X for Xylophone

 

Time for a little story.

There was a bunch of little girls. The girls lived in the same neighborhood and attended a local primary school. They were youth club members of a xylophone group that had its base at a district youth club. That type of youth club was called a "common room" then. It was a place where kids, supervised by an instructor/club employee, played games and did art projects, and it belonged to the city district housing administrators.

Ladybirds Performance - 12 January 1975

Anyway, "Ladybirds" was the name of the xylophone group, and my mom was our music director. She prepared the music arrangements for us and taught us to play the music pieces on the instruments provided by the club management.

We did play various tunes that we learned by heart: classical music, pop songs, and folk melodies, as well. From time to time, the Ladybirds performed at other culture-related places and city district clubs. Our xylophone career did not last long, but it was fun.

I can still remember some of the tunes we played. Here is one of them - can you tell what it is?

E,E,G E,E,G

E,G,C,H*,A,A,G 

D,E,F,D  D,E,F  D,F,H,A,G,H,C

C,C,c  A,F,G  E,C,F,G,A,G,

C,C,c  A,F,G  E,C,F,E,D,C

Ladybirds

Our performance dress code was white blouses, white tights, and navy-blue skirts. The red ribbon made a bow tie. At some point, at my mom's request, the club management provided a ladybird-like fabric: red velvet with black polka dots. Our moms made skirts out of it. Those skirts completed our Ladybird gear.

PS

*H is B in the English nomenclature.

"Messiah" Christmas Concert

On Sunday, we enjoyed the music by Handel. "Messiah" was presented by the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church and Fredericksburg Chorale. The concert  at the United Methodist Church was truly splendid. We had never had such premium seats and never sat so very close to the orchestra. The concert at the United Methodist Church was truly splendid, and it added greatly to this year's Christmas spirit!

The shaky part in the video is the moment when all the audience was standing up. 

 

My Music ABC: S

I skipped the letter 'R' on purpose as I have already mentioned some 'R' bands in my previous posts.

The letter 'S' is going to be all about European music which I like most due to my European roots. Non European artists (well at least one) will be mentioned some other time, not today.

Our S #1 is Sabaton - Swedish formation - one of the very few contemporary bands whom we enjoy listening to. Each and every song by Sabaton is a little story based on real facts and history. Each of them tells about a real event, battle, soldier/soldiers, king or a war. And we can learn something about them just listening to Sabaton records.

The very first songs by Sabaton which I listened to were the ones connected with WWII and history of Poland: Uprising (about the Warsaw Uprising 1944) and 40:1, inspired by the battle of Bzura and the heroic fight of the Polish soldiers. It was quite a few years ago. Anyway, I heard those pieces and loved them at once. They also made me interested in other compositions by the Swedish band. The music is from the 'hard and heavy side' but it is very pleasant to the ear. What is more, it is quite original with many interesting and nice melody lines. While listening to their songs you not only enjoy the tunes but at the same time learn about some (often rather forgotten or little known) history facts.

The music pieces by Sabaton sound very well also when they are enriched and supported by a classical orchestra. It may seem a bit wild - heavy metal and classical music mixed together but, according to us, it is a great compilation. Actually, our dream concert by Sabaton would be the one performed by the musicians in a small concert hall with some assistance - from time to time - of a classical orchestra. We could sit in the comfortable chairs of a music hall and enjoy two in one - what we really like - the 'Sabaton history music channel' tales and classical music as well.

On the other hand, the Swedish musicians create a great performance when they are on their own - they do not need any extra support. The band does very well on stage and their live music + songs are as good as the ones recorded in the studio. It is just our dream concert vision. Another reason for that is that regular heavy metal concert venue facilities are usually of a different sort of comfort comparing to a cozy concert hall. I guess, not too many fans of Sabaton would be happy about such a concert and the opposite - not too many classical music lovers would decide to buy tickets to listen to a heavy metal band. Well, that would be perfect to us.

🎸

I have always liked Scorpions (German band) and many of their songs - both ballads and the more heavy stuff. I saw them at a concert at the beginning of the 90s, in Poland. To be honest, I do not recall much of the event besides the fact that I did enjoy it.

Talking about Scorpions I need to mention Michael Schenker and his Group. At some point he was part of Scorpions, later he played with his own band. I do not know much of their career or music but I do remember the piece 'Into the Arena' - I loved the way Micheal played the guitar.

🎸

Status Quo are my number one English 'S' band. Lively, cheering music and very enjoyable guitar parts that is what I like about them most.

The band members, very skillful musicians, are also great stage performers. Their music is simply good stuff and fun. I could watch some of their concert pieces (such as Gerdundula) again and again.

🎸

Slade - another English band who played the music which I would call 'merry & fun'. The costumes they wore added to the fun part. My Slade hit #1 is 'Coz I Love You'.

Smokey and Sweet - I mention them here although, when they were most popular, I disliked them with all my heart. The guys looked too girly to me and, in my opinion, their music was too sweetened and boring. The time has passed and I am still not a particular fan of the bands but these days I am OK with listening to some of their songs once in a while. At some point, they were big in Europe anyway.

Sting - a class of his own. Shortly speaking - Art of music - no need to comment it at all.

Classical S

Schumann Robert - quite a coincidence - his birthday is today. He was born on 8 June 1810. Schumann liked playing with his seven children. Several of his compositions relate to children/childhood.

Strauss - both father and son - I do knot know if it is still a kind of tradition on Polish TV, at least it used to be. Every year on New Year's Day a live concert was transmitted from Vienna. The music by Strauss Senior and his Son was mostly played then. I did like those cocerts. It was a good way to celebrate the beginning of a new year.

Sabaton: too many songs which we really like to mention them all here - just some of them are
To Hell And Back, Attero Dominatus, Carolus Rex, The Lion from The North, Swedish Pagans, Poltava, Got Mitt Uns, Aces in Exile, 40:1, Uprising, Night Witches

Scorpions:
The Zoo, Holiday, In Trance, Life's Like a River, Fly People Fly, Can't Live Without You, Blackout, You Give me All I Need, No One Like You, When the Smoke Is Going Down, Yellow Raven

Slade: 
Far Far Away, Run Runaway, Coz I Love You

Smokey:
I'll Meet You at Midnight, Don't Play Your Rock'n'Roll to Me

Status Quo:
In The Army, Gerdundula, What You're Proposing

Sting:
Shape of My Heart, Fields of Gold, Moon over Bourbon Street, Russians, I'm Lost Without You, Desert Rose

Sweet:
Hell Raiser, Blockbuster

Classical S

Schumann: Scenes of the Childhood - opus #16 Dream

Johann Strauss Sr.: 
Radetzky March

Johann Strauss Jr.:
Tritch-Trach Polka
The Blue Danube
Pizzicato Polka
Vienna Blood

🎵

Credits

Photos

• Sabaton: By dr_zoidberg [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
• Scorpions: By Pablo BM from Plymouth, England (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
• Status Quo photo: KevM at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

My Music ABC: K (update), L, M & N

I do not know why I forgot to mention KING CRIMSON in my previous K related 'My Music ABC' post.

They are my most favorite K of all! Sophisticated compositions and lots of emotional, calm pieces. Some are quite dramatic as well (e.g. Starless).

In the 80s I taped their albums (thanks to the Polish Radio Program/Station 3). I did not follow their later career/ albums. Anyway, Lizard is the album by King Crimson which I like best. A multidimensional compilation of divine note lines and the singer's voice/interpretation.

There was also a Polish progressive rock band KLAN - they were often called 'fathers of the Polish rock'. I can still remember two of their songs listed in My Hit Parade below this post.

I like the video made by some Polish students of Automatics much later than the song (1970) was written.


LED ZEPPELIN - yes, of course, but only their studio albums. Their life performances (e.g. the ones showed in the movie The Song remains the Same) do not appeal to me at all.

LEONARD COHEN - I happened to miss mentioning him and his music when I wrote the C letter post.
I learned about his songs in the early 80s, thanks to the Polish artist Maciej Zembaty who translated Cohen's songs and sang the Polish versions (Polish Radio Program 3 again). Then I started my interest in the original music creations by Cohen. It is a very special kind of musical expression and artistic presentation. However, as it is with all the music which I listen to, I like the songs by Cohen by I could not listen to them only all the time.

LIVIN' BLUES (a Dutch blues band). They performed in Poland too and I had an album with their songs. Some of them I quite liked as well.

METALLICA - a big Yes! I like their older albums best.

I used to have a cassette with my favorite album by Metallica - Ride the Lightning.

The songs which I like most? For example: For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Thing That Should Not Be, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Orion, One, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters.

I can hear European rock roots in Metallica's songs - rough but great notes. Probably thanks to Lars Ulrich and his European background. What I mean is that most American rock music and rock riffs seem much softer. I grew up listening to European/ British music/bands and their rougher sound is what I personally prefer and find more interesting. That is why I hardly ever mention American music groups in my posts. Do not get me wrong, it does not mean that I do not listen to American singers at all. On the contrary. However, most of my music favorites are connected with Europe anyway.

And that is why, the next on my list is THE MOODY BLUES (a Dutch band again), particularly some of their songs including Nights in White Satin. No special memories connected with it - just the music itself.

Classical M

I need to mention Polish composer STANISŁAW MONIUSZKO - known as 'the father' of the Polish opera.

Finally, a note about the N - NAZARETH - from Scotland. In the past, I used to dislike all the sweet pop bands, including the sugary hits by Nazareth. I always liked their This Flight to Night, though.

K

King Crimson
Lizard (album) 
In the Court of the Crimson King (album)
Starless (from the album Red)


Kansas - Dust in the Wind

Klan
Automaty / Machines
Z brzytwą na poziomki / With a Razor for Wild Strawberries


L

Leonard Cohen
Everybody Knows
Take This Waltz
Suzanne
I'm Your Man


Led Zeppelin
Kashmir
I Can't Quit You Baby
Whole Lotta Love
Dazed And Confused
Immigrant Song
I'm Gonna Crawl
... and many other ones


Livin' Blues
Shylina
Blue Breeze

M
Metallica
Ride the Lightning - album 1984/85
Master of Puppets - album 1986/87
...And Justice for All - album 1988/90
Metallica - album 1991/'95


The Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin

Gary Moore
Still Got the Blue
Midnight Blues
All Your Love

Classical M

Moniuszko - Straszny dwór / The Haunted Manor (opera), written in 1861
Mozart
Eine Kleine Nacht Music
German Dance #1 in D major KV 605


N
Nazareth
This Flight Tonight
Where Are You Now?
Dream On

My Music ABC: C

Today I am coming back back to my 'music series'. Here are some remarks on the (chosen) Cs.

Colosseum
I discovered this band by accident. My neighbor (the same who had "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" record) owned also "Valentyne Suite" by Colosseum. The neighbor did not like the album at all, I loved it.  Especially certain tracks, including #1 'The Kettle'. I borrowed the record and listened to it many times. Since my knowledge of English was quite basic then, I listened to the song and listened, and did not quite understand how could the kettle die. The point was, I thought the lyrics were 'Why the kettle died?'. I found it rather strange but who cared - the music was so amazing and that was what mattered to me. Not a dead kettle.
Well, if you do not know this piece, I need to explain the song text is 'Why the kettle dry?'


Cream & Clapton
Cream - one of the groups I neither saw live nor in any pictures at the time when I found their music (there was no Internet then). Cream and Clapton - together and later, when apart, they made quite a brand in their own class.

Clannad
Traditional Irish music has always charmed me. I first heard Clannad on the radio. The songs presented on-air then, made me look for some more music by the band. In my opinion, the way they interpret traditional tunes is quite special. 'Siúil A Rún' by Clannad is my favorite version of the song.

Many years later after I learned about Clannad, my husband introduced me to 'Celtic Woman'. We both like Irish music, and it actually made us meet each other. Living in two different parts of the world, we found each other thanks to the Irish music and a website on Ireland.

You can read my other posts on irish music and Celtic Woman here:
About Irish music & Celtic Woman
My Texas Alphabet: N for NTIF (North Texas Irish Festival)

Clash and some other bands - I am going to mention them when I reach the letter 'P'.

Classical C

Chopin - his music will always be a symbol of Poland to me. Growing up in the country, I was quite exposed to the creations of this Polish composer. The Chopin piano contests were transmitted on the main state channel. Every five years we observed the competition on TV, then discussed who was likely to win and so on. It was a kind of national event and many people were interested in it. I still find the names of some past winners familiar when I hear their concertos announced somewhere.
Last year, first time I think, the Chopin piano contest was not broadcast on TV at all. Apparently, viewers no longer find it entertaining and the station would not benefit from the transition at all. Well, times and people have changed, but I find it sad.

Anyway, these days, hearing a piano piece I most often can recognize it is something by Chopin, even when I am not able to say what the title of the tune is.

My Texas Alphabet: W for WRR

The idea for this alphabet post series comes from ' The Alphabet of My Emigration' by Dee Dorota L., member of The Polish Ladies Abroad Club, who has relocated to England. I have also decided to join the project and write about My Texas Alphabet twice a week.

---

WRR101.1 is one of our most favorite local radio stations. It is owned by the city of Dallas and it is all about classical music and arts. The station came into being in 1921 and, currently, it is situated at the grounds of the State Fair of Texas. They play wonderful music pieces (24 hours a day) which make a great music background to any home and work  activities (if you are allowed to listen to the radio at work). What is more, while driving, WRR's calming tunes also help survive bumper to bumper traffic.

Another reason why we like listening to WRR101.1 is the kind of the advertising they present - the commercials are toned and they are not so insistent and annoying, comparing to what other radio stations have.
Moreover, WRR often offers free tickets to various arts and music events. To get the tickets, you only need to call the station. If you happen to be lucky and manage to get through all the calls, you can be a winner and enjoy some great free entertainment. What is rather important, to collect the tickets, you do not have to go to the station during office hours (which is not possible for many people). Very conveniently, tickets are always collectible at a will call.

You can check out what I am talking about and, possibly, join the WRR fans - simply listen to the radio station online here.

To learn more about WRR , visit their website.

My Music ABC: B

The Beatles
Their songs were my first music love. Because of them I started my interest in English - I wanted to know what they sang about. As far as I know, I am not the only one who began learning the language inspired by the Beatles. I have heard, quite a lot of people from various non-English speaking countries felt similarly and I did so too.

At that time, any books about bands or singers were not available in Polish stores. However, I did love listening to their songs so much that I made my own fan book. I collected all the pictures of the Liverpool band which I came across and magazine cut-outs related to the group and its particular members (even when the Beatles split up) as well. And I stuck them in my album and decorated it page by page. Guess what,  I still have it - you can see some parts of the book in the pictures/collage below. Why have I kept the book till today? Well, the answer is because of sentimental reasons. I spent a lot of time not only making creating it, including writing the song lyrics, and what matters most, put my teenage heart into it. So many emotions connected with the music itself and the song lyrics - from the early pieces of the Cavern club times until the very last album.

When I was about fifteen, 'Hard Days Night' movie with the Beatles was to be on TV - those days such programs were usually on TV during school hours. I so much wanted to see that film and, since it was before video recorders came into being, I asked my mum to let me stay at home and watch it. She agreeded - because I had never skipped school, there was no class test on that day and she also knew what it meant to me. I was so incredibly happy about it that I remember it even till today. I also recall, my classmates envied me, I was allowed to stay at home to watch the movie. Well, mum is quite a special woman and mother.

Despite my interest in The Beatles, I also listened to other kinds of music and some time later, I discovered

.

I was enchanted. Soft ballads and such delightful heavy music! I need to mention that I never cared about anything but music - meaning the musicians looks and all the frame connected with a band. Especially that, as already mentioned, I hardly ever was able to see them in magazines or on TV.

Anyway, a neighbor who lived opposite us (I learned yesterday that he had died recently - God bless his soul) happened to have a record by Black Sabbath. He actually did not like it at all but I did! It was 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath'. At that time, I also did not care much what the songs were about. On one hand, my English was not good enough then, on the other hand it really did not matter as, according to  me, the music was stunning. I also found the Gothic font (the back of the album cover - all the titles were printed in such a style) quite interesting and learned to write the letters like that. I quite often used the Gothic-like letters to write special messages. Such text looked nice, the only problem was - somehow - most people had problems with reading and understanding it. Because it looked different to the usual hand writing.

Years later, while visiting Birmingham, I saw this on the pavement (look at the photo below). The thought: 'Black Sabbath!'. Of course I had to take a picture of the star. I cannot even recall if there were any other marks like that on the city streets. Wish the spot I liked had been a bit cleaner though.

BUDGIE
I have already written in one of my previous posts that when I was growing up, it was the state Polish radio which was my music window to the world. Especially some of its programs and radio presenters. That was how I learned about various older and more contemporary musicians. When I heard Budgie, I also found out that the name of the band means a short form for budgerigar. Plenty of splendid guitar riffs, epic pieces like 'Parents'  or 'Riding My Nightmare' for example.

I reckon I have seen them at concert - it was so long ago that I am almost not sure about it though. The only thing I can remember from the gig: I wanted them to play 'Turned to Stone' - my favorite song, but they did not. To my disappointment, they performed only the tracks from the latest Budgie album.

Blondie
Quite a few New Wave bands/singers attracted my attention. One of them was Blondie. What I liked about Debbie Harry - in some songs she sounded so smoothly as if she was singing with no effort at all.

Polish 'B'
Breakout
Their album 'Blues' is the one which I find the best. It was recorded with Tadeusz Nalepa as the main vocalist/guitarist. I believe the album can be called a classic of the Polish rock/blues.  Thorough the years, the band also had a female singer but, in my opinion, no other songs by Breakout were more interesting than the ones from the 'Blues' album. Intriguing lyrics and superb blues tunes.

Classical 'B's
Borodin 
'Prince Igor' and 'Polovtsian Dances' - totally magnificent.
Borodin (do you know he was a chemist also?) wrote such picturesque music, listening to it I can easily imagine eg. horse riders dressed in traditional Russian noble, winter outfits, galloping through a snowy wood - guess which part of Prince Igor I mean. :)

Brahms
'Hungarian Dances' - all twenty one of them. Which one is more beautiful, more exquisite? Do not know. All of them make a gorgeous music collection.

'Lullaby'
My mum was the director of our local youth club xylophone group. She taught us to play and prepared the xylophone pieces for us. 'Lullaby' was one of them. I still can remember most of it (the notes) by heart:
E, E, G
E, E, G.......

Credits:
The Blues Breakout album cover: http://www.amazon.com/Breakout-Blues-Tadeusz-Nalepa/dp/B001BFI02S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450810239&sr=8-1&keywords=blues+breakout


Other posts of My Music ABC:

A

Concert by Institute for Women Conductors

Having been busy with various Christmas projects and everyday life matters, I do not want to miss telling you about a wonderful event we attended at the Dallas Winspear Opera on Saturday, December 5th. It was the final concert of this year edition of the Program by Institute for Women Conductors. We had not heard much about the Institute and its works so when we got the tickets, we did not know what to expect. However, we hoped it would be at least good orchestra music.

The concert was much more than we thought it would be - it was a truly amazing experience. I need to mention, that neither of us had seen women conductors 'in action' before. During the concert six ladies conducted the Dallas Opera Orchestra. Some of the women were a lot more expressive than male conductors happened to be. Anyway, a few instrumental pieces by different composers were presented - great, professional performance meaning both the conductors and the musicians. Besides, each of the lady conductors led the orchestra to accompany the Dallas Opera singers. How beautiful their voices were! I was especially impressed by the resonant sopranos but it was also all the singers who made the performance great. They not only sang but created some mini drama acting as well. It added a lot to the concerto - thanks to the singers' role playing, it had some sad and funny elements too.
It was a night to remember indeed! Next year, we will try to see the concert by the Institute for Women Conductors again.

The Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors was founded to support talented female  conductors and help them develop their career.
Last year over one hundred women conductors from twenty-seven applied for the program. Its schedule included (among others) seminars and discussions, conducting the Dallas Opera Orchestra and master classes led by specialists in the field of conducting.

You can read more about the Institute for Women Conductors and its Program here.

If you are a lady conductor (of forty years of age and younger) you can apply now for the next Institute Program edition.

Night with Musicals / o muzyce i edukacji

Last Saturday we attended a performance by local Community Band, Theater artists and Symphony Orchestra. They presented several pieces (by Richard Rodgers) from American Musicals of the 40s and the 50s. Almost all  the tunes (besides 'The Sound of Music' and 'Oklahoma!' songs) were new to me. It was a very enjoyable evening!

W ubiegłą sobotę mieliśmy przyjemność obejrzenia i wysłuchania koncertu w wykonaniu artystów miejscowego zespołu muzycznego, teatralnego oraz towarzyszącej im orkiestry symfonicznej.
Program obejmował utwory skomponowane przez Richarda Rogersa w latach czterdziestych i pięćdziesiątych XX wieku, będące fragmentami następujących musicali:

'South Pacific' (1949)

'State Fair' (1945)

'Allegro' (1947)

'Flower Drum Song' (1958)

'The King and I' (1951)

'The Sound of Music' (1959)

'Oklahoma!' (1943).

Słowa zaprezentowanych pieśni napisał Oscar Hammerstein II. Większości (poza muzyką z 'Sound of Music' i 'Oklahoma!') nigdy wcześniej nie słyszałam. Muszę przyznać, że był to bardzo przyjemny wieczór.

Jedną z rzeczy, która podoba mi się w Stanach jest to, że każde średniej wielkości miasto ma tu swoje centrum sztuk pięknych, sponsorowane w dużym stopniu między innymi przez władze miejskie. Centrum takie jest siedzibą grupy teatralnej, zespołu muzycznego i miejskiej orkiestry symfonicznej. Jest to także ośrodek kultury, który promuje lokalnych artystów, gdzie odbywają się ekspozycje ich dzieł oraz różnego rodzaju warsztaty, także edukacyjne. Trzeba mi przy tym nadmienić, że artyści pracujący dla lokalnej społeczności to zawodowi aktorzy, muzycy itd., często działający w centrum sztuki na zasadzie wolontariatu. Dzięki takiej organizacji (i dotowaniu) życia kulturalnego nie trzeba jechać daleko, by wysłuchać np. koncertu muzyki klasycznej na dobrym poziomie. Ułatwia to tym samym kontakt ze stuką w różnych jej przejawach. Uważam to za bardzo cenne, ponieważ często niestety zdarza się, że promowanie wyłącznie masowej rozrywki skutkuje zepchnięciem sztuk pięknych i muzyki klasycznej na boczny, zaniedbany tor.

Przy okazji wspomnę tu o edukacji muzycznej, która jak myślę stanowi ważny element wzbogacający rozwój młodego człowieka. Każde przeciętne amerykańskie liceum ma zazwyczaj dwa zespoły muzyczne: orkiestrę dętą (której występy uatrakcyjniają szkolne turnieje sportowe/ futbolu amerykańskiego) oraz orkiestrę muzyki klasycznej. Muzyka to, co prawda, jeden z przedmiotów nieobowiązkowych, który uczeń może wybrać jeśli akurat to go interesuje, ale przedmiot ten to nie teoria tylko (jak to jest w polskich szkołach). Jest to przede wszystkim praktyczna nauka gry na wybranym instrumencie. O ile wiem, szkoła wypożycza uczniom (odpłatnie) instrumenty, jeśli istnieje taka potrzeba.

Możliwość wyboru nauki gry na instrumencie podoba mi się nie tylko dlatego, że lubię muzykę jako taką. Ogólnie wiadomo, że nauka gry rozwija i wzbogaca człowieka na różnych płaszczyznach. Poza tym często zdarza się też, że szkoła jest jednym miejscem gdzie młody człowiek ma okazję usłyszeć utwory muzyki klasycznej. No cóż, w liceum, do którego uczęszczałam w Polsce, nie miałam muzyki w ogóle. Nawet tej teoretycznej. Mieliśmy tylko plastykę. Na szczęście w moim domu rodzinnym różnych gatunków muzyki nigdy nie brakowało.

Wracając do miejscowych centrów sztuki. Wybrani uczniowie liceów, zaawansowani w grze na instrumentach, nierzadko uczestniczą w występach miejskiej orkiestry symfonicznej. Oczywiście zapewne większość z tych młodych muzyków rozpoczęła naukę gry dużo wcześniej nim stali się uczniami szkoły średniej. W każdym razie dzięki współpracy z zawodowymi instrumentalistami, utalentowana młodzież ma nie tylko możliwość zdobywania nowych doświadczeń, ale także motywację do pracy.

A Ty miły czytelniku, jaki rodzaj muzyki preferujesz?

About New Philharmonic Orchestra, Music & Schools

Last week I happened to win tickets for a performance by New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving. The tickets were sponsored by WRR101.1, one of our favorite local radio station.  I was quite excited about the winning - we neither had heard the Orchestra play before nor had been to The Irving Arts Center, where the event was to take place. All in all, we were hoping to have a good time.
When we arrived  there on Sunday, we found the Arts Center to be quite a nice and large venue, surrounded by a charming, little park (which was still being worked on).

The event, entitled 'Symphonic Sparkle!', was the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving Season Finale. What was special about it: some talented students of the local school district, including a great young violin player - youth concerto composition and scholarship winner, played with the Orchestra musicians too. We were not only very pleased with the music by Schubert and Bizet, and the quality of the musical performance but also with the theater room too. It is so good that there are still places like that - where food and drinks are not allowed during a play or concert. The smell of pop corn or/and sounds made by munching and champing audience can really spoil the quality of music/art perception.

Irving Arts Center - before the concert...

The student instrumentalists participating in the Finale made me think of the musical education paths here, in the States, and in my home country.
Although Music is one of  many obligatory subjects ( besides Polish, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, PE, a foreign language, Crafts, History, Social Studies, Computer Science and Art at a junior high level for example), Music classes at a state school in Poland  include mainly learning about theory of music, and listening to music pieces by various composers of course. Most state schools usually have one piano, a few recorders, xylophones, tambourines and triangles. When I was teaching early education students, we also had a big electronic music board in every early education classroom of the school where I worked then. The board was quite a thing at that time - there was the staff with treble clef and diatonic scale notes (on C) on it. The notes, when touched with an electronic pointer, played sounds - I used it to teach the kids the notes/basic notation, it was fun. We also played little percussion instruments, xylophones, and sang. We did not have enough instruments at the school, so I asked the parents of my students' to buy them some simple xylophones. There was about thirty children in my class, when all of them started to try their little instruments, it was quite a noisy (and, frankly speaking, sometimes annoying) time. And I had only forty-five minutes a week to teach them everything which was included in the curriculum of the subject called Music.
Anyway, what I have learned while living in Poland, if a student there really wants to learn to play an instrument, they either need to take private lessons or go to a musical school. Of course the previous one includes money, but if someone is talented enough/has a 'musical ear', they can be admitted to a state musical school of I or II level. It is free but it requires a lot of effort meaning not only musical practice. Musical school classes are run in the afternoons and evenings, after the regular school time. That is why the kids - instruments players, after a day spent at their primary/junior high or high school go straight to the other - musical school. It is hard work but later, if one wants to develop themselves and study music at university, they do not have to do two schools anymore - in this meaning state musical academy is a kind of relief time.
I find it really great that students of US school districts have an opportunity to learn to play instruments at their own schools, and if they choose it, be a part of an orchestra or a marching band.

Without music life would be really Flat!

In the park - at the Arts Center

About Our Fav. Music & Generalization

We like music. Music in general. Many various styles: from classical music to some heavy metal (with many other kinds in between). You can meet us at a symphony hall, a ballet performance or a rock concert. How is it possible? We simply enjoy it all: music in its different forms.
Many people tend to listen to one particular kind of music only. Some, who like classical, would never listen to Iron Maiden. A lot of others, who like more modern styles, find classical pieces uninteresting. According to some, if you like classical music, you must also be a boring and stiff person. How untrue it is! We do not look like typical heavy metal fans, we never did. But it does not mean we dislike that sort of music. One can be of many things not just one!

From Classical Music...

There are 

many 

music genres, 

bands 

and songs

in between.

They are
totally
different
from
each other
but
interesting
and
enjoyable
in
their own ways.
Not
worse
or
better.
Just different.

... to Metal

The song by Sabaton (a Swedish band) is dedicated to Audie Murphy - soldier and hero.