So I have been playing around with it today and really liked the results. When I was in highschool, I played with a group called Colorado Honor Band. One of the band directors always had us play these warmups. There Called the Function Chorals and they were written by Stephen Melillo. They are really quite wonderful warmups and well, definitely helped me learn my scales as well as the idea of music being based on intervals rather than specific notes. So anyhow I went ahead a played some with the Audacity and well, I liked how it came out. Here is #4 which is called Motion in Thirds. Also if you recall I have been working on the Time Pieces by Robert Muczynski for a while. There is a very short passage in the 1st movement I am working on that stuck in my brain as something really wonderful, so I decided to play it repeated for a good many bars and then kinda just riff off of it. Well this is what I got, a semi-original pseudo-composition.

The word allemande is actually describing an instrumental dance form. It was very popular in the Baroque period (the time of Bach). Allemande originated in the 16th century in Germany (go figure, Bach was from Germany) and originally were used as the first movement of a suite, but after a while it became "popular" to have a prelude preceding the allemande. When dancing an allemande people would form two lines facing each other, their partner directly across from them, extended hands and danced back and forth across the room like this, usually in three steps, followed by a balance on one foot (I imagine something akin to line dancing, only more sophisticated).

So here is Rostropovich Playing the Allemande:
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I still have quite a lot of work to do on this movement, which you all will undoubtedly realize when you listen to the recoding. Tempo is a little trickier on this one, the markings on this transcription are at 96 bpms which is pretty fast considering the piece is comprised of almost nothing but 16th notes. My teacher likes to take it a lot slower, possibly in the high 60's. I myself can't decide yet, although somewhere in the 80's has it's allure. Another tricky subject is dynamics and articulation (how short or long the sound rings on a note... for clarinet its weather you tongue the note, slur it, or whatnot). Bach never wrote such markings on his music. So scholars and musicians alike argue; some believe he wanted things very mechanical, while others feel that it was up to the musician to put them in and rely on styles of the time and some amount of common sense. The transcription I have by H. Voxman does have dynamic and articulation markings, some of which I am following, some not. The big question is should a go with staccato or legato for the tonged sections. Staccato is defined as short and detached, while legato is the opposite, smooth and connected - although not slurred, which lacks any re-articulation. I guess time will tell where I end up taking it, I'll just have to listen to more people play the piece.

For now though, here is a recording of me playing the Prelude of the 1st cello suite.

This microphone is every clarinetist's dream. It's the LCM 82, made by SD-systems. It has two mics, one at the bell, and one in the middle of the instrument. It reduces every sound from keys or fingers, or so they say. A great microphone to record your own playing.

But then again, it's also every clarinetist's nightmare. This mic costs about 800 euro (which is something like 1200 USD). Yes indeed, for this price you can buy a fairly good student (or even semi-professional) clarinet.

If anybody wants to buy an extremely expensive gift, this would make me really happy. And otherwise, I'll have to start saving.

My brother passed away in 1990, at age 46. He attended Calumet High School in Indiana and was in the band with Mr. Barberi, a fantastic band director. David played a clarinet in Jazz band. He was in the Air Force and, when he left the service, He worked in Illinois and Indiana as a phlebotomist. He and his wife had three children.

He was a wonderful guy, with a passion for music and books, Boy Scouts, nature and camping. He also loved computers and had a MENSA IQ.

David died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and, if you are searching him because you knew my brother, David VanVleck and this David VanVleck, I would so love to hear how you knew him, how you remember him.  I miss him every day.

You know, I never really talked much about these suites when I first claimed to be working on one of them. They were composed sometime between 1717 and 1723. For a long period of time scholars thought they were intended as eludes, but apparently Pablo Casals, a cellist from Spain, discovered an edition of the suites in a thrift store and started preforming them. There is actually debate today that Bach may not have written the suites at all and his wife Anna Magdalena may have written them (I'm pretty skeptical about that theory).

And I leave you with Yo-Yo ma preforming the prelude:

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.629948&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

This master clarinetist was built by NICTA, and won first prize at the Artemis Orchestra Competition, "honoring scientists who could best lash together computers, machines, and musical instruments."

via dvice

So yes, comfort zone... I decided to record myself playing said section. I would not claim this to be a fantastic performance by any means, but I thought it might be interesting to people to hear how I'm doing and then well... hear it again in a little while when I get better at it. Pardon the thumping noises now and again, my mic was picking up my low keys moving. So without further ranting and excuses to why there are mistakes here is me playing the clarinet concerto.

Life at the bakery goes well too. I'm at a point where I'm no longer asking questions ever 10 minutes. It sounds like it will be a while until I get to start baking, but there has at least been an implication that they intend to move me in that direction some. I think they are happy with my work so far, and most criticism I have received has been because I have assumed they wanted things done the way other employers have in the past.

The garden is growing, rain is falling, and I'm reading Jurassic park, which is a really good book. Overall Life is good, I could use a few more friends, but I'm patient.

So, a little about the work. Mozart wrote his famous Clarinet Concerto in 1791, towards the end of his life. In fact it is the last strictly instrumental piece he wrote, he died less than a year after it was competed. Mozart used an incomplete concerto he wrote for basset horn ( K584b) for the beginning of this concerto but the final clarinet concerto was written for a friend and virtuoso clarinetist, Anton Stadler for a basset clarinet, which is a clarinet that extends down to low C (instead of the normal E). The piece was premiered in Prague by Stadler, and was received fairly well. Surprisingly since it was so uncommon for clarinetists to be able to play some of the low notes in the work, his publisher printed a copy with those sections transposed and it wasn't until the mid 20th century that it was discovered that the original work had been written for an extended instrument.

In middle school I worked up the adagio (2nd movement) and played it for a solo competition. Right now I am focusing on the first movement, the allegro. It is technically challenging, but quite doable. Mozart is always very fun to play for me, and I know few people who don't enjoy listening to his works. As of now I am working strictly on the first to pages, a passage that is often used in auditions.

I'm beginning to think perhaps the problem I'm having with the clarinet resolution is that it's basically impossible -- given my present situation and priorities. There's just too much going on and too much variation in schedules to fit practicing in a lot of the time. I may just have to admit defeat on this one.

I've done a few (very few) rows of continental knitting this month; it's still very clumsy, tiring going. But! I've started a project. I'm doing it English style, and it's not a sweater, so it doesn't directly address my knitting resolution; but it's the first project I've started since last year and the only one actually active, aside from the continental swatch, so it's somewhat significant.

I've been walking a little less this past month than I had been. But I've done some -- lately I've been doing a circuit of Thornden Park. I'm keeping up with the karate (yellow belt, first tip). We have, by the way, some new white belts in the adult class including one 61 year old woman, so I'm not always the oldest one there any more. And yes, my big toes are fine, both of 'em.

Time Pieces, Op. 43 by Robert Muczynski for clarinet and piano is probably the piece that looks most challenging right now for me. The work was written for Mitchell Lurie (the owner of Mitchell Lurie reeds and mouthpieces as well as clarinet instructor at USC), who is a good friend of Muczynski. It was premiered at the Clarinet Congress of the International Clarinet Society in London in 1984, which is a huge convention for clarinetists (I believe it is now called ClarinetFest® instead of congress and the society changed it's name to the International Clarinet Association).

In case you're like me and didn't know much about the composer: Robert Muczynski is an American composer and pianist. He received both a bachelors and Masters degree from DePaul University in piano performance (studying with Walter Knupfer and Alexander Tcherepnin). Pretty major performer really, he played at Carnegie Hall when he was 29, performing all his own compositions. His works have become increasingly popular in the U.S. and abroad (I know the Chicago Symphony has played some of his stuff). He's also been an instructor at DePaul and other universities throughout the country.

So far I find the piece extremely difficult. I am practicing at less than half tempo and have only made it through part of the first movement. It is definitely a twentieth century piece and contains a lot of jazz elements. I find it to be very fun to play, so far my impression is to create a very clean open sound that is flowing and very forward driving. I have yet to get any recording of the piece, so I am basing most of this on how it sounds when I play it, and not how the big hotshots are doing it (oh and there are some major hotshots who have preformed this, including of course Mitchell Lurie).

From: Boing Boing

There is a special spot in my heart for any robot/droid that can play the clarinet. Growing up my parents were big fans of grounding me. Weekends, months, summers what ever. One of the summers that I was grounded I learned to play my sisters clarinet. After about an hour of trying to get the padding on my fingers correct on the holes I was able to play the Quantum Leap theme song.

Admitting to both of these things I automatically lose 12 cool points.

To a few of my horrified friends I explained that no amount of flattery or encouragement will get me to change my mind; I was soured by my second student teaching placement, I am in desperate need of a break, and I seriously doubt my abilities as an educator...so leave me alone until I personally feel better. Because until then, as the four year old's defense goes, "You can't make me."

So far I haven't even gotten a full time summer job. I mean, I babysit, I work at DSW, I still sew for people on occassion, I list stuff on ebay, I'm not JOBLESS per sey, but I'm sitting here at 11am on a weekday doing nothing when I could be making money. Three of my sisters have been hired for full time, contracted teaching positions. Last night my friend Vic told me he got hired in the district I went through as a kid. He started looking for jobs FOR me and then convinced me to get on PAREAP which is how teachers find jobs in PA and how jobs find teachers.

I finally filled out the agonizingly long application and clicked "I'm interested" in one or two jobs. I have no idea what will come of all this; I'll probably still be subbing in the fall...but at least I'm on there and sort of looking now. I also am thinking seriously about playing my clarinet again. I haven't touched it since my ill-fated jury that ruined my gpa for the semester.

So, I guess I'm finally getting over it and moving on, musically and job-wise.

online crush is back to his old ways. erratic communication at best. none at worst. i'm trying not to get upset and take it personally. after i asked if he would see me and he said yes, then NOTHING. this is typical. honestly, what is it about him that i let this continue? sigh again...

and then there's the asshole mathematician. i've seen the other neighbors he was with when he surprised me (i felt like i was ambushed) the other day as i was getting out of my car. i stuck my nose in the air. i also played my clarinet loudly in the front room, which pleases me and hopefully they heard it too.

david heard it when he came over tonight. he usually refrains from being too congratulatory on any thing with me, but he said "nice clarinet playing" which is pretty big for him. i am getting my chops back in shape and articulation and tone. i found the best reed and it just makes a HUGE difference in my sound and range. i hope the bastard and his stupid wife who served him divorce papers heard it. as it happens, they were pulling up in her car as i began to play. how serendipitous. i hate them both.

i know. i sound like an angry bitch lately. wasn't it much better when i was happy and excited? it was. but he had to ruin it all. i still can't believe it sometimes.

anyway. david came over and he put in my air conditioner, put my new bed frame together and put up my mosquito net over my bed (very cool, i'll have to take a snapshot of it). then we walked down town and had a late meal.

online crush is still ignoring me.

no word from the doctor.

asshole neighbor's wife who served him divorce papers car is across the street.

and rochester man offline messaged me. well. big deal. he's ANOTHER one.

though, in comparison to the rest, i'd say he's not so bad after all. pretty sad.

Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F minor op. 73 by Carl Maria Von Weber is not exactly new to me, but to say one has learned all they could from such a piece would be a bit presumptuous (which I try not to be). I took a little time to research the work, because it seems a bit odd that I would spend such a great deal of time playing something I know little about. The concerto was one of two concertos written in 1811 after Weber had met a virtuoso clarinetist by the name of Heinrich Bärmann. Weber not only wrote the piece for Bärmann, but went on tour with him through Prague and Germany (Weber was an accomplished pianist) playing both pieces. It is thought that Bärmann's performances are what really gave Weber a name as a composer in Berlin.

I personally am focusing on the first two movements of the concerto, the Allegro and the Adagio, ma non troppo. There is a third movement, Rondo: Allegretto, which is considerably faster than the first two movements. Although I have not ruled out working up that movement as well, It is less contrasting to the Bach suite I am working on. It really is a beautiful piece  of music, if you get a chance you should spend some time in front of your stereo.

I'm working on a movement out of a bach Cello suite that has been transcribed for clarinet. It's out of a book of unaccompanied Bach cello and violin works. It's the Prélude of Suite VI in D major, BWV 1012. It is a considerably difficult piece for me, but I think playing something that is a challenge is important, and the first piece I thought of working up out of this book (Presto of sonata I in g minor, BWV 1001) was far beyond challenging. Asside from the sheer technical difficulties (fingerings and whatnot) that the Prélude presents, I find one of the most difficult parts for me right to be dynamics. The piece incorporates a lot of echoing phrases, where one part will be forte and then repeated in piano. I often find myself barreling through a passage only to realize I've missed one of these abrupt changes. It makes for quite an impressive piece thought, when done correctly. Since all these Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis might mean verry little to you, here is an amazing performance of the Prélude by the late Mstislav Rostropovich (can't get much better than that).

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.594602&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]
more about "Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 - Rostropovi...", posted with vodpod

Since my computer is still having problems, it looks like I'll still be needing a new computer pretty soon. I'd love to go ahead and get one right now, but I don't really want to go out and buy a MacBook for Apple to go and change them in the next few months. As of today, it looks like I'll be able to get an iPod touch as well:

(The actual website for the back to school deal)

Now if Apple could just go ahead and release a new MacBook...

Sometime over the next couple weeks I need to play with the DSLR camera some more since I think I'm still supposed to be photographer at my cousin's wedding on June 14. Being the photographer for her wedding is a little intimidating. I've never been a photographer at a wedding before. I've photographed stuff before and come out with some decent pictures, but when I did that stuff, there wasn't really much pressure to get any specific pictures (other than at my brother's graduation when I really did need to at least try to get a good picture of him getting his diploma cover [since you don't get the actual diploma until graduation is over] and that picture turned out well.) I also don't know when I'm supposed to be playing clarinet before/during the wedding. I know for sure I am playing for some of the prelude music, which won't really conflict with taking pictures, but there has also been something mentioned about playing something during the wedding... For the prelude music, she wanted me to play the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Mozart Concerto. The 2nd movement will work just fine, but the 3rd is going to have to be cut somewhere in the middle. I don't think anyone is really going to want me playing the end of the third movement as wedding prelude music.

After that is all over, I then get to come straight back to Birmingham and go to City Stages!

I'm doing better on the knitting thing: in May I did, I think, four rows of continental. Which is to say virtually nothing, but a lot more virtually nothing than in the preceding months.

I really need to figure out how to fit clarinet practice in. Concerts start next week. We're not performing "Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion" by P. D. Q. Bach, but it is a recent addition to our folders. We are playing "Overture to Candide" (Bernstein), "Four Norfolk Dances" (Sparke), "Second Suite" (Holst), "Jubilant Overture" (Reed), "Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo" (Arnold), "Ballet Parisien" (Offenbach), and a few other things.

Karate's fine. I'm enjoying it, really -- haven't had to drag myself to the dojo in spite of myself yet. Haven't done as much walking. The Dome was off limits for graduation preparation for a while, and I'm not sure it's really on limits over the summer: last time I went the doors were open and no on threw me out, but no one else was walking and sections of the corridor had the lights out. I left after one circuit. I've done some walking outside, but between wind, unlevel terrain, and obstacles of the animate and otherwise variety it's pretty hard to walk and read at the same time, which is one of the attractions of the Dome. I suppose I could borrow audio books from the library and listen to them on my iPod, if I had an iPod.

I suppose I could get an iPod.

Started the third trimester now and our baby boy will be here before we know it.  The psychology lab that Joy is in at Tech threw a baby shower for her today and we got one more big item in our list -- the high chair.  Again, thanks to all those that have been so kind and generous in helping us to prepare for our baby.  We couldn't do it without y'all!

I am now less than 13 days from ending my employment at Tech and that thought is kinda scary considering the number of things that I have to get done in that time.  I am 0 for 2 so far on jobs that I have applied for in Little Rock, but I am hopeful that I will find something quickly.  From one person I talked to, the Little Rock market is good right now for getting a job.

We were finally approved for an apartment in Little Rock, which is a huge relief.  The first place we tried was a huge mess trying to get things worked out, but the second was tremendously easier.  The place is a little farther from the city, but it is certainly not inconvenient.

Speaking of moving, it SUCKS!  Ok, with that out of my system, I think that are plans are starting to come together on the move.  After much debate, kinda like the DNC meeting today, we will be renting a U-Haul truck and driving over two days from Lubbock to Little Rock.  Joy's mom and one of her brothers will be helping as well as my sister's husband and my Dad.  I think between all of us we should do ok moving all of our stuff plus two cars.

On a different subject, I finally received the 5 trial mouthpieces and have been trying them out.  These are from Bradford Behn and are considered his Artist series.  I really find it amazing how the different facing really make a difference in how the instrument sounds.  The sound on all of them are nice and clear, even the throat tones, but the sound seems a little on the thin side so far.  It just doesn't seem to have as much "meatiness" to the sound as with previous mouthpieces that I have tried.  Anyway, I need to do some recording to see how they sound.  All of them, so far, have a better sound to them than the previous one that I bought.  I am scheduled to play a couple of pieces in church on June 15th and this time I am going to try and be ready to record my playing this time. 

Went to see the new Indiana Jones movie recently.  The movie was trying a little too hard to recapture the spirit of Indiana Jones with an actor that is way past his prime.  Also, and this is a HUGE SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT SEEN IT but mixing Indiana Jones with aliens is just crazy!  If Star Wars I-III didn't convince me, then now I know that George Lucas has definitely gone off the deep end and should just retire gracefully and not make any more movies.  There were some definite "Indy" style scenes and dialogue, but it almost seemed to be a spoof of itself.  The hints of a spin off from this movie I hope do not come true.  I definitely need to re-watch the other three to see if that makes me have a better appreciation of the new one.

Also saw Prince Caspien and I must say that I really liked it.  Although I know that Joy gets annoyed with how they change things from the book, I thought that the story was really well done.  

Again, look for more updates on our move as we get things packed up and head out to Little Rock.      

A great subject for black and white photography, this clarinet belonging to a family member, was taken on the floor using the Macro feature of the Fuji S9600 to get in close and create a nice depth of field.

as seen on flickr - see more?

Currently Listening To: Everything Has Changed | William Fitzsimmons

I love this song... It's another recommendation by Alyssa Stuart, my outside eardrum, my audio taste tester... My musical, harmonical, extraordinary lyrical genius. She has never once recommended something that I didn't absolutely fall in immediate love with. Aside Keith Urban... but that's another story... ^_^

I like the subtleties... I like being able to just sit amongst a crowd and watch them all move. I always... always have. In fact... I think it might just be my favorite ever thing to do. There are times when I'm lonely and it feels so right to go and melt amongst people, wallowing in the company to which I'm still completely invisible.

There are times when I would rather be lonely. It still feels so right to sit amidst a crowd of people entirely unnoticed. No matter how the company strikes me, it's always somehow right. It feels that the very circumstances in which I've placed myself relate to me.

I am not easily related to. I am not easily understood. I think the day I'm completely understood is the day that someone sits and watches the swarm of people just as I do and feels just the same amount of rightness about it. It's reasonless and it's beautiful and it hurts and I love it... It's a thing you do alone though. So even if it ever happened, my knowing it... would destroy it.

My whole life... in some way or another I've felt... a singularity. I don't want to call it a loneliness, because that isn't what it is. I know lonely, I've had that.

This is different...

I'm the one to which everyone I knew and know goes to when they need to share, to talk, to cry, to relate... I've never gone to anyone with the same. I am the wailing wall. I was the resort, the vacation, the escape that brought back the sanity and made whatever was unclear clear. I am an island. Thanks John Donne, I know you meant well but you, like everyone else, are wrong at least some of the time.

My whole life has been lived behind a pane of glass. I've been watching through it this entire time, sitting, leaning forward on my stool in this glass box watching it all... quietly. I have always maintained a sedated detachment to the rest of humanity. I understand it I think better than anyone else I've ever known. But I relate to it less than anyone I've ever even heard of.

I am an island with one gigantic telescope. I see you all. But in truth... I'm not there. And I've never been there. This singularity... this is everything I want to be. I'm the very best at it. I'm better at it than anyone else.

I get along with people. Understatement. People... love me. People are absolutely crazy about me sometimes. There are people who want to die for me. There are people who have described me as ridiculous things... so many who didn't want to live if I weren't there for living with. As if I were breath...

I get along well with people. But I will never seek them out. And I never have. The closest in my entire life I've come to that is sitting in the crowd and watching from behind my pane of glass. I spent nine months and didn't speak a word and it was complete bliss to me. I left everyone and everything I knew in a state over a thousand miles away in exchange for a world where I knew no one and it's been incredibly for me. I was told by my crying mother that she and my dad were getting a divorce and it didn't mean a thing to me...

and I know she saw it in my face when she told me there on the stairs and I know she saw it because the most remarkable thing about that moment for me was figuring out the confusion on her face when I didn't react.

It's the same look I saw in her face when I told her I was going to New York and then actually did it. It's probably the last look I'll ever see on her face when I stop back through on my way to California to board the plane for Australia.

I know you all... but no one really knows me.

I'm a freeMonster. I'm a single, solitary unit. I am an island.

I always will be.