In attendance: a full house with Victor McSurely, Dev Ray, Rick McCarthy, Alex Lahoski, Chris Paquette, Glenn Hughes, and Brad Hogg.
All in the circle at around 7:50 or so, with a circulation to set levels. This ended up going a little longer than "just setting levels", with a clear ending. With no specific agenda to address, Victor suggests simply running some repertoire, unless someone has a different request. With the only requests being repertoire, we jump right in. (Not the exact order.)
Growing Circle
Eye of the Needle
Third Relation
Where is the Nurse?
Bicycling to Afghanistan
Calliope
Prelude Circulation
Flying Home
Intergalactic Boogie Express
Blockhead (from the luau team)
Tweaking and reviewing parts as needed (some of these haven't been played for a while), with Afghanistan being revisited (it is beginning to move from a trio to an ensemble again) and Calliope getting some work after a couple of false starts. Blockhead gets some refining work on the polyrhythm section as well. Chris has managed to gain a new nickname: "Natch". A last call for repertoire requests, and a necessary break.
During the break, various discussions ensue, including further work on possible spaces for the weekly challenge. Also, differing practice regimens are presented, with a fair dollop of jocularity.
Back in the circle, Morning Has Broken is called, prompting a clarification of certain parts. Next, we run Opening, and decide to move again towards a three-person circulation in the bass, aiming for next week.
Next up, Victor runs through the English bell-ringing changes again, introducing the pattern to Dev and Glenn, and reintroducing it to the rest of the team. This moves into circulating with return and circulation +1. This begins with notes and moves to clapping for some time, before finishing with guitars. This signifies the end of the night at 10:30, with a bit of post-rehearsal gear talk.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
09-19-2010, GCNE Meeting, The Loft
In attendance: Victor McSurely, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, Alex Lahoski, Dev Ray.
After a brief sound check at 7:45, we begin the meeting proper with a moment of silence, followed by a direction of attention to breath. This attention is maintained as we move to a three-note circulation exercise, and further maintained as we work with the staccato-legato exercise we were given earlier in the week:
-1---------------------------------------
---2----1--------------------------------
-----3----2-----1------------------------
-------4----3-----2-----1-------------4--
--------------4-----3-----2---4-1---3----
----------------------4-----3-----2------
-----------------------4-----3-----2-----
---------------4-----3-----2---4-1---3---
-------4-----3-----2-----1-------------4-
-----3-----2-----1-----------------------
---2-----1-------------------------------
-1---------------------------------------
Following this finger pattern, one would play this with all notes staccato, and then with each successive finger legato:
1234
1234
1234
1234
After working with this for a bit, and moving to 3 and 4 as successfully legato, Victor calls Askesis. Once through. He then calls for Blockhead, which the luau team dutifully runs. Some persnickitiness in the polyrhythms prompts some clapping work with this section, with one last run sounding better than before. Before a break, Chris requests a rundown of Intergalactic Boogie Express.
During the break, with guitars off, we learn about Elan S.'s decision to take on a weekly performance challenge, and are asked to help in any way we might be able to, with respect to footwork and organization. Extending from this, the discussion of our own weekly challenge arises, and what may be done to facilitate that. Eventually, a rough game plan is established, and we are all in.
Back in the circle, we jump in with some circulation work. With a Cmaj arpeggio, we work with circulating with return (with 7 players, it'd be 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2), with a definite pulse. There's an attempt to play this with ascending diatonic triads (Dmin would be next), but this gives way to circulating numbers in a six beat pulse (1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6). Once we have this established, we begin moving the pattern backwards. So, from here (italicized numbers are the place in the circle, and non-italicized is the count):
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6
we move to:
7-1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-11-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6
and then:
6-7-1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1-61-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6
And so on. Once we have a definite pulse, we then move back to guitars and leave the pattern, simply working with circulation-with-return. After this, Victor calls the Prelude Circulation. Some frogginess, and we abandon the end, working directly with the pulse and counting of the circulation (5+3). This having been established, we play the Prelude once more, with a much better ending. A very musical free circulation, and we end the meeting at roughly 10:30 p.m.
After a brief sound check at 7:45, we begin the meeting proper with a moment of silence, followed by a direction of attention to breath. This attention is maintained as we move to a three-note circulation exercise, and further maintained as we work with the staccato-legato exercise we were given earlier in the week:
-1---------------------------------------
---2----1--------------------------------
-----3----2-----1------------------------
-------4----3-----2-----1-------------4--
--------------4-----3-----2---4-1---3----
----------------------4-----3-----2------
-----------------------4-----3-----2-----
---------------4-----3-----2---4-1---3---
-------4-----3-----2-----1-------------4-
-----3-----2-----1-----------------------
---2-----1-------------------------------
-1---------------------------------------
Following this finger pattern, one would play this with all notes staccato, and then with each successive finger legato:
1234
1234
1234
1234
After working with this for a bit, and moving to 3 and 4 as successfully legato, Victor calls Askesis. Once through. He then calls for Blockhead, which the luau team dutifully runs. Some persnickitiness in the polyrhythms prompts some clapping work with this section, with one last run sounding better than before. Before a break, Chris requests a rundown of Intergalactic Boogie Express.
During the break, with guitars off, we learn about Elan S.'s decision to take on a weekly performance challenge, and are asked to help in any way we might be able to, with respect to footwork and organization. Extending from this, the discussion of our own weekly challenge arises, and what may be done to facilitate that. Eventually, a rough game plan is established, and we are all in.
Back in the circle, we jump in with some circulation work. With a Cmaj arpeggio, we work with circulating with return (with 7 players, it'd be 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2), with a definite pulse. There's an attempt to play this with ascending diatonic triads (Dmin would be next), but this gives way to circulating numbers in a six beat pulse (1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6). Once we have this established, we begin moving the pattern backwards. So, from here (italicized numbers are the place in the circle, and non-italicized is the count):
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-6-5-4-3-2
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6
we move to:
7-1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-11-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6
and then:
6-7-1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1-61-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6
And so on. Once we have a definite pulse, we then move back to guitars and leave the pattern, simply working with circulation-with-return. After this, Victor calls the Prelude Circulation. Some frogginess, and we abandon the end, working directly with the pulse and counting of the circulation (5+3). This having been established, we play the Prelude once more, with a much better ending. A very musical free circulation, and we end the meeting at roughly 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
GCNE Performance at All Asia Bar, 08-31-2010
Circulation/Tuning the Space
Growing Circle
Askesis
Where is the Nurse?
Flying Home
Morning Has Broken
Eye of the Needle
Blockhead
Asturias
In attendance: Alex Lahoski, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, and Glenn Hughes.
Scheduled for a 9:15 downbeat, but more of a 9:25 start, with finishing at easily 10 minutes to the hour. Numerous technical difficulties for this gig led to an abbreviated setlist. The set seemed to be well-received, regardless, and we had a very enthusiastic and happy audient thank us afterward.
Growing Circle
Askesis
Where is the Nurse?
Flying Home
Morning Has Broken
Eye of the Needle
Blockhead
Asturias
In attendance: Alex Lahoski, Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, and Glenn Hughes.
Scheduled for a 9:15 downbeat, but more of a 9:25 start, with finishing at easily 10 minutes to the hour. Numerous technical difficulties for this gig led to an abbreviated setlist. The set seemed to be well-received, regardless, and we had a very enthusiastic and happy audient thank us afterward.
GCNE Meeting, 08-29-2010, The Loft
Generally anecodotal in nature, as no notes were taken during the meeting tonight, and a lot of material was covered.
In attendance: Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, Alex Lahoski, Victor McSurely.
All except Victor arriving at the space within about 10 minutes or so of each other, we head up to the top floor at about 7:35 and set the space. In the circle at roughly 7:50 pm, and beginning with some circulation, moving towards faster speeds. Moving to running the setlist for the gig on Tuesday (a last-minute booking), we start work with Growing Circle, twice (once for attention to dynamics). Askesis next; as we are running this, Victor walks into the space. We eventually find ourselves working for some time with a click track on the middle parts of the piece, following direction from Victor.
From here, we end up running other parts of the setlist, including Blockhead, Where is the Nurse, and Morning Has Broken, with a real eye towards having these pieces ready for the gig. During a break, strawberry and pumpkin oat bars are consumed. Eye of the Needle and Asturias close out the night.
In attendance: Rick McCarthy, Chris Paquette, Brad Hogg, Glenn Hughes, Alex Lahoski, Victor McSurely.
All except Victor arriving at the space within about 10 minutes or so of each other, we head up to the top floor at about 7:35 and set the space. In the circle at roughly 7:50 pm, and beginning with some circulation, moving towards faster speeds. Moving to running the setlist for the gig on Tuesday (a last-minute booking), we start work with Growing Circle, twice (once for attention to dynamics). Askesis next; as we are running this, Victor walks into the space. We eventually find ourselves working for some time with a click track on the middle parts of the piece, following direction from Victor.
From here, we end up running other parts of the setlist, including Blockhead, Where is the Nurse, and Morning Has Broken, with a real eye towards having these pieces ready for the gig. During a break, strawberry and pumpkin oat bars are consumed. Eye of the Needle and Asturias close out the night.
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