I may have mentioned before that I no longer listen to music when I run. I used to. About ten years ago...maybe even eleven or twelve, I was running the Omaha Marathon and I had an iPod loaded with songs. By then my eyesight was at the point where I needed glasses to see the display, and I didn't like to wear them while I ran. So anytime I wanted to make any adjustments, it was a struggle. And on this particular day, something was not working with the iPod and I had to stop multiple times to try and get it figured out. It was hot this day too, and sweat kept pouring all over my head and into my eyes and ears. The headphones kept falling out of my ears, and the chord was constantly bouncing about, getting in the way of my arm swing. And for some reason, the music I had loaded wasn't making me happy for whatever reason. I'd start a song and about a minute later, I wanted to forward it to the next song, but the next song didn't cut it either. I finally got so frustrated, I just ditched my mobile sound system in a bush and said "fuck it." I was left with the sound of my breathing and my feet hitting the road. It was better than any music that day, and I have not used music while running since. But that does not mean there isn't music in my head...there is. I have the ability to sing or hum a tune as I run...mostly to myself, but occasionally aloud. There was the time I was running a marathon and I must have been singing aloud and as I came up on another runner who looked around as I approached and said "do you think you could get any fucking louder?" (OK, so that's twice now I have cursed here....so be it). Anyway, I chalked that snarky comment up to the fact that she was probably suffering as we all do during a marathon, but I must have sounded too happy. And I was cruising pretty well at that point and that added to her displeasure. So I try to keep the music in my head. Any kind of music will do, but short phrases or segments of songs or symphonies work best...and I repeat them over and over. Today, on my six mile run, it was the ending of She's So Heavy by the Beatles, from the Abbey Road album in my head. I'm talking about the five bar phrase that is repeated over and over at the end.
But then I switched to the song Opening by Philip Glass. This is from his 1981 album called Glassworks. Glass is a great composer, and this album fits into the genre often called Minimalism. A simple, short musical idea or phrase is repeated over and over, sometimes with small variations, and sometimes with out any. I got this album when it was first released and it has long been a favorite of mine, regardless if I am running or sipping a bourbon.
Erik Satie may be the Godfather of minimalism. Some of his compositions are very short or singular musical phrases that are repeated over and over. Here is one of my favorites that is a great running tune:
The rolling arpeggios create nice forward motion in my mind which then translates to my legs as I run.
I have probably used a melody line from every composer at some point on a run. Dvorak, Beethoven, Bruckner, Bach, Chopin....and on and on. That's how I do it. No headphones to mess with, no device to carry, charge or protect from the elements. Ditching the outside music that day back in Omaha was the best thing I ever did.
I traveled to Orlando for work this week. Flying offers wonderful people watching opportunities. I try to keep a positive attitude while observing my fellow humans, but let me get some of the negatives out first. Sick people. I was stuck next to a family with two small children on the flight down. The girl must have been 5-6 years old, and she coughed and hacked and wheezed the entire flight. The dude in front of me also was clearly sick and could not stop coughing and sneezing. I understand that we have places to go and things to do. Most of us go about our lives even if we have a cold or some respiratory infection. But when you are trapped in an aluminum tube with crappy air, your germs have a field day I think infecting others. It's no wonder we have epidemics.
People talk on their phones at the top of their lungs, sharing their shitty conversations with everyone within 50 feet of them. The worst offender was a young lady at the Kansas City airport who was talking on speaker phone without any awareness that she was disturbing everyone around her. I looked at her and she noticed me. I kept my gaze and shook my head disapprovingly and walked away. I didn't want to be a complete douche and confront her directly, but I was pleased that I made some attempt convey what the rest of us for whom she had no concern were feeling.
Bravo once again to the Orlando airport. I had a two hour wait there and was treated to classical music the entire time on the overhead sound system. Why an airport needs to play music of any kind makes no sense to me. Most everyone else has their earbuds in listening to their own music or podcast or watching a movie or show. But I appreciated the Beethoven String Quartet and the Mendelssohn Symphony all the same...I listened. When I got to Atlanta, I was greeted with the worst "smooth jazz" mashup imaginable. It was loud and it was distracting. I love jazz, and have expressed that many times here. This was prefabricated, mindless, studio session bullshit. Your music sucks Hartsfield International.
I met an Uber diver named Abdi who was born in Somalia, and was forced to move to a refugee camp in Kenya when he was one. His family lived in the camp for years before he was allowed to come to the United States. His description of life in the refugee camp has horrifying and heart breaking. I can't imagine what it would be like not being able to live in my home country, to have to walk many miles to a different country and live in a tent without any security or protection, and lack basic needs like water, food and sanitation. He said the Kenyans did not want the Somali people to be there, and the camp guards were corrupt and violent. His father was killed. Luckily, he was granted asylum in America and came to KC with his mother, and two sisters. He now is a US Citizen, has a wife who is a nurse, and two young children. He expressed a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunity to come here and he had an infectious, positive outlook. It was very humbling for me, a person who has lived a life rich in material things, security, freedom, and an abundance of food and water.
I started writing this online journal...or Blog...in February of 2014. I must say, I am immensely proud and satisfied with what this has become. Writing continues to be a source of pleasure and happiness for me. I wish I had more time to write. It's not always easy, and I don't always write very well....but hey, that's OK too. I don't always write about classical music either...I branch out...take journeys into other areas...history and philosophy for example. But, regardless, it is genuine, and from my heart. It is honest and authentic. It is me. Hello 2020, I am looking forward to what you have in store for me.
In early December, I had another one of those moments when I heard a piece of music while I was in the car... I knew what the piece was...Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (1874)...but in this case, it was the original version for piano, and I wanted to know who was playing it. Maurice Ravel orchestrated Pictures in 1922, and this is what most people know. I have talked to many people who have never even heard the piano version, and as incredible as Ravel's work is, the original work is equally stunning. On this occasion, the recording I was listening to was even more mesmerizing than any other I have heard. And of course, I arrived home before it was over, so there I sat in the garage for at least fifteen minutes, waiting for it to end so I could hear who had recorded it. The answer was Alice Sara Ott. Mussorgsky had a very tragic life. I read some letters of his that described his descent into alcoholism and eventual death that was equal parts fascinating and sad. The picture above (1881), was painted a few days before he died, and captures the red nose and vacant stare of a chronic alcoholic at death's doorstep. But in his Pictures at an Exhibition, there is so much life...breathtaking melodies, humor, fear, and triumph. Ott's recording is the best I have heard.
I stumbled upon another work of Mussorgsky this month that I had never heard...The Songs and Dances of Death for Soprano and Piano. I find these haunting and beautiful...sometimes playful and light...but mostly heavy and dark. I love them! Take a listen. I am curious what you think of them.
My resolution this year is to talk about LOVE. Despite the sadness and grief around us....the fighting and arguing...the negativity and anger...I do believe that LOVE is the answer. I believe in God's LOVE and GRACE. But I have dear friends and family members who don't believe in God...and that's OK with me. They too have LOVE in their hearts. LOVE is LOVE. Spread it. "I LOVE you" is the best thing you can tell someone. Say it.
A few years
ago, my sister, Ellen, shared a video with me that she had recently seen. It
was called Cup of Brown Joy by a British hip hop artist called Professor
Elemental. Ellen and I are both tea aficionados, so the topic was right up our
alley. And Professor Elemental's clever lyrics and infectious tunes sealed the
deal. His music incorporates classical, jazz, pop and just about every genre of music imaginable. I was hooked, so I took a deeper dive into the Professor Elemental
catalog and have been a huge fan of his music and wit ever since. Professor
Elemental is actually Paul Alborough, and I discovered he is a very gracious,
intelligent and thoughtful artist and person. So much so, he agreed to talk to a
classical music blogger far away in the flatlands of the United States.
Tim: I started writing
this blog because classical music, at least in America, has such a small
following…it isn’t nearly as popular here as in many countries in Europe.
Paul: It’s more prevalent and prominent here in
England because it’s a country that has a rich history. But at the same time,
there is still very much a class division a lot of the time when it comes to
classical music and it’s a hard thing to get over. Britain is run by a class
system even though no one really talks about it and I think that often means
that people are a bit shut off from it. But we do have a big classical station
here called Classic FM which some people turn their noses up at but it does a
very good job of popularizing classical music which is quite nice, even if you
don’t know anything about it, it’s all there.
Tim: I think I shared with
you that Cup of Brown Joy was my
first introduction to your work...the music, the lyrics and the humor all
captured my interest immediately. First the humor…I grew up loving British
comedy such as Monty Python and Fawtly Towers.
Paul: I know what you mean
by Monty Python influences as well. It was a very key thing growing up. My Dad
was a huge comedy fan and British comedy was going through a good phase in my
childhood. I’m 44 so it was Fawlty Towers and Monty Python and all that kind of
stuff. It definitely was a huge influence, there’s no doubt about that.
Tim: Where in England are
you from?
Paul: Ipswich, which is a
sort of nothing kind of town. I had a very happy childhood growing up in the
countryside, really, which was lovely. And my Dad was not only a huge music
fan, though not classical, but he also did hospital radio when I was a kid…so
he was doing local radio, land hospital radio, so I had access to loads of
music that I would never have had otherwise...a bit like yourself, your Dad
also being a huge influence growing up. So whether you rebel against them or
are inspired by their choices, they are still huge influences on you.
Tim: Was your Mom into music as well?
Paul: Yes, not as much. She’s a very loving and
nurturing kind of person, so she liked music growing up, but the bigger
influence on that side of things came from my Dad.
Tim: What sort of music did your Dad listen to or
like?
Paul: I remember he sat me down when I was only
about 8 years old with Isaac Hayes’ Hot
Buttered Soul album, and it’s got this version of By the Time I Get to Phoenix...it’s like 20 minutes long…just this
epic soul song, and it’s a story as well, and he put some headphones on me an
he said “right, you’re not moving until you’ve heard the entire album.” That
was such a pivotal moment, getting into soul and funk music. And it’s nice as
well because once you know your soul and funk, it was a perfect blend for
getting into hip-hop in the early 1990’s. And also, being a middle class white
boy, with the kind of rap music that was around, it sort of acted as a perfect extension
to music I used to like, but also a really easy way to rebel, as it was for a
lot of fans, particularly in the early days. You were rebelling and trying to
make a statement just like kids were with punk and that kind of stuff. But it’s
actually quite relatable to all of the things that came before. It’s a perfect
cycle.
Tim: Hot Buttered Soul?
Paul: Yeah, Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul album. The whole album is great. There’s only
like four songs on it but it’s a perfect example of the mid-70’s funk. It’s
just deep...it’s a deep album you know, when musicians get really deep. Yeah, a lot of funk growing up and
obscure sort of old stacks of records which is lovely. But with the classical
side of things...like a lot of blokes, the sort of autistic feel when it comes
to liking the things you like...the things I’m into…I’m really into and know
everything about. But the things I don’t…I know nothing. And it’s the same with
classical music. I appreciate it when I hear bits and pieces or I have somebody
recommend it, but I don’t know anything really about classical music which
makes me feel a bit guilty that I am missing out on this huge cultural
experience.
Tim: You’re still young and exploring new material,
so perhaps you will go into that door. It’s never too late to jump in. I feel
the same way about rap and hip-hop. I remember Run DMC, Tone Loc…
Paul: Those were the days!
Tim: My son likes Tupac and NWA…so I’ve heard some
their music too.
Paul: It’s tricky with hip hop though. Whether
you’re talking about old school stuff or the stuff that’s out now, loads of it
is junk. Objectively, loads of it is rubbish. Some it has indefensibly awful
lyrics or is just appallingly quickly made for a quick buck. In some ways it’s purposefully
alienating. It can be quite hard to get into or to defend to the casual
listener. But like a lot of things, once you start digging a bit deeper,
underneath the rubbish at the top, sometimes there are these beautiful things.
I’ve got friends who’ve rapped about things that no one’s ever rapped about…the
place of women in religion for example. I’ve got another friend who works for a
Spanish rapper and translateseach other’s lyrics bar
for bar and it’s some of the most beautiful and fierce poetry I’ve ever seen. It’s
buried under the surface of the rubbish you get on the top.
Tim: While doing some research about you, I heard a
comment you made about some of Kanye West’s music being “rubbish.”
Paul: It’s a tricky one,
particularly in the case of Kanye West. It's money isn’t it? And it’s been that
way with so many musicians. There’s a journalist who was saying that hip hop
gets a lot of flak for being all about money…getting as much money as possible...the
consumption of stuff. And he said hip hop gets a lot of flak for that, but
actually it’s more of an American thing than a hip hop thing. That’s the story
of America…sex, violence and money. It’s not necessarily the story of rap. It’s
a tricky thing because on the one hand, rappers are often better when acts are
coming up...it’s pure and they don’t have any understanding of what the rules
are. But as soon as they start making some money, which in some ways is great
for a lot of the traditional rap audience, if you are looking at a poor,
working class black audience, the idea that people like Jay-Z or Kanye West
have made it...they’ve got out of wherever they were…they’ve made it themselves
and done it themselves…that’s all brilliant, but also, it’s ugly to listen to
the second time. They’re flying around in their private jets or just had
plastic surgery...I couldn’t give a fuck. It’s a really weird one...It’s really
tricky and interesting to be a fan of hip hop and so many aspects of it.
Tim: So you heard great
funk music as a kid…did you study music?
Paul: I didn’t have musical training and the music
lessons at school were very uninspiring and to this day I’ve still got just the
most limited ability and understanding of how a lot of music works. But I
really love words. Words was the thing that got me into it. And also the kind
of rap that came out when I was young was all sort of silly as well. In 1991,
people were writing songs about their parents not understanding them…or
underwater fish or whatever! There were all sorts of crazy rhymes that came out
at the time. And I liked that because it meant you could write songs about
anything at all. So I used to write and write and write. I wrote some of the
most horrendous things a human being has ever committed to paper…endless things
about the plight of the black woman or problems in South Africa that I wrote as
a 13 year old white boy in Ipswich. But that’s all part of the journey. Yeah, I
wrote a lot of bad rhymes to get a few good ones.
Tim: You have to look for
the gem in all of the crap that comes out.
Paul: You really do…it’s the same with any writing.
Tim: When did you begin to perform…to realize you
could perform this? And how did you turn this writing into a performance
vehicle?
Paul: It was really
delayed. My parents were never very encouraging. For all of my Dad’s
wonderfulness, he never really put much faith in this art as a career. The idea
of an artistic career to him was ridiculous. I should never pursue such a
thing. I was sort of gently discouraged, not in a “you must never do this” way,
but it’s just not even an option. And no one else I knew liked rap music
either. Everybody else hated it, so I was kind of out on a limb. It was very
much for me a kept secret. And even through my twenties, I’ve sort of done
little tiny bits and pieces and it was only when I got to Brighton in my
thirties that it sort of started to take off. I started trying to give it a try
and found fans who were like minded…sort of weirdos who liked rap and didn’t
fit the usual mold. And then, the Professor stuff came on… taking my love of
hip hop and combing it with my nerdiness and comedy. I came to it late and I’ve
been doing it professionally for the last ten years. It exploded in a quick,
early mid-life crisis that is now stretching on into old age!
Tim: So you were a teacher
before you became Professor Elemental full time? What did you teach?
Paul: Young people with special needs. Teenagers
with a variety of things like autism and Down’s syndrome…that sort of stuff. After
being fired from numerous jobs and being fairly unemployable, I sort of found a
job that I quite liked because it was very anarchic and rewarding and fun, but
not quite as anarchic as putting on a funny hat and rapping every week.
Tim: And you had a family
to feed!
Paul: I couldn’t have
timed it worse in so many ways. It’s a miracle that my partner was so
understanding as to go “OK go give it a try if you want too.” But at the same
time, that pressure and being slightly older, and knowing that there genuinely
wasn’t going to be another chance to do this kind of thing, I said give it a go and if it doesn’t work out,
then it’s definitely not going to happen again! The pressure definitely
helps...and still does…it still helps me be creative and not waste my time while
doing the sort of boring admin that goes with it. I know what having a proper
job is like and it’s horrible and I’m really bad at it (laughs).
Tim: I don’t know much about the British
educational system. What was you’re your formal schooling? Did you go to
college?
Paul: Yeah I did go to
college. I scraped through and ended up going to a fairly poor college and it
was just at the tail end…when tuition was free in England. So you could have
the kind of college experience that you just can’t have now, and it was really
good for creativity…I was on a kind of creative course. But it wasn’t costing
me anything. I didn’t really have to work doing it so it was a wonderful to
discover who you were supposed to be and not worry what your job was going to
be afterward. Whereas now, everything from your first step of education to
being at University is all tailored around... “What job are you going to do
after this?? You’re working towards a job…what’s the job going to be???” I
don’t think that’s very fair because it deterred a lot of people from a more
creative lifestyle.
Tim: Do you read a lot to find inspiration or
creative ideas?
Paul: Oh yeah, definitely. I’m constantly reading. I’ve
always got something on the go. But I’ve also got really bad taste! (laughs) I
read loads and loads but I read a lot of rubbish to get the gem. I’m a huge fan
of horror and that kind of stuff. So I read a lot of horror, and I read a lot
of comic books. But so I don’t turn into a moron, I force myself to read a high
brow book to insure that I’m reading a bit of philosophy or a bit of politics.
Tim: Or Shakespeare…
Paul: It’s a bit tricky
because I don’t think any book is a bad book necessarily. I think reading as an
act is a really good thing, but I do think when you read for pleasure you can
read a lot of rubbish. But you need to read to better yourself. You’ve got a
bit of responsibility on yourself as a human being to become a better person if
you can. And a way to do that is to read more…and read stuff that may be out of
your comfort zone. I’ve read some boring books this year I tell you
(laughs)…but it was worth it.
Tim: When you read, do you read paper books or are
you a digital reader?
Paul: Definitely books. What about yourself?
Tim: I have done both, but
now I am back to reading real books. I like the feel of having a book in my
hands. So I’ve gone back to my older ways. I still listen to vinyl too.
Paul: Increasingly, I
think that’s a good way to be. Books and vinyl slow down consumption. We are in
an age when you can get everything all the time and sometimes that’s brilliant.
But once you get over the initial excitement that you can have everything all
at once the important part becomes “how do I make sure this has a bit of rhythm
and stays with me?” Like, if I bought a book even at some second hand
bookstore, and I’ve physically got it, it’s a lot harder to skip it or throw it
away. But if I have it on a Kindle, and it’s not brilliant from the first page,
I’ll just move on to the next one. It can be quite useful with music and with any
kind of culture to sort of slow yourself down and focus in on a particular
thing. There was a really great quote from Neil Gaiman the other day…
“Finding things you like in
popular culture used to be like finding a rose in a desert, and now it’s like finding
a rose in a jungle.” Good isn’t it!?!
Tim: Amazing! When I
listen to your music or watch your videos, I love the variety of references and
pictures you paint with your words.
In the song Closing Credits, you have some music of
Felix Mendelssohn closing out the track. Were you aware of that and was that a
conscious choice?
Paul: That would be Tom
Caruana, my producer. He makes all of the music and he is a classically trained
musician. He plays all kinds of instruments. He’s a master of fusing classical
records, a children’s record and a jazz song...and twenty minutes later he’s
made this incredible beat! The artistry of that is the other side of the music
that I make.
Tim: There’s a lot of cool
stuff going on in your work…so many styles and ideas grooved together in such a
cool way.
Paul: I think that’s one
of the things that makes it quite classical to people who don’t like or listen
to a lot of hip hop. And it’s a similar thing to what we were talking about
earlier…sort of choosing vinyl over downloading stuff. Tom could have access to
every song ever made and take samples from it, but he doesn’t. He goes to shops
and digs out old records and finds pieces of classical. Ninety percent of it
comes from old vinyl.
Tim: I love the song Monster, and on that album, you collaborate with other artists. Do
you enjoy the process of collaboration?
Paul: I’m sort of aware
that the Professor is a bit like a one-note joke (laughs). It’s not like I have
any other characters up my sleeve, so for longevity, there has to be as much
variation and the best way to do that is do a gig with some weird band.
Sometimes it doesn’t come off, but sometimes it does.
Tim: Do you enjoy performing
live?
Paul: I used to really fear it. I’d see a gig on
the calendar and say “can’t wait to get that one out of the way”…so I could
relax again. And now I think I probably prefer it to anything else. I’ve
curated a diverse fan base. It’s all quite family friendly as well. I’ll get
kids at a show who really think I live in a mansion with a monkey…sometimes
they’ll be peoples’ parents who normally hate rap music and sometimes they’ll
be kids who like hip hop. And it’s such an honor to meet such lovely people of different
ages. It’s such a pleasing thing to do. And also, I love stand-up comedy and I’m
increasingly trying to sneak more comedy in there as well and that’s quite a
nice experiment…to see where the balance between music and comedy lies.
Tim: That was one of my
questions…whether to refer to you as a musician/rapper who’s very funny, or are
you more of a comic who’s ventured into hip hop/rap?
Paul: I honestly don’t care. I’m happy just to be
mentioned (laughs). I don’t really mind all that…the more people who are
attracted to me the better. Particularly when I do music festivals, a lot of
comedians are frustrated musicians and a lot of musicians would love to be
comedians. There’s definitely a sort of crossover.
Tim: Have you done a stand
up gig…without being the Professor?
Paul: No, to my shame I haven’t. I just did a show
called Tales of Rome which is about
my love of horror and things and most of that was me doing stand-up just as
myself, even though I slipped the odd Professor song in there. And increasingly,
when I’m on stage…obviously all my songs are in character, but when I’m
talking, I’m talking about things that I’ve gone through rather than wacky Professor Elemental things. So I’ve managed to kind of cheat it where I get to
be me onstage, but also get to do the Professor songs without having to take
off the armor of the Professor. If I was brave and had a bit more spare time,
what I should do, exactly as you said, is go and do some open mic spots to see
if it works without people being in on the “joke” of the Professor. I’m so busy
with gigs, I can always use the excuse “I’m doing three gigs, why would I want
to do another unpaid one” (laughs). But one of these days I will, or if the
Professor ever dries up I’ll give it a go.
Tim: I don’t think he’s
going to dry up!
Paul: I reckon I’ll be
able to keep him going. At the end of the day I’m pretending to be a mad old
man, but as I get older, I’m becoming a mad old man! (laughs). I’ll just lean
into it and the whole thing is great.
Tim: I grew up a nerd
basically. You talked in an interview about being a voice for the weird and
nerdy, which makes me like you even more.
Paul: That’s the key isn’t
it…I’m lucky enough to have a position on stage to be able to talk to those
people. My audience are nerds and we’ve all been through some hard time…whether
you’ve had to fight to be heard or find someone else who likes the same stuff
as you, I think there’s a commonality in being a nerd because it’s not a very
easy journey. You have to be willing to be someone whose going to say “I like
playing the violin. I’m going to keep playing it no matter how much you tease
me or whatever else it is.”
Tim: You mentioned you had
children. How old are they and do they know who Professor Elemental is?
Paul: It’s been
interesting having kids because they are quite grounding and I’m sort of silly
with them. They’re quite blunt with me even right from the off. I think they’re
sort of secretly proud that I do the Professor Elemental stuff, but they’re also
massively embarrassed by it as well. When they were little, they were quite
proud...“wow that’s my dad up there.” But they’re 10 and 8 now and they are
kind of proud but they also go “Dad, please don’t rap…please don’t rap in front
of my friends I beg you.” Inevitably, I get on well with them because I get to
see a lot of them because I haven’t got a real job so I can go home and hang
out with them.
Tim: That’s awesome. My
sons are 23 and 20…they are men now! And
it goes quickly for sure. Maybe your kids will grow up and go on stage with
you?
Paul: Yeah you never know…or they might completely
rebel against me and become accountants or something like that! I always think
thatwith friends of mine who’ve
got older children who’ve grown up, it must be quite satisfying to think “wow,
I’ve managed to create two adults, and whatever your kids end up doing, they’re
alive, presumably got jobs, doing all right…it must be a lovely feeling.
Tim: I didn’t screw them up…it’s a great feeling.
Paul: Exactly (laughs)
Tim: But the worry never
goes away...it just moves with them through each phase of life…my god they are
driving now, and it’s terrifying. Or, now they are adults and looking for a
job…what if they can’t find a job? What if something bad happens to them? It
never goes away.
Paul: The worry never ends…I remember my Dad saying
that to me. I was going out with this really awful woman in my twenties, and
I’d say “Dad, you don’t have to worry about me anymore.” And he’d say, “well
I’ll worry about you son…the worry never goes.” There’s always something to
worry about when it comes to your kids.
Tim: So one of my favorite
phrases from one of your videos is at the beginning of The Inn and the End of Time…you see the Inn in the telescope and
amid all of your speculation about time travel and the time space continuum,
you pause and say, “Well, I suppose it won’t hurt to have a bit of a breather”…and
you go in for a pint.
Paul: It’s about as English as you can get. It
represents so much the Britishness of the Professor. Like the movie Shaun of the Dear… “My God, there’s a
zombie apocalypse…what should we do? Well, let’s try and get to the pub!” A
couple of drinks at a pub and we’ll take it from there, and that’s absolutely
the way it is with all things English.
Tim: Or tea perhaps…..
Paul: Yes, or failing the pub, tea. That’s
definitely true as well. Something innocuous to balance out something massive
and terrifying. That’s why we’ve been drinking since breakfast and will
continue to be drinking until its long since been sorted out.
Tim: So what kind of beer do you like?
Paul: Well, much to my Dad’s disgust, on my trips to
America, I quite like the American style IPAs now. I used to turn my nose up at
them. But the problem is you guys, when it comes to beer in your neck of the
woods, and I’ve done three American gigs this year, it’s really strong! And I
forget that. I’m thinking its 3.2% (ABV) like it is over here, but it’s 9%, so
there’s been a few times in the States where I’ve been chatting away and
suddenly I’m saying, slurred…“I’m sorry I think I need to go back to my hotel
room.” (Laughs) I have two pints and I’m really drunk.
Tim: Where have you gig’ d here in the US?
Paul: I went to Arizona,
LA, Seattle, and Boston…all over the place. It was such a lovely year this
year. It takes a lot of work to get to America. You guys don’t make it easy for
us to come over. But when I do, it’s always nice.
Tim: So you like American
comedy and culture then?
Paul: Yes, obsessed really. In my office I’ve got
shelves that are full of every single figure from the Muppet Show on it and
loads of super hero toys and piles of comics on it. As much as the Professor is
the epitome of Britishness, I’m constantly immersing myself in American
culture. I find it still very exotic and exciting.
Tim: Do you drink coffee?
Paul: …(pause) Right, this
interview is over. (laughs)
No, I don’t drink coffee.
I know, I’m into every single vice going, in a relatively unhealthy way. I just
can’t add another one. So I never really try coffee in case I like it!
Tim: Fair enough. But I
assume you do like tea though?
Paul: Oh yes, I do like tea…about ten cups a day!
Absolutely.
Tim: Any particular favorite?
Paul: Like with most things, I’m a bit sort of
quantity over quality really, but Yorkshire tea is the best tea as far as I’m
concerned. And of course, Professor Elemental tea which is available from my
website.
Tim: I will hit that up for sure. Professor, I
can’t thank you enough for taking the time to talk with me and helping me share
your work and career as part pf my blog.
I still say there is nothing more amazing than listening to a symphony orchestra play live. Rock bands, rap artists, country bands, big bands, etc etc can all give great concerts, sure. But the depth, variety, heat, heart, and energy of an orchestra rises above all. Saturday night, the Kansas City Symphony reinforced this for me.
Starting in the middle, the second piece tonight was the world premiere of American composer, Jonathan Leshnoff's Piano Concerto. A friend of mine had remarked earlier in the week that he wished he still lived in KC so he could attend this concert for this piece alone. I was not familiar with Leshnoff's music, so this was completely new to me. The pianist was Joyce Yang. The concerto is comprised of four movements and is as much an orchestra concerto as a piano concerto...I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but from the introduction of the first phrase, a very rhythmic pattern that moves back and forth between the piano and orchestra, I felt like we were on a great ride of....and I give my mom credit for this descriptor....energy. Yes, this work is one of musical, rhythmic and dynamic energy. I enjoyed the orchestration as much as the piano. The second movement was exceptionally beautiful, despite the hacking and coughing contributed by some resident tuberculin patrons...please just stay home! I liked this work...but I think it will take repeated performances and time for it to emerge as a classic concerto. Well done though Mr. Leshnoff. And what a brilliant performance too by Ms. Yang!
I will admit, well into the first movement of Leshnoff's piano concerto, I was still hung up on what I had heard before the premiere of his work...the Adagio of Mahler's 10th Symphony. I'm not sure it was a good idea to program Leshnoff's piece second, because after the KCS was finished with Mahler, all of the oxygen had been sucked out of Helzberg Hall. Mahler was a pretty good composer himself, and after the pressure of writing 9 symphonies was off his back, I believe he could have written 9 more, and what he could have said in those works would have been amazing. But his health did not allow him the time to achieve this, except for the first movement of his 10th symphony.
Maestro Stern conducted the Mahler like he wanted to tell us a secret that would blow our minds. He shaped each phrase like a sculptor, lasered each entrance to precision and gave the musicians just enough room to turn the pages of their music...but no more. I could sense that he was on a mission...
Mahler is not for everyone. and his music was lost for decades after his death until Leonard Bernstein and a few others resurrected it in the 1960's. Maestro Stern knows the magic of Mahler's music too. And tonight, Stern detonated the Mahler bomb at 8 pm, and neither Leshnoff nor Strauss stood a chance. I must say too that the viola and second violin sections stole the show in both the Mahler and Strauss...they were true gangsters.
The bass section numbered eight on both the Mahler and Strauss. This was a sensational move. I am certainly not qualified to assemble an orchestra, but I feel like the ONLY area for improvement of the KCS has been with the bass section...not the quality of playing, but the number of basses. Eight is great. Helzberg Hall can handle a very beefy low end, so I hope we continue to staff up here.
Speaking of gangsters, Alberto Suarez killed it tonight on the french horn. This dude is legit.
Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss is a work that EVERYONE knows the first 2:30 minutes of, but almost nothing of the remaining twenty nine minutes. If you like killer trumpets, this piece is for you, and Julian Kaplan and his crew were flawless tonight. As were the seven french horns, three trombones, and eight basses...oh, and the strings! Wow, well done strings, you were awesome tonight too. Guest concertmaster Wyatt Underhill knows his way around the fingerboard for sure. He played the solo passages in the Strauss, some reaching notes at the fringe of audible sound, with swag and a great tone. Maybe we could convince him to move to KC?!? What else am I forgetting here...oh that's right, how about the superb woodwinds of the KCS. We are truly blessed with virtuoso's at every position. My goodness they are good.
This was a great concert that reinforces just what a great house band Kansas City has playing most weekends...the Kansas City Symphony.
One of the problems with sharing cool music from TV commercials is that I don't watch too much TV, so I probably don't see many of the great commercials that use classical music or classic jazz music. But occasionally I do get lucky enough to see a great commercial to write about. Here's one for you from a company called Esri. The music is a very modern sample of the Dave Brubeck classic tune Blue Rondo a la Turk from his groundbreaking album Take Five from 1959. I don't know anything about Esri....but its a cool commercial.
Just a thought now about professional football. In my opinion, the game has become way too quarterback centric. The hopes and fortunes of teams rest squarely on the QB position. The rules of the game have evolved over the years to protect the QB, but they still seem to get hurt at a high rate. A very good team can become a mediocre team with the loss of this key position. Here in Kansas City, our amazing young QB, Patrick Mahomes, was injured a few weeks ago, and our prospects for continued success dropped significantly while he was out. We would be happy if our back-up could win even one game. Every team faces this same possibility. Baseball is my favorite sport, and things are much different. In baseball, a team can lose their best player, and actually get better. Take a look at the Washington Nationals, who just won the World Series. Last year, they said good-bye to arguably the best player in the game, Bryce Harper. Harper signed a huge contract in free agency and went to the Phillies. With Harper, the Nationals never made the World Series. In fact, they had a series of very disappointing post-season failures. But after letting Harper walk, they won the World Series. Another good example would be the St. Louis Cardinals. A year after Albert Pujols left for the Los Angeles Angels, the Cardinals made it to the 2013 World Series...they got better without him. Football is described as the ultimate team sport...but in fact, it isn't. One guy...the QB...has far too much influence on a team's success. So the back-up QB position is all the more crucial for a team. You hope you never have to see him play, but chances are he will, so he'd better be a good one.
*******************************************************************************
Another random thought...not classical music related at all. The rule of law does not protect women from sexual assault. Many of the recently publicized cases such as Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court hearings, showed this. The rule of law is the bedrock of our democracy. Evidence, and due process are essential. But in most cases, men are cagey enough to operate in ways that leave no trace...there will not be any evidence. It will be a "he said vs. she said" case. And dudes like Kavanaugh will go free. I'm not saying he was guilty. I'm just saying that our laws and practices make it almost impossible for women who have been assaulted to win these types of cases. The rule of law is the best thing we have, but it is far from perfect.
********************************************************************************
I heard this on Sirius XM Radio tonight, on the Spa Channel 68. Spa plays mostly ambient music, which I listen to a lot of. I had not heard of this group, nor the song Mike Mills. I instantly liked it. It has a very "Bach" type of sound. Enjoy.
One of my greatest, shining moments playing music occurred in the Spring of 1982. I was seventeen years old. We moved to Omaha in the Summer of 1980, and I joined the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra. David Hagy was the Music Director, as well as my violin instructor. Maestro Hagy had a natural ability to communicate with young people...he had the right balance of motivator, disciplinarian and friend. He shaped a diverse group of young musicians into a well oiled machine who played with confidence and attitude. In June of 1982, we embarked on a tour of the East Coast, playing concerts in Des Moines, IA, Indianapolis, IN, Morgantown WV, and Washington, DC. We also attended concerts at Kennedy Center in DC, Lincoln Center in NY, and the Mann Center in Philadelphia. We saw Pinchas Zukerman, Robert Craft, and Eugene Ormandy. (holy shit...I get goosebumps just typing this all these years later!) We returned to Omaha for our final concert on June 18, 1982. As it so happens, my parents had a small cassette recorder, and they recorded the performance of Scheherazade. The tape was in a box for 37 years, until last week when my mom found it and took it to a local shop and had it digitized. The link is below. I couldn't help help getting emotional when I heard it. A lifetime ago....a bunch of teenagers made some great music. Enjoy.
6-18-82 Concert at UNO [not the Orpheum] (Friday)
Fanfare for Brass & Percussion Donald Erb
Academic Festival Overture Brahms
Adagio for Strings Barber
Suite for Chamber Orchestra (from both suites) Stravinsky
Just a few short thoughts for you this evening. One of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas that I like the most, and that often comes into my head while I am running is the Sonata no. 21, also known as the Waldstein. From the opening bar, or the "get go" as old timers might say, this Sonata is off and running.
Two intersecting thoughts this week. One....my ability to move...to walk...to control my body on my own. My mom has a friend who just moved into a nursing home. She can't move on her own. Diabetes and time have taken her mobility away. She lives a life requiring assistance to do anything. She is placed on the toilet with great difficulty and often left there for long periods before someone comes to help place her back in her bed. Her legs don't work. Her room has bed bugs. Cheryl and I went to see the Kansas City Ballet this weekend. The feature production was Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, but the two preceding dances were Tulips and Lobster, and Petal. Petal was my favorite, The music is by Philip Glass and Thomas Montgomery Newman.
Watching the incredible dancers of the KC Ballet, I was reminded of the stark contrast between the unbelievable power, strength and grace of these dancers and the sad state of my mom's friend. God help me if I ever find myself in her position. I give thanks every day for my health...my ability to RUN, to feed myself and move about planet Earth without anyone's help.
The music of the dance called Petal is great. Here is a clip form the Atlanta Ballet's production of Petal. (No offense Atlanta, but KC was better!)
