Tales from the mosh pit .......

I can only assume it was the warm summer's night that caused that mosh pit to be so sweaty. It wasn't a huge crowd, but one with enough intensity that I swear the man-made beach barge we were on started to rock .... and I don't mean figuratively. The headlining act had just started their opening number with everything I expected from my mental checklist:

Great drummer, check.
Guitarist armed with a Les Paul and a Marshall, check.
Slammin' bass player, check.
Two saxophonists that appear to be no older than 14, um OK.
and of course, the Trombonist ..... Trombonist ???

This my friends is what a show with Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews looks like. A musical gumbo of New Orleans funk, R&B, and some good old distortion. Like many NOLA artists, Shorty picked up an instrument at a very young age. He became a force on both trombone and trumpet, but settled on the larger piece of plumbing. Although his early years were spent on the streets playing the traditional jazz you would expect from a young trombonist, he didn't follow the usual career path. His 2010 release "Backatown" marks the creation of the aforementioned blend that is Shorty's sound. He has released 2 more albums since, 2011's "For True" and "Say That to Say This" just a few months ago. The man's resume also includes appearances as a guest artist with Lenny Kravitz, U2, and the Zac Brown Band.

If New York is my wife, then New Orleans would be my mistress, and Shorty is one of many reasons my fidelity is soiled. His music draws from his city's heritage and creates something familiar yet completely fresh. So enough of my babble and onto the music ..... I suggest a location where you can turn it up, perhaps to eleven.

No, it's not like driving a train ..... tips for the conductor.

My first opportunity to conduct a recording session arrived like most opportunities, without warning. This was one of my first orchestrating gigs and the composer informed me he would conduct the session. On the car ride to the studio, he revealed that he may have consumed one too many Valium and perhaps I was the more lucid choice to conduct the 40 piece ensemble. Now, I wasn't particularly nervous about the reception of my orchestration, however this was a different situation. I had obviously spent some time with the minute long composition so I had a feel for it, but there was one catch. We were recording a slow and emotional piece without a click track, and the only visual hit point was about 54 seconds in. There were no punches or streamers (like mile markers so you know where you are) to guide me, so the success of my conducting debut came down to some luck. We ended up doing quite a few takes to nail it but the musicians were very supportive and spared me the New York jaded attitude. We got a great take with the correct timings and all was well. Afterwords a few of the players told me they really wanted to do a great job, simply because of my positive attitude towards the session. Treating musicians with respect goes a long way. I'm guessing they've had one too many Toscanini wannabes walk onto the podium and showcase what they were working on in therapy. Those players comments have stuck with me for over 20 years and have influenced how I run my sessions even now. I tend to keep the attitude light so humor is a mainstay, however I do take both myself and the music seriously. After all our goal is a great performance so I will break out the whip when needed, but respectfully.

Jocularity alone is not enough to lead a session successfully, so here are a few other tips that have served me well over hundreds of recording sessions:

1. Raise the height of every music stand before the players arrive: At first glance you may not see the wisdom in this practice. Often musicians are sight reading the music so ideally the conductor and the sheet music should both be in the line of sight of the instrumentalists. However the conductor podium tends to be much higher than floor level and music stands are always placed in their lowest position. So if you don't raise them everyone's face is buried in the stand and not looking your way.

2. Diplomacy: Someone in the 2nd Violin section is consistently out of tune on a particular note, and you know exactly who it is. I don't recommend calling that person out. I will spread the blame a little and say, "2nd Violins, we seem to have a disagreement about where that A is in bar 15".

3. Cracking the Whip: I've done many a 9:30 or 10 am sessions. This is a time period musicians are biologically opposed to. Take that, and add less than challenging music, and it's nap time. Keep an ear out for uninspired performances when recording fairly simple stuff. If you're working with first call players, it's not that unusual at an early hour of the day that boredom sets in. In this situation, I usually tell everyone to stop sleepwalking and give a little something to the performance.

4. Rehearsal skills: GET SOME!! I have been a spectator to a few sessions wherein just playing the whole piece over and over was considered rehearsing. If there is a specific passage that needs work, focus on that. "I'd like to hear trumpets from bar 16 to 20, the rhythm isn't tight in bar 19". I'll even repeat a single bar over and over, maybe start with a slower tempo and increase as we start to fix the errors.

5. Be clear and concise: You should have an idea of what you want from the performance before the sessions even starts. This way any questions can be dealt with quickly. Keep the answers short and to the point. Remember time is money so knowing what you want and communicating it well is important. There will always be things that may cause a session take longer than planned, you shouldn't be one of them. A Trombonist once told me "Man for your sessions, I can put the money in the meter and know I'll be out before the hour runs out".

Here's a great glimpse into a symphonic rehearsal with Leopold Stokowski, he's a pinch more serious than I would be.

The satirical music of Tom Lehrer

There would be no Weird Al Yankovic, Garfunkel and Oats, or South Park musical numbers without Tom Lehrer. Surprisingly most of you reading this have never heard of him. For my money he was the greatest musical satirist of the 20th century. At first glance, Tom Lehrer would seem an unlikely candidate for this mantle. His Harvard mathematics degrees, faculty position at MIT, or the stint at the NSA aren't normally found on the resumes of most comics. If you think about it, he's the perfect candidate. It takes a logical mind to see the hypocrisy, the ridiculousness, and all the humorous faults of the human condition. As if all these accomplishments weren't enough, Lehrer claims to have invented the "Jell-O shot" while in the Army. 

Few subjects were off limits for him. He tackled race in "National Brotherhood Week", religion in "Vatican Rag", nuclear proliferation in "Who's Next", and American militarism in "Send The Marines". He didn't always choose political subjects, some of his songs were just meant to be fun. "The Elements" is a Walter White periodic table lyric on Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major General's Song". "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" is a dark comedic waltz. "The Masochism Tango" is an ode to S&M (yes kinky sex did exist in the 50's kids). In the quite clever "I Got it from Agnes", he sings about the "carnal flu" without ever mentioning any STD. When you take a step back and ponder what was culturally taboo at this time, his work is even more amazing. In many ways he was an Ivy league musical version of Lenny Bruce without the profanity. In the later era of his career he wrote some fantastic songs for PBS's The Electric Company including "L-Y" and "Silent E". If you were of that age in the 70's, you will be transported back in front of your old console TV while wearing your PJ's as soon as you hear them. 

Then like a song and dance Salinger, he completely disappeared as a musical entity. It appears he just got bored, wanted to focus on teaching mathematics and musical theater. He is still alive at age 85 and I imagine still making some lucky folks laugh. The rest of us will have to be content with the brilliant collection of work he has graced us with. 

Although most of his material is eligible for an AARP card, it still has teeth as a commentary on our society. Now I can't guarantee his material still offends, but I wouldn't blast this playlist in the office.

"You can't be satirical and not be offensive to somebody" ~ Tom Lehrer

Artist as muse

There are countless ways I foster my inspiration. One of my favorites is through other artists. Not just from the work, but from listening to their insights on what they create. Music is my religion and from time to time I like a good "fire and brimstone" sermon to flick the switch on a few dormant brain cells. This is not exclusive to artists I really love. Just because someone's work doesn't resonate with me doesn't mean a technique or viewpoint of theirs wouldn't be an asset in my own creations. I highly recommend scouring YouTube and the web at large for insights from all types of artists to expand your own creative horizons.

One artist I am a fan of is Daniel Lanios. He is one of the most talented producers music has seen in the last 35 years. During his career he has worked with Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and created iconic recordings with both U2 and Peter Gabriel. He released many of his own albums and scored several films including the highly acclaimed Slingblade. I stumbled across this interview a few days ago and could not wait to share it. I hope you find it as rich a resource as I have. For those of you that aren't musicians, it's an interesting peek behind the curtain of creativity. Consider yourself forewarned though, there will be naked women involved in the interview.





What I found most striking about this interview is how many "Big Picture" career pointers he touched upon during the 40 minute conversation. Here are the points that struck me:

• How to build a career: just work with as many people as possible 
• Making connections: you have no idea who will introduce you to Brian Eno
• Your studio is a laboratory: don't rely on past successes, move forward, experiment
• Realize your weaknesses, educate yourself: you will create more when those holes are filled
• Preparation: never walk into any situation blind if at all possible
• Idea Orphanage: from beats, to hooks, to lyrics - a good home will come to those ideas
• Strive for originality: for Lanios it's the reason he wakes up in the morning
• Soundtrack music as a supportive element: a great way to learn musical restraint 

Chavela Vargas

For many of us the mere mention of Mexican music evokes some negative emotions. We're just trying to enjoy our sizzling fajitas and table-side guacamole in peace, yet an uninvited serenade of Mariachi gives us the heartburn we hoped to avoid. Thankfully Mexico has a rich musical catalog far beyond Mariachi. I would like to introduce you to whom I believe is the soul of Mexican music, singer Chavela Vargas.

The long life Vargas led reads like a great novel. She was born in Costa Rica in 1919, yet became the voice of Mexico. She often dressed as a man and smoked cigars. Traveled in artistic circles with the likes of artist Diego Rivera and singer Jose Jimenez. She claims to have had an affair with Rivera's wife, the great Frida Kahlo. She disappeared from performing in the late 70's due to her alcohol addiction, but then returned in the early 90's. She died at age 93 in 2012.

Much of her music focused on the Ranchera genre, which is a vocal accompanied by a guitar. Simple, but not simplistic. In the early years, her voice was smooth and sinful like a fine Bordeaux, but as life took it's toll it evolved into a bottom shelf Rusty Nail, (that's Scotch & Drambuie for you teetotalers). Her later work is incredibly haunting. When she sings a song at 88 she once performed at 30, it now carries all the baggage of an artists life. Even if you barely managed a C in your high school Spanish class, you'll understand the song's message. I chose to start and end the playlist with the tragic folk song La Llorona. Take note to the drastically different moods between the early and later performances.

So as Summer disappears I'll open a Corona, close my eyes, and let her music transport me to some small village in the Yucatan. I hope her music will transport you too.

Who Dat ???

I can not think of a city with a greater connection between its people and its musical heritage than New Orleans, Louisiana. Now this may seem odd coming from a New York musician. It's true that every New Yorker is required by the city charter to believe this city is above all others, and I often subscribe to that megalomanic foundation. Sure our city can lay claim to a long list of musical milestones, however music is not an integral part of every New Yorker's life. You can go about your day as a dry cleaner, a chef, or a Wall Street weasel, and not be touched by music. This musical ignorance is impossible in New Orleans, it's everywhere. The love of music seems to be a New Orleanian birthright that's embraced by every generation. I wish we had such a phenomenon in NYC. Frankly I'm jealous. This, among many other qualities, make New Orleans my favorite city in America. I could try and paint you a detailed portrait of what this unconditional relationship with music looks like, but someone has already done a more masterful job than I ever could. That man is David Simon, and the instructional vehicle is Treme.

David Simon is best known for creating what many believe to be the greatest television series ever, The Wire. In 2010 David's New Orleans centric drama Treme premiered to critical acclaim. Although the focus of this series is to highlight the incredible challenges faced by the people of New Orleans after Katrina, it shines as equally an intense light on the city's rich musical culture. You will be introduced to much of the city's great talent from the present and the past, plus many great neighborhoods not listed in your Fodor's guide. So if you think of New Orleans as nothing more than the bare breasts and regurgitating frat boys on Bourbon Street, you are about to have your eyes opened very wide.

Sadly, the show will end its run with a 4th and final season this Fall. I highly recommend finding a good recipe for red beans and rice, grab some Abita beer, and lose an entire weekend with some serious binge viewing. Until then, here is an amuse-busche of the musical buffet that's in store for you.

Friend or Foe ???

Today's topic has nothing to do with music, but could have a greater impact on your career than your talent will. Your attitude towards those that hire you might not make your reputation, but it can ruin it. Here is a rather important concept to keep in mind ......

Your client is not the enemy.

As a composer for TV, film, or advertising, you will be creating music for people that may have a very difficult time articulating what they want. Uneducated suggestions may be offered. Perhaps extensive hand holding must be provided. Much of your time could be spent creating examples of what you believe won't work, simply to prove to everyone what doesn't work. If this process has you researching ways to torture your clients, that negativity will create a wedge between you both. "Why won't they just listen to me??? I toured with Bowie, man!!!" .... no one cares. You've been hired as a partner in this project, not a condescending expert. You want to be remembered as the knowledgeable guide that helped navigate the jungle, not as the overgrown vegetation they had to hack through.

This same principle applies if you are an orchestrator. Perhaps the composer has never worked with an orchestra and is beyond nervous. You want to explain the process, not be dismissive of suggestions, and put them at ease. Instrumentalists face the same challenges. Every horn player I have ever worked with has stories about the session with some clueless guy asking him to do the impossible. You can be the cause of their musical PTSD, or be the hero that contributed to some great music. The trash heap of promising careers is overflowing with bad attitudes. Those with great success have embraced this reality, and strive to make the experience as positive as possible.