All posts by Zara

This Flamarimba Duo brought to you by Megabus

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Here’s a picture of me, writing this entry on the Megabus (I LOVE Megabus), on my way to DC tonight.


PJ and I are meeting with the awesome Gary Race tomorrow, to start working on a program that will eventually become an in-school performance workshop for elementary schools, under the auspices of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO).

We know Gary through Tales & Scales (how we know each other, btw). Gary directed several Tales & Scales shows, including The Arabian Nights, The Odyssey, The Little Dragon, and for those of you old enough to remember it, The Enchanted Horn. He also is a consultant for the NSO, and helps prepare all of their outreach performances. Oh, and he’s also an opera director and vocal coach. He’s amazing at what he does, so we’re very excited to get to work with him again in this new context.

We know the NSO, or rather, they know us, because PJ was one of the stars of the DC youth orchestra scene, and won, in both 1996 and 1998, their Young Artist Concerto Competition (high school and college divisions, baby).

Our program is going to focus on dance in music, including a tango, a waltz, two menuets, and Soulja Boy Tell’em’s Crank That. The idea being that, in their times and places, the menuet, waltz and tango were as popular as Soulja Boy.

Of course, by the time our shows happen (fall semester of 09-10), Soulja Boy will be so 2007 that we might have to come up with another idea.
I thought maybe that first photo was too serious.

Flute & Marimba Camp Part 3: Demo Session

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Well, the day seemed like it was starting under a cloud of mishaps, when, armed with two GPS devices, a map and downloaded directions, we still got lost on the way to American University.

We finally ended up at AU’s Katzen Arts Center (“you can’t miss it—it’s got all these pink and purple and green sculptures out front”), where we were recording our demo as part of Mike Harvey’s Advanced Studio Techniques Class.

First shout out goes to Mike for inviting us to work with his class, and thereby giving us the opportunity to record in the very very nice AU Katzen Recital Hall. (woot woot!)

Second shout out goes to the boyz in the class (there weren’t any grrlz), Drew, Rob, Matt, and the others that were really helpful but we’re divas and forgot their names. They bent over backwards making the experience victorious. We won! They were so thoughtful about every detail from the mic placement to the note-taking. We can’t wait to hear the finished product.

What we recorded, all in two hours actual recording time:
Ravel: Piece en form de Habanera
Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango (Bordel 1900)
Takemitsu: Toward the Sea (The Night)

Now all we need is a name for our duo. Oh, yeah, and some gigs. Please help us and send suggestions! (And/or hire us for some gigs).

All of the Part

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So, on Friday, PJ & I auditioned for a concert series here in NY (which shall remain nameless so as to minimize jinxes). We offered the following rep:

Bach C Major Sonata
Ravel Habanera
Piazzolla Histoire du Tango (1900 & 1960)
Takemitsu Toward the Sea
Part Spiegel im Spiegel

Now, even though the Part was made famous by the HBO movie Wit, we were pretty sure that was the last piece they would ask for.

So, we started with the Ravel, our choice. They asked for the second movement of the Bach. And then, believe it or not, the Part. And they heard it all: not part of the Part, the whole 7 meditative minutes of it. Seriously, not what you would expect from an audition committee.

In other audition news, the maintenance guys at the building were very accommodating and gave us a giant bucket on wheels in which to transport the marimba:

There it is, all of the parts in parts, all in a bucket on wheels, parked in the gutter as we load out from the audition.

Flute & Marimba Camp Awards

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Ladies and Gentlemen, as we come to the end of the first session of 2009’s Flute & Marimba Camp (three days of rehearsal at PJ’s in DC), it is time for some awards:

Most Improved Duo: Zadie & PJ
Most Out of Tune Note: concert B-flat on the alto flute, and A3 on the marimba
Best Breakfast: Einstein Brothers Bagels
Waggingest Tail: Java Littlekins of the Shire

Comments from PJ on winning the Most Improved Duo award:

It was a lot of hard work. Though I have to say, the marimba didn’t do much. The instruments just sat there until we played them. Next time, I’m going to expect a little more collaboration with the marimba and the flute.

Travel provided by: Megabus

See you next session!

Gotta go, and see if I can get PJ to sign my autograph book.

Here is Java, tail in mid-wag.