Private Lesson with Burt Hara

Burt Hara, and me, and Mr. Hara's Dog

Last week, I was in Minnesota with my brother Ari who was visiting Carleton College, because that's where he wants to go next year.  While I was there, I had the opportunity to have a lesson with Burt Hara, principal clarinetist of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra.  It was the lesson of my life!

He was very energetic and enthusiastic, in spite of the fact that he with the rest of the Minnesota Orchestra is locked out.  This is very sad, because the Minnesota Orchestra is a really great orchestra.  I was disappointed that I couldn't see them play while I was in Minnesota.  I think the administration of the Minnesota Orchestra should resign, because they aren't doing the one important job that they are supposed to do, which is to provide the musicians with the opportunity to share their beautiful music with the people of Minnesota, the Midwest, and the world.  For more about this depressing situation, you can check out the Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra website.  http://www.minnesotaorchestramusicians.org/

Back to the lesson.  Mr. Hara didn't work on technique of any kind.  Instead we worked on the style of the piece and how to tell a story with my music.  I started the lesson by playing the second movement of Finzi's Five Bagatelles.  After I finished, Mr. Hara asked me what I was thinking while I played. I didn't know exactly.  His response was amazing.  He said that he thought I was thinking like this:  "My tone is amazing!  I am playing beautiful dynamics.  Oh look!  A crescendo, I will increase the level of my sound by this many decibels." Mr. Hara said I was thinking things like "Isn't my playing just wonderful.  Listen to my beautiful clarinet playing!"

This made me laugh.  But he was very serious, and he was right!

Mr. Hara said, "What you need is a good director of your movie."  Then he asked me what story I wanted to tell when I played the Finzi Romanze movement.  The only answer I could give him is that the movement seemed sad.  Mr. Hara said that when he listened to this piece or when he plays it, he sees an old man.  This old man is on the brink of death and wistfully remembering the life that he has lived.  Mr. Hara then proceeded to start acting like an old man as he sat in the chair next to me.  He put his head in his hands and wept dramatically, and he acted out his role as I played the piece.  His dramatic enactment of the story helped me imagine the story as I played.

We worked through almost every measure in the piece, trying to get that feeling of reminiscence.  After we worked on the piece, my playing became twice as good on the Finzi as it had been.  Suddenly, I knew where I wanted each phrase to go, and I had an idea of what I wanted to express when I played it.

I loved Mr. Hara's teaching and was excited when he asked to hear another piece.  So I played Rossini's Introduction, Theme and Variations.  Again, we didn't work on technique of any kind.  Instead, we talked about the music.  First he had me play through the introduction, theme, and first variation.  Then we went back to the beginning and he asked me what story I was trying to tell.  The only answer I could give was that the piece was happy.  Mr Hara said that I should know before I begin what kind of story I am trying to tell.  I should have a character in mind, and everyone should know from the first note of the piece who I am.  Mr. Hara said that he thought this piece was about a young girl who is extremely cute, innocent, not very smart, and quite a bit flirtatious.  He told me to start playing, and while I was playing, he started flitting around the room, acting like a young girl, flipping his hair and twittering about.

Mr. Hara's acting really helped me get the feel of the piece, and we worked though the entire introduction, trying to tell the story of this young flirtatious girl.  Every part of my playing was better when I focused on trying to tell a story.  My technique even improved!  My high notes sounded less squeaky, my articulation better matched the piece, and the phrasing had a reason behind it.  During the only hour and a half I spent learning from Mr. Hara, my playing really took off.  I took home many new ideas about the pieces that I played.  And best of all, practicing like this is so much fun!  The lesson with Burt Hara was probably the best lesson I have ever had on clarinet  And that is saying a lot, because I have had the chance to work with some pretty amazing teachers!

Performance Last Spring at the Chicago Cultural Center

Music is extremely important to me, because with music I can express my thoughts and emotions in a way that everyone will understand, regardless of language or culture.  Music is a language that everyone speaks.  I love playing the clarinet, because it just makes me feel happy to do so.  It is as if I am transported to another world where I don’t have to worry about anything, and I can just enjoy the wonder of living.  Without music, my life would be a wasteland.  Music is the most important thing in the world to me, because it makes me feel what nothing else can make me feel, and it allows me to tell the world what I think in a very personal way.

Making music with others is an amazing way to learn about people.  In a chamber ensemble, for example, it is enjoyable to see how different people interpret the music in an intimate setting.  Everyone has different ideas about the music and different ways of carrying their ideas out.  It is really interesting to listen to the outcome of a chamber piece, when each voice sounds together in performance.  Playing with an orchestra is a similar, but grander experience.   When I am playing in an orchestra, the sounds of the orchestra pours into me and give me incredibly real thoughts of anger, bliss, depression, depending upon the composer and work of music.  I love playing music with other people.

Anthony McGill and Pacifica String Quartet

Saturday night, I got to see Anthony McGill perform with the Pacifica String Quartet.  Anthony McGill is the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and he performed "Air and Simple Gifts" by John Williams with Yoyo Ma and Itzak Perlman in Obama's 2008 Inauguration.  The Pacifica String Quartet is one of the finest string quartets peforming today.  They were performing in the Music in the Loft Series.  It was a outstanding peformance!

The concert was at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago.  The performance took place in an extremely intimate setting.  I think it was a luthier, because there cellos of various sizes lined up on a rack on the wall.  The seats were packed extremely close together, and the room packed with people.  It was chamber music in a real chamber!

During the first half of the concert, the Pacifica Quartet played without Anthony McGill.  They performed the Beethoven String Quartet No. 13, Op. 130.  They were phenomenal.  I have never heard a chamber group play so completely together.  It was like they were one instrument, one person.  Simin Ganatra led the group with perfect confidence, and the men followed her perfectly, while 2nd violinist Sibbi Bernardsson, cellist Brandon Vamos, and violist Masumi Per Rostad followed her lead flawlessly.  The performance was smooth, confident and exquisite.  I loved it!

The second half of the concert was the Mozart Clarinet Quintet.  Anthony McGill was awesome!  I really loved the way he communicated with Pacifica.  The members of Pacifica have a clear and obvious connection with each other, which really comes through in their playing.  McGill slipped right into this relationship with an easy confidence.

The clarinet has a very different color than the string quartet and it is easy to stick out and overpower them, making the piece more like a clarinet concerto than a chamber piece.  But Anthony McGill achieved a perfect balance with Pacifica. His tone was dark, inviting and yet at the same time playful, very distinctly Mozart.  It was wonderful!  I loved every minute.

After the concert there was a reception.  I wanted to talk to Anthony, and tell him what a wonderful job he did.  He was talking to his parents, and I didn't want to disturb him, but he saw me and called me over and introduced me to his parents.  When his Dad, Demarre McGill, Sr. met me, he said, "You look familiar.  Are you the blogger?"  Mr. McGill, Sr. was very warm and enthusiastic.  It is easy to see why Anthony McGill is such a great guy when you meet his parents.  I talked a little with Anthony and his parents, and they were all so nice!  Plus, it is really cool that Anthony McGill's dad follows my blog!

Amazing Chicago native Chicago Clarinetist and great guy, Anthony McGill!

All in all, it was a wonderful evening, and I am so happy that I had the chance to see and hear such wonderful musicians.

Julian Bliss in Chicago!

Yesterday, I saw Julian Bliss perform live for the first time!  He was appearing at the International Beethoven Project.  Julian Bliss is a 23 year old clarinet prodigy from the United Kingdom.  He began playing the clarinet at age 4, and since then he has built an amazing career.  He is a world class soloist, and he has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians in the world in chamber music projects.  He is also famous for designing a clarinet for LeBlanc which has become quite popular.

Julian Bliss (and me).  Great clarinetist, really cool guy.

It was a wonderful concert!  Bliss played the Mihaud Sonata, Penderecki's Three Miniatures, and the Brahms Sonata (#1) in the first half.  After Intermission, he played Piazolla's Oblivion, Debussy's Premiere Rhapsodie and the Prokofiev flute sonata which he had arranged for clarinet.  Throughout the concert Mr. Bliss joked and commented about the music he was playing.  He had a really warm stage presence and a lot of confidence.  At one point, he said that he had worked on a piece with a composer a long long time ago.  This made me laugh, because at 23, it can't have been that long ago.  Maybe long long ago doesn't mean what Mr. Bliss thinks it means!

I was really surprised at the beginning of the concert.  Mr. Bliss came out, and he played the Milhaud and the Penderecki quite well technically and musically, but he didn't grab me the way that I expected him to.  Then he played the Brahms, and something about it wasn't quite right.  He was kind of careless with the Brahms Sonata and he didn't play with the emotional depth that the Brahms demands.  I didn't dislike his playing, of course, he was very proficient, but I didn't hear the virtuoso sound that I have come to expect from a performer as renowned as Julian Bliss.  I thought to myself, why do people find Julian Bliss so amazing?

A cool mobile at the National Pastime Theater.

After the intermission, my question was answered with an exclamation point.  Bliss came back on stage and played Oblivion by Piazolla.  His performance was hauntingly beautiful, and I loved his tone and his expression throughout the performance.  He commanded the rapt attention of every person in the room at that moment.  He connected with the music and he connected with the audience perfectly.  I think the best part of his playing the Piazolla was his vibrato.  Vibrato on the clarinet is a tricky prospect.  Bliss used it sparingly, but when he used it it was flawless, and made his sound take flight.  Mozart is famous for comparing the clarinet to the human voice.  Bliss showed us just what Mozart must have been talking about.  His vibrato was smooth and silky, and put in the mind the picture of a cat purring lazily on a warm summer's day.

Then, he played the Debussy Premiere Rhapsodie.  Before this night, I had come to the conclusion that this was not the greatest piece of clarinet literature, and I kind of dreaded when I would have to learn it -- which will be soon.  This is a song I have heard played many times by many people, famous and not so famous, and, while I have like many of them,  none of the performances have truly impressed me.  Bliss's performance completely blew me away!  I loved everything he did.  He brought the music to life.  His tone was clean and clear.  His phrasing was phenomenal.  His articulations were different than anyone I've ever heard before him, and I found his performance stronger and more vibrant than any I've heard.   I thought to myself as I listened, "THIS is why Julian Bliss is a world class performer!  I get it."  After he finished, I was sad that the music had stopped, as I wanted it to go on and on for hours.

The theater space at the National Pastime Theater in Chicago

Then, he began to play the final piece of his program.  The closing number was the Prokofiev Flute Sonata, Opus 94.  Julian Bliss had arranged it himself for clarinet.  It was a very interesting piece!  It didn't have the dissonance that I have come to expect from Prokofiev, and yet the feel was very distinctly Prokofiev.  I loved the way it sounded on clarinet.  This should never have been a flute or a violin sonata.  I think Prokofiev made a mistake by scoring it for the wrong instrument.  A mistake that Mr. Bliss fixed in one beautiful performance.  His interpretation and playing was simply fantastic!

After the concert, I hung around to see if I could meet Julian Bliss.  He was very willing to hang around and chat with anyone who came up to him after the concert, and he greeted everyone like they were old friends.  What a great guy!  He even let my mom take a picture of the two of us.  You know, Julian Bliss is quite short!  It seems that many famous clarinetists tend to be on the small side:  Wenzel Fuchs, Anthony McGill and now Julian Bliss are all around my height.  And I'm only 5'5" (and probably almost done growing).  I have a theory:  maybe playing the clarinet stunts your growth.

In any case, the concert was a GREAT experience, and I was very happy to have finally heard an interpretation of the Premiere Rhapsodie that was truly amazing.  I hope that I will get to hear Mr. Bliss again.

Master Class with Jessica Phillips Rieske

A few hours after the ICA High School Solo Competition, I was scheduled to play for a masterclass with Jessica Phillips Rieske, Acting Principal Clarinet at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.  She is also on the faculties at Rutgers and Columbia Universities, and she teaches E-Flat clarinet at The Juilliard School.

Ms. Phillips Rieske with the clarinets from the masterclass.

I was pretty wiped out emotionally after the competition earlier that morning.  It didn't help that one of the teachers of one of the others students in the competition, a student who, like me, also did not place, came to me afterwards to tell me exactly what I had done wrong.  He kept harping on my Legere Reeds and telling me that I played poorly.  His comments did not agree with the judges comments, and I didn't know him, so it was very odd that he would come to me at that moment with such strong statements.  At that point I was trying to shake hands with the winners and congratulate them on their performances and to get my own comments from the judges.

In any case, I went to the dealer's room to try out the new Buffet Divine clarinet and I got some lunch, and then I took a deep breth and went to the masterclass.  I was playing the exposition of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in front of a room full of clarinet professionals, enthusiasts, and students.  It's funny.  I wasn't nervous.  I figured, I would do my best and not worry too much about it.  Unlike the competition, this time, I didn't have much to lose.  Also, I don't think I had enough energy left after the competition to get too worked up about anything.

I think I played quite well considering everything -- although since I have been working on the Mozart since then, I could play better today, but that doesn't really matter.  The important thing was that Ms. Phillips Rieske was a FANTASTIC teacher.  Like Mr. Manassee, she focused first on what she liked about my playing, which is something I think all teachers should do.  It makes it much easier to hear the criticisms, especially in a room full of people you don't know.  I'm not going to go into specifics about her comments this time, like I usually do, but suffice it to say that the master class was a great experience.  I hope that I have the privilege to meet Ms. Phillips Rieske again as a teacher or as the amazing performer that she is.

Clarinetfest 2012 - High School Solo Competition

With Diane Barger, Artistic Director of Clarinetfest 2012

At the beginning of August, I played in the International Clarinet Association (ICA) High School Solo Competition.  We were to play the Martinu Clarinet Sonata and Kovac's Homage a Debussy.  It was a great experience!  Although I didn't place or perhaps because I didn't place, I learned a lot from the competition.  I was very nervous during the compeition, because the other players were really great players.  The judges sat less than 10 feet from me, which really kind of terrified me.  This anxiety caused me to make mistakes, that I don't think I would have made otherwise.

The other clarinets in the competition were quite good, but I feel that I would have done better if I had played at the level that I wanted to.  Still, it was a good experience for several reasons.  First, it taught me that playing without music can cause me to make more mistakes.  When there is nothing between me and the audience, the experience is more intense.  Playing without the music was not required, but I chose to anyway, because it seemed like the right thing to do.  It does make it a little harder though to have to stare at the judges and watch every move of their pen as they write their criticisms.

Still, I think playing from memory should be done as much as possible.  I think this, because it allows you to detach yourself from the notes and concentrate of the musicality of the piece of music you are interpreting.  Also, without a music stand, you can communicate more with the audience and with your pianist as you perform.

The second thing I learned from the competition is what I do when I feel I am not quite prepared and I get very nervous.  I tend to shake, and I hold notes longer or shorter than their printed value.  My tone and rhythm suffer from these things a lot.  That is a problem.  I really could have used an extra month on these pieces to prepare them properly.

The 2012 ICA High School Soloist Competition Finalists.

The last thing I learned, and the most important thing is that I still have a long way to go in clarinet playing.  Some of the players whom I heard at the competition were amazing.  But I think they play at levels I can reach if I keep a rigorous and effective practice schedule.  I loved playing at the ICA High School Competition, and I hope I can go and try again next year in Italy.  I think I have a shot at winning if I work really hard in between now and then.

I should add that it was an honor and a privilege to be in a competition with such talented young clarinetists.

Clarinetfest 2012: Day 4

Saturday night at Clarinetfest 2012, I saw a truly wonderful concert.  This concert featured clarinets soloing with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra.  There were three performers, Gregory Smith of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jessica Phillips Rieske of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and Belgian/Flemish clarinetist Eddy Vanoosthuyse.  They played the "Premiere Rhapsodie" by Debussy, the Mozart clarinet concerto and the X Concerto By Scott McAllister.

Mr. Smith played the Debussy very well.  It was the first really professional live performance of this piece that I have had the privilege to hear.  His playing really captured the impressionistic style of Debussy.  Mr. Smith's tone was great, and his phrasing was phenomenally crafted throughout the piece.  His technique was flawlessly sound, and I really enjoyed the way he articulated.  The only thing I disliked about his playing was the way he communicated the piece to the audience.  I think, perhaps, because he wasn't playing from memory, some of the notes got lost, or maybe they were reflected by the music stand away from the audience onto the stage.  The way the stand was positioned hid his face from some parts of the audience and limited his ability to communicate with the audience members who were unfortunate enough to have their view obstructed by the stand.  These are minor complaints, however, and probably oversights by the tech crew who had set up the stage.  Mr. Smith played the piece beautifully.

Next, Jessica Phillips Rieske played the Mozart.  I LOVED her Mozart!!  It was beautifully phrased, and her tone was strong and clear and sweet throughout the entire work.  I especially loved the way she performed the second movement.  She really captured the classical elegance of Mozart in that second movement better than I have heard anyone do it.  There were a few spots where the horns were audibly out of tune, but that's how it is with horn sections at times.  All in all it was a solid performance by the Lincoln Symphony and a fantastic exhibition by Ms. Phillips Rieske.

The last piece was quite interesting.  It was the X Concerto by Scott McAllister, played by Belgian clarinetist Eddy Vanoothuyse.  I loved Mr. Vanoothuyse's playing all the way through the piece.  There were also a lot of cool things about this composition.  The composer, Scott McAllister, was at the concert, and he talked about the piece before it was performed.  He said that when he composed it, he was afraid his fellow composers would disapprove that he put a melody in the second movement.  Modern pieces never have melodies!  He also said that he put a little bit of the Mozart clarinet concerto in the third movement, because he wanted the piece to someday win concerto competitions 15 years ago when he composed it, and it has since then.  Funny!

I didn't love the first movement; it was mostly quiet trilling form the clarinet, an impressive feat, but an odd way to start a composition.  The second movement, however, contained a gorgeous melody, which at one point in the piece is taken up and played in the altissimo register, creating a moment of exciting suspense.  The last movement is fun, and the pieces of the Mozart clarinet concert stuck in the middle created a really funny effect.  This is a great piece and Eddy Vanoosthuyse gave a wonderful performance of it.