-
Three tools
In middle school jazz band, I learned that good jazz wasn’t produced through an abundance of notes, but a few well-placed ones. Teenagers enthralled by the capabilities of our newly-acquired instruments and rudimentary skills, we each were tempted to compensate for our lack of skill by playing a flurry of notes. Our director threatened to…
-
Leading from Second Fiddle
When the orchestra conductor, Leonard Bernstein, was asked what the most difficult instrument to play was, he answered without hesitation: “The second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm.” Few of us aspire to take a supporting role, to work in the…
-
You Gotta Be Good to Borrow
Good artists borrow; great artists steal. – Pablo Picasso (maybe) While I’ve been hearing this quote a lot lately, and it’s encouraging, I’m not sure it’s right. It’s way harder to borrow than to steal. In high school jazz band, we learned that in the language of jazz improvisation, borrowing elements from the great jazz…