Notes from the Train

Notes from the Train: Romantic works for the piano just in time for Valentine’s Day

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | January 25, 2019

I sat down recently with Performing Arts School faculty member Benjamin Michael to talk about his upcoming performance on the 2018-2019 Salon Series featuring an evening of Romantic works for piano. In addition to works by French composers Debussy and Ravel, the one-hour concert on February 7 will include Granados’ From Goyescas, Op.11: Quejas o la Maja y el Ruiseñor and conclude with Liszt’s Rhapsodie Espagnole.

 

Q: How did you choose the repertoire for this concert?

A: Previously, I have always performed recitals where every time period would be represented. When asked to appear in this year’s Salon Series, I thought it would be an interesting departure from the norm to select music written within the time span of a hundred years or less. I have always admired French and Spanish music from the turn of the nineteenth century—so that appealed to me for this concert.

Q: What do you like most about these works? What is most significant about this repertoire?

A: Many of the pieces on this program took inspiration from much earlier composers and musical forms. In the second piece, Debussy pays tribute to the French eighteenth century composer Jean-Philippe Rameau by writing in the style of a Sarabande, an aristocratic dance that was popular in his time. Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales, a substantial and thought-provoking work, was inspired by Schubert’s waltzes of the same name, while the main theme of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody is actually a melody that was written in the sixteenth century. Though these musical works seem wholly original and groundbreaking, they are in fact strongly linked to ideas from the past.

Q: How long have you been teaching at the Performing Arts School? 

A: I have been teaching at Wharton for about a year. It has been a wonderful and very rewarding experience which I look forward to continuing!

And we’re looking forward to enjoying this Romantic program on February 7! What better way to spend a pre-Valentine’s date?

The Salon Series presents a performance by pianist Benjamin Michael on Thursday, February 7, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at 60 Locust Avenue in Berkeley Heights. The concert will feature selections by Debussy, Ravel, Granados, and Liszt. Wine and cheese will be served. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for seniors, and free for Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts students. Tickets are available at the door or by calling 908-790-0700.

 

 

When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.

Notes from the Train: Remembering Karen

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | January 24, 2019

IN MEMORY Karen Deschere (1956-2019)
On January 11, Wharton Arts’ Executive Director of nearly half a decade, Karen Deschere, succumbed to a long and arduous battle with cancer. She was perhaps the most universally well-liked Executive Director for whom I have ever had the pleasure to work with. The number of wonderful accolades that could be bestowed on Karen as an arts administrator are too numerous to count; for my part, she always gave me an abundance of space—which I deeply appreciated—and was never too busy to offer advice or guidance.

In addition, Karen rather surprised me by wholeheartedly supporting the comedic short films I have created from time to time for the Performing Arts School. Indeed, I was working on the following video on the Friday evening she passed, hurriedly trying to finish editing in order to show her. I thought it might make her laugh.

Without further ado, I present in loving memory of Karen Deschere: Sophie’s Violin Lesson.

If you would like to donate to the Karen Deschere Fund for Excellence, click here.


When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.

Notes from the Train: A Talk with Naomi Youngstein

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | October 4, 2018

An interview about the upcoming How to Practice Workshop with New Jersey Symphony Orchestra violinist Naomi Youngstein

Performing Arts School
60 Locust Avenue in Berkeley Heights
Friday, October 12 @ 7:00 PM
FREE and Open to the Public

How long have you been a member of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra?
I joined in November of 1987, so nearly 31 years ago.

What are some highlights of your favorite performances (or one favorite performance) with NJSO?
Two performances stand out: Zdenek Macal conducting anything by Dvořák, and Xian Zhang conducting the Pines of Rome—earthshaking!

When and how did you start amassing tips and insights about practicing for students?
My own teacher at Manhattan School of Music, Burton Kaplan, wrote books and gave workshops about practicing. I use some of his ideas, those of my colleagues, and a lot of my own. Over the years, I’ve learned what works for the school age student. The most important thing to know is that each student may need a different selection of techniques.

If you had to give just one tip about practicing to a beginning student, what would it be? And for an advanced student, would that one tip be different?
For the beginner, I’d suggest always starting by imagining the sound that you want to make. Often the beginner is so concerned with being “right” that they don’t always hear what’s coming out of their instrument. For the advanced student, I’d suggest knowing one’s goals for every piece during each practice session. The advanced student is juggling many things at different levels of preparedness, and deciding what you’d like to accomplish is vital.

What do your own practice sessions consist of?
I always play scales, often etudes and exercises, and usually whatever upcoming pieces we’re performing with the NJSO. This week I reviewed all the harder sections of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony which we perform at the end of this week.

How do you suggest students structure or divide their practice time (ie scales, etudes, repertoire)?
Each student has different needs. Try to get to everything in each session, but each student’s teacher can help the student set priorities. Those priorities can change from week to week.

How important is the use of a metronome in practice?
CRUCIAL!! How do you know if you’re improving if you don’t measure it? You can’t know if you’re controlling a skill or a passage unless you use the metronome. Always write down what metronome marking you’ve achieved. Who could remember such a number from day to day?

For students playing pitched instruments, how do you suggest they work on intonation?
Listening to chords, tonality, matching pitches, always use whole phrases. Out of tune notes always occur in a context, so simply  playing higher or lower doesn’t help. Knowing if one is sharp or flat, and how much, is super important.

Favorite food: Definitely pasta

What are you listening to these days:  I walk two miles every day and listen to podcasts all the time—my favorite subjects are food, travel, politics, and shows about NYC.

 

When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.

Notes from the Train: Beethoven 9

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | October 2, 2018

An interview about performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra with New Jersey Youth Symphony Manager of Orchestras Stacy Beltran

NJYS Manager of Orchestras Stacy Beltran will perform with Newark Voices, a project-based community choir supported by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, for the NJSO 2018-19 season opening. Formed to engage talented singers and experienced choral musicians from the Greater Newark community, Newark Voices will partner with the Montclair State University Chorale to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” led by Xian Zhang for two NJPAC performances—Friday, October 5 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 7 at 3 pm. On Sunday, audience members can join the choir in singing a portion of the Beethoven in the lobby prior to the concert for ChoralYou.

For tickets and more information, click here.

How long have you been working at NJYS? What do you like most about the job?
This is my sixth season with NJYS. Witnessing the incredible growth of our young and talented musicians is the most fulfilling part of my job.

Tell us about your voice background.
I have been singer all my life. I would sing in church and in school where I would sneak away to the choir room to hang out with other choir members during lunch. I owe my singing to the amazing choir teachers that taught me all through school: Dan Anderson, Fairview Elementary; Jack Bender, Bloomfield High School; and Dr. John Floreen, Rutgers University. Although I was not a music major in college, being in choir afforded me wonderful opportunities, including traveling on tour to Wales and Italy.

Have you sung Beethoven’s Ninth before? If so, where and when?
Actually, this is the first time I will sing this piece. The piece has tested all of my musical talents, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity.

How long did it take to learn the music and your part?
I had to audition for the community choir (Newark Voices) back in May, so I’ve been practicing for about four months now.

How many different vocal parts are there in B9? I think you said that you were singing Alto 2?
Yes, I sing Alto 2—always have! All 8 parts (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass) are represented in this piece. In one of the sections, you will hear a four-part men’s chorus, and they are amazing! Our very own Terrence Thornhill from the Paterson Music Project, an MSU alumnus, will also be singing!

Was the audition scary? What did you have to do at your audition for Newark Voices?
Ah! Yes, very scary. I have not auditioned for something since college, but it felt good to get back into audition prep mode. The audition consisted of five excerpts from Beethoven’s Ninth for accuracy of notes, rhythm, and German diction, and also a sight-reading example.

Where else do you sing on a regular basis? Do you have a band or ensemble?
Choral music is great, but I also love singing jazz. I serve as social media and PR volunteer for the Rutgers-Newark undergraduate jazz ensemble, Mosaic Jazz, under the direction of Radam Schwartz, and I perform with the other alumni on occasion.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Please come see the performances! The NJSO and MSU choir do this piece great justice and I promise you will love it. If you happen to see me on Sunday at ChoralYou in the NJPAC lobby, say hi!


When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.

Notes from the Train: CrossFit and Performance

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | September 25, 2018

An interview with Performing Arts School Flute & Music Theory Faculty and Student Services Manager, Kristen Wuest about (gasp!) CrossFit and Performance

How long have you been teaching at Wharton Arts?
I started teaching at Wharton when it was the Suburban Community Music School in September 2007. I had just graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University with my undergraduate degree and was starting to pursue my masters at the same time. Funny story: I was so nervous my first day that when I was leaving I placed my flute on the roof of my car and drove away. It ended up in the middle of Central Ave in New Providence.

When did you start participating in CrossFit?
I started CrossFit in January 2017 at CrossFit KOA in Cranford. I started with a class called “Foundations” where you learn the basic movements of weightlifting and CrossFit in general and how to perform them safely. I walked into a 7 AM class, terrified, and a little voice in my head said, “I can’t do this. It’s way too intense for me.” I almost walked out. Thankfully I didn’t because I ended up meeting a community of the most supportive people and found a sport that I am forever thankful for. On February 1, 2017, I took my first actual class with a “WOD” (Workout of the Day) and was hooked from there.

What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a sport made up of constantly varied functional movements performed at very high intensity. It includes aspects of weightlifting (Olympic and power lifting), gymnastics, running, rowing, and more. In a 60-minute class  you might work on pull-ups, rowing, and back squatting all in one class.

How were you introduced to CrossFit?
I have been really into fitness in general for about 7 years. I started with Zumba, moved on to SoulCycle, and then found CrossFit. I was never good at solo training. I need a class environment with an instructor/coach leading me and telling me what to do.

I actually attribute finding CrossFit to my husband Jeremy, who had been trying to convince me to try it for a long time. I kept making excuses like, “I don’t want to be flipping tires in a parking lot” or “I don’t want to get bulky or muscular.” Because that’s what I thought CrossFit was. I thought you had to already be really strong to participate and it was only for super-athletic types. This is actually a common misconception that many people have. Just like music is for everyone ages 0-99 and it’s never too late to start, the same goes for CrossFit.

You mentioned competing this summer. Tell us about that.
This year I decided it was time to try something new and out of my comfort zone. I came across a competition at CrossFit KLEW. This intrigued me because it was a partner competition and I figured if I was going to do something like this, having a partner would make it easier. I convinced the beautiful and strong Denise from my home box to do the Women’s Scaled division with me. Scaled meaning the movements and amount of weight are “scaled down” to something more manageable than the RX (prescribed) movements and weights. A few months before the competition, they released the workouts. There were three 10-minute super-intense workouts and two shorter workouts. I practiced and prepared the best I could with the help of fellow CrossFit KOA members, coaches, and of course my partner! I went into it wanting to do my best and have fun—and not come in last place! I achieved all of those goals in addition to finding out that I was stronger than I thought!

How does CrossFit relate to music and performing?
This may be my favorite part about CrossFit. CrossFit relates to music and performing in SO MANY ways! Physically, it has helped me become stronger and increased my endurance. My coaches discovered that I have pretty terrible posture which for a musician is a recipe for disaster. My coaches have been helping me correct my posture and I am now more aware of how I am sitting, standing, and walking. As a flutist air and breath control is paramount. I always thought that I had decent air support and breath control, yet I have noticed my breath capacity and endurance has increased substantially in the last 18 months.

I treated the competition as I would a musical performance. I prepped and practiced for months. I was a nervous wreck the week before the actual competition, but I harnessed those nerves as if I had a flute performance coming up. I took the jitters and did my best to turn them into excitement and determination. When I perform on my flute, I am emotional and nervous until I walk onto the stage. Once I step onto the stage and play my first note, all the fear and nervousness washes away and I am in the moment of performance loving every second. The same thing happened at the competition. I had a stomach full of butterflies until I stepped onto the competition floor and the clock beeped for the first workout. Once the clock beeped and I started moving, I was in the moment and pushed myself through every single workout for the entire 5 hours of the competition.

(Five hours of competition?!? Sips coffee on train…)

As a musician, performance is a big part of my life. The rush of being on stage and sharing your gift with others is something I am thankful for every day. Now I have another activity that I love doing that gives me that same sense of personal fulfillment and joy. It also solidifies the theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to “master” something. The amount of work and dedication that goes into learning an instrument is the same as learning a sport. I am constantly refining my movements and skills in CrossFit and I learn something new in every class.

How do you stay motivated?
I am constantly looking for ways to improve my skills when it comes to fitness. I do this by trying to stay motivated and I always have an event in the near future that will keep me training. I started with my first 5k in the Summer of 2017 and have done 2 more 5ks, a 10k, and the CrossFit competition since then. I have another 5k coming up in a few weeks and plan on signing up for some sort of fitness event every few months to keep up my training, whether it’s a running event or another competition! The community at CrossFit KOA, members and coaches alike, are also incredible. We are an extremely close family that support each other and hold each other accountable. I go to the 7 AM class Monday-Friday because it’s so much fun. Going to class is part of my daily routine and I feel out of sorts if I do not go. It starts my day off on the right foot, I am more awake during the day, and I feel better mentally and physically. It’s easy to stay motivated when you find something you love!

Have you seen a progression in your training?
When I started CrossFit, my coaches recommended I get a notebook to track my progress and workouts. Every so often, I look back to last year and realize how much I have grown as an athlete. I can lift more, run harder and faster, I can climb a rope and do a handstand hold. I hit new PRs (Personal Records) every week. When I started CrossFit, I couldn’t run a mile without stopping. In May 2018, I ran my first 10k (6.2 miles) in 1:06:00. My goal was 1:00:00 even. There’s always next year! Recently, I was slightly discouraged in class. I tend to be very hard on myself. Hey, I’m a musician—aren’t we all hard on ourselves?  One of my coaches then said to me, “When you started I didn’t even want to put a barbell in your hands. Now look at you and how far you’ve come!”

What are your long-term goals?
After the New Year, our coaches asked what our goals were. I had a couple:

  1. Not let my mind give up before my body. PUSH HARDER!
  2. Achieve my first strict pull-up.

Anything else you would like to add?

Don’t be afraid to try something new. Whether it’s music-related or anything else, trying new and “scary” things are what add excitement to life. And who knows—you may end up loving whatever you try. Stay active! As musicians, we need to be physically fit and strong. Playing an instrument is incredibly physically demanding. We are athletes in a way, so taking care of our bodies is extremely important.

Takeaways from the Train:

1. CrossFit competitions are looooong.
2. Stepping out of your comfort zone can simultaneously be the scariest and most rewarding of pursuits.
3. Preparation makes all the difference—for any type of performance.
4. Proactively seeking out competitions and events promotes consistent growth.
4. Tracking your progress—whether you’re participating in CrossFit or taking piano lessons—keeps you moving forward while measuring how far you’ve come.

 

When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.

Notes from the Train: Puerto Rico Native James Keene

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Notes from the Train by Alice Hamlet | September 17, 2018

The aftermath of this past weekend’s Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas is a stark reminder of the devastation here in New Jersey six years ago from Sandy—in too many ways to count, not in the least the disruption of commuter train service in and out of New York. The Gladstone line was out for months—a dark time. The innovation involved in getting to and from work for thousands was pretty remarkable. And they say creativity is dead!

Not a stranger perhaps to tropical storms is Performing Arts School faculty member James Keene. Growing up in a small town on the southern coast of Puerto Rico called Patillas, James tried a lot of different instruments in his youth. At the time, each municipality in Puerto Rico had a band that lent instruments to local kids for free which allowed him to experiment with the flute, clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet before receiving a violin and sticking with it.

James attended Rutgers University, majoring in Violin Performance and German, before pursuing a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory. He started teaching both violin and viola at the age of 19 and works with students of all ages.

Says James, “When dealing with a craft such as violin or viola playing, the main communication of ideas and concepts is through the private teacher-student relationship. In order to continue the unbroken teaching chain and pass on the ideas and discoveries of teachers and theirs in the past, it is almost the moral obligation of artists to teach. I derive great satisfaction from passing on the amazing concepts and ideas of my illustrious former teachers.”

In addition to teaching, James can be heard performing with the New Haven Symphony in Connecticut, the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra in central New Jersey, and engaging in frequent solo and chamber performances throughout New Jersey, California, Vermont, and New York City.

Favorite food: The most difficult question! It can be hard for me to resist a good burger from Trap Rock here in Berkeley Heights after work.

Listening to these days: Whatever it is I am working on for violin or viola. In addition to that, I am very much a fan of indie and ambient music.

Final Thoughts: I always tell my students to have another passion besides playing the violin or viola. Something that will relax them and allow them to perform better in school and musically once they return from it. For me that stress-relieving, performance-enhancing activity is running: it allows me to approach my instrument with a clear head. But the activity could be anything! Visual art, cycling, scrapbooking, whatever allows you to express yourself and de-stress!


When not commuting, Alice Hamlet is the Director of Marketing at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and is also on the faculty of the Performing Arts School, teaching cello and music theory.