Cadenzas – Edition XIX
So - What's New?
For Trumpet Players Only
I have, after many years, changed instruments and am now playing a new trumpet. A short while back, trumpet designer Bob Malone invited me to try a new prototype he developed for the Yamaha Artist Model Series. He has been working on this project with Cleveland Orchestra trumpeter Bob Sullivan since 2002. Like many of my colleagues, I have always felt that Bob Malone is the best trumpet designer of this era. Bob has done “free-lance” work for Yamaha for quite some years; then, several years ago, he was brought on board full-time. Since then, his work with the C trumpet has done much to alter the thinking of many symphonic trumpeters.
I have tried many trumpets for various designer friends, some of which have played very well, but I was yet to have been “knocked out” with any of them - until now! This trumpet is a new instrument, one of the Yamaha Artist Model Series, model YTR9335NYS. It will be released to the public in New York City on December 6, 2005.
My horn is a stock instrument, a medium large, .459 bore, with the Malone MB2 lead pipe. The braces are the narrower ones as used on the old New York and Mt. Vernon model Bachs. There are many other features and specifications that will interest those trumpeters who are into all that stuff, but I am only interested in how the horn plays, how it feels, and how it sounds. And for me – this instrument plays even better than the trumpet I designed for myself! So, I bought it!
Many of you might find it interesting and informative to visit the Yamaha Artist Model Series Web site at www.yamahaartistmodel.com. It is an interactive site that has much information in addition to clinics by leading players, and also a segment by Bob Malone speaking at length about the Artist Model Series.
MP3 Audio Files
For anyone who might be interested, I have just edited and put up MP3 audio files for The Stamm/Soph Project – Live at Birdland and Elegance. I also converted the audio files for The Stamm/Soph Project and By Ourselves from “wave” files into MP3 files so they are easier and faster to download and play. To check out these sound clips, go to the “CDs” page of this Web site. Just above the cover picture of the above-mentioned CDs you will find a link to the files of that CD. Click on the link, and you are there. Any of these CDs can be ordered directly from the “CDs” page.
Those of you using cable modem or DSL should find that the files load instantly, and you should not experience “buffering” problems. Alas, for those of you using “dial-up,” I’m afraid this might not improve your listening experience.
I have been told that the audio files for Jerry Ascione's CD, Beautiful Love, were not working, so I also converted those to MP3 files. They are working fine now. They are located at the bottom of the CDs page; just scroll down to access them. If you are interested in purchasing either Beautiful Love or Big Band Reflections of Cole Porter, they can be ordered directly from Jerry Ascione and Jack Cooper at their email addresses shown there.
The Power of Jazz
By Emily TabinEmily Tabin is the Executive Director of the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, in which I have been a member for over two years. Her passion for music - Jazz in particular - has been obvious to me from our first meeting. As we became friends over time, I approached her periodically to ask her to write an article for Cadenzas. I hope that her story - one of a music lover, having a professional career followed by a domestic one, and then returning to music out of the sheer love and passion for it - might be inspiring to others. As I have stated many times, music is not just for professional musicians; it is for everyone who wishes to involve him- or herself in it.
Emily received an undergraduate business degree from The Wharton School and a law degree from New York University School of Law. She practiced litigation and real estate law, but left the field to raise her family and to devote her efforts to not-for-profit causes, primarily those involving children and the arts. She headed various local school organizations and committees, including the PTA and the Young Writers’ Conference Committee, an instructional writing program for over 370 district students. As a fund-raising coordinator for the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, New York, she helped with the Burns’ successful $5 million capital campaign. Emily is a past director of Morry’s Camp, a year-round mentoring program for underprivileged children, and of Litchfield Performing Arts, which brings diverse arts experiences to Connecticut schoolchildren, offers arts education programs with scholarships, and presents a world-renowned jazz festival every August.
The Power of Jazz
In 1996, I was a stay-at-home mom, semi-retired from practicing law. With three young children and lots of volunteer commitments, I never imagined that I would end up playing or promoting jazz. But one thing led to another, and that’s exactly what happened.
For me, playing an instrument was an important part of growing up. I played classical piano from age 6 through my sophomore year in college. I also played the guitar and sang well into my 20s. But for years after that, my enjoyment of music was solely in listening.
In ‘96, however, I felt compelled to make music again, to actually create. After many unsuccessful attempts to resume my piano playing, I finally rented a flute and signed up for lessons at a local music store.
The whim that led me to the flute also carried me to a different type of music – jazz. I was completely unfamiliar with jazz, not even knowing the most prominent players. But it intrigued me, and I tried it. I was immediately and powerfully hooked by the swing and easy feel of the music. Even the simple etudes I began studying were filled with great syncopated rhythms. I found myself counting the minutes until I could practice again. And as a new jazz convert, I switched to the alto saxophone.
The next step – learning how to improvise – was something I was consciously avoiding because it absolutely terrified me.
Perhaps I felt this fear because I started playing as an adult, when learning is slower and defenses and inhibitions are more ingrained. Or maybe I told myself that just so I would feel better. In any event, even though I had always been considered “musical,” I was sure that I wasn’t creative enough to improvise. Give me any written notes and I could work on making them sound like music. But make something up? I had no idea where to begin and was reluctant to try. I was always a researcher, a careful and deliberate thinker, and I felt wholly unprepared to risk sounding like less than an expert at anything.
When I became aware that my fears were blocking my progress, I knew I would have to get past them. I practiced harder and began to put myself in musical situations where I had to improvise. It was an enormous struggle each time. Whether I was playing with other adults or kids less than half my age, I was self-conscious and self-critical. I almost always went home feeling discouraged and sometimes wouldn’t touch my horn again for days.
But in my heart, I knew that I was ready to improvise – something I previously could not have done – and I applauded myself for that growth and for sticking with it. I also knew that I loved playing the saxophone and that I felt an intimate connection with my horn that I wanted to build upon. So, one tiny step at a time, I began to train my ears and to practice more effectively. I worked on my attitude as well – my goal was to have fun and improve, not to be “great.”
As I became more focused on the music rather than my discomfort, I started to recognize the musical ideas I had, and to play and develop them. On occasion, I’d play a few notes, then a few bars, that I liked. That feeling, of knowing I had made music, was soaring and strong, both elusive and addictive. I had little idea how to get it back, but it was such a powerful high that I couldn’t help trying.
Years later, I still find improvising a struggle – but one with unquantifiable rewards. I am having a great time practicing, playing, and meeting others who share my love for jazz. I’m constantly learning and searching, gaining a deeper understanding of what makes music. Every day I get to experience the thrill of a new discovery. And above all, I cherish those moments of musical bliss that brought me here in the first place and keep me coming back for more.
* * * *
My passion for music has led me to another unexpected place – a radical change of careers. In 2002, with my children quickly growing, I was considering returning to work. Practicing law no longer appealed to me. I wanted a career that had meaning for me, and the law wasn’t it. I saw myself somewhere in the arts, maybe in arts management.
Fortuitously, at about this time, I was asked to become one of the founders and then the business head of an as-yet-unformed nonprofit jazz organization, a big band that would have an annual concert series as well as presenting educational programs. The idea was to create a first-rate jazz orchestra that showcased the genuinely world-class talent of local musicians and composers.
I spent the next year working with the two other founders to give shape to our ideas. We named the organization the Westchester Jazz Orchestra (WJO) and adopted a mission statement and objectives. We were creating an organization that would promote jazz – a uniquely American cultural treasure – by performing a wide range of works, including those we would commission, and by teaching students how to play and appreciate jazz. We fleshed out our programs and began to approach musicians to join the band. To our happy surprise, we quickly assembled our musicians, truly top-notch players who were all enthusiastic about our project. We planned and booked the concerts for our first season, got our website up and running, initiated a public relations campaign, and acquired federal not-for-profit status. We gave ourselves titles: I was to be the executive director and one of the other founders would be the artistic director.
WJO played its first concert in October 2003 and since then has put on thirteen other concerts and conducted close to twenty educational seminars. We just began our third operational season with a concert on September 24.
My goal as executive director is to help build and sustain an organization that matches the high quality of our musicians’ playing. But what, exactly, is the job of the executive director of a jazz orchestra? The job of our artistic director, with whom I work closely, is more obvious. He programs our concerts, rehearses the band, and organizes and directs our educational programs. My responsibilities are more behind-the-scenes. As WJO’s only business person, I am the fund-raiser, public relations and marketing representative, chief financial officer and bookkeeper, box office manager, donor and customer relations manager, chief correspondent, caterer, booking agent, photographer, website manager, and maintainer of mailing lists, among many other things.
My role as fund-raiser is the most challenging by far, requiring the most time, effort – and worry. Even though our programs all bring in revenue, we intentionally run concerts and educational seminars at a deficit to make them affordable. This means that we need to raise additional money to cover the expenses of every event.
We were fortunate to have obtained financial backing early on, even before our first concert. This original capital not only financed our initial programs, but also was an encouraging vote of confidence in our mission. Currently, our primary sources of funding are foundation grants and individual donations, and we have added local businesses to the mix. However, funding for the arts in general is difficult to obtain, and jazz is far from a mainstream art. Government sources are virtually dry, and the arts compete with many other worthy causes for a limited pool of private funding. Keeping WJO afloat financially requires creative thinking, persistence, and a firm belief in our mission and how we are carrying it out.
As we gain experience as an organization, many of the administrative responsibilities are becoming more routine. The artistic director and I can therefore address the larger questions we face. How do we want this organization to grow? Where will it be in five years? An obvious general answer is having more concerts in larger or more prestigious venues, and recording at least one CD. Working out the specifics, though, takes more thought and planning. Our concert audiences are consistently growing, but how can we accelerate this process? Programming, public relations, and marketing are all factors, but so is jazz education since we aim to build new audiences for jazz as well as provide programs for existing jazz enthusiasts. Where do we go to entice these new listeners? Other arts organizations seem a likely place, and developing collaborative projects could work for all involved.
On the education side, how can we tailor our school programs to meet students’ needs and expand them to reach more students? How do we encourage more students to attend our concerts? How can we best serve jazz students who play at a high level? How do we reach financially disadvantaged youth who haven’t even had the opportunity to play an instrument?
Since I perform most of my job duties in my home office, it is a refreshing change when we have a rehearsal, concert, or educational program to run. At all these events, I come as the executive director, but also view things through the eyes of a music student and jazz lover. So at rehearsals and performances, while I am working, I also get the twin bonuses of hearing great music while observing how professionals rehearse. When we visit schools, as I make sure that things are running smoothly, I am also taking in as much musical instruction as I can.
In the end, it is all about the music. I am very proud to be connected to this incredible group of musicians, who have spent their lives perfecting their craft and who, together, consistently perform at the highest level. To me, they personify great playing, and that inspires me to work to improve mine.
So watch out! By 2040, I’m joining the band.
Words of Meaning
People interpret words differently; each of us tends to define words as they relate to our individual life experiences. The three words that have special meaning to me may have different meaning and importance to others.
Passion is a word of primary importance to me, and I believe it can be applied to most artists, especially Jazz musicians. Throughout my lifetime it has seemed that every musician I have met, from band directors and local musicians up to and including the generations of colleagues I met and worked with over the years, especially those I met when I first came to New York, were very passionate in their love of music. But Jazz musicians seemed always to carry within them an even deeper passion for the music they played. Each time they approached their instruments, they sought to get deeper into the music, always seeking the unattainable, yet feeling at the same time that attainment was possible. I don’t mean to cut other musicians “short shrift.” But Jazz musicians seem to carry this inherent torch inside that continually drives them. Seldom do they lose that drive.
Growing up, I read much about artists of all kinds – painters, sculptors, writers, and composers. So many of these artists endured lives of great hardship, following upon whatever path their passion led them. None suffered more than the Impressionist painters. Reading their stories reminds me so much of many of the Jazz musicians I have known. Certainly, every human being suffers in one way or another in his or her life, but persons of passion seem to pay more than their share of “dues.”
Despite this “dues-paying,” few Jazz musicians I know have sought to leave music. While many have settled in places other than New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles and may have turned to other work to sustain them. Still they continued to play, to seek solace in their music. Many of us who have spent a good deal of time “on the road” have heard of local heroes as we have traveled from town to town. And while the talents of some these local players were overblown, many of them lived up to their reputations. I remember many of the various musicians I heard – or heard about in places like Biloxi, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Des Moines, Baton Rouge, Mobile and more – who were every bit as good as we had been told. These were people to whom it didn’t matter where they lived as long as they could play their horns.
For musicians like these, it is unthinkable that they would get up each day not wanting to play better than they played the day before. Or that they might not play better tomorrow than they play today. This is an unwritten principle that has come from deep within. It has been ingrained in most of us from our teachers, our musical mentors, and, in later years, by our colleagues with whom we shared the bandstand. I don’t remember anyone necessarily stating this principle as I grew through my earlier years; it was something I absorbed through my associations with all the musicians whom I heard and later played with. Their expectations were that they – and everyone else – would come to their instruments with those thoughts in their mind. First it was expected; later it became a “given.”
I have been thinking about the word passion an awful lot lately. What has prompted this is the lack of passion I see in so many people today - even in some musicians. That is why those who do live their lives and delve into their work and their play with passion impress and reach me on a much deeper level.
Having grown up musically during the 1950s listening to players like Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie, my ear, and therefore my heart, became attuned to people whose efforts came from a passionate place. Local players I knew growing up in Memphis, and later those with whom I worked while in college in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, possessed that same deep passion. Maybe it was significant for the period. But as I grew and began to learn more about music of the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, it became evident that each period had its great writers and poets, musicians and dancers, painters and sculptors, all passionate about their art.
When one learns the history of his art - where the things that influence him come from - the development of his own voice and art begins to grow. It then expands and becomes infused with greater depth. It seemed that all the older, more mature musicians with whom I played knew about Bix, Frankie Trambauer, Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Charlie Shavers, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Don Byas, Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Chu Berry, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and many of the other great people who were the foundation to the period of my heroes. And listening to the recordings of these “older” musicians, I could not help but feel the passion in their music. I could also hear it in the music of the period that followed, that of Bird, Dizzy, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, Miles, Clifford, Kenny Dorham, and many more. And their passion laid the foundation for Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and their colleagues from that period. Passion ran through the music of all these artists and their contemporaries, for which there isn’t enough room here to write about.
Of course, there are many kinds of passion. Everybody feels differently about the things that make up their lives – what their lives are all about. Sadly these days, it seems that life is mostly about money or other material things. Or, in the business world, it may be more about power - which usually translates into money. Maybe our value assessment and level of attainment determines our concept of life’s true meaning.
But to most of the Jazz musicians I know, it is still about passion. Passion is such a driving force that, in musicians, is not a force so easy to define. How does one explain that sounds from an instrument made from materials such as metal or wood or sinew can drive one to work so hard to achieve mastery of that instrument? One can attempt to intellectualize about this process; to me, it is indefinable. The need to make sounds on an instrument – sounds that not only express the feelings of the player, but also reach out and touch the listener - is bottomless. It is one that lasts a lifetime and, in most musicians, never diminishes. As I have often said, it is like the search for the Holy Grail – the Holy Grail of Jazz.
I cannot imagine living a life without passion for something that has depth and meaning. Everyone has a talent for something, but many are discouraged for one reason or another from following that path to develop their talent. Sad, eh? Of course, it is. Everyone at some stage in his life has a dream, a passion for something; most abandon that dream. But as I tell the many young people to whom I speak, one of the saddest things is to know those who later, in a so-called successful life, look back upon that life with sadness and regret, knowing they would much rather have followed their dream.
I am most appreciative of the fact that I get up every day looking forward to picking up my horn to practice or perform. What would drive a person to spend fifty-four years of his life doing such a thing? And then look forward to spending as many years remaining in the same way? One can ask that question of Clark Terry or James Moody or Dewey Redman too. Or just ask me. It is passion.
This leads me to the second word of meaning for me - fulfillment. Fulfillment is not a word you hear much these days, possibly because people think in other terms when seeking reward for their work or actions. I believe these people today look for rewards in terms of money, position, and power. I believe it is pervasive throughout our society - in business, in education, everywhere. Performing one’s work in a brilliant fashion for the sake of the inner satisfaction of doing that task is not something given too much thought. There are many reasons for sure, but one of the most prevalent ones, in my opinion comes from the top – workers are often not judged on how well they perform their jobs, but rather on how good they make their bosses look. A second reason is that it seems to be more important to “kiss up” to those on the level above than it is to be an honest employee who will tell the truth when something is wrong or going badly. Our government is a perfect example of this.
So what about fulfillment? And where does it fit into this picture? The musician knows because he or she, though wanting to be well paid, doesn’t work primarily for financial reward. Sound strange? Of course, it does. But the truth is this – we all want to make a good living, support our families, and enjoy a decent standard of living. But there is this mysterious ingredient that for many musicians is even more important than any or all the reasons just mentioned. If asked, most of them might say that they just want to play their horns and make music. That is a simplistic but very clear reason. Taking it to a deeper level, they are trying to fulfill a need deep inside that must be satisfied. As the old saying goes, “Nobody goes into music to get rich.” Or the joke about Jazz musicians: “How do you make a million dollars as a Jazz musician? Start with three million!”
This life isn’t an easy one, and it is difficult for many Jazz musicians to sustain a good life. But nothing rewards the feeling one gets when playing together with musicians who share a great rapport. Words don’t describe this feeling very well, but when a group is “in the zone,” one can hear AND see it; it is very obvious.
Fulfillment doesn’t just come to musicians. It comes to parents, for example, who experience the joy of guiding their children and grandchildren through the helplessness of infancy into productive adulthood. In fact, fulfillment can be found in any task that is done well, if one just looks at it from that perspective. I remember as a youngster seeing someone doing something I had never tried and for which I had no experience of skill. Yet I really wanted to do this thing. I tried and failed, tried again, and failed again. But because I wanted so badly to be able to do this thing, I was determined to continue trying. Finally, little by little, over a long period of time, it all started to come together - not quickly or easily, but I could see I was “getting there.” When I was finally able to accomplish this task, the feeling was phenomenal! Having a strong desire to do something totally unfamiliar, something for which one has no expeience or skill, only a willingness to work until that skill is acquired, then succeeding with the task – that is fulfillment, one of the best feelings I know!
This persistent urge for fulfillment is how one learns to play an instrument; and where one might go with this is endless! Just listen to YoYo Ma or Clifford Brown! Listen to Reneé Fleming or Pavarotti! Coltrane, Phil Woods or Cannonball! Just hear what can be accomplished through wanting something so much and working so hard to achieve it. It is a feeling like no other. It is the driving force behind all musicians - all true artists. And most don’t even think in terms of fulfillment. “They just wanna play their horns.”
The third word that holds great meaning for me is anticipation – the feeling that every day there is something new to discover, that something new might happen, that there is always something to look forward to. This is what keeps me going; this is what makes life interesting, and what keeps me young. I cannot speak for others, but I know that I am among the most fortunate of people. All my life I have felt that there is something out there – something more to reach for and try to achieve. It comes in different packages and different forms. Music is certainly one of the biggest. It started as a requirement in the seventh grade and blossomed into a lifetime task that I believe has much more to offer and that I welcome with anticipation. Another is family. Both are great undertakings that challenge mind and body and run the gamut of all the emotions, everything that life has to offer. Without anticipation, how can one get up each morning and face the day ahead? Having something to look forward to is so very important. In music, there is always something else – something more to master and achieve, always something “more to say.” A musician’s life is never completed because as one goal is accomplished, the goal posts are moved farther away. This makes life interesting and keeps an artist engaged.
Words have the power to induce a broad range and variety of memorable influences within each of us. I think, however, that certain words, though differing from person to person, are more meaningful than others. These three words – passion, fulfillment, and anticipation – will always have significant meaning to me, to my music, and to my life.