Spottacus the Magical Giraffe

Giraffes. I take a giant stuffed one, named Spottacus, with me to class to teach each day. It's perplexed my colleagues, enchanted students and become a mascot for "striving for the highest" and "sticking your neck out".

A little history of how this all came about- I am a performer, all of my degrees are in performance.  But life is full of magical moments, little  hiccups that push a person into using their talents in a way that one might not have anticipated- for me that is how I fell into pedagogy.

My performance background allowed me to see that education is entertainment at the highest level. And that if I could find ways to unite the right and left sides of the brain while teaching, students would improve their retention of fact based material and they would stay present in the moment (a true challenge in the world of multi-tasking).

Since then I have found that the giraffe can be a prop to act out music history events. When we study the Flight of the Walkuries, the giraffe flies around the room rescuing the fallen students as they pretend to lay wounded on the ground. This week we acted out the Erlking. The giraffe was the running horse as the mythical being came after father and son. It makes learning fun and interactive.

Spottacus has become their friend, a way to interact on an personal level without becoming intimate. The students fight over who gets to carry the giraffe to class and return him to the studio. There is a regular discussion of the props worn by the giraffe. Which outfits best fit the fashion for the season and suit the lecture. It is a time that their voice can be heard, their opinion voiced- opening a door for dialogue.

To all those that have voiced criticism- my students rarely fall asleep in class and I have not needed to curve an exam, even though the material is some of the most difficult they will experience in their music degree. To me, teaching college is like kindergarten on steroids. Why shouldn't learning be as fun as play time was when we were children?

Here is the video that inspired the original adoption of Spottacus. It felt like an example of so many of the projects that I was grading.

Update: SHAPERS Fox2 vs Reiger 1A

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog noting the similarities of the Fox2 Shaper and the Reiger 1A. Those shaped pieces of cane have since been made into reeds. Now I can note small differences, that I believe evaded me due to the curvature of the shaped cane.

The Fox2 is narrower. Most notably, at the tip of the reed by almost a full centimeter. Depending on the overall length of your reed it could differ more or less. I should note that I play on a 26 cm tube and a 29 cm blade. For an overall reed length (butt to tip) of 55 cm.

The reed wrapped in purple is the Fox2 the reed wrapped in the orange is a Reiger 1A.

This intrigued me. So I then sought out to see if the Reiger 1A differed from Danzi GSP cane. The dimensions across the tip proved to be the same.

The reed wrapped in Pink is a Danzi GSP and the orange is the Reiger 1A.

I have yet to play on the reeds enough to note the exact differences the cm difference at the tip will make. To create a true test I made sure the cane is all Danzi. And both the orange and the purple reed were taken off of my profiler and soaked for an equal amount of time.

Be sure to check back for an update.

DAR Guest Lecture

This month I was given the opportunity to Guest Lecture at the luncheon for the Anniston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, commonly referred to as the DAR, on the music of early Colonial America.

Before lecturing, the ladies allowed me to be part of their meeting and turn in my paperwork to become a member. Members have traced their genealogy to a soldier in the United States Revolutionary War. I am lucky my great aunt had already researched our family lineage.

 

Following the opening ceremonies, which challenged my memory- with a recitation of "The Pledge of Allegiance", the ladies and I talked of common interests, discussed their DAR charity work and ate fabulous lunches.

 

Photo to the left: DAR Chapter President Virgina Houston made me feel so welcome.

 

On a deeper level, as I continue to read about the Arab Spring and the evolving role of women. I find I am inclined to stay involved in organizations that honor the history of the United States.

I have been inspired by the women of Egypt who continue to fight for their rights and Hillary Clinton's strong remarks regarding Egypt.

 

"This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonors the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people," Mrs. Clinton in a speech at Georgetown University.

 

Although the DAR needs to confirm my records and vote on allowing me to become a member- I feel a kinship with these women who continue to keep the history and the future of America strong.

 

Photo to the right: DAR Members Betty Woodruff, Hervie Folsom (event organizer) and myself (Eryn Oft).

APPS: Resources for the Musician

At a recent faculty meeting the following question was posed: how to deal with students and their phones (meaning most technology- phones being the most prevalent and most prone to making random noise) in the classroom. My answer was immediate!

I MAKE THEM USE THEM.          

I find the students already have their smart phones, iPads, and computers at the ready- to update their facebook status on a minute to minute basis, to text friends, and occasionally to take class notes. Why not include the resource to help them learn more effectively in the classroom and the practice room, too?

So here are a few of the apps I like- allowing for integration of technology in the classroom.

Pro Metronome: Beats with Sounds and Lights by Xiao Yixiang

For: iPhone and iPadCost: Free

Gone are the days of playing tempo rubato because a student couldn't afford a metronome to aid their practicing. Now any student with an iPhone can download this free app and play in rhythm. What I love about it- the ability to choose the sound, I enjoy the standard popping noise with emphasis on the down beat but there is the availability to use video game noises. It also allows the student to tap the beat and find the metronomic marking. Great for finding how close you are to the desired tempo, when working without a metronome.

If only there was an app available that offered the same great resource in a tuner. The apps out there that my friends and I have tested do not register the pedal tones on most instruments with a bass range. I am not sure if it is the mic in the phone/ipad or the app, but for now I am sticking with carrying a tuner separately.

 

forScore: by MGS Development

For: best with iPad or a ComputerCost: $4.99

After reading The New York Times article about Jeffrey Kahane conducting and performing from an iPad with the New York Philharmonic this fall, I decided I needed to get on board, not to mention my library of mini scores is costly to move, to remember to take to rehearsals, to class and to research. ForScore does not include scores but will allow you to download into the program, annotate the score, and follow along with a visual metronome.

Here are links to the two articles about the New York Philharmonic performance- for those who are interested in learning more.

 

 

• Classical Conducting? There's an App for That
• New York Philharmonic Conducting with an iPad

BassoonReeds: by Ambroise Charron

For: iPhone, iPod touch and iPadCost:$.99

This app offers bassoonists a chance to scrape for specific problems in a reed, i.e. too hard tounguing scrape across the tip and in the center (there is a diagram to show where). Just flip to the problem and scrape the portions notated in red on the reed diagram. Although it offers a problem and then a way to correct the problem, it does not look at existing problems on the reed to help diagnose. And it is not combined with basic micrometer dimensions of a good reed. But with a keen eye and a micrometer, this app can be a great asset

SHAPERS: Fox2 vs Reiger 1A

On vacation I like to play and experiment with reed making. By trying new things I keep full of fresh ideas and the time it takes to make reeds allows my mind time to wander and relax.

 

Over break, I had a student return from university who requested advanced reed finishing. This covers knife scraping, micrometer dimensions, scraping for intonation- all the finishing details. The student had profiled cane but it wasn't shaped. He checked with his university teacher if he could use my Reiger 1A (as I didn't have a Fox2 shaper at the time). We decided it best to use pieces of Danzi Gouged, Shaped and Profiled (GSP to fellow reed makers) to create good consistency.

But it got me thinking: What is the difference between Fox2 and Reiger 1A. I have heard from well respected bassoonists they are similar in shape but HOW DO THEY DIFFER?

 

Of course the Fox2 is a straight shaper and the Reiger 1A is a fold over shaper. But I was curious, were there enough differences to warrant a noticeable alteration in sound? So I bought a used Fox2 to test for similarities and differences in the two shapes. Also, I could see if I preferred one over the other and why.
 

What I learned: The Basic Rules for Shaping Still Apply
1. Always use a sharp blade.

2. As the blade dulls switch to a sharper blade, especially when doing finishing work.

3. Take small slivers of cane. If taking large chunks, the cane can easily tear past the shape. Giving distorted non-symmetrical cane. See the photo below- I got a little punchy with a dull blade. I always say I am a good teacher because I make all the same mistakes as my students.

What I like about the Fox2 Shaper:
1. There was no folding over and hoping that I measured the center correctly. And consequently, no worries about altering the tube to compensate if the measurements were slightly off.

2. There is no tugging on the cane. This can happen in the process in using a fold over shaper.

What I didn't like about the Fox2 Shaper:
1. Once I tightened the screws a little too much and cracked the cane right down the spine. A Tragic loss.
2. It was hard to gauge if the spine was directly centered. On the fold over shaper I can hold the cane up to the light and center the spine in the center of the shaper. Once I put the cane in the straight shaper, there was no adequate way to tell if the spine was centered.

And to the Question of differences in Shape:
I placed both pieces of cane directly atop one another and looked for portions of cane that hung over the edges. I didn't find any. I checked the Fox2 against the Reiger 1A. And then the Fox2 against a piece of Danzi GSP, again no extra cane hung over.

For shape purposes, this fabulous bassoonists were right- the shapes are almost identical. The difference is: fold over vs. straight shaper. And does the fold over stretch the cane? Check back for an update on this question- as I go in search of the answer.

THANKSGIVING

A holiday that celebrates cooking, family and the opening of a new Muppet movie is my idea of the perfect day. I found this Muppet clip (as a demonstration of my love for the holiday). It's also a great example of musique concrète, the idea that music can be made by any source.

ARRIVAL!

It's been an exciting day. A book that I have been trying to get my hands on for over a month has ARRIVED! The Obstacles have been Overcome!

 

Although my dining room table is covered in technology (computer, iPad and scanner), books, and cds- It would seem like I have it all. But I don't! I needed this book. It fits perfectly with my research. And I feel especially proud because I had to inter-library loan the book from Australia.

 

The book is entitled Divine songs from Four Major Religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, giving the essence of the Bagavad Gita, Bible, Dammapada, Koran by K. Mallvaganam. For those who have been keeping up on my research, you can see why I am excited. The book encompasses the religion and music correlating with my Interfaith Rituals and Sound Amalgamations.

At first, I tried to view the book on google books, which I love. Usually it lets me view at least a partial portion of the book. Other times I can view the full book. But this resource had a cover page only. Tragic. I then looked into buying the book, but the only location the book existed was in the National Library of Australia.

 

After speaking with the JSU librarians, Carley and Debbie- (who have helped me more than words can say) I emailed the Australian Library and asked to see the first few pages. My concern was the book was not a typed written document but rather a musical score. Within a few days the Australians scanned and sent me via email the preface. One of the opening quotes by Swift, "we now have enough religions to hate but not enough religions to love." Quite poignant- I was hooked.

 

The book arrived today without a cover but as a series of haphazard copied papers rubber banded together. So simple and yet it was like opening a present. I lovingly took the book to the print shop, to have the papers put through a scanning feeder and saved as a PDF, allowing me to take the book with me on my iPad.

 

I've been working with the app called Good Reader. It lets me mark up documents and PDF's with underlines, circles and notes. Although I am still trying to get a little more familiar with it, I've enjoyed it so far. Now I just need to calm down enough to read at a thoughtful pace.