RECITAL AND CONCERTO COMPETITION REPORT 2011
RECITAL AND CONCERTO COMPETITION REPORT 2011
By Nancy Fragomeni
The Recital and Concerto Competition 2011 was held in Zenith Music Auditorium in Claremont from 19 to 23 September, during school hours. The adjudicator was Associate Professor Peter Moore OAM.
This was another wonderful year with an assortment of instruments and music of all genres, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The playing was again of a very high standard and it was difficult at times for the adjudicator to place the competitors, often with just one mark between first and second place. There were 140 entries. Seventeen entrants withdrew, mostly due to illness.
It was brought to my attention by a member of our Association that there were a few competitors who entered the wrong grade. Those competitors were allowed to perform but were not eligible for prizes. I notified the President and we agreed to add to the 2012 entry form a special notice to teachers with regard to the specifications that need to be observed for each grade.
The Winners’ Concert was held in Callaway Music Auditorium at UWA on Sunday 2 October. The afternoon concert was given by the winners of each section and it was such a delight to hear the performances given by these talented young people.
I thank all of the members who offered help and support during the competition. WAMTA would like to thank our major sponsor, Zenith Music (John and Lionel Cranfield) for their generous sponsorship and their continuous support throughout the year, and for allowing WAMTA the use of the auditorium for seminars, workshops, masterclasses and the Recital and Concerto Competition.
We thank all of our sponsors for their generosity and support and UWA for the use of Callaway Auditorium as the venue for the Winners’ Concert. Lastly, I thank Jackie Clift, our secretary, who has a tremendous amount of paper work to prepare and put into order so that the competition runs as smoothly as possible.
WAMTA STUDENT FORUM REPORT 2011
WAMTA STUDENT FORUM REPORT 2011
By Jocelyn Kotchie
Hosting three of the Student Forums this year has been an absolute joy! The attendance has been terrific and has grown substantially throughout the year, from 13 performers in March through to 43 in September and similar in October. The levels and ages of the students have varied considerably, from tiny tots and absolute beginners playing one-line songs to older teenagers with their learned interpretations of Beethoven and Debussy. We’ve even had a mum with her two children playing a piano trio!
As well as an ‘across the board’ representation of performers, it has also been extremely encouraging to see a similar representation of teachers, with those younger and newer teachers bringing their students alongside the more experienced teachers, who even with their own busy practices, are still making time to bring their students along to experience and learn from these performance opportunities.And the students themselves are an absolute delight! As host, I have the advantage of sitting right up the front and can see the expressions on the performers’ faces when they experience the applause from the audience and it’s absolutely priceless – not just the younger children but the older teens as well – to see their faces light up when they hear that applause.
Of course there are mistakes and muck-ups as is quite natural and for the most part I’m happy to report that the students take it in their stride, although there are the occasional histrionics, usually humorous, such as the 4 or 5 year old who sits down to play his little tune, makes a mistake then throws his hands to his forehead with great drama, exclaiming ‘OH NO!!!!!’ Of course, that generally brings the house down and the moment of tension is gone!
For those who have never attended a Student Forum, which included me, I’m ashamed to say, it’s a painless procedure. St Mary’s Church on the corner of Ridge and Karoo Streets in South Perth, is large enough to hold a good-sized audience but intimate enough to still feel warm and welcoming. There is no charge for performing students or their teachers and only a $2 per person charge for audience members, which is donated to the church towards upkeep of the piano and the church in general. The atmosphere is friendly and supportive and provides the opportunity for students to become comfortable playing in front of an audience. I strongly recommend teachers to embrace this wonderful opportunity for their students and I personally can’t wait to get back and host the next one!
A CENTURY OF TEACHING HARMONY
A CENTURY OF TEACHING HARMONY
Ronda Jamieson and David Hough
What harmony is this? 100 years of the Music Teachers’ Association in Western Australia
Review by David Tunley
This book is an update of Ronda Jamieson’s history of the first 75 years of the WA Music Teachers’ Association, with the addition of a survey by David Hough of the 25 years following that book.
In this handsome volume the authors have traced the fascinating story of a remarkable organisation that is still flourishing today. It is the oldest association of its kind in Australia, with similar organisations in other States soon following its lead.
Perth was fortunate in attracting a young graduate from the Royal College of Music, Alexander Joseph Leckie, to St George’s Cathedral in 1908, the first fully trained professional musician to work here. It was his experience and vision that led him two years later to call together a group of music teachers to forma a professional organization to serve their needs and those of the community. His idealism and practical concerns still inform the work of WAMTA.
Revealed in this meticulously researched book, there were a number of reasons why WAMTA was able to withstand various threats to its existence – as faced by all voluntary organisations. Without abandoning its ideals, the Association moved with the times and embraced innovations.
For example, the vexed question of professional training of music teachers, a problem confronting the Association from the beginning, was taken in hand in the 1970s in an accreditation of teachers through a system of seminars, mentoring and examinations that has immeasurably strengthened the profession.
While other excellent musical organisations were created over this period, instead of isolating itself, WAMTA encouraged a spirit of cooperation and fraternity with them. Yet undoubtedly the Association has succeeded largely through the vision and capability of its 17 presidents and various committees whose devoted service is traced here.
The book also throws light on the social and cultural development of our State, and it is gratifying that the many people who contributed to this will be remembered through this excellent publication.
Reprinted with the kind permission of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society (Inc) and Emeritus Professor David Tunley.
The book is available from the WAMTA Office (9470 5595) for $40
MOZART’S SISTER
Review by Margaret Affleck
The film event, held on a very cold evening in July, was well attended by WAMTA members, students and their parents, and friends. Jackie Clift and Margaret Affleck were present to sell last minute tickets and to offer a complimentary chocolate or Turkish Delight to members and their guests.
The film is exquisitely beautiful, from the highly decorated scenes set in the Palace at Versailles to the rural landscapes as the Mozart family travelled by coach in the 1760s across the countryside from palace to palace. Music was, of course, integral to the film and we saw and heard the young Mozart and Nannerl playing both the violin and the harpsichord.
As Nannerl matures, she is discouraged from playing the violin (this is a man’s occupation) and is instead encouraged to sing. She is also discouraged from composing, as this is considered beyond the brains of females, despite the fact that her father, Leopold, sees her giftedness in her work, but he tells her it is childish in effort. A memorable scene, filmed by candlelight and the light of the fire, shows a sad faced Nannerl burning her manuscripts page by page. Afterwards, many members gave high praise to the film and said how much they enjoyed seeing it.
For more info http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1653911/
AUSTRALASIAN PIANO PEDAGOGY CONFERENCE 2011
The 10th Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference was held at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga from Monday 4 to Friday 8 July. It gathered together some outstanding presenters, including Murray McLachlan and Penelope Thwaites from England, Dr Koo Siaw Sing from Singapore, Jane McGrath from the USA, as well as a number of Australian teachers of renown.
The patron of the Conference, Piers Lane, gave the closing recital of Chopin Nocturnes.
Unfortunately, only three WAMTA members were able to attend the Conference.
Below are their thoughts on the conference:
For me, the highlight was Penelope Thwaites’ evening recital followed by a lecture on Percy Grainger. She is a leading exponent of Percy Grainger’s music.
Another “discovery” was a lecture by Dr Koo on “Modern styles of Chinese piano music”. Most of us know nothing, or very little, about Chinese music which expresses the rich musical heritage and culture, folk elements and traditional instrumental styles. Chinese piano music is a great addition to the repertoire for pianists and yet, sadly, it is not heard from the concert platforms. (Karina Sysko)
I attended the 10th APPC in Wagga Wagga. What a feast of music we shared! Firstly the world premiere of Peter Sculthorpe’s Gundyarri Wagga Wagga on Monday night, played by Kieran Harvey with Peter Sculthorpe there to explain the music and tell us about the crow sounds in it. Wagga Wagga means ‘place of crows’. A wonderful concert.
There were seven more amazing concerts by world class performers, and the Cereal Concert performed by three very talented boys from the Con. – aged 13, 16 and 17 – who came out to perform for us at 8am. That set the tone for the day, and was worth getting out of bed for.
All the presenters were outstanding, covering all aspects of piano teaching, revitalising our ideas and inspiring us to teach better. The opportunity to speak with them later was invaluable.
Perhaps the highlight for me was the time spent with old and new friends, performers and presenters at meal times. The chance to talk over the day’s events was most memorable.
I would encourage all members to attend the 11th Conference in Toowoomba in 2013. (Jan Veal)
Over all, the Conference presented interesting topics, was very well organised and our congratulations to Kathy Pingel and her team for putting everything together so flawlessly.
It is very difficult to condense 300 years of music history into a one and a half hour seminar. Mr Chapkhana started his lecture with general remarks regarding the approach to piano playing, then he outlined the characteristics of the BAROQUE period, pointing out the importance of phrase shaping, the continuous motion of the semiquavers, the complex task of ornamentation. The pedal is generally not required in that era unless the notes/chords need strict connection. Very important is the character of the pieces: if a dance, what kind of a dance is it? Minuet or courante?
In the CLASSICAL period, the performer gets more specific instructions from the composer. The spirit of the dance is also very important. Phrasing has to be well understood. What is new in the Classical period is the elegance, the restraint, the beautiful sound and no rush!
The ROMANTIC period offers a world of expressive possibilities. Attention should be given to the balance between hands, proper voicing, cantabile touch and rubato. The piano must ‘sing’. The performer needs a sense of direction. Composers of that period display nationalistic tendencies in their music.TWENTIETH CENTURY music has all the elements from the previous periods combined, but in a different way. Composers use more complex harmony, especially in chords which add colour and interest. They introduce different rhythms, often with jazzy/blues flavour.
Students working on pieces should listen to the music from that period and to other compositions by the same composer. This will give them a broader outlook and better understanding of the complexity of all elements which are essential for a good performance.The seminar was illustrated by numerous examples of music selected and played by Mr Chapkhana.
The MASTERCLASS attracted seven students: two singers, a brother and sister played piano duets and three solo pianists. All students performed with confidence and showed great potential. Mr Chapkhana’s remarks were helpful and encouraging.
SHORT WORKSHOP ON SCALES, BY KATHARIN CAMERON
We all know how children detest learning scales. Mrs Cameron introduced her method which is especially designed with lazy children in mind.
The method is described in detail in a little black book. Each scale is illustrated on a drawing of a keyboard, with fingering given for both hands. The sharps and flats are also marked on the black keys. The scales are introduced in order of the ‘circle of fifths’. At the moment, the book deals with major scales only, and is available for purchase via the internet. The short session on scales was followed by questions and answers on the subject.
Turn Your Mac into a Home Recording Studio – Part 2
Ok folks here is the 2nd part of the “Turn your Mac into a home recording studio”. Again it was from a “Mactalk” article and has 3 parts. Originally written for the Apple Mac enthusiast it can be applied to a Windows PC. While the software may differ a little and there are a lot of windows based recording programs out there this subject is still a great guide for users of Microsoft (windows) based users. I am not going to say go out and get a Mac BUT if you are looking for a new computer, look at a Mac first you may be pleasantly surprised, I was.
If you would like more info or to ask any questions please email Damien on help@pcmactech.com.au
Turn Your Mac/PC into a Home Recording Studio – Part 2
In Part 1 of this guide*we began discussing home studio essentials, covering mic selection and input method options. This newsletter we’ll look at how to find the right Mac/Pc for your home studio and interrogate the two most popular multi-track recording apps on Mac and PC for their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Opinions will vary on adequate specs for multi-track recording, and I’m not one to tout the following as gospel. All modern Macs and PC’s are capable of producing amazing music when paired with the right software. They may not all be cutting-edge in terms of specs, but even on the low end, any Intel Mac is up to the task of some fairly serious multi-track recording. If you’ve purchased a Mac in the last few years, you already have what you need to get started.
But what if you don’t yet have a Mac, or want to buy a dedicated machine for your home studio? There are many options, and some are better than others for mixing large sessions.
Let’s look at the main factors affecting the best choice of Mac for your home studio.
Inputs and Expansion Slots
First and foremost, you need to be able to plug the right stuff into your Mac or PC. For basic recording, USB interfaces like Avid’s Mbox 2 or Edirol’s UA-25 will do the trick, meaning any current Mac or PC will suffice (as all have USB). USB-powered devices are usually limited to only a few simultaneous inputs, though, on account of the format’s unreliable bandwidth. Firewire, on the other hand (as discussed in Part 1), can take as many simultaneous inputs as I’ve ever been able to throw at it. This offers more long-term flexibility if you’re ever likely to track more than a few mics or inputs at a time, so you may want to bite the bullet and start with a firewire interface and firewire-equipped Mac right off the bat (FW400 or FW800, either will suffice. FW400 devices can be plugged into FW800 ports found on current Macs using an adaptor cable). I must say no PC’s come with firewire anymore and it is slowly being phased out. I would suggest looking at USB instead unless you had a Mac. This, of course, excludes the MacBook*(standard/white)*and MacBook Air from your list of options from the current range.
Resources
This leads us to the next major factor affecting Mac and PC selection. CPU and RAM. Both will be used heavily if you plan on adding a lot of real-time effects and plugins on your recorded tracks or using large libraries of sampled acoustic instruments (like drums). Real-time plugins and effects are great because they can give you greater creative freedom and flexibility. Here’s a simple example of their advantage:
Imagine you’re tracking a guitar line and you use a ‘real’ effects pedal to punch in some delay and reverb on the way in. You record a single take and absolutely nail it in a way you can’t imagine ever matching again. It was fresh and natural and without fault. Listening back, though, there was a little too much reverb and the delay interval was a little off.
In this case, there’s nothing you can do to change the effect parameters. The guitar was recorded with the effect applied before being digitised and entering your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and there’s nothing Pro Tools or any other software can do to remove it. If, however, your guitar was recorded*clean and you used real-time effects, you could mix and match different sounds and tweak them to your heart’s content (even after the fact) without any risk of damaging the original recoded track.
This flexibility, however, comes at a cost. Plugins can be quite taxing on your CPU (especially long reverbs and delays) and if you start going crazy with large combinations of them on many tracks (which you probably will, and why not?), you’ll start getting “Out of CPU” messages before you know it. If you can see yourself doing a fair bit of experimentation, it’s worth getting the best CPU you can afford.
From the current Mac range, I think the quad core iMac (21 inch) offers the best bang for buck in terms of CPU and is perfect for the aspiring home composer. It’s a formidable machine and will handle huge track counts and many simultaneous plugins. This machine is roughly worth around $1399 which is a great price for this power house.
Screen Size
This is a big one. If you’re thinking of buying a MacBook Pro (Laptop) for your home studio, you might want to reconsider (unless you’re happy to go with an external monitor which is fine). Navigating large multi-track sessions is a hateful chore on smaller screens and it’s worth investing in something with serious real estate. Even 20 or 21.5 inches feels very restrictive.
When you’re working on a complex project, how much of it you can see in front of you is a really big deal. There are many distractions and technical factors that can interrupt your creative flow in software like Pro Tools, and constant scrolling and zooming is a nasty piece of icing to throw on the wrong-cake. Sure, it’s possible to navigate large sessions on a 13″ MacBook Pro, but it’s also possible to browse the web on a BlackBerry. That doesn’t mean you actually want to do it.
Choosing a DAW
If you’ve never heard the term DAW, it stands for Digital Audio Workstation, which in Mac software terms basically means a multitrack recording application. A DAW can take many forms, but in this case we’re talking about GarageBand, Pro Tools, Logic and other such apps. Choosing the right app for you is probably the most important decision in this whole process, as it dictates the whole experience you’ll be immersed in while tracking, editing and mixing your material.
Before delving into more serious software, I’d like to strongly urge anyone who values their sanity to start in GarageBand, even if you’ve purchased a good input box and are ready to jump straight to a ‘higher’ level of app. It’s the perfect way to get familiar with the basics of multi-track recordings and it’s much more intuitive and natural than complex apps like Pro Tools. I wrote Garageband off for years as an amateur-only app until being told by one too many respected peers to give it a go. I’m only a recent dabbler, but I’m amazed by how easy it is to put together a great recording with little or no technical blocks slowing you down. I’m looking at incorporating it into my workflow for writing new material (for me, the writing and recording processes are one and the same; I write new harmonies and instrument layers in-app rather than as a separate process). After laying down the parts and arrangements in GarageBand (the most creatively critical stage for me), I’ll re-track them all in Pro Tools or import bits of GarageBand audio where the draft version was just right. This way I’m not having to do all the extra work introduced by Pro Tools when I just have a quick idea. Preserving creative flow is everything!
Apples and Oranges
The two primary DAW platforms for Mac, Logic and Pro Tools, are difficult to compare. They’ve been built from entirely different philosophies from the start, and ultimately your choice should depend on which approach most suits your experience and needs. Put simply, Logic was built for musicians and Pro Tools was build for audio engineers from the outset. That’s doesn’t mean musicians can’t use Pro Tools, but DigiDesign’s decided approach was to conceive a tool that experienced users of analog consoles would easily be able to transition to. It was originally about convincing the existing industry and its engineers once and for all to go digital. Channel strips are arranged much like those found on an analog mixer, which is great for anyone who’s spent time recording in a large studio or mixing live. Controls, layouts and even plugins are designed*?skeuomorphically to ensure warm fuzzies for seasoned vets.
Unfortunately,those who are daunted by all the lights and knobs of physical mixing desks will be just as daunted by the lights and knobs in Pro Tools. It’s a heavy app. Its*assumption that the operator is someone who knows their way around a desk has left many a new user scratching their heads, and left me referring to its seemingly endless user manual to learn how to perform tasks which (I thought) should have been quite simple.
Emagic’s approach at Logic’s inception (Logic was not originally owned or developed by Apple) was obviously more aimed at the musician. It’s unbound by the need to look and feel like a physical mixing desk and focusses on composition and ease of use. If you’re wanting to write a digital masterpiece using virtual instruments and midi, the choice here is easy. Logic blows Pro Tools out of the water. Pro Tools has come a long way in version 8 in this regard, but Logic has been all about the songwriter from the start, and every aspect of the app makes this clear. It’s easier to use and better at preserving creative flow. In many ways it provides a ‘GarageBand on steroids’ experience. It’s also natively compatible with VST plugins, making a myriad of free plugins available to the user (Pro Tools uses a proprietary RTAS format for plugins).
Pro Tools, however, is hard to match when you have a large number of real-world sources to track in a single session. The way it handles routing, grouping and other higher functions is powerful and impressive. It’s incredibly able and versatile for tracking live sources if you can take the time to learn the ropes. Personally, I’ve found the Pro Tools 8 video tutorials on Lynda.com to be hugely helpful.
In the third*(and final)*part of this guide, we’ll look at how to master your own music at home using iZotope’s Ozone 4 mastering suite for Mac. Mastering is an often-mystifying art but is easier than you think with something like Ozone under your belt.
Stay tuned for Part 3
Instead of rewriting this great article I thought I would post it straight in with a few changes. It was from a “Mactalk” article and has 3 parts. Originally written for the Apple Mac enthusiast it can be applied to a Windows PC.
Turn Your Mac into a Home Recording Studio – Part 1
It’s time we talked a home recording which is essential for teaching, learning and enjoying music. I bring you part one of my series on the setup and optimisation of budget-conscious Mac-based (can apply to windows PC) home recording studios. This first article won’t offer a detailed breakdown of any one stage of the recording process, but rather first steps for those who’ve been wanting to get started on a semi-professional sounding studio on a budget and haven’t known where to start.
We’ll discuss each stage in the order of the signal chain, being the most educational approach; meaning, we’ll step through each component a sound source flows through from the time when it is first sung or played or struck to when it reaches the monitors or headphones of the mixing engineer (which, in the case of a home studio, is probably you!).
The Evolving Home Studio
Your goals and budgets may differ, but most everyone starts with the same question; “What are the essential elements of a home studio and how can I make sure I invest my money in the right gear?” These days, that question is tricky to answer, as there are new and exciting ways to approach home recording. And some of them are really, really cheap. The home studio is in a state of rapid evolution and today’s answer is quite different to what it would have been even two years ago.
There are, however, a few elements that are unlikely to change. Components like mics, inputs and multi-track recording apps are here to stay. Your Mac is a perfect foundation for a home studio as it comes with great beginner multi-tracking software (GarageBand) and most models have an input suitable for low latency recording of simultaneous tracks; FireWire. Any modern Mac also comes with multiple CPU cores which offer more than enough horsepower to push around lots of simultaneous audio tracks and effects in real time. (Computer-driven home studios used to need outboard gear for mixing and processing effects as CPUs weren’t up to the task, but the performance of modern CPUs gives us the option of doing everything ‘in the box’, which may not suffice for the analog-yearning purist, but serves the rest of us well through its affordability and portability.)*Also, all current Macs run very quiet while under low or moderate loads, which is essential if your Mac and sound source occupy the same room during tracking.
Choosing a Mic
Choosing a great mic is the start of capturing great audio. But a great mic doesn’t have to cost you the earth. There are three types of mic most applicable to the starter studio: mics (great for micing amps and high SPL sources) like the SM58, mics (great for vocals, guitars and other instruments) and USB Powered mics (which may be either condenser or dynamic). I’ll keep this easy:
If you’re an acoustic singer/songwriter and you only want to buy one mic, your safest bet is to make it a (large diaphragm) condenser like Rode’s NT1-. These affordable mics perform well above their price range and will serve you well for both vocal and guitar recordings, even if you upgrade to other more expensive gear in the future. Both are fantastic and affordable workhorse mics which I can’t recommend highly enough.
If you’re going to mic up guitar amps, bass amps or drums, you’ll need at least one dynamic mic. These take far higher SPL (SPL = Sound Pressure Level and thus won’t be damaged by the thrashing they receive from these sources’ extreme levels. They don’t typically have the presence of condenser mics when used on vocals or acoustic stringed instruments, but they can offer still a certain warmth and flatness useful for these in some mixes. For countless other applications, they’re essential. If you’re serious and you’ll be recording a variety of sources, you’ll want a dynamic mic* in addition to a condenser mic. Examples of trusted and affordable dynamic mics include the ever-prominent Shure SM58 and SM57, Sennheiser e835 and AKG D880. These can often be picked up for a steal on eBay and in SM57/58′s case, unless they’ve been run over several times by the band van, will still work like a new one. You can go even cheaper than these and still get decent results, but I won’t name or recommend such alternatives as I place value on reliability and long life, which all these mics offer.
Speaking of affordability, the option of USB-powered mics is fast becoming a much more viable one. USB mics haven’t been taken very seriously until recently, in the past offering terrible fidelity, high noise and the obligatory compromising of all user control over the signal chain (up to the point of digital input via USB). Recently, companies like Rode and Blue have given real attention to this emerging mic category, offering great mics like the Podcaster and Yeti, either of which offer incredible results from a zero-config setup. You can get away with nothing more than one of these mics and GarageBand for simple, one-track-at-a-time multi-track recording, perfect for the aspiring solo acoustic musician or songwriter. If all you’re trying to piece together is a simple, solid demo or a basic EP, the quality you’ll achieve from one of these mics should be more than adequate.
Of course, the affordability of these is not just based on the cost of the mics themselves (which are typically very affordable) but the many other components you don’t need to buy if you only use a USB mic; they internally handle all preamplification and A/D conversion and don’t require phantom power, for example. They offer ultimate simplicity, literally allowing you to plug your mic into your Mac and press Record. In short, they’re a perfect starter option if you want to get your feet wet in multi-track recording. You can fire up GarageBand and learn the ropes with one of these, then if you’re feeling the urge to take your recordings further, you can easily resell the Mic on eBay and upgrade to more serious mics and software in the future.
Choosing an Input Method
Your Mac doesn’t come with mic connectors on the back. So how do you get audio from a traditional microphone into your recording software? You need an input method. The units that handle these inputs are often referred to as I/O*(input/output)*boxes.
If you choose a USB mic, this decision is already made for you. Just plug your mic into an available USB port on your Mac. But for users of conventional mics with conventional connectors (XLR), an external box to handle mic inputs and the conversion of sound from analog to software-friendly digital (A/D conversion) is required.
Popular solutions include Avid’s (previously Digi Design), Presonus’ (of which there are many flavours), Motu’s Traveller and Rolands Edirol. Firewire is the interface of choice for an I/O box if you plan to track many inputs simultaneously. Firewire is more capable of reliably streaming large volumes of data, despite the theoretically superior speeds of USB2. USB2 offers, if you like, burst speeds of up to 480Mb/s, but frequently drops to well under half that figure. Firewire, on the other hand, while offering only a 400Mb/s data rate in its basic form (obviously doubled in FW800) can plug away at this top speed all day without faltering. This is perfect for audio or video work requiring constant streaming of large volumes of data. It can be so critical, in fact, that Avid (developers of Pro Tools recording software) don’t even support users recording to external USB2 hard drives. USB2-driven I/O boxes can still serve the solo singer/songwriter well, however.
This leads us to one of the main factors affecting the best choice of I/O box for you; how many simultaneous inputs you require. No matter what your needs, there will be hardware to suit, but cost will naturally vary (and vary enormously). If you plan to regularly mic up a drum kit (properly), you’ll likely need a minimum of 6 inputs just for this purpose, which wipes out most of the entry-level solutions. If you’re in need of only 1-4 inputs, however, the world is your oyster. There are countless great options for this.
Another major factor is what software (if any) the hardware ships with, and whether that software will meet your needs. Many hardware options (like those from Motu, Edirol and Presonus) are highly compatible with many third party multi-track recording apps and come bundled with light versions from one or multiple vendors. Others (like those from Avid) come with software that only works with their own hardware, locking you into a more closed environment. That environment, however, is Pro Tools, which is still the primary mainstream DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) found in both home studios and professional studios around the world, so it certainly comes with its advantages.
We’ll discuss these options and their advantages and disadvantages in Part II of the series, plus delve into how to choose the right Mac or PC for your needs and how to optimise any Mac for audio recording.
Stay tuned for Part 2
We hope we have not confused you too much and you have found this to be quite interesting.
This is the 200th celebration of Liszt
check out this interesting little bit on Liszt life! He certainly made some important changes to the way we listen to music and beyond.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/dec/27/liszt-200th-anniversary
KathCam88
Being a musician in the 21st Century
This article explores some of the changes that have taken place in the last 50 years and the relevancy of our lives as Musicians in this day and age.
KathCam88
On The Declining Field of Concert Music
Taken from the “an ARTSJOURNAL weblog”
The New York Times recently published a feature story on the state of concert music freelancing: Freelance Musicians Hear Mournful Coda as the Jobs Dry Up.
“It was a good living. But the New York freelance musician — a bright thread in the fabric of the city — is dying out. In an age of sampling, digitization and outsourcing, New York’s soundtrack and advertising-jingle recording industry has essentially collapsed. Broadway jobs are in decline. Dance companies rely increasingly on recorded music. And many freelance orchestras, among the last steady deals, are cutting back on their seasons, sometimes to nothingness.”
It’s not as if I didn’t know the story well, but I do have to say that there was something about reading (and watching the videos) that took my breath away. I thought Daniel Wakin did the story justice.
I have felt for quite some time that the forces conspiring to diminish the field of concert music are forces that are much more complex, difficult to understand, and perhaps impossible to alter than most people might believe, particularly when folks like to place the blame on easy targets such as a lack of music and arts education in the schools.
I was glad that the article presented some salve, perhaps hope even, in the ways in which younger artists in particular are becoming more entrepreneurial, adapting to and trying to seize opportunities in the changing landscape.
I do have a reflection to add to the story, maybe you could argue that it’s an extension really.
I tend to view this issue, the decline of the concert music life for professional musicians, through three different periods: the 1950′s, the 1980′s, and today. It is framed by something said to me by a teacher, mentor, and dear friend, Gilbert Cohen, who played second trombone for the New York Philharmonic. That’s Gil, second from the left, in a picture of the New York Philharmonic low brass section, circa 1964.
Near the time I was to graduate Juilliard, Gil Cohen, whom I had first met at a side-by-side concert with The New York Philharmonic and The NYC All-City High School Orchestra (we were both second trombones), later becoming close friends, said to me: “I worry about young guys like you coming up. I just don’t see much of a career to be made.”
Gil went on to talk about what it was like when he was freelancing in New York City during the 1950′s, prior to joining The New York Philharmonic.
He told me that he rapidly became one of the top freelancers on bass trombone, and that he worked from morning until night, seven days a week, as much as he wanted. He went further to add that numerous players made a living simply from the gigs he sent their way when he needed substitutes. He talked about there being orchestras all over town, including for television and radio stations, a large number of Broadway musicals, which all used large orchestras, numerous local orchestras throughout the city, and much more. He said there was more work than he knew what to do with, including playing student gigs with Young Audiences New York, recording sessions, subbing with the New York Philharmonic, playing with ballet and opera companies. He said that when he joined the New York Philharmonic in 1964, that it was a letdown, going from the great variety to a regular symphony gig. As he was retiring, in thinking back to his days as a freelancer, he expressed some regret for having made the move to the Philharmonic, while recognizing that practically every player in the country today wanted that job.
He then turned his mind towards today, keep in mind that the “today,” that day or period, was approximately 1983. He said that the field was a fraction of what it had once been in comparison to the 1950′s, and wondered how young players would make a living, in light of the number of graduates and the reduced field. Unless you got a major orchestra job, he said he worried, and everyone knows how hard it is to get such a job.
Fast forward to 2010, and the article in The New York Times. If you read the piece and don’t know the story Gil Cohen told, you might get the impression that the decline has been something less than gradual, something that hasn’t been ongoing for the past fifty years.
For these types of musicians, who play this music and these instruments, Gil Cohen paints story paints a much longer term picture. I would argue that what’s happening today is an erosion that has reached the most top level freelancers, who may have been protected, to some degree, by the declines since the mid-20th century.
Don’t get me wrong, I do recognize the the musical life in the United States is much more varied than it once was. There are more smaller productions, more new music, and artists are creating their own to replace such things as a record industry, artist management, etc. There is a wider array of styles and forms, and the field has expanded to include the teaching artist. But, if you’re a classically trained trombonist, clarinet player, etc., well, the Times piece by Daniel Wakin is certainly something you understand all too well.
Can the changes be stopped, slowed down, or altered in any way? Has it hit bottom or leveled off? I tend to think not, for I believe the forces at play are not malleable. Sure, the musicians union can stave off having Broadway producers going to fully synthesized pit orchestras. But, can the union bring back the number of shows during the hey days of Broadway that used pit fulls of orchestra players. It’s doubtful at best.
http://www.artsjournal.com/dewey21c/2010/12/reflecting-on-the-changing-fie.html
