Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Mon, 06/23/2008 - 10:35am.
I was in Denver last week for the League of American Orchestras annual conference. The League meetings are always a treat and this one had some great highlights including a killer keynote address by Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, 
a moving presentation by El Sistema creator, José Antonio Abreu, and an emotional farewell to the League’s retiring CEO, Henry Fogel.
The Collins presentation was particularly useful as he has created a not-for-profit version of his best-selling business book that is widely available. I highly recommend this for anyone involved with a not-for-profit.
One short comment on Maestro Abreu. It is clear to me why he has been able to develop what might be the most successful orchestra education program to be found anywhere in the world. I simply can’t imagine anyone ever saying no to him. In case some of you haven’t seen this, this is a YouTube clip of the Simon Bolivar Orchestra (the best players from El Sistema) under the baton on Dudamel.
Finally, Henry Fogel presided over his final LOA conference. Henry has done an amazing job as CEO of the League and all of us in the orchestral world owe him big time. Thanks Henry!!
I’m off for a few weeks but will be looking for items of interest for this blog on all of the golf courses I plan on visiting.
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I've been mulling over, for months now, writing a piece of music to this fantastic sonnet I came across last fall.
It's finally taking shape. I mostly composed it this evening after I got home from work. I am much relieved that it's finally here.
The composing process isn't particularly magic or mysterious, or at least it doesn't seem that way to me now. It used to -- that was before I started composing!
(Slight digression: I first wrote "composting" just now, which is funny because composing is almost like composting... when I write choral music, I have to chew and chew and work my way around a text, almost like digesting it the way worms do newspaper -- and only after the words have lived inside me for a while does the musical part take shape. My wife and I gave my mom one of those worm-composting bins for Christmas last year, and it does work.)
The poem in question is by Mark Jarman, a fabulous poet who lives and works in Nashville at Vanderbilt. About ten years ago he published a poetry collection called "Questions for Ecclesiastes," and in that book is a collection of 20 "Unholy Sonnets." The one that really struck me has the first line as follows: "Half asleep in prayer I said the right thing" -- and because of copyright law you'll have to buy the poetry book to see the whole piece, until you come to the Chicago a cappella "Abundance" concert in February 2009 and hear it, by which time the poem will be in the program notes!
What I love about the poem is the way it evokes the almost accidental nature of grace. I say "almost accidental" because I do believe that you can cultivate your soul to a place where grace is more possible -- or at least more palpable -- than when your soul is anxious or angry or out of whack, in which case grace is difficult to come by. So at some point there is not so much of an accident involved, but those special moments do come as a very pleasant surprise, which is what this poem seems to be attempting to describe.
The music itself is mostly chordal, declamatory, getting all the words out at the same time. However, I did put in some imitative passages when that seemed called for. This piece has more key changes than most of my works; this time I composed at the piano, which I don't usually do. I decided it was worth a try, since the one other time I composed at the piano I got the piece published!
Once the rhythm of the words starts to take hold, the rest follows. I don't think I'm the world's greatest tunesmith -- my pieces are known for their "whole package" nature, and I do think I write lines that fit the voice well -- but you won't hear people humming my songs very often. That's okay with me.
I don't have formal degrees in composing, but that's not stopping me, fortunately. Watch this space for more when the piece is done.
Have a good week.
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Submitted by Jim Hirsch on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 11:00am.
Today’s blog is written by a special guest.
Don't ask me any questions. At least not yet! Don't ask who I am, what I do, who I'm promoting or what I have to show you. I just want to wow you! Follow these three steps – now!
1) Go to http://www.wmya.fm
2) Click on any podcast or video link
3) Close your eyes and listen
Ok, it's alright. You can open your eyes now. What did you think?
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