datamusicata

I am on the road with my pal, Corky Siegel (www.chamberblues.com). Corky is a remarkably gifted musician and tho he may be loath to hear me say it, philosopher. He has recorded dozens and dozens of albums as well as toured live for decades and even combined his fabled Siegel Schwall Blues Band with the San Francisco Symphony with Seiji Ozawa conducting three pieces for symphony orchestra and blues band. An eclectic and musical fellow, I told you. Through the years Corky and have collaborated on dozens of songs, shows and even a musical, The Buttonwillow, that has been performed at Stanford and Northwestern University.

Well it seems that Corky and his pal, Peter Krammer have written a book about how to release the music inside of you and let it soar. They have appropriately enough entitled the book, Let Your Music Soar and I have included a few excerpts from it today for your perusal. I recommend you go to the website and check it out thoroughly and if it resonates for you, pick up a copy. You can get there with this url: www.chamberblues.com/soar . People as varied and esteemed as David Amram (www.davidamram.com) and NPR’s Scott Simon have touted the book.

Here are some excerpts:

EXPLORING THE HORIZONS OF MUSICAL EXPRESSION

The Secret is Out

I am a mad lover of the art of music. I am a lover of those who love music. I am a lover of those at any skill level who offer musical performance. I have stumbled upon an approach to musical coaching that quickly transforms the musical experience and performance of singers and musicians, choruses, bands, orchestras and ensembles. This approach fosters a profound and immediate improvement in the richness of individual and group tonal quality, balance, and listening skills. This approach also intensifies the music, making it more interesting, more musical, more exciting, and more passionate for both the performer and the listener. The performer accomplishes his or her artistic intent with much more ease. Dry old songs come to life. The performer gets in touch with a fresh spontaneity and discovers a new level of confidence whereby playing music, any kind of music, becomes fun again.

I have been sharing this approach to musical performance for over 30 years. Throughout this period, I have continued to dig very deeply into the nature and practicality of this approach, exploring and experimenting every step of the way.

Now it is time to make it available, in depth, to anyone who wants it. As such a lover of music, how can I possibly keep this secret to myself?

"I am walking around rather amazed today. I spent some time practicing this morning, playing Bach and exploring your ideas and suggestions. What has occurred defies description. I know you've seen the impact this has on people--you can add me to the list. The way I play seems to have fundamentally changed and improved overnight. I can't actually believe it, but I think it is true." -Michael Miles, Music Education Director, Old Town School of Music

I know that using this approach will help deepen your experience of music whether you are a beginner or an expert. Consider this secret yours-for you and for your students. -- Corky Siegel

THREE Excerpts FROM "LET YOUR MUSIC SOAR"

The Artist and the Critic

From a tiny place in one's heart
Blossoms an offering.

Its purpose is to uplift,
Not to be forced into the small space
Of another's imagination...

...Like forcing a tree into a seed.


Definition of Music

"The play of sound and silence gives birth to many joyful elements (timbre, pitch, rhythm, articulation, melody, harmony, counterpoint, and dynamic variation) as they are experienced flowing through time and space. This experience creates a profoundly uplifting, unifying, and healing art form known as music. The artist, through self-expression, offers 'humanness' and 'individuality' to the art form."


Out of the Box

As a performer, individuality does not necessarily mean "out of the box" or "unconventional." Individuality can even be an expression of your own deep love for a conventional style or a particular artist. Yet even this approach can't diminish true individuality when it comes with conviction. It is this "pouring out" of uninhibited enthusiasm that expresses natural individuality, whatever the result. It is not "in" or "out" of the box that is important. It is not about the box at all. The box can only get in the way. Individuality is an expression that comes from the natural way your own mind, heart, and body are ordered. And when we flow with this, it connects us in a very effective and deep way to any activity we apply it to.

So listen to your heart and offer what makes you feel good, what is exciting to you, what is interesting to you, and what moves you.