Here at the Reference Desk, you can access
multimedia articles and other entertaining and educational materials on
a variety of musical themes. A brief description appears below
each title along with any content advisories for that link.
Bookmark this page and be sure to visit often to see the new Word of the Week,
Joke of the Fortnight and
Tip of the Month.
Bringing in a Brass Chamber Ensemble Whether you play in a brass trio, quartet, quintet or sextet, an
important technique for a group leader to master is the cue that brings
the ensemble in at the beginning of a performance. This multimedia
article teaches a method that the Empire Brass has used for over three
decades and has taught to hundreds of other brass ensembles. Because of the online video demonstrations throughout this article, it
is best view using a high speed connection. The video clips are in
Flash format. If your Flash plug-in
is outdated or not installed yet, you may be
prompted to download the most recent version. Due to Microsoft’s
update of Internet Explorer in April 2006, you may have to click on the
video once to “activate” it and then click on it again to begin
playback.
Diversity in
Phrasing The elegant and imaginative shaping of a musical phrase requires the use
of many techniques. This article describes these techniques and
how they may be applied to create a more rounded performance. An
even broader understanding of when to apply the techniques described
here can be gained by first reading its companion essay,
Intelligent Design.
Gate Checking Your Large Musical Instrument (or Case)
If your instrument or the case you’re using (i.e., double, triple or
quad-case) is too large to be considered a carry-on item, you have two
choices when you fly in the United States: check your instrument as
baggage or buy a seat for it. If you fly often, purchasing an
extra seat on every flight may not be practical. So how do you
minimize the risk to your instrument when you have to check it?
Try gate-checking it.
Intelligent Design Playing what is written on the page is good. It is also the least
that is expected. Capitalizing on the more hidden expressions in
music requires that a performer first be able to find them. The
search for such moments often requires more than instinct but
open-mindedness and objectivity as well. This article examines the
things to look for when mining a of piece music for hidden expressive
opportunities.
Musical Chairs
The seating configuration of any wind ensemble does not have to be
fixed. In fact, moving instruments around for certain pieces may
make more sense both practically and musically than one may think.
Presented here is a perspective on seating configuration for bands and
wind ensembles as well as a discussion of its many benefits.
Fiction
Short Stories
How to be a Jazz Critic Bill
Anschell tells gives you all the catch phrases you need to know to
become a first rate jazz critic.
Jazz Jam
Sessions: A First-Timer’s Guide Experience the comedic musing of writer/pianist,
Bill
Anschell, as you learn the proper etiquette and hidden dynamics of a
jazz jam session. This short story contains adult themes and language that some readers
may find objectionable or offensive. Readers’ discretion is
advised.
There’s a Sucker
Born Every Minute This short story by Bill Anschell takes an inside look at the
death-defying life of a staff musician aboard the S.S. Norway. This short story contains adult themes and language that some readers
may find objectionable or offensive. Readers’ discretion is
advised.
Searching for Glory at the Cookin’ Cadenza
Here’s a humorous tale about struggle of trying to be a “real” musician in the midst of mediocrity. This short story contains adult themes and language that some readers
may find objectionable or offensive. Readers’ discretion is
advised.
Careers in Jazz A clear and concise
dissertation on the structure of the jazz world and the interactions of
its constituents.
ancora (Itl.) = still, yet—as in Verdi’s Requiem“ancora più p” (still
softer)
Featuring the voices of Joe Foley (Rhode Island
Philharmonic Orchestra, principal trumpet) and Leslie Wu Foley (New England Conservatory, Dean and Executive Director of Preparatory and Continuing Education
...pull out your cell phone. If you’ve done a lot of air traveling,
you’ve been the victim of last minute cancellations. They can happen
while you’re waiting in the gate area or after everyone has boarded the
aircraft. When a cancellation happens after you’ve boarded and you’re
seated in row 25, don’t bother racing to get your luggage out of the
overhead bins—you’re not going to be able to push your way to the front
of the line. If you have to be in your destination city by a certain time
and it doesn’t look like you’re going to be among the first in line at
the gate counter for rebooking, use your cell phone to call the
airline’s reservations desk (or, even better, their frequent flyer
reservations number if you have an account).
If the weather is good,
tell the reservations agent on the phone that you’re at the airport and
you’d like to make a reservation for the next flight that will get you
to your destination city earliest (which, depending on layover times,
may not be the next flight leaving). If the weather looks bad for
flying, ask to be booked to your destination on the next departing
flight. Confirm with the phone representative that the ticket you’re
about to purchase can be cancelled within 24 hours, give them a credit
card number and get a reservation confirmation number and seat
assignment. The phone representative may be unaware of the most recent
cancellations so, don’t let them mess with your pre-existing reservation
and be certain not to buy a ticket for that same flight that was just
cancelled!
After you’ve booked your ticket, get in line for rebooking anyway. If the line at the
gate counter is extremely long you may want to try your luck at an
airport customer service counter for your airline if you happened to
have noticed one earlier. When you finally do get face to face with an
agent, see what he or she offers you. If the agent offers you a seat on
the flight that you just booked by phone (or a better one) take it. After you get your seat assignment, call the reservations number back
and, using your reservation confirmation code, cancel the reservation
you made by phone (you can also ask the agent standing in front of you
to do this). If the agent stays that all the seats on earlier flights
have already been assigned and offers you a seat on a flight that is
leaves much later than the one you got on the phone, simply let the
agent know that you are holding a seat on an earlier flight. Give the
agent the confirmation code and seat assignment and let them know that
you would like to release that reservation and seat assignment to the
ticket that he or she is currently trying to reroute for you. Any airline
employee who has a few years of experience will probably smile at your
ingenuity and be happy to swap the seat assignment. With less
experienced employees you may have to talk slowly and explain what you
have done. Once you have a boarding pass for the new flight, ask the
agent if they would cancel the other reservation (the one that you made
over the phone with your credit card). Even if they say they have done so, once you step away
from the desk, call the reservations number again and verify with a
phone agent that the reservation you made moments ago with your credit
card has indeed been cancelled and your credit
card will not be charged (you don’t want to pay for two tickets). Be
sure to use the right confirmation number when cancelling the temporary
reservation to make certain you don’t cancel the reservation that you’re
actually flying on! Take note of both the phone and airport agent›s
names, just in case.
To show that you’re a real road warrior, before you
walk away from the desk, ask for an airport meal coupon. If your delay is
the airline’s fault (e.g., equipment problems) and the delay is more
than a couple hours, they will usually oblige. If you ask quietly, the
gate agents will appreciate the fact that you took measures not to alert
the other 200-plus passengers that meal coupons can be requested and
they will be more likely to grant your request than risk you raising a
disgruntled voice and enticing a mad rush of hungry passengers to the
counter.
This double booking technique is not without its risks; don’t
forget to cancel that extra reservation before that flight takes off,
even it means calling and having a non-traveling friend wait on hold for
30 minutes for a phone agent to cancel it for you while you continue
your travels—but, when you absolutely, positively, have to get to a city
that day, you’ll have to weigh these risks against the risk of missing
your concert.
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