Takemitsu and the Canadian connection

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I have just been reading a very interesting blog post about Toru Takemitsu that talks of his many connections with Canada and Toronto. The article is a discussion of a recording of his pieces : TAKEMITSU: Toward the Sea / Rain Tree / Rain Spell / Bryce. The recording features Robert Aitken and the Toronto… Read more »

Working Together: Orchestra Musicians, Boards and Management

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Working Together: Orchestra Musicians, Boards and Management by William L. Cahn   The Wall Street Journal for Friday, June 7,2013 carries an article in the “D” Section, “After Orchestras Strike: A Tale of Two Cities” by Terry Teachout.   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323844804578527110776069672.html?KEYWORDS=After+Orchestras+Strike   The article compares the ways in which two orchestras – The Minnesota Orchestra and… Read more »

McCaslin, Nimmons and all things NEXUS

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I’ve been meaning to mention for awhile now the super blog-post from Jon McCaslin about NEXUS. Check it out here.  Jon includes some nice video footage too: NEXUS performing Steve Reich’s Music For Pieces of Wood, Steve Gadd tap-dancing to NEXUS, and Duke’s Lullaby featuring Steve Gadd and Abraham Adzenyah with NEXUS. Jon happens to… Read more »

The NEXUS Book of Yorkers

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Yorker (yor’ ker)  n.  a thought-provoking phrase or comment made by participants during the two-week residency of NEXUS at York University in July/August 1973.

Listen to an Interview with Bill, Russell and Maestro Peter Bay – May 2013

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On the eve of a performance of Takemitsu’s “From me flows what you call Time” with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Peter Bay and NEXUS members William Cahn and Russell Hartenberger were interviewed by WXXI’s Julia Figueras to talk about the piece.  Click HERE to listen to the complete interview.

NEXUS at MusicFest Canada – May 2013

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Here are some images from the NEXUS days at Music Festival Canada, May 16 and 17, 2013, held at the University of Toronto.  Master classes and two sold out performances with the famed Eastman Wind Ensemble took place during the Festival.      

What is a Xylorimba?

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(Are the overtones tuned differently in various ranges of its keyboard?) The term ‘xylorimba’ clearly refers to some kind of hybrid instrument, but it depends on who is using the term, and when. Even the word itself is a composite: xylo is the common Greek root meaning ‘wood’; and rimba is an arbitrary clipping of… Read more »

“Delightful, intense and deftly planned”: The Rochester reviews

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What a fabulous response to Toru Takemitsu’s “From me flows what you call Time…” performed by NEXUS with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Peter Bay. The reviews are in, and…my oh my! Jeff Spevak, music critic for The Democrat & Chronicle, says “the night belonged to the sparkling collaboration between the RPO… Read more »

Xylophone vs. Marimba: more thoughts.

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In April, 2013 I received an email from Jesse Strauss, a student at Belmont University, asking for my thoughts about an article by Vida Chenoweth in which she reached some conclusions about the terms ‘xylophone’ and ‘marimba’. I have discussed the distinctions that differentiate these terms in clinics, as well as in the Xylorimba article… Read more »

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