Archive for June, 2009
Concert in Dallas 6/22/09
Monday, June 22nd, 2009I was in Kansas for last 10 days to teach and to perform at Sound Encounters. During those 10 days I made a very quick trip to Dallas, TX, to perform with my friend Jon, trumpet, and his girl friend, Liane, violin. Liane joined us for Ewazen’s piano trio which is a great piece to play! I have performed several pieces by Ewazen, and I liked all of them! Winter by Snow (I am not joking!) for a trumpet and a piano is a beautiful piece including lots of piano solos! I was so honored to play my PIANO solo at the Trumpet Festival! Besides above pieces we performed Gershwin, Turrin, Simon, and Damase. This trumpet camp was organized by Bert Truax and his wife, Sarah. Bert is a great man with a great vision on music education. And I was so happy to meet many wonderful trumpet players while I was there.
So I am back in LA for few days before taking off to the next trip. It is beautiful in LA LA Land!!
Mark O’Connor 6/12/09
Saturday, June 13th, 2009I am in Ottawa, Kansas, for music camp. The students are wonderful and the organization is just great! I enjoy coming here for teaching and performing for 10 years, and every single year I look forward for this summer music making in Kansas! I performed last night with 2 great musicians, and I am very happy to hear so many positive comments on our recital! Tonight was one of highlights of this music camp because we had Mark O’Connor performing his string quartet and his solo pieces. Oh—he is just marvelous! He has a great technique and imagination! He can do anything with violin!! His rhythmic drive is very natural, but very energetic! I was stunned! After this concert we went to the reception, and he was so nice to chat with!! He gave me several CDs of his recent recordings. I am looking forward to performing his piano trio for next year. I am inspired.
As I write in my greetings page the music took me to so many wonderful places, and Ottawa, Kansas, is certainly the one of those memorable and exciting places I have gone. Our music making will be continuing to next week here, and we will conclude this camp on 6/20.
a Movie-Departure 6/8/09
Monday, June 8th, 2009I could not wait to see this movie, and I went to see it on the first day! As a Japanese I did not need the subtitle! Whenever I see Japanese movies I feel very nostalgic, and feel home sick–. The movie “Departure” made me feel it too. The relationship between a husband (a cellist turned a funeral business man) and a wife (a web designer followed her husband to live in his home town) is typical in Japan. It is quiet, and there is often not much communication, oposite of western couples(!). And eating is very important in Japan. We feel the seasons from different food we eat. We comfort each other from eating. We show our love from food–. You can see eating scenes a lot! I have attended many funerals in Japan, but I never seen the people do rituals on death. I did not care much about this ceremony, but I can share the feeling how the family members would accept their loved ones death. The expression in Japan is different than the western world, and I still do have Japanese expression—.
This movie has gotten different reviews, good and bad, but I recommend you to see it. It has many beautiful scenes from the northern part of Japan, and it depicts quiet love (it is not dramatic like Hollywood movies!). You can cry and laugh.
Getty Villa 6/1/09
Monday, June 8th, 2009I have been to Getty museum in LA for several times, but I had never been to Getty Villa. So I went there last Friday! It is located in Malibu, California. Los Angeles is a huge city, and Malibu is one of many cities we have. My piano teacher, Mr. John Perry, told me before I moved to LA that we have to think LA is a country consisting small cities.
It was worth to drive to Malibu. This museum was constructed to imitate Italian Villa. The garden is just beautiful, and the view is amazing from any place in museum. I don’t know how much $ Mr. Getty had to collect this many Roman, Greek, and Etruscan antiquities. Imagine that the people in 2000 or 3000 years ago had this level of skills to express beauty, craftsmanship, humor, love, anger–. We can share all of these human feelings. I liked everything! For instance one of the exhibitions are the faces on mummies, and they look really pop-arts! But the sarcophagus (coffins) are beautiful crafts curving many small details like we think of antiquities.
If you come to LA Getty Villa is a nice venue to visit. It is relaxing as well. After the museum you can go to Malibu beach for ocean air. Our lives are often so stressful and schedule oriented, and we forget to spend some time visiting those nice places even though there are within our city!!
