Silas Nathaniel Huff, Officer and Maestro

Army Leader vs. Musical Director

2011-08-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

I am in Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) right now at the U.S. Army School of Music in Virginia Beach, VA. My buddies who are infantry, artillery, armor, or transportation officers are at their respective BOLCs, but nobody really knows what Army conductors do in BOLC. Well, here you go…

Here at the U.S. Army School of Music, we don't learn anything about music because my colleagues and I already know music—that's why we were chosen for this job. Instead, we learn a ton of non-musical subjects that are useful to us, like audio reinforcement, drill & ceremony, concert programming, copyright compliance, and unit cohesion/team development. Beyond that, we learn Army-important things, like supply procedures, how to prepare Army briefings and correspondence, fundamentals of joint operations, IED identification, soldier resilience, and a ton of regulations.

But the real subject of study here at BOLC is leadership, and it’s very interesting to learn the Army perspective on leadership. According to Field Manual 6-22 (Army Leadership), “An Army leader is anyone who...inspires and influences people to accomplish organizational goals. Army leaders motivate people...to pursue actions, focus thinking, and shape decisions for the greater good of the organization.” Hmm. Sounds like a music director. FM 6-22 also says that Army Leaders have three attributes—character, presence, and intellectual capacity—and Army Leaders essentially do three things—lead, develop others, and achieve results. Just like a music director. We Army leaders are expected to be agile, adaptable, and competent subject-matter experts who bring a team together and rely on the competence of others to accomplish a common goal. Wow. That sounds just like a music director.

Military leader vs. musical leader. What's the difference?

Now that I think of it, the Army's idea of a leader rhymes pretty well with what I've always thought a great musical leader was. As I begin my career as an Army Conductor, I am thinking a lot about how to incorporate my pre-conceived ideas about musical leadership into my military work, and I hope my military studies will help me improve my civilian musical work, too.

More soon...

I am a U.S. Army Officer! Hooah!

2011-08-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished 6 months of Army immersion training – 3 months of Basic Combat Training and 3 months of Officer Candidate School. I won’t bore you with every detail, but here is a short synopsis:

Basic Combat Training (BCT) was a lot easier than I expected. I performed very well. I discovered that I like firing weapons and performing battle drills, and I excelled at both. The terrible part was being cut off from friends, family, and society. For ten weeks, we had no access to phones, email, or internet, and mail service was spotty. Also, I didn’t like being called “retard” (and worse), but it is all part of the game. Overall, the training was fun and easy (everyone who started with me graduated), and along the way I met some interesting and colorful characters, to say the least.

[click here to see a slideshow of my Basic Combat Training]

Officer Candidate School (OCS) was completely different. Designed to identify the best qualified soldiers for Army officership (and to eliminate the rest), the 12-week course was crazy difficult, psychologically stressful, and physically demanding. We ran miles and miles, and were tried physically and mentally, put under constant stress, and deprived of sleep. About 45% of my class dropped out (or was kicked out). Only the best of the best made it. OCS was the hardest thing I ever did in my life, but on July 28, 2011, my father, retired Lieutenant Colonel Rob Huff, swore me into the Army as a commissioned officer. Hooah.

[click here to see a slideshow of Officer Candidate School]

In my last week of OCS, the Fort Benning newspaper (The Bayonet) wrote this article about me: "Officer Candidate Strikes a New Chord in the Army"

Now I’m in Virginia Beach attending the US Army School of Music. It’s wonderful being with musicians again and learning how to run an Army band. I’ve recently learned that my first assignment – starting in November 2011 – will be as the Executive Officer and Assistant Conductor of the TRADOC Band (TRADOC = Training and Doctrine Command) at Fort Eustis, VA. The “TRADOC Band” is an amazing unit consisting of a concert band, marching band, jazz ensemble, rock band, Dixie band, brass quintet, trombone quartet, woodwind quintet, and a salsa band. I am very excited about this opportunity, and I look forward to blogging a little more frequently on musical and conducting issues.

As the 1-34th Infantry Battalion (where I did Basic Training) says: “Always forward!”

Thank you, New York

2011-01-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

Hello there, New York City,

Got a minute? I need to tell you something. I have to leave you now, but I will miss you badly. Where am I going? Well, for the next six months I will live in Columbus, GA, then I'll spend 3 months in Norfolk, VA. After that, I'm not sure, but I won't live here. What? Of course I still like you!...No, I don't want to leave you, but I have to. I really would like to stay here forever, but I can't.

Before I go, I want to thank you personally for a few things. Thank you, New York, for:

Being the greatest city in the world
Having more great music and art than anywhere on earth
Being the most diverse and tolerant city I know
Having a generally cultured and intellectual populace
Having great public transportation, 24/7
400 miles of bike lanes
Grand Central Station
1,700 parks (so many great parks! Central Park is a little over-rated, but I have enjoyed her many, many times)
The Metropolitan Opera (Alas! How will I live without you?)
Oh yeah...Met broadcasts
American Ballet Theater and NYC Ballet
Carnegie Hall
Chinatown, Little Italy, Koreatown, Greenpoint, Washington Heights, and all the other good ethnic food neighborhoods
18,951 restaurants. Seriously.
Great food, and bars that stay open until 4 am
Shoe-shine guys
MOMA, Natural History, Met, and all the other great museums
Times Square (to contain most of the tourists and keep them out of Astoria and other lovely places)
Diners and pizza joints
Abundant taxis
The jogging/bike path that encircles Manhattan
Fancy people
Weird people
Ridiculously liberal people
Really great people
Broadway, 30th Avenue, and Ditmars
The Bohemian Beer Garden
Astoria, the greatest neighborhood in the universe
Making Taylor happy (Veniero's is a nice touch)
Being invincible

Most of all, New York, thank you for all the opportunities you have provided, bringing so many talented people together, and offering me a chance to make it here.

Many of my friends and family members don't get you. "Why do you live in New York?" they ask. "What's so great about New York?"...I agree - they are dumb questions. You exposed me to higher standards in every field, the stiffest competition on earth, an audience for what I do, the largest/best community of talented artists and collaborators, and people and organizations with the means to support my work and growth. You taught me resilience, patience, compassion, and gratitude for what I have. You fostered my evolution in the most important part of my professional development.

Remember when I first came here to you? It was September 2002, and I had $100 in my pocket, no car, no job, no connections, and no apartment. I'm leaving 9 years later as the music director of 2 professional orchestras, co-director of an international conducting institute, and U.S. Army Conductor/Officer Candidate. You can't do that in many cities. You made me who I am, New York, and I am extremely grateful.

Next time I come here, I'll be a tourist. I'm truly sorry. I'll try to blend in, though. No, I won't wear a colorful ski jacket. No, I won't block pedestrian traffic by just standing in the middle of the sidewalk. No, I won't see the Spider-Man musical. Yeah, I heard it sucks, too.

Well, my friend, it's time for me to go. Thank you for all you have given me. You are New York City, the Big Apple. I made it here. I can make it any where. It's up to you, New York.

I love you.
Silas

Conductors in San Francisco

2011-01-14T07:26:00.001-08:00

Recently, Taylor and I wanted to get out of freezing cold, snowy New York, and I found the perfect excuse: the 2011 Conductors Guild Conference in beautiful San Francisco. January 6-9 we went to California and had a great long weekend filled with food, fun, and a good dose of conductor-talk. (photo to the left by Taylor)

We stayed at the beautiful and historic Hotel Whitcomb. We could easily walk to most attractions in SF and it was an easy 5-10 minute stroll to the conference, which took place at the War Memorial Building, 1 block away from Davies Hall.

On the first day of the conference, we went to Davies Hall to watch guest conductor Kirill Karabitz rehearse the SF Symphony in Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances and Schumann's Piano Concerto (Helene Grimaud, piano). Davies Hall is amazing, and of course the orchestra is outstanding as well. And Helene...wow. This rehearsal was a great treat.

Davies Hall

The highlights of the conference included a discussion with Maestro Michael Morgan (Oakland Symphony) about finding one's place in the world of conducting, a panel discussion with concertmasters from several orchestras, and an enlightening lecture/demonstration with Maestro Vance George in which he discussed choral rehearsal techniques and examples. However, as a conductor who loves conducting ballet (and a lover of dance), my favorite session was probably the discussion entitled "The Role of a Ballet Conductor" by SF Ballet Music Director Martin West. I also discovered many new pieces for orchestra, band, and choir, and met quite a few colleagues I'd never met before.

The Conductors Guild is the only organization in the world dedicated exclusively to the art of conducting and to conductors. They offer publications, reviews, job postings, workshops, and so many other services to us conductors. Many of my European colleagues say, "You are lucky to have the Guild - there is nothing like it in Europe." Some of them join the Conductors Guild, even though it is based in the U.S. Let me say this: if you are a conductor, you should be a member of the Guild. It's affordable, and they have student rates, too. There's no excuse. If you are serious about your career and not a member of CG, join today.

The annual CG conference is an opportunity for conductors to gather, discuss problems, offer solutions, and learn from one another. It is also an opportunity to learn about services and companies that exist to make our jobs easier. It always happens in a great city (2012 in Chicago, 2013 in NYC!) and they are also a lot of fun. If you are able to attend the conference in January, you should do that, too.

I was at the conference representing the International Conducting Institute. Many conducting students, professionals, and teachers were interested in the Institute, and I anticipate full classes in 2011. We have already filled the NYC Workshop in March, and we are well under way with the Austin and CZ workshops (in May and July/August, respectively).

Me and the ICI Booth

Non-musical highlights of my SF trip included a wonderful lunch with my composer friend Jack Perla, a great walk with Tay from our hotel to the Ferry Building Marketplace, the best hot chocolate on earth - Recchiuti hot chocolate, and the Fisherman's Wharf where we ate an excellent dinner at Nick's Lighthouse - clam chowder in a bread bowl, a whole crab, and beer. Mmmmm...

Crab at Nick's Lighthouse, photo by Tay

We also shared a wonderful dinner with at Lers Ros Thai with a few new conductor friends, including the newly elected president of the Conductors Guild James Allen Anderson. We ate alligator! (among other not-so-weird stuff). We had lunch with my NYC colleague and friend David Leibowitz at a fantastic BBQ place called Tommy's Joynt, and we spent an amazing evening with my old buddy Suzanne and her beau - dinner at Le Trappe in North Beach and drinks and dancing at Top of the Mark - the bar where the martini was invented...supposedly. They were great martinis, and we had a fantastic night out.

Taylor and Suzanne

It was a beautiful weekend. I can't wait to go back to S.F.

This "Baton-Wielder" is Ready to Go!

2010-12-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

Now that 2010 is winding down, I am contemplating the year behind me and the year ahead.

Taylor and I had an outstanding year. Taylor sold a 4-book series (look for her first Hello Gorgeous! book, Blowout, on Amazon or in a store near you April 14), and I landed a great job as an Army Officer-Conductor. We both enjoyed great health, exciting trips to beautiful places, and fun times together. We had a wonderful Christmas in Astoria and stayed warm in our apartment during this week's great blizzard. I got the coolest Christmas gift ever from my sister- and brother-in-law: an army bicycle jersey. I feel very "hoo-ah" in it, and can't wait to wear it on a long bike ride in the spring.

For me, most of of 2011 will be spent in Army training. Many friends and family members have asked me if I'm nervous about going to Basic Training. The answer is, "No." I love physical and mental challenges, so I can't wait to go to Basic Training and Officer Candidate School. My feelings on the subject can be summed up in this short video from the movie Bolt:

In all seriousness, though, Taylor and I are thrilled about what's in store for us. Taylor will spend most of 2011 in NYC without me, but the excitement and anticipation of what comes next is palpable. We are enjoying as much time together right now as we can, so I can go away for a few months and we can be reunited as Army officer and author. It will be tough, of course, but the reward is going to be amazing. I am ready to go!

Here are some excerpts from a news article that appeared about me in the NY Daily News:

Queens baton-wielder to be military maestro for 22 U.S. Army Band officers

BY Leigh Remizowski
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Friday, December 24th 2010

This Queens conductor has already proven he's a maestro with a baton, but for his next gig he'll have to show he can hold his own with a rifle as well.

Silas Nathaniel Huff has been chosen as one of an elite group of 22 U.S. Army Band officers. After a rigorous seven-month audition process, Huff will soon conduct one of the Army's six largest bands.

"It's such a prestigious job, and it's such a huge honor," Huff said.

In May, Huff, 37, was asked to guest conduct the Army Band at Fort Meyer, Va. He was almost immediately offered the job. But...Huff went through a whirlwind of fitness tests, interviews and a background check before being accepted into Officer Candidate School.

"We're not just hiring someone to be a conductor," said Col. Thomas Palmatier, commander and conductor of the U.S. Army Field Band. "We're looking for a leader, a manager - someone who wants to be a soldier in addition to being a fine conductor."

Last year, Army bands performed 27,000 free concerts for more than 27 million people, Palmatier said. More than 1,200 Army Band soldiers performed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's really kind of a dream job." [said Huff.]

On Feb. 1, he will be shipped off to 10 weeks of basic training at Fort Benning, Ga. Then there's another 12 weeks of Officer Candidate School.

"I've heard that [Basic Training] very physically and mentally challenging," said Huff..."I might be the oldest guy in the class," he said. "I plan on running circles around the young guys."

Read the whole article

An Officer and a Maestro

2010-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday, December 8, 2010, I joined the U.S. Army as a Conductor and Officer Candidate. As a Conductor-Officer, I'll work with some of the best musicians in America (bands, choirs, and the Army Symphony Orchestra). I will tour frequently, perform more than I ever thought possible, and live in a variety of exciting and interesting places. Most importantly, I'll make outstanding music and I'll serve my community, the USA, and the world. There are only 24 U.S. Army Officer Conductors, so the selection process was grueling; It is a big honor and responsibility.

I ship out on February 1, 2011, to Ft. Benning, GA, for three months of Basic Training. On April 18, 2011, I will begin three months of Officer Candidate School (also at Ft. Benning). I will receive my commission on July 7, 2011, and head over to Virginia Beach, VA, for a three-month Army music leadership course at the Army School of Music. After that, possible assignments include Newport News (VA), West Point (NY), Washington D.C. (Ft. Meade or Ft. Myers), Ft. Bragg (NC), and Heidelberg (Germany). I don't know yet where I will live in the fall of 2011, but my sources tell me that my first station will either be Ft. Eustis (Newport News, VA) or Ft. Bragg, NC. I will find out next summer.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Is this a joke? No. I'm joining the Army and will be an officer and a conductor.
You have to go to basic training? Yes. I will go to 10 weeks of basic training (in Ft. Benning, GA), then 12 weeks of Officer Candidate School (also Ft. Benning, GA). I'm sincerely looking forward to both.
You have to shoot a weapon? Do push-ups and sit-ups, etc.? Yes. Army musicians must become soldiers first. By the time I start conducting army ensembles in fall 2011, I will be certified on an M-16 assault rifle and 9 mm sidearm, and I will have done thousands of push-ups and sit-ups. No problem. I am fit and ready. I've been doing intense PT (physical training) for months in anticipation.
You'll be an officer? Yes. In October 2011, I will start as a 2nd Lieutenant. I hope to achieve the rank of Captain in 2-4 years.
Who/what will you conduct? I could conduct any of the Army's 6 special bands, 3 professional choirs, the Army string orchestra, or the Army Symphony Orchestra (all comprised of great professional musicians). I will inevitably conduct concerts for presidents, royalty, heads of state, diplomats, soldiers and their families, and the public. I will conduct at the Capital, the White House, in concert halls across America, on TV, or wherever I am needed. I will conduct patriotic, pops, classical, and contemporary music for various ensembles. Essentially, I will conduct a lot. The job description is here: http://www.usarmyband.com/jobs/conductor_-_army_band_programs.html
Could you be sent to war? Yes, I could be deployed to entertain troops. No, I'm not scared of being deployed.
How does one become a conductor in the Army? You must first be talented and experienced, then you have to apply. If you are lucky, you are invited to a two-day audition, to be tested on musicianship, sight-reading, sight-singing, ear training, musical dictation, music theory, knowledge of instruments, and foreign languages. If you make it through that process, you get to conduct one of the great Army Bands. An interview by a panel of band officers follows. If offered a job, you must then begin the process of enlisting and becoming an officer candidate, which is as difficult as winning the job offer. You must pass a series of tests, including the ASVAB (aptitude test), a physical examination, a physical fitness test, and a background check. You must complete a ton of paperwork, provide mountains of documents, and sit before a Local Officer Board that will determined if you are fit to be an Army officer. Then, after final approval, you get a contract and ship out date.
How did it happen for you? I was invited to audition at Ft. Myer (Washington D.C.) in May 2010. During my audition, I conducted the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" and the U.S. Army Chorus - they were amazing!

"Pershing's Own" at Lincoln Center

I was offered the job on May 25, 2010. I sat before a Local Officer Board at Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn, on October 1, 2010. I received a contracton Wednesday, December 8, 2010.

This is where I took my oath. Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn.
Will you still conduct the Astoria Symphony and/or the Round Rock Symphony? Guest conductors will fill my shoes while I am in Basic Training and Officer Candidate School (thank you Bahman, Jonathan, Grant, Kirk, and Adam). After my initial training, I'll conduct those groups whenever possible. Of course, I'll have to resign my position at the Manhattan School of Music. My last day is January 21.
What does Taylor think about this? She is behind me 100%. We made this decision together and she supports it completely. Tay will stay in NYC for my 9 months of training, though she'll come visit me often in Georgia and Virginia. In October 2011, we'll be reunited for good. She is excited to go on this adventure with me, to be an Army wife, and to spend more time writing.

There is a lot of fine music to be made in the Army, and the Army has offered me a way to make a real mark as a conductor. I have a lot to offer and a lot to gain, so of course I am very excited.

Hooah!

Army Strong,
SPC Silas Nathaniel Huff
Officer Candidate and Conductor, U.S. Army

My Ride to Philly - not a total bust

2010-11-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Oct 30, I attempted to ride my bicycle from NYC to Philadelphia - a 95-mile trip that I believed would take me about 8 hours. Taylor was to meet me in Philly for a beautiful dinner and the Philadelphia Orchestra concert that evening. Well, I am somewhat disappointed to say I didn't turn out exactly as I planned, but I did ride my bike out of NYC and into Philly. There was a major detour en route that caused me some trouble, but at least I arrived in time for the dinner and half the concert.

My ride started at 8:45 in the morning , in Astoria, Queens. Twenty minutes later I entered Brooklyn via the Polanski Bridge (from Long Island City, Queens, to Greenpoint, Brooklyn). At 9:33 am I crossed into Manhattan via the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge:
At 10:06, 13 miles into my trip, I left Manhattan for Staten Island on the Staten Island Ferry. So far, so good. "Goodbye, Manhattan!"
Staten Island is relatively beautiful. I found large, beautiful parks, spacious streets, and nice homes, etc. There was also a killer hill on the north end of the island that offered me my first real challenge of the ride. A beautiful road in the middle of Staten Island:
Staten Island is large (14 miles to ride across it) and hilly, and took me about an hour and 15 minutes to get across. It gets a lot of bad press for being separated from NYC (geographically and in spirit), but it's a nice place. I would be more generous with my praise, but after riding all the way to the southern tip of the island, I got a nasty surprise that sort of ruined my day. The southernmost bridge in New York City, the Outerbridge Crossing, connects southern Staten Island with New Jersey (Perth Amboy, NJ). As the crow flies, it's about 1/3 of the way to Philadelphia. And though it was designed with a bicycle and pedestrian path, bicycles and pedestrians are forbidden from crossing it. Locals didn't help. I asked a few people how to cross the bridge and they looked at me like I was nuts. Ok, maybe I am nuts, but they didn't have to be so nasty about it.

I had wasted about an hour trying to figure out the fastest way to New Jersey when I realized I had to go back the way I came, head west toward Newark, then south, adding about 40 miles (and at least 3 hours) to my trip. There was no way I could get to Philadelphia in time for the concert - or for dinner, for that matter - on my bike. So I rode a couple miles over to the nearest Staten Island rail station and headed back north on the train, then took the ferry to Manhattan...exactly where I had just come from 2 hours before.

To make a long story short, I caught a train to Trenton, NJ, then rode to Philly from there (about 25 miles), but by that time it was a race. I had to get to the hotel where Tay was already waiting, shower, and dash to dinner in time to make the concert. The urgency of the situation diminished my enjoyment a tad, but valet parking my Trek made up for it a little. There's no souvenir photo of that moment, but the one where I'm claiming my bike back from valet is good enough:
Tay and I enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Bellini Grill in downtown Philly (escargot, linguini pomodoro, lobster ravioli, and a desert called Tartufo that you simply must try if you ever go to Philly). Then we visited the amazing new Kimmel Center for the arts and watched the Philly Orchestra play the hell out of Mahler's Fifth Symphony under the direction of their new music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin (we missed the first half of the concert - Haydn's "Military Symphony"). As you can plainly see (even though the photo is lousy), Tay and the Kimmel Center are beautiful:
We enjoyed a truly fabulous night on the town, and Sunday morning Tay and I took a walk around downtown and stumbled upon a great hole-in-the wall diner for breakfast. All-in-all, we had a great weekend. I rode about 65 miles and Tay & I had a great date night in beautiful downtown Philly. But as we rode the train back to NYC Sunday afternoon, all I could think was, I didn't ride my bike all the way to Philly. It's still on my list of things to accomplish, and I promise I will do it one of these days...

The 2010-11 season is under way...

2010-10-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

I launched the 2010-11 season with two orchestras and things are going swimmingly.

On Sept 18, 2010, the Round Rock Symphony began it's 3rd season with a program called Cowboys & Panoramas. The crowd went nuts - they loved it. They should have, because the orchestra played with heart. The rhythmic difficulties of Aaron Copland's Four Dances from Rodeo were no problem, and the musicians of the RRSO accompanied the singing cowboy in my own Four Cowboy Songs (sung by Bryan Bolzenthal) like real collaborative artists - listening and responding. Tarik Ghiradella gave us a three-movement fantasy on American poems called American Panoramas. Full of thick textures and crunchy harmonies, and oozing with emotion and angst, the piece gave the audience and orchestra alike something complex to ponder - something completely different from the other pieces on the program. John Williams' Cowboys Overture followed, and we closed the concert with a medley of western film themes, during which music students from the R.R.I.S.D. orchestra programs joined the pros on stage.

Bryan Bolzenthal singing my Four Cowboy Songs

Less than two weeks later, on October 1, 2010, I conducted the Astoria Symphony's season opener. Going into our 8th season together was thrill, especially under the circumstances. As musical artists, we always want the best working conditions we can have, including ample rehearsal time, sufficient numbers in the string section, and plenty of lead time to prepare. Well, we had none of those, and we still emerged victorious. Times are tough, and the Astoria Symphony, like many arts organizations, is feeling the pinch. Strapped for cash and charged with opening the 8th season with a flash, we chose to perform a program of film music and popular classical pieces. The orchestra had only one rehearsal and the music was not a breeze. The concert included a tribute to great film composers, Rossini's William Tell Overture, Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite, Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachmusik, music from La Vita e Bella, Offenbach's Barcarole, Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro," a salute to John Williams, and more. For the John Williams suite, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Orchestra joined the Astoria Symphony on stage in our third "side-by-side" performance together. It was a blast. The concert was a huge success, and I give all of the credit to the incredible musicians of the Astoria Symphony who accepted the challenge, faced the stress, and selflessly produced beautiful music. They are amazing people. Special credit goes to Brent Chancellor, who conducted the Rossini and Grieg, and Megan Pachecano and Allyson Herman, who sang the Barcarole. Allyson also sang O Mio Babbino Caro, and many in the audience told me later that it was the highlight of show.

So much hard work goes into concerts like the two I mention above - and many people work behind the scenes and remain unacknowledged. The musicians and I certainly enjoy the applause and recognition by the audience, but the boards of directors, house staffs, backstage helpers, and many more people work to make great shows and then stay in the shadows. I could name 200 people who I am grateful to, but the gold medal winners as far as I'm concerned are Judy McLeod, president of the RRSO board of directors, Beverly Mintz, executive director of the RRSO, Alex Lauren, president of the Astoria Music Society, Alison LaFerlita, executive director of AMS, and the teachers who were involved in making these events happen. You are all saints!

And then there's Taylor, my amazing wife. She keeps me sane, takes care of me, and makes sure I am where I am supposed to be, when I'm supposed to be there. She tolerates me during the lead-up to the events. Typically, I'm a nervous wreck, wracked with anxiety, working around the clock, not sleeping, and generally creating a disturbance in the home for at least 2 weeks before each concert - in this case the whole month of September. Taylor takes it all in stride and never punishes me for it. I am so lucky she married me!

Why I Love New York City

2010-06-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Residents and visitors either love New York City - or hate it.

I've heard every argument against NYC, and many of them have merit. "It's too crowded." "It's too noisy." "It smells bad." "I hate snow." "It's so expensive."

Most of those apply at times, but NYC is a truly great city...many say "the greatest city in the world." If you are an artist of any sort, you have to love it. The [artistic] amenities cannot be matched anywhere in the world. If you are a sports fan, a foodie, a health nut, or a lover of things exotic and interesting, you also have to love New York City. If you are not any of those things, you probably love it anyways.

Here's a typical week for me (last week):

Last weekend I went to a Yankees game with my best friends MJ and BTA. We also went to Ellis Island to hunt for records of BTA's relatives, ate a fantastic dinner in Little Italy, enjoyed Greek food in Astoria, Queens, and tore up the Lower East Side (a few times).

On Wednesday, I went with my great friend Heather to the Bronx Zoo, the largest metropolitan zoo in the USA. I saw lions, and tigers, and bears (yes, you can say the next line on your own). And gorillas. You can get right up next to gorillas at the Bronx Zoo...

The next day President Robert Sirota of the Manhattan School of Music hosted a BBQ for school staff on his rooftop terrace - 18 stories above the city and overlooking the beautiful Hudson River. Eating good food, drinking fine wine, and looking out at the mighty Hudson River (and Riverside Church and Grant's Tomb) on a beautiful sunny day in June...a good time was had by all.

A few days later, Taylor and I went to Lincoln Center to watch American Ballet Theater perform Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. It was beautiful, as always. One of the great treasures of New York City is Lincoln Center with it's multiple theaters. The Metropolitan Opera House, where ABT performs, is the most magnificent.

The Metropolitan Opera House

Me and Taylor at intermission

Two days later, I found myself in Brooklyn Bridge Park (in Brooklyn, under said bridge), conducing a "flashmob opera" for American Opera Projects, Make Music NY, and Sing for Hope. Three singers, a pianist, and I performed scenes from Gregory Spears' Paul's Case (you may remember I conducted this opera back in March.

I am a bike nut, so I rode my bike there, then over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan where we performed two more shows (in Columbus Circle and Central Park). All performances were exactly as we hoped - interesting, quirky, and unexpected (by the bystanders, at least). More on this soon.

Today I woke with a hankerin' for a solid breakfast, so I wandered over to Tastee Korner on the corner of 31st Street and 30th Avenue in Astoria, and had a serious breakfast for $5.25.

After breakfast I rode my bike over the Triborough Bridge (now known as RFK Bridge) to Ward's Island (the whole island - almost - is a park), then over the Harlem Foot Bridge (AKA Ward's Island Bridge) into Manhattan, through Central Park, and to my office on the Upper West Side.

Flowers on the bike path on Ward's Island.

The view south from the Harlem Footbridge - the East River

Tonight I played softball with my colleagues from MSM. Tomorrow I will take a swim in Flushing, NY, ride my bicycle on Long Island, and eat Egyptian food before Taylor and I go to New York City Ballet to see the premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen's new violin concerto/ballet. On Tuesday, I'll be attending the New York Philharmonic.

Seriously. This is a typical week. I love this city.

The Triborough Bridge to Queens, from Ward's Island - my commute home.

Two Symphony Seasons End with a Bang

2010-06-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

May 2010 was exciting for me. The Manhattan School of Music's production of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (of which I was associate producer) received much acclaim, the Astoria Symphony's 7th season came to a close with a resounding bang, and the Round Rock Symphony wrapped up its 2nd season. To read about how great MSM's Marriage of Figaro was, click here.

The Astoria Symphony performed its final concert of 2009-10 in collaboration with the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts orchestra. The first half of the program included Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture and Hanson's Second Symphony (conducted by Grant Gilman, this was the highlight of the concert in my opinion).

Grant Gilman conducting the Astoria Symphony

The second half of the program was comprised of a selection of pieces with the Astoria Symphony and the FSSA orchestra seated side-by side. Seated next to an adult professional, each student experiences the high level of musicianship and professionalism that go into an Astoria Symphony concert, and conducting this large and enthusiastic group of players is a lot of fun for me too. I owe thanks to Ken Lieberson, the FSSA's orchestra conductor for wanting his students to have this experience, and for helping to coordinate the big events.

Silas Huff conducting the combined Astoria Symphony and FSSA Orchestra

The Astoria Symphony's 7th season was an important milestone for the organization because it demonstrated our ability to come back from the economic turmoil of the 2008-09 season, during which some concerts and events were canceled. The ever-evolving board of directors met the challenges that season 7 offered and conquered them. For 2010-11, our goals include expanding the board further, reaching new audience members, and achieving new levels of musical excellence. For a sneak preview of our 2010-11 season, click here.

On May 22, the Round Rock Symphony wrapped up its 2nd season, and the final concert was also huge success. The performance was the culmination of a week-long conducting workshop with Maestro Peter Bay, music director of the Austin Symphony. Thirteen conductors came from all across America to learn from him and to take turns conducting the Round Rock Symphony.

Maestro Peter Bay instructs a participant on the podium

The RRS board of directors put a lot of time and care into making the conductors feel at home and welcome in Round Rock, and all the conductors commented on how great and supportive the RRS board is, and how lucky I am to have them. They're right! The workshop will happen again next year, and it will grow quickly as word of the quality of this workshop spreads through the tight-knit conductor world.

Participants learn the art of Tai Chi from Sumi Komo

What goes into organizing a conductor workshop? More than you can imagine. For every concert we book space, hire players, and market the event, but on top of that we had to recruit students, double the orchestra's rehearsal time, rent classroom and studio space, organize airport pick-ups and drop-offs, hire auxiliary teachers (thank you Sumi and Eric!), and make sure all the participants know their way around town and have ground transportation. On top of that, the RRS board decided to have a dinner and Austin Symphony concert excursion, host a welcome brunch for the conductors, and feed the conductors and the orchestra every night at rehearsal.

Maestro Peter Bay looks on as one participant conducts

There are many people to thank for their efforts during the Round Rock Symphony workshop and final concert, but in nutshell, thank you Judy, Beverly, Scott, Cathy, Tobey, Randy, Sumi, Eric, Brent, Brooke, Matt, Mayor McGraw, and anyone else I forgot - thank you a thousand times! These people were - collectively - caterers, hosts, taxi drivers, navigators, gophers, rehearsal set-up folks, teachers, mail clerks, camera operators, cover conductors, triangle/cymbal/violin players, venue organizers, librarians, equipment movers, fund-raisers, check-writers, box office staff, ushers, house managers, and post-concert party people. They are all truly amazing, and their combined effort made a beautiful workshop and final concert.

It was an amazing process, and though I am thoroughly exhausted from a month of non-stop musical activity, I am as energized as I've been in a long time. The day after the concert, I flew to Washington D.C. to meet my wife Taylor for a little down-time getaway. We took a stroll in Georgetown and inadvertently ended up on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, then in the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens (the garden that inspired Igor Stravinsky to write his masterpiece by the same name). I was beginning to think it an amazing coincidence until I turned a corner and ended up in front of a store called "Appalachian Spring" (like Aaron Copland's masterpiece).

These are not coincidences - they are signs! Music is everywhere, even when I'm trying to get a break from it!

How Many Maestros Does It Take To Screw in a Light Bulb?

2010-05-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

This is a PRESS RELEASE for the upcoming conductor workshop that I have organized with the Round Rock Symphony in Texas...

“How Many Maestros Does It Take
to Screw in a Light Bulb?"

April 22, 2010, Round Rock, TX—If you have ever wondered about the punch-line to the joke “How many maestros does it take to screw in a light bulb?,” you are in luck. For one week in May, orchestra conductors from all over America will converge in Round Rock for an orchestra conducting workshop organized by the Round Rock Symphony. The classes, taught by lead faculty Maestro Peter Bay (music director, Austin Symphony), will help the young Maestros learn score preparation, body movement, musical interpretation, and rehearsal techniques. The week-long workshop culminates in a public concert on Saturday, May 22, at 8:00 p.m., which will take place at the C.D. Fulkes Auditorium (300 W. Anderson Avenue, downtown Round Rock). Round Rock’s own Maestro, Silas Nathaniel Huff will conduct. In addition to the public concert, one of the rehearsals with the conductors-in-training will be open to the public on Thursday, May 20, 6:00-10:00 p.m. The rehearsal, which will happen at the Wingate by Windham Hotel ballroom (1209 North I-35 at Palm Valley Boulevard), will be a rare glimpse into an orchestra’s rehearsal process, and an opportunity to hear young conductors receiving feedback from a renowned Maestro.

The Round Rock Symphony’s concert on May 22 will feature four masterpieces from different periods from the classical to the twentieth century: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute Overture, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Coriolanus Overture, Antonín Dvořák’s “New World Symphony,” and Aaron Copland’s Quiet City. The concert will also feature Amy Burgus performing the English Horn solo and Josh Davies performing the trumpet solo on Quiet City.

“Conducting the music of four hugely famous composers like these is a great honor and a daunting task, akin to handling paintings by Delacroix, Degas, Van Gogh, and Dali,” says Maestro Silas Huff, music director of the Round Rock Symphony. “We will survey the last 200 years of history through majestic, moving, and joyful music—it’s the best way to reflect on history and the human condition.”

Tickets for this concert range in price from $15 to $20 (all RRISD students and any child 12 & under is free), and may be purchased by cash or credit card at the door, or via credit card online at www.RoundRockSymphony.org. The box office opens one hour before the performance.

The concert will be the culmination of a week-long workshop for professional and aspiring orchestra conductors, with the venerable Maestro Peter Bay as lead instructor. Twelve conductors are coming from Salt Lake City, Miami, and New York, among other places, to study the concert repertoire under the guidance of the Austin Symphony’s long-time Maestro. According to Bay, the students will not only learn about score study and identifying musical problems, they will also “go deeper…to learn about the art of interpretation.” In addition, they will take a variety of body movement classes in order to better understand physical methods of communication.

“The art of conducting is very cerebral, but also relies on a person’s ability to express ideas with the hands, face, and torso,” says Maestro Huff. “Conductors often are very talented musicians who have little training in the art of moving a baton through space and communicating with the body. This workshop will fill in some of those gaps.” In addition to music and conducting techniques classes taught by Maestro Bay, the workshop participants will study ballet, yoga, the ancient Chinese art of Tai Chi, and Alexander Technique, a tension-diminishing method that promotes efficient use of the body.

Participant Joseph Choi, Associate Conductor of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra (KY) says, “The Repertoire for this workshop consists of pieces that are in constant demand for workshops and auditions, and we can use this time to brush up our skills, meet other conductors, and recharge our conducting batteries for the coming season.”

“I was inspired by Maestro Bay years ago,” says participant Adam Torres, a former music student at UT and candidate for Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting at Colorado State University. “I am honored for the opportunity to learn from and work with him in Round Rock.”

Paul Davis, Conductor of the Webster University Symphony Orchestra in St. Louis, MO, is another ex-Longhorn. “As a UT alumnus, I am enthused to return to the Austin area to be part of this workshop…and eager to work with the Round Rock Symphony, Maestro Huff, and Maestro Bay.”

The public is invited to watch the final workshop session of the week, during which participants take turns conducting the Round Rock Symphony in a rehearsal of Dvořák’s “New World Symphony.” Each conductor will have the opportunity to create music, hear feedback from Maestro Bay, and make adjustments to their style and technique. This session takes place on Thursday, May 20, 6:00-10:00 p.m. in the ballroom of the Wingate by Windham Hotel, where the workshop participants are staying. Admission to this special workshop event a $5 suggested donation for onlookers.

To learn more about the event visit www.RoundRockSymphony.org, or contact the Symphony at (512) 264-5368 or info@RoundRockSymphony.org.

The Round Rock Symphony, a start-up non-profit corporation, needs angels to support it. Music lovers who want to support the Round Rock Symphony by sponsoring or underwriting a concert, or by advertising in a playbill are invited to contact the Symphony at (512) 264-5368 or info@RoundRockSymphony.org. To learn more about supporting the Round Rock Symphony, call or visit www.RoundRockSymphony.org/support.htm.

How Can a Volcano in Iceland Affect a Concert in NYC?

2010-04-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

As an orchestra conductor, I'm not terribly tuned in to events that happen around the world. Certainly I'm aware of major world events, tragic and joyous, but my work generally suffers no impact when something goes wrong elsewhere on planet Earth. Until Eyjafjallajökull...

If I had been in Europe when the volcano erupted, or if I were going to conduct a concert in Europe, it would be clear how it impacted me. But I was in New York, planning a concert in New York. The problem is: that the sheet music I need is in Europe.

"Seriously? You can't find the music in America?" No. On May 8, the Astoria Symphony is scheduled to perform Jean-Baptist Lully's Triomphe de l'amour Ballet Suite, a rarely performed piece from the early Baroque period. It's so rarely performed that there is only one edition of the parts commercially available, and it's published by Doblinger, and there isn't a single copy anywhere on Earth, except in Europe (that I know of). I'm told by multiple sources that there is virtually no way I can receive the parts on time, unless I spend a ton of money and don't mind the orchestra sight-reading at the first rehearsal. And I have to get really lucky for the parts to arrive before the first rehearsal. I'd have to be quite lucky for the parts to arrive before the concert, for that matter. Ugh.

"Why didn't you order the music much earlier, before the volcano erupted?" Besides the fact that I didn't know the volcano would erupt, and that it would keep planes on the ground for weeks, or that the parts didn't exist anywhere in America, I wasn't entirely sure the concert would happen because the Astoria Symphony is waiting for funds to arrive from the State of New York. It was a perfect storm.

"Have you called [someone you think might have the parts]?" Yes. They don't have the parts.

"Have you ever looked on IMSLP Petrucci Library?" Yes. There are no parts. And have you seen the score? Only an early music specialist could read the parts, even if they were available.

"Why don't you just change the program?" The concert theme is "triumphant love" and this Lully suite is the cornerstone of the whole program - the concert is billed as "The Astoria Symphony presents Le Triomphe de l'amour."

"What are you going to do?" Laugh. And then I'll substitute something by Tchaikovsky and have a really funny story to tell the audience in the pre-concert lecture.

The lessons I learned are: A) do not wait to order your music for a concert that is happening in less than a month, B) do not rely on funds from the State of New York for a concert, C) do not expect that a volcano in Iceland will have no impact on your concert in America, and D) do not program obscure music that is not in print in your hemisphere. And never do all three!

The DCA - NYC's blessing to the arts

2010-03-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Being a music director of a professional orchestra is a lot of fun, but it's not all waving a stick and taking a bow. There is the extremely important and mildly unpleasant task of raising money to support the orchestra to think about constantly. Opera, ballet, and symphonic music are among the most rewarding art forms that exist, but they are also among the most expensive to produce. And expensive art requires a lot of money.

The Quick History of Funding Symphonic Music

A long time ago, "classical" music - that is to say fancy, expensive orchestra music - was the domain of the aristocracy only. Royalty and other aristocrats funded classical music out of their deep coffers because, well...because they could. Churches did the same. A duke might throw a party and hire an orchestra to entertain the guests. An archbishop might order up a grand cantata for a special occasion. Or an emperor might order an opera house built and an opera company formed to entertain all the aristocrats of his domain. All performances were funded complete by the richie-rich who ordered the performance(s). Some wealthy families hired orchestras to live in their palace like servants and be at their beck and call at all times. They would often hire a composer and conductor to be their composer-in-residence (in those days "in residence" had an entirely more literal meaning). The Estherhazy family had Franz Joseph Haydn living in their house, for example. He wore a uniform, and was an employee of the house. This type of music became a luxury of the upper class, a stigma that classical musicians are still trying to eschew.

As democracy took hold in the 18th & 19th centuries, this structure slowly collapsed. As education improved, the European classes structure faltered, and the gap between the wealthy and the lower class closed, the system of paying for and creating symphonic music, opera, and ballet evolved. "High art" was no longer deemed the property of the upper class.

In some countries, governments took up the torch and paid for it out of tax money. In other countries, the private sector, consisting of remnants of the aristocratic class and "new money" folks made wealthy in the industrial revolution, funded these expensive art forms with limited assistance from the government because they recognized its importance to society.

Today - in America - opera, ballet, and symphonic music are funded mostly through the generosity of individual donors, private foundations, and corporate sponsors who know that by subsidizing this art we improve the quality of life in America and help make the general populace more educated, sophisticated, and...(is civilized the right word?). Wealthy people and companies like MetLife, Credit Suisse, Target, and JPMorganChase support the arts in America because they know it's good for business, good for America. They fund nearly 40% of the expenses incurred by arts organizations. HERE are the people who support the NY Philharmonic, for example. Ticket sales and other "earned income" fund another 40%.

But it's not enough. The government chips in a bit, and that support is crucial to thousands of arts organizations. According to the League of American Orchestras Quick Orchestra Facts, orchestras are funded in this way:

39% private donors (individuals and corporations)
33% concert income (ticket sales)
15% endowment
8% other earned income (CD sales, tuition, services, etc.)
5% government support.

It is this government support that is on my mind today. As I help fill out the application for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs funding that generously keeps the Astoria Symphony alive, I am grateful that New York City has such a thriving arts community, such an affluent and generous populace, and a government that recognizes the arts as a vital part of what makes the City great. I believe firmly that the arts help make a city great. Think of any great city in the world and guess what - it has a thriving arts scene.
Thank you, NYC DCA, for helping New York City have the greatest arts community in America (the world?). We are truly fortunate to have you.

Hiking, Opera, and Upcoming Events

2010-03-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

A wild month of music-making culminated this past weekend with the final performance of the new opera Paul's Case. In February there were two fund-raising events (one in Manhattan, one in Texas), and in March I conducted in California, hosted an international conductor workshop in NYC, organized and conducted an amazing Astoria Symphony concert, and music directed Paul's Case. When the final performance of Paul's Case ended on Saturday, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I can rest now, I thought.

I decided to go for a long hike on Sunday. Nothing is more relaxing than a long hike in beautiful country. Taylor, my good friend Heather, and I all piled into Heather's car and drove to Cold Spring, NY, to explore Hudson Highlands State Park. It's beautiful. We planned a nice, medium-difficulty, 5-mile hike. We wanted to relax and take in the beauty. Well...

We got lost. Somewhere three to four miles north of Cold Spring but south of Breakneck Ridge we just got lost. We followed trail markers until there weren't any more, then we relied on the sun and my trail map to figure out where we were, but it just didn't happen. So we wandered. We were never scared because in that area of NY State you just can't walk very far without encountering a road or some man-made structure eventually and that's what happened. We found Lake Surprise Camp (appropriately named "Surprise!"), and a nice guy (from Queens!) was there fixing the place up, preparing for the summer season. He directed us to the main road back to Cold Spring.

The hike back to Cold Spring was 5 miles long, on top of the 5 we had already hiked. I suppose we could've called a taxi at to pick us up at camp, or we could have hitched back to town from the main road, but we were so dead-set on doing it ourselves that we just walked. Our quick hike in the woods turned into an all-day adventure. Our feet hurt. Hips, ankles, knees, backs, too. When we got back to Cold Spring we downed a pizza, a couple beers, and 3 ice cream cones in record time.

OK, so I'm not fully rested now. I went back to work at the Manhattan School of Music on Monday fully exhausted and in need of a break. But I'm ready to take on the world regardless.

Upcoming things I'm producing and/or performing in:

Friday, March 26, 6:00 pm: APAC Fundraiser, Studio Square, Astoria. For info, click here.
Saturday, April 10, 8:00 pm: The Forte String Quartet, Church in the Gardens, 50 Ascan Ave. Forest Hills, Queens. For info, click here.
April 29 & May 1, 8:00 pm: Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, Waltz-Astoria & Tenri Cultural Institute. For info, click here.
Saturday, May 8, 8:00 pm: Astoria Symphony, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, 35th Avenue & 35th Street, Astoria, Queens. For info, click here.
Saturday, May 22, 8:00 pm: Round Rock Symphony, C.D. Fulkes Auditorium, 300 West Anderson Ave, Round Rock, TX. For info, click here.

Back to my bike! (and music)

2010-03-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day! (yes, it's Paddy's, not Patty's).

It's been a gruesome winter in NYC and the cold just broke. Well, actually it broke a week ago, but then we had a horrendous rain storm, so today, March 17, 2010, is - for me - the beginning of a beautiful spring. I rode my bike to work today for the first time in a very long time (since January?). My bike commute is wonderful. I leave my apartment and in only a couple minutes I'm on the triborough bridge (now called the RFK Bridge). The pedestrian walkway has been recently renovated so it's wider, safer, and has fewer stairs on it. Great! When I get to Ward's Island, I have a delightful 5 minute ride on a bike trail where I typically see a few squirrels, ducks, and geese before I reach the Harlem Footbridge (AKA Ward's Island Bridge). This bridge is closed November-March, so the commute is not as nice in the winter, but today it was open! I coast onto the Island of Manhattan at 103rd Street and have a short 6-block ride to Central Park. In Central Park I traverse the north end of East Drive to 7th Avenue at the top of the park. Ah, it's so wonderful. Then I have a short ride through south Harlem to my gym where I catch a breather, clean up, and get ready for work.

I love this commute. And my wife Taylor will tell that I'm a bit glum on days when I can't ride my bike due to weather or some strange engagement that requires me to carry too much stuff to take on my bike.

OK, back to music...now that the NYC Kirk Trevor Conductor Workshop is behind us, the Astoria Symphony concert is over (it was a huge success), and my performance of the new opera Paul's Case was a big hit, I can start looking forward to upcoming projects. They are:

1. This Saturday, March 20, at 4 pm: repeat performance of Greg Spear's new opera Paul's Case in Brooklyn as part of BAM's opera festival. Details here.

2. April 10, 8 pm: AMS's chamber music concert featuring the Forte String Quartet. Details here.

3. April 28 & 30, and May 2: Manhattan School of Music's production of The Marriage of Figaro. Details here.

4. April 29 & May 1, 8 pm: Lost Dog New Music Ensemble's From the Mountains to the Sea - Elemental America Concert. Details here.

5. May 8, 8 pm: The Astoria Symphony Season Finale. Details here.

6. May 16-22: Round Rock Symphony's conductor workshop. Details here.

7. May 22: Round Rock Symphony's season finale (From Ancient Rome to the New World). Details here.

Los Angeles was great...Astoria Symphony and new opera this weekend!

2010-03-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

My trip to L.A. was wonderful. I visited with a great friend and had some fun. While I was out there I decided to visit some old professors and mentors, and I really enjoyed my time with them. First, Maestro Joel Lish, music director of the Palisades Symphony, invited me to conduct Dvorak's Eighth Symphony in his rehearsal. It was a great treat to conduct my old "band," the first orchestra I ever conducted. I mostly enjoyed the experience because I realized how much I've developed as a conductor. In 1999, I was simply honored that they allowed me to stand in front of them with a baton, but last week I was able to make music with them, helping them shape their performance. It's amazing what a decade of study and experience arms you with...

The next day I went to Santa Barbara to visit my first orchestral conducting teacher, Maestro Richard Rintoul. He is the conductor of the University of California Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra and the Colburn School of Music's Orchestra da Camera. It was great to visit with him, speak at his conducting class, and attend his orchestra rehearsal. He lives in a lovely place near a eucalyptus grove by the beach - heaven on earth!

Finally, I was able to steal a day off and go snowboarding with a couple of great buddies. Big Bear Lake was a lot of fun, even more so because I was able to hang out with an extraordinary trombonist friend of mine, Denis, who is an outstanding skier and will kindly forget that bad wipe-out I had at the bottom of the black. It was a "snow snake." It just jumped out of the snow and bit me.

Anyways, I was at the beach on Thursday, and I was snowboarding on Friday - that's why I love California.

Now I'm back in NYC, and this weekend I'll be conducting the Astoria Symphony as they play music by Sibelius, Beethoven, and Schumann. On Sunday, I'll conduct an opera showcase featuring Paul's Case, a new opera by the talented young composer Greg Spears. Check it out (for tickets and info, click here)!

Round Rock Success, Now in Los Angeles

2010-03-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

The "All You Need Is Love" event in support of the Round Rock Symphony was a big success. The nearly-sold-out event was a lot of fun and raised a good chunk of money for live professional music and music education in Round Rock. The next Round Rock Symphony event is slated for May 22, and will feature the music of Mozert, Beethoven, Copland, and Dvorak (what a lineup!). The concert will be the culmination of a week-long national conductors' workshop. 12 conductors from 9 different states are converging upon Round Rock to study these great scores under the tutelage of Maestro Peter Bay (director of the Austin Symphony).

By the way, I'm writing to you from the City of Angels - Los Angeles. I came here to escape the cold and snow of New York City - and to visit great friends - but as it turns out, I love my work so much just can't stop working! When I contacted my old mentor Maestro Joel Lish to tell him I was coming to visit, he invited me to conduct the Palisades Symphony (Pacific Palisades, CA), the first orchestra I ever conducted. When I contacted my teacher Maestro Richard Rintoul, he invited me to come conduct his orchestra at the University of California Santa Barbara. I am honored that they asked me to conduct, and I am excited to show them how I've grown as an artist in the decade that has passed since I last saw them. The lessons here are: never burn bridges, and keep close ties with your colleagues, teachers, and peers.

Oh, and apparently a lot of people drive Ferraris here. This is the sight that greeted me when I walked out of the famous Moonshadows bar in Malibu (where Mel Gibson got lubed up before his infamous anti-Semitic rant in 2006). I enjoyed some great calamari and beverages with my good buddy MJ while the USA won the silver medal in the Olympics. I'm happy to announce that no Jews were harangued by Moonshadows customers today (that I know of).

Off tto L.A. - then Sibelius, Beethoven, & Schumann

2010-02-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

In the recent past I've been terribly busy organizing fundraisers, rehearsing, learning music, etc., but finally I'm getting a little down time. I'm off to L.A. to visit a good friend and to see some of my old West Coast buddies and colleagues. There's not much to say about L.A. except that it's a great city with a unique flavor, whether you love it or hate it. I happen to love it.

But I'm never far from work. I'll be thinking, plotting, planning, and studying the whole week I'm in L.A. because when I get back I have to hit the ground running. I'm hosting the fourth annual NYC Conductor Work shop. I've got 14 conductors coming to NYC from 5 countries and 6 different US states to study with the Maestro Kirk Trevor as the faculty. The week is packed with activities like body movement classes, Eurhythmics lessons, conducting sessions, visits to NY Phil rehearsals, and more, but the weeks culminates in a big concert with the Astoria Symphony performing Sibelius' Finlandia, Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto, and Robert Schumann's First Symphony. The incomparable Arielle Levioff will perform the Beethoven. She's wonderful.

It will be amazing. If you're in the NYC area on March 13th, stop by! For tickets and more information, click here.

Thanks to all - and another big party!

2010-02-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

So my big birthday bash and fundraiser for the Astoria Music Society was a blast. Thanks to all who contributed and all who attended. I am especially grateful to the musicians who donated their time and talents, and to the board members of the Astoria Music Society who donated their time and efforts. Thanks to Heather Petruzelli, Allyson Herman, Megan Pachecano, and Byron Singleton for singing, to David Stech for playing piano, and to Chrissy Fong (flute) and Eileen Kelly (clarinet) for accompanying me as I played guitar.

I am very excited now to travel to Round Rock, Texas, for another great event - "All You Need Is Love" - a special Valentine's Eve Dinner Event, a fundraiser for the Round Rock Symphony. It will be an elegant affair - valet parking, hors d'oeurve, dinner, drinks, dessert, and of course live music. For more info, click here. I'll see you there...if only I can get out of NYC in this snow!

10 Days Left until my B-Day Party!

2010-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

You may know that I'm hosting a little birthday party for myself on February 6...10 days from now. Actually it's not a birthday party at all, but a fundraiser for the Astoria Music Society and Astoria Symphony. It happens to fall o the weekend following my birthday, so why not kill two birds with one stone, right?

I'm very excited about the event as I've finalized the venue, talent line-up, and menu. It will be amazing. I will play classical guitar for the party a bit, then I'll have two friends join me - Eileen Kelly, principal clarinetist for the Astoria Symphony, and Chrissy Fong, principal flutist for the Astoria Symphony. We will play some Dowland, Corelli, Tarrega, Bizet, and Benny Goodman. Fun stuff...

But wait! That's not all! A few of my friends who are talented singers will join us, too. My singing friends include Allyson Herman and Megan Pachecano, graduate students at the Manhattan School of Music, Chris Layton (of Naked Boys Singing Fame), and my great friend Heather Petruzelli (NYU and AMDA faculty). David Stech, a wonderful pianist and conductor, will accompany.

Seriously, it's going to be a great party. Silent auction, raffle prizes, good food, drink, and company...and tickets are only $30 - that includes food, a drink, and the performances. The proceeds benefit live classical music and music education in Queens, and if support the highest form of art is not reason enough to come, well, then just come have some drinks with me!

More info: http://www.astoriamusic.org/

They play, not I...

2010-01-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

My "new" blog...

I blogged here once, and then I tried to blog on my website - it didn't work as well. I suppose that's why Blogspot exists...

I've been playing guitar a lot lately, and putting my hands on an instrument and actually producing sound has reminded me that the musicians I work with on a regular basis are very talented, and I am fortunate to know each and every one of them. I pride myself on being a competent, if not talented, conductor, but without the living, breathing bodies that produce the sound, and without their intelligence, consciousness, emotions, and effort, I wouldn't - as a conductor - make any music at all.

There's a lot of pressure on a person who picks up an instrument to play. He/she has to honor the composer. He/she has to entertain or at least engage the listener(s). He/she has to transform little black ink-spots on paper into something that moves and has energy and breathes. And all he/she has to do it with is a molded hollow piece of wood, or a bent pipe with a mouthpiece on one end and a bell on the other, or a stick and a couple of big bowls with skin stretched over them - and a lot of training.

I'd like to think I don't take orchestra players or singers for granted when I stand in front of them and wave a baton, but every minute that I practice playing music - hands on the instrument, making sound - I have more respect for every musician I've ever met. I love them because they honor me with their talent, and they allow me to make music with them.

From my forthcoming book, The Tao of Conducting:

It’s amazing how music has a life of its own.
Musicians make music, yet music exists even without musicians.
A wise conductor understands this, and that music lives without conductors, too.
When an ensemble begins to spiral out of control, simplify the beat. Be small, get out of the way.
Relax. Simplify. Think only about the music, not about yourself or your appearance.
Being selfless and getting out of the way invites an ensemble to focus and listen better.
Selflessness and simplicity in a conductor give an ensemble center, create order, and rectify musical problems.
After all, if you put your baton down and leave the podium, they could play without you.

January 3, 2010

2010-01-25T21:22:00.002-08:00

January 3, 2010:

Happy New Year, and Goals for 2010

2009 was a wild year in many ways, but it's gone now and it's time to think about 2010 (and beyond). The end of 2009 was a blast. Following the successful Lost Dog concerts on Dec 4 & 5, Round Rock Symphony Holiday Spectacular on Dec 5 & 6, run of Penelope at Manhattan School of Music on Dec 9, 11, & 12, and the Astoria Symphony Holiday Jubilee! on Dec 13, I relaxed. Taylor and I enjoyed two weeks of vacation and we didn't travel or do anything constructive at all. We just relaxed. We watched a lot of movies, saw the Met production of Strauss' Elektra, and attended an amazing New Years Eve-Eve (Dec 30) party hosted by the very talented composer Patrick Soluri (if you live in New York City, you simply must check out Patrick's periodic salon parties - open to all). On New Year's Eve we toasted the end of 2009 at our local hang Rapture. Some holiday photos for you:

A close-up of our tree and a snowball fight in Times Square (Dec 19)

Taylor, me, Jessamyn, & Yoav at the New Years Eve-Eve Salon, Tay & me on New Years Eve.

My personal goals for 2010:

Do less, do it better
Practice photography more
Compete in a sprint triathlon in May
Compete in an Olympic-length triathlon in June
Be happy

Here's an excerpt from my forthcoming book, The Tao of Conducting, just for the heck of it:

Conducting a large ensemble
Is like frying a small fish.
One must cook it simply, for it is easy to ruin.

Coming up next:

Astoria Music Society Fundraiser (Feb 6)
Round Rock Symphony Fundraiser (Feb 13)
Astoria Symphony concert (March 13)
Page-to-stage New Opera Program (March 14)
Manhattan School of Music Opera (April)
Astoria and Round Rock Symphony concerts (May 8 & 22)
Round Rock and Astoria Symphony concerts (June 6 & 13)
some more time off?

December 7, 2009

2010-01-25T21:22:00.001-08:00

December 7, 2009:

Lost Dog, a Trippy Spider, and Holiday Spectacular!

On Friday Dec 4, and Saturday, Dec 5, I conducted the New York premiere of French composer Philippe Bodin's Zygiella's Visions, a wonderful piece of music about a spider that eats the wrong kind of mushroom, then builds a crazy web in a psychedelic episode. It was great fun to conduct, and it was especially rewarding because the musicians of Lost Dog are so amazing - really top players in New York City.

At the very same moment I conducted that concert on Saturday, the Round Rock Symphony was performing the RRSO Holiday Spectacular in Austin, TX, along with Texas State University's Department of Music choirs. I heard many reports form friends and colleague who said the show was a big hit, so I offer my congratulations and thanks to teh RRSO players, and especially the conductors who led the music in my stead - Maestros Joey Martin, Jonathan Babcock, & Lynn Brinckmeyer.

Now I'm looking forward to two huge events:

The Manhattan School of Music main stage opera production opens this Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 pm. The production is Gabriel Faure's Penelope. If you like Greek literature and watching Ullyses kill a bunch of guys in French, you'll like this. The music is sublime and the performances promise to be very good. Dec 9, 11, and 12. (more info)

December 13's Astoria Symphony Holiday Jubilee! (a "jubilee!" is a lot like a "spectacular!"). Maestro Daniel Radtke, music director of Astoria's Most Precious Blood Catholic Church will guest conduct music by Britten, Bach, and Mozart, as well as a world premiere by Astoria resident Scott Munson. I will be sitting in the audience and listening for a change! The AMS holiday party follows - join us at the Irish Rover at 4:30.

October 19, 2009

2010-01-25T21:18:00.001-08:00

October 19, 2009:

Astoria Symphony 2009-10 Season Launch

The Astoria Music Society launched it's 2009-10 concert season and christened the Tony Bennett Concert Hall at the brand new Frank Sinatra School of the Arts on October 17, 2009. We performed works by Felix Mendelssohn, Alfred Schnittke, and Ludwig can Beethoven, and I invited the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Orchestra to join the Astoria Symphony onstage for two excerpts of music by Josef Haydn and Aram Khachaturian.

Me conducting the combined Astoria Symphony
and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Orchestra in rehearsal

The amazing Miranda Cuckson, violins & violas,
and a big bass section!

It was a remarkable experience, to say the least. The young musicians from the Frank Sinatra School played with heart and integrity, and I pushed them in every direction - tempo, dynamics, and phrasing. I look forward to building a relationship with the school and with the musicians of the orchestra. Many thanks to Ken Lieberson, director of the FSSA orchestra, who also conducted the combined orchestras that night. Also thanks to Miranda Cuckson, Brent Chancellor, Grant Gilman, my wife Taylor, the AMS board of directors, and everyone else who was part of this show.

September 15, 2009

2010-01-25T21:16:00.000-08:00

September 15, 2009:

Round Rock Symphony 2009-10 Season Launch

I just returned from Texas where I conducted the Round Rock Symphony's 2009-10 season launch - a program cleverly titled "Music of the Silver Screen." The concert featured popular classical music used in movies, and contemporary film music, too. The highlight of the evening, though, was when students from RRISD middle school orchestra programs joined the Round Rock Symphony on stage. The combined orchestras numbered over 100 musicians, and as young players sat side-by-side with pros, the sound was sweet...

Me conducting the Round Rock Symphony and middle school students
from the Round Rock Independent School District in rehearsal

My many faces

I even played guitar in Bizet's Carmen Suite

I have to acknowledge so many people, but I'll start with the Round Rock Symphony and board of directors, Beverly Mintz (our executive director), the wonderful orchestra teachers of RRISD, BettyJo Byrne at the RRISD PAC, and Jim van Zandt, who is a boon to the arts in Round Rock. Additionally, I want to thank my family for their support. My dad, sister, and all the parents-in-law were there. Thank you all for coming!

August 30, 2009

2010-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

August 30, 2009:

My First Triathlon

On August 23, 2009, I ran my first triathlon, the NYRR Sprint Tri in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Granted, it was no Iron Man, but it was tough nonetheless. 300 meters swimming, 10 miles on bike, and 5K (3.1 miles) running. I met my goal and completed it in less than 1 hour and 15 minutes, and I placed 92 out of 500, or 11th place in the 35-40 years old category. So I've been going around saying I placed 11th in the triathlon, which is sort of true!

The experience was amazing. I never had such a rush of endorphins in my life, and I swear for the last half mile I was just saying to myself "Oh, you can't stop me...I can do anything...get out of my way!...if I can do this, what can't I do?...I'm amazing!" If you have it in you to train for a few months, I highly recommend competing in a sprint triathlon. Next summer (2010) I'm going to try an Olympic triathlon (about twice as long) and maybe in 2011 I'll do a half-Iron Man. Who knows...maybe there's an Iron Man in my future.

An early start, and getting my number...

Stretching and swimming...

Biking and running...

The big finish and the high afterward.

Thanks to Taylor for supporting me, putting up with me all through training, waking up very early on this particular Saturday, and taking great photos.

March 24, 2009

2010-01-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

March 24, 2009:

Spring Song Dance

The March 21, 2009, performance of the Astoria Symphony with three dance companies (Martha Graham Ensemble, Long Island City Ballet, and Octavia Cup Dance Theatre) was a big success. For me, it was also a tremendous pleasure and honor. I conducted Aaron Copland's masterpiece Appalachian Spring with the Martha Graham ensemble and the original Isamu Noguchi set! And that was only the beginning! I also had the opportunity to conduct Stravinsky's Dumbarton Oaks Concerto, and the show ended with a performance of my first ballet - Chun Zhi Ge. I wrote the music in 1999 when I met (and was inspired by) Chinese-American painter Shanye Huang...and it took ten years to bring it to life. My friend and fellow Texan Eric Ragan (of Long Island City Ballet fame) really embraced the piece, recruited choreographer Ned Kinter, and produced a wonderful dance work for my music.

The dance - Shanye Huang's painting Tapestry of Dreams is the backdrop. Me with Shanye Huang.

Long Island City Ballet, me, and Shanye take bows

It was a great experience for me, and the dance and dancers were wonderful. I hope I get to see it onstage again! Special thanks to Shanye, Eric, Ned, all the dancers, and Steven Hitt (at LPAC) for bringing us together with the Martha Graham people.

March 23, 2009

2010-01-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

March 23, 2009:

New Opera Project (Page to Stage)

"OPERA GROWS IN BROOKLYN" PACKS THE HOUSE!

Galapagos Art Space hosts sold-out night of opera scenes
including latest from AOP's Love/Hate by Jack Perla

Jack Perla's dizzying array of styles from foxtrot to minimalism to atonality to 80's cheese-pop, brought the urban experience of relationships to life in Love/Hate at "Opera Grows in Brooklyn," featuring singers from The Manhattan School of Music.

AOP joined Opera on Tap and the Remarkable Theater Brigade on March 20 for a shoulder-to-shoulder evening of mixed drinks and musical dramas at Galapagos Art Space, Brooklyn's powerhouse stage for the alternative arts, proving once again that audiences know great opera is not just found in great opera houses.

The might of new opera featured AOP's presentation of scenes from Jack Perla's Love/Hate performed by singers from the Manhattan School of Music under the music direction of Silas Huff with stage direction by Caren France.

How to Make an Orchestra (part 2)

2008-11-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

If you are dying to make an orchestra and were trying to follow my blog, you were probably frustrated because I fell off the face of the earth for a while. Well, your patience has paid off. Today's lesson is a big one.

Lesson 2: Don't start an orchestra (or any other non-profit corporation) 6 months before the worst recession in 70 years. It seems like a no-brianer, but I really didn't see it coming.

An orchestra, as I pointed out before, is a business, a non-profit organization, also known as a charity (legally known as an IRS 501c3 organization), just like a museum, church, or private university. All charities operate on the good graces of generous people. An orchestra is an expensive venture that really doesn't create a lot of money. Because of the sheer size of the ensemble (up to 100 musicians!), productions costs are high, and "earned income" (ticket sales) do not cover 1/4 of the expenses. Private philanthropy is necessary. Even large museums that charge $20 for entry and have thousands of visitors, and private universities that charge $30K a year in tuition and have thousands of students, rely on donations and private philanthropy top stay afloat, fund new programs, build and expand their facilities, and compensate their employees appropriately.

So when an economic crisis hits, those of us who work for non-profits get nervous, even scared. In the last 3 months, dozens of orchestras and opera companies all over America have canceled concerts, laid off employees, and cut programs; many have gone out of business altogether. Even the mighty Metropolitan Opera in NYC (annual operating budget approx. $200 million) is tightening its belt and canceling its most expensive productions this season.

For me, the effects of the recent disastrous downturn in the economy were immediate and terrible. In October, the Astoria Music Society (NYC), of which I am the music director, got it's public funding cut. individual donations were down 65% from the same time last year. Ticket sales suffered. Audiences shrunk. Our income was slashed dramatically. Our future concerts were put in jeopardy. The board of directors held an emergency meeting to decide what to do. We decided to do something a little silly: we'd explain to the public at large that we're running out of money, then we'd ask everyone we know to make a small donation - $10 or $20.

Also in October, the newly formed Round Rock Symphony (TX), of which I am the music director, was trying to launch it's inaugural season. As the first concert date approached, the staff and board of directors realized we were not going to have enough money in hand to hold the event. What would we do? We decided to perform the concert, not knowing if it would be a financial catastrophe or not.

Here's what happened:

In NYC, music-lovers responded loudly. Many people I never imagined donating money made small gifts. Dozens of people donated $50 or $75 or $100. A handful donated $200, $500, or more. Many of the orchestra members themselves made donations. They saved our Holiday concert!

In Round Rock, a large, enthusiastic, and generous crowd of music-lovers showed up for the Round Rock Symphony's Inaugural Concert. Ticket sales alone nearly covered the expenses for the concert, but after the concert, as they left the venue, many audience members stuffed cash or checks into a donation jar at the box office. These people demonstrated that they loved music so much that they wanted this orchestra to succeed, despite the current economic times.

The lesson to take away from these anecdotes is this: music-lovers are more generous than we think. An honest appeal to good people will often yield unexpected good results. And don't start an orchestra in the middle of a recession.

To make a small donation to the Astoria Music Society, click here.

To make a small donation to the Round Rock Symphony, click here.

How to Make an Orchestra (part 1.b.)

2008-10-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

A little update: I just got off the phone with the new concertmaster of the Round Rock Symphony. It was an exciting conversation with a wonderfully talented violinist, and I am so happy this person accepted the position. Now to contact the others....

How to Make a Symphony Orchestra (part 1)

2008-10-02T23:49:00.001-07:00

Making a symphony orchestra is difficult. A symphony orchestra is not just a large body of musicians who are trained experts who work together as a finely-oiled machine; an orchestra is also a non-profit organization. A non-profit organization is a business, and starting a business is hard work. You need to form the business. You need to incorporate the business. You need to file for IRS recognition as a not-for-profit incorporation. You need patience, an entraprenurial spirit, an address, a phone number, business cards, a website, a staff, a place to rehearse, a performance venue, a marketing plan, and a lot of business sense. You also need money.

I'm involved in the founding of the Round Rock Symphony, a brand-new professional orchestra in the Austin, TX, area. The amount of paperwork involved is staggering. The effort required to raise awareness and operating funds can suck a person's energy dry. Because an orchestra involves so many people (a few adminstrators, a board of directors, dozens and dozens of musicians, hundreds of fans, etc.), the time one must invest in communicating with everyone is absolutely shocking. But there is one daunting task that cannot be overlooked - auditioning an entire orchestra.

A small orchestra has anywhere from 18 to 30 members, and a large orchestra could have a hundred or more musicians. The Round Rock Symphony will be a medium-sized orchestra of 40-46 musicians for its first concert, but in order to hire the best 40-46 musicians in Austin, one must audition and interview hundreds of talented players.

When the formation of the Round Rock Symphony was announced, I was buried in over 250 requests for auditions. Of those requests, I was able to accommodate only 160 or so players. I had to find a venue (thank you Bachus Conservatory!) and a panel of musical experts willing to listen to auditions with me (thank you Garrett Keast, Jon Babcock, Brett Bachus, and Joseph Baird). Then I had to schedule a time to listen to each of those 160 musicians demonstrate their abilites on their instruments. The audition process took weeks to organize, but the actual auditions required 5 entire days of listeing to and interviewing musicians (9:00 am-7:30 pm). OK, listeing to well-trained musicians all day is not unpleasant - it's much easier than roofing or waiting tables - but it's still exhausting work.

I jokingly referred to this process as "Orchestra Idol," but it was in reality nothing like the TV show on which that joke was based. The Austin area is rich with talented musicians. I heard dozens of hornists, dozens of flutists, dozens of cellists, dozens of everything, all excellent musicians. As I listened to each player making beautiful music, I took careful notes, listing to the tone quality, rhythmic acuracy, intonation, articulations, dynamics, phrasing, expression, artistic interpretation, and adherence to the composer's other subtle markings. After listening to them all, I realized I had a big problem on my hands.

A week ago I wondered: "How on earth am I going to find 40-46 great musicians to play together in the Round Rock Symphony?" Today, I am wondering: "How on earth am I going to pick just 40-46 musicians?" What do I tell the other 114-120 talented players they didn't make the cut? It's a terrible dilemma, because I want to work with all of them!

Alas, I must spend the next 3 days reviewing my notes and making tough decisions, disappointing 3 musicians for each musician I accept into the ensemble. It's not fun, but the result will be a fantastic and nimble orchestra, capable of turning a bunch of little black dots on paper into soul-feeding music, the highest form of human artistic expression.

More later...

Gargoyle Garden Closes

2008-08-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

The fifth and final performance of Jeff LaGreca and Allen Schulz's Garoyle Garden was last night. It was the best performance yet and we had a huge, enthusiastic audience to share it with! As the music director for the show, the performances were relatively easy; once the cast and band knew the music, all I had to do was show up, give a few cues, and play one blistering heavy metal guitar solo about 1/3 of the way into the show (a little-known secret of mine is that before I became an orchestra conductor and composer of "art music," I wanted to be a rock star - I suppose I exposed some of my 1980s musical tastes and inclinations during that 3-minute guitar solo).

That's me on the left!

Like I said, the performances were pretty easy for me. The rehearsal period - that's another matter altogether. First, we learn notes, rhythms, and words. Then we add the next level of musical finesse - dynamics (volume), balance, and articulations. This process is not easy, but when it's accomplished, we really get subtle and work to unify phrasing ideas, musicality, and that special je ne sais quoi that separates a good performance from a great performance (I'll rant some other time about the overuse of the word "great" in reference to performances).

In this case, the cast was amazing. They learned the music very quickly and memorized it shortly thereafter so Jeff LaGreca (writer and stage director) could make the show happen from a dramatic point of view. I should mention that I had to leave NYC for 2 weeks right in the middle of the rehearsal period (egad!), and Allen Schulz, the composer and my dear friend, handled the musical rehearsals deftly in my absence - well, no one knows the music better than him! When I came back to NYC, I was pleased to find that the show had evolved very quickly in my absence.

Some of the cast member are old friends of mine and colleagues whom I've worked before (Elizabeth Mondragon, Allan Gillespie, and John Taylor), but others were new to me. I also had the opportunity to work again with one of the most talented new-music pianists I've even met, Laura Barger, and the talented percussionist Chris Graham (for the first time). Needless to say, it was a pleasure to work with consummate professionals, whatever their relationship to me.

After 6 weeks of rehearsals and preparations, and 2 weeks of performances, it was great fun to give the show it's last performance with reckless abandon in front of that very generously enthusiastic audience. Allan Gilespie ("Chimney Man") hosted a party at a great bar in the Village called Wicked Willie's, and that's always fun ("And the dances continued throughout the night," to quote Jeff LaGreca's great lyrics).

I am very happy that the show was such a hit, and I'm especially happy for and proud of Allen Schulz and Jeff LaGreca (picture to the left) for writing such a great show and bringing it to fruition in such a high-profile way as getting it in the NYC Fringe Festival (it was called one of the six shows not-to-miss). Amazing work, buddies.

Some reviews:

TimeOutNY

American Theater Web

NY Daily News

But when a project that you've invested so much time energy and emotion in comes to a close, you can't help feeling a little sad. The cast and crew become very close when they spend so much time together in such a short amount of time, and you hope sincerely that you see each and all of them again soon. Sometimes you do. Sometimes you don't.

If you're a musician - or any other type of performer - you spend a lot time and energy bringing things into the world, giving life to things that previously were only blots of ink on paper. When a project is finished, you can't help feeling like you've given a part of yourself away. But the beautiful thing about being a musician is that there's another project right around the corner, and the long list of things you've given yourself to, the things that you've created in your lifetime...well those things make you the artist and the person you are.

So, now that I've given a big chunk of myself to Gargoyle Garden, what's next? Well, I'm re-orchestrating and arranging a piece of music I wrote about 10 years ago - a full ballet - for a performance in the spring, I'm organizing a fundraising event and concert in Round Rock (TX), a series of concerts in New York City, and a run of Nutcracker with the Moscow Ballet this fall. And of course I've got my cats, my bicycle (I've become a full-fledged bike nut), and my wife to think of. There are plenty of things and people to give myself to, and I'm grateful that there's a lot of me to give.

Thanks to Rebecca Bratspies for the great photos!

Gargoyle Garden is a hit!

2008-08-11T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well, Allen Schulz and Jeff LaGreca have produced a hit in their wonderful family-oriented opera/musical theater piece Gargoyle Garden. The first show on Saturday was great, and the Sunday show was even better. And we had a great crowd both days! I'm very happy for those guys, but I'm also proud to be a part of it all. I also get to play electric guitar in a little tribute to Slash - something I don't do very often.

One of Jeff's buddies made a documentary about the making of Gargoyle Garden, and you can see it on YouTube if you follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIU9m7TtXHs

After the Sunday show, Allen's sister (who was in town from California) hosted a post-show party for the cast and crew at a gorgeous Upper West ide penthouse overlooking Central Park. It was a beautiful night with fine food and drink and great company. I stood on the balcony of that multi-million dollar condo thinking, "I should live more like this..." It was really wonderful.

Three more shows to go! If you're in NYC, come check it out! You better buy tickets in advance, as the New York Times named it one of the 6 shows you can't miss!

Dates (click for tickets):

Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008, 5:15 pm

Sunday, Aug 17, 2008, 2:30 pm

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008, 8:00 pm

More info: http://www.gargoylegarden.com/

Bye!

Gargoyle Garden

2008-08-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to post my 2nd entry (okay, I know I took a very looooooong time between the first and second posts). I've been working hard on a new show, a musical called Gargoyle Garden that is part of the NYC Fringe Festival (it's a big deal). The show is about a boy (Edgar Allen Densmore, that's him on the left) who meets some friendly gargoyles. It's more complicated than that, but you'll have to see it yourself if you want to know the whole story. The music was composed by my very good friend Allen Schulz, and the script was written by the funny and talented Jeff LaGreca (of Minimum Wage Burgerboy fame), who's also directing the show. My role as music director of the show is a lot of fun, and I am very proud to be a part of it. The show is family friendly, so if you're in NYC in the next 2-3 weeks - and especially if you have kids - come check it out. The first shows are this Saturday, Aug 9, 7:45 pm, and Sunday, Aug 10, 5:30 pm, at 45 Bleeker Street. For the complete schedule, tickets, and more info, click here.

Besides Gargoyle Garden, I'm working very hard on looking for more musical work. I've been so busy this summer and will be quite busy in the coming concert season, but there's always room for more music in my life. I'm also working hard planning a September 30 fundraiser for the Round Rock Symphony (my Austin-area orchestra), and the October 10-11 season-opener concert for the Astoria Symphony (my Queens, NY-based orchestra). Both events are extremely important to my mission and the missions of those two organizations.

Wish me luck!

My first blog. This has to be good.

2008-06-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've never blogged before. Since everyone's started blogging, I thought I'd start, but I imagined my first blog would represent a momentous, life-changing moment for me. I thought I'd discuss aesthetics, the importance of art in life, or perhaps the spritual development of the world as it pertains to music. I imagined I'd philosophize, theorize, and put forth some incredible ideas about how music, art, sprituality, and life feed off and sustain and strengthen one another. I'd have to come up with some pretty amazing words to do that, and I'd spend some serious time reflecting and meditating upon my first blog entry. It would have to be good, or it wouldn't be worth reading.

Here I go...

I broke my pinky toe tonight. I carelessly walked into a doorframe and broke it. I've stubbed my left pinky toe approximately 7,591 times in my lifetime and never broke it until tonight. It hurts. I went to the hospital. They X-rayed it, then taped it to my No. 4 toe, gave me a giant foam shoe and two crutches, and sent me home. That's it.

I'm mad because I can't ride my bike for a while. I'm mad because this foam shoe looks rediculous and I have to conduct The Marriage of Figaro on Thursday night. I'm mad because I could've taped my pinky toe to its neighbor myself--I didn't need to go to the hospital and waste 3 hours for that. It throbs a bit. I'm irritable. I feel stupid for walking into the door.

That was my first blog...interesting.

Next time I'll discuss music or at least something more sustaining than my pinky toe.