EclectEcon

Paradise by the Dashboard Light

I recently saw a television commercial for some car (I honestly don't remember the brand) in which a young-ish couple is driving down the road, singing along with the song "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" [the classic hit by Meat Loaf]. 

At one point the woman starts to caress the man's thigh. And as the two are singing along, suddenly we see their two kids in the back seat going "Yuk" "ew" etc.

"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is an absolutely hilarious, eight+  minute send up of teenage love, sex, and romance in the 1950s. Parking the car by the lake, describing petting and teen sex as "getting to second base" etc., made even funnier with the play-by-play done by Phil Rizzuto.

But what demographic group are they targeting with this ad? Seniors who remember what it was like back in the 50s and 60s? Or people who were teens in 1978 when the song came out? Or young families of today who might remember their own parents' antics and songs? 

 

This Youtube version has the lyrics but horrible spelling, which just adds to the humour.

Les Miserables (or is it "Less Miss"?)

I saw Les Mis on stage a number of years ago in Toronto, and didn't much care for it. I pretty much agreed with this review of that production. An excerpt:

The wife said she thought the singer who played the mother was pretty good, but I thought her voice was weak and over-amplified. I said, "The only good thing about her was that she died, so we don't have to listen to her again." Imagine my shock when she came back in the second act as a ghost. I'd've choked on my popcorn if they'd've let me have any at my seat.

 It was also pretty funny during the show, when them smart-alec university students thought they knew what was good for us workers while we didn't know or care what they was talking about. I figure the real reason the workers didn't join the students at the barricades, though, is that they was singing stupid songs. The outcome would've been a lot different if Sigmund Romberg had written the rally songs: "Give me some men, who are stout-hearted men, who will fight for the right they adore..." Now that's the sort of thing to really rally the troups!

And after reading this review (which I thoroughly enjoyed), I doubt if I'll see the movie either. An excerpt:

And then there's the second French revolution, and Cosette falls in love with rich student/slumming revolutionary Marius (Eddie Redmayne), and Javert still hovers in the background, obsessed with bringing Valjean to what the officer believes is justice. One of the nefarious powers of "Les Misérables" the movie is its ability to reduce Victor Hugo's novel, considered one of the great achievements in world literature, to a hacky melodrama that even a young D.W. Griffith might have found overly precious.

Oh, the performances: Jackman and Hathaway are both playing to the back balcony, rather than to the camera lens that's just inches away. Jackman over-articulates, over-gesticulates and pretty much over-everythings. Worse still are those moments where, rather than singing all his dialogue, he has to transition from speech to song within the same line. ("We're leaving now, PACK YOUR THIIIIIIINGS!") Even his "Bring Him Home" paled next to the version performed by that actor who came to Dallas 20 years ago, raising nary a hair on the back of my neck.

Hathaway, meanwhile, takes every opportunity to suck all the oxygen out of "I Dreamed a Dream," the number that is this show's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Earlier in the film, Fantine sells some of her back teeth to a shady dentist who promises to leave her "enough to bite." Clearly, he also left her enough to gnash. It's a ghastly, eyelid-fluttering, self-serving, sympathy-begging performance; Oscar voters are guaranteed to eat it up.

I must say, though, that there's a chance I'll watch it some day, despite these reviews. My granddaughters love it, and one of them won a singing contest performing "On My Own" from Les Mis, which is a big plus for us.

Music for Meteors

We will be in Houston during the Lyrid Meteor Shower on April 21-22, visiting my son Adam Smith Palmer and family. He has suggested (probably not seriously) that they might hold a large, loud backyard party (no lamps or lanterns, please) at 4am to watch the meteors.

I have offered to provide music for the occasion. 

Here are some of the suggestions so far (please post other suggestions in the comments):

• Catch a Falling Star and Put It in Your Pocket - Perry Como
• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
• Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes
• Star Light, Star Bright
• Stardust - Hoagy Carmichael
• Swinging on a Star
• others? 

and maybe at the end of the party (as the sun rises), The Animals version of The House of the Rising Sun.

Addendum: An internet acquaintance sent me these suggestions as well. I especially like "Starry, Starry Night".

Stars fell on Alabama

Stars in your eyes

A handful of stars

Follow a star

I saw stars

It was written in the stars

Lost in the stars

Serenade to the stars

Shakedown to the stars

The stars will remember

Starry starry night

You're the only star in my blue heaven

Cabaret: Berlin in the late 1920s, early 1930s

Berlin in the late 1920s and early 1930s was a hotbed of exploration and experimentation. Communists and socialists were strong, and at the same time sexual freedom was at an apex. Clubs abounded to present and/or satisfy nearly every sexual fantasy. Suppliers of these services were often young people (and their families!) who had lost their savings either in WWI or in the hyperinflation of the early 1920s. Others were simply young people who loved the sense of freedom and exploration. 

It was against this backdrop that Christopher Isherwood visited and revisited Berlin and wrote his stories and short novel that led, eventually, to the musical "Cabaret". Any performance of Cabaret that does not capture both the ecstatic freedom and the depressing near-slavery of this era misses the mark. To see what I mean, take some time to look at the documentary "Berlin - Metropolis of Vice" (broken into three parts for posting on YouTube) below [h/t Paige Miller, our director/producer].

In our upcoming performance, one of my roles is Max, the creepy owner of the Kit-Kat club, a small seedy nightclub where anything is possible and for sale. 

The second part of the documentary explicitly mentions Isherwood. And the third part shows the puritan-like views of the Nazis and the impact of their rise to power in the early 1930s.

Now put all this to music, singing, dancing, and acting; then throw in a substantial secondary love plot involving a Jew, and you have "Cabaret". 

 

Cabaret (Fuse Productions)
McManus Studio Theatre, London, Ontario
March 22-23; March 26-30 8pm, $25
March 23, 30 2pm, $15
Preview, March 21, 8pm, $15

Related articles

Cabaret, the Musical: March 22-30 McManus Studio Theatre, London, Ontario

Joel Grey donates 'Cabaret' hat to Smithsonian

Liza Minnelli talks 'Cabaret' in new doc on 40th anniversary Blu-ray - EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

Cabaret, the Musical: March 22-30 McManus Studio Theatre, London, Ontario

Next week the local production of Cabaret by Fuse Productions opens at the McManus Studio Theatre (at the Grand Theatre) in London, Ontario. 

The stage version of Cabaret is different from the movie. It is darker and has a tense rawness that tends to be glossed over a bit in the movie. From Wikipaedia:

Set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis are rising to power, it focuses on nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around the 19-year-old English cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with the young American writer Cliff Bradshaw.

A sub-plot involves the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor. Overseeing the action is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub which serves as a constant metaphor for the tenuous and threatening state of late Weimar Germany throughout the show.

The first time I saw Cabaret on stage, I found it confusing and boring, but that's because it was a confused and boring production. The production that opens next week has power and drive that definitely avoid those problems. 

The choreography and dancing are something to behold. They capture the mood of each scene and display an absolutely amazing sense of character, music, and mood. On top of the energy required for the dancing, the actors usually sing at the same time. The performers in this production have both the dancing skills and the vocal skills and power to pull this off effectively. 

As you know, I'm in the show. But you will be relieved to know I don't dance. Instead, I have two fairly minor roles that are designed primarily to help set the overall scene and convey the mood of the various scenes. 

Let me tell you, this is a show I am honoured to be a part of. It will definitely have an impact.

Cabaret (Fuse Productions)
McManus Studio Theatre, London, Ontario
March 22-23; March 26-30 8pm, $25
March 23, 30 2pm, $15
Preview, March 21, 8pm, $15

Related articles

Cabaret: Berlin in the late 1920s, early 1930s

"Fawn Not on Me, French Trumpet"

"Fawn not on me, French trumpet," is one of our favourite lines in Edward II by Christoper Marlowe. Of course that's not the real line, but all of us backstage pretend it is. The correct line is, "Fawn not on me, French strumpet."

But of course I had to find out just what a French trumpet might be. Here is one answer, having to do with organ stops:

French Trumpet English

While Irwin lists this name as simply a synonym for Trompette, a few sources treat it more specifically. Skinner writes:

a reed of normal scale having parallel or untapered shallots with full-length openings developing brilliance in the tone. The French Trumpet is essentially a low-pressure reed, and its quality is the result of efforts to produce power with a light wind, such as could be developed with a bellows operated by hand or foot power. The tone is not well suited to small, unresonant buildings, but in large buildings with good acoustics will provide a striking brilliance to the Swell. The 16' French Trumpet on a 5 inch wind, makes an ideal double reed for the Swell organ, free from the usual heavy thickness of the conventional double reed. A fine example of this reed will be found in Trinity Church, Boston [Massachusetts, USA].

Regarding the French Trumpet of the theatre organ, Strony says:

This stop appeared on instruments by many builders. There were as many different results. Some examples are very similar in color to a Wurlitzer Brass Trumpet. Indeed, the pipes are flared similarly to the Brass Trumpet. Other examples breathe fire, and lean more toward the English Post Horn.

Al Sefl reports that this stop appeared on Wurlitzer's “Gaumont special” organs going to the United Kingdom, and had a more traditional construction and scaling than other Wurlitzer trumpets. Why they chose to label the rank “French” is not completely understood, as this same rank was named simply “Trumpet” on their church and home installations in the USA.

See also Brass Trumpet, Style D Trumpet.

Examples

Osiris contains 19 examples.

French Trumpet 8', Swell; Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los-Angeles, California, USA; Skinner 1928.

French Trumpet 8', Swell; Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, New Jersey, USA; Skinner 1927.

French Trumpet; Gaumont State Theatre, Kilburn, London, England; Wurlitzer 1937.

Bibliography

Irwin[1]: Trompette. Skinner[1]: XII French Trumpet. Strony[1]: French Trumpet. Private correspondence.  

 

By the way, here are some more photos of me in my two quite minor roles in the play (which runs Feb 13 - 16, 2013 at The Arts Project, $15) As Mortimer, the Elder:
and as the Earl of Leicester:

A Christmas Present: Full Live Concerts

At least that's what Jack called this list when he sent it to me:

A Collection of Full Live Concerts!

Enjoy hours of fun musical browsing, and see your favorite artists doing what they do best - making beautiful music!

 

Click Here to Watch	ABBA - USA 1980
Click Here to Watch	Adele - London, England 2011
Click Here to Watch	Aerosmith - Tokyo, Japan 2002
Click Here to Watch	a-ha - Oslo, Norway 2001
Click Here to Watch	Alicia Keys - New York, NY 2005
Click Here to Watch	Amy Winehouse - Glastonbury, England 2008
Click Here to Watch	Amy Macdonald - Open Air Festival, Czech Republic 2012
Click Here to Watch	Arctic Monkeys - Manchester, England in 2008
Click Here to Watch	Avril Lavigne - Calgary, Canada 2007
Click Here to Watch	Barry Manilow - 2011
Click Here to Watch	Barry White - a selection of performances
Click Here to Watch	Beach Boys - The Lost Concert 1964
Click Here to Watch	Beatles - Melbourne, Australia 1964
Click H e re to Watch	Bee Gees - MA, USA 2001
Click Here to Watch	Beyonce - Glastonbury, England 2011
Click Here to Watch	Billy Joel - Tokyo, Japan 2006
Click Here to Watch	Blur - Glastonbury, England 2009
Click Here to Watch	Bon Jovi - Udinese, Italy 2011
Click Here to Watch	Bob Marley - Dortmund, Germany 1980
Click Here to Watch	Britney Spears - London, England 2000
Click Here to Watch	Bruce Springsteen - Glastonbury, England 2009
Click Here to Watch	Celine Dion - Memphis, USA
Click Here to Watch	Christina Aguilera - London, England 200
Click Here to Watch	Coldplay - Austin, Texas, Christmas eve 2011/2012/span>
Click Here to Watch	Cranberries - Chile 2010
Click Here to Watch	David Bowie - Vancouver, Canada 1983
Click Here to Watch	Deep Purple - Copenhagen / New York 1972-1973
Click Here to Watch	Depeche Mode - Paris, France 2001
Click Here to Watch	Diana Ross - Sweden 1968
Click Here to Watch	The Doors- Hollywood, USA 1968
Click Here to Watch	Duran Duran - London, England 2004
Click Here to Watch	Elton John - Rome, Italy 2005/span>
Click Here to Watch	Elvis Costello - Cologne, Germany 1978
לצפיה לחץ כאן	Elvis Presley - Hawaii, USA 1973
Click Here to Watch	Eminem - New York, NY 2005
Click Here to Watch	Enrique Iglesias - Belfast, Ireland 2007
Click Here to Watch	Eric Clapton - Windsor, England 1992
Click Here to Watch	Frank Sinatra - Tokyo, Japan 1985
Click Here to Watch	Franz Ferdinand - Glastonbury, England 2009
Click Here to Watch	Genesis - Dusseldorf, Germany 2007
Click Here to Watch	Green Day - Italy 2005
Click Here to Watch	Guns and Roses - Paris, France 1992
Click Here to Watch	Gypsy Kings - Los Angeles, California, USA 1990
Click Here to Watch	James Blunt - Nyon, Switzerland 2011
Click Here to Watch	Jamiroquai - Nyon, Switzerland 2010
Click Here to Watch	Jay-Z - London, England 2012
Click Here to Watch	Jennifer Lopez - Moscow, Russia 2012
Click Here to Watch	Jimi Hendrix - Stockholm, Sweden 1969
Click Here to Watch	Joe Cocker - Baden-Baden, Germany 1996
Click Here to Watch	Kane - London, England 2007
Click Here to Watch	Kings of Leon - Landgrf, Netherlands 2011
Click Here to Watch	Kiss - Fuji, Japan 2006
Click Here to Watch	Kylie Minogue - London, England 2011
Click Here to Watch	Lady Gaga - Sydney, Australia
Click Here to Watch	Led Zeppelin - London, England 1970
Click Here to Watch	Leonard Cohen - London, England 2008/9
Click Here to Watch	Linkin Park - Madrid, Spain 2010
Click Here to Watch	Little Richard - London, England 1972
Click Here to Watch	Louis Armstrong - Belgium 1959
Click Here to Watch	Luciano Pavarotti - Barcelona, Spain​
Click Here to Watch	Madonna - Lisbon, Portugal 2004
Click Here to Watch	Manic Street Fritz'rs - Scotland 2009
Click Here to Watch	Mariah Carey - Morocco 2012
Click Here to Watch	Metallica - Nimes, France 2009
Click Here to Watch	Michael Jackson - Brunei 1996
Click Here to Watch	Moby - Novi Sad, Serbia, 2009
Click Here to Watch	Muse - London, England 2012
Click Here to Watch	Neil Young - New York, NY 2012
Click Here to Watch	Nirvana - Rome, Italy 1991
Click Here to Watch	Norah Jones - Amsterdam, Netherlands 2007
Click Here to Watch	Offspring - Woodstock Festival in New York, USA 1999
Click Here to Watch	Phil Collins - Paris, France 2004
Click Here to Watch	Pink Floyd - Venice, Italy 1989
Click Here to Watch	Pixies - Brazil 2010
Click Here to Watch	The Police - Cologne, Germany 1980
Click Here to Watch	Prince - New York, NY 1985
Click Here to Watch	Queen - Argentina 1981
Click Here to Watch	Radiohead - Saitama, Japan 2008
Click Here to Watch	Red Hot Chili Peppers - Paris, France 2011
Click Here to Watch	REM - Hamburg, Germany 1998
Click Here to Watch	Ricky Martin - New York, NY 2000
Click Here to Watch	Rihanna - Manchester, England in 2007
Click Here to Watch	Robbie Williams - Leeds, England in 2006
Click Here to Watch	Rolling Stones - European Tour IMAX
Click Here to Watch	Roxette - Johannesburg, South Africa 1995
Click Here to Watch	Santana - Montreux, Switzerland 2011
Click Here to Watch	The Scorpions - Recife, Brazil in 2008
Click Here to Watch	Shakira - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2008
Click Here to Watch	The Shins- Hurricane Festival, Germany 2012
Click Here to Watch	Simon and Garfunkel - New York, NY 1981
Click Here to Watch	Simply Red - London, England 1998
Click Here to Watch	Smashing Pumpkins - Mexico City, Mexico 2010
Click Here to Watch	Stevie Wonder - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2011
Click Here to Watch	Sting - Berlin, Germany 2010
Click Here to Watch	System of a Down - Nuremberg, Germany 2011
Click Here to Watch	Talking Heads - Rome, Italy
Click Here to Watch	Tina Turner - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1988
Click Here to Watch	Tom Jones - Chile 2007
Click Here to Watch	Toto - Amsterdam, Netherlands 2003
Click Here to Watch	The Verve - Glastonbury, England 2008
Click Here to Watch	U2 - Glastonbury, England 2011
Click Here to Watch	Whitney Houston - New York, NY 2009
Click Here to Watch	2Pac - House of Blues 1996

 

The Arrogant Worms: Rude, Irreverent, and I loved The Show

I had never heard of The Arrogant Worms until two and half years ago when I started playing with the Saskatchewan Roughrider Pep Band. At the Rider games, between the 3rd and 4th quarters they play a recording of The Arrogant Worms singing, "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate". The song reveals a certain antipathy toward the financial system and some ignorance of economics, but it's pretty funny. I mentioned the song back then and have always enjoyed it. Here's a YouTube of it:

They were in London (Ontario) tonight, so I took my daughter to go see them. Their enunciation wasn't as clear as it could have been, but the show was still great. They concluded with "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate", which left me cheering madly, of course. Other songs I liked were "Carrot Juice is Murder":

And another song which really tickled me was "Jesus' Brother Bob". 

The Arrogant Worms are sort of a cross between The Kingston Trio and Buddy Whasisname and The Other Fellas, with a bit of irreverence thrown in. I was really glad I went to see them. Lots of fun.

The Hi-Res Version

Last week I posted a photo advertising the upcoming concerts of Encore...the Concert Band. Unfortunately that photo was super low resolution. Here's a hi-res version (thanks, Jordana!). This one also shows the Roughrider logo over the bell of my green trumpet that I use in the Saskatchewan Roughrider Pep Band.

If you like classical music....

I like classical music as background music... almost like muzak. When I listen to it as background music, I tend to prefer baroque music. But other times I like romantic or even 20th century music, too. FB friend Jason Clemens recently pointed me to the KDFC website, where you can listen to music, and it seems pretty good quality streaming. I'm sure there are many other sites that provide classical music, too, but I thought I'd pass this along especially to my friends who miss what CBC-FM used to be. 

Also, if you still like and use CDs or will use Amazon's cloud for music, you might want to consider their classic albums (not just classical music; pointer from Joshua). There are some amazingly low prices there.

. . . .

Hey! That's My Trumpet She's Playing!

Last summer a few of us were asked to take part in a series of photo shoots for Encore...the Concert Band (in which I play French horn). Here is a photo from that shoot, enlarged and in poor resolution,  unfortunately. 

Yes that's me in the upper right, playing my E-flat alto horn. And see that green trumpet? That's mine, too. I play it in the Saskatchewan Roughriders Pep Band.

Encore, the Concert Band is probably the best band I've ever played in. Most of the members are music teachers or have an immense music background or are just plain highly talented. (I play 9th-chair horn out of nine). Our concerts are on Sunday afternoons in the auditorium at Central Secondary School. The next ones will be on:

• December 2nd, 2012
• February 17th, 2013
• April 21st, 2013
• June 2nd, 2013

More information about the band, including details about our upcoming concerts, is here.

Toronto Restaurant/Buffet Bleg

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Pep Band will be in Toronto during Grey Cup (roughly Nov 22 - 26 for the full band; some of us will be arriving on the 20th). There will be about 40 of us and we are looking for places where we can eat somewhat healthily and fairly inexpensively. We need something that will cater to fairly standard tastes, so we won't be going to any buffets that don't have a reasonable selection for everyone. If you have any suggestions, please send them to me. 

To give you an idea of what we're considering, one is Dangerous Dan's (hamburger/diner type place that receives rave reviews) if they can accommodate us. Another is the Spaghetti Factory (murder for my super-low-carb diet, but I'm sure I can adapt). We are staying downtown, but we will have a coach at our disposal, so travel for 30-45 minutes is not out of the question.

Any and all suggestions in these prices ranges are welcome. Thanks.

Yes, I'm a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Pep band:

See THIS Performance of Handel's Messiah!! You won't regret it.

I just heard from my friend, Ron Greidanus, that the Georgetown Bach Chorale will be doing its rendition of Handel's Messiah again this year in Goderich (and elsewhere). From their website:

Handel’s Messiah
Christmas doesn’t seem complete without the Chorale’s annual 
presentation of Handel’s most innovative oratorio “Messiah”. 
Come and enjoy highly spirited choruses, lyrical arias and the 
very dramatic interpretation of this timeless work. This platter of 
audible delicacies is not to be missed. In this musical feast, with 
two harpsichords, Baroque organ, period strings -including viola 
da gamba- and transcendental choral and solo work, the Bach 
Chorale creates an evening designed to make Advent complete.

Saturday November 17, 2012
North United Church, Goderich 7:30 pm.  $25. Students $10.

Sunday, November 18, 2012 
Christ Church Anglican 4 Elizabeth St. North, Brampton [update: 4pm].    

                                           
Friday, November 23, 2012 
St. Elias Ukrainian Church, 10193 Heritage Rd., Brampton 8 pm.

Sunday, November 25, 2012 
St. Elias Ukrainian Church, 10193 Heritage Rd., Brampton  3 pm.

Ron's interpretations and performance will blow you away. In Goderich, the ticket prices are $25 ($10 for students). For the remaining performances, the prices are $30/$10. I really, REALLY recommend it.

Here, in part, is a review I wrote of the group's performance two [update: six] years ago:

I heard a performance of Handel's Messiah last weekend that was by far the most exciting I have ever heard. It wasn't perfect (so how many live performances are?) but the interpretations of tempos and styles were terrific, and the performance was technically among the best I have ever heard. [much quicker tempos for some sections, and much more staccato than many people would expect, but all well-researched by the conductor]

The conductor/harpsichordist is Ron Greidanus. He played a Chopin piano concerto when I was playing French horn in the Blyth Festival Orchestra, and I had the pleasure of conducting that orchestra when Ron performed a Bach piano concerto. He was raised just north of Clinton and despite his late start in music, he developed a terrific reputation for his knowledge and talent. The "orchestra" for this performance of Messiah is 2 violins, a viola, a cello, a bass, a baroque (valveless) trumpet which was played extremely well, and tympani (in addition to Ron on the harpsichord).

And Ron wrote to me after that review,

It is a different approach, that's for sure — the choruses fast, articulate and sublime; the arias and recits for the most part rather dramatic, if not theatrical. It certainly makes the music come alive — you actually know what is going on.

I love the Baroque approach, and will never change back. If I had to conduct a large choir, I don't know what I would do. The lightness and precision is so much fun to make happen.

If you live anywhere near Goderich, this group's performance will be well-worth the drive to see the performance. Failing that, you might want to attend other performances by the Georgetown Bach Chorale.

Let me add that although most people seem to think Messiah is appropriate for Christmas, theologically I'd just as soon see it at Easter (as, in fact, I did the first two times I ever saw it performed). After all, everything in Parts II and III, including the Hallelujah Chorus, is about the crucifixion, the resurrection, and onward.

Another advantage of performing Messiah at Easter is that there is a whole lot less competition for audiences then.

My First Concert with this Group (Encore.... The Concert Band)

is on Sunday afternoon (2pm).

A fantastic singer, Denise Pelley, will be performing with the band.... sort of a 1950s really big band sound for most of her numbers.

 I'm way back in the horn section and find I must practice frequently just to hold my own there.

I love that so many groups use photos of French horns in their logos! This one even has a detachable screw-bell (like mine).

More Fun from Google

An in-joke among string players, I think: type the word "violists" into the Google search bar. The next line then asks, "Did you mean violinists" [h/t Ellen]

Now That I Am Unemployed...

As most EclectEcon readers know, I am unemployed at the moment. At least according to the Statistics Canada definition, I am unemployed: I do not have a job, and I am (somewhat) actively seeking work. 

When someone asked me my occupation for the programme that is distributed by the concert band I have recently joined (I don't know why they list occupations of their members, but they do), I wanted to tell them "squeegee kid", but I've never actually done that job. 

Ms. Eclectic suggested "Undecided". I like that category since I am not quite sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. For example, here is one possibility I have been considering:

There is a building downtown in London, Ontario (where I am now living) that plays classical music through the speakers near the entrances, very loudly, in an effort to keep the riff-raff from hanging out there. In the spring, I'm thinking of wearing my tux, top hat,  and white gloves and conducting the music.

And then I saw this cartoon (h/t "classical music humor" on FaceBook) which seems relevant:

Revealing a Trade Secret in Amateur Music

Why do French horn players keep their right hands in the bells of their horns?

Historically it was because horn players used their hands to alter the tuning of each note. Better players with a good sense of tuning still do this to some extent, depending on the make and model of the horn they are playing and how they have tuned the horn. 

But for the rest of us, there is a much more important reason: Keeping the right hand in the bell hides the fact that we use the fingers on that hand to count out the long rests to which we are frequently subjected.

Tentative Rider Pep Band Schedule at the Grey Cup

All times are Mountain Standard Time (6am in Edmonton is 8am in Trono). I'll likely be playing trumpet most of the time, but will be on drums now and then, especially for the parade. I'm not sure if we'll actually take our instruments into the game, but there's enough playing scheduled for the weekend to shred my lips:

Thursday, November 25^th

6:45 am                           Meet in the Northgate Mall parking lot 

7:00 am                           Depart for Edmonton

4:00 pm                           Arrive in Edmonton     Coast Edmonton House   

Confirmed performances times listed below – subject to change with many additions expected.

~~4:30pm         CKRM Sports Cage (this is before we even check in at the hotel!)

7:00 pm            Riderville

7:45 pm            Spirit of Edmonton

 

Friday, November 26^th

  6:15 am            Canada AM

  7:30 am            Spirit of Edmonton Breakfast

  8:30 am            CKRM – Flea Market

11:30 am            Riderville Luncheon

  1:10 pm            Touchdown Manitoba

  3:15 pm            Spirit of Edmonton

  3:45 pm            CKRM Sports Cage

  5:45 pm            Lions Den

  6:30 pm            CKRM Hospitality Suite

  7:45 pm            Spirit of Edmonton

  9:00 pm            Stamps House

  9:30 pm            Riderville

10:30 pm            Tiger Town

Saturday, November 27^th

7:30 am                           Spirit of Edmonton Breakfast

Noon                  Grey Cup Parade – Global Edmonton  

2:30 pm                           Riderville

3:15 pm                           Spirit of Edmonton

4:15 pm                           Lions Den

5:00 pm                           Supper at Buffet Royale

6:00 pm                           CKRM Hospitality Suite

7:30 pm                           Riderville

8:15 pm                           Spirit of Edmonton

????                   Double Blue Bash

10:30 pm            Tiger Town

Sunday, November 28^th

  ????                 CKRM broadcast

  ????                 Riderville – pregame party

  ????                 Depart for the game

 

4:30 pm             Grey Cup Game

                           Section “M”, Rows 25, 26, 27

                           Details regarding the game will be decided in Edmonton 

Monday, November 29^th

5:45 am    Load the Bus

6:00 am    Depart for Regina

4:00 pm    Tentative arrival back in Regina at Northgate Mall

Green Is the Colour

Being in the Roughrider Pep Band is fun!

 

 

Noise-cancelling Headphones:Spend the money and buy good ones

Over the past few years, I have gone through four or five different sets of noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds. 

• Initially a bought a pair of Sennheisers, precursors to these, I think. They are okay, but they have a bit too much hiss, and because they are on the ear, not over the ear, they don't block out non-noise-cancelled sounds very well. I have continued to use them off and on, and they are much better than nothing, but they quite clearly have left something to be desired.
• To reduce the bulk, I also tried a pair of Panasonic noise-cancelling earbuds, likely these or something close to them. I liked them quite a bit because of the convenience in carrying them -- small and easy to pack or shove into a pocket. But they weren't quite so reliable and stopped working after a year or so. I think a wire broke near the jack.
• I also tried a few others along the way, but none was particularly satisfying.
• A few days ago I got a pair of Bose 15 headphones. WOW!! These are fantastic! They do a terrific job of canceling noise, and the over-the-ear design cuts out lots of the noise that isn't cancelled electronically. I haven't used them a lot yet, but they are comfortable and have phenomenal sound in addition to eliminating much more noise than any of the others I have tried. 

So far, I'm delighted with the Bose 15s. I'll be wearing them on a 9-hour long bus trip to the Grey Cup at the end of November, and I'll be using them as well on a two-day train trip (each way) from Saskatoon to London, Ontario, and back in a couple of months. Here's hoping I'm still as delighted with them in January. 

. .

An Odd Co-incidence? the Settle Roughriders?

The logos of the Settle Orchestra and Saskatchewan Roughriders are amazingly similar:

  

 

My friend, Stuart, plays French horn and has developed the website for the Settle Orchestra (Settle, Yorkshire, UK). I'm sure many of the brass players in that orchestra also perform with the Settle Brass Band, whom I had the pleasure of hearing in concert 3 years ago. 

Pirates? in Saskatchewan? "...on Regina's Mighty Shores"?

At Saskatchewan Roughriders football games, the crowd has a great time singing along with a song about pirates in Saskatchewan. When I first heard the song, I was both amused and confused. Pirates? in Saskatchewan? Huh?

The song is about a prairie farmer who lost his farm to the banks and can't find a job anywhere, so he decides to become a pirate on the Saskatchewan River. No matter that Saskatchewan has the booming-est economy in Canada; no matter that there is no branch of the Saskatchewan River going through Regina, home of the Roughriders; fans here love the song. Here's the chorus:

And it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains 
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains 
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores

Regina's mighty shores??? In the city itself there's Wascana River/creek, but it's pretty hard to think of that as mighty (except maybe where it's dammed up to form a bit of a lake). But who cares? It's fun. 

The song is called "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" by The Arrogant Worms (when I first heard it, I thought maybe it was by Stompin' Tom, but it isn't). The full lyrics are here.

My First Day Playing with the Roughrider Pep Band

I've joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders Pep Band in Regina. Here I am, getting ready for my first day, playing with them. Souvenir sales in the morning, concert and parade in the afternoon, party this evening, game tomorrow. My lips will be in tatters by the end of the weekend. Thank goodness we don't march and don't have to have our music memorized!

Update: after Saturday, bbbbbbbbbbbb..... my lips are indeed shot, and I'm exhausted. It'll be interesting to see what happens on Sunday.

Vuvuzela Philharmonic? Who Knew?

Knowing our interest in the topic, Dave sent this article around to a number of us, along with this commet:

Are you as appalled as I am by the intrusion of unwarranted "sports events" on a great music festival? Let us hope for better on July 11.

Here is the introduction to the article:

JOHANNESBURG—Members of the South Africa Vuvuzela Philharmonic Orchestra, widely considered to be among the best large-scale monotonic wind instrument ensembles in the world, told reporters Friday they were furious over the recent outbreaks of international soccer matches during their traditional outdoor concerts.

"I cannot imagine what is getting into these football teams that they would suddenly begin full-scale international competition just when we are beginning our 2010 concert series," said Dr. Stefan Coetzee, the Philharmonic's program and concert director. "It is disrespectful to the performers, it is disrespectful to the music itself, and by extension, it is disrespectful to the great nation of South Africa."

It is pretty easy to guess the source of the article.

More on Vuvuzelas: some economics and other notes

Thanks to Kais, I learned there are iPhone apps that play the annoying sound of the vuvuzelas [plastic horns] at the World Cup. Of course there are! I have now downloaded one of the free versions and am prepared for rowdy pubs. Or maybe I'll just play my air horn app that was designed more for NHL games, I think. Or maybe the cowbells, designed for curling events. Or maybe I'll alternate until the battery runs out or I'm thrown out, whichever comes first... (I have an external battery source for my iPhone, so it'll last pretty long!)

Is it just my imagination, or are all the vuvuzelas tuned to the same note? It would make sense that they are, since they appear to have been mass-manufactured. But are the economies of scale in vuvuzela manufacturing so serious that the firm producing them has a natural monopoly? If not, and if there are other producers, is there some reason they are all produced to play the same note?

 If I had one, I would cut it off at the plastic mouthpiece just a bit and insert my french horn mouthpiece (which I just happen to have with me on my travels), all so I could have a slightly higher pitched noise-maker. 

 Some years ago, I made some vuvuzela-wannabes to take to a local baseball game. I just cut some gray plastic electrical conduit to various lengths (to get different notes; drilling holes didn't work for that) and they were good and loud. Not as loud as the real thing, but still loud in a small stadium. And they have the advantage that they are easily smuggled in, tucked down one's pantlegs (we were told that vuvuzelas are banned from some ballparks because they are so loud and so annoying, but not at the ballpark we attended).

I'm not sure, but I think this might be my first posting ever that combines three of my interests: economics, sports, and music. If I thought long and hard, I could probably incorporate acting, too, but that might detract from the topic of the posting a bit.

For my previous posting on this topic, see this.

Btw, no pun intended in the title for this posting.

Photos from Yesterday in Vienna

As I was wandering around near the Music Institute yesterday, I heard a horn player practicing and thought, "isn't this great! I get to listen to this horn player." I looked around to see where the sound was coming from, and saw this:

This guy was practicing his horn, in a parked (!) van, with the windows up, on a day when the temperature was about 28C! And if you look carefully at the horn, you can see that it is anything but a standard horn. The curves and tubing are quite different.

As I continued walking, I passed a very interesting sculpture. I assume it signifies or leads one to the Pfizer Vienna headquarters.

 

8-) 

Absolute and Comparative Advantage: A Simple Example and some interesting wrinkles....

My friend, Jason, is a superb French horn player; I am mediocre at best (my motto: "I'm not good but I make up for that by being loud."). 

At the same time, we are both also conductors. I'm a pretty decent conductor but Jason is probably better because of his talent, background, experience, and musical knowledge.

So, in economics jargon, Jason has an absolute advantage over me in both playing French horn and conducting. But if he tried to do both at the same time, he would probably not be so good (though I expect he'd be more than passable). 

Overall, Jason is tonnes better than me at playing French horn and only somewhat better than me at conducting. So, again in economics jargon, Jason has a comparative advantage over me in playing, which leaves me with a comparative advantage in conducting. 

The neato Ricardian theory of comparative advantage suggests, therefore, that I should be conducting and Jason should be playing French horn in our community band. 

It doesn't work that way, though. Why not?

First, there are four people in the band with conducting experience, not just Jason and me. 

Second, there is only one paid position in the band: conductor. Given the choices, Jason chooses to take the paid position rather than play French horn (an unpaid position). And given the options, the band chooses to hire Jason to do the conducting instead of me because he is the better conductor.

So even though the theory of comparative advantage suggests the band would be better off with Jason on horn and me conducting, it doesn't always work that way when prices and wages are not completely flexible and determined in competitive markets.

Notes: 

• the above thoughts occurred to me during a rehearsal in which I butchered a few horn solos and I wished Jason had been playing them instead of me.
• it might even be more efficient to have both Jason and me play French horn and have someone else conduct the band. But I expect Jason has a comparative advantage in conducting over them; besides, I think he quite likes the job. In the past, we did indeed have a different conductor, and Jason and I both played French horn, but that conductor has retired from the position.

Phebe: A New Young Star on the Horizon?

Phebe introduces herself and a few of her songs, a capella. My favourite of the three is her rendition of "At Last", an Etta James classic:

I think her favourite is "Hit Me with Your Best Shot", but I'm not as keen on this song, which somehow makes me less keen on her performance of it, too:

But in many ways, this next one, "Rapunzel", is the most impressive of the three. She wrote it.

 Phebe is 11 years old. While I'm not keen on girls this young singing love songs and love-lost songs, I know it is common. And I have loved hearing her sing ever since I heard her perform "On My Own" from Les Miserables a few years ago.

Economists Rap about Keynes and Hayek

The lyrics are here

12 Days of Christmas:Heavy Metal Version

Last year, one of our granddaughters insisted we watch Twisted Sister perform their version of the 12 Days of Christmas. As usual, I couldn't understand what they were saying, so thank goodness for Google. Here is the last verse:

On my heavy metal Christmas my true love gave to me,
12 silver crosses
11 black mascaras
10 pairs of platforms
9 tattered t-shirts
8 pentagrams
7 leather jackets
6 cans of hairspray
5 skull earrings
4 quarts of Jack
3 studded belts
2 pairs of spandex pants
and a tattoo of Ozzy!