“Whirled Drumming”

Here’s a great way to start your day.  I’d love to know the back story behind how this kid developed his washing-machine virtuosity.  Also interesting to see that it’s gone from about 1000 views to over a million in a couple of weeks.

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Promoting a concert with YouTube videos

I mentioned in my last post that I asked John Kamfonas to make some videos in which he discusses the music he’s performing at Wednesday night’s Greencastle Summer Music Festival concert.  (Hey, if you’re within driving distance of Greencastle, Indiana, the concert’s at 7:30 PM, at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church, and it’s free. Directions here.)

Inspired by a project in Greg Sandow‘s Juilliard class (which Greg was kind enough to let me sit in on) this spring, I asked John to talk to the camera about what he loves (or is afraid of, or something else personal) in the pieces he’s playing.  He did a great job of talking about and demonstrating the pieces, as well as editing the video.  We both thought the videos about the music itself–as effective as they are–turned out less personal than we had intended, so he made the first video below as a personal introduction.

The idea we’re trying out is to promote and present concerts in a way that presents an alternative to the classical-music-is-formal-and-boring-and-classical-musicians-are-stiff-and-dull impression many people have.  I can’t say how much I appreciate John going for it.  So here are his videos, starting with his introduction.  Comments welcome!

Thanks and congratulations again to John.  The daunting thing is that I’m playing in two weeks, so now I have to practice what I preach!

A Leonard Rose video I hadn’t seen before

There aren’t many videos available of the great American cellist Leonard Rose (with whom I had the honor of studying with for a year).  And, sadly, many of the CD reissues of his solo recordings are out of print.  (Why aren’t the big labels making more of their back catalog available in download-only form?  I was searching for recordings of the Lalo Cello Concerto yesterday, and was shocked to see that Rose’s isn’t available on CD, Itunes, or Amazon downloads.)

Here are  the first two movements of the Brahms B Major piano trio, with Eugene Istomin and Issac Stern.  Looks to me like it’s from the late 1970s or early 1980s (Rose died in 1984).  The camera work is good–lots of shots of Rose playing from a variety of angles;  you can really see that magnificent bow arm and the ease of his left hand.  Who knows how long it will be up;  enjoy it while you can.  (Yes, it is wonderful to see Istomin and Stern, too, but the thrill for me is seeing Rose.)

1st movement:

2nd movement:

Bucket Drumming in the Union Square subway

As I was writing my previous post, I was remembering my absolute favorite NYC subway musical experience: a young teenage boy doing fantastic drumming–I think it was at the Lincoln Center stop–on a white bucket.

And I just found a bucket-drumming video (different drummer) from director taikieatssushi, who made the beatboxing flute and cello . Fantastic!

Turns out there are loads of bucket drumming videos on YouTube.

In the Union Square subway station

One of the delights of visiting New York City is the music one encounters from time to time. I’ve heard fabulous stuff in there. I wish I’d encountered beatboxing flute player Greg Pattillo with Eric Stephenson on cello, filmed here at the Union Square subway in NYC. This is way cool, with great camera work:

Here’s Eric’s bio from the The Project site:

An exceptionally versatile cellist, Eric Stephenson’s style ranges from classical to jazz to rock and folk. He is currently a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee and the Colorado Music Festival. Eric served as Principal Cellist of the Canton Symphony Orchestra from 2002-2006 and was a regular substitute for the Cleveland Orchestra.

As a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, he served as Assistant Principal Cello of the Aspen Festival Orchestra from 1999-2004. He has appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Eric earned his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees with Honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a recipient of the Ellis A. Feiman Award in Cello while a student of Stephen Geber.