I’ve got rhythm…do you?

" Rhythm is everywhere. It surrounds us constantly in our environment and lives continuously within us." ~ Craig Cooke, CEO and Co-Founder, Rhythm Interactive, Inc.

I found this particular quote apropos for this week. Rhythm is extremely important in music but have you ever noticed rhythms in your everyday activities and environment?

From the soft breathing of a sleeping baby to a car alarm blaring in the night; from an egg jiggling in a pot of boiling water to Maestro’s “roll-roll-check” rhythm to force treats out of his Have-A-Ball -- these steady rhythms are soothing and comforting. They give us a point of reference.

I began studying the martial art of Iaido this month. Right away, I learned that there is much to gain by figuring out a steady rhythm to my movements. For instance, it takes five beats for me to complete a basic cut with my bokuto (wooden sword) and ten to complete first half of hajime no saho (beginning etiquette). The steadier the beat, the more fluid my movements became. The more fluid I became, the closer I came to attaining a state of mushin (no thought). Yes, it’s active meditation. I won’t dare go further because I am still learning the basics and don’t want to lead anyone astray.

Most people pay little or no attention to the rhythm in their lives. Only when the rhythm is off do they notice. A dancer automatically stumbles if the music is cut off suddenly or changes speed, a student may forget her lines in Romeo & Juliet if she hears a noise, while a daily commuter will notice the difference in the flow of traffic on the way to work if he wakes up ten minutes late.

As I say to my students, pay attention to the rhythm. Teachers often ask students to tap out tricky rhythms before they even attempt to play the notes. For if they don’t have the rhythm right from the beginning – it will always be off.

Wedding Music and Wedding Gigs

What goes into preparing for a gig? A little bit of administration and a sufficient amount of practice. Things never go according to plan, so you also need to be prepared for anything. I played at a wedding on Saturday. I don’t mind sharing it since it was an interesting gig (and the couple were wonderful to work with, so I hope they don’t mind that I share this).

The bride contacted me in the summer to perform at her wedding. We played phone tag for a couple of rounds first. She was in the process of finalizing the date and venue but wanted to check my availability.

One week later, she dropped of a deposit to secure my services, with the balance to be paid at the ceremony. By mid-September, we had enough information to negotiate length of the engagement and cost.

This wedding was a little different from the norm. The couple wanted cocktail music prior to the ceremony. No processional, signing of the register or recessional music. After the ceremony, they asked me to play Forever in Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond.

They made several special requests, which I was fine with since they gave me ample notice. A little My Fair Lady, a little classic rock and some rumbas. I wound up purchasing a fake book with over 1,000 songs in lead sheet format. It was a good excuse for me to learn how to improvise an accompaniment. Slowly but surely, I am getting better at it.

I began practicing in earnest for the gig three weeks before the wedding. However, a horrible cold impeded my practicing two weeks before the wedding. That’s when we finalized all the details that were required on the booking agreement. The bride paid the outstanding balance when she submitted the signed contract.

The families were in the throes of last minute preparations when I arrived. Musicians feed off of the excitement in the air on performance day. But my stomach churned when I reached the piano. The damper pedal was broken. Of all the pedals, it had to be the one pianists need the most for pop songs.

After a mild panic attack, years of lessons kicked in and I remembered finger pedalling, which involves holding notes longer than written and blurring the sounds together that way. It went all right but I was completely thrown off by the loss of my favourite tool. My right foot kept reaching for the pedal that wouldn’t work.

I had a couple of false starts in Forever in Blue Jeans but smoothed things over with comedic patter. Other than that, was quite pleased with my faking prowess that evening. I had a healthy break when I dined with the guests (prime rib, yummy!) and sat through speeches.

Want to know more about what it’s like to perform at gigs? I’m writing my first novel (it’s fiction but inspired by reality). Not sure when it’ll be published, seeing as I’m only on Chapter 3. Stay tuned!

Careers in Music

Growing up, the only music careers I knew about were: teacher, pop singer, composer and orchestra musicians. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are countless more career options available for those who love music. Here are just a few (in no particular order):  

• Music publisher

• Talent agent

• Recording engineer

• Music therapist

• Concert promoter

• Radio disc jockey

• Community arts manager

• Marketing Director for a symphony

• Fund Development Coordinator for an opera company

• Composer (classical, movie, video game, commercials, etc.)

• Accompanist

• Transcriber

• Arranger

• Conductor

For more information about careers in music, check out the following sites:

• Berklee - Careers

• National Association for Music Educationi

• Music Careers

Happy exploring!

© 2005 Musespeak™, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. All rights reserved.

Why Study Music?

Historians have found that the further back into history we go, the more important music was to older civilizations. Ancient Greeks, for example, believed that music was the key to the cosmos. Pythagoras the famous mathematician, not only developed the theorem for right angles, but was lauded for his discovery of the ratios of intervals in music. Both were considered of equal importance. The benefits for studying music haven’t changed much over the centuries. Numerous studies have shown that students who study music, achieve higher grades than their non-musical counterparts. Higher grades is just part of the equation. Here is just a synopsis of the benefits:

• time and project management skills

• analytical skills

• improved academic performance (between 34 – 80% higher), especially in math and the sciences

• high spatial-temporal abilities

• enhanced communication skills

• teamwork skills (ensemble work)

For more information, you can visit the following sites:

• National Association for Music Education

• Twelve Benefits of Music Education

Friday Fun Link #7

Q: What do you get when you put a diminished chord together with an augmented chord? A: A demented chord.

It’s been a long week (and I’m not quite done yet). I went in search of some comic relief and came upon this site riddled with music jokes. Enjoy!