Letter from Paxson (9/8)

Hello Philharmonic!

Thank you all for a fun and productive first rehearsal last week! We dove right in with some detailed work on Schumann and Copland, and you all set a very high standard for yourselves by showing up prepared and ready to get to work. We have a lot of very challenging (and equally rewarding) music to work on this year, so I encourage you all to take things bit by bit. It may seem overwhelming to try and practice everything every week, so focus in on the music we will be rehearsing in the coming week. For my part, I will make those expectations as clear as I can so we can all be in the best position to succeed.

First, I want to review a few things that came up frequently at our first rehearsal:

1. Subdivide, subdivide, subdivide! – Rhythm and pulse are the most important things we do as orchestras. If all of us are feeling the same subdivision, the same groove, it frees us up to start making music. Conversely, if we are not all grooving, nothing else can really come together.
2. Where’s the tune? – This question should be in the forefront of your mind at all times in rehearsal. “What is my role? Am I playing melody, countermelody, bassline, or accompaniment?” These questions inform the dynamics we play: for example, Schumann often writes forte for both the melody and the accompaniment, but we as ensemble musicians know that those two fortes are not the same!
3. Eyes and ears – This came up a couple times. The strings, in the front of the orchestra, use their ears to listen back. The winds, in the back, use their eyes to watch the bows of the string section leaders. This, I have found, is the best formula for getting over a hundred musicians in a big room to play together.

These principles (and more) will come up every week, so I encourage you to really consider them now. They will be valuable throughout your ensemble playing life, whether in GTCYS, in college, or in a professional orchestra.

Here’s the plan for next week’s rehearsal (i.e. what we need to focus on in practice this week):

6:45-8:00 Copland – Street in a Frontier Town, Mexican Dance and Finale, (skip Prairie Night), Gun Battle, Celebration

8:15-9:15 Schumann movement I – rehearsal C to end

Percussion needs for Copland: timpani, bass drum, snare drum, crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, sleigh bells, wood block, guiro, glockenspiel, xylophone, slapstick (If we can’t cover everything, don’t worry about it – use your best judgment!)

Like I mentioned, rehearsals are not for learning your part! If we all take a look at this music before next Tuesday, we can hit the ground running. Thank you in advance for your hard work. You all showed amazing focus at the first rehearsal, and I am excited for us to keep up the good work. We are going to do great things this year, and I am so glad I get to work with you all!

Wishing you all a great week. See you Tuesday!

“Das Notwendigste, das Härteste und die Hauptsache in der Musik ist das Tempo.”

“The most essential, the most difficult, and the main thing in music is the tempo.”

– W. A. Mozart