Happy New Year: Resolutions For A Struggling Arts World and the Musicians Who Need to Survive in It!

Happy New Year!

Somehow, the New Year never fails to inspire many of us to resolve to “change” the way we've been doing particular things - both big and small. I can’t say I’ve ever really been one of those people who declares "New Year resolutions," but this time I suddenly found that there were indeed aspects of my life I felt compelled to, well, change; and the more I considered this, the more apparent it became why many people honestly consider the start of the year an opportunity to, in a way, "begin fresh."

New approaches and ideas that can lead to positive changes reminded me of links I recently received from a friend; these really ought to be read and heard by anyone who calls himself a music lover, especially those who recognize the importance of the change needed to ensure the future of classical music and jobs for musicians. The links lead to the video and text version of a very interesting discussion given by arts leader and speaker, Diane Ragsdale. You may have heard of her; she's become rather well-known for her compelling addresses concerning the economic impact that society's changes have had upon culture, and she has presented these speeches both in the US and abroad. Here are links to the one my friend sent me, entitled "Surviving the Culture Change:" Video (or click here for the text version).

The fact of the matter is that, yes, we are failing to produce a generation of listeners, attendees, and fans of art. Perhaps this can simply be attributed to the fact that its role as an underpinning of early education is no longer in existence. But meanwhile, beyond the financial implications of a waning population of fans and supporters (like musicians losing their jobs and competing against each other in a rapidly diminishing market), we are facing something even more difficult; something Ms. Ragsdale calls “the culture change.”

At this point, the challenge doesn’t appear to lie primarily in a lack of resources; Americans spend their money in all kinds of ways. Rather, the core issue is that people seem untouched, indeed entirely immune, to the discovery of meaning, significance, profundity, and aesthetic pleasure of art in all forms. In other words, it no longer provides that go-to for feeding one’s soul. "The arts can't declare mission accomplished just because they get people in the door. It is not sufficient to create artistic experiences and sell or give them away without regard for the capacity of people to receive them and find meaning in them." And I truly believe it is our job (the musicians, the arts leaders, etc.) to make our own discoveries that lead to, yes, changes, so that we may once again recapture the public’s appreciation and desire for the profoundly special work that we create.

Every paragraph of this discussion contains something of value and interest; I hope that you may read it (I do suggest reading the text version) and perhaps take away something relevant to your life in context with the arts.

Here's to 2011!

All for now.

~Madalyn

P.S. Here is a photo of us with composer Seymour Barab last week in NYC - we performed his delightful duo at our concert for the New York Musician’s Club (aka “The Bohemians”) in NYC!

Ballet, Bartok, and the Johannes String Quartet!

CJ Chang, Me, Peter Stumpf, Cicely, and Soovin Kim

Me, Jessica Lee, and Cicely

Hi everyone,

October was a busy month, but we got to play some very exciting and fun performances! It was nice to return home for our concert with the Schenectady Symphony; this was my first time performing the Barber Concerto with orchestra, and what a thrilling experience it was! This piece has always been very special to me, so it was like a dream come true to perform it fully realized.

The next weekend, I got the chance to do something a little different - work with the IU Ballet! For someone who took ballet lessons all through childhood, it was exciting to see up close the process of real dancers putting a production together - and of course, to be a part of it on the music side! Their opening performance featured the work of a variety of American choreographers, one of whom, Twyla Tharp, set her work "Noir" to the violin duets of Bartok. This was the very first time "Noir" had been performed with live music! I remember playing these very charming duets a long time ago with my wonderful teacher, Betty-Jean Hagen, so it was great to bring them back again with Tim Kantor. We had some interesting moments working out tempos with the dancers; they definitely keep you on your toes! But in the end, we got the timing just right, and the Herald Times critic even gave us a complimentary sentence in the review – our rendition of the Bartok was "compellingly played!" As you musicians understand, it always feels good to hear some encouraging words from the press.

Speaking of Tim, our quartet performed for the first time together last week; we got the chance to play in a masterclass for the Johannes String Quartet, who were here in Bloomington for the week and performed an amazing concert today. They are such extraordinary musicians! Soovin Kim and CJ Chang were the masters of the class, and I think we benefited greatly from their brilliant and insightful feedback. Also, we've been so busy rehearsing in small- to medium-sized practice rooms that it was very fulfilling for us all to finally hear ourselves in a concert hall.

Bloomington finally feels like autumn now; say hello to sweaters, hot cocoa, and pumpkin pies!

All for now.

~Madalyn

Bloomington!

Hi Everyone,

It has been just one month since our first semester here at IU began, but Bloomington is starting to feel like home! The past few weeks have truly flown by, and as we prepare to go home next weekend for our concert with the Schenectady Symphony, it makes it seem like just yesterday that we arrived. We have gotten to know some wonderful people, and this amazing school has provided us with truly fertile ground to continue to learn and develop as musicians. I will have to post more later because there are so many people and possibilities to tell you about, but for now, here are a few highlights of things that have been going on in our new home!

First, Cicely and I are both playing in a fantastic ensemble called the New Music Ensemble, directed by Professor David Dzubay. As you may know from our recent CD #3 announcement (see parnasmusic.com), we are both very passionate about playing contemporary music, so we were really excited to find out that we would have the opportunity to do just that outside of the duo world. It is a small group of about 20 players, all of whom are outstanding. Our first concert is coming up this week!

We love our teachers! Mr. Laredo is a great inspiration for me, and I am having a great time working with him on the extremely large amount of repertoire I have to do these days. Besides being a tremendously supportive and inspiring teacher, he is an incredible human being. I feel so honored to be studying with him. Also, I got the chance to meet for the first time and have a lesson with Josh Bell when he came to the Jacob's School for a couple of days last week; what a special opportunity.

Finally, we have formed a quartet! Despite all of the chamber music Cicely and I have played together, it has been primarily of the duo and piano trio genre and not the string quartet. We are very lucky to have met violinist Tim Kantor, a doctorate student here at IU, and violist Gerry Varona who is working on his Master's. We are very compatible musically and share a common creative vision, but everyone’s unique perspective is always heard. Our coach is violinist Ik-Hwan Bae, who has been working with us on some phenomenal music, including Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" quartet and Quartet No. 5 by Bartok. I grew up listening to the Schubert, so it is a piece which is very special to me; how fulfilling to finally have the opportunity to play it with wonderful musicians like Cicely, Tim, and Gerry!

This is just a snapshot of our many latest activities, but I will be back soon. Speaking of snapshots, I've attached a photo from the duo concert we performed the weekend before school started; this took place at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition to the Bolcom Suite for Violin and Cello, Cicely performed Bolcom's Unaccompanied Cello Suite, and the composer himself and his wife Ms. Morris were there to hear it!

All for now. Enjoy autumn - it is a beautiful season.

~Madalyn

The Final Installment: Berlin

Hi there,

I must begin by apologizing for the lengthy delay since my last post; Cicely and I have moved to Bloomington, Indiana! Even though we have been here a short two weeks, we have already fallen in love with our new surroundings and are extremely excited about what this year will bring. We will of course send updates in this regard, but for now, suffice it to say that the town, the school, and the people are all fantastic. This is a special place indeed.

While the present excitement of being in a new place makes our visit to Germany last June seem far away, it still remains a vivid highlight of our entire European trip. We made a short detour to the city of Bonn before continuing to Berlin, and it was there that we got the chance to see the Beethoven House. I can hardly believe I was there, and even at the time it was too overwhelming to fully absorb.

Though we stayed for only a few days in Berlin, we took advantage of the time and explored many of the different neighborhoods that one can find in this very sprawling city. Indeed there is a striking distinction between them, which in some cases serves as a vivid reminder of the profound upheaval that took place there. For example, while there are very beautiful, leafy residential neighborhoods and modern-looking commercial sections where tourists go for shopping, there are also entire blocks which remain bare aside from small piles of concrete rubble.

Coincidentally, the date of our trip landed during the heat of the World Cup playoffs, and we were actually lucky enough to take part in the excitement; we met a good friend of Yaron's who took us to one of Berlin's outdoor sports bars to watch the match between England and Germany - what an exciting football game!

While our explorations in London and Paris kept us primarily outside and on the street, in Berlin we got the chance to attend an opera! Thanks to a very kind friend, we were given tickets to see "Carmen" performed by the Deutsche Oper, which was my first opportunity to see this masterpiece performed live - what an exciting evening! Afterwards, we were all surprised to see the hundreds of audience members flock to the subway rather than to individual cars; public transportation once again proved to be the preferred alternative.

In thinking over the entire European trip, it is incredible to me how little it takes to be transported to a country entirely unique from the others which surround it. Indeed, the world of Paris is so completely different from Berlin, and yet all that separates the two is a short train ride. In this sense, Europe is tremendously rich culturally, and for a musician, this is one of the most exciting aspects of all.

And so, as I welcome the arrival of my favorite month of the year, September, I cannot help but look to the future with great anticipation; there is much to be discovered and learned here at the Jacob's School, and I also cannot wait for my next chance to return to the other side of the Atlantic.

All for now.

~Madalyn

Europe Part 2: London!

Hi there,

I am going back in time for this blog, as I began the overview of our incredible trip to Europe with Paris since it was the overwhelming favorite of the three cities we visited. However, London was magnificent as well, and especially since this was our first stop, its impact was rather powerful.

Perhaps one of the city's features I found the most astounding was its architecture. For an American who rarely encounters buildings of such grand proportions, it was quite a shock to be surrounded, on every block, by the extremely large, historic, and elegant examples of London's architecture. It is a feeling one must become accustomed to, to be immersed in history when taking a simple stroll to the grocery store. I found that I could not walk along the street without gazing up every few feet to admire a giant library or government building. While it sometimes made me extremely conscious of feeling like a tourist, I do hope the people of London never take for granted the magnificence of their city.

We visited some amazing places! In addition to Big Ben, Buckingham, Kensington Palace and Gardens, and of all things, the British Film Museum, we spent an entire day at the Tower of London, which was a very crowded and exciting place. History has always been one of my passions, so the museum inside the main tower, which displayed everything from 300-year-old armor to 800-year-old checker pieces, entertained me for hours. I think perhaps my favorite outing, however, was our visit to the lovely neighborhood of Chelsea to see friends. The rows of houses looked as if they had come right out of a scene from Mary Poppins, and it was there that I got the chance to ride at the very top and very front of one of the red double-decker buses!

Something that caught my attention was the tidiness of London. I learned that posting things like flyers and brochures on lampposts, walls, and in other public places is not allowed because this is considered "littering the city." There are recycling bins on every block, and the garbage bins are often the size of mailboxes. The cars are small, and the "undergrounds" are extremely efficient and clean.

What a wonderful example of preservation, not only of history and the past, but of the things of the present as well. After all, isn't it the present which dictates the future?

All for now. Berlin will be coming soon!

~Madalyn

Home from Europe!

Hi there!

It has been a week since Cicely and I returned from our big trip across the Atlantic, and I am still reeling from the excitement! In many ways, it was a truly life-changing two weeks, and I feel so fortunate that I was able to enjoy and learn from this incredible experience. And, as there are so many wonderful things to recount, I feel I must separate them into three blogs, one for each city: London, Paris, and Berlin. But I must begin with Paris because, for me, it was the sparkling highlight of the entire trip.

Beginning from a child who loved reading the Madeline books to the musician whose favorite college classes were French, I have always felt a special connection to the French language and to French music. Musicians are so often questioned as to their favorite composers, and I have found that the response which comes the closest to my answering such a difficult question is, "French composers!" I was a French minor in college, and my first time out of the country was last summer when I spent a few days in Montreal. Still, I have long wanted to see with my own eyes the country that was home to such masters as Debussy and Ravel, and to hear with my own ears the beauty of the French language all around me.

Paris exceeded my expectations. It is a city which, if I had to describe in one word, is alive. It is alive with culture, beauty, food, history, and of course, music. The moment we emerged from the train station, I sensed an intangible, special feeling in the air that seemed to remain beyond one's first impressions. But somehow, it was within the tangible details of the city that I felt this intangible something; from the violinist on the metro playing Bach to the manner in which the waitor asks if you would like a cup of coffee, one senses that there is an almost magical quality to Paris.

As with the other cities we visited, we spent most of our time simply walking - walking from the morning until the evening, exploring as many parts of the city as we could, and enjoying the incomparable French cuisine along the way. Everything from the architecture to the gardens to La Seine to the small cobblestoned streets meant only for pedestrians, is beautiful. And all along the way, one is surrounded by a beautiful music - the French language. Indeed, Paris is a city of beauty.

Up next: London!

All for now.

~Madalyn

Musical Heroes

Hi Everyone,

This month, I would like to share a wonderful story with you. If you click on the link below, you will find a very brief article entitled "German Unemployed Get a Boost Through Music," which discusses the efforts of a young German woman to help Leipzig's unemployed through music.

Stories like this one are so inspiring to me because it serves as a reminder that music, in its simplest of forms, can have a profoundly meaningful impact on people's lives and help them through the great vicissitudes of life. And perhaps what is most striking to me is this woman's vision to take a terribly difficult situation and transform it into a positive force in the community. I think it takes a great person to create something beautiful out of hardship. How many people would have had such a healthy response? Or how much more simple would it have been to surrender to the misfortune and the problems and unhappiness which result?

Through the gift of song, every human being is a musician. I sang in church choirs for the first twelve years of my life, and the "feeling of being valued," as the article points out, is very real. And indeed, it is one of the most wonderful ways to make music with other people. You are a part of a team, and you are all working to create something beautiful together.

A few days ago, I went to a rehearsal for the Columbia County Children's Vocal Ensemble, which is directed by Sheri Bauer-Mayorga, one of my favorite musicians and human beings. To hear a group of kids all enjoying music, enjoying each other, and working together was a true inspiration for me. The thought which went through my mind at the time was, "This is the essence of music."

And it is people like Sarie Teichfischer and Sheri Bauer-Mayorga who make it happen. They are the musical heroes.

All for now.

~Madalyn

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125634115