No images? Click here TOGETHER WITH February 27, 2023 A job posting by an “Art World Family” in New York City has just gone viral. It begins, “The ideal candidate must be dedicated to a simple goal: make life easier for the couple in every way possible.” The New York Times is calling it the “worse job ever.” The original posting has been deleted, but nothing truly dies on the internet. Read it here. +++ In today's email:
CLASSICAL CHARTS THE BIG IDEA Drawing Outside the Lines With "Don't Shoot the Pianist" Creator Eugene ChanHow far can one stretch the expression “don’t shoot the pianist”? In 2011, Vancouver’s Eugene Chan channelled his inner classical musician, and the result was a cartoon that hit all the right notes. His piano-playing protagonist is arguably the world’s most famous stickman in music — today, don’t shoot the pianist has a Facebook following of over 106,000 globally. We spoke with Eugene about how the “don’t shoot the pianist” mantra has accompanied him from the Microsoft offices in Seattle to his musical rebirth in Toronto. What’s his name anyway?I’ve never been very good at coming up with names for characters. It’s not made any better by the fact that he’s indistinguishable from everybody else since none of the guys in my universe have visible hair. Apart from the existing expression, what were your inspirations for don’t shoot?My piano teacher in Vancouver used to have a sign in his studio that said, “Please do not shoot the pianist – he is trying his best.” I guess it’s like that stereotypical scene in Westerns where someone’s furiously playing the piano at a bar while there’s a shootout going on. Later on, I threw that phrase around whenever I made a mistake in the comics, usually copying out a score. And there are a lot of mistakes — nothing gets past my readership. If I screw up, someone usually points it out within five minutes, but then there’s little I can do because Facebook doesn’t allow you to edit photos after the fact. You went from a cool programming job at Microsoft in Seattle, to renouncing it for something even more hip: coming to Toronto to pursue music. In many ways, you stepped back in time — what brought about this reorientation?I wouldn’t say I stepped back in time, though I won’t deny that there was a bit of nostalgia involved. Music was always an extra-curricular activity for me when I was getting my computer science degree, but after I graduated and started working, I didn’t really have time to practice anymore. Eventually, I just got frustrated that I couldn’t perform at a level I knew I’d once been capable of, and I started to miss working on music, having high-level conversations about music, and just generally being involved in the world of classical music. In fact, don’t shoot the pianist was an expression of me missing the experiences that my friends who did study music were going through. It was a way for me to say to those friends, “hey, I understand you, we have some of the same shared experiences, and you find the same things funny as I do.” Then a few strips went viral, and then I wasn’t just talking to my own friends in music anymore, musicians everywhere were part of my audience. But at some point, it wasn’t enough just to tell jokes about classical music. Drawing don’t shoot wasn’t going to fill the void entirely, and wasn’t going to make up for not practicing and not progressing as a musician. So I said, you know what, music’s always been an extra-curricular activity in my life, the side hobby — what if I were to make it the main focus and pursue a degree in music? So I put in a few applications. It wasn’t easy getting back onto the scene. Five years away from the piano and… well, it’s not that your technique gets any worse (although it does), but you forget what to listen for when you’re playing. Your ability to listen to yourself just gets worse. I have a sample of my playing from early in my first year. It’s amazing I passed any auditions. I’m just thankful that someone was willing to take a chance on me. Is there anything Jamie Parker and your other mentors have imparted on you over the last four years in Toronto?For sure. The most important thing I’m learning is to treat a musical performance as a mode of communication. You have your text, but the purpose of that text is to be delivered in a way that evokes some feeling, some emotional reaction in the listener. I find I’m often guilty of treating the text as a to-do list: I have to play this phrase legato, then I have to nail this jump here, there’s a subito piano here, then a crescendo to forte, etc. But a to-do list doesn’t make people feel emotion. You can’t just deliver your lines. You have to have something to say. Tell us about how awesome K-pop is, don’t shoot nearly converted musical forms on one particular April 1st.It’s more of a guilty pleasure, but it’s pretty awesome nonetheless. To be honest, I used to be rather elitist about the whole classical music thing. You know, like not listening to the same pop trash as my peers made me an intellectually superior person. Then it was, hey, look, pop music that uses more than four chords and even has secondary dominants! Then it became a scene to follow, an identity to have as part of a “fandom”. Next thing you know, I’m driving a thousand miles to go see Girls’ Generation live at Google’s headquarters. I don’t regret it one bit. It opened me up. Your other side hobby, fashioning Post-it notes into Pokémon-shaped wall art…Oh boy. So there was a pretty good culture of practical jokes at Microsoft. Someone would go on vacation for a couple of weeks, and then they’d come back, and every last thing in the office would be wrapped in aluminum foil. Or bubble wrap. Once my manager came back from paternity leave to an office door that was completely duct-taped shut. From the inside. […] So one of my teammates goes on vacation, and I got this idea. You go through a lot of Post-it notes when you’re developing software, and at the time we had these bright yellow ones in huge supply. So I found this sprite of Pikachu, did a few measurements, and reproduced the whole thing on his office wall, pixel by pixel, with Post-It notes. The hardest part? Finding a good colour to emulate black. […] Funny enough, the same colleague went on vacation the next time we moved offices too, so Charmander showed up in his next office. Anyway, when I got to music school, I wanted to reproduce the stunt. So we have this practice building which used to be a university dormitory, and a couple of rooms for whatever reason don’t have sound paneling. They just have bare walls. They’re almost impossible to practice in because it echoes so much in there. So the summer before my final year, I did another Pikachu in one of the rooms that had no sound panels. I kid you not; there was new soundproofing in that room within one month. I can’t be sure that the Post-It art had anything to do with it, but I’m taking credit for it anyway. Your take on viola jokes?Mostly overdone. They’re the blonde jokes of the music world, and most of them aren’t even specific to viola. But I’m not above cracking my own from time to time, though. Metronome: yay or nay?Rarely, and only as a diagnostic. I prefer the tape recorder — it tells me when I’m not listening closely enough to myself. Bernstein or Karajan?I prefer Karajan as a musician, but I have to imagine I’d enjoy playing for Bernstein more. Ailee or BoA?Forever Girls’ Generation. Toronto or Vancouver?I’ve been at home in both cities. I still cheer for the Canucks, though… But let’s be real: what do you miss about the West Coast?The constant rain, of course. Ha. Just kidding. But seriously, probably the abundance of nature everywhere. At my parents’ home, I could look out the back window and see mountains in the distance. You don’t get that so much in Ontario. Is the pianist always the goat?No, that would be the page-turner. Any chance of politicians waging wars against musicians soon?Literal war? Probably not. Metaphorically… well, it’s been tried. It didn’t work. SPONSORED Are you an aspiring composer?The 2024 Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) are now accepting submissions, and this year's focus is on Choral Music. Don't miss your chance to showcase your musical talent and compete for one of four whopping $50,000 cash prizes. AMP is Canada's largest music competition, celebrating excellence in composition and upholding Fair Access Principles. Regardless of your nationality, faith, age, gender, or experience level, you are invited to apply. As a laureate of the AMP, you'll receive a gala concert premiere, two international showcases, and professional recordings of your prize-winning work. This is your chance to take your music to the next level and gain recognition from some of the world's most influential musical experts. What's new this year?The three existing Azrieli Music Prizes continue in this latest edition: The Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music, The Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music, and The Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music. A fourth prize has been added this year: the inaugural Azrieli Commission for International Music. See your musical dreams come to life! Apply by May 5, 2023. THE LATEST The Dover Quartet: Courtesy photo The Dover Quartet has named Julianne Lee as its new violist. Lee, who currently serves as assistant principal second violin of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal second violin with the Boston Pops Orchestra, has made a name for herself with both the violin and viola, appearing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. | Classical-music.com Pierre Boulez’s personal art collection is coming up for auction at the French auction house Artcurial. His taste wasn’t as modern as you might think. The sale will include pieces by Paul Klee ($60-85K estimate), Maria Hélena Vieira Da Silva ($10-72K), a portrait of Stravinsky by Alberto Giacometti ($36-48K) and varied pieces by Jean Cocteau, Philip Guston and Jean Tinguely. | SlippedDisc Ildar Abdrazakov spoke out last week against the Metropolitan Opera after General Manager fired Anna Netrebko and Hibla Gerzmava. Peter Gelb has responded to Ildar Abdrazakov’s comments: “...they chose the wrong side. I feel sorry that he, like many other Russians, are so misinformed and doesn’t really understand what’s going on in the world.” | OperaWire CHART In the game of conductors' salaries… …It’s Riccardo Muti at the top, with over $3.5 M earned from the Chicago Symphony in the fiscal year ending in July 2019. Dudamel (the Dude) is a close second with $2.9 M. His new role at the NY Philharmonic, starting 2026-27, means things may change for him. Both Nelsons and Yannick are climbing the ladder quickly. Many of these conductors listed have dual or triple appointments and take home much more. For example, Nézet-Séguin takes a separate salary from Orchestre Métropolitain, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Why do they get paid so much?Overall, the high salary of conductors reflects their level of expertise, star power, and the importance of their role in shaping the sound and artistic direction of an orchestra. As such, conductors are often seen as the artistic vision of the orchestra, and their expertise and experience act as the glue that holds the whole enterprise together. SCIENCE SAYS (Photo: Pixebay) It takes just 13 minutes of music to lift your spiritsWe know listening to music is one of the fastest ways to change your mood. Listening to Prokofiev’s ‘Classical’ Symphony can make you feel vibrant and alive. Seeing poor Violetta sick in her bed in Verdi’s La Traviata can make you feel tender and concerned. But how much music do you need to listen to before you start to feel different? That was one of the big questions the British Academy of Sound Therapy (BAST) wanted to answer in their new study. Most surprising resultsThe BAST’ Music as Medicine‘ study showed a “musical daily allowance” of just 13 minutes a day is all it takes to improve overall well-being and reduce anxiety and depression. By the numbersThe study tested 7581 people and found that of their test group:
Looking deeperAccording to the study, participants experienced increased creativity, better sleep quality, and improved mood after listening to music regularly. To maximize the benefits of music, the study suggests engaging in active listening, which involves focusing on the sounds and rhythms of the music without any distractions. Sorry, Netflix – it’s time to turn off the TV and tune in to your tunes. If listening to music isn’t enough to get your blood pumping, the study also recommends playing an instrument or singing for even more significant health benefits, such as reducing stress and improving cognitive function. Why it mattersThe study suggests that music can affect the brain similarly to exercise, releasing endorphins and improving cognitive function. So the next time you feel down, turn up the volume and let the music do its magic! LISTEN UP The Klotz violin being played by the composer and violinist David Fulmer (Photo: video still/WQXR) Listen to Mozart's Personal Violin (It Sounds Wondrous)Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart owned a lot of musical instruments over his lifetime. His personal harpsichords, violas, and three violins are currently housed at the Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg, a museum dedicated to preserving all things, Mozart. The Klotz violinOne of the most prized instruments in the collection is known as “the Klotz violin”. Mozart used the violin to perform and compose with, and was a personal favourite. It was brought to the US for the first time in 2013 by composer and violinist David Fulmer. Why it’s so special“It is incredible because not only did Mozart use this as a performer but also as a composer,” Fulmer says in the video. “On this very violin, he wrote and played his five violin concerti, and the monumental masterpiece Sinfonia Concertante K. 364,” A priceless artifact, for sure. How does it sound?Take a listen to it here: More detailsThe violin was made by a member of the Klotz family of violin makers in Mittenwald, Southern Bavaria. Mozart eventually abandoned the instrument in Salzburg before travelling to Munich for the premiere of his Idomeneo. Musicologists speculate that he may have intended to return to his native Salzburg to retrieve the violin at some point, but never did. AROUND THE WEB 📅 On this day: Ludwig van Beethoven premieres his light-hearted Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93 in 1814. 🤯 Amazing: Cancer patient develops a mysterious Irish Accent. 🐷 Okay, wow: Canadian Super Pigs are threatening to spread to the U.S. and wreak havoc. 🤖 That’s cool: Scientists have created a shapeshifting humanoid robot that can liquefy and reform. PHOTO OF THE WEEK Gustavo Dudamel signs contract to become music director of the New York Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season. How did you like today's email? |