Bruce Hembd
The “Support from the Diaphragm” Myth
Last night, Randy on American Idol said something that made me go "oh boy."
As the audience applause swelled before a transition to co-host Ryan...
Ein Hand-enleben III – Getting the Conductor “Hand”
Dealing with the Hand - continued from Parts I and II.
As musicians we are trained in school to be free and assertively pursue our...
Ein Hand-enleben II – Getting the Conductor "Hand"
Conductors and the Hand - an "old school" technique, continued from Part I.
A big factor in the stop-gesture () described yesterday, is the facial...
Ein Hand-enleben I – Getting the Conductor “Hand”
On a common music director's gesture known as "the hand."
Most wind players are familiar with two well-known quotes from composer (and conductor) Richard Strauss:...
Off Topic: Something Cagey is Afoot
Compare and contrast.
I have a love/hate relationship with the composer John Cage. I love his writings and I love the heady philosophical concepts behind...
Excerpt: The Ravel Pavane
Performance suggestions.
I had the pleasure of performing this piece - Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte - over the weekend and while it is...
Mere Mortals Need Not Apply
Backstage at the opera.
On the way to the pit, this caught my attention. Of course it refers to "supernumaries" - chorus members - on...
Embouchure and Airstream
Super slow motion photography and clear mouthpieces.
A fascinating film by Lloyd Leno - produced over 20 years ago - has recently been posted on...
Practice Records: A Reflective Learning Method, II
On practice records - continued from Part I.
One common type of reflective learning method used in educational settings is journaling -- the process of...
At the Opera, Guns and Pills Don't Mix
From backstage at a production of Don Giovanni.
When I wandered backstage at the current Arizona Opera production of Don Giovanni and saw the props...