It was a rainy day in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and as anyone knows, there is no better activity during a thunderstorm than to cuddle up inside with a good book! That is how I found my young friend Corzoo who has lived with us since December. He was propped up on some cozy pillows, quite absorbed in a copy of – what? What book is that?
“Ahem…young master Corzoo, what book is that you are reading? Are you perhaps thinking of going somewhere?” I caught him beside my stack of travel books with his own nose buried in my Vienna book.
“I’m studying up, of course.” he said.
“Oh!” I said. “And when are you planning to depart?”
“Why, tomorrow. With you.”
“Corzoo, that is simply not possible. We haven’t planned on it. I don’t have a ticket for you!”
“I can stow away easily enough in your carry-on bag, or in your suitcase if need be. You know I am very resilient. Shall I quote the Oxford English Dictionary definition of resilient for you, or do you know what that means?” he asked in his honest, but slightly patronizing young voice. He has not yet learned the nuances of respectful conversation.
“No, Corzoo. Thank you, but I know that you are quite adaptable and can rebound from any hardship.” I replied. “But why is it that you have your heart set on going with me? Don’t you think you might get a little bored and antsy? I mean, hotel rooms are not easy places to practice. And we’re just going to be flitting from one place to another. We will hardly get settled in one city before we move on to the next.”
“I’ve been practicing all summer long! I think I have gone as far as I can, being a kazoo and so forth. I need adventure! I need to see the world! Aren’t you always writing in that blog of yours about how travel stretches the spirit and enriches the “inner landscape” of a young, budding musician? This is EXACTLY what I need, even if only to get a taste of each city. Since I am so precocious… shall I quote the definition of precocious for you? Or…”
“NO, Corzoo! I know you are quite intelligent and aware for your tender age!” He was starting to agitate me, I admit.
“Well, since I am so precocious, I am fully cognizant of all of the composers who lived in the various cities you are going, your destinations being apparent by the very large stack of travel books you are packing. I can use this trip to experience the cities the of the composers, visit the churches they wrote for, attend the concert halls where their music has been played for hundreds of years. Think of my musical education!”
Hmm, he had a point.
“But, Corzoo,” I said, “I’m not interested ONLY in going to musically-related sites. There is so much more to see and experience. Beautiful gardens, impressive castles, museums. And eating – what about eating? You are hardly interested in experiencing food like I am, although I daresay you might like Sachertorte! And I plan on doing a fair amount of window-shopping. I like to wander and just see what I fall across sometimes.”
“All very true,” he said. “But you will need a travel companion while your Mr. Bilger is working. You’ll be lonely without me!” He paused for a while, I imagine considering what he could say to be convincing.
“Alright!” he said, finally, with the tone of a final deal in his voice. If you allow me stow away, I promise to go along with whatever you want to do. You have my word, that in exchange for my companionship, I will only every once in a great while remind you of my presence in your bag, so that you might not get carried away with your wanderings and forget to think of my musical and cultural education.”
Having appealed to the teacher in me, he had me, and he knew it.
“Alright, resilient, precocious lad. You may go. Pack your daily warm-ups and some etudes though. We both will be doing a little bit of daily practicing before we go exploring.”
And that is the way the Exciting European Adventures of the Young Corzoo began.
There’s something about the life of a pilgrim that has always struck me. First of all, there is a central purpose – some kind of thread that runs through the length of the journey. There is a specific path to be walked, or a particular destination. Pilgrims share the same purpose as their fellow travelers. For these Journeymen, their craft is their thread, learning as much as they can from masters in lands other than their own, so that it may inform their own craftsmanship.
One of the most inner-landscape-enriching places I ever visited was Israel. I went there during college to be a part of a winter music festival based outside of Jerusalem. It unfortunately no longer exists. It was a truly international group of musicians – I made some very close friends in the three weeks or so I was there and learned so much from them. We stayed in a hotel located on a kibbutz and therefore kept kosher – a new experience for me. And Israel itself worked on me. Even though I knew quite a bit about Israel before visiting, to experience a place with so much history – and ancient history! – was a revelation for a girl who had spent most of her life in a relatively new U.S. city.
For right now, I find myself in Colorado surrounded by stunning landscapes. It is not a new place for me, but I hope to take a hike or two that I haven’t done before, though I am dying to revisit an old favorite once I acclimate to the altitude. I’m reading a new book and revisiting an old one. I’m practicing some old, favorite etudes and learning some new recital pieces.
If you will allow me to go slightly off-topic, this weekend is a very special one for my husband and me: we are celebrating our first wedding anniversary! Between that and the fact that I am attending a wedding tomorrow, I have been reliving that beautiful day a year ago, and indeed all the beautiful days I have had previous and since with my husband. There is not a day that goes by when I don’t feel like the luckiest girl alive to have found my Love and be able make a life together with him.
We were married at 
In choosing the music for our wedding, we opted to take advantage of St. Mark’s rich tradition and talents, since it is so in line with our own tastes, and chose music based on the voice. You might be asking: aren’t you both brass players? No brass?? It’s true. No brass. For whatever reason, we both have a need to escape the brass world on a regular basis. It was pure choral and organ choices with the exception of the prelude music which featured soprano 
Our prelude music was put together by Laura and Richard based on some ideas of ours and it was perfect. I sat back in the cloister as long as I could to hear as much of it as possible. Both 
— Henry Purcell: Crown the altar
Here is some of the music from the service. Unfortunately, none of the clips I have here are the St. Mark’s Choir, but just of the recordings that I have of the pieces. Enjoy!
As time went on, I became more aware of just how wide-ranging Mike’s interests and projects are and just how many different things he has his fingers in! What we talk about in the following paragraphs still only covers a portion of his interests and experiences. I hope you enjoy as much as I did his fascinating anecdotes and thoughts throughout this interview: his start on the horn, his time in China, his observations about being a musician and a freelancer in these times, and learning about all of his many projects and endeavors. I think you just might find your own ideas and juices flowing a little more after reading what Michael has to say!
Ten years after I stopped composing, I acquired a copy of Sibelius notation software and quickly figured out the basics. After attending a few workshops and seminars, I had become pretty fluent; my newfound skills enabled me to do a lot more writing of all kinds, including the occasional little arranging and copying jobs. Opportunities to put my arranger chops to use started to pick up for me quite a bit after I met Sufjan Stevens, who hired me to play horn and do some arranging on a few tours. Working with Sufjan and his musical family inspired me deeply, and I began to write music again in 2006. Since then, I have completed a set of five horn duets, a mixed ensemble piece, and a woodwind quartet. I do have many other pieces sketched out and a few of them nearly complete, including a brass dectet for my friends in the Washington D.C.-based National Brass Collective.
It’s hard to find the words; the best way I can describe it is every time we play feels like being at music camp for the first time. There are many talented musicians in The Knights, and the environment that Eric and Colin Jacobsen have created is very conducive to exploring and utilizing all of the group’s individual and collective talents. We play arrangements and pieces written by fellow Knights, we break into smaller ensembles for some concerts, and we like to rehearse and even do sectionals – a lot. The Knights also handle the administration of the group through player committees. As one of my favorite Knights, Christina Courtin, puts it: “We like music!”
Yes, it is true! I got to know the Barbies at various points over the years, and am happy to have them playing my works. At first, I was unsure about what they wanted to do with such a group, but as time went on, I became impressed at their dedication to the hard work of promoting themselves and finding new opportunities. They really carved out a place for themselves, and people are talking about them quite a bit on the internet and around town. I smiled when 
I have had the opportunity to play Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on several occasions now between my work in New York and Philadelphia. This past week I played four concerts of this great work. One of the most stunning things to me about the experience of playing it is that, without fail, the houses are nearly always full or sold out. People show up in droves to hear it – and they are an exuberant bunch! You get the feeling that this is an Event – definitely with a capital “E” and probably with an exclamation point!
I was recently talking with my mother about commitment. She and my dad, as music teachers, have seen a decline over the years in commitment of students to be a reliable part of band and chorus. What’s more is that sometimes the parents don’t even encourage and support an attitude of commitment from their child. Showing up for and prioritizing an activity seem the exception rather than the rule. Things happen of course – people get sick (as I write this I’m unexpectedly at home sick when I was supposed to be in New York), but this is less about the bumps that keep us away from time to time and more about the daily attitude of showing up and being fully engaged in certain endeavors.
There is A LOT of music to be heard before that last joyful shout. The emotional impact of the last movement is only really possible because of the context. Hearing that melody in a commercial, or singing it as a hymn in church may be all well and good, but it just doesn’t match the joy felt in the real thing. The audience has been on a journey with the orchestra and chorus for a full hour or so already – they showed up and committed to the whole darn thing. The storminess of the first movement, the quirky dances of the second, the reminisces and ruminations of the third movement, and exhaustive (and exhausting!) repetition and re-working of themes in all movements – this is what makes the drama and joy possible in the end. Beethoven gives back to you in equal measure what you give to him. Your time and attention do not go unrewarded!
Throughout our musical lives, we come across various kinds of Blank Spaces in our calendars. They can feel like a blessing or a curse depending on the situation. For students there is the oft-longed-for Summer Vacation. For recent graduates and hopeful freelancers there is an integration period into the scene that can feel frighteningly uncertain. For current freelancers, there are the natural lulls that are just part of the cycle of the musical year and of a freelance career. For orchestral musicians there are the weeks of vacation that are often used for deep rest and renewal, or for the pursuit of personal projects, or for catching up on family life and things around the house. Then there are the “enforced” periods of time away from playing due to injury or to being very busy with something else – like caring for someone else – perhaps a baby, or an elderly parent, or a sick spouse.
Eleanor Roosevelt is one of my heros. I find her energy, sense of adventure, and insatiable desire to learn and experience all that life has to offer so compelling and the courage with which she faced her insecurities inspiring. I tore through the two-volume biography of her by Blanche Wiesen Cook several years ago, I’ve read a collection that contains much of her daily column entries, and there’s this one book by Mrs. Roosevelt herself called You Learn By Living. I treasure this book and think that it should be required reading for everyone!
In continued anticipation of Mother’s Day, I want to introduce you more thoroughly to my own mother and to some of the things she taught me, both through music and away from music. This Mother’s Day is an especially big day for her because it also happens to be her birthday and she is turning 60 years old! I would like to invite all of my blog readers to participate in this post by adding thoughts about your own mothers (whether or not she is a Music Mom!). And, Moms, I’d love to hear from you too about being a mother and what you want most for your children. So, please, comment freely. I look forward to reading your contributions!
By her own example, she also taught me (and continues to teach me) how never to make decisions based in fear, but to live out of love – to trust and to be open and brave.
We hear so much about Soccer and Hockey Moms – but let’s talk about Music Moms! Since Mother’s Day is almost here, I thought I would use today and the rest of this week to pay tribute to these amazing women. They play an extraordinary role in the development of young musicians. They are responsible for their child’s earliest exposure to music; they play the role of Motivator (when the kids need, ahem, “encouragement” to practice); they are Road Warriors shuttling kids to and from lessons, auditions, competitions; and last but not least, they are Armchair/Bedside/Driver’s-Seat Psychologists in helping their children navigate the peaks and valleys of excelling at something that requires so much work, and so much of yourself.
And at this point I absolutely must introduce to you the lovely lady in both of these photos. This is Larisa Kennedy, my student Mark’s mom, who (along with my own mother, of course!) is the Queen Of All Music Moms, making the over-three-hour trek from State College, PA with three of her kids to Philadelphia for lessons every other week. And that’s just the beginning! This year has been a very full year with Mark’s college auditions and they drove and flew all over the place. She is tireless and incredibly inspirational. Her commitment (and the commitment of the whole family) and Mark’s hard work paid off – he’s headed to University of Michigan next year to study with Adam Unsworth. Hooray!
Hometown: Evansville, IN