Conductor Teddy Abrams has a longstanding connection to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as the music director of the Britt Festival. He also the heads the Louisville Orchestra, which has a history that is near-legendary in the realm of recorded music. In the 1950s, the mayor of Louisville, along with like-minded civic leaders, felt that American audiences deserved something that European audiences had enjoyed for centuries: music of their own time. The Louisville Orchestra recorded American music that no other label would touch. They performed it regularly, too, and between those two efforts, effectively changed the landscape of American music. Conductors around the world heard these recordings, and programmed more American music. The positive effects ripple into our own time.
However, we live in a new era, and Abrams, with the Louisville, are once again making new sounds heard. All In is the orchestra’s first recording in at least 20 years. It begins with Unified Field, by Mr. Abrams. The idea behind the piece is that we, as Americans in the 21st century, have access to more music than at any other time in history. As a result, we expose ourselves to a wider range of styles than anyone before us. Unified Field represents the many styles we encounter, but it’s also a musical portrait of America itself. The diversity and experiences that individuals and communities bring to the American cultural experience are expressed in his piece.
Abrams bridges the miles between Oregon and Kentucky with another, very special talent: Storm Large. She sings three songs on All In: One by her (A Woman’s Heart); a classic Cole Porter tune (It’s Alright with Me); and one written for her by Abrams: The Long Goodbye. All of them fantastic vehicles for Storm’s unique voice and abilities, and a good case for a musical “Unified Field” theory.
One thing I find gratifying about classical music is that there is always more to learn from this art form. Whatever your relationship is with classical music right now, it can be enriching to continue learning about it, regardless of your level of experience and knowledge with the genre. It is a joy to hear All Classical carry this spirit of learning into their day-to-day programming. Composer’s Datebook and The Score, for instance, dive deep into the background and compositional process of different pieces of music. On air between pieces, All Classical hosts will often give tidbits of insight into the music just played or the next piece coming up. How old a composer was when they wrote a piece, a memory of the first time the host heard a piece – you never know what interesting and inspiring knowledge you might come across when listening to All Classical.
Are you eager to learn more about classical music? Whether new to classical music and want a more structured introduction to the genre, or already a long-time listener, there are many options for deepening your relationship with classical music in some way. The sheer number of resources and information available, however, can make such a task daunting. To make the process easier, let me suggest a few different pathways of learning to take, depending on your personality, preferences, or specific interests. Consider this a “Choose Your Own Adventure” – for classical music!
The Bookworm’s Pathway: Exploring Historical Context
Do you define your quality time as spending a night in and curling up with a good book? Then you may find digging into the background and context of the music you love to be a rewarding experience. Who wrote this music? Where, and when did they write it? Why did they write it, and what social and political factors may have influenced their artistic output? Oftentimes I find that asking these questions and learning about a particular composer or time period of music can lead me into an ever-deepening rabbit hole of even more and topics to explore and pieces of music that I have never heard before.
Begin by creating a “listening tour” for yourself. If you don’t have the time or resources to go out to concerts on a regular basis, do not fear! Simply make a music playlist using a favorite composer, instrument, or time period as a starting point. Services like Spotify are great for this because they can recommend music based on your listening preferences. Once you have your personal playlist created, find a resource to learn more about the topic or theme of your playlist. (For example, you might seek out a biography or documentary on the composer you are interested in). A site like Wikipedia can also be a useful launching point, but there are also several quality websites that focus specifically on classical music knowledge. Here’s a list of recommended, free resources:
Building your playlist:
ClassicalArchives– An archive of classical music recordings. This is a great place to search, purchase, and download recordings. Entering search terms for classical music on iTunes can be a nuisance at times, but this site has useful search functions by composer, period, principal instrument, and more.
Spotify “Composers Basics” Playlists – In the Classical Music section of Spotify, a number of playlists have been created for individual composers which feature their most influential and loved works.
Learning about composers and their works:
Classical Music Navigator– A comprehensive encyclopedia of music works, composers, as well as forms and styles of music.
Classical Net– A catalog of both information and news on classical music, including CD reviews and recommended recordings.
AllMusic– A website includes reviews of new music from all genres, but also containing useful many composer biographies and program-note style descriptions of classical music pieces. Simply look up a classical music term using the search bar.
Resources on the All Classical website:
Beyond The Music Blog– All Classical’s Music Director, John Pitman, listens to new classical music releases each month and selects one album to feature each month. If you are interested in seeking out new music or performers, this blog is for you!
Programs on All Classical– Discover programs like Club Mod, The Score, Northwest Previews, and more.
The Explorer’s Pathway: Discovering Your Local Classical Music Scene
This pathway is the perfect option if you love live music and enjoy going out to meet new people. Challenge yourself to attend a classical music event every week or month. Try going to events that feature performers, groups, or styles you’ve never heard before – there are likely to be many hidden gems in your city waiting to be discovered. If you live in the Portland, OR, the classical music scene here is alive and well. Wherever you are, your local new publications are a good place to start searching.
Here are some useful resources for finding music events in the Portland area:
All Classical’s Northwest Previews– Tune in to All Classical Friday mornings at 8:00 am for a five-minute feature highlighting arts events taking place throughout the upcoming weekend. If you miss the broadcast time, Northwest Previews is also available as a podcast.
Oregon Symphony Events Calendar– The Oregon Symphony presents a variety of concerts each season, from symphonies and concertos to movie score music.
OregonLive Events Calendar– The Oregonian’s online calendar features submissions for events in the metro area as well as other cities in Oregon. Filter your search by location, keyword, or category (including classical music).
The Tinkerer’s Pathway: Pick Up an Instrument and Play!
Have always been itching to learn to read music for the first time or pick up an instrument you haven’t played since your high school days? If you are a hands-on person and enjoy immersing yourself in the process of whatever it is you are doing, this pathway is for you. Learning to make music can be a valuable source of growth and enjoyment for the mind, body, and soul. An increasing gamut of scientific research is supporting the finding that music making promotes neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to reorganize and develop new synaptic connections between neurons. Learning a new instrument is a particularly effective practice that feeds the brain by strengthening existing and making new neuronal connections.
The science behind learning a new instrument may be complex, but the challenge of taking on this path is deceptively simple: keep it fun. Committing yourself to practicing for a certain amount of time on your instrument every day can turn your adventure into an obligation. Instead, find ways to engage with your instrument that remind you of the joy of music, whatever that means for you – learning your favorite songs on the piano and singing along, getting together with other musicians and playing duets, or maybe even writing your own music! The possibilities are endless. Here are some learning resources that are free and simple to use, on your own time:
Coursera Music Courses– Coursera is an online platform that offers free MOOCs (massive open online courses) on a variety of subjects from top universities and institutions from around the world. For music, Coursera offers options for learning music theory fundamentals as well as more specific topics, including guitar playing, songwriting, and jazz improvisation.
Music Theory Websites – Websites like musictheory.net and teoria are great for building up a basic knowledge in musical elements like scales, chords, and intervals, and include exercises in ear training, rhythmic skills, and more.
iOS and Android apps – There are a variety of free or low-cost apps for learning and playing music, including SimplyPiano, Yousician, and Uberchord.
YouTube Channels – There are many quality YouTube channels and videos on learning just about any instrument. Go out there and explore!
There are many ways to experience classical music, but one thing we have in common is that we are all listeners. Even when life gets in the way and we might not be able to engage with the music to the extent you would like to (as a reader, concert-goer, or musician), we can always listen. Your financial support of classical music is also a tremendously impactful action that doesn’t require too much time and effort on your part. But if you do have the time, challenge yourself to choose one of these learning pathways and stick to it. You never know what new discoveries about classical music, and also about yourself, may come your way.
Do you have a favorite resource for connecting with classical music that was not discussed here? If so, feel free send us a message at intern@allclassical.org.
References
Seinfeld, Sofia, et al. “Effects of music learning and piano practice on cognitive function, mood and quality of life in older adults.” Front Psychol. 2013; 4: 810. PMC. Web. 17 Jan. 2018.
Slevc, L. R., Okada, B. M. (2015). Processing structure in language and music: a case for shared reliance on cognitive control. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 22, 637-652.
Wan, Catherine Y., and Gottfried Schlaug. “Music Making as a Tool for Promoting Brain Plasticity across the Life Span.” 16.5 (2010): 566–577. PMC. Web. 17 Jan. 2018.
Here’s one for listeners who love the sound of the cello. A whole gang of them. Amit Peled is an Israeli-born cellist who, at 6’ 5” could have pursued a professional basketball career (he considered it), is now a professor of music at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University. He’s taking his “gang” of top cello students around the country, giving them the invaluable lessons of live performance and life on the road as a professional musician. Mr. Peled says that sometimes it’s exhausting, both for him as well as them. But the rewards come with those moments on stage, when his young colleagues can collaborate with him by bringing music to life. Another treat for anyone who loves cello history, and the recordings of Pablo Casals: Mr. Peled has been granted, by Casals’ widow, the 1733 Goffriler instrument that Casals himself played. The accompanying conversation, with audio samples, tell the story and give you a sense of what Mr. Peled is accomplishing with his young players.
The past which is not recoverable in any other way is embedded, as if in amber, in the music, and people can regain a sense of identity. . . — Oliver Sacks
In our last two posts investigating the fascinating realm of Music and the Brain, we explored what drives our musical preferences and some of the human body’s physiological responses of listening to music. Today, we look into the connections between music and memory, and how music can serve as an agent of healing through helping sufferers of Alzheimer’s Disease deal with memory loss.
Saving His Music
In a past Thursdays @ Three broadcast, and in various events in the Portland area, pianist Naomi has shared the music of Steve Goodwin, a pianist and composer with Alzheimer’s. Through their project Saving His Music, Naomi has helped Steve write down and capture his music before it fades into the fog of his disease.
Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, a chronic disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. While the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older, Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging and progressively worsens over time. Alzheimer’s begins in the early stages with mild memory loss, but in the later stages of the disease, a patient will experience symptoms that interfere with daily life, including disorientation, mood and behavior changes, and difficulty speaking.
Steve’s music, often inspired by nature, served as the soundtrack for his family’s life and easily flowed from his hands to the piano. Much of it was never written down, and early onset Alzheimer’s made it difficult for Steve to play piano. But by recalling moments from his songs, Steve has been collaborating with Naomi to fill in the gaps. His music, though he may struggle to get it out, still remains deeply instilled within him.
The connection between music and memory
Music has a profound connection to our personal memories. Listening to an old favorite song can take you back years to the moment that you first heard it. A 2009 study done by cognitive neuroscientist Petr Janata at the University of California, Davis, found a potential explanation for this link between music and memory by mapping the brain activity of a group of subjects while they listened to music.
Janata had subjects listen to excerpts of 30 different songs through headphones while recording their brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. The songs were chosen randomly from “top 100” charts from years when each subject would have been 8 to 18 years old. After each excerpt, the subject was asked to answer questions about song, including whether the song was familiar, enjoyable, or linked to a specific autobiographical memory. Janata found that songs linked to strong emotions and memories corresponded with fMRI images that had greater activity in the upper part of the medial pre-frontal cortex, which sits right behind the forehead. This suggests that upper medial pre-frontal cortex, which is also responsible for supporting and retrieving long-term memories, acts as a “hub” that links together music, emotions, and memories.
These findings were supported by an earlier study, where Janata found that this very same region of the brain was active in tracking tonal progressions while listening to music. This music-tracking activity became even stronger when a subject was listening to a song associated with powerful autobiographical memories. In this way, Janata describes that listening to a piece of familiar music “serves as a soundtrack for a mental movie that starts playing in our head,” calling back memories of a particular person or place.
Music therapy and Alzheimer’s
The medial upper prefrontal cortex “hub” also happens to be one of the last areas of the brain to atrophy from Alzheimer’s. This may explain why people with Alzheimer’s can still recall old songs from their past, and why music can bring about strong responses from people with Alzheimer’s, causing patients to brighten up and even sing along. In fact, a type of therapy called music therapy takes advantage of this very phenomenon.
Music Therapy is a type of non-verbal therapy that uses instruments and music to help people work through a range of emotional, cognitive, and social issues. Music Therapy can be a profound tool for healing through using the process of making and listening to music, providing people with a powerful channel for communication and expression.
How exactly does music therapy work? As we discussed in our previous post on physiological responses to music, music can act decrease anxiety and stress by affecting heart rate, breathing, and promoting the release of endorphins. But as we have discovered, music can also help bring back previously forgotten memories.
A recent study from Brown University School of Public Health found that the use of a music therapy program on long-stay nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s was associated with reductions in anxiety medication, as well as improvements in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The music therapy program used in this study, Music and Memory, provides patients with personalized listening devices stocked with playlists of their favorite music. If you’d like to learn more about Music and Memory, the program was featured in the 2014 award-winning documentary, Alive Inside. I also recommend the author and neurologist Oliver Sacks’s excellent book, Musicophilia, which explores the effect of music on the brain and the human condition through a series of portraits on people from all walks of life. Remember, wherever you are in life, music can be used as a power to heal and remember what matters to us.
Thomas, KS et al. “Individualized Music Program is Associated with Improved Outcomes for U.S. Nursing Home Residents with Dementia.” Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2017 Sep;25(9):931-938. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28483436
One of the highlights in our recent, four-day Festival of Carols, was this new recording by Norwegian-born composer, Ola Gjeilo (YAY-lo). Mr. Gjeilo’s inspiration is varied, going back to his youth: classical, jazz, film music, and also non-musical inspiration, such as architecture. “Winter Songs” is to some extent a “Christmas” album, but not exclusively. To me, it is really more a meditation on the season of winter, and how it is a period of rest and transition between Autumn and Spring. A quieter time, and more contemplative, and with unique beauty. The crisp air, and the occasional surprise of snow can be felt in Gjeilo’s music here. Some pieces are inspired by women poets such as Christina Rossetti, Emily Brontë, and Hildegard Von Bingen. Gjeilo creates a journey through a wintery landscape with traditional carols, original choral works (sung by the Choir of Royal Holloway), and pieces for piano and strings (played by the composer and 12 Ensemble). Many of our listeners responded so favorably to the inclusion of “Winter Songs” in the Festival, and I’m sure they’ll delight in hearing them more as we journey through the season of winter. Ola shares more in my conversation, posted on this page.
Avi Avital is an Israeli mandolinist, and Deutsche Grammophon artist, who is most accustomed to playing classical works such as those of Vivaldi (in 2015, I interviewed Mr. Avital about his Vivaldi in Venice CD, which can still be heard on the Music Blog page). With this latest release, Mr. Avital branches out, but also looks inward, to his Moroccan roots (where his parents had emigrated from in the 1960s), and beyond classical into jazz. Well, a kind of jazz, because as Avital explains in our conversation, he and his fellow musicians found it difficult to choose just one genre name for these original compositions. It’s more that they are an amalgamation of styles from different cultures, the result of their individual and collective experiences, and beautiful collaboration. Something the world certainly needs right now.
American violinist Anne Akiko Meyers has long loved the works of Finnish composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara. For years, Meyers dreamed of commissioning a work from him for her instrument. In 2014, she reached out to the composer, who responded almost immediately and set to work. What Meyers soon received was a beautiful, haunting, and evocative work titled Fantasia. She even visited the composer and his wife in their home, which overlooks Helsinki’s harbor. The sheen of Northern sunlight, combined with being in the presence of the composer, only added to the magic of the work. His reaction to hearing his new piece played by Meyers, in his studio, was “I wrote such beautiful music!” And so he did.
While working on my blog post series that discusses events and organizations who are dedicated to bettering our community through classical music, I am inspired yet again by a project All Classical Portland has taken on. This weekend we officially launched the JOY (Joyous Outreach to You/th) and the three initiatives that are devoted to making classical music accessible to all:
Young Roving Reporters
All Classical Portland has just selected six individuals between the ages of 15 and 21 to serve as reporters within their community. Each of them will receive training and mentorship from the on-air team here to produce their content, and they will emerge as ‘arts ambassadors in their communities’. Through this initiative, the young reporters will learn relevant story-telling skills, gain in-depth knowledge about the field of broadcast journalism, and have a platform through the radio station with which to share their content.
The positive effects of young individuals being exposed to the arts is a subject that continues to be thoroughly studied, with a wealth of scientific research stating that music exposure and music education is an incredibly powerful tool for “attaining children’s full intellectual, social, and creative potential” (The Royal Conservatory, p.1). It has been proven that music speeds the development of speech and reading skills, trains children to focus their attention for sustained periods, and helps children gain a sense of empathy for others. Daniel Joseph Levitin, an award-winning scientist, musician, record producer, and 3-time bestselling author, wrote in one of his book titled This is Your Brain on Music, “musical activity involves nearly every region of the brain that we know about, and nearly every neural subsystem.” (p.299). Even Albert Einstein credited much of his success to his music education; “The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition. My parents had me study the violin from the time I was six. My new discovery is the result of musical perception,” (The Royal Conservatory, p.5). In this world of constant stimulation, classical music study leads to lasting changes in young brains, increasing their capacity to perform tasks that require sustained attention and careful listening and reading. And to top it off, the additional skills these young reporters will learn will give them a step up in their eventual search for a future career.
Where We Live Series
In line with All Classical Portland’s mission to shine a spotlight on those who are helping to enrich our cultural community, this series will highlight the local groups and organizations who are provide service-oriented programs in the realm of art, music, and theater which explore the intersection of art and social issues.
Music has always had the ability to bring people together, whether it is a rallying call to inspire action, or simply a call for peace. The emotional aspect behind every silence and sound is able to unify large groups of people with a feeling of solidarity and communal understanding. The power of music is an incredible thing, and it is All Classical Portland’s mission to bring forward groups in our community who choose to use this power for good.
Night Out
This initiative is created for music-lovers within our community who are challenged by personal circumstances to attend live arts events. Because they recognize the importance of availability and accessibility in the arts world, All Classical Portland will provide tickets and transportation with the goal being to share the joy, beauty, and sense of belonging associated with experiencing the performing arts in person. Continuing the conversation about the power of music, the positive impact is not limited to the influence on a listener’s mental being. For more information about the positive physical effects music has on its listeners, please go to All Classical Portland’s Office Manager, McLane Harrington’s blog post titled “Music and the Brain”, in which she discusses why certain musical sounds elicit a physical response.
The Beauty of JOY
Exposure to great art can only benefit us, and every initiative set forth by JOY is designed with the belief that classical music should be available and accessible to everyone, regardless of circumstance in mind. People who are engaged in the world of music benefit greatly mentally, physically, and socially. What drew me to music study in the first place is my passion for the connection between the effects music has on individuals and its ability to be utilized for positive social change. I am beyond thrilled to see the results of All Classical Portland’s newest endeavor, and cannot wait to see what inspiring work this organization will do next.
Sources used:
“Dr. Daniel J. Levitin — Neuroscientist ◦ Musician ◦ Author”. Daniellevitin.Com. 2016. Accessed November 3, 2017.
Violinist Tomás Cotik (toh-MAHSS ko-TEEK), Assistant Professor of Violin at Portland State University, was born in Argentina. But that doesn’t mean that he grew up loving the tango. It took living in another country – Germany, to be exact – to develop that love for his home country’s signature musical style. Mr. Cotik chats with music director John Pitman about his latest CD, “Legacy” which celebrates Argentina’s native son, Astor Piazzolla.
The conversation incorporates some scintillating selections from “Escualo” (which means shark, or Dogfish), Vardarito (dedicated to a musician who greatly influenced the young Piazzolla), and the Argentine composer’s Four Seasons in Buenos Aires, as much a depiction of the people and culture of that “megopolis” (Tomás’s word for his native city), as it is the times of the year. A thrilling follow up to Mr. Cotik’s earlier Naxos CD, “Tango Nuevo”.
Cellist Matt Haimovitz has never been content to just “be quiet and play the music”. That statement, often fired at musicians when they express their opinions, has been heard with greater frequency in recent years. One could argue that a musician is paid to play; but it can also be argued that music as an art form, exists to express ideas as well as emotions. Mr. Haimovitz lets the music speak for itself, and convey some sense of the times in which we live. “TROIKA” anchors itself on three great 20th century Russian composers, each of whom composed great works for cello. The “iconic triumvirate” is how they describe Rachmaninov, Shostakovich and Prokofiev, whose monumental cello sonatas form the main structure of the 2-CD set. The program is political in the sense that these works are documents of a country that has seen tremendous change in its 100 years since the Bolshevik Revolution.
Haimovitz is joined by pianist Christopher O’Riley (the two are known for their critically-acclaimed CD of Beethoven sonatas played on period instruments), and the two are natural musical partners. Chris and Matt also create compelling programs, as TROIKA doesn’t just present three Russian cello sonatas and leave it at that. They incorporate their own arrangements of shorter, popular works by these Soviet-era giants, as well as more contemporary songs by Russian pop singers Viktor Tsoi (“Kukushka”), and the Russian feminist band Pussy Riot’s song about Vladimir Putin. TROIKA has music that documents the past as well as the present, but above all, is excellently and passionately and creatively performed by Matt Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley.
TROIKA – Matt Haimovitz and Christopher O’Riley Buy Now
