Tag Archives: performance

Caught on Camera

August 25, 2010 – 5:43 pm

I’ve always heard the joke about doing something stupid in public and then finding it posted on YouTube.  Luckily, I wasn’t doing something stupid (this time).  It seems, however, that there are people that find our quartet interesting enough to tweet and YouTube it.

For instance, how about our propensity to do a little busking on Pearl Street in downtown Boulder as of late?  Caught!

The first was taken while we played last night.  It was probably posted before we were done playing!  Very strange to think about.

The second was snapped while we played last week.  Brian’s wife Kaori sat in with us playing their shiny new contrabassoon.  Well, okay, not shiny and not new at all to anyone but them.  This sucker dates from the 1940s.  And it goes UP at the end instead of around!  I’ve never seen a tall contra like that before.  Plays nicely, though.  (And, yes, you’re correct – two bassoonists married!  Wonder how that works when it comes time to audition for a gig…)

(The original links to these photos are here, and here.)

But wait, we also just happen to be on YouTube, as well…

This was from a wedding we played last year, and someone just happened to take video and post it.  Imagine our surprise when we just happened to stumble on it looking for recordings of other quartets.  Remember – these aren’t photos and videos by friends or relatives of the quartet – these are complete strangers taking our pictures and posting them on the internet!  One of our members did a quick search for this stuff, and happened to find them.

I admit feeling a little creeped out, at first.  Where else are we lurking on the internet?  Where else am I?  What if I AM doing something stupid???  Then I realized:  a) We’re in public, it’s not like we’re expecting complete privacy.  b)  As unrealistic as it might seem, we all hope that the quartet could evolve into something even slightly well known around town.  People posting this stuff means other people finding this stuff and saying “Wow, they’d be a hoot at our next corporate training event.” Or something like that.  In other words:  This is totally free advertising!  Creeped out feelings gone!  Long live the internet!

By the way, we’re playing Pearl next Friday at 6:00pm – probably around 14th St.  I’ll try to do something embarrassing if you’ll post our picture on Twitter…

(Shameless link goes here)

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Performing at Cannon Mine Coffee House in Lafayette

July 24, 2009 – 12:27 pm

Cannon Mine Ad

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Performance of the Mozetich Bassoon Quartet

April 21, 2009 – 2:24 pm

The bassoon quartet I’m in, the Boulder Bassoons, recently played for one of the member’s doctoral recitals, and we managed to get a recording of the performance.  The performance wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn good, so I’m linking the recording here, for your listening enjoyment.

The piece we performed was “Odes to the Americas”, by Marjan Mozetich, commissioned by the Caliban Bassoon Quartet.  The three movement piece is written for three bassoons and a contrabassoon, and is a lot of fun to play and to listen to.  Enjoy!

Odes to the Americas, by Marjan Mozetich

I. Good Times

II. Blue Souls

III. With You I Dance

Check out the following websites for more information:

Boulder Bassoons

Marjan Mozetich

Caliban Bassoon Quartet

The Caliban Quartet made the definitive recording of the piece, which can be found on their website, or places like Amazon.

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Confessions of a Nutcracker Pit Musician

January 12, 2009 – 1:38 pm

Nutcracker

WARNING: This is a post I finished and then realized that it kind of sucked.  Not sure what my point was when I typed it.  I guess it was too late to be attempting something creative.  However, since is the only proof that I have, in fact, been on my blog at all in the last month, I decided to publish it anyway.  Read at your own risk!

With the holiday season now officially over, it’s time to look back at Christmas 2008.  Ah, yes.  The endless shopping with hopes of beating that Christmas deadline.  The dragging of cheery decorations out of boxes and into the living room with that thought in the back of your head that it will all have to be put away and dragged back into storage eventually.  That day or two of rest hanging out with family and friends.  The struggle to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year.

The pilgrimage to see the Nutcracker.

As an orchestral musician, I’ve been under the Nutcracker on a few occasions, but I had never seen it from the audience.  This year, I played in the orchestra for two productions, and finally got to see it for myself for the first time from the audience point of view.  Each production was put on by a unique group as far as skill, size, and quality – from the orchestra’s, the dancer’s and the stage’s point of view.  The first production was one in Grand Junction, staged by a private dance studio, accompanied by an orchestra that consisted of musicians contracted from CU in Boulder, and DU in Denver, along with a few local musicians.  The second was staged by a high school dance studio in Longmont, with the music supplied by the Niwot Timberline Symphony – a volunteer community orchestra.
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Meanwhile…

November 10, 2008 – 4:15 pm

News on the old bassoon front is in short supply, these days.  Auditions?  Nope.  Performances?  Not Really.  Reeds?  Yeah, I got ‘em.  They work, though I’d rather not spend a whole post on them, right now.

So, now I’m confronted by the blogger’s worst nightmare:  Nothing much to write about, and yet, facing the need to write something. So, here’s three quick blurbs to pass the time.

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Hear Twelve Bassoons on YouTube

September 26, 2008 – 10:09 am

I last posted about performing in a rather large bassoon ensemble, but could only come up with a couple cheesy metaphors to describe what it sounded like.

Well, metaphors are no longer necessary, because now you, too, can see that very performance on YouTube.  The sound is mostly synced.  I’m third from the left.  I’m also the first player you hear.

Enjoy.

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More Beautiful Than the Sound of a Guitar

September 18, 2008 – 12:18 am

Chopin said that the only thing more beautiful than the sound of a guitar is the sound of two guitars.  A few years later (just a few), Peter Schickele followed by asking, what is more beautiful than the sound of two guitars?  His answer was, of course, four bassoons.

While I certainly agree with that answer, I’d like to take that thought one step further.  Why stop with four bassoons?  Surely the more you add, the more beautiful the sound, right?  Hey!  No snickering!  (Or cringing, for that matter.)

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