Singing and dancing 3/17/06 in Hershey, PA
Come out and hear us live, and get a sample of our playing here, Soundboard.
Performing are the duo, Veri & Jamanis in the final of their series, the "Art of the Piano Duo", March 26th, Sunday afternoon at 3pm in the Binns Room (and there's Ice Cream to boot, as it's a Sundae Series - how cool is that?!) 
Timing is everything, and sometimes it just helps knowing someone...Dvorak entered 15 pieces, including his Symphony No. 3, for the 1874 Austrian National Prize. He not only won and received a generous cash amount but even more importantly, he made a very good connection: Johannes Brahms – who helped judge the Austrian competition. With Brahms’ admiration and support, he put Dvorak in touch with his own publisher, Simrock. Simrock commissioned the popular first set of Slavonic Dances in 1878.
The dances show off the performers, but also they show Dvorak's Czech nationalist style - which was to become his most distinctive characteristic. These incredibly robust pieces, notable for sudden mood switches from exuberant dance tunes to dark and melancholy melodies, were played not only in the musical centers of Europe, but also in the United States (where Dvorak would head to later in his career.)I can't believe how many people have been directed to the Musical dog joke...so I thought I'd share another joke.
This is a detective story...
Pay Close Attention!!! 
Three elderly ladies are excited about seeing their first baseball game.
They smuggle a bottle of Jack Daniels into the ball park. 
The game is real exciting and they are enjoying themselves immensely...mixing the Jack Daniel's with soft drinks. Soon they realize that the bottle is almost gone and the game has a lot of innings to go. 
Based on the given information, what inning is it and how many players are on base?
Think!
Answer: It's the bottom of the fifth and the bags are loaded!
Joan and John
Conductor Robert Hart Baker and Joan Tower
Stu with the aftermath of our brunch
We even recommended dishes to our neighbors!
Outside the Baker Performing Arts Center
After a few wrong turns (I had given myself plenty of time to get there, thank goodness!) I found the Baker Center for the Arts. These pictures were taken while finishing up my cigar...also giving me time to run into Paul Moravec and meet his wife Wendy.
Kile Smith and Paul Moravec
Composer/Librarian/Radio host Kile Smith of Philadelphia (who joined me later in the hall with his daughter) did the pre-concert talk (a delightful interview really) beforehand, talking with Paul about music. Especially interesting were points made about Bach (physically connecting with a composer by playing their music - what a great notion - learn about Bach and thinking that by playing a fugue you are "in touch" or one with Bach (insert any composer name here); and also the idea of writing practical music, I think he said "community composer" or something close to that - that the music/composer is writing music to be used in "everyday" or practical situations...again a reference to Bach writing a cantata for use every Sunday...a lovely concept.)
Bert Lucarelli, Paul Moravec, Donald Spieth
Hearing the world premiere of Paul Moravec's Concerto for Oboe and Strings with the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, soloist Bert Lucarelli and conductor Donald Spieth was a real treat. The first movement is a well thought out and technical powerhouse - with excellent interplay between the soloist and the orchestra. Moravec uses harmonics and pizzicato quite well, and in perfect pairings really in contrast to the oboe. The second movement drips of melody and passion, allowing the oboe soloist grand gestures and highlights the orchestra quite well. The finale, combining elements from the previous two movements launches into a very "Moravecian" rhythm and exudes optimism with dazzling virtuosity and vigor. This work should not only be recorded, but played many times. I hope orchestras and oboists around the world embrace this work, it deserves to be heard and performed...Moravec has indeed succeeded again with this work.
The guys after the concert
The charming program continued with Copland's Appalachian Spring; Lucarelli came back with Wolf-Ferrari's Idillio-Concertino; and concluded with Schubert's Symphony No. 5.
Okay, you could call this a triple concerto, after all it is a mix of three different violinists playing the same passage...but I call it plain old fun.
A guy and his Saint-Bernard walk into a bar. The guy says to the bartender, "This dog knows everything about music and can answer any question you have".
The bartender says, "Aw, c'mon he's just barking, he doesn't know anything".
The bartender says, "This is ridiculous -- he's just barking. Get lost!"
The bartender says, "That's it!" and proceeds to physically toss the guy and his dog out of the bar onto the sidewalk on their behinds.
HAHAHAHA!
Perhaps you'd like to hear some warm and compelling music, visit Music in a Moment! Or hear some insights into contemporary music at Composing Thoughts.
Then there's this whole Google video thing, and my latest find is of Duke Ellington: Google Video.
And the Italian dinner afterwards was a blast, a prelude for Awadagin's birthday. I had a quick cigar in between dinner and dessert and gave a couple to the guys.
Looking forward to this June and the Next Generation Festival!
eighth blackbird and Lucy Shelton play Schoenberg and more in Gettysburg Saturday night.
I'll catch Awadagin Pratt and Zuill Bailey on Sunday in Delaware. 
Then I spoke with Karen Gomyo who is the next violin soloist with the Harrisburg Symphony on April 1st. 
After work I drove to Philadelphia to hear Gil Shaham and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields at Kimmel Center. 
It was fine, fine playing - and in fact the most authentic and idiomatic Mozart I've heard. More on that in a minute. 
First though...I have to start a rant. You should not talk during a concert.
Let me reinterate. (or is that re-enter rant? hahaha)
DO NOT TALK WHILE MUSICIANS ARE PLAYING MUSIC.
DO NOT TALK DURING A CONCERT WHILE MUSIC IS BEING PLAYED!
It is highly rude to the musicians and to the performers to talk during a piece of music. Gosh, it's so rude it's not funny. If you have something to say to your friend, spouse, child, et al wait until the next movement or better yet, after the piece has finished to talk to them. It can wait, really.
Ok, back to Tuesday evening's performance. Lovely. Just right. Vital music making with gifted musicians. Gil sat as concertmaster for the Arensky. He left the stage, the wind players came in, they tuned and we were off for Mozart's "Turkish" Concerto (Number 5). Tempos were brisk, articulation was astounding and it seemed that the joy and humor of Mozart really shone. I've never heard such an original interpretation in my life of this. It felt like it was the way it should have been, what Mozart was really saying in the work. Accents came to life and had some "guffaw" to them. Gil was masterful in cuing players/parts, and the balance was just right. He remains the most gifted violinist alive. The second half brought Tchaikovsky with flair and joy. They encored a Mozart Divertimento.
I slipped back and got to say hi briefly (and loan Gil a sharpie for some other patrons/fans) - he went to school with my mentor David Perry. I hope Gil takes my offer to play in Las Vegas for the Chamber Music Society!
Cheryl and John.
