Who says there's no culture in the Heartland?

Lots of Mahler and more!

A smattering of the many events happening in the world around me:

TODAY:

The Quad City Symphony presents Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony at 2:00 at Augustana College's Centennial Hall.  Affiliated artists include Quad City Choral Arts, Adriana Zabala, mezzo­‐soprano, and a host of hundreds.

In conjunction with Ballet Quad Cities, Orchestra Iowa presents Copland's Appalachian Spring and Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.  Both ballets feature new choreography specifically designed for these productions.  2:30 p.m., Paramount Theater.

The Heartland Ballet presents Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, this weekend and next, at Dubuque's Grand Opera House.  Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Next week the Dubuque Symphony features an all-Russian program with Shostakovich's Festive Overture (a band piece if there ever was one), the demanding third piano concerto of Rachmaninoff (with John Nakamatsu--former Cliburn gold medal-winner) and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.  Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. in the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center.

While the wcfsymphony just offered its performance of Mahler's First, they will present "An Imaginary Symphony" on April 26 at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the UNI campus.  Check this one out!

Of course, one shouldn't miss the Bettendorf Park Band's spring concert TODAY at 3:00 p.m. at the Bettendorf Community Center.  With works by Alfred Reed, Johann Strauss, Gustav Holst and others, I hear they have an exciting new conductor!  Check them out on Facebook.

He's conducting another band?

This just scratches the surface of artistic offerings in my own little corner of the blogosphere.  Too much to do!

Iowa House comes through for band music education

This little item (HR 120) passed the Iowa House of Representatives on Monday:

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING MAY 9 AND 10, 2014 AS IOWA SCHOOL BAND DAYS.

WHEREAS, From the works of Robert Meredith Willson to the marches of Karl L. King, Iowa has a long, strong, and proud tradition of band music; and 

WHEREAS, music education within school band programs has repeatedly been proven to positively influence student achievement in all curriculums; and

WHEREAS, community support for quality school music programs shows a dedication to the sense of pride and community that school bands can provide; and

WHEREAS, school band programs demonstrate that a well-rounded music education can be key to a student’s success in life and learning; and

WHEREAS, the weekend of May 9 and 10, 2014 are state band contest days; and

WHEREAS, recognizing organizations like the Iowa Bandmasters Association and the Iowa Chapter of the American School Band Directors Association will encourage music excellence throughout our state; NOW THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, that the House of Representatives recognizes May 9 and 10, 2014 as Iowa School Band Days and congratulates the talented and dedicated young musicians who are members of Iowa’s school bands.

Passed by unanimous vote by the House of Representatives on March 31, 2014

May 10 is my birthday.  This is one of the best presents I could have received...

Fifteen minutes of fame (x2)

Earlier this month, NPR's All Things Considered imagined a counterfactual history of World War 1:

This year marks the centennial of the outbreak of World War I. What started as a beef between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia unleashed a clash that brought in Russia, Italy, France, Germany, England and eventually the United States.

All Things Considered has been underlining the war's historical importance by imagining the world if it had never happened: How would politics, science, literature and music have been different without that conflict?

We asked listeners to carry this idea of a counterfactual history and received more than 1,500 thoughtful — and often hilarious — stories.

My own contribution to the series was actually selected!

Pianist Paul Wittgenstein would not have lost his right arm to amputation, thus eliminating the left hand concerti of Ravel, Prokofiev and others. It's also highly unlikely that Stravinsky would have written "L'histoire du Soldat."
— Brian Hughes

Of course, there is much more to the musical story, but this is what I came up with off the top of my head.  Maybe Stravinsky would have written "A Farmer's Tale" instead.

* * * * * * * * * *

This past weekend I received a LinkedIn request from a member of the news media in the Quad Cities (Davenport, IA etc.).  I didn't know the guy but figured that such a contact couldn't hurt.  The next thing I know I'm sitting in a QC Times conference room with a reporter and a camera man spending nearly an hour talking about the Bettendorf Park Band, community music-making, and my own passion for conducting.  And so, this shows up last night on the paper's web site:

There's more, but I'm not a subscriber, so this is all I have at the moment.  However, interested readers can order a coffee mug, t-shirt, or even drink coasters with my mug attached.  (Hmm, mug on a mug?  That might be a scary way to start the day…)

The best news since Henson's resignation

Minnesota Orchestra CEO Michael Henson recently announced his resignation, effective August.  Many hoped that this would pave the way for the return of Osmo Vanska to the helm of this fine instrument that he built into one of the world's finest.

Minnesota PR reports here.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune adds here.

If this is true, will it solve all of the turmoil that erupted during the MOA's 16-month lock out of the orchestra.  Well, it is a start.

Reflecting on the dissertation, Part 2

I did not complete my dissertation in the spring.  No excuses, it just didn't happen.  I put very little effort into it over the summer.  I could blame the dozen or so concert performances of which I was a part, as conductor or player, but--again--those would be excuses.  Thus, when I found myself again on the margins of the profession (as I was for two years: 2010-2012--pitiful that I did no work then either) I actually set out to complete it.

It's not as though the work hadn't been "cooking" in my brain for quite some time; no, quite the opposite.  I would scratch out some notes or sources on the computer--or the old fashioned way: on a legal pad--and then put things aside.  It was not until the summer performances were finished that I finally started in earnest, and by October 1--two weeks ahead of the graduate school's deadline--I had submitted at least a working draft to the members of my committee.  Now, some 10 days later I've received no comments.  Must be no news is good news.

I know that I can write, and have been fortunate enough to have some fine teachers who taught me to write well.  Of course, my high school Latin classes (my deepest thanks to Magistra Depue) along with a (much later) German reading class, were contributors to my acquired skills.  When one studies a language so steeped in proper grammar (of course grammar in vital in English expression) it becomes engrained.  I find myself correcting my own grammar even in emails or facebook messages, and yes, MS Word, sometimes I do mean to write in the passive voice!

Yet, the most important advice I received in this sprint to the finish is found in A Manual for Writers, 8th edition, by Kate Turabian and the team that has taken over her important work since her passing in 1987.  The writers note in the "overview" to part one "Research and Writing, from Planning to Production," "from the outset, you should try to write every day." I took this to heart, trying to assure myself that I could at least get five pages finished every day.  One week, I encountered nothing but setbacks.  As I tried to defend in writing my choice of methodology (of score study), I kept wandering off on a tangent.  As a result, Tuesday's work ended up in the trash file; same thing on Wednesday.  Finally, I simply had to make the conscious decision to just say what I did and how I did not and not compare my methodology to Munch, Furtwangler, Mitropoulos, or the giants in conducting's pantheon.

One always has to remember that the best dissertation is a completed one.  Now we'll see how the committee feels....

MEETING THE CHALLENGE....

Kenneth Woods, in his latest blog post, challenged his readers to write about women on the podium.  AND, we need to go beyond the obvious--conductor of the Baltimore Symphony--(Marin Alsop for the uninitiated).  I would weed JoAnn Falletta from the list as well, for certainly she has established a world-class career for herself as well (Virginia Symphony--since 1991; Buffalo Philharmonic--since 1998; the Ulster Orchestra in the UK, AND she is part of the team that has brought orchestral music back to Hawaii).

No, Mr. Woods is challenging us to look beyond the "big names," although it is quite sad that I can name only two.  Meanwhile, I must write of two women whom I have had the pleasure of meeting personally:

Tania Miller, recently celebrated her tenth season with the Victoria (Canada) Symphony Orchestra.  I met Tania when we were both considerably younger: at a (then) ASOL Conducting Symposium held in Ann Arbor.  Although she was one of the younger conductor's present, one could easily see that she was destined for greater things.  She matriculated from the University of Michigan (therefore she has to be great!), but that's not what drew me to this conductor.  Like many (and it's not just women; I could probably place Carl St. Clair in the list), she has stunningly expressive hands and, I'll be honest, I'm jealous.  Of course, great hands do not necessarily a great conductor make; I have seen my share of conductors who possessed such physical gifts but didn't have the brainpower to match.

I had to travel all the way to the Czech Republic to meet Roberta Carpenter, currently the conductor of Wisconsin's Oconomowoc Symphony.  She lives less than three hours from me and yet, I have not seen her in nearly 15 years--inexcusable!  Roberta is a very reflective conductor, a thoughtful conductor, a kind soul on the podium.  She, like Tania, brings distinction to our profession.  I can offer fewer exclamations of praise.

I hope that this is only my first foray into Maestro Woods's challenge.  In fact, I already have ideas for continuing "chapters."  But for now, it's back to supper and a little score study.

Berlin outspends.....just about everyone.

Norman Lebrecht notes in today's Slipped Disc blog that the city of Berlin provides just under a billion Euros in arts subsidies, surprising (due to recent cuts) the entire British government.

One billion Euros...not chump change.  At today's rates, that $1.3 billion and change USD.  In comparison, it's important (or maybe just disheartening) to note the following:

U.S. government subsidy to the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities:  $146 million.
   There are three major areas I have focused on for reduction in spending. These are in many cases reductions which become larger and larger over time. So first there are programs I would eliminate. Obamacare being one of them but also various subsidy programs -- the Amtrak subsidy, the PBS subsidy, the subsidy for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities. Some of these things, like those endowment efforts and PBS I very much appreciate and like what they do in many cases, but I just think they have to strand on their own rather than receiving money borrowed from other countries, as our government does on their behalf.  

2012 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

U.S. government spending on defense:  (2013):  $682 billion, which does not include emergency and supplemental spending to support U.S. war efforts overseas.  As of June 2011, the costs of U.S. incursions into Iraq and Afghanistan totaled approximately $3.7 trillion!

German defense spending: 45.8 billion USD.  For the record, the United States outspends the entire European Union, China and Russia combined for a total of $2141 per capita.  

One can only imagine a fraction of those totals being placed toward "peaceful" endeavors: education, arts, humanities, all with the goal of saving humanity.