Posted by glennled on December 30, 2009
"O Holy Night"
The Christmas Eve tradition in our family, hosted in our home, goes like this. All family members who are in town come over for dinner. (We have two grown sons, a daughter and three grandkids in southern California, Las Vegas, and New Zealand.) This year we were 10 locals (including four grandchildren) around our dining room table. After dinner, we sing Christmas carols. My wife is a piano instructor. While she plays, everyone sings the lyrics from the songbook she created a few years ago, especially for this annual occasion. Once, one of our local grandsons played the clarinet for us. This year it was my turn to solo at the family concert. I played “O Holy Night,” accompanied by my wife. Our daughter videoed our duet. I encouraged all my students to play something for their families during their own holiday festivities.
After Bible readings from Luke and Isaiah about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and prayer, we do what the kids have been patiently waiting for: open presents! Finally, there is an evening snack, and they all go home, stomachs full, arms and hands laden with prize gifts, faces beaming, and eyes sparkling. Santa Claus is coming tonight!
My cornet is a “Super Olds” model with the nickel-silver rimmed bell, made by F.E. Olds & Son in Los Angeles. Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Louis Prima, and Raphael Mendez are among those who played various Olds instruments. Olds started making trombones in about 1910, and later added other brass instruments, introducing the Super Olds line in 1932. My cornet ranked in the mid-range of the various Olds models of its time. Today, the equivalent horn probably costs about $1,700. Mine cost my parents $250, and I was so proud! Why did I choose a cornet? Simple: our high school band director specified that we all play cornets, not trumpets. He preferred the cornet’s more mellow tone and wanted a cornet section, not a trumpet section, in his band.
My Super Olds has been around. I played it all through high school and college. It took me to All-State Band in Texas and on music scholarship to Abilene Christian College and the University of Washington. It went to the Rose Bowl when we marched in the Rose Bowl Parade and gave a half-time performance during the football game: UW Huskies beat U of Minnesota Gophers, 17-7. Now I play it in the Husky Alumni Band.
I’ve played my Super Olds in concert, jazz, dance, and pep bands, in orchestras for operas and musicals, and in a U.S. Navy bugle corps. It’s traveled from Texas to Washington to Rhode Island. And now I’ve played it in a duet with my lovely wife in our own warm living room for our own special family. Yes, my horn looks a little worn, but it plays as well as ever. I like that.
Posted in Musical Events at Home | Tagged: Abilene Christian College, carols, Christmas, concert, cornet, duet, F.E. Olds & Sons, Freddie Hubbard, Husky Alumni Band, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, Louis Armstrong, Luke, Messiah, O Holy Night, parade, piano, Raphael Mendez, Rose Bowl, solo, Super Olds, trumpets, University of Washington | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on December 14, 2009
Yesterday, my wife and I returned to Benaroya Hall in Seattle with two close relatives to attend the annual Holiday Pops concert. This year the Seattle Symphony was accompanied by the Cirque De La Symphonie. Their seven artists performed incredible “circus” acts while the symphony played music by Leroy Anderson, Ralph Vaugh Williams, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Bizet, Schubert and others. Our unanimous favorite act was that by Alexander Streltsov, aerial artist, to “Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert, arranged by Carmen Dragon. It was a spectacular sight and lovely sound. The combination of Schubert’s music and Streltsov’s movements, poses, and soarings was a magnificient interpretation of what it must have meant to be Mary, mother of Jesus, Son of God. Our second favorite artist was Christine Van Loo, also an aerial artist, who performed twice. Her first act was accompanied by “Walking in the Air” from “The Snowman Suite,” by Howard Blake, arranged by Tony Osborne. Her second was performed to “Waltz of the Flowers” from “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky. Both were superb.
For this performance, the brass section was composed of four trumpets, four French horns, three trombones, and one tuba–I counted. Boy, can they take over, with solid, powerful punch and depth, whenever the conductor wants them to!
I believe the classical orchestra is a signal achievement of western civilization and culture. Can you think of any other culture that has produced any comparable organization for the performance of its music? The variety of orchestral instruments is amazing in itself. And the variety and complexity of music which they can collectively produce as a group is unique–the range of expression of the western orchestra cannot be found anywhere else in the world. And the composers who write music for the orchestra–these are the highest artists on the musical totem pole, in my opinion. The composers are the creators. They are the best of the best, and their best works last for centuries.
Yes, the orchestra is limited. Like anything else created by humans, it cannot do everything, cannot fulfill every need and desire. And all other cultures have produced unique, expressive music, some of it utterly fantastic. However, their groups, their musical organizations, their genres, also are limited–and I contend they are much more limited than the western orchestra in their variety of sounds and expression of human experience. Orchestral music demands the highest level of mastery from all its pieces and parts, from the composer to the conductor to the musicians to the instruments to the concert halls. As you know, I love bands–marching, concert, pep, dance, jazz, any kind of band. But to me, the western classical orchestra is king–I tip my hat in salute to the orchestra.
Posted in Professional Concerts | Tagged: Alexander Streltsov, band, Benaroya Hall, Bizet, Carmen Dragon, Christine Van Loo, Cirque De La Symphonie, classical, Holiday Pops, Howard Blake, Leroy Anderson, orchestra, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Saint-Saens, Schubert, Seattle Symphony, Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker, The Snowman Suite, Tony Osborne, trumpets, Walking in the Air, Waltz of the Flowers | 6 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 29, 2009
Glenn's Proud!
- Pre-game rehearsal
- One push-up for each Husky point scored
For the first time since 1968 (41 years!), the Apple Cup ended in shutout–this time the Huskies held the Cougars scoreless. The headline on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s website on Sunday morning read, “Huskies Crush Cougs in Apple Cup Blowout.” This 102nd game between the two schools started at 3:30 p.m. and was played under lights as a cold wind blew wildly around the stadium. We were among the ~67,000 fans who were so grateful it did not rain. Chris Polk rushed for 130 yards and became the first true UW freshman ever to rush for over 1,000 yards in one season. Jake Locker had the kind of game everyone has expected of him every time he’s played these past three years, running for 94 yards, passing for 196, scoring one touchdown himself, passing for another.
Once again, I attended for free as a member of the Husky Alumni Band (HMBAA). The band’s routine goes like this. We arrive three and half hours before kickoff and have a short rehearsal at the tennis court grandstand just north of Hec-Ed Pavillion. Then we walk to 4-5 tailgate venues in different parking lots. At each site we play about five tunes, ending up with a little longer session at the final stop near the Husky dog and Coach Jim Owens statues at the stadium entrance. In addition to the songs mentioned in my post (below) on 11 October, we played a bunch of other tunes yesterday, including “Shake a Tail Feather,” “Hey! Baby!”, “Vehicle,” “Find Myself a Sunny Spot,” “Polynesian Paralysis,” “Separate Ways,” and one of my favorites, “You Can Call Me Al.” Of course, we always play “Victory for Washington” and “Bow Down to Washington” everywhere–those two are givens.
During the game itself, the routine continues. We play a few tunes during some of the time-outs. Our turn to play is all coordinated with the UW Varsity Band via headsets. Then, after the Varsity Band concludes its half-time show, we play a few tunes from the track in front of the main southside grandstand until the teams return and the second half begins. Next, after the game ends, we play a few tunes in front of the people in the “horseshoe” stands at the west end, where we always sit during the games. Our last song there last night was “Celebration.” People in the stands sang along and swayed to music…it’s great to relish a victory.
Finally, we walk back to the Nordstrom Tennis Center behind Hec-ED, and play some more. I walked there with Dan Niven (see my post of 9 September below). Dan plays trombone, manages the Mills Music Store in Lynnwood, sings in the Total Experience Gospel Choir of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Seattle, and is an actor in various community theater groups. He’ll play the Ghost of Jacob Marley in the Evergreen Family Theatre’s production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the Redwood Family Church in Redmond in early December.
We overheard a couple of very pleased fans talking about this victory and about beating the University of California Bears next Saturday. Dan noted that they spoke using the pronoun “we,” meaning the Husky football team. He observed that it’s funny how people own the team when it wins but disown it when it loses, switching to the pronoun, “they.” It’s “we did this and that” when our team is winning, and “they did this and that” when our team is losing…chuckle.
How did the Alumni Band help “our” team win this historic game? Well, several times during the tailgate playing tour, we played our special version of the “WSU Fite Song.” We started out with the regular tune but suddenly broke into “Old McDonald Had a Farm.” Then we switched back to the regular fight song, only to interrupt it again with “The Farmer in the Dell,” immediately concluding with a most discordant, emphatic “Splat!” And that’s how WE really won the 102nd Apple Cup!
Posted in HMBAA - Husky Alumni Band | Tagged: Apple Cup, Bow Down to Washington, Celebration, Chris Polk, Coach Jim Owens, Cougars, Dan Niven, Hec-Ed Pavillion, Hey! Baby!, HMBAA, Huskies, Husky Alumni Band, Jake Locker, Lynnwood, Mills Music, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Nordstrom Tennis Center, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, tailgate, Total Experience Gospel Choir, UW, Varsity Band, Victory for Washington, WSU, WSU Fite Song, You Can Call Me Al | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 25, 2009
Yesterday, I met my 5th new student of this school year for our first lesson–“It’s a Girl!” A 6th grader, she’s kinda shy but wants to improve her trumpet playing, so…she’s having to get used to me! 😀 Last year, she had a few lessons from another instructor, but their schedules didn’t work out. The instructor teaches only at a studio, and it proved too difficult for her to make it to his location reliably. So now I’m going to her home in Kirkland immediately following my lesson with my Bothell student. That’s an easy hop and a skip–works well for both of us. Her mom, an attorney, says she likes playing trumpet, is sticking with it, and wants to get better. So here we go!
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 5th, 6th, attorney, Bothell, Kirkland, lesson, shy, studio, trumpet | 4 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 21, 2009
Today I went to the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in Bothell to hear my 9th grade trumpet student play with his school group in the “Northshore Jazz Festival.” I sat next to his Dad at the end of the row of seats occupied by their family, including his Mom, siblings, and one set of grandparents.
There were 25 jazz ensembles and bands on the program, some traveling from far away places such as Wenatchee, Langley (on Whidbey Island), Bremerton, Arlington, Monroe, and Snoqualmie. They played from 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Each group played three pieces. During lunch, the jazz ensemble from Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, played a concert. The festival was not a contest. It was a show. Each group got to show how well they’re playing at this stage of the school year, and a group of professional musicians, instructors and conductors critiqued each band. They made written notes and recorded audio comments, as feedback for the band directors and members to consider later.
I started snapping photos with my Blackberry phone camera when my student’s group appeared on stage. They sounded good and were well-rehearsed. Several key players seem to form the core of the group. My student is lead trumpeter. In the middle of the second piece, he improvised a solo! Afterwards, his Dad proudly said to me, “He nailed it!” I gave him thumbs up and a broad smile. Those lessons are paying off. Way to go, man!
Posted in Festivals & Competitions | Tagged: 9th, Arlington, arts, bands, Blackberry, Bothell, Bremerton, center, Central Washington Unversity, concert, contest, critiqued, Ellensburg, ensembles, Festivals & Competitions, grader, improvised, Island, jazz, Langley, lead, lessons, Monroe, nailed, northshore, Northshore Jazz Festival, Northshore Performing Arts Center, NPAC, performing, show, Snoqualmie, solo, trumpeter, Wenatchee, Whidbey | 4 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 18, 2009
This afternoon during our first private trumpet lesson, I heard my newest student, the 4th of this school year, play the sweetest tones on his trumpet! Trouble is, he cannot yet read music fluently. He’s sort of stuck at that stage where he still has to think about the name of each note and then recall the fingering. But when he finally blows, his attack is clean and his tone is big, solid, full, round and fat! It’s so natural to him.
He’s been thrown into a 6th grade band class, handed a band book, and told to go learn to play Exercise __ or Song __ on pages __ with little or no guidance or instruction about the horn and technique. It’s forced “do it yourself” learning. Well, with this teaching approach, what results does the band director at this north Seattle elementary school expect?! Struggles, frustration, and a probable band drop-out someday.
It is my pleasure to help this gentle boy overcome these obstacles. Let’s give the kid some successes! and who knows? maybe we’ll be listening to him play in the jazz, concert and marching bands soon…maybe in the symphony or opera orchestras someday…maybe on some CDs or in the movies when he’s that good. Let him dream! Help him dream! Help him achieve his potential. Or maybe he’ll simply enjoy playing in the school band with his friends for a few years and never take it any further…that’s fine, too. You find good people in bands. Good memories accumulate with the many events, and lifetime friendships often form–even marriages!
Thanks to his Mom for giving me the opportunity to help him come to love music and the trumpet. Let’s motivate him to practice more. Let’s have fun while we work hard. Let’s see what he can do, if he really wants to.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 4th, 6th, attack, band, CDs, concert, director, dream, fingering, grade, grader, jazz, lesson, marching, movies, opera, orchestra, sweet, sweetest, symphony, technique, tone, trumpet | 2 Comments »
Posted by glennled on November 16, 2009
My 3rd student of the new school year got a late start—he just recently signed up for band class, and the other trumpeters have about a two-month head start! They’re all in 6th grade at the same elementary school between Woodinville and Snohomish, so he’s had to get off to a fast start to chase down the leaders. He’s taking weekly one-hour trumpet lessons (instead of half-hour). He’s got the family support, he’s got the interest, he’s got the desire, he’s a quick learner, and he’s a hard worker. If he were a racehorse, I’d say those other horses better watch out! This steed is gaining ground with every stride.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 3rd, 6th, band, elementary, lessons, racehorse, school, Snohomish, steed, trumpet, trumpeters, Woodinville | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on October 11, 2009
Husky Alumni Band plays for tailgaters in SE parking lot.
Squad, pre-game huddle, chanting and swaying, getting all fired up!
Things were looking impossible at the football game last night: the UW Huskies were down 33-21 to the University of Arizona Wildcats with only about four minutes left to play in the game. Suddenly, with hands clasped in front of his face and then raised to the sky, the Husky Alumni Band (HMBAA) trumpet player sitting next to me openly prayed aloud to the “Husky God” for a “miracle in our house.” Sure enough, within the next ~1.5 minutes, the Huskies had scored 15 points and won the game. Actually, the four plays (pass, extra point kick, interception, two-point conversion) which yielded those 15 points took only 18 seconds off the game clock. “Unbelievable!” screamed the 1.5″ headline in the Sunday Seattle Times.
Now it was really fun playing again in the Husky Alumni Band…lotsa good musicians having fun like the college kids we once were. “You Can Call Me Al,” “Louie, Louie,” “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Johnny Q,” “Celebration” are just a few of the many songs we played before masses of people tailgaiting in various parking lots around Husky Stadium. And of course, “Victory” and “Bow Down to Washington” many times. Three vintage trumpeters, Dave, Dave, and Stan, showed me around and were especially fun to play with. I’ll be back for the Apple Cup against WSU on 28 November (Thanksgiving weekend), God willing!
Posted in HMBAA - Husky Alumni Band | Tagged: Al, alumni, Apple Cup, Arizona, band, Bow Down, Celebration, God, HMBAA, Huskies, Johnny, Louie, Lovin', miracle, Seattle Times, Victory, Washington, WSU. Thanksgiving | 4 Comments »
Posted by glennled on October 5, 2009
My 2nd new trumpet student of the 2009 school year commenced lessons with me this month. He’s a 9th grader in middle school, where he’s already an award-winning musician among his peers, and yet he has never had a private lesson until now. His prime interest is jazz. I can tell he’s going to go far!–just the kind of motivated, talented student every instructor loves to have.
Posted in New Students - Intro Posts | Tagged: 2nd, 9th, Bothell, jazz, lessons, middle school, trumpet | Leave a Comment »
Posted by glennled on September 9, 2009
Recently, I met the highly personable, enthusiastic Dan Niven, manager of the Mills Music Store in Lynnwood. Turns out that he plays trombone in the Husky Alumni Band at UW football games. It’s organized by the Husky Marching Band Alumni Association (HMBAA), www.hmbaa.org. I’m a “Hum’-ba” member, too, and am looking forward to playing at the Arizona game at Husky Stadium on 10 October. “See you at the Horseshoe!” he says to me. At the store, there are studios where instructors teach private lessons. For those students who prefer it, we can meet there for our sessions. It is located at 20505 Highway 99 (east side of the road), telephone 425-775-6500. Great place to rent or buy your instrument, music books, supplies and accessories. It’s one of 11 Mills Music stores. Try them!
Posted in HMBAA - Husky Alumni Band | Tagged: 99, Arizona, band, cornet, Dan, football, games, HMBAA, horseshoe, Husky, instruction, lessons, Lynnwood, marching, Mills, music, Niven, private, stadium, store, studio, trumpet, UW | 2 Comments »
Glenn's Trumpet Notes 
