What happened to top 40 music?

I became acquainted with top 40 music in the 1960s. My brother, Les,  was very current with all the new artists. I heard tunes like "Baby Talk" by Jan and Dean, "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Presley, "He’s a Rebel" by the Crystals, "Another Saturday Night" by Sam Cooke, "Be True to your School" by the Beach Boys, "18 Yellow Roses" by Bobby Darin, and other tunes by artists such as the (Young) Rascals, the Ronettes, Leslie Gore, Bobby Vee, Jay and the Americans, Roy Orbison, the Rondelles, and many others. I heard, also, a LOT of "Do-wop," by what had come to be known as Rhythm and Blues and street corner artists.

My own interest in top 40 music covered about a 12 year span from roughly 1966 through 1978. My 45 RPM record collection included titles such as "Along came Mary," "Never my Love," "Cherish," and "Windy," by the Association, "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, "I am a Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel, "No Matter what Shape your Stomach is in" by the T-bones, "Sloop John B" by the Beach boys, "A Little bit of Me," "Last Train to Clarskville," "I'm a Believer," "Not your Stepping Stone," and others by the Monkees, "Let's Live for Today" by the Grass Roots, "On the Eve of Destruction," by Barry McGuire, "The Happening" by the Supremes, "I just Dropped In" by the First Edition, "Stoned Soul Picnic," and "Up, Up and Away," by the Fifth Dimension, "Young Girl," and "This Girl's a Woman Now," by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe, "The Letter" by the Box Tops, "I think we're alone Now" and "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells, "Rain in the Park and Other Things" by the Cowsills, "Incense and Peppermints" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. And many other hits from that era. Not to mention all of the albums I bought with my papar route money by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chicago, and the Monkees. Even after moving to Los Angeles in 1975, I listened to KRTH which was the local top 40 channel. I kind of tuned out about mid-1976.

After that, I became a serious student of classical music and kind of lost touch with popular music. I learned about Bach and Brahms, Bruckner and Beethoven, Wagner, Debussy and Stravinsky. It was during this period that I was also introduced to jazz. My favorite artists were David Brubeck, Stan Kenton, Don Ellis, and Jaco Pastorius. During that period I purchased albums by those artists but remained completely out of touch with what was called top 40 music at the time.

Recently, I became aware of a group of GREAT studio musicians that flourished from roughly 1959 through 1981. This was a group of musicians who played on virtually every top 40 song during this time. A rough roster is below:

Guitar: Glen Campbell (yes, THAT Glen Campbell), Barney Kessel, Tommy Tedesco, Al Casey, Carol Kaye, Billy Strange, Rene Hall, Don Peake, Howard Roberts, James Burton, Jerry Cole, Bill Aken, Mike Deasy, Doug Bartenfeld, Ray Pohlman, Bill Pitman, Irv Rubins, Louie Shelton, John Goldthwaite, Al Vescovo.

Saxophone: Steve Douglas, Jay Migliori, Jim Horn, Plas Johnson, Nino Tempo, Gene Cipriano

Trumpet: Roy Caton, Tony Terran, Ollie Mitchell, Bud Brisbois, Chuck Findley.

Trombone: Lou Blackburn, Richard "Slyde" Hyde, Lew McCreary

Keyboards: Leon Russell, Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John), Mike Melvoin, Don Randi, Larry Knechtel, Al De Lory, Mike (Michel) Rubini

Bass: Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, Max Bennett, Chuck Berghofer, Ray Pohlman, Larry Knechtel, Lyle Ritz, Red Callender, Jimmy Bond, Bill Pitman

Drums: Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Jim Gordon, Jim Keltner

Percussion: Julius Wechter, Gary L. Coleman, Frank Capp

It was after doing some internet research about these great artists that I renewed my interest in top 40 music. I went online to look for local top 40 radio stations. There were none listed in the AM band, and there were only three listed on the FM side, one comes from, oddly, Ohlone College, which is very weak in the South Bay. I programmed them into the sound system in my van and since that time I have been listening to a lot of top 40 music. Thus my initial question, what happened to top 40 music? Most of the songs that I have been hearing are by rap artists who seem to be remaking the same song over and over, or young artists whose music seems to sound all the same. I don't hear any of the excellence, craftsmanship, or artistry created by producers such as Phil Spector. Nor do I hear quality compositions by quality composers such as Jimmy Webb and Billy Strange, or the symphonic epics, such as "MacArthur Park," "Layla," or Mason Williams' "Classical Gas."

So for now, I'll continue to listen to my three stations, and welcome the relief I feel from the commercials, plugs, and advertisements.

As always, your comments are welcome and encouraged.

2012 in review

January – I did a lot of playing this month; Symphony Silicon Valley, California Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony… I spent some time with doctors discussing my chronic pain & my hip. I spent a GREAT weekend in LA visiting with Jim Self. No matter where you are along the musical path, it is always good to connect with one’s mentors. We talked a lot, we played together and I left there with some wonderful thoughts.

February – First up was the BCMW composition reading session. I ALWAYS enjoy playing new, fresh music and this contest was as good as always. We were able to add some wonderful new music to the BCMW library. Spent some more time with doctors and worked a lot at Lynbrook High School. Mike Pakaluk inherited a HUGE program from John Felder and is doing a wonderful job there. End of the month, I started in the Pain Management Program at Kaiser Hospital.

March – I had THREE concerts to conduct, OWO, OCB & MPBB and a recording session with OWO. SSV played a concert, and a series of Children’s’ concerts, which I always enjoy. I taught a lot of lessons this month, as well as some students at Stanford. Continued at Kaiser with the PMP. Took three bands to Fresno the 24th.

April – I sold my Bruckner to Alex Lapins in Arizona; we met at Bakersfield for the hand off. I got booted out of the pain management program because I missed too many classes. At this time, I am seriously considering a hip replacement, as the chronic pain is sometimes unbearable. I cannot conduct a 2-hour rehearsal standing. As much as I HATE this, I have to run rehearsals from a stool. I played several rehearsals with the Diablo Wind Symphony, preparing for a May solo appearance, and had several rehearsals with our brass detect, and judged a music festival. The Tuba Ensemble did a concert in Livermore, and the brass band played its spring concert. I went to hear the SF Symphony play ‘Romeo & Juliet” one of my FAVORITE pieces. I got reinstated in the Pain Management program with a modified attendance policy. I am moving towards coping with the chronic pain. More work with the Lynbrook bands and I taught a TON of lessons this month.

May – I had my breakthrough with the Pain Management Program. May 3rd to be exact. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was a life altering experience for me. I came to some wonderful realizations, and like magic, my back pain all but disappeared. If you want more info, contact me offline. Concerts: Symphony Silicon Valley, OWO, MPBB, solo with Diablo Wind Symphony, OCB. I auditioned to conduct the Watsonville Band. Played with the Monterey Band and I started a long run of Mary Poppins, bass trombone and tuba. Had a BLAST playing this show and made a ton of dough! Notes that my dear Phil Zahorsky had left us one year ago, on May 18. To celebrate his life, we have a band campout at Big Basin State Park that weekend. A grand time was had by all. A decision was made to have the hip replacement surgery; I asked for a MEDICAL leave from Music in the Mountains. I have been playing this festival since 1983.

June – Finished a long run of Mary Poppins. Man, I loved playing that musical. Great part, great orchestra, wonderful conductor. Did some Pain Management classes, prior to my June 19 surgery. SSV had a bass trombone audition; we hired a young trombonist from LA, who’s parents were classmates of mine at Northridge. I taught a lot of lessons before the new hip. June 19th – surgery. The surgery itself was pretty painless. It is really draconian what they do to you, but it is better than chronic pain. The next day, was HELL. I have never had pain like that. They get you right up and walking, but apparently (come to find out MUCH later) I was under medicated because the pain was UNbearable. One of the physical therapists FORCED me out of bed, and I was in tears, I never felt pain like that. June 22, my 25th wedding anniversary, home from the hospital. With drugs (morphine is GOOD!) I am able to control the pain. My extended family (read Ohlone & BCMW) was wonderful, with people bringing over food for 3 weeks after I am home. Thank you to Phil Pollard for coordinating all of that. MANY people stop by to see how I am doing. There is such a HUGE outcropping of visits, support and helping, I feel BLESSED to be surrounded with so many truly extraordinary people.

July – Against doctor’s orders, I play a July 4th gig with the Oakland Park band; THAT was a mistake! The pain was awful. Linda and I buy a new trailer for BCMW and it arrives the 10th. I see my surgeon for the first time since the surgery and he is thrilled with the results. I’m still hobbling with a cane, and medicated (no more morphine, though). Again, against Dr.’s orders I go to BCMW. It WAS a challenge, but with SO much help, it went off without a hitch. I had to hire a last minute coach for week 2 because I can’t go a whole day without pain meds and I can’t concentrate on coaching when I am medicated. I am supposed to play “Tubby the Tuba” with the symphony, but I bailed because there is no way I can do that. Rod Matthews agrees to fill in for me last minute.

August – I continue with the Kaiser pain class and teach a ton of lessons. Ohlone bands start up end of the month. It is great seeing my musical family after this weird summer. I play the POPS in SLO the last weekend.

September – HEART ATTACK!!  Yep, I suffered a heart attack on September 5th. I’m home alone; chest pain, dial 911 and they haul me out of here. I almost croak in the ambulance as my blood pressure goes through the roof. It was pretty scary; a life changing event for sure. They put 3 stents in and they find no damage to the heart muscle. I was back to work 3 days later. I’m not going let a little thing like a heart attack keep me away from my tuba ensemble, AND the first rehearsal of the newly formed Ohlone Clarinet Choir. I need to change my eating habits. It feels so good to be in front of my Ohlone Ensembles again, teaching my lessons and working with the Lynbrook kids. There is a pain management potluck on the 28th and it is WONDERFUL re-connecting with my pain management family. Symphony concerts and children’s concerts at the end of the month. And I start teaching three OUTSTANDING students at Stanford. I am given the position of ‘Interim Director of Bands’ at CSU East Bay, when their band director resigns.

OCTOBER – I play one of the most unique gigs I have ever played: 6 tubas in the Ann Hamilton Tower on Oliver Ranch. Google it, it is fascinating. I GET ON A PLANE! I go to my hometown (Lindenhurst, NY) for a 40th HS reunion. Although I did not go to Lindenhurst HS, I went to elementary school and junior high school with many, many of these folks. I was not going to go, but I was encouraged by more than a few people to go, so I did. AM I GLAD I DID! Not only did I really enjoy the trip, but also I reconnected with childhood friends and realized that truly, my childhood connection was something I really missed in my life. I am so grateful that the people with whom I spent time made me feel so at home. I reconnected with John Geheran and Bobby Arndts, 2 of my closest childhood friends. While I am there, I meet a wonderful horn player/composer/improv artist, Lydia Busler-Blais; more about her later. As soon as I get home, Jimmy Latten comes out from PA to conduct on the MPBB concert. It was great having him and he did wonderful rehearsals with my bands. At the end of the month, I begin rehearsals with the Santa Rosa Symphony, playing “Symphonie Phantastique” with Rod Matthews in the new Green Center in Santa Rosa.

November – That first weekend I played a series of incredible concerts with the Santa Rosa Symphony. I don’t think I’ll EVER tire of playing ‘Fantastique.’ That new hall is awesome, and I love playing with Rod. My rehearsals with the CSUEB band go well and I am teaching a ton of lessons. Nov 16, Lydia comes out here to make some connections. She is SUCH a talented artist; I want to try to get her out here doing some concerts, lectures, and demos. She comes to my clarinet & tuba concert and meets some of our Ohlone family and in NO TIME, she is being pressured to coach up at BCMW. I KNEW our guys would love her! She’s supposed to go home the 21st, but gets sick. She ends up going home AFTER T’giving, missing the holiday with her family. My first concert with the CSUEB band goes rather well. The musicians make TREMENDOUS progress in the quarter. I am looking forward to the rest of the year.

December – SSV concert, Tchaik 6th. STILL one of my favorite pieces to play. George Cleve does a GREAT job of rehearsing and conducting this masterpiece. GREAT performance by the symph. The next week, NUTCRACKER. With the upheaval at Ballet San Jose, there is a new production, reconstituted score and a new conductor. Dec 8, Ohlone Christmas Spectacular. All 5 groups play, OWO, OCB, MPBB, TE and CC. Great concert. Had a wonderful time and the groups played their hearts out. Tom Johnson VIDEO’D the whole thing, and I JUST saw the BLURAY version, YOWZA!! I played “The Legend of Zelda” at the SJ Civic Auditorium with the Skywalker Symphony. WOW, what a band!!! Played a wonderful gig with the Modesto Symphony and I saw an OLD friend of mine, Julie Rydelius, with whom I went to Jr. College. She is still a professional hornist in Florida. Finished up ‘Nutcracker’ and spent Xmas day with my father, who will be 92 on January 26th, 2013. Dec 31, spent New Years’ with my dear friends Phil & Susan Pollard, and Neil Bliss and Wendy Tran dropped by to play some Uno. They say, how you spend New Years Eve is how you spend your year. If I eat a wonderful meal, and am surrounded with friends for 2013, it WILL be a great year!

Making music

I love playing concertos. If I could play a concerto a month, I would be a happy camper. Playing music that I love truly, the way I want to play it. Also, as a soloist, you can pick your own clothes. I wear a tux so often and tails and suits. When you solo, you can wear a pair of nice black slacks, with a silk (I love silk) shirt and a vest. Elegant, simple, comfortable. Standing (or sitting) up front, you can hear your sound out in the hall. One can connect with an audience in a way that is impossible sitting in the back of the orchestra. When I was younger, there were but a handful of tuba concerti; now there's a bunch. Gregson, Broughton, John Williams, Jager, Arutunian, Golland, Steptoe, Lundquist, Aho, Holmboe, the list goes on and on. Great fun!

After that, I'd love to have gig full time with a brass quintet, or a tuba quartet. Never have to deal with conductors, having real input into the musical product and kind of selecting my own gigs & venues. I love playing brass quintets. The repertoire is so much fun & challenging. I don't think I'll ever get tired of playing "Just a Closer Walk" or "Ain't Misbehavin." there are some serious works I like, too, Ewald, Arnold, duBois, Renwick "Dance," and others. I miss the old SJSBQ+1.

As much as I love sitting next to Phil, and see my friends at symphony, soloing and chamber music is really where it's at for me, musically.

Losing Friends

RIP Ross Sears.

I lost yet another close friend this weekend. As I look back at my life, I have lost some really extraordinary people who were in my life on an almost daily basis. It is a small wonder I feel so empty many days. Here’s the list:

Morrell Pfeifle. Mr. Pfeifle (pron FIFE-lee) was one of my conducting mentors. He conducted the ‘second band’ at Cal State Northridge. He was really the first of my teachers who encouraged me. He let me conduct the college band and even as a 21 year old, he had enough faith in me to let me conduct ‘Music for Prague 1968’ by Karel Husa. Not only was he my teacher, but also he was my friend. I only hope I have made him proud. He killed himself, his 3 kids and the family dog in a plane crash.

Ned Truelfels. Ned was a horn player, with whom I played in Debut, and American Youth symphonies. Later, we were both members of the Theophilous Brass Quintet. He had a brilliant career ahead of him. He was just starting to make inroads into the LA freelance scene, getting some excellent studio calls and getting a toe into the great symphony gigs in the southland. He was smart, funny, a great looking guy and always fun to be around. I’ll never forget our all night session, with Stan Friedman, about the merits (or lack thereof) of the minimalist movement. I have his picture (still) on my bulletin board in my office; I think of him daily. He died of a brain aneurism driving to work on the freeway.

Vic Steelhammer. Vic was one of those once-in-a-lifetime meetings. I met Vic under such odd circumstances, and the reality of the situation is that we really didn’t like each other so much. For some reason, we were drawn to each other and in spite of our differences, we became as close as 2 men can become. I felt like his brother and indeed his family welcomed me into their homes and their hearts. I always wished I could be a Steelhammer. He died in a plane crash. I went to the morgue to identify the body. I don’t think I’ve EVER cried so much. I'll never forget the look of horror he had on his face, as he crashed one of his prized, hand-made RC airplanes. I miss his calls, I miss his stupid jokes, and I miss his company.

Phil Zahorsky. If I had to PICK a brother, Phil would be him. He sat next to me 5-6 days a week for 30 years. I can’t begin to tell you how much he did for me professionally; I could write a book. When the SJ Symph went belly up, I didn’t see Phil as much and I felt real grief not seeing him. We talked almost daily on the phone. When he past May 18, 2011, I was overwhelmed. I wept for weeks; some days I couldn’t get out of bed, completely encased in debilitating grief. I have never felt loss such as this.

There have been other people who passed who I miss, Betty Steelhammer (yes, Vic’s mom) Ted Brown, Sam Comfort, Harald Peterson, Tommy Johnson, Mike Villegas. Every loss, a piece of you goes away.

Please take a moment today and tell a friend how important they are to you in your life.

College Music Blog

As I look back at my 42+ year professional playing career, I am thinking about the preparation I had as a young artist to prepare me for this field. I will endeavor to discuss the classes I took that helped, classes that I took that really didn’t prepare me for the career path, and other offerings that really would have helped.

Classes that helped

Sight singing and melodic dictation. This is the class that really helped my sight reading ability. ANY performance major should be required to be in this type of class their entire college career. I am having all my pupils sing their lines before they play them. How can you play anything, without knowing exactly how you want it to go before you put your horn on your head? Jake said it BEST: ‘Song & Wind.’ Hear the song, blow the horn. Really, after all is said and done, this is the essence of being a musician.

New Music Ensemble. (Thanks, Dr. Kessner). I played SO much new music that any new music situation in which I find myself, I feel totally prepared because I played some pretty wacky shit in college. PLUS, I got to play some really bad music that I composed; teaching me a GREAT lesson: Tony, you are NOT a composer, give it up!

Orchestra and youth symphony/training orchestras. When I auditioned for the San Jose Symphony, I had performed all the works on the list for conductors like Mehli Mehta (and his famous son, Zubin), Myung-Whun Chung, Jaja Ling, Toshi Shimada, not to mention that extremely talented college musician, Lawrence Christiansen.

Conducting. Believe me, I have seen such crappy conducting in my career, that by knowing what these guys were TRYING to do, I was able to survive even the most harrowing experience.

As much as it pains me to say this, Marching Band. NOTHING helped me more with my rhythm than trying to walk around the field with my sousaphone and play in time, NOTHING!

Band. The parts in band are SO much harder than most orchestral music, that I HAD to sharpen my skills just to cover the parts. I had to work even HARDER to play the parts well.

Strings, woodwinds, percussion classes. No only did this give me a little insight to what other musicians are up against, but as a conductor now, I have a wonderful understanding of all of the instruments of the orchestra. While I can’t play the cello, I always got an “A” in tuning. At least I could play those 4 notes in tune! Also, as an orchestra musician, I can listen to other instruments knowing their pitch tendencies and adjust on the fly if I find myself doubling a part with another instrument.

Classes that didn’t

Music History. I know I am going to take heat for this, but let me explain. SOME of the classes were SO hard, that I had to take hours away from my tuba just to keep my head above water. I had one class that was a ‘drop the needle’ type of class. We had listening assignments, then at the exam, the Prof would drop a needle on a ‘record’ (yes, I am THAT old!) and we had to write as much as we could about the work. This really helped me learn how to identify composers, eras, styles, and performance practices. This was DIRECTLY applicable to my career path. The big thing about THIS approach, was it taught me to listen. I learned to love Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Vivaldi, Gesualdo, Buxtehude, Hindemith and Strauss. What could be better than whiling away the hours listening to great masterpieces? To Doctor Eleanor Russell: Your class was a total waste of my time, I learned nothing, was WAY over stressed, you took my valuable time away from my tuba, and you were cruel in your daily dispersals of, “I’m sorry you are unprepared. F?” You seemed to delight in giving us undergraduate performance majors an F for our daily preparation. I’d like to see YOU prepare a tuba lesson with Maestro Bobo and waste hours of time trying to memorize Grout for your thrice-weekly abuse. Her specialty was the study of Spanish Renaissance music, including the work of such composers as Cristobal de Morales and Pedro Rimonte. No wonder she didn't mind wasting MY time...

Piano Proficiency Exam. Holy shit! What a nightmare! These were some of the requirements at Northridge: All of the major and minor scales two octaves hands together; ALL of the theoretical cadences in all major and minor keys, with correct voice leading; a Bach 2 part invention; The Star Spangled Banner in ANY key, asked by the panel; reduce at sight a 4-part score in soprano, alto, tenor and bass clef; play and conduct at the same time; accompany someone on a solo; improvise on a chord structure given to you at the exam; improvise a harmony of a melody given to you at the time of the exam. You could do these one at a time. But still. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Piano majors routinely failed this test. I have NO keyboard skills. I went in to take the scale part of this test and Eleanor Russell (again!) said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Clements. This is unacceptable.” I calmly stood up and addressed the panel and said, “When your piano majors can play ANY of this shit on the tuba, I’ll be back here to take this friggin’ test.” THIS is the SOLE reason I have no degree. NO WAY I would EVER, in my wildest imagination, pass this test. How about requiring 2 or 4 semesters of piano class for us performance majors? Wouldn’t this suffice?

I wish I had access to these classes

Chamber music. I have made a ton of dough playing brass quintets, brass gigs and other small ensemble jobs. At Northridge, there was NO organized chamber music. ANY small group playing I did, I organized. And there was no faculty to coach the ensembles. The skills learned playing chamber music are DIRECTLY applicable to ANY gig I have ever played. San Jose State, no chamber music (I put together a tuba ensemble). Cal State East Bay, no chamber music anymore. WHY NO CHAMBER MUSIC??

Choir.  See Sight singing and melodic dictation above. I just didn’t have time. EVERY music major should be required to sing in a choir for AT LEAST one year (2 semesters, 3 quarters). ARE YOU KIDDING? This is a no brainer!!

Jazz Band, Improv. For every Mahler Symphony I’ve played, I’ve played 3 pops concerts. When I first started playing in the San Jose Symphony, I felt so underprepared to play pop music that I signed up at a local college to play trombone in their jazz band. This gave me the confidence to read those damned jazz figures (with which I had little experience) and that crappy manuscript that I had to read. Learning to improvise is the only TRUE way you can get in touch with your instrument. The jazz guys have a HUGE advantage to my ‘handcuffed to the music’ colleagues. At 64 ½, is it too late for me to learn?

Teaching seminar. One way I’ve made money was by giving private lessons. I would have loved to have Tommy Johnson, or Jim Self, or Roger Bobo, or Loren Marsteller observe me teaching and offer comments on how to make me a better teacher.

A reading band/orchestra. Most semesters, we worked all semester (3 rehearsals a week) to play ONE concert. I have NEVER had this luxury in my career. Usually, rehearsals start Tuesday and the concerts are Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yes, I get my music ahead of time and I get to the first rehearsal with my part prepared. MANY times, we get the music for a pops concert Thursday and with 2 rehearsals, open the weekend series on Friday night. NOTHING in college prepared me for this kind of “READY, AIM, FIRE” concert preparation.


Audition prep. Get a list, work with my teacher, play a blind audition behind a screen. This is probably THE most uncomfortable playing situation for musicians seeking employment. No one likes auditions. Do one a semester, NO QUESTION. By the time you are on the audition trail, you've done 5-10 mock auditions in real life settings.


More recitals. I love playing solo & ensemble repertoire. I didn't discover this until I put one together myself several years ago.

I hope some of you college professors out there take a moment to consider this and maybe, just MAYBE we can start moving to helping our young artists.

I may add to this later, but it’s a start.


I welcome any and all comments.

The Path of an Artist

An AMAZING paper from one of my idols, Allan McMurray:

LEVEL 1 – PARTICIPANT

The common level of commitment is that of the participant. The music participant enjoys the experience of getting together with friends and engaging in the events. The participant is conscientious about rehearsal times, works to learn the music in rehearsal, and is interested in being a good section member. The participant likes music with a good beat.

LEVEL 2 – PLAYER

The next level is that of a player (or singer). The player/singer is a person who loves music because it gives him/her a chance to play. The player wants to play a lot and practices to achieve range and technique that can represent a great sound whenever the player plays. The player arrives early to practice his “licks” and wants great parts to play. In fact, the player judges music based on her/his part. If it’s a good part, it is a good piece of music; if it’s a bad part, it is a bad piece of music. The player likes solos and strives to be heard. The player loves her/his instrument and enjoys getting together with other “players.” The player will learn her/his part outside of rehearsals so s/he can sound good in rehearsals.

LEVEL 3 – MUSICIAN

The third level is that of the musician. The musician plays her/his instrument well and shows up to rehearsals with her/his part mastered. The musician loves chamber music and ensemble because of the opportunity for musical collaboration. The musician does not come to rehearsal to learn her/his own part; the musician comes to rehearsal to learn everyone else’s part. In that way, the musician is learning how to play together by concentrating on intonation, articulation, phrasing, blend, balance, and style. The musician is about listening, learning, and collaborating with other musicians. The musician evaluates whether or not a piece of music is good by the sounds that are created by everyone and enjoys listening as much as playing. The musician likes being a contributing part of every rehearsal through collaboration.

Level 4 – Artist

The fourth level is that of the artist. The artist has all the skills of the player and the musician, but the artist is also a creator. The artist comes to every rehearsal prepared in every way and leaves every rehearsal with new goals. The artist loves great music making and loves to bring expression and inspiration to the performance. The artist has imagination that is fueled by opportunity. That opportunity might come in a solo passage or in an approach to style that amplifies the intent of the piece. The artist is a collaborator with the other members of the ensemble, with the conductor, and with the composer. The artist is intuitive and original, but only uses those skills in pursuit of the most beautiful performance possible. The artist evaluates whether or not a piece of music is good by how it is composed and what it expresses. The artist has the potential to elevate the listener’s perception of an average piece through an extraordinary performance. The artist loves music because music fuels her/his soul.

If it were only about choosing a level, then all performers and conductors would be artists. But it is not about choosing: it is about growing, listening, and surrounding oneself with great music, great books, great art, and great people. It is about informed intuition. It is about learning theory so the architecture and harmonic language can be heard in every melody. It is about knowing performance practice and style of music of all periods. It is about listening to challenging pieces by imaginative and original composers, and pushing the envelope of personal preference. It is about reflection on life, death, pain, celebration, passion, grief, and nature to understand and experience those things that inspire meaning in art. It is about learning to be at home in solitude and seeking it out. It is about beauty and spontaneity and imagination and spirituality. It is attempting to approach every sound and every silence every day as if it matters, because it does. It is recognizing that the pursuit of perfection is a lifelong goal and that it is unattainable. It is knowing that the artist’s life is not about a destination—it is about the journey.

Road Blog

I just drove 3968 miles to Texas and back. Miles on the road, in a few short days, inspired this blog.

One of the truly great things about living in California is some of the greatest roads for riding/driving. I’m talking ROADS; like Skyline from Black Road to Hwy 92, or 36 from 101 to I-5. More great roads: 299, or Hwy 2. I’ll NEVER tire of Hwy 1, the coast road south of Carmel. I’m not talking about 101 north of San Jose, or the 405, or the Central Valley’s 99. These roads are terrible. Perhaps, it is because we don’t know HOW to drive these roads. Maybe I can help.

I don’t know how many of you know how to NUMBER the lanes. Luckily for us, they are numbered, like we read, from left to right. The lane to the left is lane number 1. Next lane from left to right, is the number 2 lane, and so forth until you reach the right shoulder.

I believe lane SELECTION is the key. Follow with me, please:

TWO LANES each way:

The number 2 lane is the DRIVING lane, and the number 1 lane is the PASSING lane. Drive on the right, pass on the left. While driving, you come upon a slower moving vehicle and you decide to pass. Check your rear view mirrors, turn on your left signal, head check over your left shoulder, move over and pass. PASS. When you can see BOTH headlights of the slower moving vehicle in your interior rear view mirror, signal right, and return to the driving lane. Hint: if the slower moving vehicle is travelling 60 miles per hour, and you are “passing” at 61 or 62, you are not passing, you are obstructing traffic. California Vehicle Code 22400. Put your foot in it and get around the slower vehicle.

THREE LANES each way:

In an urban area, the number 3 lane is a merging lane. Use this lane to merge onto the freeway, and move into this lane when you want to get off. Don't DRIVE in this lane. The number 2 lane is the driving lane, and the number 1 lane is the passing lane.

FOUR LANES each way:

In this case, the number 4 lane is the merging lane. The number 3 lane is the driving lane, the number 2 lane is the passing lane and the number ONE lane is the through lane. I explain: if you are going to be on a freeway for 10 or more miles, you have no reason to be in the merging lane, or messing around with driving and passing. Get over to the number 1 lane and stay there, until 1 or 2 miles before you need to exit, then safely make lane changes until you need to get into the merging lane to get off.

There is an exception to this. We are taught in driver’s ed, to check our rear view mirrors every 4-6 seconds. I do this, don’t you? If you see someone coming up behind you, moving faster than you are going, MOVE THE HELL OVER AND LET HIM PASS! In California, slower traffic moves right. If you don’t, you are a road boulder. See Obstruction above (California Vehicle Code 22400). Temporarily, move into the passing lane, and get back into the through lane once the faster moving vehicle has passed you. Slower traffic move right. Vehicle Code Section 21654.

MORE THAN 4 LANES:

1-    Through lane

2-    Passing lane

3-    Driving lane

4-    Driving lane

5-    Merging lane

Please, if you are driving and there are 5 or more vehicles behind you, PLEASE pull over:

VC Section 21656.  On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow-moving vehicle, including a passenger vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in line, shall turn off the roadway at the nearest place designated as a turnout by signs erected by the authority having jurisdiction over the highway, or wherever sufficient area for a safe turnout exists, in order to permit the vehicles following it to proceed. As used in this section a slow-moving vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place.

A couple of words about carpool lanes: FUCK THEM! If we had decent public transportation, we wouldn’t need them.

A couple words about metering lights: FUCK THEM!! I can see (sort of) having metering lights to get onto the freeways, but metering lights from one freeway to another (like SB 17 onto 85 south). WTF?? The traffic is to flow FREEly from one FREEway to another.

When it comes to driving and passing, they know this in every state except ours. Driving in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, people tool away in the right lane, then move into the left lane to pass, and actually pass! When I got back into California, everyone was driving all over the place. Maybe we need a sign at all ports of entry into our state:

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA, MOVE RIGHT TO PASS.