaps with LeAnne as well? All the leaders of the orchestra would have been on stage at the same time, sending a nice message about how board, staff, conductor and musicians are interdependent, a fact whose importance can’t be overstated. Each could introduce themselves, say a few words (or not, if they didn’t want to) welcoming the audience, thanking donors, and saying a few words about the program. Then we could tune while Jennifer and LeAnne walked offstage, and get on with it!
Now, I realize that I’m going to lose several people right off the bat here – to my conductor and concertmaster friends, sorry – but to me, it makes no sense to work up the crowd and then make them wait, mostly in silence, for what they came for, music.
Now I know some longtime concertgoers feel that these rituals are an important part of the concert, but I bet there are lots more people who don’t come to concerts at all because of stuff like this seems overly formal and intimidating.
The CCO took a big risk and showed its willingness to try something new this summer, and it seems to have paid off. To build on the success, and continue to reach new audiences, I propose we (and other orchestras!) make another change – the way we start concerts. Because (with apologies to Cole Porter) another kind of opening might lead to another kind of show, one with more people in the audience!
Till next time,
Nat
by natchaitkin | Jul 18, 2015 | Uncategorized
On Thursday, The Kennedy Center announced its honorees for 2015, giving America its annual gift of cultural whiplash (the above photo is an excellent example). Representing classical music will be Seiji Ozawa, longtime music director of the Boston Symphony, along with Rita Moreno, Cicely Tyson, George Lucas, Carole King and the Eagles (not a misprint).
Every December, the honorees and their guests converge on Washington for parties and the taping of the TV show, shown on CBS right before New Year’s Eve. This was always my favorite time of year when I was in the Marine Band – we would play at both the State Department and the White House celebrations, and the people watching was unbelievable. I had wonderful conversations with the great singer Joe Williams and guitarist Kenny Burrell one year, and saw many other famous artists I admired, including Carol Burnett, who did her Tarzan yell in the White House foyer.
Walter Cronkite hosted the program for many years, and was a fixture at the parties. One night at the State Department, he came over and asked our string quartet: “Do you have The Stars and Stripes?” Of course we did, and launched into it with Cronkite “conducting,” which was, well, the way it was.
At another State Department party, Clint Eastwood came around the corner with Don Rickles (it says something about our government that someone let the king of insult comedy wander around the home of American diplomacy). Rickles spotted the quartet and shouted, “Hey Clint, look – it’s the band from Titanic!”
My all-time favorite Marine Band memory came courtesy of Jack Nicholson (shown here with his fellow 2001 honorees Van Cliburn, Julie Andrews, Luciano Pavarotti and Quincy Jones) at the White House.
The party had been going for some time – in fact, it was over, and the medal ceremony was supposed to be happening. Everyone was in the East Room waiting, while only the honorees, some VIPs and nervous White House staff members remained in the hallway with us as we kept on playing. We were all waiting for Jack, for what must have been at least a half hour. I remember seeing President George W. Bush pointing at his wristwatch as he stood on the red carpet – he didn’t seem pleased.
Finally, Nicholson sauntered in, walked right past the President without saying hello, went to the bar to get a drink and walked back to join the group. As he passed the orchestra, he looked over and said “It’s all right, you don’t have to play Hail To The Chief.” Everyone broke up, with one exception, I imagine.
The Kennedy Center Honors is a very American affair, with its sometimes bewildering mix of genres and tastes. The broadcast is often fun to watch, and even inspiring. I remember seeing Yo-Yo Ma play the last movement of the Crumb Solo Sonata in honor of Mstislav Rostropovich’s award in 1992. On the other hand, when Yo-Yo got the award himself a few years ago, Elmo from Sesame Street was one of the main speakers – can’t win ’em all. Still, at least there’s one night left on commercial TV devoted to American art, and I’ll watch this year, for the people watching if nothing else. And who knows, maybe there will be something inspiring, too.
Till next time,
Nat
by natchaitkin | Jul 2, 2015 | Uncategorized
As some readers know, I spent eight years as a member of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra. As the name implies, I spent most of my time in uniform at the White House or in other government buildings, performing for various official gatherings. I also got to play a lot of great chamber music, as well as two concertos with orchestra, and made some great friends.
The picture above is one of my favorite moments at the White House, at a Christmas party for members of the Secret Service (the kid’s father was an agent, I believe):
Shortly after I got the job, I spoke with one of my teachers, the Danish cellist Erling Blondal Bengtsson, who was as kind and gentle a person one could ever hope to meet.
The first thing he asked me was “Do you get a gun?” When I told him no, he seemed a little disappointed. This was the first of many conversations I would have (and still have) to explain the unique and sometimes very strange job I had.
“Every Marine a rifleman” is a common expression around the Corps. Well, that’s every Marine except band members – I didn’t go to boot camp. Many people, myself included, would never have considered auditioning if spending 3 months at Parris Island were required, and I think the Marine Corps wisely decided that it wasn’t worth it.
Not everyone we encountered knew that Marine Band members were not combat trained, and it made for some surreal moments. One night, the orchestra was playing at an awards dinner for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (insert joke here).
In between handing out medals to his agents for things like shooting drug dealers and capturing arms smugglers, the bureau’s director gave a special thank you to the orchestra, because, as he put it, “You guys are the ones they send in first.” Strangely, no one corrected him, though I did suggest to my colleagues that if this came up again, the viola section should lead the way.
Many times since leaving the Band, I’ve had people thank me for my service, which can feel a little strange – I certainly don’t consider myself to have been a real Marine, given that I wasn’t trained as one, and could never have been put in a combat situation (it’s in the contract).
Though my time in uniform was pretty different from most, I did get a closer look at life in the military than most civilians do. Maybe because of this unique position, I’ve often wanted to give something back to regular service members, and recently I got a chance to – I’ve been playing at the Cincinnati VA hospital.
The Cincinnati Arts Association, in a partnership with TriHealth and ArtsWave, has begun a pilot program to put live performers into medical settings, to show that music can enhance the healing process, as well as the general well-being of patients and staff.
I’m playing in the Treatment, Recovery and Activity Center, known as the TRAC (the VA, like the Pentagon, likes its acronyms). This part of the hospital offers group and individual therapy, as well as sessions designed to help vets re-adjust to civilian life and deal with post-traumatic stress.
It’s early, so there isn’t any data yet, but I’m sure the music’s having a positive effect – many of the vets I’ve met seem to really enjoy hearing Bach while they are at the clinic, and the staff does too. Here they are – from left, Brian Smith, Cincinnati Arts Association’s Director of Education and Community Relations Joyce Bonomini, Mark Hilt and Dr. Nalda Gordon.
The other day, I had a nice chat with a Navy vet in his sixties, who was in a wheelchair. He told me hearing the cello reminded him how much he missed his guitar playing, which he had to give up several years ago after an injury to his left hand. I reminded him about a great program called Guitars for Vets, which may be able to find him a left-handed guitar and some lessons, so he can get back to it. I hope he does – just talking about his playing made him come alive.
Anyone who has followed the news in recent years knows that the VA has had more than its share of troubles, and it feels good to bring great music into a setting which probably needs it more than most. In addition to furthering the program’s goals of promoting healing and well-being, I’m thanking the vets and the staff for their service, and, in a sense, continuing mine, which feels very good.
Till next time,
Nat
