Markham Elementary OMHOF Aaron Meyer Music Education Assembly.

The Classical Crossover Music Education Program is basically a 40-minute assembly-style programwhere classically-trained violinist Aaron Meyer demonstrates the connections and differences between Classical Music and his own original, modern music, using a traditional violin and a modern electric violin with digital studio effects. Meyer performs throughout the presentation, showing how his original compositions begin with classical music and utilize modern methods of improvisation. Meyer then takes questions from students. Read more about this great program HERE to find out how you can help.

That’s Markham Elementary’s Principal, Shawn Garrett, with Aaron, striking a pose right before the assembly. About 420 students were on hand to see how music works its magic.

Part of the Assembly fun is checking out  the sophisticated, computer-controlled studio equipment Aaron brings with him. We don’t think it will take very long for this tech-savvy generation to get the hang of how it all works. In the photo above, it’s the effects processor that grabbed their attention.

This assembly was on March 18th. Not only was the Markam K-5 in attendance but also  Jen Hughes, who is a family advocate for Head Start, had 2 classes of the pre-school kids in attendance for the assembly.

And a huge THANK-YOU to the Markham Elementary PTA for their generous $300 to support our assemblies.

BUSY SPRING FOR THE  OMHOF-AARON MEYER ASSEMBLY PROGRAMS

We really enjoyed the OMHOF Aaron Meyer Assembly at Raleigh Elementary on March 21, 2013. Here are some super moments we know you’ll enjoy taking a look at , as well.

Right to left: Amy P. Music Workshop, Amy Richter Music Workshop, Principal Glen Rutherford, Janeen Rundle OMHOF

SONGWRITING, THE PROCESS ~ Michele Van Kleef

Songwriting. It happens in many places, many ways.Scrap paper, nice paper, envelope, napkin, iPhone. A song idea pops into my head.

Midnight, late night, midday, early morning, afternoon. A song idea pops into my head.

In bed, in a car, in the shower, on an airplane, on the couch at home. A song idea pops into my head.

As I begin to write about songwriting, I immediately fall into my own kind of songwriting pattern. Most composed music is organized in some kind of a “form” recognizable anywhere from classical orchestration to rock bands, i.e. the simple A B A form or the slightly more complex A B A B C A B. It’s the way the song is read and talked about by the musicians: the “A” being the verse, the “B” known as the chorus and the “C” the bridge, for example.

Rhythm plays a large part for me in writing songs. It’s like a puzzle. Every piece, each syllable has to fit into its own little part of the form. Many times I have written the lyrics to the song with the pattern of rhythm first, without any idea what the music part or melody will be.

I sat for months on a song that I wrote on my iPhone while on an airplane, a complete poem with no melody or chords to speak of until one day on my front porch when the right chord on my guitar hit me. I played the chord and immediately knew it had the perfect mood and feel for THAT particular song’s character. So I played around with a few other chords that made sense to my ears and created the chord progression (the underlying chord order that is also in a pattern.) Then I started singing and editing and readjusting the melody to fit the song that was developing almost as if it was pouring out of me on its own. It was the story of a very difficult couple of days in my life. I found myself crying while singing the lyrics to my newfound melody with the perfectly moody underlying chords. It was an afternoon I will never forget, the song came together after brewing and not pushing. This song became the title track of my new record, After All.

The Verses of the song are the vehicle that tells the story, gives more detail, has a beginning, middle and an end. There is a similar recurring rhythm so the words fit over the chord progression and often involves rhyming, which can be really fun or complete torture depending on the word. The verse is probably most similar to story writing.

The Chorus, however, is the over-arching umbrella, the message and theme of the whole song, the thesis that just keeps coming back. It’s usually the same throughout and repeated (sometimes at nauseum in certain Pop songs) in order to tie the song together. Some of the best songs in the world are due to their catchy, earworm-causing chorus! Of course there can be many exceptions, like where one line of the chorus is changed slightly each time. I did this in one of my songs trying to be more crafty and creative, only to find it impossible to remember the different line each time I sang the chorus in a live setting! To this day I feel like a cheater and have settled in to repeating the chorus the exact same way each time, unlike the recording. Maybe one day I will actually memorize my own lyrics.

Then there’s the elusive Bridge. In teaching songwriting to my students, I actually love explaining the concept of the bridge. It’s the part of the song that’s not like the others, but it still fits into the song beautifully, usually bridging the chorus to the last verse. It can be done in so many different ways, but as a few of my students have said, “Oh, that’s my favorite part of the song!” The bridge is not a requirement. I have songs with and also without. That’s the fun part of songwriting, there really are no steadfast rules. There are lots and lots of ideas and examples out there to learn from.

Just the other day, I was discussing the difference between storywriting and songwriting with one of my fresh new 7^th grade music students, who has the most amazing imagination I may have ever come across. She has such insight for such a young person. She said that what sets songwriting apart from other writing styles is that a songwriter does need to have some kind of musical talent as well as a great imagination in order to put words that so often tell a sad story to music, changing that sadness into a thing of beauty. Well said, Miss Schultz, well said.

 

Michele is working out some fresh moves with Tim Ellis. He is producing her forthcoming collection of songs. More HERE.

If you are picking, it follows you’ll be grinning. Just can’t help it. Brooks Robertson and I settled in at Mountain Air  for a session that involved lots of goofball antics and some serious discussion on what it means to do “finger style ” guitar. Wiki describes it like this: “the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers”.  ~Inessa

But for the full sound, check out our conversation and! two songs at the end. Brooks gives a nod to some artists in the genre who have influenced him. His mentor Buster B. Jones, and  Chet Atkins and more recently Vancouver musician John Standefer, among them. Check out the Buster video, below.

That finger-pointing thingie I ask Brooks about is a great trick. Brooks explains how it’s done in our convo. One of many things that brings a grin of joy to fans. It’s a trick he took from  consummate entertainerTommy Emmanuel.

I admit to a fair bit of envy when I see how some of us can pinpoint our lives in such a direct path! I mean, how good is that, to say “YES! Here’s who I am.”  To know, unequivocally, that it’s music you can and must do. Liking too that Naomi gives herself lots of room to breathe inside this definition and that she  looks for small, everyday bits of life for much of her inspiration. It’s what makes songs like her “My Superman” work so well. Check it out inside our conversation below. ~Inessa 

The piano and keyboard await! Both Naomi and I did the classic piano training during our kid days at almost exactly a piano like the one above. Upright, and wonderfully worn. The keyboard is reflective of some new ideas swimming around in Naomi’s head right now: a mix of old and new tech.

Before we turn on the bright lights at Mountain Air, a soundcheck. Naomi brought that little  beauty to the session on her back. (Well, in the back seat of her car actually!)  Nice to be mobile.

I hadn’t talked with Naomi since her debut album came out last year. Loads to catch up on. There are some fresh collaborations in the works that include Matt Brown and Josh Malm! And a new album starts to take shape this month!

Naomi LIve!

There’s a headliner evening coming up April 19th at JImmy Mak’s with Matt Brown opening.  Get info on other shows Naomi’s got on the list here.

This 2K 5K 10K & Kid’s Fun Walk supports the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and fights to Keep Portland Weird!

2ND ANNUAL SUPERHERO FUN RUN 2K 5K 10K & WALK KIDS UNDER 9 ARE FREE … RED CAPE – FIRST 200 WHO BUY TICKETS ONLINE GET ONE FREE COLLECTABLE RED CAPE – VISIT WEBSITE FOR DETAILS.

Latest on Laura

The big theme here is to do music, sure, but there are a few “takeaways”. Start with the Macklemore Thrift Shop Parody for Albertina Kerr Centers.  And a few dates to add to the calendar, below. ~Inessa

How It All Began

God, I love smart women. Makes me realize I have so much more to learn in lots of areas. There’s a new direction for Laura. Maybe you’ve seen her behind an acoustic guitar, but the new EP capitalizes on a rich collaboration with Keith Schreiner. Follow along in our conversation. And then, don’t miss a few important dates where things are happening with Laura. The 1st Annual Oregon Women’s Conference is coming up May 9th.  And the EP release party happens June 7th at the Star Theatre

A Facebook post from Jack McMahon caught my attention and I got his permission to post it here and spread around some of those pearls of wisdom; some not so obvious and others just good because they bear repeating. ~Inessa

Jack McMahon on Pursuing the Noble Calling of Music

I’ve been a singer/songwriter and band leader for decades now and I have a few observations to share, if anyone is interested. These are not meant to criticize or to complain about anyone. I’ve been blessed throughout my career to play with musicians who have made these lessons clear to me in one way or another. I try to incorporate them into my own musicianship, sometimes more successfully than at others, but I always try to learn from mistakes and to grow as an artist and a performer. I hope these suggestions might serve as some helpful food for thought. You can disregard or take them to heart as you please. In my view these are some traits that set apart a great performer, musician, accompanist or bandmate from the rest:

Nine Tips for Pros

1.) Show up on time. Being late is disrespectful of everyone concerned i.e, bandmates, club owner, and audience.

2.) Make sure your gear works. If you’ve been having some intermittent equipment problems get them fixed before the next gig. Cables, switches, tubes, buzzes, or whatever – don’t allow your preventable (fixable) problem, to kill an otherwise successful gig or session, for everyone.

3.) Play with a sense of “dynamics”. As a singer, I really appreciate a player who allows me and my audience to hear the lead vocal clearly. When it’s time for you to solo, go ahead and play loud if you want, it’s your spotlight, but afterward, return to a reasonable volume. A singer can only achieve nuances of style if he or she can hear what they’re doing beyond the stark basics of time and pitch.

4.) Listen to the vocal. If the singer is trying to execute some intricate phasing, this is not the time to show off your hot licks. Like the pistons & cylinders in a finely tuned engine (in turn), try to fill the holes between key vocal phrases. Otherwise, you are just stepping on each other and confusing the listener. A great “comp” player always understands this, and a good vocalist will welcome the musical dialogue you help to create.

5.) Serve the song. Listen to the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic character of the song and play off of those elements. Throwing your same standard riffs at every tune takes away from any unique qualities the song may possess. Think of how many great songs stand out because of the unique riffs that fit the song’s character so perfectly.

6.) Be ready to keep the energy flowing onstage. Long pauses between songs, while you fuss with this or that, kills any momentum which a set may have going for it. It really makes a difference in holding your audience’s attention, especially on the dance floor!

7.) Be a team player. Listen to everybody else in the band. Don’t bury them with your loudness or your busyness . A great ensemble performance is like an interesting conversation. You state most thoughtfully when you have listened well.

8.) Be positive and leave your “rough day” behind you. It’s liable to bring the gig and everybody else down. For the most part, we’re all there to get away from our troubles and stress, and to have a good time. So if you’re not having fun, do your best to fake it.

9.) Be available to rehearse new material. It keeps life fresh and interesting for everyone (including yourself) to master new songs. Your audience deserves it. Emailing sound files (as a substitute for rehearsal) is impersonal and doesn’t allow for that “give and take” and “trial and error” in the way that live rehearsal on the floor does. Rehearsing demonstrates that you continue to care and to grow as an artist, even as it helps to build real chemistry between the players. All of our lives are busy and it’s hard sometimes to make the time for this, but a little bit goes a long way to breed results, and to show that you really do care about the part you have chosen to play in a given musical undertaking.

Being a musician is perhaps as noble a calling as any life has to offer. There is no greater feeling in the world (okay, maybe just one) than that magic that happens when a band is playing greater (and thus, sounding better) than the sum of it’s parts. This is not a complete list and I may not have stated anything above, that you didn’t already know or feel, but if nothing else, I’m glad I reminded myself of some of the things great players do that continue to bring me joy.

It was Steven Tyler’s birthday on Tuesday and he was (Gasp!) turning 65. Over on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper it was a disastrous effort to turn this into some sort of humorous story about “aging rockstars”. Doesn’t any self-respecting 65 year old WANT to retire? Gag me, as someone once said. 

It’s long been traditional for music-makers to, well, MAKE the music into what ever age. That’s why it’s refreshing to see it begin at an early age. Who doesn’t love a prodigy? I also am pleased to say that Savanna understands the history of her favorite predecessors and still, activators.

Tom Blaylock  is Savanna’s voice teacher and Bill Harkleroad, the guitar teacher!! And incredibly supportive parents complete the triple threat.

A real thrill, all the way around.  Check out our conversation, below. And the video that first caught my attention. ~Inessa

Collaboration is key! Post SXSW in Austin and St. Paddy’s gigs in Portland, Josh is thinking of gathering up a..band! Sounds like getting back to the roots to me. Catch our conversation at Mountain Air Studios, below. He offers up 2 songs, so don’t miss that..and more detes on Josh’s gigs? HERE. you go.    ~Inessa

Josh in the Listening Room. He’s in a collaborative mood, and I know there’s that “band” dealie concept around the corner, so we grab the opp to be bare-bone.

Michele and Tim are setting the music in motion at Kung Fu Bakery Recording. It’s a great studio found right off  the cozy and busy Division Street neighborhood at 36th They’d already had 4 sessions at the studio in the last weeks. Michele is heading into a more organic and stripped down feel for her upcoming album. A really intimate and sparse sweet spot.   And Tim is very insistent on giving it a timeless feel when they get ready to record the tracks. That means not overly produced when I hear him say that. ~Inessa

P.S. You can catch Michele in action this Saturday night (3/23) at Jimmy Mak’s! The irrepressible Andrew Paul Woodworth is on the bill as well.

Sitting inside the front entrance to Kung Fu Bakery Recording means settling in for a conversation about the journey so far. (Pink Martini were set up for their own session work, so I let  iPhone catch the sound.)

Tim told me he doesn’t like to talk about himself that much. So let me. He’s such an accomplished guitar player, I almost feel ridiculous in describing him that way. (O hang on, I take it back: he actually describes himself as a “guitar god”) But he also IS Kung Fu Bakery. And then there’s that place called Eugenio’s right next door from the studio. Go there for food AND music. Tim’s got that cozy Division and 36th corner covered.