Old Town School – On The Road

Dispatches from the road from our wayfaring travelers.

Waiting for a melody to bite

This past week some of the participants have been meeting with Dave to work on writing. It’s been really interesting to hear what people have come up with and also, of course to hear Dave’s insight into the process.

He has given us the task of writing a piece one page long, three voices, no chord symbols. (For those of us who don’t write down ideas but record them, this is a challenge). Having these parameters makes you focus on the essense of the ideas you want to get across – to present them in a concise way.

One of the pieces I performed at Telejazz on Thursday night was Dogstar, a Dave Douglas piece from the album Moonshine. This piece is one page long, just 2 parts, but very effective and really sets a mood.

Supposedly Bill Frisell said something interesting about composing – that the melodies and ideas are like fish in an ocean. They are ought there to be caught. You just have to be patient. And Gerry Granelli, the drummer who just left last night said after one improvisation session – “the music is already written, you just have to hear it.”

So it’s Sunday, the next get-together us writers is tomorrow morning and I’m hoping to finish an idea I have. It’s very simple, but I’d like to develop it more and I’m having trouble coming up with a melody. So we’ll see – I have a bit more time, my cello, a practice room and a fishing pole….

Filed under: Banff International Workshop 2009, Canada, Notes from Alison by Alison | May 31, 2009 | Comments (1)

In the Recording Studio with Joe Furla and Dave Douglas

Yesterday we were honored to have Joe Furla give us a talk in the recording studios here. Joe Furla and Dave Douglas have worked together on 10 albums, apart from which Joe has worked with bands from all genres for decades.

He set up a session and let us all watch as the interns set up mics and got sounds. After some trial and error on their part he stepped in and set things up as he would in his studio.

The most interesting part of the discussion involved the relationship between the musician and the engineer, hopefully based on mutual respect and good communication. Dave especially had some good advice:

Talk to the engineer before the session – discuss what you have in mind in general and specific terms so they know what to expect.

Often the engineer needs you/the group to play as their getting sounds. Use that as an opportunity to warm up on a tune. Then, when you start recording, choose another tune that will be fresh.

Never stop in the middle of a take, no matter how bad you think it is – it’s easy to lose perspective when you record and perform, so don’t judge in the moment.

It’s often helpful to comment on how you feel about your sound after you’ve had a chance to play for a bit. Don’t feel you have to chime in right away. Many things are being set up in the beginning that will affect the final product – give the engineer some time.

Pay attention at sessions and ask questions so you can have more knowledge the next time you record. And treat each experience differently – be open to creating something new each record you make.

By the way check out the Greenleaf Banff Blog and a picture of me and some musicians at the Telejazz concert. More about this later!

Alison

Filed under: Banff International Workshop 2009, Canada, Notes from Alison by Alison | May 30, 2009 | Comments (0)

Banff

I am here in Banff at the International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music. I’ve been here for a week and it feels like 5 years, I’ve learned so much about being a musician and about myself. The session is 3 weeks long and we’re into the 2nd, with a new set of faculty to work with. Dave Douglas, the head of the program, is with us for all three. He is posting about the workshop on his blog, which I seriously suggest you check out.

The program definitely is heavy into the jazz world, but in a very open, interested, creative way. Everyone is encouraged to write and play with their own voice, coming from their own place. This has been a challenge for me as a “rock” musican, but a challenge in the best way.

Last night I performed here at a Club at the Banff Centre (an amazing site in the middle of the Canadian Rockies) with musicians from Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, Vancouver, Ireland and Los Angeles – all playing pieces we had written. I got to hear one of my pieces played by Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Violin, Bass, Drums and Piano. Amazing.

More later – there is so much to relate about this wonderful experience.

Filed under: Banff International Workshop 2009, Notes from Alison, Uncategorized by Alison | May 27, 2009 | Comments (2)