how he told us funny jokes (could be factual though)~
- Richard Strauss said this: Never look at the brasses encouragingly…it does a lot of damage~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- they always say how do you make two oboes play in tune? kill one~ [Soaring over the Ridges]
- & everybody hears the trumpets because they’re at the top… … …because you’ve always got to make trumpets feel better~ [Poema Alpestra]
- I think you have to make me very fat…then I can conduct this very nicely~ [Finlandia]
- everytime something changes it feels better…it’s psychological! [Planet Earth]
- now you can hear more mistakes when last time I was the only one suffering~ [Planet Earth]
- it’s also in their character… … …have you ever wondered why trumpets (trumpeters) and trombones (trombonists) play trumpets and trombones? because they are showy people~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he gave us advice in humorous manners~
- even if you miss 20 bars…be professional about it~ [Planet Earth]
- and the rest of you with nothing to do…by sitting down…you’re part of the music…& I tell you, this is one of the hardest things to do – to be a statue~ & the moral of the story – stillness is power~ [Planet Earth]
- counting is an important part of this piece…don’t get lost…this piece is about not getting lost~[Planet Earth]
- you hit the B flat on concert day it’s worth one million dollars~ [Planet Earth]
- play like you’re happy being 40 years old~
- patience is the hallmark of all ensembles~ we have to be patient~ [Pictures At An Exhibition]
- rests are the hardest things to play in the universe~
- practice faking it until it sounds convincing~ [Extreme Makeover]
- listen~ studies have shown that you can’t listen while you talk~
- you can miss notes…but you can’t mess things up~ [Extreme Makeover]
- never mind…repent…practice…and get on~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he re-created our identities~
- we're sound engineers~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- we’ve gotta be a three thousand dollar home theatre entertainment system~ [King Cotton]
how he helped us better convey musicality to others~
- you must paint the picture in the audience’s minds~ [Cartoon]
- 400 years dynamic contrast…it still works today~ [Cartoon]
- it’s not about how fast…how slow…how loud…how soft…it’s about how interesting~ [Finlandia]
- projection is sending a musical thought to the end of the hall~ [Planet Earth]
- you don’t have to play louder…but think fiercer~ [Planet Earth]
- the excitement doesn’t have to come from tempo…it can come from attitude~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he expressed meaningful musical thoughts~
- if you are stuck at the notes you can never get up to the artistry~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- the strength of the ensemble is as strong as its weakest player~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- intonation is a matter of conscience~ [Poema Alpestra]
- sound defies silence like life defies death~ [Poema Alpestra]
- music is like life…it’s always changing~ [Planet Earth]
- music is between the notes…phrase it~ [Children's March]
- the key to artistic freedom is lots of discipline~ [Children’s March]
- don’t practice~ perform~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he introduced musical concepts to us~
- this is matrical displacement! [Planet Earth]
- even though it’s one line…there’re two voices~ this is called compound melody~ [Children’s March]
- a melodic metamorphosis~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he taught us ways for better musical expression~
- every time the phrase starts…give definition to the first note~ this is articulation discipline~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- the first note is more an impulse of will~ [Folk Song Suite]
- to show tenuto…create the illusion of length~ [Folk Song Suite]
- when you crescendo…you really do more~ when you diminuendo…you really do less~ [Folk Song Suite]
- look less on the music…focus more on the togetherness~ [Cartoon]
- a good army practice hygiene…you need to release together~ good release means start silence together~ [Planet Earth]
- keep the sound round…we need to sound rich…but not forced~ [Planet Earth]
how he brought emotions into the music~
- this is the promise of reaching…play this with a sense of hope~ [Poema Alpestra]
- let yourself be vulnerable…play from the inside of your heart~ [Finlandia]
- everyone must be still…only then can your inner voice speak~ there’s too much noise on the outside~ ["GR" Selection]
how he incorporated ideas into music-making~
- (to the flutes) together like a horse whip! [Silver Screen]
- horns! think horizontally! [Silver Screen]
- music must always go somewhere…make sure your notes go somewhere~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- let all the colours match! & play microscopically clean! [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- we need to play with an architecture of dynamics~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- clarinets…endeavor to play together with the woodblock~ woodblock…endeavor to play together with the clarinets~ [Cartoon]
- every phrase needs to go somewhere~ but where? [Finlandia]
- for every piece the band needs to sound different~ [Finlandia]
- we need a sense of line; musical line~ as if every note is precious~ [Finlandia]
- If you keep hanging onto something…it means something~ [Poema Alpestra]
- this is a divine state…you’re at the top of the mountain~ [Poema Alpestra]
- you reach the mountain peak! [Poema Alpestra]
- before you play you must have the concept in your head~ [Cartoon]
- Jacob said…you have two instruments~ one in your hand…and one in your head~ [Cartoon]
- if this melody is chicken…you’ve got to cook it in different ways~ [Children’s March]
- we have overall sound but we bring out different colors…that’s what makes it more interesting~ [Crescent & Stars]
- (to euphos) you need to play…you need to probe in depth…you need to find your centre~ [Finlandia]
- for every pitch you must think before you play~ [Planet Earth]
- you just think about the music and the notes will come! [Planet Earth]
- remove the edge from the tone as far as possible~ [Planet Earth]
- play as if there’s a bubble on top of you~ don’t you burst the bubble~ [King Cotton]
- you have to play like a soloist…with the awareness of what’s going on around you~ [King Cotton]
- if you only run through…you don’t know the details~ if you only do the details…you don’t know what house you’re building~ [Extreme Makeover]
- imagine you’re an apple~ you know where the seeds are? play from there~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he gave us useful reminders during rehearsals~
- don't rush the staccatos…it's a disease! [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- everytime you repeat it…it must be for a purpose…it must get better~ [Merry Wives of Windsor]
- don't get too loud too quickly or the architecture of music will be lost~
- it’s always tempting to practice the parts you can play~ [Silver Screen]
- don’t accept anything that is less than good~ [Poema Alpestra]
- no matter how tired you are…mind over body~ [Poema Alpestra]
- if you think of the notes in between…it will become much cleaner~ [Folk Song Suite]
- when you have the melody…don’t fight for supremacy~ [Folk Song Suite]
- don’t look at the score…I’ll cue you~ you know we like to seek comfort in the score? [Bahn Frei]
- the moral of the story is if Ashkenazi practices with a metronome…so should we~ [Planet Earth]
- make sure you don’t breathe when your neighbor is breathing…that’s all you need to do~ [Planet Earth]
- trumpets and trombones…never get into that nuclear bomb effect~
how he always made nice comments about composers~
- the note G in a minor scale is a note of sorrow~ 40 years of western music have proven that this note is the note of sorrow and indeed cesarini has used it in the beginning~ [Poema Alpestra]
- this piece really need a lot of microscopic work here… … …intelligent composer~ [Cartoon]
- (about Grainger) have you googled him? very handsome! [Children’s March]
- Johan de Meij just writes very well~ it’s the way he writes…he makes it sound impressive~ [Extreme Makeover]
how he amused us while commenting on our playing~
- (to flute solo) you need to be seductive…this movement has many sounds~ [Cartoon]
- (to saxophones) you were all together but on the wrong beat~ amazing…it’s team spirit~ that was good unity~ [Cartoon]
- trumpets…the color is right…keep it up…just that the rhythm is wrong~ [Planet Earth]
- eupho I bless you on the high notes~ [Children’s March]
- clarinets you have no problem with the rhythm…you have every problem with the notes [Extreme Makeover]
how he liked to summarize his advices into point forms~
[Intempo 2007]
3 things…we must be:
1) anti-bad tone
2) anti-bad tuning
3) anti-bad articulation
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[InTempo 2008]
Remember P-E-S:
Projection
Excellence (sense of excellence)
Spirit
4 things to take note of:
1) Dynamics
2) Clarity
3) Style
4) Tempo
3 secrets:
1st secret: air
2nd secret: less mouthpiece pressure
3rd secret: drop your tongue (resonate inside your head)
The 5 commandments / the 5 ‘P’s:
Thou shall be Present
Thou shall be Puntual
Thou shall have a Pencil during rehearsals
Thou shall Practise before rehearsals…not during rehearsals
Thou shall be Passionate about music
The 3 types of release:
1) a clean release [the tone shape is a vertical line]
2) a tapered release [the tone shape is rounded]
3) an intense release [swell]
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[Da Capo 2008]
Every note has got to have:
1) a clear attack
2) a clear sustain
3) a clear release
3 things to remember during the concert:
1) watch
2) respond
3) play with a beautiful sound (don’t blast!)
how he provided us with encouragement~
- (about glaring/blaming) I’ll never do that if my musicians come in wrongly…because I know you don’t mean it~ [Planet Earth]
- this orchestra has an increasing desire to do well~
- it’s encouraging by this mere fact that you want to do well~
how he gave us reassurance before our concerts~
- play in good spirit!
- nobody wants to make mistakes~
- live performances are meant to have mistakes~
- professionals make mistakes…professionals miss notes…it’s part and parcel of a musician’s life~ - don’t get so performance-oriented until you want to kill your friends~
- I think the process is much more important~
- I think Intempo will be a wonderful blast…but please don’t blast k?
& how he showered us with his sincere compliments~
- I do think you are a good band and I sincerely believe it~
- have pride of a fine orchestra…because you are one~
A smile is an inexpensive way to add value to your words. -Mr. Leonard Tan
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
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