The Voice: Dan Palmere's Blog

Study Links Emotional and Neural Responses to Musical Performance

I'm always interested in the learning more about the "science" behind music and how it affects people. It's one thing to learn the theory and apply it, but digging deeper, it's amazing to hear what research has shown in regards to music and it's impact upon the brain.

Two fascinating reads that I'd reccomend if you're interested in the subject are:

1. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and The Brain by Oliver Sacks
2. This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin

Of course, there are volumes of other published works available, but these two have seen a lot of success and critical acclaim.

In the meantime, check out this article. [From the heading]: 

"It is well known that music arouses emotions. But why do some musical performances move us, while others leave us flat? Why do musicians spend years perfecting the subtle nuances that bring us to tears? Scientists at Florida Atlantic University have now identified key aspects of musical performance that cause emotion-related brain activity, and they have shown for the first time how these performance nuances work in the brain, in real-time."

Photo Credit: Antenna

Women of the World

It's a rare occurrence for both an audience and musical performer to feed creative energy off each other. I've found at many live concerts, the band is protected by an invisible bubble, encapsulated within themselves and their music. Taking music and singing back to its roots, we learn that it was essentially a form of storytelling and communication. Modern musical acts tend to abandon this detail. 

That definitely was not the case at the Berklee Performance Center tonight. Arranger/composer/vocalist Ayumi Ueda assembled the Women of the World in previous semesters at Berklee College of Music. The team was/is represented by singers native to different continents. Her aim was to fuse students of different cultural backgrounds and ideals with the "common language" that is music. 

The nearly full house shared a special connection with the performers this evening. There was a unique bond with the people on stage created from their fantastic learning experience and growth in preparation for the show, and the audience for witnessing the deep sense of joy radiating from the stage. It made me think that music could actually be the best medium for bringing even the most disparate cultures together. This was also apparent when I saw the documentary, "Playing for Change". 

Aside from traditional European and Japanese folk songs, Ueda supplied the remainder of fantastic arrangements. Her ability to capture the timbre of each voice and toss in memorable rhythmic and harmonic structures by the backing band left me closing my eyes at times to savor the sheer beauty of it all. She expertly performed with a trio of "singing bowls", harp, and percussion, then called out the "World Peace Choir". This immense assembly was comprised of female students at Berklee; Fifty singers from forty-six countries. Another great aspect of student life in Boston. 

Their first piece, "Lioness Hunt", sent shivers up my spine. There was so much power and genuine compassion behind the chorus. They sang a few arrangements acapella and then moved to a soulful finale with the band while the names of all the singers appeared on a screen behind them.

A standing ovation was offered by the audience as a "thank you" for the efforts of Ayumi and the Women of the World. Wiping the tears from her eyes she humbly thanked everyone and said, "tonight my dream came true." It was truly a magical moment and I hope she continues her efforts to promote global peace through music and collaboration of as many cultures as possible. 

Every day, every blade of grass, breath of wind, and person is a blank canvas. Create a masterpiece.

-- Dan Palmere

Kurt Elling at Scullers

The great thing about Scullers Jazz Club is the intimate ambience created upon walking through the doors. Candles flicker on neatly set tables as jazz enthusiasts filter in anxious to witness the artistry of the music. 

The problem is getting there if you're a local Bostonian like myself. You can only take the T so far and while taking a cab (as I did last night) puts you at the front door, you might as well walk for the price. 

I bought my ticket to the show back in May right when I found out Kurt was dropping by. I learned later that it coincided with the Beantown Jazz Festival going on all this week, concluding on Saturday evening. 

I've always considered Elling a big influence on me as a vocalist. A friend introduced me to him for the first time during my early days at Berklee College of Music. Within the first few bars of Nightmoves, I was instantly hooked. I've come to love not only his unique phrasing and sound, but arrangements on jazz standards and originals based on classic instrumental solos. I always tells people how amazingly close he sounds to a saxophone, not only for the trademark "vv-vv" sound he makes at end of phrases, but his wide range and clarity of pitch. 

His latest, Dedicated To You, features a string orchestra and arrangements by his collaborator and pianist of 15 years, Laurence Hobgood. Elling tackled the hurdle of reinventing/introducing the songs of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman from their classic 1963 studio album. The result was a beautiful live performance at Lincoln Center in New York City and the catalyst of his current international tour. 

The quartet entered from off the main floor and greeted the audience with a high-intensity rendition of a tune I've heard before, but can't find the title. It was definitely originally a piece with no words. Elling remarked afterwards, "we're just testing the levels." I took that line as the theme of the performance that lasted a little over an hour and a half. I was really impressed at the dynamics and interplay of the group, naturally coming from being on the road so many nights out of the year. His style and tunes are representative of him constantly "testing the levels". If he didn't, he'd be just another male jazz crooner running down the forms of predictable standards.

After a few tunes, Elling humorously called on a "random audience member" to come play the sax (or what he called "contraption"). It was, of course, the great tenor player Joel Frahm. He brought a modest and rich sound to the arrangements. His solos: unmistakably sincere and crisp. 

The set list flew by and Kurt was introducing the band on the final tune before I knew it. Fortunately, he came out for an encore performance with Hobgood to sing a great medley off the Nightmoves album, "Leaving Again/In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning". 

As folks filtered out of the room, I had to stay in my chair for a bit to savor the feeling of inspiration and creative energy that had come from the stage. I was surprised to find Elling outside greeting people and I promptly shook his hand saying, "I really enjoyed it", to which he responded with a smirk, "I enjoyed doing it."

The Bad Plus Clinic

The cheers of 5-Week students in the BPC yesterday afternoon was nothing short of expected. Honestly, what do you expect when you pack a room full of high school aged musicians in a theater? 

In his blog today, Seth Godin, talks about embracing change through the scientific method: "create a culture of testing and inquiry that can't help but push you forward." This was the main point I took from the clinic with the powerhouse piano trio, The Bad Plus. 

During their talk with the audience, they brought up the role of improvisation in their music; the greatest art is sometimes "made in a state of vulnerability". The dynamic members of the trio were always curious about different types of music growing up. They knew about other music, but wanted to branch out from the garage band rock--and that's when they discovered the world of jazz. 

I hadn't listening extensively to the Bad Plus' music prior to the clinic and am sort of grateful. I didn't know what to expect, and in some sense, I think they didn't either. They took the improvisational spark that makes jazz music so unique and broke boundaries in performance and arrangements. Their instruments were taken beyond conventional use and served as a means of emotional expression. 

I especially loved their performance of "Have You Met Miss Jones", after being questioned if they still played any jazz standards. It really showed how well they listened to each other and could take the music anywhere--in this case, changing tempo frequently. 

Here are the albums they mentioned that were inspirational to their musical taste and development:

1. Transition - John Coltrane
2. OK Computer - Radiohead  
3. Science Fiction - Ornette Coleman  
4. Fort Yawuh - Keith Jarrett  
5. Money Jungle - Duke Ellington  

 

Preparing for a gig

Here are some helpful tips I've picked up along the way. You may find them helpful. 

1. First, make sure you've assembled the right people for your band. Chemistry is important and definitely affects the overall musicality. 
2. Make sure you're well rehearsed and have a solid two-hour set list down.   
3. If the music isn't memorized, place the music in binders for every instrument. Organization is the key here.   
4. Contact the venue or person client a few days before the gig to confirm details.    
5. Check to make sure all equipment you need to bring is working order. Pack extra cables and strings in case.   
6. Arrange transportation to the venue with your band members.
7. Check out the venue before the gig. This is important to get a feel of the place, dimensions, and parking arrangements for your car with equipment.  
8. Remember to be professional and courteous at all times to the staff and the people who booked you. This is especially important if it's your first time dealing with that person and/or venue.   
9. Don't be late. Easy to avoid, but too often happens for a lot of bands.   

Efficient rehearsals

As the leader of my quartet, it's not only important to schedule the best time to rehearse for everyone, but to be really prepared and on top of things. Their time is valuable and so is mine. A couple tips:

There should be a goal of every rehearsal. Whether it's perfecting the arrangement on one song, or covering new material, it's good to have direction. Have all the music organized in binders for every instrument and just go right down the list. 

Encourage discussion. Open discussion among band members is important. I'm constantly seeking input from the rhythm section and offering suggestions. Even during the song, don't be afraid to talk to one another. It's just like they taught us during high school sports. 

Lesson learned at Berklee

A lesson I've learned at Berklee is that people like performing with you if you have your stuff together. As a vocalist and bandleader of my quartet, I can't always rely on everyone to have things exactly as I see them. 

One initiative I've taken is to place the songs we're working on at rehearsal and for gigs in individual binders. A lot of groups will tend to have just one large binder or book and flip to pages as the night progresses. I find it looks more professional to type out the charts in Finale (or a similar program) and put them in plastic sheet protectors in order of what set they'll be played in. 

If you need to buy more time, then pop open the books and call some more tunes. 

Here's some tips I can offer other vocalists: 

1. Create a gig book. This has been such a great tool for me over the past several months. It will take time, but you'll be able to organize all the songs you know. Put the songs in your key and transpose for horns (if you plan to use them at any point). I went to a jam session last week and the ensemble was really impressed I had charts for them in my key. Very simple stuff.
2. Confidence with the count off. Have an idea of what tempo you want to count off. Hear the song in your head. Don't look around the room and ask, "how fast should we take this one?". Figure it out and boldly count off with with the same energy you want the band to play with.
3. The band looks to you for cues. As the vocalist, you are the leader on any given tune (unless an instrumentalist is directing the ensemble). Just like instrumentalists watch each other, you should be watching them and offer direction for how to end the song, if you want a tag ending, etc. It's also helpful if you let them know in the beginning -- also having it clearly written on the chart is good practice. 

Picking up the guitar

I borrowed a guitar yesterday and walked it home. 

It's something I just recently became interesting in learning more about. I have some experience with piano and can fake my way through a lot of tunes. Guitar appealed to me because of it's portability and it's accessibility to a lot people (i.e.: going home to play for a group of friends). Foundation with piano and having knowledge of music theory is going to help out a lot.

Trying to get the proper hand and finger position is probably the most stressful thing right now. I don't think I've formed a proper chord as of yet. However, I made some progress because I:

1. Learned how to tune the strings correctly.  
2. How to hold the guitar properly.  
3. Learned basic strumming patterns.   

It's a work in progress and my plan is to keep trying it and eventually purchase my own. As always, I'll continue to practice with voice and piano. My goal with guitar is to learn some basic chords to play "most requested" type songs. Being able to bring it to the beach back home and noodle around would be great. 

 

Big Bang Evolutionary Big Band

How's that for alliteration? 

Last night I went to see this group perform at the David Friend Recital Hall at Berklee College of Music. The seats were filled when I arrived of avid supporters of all ages of big band music. The show coincided with Berklee's Brass Weekend, which offers a few days of clinics and master classes for musicians playing brass instruments. 

The Big Bang Evolutionary Big Band was founded from current Berklee students, alumni, faculty, and staff around campus as a way to realize their composed pieces and arrangements. The 18-piece group last night performed some incredible original arrangements, as well as two covers: Prelude to a Kiss (Ellington) and Buffalo (Kimo Williams). The latter was the final piece and was received with a thunderous applause at the end. Jason Camelio (Director, trombone) described it as a cross between rock and jazz for big band. 

It was nice to see such a big collaboration among the Berklee community. There's still a lot of great new arrangements for big band and jazz ensembles being put out all the time. These are people who refuse to see the tradition of jazz wither away. This is a group of talented individuals with a passion for composition and performance. I'm definitely looking forward to future performances around Berklee and Boston with them. 

 

Nicole Henry at Ryles

I went to New York City last fall and stopped by Virgin Records in Times Square. It was late November and the place was packed with early Christmas shoppers. Immediately, I got caught up in the music being played overhead throughout the store. It was a gorgeous arrangement of "That's All" and the singer was Nicole Henry. Her new album The Very Thought of You was being promoted. 

I found out she was performing at Ryles this past Saturday night and caught the bus to Cambridge after work and walked to the club. 

I was really impressed at the energy of Nicole and her group's performance on stage. Sometimes live shows fall short of your expectations, but the quartet blended well in a room of people really soaking in each tune. What I like about Nicole's voice is her clear presentation of jazz standards, not being afraid to push boundaries, and incorporating the soul of gospel/R&B into her interpretation of the lyrics. She has the ability to capture your attention in every phrase, leaving you curious as to where she'll go next. In place of scatting, (vocal improvisation) she does a great job creating melodic embellishments that act as a solo. Her phrasing is seamless as the chord changes fly by. 

Definitely look for more of Nicole in the coming months. 

To Every Thing There Is A Season

When I heard about Yumiko Matsuoka's CD release concert, I immediately knew what my Sunday plans would be. It seems nowadays I've been in more or less in an "acapella listening phase". It starts when you find yourself singing harmonies in a room with a chorus or smaller ensemble. The feeling is indescribable and capturing the true beauty of the human voice has been the lifelong work of such talented groups and arrangers, such as Matsuoka. 

Yumiko is currently serving as a professor in Berklee College of Music's Ear Training Department and continues to be commissioned for writing challenging, yet unforgettable arrangements. She formed the group Vox One along with fellow Berklee colleagues in 1988. The group was considered to be on the cutting edge of contemporary acapella sound as we know it today -- including complex harmonies and vocal percussion (Paul Stiller). Matsuoka humbly said during her performance tonight at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Brookline, MA) that, "if it weren't for Vox One, I wouldn't be where I am today." 

This evening's concert also included an impeccable performance by Acousticity: a guitar duo which blended seamlessly through melodies and solos. The church also provided wonderful acoustics for vocals and guitars. Syncopation was the first acapella group to perform and they offered direct and hip arrangements with a jazz feel. The group is definitely on the forefront of acapella music today, claiming many positive reviews and awards. Check them out if they ever perform near you. The Boston Jazz Voices came later offering powerful blends with their 18 member group. The show ended with a sentimental performance of Vox One and an encore of their well-known rendition of "Danny Boy". 

Try to get a hold of Yumiko's new album to enjoy the essence of beautifully crafted acapella music. 

Paul Simon Interview/Clinic

By 12:00 today, a line had already wrapped around the Berklee Performance Center with anxious students ready to have words of wisdom and musical ideas imparted by the 16 time Grammy-award winning artist, Paul Simon. There was already buzz about Simon in the weeks prior as he was appointed to the board of trustees --- something the students are exited about. It gives even more credibility to a school already credible in the business, and will hopefully give more financial aid opportunity.

To think I performed on the stage just two days before. 

Some highlights from Paul's lecture:

1. Be truthful with your songwriting. If you use a cliche, acknowledge it. 
2. Don't go into a song with an expectation or direction. Let the music carry you.   
3. Get in touch with your musical roots. Spend time tuning your guitar once in a while not using an electronic tuner. Really get inside the sound of each string.
4. You can use your songwriting as a therapy tool, but expect that others view your issues as common.
5. It's okay to borrow ideas from other artists --- to an extent. (Simon considers it flattering)  
6. Constantly keep your listeners intrigued. It's very easy to lose them, and hard to get them back.      

All in all, it was a great learning experience and performance. Paul Simon still has the cool flare in his music, and paints beautiful imagery in his lyrics. He can be somber and silly in the same line. When questioned about this, he wittily responded, "it's just what I do."  

Recording process

I just got out of the studio recording my jazz quartet for a 3 song demo. I'm going in Friday again to record some more vocal and piano tracks. It is quite a lengthy process, but needs to be done for us to start booking gigs.

1. Allow yourself at least an hour to get the hardware and levels setup. It's isn't as easy as "plug and play.
2. Try to start towards the middle of the day. You want to be alert.
3. Make a checklist of what you need with the members of your band. If something is missing, make sure you shop for a good product.
4. Bring food, drinks, and aspirin. You never know.
5. For the quartet we had 3 microphones on the drums (snare, kick, overhead), 1 on the guitar amp, and bass ran direct in.
6. Invest in and bring extra cables. There is definitely a noticeable difference.

Picture from our studio day 1:

Raising Sand: Review

Album Title: Raising Sand
Featured Artists: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Genre: Acoustic Blues/Traditional Folk
Run Time: About an hour
Number of Tracks: 13
Awards: Album of the Year; Best Country Collaboration with Vocals; Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album; Record of the Year (for "Please Read the Letter"); Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (for "Rich Woman")
Best Time to Listen: Right before bed

Review

This anticipated album between rock and folk singer received a wide mix of reviews. I sat down and listened to the whole thing while following the words, paying close attention to detail. I found the whole album to be very cautious, especially between two great singers. Almost like they were trying to stay out of each other's way. Ironically, the end result was  beautiful harmonies with light lyrics and an over-the-top attempt to bring country, bluegrass, and folk together. That being said, people have told me I have to listen further to early Robert Plant from the Zeppelin days. Perhaps so, or not. I think it comes across effortless/natural and the pairing of these two vocals formed a perfect match. It's certainly not your typically mainstream album, but worth checking out to form an opinion. With interesting rhythms and folk harmonies, Raising Sand almost beckons to be followed up with another album.

Esperanza at Berklee

I arrived at the David Friend Recital Hall no later than 30 minutes before the show and already a line was out the door for a 300-person capacity theater. Once everyone moved in, I found a space behind a standing-room only crowd on the balcony rendering my view of the stage blocked. It didn't matter.

Esperanza Spalding, Berklee alumni and faculty, brought down the house with her superb command of the upright and electric bass as well as a voice with a wide dynamic range. During brief Q&A sessions between songs, she stressed the importance of having a melodic motif that the listener can catch on to when you write arrangements. It was clear that her trio always knew where she was going. Specific arrangements or not, if the group vibes and works together long enough, you'll automatically pick up on patterns of the other members' playing.

About 10 minutes before the show ended, some people started to leave, so I moved up and could finally see the stage and band. I have to say, if I had a seat, I would still take the non-view. Sometimes it's nice to not know what the technical process is like for an artist's performance. Spalding continues to be a great motivation to me and those around her.

 

Leading a band

I had the urge to assemble a jazz quartet last year. Berklee College of Music is a great place to be for any music idea or project, as I knew people I wanted to use as members through networking. 

After getting the members together, business concepts of communication and organization come into play. It's up to you to notify everyone of practice times, prepare the charts, record the rehearsals, and put together the press kit. There has to be an established leader. Sometimes its hard to do this as a student peer, but your decisions should be in the best interest of the group--not letting the power get to your head.

After every song in rehearsal I give my feedback and insist everyone else adds something or critiques. Primarily, our group provides background/atmosphere music, so writing the catchiest arrangements and being in the spotlight are not really priority. We strive to learn as many jazz standards as possible and work things out as we play.

My original bass player dropped out to pursue other interests last semester, so the process of selecting a new one has been a bit challenging. I've been working with two primarily, and will soon select the one I feel will be the best fit for our group. This is another important concept I'm learning. It can't be personal with decisions like this--everything is about what's going to be best for the band.

Sweetwater

With so many online music equipment retailers, its hard to decipher who to go with. 

I'd been researching some equipment to get my home recording studio set up and found that Sweetwater had a website that was easy to use. Plus, they offered customer AND company recording engineer's advice. 

I placed my order and was immediately contacted by my assigned audio expert and salesperson. This was extremely helpful when I had questions regarding other product suggestions and equipment setup. Shipping was quick and the materials were packed neatly in a box filled with other bonuses. 

I definitely recommend Sweetwater for your next music/audio purchase.