Sigma Alpha Iota

SAI Pan Pipes Spring13

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BACK TO THE beginning community to know that Furman produced Keith Lockhart in the beginning." Adam Collins, principal cellist with the Furman Symphony, sought some career advice from members of the Pops. "My goal is to be a cellist in a full-time orchestra like the people we'll be working with, so hopefully they'll share some of their experience," he said. Collins, who has performed for the past three summers under Lockhart's leadership at the Brevard (N.C.) Music Center, has high praise for the detail-oriented conductor. "He's very precise with what he says in rehearsal," Collins said. "He has very high standards and is very demanding, but also knows how to achieve great results." "I know that this is an experience our musicians are going to remember for the rest of their lives," Joiner said. "I just wonder what we're going to do for an encore." Lockhart, who often works with hundreds of young musicians as the director of the Brevard Music Center, said students need mentors. He assumed artistic leadership of the Brevard Music Center in October 2007, conducting programs with students each summer. "I think one thing I missed at Furman was a CLARINET continued from page 7 grade. The custom files feature can be used to administer playing tests for a woodwind methods class because the recording and grade can be emailed from the student to the professor. There is also a companion app called SmartMusic Inbox that can be used to review and grade the assignments. He also introduced us to other music apps for iPad and iPhone such as sheet music reader forScore, composition app Notion, and GarageBand that can turn your device into a recording studio by using a USB microphone. Aside from embracing the newest innovations in music education, many presentations placed a lot of emphasis on famous pedagogues of the past, namely Robert Marcellus and Daniel Bonade. I was able to attend a few presentations focusing on the teaching of Robert Marcellus, the late Principal Clarinetist of the Cleveland Orchestra. The most notable presentation was a panel discussion focusing on experiences of former students who attended Northwestern University's yearly summer master classes taught by Marcellus from 1975 until 1991. Many of these master classes were recorded on reel-to-reel tapes; Northwestern University is currently in the process of restoring them and making them available to the public so that Marcellus' teaching can be experienced connection to the outside world," Lockhart said. "There's probably more for Furman students than there was 30 years ago. I would have loved to have had more interaction with people who are in the same position I am now about what it takes to establish a satisfying career in music." performed outdoors, Lockhart said the work may require a little bit of tinkering. "The Peace Center won't let us bring cannons inside, so we do the cannons the old-fashioned way, with lots of bass drums," Lockhart said, with a laugh. "We'll make enough noise, I promise." Lockhart said opportunities still exist for young musicians but competition in the classical world is fierce. "There's no sugarcoating it," Lockhart said. "The performing arts in general are facing a great number of challenges. There are numerous orchestras that are in very rough shape or have closed their doors. There's no doubt we turn out more and more qualified people from universities and conservatories but we have fewer positions for them." Life on tour Visiting the parents One of the first things Lockhart always does when a tour brings him to Greenville is visit his parents, who live in Brevard. "It's a great opportunity for me to see them because I'm not a very good son in that way," Lockhart said. "I don't get home very often." As for the "1812" Overture, which famously features cannons and is therefore often firsthand. We were able to listen to a few excerpts from the recordings during the class. Larry Guy from Vassar College and New York University focused on Bonade's performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra to illustrate his most important teaching concepts such as phrasing, tone, embouchure and "legato finger" concept. Dr. Janice Minor from James Madison University used the Rose 40 Etudes to show how clarinet fundamentals can be refined through Bonade's techniques. Despite the very busy recital and master class schedule, there was also some time to visit the exhibit hall to discover new clarinet equipment. I was really excited to spend some time with Buffet Crampon's newest clarinet, the Divine, as well as Vandoren's new Masters mouthpieces and M/O ligatures. The variety of items that you can try at these exhibits is amazing, and the instruments on the showroom floor range from the little e-flat clarinet to the huge contrabass. The sheet music selection was plentiful, and Luyben Music in particular made it easy to find exactly what I was looking for. They had a section of their booth dedicated to the music performed at the recitals during the conference so that if you heard a piece that you wanted to play, it could be found easily. I learned so much by having the opportunity The life of a classical-music superstar on tour is not always as glamorous as you might expect. For this interview, Lockhart spoke from a truck stop somewhere in rural Missouri. He was on tour with the other acclaimed ensemble he conducts, the BBC Concert Orchestra. "There's a lot of work involved," Lockhart said of touring. "You get up. You get on the bus. You drive somewhere for four or five hours. You get off, grab something to eat. You rehearse. You play a concert, then repeat." But the audience makes it all worthwhile, Lockhart said. "It's great to see so many people who want to see you," he said. CLICK FOR MORE For more information, visit keithlockhart.com to observe such outstanding performances and by getting the chance to perform at ClarinetFest. It was an unforgettable experience. The conference was also a fantastic opportunity to meet with clarinetists from all over the world and to catch up with my colleagues. I owe Sigma Alpha Iota a heartfelt thank you for sponsoring my attendance at this conference and appreciate the contribution that it has made to my career. Chastine Hofmeister is currently the Second Clarinetist of the Monroe (TX) Symphony. She is also a regular substitute musician with the Abilene Philharmonic, has recently performed with the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, and was previously Acting Principal of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in clarinet performance at the University of North Texas where she was initiated into Iota Theta. Chastine is the Vice President for Membership of the Denton Alumnae Chapter and has been the recipient of the Sword of Honor, Undergraduate Scholarship, and Professional Development Grant. When not performing, Chastine also enjoys running and recently completed a half marathon. She resides in Denton, TX, with her husband, Jason, and their 22-year-old Cockatiel, Robert "The Wonder Chicken." sai-national.org SPRING 2013 PAN PIPES 17

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