tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23796865077098343412024-02-06T21:10:48.484-08:00my musical lifeAs a musician and music teacher, I engage with music as a performer, teacher, student, and audience on a daily basis in a variety of settings and circumstances, some of which are featured here. Enjoy.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-59313905775663676592020-05-15T11:40:00.001-07:002020-05-15T11:40:56.429-07:00DONOVAN THERE IS A MOUNTAIN<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fwirfl7g7zo" width="459"></iframe>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-53653472798026722022017-08-16T08:57:00.001-07:002017-08-16T08:57:56.531-07:00Three Surprising Ways to Feel Less Busy, by Christine Carter<a href="http://www.dailygood.org/story/1235/three-surprising-ways-to-feel-less-busy-christine-carter/#sthash.SSlcgmfX.cmfs">Three Surprising Ways to Feel Less Busy, by Christine Carter</a>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-14697428516314624812016-07-16T10:46:00.001-07:002016-07-16T10:46:20.226-07:00How Music Brings Us Together, by Jill Suttie<a href="http://www.dailygood.org/story/1338/how-music-brings-us-together-jill-suttie/">How Music Brings Us Together, by Jill Suttie</a>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-6679872291616471562015-01-14T14:49:00.001-08:002015-01-14T14:49:18.359-08:00The Muppets: Stand By Me<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zCRUPWDIgYM?list=PL40A4E6A3840F5F58" width="480"></iframe>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-74468170393113735112014-05-11T19:49:00.003-07:002014-05-11T19:49:56.881-07:00You Can't Judge a Book by Its CoverI had an interesting thing happen this afternoon at the gig at the Presidio Yacht Club. I had just hauled all of my equipment in to play with the Lonestar Retrobates: upright bass, amp, cords, stool. I went to the bar to order a drink, and asked for a virgin mojito. The bartender(a woman) and I had a nice chat, then she asked me for $2 for the drink. Now, this venue does not pay the musicians in cash, just food and drink. I told her I was with the band, and she replied, "Yeah, but you're not <u>in</u> the band." I explained as patiently as I could that in fact, I was in the band, and she realized that she had made a big assumption based on my gender. She apologized profusely. It was a pretty good gig.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-42951793730007297822014-05-09T15:22:00.000-07:002014-05-09T15:22:54.162-07:00Divertimento Ensemble Plays at the Piedmont Center for the Arts TONIGHT!I am so looking forward to tonight's concert. Our octet has been rehearsing for months, and the program is interesting and varied. I have wanted to perform the Dvorak String Quintet in G for many years, and happily it is on the program! I am so fortunate to be able to work with such fine musicians as the Golds, Paul Rhodes, Larry Levin, Cyrille Perry, and Janis Lieberman. We are also performing a piece written for us by the local composer Aaron Blumenfeld and one movement of the octet by Otokar Zich, as well as a fast and furious piece for string quintet and bassoon by Heitor Villa-Lobos.<br />
I am practicing my parts today, as well as practicing how to use my mini DVR camera, as I hope to get a good recording of tonight's concert.<br />
There will be cookies, too!Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-47176600733344311432012-06-22T18:48:00.001-07:002012-06-22T18:48:30.852-07:00DailyHoroscope.com | Daily horoscopes written by Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer<a href="http://www.dailyhoroscope.com/?sign=leo#daily-horoscopes">DailyHoroscope.com | Daily horoscopes written by Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer</a>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-6167711666496956342012-06-17T08:17:00.000-07:002012-06-17T08:17:16.472-07:00The Unshakable Skill Set<a href="http://www.backstage.com/bso/advice-the-craft/the-unshakable-skill-set-1005353622.story#.T930hXpjwCo.blogger">The Unshakable Skill Set</a> This is a great article on artistic work.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-66254204128987275422012-06-16T14:28:00.000-07:002012-06-16T14:30:34.787-07:00Three Inspiring Women<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hBu2E3ekOIQ8kvoVF4hnfvYb1-P8MIc04O-bA2Euwbsh88J8AnYqF-6c34TT-VEBYwtZxKBK0Yr9xLsyvKvJ8RsAjjPc3J178Do90VhStwp_BtT2AJ2RhBUDeOwT2U_uWfa8fX1PvCXr/s1600/Bonnie,+Joni,+and+Hillary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hBu2E3ekOIQ8kvoVF4hnfvYb1-P8MIc04O-bA2Euwbsh88J8AnYqF-6c34TT-VEBYwtZxKBK0Yr9xLsyvKvJ8RsAjjPc3J178Do90VhStwp_BtT2AJ2RhBUDeOwT2U_uWfa8fX1PvCXr/s320/Bonnie,+Joni,+and+Hillary.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-64133781242283522252012-06-16T14:07:00.001-07:002012-06-17T08:18:09.214-07:00Karen and Byron Jamming/Guitar SoloHere is a new video, taken a week ago, with me playing a guitar solo on Franklin's Tower at a private party. Note the starting bell! Byron is the other guitarist. What a treat to play with him.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxKRM7Z_rfQEaZNt5Z889OpQI_8Y31fexu_9pHbSd_Z4N1A237A885yVxW72LfXL5q9epJjlEyq-XY6bduLFQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-17853071285833893092012-06-16T13:54:00.001-07:002012-06-16T13:55:46.633-07:00Playing Solo at WestbraeI'm back to the blog routine, I guess.<br />
I just got home from playing a 20-minute set at the opening of the Westbrae Concert Series. The woman who runs it is very nice, and the sound person was very supportive and capable.<br />
I have just not played a whole set solo before, and I realized that my guitar skills leave something to be desired. So my next appearance on June 23 at 11am will be with at least one more musician...Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-3898764297532079182011-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:002012-06-17T08:23:05.336-07:00How can you mend a broken heart? - Al Green<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SfE0ymqirUE?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-228167934843194092011-08-02T08:10:00.000-07:002011-08-02T08:10:57.185-07:00Solano Stroll Stops Paying Musicians<div class="yf" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 8px;"><span class="Bf" dir="ltr" style="font-weight: bold; max-width: 100%; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">The Solano Stroll Non-Payment Issue Berkeley/Albany, CA</span></div><div class="Df" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 10px;"><div id="cvcmsg_1318a2d613e79c81"><div class="Nf" id="cvcfullmsg_1318a2d613e79c81" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgb(175, 177, 184) 0px 0px 2px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(175, 177, 184); border-bottom-left-radius: 10px 10px; border-bottom-right-radius: 10px 10px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(175, 177, 184); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(175, 177, 184); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(175, 177, 184); border-top-left-radius: 10px 10px; border-top-right-radius: 10px 10px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 5px;"><div class="Sf" style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;"><div class="Zf Hk" id="cvcstaroff_1318a2d613e79c81" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 9px; padding-right: 9px; padding-top: 15px;"><div class="Ub Ic" style="-webkit-background-size: 21px 21px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; height: 21px; width: 21px;"></div></div><div class="Tf" style="margin-right: 130px; padding-left: 9px; padding-top: 9px;"><div class="Vf kd" id="cvchemail_1318a2d613e79c81" style="overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: right; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">Philip Rosheger, a superb musician sent this to me today. Please read.</div></div></div><div class="yg"><div class="cg" style="padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 20px;"><div class="og pg" dir="ltr"><div><div style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div><span> </span>For those of you who don't know, the Solano Stroll is an annual event involving local businenesses and the hiring of street musicians. I have never participated in it but many of my colleages have. This year they announced that they will not be paying any of the musicians for their services. Here is what I wrote about that, to be forwarded to Berkeley Daily Planet, Solano Avenue Association, Eastbay Express and Street Sheet of Berkeley. I want the whole world to know about this repugnant development. If you wish to know more about it, go online to the Eastbay Express or consult me.</div><div> </div><div> <wbr></wbr> THE SOLANO STROLL & NON-PAYMENT</div><div> </div><div>First of all I wish to point out that there has taken place over the last 30 years or so what I have been calling "a radical devaluation of music and the arts" and that a major problem has been the lack of acknowledgement of this problem on all sides. If there is to be any "blame" I must point the accusational finger toward both those who hire and those both hired and unhired musicians who have complacently settled for less and less and less and opted out for no pay at all and who have no sense of solidarity among each other. Here solidarity desperately needs cultivation. </div><div> </div><div>It is true that there have always been musicians willing to play for nothing. (I know this because I have been a professional musician since 1963 and so were my father, grandfather, great-grandfather and so on before.) But comparing these to 10 or 15 years ago and before is comparing an ant hill to a mountain. </div><div> </div><div>It's important to realize that the devaluation of music began long before the current economic crisis. While the arts have always suffered, I think an intense sharpening of the problem began circa 1980 and then increased at an accelerating rate without the awareness of most people to the present day. </div><div> </div><div>If a problem goes unrecognized then there can be ony one direction: down. You can't fix a problem you refuse to admit exists, and that is the ongoing devaluation of music, the arts and the humanities in general (which exist to remind us necessarily of our humanity). If you have a sore on your foot, for example, and choose to ignore it, then it will fester and become infected. Eventually it will turn gangrene and in time it will become necessary to amputate said limb. I know this from having lived in an equatorial tropical climate. </div><div> </div><div>There is no way you you can have a local community of musicians who have overwhelmingly decided that it is okay to play--or better said, work--without any compensation without severe consequences compounded against all of us. Pay heed to what I write: this is a wildly unprecedented development.</div><div> </div><div>To cut to the chase, fellow musicians, those who do not follow Carol Denney's and Carol Ginsberg's decision to not play for no pay are effectively dong not only yourselves a grave disservice and cutting your own throats, but you are betraying all other musicians and, indeed, participating in a massive cheapening of the art of music itself. </div><div> </div><div>To the complacent musicians I ask: if you were a plumber and suddenly all other plumbers decided to work for free, what would that do to your business? The answer is obvious. </div><div> </div><div>Having said this I now point in another direction. I point in the direction of the organizers of the Solano Stroll (Solano Avenue Association) who have the naked audacity to lay the entire burden of the budget deficit at the feet of the musicians, a gross absurdity on the face of it, as though the musicians were the cause of the problem. Listen up folks. Not a single one of these musicians should be held responsible for the state of the economy and be expected to take the full brunt of it--and this totally apart from what I said regarding their lack of solidarity. Nor for that should they be penalized. </div><div> </div><div>My father was a musician during the Great Depression and yet he found gainful musical employment under a program known as the WPA (Works Progress Administration, 1935, renamed Works Projects Administration in 1939) which proved that it can be done. </div><div> </div><div>Beware. Be aware. A mentality that diminishes the value of the labor of others, and specifically the work of musicians, and that labor is worthy of honor and respect despite commonplace prejudice against music and art that knowingly or unknowingly assumes otherwise, that the Solano Stroll organizers who are otherwise decent human beings, intelligent, well-intentioned and educated, cannot possibly be making a fair decision by expecting people of any field to work without pay. </div><div> </div><div>For that matter, as one example, why not expect the shuttle service up and down Marin during the Solano Stroll<var></var> to also go unpaid? Where do we draw the line as to who should or should not be paid? It is a matter of values and this proposal sadly reflects an unenlightened, frightenly and shockingly low esteem for music and art and the whole ideal of workers' rights. Musicians are not slaves. Unpaid labor equals slavery. </div><div> </div><div>Sincerely.</div><div> </div></div></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="og qg" dir="ltr" style="color: #666666; margin-top: 1em;"><div>Philip Rosheger</div><div>guitarist, composer and music teacher half a century</div><div>Tuesday, August 2, 2011</div><div>Oakland, California</div><div><br />
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-15496503968437519332011-05-30T19:59:00.000-07:002012-06-16T13:59:00.414-07:00Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% Society: vanityfair.com<a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105">Of the 1&#37;, by the 1&#37;, for the 1&#37; Society: vanityfair.com</a>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-21822531628093143742011-04-02T10:43:00.000-07:002011-04-02T10:43:51.524-07:00A Public Confession: I Am Not a Member of the SF Symphony, as stated in public media elsewhereYes, I mean, no. I am confused. I performed recently for a benefit on an island to a sold-out crowd. The performance went well enough, I suppose. I received many compliments as graciously as I could without my big head exploding. Two or three days later a colleague at my day job asked me about my performance, and about my being a member of the SF Symphony. I was baffled until she explained about the article in the newspaper, on the front page. She brought in the article the next day for verification. I basked in being a member of a very exclusive club for just a moment or few, and later called the newspaper to correct the error. At this point I must confess my laziness, as I never made the follow-up call that I was supposed to make, and some people think I play in the SF Symphony. I am not, and have never been a member of the San Francisco Symphony. I am too skeered. I did audition once, and got a horrible case of the shakes. This is the perfect opportunity to face down that enduring feeling of not being good enough. Has something to do with the socio-economic capitalist system, where the emphasis is on the buck, and having more than you need. Except love. Then I tried to record myself, but I did not understand the robotic requirement of the assignment, so here I sit. Think I'll go practice some.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-19066184684643884702011-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:002011-04-02T10:26:47.272-07:00Latham Suite Played by Stephanie<div style="text-align: right;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QkLYesUO4_M?fs=1" width="425"></iframe></div>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-89510887661540553312011-03-19T08:40:00.000-07:002011-03-19T08:40:56.772-07:00Beethoven's Missa Solemnis at Allen TempleWhat a great event! Last night I played with the Cantare con Vivo orchestra and chorus in a performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. He composed it when he was completely deaf, and it is truly an amazing work of music, with many challenging tempos, juxtaposed dynamics and athletic passages for the doublebasses. Allen Temple is a marvelous organization, and I met a lot of very nice folks there. This event was a fundraiser for their after school music program held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and was underwritten by the Irvine Foundation. A remarkable event overall. We repeat our performance tonight at the First Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-21225703331775093682011-01-28T07:20:00.000-08:002011-01-28T07:20:08.594-08:00Home - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros Acoustic Cover (Jorge & Alex...<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/L64c5vT3NBw?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-28588967387326562642010-12-12T19:28:00.000-08:002010-12-12T19:28:36.885-08:00Fresno's on the mapI got back from Fresno, California this afternoon. Last night I played there at the "The Brick Wall" with an incredible cast of luminaries: Don Burnham(Western Swing Hall-of-Famer, Lost Weekend bandleader, pedal steel guitarist, songwriter, composer, singer, guitarist, recording artist, raconteur), Bobby Black(Western Swing Hall-of-Famer, Asleep at the Wheel, Black Brothers Band, pedal steel guitarist, recording artist, zen guy), Bob Applebaum(LA mando[lin]-to-the-max, Disneyland, sometime singer, science genius), Bernard Payton(LA shipbuider, towering ebony booming bass voice, songwriter of dance grooves for everybody, guitarist, mystery urban cowboy), Sarah Dee Burnham(lithe vocal counterparts, lead singer of Ned Miller songs). With the addition of myself, we comprised "Don Burnham and the Bolos". Way fun gig, nice folks in the audience, too.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-88146622285523041142010-09-17T07:08:00.000-07:002010-09-17T07:08:41.544-07:00MEDITATION...JIM PASSARD and the LOST CATS<object style="background-image:url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/Lr0wk5JhTkg/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lr0wk5JhTkg?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lr0wk5JhTkg?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object>Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-32216076366997447272010-08-18T09:01:00.000-07:002010-08-18T09:01:35.098-07:00Joy Kills Sorrow tonight at the Freight and More...The music scene has livened up a bit around here. I first heard Joy Kills Sorrow at spring Strawberry this year; talented bunch of youngsters creating fresh music!<br />
Lawanda Ultan is a musical treasure and Joe and I had the good fortune of her presence in my kitchen last night. Sue Draheim joined us later. We are preparing some numbers for her upcoming birthday party at Chester's on the Bay on Sunday, August 29, 7-9pm. Be there!<br />
On another note, I will be joining Steven Strauss, Billy Wilson and others at 50 Mason tomorrow evening in San Francisco to play music from 8-11.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-18054469683777973632010-07-27T02:50:00.001-07:002010-07-27T02:52:01.717-07:00Live Webcast Today at 10pmHere is a day I have been waiting for. I will participate in a live webcast with my friends Eric, Jeanette, her husband Paul, and their daughter Tanya. We will be performing a live webcast tonight. Between 10 and 11pm is our start time. One of our aims is to give the sound guys stuff to do by switching up instruments and vocals. It ought to be interesting. I will be playing acoustic and standup bass, as well as guitar and violin, and I will be singing two songs. Please tune in to: www.expression.edu/sound_arts/webstreaming_camera/ between 10 and 11pm tonightKaren E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-35092706070268625032010-07-18T20:30:00.000-07:002010-07-18T20:30:00.666-07:00Two Poems from Jazz Camper David ErdreichBassline 4/7/08 8:02 am<br />
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The bass is the bottom<br />
Teller of stories<br />
Outline, bare bones<br />
Who was more solid than Ray Brown?<br />
Who could express those uncomfortable feelings<br />
Better than Charles Mingus?<br />
A thousand other jazz bassmen and now jazz basswomen<br />
Thumping those subliminals<br />
Marking the mythos<br />
Expanding the strand you stand on<br />
Background foreground closure.<br />
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Chrysalis 6/5/04<br />
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Lost among the rushes<br />
I appear full blown<br />
A reed man<br />
With no audience and no band<br />
I arrange my bass line<br />
And cast it into the water music<br />
(Catch my Handl?)<br />
A tune breaks the surface<br />
Fog and mist rise from the past<br />
A melody grabs the bait<br />
Racing deep down into the future<br />
I've been here all along <br />
You just never noticed<br />
My invisible song deKaren E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-46661621139823961212010-07-17T21:12:00.000-07:002010-07-17T21:12:27.476-07:00Back from CCMC, on to "Music She Wrote"What a remarkable day I have had in my musical life. After staying up until 1 or 2 am this morning, I awoke suddenly at 7:30 this morning. I immediately performed libations, packed up the car, and was putting the case on the bass when Jamie Stillwell appeared looking somewhat groggy. We had promised each other to play one of her tunes together and here was the opportunity, so I took the cover back off of the bass, she brought out her guitar, and she taught me one of her tunes. I like her music; it is slightly quirky, yet accessible, and deceptively simple, but certainly not easy to play. I got to play with Jamie a little at camp, and really enjoyed it. There were many other musicians with whom I enjoyed making music, especially Julian Smedley, Steve Smith, Tony Marcus, Mike Wollenberg, Christine Olsen, to name just a few. I had a fantastic experience there teaching and playing. I had fourteen bass students between two classes, and they were all phenomenal students who really worked hard and improved noticeably throughout the week.<br />
Check out the original recording with Johnny Mercer singing "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer...<br />
When I arrived home from camp early this afternoon, I prepared for an afternoon rehearsal at my home studio for "Music She Wrote", a benefit concert for Oakland Public Conservatory, involving some wonderful and dedicated musicians: Angela Wellman, vocals and trombone, Sandy Poindexter, Yehudit, and India Cooke on violins, and Branice McKenzie on vocals. Not present today were Jaz Sawyer, drummer currently in NYC and Victoria Theodore, keyboardist currently on tour with Stevie Wonder. We who were present at today's rehearsal each contributed a tune or two to the program. The music that we created today at rehearsal is exciting and is a product of the warm rapport shared by all of us., The music has a strong emphasis on improvisation in the structure, and there is a wide variety of styles. The first piece we played was a contribution from India Cooke, who teaches music at Mills College. It is a string quartet with three violins and bass, and just a wonderful piece of music that came together like magic when we played it together today. The concert is to be held at the new Piedmont Piano store on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland on Friday, July 30, at 8pm. Get your tickets now, there are only 100 seats for this very special concert presentation.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379686507709834341.post-4166791633229243212010-07-14T15:20:00.000-07:002010-07-17T21:10:16.255-07:00Faculty Concert at CCMC week1The faculty at camp put on a great show last night. There was much variety in style, and as the resident bass teacher, I was asked to play quite a few numbers. Each teacher was loosely assigned to a group of other teachers, and allowed to present two numbers for a maximum of 10 minutes for each teacher. I was so fortunate to not only accompany others, but to present own two pieces. I chose to perform "Out of Nowhere" for solo bass, and "Accentuate the Positive", with me singing and playing bass, joined by Tony Marcus. Connie Doolan's set was last, and she was joined by the fabulous Julian Smedley on violin and viola, the amazing Mike Wollenberg on guitar, and me on bass. I am so lucky to be able to play music with these wonderful musicians.Karen E Hornerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15984896567409787339noreply@blogger.com0