Final Thoughts

I was thinking more about something I posted to the group blog a month or two ago... I have had 3 women piano teachers, 3 male organ teachers,  3 female cello teachers, and all male composition teachers.  I've also concluded with this; I would like to experience a female organ teacher and a female composition teacher.  However, I have no desire to study cello or piano with a man. I have no idea why, though.  Perhaps it is because I do prefer women teachers to men?  It seems that with the exception of composition, the performers I most admire are women.  Compositionally speaking I think it would just be interesting to have a female perspective, but most of the composers I enjoy are (unfortunately?) men. The "innovators" of composition that we study are almost always men...Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Messiaen, Schoenberg etc... So now, do we overlook women as "innovators" because they are women, or have they been less "innovative" because of the restrictions put on women by society throughout history.  There are no female composition or theory teachers listed on the Peabody or Yale websites. The one major exception being Jennifer Higdon at the Curtis Institute.  But look at the voice faculty her at Westminster Choir College.  The majority are Women, as are the piano faculty and while there were previously 2 women heads of the organ department, now there are no women on the organ department. The overall perspective or question then is; does there need to be a male or female professor in a certain department, or, as one would hope, are the candidates selected the best in their field regardless of gender.

I found it very interesting over the course of this year learning more about the complex person that is Nadia Boulanger.  I first remember hearing about this woman in my freshman composition class with Dr. Young.  He always had an entertaining story to tell about his studies with her including climbing the castle into her office window because he couldn't fine the right door into the castle.  It wasn't until further research that I discovered her influence on the musical world and some of the greatest composers of the 20th century.  She seems to have had a particular bond with Aaron Copeland.  She even premiered his organ symphony on her American Tour.

This past summer I had the great opportunity to study in Paris with the European American Musical Alliance and will do so again this summer.  The teachings of the program are rooted in the teachings of Nadia boulanger and she has been a heavy influence on my compositional studies.  She is greatly revered and I have gathered a great amount of respect for her.

It wasn't until this school year that I learned of the her "other side" if you will and her ill support of women composers.  While she would teach women, it seems that she didn't encourage it and would play "matchmaker" among her male and female students.  It's quite ironic, considering the support she gave to her younger sister.  But I suppose her early death took quite a toll on Nadia.

This week we talked about women in the U.S. I found it interesting that studying in Europe was the thing to do (makes perfect sense) back then and still is today...our organ department is planning a trip to Germany and I personally am hoping to study in paris again this summer. There's just so much history and so much more appreciation for music....even more enlightening was the fact that the cincitati conservatory was founded by a women!! It was also interesting to think about women having their own orchestras and choirs because they were barred from being in "professional" orchestras...it's such a strange concept to me!

In the chapter we previously read I believe it talked about Maryn Aslop. Having been so close to Baltimore I frequently heard the BSO. Apparently the orchestra really dislikes her, which is unfortunate since I think she's fabulous to watch. Furthermore she's marketing the shit out of the BSO and they really need that!!!!! I've always preferred women conductors and teachers (and pastors for that matter). I feel like they are able to teach and convey information (to me) much more effectively...especially in choir! Maybe it's a motherly thing? I find dr QUIST to be much more maternal and supportive in her teaching of music.

Also I'm a complete moron and thought Ruth Crawford Seeger was still alive... I swear Dr. Mirchindani said she was "interviewing her for my book!" but alas I DEFINITELY heard wrong.....

Should have done this yesterday...

I pretty much completely forgot to blog by yesterday at 11 or whatever...hopefully this will still count...

Well, the last 2 class periods and chapters in our book have been very interesting! We're finally getting into time periods and people that we're all a bit more familiar with and it's been nice to see everyone discussing more in class...we covered the 19th and very early 20th centuries and found very familiar names and quite a bit of new ones.  I was particularly intrigued by the composer Louise Bertin (1805-1877).  She composed several operas, of which some were produced at the Opera Comique in Paris (quite a feat for women composer of that time period!).  Two of her Opera's include Fausto (based on Goethe's "Faust" and La Esmeralda based on the Hunchback of Notre Dame, for which Victor Hugo himself wrote the libretto. Louise Bertin is apparently the only composer in history to have collaborated directly with Hugo on an Opera. Pretty impressive!

On another note...I'm excited to start research on the paper for Women in Music due at the end of the semester. I've decided to write about Clara Schumann!  I'm very interested in this sort of wonder woman of music! Child Prodigy, composer, mother, wife, patron, teacher. AHH! I would love to really focus on her piano concerto, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much information on it (I find it way more interesting than Robert's), however, I have asked the library to FIND A COPY SO I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully something will turn up soon.

To nun or not to nun...

This week in Women in Music we discussed the pros and cons of being a nun vs. a courtesan in the 15-1600's...both had viable options, however being a nun would be much safer! Thankfully most of us are not faced with such decisions today.  You could choose to be an educated courtesan with you own life, and the ability to have sex (WITH ADDED RISK OF DISEASE!!!) or choose solitude away from civilization but with all necessities provided and limited risk of disease ;-)  At least today we can sort of have our cake and eat it too. I was glad to discover the greater ability of women to perform (especially in opera etc.)  I don't particularly care for counter tenor voices, or boy choirs for that matter...

I also was pleased to read that women were now able to become music teachers!  To this day, I usually prefer women teachers...I also prefer women pastors...(cough cough, catholic church)...

Women Composers

This was a week filled with "women in music!" In class we've progressed to women during the renaissance.  In my "engaging analysis" class, taught by professor Carey, we we're discussing a work for voice and piano by Josephine Lang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_lang), a contemporary of Schumann and the Mendelssohns.  Dr. Carey promptly turned the class into a discussion of women during this time and women composers.  We discussed the acceptability of a female composing piano pieces but not in composing orchestral works. We also brought up the fact that Felix published many of Fanny's works under his name, not to profit from it and sell it as his own, but to have her music be made available to the world.  For the next class we were told to listen and research a female composer.  I chose Karen Amrhein.

I had the privilege of performing with an orchestra Ms. Amrhein's "Symphony of Seasons." It's quite a lovely piece of music, and I find I enjoy listening to it now, much more than I did playing it several years ago...my how much I've grown! Symphony of Seasons is 4 movements and begins with Autumn, progressing through winter, spring and summer with a return to the Theme of the 1st mvt (autumn) to represent the cyclical nature of the seasons.  Karen is an alumni of the Peabody Conservatory and holds a Bachelor's degree in Medieval History from the University of California, San Diego.

Chapters 1-3

After all this bad weather, we're finally starting to get into the swing of things and this week we discussed the 1st three chapters of our Women in Music book.  One student commented that at times it can be a bit abrasive (as a male) to read this book, and our professor continued by saying that the author(s) are products of the second wave of feminism.  I have to agree with him, that at times it is a bit abrasive. But this book also holds a lot of valuable information, and has taught me much even in just the first few chapters.  I'm fortunate, if you will, to have been born a white, male.  But I'm also gay. I'm very thankful for that, as to gain some understanding of lack of equality (among other struggles).  The thought had never occurred to me that women of the middle ages would choose to go to a convent to avoid child birth and being considered a man's property. Think how much the gained by doing this; the ability to read, MUSIC, and a host of other opportunities. It's silly, I guess, to think that there will never be someone who things lower of you because you're gender, race, sexuality etc (although it would be very nice!), but I've been watching this great PBS series about Auschwitz (praise be to netflix!!) and after each episode, Linda Ellerbee holds a short discussion with specialists related to that episode.  After one, the director of the National Holocaust Museum said something like: "life is the continuous struggle to build a better world." He was speaking in particular about equality, and I think he is right and it's completely worth the struggle!

Women in Music class 2

Well, the school got it's sense together and actually CANCELED classes today so nobody would DIE. This means no women in music today. :-(  As happy as I am that classes were canceled, I was looking forward to our first discussion meeting! From our text (women and music) we were to read the preface and first chapter.  While I didn't completely agree with all that was mentioned in the 1st chapter, it will be exciting to get more familiar with the idea's proposed and the discussions to follow.  I personally haven't had much exposure to the idea of women in music, save for some discussion in Professor Leonard's Music Since 1900 class, and the theoretical and compositional worship of Nadia Boulanger.  I think it will be exciting to look at women as performers and teachers...it's interesting because as a cellist, all my teachers have been women, and with the exception of Rostropovich and Steven Isserlis, most performers I listen to are women.  All of my piano teachers have also been women, however, all my organ teachers have been men. I think the organ world (albeit small) is also still a very male dominated one. Maybe that has something to do with the church and the parallelism of organ playing and church music and church participation.  But enough of that for now!

Off to enjoy my snowday, do some readings and watching season 2 of Rick and Steve on Netflix

Women in Music Course

Well the first week of second semester commenced Monday, and yesterday was our first meeting for Women in Music class. I very excited for this class, studying the historical evolution of women in music as performers, composers, advocates etc...and also getting to have a class with KENDRA PRESTON LEONARD!!!!! The discussions should be quite exciting!