How do we listen to music?

I understand music is changing--that is, the way we listen to and acquire the music we listen to and prefer. It is beginning to feel like our musical preferences are being controlled by computer--is that okay?

In my quest to find new relevant and timely topics for this blog, I find myself, quite enjoyably, regularly checking various arts blogs. A recent LA Times music blog discussed the new Google "music search" feature: if you type your favorite musical artist into Google right now, you will see its features. Searching for "John Mayer," the searcher's top result will be four popular John Mayer songs, along with the ability to sample each song once, as well as explore his music further with the sites that Google has partnered with: LaLa, Rhapsody, Myspace Music, Pandora and Imeem. The feature isn't meant to replace these musical sources, but to help guide the user to them based on the researched artist. When testing the new feature, I didn't find it that thrilling. Searching Beethoven, Prokofiev and Charles Ives, (purely at random, obviously), resulted in a lack of playlist for each.

Still, it made me curious about the other sites. Pandora has been around for a while, and I find that my non-musician friends talk about using it much more often than my friends who are musicians. Even though it's existed since about 2006, I haven't explored it much until now. I realized it differs from the other free legal music sites because its creation of playlists finds music for the user based on stylistic elements of the music instead of specific artist.

Cue, now, snobby musician. How is it that a computer can intellectually tell me what music to like? This article talks about how Pandora sees the DNA in music, and chooses music for the user with specific genes.

You may not realize it, but you don't like chromatic harmony," Pandora's Chief Strategy Officer said. "You may have no idea what that means, but we see you don't like anything that has it." Thus, your playlist would not include anything including that gene.

In classical music, though, unless you're listening to Mozart or Haydn, you'll find chromatic harmony, that, whoever Pandora is addressing in the quote probably wouldn't even recognize as uncomfortable. I think it's difficult, for a classically trained musician like myself, to grasp the idea that a computer might know music theory, the stylistic between specific composers in different eras and the vast repertoire of each preferred composer better than I do. Popular music--the difference between those who like Mars Volta playlists versus Miley Cyrus--seems obvious. Still, just because a majority of Americans don't realize that the difference between Ravel and Mahler is just as vast as the previous example, doesn't mean the computer isn't smart enough to know. In the music student world, at least, we aren't quick to turn to computerized musical preferences--we want to do research on our own and analyze our findings with our own knowledge.

When I typed in Prokofiev, it listed several specific pieces, of which I chose, at random, Piano Sonata No. 3. For fun, I skipped to the next song of the playlist, which was a piano piece by Ginastera that I had not heard of before. Normally, I would not categorize Ginastera's "brazilian-ness" with Prokofiev, but the piece was nice, and was a good addition to a playlist of a person who might enjoy 20th century piano music.

Don't misunderstand, though--music students have online databases that we turn to for free music listening also, (without the computerized compiling of playlists of course), that can be accessed through the library website for free (Naxos and Classical.com). Although the Pandora library was much more impressive than expected, if I needed to listen to the Harbison Woodwind Quintet or the Martinu Oboe Concerto, I would probably have to look to a classical database. I would hope that in the near future, though, that the worlds could be one--obscure oboe concertos could be found on Pandora genetic playlist-maker could be one that not only be convenient, but also promote artistic culture.

The title "Creative Destruction" doesn't imply to me a sense of "building community," but John Thomas Dodson's blog is about the forward movement of classical music and the assimilation of the "old system" into a modern world. It's awesome!

John Thomas Dodson is the music director of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra in Adrian, Michigan. The city apparently has an area of 7.3 miles and a population of approximately 21,000 southern Michigan inhabitants. My first reaction to the Wikipedia entry was far from assuming any type of cultural depth, but later I read that the Adrian City Band is the oldest in the country, Thomas Edison was included in one of it's notable residents and the city's cultural history and architecture has many connections to the 19th century. The city is also the home of the third oldest opera house in the country, which continues to boast over one million dollars in revenue each year. It's no surprise, then, that such a visionary blogger would be the music director of the symphony in such a lovely cultural place.

His latest blog caught my attention, as he discussed his thoughts about his recent visit to New York for the Met's free, outdoor festival. Over ten evenings, recent Met productions were projected on a large movie screen outside in the Lincoln Center Plaza. His entry addressed the exact thoughts I had after reading the title, "Drive-by Opera." Opera, in it's earliest form, was meant for royalty exclusively. It, like the history of many of the arts, was more of a cultural and social statement of wealth and worldliness than it was meant for emotional fulfillment. Obviously the art evolved, and by the early 19th century, certain operas were performed for middle class citizens, but still, the idea of opera, an art that often requires international understanding, is now being broadcast to the masses at no cost, is a remarkable notion even in the 21st century.

Dodson loved it, because the whole atmosphere added new meanings to the performance.

"The individualized noises cut into the listening experience. You had to NOTICE them. Reading the sub-titles in Stephanie Blythe's Elysium scene, I remember seeing something like "All around me are blissful sounds." As the sirens, car horns and street noises continued, I couldn't help but think that New York's capacity for irony is simply endless. Gluck would have smiled."

Traditionalists might argue that the capacity of the outdoors does not lend itself to the nature of the performance that the composer would have intended. At the same time, composers of their time were visionaries. Their ideas were often far passed their audience of the time and their patrons. Heck, Beethoven probably would have loved the extra dramatic element of fireworks at the end of his 9th symphony just as the chorus sang: "Such ihn über'm Sternenzelt! Über Sternen muss er wohnen." (Seek Him in the heavens; Above the stars He must dwell).

Life's a Pitch loves WDH

I recently read an inspiring post in a blog that, as a result of my enrollment in a Journalism/PR class, has proven to be quite interesting. Amanda Ameer, writer of Life's a Pitch, is a publicist for well known classical artists through her own company, First Chair Promotions. The blog discusses the questions that lie on every classical music-lover's mind: Is the audience dying? Whose fault is it? Her solution is proper marketing and publicity--a completely logical answer in the modern world.

"Why don't we apply the successful marketing and publicity campaigns we see in our everyday lives to the performing arts? Great ideas are right there, ripe for the emulating. And who's responsible for the wide-reaching problems in ticket sales and audience development? Boring artists? Greedy managers? Overstretched marketing departments? We're beyond debating who owns the problem. Let's fix this thing."

On a coincidental, yet completely useful note, I'm currently taking a class called "Public Relations in the Entertainment Industry." Usually, I feel like the curriculum in the class regarding PR in film, TV and the celebrity world does not apply to me. Even when music PR is discussed, the genres of topic generally didn't go beyond pop and rock--until I asked.

I mentioned the obvious publicity stunt surrounding the Hollywood Bowl opening of Gustavo Dudamel as the new music director of the LA Phil. My professor, whose day job consists of being a senior publicist for a major TV network, revealed to me that publicity in classical music is a huge career venue. It differs from TV and film since the funding is generally non-profit, but it continues to be an area of publicity that has not at all diminished with time. She said that the LA Phil, historically, has had the most creative and successful PR team, along with teams at all major professional orchestras in the country (i.e. Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco, New York).

This revealed a new side of classical music I had not been acquainted with--one that, unlike the competition of performance, might have a long-lasting, successful career within it for more than five percent of those who pursue it.

My reasons for reading the blog aside, I was pleasantly surprised by Ameer's Oct. 21 post about her visit to Los Angeles and to Walt Disney Hall. She admits her skepticism of the LA Phil's shameless promotion of Dudamel throughout the city, earlier in her blog, but in visiting the city and especially Walt Disney Hall, she discovered a city of classical music and art that she had never expected to exist.

Her review of Dudamel, the Hall and the LA Phil musicians were all raving. Her first visit to Walt Disney Hall, her reaction was one more sincere than the average Angelino:

"When we drove by I started grinning and then, oh no, here it comes - crying! If you don't know me, you probably think "crying" means a few tears running down my face dragging clumps of mineral make-up along with them, but sadly no: I really cry. "Wait, are you CRYING?" my friend asked. "Should we pull over??""

Her reaction was almost comical, but the sincerity of her reaction was the most refreshing--especially in a LA world of disillusionment. At the end of her post she pointed out something silly, but almost poignant. Her picture points out a street name on the perimeter of the hall: Hope St. As an Angelino, it's hard to imagine LA as a city of hope. The demographics are so vast, and the impoverished often seem hopeless. Ameer points out, though, that perhaps with the help of music, a beautiful hall and a new inspiring music director, "hope" shall be held for the Los Angeles community.

Disney Teaches Everything

In one of my first expeditions into pageflakes, I discovered a fascinating initiative by Disney: jazz education curriculum through the new animated feature, The Princess and the Frog.

Disney's education team has teamed up with Scholastic to create lesson plans for music teachers for elementary age students to teach about the roots of jazz music.

My first response consisted of, "How could a Disney Princess movie help students relate to jazz music?" Apparently, Disney has decided to let the movie reach beyond simple fairy-tale love, and provide some cultural education as well.

For some background, The Princess and the Frog, is Disney's venture back into a traditionally animated fairy tale. The movie was directed by the man who created Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, both classic favorites of little girls in the 90s and now. The Princess and the Frog is a twist on the well-known fairy tale, where a Frog Prince fatefully asks a New Orleans girl for a kiss to be human, only leading her to become a frog as well. The film captures their adventure through classic Disney animated magic and, quite appropriately, the jazz inspired music of Randy Newman.

The online curriculum consists of two complete lessons: the first focuses on the origins of jazz in New Orleans as important to the culture bond of the area. The website provides musical examples, as well as print out worksheets. The worksheets explain the ways improvisation in New Orleans jazz acts as a universal language as well--a value that is important for teachers to emphasize with all types of music.

I also discovered while exploring the website, that the curriculum launch is actually an advertisement for Disney's brand new jazz festival "Disney Jazz Celebration" to be held at Walt Disney World in February 2010. This new major annual festival will be an addition to Disney's existing festivals including Festival Disney and Disney Magic Music Days. As a Disney lover and a music lover, I am certainly a sucker for their marketing.

After listening to the soundtrack clippings, it's reminiscent of a Disney-fied version of The Color Purple: The Musical minus the domestic violence and sexual tensions, but with similar feminist and "follow-your-dreams" kind of feelings. In fact, Oprah, the producer of the The Color Purple, plays the voice of the mother of the "princess" in the movie.

Finally, at the risk of abandoning my academic credibility, I will declare myself as a former "little girl" who always imagined being a Disney Princess. I am excitedly anticipating this new approach to the princess story--to watch it with my girlfriends, and to revel in the cheesy Disney awesome-ness. The feminism, heart, love-story and jazz music aspect makes it the simply awesome--in my idealistic, 20-something, without-a-care-in-the-world head.

Here, watch this video, and be excited with me.

Fight On!

This past weekend, I traveled with the Trojan Marching Band to Chicago and South Bend, Indiana for the USC vs. Notre Dame game. The rivalry, surprisingly enough, is historic, dating back to 1926. 81 games have been played between the two schools, and Notre Dame still leads in the series. Being a part of the spirit, I understand how it is considered one of the greatest rivalries in college football.

In a classical music realm of elitism, marching bands are mostly looked down upon--the USC marching band is made up of over 300 instrumentalists, of which less than 10 are studying for a Bachelors of Music. Marching and dancing while playing does not enhance tone quality, rhythmic unity or intonation. Most traditional music teachers in the classical field discourage students from being a part of "the band." It's simply too hard to resist, though, when the football team is consistently one of the top 10 in the nation.

In addition, I always feel that the "art" of marching band is not one to be considered worthless, but one that's simply different. It's a unique activity that certainly does not go unappreciated: the USC marching band inspires "the team," the crowd at a game and hundreds of USC fans who show up to see the band perform before football games. In Chicago, fans filled the Navy Pier and the Sheraton Hotel for rallies that didn't feature the football team or Pete Carroll, but the Trojan Marching Band--The best marching band in the history of the universe.

Please don't misunderstand, I love playing and practicing perfection in classical music, but there's something just as magical about playing "Rock-n-Roll All Night" for 80,000 screaming football fans who love the marching band almost, (if not more), as much as they love the team. It's an interesting phenomenon and culture, and one that I am always so excited to experience. My life in classical music, thank God, will last forever, marching band will only last four years--why not abandon perfection for once, dance, yell and be a part of the only other activity besides music that everyone can relate to: sports.

Here is a video of the USC halftime show at Notre Dame. Obviously, at Notre Dame Stadium, the USC band gets fewer cheers than at the coliseum, but sometimes the "boos" from the opponent makes the experience even more invigorating.

Jack Black and the LA Phil

For weeks I've been telling my friends that Gustavo Dudamel is the Barack Obama of classical music, and they laugh like I'm kidding. Now, they understand. In a previous post, I discussed the excitement behind Dudamel's opening concert, and last weekend--it happened. What an incredible hit. Finally, LA can take part in changing the world for the better--with music.

It was described as having the characteristics of a political rally at times throughout the event. A letter from the president himself was read to the audience, welcoming Dudamel to LA. Jack Black and Andy Garcia were among the celebrity guests in support of Dudamel's grand opening. The LA Phil has definitely been pulling out all the stops. And why not? For the sake of exposing the masses to this great collaborative art--please do it.

Now, on a personal note:

My Music History III class is filled with "educated" musicians--or at least in the process of becoming such. Though all students enrolled are age 21 and younger, there was definitely a sense of pretentiousness when our professor decided to discuss the Dudamel concert with the class. One student ardently and seriously disliked the performances by student groups that preceded the concerts, finding them inadequately skilled to perform at such an event. He also found the performances by artists like Herbie Hancock and Ben Harper inappropriate for the venue.

What a jerk.

It then launched a discussion on the premise behind the entire event. The fact that it was at the Hollywood Bowl, that tickets were free, that it provided a compilation of artists of different backgrounds and genres. It wasn't meant to be appreciated for it's artistic merit as much as its social statement.

This video on the LA Phil website, (Gustavo Dudamel meets YOLA students), is an excellent example of why Dudamel's welcome needed to be more than an elitist indoors concert for patrons. To my elitist peers: our art is about more than intonation, skill and cut-throat competition. Try giving the solo to someone else, for once.

A Nice Description

Dalouge Smith's blog, Dog Days, focuses on arts advocacy and is sponsored by ArtsJournal. In the past few posts, he has spent much discussion on the NEA conference call I mentioned in my last post.

The part of Smith's blog that I have decided to comment on now, though, is not about the conference call. The article titled, "The art of competetiveness," linked in the blog was written by Smith for the San Diego Union Tribune; (Smith is the President of the San Diego Youth Symphony and is active in the arts coalition in the area).

In the article, Smith references to a book by Daniel Pink entitled, "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule in the Future." For the sake of my next paper, perhaps there are other articles that reference the same book. Even if there isn't, the summarization of the article implies that students need music education in order to develop competetive skills that will aid them in life, which is not an uncommon topic amongst music education advocates. In the article, Pink's points are reitterated by Smith--that music develops students into hard-working yet passionate artists.

I look forward to writing about the scholars, who are currently dazzling me with their passionate lectures and devotion to education, but also gain from their experience. I am excited to explore scholarship in this essay--and to do so when speaking about music is even better!