In Johannes Brahms’ first symphony, an angelic alliance of flutes hypnotizes the audience with delicate notes that form a scenic melody. In the distance, I am blowing until my face turns blue into a large goofy instrument that hardly anyone notices. When I picked up the tuba during my junior year of high school, I quickly became accustomed to less glamorous musical parts, long notes of loosely buzzing lips, and pages of paramount silence. Worst of all, playing the tuba never quite made me a “ladies’ man.” Yet my short-lived stint as a tubist sparked an appreciation in me for the humble instrument’s significance. Were it not for the deep rumbling of the tubas which mirror the melody step-for-step, coloring the piece to a new depth, Brahms’ rich masterpiece would undeservingly sound hollow.
My relationship with technology greatly parallels my experience in the band room.
In my first two years at Howard University, I lived among flutes in Washington D.C.’s technology scene, attending hackathons and technology meet-ups. Armed with a spoonful of programming knowledge and a wave of enthusiasm, I seized every opportunity to grow through the people I encountered. Although I learned plenty from them about powerful tools, what I took away as a part of me was their reasons for loving tech. A desire to reduce traffic accidents in D.C.; a burning passion to help former inmates re-enter society; an urgent need for police accountability in minority neighborhoods. The following year, I
In their article, Students Step up to Lead Tech Implementation at Their Elementary School, Taryn Handlon and Tiffany Costa write about how TechXpert all started with an idea for prominent engagement. The Roosevelt Elementary School in Park Ridge, Illinois, had begun implementing new tools such as Chromebooks, Spheros, Dash and Dots, Cubelets, Snap Circuits, Osmos, Marble Mazes and a 3D printer to the classrooms, which highlighted the schools desire to collaborate technology with learning. This would not only transform the whole classroom environment, but also open the door for young students to explore computer science and technical engineering. The only issue seemed to be that teachers had no time to educate themselves on the tools and how
The first movement began with a very strong texture as the music reflected a very powerful theme. It began with the heavy instrumentation from the strings including cellos, violins, and basses. The tempo was also relatively fast and generally upbeat. About a minute and half in there was a very noticeable solo by the violins which was a bit softer in terms of the texture. The melody seemed to be very upbeat and cheerful. Lasting the form of the movement was very well structured and the instruments backed each other up smoothly.
The Vermont Tech Jam is a huge annual career and tech expo hosted at the Champlain Valley Exposition building. People go here to see the latest technologies that companies from all around Vermont have to offer, as well as college students being able to meet tech employers from around the state as well. I volunteered to go to the Tech Jam to see all the booths and events going on, and to support Champlain’s LCDI, where I currently intern. The Vermont Tech Jam had a strong rhetorical effect due to the event’s purpose to express new technologies in a fun a nd creative manner.
Only one man could claim the title as probably the greatest composer in American history for writing so many unforgettable works: Aaron Copland. He lived a life inspired by many things as well as inspiring people all across the nation, and it really led to the opposite of being drawn into himself, as he described in the quote above. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 14 in 1900. He was the youngest of five children to Sarah and Harris Copland. A musical spark came out in Copland already at the age of 11 as he began piano lessons with his sister. His musical talents
In the first grade, I picked up a clarinet. It was my sister’s, collecting dust while waiting for me to play it. From the moment I produced my first sound, an ear-piercing squeal that frightened my dog, the path of my life took a turn for the better. I began teaching myself for the following three years, along with learning from my sister how to properly play the beautiful instrument. The music pushed me out of my comfort zone: concerts that forced me onstage, tests that made me play difficult songs, and teachers that pushed me to be an exceptional player. From the shy elementary school student I used to be to the outgoing band member I take joy in being today, music has shaped my everyday life.
One of the problems clarinetists of the 21st century face when performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, K. 622, is creating a performance that is memorable while keeping the authentic integrity of the work. Many clarinetists who perform this work are often concerned with how they should the approach and execute the concerto. Any musician who tackles any new work will approach it by researching historical information on the composer and work, do a musical analysis, and gathering recordings of other interpretations of the same work. This approach will not only allow the performer to be fully immersed in the piece but allow for the performer to create a memorable interpretation.
The lyrics for Brahms’ “Wie Melodien” Op. 105, No. 1 are from a poem written by Klaus Groth. It is a poem that never clearly states its true meaning. Instead, it arouses an emotional feeling of one dreaming about something from the past. And, these emotional feelings are expressed in Groth’s poem through a variety of images.
A great contrast was found in the second movement, a hymn-like happy mediation of andante. Three phrases of the tune which was given to clarinets and bassoons, has its cadence echoed by low strings. Passages developed from the first theme then led gradually to its return in its original calm mood after a brief climax. A brief coda was made by a new and happy melody referring to the main theme.
‘He told me I have the wrong kind of fingers’” (7). When the father fell for it, the boy’s sisters also told the father similar stories so they could get out of their lessons. Even when all three children had stopped playing their instruments, their father still tried to get them to play, but with different instruments, “‘the trumpet or the saxophone or, hey, how about the vibes?’” (7). No matter what the children said, the father tried to get the children integrated into music somehow. When the children refused to play different instruments, the father tried to get the children to listen to recordings so they could be inspired, “‘I want you to sit down and give this a good listen. Just get a load of this cat and tell me he’s not an inspiration’” (7). No matter how hard the children pleaded into getting away from music, the father still tried to connect his kids into music
Thesis: Wolfgang Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor has been admired and analyzed numerous times. Although it has been criticized by many, I believe deeply interpreting this piece will aid in a better understanding of the music during the Classical
Since the Baroque era, the concerto has played a vital role in the music world. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a concerto is “a composition for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements.” There are two main types: the concerto grosso and the classical concerto; both will be discussed later. While the term concerto is relatively easy to understand in context, when put into use the term becomes more complicated to define.
Johannes Brahms was a German Composer, Pianist and conductor of the 19th century or the Romantic period. He was one of the 3 B's or the Big three: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Johannes was a very self-critic man he burned many of his pieces before he could get anyone's opinion on them and he burned all of his compositions that he wrote before the age of 19.
Never could I have thought that my first concert experience was going to be in a college class, performed by various composers of classical music. During the concert, I got to listen to four performances. First, the Oxycotton was played by Tim Sanchez. Second, Samantha Post played Acht Stucke on flute, followed by Nicholas Gledhill, playing Blues and Variations for Monk on horn. Finally, the CSU Graduate Brass Quintet performed a piece named Misty. In this essay, I will share my personal experience of the concert and discuss the different elements of music seen in the different performances.
I stood up in front of a hundred curious, gleaming eyes. “Hey guys,” I began, “I’m going to show you why the trombone is the coolest brass instrument ever!” I immediately whipped the slide out and performed a series of sequential glissandos, each one with more vigor than the last. That morning, I was performing with my school’s jazz band at the KIPP Elementary Academy in Philadelphia. Over a decade passed since I had last stepped foot in a Philadelphia school, when I attended the James Dobson School in kindergarten, yet the cozy gymnasium and the children’s crisp uniforms instantly evoked memories of my childhood. But one thing I did not remember from the past was having the opportunity to experience jazz at a young age. Thus, I desperately wanted to display the awesome power of brass instruments that is the soul of jazz music and inspire the kids to partake in the timelessly euphoric journey of music that I am blessed to have taken.
Personal observations from participating in Masie Center events and my work as a Masie Fellow. (The Masie Center identifies as an "International thinktank dedicated to exploring the intersection of learning and technology.”)