Comments for Gloria Justen, Violinist and Composer http://www.gloriajusten.com violin and other sounds :: classical to future music Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:49:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Where is the joy? Musical fun wanted. by Tod Brody http://www.gloriajusten.com/2011/11/14/where-is-the-joy-musical-fun-wanted/#comment-15 Tod Brody Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:49:08 +0000 http://www.gloriajusten.com/?p=69#comment-15 The piece was for prepared piano, two percussionists (mostly playing on overturned paint cans), and radio. The music that Cage wrote was in turns playful, whimsical, tender. The sounds were delightfully exuberant -- Chris Froh and Willie Winant going to town on paint cans is something everyone should experience at least once in life. The radio part floated (by chance) between rock/pop, news talk, static, classical music, and lent a spirit of fun and adventure. You could imagine Cage smiling wisely as his nearly-70-year-old creation took its place as the most modern sounding piece on a program of much more recent music, and made the whole audience happy. I've never seen more smiles at a new music concert than this. The piece was for prepared piano, two percussionists (mostly playing on overturned paint cans), and radio. The music that Cage wrote was in turns playful, whimsical, tender. The sounds were delightfully exuberant — Chris Froh and Willie Winant going to town on paint cans is something everyone should experience at least once in life. The radio part floated (by chance) between rock/pop, news talk, static, classical music, and lent a spirit of fun and adventure. You could imagine Cage smiling wisely as his nearly-70-year-old creation took its place as the most modern sounding piece on a program of much more recent music, and made the whole audience happy. I’ve never seen more smiles at a new music concert than this.

]]> Comment on Where is the joy? Musical fun wanted. by gjusten http://www.gloriajusten.com/2011/11/14/where-is-the-joy-musical-fun-wanted/#comment-14 gjusten Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:08:33 +0000 http://www.gloriajusten.com/?p=69#comment-14 Tod, thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! I really needed to hear these things put into words. Yes, it's true that quite a few pieces of music have won me over after a hard battle. After figuring them out technically, and letting them sink in, I have found things to appreciate. I hope that this program coming up will yield something rewarding. I definitely appreciate the comraderie of my fellow musicians, like you! What do you think were the ingredients in the Cage piece which made it so enjoyable? Was there any improvisation, or was it the qualities of the sounds themselves? The unexpected combination of certain sounds? Tod, thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! I really needed to hear these things put into words. Yes, it’s true that quite a few pieces of music have won me over after a hard battle. After figuring them out technically, and letting them sink in, I have found things to appreciate. I hope that this program coming up will yield something rewarding. I definitely appreciate the comraderie of my fellow musicians, like you!
What do you think were the ingredients in the Cage piece which made it so enjoyable? Was there any improvisation, or was it the qualities of the sounds themselves? The unexpected combination of certain sounds?

]]> Comment on Where is the joy? Musical fun wanted. by Tod Brody http://www.gloriajusten.com/2011/11/14/where-is-the-joy-musical-fun-wanted/#comment-13 Tod Brody Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:20:38 +0000 http://www.gloriajusten.com/?p=69#comment-13 Gloria, sign me up. I'll happily make music with you of any kind, any time. And I share your frustration with what some composers put in front of us, which often seems too much in the head, and maybe too little in the heart, or in the body. I have frequently, however, had the experience of having a strong (negative) reaction to something I was presented with, usually based on what seemed like an unnecessary degree of difficulty, only to find a real satisfaction a little further down the road. I'd expect, after all these years, to be immune to that innate resistance to strangeness, but I'm not. My personal goal around stuff like this, in addition to looking for musical antidotes, is to try my best to find something to enjoy each time I play. Sometimes I have to look more deeply than other times. Sometimes the enjoyment has a large measure of feeling the camaraderie of good colleagues undergoing a shared ordeal. I'm always hoping for musical rewards, and for ultimately gaining respect for whatever I'm being asked to do, but those can be elusive. That said, I'm with you in my lack of desire to hear that hour-long cat suicide violin screeching piece ever again. Also with you in your endorsement of sheer fun. Last night's SFCMP concert featured an older Cage piece, "Credo in Us", which as much as anything, had a spirit of plentiful fun about it, players were having a blast, and it had everyone in the room smiling. A good thing. In solidarity, Tod Gloria, sign me up. I’ll happily make music with you of any kind, any time. And I share your frustration with what some composers put in front of us, which often seems too much in the head, and maybe too little in the heart, or in the body.

I have frequently, however, had the experience of having a strong (negative) reaction to something I was presented with, usually based on what seemed like an unnecessary degree of difficulty, only to find a real satisfaction a little further down the road. I’d expect, after all these years, to be immune to that innate resistance to strangeness, but I’m not.

My personal goal around stuff like this, in addition to looking for musical antidotes, is to try my best to find something to enjoy each time I play. Sometimes I have to look more deeply than other times. Sometimes the enjoyment has a large measure of feeling the camaraderie of good colleagues undergoing a shared ordeal. I’m always hoping for musical rewards, and for ultimately gaining respect for whatever I’m being asked to do, but those can be elusive.

That said, I’m with you in my lack of desire to hear that hour-long cat suicide violin screeching piece ever again. Also with you in your endorsement of sheer fun. Last night’s SFCMP concert featured an older Cage piece, “Credo in Us”, which as much as anything, had a spirit of plentiful fun about it, players were having a blast, and it had everyone in the room smiling. A good thing.

In solidarity,

Tod

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