Yesterday was my birthday and Ailed invited some friends without me knowing it. We had a great time, talked, listened to music and of course I got gifts: Jazz DVD's (Armstrong, Parker), Stevie Wonder DVD, Songs in the Key of Life, some books (humour in ancient Greece), magazines, Dickie gave my wine and Nesquick (?).
Now I have some domestic and administrative chores to do.
Oh, Griff my good friend from 92-92, Charlotte NC will be over this weekend!
dinsdag 27 februari 2007
zaterdag 24 februari 2007
Browsing though Richard Dawkins' website (http://richarddawkins
Browsing though Richard Dawkins' website (http://richarddawkins.net/home) I found this video with Ayaan Hirsi Ali: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpk7SNVlagQ. Good stuff!
vrijdag 23 februari 2007
Right, with the right material (well, other material) I can finallly s...
Right, with the right material (well, other material) I can finallly start to study again like I should. I practiced this morning and it's ok. I got myself a Reference neck and I am continuing on the Vandoren AL3 like I wanted. The Reference is very much in tune, but hte low notes don't speak so well. Apparantly that's a typical Reference problem. Since my students who play Reference don't have real problems with the low notes I should be able to resolve this as well!
Yesterday I went to the Concertgebouw with Evert. We went to hear the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Ivan Fischer playing Haydn (88), Mozart and Beethoven (4). I love the Haydn and especially the Beethoven. The orchestra played great. Lots of risk taking involved. I did not get bored, it was an adventure to listen to. A real story. For a saxophpnist it is almost provocative to visit a concert like this: good composers, a good orchestra, a great hall, great conductor... Nothing experimental in the form. But the music spoke!
I want to visit more concerts. I have some time now, still for a week or more... So let's what else is coming to Amsterdam.
Yesterday I went to the Concertgebouw with Evert. We went to hear the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Ivan Fischer playing Haydn (88), Mozart and Beethoven (4). I love the Haydn and especially the Beethoven. The orchestra played great. Lots of risk taking involved. I did not get bored, it was an adventure to listen to. A real story. For a saxophpnist it is almost provocative to visit a concert like this: good composers, a good orchestra, a great hall, great conductor... Nothing experimental in the form. But the music spoke!
I want to visit more concerts. I have some time now, still for a week or more... So let's what else is coming to Amsterdam.
woensdag 21 februari 2007
One blog entry just before I am going to yoga
One blog entry just before I am going to yoga. After yoga I am off with my mom to try some saxophones (alto). The whole mouthpiece question has evovled into the saxophone question. What can I do?
I had a long talk with Arno about ti yesterday and all the probles seem familiar. Although he adviced me to go on with what I have. I am not sure... I want to try other saxophones. The intonation is the biggest problem. I want to continue with the Vandoren mouthpiece but it makes my SIII out of tune. It works great on a Reference I found out. So maybe I should switch... Otherwhise I cannot play a Vanodren mouthpiece and I have to continue on a C*, and that is a big problem. Since I cannot find a decent C*. I have heard from many people that the production of S80 mouthpieces changed dramatically over the years. So I guess that's why I couldn't find a good mouthpiece....
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I had a long talk with Arno about ti yesterday and all the probles seem familiar. Although he adviced me to go on with what I have. I am not sure... I want to try other saxophones. The intonation is the biggest problem. I want to continue with the Vandoren mouthpiece but it makes my SIII out of tune. It works great on a Reference I found out. So maybe I should switch... Otherwhise I cannot play a Vanodren mouthpiece and I have to continue on a C*, and that is a big problem. Since I cannot find a decent C*. I have heard from many people that the production of S80 mouthpieces changed dramatically over the years. So I guess that's why I couldn't find a good mouthpiece....
zaterdag 17 februari 2007
What a healthy Sunday morning: running in the park with Beethoven 6 (B...
What a healthy Sunday morning: running in the park with Beethoven 6 (Barenboim) on my iPod and then a Vrije Geluiden episode with Gino Vanelli and Michiel Borstlap on tv.
Now a bit of studying and then a meeting at Bagels and Beans. Tonight Ailed will dance at the Balie at the 8mm film festival.
A good Sunday! Relaxed and I am not just doing nothing! Some yoga and meditation in between....
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Now a bit of studying and then a meeting at Bagels and Beans. Tonight Ailed will dance at the Balie at the 8mm film festival.
A good Sunday! Relaxed and I am not just doing nothing! Some yoga and meditation in between....
Now watching the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet playing Mozart string quartet on a former Vrije Geluiden episode on the internet. (here it is) Strange, Mozart on saxophone. But they play well, with a lot of initiative and flexible tempo, that is something I am looking for myself, also in the quartet. Of course there some problems, but as Niels explains, the quartet tries to make beautiful music together and give their own vision on the piece. Also they claim that classical music in major is not suited for saxophone quartet. Hm, I don't know. They give an example. It has something with the specific Aurelia sound as well: fat and heavy. My Amstel Quartet tried to play classical music as well and that seemed to work, but we played a minor piece too. Major might work with the Amstel Quartet, since we have a somewhat lighter sound than the Aurelias, keep your eyes and ears open.
vrijdag 16 februari 2007
Today at Matthew's in Edam I tried all of their C* mouthpieces and too...
Today at Matthew's in Edam I tried all of their C* mouthpieces and took one home. I hope I wil stil like it tomorrow. I have gotten used to the Vandoren sound though. I might go and look for an A17 Tuesday at Bakker. If that doesn't work out I'll call it 'a day', or 'a mouthpiece'.
Matthew's never had the inquiry before to rtry more than 3 mouthpieces of the same type. Which is strange. Maybe they don't deal with professionals so often. I don't know. I am glad I found something though. I'm going to rule out the A17 as an option (it is nice and dark like the AL3 but a bit stuffy). We'll see again!
Matthew's never had the inquiry before to rtry more than 3 mouthpieces of the same type. Which is strange. Maybe they don't deal with professionals so often. I don't know. I am glad I found something though. I'm going to rule out the A17 as an option (it is nice and dark like the AL3 but a bit stuffy). We'll see again!
woensdag 14 februari 2007
Right ,the AL3 mouthpiece definately does not work
Right ,the AL3 mouthpiece definately does not work! It plays out of tune with piano and I can't correct it. Playing ease, sound, all that doesn't matter when I can't play in tune. When I play with a tuning machine it's ok, but with the piano it's awful...
In the mean I am trying to do some meditations. Werner's and a book I got '3 minute meditations'. They seem to work.
I just came back from a rehearsal with Wijnand which I enjoyed but because I played so much out of tune with that new mouthpiece it was too frustrating. I cancelled some work tomorrow to go mouthpuece hunting. I hope I will find one soon. Maybe a normal C* again....
We'll see...
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In the mean I am trying to do some meditations. Werner's and a book I got '3 minute meditations'. They seem to work.
I just came back from a rehearsal with Wijnand which I enjoyed but because I played so much out of tune with that new mouthpiece it was too frustrating. I cancelled some work tomorrow to go mouthpuece hunting. I hope I will find one soon. Maybe a normal C* again....
We'll see...
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