WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

Tonight!!!

Numinous performs Vipassana
Wednesday September 22nd, 2010 8 PM to 9 PM
$10  
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Park Slope
Take the M, R Train to Union Street

Ben Kono, Rob Mosher, Ed Xiques (woodwinds), Phil Rodriguez (trumpet/flügelhorn), Deborah Weisz, (trombone), Tom Beckham (vibraphone), Megan Levin, (harp), Amanda Monaco, Mike Baggetta (electric guitars), Carmen Staaf, Aaron Kotler, (keyboards), Jared Soldiviero,  Nicola Cannizzaro (percussion), Charenee Wade, Nicky Schrire, Sara Serpa, Jean Rohe, Becca Stevens (voices), Ana Milosavljevic, Scott Tixier (violins), Nick Revel, Brian Lindgren (violas), Will Martina, Lauren Riley-Rigby (violoncellos), Steve Whipple, (bass), Joseph C. Phillips Jr., (conductor, composer)

Learn more about Vipassana by reading the other installments of the Inside Vipassana series:

2010 series
Inside Vipassana #11: Vipassana Reborn (recap of the 2009 Inside Vipassana series)

Inside Vipassana #12: Bang a Gong with Jared Soldiviero (Numinous percussionist speaks about Vipassana)

Inside Vipassana #13:  Ever changing stillness (behind the melodies of Stillness Flows Ever Changing)

Inside Vipassana #14: Electric Lady (Amanda Monaco, Guitar, and Vipassana)

Inside Vipassana #15: The Dharma in Music (Vipassana, a journey of reflection)

Inside Vipassana #16: 'Cello Song (interview with Numinous cellists Will Martina and Lauren Riley-Rigby)

Inside Vipassana #17: Feel the Vibes with Tom Beckham (Vibraphone and Vipassana)

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 7:03 AM 

Vibraphone has always been a part of Numinous. In fact before I even had a group, in those dark times when I was only just planning how best to execute dominion over the musical establishment, I dreamed of having a music ensemble that included the vibraphone. Now some people might think this is because of Steve Reich and Musicians. In reality Steve and his 'band' were only a small part of my thought process. It really was much earlier in my career, long before I even knew who Steve Reich was, that the love of the vibraphone began.

Most likely it began, where so many first loves began, in high school. The set of vibes the school had were always so tantalizing close where they sat in the percussion section of my high school band. I couldn't really touch them, since I wasn't a percussionist, but I always wanted to. Every time someone played them, my ears perked up and my desire grew. I can't really explain why I liked the vibes, perhaps it was the tintinnabuli sound since I think I am predisposed toward bells (a secret desire of mine (not so secret now) is to write for a hand bell choir! Hey out there bell choir world, I'm open to commissions...). But the vibes, with its warm and roundness of tone, only hints at bell-ness so I guess the real answer is I just liked how it sounded. Simple. 

So when Numinous began, the vibraphone was definitely going to be part of it. And years after the beginning, when I was writing Vipassana, I thought TWO vibes would be heaven! However, ever since last year, I have broken up my 'Noah's Ark' of instruments in Vipassana and replaced the second vibraphone with harp. Initially this was for pragmatic reasons, as chronicled in Inside Vipassana #3, but since then it is because I just love having the harp in the group. But the one vibraphone still has quite the heavy lifting in Vipassana, including a solo feature in "Of Climbing Heaven and Gazing on the Earth" and some intricate rhythmic work (with the harp) in "Into all the Valleys Evening Journeys". And since the beginning of this journey that is Vipassana, the person doing a wonderful job with the demanding vibraphone requirements is Tom Beckham. So I thought it would be fun to hear what it is like playing Vipassana from his vantage point.

In Vipassana the vibraphone generally has a prominent role in the  piece, particularly in the first and third movements. What kind of musical or technical challenges does the music create for you? 
The First movement  is really fun to play because it has tight ensemble sections, some nice chordal passages for the vibes, and later, an improvised duet with vibes and piano. Stylistically speaking, it really has the best of both worlds. The third movement seems to be more technically difficult movement for vibes. The challenge has always been to be rhythmically articulate, precise, and relaxed-sounding.

As a longstanding member of Numinous, how has performing Vipassana changed for you over the 5 years we've been playing it?
As time goes by, I find it easier to hear and appreciate the different ensemble sections while performing the piece. The process of recording music, committing it to  CD has also changed my perception of the piece. I definitely feel more familiar with it's narrative as a result of going through that process.

What do you like about Vipassana?
I like that it strives to combine different aspects or genres of music. It aims to challenge the listener.  As a performer, the part I like the most is that feeling that I get of "having meditated" after performing the concert. It's that feeling you get after being involved in a thought process which is taking you outside of normal flow. I hope to feel this at the end of each performance--that feeling of being involved in a process–being transported.

What do you find beautiful (or where do you find beauty)?
Everywhere, everything!  Especially through my family and my two and a half year old daughter, but also including: animals, ocean life, trees/forests, twilight, certain food, art, sound, laughter, the list is endless. Hopefully, as artists, we are all trying to be a part of a process of discovering 'what is beautiful'. I think if an artist is not involved in that process then he or she should ask oneself  what they value about the music they are drawn to, and how they would characterize it.

Who are your musician heroes? 
My musical Superhero list would have to include the great vibraphonists Milt Jackson and Gary Burton. They have really done the lion's share of innovation on the instrument. Whatever I am doing today most likely has a connection to something that those two musicians have put out there in the world.

What's your favorite Bjork and/or Gustav Mahler piece? Why?
I really like "It's Not Up To You" from Vespertine because of the way this tune opens up. The voices help make it lift off. I also like "All Neon Like" from Homogenic--the melodic and harmonic choices are compelling, and the groove is organic, heavy, and deep. 

In addition to being a musician, you are a graphic artist so if you could have designed any logo/design what would it be (i.e. what graphic design do you find pleasing/inspirational)? Why?
The Coke Logo (for obvious financial reasons, ha ha!, just kidding.). Seriously, I am inspired by good typography and type design of any period, as well as ornament and design from 1900-1979. I am also currently renewing my love for Dr.Seuss' and Charlie Harper's body of work.

What is a book(s) that have inspired you? 
Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet.

What was the last time you've had that numinous feeling about something? 
While driving my car at 55 mph with all the windows down on 4th avenue, Brooklyn, in January.

Tell us something fun or interesting about you that most people wouldn't know or suspect?
I once played a gig on my instrument without a dampening bar. For all you non-vibists, the dampening bar is the thing that keeps the notes from sustaining. Not having one is like having someone pressing their foot down on the sustain pedal on a piano for the whole night. Anyway, for this particular gig, we were supposed to perform one of tunes from the "Blues on Bach" record by the MJQ. I had very little materials at the time to improvise an effective dampening system, so I eventually had to play the entire gig by muting the sounds of the instrument with either my hands, or with my mallets. It was an exercise I won't soon forget because it really made me think about the length of the notes that I would play, etc.

What's next up for you in your own music career?
Aside from other recording projects, I'm pulling my own music together for a vibes/guitar quartet project called "Slice", and I'm also continuing to fill out music for what will become the 3rd CD for my five-piece group.

You can learn more about Tom at www.tombeckham.net

Numinous performs Vipassana
Wednesday September 22nd, 2010 8 PM to 9 PM
$10  
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Park Slope
Take the M, R Train to Union Street

Learn more about Vipassana by reading the other installments of theInside Vipassana series:

2010 series
Inside Vipassana #11: Vipassana Reborn (recap of the 2009 Inside Vipassana series)

Inside Vipassana #12: Bang a Gong with Jared Soldiviero (Numinous percussionist speaks about Vipassana)

Inside Vipassana #13:  Ever changing stillness (behind the melodies of Stillness Flows Ever Changing)

Inside Vipassana #14: Electric Lady (Amanda Monaco, Guitar, and Vipassana)

Inside Vipassana #15: The Dharma in Music (Vipassana, a journey of reflection)

Inside Vipassana #16: 'Cello Song (interview with Numinous cellists Will Martina and Lauren Riley-Rigby)

(photo credits, from top to bottom: photo from the artist; photo by Marcy Begian)

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 8:17 AM 

Cello is my favorite string instrument. In college during my methods classes (this is where we learned how to teach each instrument by having to learn to play each instrument) I remember that semester excitingly walking with my cello every day 2 miles from the university campus bus stop to my home in order to practice. In my methods class we had French horn players, singers, pianists, clarinetists, and saxophonists like me; and all of us trying to make sense of bow grips and left hand positions. But I remember it all being great fun. Our teacher was the cello instructor of the university, so she actually had pretty high expectations which was wonderful because she really expected us to know how to play. She had us write arrangements for cello choir, which we, as a class, had to perform. I remember (and still have copies of) a number of my little compositions and arrangements. I was especially fond of two pieces: one which referenced the opening of the 1st Symphony of Brahms; the other, my arrangement of the opening of the Prelude from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde!

For my undergraduate senior saxophone recital I composed Urban Sketches for Alto Saxophone and Violoncello for a cello friend of mine and me to play (actually we used to have late night improvised jam sessions, the result of which lead me to actually composing a 'formal' piece, Urban Sketches, for us to play). I still love the piece (which you can hear at the above link) especially for how the cello and saxophone can be so sonically similar with a warmth of tone, as well as an easy flexibility and dexterity. One of the things on my 'to-do-someday' bucket list is to write a cello 'concerto' or a piece for cello choir or at least a major piece that features the cello in some fashion.

Now Vipassana doesn't specifically 'feature' the cello, except in a few spots, but my love of the instrument does come through in various passages. And for a number of years now I've been fortunate to have two wonderful cello players (and great persons) playing those passages with beauty and excellent musicianship: William Martina and Lauren Riley-Rigby. So I asked them a few questions about their experience with Vipassana.

Hearing about my composition a number of people have asked me, "Have you done the Vipassana meditation retreat?" or "Is the piece inspired by doing the Vipassana retreat?" I always have to answer "no, I haven't done the retreat." This is not from lack of interest however, but rather a lack of time as the  retreat can be either a 10-day or 30-day stay (totally free, BTW). For those of you that don't know about Vipassana or the "noble silence" that is the Meditation retreat, in the very first Inside Vipassana series post (October 2009), I explained how I came to know about it through an article in TimeOutNY in which the author does the 10-day retreat, and which I hope to do myself someday.

www.dhamma.org explains Vipassana thusly:
Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art Of Living. 

[A] non-sectarian technique...Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion. 

And while my composition Vipassana does not flower from the meditation, it does have similar goals as the above description. John Adams called his composition On the Transmigration of Souls a "memory space" for the victims of September 11th, 2001 and I think of my Vipassana functioning similarly, however as a space for a 'journey of reflection' toward one's self. It is not a hippie tune in, bliss out or new age-y crystals and chants, but rather Vipassana is a simple and humble medium that allows listeners to be active in reflecting on their own emotions and thoughts. Actually, my Numinous tag-line "Listen. Feel. Think. Know" is quite appropriate here, for after the hour-long journey through Vipassana and through the self, that one can emerge energized, refreshed, and inspired, is what I would hope listeners experience.

More information: Vipassana Meditation (www.dhamma.org) or Insight Meditation Center (www.dharma.org)

Numinous performs Vipassana
Wednesday September 22nd, 2010 8 PM to 9 PM
$10  
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Park Slope
Take the M, R Train to Union Street

Learn more about Vipassana by reading the other installments of theInside Vipassana series:

2010 series
Inside Vipassana #11: Vipassana Reborn (recap of the 2009 Inside Vipassana series)

Inside Vipassana #12: Bang a Gong with Jared Soldiviero (Numinous percussionist speaks about Vipassana)

Inside Vipassana #13:  Ever changing stillness (behind the melodies of Stillness Flows Ever Changing)

Inside Vipassana #14: Electric Lady (Amanda Monaco, Guitar, and Vipassana)

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 8:00 AM 

Last year I posted about my experience on September 11, 2001. My reason was as a way to keep in mind the actuality of the time as best as I could, rather than a fuzzy hagiographic eye-witness account sometimes found in the media around this time. And in light of all of the contemporary angst about a proposed Islamic Center two blocks from the World Trade Center site, I thought reposting my experience was, like my response to 9/11, an indirect way of commenting. By conveying some of the feeling of fear and terror of the unknown on September 11, but also a sense of community and realness, even in the face of abject horror, hopefully will give an idea of the ties we all have to each other and that there's a real beauty in that.

It has been 8 years since the events of September 11, 2001 and recently I've been thinking about John Adams's, and subsequently my own, musical response to that day. John Adams in an interview originally posted on the New York Philharmonic website, talks about his trepidations when asked to write a work, On the Transmigration of Souls, to have been performed almost exactly one year after the attacks of 9/11:

"I didn’t require any time at all to decide whether or not to do it. I knew immediately that I very much wanted to do this piece–in fact I needed to do it. Even though I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of a shape the music would take, I knew that the labor and the immersion that would be required of me would help answer questions and uncertainties with my own feelings about the event. I was probably no different from most Americans in not knowing how to cope with the enormous complexities suddenly thrust upon us. Being given the opportunity to make a work of art that would speak directly to people’s emotions allowed me not only to come to grips personally with all that had happened, but also gave me a chance to give something to others."

I started the composer group Pulse in May 2004 with an initial meeting of six other like-minded composers. From this initial fellowship gathering, all through that summer and fall, we worked on organizing our premiere performance to be that December. For that first performance, I knew I wanted my piece to be based on 9/11, but was unsure of what direction to take. Like John Adams stated, it felt too big and too raw an event to process my feelings enough in order to create something decent let alone meaningful. After a few sketches and false starts, which looking back now, tried to do and say too much, I decided that the best way for me to approach the composition was to reflect on my own experiences that day. To create something with simple and direct expression that did not tackle 9/11 directly, but tangentially; something not exactly programmatic but still able to convey the story of an unexpected pulchritudinous moment that day.

I was in Brooklyn at the time of the attacks, substitute teaching a high school math class at the Brooklyn International School, in a building next to and overlooking the Manhattan Bridge. I first noticed something was wrong when I casually looked out the window to see the usual bustling rush-hour car traffic flowing over the bridge was non-existent. Someone eventually came to the classroom I was in and said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Many of the students became visibly upset. I looked out the window again and where just a few minutes before no one or thing was coming over the bridge, now the bridge was beginning to fill with people streaming from Manhattan eastward across the roadway. The first tower had fallen before I had a chance, during my prep period, to run out onto the bridge toward Manhattan (just before the police stopped anyone from traveling westward) to see what was happening for myself. I reached the center of the bridge and could see the top of the second tower in flames. Less than a minute later the second tower, hauntingly silent and seemly in slow motion, imploded upon itself with audible gasps and cries of horror from the crowd which turned to look.

After retuning to the school, you can imagine that it was difficult to focus for the remainder of the school day. With people passing in front of the school, it was a constant reminder of the enormity of that morning's events. The fear and confusion was particularly palatable in the students. As the news coverage slowly uncovered the terrorist plot, this being a high school of all recent immigrants (many of whom were Muslim and wore Islamic veils and scarfs), it was hard not to control my own fears of what would happened to the students when school let out and they would have to pass through the crowd on their way to the subway. Despite the police presence, would they be blamed and suffer verbal or physical abuse from the understandably bewildered and upset crowd coming over the bridge? At the end of the day, many of the teachers, myself included, decided to walk with some of the students to the subway to make sure they were ok leaving the school.

Later in the early evening with two other friends, I was on a townhouse roof in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn surveying the entire lower Manhattan cityscape. I watched as a distant flickering mass seemed to be coming closer toward us from the World Trade Center site. At first it looked like a swarm of white butterflies, glittering in the evening sun, but as it got closer we realized that it was paper rising with the heat from the site and floating toward us from lower Manhattan. An immensely beautiful and ethereal sight, none of us spoke as the swarm came directly over us with some of the many pages from law books and computer printouts fluttering above and some landing all around the roof. We watched as the swarm passed over us and quietly continued farther into Brooklyn. No more than five minutes, this small and ephemeral moment, still resonated with me all those years and when I was ready, found outlet in my composition. 

The Spell of a Vanishing Loveliness premiered at the inaugural concert of Pulse on December 1, 2004. The performance featured Amy Cervini (vocals), Sebastian Noelle (guitar), Jody Redhage (violoncello), Diana Herold (vibraphone), with me conducting. It was one of those moving performances where everyone in the audience and the musicians (including myself) were wrapped inside an all-encompassing bubble of the moment. After the piece ended and we were changing over to the next composer, Jody remarked "Did you feel that?" and indeed, the air seemed charged with something tangible and indescribable during and just after the performance (I realized had goosebumps during the end of the piece as the vibraphone and guitar drifted into their final nothingness). There was something magical, real, and true about the performance with the events of 9/11 only three years removed and still so close to people's emotions. It remains one of my most special musical memories so far in New York.

(above photo by Marcy Begian at Pulse concert December 1, 2004)

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 8:46 AM 

Now you might not suspect it, but when I was younger I was the lead guitarist of a short lived synth-pop-rock band (think Rush meets Tangerine Dream). Actually I wasn't very good, as I only started learning the guitar just before starting the band (for you guitar-heads, I had a black Yamaha (Pacifica?) with a small Fender amp). But I became good enough that I was able to use the guitar to play and compose a number of songs (some of which, I'll transform into a Numinous opus one of these days). Anyway back in those days I was listening to rock guitarists for inspiration: Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Alex Lifeson, Steve Howe, Prince and later moved to people like Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. Sure I heard (and liked some) other guitarists like George Benson, Lee Ritenour and Al Di Meola (surprisingly knowing me now, Pat Metheny not to mention Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, came much later). So back then my conception of the guitar's usage was much more rock based.

It probably wasn't until years later, after moving to Seattle, that my compositional concept of the guitar changed. When I joined the Seattle Young Composers Collective (now called the Degenerate Art Ensemble) as a player/composer, I was inspired by the guitarists in the group who often, it seemed to me, to write the most interesting music and whose usage of the guitar was so intriguing. Sure they used the guitar to create power chords and screaming lines, but also they used the guitar to create subtle colors, weird effects, or melodic lines with other instruments in the ensemble. Seeing and hearing this as part of the ensemble was a revelation in my thoughts of what a guitar can do and lead me to explore it when I moved to NYC.

For Vipassana, I wanted guitars because they can offer all of those things above. There are some places in the music where the guitars are used for their chordal ability, but mostly the guitars are playing melodic figures. And a guitar solo gliding over gentle waves created by a two piano figure and long, languid sustained pitches heard in the voices, was always one of the features I envisioned as I was composing "Of Climbing Heaven and Gazing on the Earth". And ever since Vipassana's second performance, including on our recording, the person doing those beautiful guitar solos has been Amanda Monaco. 

So I asked Amanda a few questions about her experiences with guitar and with Vipassana.

How did you come to playing the guitar?
My dad played guitar, so I wanted to be like him and play guitar too. He had a band in high school with three of his six brothers, and used to tell me stories about the gigs my grandmother would book for them.

What challenges does Vipassana pose for you as a guitarist? what is it like being in a guitar 'section'?
I love being in a guitar ‘section’! Guitar is such a social instrument to begin with, so the more, the better, and when the parts intertwine the way they do in Vipassana, it’s a great time. This is also where the biggest challenge of Vipassana lies, because all of the individual lines sound effortless but in fact are quite intricate and one wrong note can lead to big trouble.

What do you like about Vipassana?
Vipassana is incredibly moving; I always feel like I’m on a journey whenever we play it.


What do you find beautiful (or where do you find beauty)?
I usually notice beauty when I’m not looking for it; I’ll be walking down the street and I’ll see some flowers tucked away in a tiny front yard, or a little cat sitting in the window, curious about the sidewalk happenings.

Who are your musician heroes?
There are so many, but my top four: Ted Dunbar, Jim Hall, Eddie Van Halen (circa 1981), Wes Montgomery.

If you could be flying over any place in the world, where would it be? why?
My favorite place to fly over is Central Park. Being a runner, and having spent so much time there, it’s one of those places that is very dear to me.

What is a book(s) that have inspired you?
One book is John Coltrane by Lewis Porter. It’s inspiring when you read about how hard he worked, and the beauty that came from his hard work.

What was the last time you've had that numinous feeling about something?
I was sitting on a dock by the East River, watching the sunset, looking at its rays resting on the water, with the breeze blowing through the grass and trees. The world felt eternal and majestic, very peaceful.

Tell us something fun or interesting about you that most people wouldn't know or suspect?
I love doing counted-cross stitch. When I was a kid, I used to make these huge pictures of flowers, “home sweet home” samplers, etc. and now I make little pictures for friends when I get the chance.

What's next up for you in your own music career?
I’m writing music for a new CD that I will record soon with my quartet (aka Deathblow: Michaël Attias, alto and baritone saxophones; Sean Conly, bass; Satoshi Takeishi, drums). I’ve also started a non-profit organization called the Long Island City Jazz Alliance (http://www.licja.org) whose mission is to bring jazz to the neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens, through concerts and workshops. There’s also a CD of music I recorded of original music inspired by texts from the Pirke Avot, a collection of rabbinic teachings compiled in the third century C.E., that I’m hoping to release in the next year. It features Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (vocals), Daphna Mor (recorders, ney), Sean Conly (bass), and Satoshi Takeishi (percussion).

You can learn more about Amanda at www.amandamonaco.com.

Numinous performs Vipassana
Wednesday September 22nd, 2010 8 PM to 9 PM
$10  
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Park Slope
Take the M, R Train to Union Street

Learn more about Vipassana by reading the other installments of the Inside Vipassana series:

2010 series
Inside Vipassana #11: Vipassana Reborn (recap of the 2009 Inside Vipassana series)

Inside Vipassana #12: Bang a Gong with Jared Soldiviero (Numinous percussionist speaks about Vipassana)

Inside Vipassana #13:  Ever changing stillness (behind the melodies of Stillness Flows Ever Changing)

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 9:50 AM 

Well today is the first day back for New York City teachers, with tomorrow being the first official day for the students. And in a wonderful twist, that can only happen with the New York City Department of Education, after Wednesday's first day school, we have another two days off for Rosh Hashanah! Shana Tova Umetukah! So to get myself back in the mode (mood), I wanted to share some of the thank you cards I received at the end of last school year. My wife always says "you are so lucky" to have so many kids love you and I do feel lucky and happy to be a little part of their lives.

Last November I started this series of posts called Notes from the Teaching Field to chronicle some of the going-ons in my 'other' life--teaching. The first post, "Um, yes Actual Notes", (November 2009) featured some of the notes and letters I received throughout the year from students, mostly kindergarten and first grade. So I wanted to share some of the notes and cards from this past school year. My thanks to Kim and her first grade class for most of the cards (for those of you out there who don't know the insanity that is often the NYC Department of Education and how it affects some teachers, read Kim's story about almost being 'let go' for this year because of budget cuts. She was on the chopping block not because she isn't a great teacher (she is!) but because she was unlucky to be the low woman on the totem pole--DOE a meritocracy? Fail!).

Anyway, let the cuteness begin below...


POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 8:00 AM 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010
Reviews of Vipassana sometimes cite Steve Reich as a general and Music for 18 Musicians as a specific influence. Indeed while there are moments in some movements where the comparison is apt (and very flattering), the totality of Vipassana, in particular the second and the final movements, are much removed from Reich and 18. Whereas 18 is built on the repetition of churning short overlapping rhythmic cells, "Stillness Flows Ever Changing" flows from weaving chains of larger melodic passages. Often these melodies are temporally distinct from one another: a melody of longer tones slowly moving in counterpoint against a more rhythmically active one. This happens throughout the piece. Two examples are: in the middle of the piece, Ben Kono's soprano saxophone floats on top of slow waves of melody from the strings with the piano, clarinet, and guitars moving at a more judicious pace; and near the end, with the trombone melodically heralding above a sweeping, long lined string melody, pulsing vibraphone and piano, and undulating flute, harp, tenor saxophone, glockenspiel. Another moment to directly illustrate this is from early in "Stillness" (shown below in a transposed score, minus the voices and a few other instruments): the English Horn throughout this section is moving at a much gentler pace than say the guitar and piano, who are spinning out a much faster, snakier melody and the violins and violas in a more middle ground between the two. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

Now there are no gongs in Vipassana but percussion is an important aspect of the composition. Whether it is adding rhythmic energy and drive or coloristic effects, there is a wide range of the function of percussion in the piece. There is a balance between things being written out completely (where I'm very specific to what I want instrument-wise as well as musically) and places where I give instructions on the effect or type of color I'm looking for, but the percussionist is free to choose how to make that happen. So this is why having someone who is classically trained, but able to play in a more free and loose way is very important and I'm lucky to have people who can do both equally well. Numinous percussionist, Jared Soldiviero is one of those type of musicians and so to find out what's it like banging and shaking his way through Vipassana I asked him some questions about the experience.

Tell us something about your background as a percussionist. 
My first musical memories were of my parents record collection, a treasure trove of classic rock, blues and soul from the late 50s onward.  I loved records and there are photos of me when I was 2 or 3 years old with big headphones on, holding onto John and Yoko'sDouble Fantasy album ("Watching the Wheels" was my favorite song.)  My dad played guitar as a hobby and I naturally took to the rhythmic side of music.  To make a long story short, I started taking drum lessons in the 3rd grade and started learning more classical percussion in high school.  Now I play mostly orchestral percussion or contemporary music.  I love big setups with lots of different percussion instruments, because I'm still a drummer at heart.  And next year, I'll finally get to play drums again, so things have come full circle.

What are some of the many different instruments you use in performing Vipassana? what challenges does that pose to you in the piece?
There are a large range of percussion instruments, from metals to drums and even some woodblock.  I use cymbals, triangles, many different shakers, a djembe (African hand drum), a cajon (a wooden box played with hands), and woodblock, to name a few.  The challenge in the piece is to find the right sound to match the right moment.  Sometimes the piece will call for a shaker, but it's up to me to determine what kind of shaker sound fits for that moment in the piece.  If there is a loud moment I'll need a shaker that can project through that sound, whereas there are moments where I'm the only person playing and I need to make the softest sound possible.  On the more practical side, I need to count very carefully during the piece because there are moments where the percussionists are allowed to be totally creative and improvisational.  But I still need to know where I am so if there is a big musical change, I can be right there with everybody else. 

What do you like about Vipassana?
My favorite thing about Vipassana is the fact that it is very difficult to categorize.  The musicians must be comfortable having their feet in many worlds at once.  Improvisation is important but there are written melodies that need to be played beautifully as well.  Everyone in the group must have extremely tight rhythm to keep the huge piece moving forward.  You can hear the influence of so many composers/musicians and the joy is in recognizing those influences and bringing out special things about each one to make the piece feel alive.  Personally, I enjoy playing in a large group where it feels as though everyone really believes in the music.  The sense of togetherness onstage during a performance of Vipassana is something I don't get to feel so often, especially in a traditional orchestra!

What do you find beautiful (or where do you find beauty)?
I grew up on Staten Island and have been a city boy all my life.  Beauty for me is not only in nature but also in architecture and design. I love cities for this reason.  One of my mantras is 'simple pleasures' since I can find as much beauty in the enjoyment of watermelon, for example, as I can in listening to the St. Matthew Passion!  Speaking of baroque music, the most beautiful kind for me is from the early Baroque period, particularly the opera written in Venice at the time.  Nature: when I was in Vermont this past summer, there were nights when I finally got to experience something I missed growing up in New York: "big sky."  After some of our outdoor concerts, we would stay and wait for the crowd to leave.  Once all the light was gone on the ground, we could see unobstructed sky: planets, satellites, shooting stars, everything.  I was telling my friend, I can't believe it took 30 years for me to see sky this clear and unblemished by ambient light on the ground.  Truly marvelous.

Who are your musician heroes?
First and foremost, Bach. Then, Francesco Cavalli, a composer of some of the most melodious and beautiful opera from the 17th century, filled with humanity, humor and soul.  To enter a completely different world, I would say that Michael Jackson was a prime influence on me, growing up.  I have vivid memories of listening to each album of his as they were released, knowing all of his dance moves from all of his videos and playing drum set along with his records.  Having my parents record collection at a young age exposed me to bluesmen, classic rock and even 80s music.  One of my favorite songs as a kid was "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits and that band is still one of my favorite rock bands of all time.  Likewise, Kate Bush will forever hold a place in my heart as a truly original and incredibly creative and influential artist.  In jazz, I'm a devoted Charles Mingus fan and Keith Jarrett disciple.  I love choirs, from Bach cantatas to gospel to the Bulgarian Women's Choir to Percy Grainger to Mahler symphonies.

What's your favorite Bjork and/or Gustav Mahler piece? why?
I don't feel as though I could choose a favorite of either!  But I always love Mahler scherzos.  The 2nd movement of Symphony 1, the 3rd movement of Symphony 2, etc.. They are so schizophrenic!  Going from a mysterious and slithering melody to a grotesque waltz in a split second.  I love the contrasts he finds in structure, orchestration, melody, harmony or anything else.  I feel Mahler was the last great symphonist and if it's said that a great symphony should be like an entire world in one piece of music, then Mahler's complete symphonies must be like an entire universe?

I know you are a big Yankees fan, so if you could have been a member of any Yankee team in history, which one would it be and why?
Tough question!  But I would say with certainty that I'd have wanted to be on the 1996 team.  Since I was born in 1980, it wasn't until 1996 that I knew how it felt when my team won the World Series (now I'm quite used to the feeling...GO YANKS!)  Also, I'm glad to have grown up a Yankees fan, because it helps to deflect the criticism of grumpy baseball fans bemoaning the "Evil Empire" and all its twists and turns over the years.  I was born a Yankee fan and will stay that way!

What is a book(s) that have inspired you?
The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks is inspirational in the sense that you can feel how much of a humanist the author is.  His loving descriptions of his patients and their particular illnesses really highlights the fact that they are people first, case studies second.  It inspired me to hold fast to the adage of not judging a book by its cover.  Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino inspired me to find beauty in cities wherever I go, to try and fully experience the culture, food, architecture, parks, personalities, quirks and everything else about any place I visit.

What was the last time you've had that numinous feeling about something?
I was visiting Mexico this past July and went to the ruins at Ek' Balam, a relatively small but beautifully preserved archaeological site.  Standing on top of the largest structure (called The Throne), it's calm, quiet and serene.  Looking out over the ruins below gives you that birds-eye feeling.  And looking around in all directions you can see trees for miles and miles never ending.  I was there on an overcast day so that beautiful grey light gave everything a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" vibe.  It's so peaceful up there, one can take some time to just be.  Or imagine what life was like when the site was populated hundred and hundreds of years ago.

Tell us something fun or interesting about you that most people wouldn't know or suspect?
When I was a kid, I loved magic.  I would always beg my parents to buy me those magic sets that come with a bunch of tricks to learn and I would use my dad's camcorder to do shows.  I loved card tricks and used to know tons of them.  I've forgotten almost everything now but I still watch magic videos all the time.  One of the greatest card magicians alive now is Ricky Jay.  Watch his work on YouTube, you'll be amazed!

What's next up for you in your own music career?
I'm looking forward to another year of varied musical experiences.  For example, I'll be playing the music of Elliot Carter and John Adams with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Frank Zappa tunes and cartoon music with the amplified chamber group Fireworks, and the music of Christopher Rouse at Zankel Hall.  I love being a freelancer because it gives me the same kind of feeling I had when I was a kid with my records.  I could pull out a different record with a totally different kind of music and love it as much as the previous thing I listened to.  I cannot wait to go from Carter to Adams:  two composers who couldn't be any more different!

You can find more info on Jared at www.jaredsoldiviero.com.

Numinous performs Vipassana
Wednesday September 22nd, 2010 8 PM to 9 PM
$10  
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Park Slope
Take the M, R Train to Union Street

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 8:00 AM 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

In anticipation of the Numinous performance of Vipassana on September 22nd, I'm reviving my series Inside Vipassana. Posted every few days leading up to the concert, the series features insights into the music as well as interviews with the performers. To start off the 2010 edition of the series I thought I would look back to last year's series to give everyone a little refresher on Vipassana. If you missed any or would like another look, see below for the links, with the new entries beginning tomorrow.

Numinous performs Vipassana
Wednesday September 22nd, 2010 8 PM to 9 PM
$10  
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 4th Avenue
Park Slope
Take the M, R Train to Union Street

Ben Kono, Rob Mosher, Ed Xiques (woodwinds), Phil Rodriguez (trumpet/flügelhorn), Deborah Weisz, (trombone), Tom Beckham (vibraphone), Megan Levin, (harp), Amanda Monaco, Mike Baggetta (electric guitars), Carmen Staaf, Aaron Kotler, (keyboards), Jared Soldiviero,  Nicola Cannizzaro (percussion), Charenee Wade, Nicky Schrire, Sara Serpa, Jean Rohe, Becca Stevens (voices), Ana Milosavljevic, Scott Tixier (violins), Nick Revel, Brian Lindgren (violas), Will Martina, Lauren Riley-Rigby (violoncellos), Steve Whipple, (bass), Joseph C. Phillips Jr., (conductor, composer)

Learn more about Vipassana by reading the previous installments of the Inside Vipassana series:

2009 series
Inside Vipassana #1: The Silent Treatment
(how did I come to Vipassana)
Inside Vipassana #2: Seeing the forest for the trees
(where the Vipassana cover photos came from)
Inside Vipassana #3: Harping with Megan Levin
(the story of how a harp came to be in Vipassana and an interview with Numinous harpist, Megan Levin)
Inside Vipassana #4: Finding More than the Red Lights of Amsterdam
(the inspiration behind Of Climbing Heaven and Gazing on the Earth)
Inside Vipassana #5: Eight is Enough, Ben Kono on Woodwinds and Vipassana
(woodwind specialist Ben Kono speaks Vipassana)
Inside Vipassana #6: Inside the studio, no man is an island
(photos from the Vipassana recording session)
Inside Vipassana #7: Voices Carry, part one
(how voices came to be on Vipassana; interviews with Numinous singers Julie Hardy and Sara Serpa)
Inside Vipassana #8: Voices Carry, part two
(interviews with Numinous singers Amy Cervini and Wendy Gilles)
Inside Vipassana #9: When Ms. Guðmundsdóttir met Mr. Mahler
(what do Björk, Gustav Mahler and Vipassana have in common)
Inside Vipassana #10: Also sprach Joe
(Joe interviews Joe)

POSTED BY NUMINOUS AT 10:00 AM