Fieldwork Notes 3

(This is in the same italics/normal format as before. See Fieldwork Notes 2 for an explanation)

4:00, Fulton Rehearsal Hall

The Larry Teal book that Brian referred to last time is a compilation by Teal of excerpts/movements of various classical pieces, mainly string quartets, from classical composers. It features Bach, Beethoven, Boccherini, Haydn, Kuhlau, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky.

There's a short lull between rehearsals as the large group leaves and the quartet begins.
Some side conversations interspersed with trying to decide what time to have rehearsal next week (Brown Band trip interferes with the Sunday rehearsal).

Standing order L to R, looking at them: Mike, Micah, Sarah, Marc. It's interesting, how there isn't a progression of range.

Shepherd's Hey (Grainger, arr. Paul Cohen)
This is actually written for a sax quintet (2 altos). Marc and Micah are reading off the score together (missing parts). Brian has the soprano part and is playing it (Sarah's on Alto for this one, but not playing the same part as Mike). "This seems nice, but it's really short" (Micah). Marc says it'll make for a good opener. All the players are doing something in time with the beat. Marc and Sarah bend their knees, Micah taps his foot,

Marc notices a "weird rhythm" in measure 60 that they keep missing the second time around because of the page turn. Brian sings the rhythm, Marc says he thinks it's like a Ragtime offbeat, but the problem isn't the rhythm--he can't figure out where it fits in. Brian's playing some really high notes, says "what was he thinking?" (in reference to the composer), and demonstrates how crazy it is. He's trying to figure it out. Marc wants to bring out the melody at 73 (Micah has it). Brian compliments Micah on how good he sounds on it, and Micah says it's the worst bari (apparently there are a couple Wind Symphony(?)-owned ones).

I get enlisted to turn pages. Sarah (who took this class last year) tells me (with a laugh) that it's participant observation. Brian tells Sarah that she has the feel down, and she says she's played it before. Sarah and Brian discuss Grainger's music, how some are paired. Brian is impressed that Sarah knows that, says it's old. Somehow Breakfast at Tiffany's is brought up (forgot how), but they can't come up with the male lead. Mike says that they group needs an iPhone so that they can look stuff up, which turns into a discussion (disapproval) of people with iPhones who use them during class/rehearsal for non-academic uses.

Now they're talking about a piece called Frenchy, which none of them have. They also don't have Line Drawings, but there's doubt to whether or not they're actually going to play it. Brian asks them if they have the Scriabin etudes, which Marc says are really pretty. Marc has the music, everyone else is looking through their music to try and find it. Now Micah is explaining a log scale for needing to go to the bathroom…you put 1 over the amount of hours you can last. A story about how Zach (former member) ran around in Portugal yelling, "I'm a 60!" General laughter. Brian points out that I'm typing furiously, and I say (laughing) that I'm getting it. Sarah says she knows how I feel (she took this class last year), and says that she's read my posted fieldnotes.

This is the first time I've been actively acknowledged. On a completely unrelated note, I like how they can joke around one minute and be completely serious and musically focused the next.

Scriabin Etudes (transcribed and arr. George Wolfe)
Brian says that he believes that these were originally written for piano, so they have to be more intimate. He stops them and asks them if they have to tap their feet. Marc says no, Brian says it's [the piece is] easy, so there's no reason to. He notes that the group sounds much better as soon as he tells them to stop--they start thinking/playing more horizontally as opposed to vertically. He tells them to "go with the force." They're discussing rhythm; Sarah has the most complex one at one point, and she wants to know if they will retard there. Marc and Micah look at her part and note that it's impossible for her if they do, so they decide not to. Brian points out that Micah is the only one that has a rubato at the beginning of the rehearsal, so he's effectively the soloist and the rest should follow him. He tells Micah to be soloistic and expressive. Brian starts conducting the rubato (a bit oxymoronic, but Micah almost seems to be following Brian. Or is it the other way around? I can't tell, but either way, they're matching up). In response to Marc asking Brian if he should play the quarter note in a "tugging" manner, and Brian comes up with an analogy of (and acts out) a girl on a balcony, clutching her heart and swooning. Ends with "and that's as far as we get." Micah says something to Mike and they erupt in laughter.

When they start at 29, Micah brings them in. He makes eye contact with Sarah (or Marc?) and gestures with his bari. They're all breaking at 5 because of the Wind Symphony concert.