Orquesta de Barro/Clay Orchestra (Trujillo, Peru)

Hace unos meses descubri esta orquesta con los mismos pricipios de Accion Social por la Musica, en You Tube, y he querido escribir acerca de ellos en mi blog. Hasta ahora he aprendido a poner videos de You Tube aca. El video es elocuente.

A few months ago I discovered this orchestra with the same principles of Social Action Through Music inYou Tube, and I have wanted to write about them in my blog. I just learned how to attach videos from You Tube here. The video speaks for itself (even if in Spanish, but if not, what you really need to know is that the professors are members of the Trujillo Symphony Orchestra, the program is funded by private entities and they need money).

Madonna:que puedo decir?what can i say?

Hace dos noches fuimos al concierto de Madonna en Madison Square Garden. Mil Gracias a Liz Rosenberg....

Two nights ago we attended Madonna's concert in Madison Square Garden. Thanks a lot to Liz Rosenberg...

Orquestas Comuntarias en la Ciudad de Nueva York (o: "mi participacion REAL en las Artes")

De acuerdo con el establecimineto de las Artes en Estados Unidos, "Participacion en las Artes" se refiere al publico. No estoy exactamente seguro de porque le llaman "particiapcion". Tampoco estoy seguro que es, entonces, lo que estan haciendo todas las gentes que tocan el las tantas orquestas comunitarias en la Ciudad de Nueva York. A mi me parece que estan participando, sin ser parte del publico...

Desde que empece a tocar en Nueva York, he participado en 5 orquestas, desde substituto en un ensayo de una, hasta percusionista en una temporada completa en otra. Estas son "mis" orquestas en Nueva York:

La Orquesta-Taller del 92nd Street Y (Direcor Artistico: John Jaffe): En su 89no. año, esta orquesta se dedica a leer nuevo repertorio cada domingo por la mañana (nuevo repertorio cada semana). Hetocado muchas cosas, como Los Pinos de Roma de Respighi, la Guia de la Orquesta Para los Jovenes de B. Britten, el Concerito para Orquesta de Bartok y Los Planetas de G. Holst. Son solo dos conciertos abiertos al publico al año, pero cada domingo es emocionante!

En esta orquesta conoci a Alan Bergman, un abogado de derechos de autor, bateriista de jazz y Timbalista/Presidente del Consejo de la Orquesta New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, (Sybille WErner, Directora Musical). He tocado dos conciertos y cubierto a Alan en un par de ensayos. En esta orquesta he tocado musica de Sibelius, Frede Grofe (El Gran Cañon), entre otros.

Alan tambien me presento con David Lebowitz, director musical de la Orquesta New York Repertory. Con ellos solo toque un hueso, y mi debut en Radio City Music Hall!! Toque para la Gala Global del Año Nuevo Chino. No fue el debut de mis sueños en esa sala, pero fue una buena experiencia.

A traves de mi colega James Eng en la Orquesta de Camara Orpheus, fui invitado a tocar en la Orquesta Musica Bella de Nueva York (Philip Gaskill, Director Musical). Desafortunadamente, dos orquestas tenian conciertos el mismo dia, asi que no pudo continuar con Musica Bella...

Por ultimo, James me invito a tocar con la Orquesta Comunitaria del Conservatorio de Brooklyn, este pasado fin de semana. Tocamos El Lago de los Cisnes completa, y la orqyesta tambien toco la Overtura Don Giovanni de Mozart y el Concierto para Violin de Brahms.

Parece que hay un monton mas de orquestas como estas en los Estados Unidos. La gente de Arte "superior" no toman muy en serio a estas agrupaciones, estupidamente, tengo que decir, pues tienen un potencial para cultivar publico de mucho valor, y deberian ser la conexioin real entre las grandes organizaciones para las artes y sus comunidades.

Community Orchestras in New York City (or: "my ACTUAL participation in the Arts")

According to the American Art establishment, "Participation in the Arts" refers to the audience. I am not exactly sure why do they call it participation. I am not sure either what are the people playing in the many community orchestras in New York City doing. It seems like they are participating, but they are certainly not the audience...

Since I restarted playing in New York, I have participated in 5 orchestras, from filling in for one rehearsal to a whole season. This are "my" orchestras in New York City:

The 92nd Street Y Workshop Orchestra (John Yaffe', Artistic Director): At their 89th year, this orchestra is dedicated to read repertoire each Sunday morning (new repertoire every week). I've played so many things, from Respighi's the Pines of Rome, to Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, and from Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra to Holst "the Planets". Only two public concerts per year, but exciting stuff every Sunday!

At the 92nd Y Orchestra, I met Alan Bergman, a copyright lawyer, jazz drummer and timpanist/President of the board of the New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble Orchestra, (Sybille Werner, Music Director). I have played two concerts and covered Alan in a couple of rehearsals. There I have played music from Sibelius, Frede Grofe (Grand Canyon), among others.

Also through Alan I was introduced to David Leibowitz, Music director of the New York Repertory Orchestra. With them I only played one Timpani gig, and my debut at the Radio City Muysic Hall! There we played at the 2006 Chinese New Year Global Gala. Not my dream debut at that venue, but was a fun experience.

Through my collegue James Eng at the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra office, I was invited to play at the Musica Bella Orchestra of New York (Philip Gaskill, Music Director). Unfortunately, Two orchestras had their concerts on the same day, so I couldn't continue with Musica Bella...

Lastly, last week, James invited me to perform at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Community Orchestra, this past weekend. I played only in "The Swan Lake", but the orchestra also played Mozart's Don Giovanni Overture and the Brahms Violin Concerto.

And it seems like there are a lot more of orchestras like this all over the United States. High-brow arts people look down at this arts community, stupidly, I have to say, since this are really valuable potential audience and should be the real connection between the large professional arts organizations and their communities.

Rufus Wainwright: L.H.O.O.Q.

It is one of those funny coincidences that Rufus Wanwright's Tribute to Judy Garland Concert in Carnegie Hall happened only a couple of days before the opening of a big Dada exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. I had the fortune to attend the first of two concerts offered by Rufus. Since I am (still) reading The Art Firm (see "History Backwards", in this blog), I spent the concert trying to look at the big picture: Rufus is not a great singer, I never heard Judy Garland's Carnegie Hall concert (which Rufus reproduced, at least in the order of the songs and by using the same orchestra arrangements, transposed). So no, it was not a great concert. "Is this Art or entertainment?" I kept thinking. Then I thought of it as a performance art piece, less about beauty and technique, but more about making a political statement. As Stephen (Holden) told me, it IS a big deal that a man is standing there doing what most of the people in the audience have fantisized about (I think 85-90% of the audience was gay, over 30).

Then, Duchamp and his moustached Mona Lisa (Called "L.H.O.O.Q", read in French: "Elle a chaud au cul", could be translated as "She's got a hot ass") came to my mind. I found it hilarious: Duchamp's Moustached Mona Lisa is to the original Mona Lisa, what Rufus' tribute concert is to Judy Garland's 1961 Carnegie Hall concert.

As for the MoMA exhibit, which opens this weekend, I won't be missing it!