Deliberate Practice and Snapping

I can’t snap my fingers. But in a week, I have a recording session with Mike Truesdell where my thumps just won’t cut it.

This week, I’m going to use everything I know about deliberate practice, skill development, and the mind of a beginner to train myself to be an expert snapper. Step one: find a guru. To the internet! 

PASIC

Had a blast experiencing this year's PASIC (that's Percussive Arts Society International Convention for you non-percussionists) last week in San Antonio.  In addition to catching up with all my percussion friends, heroes and frenemies from around the world, I had the honor of sharing the stage with Gwen Dease, Ji Hye Jung, and Paul Fadoul as part of a keyboard showcase concert featuring music for percussion and…not-percussion! Hannah and I played Andy Akho's 21, and we were treated some some great Klatzow from Ji Hye and Eli Lara, some great marimba/trombone/bass music from Gwen and cohorts, and Lawler/Fadoul's sweet new Roshanne Etezady preludes.  

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Big Screen, small audience! 

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Look ma!

Other highlights: Percussion at Princeton's amazing booth—I bought a ton of music—seeing Vic Caccese shill for Sandbox Percussion's new NYU summer program (apply!), and indulging my inner high-school drumline fanboy. Thanks to the great people at Vic Firth and Zildjian for their support.  Yay percussion!

Pre-Show Banner Selfie!

Blue Skin of the Sea

Super proud to be a part of Tonia Ko's new marimba piece, Blue Skin of the Sea.  Program notes are here. Take a look at the video from the premiere in Ithaca, or if you're audio-inclined, the soundcloud playlist here (I like the 2nd movement the best…):

New Morse Code Kickstarter

New Morse Code is excited to announce our debut album, a collection of new works for Mike and Hannah (and friends) from Caroline Shaw, Robert Honstein, Tonia Ko, and Paul Kerekes.For the past three years, we have had a blast working with our talented friends on bold and unexpected works for cello and percussion.  We feel that the time has come to share the results of these projects with a larger audience, and are asking for YOUR help to make it possible.By the end of this month, we will have recorded the music for the album, and will begin the editing and mixing process.  Even the recording process has been an opportunity to team up with some of our favorite people: pianist/composer Timo Andres is joining us for Paul’s piece, violinist extraordinaire Katie Hyun isPatter-ing with us,  and we’re doing the recording with the phenomenal Ryan Streber at Oktaven Audio.

CLICK HERE to donate

Even though we've met our original goal (yay!), money we raise from this point on will go towards working harder at sharing these pieces. Our stretch goal of $13,000 will cover:

• Expansion of the original studio budget. If we reach our stretch goal, we’ll be able to afford to take more time and care with each step of the tracking, editing, mixing, and mastering process.
• Costs associated with shopping the album to record labels, or releasing it ourselves.
• Hiring a professional publicist to get this music heard by a larger community of potential listeners, friends, and reviewers
• Throwing an album release party, a chance for backers in the area to meet up and hear some new music from the composers and performers involved in the album

Thanks for helping!

An American Tune

I've been lax updating this site, a case of avoidance therapy about practicing, and the beginning-of-the-semester bustle.  A complete calendar update is coming soon, but I'm emerging from my cocoon to announce that I am excited about this Sunday's Ensemble X concert.  Ensemble X is a contemporary music ensemble consisting of faculty at Cornell and Ithaca College, and because the estimable Xak Bjerken is out of town, I'm humbled to have the opportunity to grab the curatorial rudder for this show.The program is called An American Tune,  and features new and recent works that, as a whole, explore particularly "American" approaches to melody and song.  In addition to the world premiere of bubble-wrap virtuoso Tonia Ko's Blue Skin of the Sea, we'll hear a new arrangement of Peabody Friend Daniel Thomas Davis' Real Country, a tour of the rural south through song, Timo Andres' serene Fast Flows the River, and Andy Akiho's crisp and Mondrian-ian LIgNEouS.

We'll also be joined by fabulous soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon for a set of songs from Anna Lindemann, George Perle, Undine Smith Moore, Florence Price, and John Cage. As an alternative to the Super Bowl, it can't be beaten (or deflated).

More info is here.

Hope to post a recording/video/photo of this soon!