Today is the second meeting of my Juilliard graduate course on music criticism. I've blogged about the course before. Follow the link for details. But because there's been so much interest, maybe I'll go week by week, and say what I'm teaching. One thing I do each week is play music, and ask the students to describe what they hear. That's because a big focus of the course, as I've said here before, is learning to talk about music better. For me that means talking more precisely, more evocatively, more accurately, and in a more personal way. … [Read more...]
Archives for 2011
Another workshop
I know I'm neglecting other things I might post about. But this subject seems pretty hot. Patience, if it's not your cup of…shot of…[fill in your favorite hard or soft beverage; I'm partial to bourbon]. This post is about a workshop I taught for the Pittsburgh Symphony. I'll be posting on other subjects shortly. Prelude (about how I've worked when I teach how to talk and write about music): A few [people in a workshop I taught] were timid…but when I teach something like this -- and very definitely in my Juilliard course on music criticism -- … [Read more...]
A workshop I’ve taught
More on writing/talking about music, because as you'll see in another post, I'm inspired to start a business in which I help people do those things. In the past, I've taught workshops on these subjects. Here's one of them. I'll talk about others in future posts. Center for Arts Criticism, Minneapolis I did this workshop in the '80s. I had 15 or more people to work with, both pop and classical critics. My method: We read Greil Marcus's famous chapter on Elvis, from his first book, Mystery Train (one of the classics of rock criticism), … [Read more...]
Talking about music more
Such an endless subject, how to talk about music. But also something we can all make progress on. There are so many things to say about how to do it well. Here's something I wrote to one of my Facebook friends, Ana Cervantes: I think there are four things to emphasize in teaching how to write about music. First, being very clear and honest and personal about what you hear. Second, talking about music -- describing music with speech. Much more direct than writing! Third, reading good writing about music. Which isn't necessarily by music … [Read more...]
Talking about music
Such gratifying response -- here, Facebook, Twitter -- to my thoughts about my music criticism course, and especially the part about learning to talk about music better. Seems to be something many people feel is needed. (If you read my post about the course, you'll see that talking about music is a big part of it.) So, more thoughts on all of that. I said in my post that it's important to be both objective and subjective. To describe, as accurately and vividly as you can, what you hear. And then to say what you think/feel about … [Read more...]
A thought
Some people have said they wished they could take my music criticism course. Conceivably, I could teach a version of it online. How that would work would have to be figured out. Maybe there could be a two-week immersion in what I teach. But I'm open to any ideas. I could do individual tutorials, too. And I'm available to visit schools, or other places, to speak about criticism. How can I help? Let me know! … [Read more...]
My music criticism course
The fall moves onward. I've relaunched my blog, my website (need to do a little work on it!), and my book. And today my Juilliard course started. This is a graduate course about music criticism that I've been teaching for many years. You can read the same course overview the students get, and the same class schedule. On which you'll find all the assignments, with links, so you can sample the reading and listening the students will do. I have to say that the response I got to this on Facebook really warmed my heart. Students who took … [Read more...]
A man to honor
In the chunk of my book I posted here, you'll see I talk a bit about Christopher Small, a man we can't honor too much. I was saddened to learn that he died last week, aged 84. I wish I could find another photo of him I once had, sent to me years ago by a friend. On the left is that photo, showing Small and his partner, Neville Braithwaite. Radiating joy. (My friend read the post, and resent the picture. Thanks, Susan!) Small was a profound and humane writer and teacher, whose three books are essential reading for people who care … [Read more...]
First chunk of the book
[changes made since I first posted this] Late Friday night, maybe a little bit under the radar, I relaunched my book, Rebirth: The Future of Classical Music. I put a substantial chunk of it right here, at the end of this post. Shortly I'll make it available as a PDF download. Future plans? I'll keep posting chunks, until I have enough to sell as an ebook. I'm thinking there will be more than one ebook, and then maybe a larger, full-length book compiled from all of them. Not that I'd turn down a print publisher. But that's the future. … [Read more...]
Book relaunch
The relaunch of my book is coming this evening… … [Read more...]
Hurricane
No, that's not the disorder of my mind (which, as human minds go, is less tattered than usual these days). This is the railroad I take from my home in Warwick, NY to New York City, and to my other home in Washington, DC. After, that is, the tracks were destroyed by Hurricane Irene. Maybe the hurricane is old news by now. But what happened to the railroad -- New Jersey Transit's Port Jervis line -- is staggering. News reports said there were 1000-foot stretches that look like the photo, or worse. The trains won't run again for months. And … [Read more...]
Support for commerce
Steve Ledbetter posted a comment I thought I'd share here in the blog. He's responding to my thoughts (in yesterday's "Relaunch" post) about classical music commerce, which will be my theme on the blog in October: You're on the right track considering commerce -- anyone who wants to make a living in music, whether as a sole practitioner or as a member of an ensemble needs to realize that being able to continue the work long enough to be worthwhile also means finding that market, which seems to have become so elusive. Seth Godin is a terrific … [Read more...]
Relaunch, day two
My relaunch continues. I've got a new…well, a new home page. It's the beginning of a new website. I'll construct the site incrementally. Or (as I wrote on the page) by surprise. It'll take me awhile (of course). But I'll build it, I hope, in the rhythm of other parts of my relaunch. Want to help? I think of this as an interim site. Would anyone want to redesign it? Send me ideas! One thought I had -- if anyone cares to design a new home page for me, I can put it online, just for the fun of it. I could even use several, each for a while, to … [Read more...]
Relaunch
Labor Day's over. The new season starts. And, after vacation, this is when I've always restarted my blog. But this year there's more. Not just a restart. This year it's a relaunch, not just of the blog, but of everything I do online. And much that I'll do in the physical world. To start with, the blog has a new look, thanks to new software, courtesy (and what happy timing) of my ArtsJournal hosts. A big improvement, I think, and not just in looks. The blog should now be more flexible, which I'll hope brings me closer to all of you. And … [Read more...]
Going fishing
I'm going on vacation, and won't blog again till after Labor Day. Or, more evocatively, I'm going to treat myself to some time in my private art colony, aka my country home in Warwick, NY. Where I'll relaunch my book (the link takes you to old versions of it), and compose. (A cello piece.)Some thoughts, though, before I go. From time to time I send out a newsletter. Can't believe I haven't mentioned it in the blog, but if you click, you can read the latest issue. And if you click again, you can subscribe. In the fall, the newsletter will show … [Read more...]