MusicalPolymath

Having seen several pieces titled winter, snow, etc with variations on the theme, I started to wonder which is worse: A cliché name, or a boring name. (Yes, I admit that many cliché names are also boring)

Boring Example: Sonata n. 2 in F# Minor

Cliché Example: Snowfall

I find this is a bit of a personal struggle for me when I decide to name something. Is this the piece I want to waste an epic name on? Do I just want to number it and be done? Do I want to use something cliché?

These are the important questions.

This is inspired by the 'podium etiquette' thread.

It made me wonder - I am constantly in a state of flux on how I handle certain time signatures, dynamics, etc, with my hands.

In working with different ensembles, I have had to modify my technique (sometimes drastically) in order to get the group to play together or do what I want.

One example is an ensemble I worked with while in school - low skill but highly determined performers. I spent 80% of the time beating a strict pattern with a very clear ictus, which left me unable to do much else. If I stopped beating to do something else with my hands they would either get lost or stop. It made 'shaping' the music a rather large challenge -

Hi everyone!

After my first month of regular rehearsals with a relatively new SSA choir (They're about a year old and have had one previous director), I have come to reflect on some things that I didn't really expect when I accepted the gig. Some of them are probably pretty obvious, others maybe not so much.

Some background on where I am coming from. I did a 4 year arts degree with a major concentration in music (over half of my credits, after mandatory general credits are removed). Over 5 years (yep, did the victory lap!) I studied my primary instrument (classical guitar), started teaching my own students, was introduced to theory in what can only be constituted as a crash course, learn

Hi everyone,

I have been following a discussion on violinist.com about black/salt n' pepper horsehair vs. white horse hair for violin bows.

As a violist of course I automatically change the word violin in the conversation to viola!

I was wondering what the thoughts of this community are on the matter?

Personally I don't really buy into black horse hair being magically different than 'white' horse hair - most white horse hair is, to my knowledge, bleached. If there is a difference I wonder if it has more to do with what is sorted out for use as 'black' horsehair (mostly for bass bows) and what is sorted out for 'white' horsehair - violin, viola, and cello bows, and the criteria of this

Hello Everyone!

I am the music director of a secular adult women's choir and am currently finalizing my programming for my choirs fall term. Everything is set except a few holiday pieces.

My choir is SSA (But I can get them to do SSAA/SA/SAA) when needed. We are planning on having two sets of music - one is caroling - these will just be lyric sheets - they're meant to be sing along and part singing is not required. This has things such as jingle bells, deck the halls, etc, and the other is concert pieces.

I would like to know if anyone has any recommendations for less common pieces. I am already planning to program:

-Gaudete -Christmas in Killarny -In the Bleak Midwinter -Carol of the