EclectEcon

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!

Hava Nagila, Texas-style

Brought tears to my eyes for some reason (positive):

David Clayton-Thomas Visited UWO Today

David Clayton-Thomas (a stage name!), lead singer of the hit group, Blood, Sweat, & Tears (most famous, probably, for its 1969 album) was on campus today, addressing a large group about evolution of music.

Before he arrived, I asked the students in one of my classes "How many of you have NEVER heard of David Clayton-Thomas?" About 80% of them raised their hands. WOW! I guess that shows how old I am.... and how old he is....

Update: Of the 250 students in my intro course, only about three said they knew who he was, and only about 30 or so had ever heard of Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

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Pete Seeger on the Obama Deficits

From Arnold Kling, comparing a recent rally of conservatives in Washington DC with a big anti-Vietnam-War rally he attended many years ago:

People were mellow and friendly, like at the giant anti-Vietnam rally. And as with that rally, they tended to mill around, ignore the speakers, and chat among themselves. My joke is that I was waiting for Pete Seeger to come out and sing "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" about the deficits. ("We're waist deep in the Big Muddy. But the Big Fool says to push on.)

Scatological Hymnology

After I posted a brief item about the hymn, "You Raise Me Up," Robert sent me a note about another hymn:

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) was the most prolific hymn-writer in English, with over 500 hymns. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/w/a/t/watts_i.htm

Another of his hymns is Blest Is the Man Whose Bowels Move. http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/english/blestman.htm

...

Viagra and the Church

One of the songs performed recently by Thatotherchoir, of which I am a member, was "You Raise Me Up."
Mostly I try to avoid thinking about the words of the songs we sing, especially when we perform in churches, but this one made me suspect strong Freudian or maybe Penthouse overtones. Here is the portion that particularly caught my attention:

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Or in some ways the entire song sounds like double-entendre poetry written by an older person who thinks s/he has rediscovered youth in a younger partner. Complete lyrics here.

The American Wind Symphony

This summer, the American Wind Symphony is traveling via barge around the Great Lakes performing in various communities. The orchestra is made up primarily of young university-level music majors.

I heard three different ensembles from the group perform last weekend: a woodwind quintet (including French horn), a brass quintet, and a brass sextet. They were absolutely fantastic! I was impressed by all the groups, but I was particularly enthralled by the brass quintet. The playing was sensitive and unforced, despite the outdoor setting. And the precision and tuning were perfect. I cannot recall any other time in my life when I have had tears of joy and amazement from listening to a live music performance, as I did then.

I had heard of the American Wind Symphony (Orchestra) before, but I had never heard them. At this point, I will gladly travel to hear the full group or any of their ensembles. They are absolutely amazing.

If you live or expect to be visiting anywhere near the Great Lakes this summer, check the concert schedule near you (They are in Manistique, Michigan this week). If The American Wind Symphony is on the schedule, make an effort to see and hear them. You won't regret it

Obama-man/Candyman

by Greg Morton, via BenS.

Muskegon High School Band Alumni

Here is one of many photos from the 2008 MHS Band Alumni reunion/homecoming/halftime event. The photo was taken during our pre-game rehearsal.

Free Music from Amazon

Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On". The MP3 was a free (i.e. no-charge) download from Amazon.com.

Sadly, the offer was available only in the US and expired at midnight, February 14th, 2009.

Addendum: JH writes,

Interesting, the second line of the chorus is (I already have the song on several media):

"You don't have to worry that it's wrong."

Of course, Marvin wrote that before his daddy shot him.

Tanglefoot: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This afternoon, Alan Adamson, his wife, Ms. Eclectic, and I went to the concert by Tanglefoot, in Clinton of all places. The group is sort of a holdover of folk music from the 60s, with a touch of Celtic and a touch of rock flavour to their music; and everything they sing about is based on Canadian history. Despite its slight anti-American tone, I quite liked their song about Laura Secord. And I also enjoyed the song about the great slide that destroyed the town of Frank, Alberta.

The band members are all excellent musicians, with good voices; and Al, the bass player, has a fantastic voice.

The concert was in a local church, and I'm sure I would enjoy it much more in a cabaret or pub setting. Here is a link to their upcoming concert schedule. They're worth seeing in any venue.

My only reservation was that the instrument volume was too high, relative to the voices, at times, making it difficult to understand the words to the songs at some points. But we all still really enjoyed the concert, and I'd certainly recommend seeing them. The group will be in England while I'm there; I may very well go see them there, too.

Update. Alan's review is more detailed and he has posted a couple of photos.

Tanglefoot Comes to Clinton, Ontario

Tanglefoot, a Celtic-folk-rock type group will be performing tomorrow at the Clinton United Church. I have no idea how or why this arrangement worked out, but Tanglefoot is a reasonably respectable group, making its farewell tour.

Alan Adamson highly recommends seeing them. In fact, he, his wife, Ms. Eclectic, and I will be attending this concert together. Here is what he says about them:

The excellent Canadian group Tanglefoot are apparently making 2009 their final year of performing.

I strongly recommend any readers try to see them. ...

Their shows are always lively and very entertaining. I have seen many and am sorry I am running out of chances.

Addendum: the concert begins at 3pm, and the last I heard tickets would still be available at the door (unless they sell out between now and then).

Folk Song about the Financial Crisis

Ryan sent me this link to his song:

Note to others: I do not ordinarily post YouTube links. Please do not flood my inbox with requests for us to promote your latest endeavour.

Handel's Messiah: See This Performance

Tomorrow evening, the Georgetown Bach Chorale will be performing Handel's Messiah at the North Street United Church in Goderich, Ontario. Here, in part, is a review I wrote of the group's performance two 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.

The Aviv String Quartet Does Shostakovich

Last evening I attended a concert by the Aviv String Quartet, hosted by the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. It was superb.

In this first concert of their doing the full series of Shostakovich's String Quartets, they played his first, fourth, and fourteenth. That was quite a mix. The first started out as a music school assignment, the fourth was written during a period when Shostakovich was out of favour with the Soviet oligarchs, and the fourteenth was written during a personally dark time in the later part of his career.

The Aviv Quartet did an excellent job. I was especially impressed with their performance of the first quartet, which I clearly preferred to the other two. Their playing was precise, yet not rigid; passionate when appropriate, yet never over-the-top emotive. And their sense of intonation was superb, especially given the temperature changes in the concert venue.

[Addendum: Let me insert here that the printed programme notes provided were superb, as was the introduction to the evening presented by the first violinist.]

They will be doing the remainder of Shostakovich's string quartets over the next week.

20  mon Quartets Nos. 7, 13, 2

21 tues Quartets  Nos. 6, 9, 3 

23  thu Quartets Nos. 10, 12, 5 

24 fri Quartets Nos. 8, 11, 15

Each concert:  $30 (sr $25; st $20)

For more information, visit the website of the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. I'm told that there are still a few tickets available for the concerts, but the last two are likely to be sold out in the next day or so. Last night's concert was sold out, and for good reason. The group is worth hearing.

Frosty for Shosty:The Shostakovich String Quartets

I have always liked about 2/3 of the music of Shostakovich. Over the years, though, the composition of that 2/3 has changed as my experience, knowledge, and tastes have changed. Oddly, I still like his First, Fifth, and Ninth Symphonies, but I am no longer at all enamoured of the Seventh Symphony. And his cello concerto is great, too.

Beginning tomorrow evening, I will be attending a series of concerts in Waterloo, Ontario, featuring the Aviv String Quartet performing all of Shostakovich's String Quartets.

18  sat Quartets Nos. 1, 4, 14  

20  mon Quartets Nos. 7, 13, 2

21 tues Quartets  Nos. 6, 9, 3 

23  thu Quartets Nos. 10, 12, 5 

24 fri Quartets Nos. 8, 11, 15

Each concert:  $30 (sr $25; st $20)

For more information, visit the website of the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society.

   .   

Ray, Jerry, and Fats in One Show

Three icons from a long-ago era:

Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Fats Domino, perform together in The Netherlands. [h/t to Judith]

 
How old are these guys?

Teeswater Fair Update

The tractor square dancing was absolutely amazing. They did all the square dance moves on tractors, following a caller, and were loads of fun. Youtube has a number of videos from other fairs and venues here, if you would like to see what it's all about.

And our granddaughter was fabulous, singing "On my own" -- good enough to be invited to move on to the next level, singing at The Western Fair in London in two weeks. Her parents and grandparents all had tears in their eyes as she sang, and at least one of the judges confessed that she, too, had been moved to tears (in a positive sense!) by her voice and singing.

More Photos from the Goderich Laketown Band's Concert Tour

Bill Polley posted a couple of photos here.

Tom Lehrer: The Elements

If you have never heard the famous song, "The Elements", by Tom Lehrer, you will likely enjoy this. Here is a video with pictures appropriate for each element as the names roll off Lehrer's tongue.

Be sure to check out the photo associated with silicone as it whizzes by....

Does Thrice Thwarted = Doomed?What about Four or Five Times Thwarted?

I have been a member of the Goderich Laketown Band for nearly a decade (background here). About a year ago, the band received an inquiry from the community band in Monmouth, Illinois, about whether we would like to participate in an exchange, with our band traveling there this summer, and their band visiting Goderich in the summer of 2009.

I thought the idea sounded great. I would be able to meet with Rebekah, probably with Bill Polley, who lives only 20 or 30 miles from Monmouth, and maybe even with Phil (but he can't make it). However, the venture has been a challenge, to say the least, for the past month or so.

1. Last month, Jason, the first horn player in our band, learned that he probably will not be able to make the trip. No worries, though. For years, I was the only horn player in this band as well as the Bayfield Winds and the Blyth Orchestra, and I figured that with extra practice during the ensuing month I could cover adequately as I had for so many years (though Jason really is a much better horn player than I am).
2. So I obtained copies of the first horn parts for all the music we will be playing in Monmouth and took them (and my horn) with me to Houston, TX, where I was nanny-temping. I practiced my horn diligently (with my mute) while 7-week-old Lara either slept or listened, totally unenthralled. But during my return from Houston last night, my French horn was lost by Air Canada. Again, probably no worries: surely we can work out some arrangement for me to borrow a horn from someone somewhere if Air Canada doesn't return it to me before we leave, early Friday (tomorrow) morning.
3. Also yesterday, I learned that billeting had not gone as planned and that there was a seriously non-negligible chance I'd end up sleeping on an air mattress on the floor at the home of Rebekah's parents. All I could say was, "Nope. I'm too old for that ......." Fortunately, Rebekah and her parents were able to make some alternative arrangements.

There have been other problems, too. Ms. Eclectic (who is now in Houston doing her tour of duty as a nanny-temp) thinks these are too many signs that this trip was just not meant to be.

If you happen to live in the vicinity of Monmouth or Galesburg or Bishops Hill, Illinois, though, there's a chance you might be able to see and hear our band this weekend. And there's even a chance I might be there. And there's even a chance I might be playing with the band.

How about this: I'll post something here if I'm/we're not going to be there.

Update: It's here! The horn was just delivered to my home.