I know I said I was going to research the classical music scene but I've been trying to look up local ska gigs & was sorely disappointed to discover that I wouldn't be able to make the English Beat gig in SOCAL (LA area) because it was the ONE WEEKEND my brother was coming down FROM LA to visit me in SAN DIEGO. After trying to find some other gigs I decided that, realistically, I think I need to settle with my original plan for studying local classical music (old/new) performances & musicians.
As I mentioned in the previous post, I want to research the divergence/convergence of old/new 'classical' music performance, including how one may contribute to the survival/demise of the other. From personal experience I've often found that new music is becoming more separate from old music, especially in the way new music is composed and put into practice. Whereas before I could essentially sight-read music using standard Western notation, some of the new pieces I've been asked to perform have asked for more extended techniques and often include more textual instructions than written notes. I'm also not a strong improvisational performer but as a classical musician I didn't really think I had to as much as long as I could read notes well. Now it seems that in order to perform New Music, you need whole new skill-sets or else you're out of the loop. But I wonder if the people I interview who are far more experienced in both realms (old/new) feel the same way or that they've actually found a strong connection between the two.
I'm always looking backward (think "Midnight In Paris") and feeling convinced that everything that came before NOW/TODAY was just better, or at least more to my liking. The new or modern things that I see or hear (even beyond just music) often feels jarring or unnecessarily out-of-the-box. There seems to be a fine line between what I understand to be music, and what is more a theatrical performance. Yes, I know performance traditions have changed throughout history but when I cannot enjoy or appreciate what I am seeing, no matter how hard I try, I can't help but question it. I've tried asking people about certain pieces I just really didn't understand but the answers were never really convincing in any way (the movie "[Untitled]" really tickled me in its representation of new music/art performance...).
As we discussed in seminar, there is no clear or perfect definition of "music," but while I am a little concerned about the relationship between old/new music, I am very curious as to what the professionals/leaders in the field think, especially when they are such a big part of both realms.
I figure CPMC would be a good place to start in terms of interviews & performance/events. As suggested by Prof Power I'm going to try and reach Steve Schick and Charles Curtis, among other faculty, for interviews.
In terms of performances, the April 22nd La Jolla Symphony performance seems like a good one for my project, especially as its theme is: Old Worlds/New World. [La Jolla Symphony Concert info - Old Worlds/New World]
UCSD grad student Nicolee Kuester is the featured soloist for this event too!
Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No.2
I looked up some San Diego Symphony(-related) performances so hopefully I'll be able to make it to a few of those...
Some articles that may be useful (I hope):
"Ethnographic Research into Contemporary String Quartet Rehearsal" (by Amanda Bayley)
"Facing the Music: Rituals of belonging and recognition in contemporary Western art music" (by Yara El-Ghadban)
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