Check this out and be amazed: http://www

Check this out and be amazed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUYtlMuN_V4 !!!

Back from our tour with Merlijn Twaalfhoven

Back from our tour with Merlijn Twaalfhoven. Monday and Tuesday I taught already and next we'll be in Latvia. The week after in NY for concerts in Carnegie Hall, Trinity Church and other locations. Also, I will have a meeting with Paquito d'Rivera, whose book I am reading now, and the quartet will have a coaching session with the Emerson Quartet (the day before our Carnegie Debut...).
Exciting times.
Off to study the music now!

In Qatar now, the residency of the Dutch ambassador

In Qatar now, the residency of the Dutch ambassador. with the Amstel Quartet. We are staying there until tomorrow morning early (we leave for Dubai again). Tonight we have a concert here.
The tour so far has been great, the crowds have been enthusiastic and a lot of people have been showing up! The weather is nice of course, especially this time of the year. Especially in Dubai everything is big and costly. Lots of expensive futuristic buildings and this year the highest sky scraper in the world will be build there. We visited the gold market in Dubai and went in the Mall of the Emirates which has a huge ski piste, with real snow.

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An unexpected quasi free day today

An unexpected quasi free day today. Lots of administration, especially because we are going to Dubai the coming week. Lots of stuff to do and to prepare.
It looks more and more like I will buy a new instrument. I need something else. Don't know what yet. The reference neck works kind of but the low notes give me too much trouble. Mark VI necks work but the sound is maybe not completely compatible with the horn itself. Maybe a good Mark VI or a reference with working low notes (do they exist?).

This weekend performances at our house in the Pieter vd Doesstraat 98-...

This weekend performances at our house in the Pieter vd Doesstraat 98-II with Bodyweather Amsterdam in Something Here that is not There. I am playing saxophone. We organised two of six for the neighbours. I hope they will show today. It is really nice weather this weekend. Sunny and fresh.

I just heard the Syrene Saxophone Quartet on the radio (Speigelzaal), they did very well. Excellend playing and clear musical decisions with a lot of ambition and dedication. I hope they will go on and profile themselves more so that there will be more saxophone quartets. They don't even have site yet so I can't link them... But check them out next weekend in the Oosterkerk with some excellently played French repertoire!

Preparing for the Arabic Emirates tour with Merlijn Twaalfhoven

Preparing for the Arabic Emirates tour with Merlijn Twaalfhoven. We're having a lot of fun and I think the concerts together with him wil be interesting. I think it is really the quartet and him together, we seem to really match in ideas and the result is a pleasant mix, at least during the rehearsal!

He has a great new peice which is originally for string quartet but he made a version for us which we want to program in our regular concerts: La vie est belle...

Wednesday night

Wednesday night. Monday Wijnand and I had a lesson from Brian Pollard again. It was great fun. I did better than last time and I am really trying to incorporate his 'things' in my playing of the Brahms Sonata. I even got him to try different vibratos on my horn. Diaphragm vibrato only gave the volume effect, not pitch indeed, like I thought and investigated before. Throat vibrato though sounded wonderful. I must learn this. I think I do it sometimes, but it comes mostly from the jaw. Which is nice as well of course.
Tomorrow I have the day off to do some studying, reading and yoga. These days off really give me peace and quiet, which I do need in this time!

Today Amstel Quartet played in the Noorderkerk in Amsterdam

Today Amstel Quartet played in the Noorderkerk in Amsterdam. We did a good job I think. First performance of the 40 voiced choir piece by Thomas Tallis, with Cd. The speakers were in the top of the church so that gave an almost 'heavenly' effect.

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