NEXUS and Eastman Wind Ensemble percussionists and conductor
What is a Xylorimba?
(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
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 »
“Every sound is a perfectly chosen jewel” – A Toast to NEXUS on their 42nd Anniversary!
NEXUS celebrates their 42nd anniversary tomorrow. And what a “birthday lead-up” they’ve been having – wonderful concerts and superb reviews with the Rochester Philharmonic and Peter Bay.
Xylophone vs. Marimba: more thoughts.
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 »
Read two great Reviews of NEXUS with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Here HERE to read a review from the City Newspaper of NEXUS’ performance of Takemitsu’s “From me flows what you call Time” on May 8th, 2013 with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. You can also check out the review in the Democrat and Chronicle HERE.
Picturesque, Exotic, A Delight for the Ears, “it confirms what it means to be human”
The NEXUS members are converging on Rochester for this week’s performances of Takemitsu’s “From me flows what you call Time…” NEXUS has played this piece all over the world, and I want to share just a few of the press comments about this phenomenal work: “Any more picturesque offering from the BBC Proms is hardly… Read more »
Russell talks about his long association with Steve Reich
In case you did not see our Facebook posting we wanted to alert you to this great article by Daniel Tones. Daniel interviewed Russell a few years ago about the music of Steve Reich. Russell was the first trained percussionist to join Steve’s ensemble and has collaborated with Steve for over 40 years. Our friends… Read more »
Michael Craden – “The Artist’s Advocate”
Michael Craden (1941 – 1982) was one of the original members of NEXUS until his passing in 1982. He was formally educated in the visual arts – painting and sculpture – but he was entirely self-taught as a musician. When NEXUS was in its formative period in the late 1960s, Michael was living in Toronto,… Read more »
NEXUS to appear with the Rochester Philharmonic
Click HERE to read about NEXUS’ upcoming performance of Toru Takemitsu’s “From me flows what you call Time” with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
The beautiful Eastman Theatre: Countdown to May 9 and 11
NEXUS is counting down the days to their May 9 and May 11 performances with the Rochester Philharmonic of Takemitsu’s extraordinary 1990 concerto, “From me flows what you call time…”. The performances and pre-concert chats will take place in the beautiful Eastman Theatre in Rochester. The Theatre celebrated its 90th birthday last year and has… Read more »
NEXUS with the Eastman Wind Ensemble in May
In mid May NEXUS will be performing with America’s leading wind ensemble, the Eastman Wind Ensemble conducted by Mark Davis Scatterday during MusicFest Canada, a huge educational event being hosted by Toronto. The EWE has been in existence for 60 years and has a core of about 50 performers who are undergraduate and graduate students… Read more »
NEXUS brings their “sonic feast” to Rochester in May
Nexus is preparing for performances May 9 (7:30) and May 11 (8:00) with the Rochester Philharmonic in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. There will be a Pre-concert chat one hour before concert time, on both days. NEXUS will be performing their signature concerto “From me flows what you call Time…” by Toru Takemitsu, (a piece… Read more »
Saint Saens “Bacchanale” Castanets
The following recent email exchanges took place upon my receiving an email question regarding my earlier blog posting – “Instruments You Can’t Buy (Part 1 – Orchestra Repertoire).” Email: I appreciate your posting about the metal castanets in the Saint-Saens “Bacchanale” from “Samson and Dalila.” Is that part playable if the metal castanets aren’t mounted… Read more »
Pendulum Waves, Siren Discs, and Pink Noise
Garry Kvistad, our resident “science guy” sent me this video awhile back. Take a minute and a half to check it out. Kind of amazing, isn’t it! The video was posted on Harvard’s Science Demonstrations site which tells us that the pendulums “dance together to produce visual traveling waves, standing waves, beating, and random motion.”… Read more »
