by Dejen Tesfagiorgis

Technical Sgt. Tyler Kuebler, a member of the Airmen of Note’s saxophone section, performs during the 3rd annual Joint Service Jazz Festival in Washington, DC. The concert, which took place at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre on August 16th, also featured the Army Blues and the Navy Commodores. (photo by SFC Mark Wood, U.S. Army Band)

A while back I interviewed Airmen of Note Lead Alto Technical Sergeant Tyler Kuebler (http://tylerkuebler.com/). The Airmen of Note is a killer band, and having the opportunity to talk with Tyler (University of North Texas Undergrad and MM, University of Miami DMA) was fantastic, definitely worth the 8AM trek to their rehearsal. You can hear the band warming up the the background.

Tyler Kuebler’s Bio:

Tyler Kuebler is originally from Agoura Hills, CA, and currently performs as Lead Alto with the world-renowned USAF Airmen of Note. After serving with the USAF Band’s Airmen of Note from 1998-2002 as Lead Tenor, Dr. Kuebler is thrilled to be back with the band after a six-year hiatus, this time leading the section.

Prior to rejoining the USAF Band, Dr. Kuebler was an Assistant Professor of Saxophone, Jazz Studies, and Music Theory and Director of the Studio Jazz Orchestra at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During his tenure at SIUC, Tyler was also a member of the New Arts Jazztet, a faculty jazz quintet in residence at the university. In addition to his educational commitments at SIUC, he taught at various music summer camps, including the prestigious Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan and the Governor’s Honors Program in Georgia.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kuebler has had the opportunity to perform and record with some of the biggest names in jazz and popular music, including the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Sammy Figueroa, Julio Iglesias, David Liebman, Jack Sheldon, Randy Brecker, Paul Anka, Jerry Bergonzi, Clark Terry, Bobby Caldwell, James Moody, Dick Oats, Joe Lovano, Louie Bellson, Slide Hampton, Rosemary Clooney, Kenny Werner, Bob Mintzer, Gerry Mulligan, Conrad Herwig, Ernie Watts, John Fedchock, Jon Hendricks, Pete Christlieb, Peabo Bryson, Steve Allen, the Temptations, and the Four Tops, to name a few.

Dr. Kuebler earned his B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of North Texas, where he was a member of the world-renowned One O’Clock Lab Band for four years. The University of Miami conferred his Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Throughout his education, Tyler has studied with such influential teachers as Jim Riggs, Neil Slater, Gary Keller, Whit Sidener, Dan Haerle, Mike Steinel, Ronnie Miller, Yusef Lateef, Dr. Billy Taylor, John Mosley and Shuichi Komiyama.

Check out his website, and some Airmen of Note performances (Click here for their music. Please, Let me Google that for you)

Some of Tyler’s Quotes from the Interview:

Since the Airforce Band is active duty, I had to go through basic training…but that prepares you for the military side of it. Once you’ve through with that, then you’re full active duty.

(How do band members push each other) You can never relax because everyone is playing at such a high level all the time…Healthy competition keeps you on your toes.

Start Studying the Masters, internalize what you’ve learned, and take that as a starting point.

There’s not many people that can just be players these days…unless your only goal is to play and you’re willing to accept the sacrifice in all levels of your life.

No matter what you play, always play piano. You got to have piano chops for general musicianship.

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Now 58, the dynamic bassist has recently released his first acoustic bass album with sidemen Lenny White (drums) and Hiromi Uehara (piano). I had the pleasure of asking Clarke about personal development, the music industry, and jazz in general as he toured to promote his latest album, Jazz in the Garden [Heads Up International Records].

DT: How was your gig in Minneapolis with Hiromi and Lenny White?

SC: Gig was great, I really like this place [Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, MN] because it’s a real jazz club. When I was coming up in the 70’s there were 6 times as many serious jazz clubs like this as there are now, where you go and stay a couple days and you play, then go to the next place and play a for few days. That’s kind of how we did it. You’d play a week in Philly, a week in NY, a week in Baltimore, a week in Chicago, a week in Detroit, you could literally walk across the US east to west, or vice-versa, just playing.

But a lot of the acts around the time I was coming up, we got more popular so therefore we had to play more concerts, every night a different city. But it’s nice to go some place and stay a couple days, its better for the music.

DT: How have you seen the industry change since the 70’s when you were starting out?

SC: Everything changes as time goes on. Since the 70s, the industry’s changed 4, 5 or times. Where it lands, I can’t tell you. The artists my age, we just continue and do our thing and don’t have much say in how the business is set up. The guys that run clubs and promoters, for the most part, their purposes are in commerce, to make money. But most people come out (to be artists) because they have something to say, a legitimate idea or even a beef. I used to love the early hip-hop music because these guys had beef with their surroundings, what they were doing, how people looked at them…they projected that in music. That genre was a creative act.

The artists have an art purpose. There are a lot of really cool promoters and club owners who love music and they do it for the music. The typical jazz club, like [the Dakota Jazz Club] does it for the music. The best club owner is one who recognizes the kind of music that he wants to promote, and he builds his business around the best and most effective way to get this music out there, so guys like me can have a club.

Where it ends up and how it changes is up to those guys. It’s not that were at the mercy of these guys, but kind of in a way you are.

DT: You’ve done some soundtrack and composing work, how do you balance your work as a jazz musician with more commercial opportunities?

SC: Where I come from, I don’t really think about music in styles or genre. When I grew up, the musicians I played with were called jazz musicians. Whether it was Stan Getz, Miles Davis, Art Blakey…that’s my language. I don’t wake up and say, “Yeah I’m going to play jazz today,” that’s just what I do. If somebody wants to embrace it in the pop world, great. But I don’t really sit down and think about it.

DT: This is your first acoustic bass album as a leader [Jazz in the Garden, Heads Up International]. What kind of energy has your experience with acoustic and electric bass brought to the performance?

SC: Again, when I started out I played mainly acoustic bass. It’s natural for me, I don’t think analytically about the differences in what I’m playing. I understand why you’d ask the question because you’re outside asking the question.

For example, you’re a saxophone player. So let’s say you play the shit out of the sax, you’re considered one of the great saxophone players of our time. You’re not going to be sitting at home thinking, ‘well am I going to play in a pop band today? Am I going to play jazz?’ If your stuff is that good, people are going to call you and whatever situation you find yourself falling into, that’s it. You’re not going to sit and think and debate if you want to take the gig, the opportunity shows itself.

Learn your instrument. That’s the advice that I give to anybody that’s young and out there trying to do something. You can waste your life trying to figure out what group you’re going to fit into. If you are a trumpet player, you play the shit out of the trumpet. Period.

And believe me, if you’re great, the genres and the people will find you. The point is, you don’t sit there while you’re learning music and think, ‘I’m going to learn how to be a jazz trumpet player, I’m going to learn how to play rock saxophone.’ That’s such a thin, shallow way of learning the saxophone. Just learn to play the damn saxophone and go as far as you want to take it, but be the best at it.

DT: How did you choose Hiromi Uehara for this album?

SC: I’ve heard about her from Chic Corea, and she’s good. She’s good at what she does, she’s tremendous. Tremendous technical ability, that’s exciting for me. I like to be with what’s happening, and when we get on stage shes very unpredictable. The only thing I know, that I can predict every night, is that she’s going to be exciting. What kind of excitement, one never knows.

But she’s a very accomplished classical musician, she’s one of those [classical musicians] I really like who took the time to study theory and get into other things. She’s really done a lot of homework to be so young, a LOT of homework.

DT: You talk about not being genre-specific, but suppose a classically trained violinist who has never been taught jazz now wants to learn? How does he learn without thinking ‘I’m going to learn jazz?’

SC: For me, if you’re going to be a great violinist, you have to include Jean-Luc Panty in your training. Jean-Luc Panty the French violinst, and Stéphane Grappelli from France, those guys redefined, or defined, jazz violin. If you’re going to play violin and you want to be a great violinist, you need to have them as part of it.

For me, a guy who plays [strictly] classical violin may come into my world as a great violinist, but to a jazz musician he might not be looked upon as a great violinist. He’ll be looked upon as a guy who plays classical music extremely well. He plays that concerto that he’s been working on for 20 years, great. But then if you ask the guy to play on a Bb chord, to an a minor7 to a D7 to a gm, he’s going to be lost in space and won’t have a clue what to do.

But what I’m finding, guys that the young guys that are your age (23) and even younger, it’s really encouraging to see those players embrace other music. I know a lot of classical violinists that like to play in rock bands, or love to play bluegrass because its build for the violin. Just learn your instrument and everything around it.

DT: What advice can you give about being a bandleader and choosing the right people to play with?

SC: For me it’s an ongoing learning experience. I’m always fascinated at what happens to me when I come and play with somebody new. Even playing with Hiromi, she’s like an amazing racehorse piano player. Some people can’t even fathom having half the technique that she has. That does something to you, it makes you step up your game.

What I get the most out of playing with other musicians is how they affect me. The way I play and what I do, how I see music is how I see and how I play. But when I play with other people, I am always affected in a positive way.

DT: What’s some other advice and practicing and joining bands, and finding your unique sound

SC: First of all the concept of finding your unique style, people should never even mention that, you should never even say those words. Psychologically it gives you a wrong item in your brain, as if you need to find a unique style. You don’t have to find anything; it’s already there and just has to be developed.

There’s a common denominator of all these great musicians that I’ve known, and its that they’ve fully developed themselves as artists, and they’ve gotten over the majority of the mental hang-ups they’ve had.

One of the really big components of being a unique musician is courage. Some guys, just naturally play weird. If you’re in a position in a band and people are putting you down because you look weird, or sing or play weird, and you buy into it, you’re done. You’re probably throwing away millions of dollars because maybe if you continue…even pop bands or bands on MTV, you may look at these guys and say this guy is weird, but these guys were always out there. It’s just that they didn’t give a shit about what somebody else said was music.

The way you play is the way you play, and you have to develop yourself. No two people play the same unless they’re trying to.

If you are looking for a unique sound, already it’s almost an oxymoron in concepts. If you’re looking for something that’s unique, in a way you’re saying that its there already. Why would you be looking for something if you don’t think its there? So if it is there, that [sound] was already created by something or someone. So therefore, the argument is won – the sound or style is not unique because it exists already.

You should want to develop something that’s not really there. If you look at yourself like you’re a gemstone and you have all this dirt and shell and this cocoon of mess around you, you just need to pull this stuff off and that’s what practicing does, you shed all the bullshit and feel good about yourself. All these great musicians [Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis] have a great sense of well being because they’ve shedded a lot of bullshit and psychologically they’re in a place where they say ‘this is it, this is what I do.’ That’s the beautiful thing about art.

That’s my place. To young people, forget about looking for something unique. Just pick up your instrument, get up and practice, have good thoughts and be positive, and try to spot as many assholes that are in your life.

DT: What advice to you have for playing in bands/with other people?

SC: I think that when you’re young, I think that the best bands to play in are with the guys that you get along with the best. Because when you’re young, you’re impressionable and don’t have the armor of a guy my age who’s been kicked around a bunch, you want to be with someone who you can grow with.

You don’t have to play with the greatest virtuoso, you might grow much better at a faster rate with a guy who really likes how you play, you like how he plays, and at the same time you want to get better so you’re listening to records, going to classes at school and studying…I grew up with a bass player names Charles Fambro, and we went all through school and we studied together. I thank him and actually credit him for my playing. He’s not a virtuoso bass player, but he was there for me. We listened to all the records together. If he was an asshole, I probably wouldn’t be the player that I am today. You don’t want to be fighting people when you’re young, that’s my point. You need to really keep it cool.

You’ll have plenty of time to be fighting, but you want to be really good before you do that.

DT: What did you practice when you were young?

SC: When I was younger, I practiced a lot. I practiced as many hours as I could as day. During school times, I practiced 3 or 4 hours a day. I was not a very good student. When I went to high school, there was one school in New York called School for the Performing Arts, and that’s where I should have been, but that didn’t exist in Philadelphia.

I was doing chemistry classes, years of calculus, endless classes that have nothing to do with what I’m going to be doing in my life. I should have had strait English, History, Math, and that’s it, maybe a basic Science class. So I used to cut classes to practice, but I had a music teacher who understood. But I passed because I excelled in music.

There’s a lot of power in excelling, in having excellence. I always tell musicians, if you want to be really respected in the world, you could have just two cents in your pocket…If you stand in a room with Donald Trump, and next to him is Miles Davis or Vladimir Horowitz, and you look at the respect meter, it’s going to go to Miles and Vladimir Horowitz, they’ll be neck and neck, and Donald Trump has more money than these guys ever had.

For me, the respect game is important. It’s a nice feeling to be respected for something. You’re given a certain pass because you’ve put the work in and someone recognizes that you’ve sacrificed a lot to be good at something. And man, there’s nothing like it, not all the money in the world.

For more information on Stanley Clarke, click this link to go to his website. His Album Jazz in the Garden can be purchased here.

There are, of course, two schools of thought when it comes to the concert experience. Both of these schools happen to be the progeny of the administrators, not the public, which is good reason to dismiss both schools, or drop out I suppose. The first is that a performance of the fine arts is a hallowed and scared experience that demands absolute concentration. Lights are blacked out, seating is cramped so as to prevent snoozing, and a strict code of etiquette whereby coughs are stifled until the pause between movements. Despite the snarky way that I’ve painted this picture, I am a subscriber of this school.

The second school is perhaps more in touch with the human touchy feely side of the concert experience, which, being a Midwesterner, I instinctively avoid. As it is with nearly all pop music today, the concert experience of yester-year was a participatory experience, with the masses communing, in a way, with the music, the performers, and each other. It might be argued that this experience is what drives popularity. It is certainly easier to personally connect with an art form when it is sweating all over you and spilling beer on your backpack than when it is dispensed carefully from the other side of a velvet rope, but what is lost in that experience?

Sitting in a meeting today, a rather telling question was asked. We have a new program that will take place outside of the usual theatre in what has been termed a ‘found space’ (think Opera Under the Overpass, but with more Chiavari chairs), and without the austere surroundings, someone asked if patrons could take their wine into the performance. The discussion went very quickly from logistical to philosophical (“Is this the kind of company we want to be?”). Perhaps the dignity of some performance settings are appropriate for the kind of social exchange which wine and words tend to spark, but there is also something to be said for the last bastion of silence and attention where every flavour of a masterpiece can be experienced.

In keeping with habit, I am unable to pose a solution or even a firm position on the matter. I merely thin k it’s a worthwhile idea for discussion.

At the premiere of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.

Dr. Abreu, image courtesy of www.tedprize.org

The now world-famous educational program that has revolutionized music education and brought us super stars like Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra has finally arrived in the United States.  The New England Conservatory of Music, located in Boston, has been exploring this partnership for several years. Dr. José Antonio Abreu, the founder of the Venezuelan based foundation, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the conservatory in 2002, and in 2007, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra under the direction of ‘the Dude’ himself performed at NEC’s Jordan Hall.

The program, titled El Sistema USA, is beginning by educating 50 ‘fellows’ over the next 5 years, who will each institute “núcleos” around the country, typically where music education is limited or non-existent. The first class of ten arrived in Boston for the start of classes last week, and their diverse backgrounds and common desire to replicate the ingenious program make for a hopeful and exciting group of folks.

I am, admittedly, a cynic in many things, and tend not to be caught up in hyped-up news items. But I have to say, I’ve never felt so hopeful, nay, joyful, about anything of this nature. This fresh approach of music education represents not simply a positive change for music education, or even for classical music, but ultimately for American society. I am neither the first nor the last to do so, but with all my heart, I wish those 10 students at NEC the very best of luck in this most important mission.

Soprano Kelly Kaduce in the 2009 OTSL production of "Salome"

Just in the nick of time, and just as has always happened, a new class of arts administrators are coming to the fore with creative solutions to their organization’s financial woes. This is not a new concept, as arts leaders have been constant observers of the duel bottom line (finances vs. artistic integrity). If they hadn’t, we’d be in a very different place today. The shiny side of the dull, recession-weary penny is that the arts are doing more with less, and are reflecting on their products, taking nothing for granted.

The Opera Theatre of St. Louis recently announced their 34^th consecutive season ending with a balanced budget while still producing one of their most artistically pleasing seasons yet. Boston Lyric Opera overcame a significant deficit to balance the budget, and added productions in the process. These are, of course, the happy stories, which are unrepresentative of the larger picture. Several visual and performing arts institutions folded, and not always as a result of mismanagement.

So what makes some companies float while others flounder? No idea. But the thing that arts organizations who survive such times as these all seem to recognize is that, as the famed dramaturg John Conklin writes, “Adverse circumstances offer surprising opportunities to distinguish a Company and build more meaningful relationships with audiences, providing a strong foundation of fiscal responsibility and dedicated stakeholders exists.”

The Nutcrackers and La bohème’s that I so frequently decry are not the foundations of great art, but the crutch upon which we think we must rely. Creativity and responsible management are the true solution.

The focal point of this discussion is, of course, the Metropolitan Opera’s opening production of Puccini’s Tosca, and the many and varied responses to it. Perhaps the most striking an cogent of these responses came from the Met’s Peter Gelb and from the NY Times columnist Anthony Tommasini, who fire a shot across the bows of opera WAGs everywhere: art moves forward, so get over it!

Especially now, as art in America is once again shunted to one side so that ‘the necessities’ can be supported, art administrators and especially patrons play a key role in calling for that which will make art relevant and vital; new works. The logistical considerations of new productions whilst the box office numbers are in the tank are numerous, but another Monet exhibition, Nutcracker, or Beethoven cycle, will do little for the arts in the long run.

If I were to have the privilege of reading a music history text a hundred years after my death, I for one would like to see more from our time than nostalgia and cautious subsistence.

Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy, Diddy, Puffy, Puff Daddy) has recently launched his latest reality show, “Making HIS Band,” featuring instrumentalists and singers competing for a spot as a touring live band for Comb’s forthcoming album, Last Train to Paris.

Normally I don’t follow reality shows or believe in the ‘musicianship’ displayed in 90% of MTV, but after the first two episode I can see the HUGE long-term potential in this series. Young artists can benefit by seeing non-traditional avenues to performance careers. Showcasing the discipline and musicality of aspiring band members also shows viewers that practice, routine, listening, and supporting each other are integral parts of being a performing artist. I was especially surprised to see the keyboard coach hand out a book of Hanon Studies to the keyboard players. Hanon Studies on MTV?!?

Here are a few lines about the show from the MTV Making HIS band webpage:

With the help of his judges (Laurie Ann Gibson, world renowned choreographer, Om’Mas Keith, producer and lyricist, Rob Lewis, songwriter to the the stars, Nisan Stewart, musical director/unofficial peacemaker, and Romeo, former vocal coach to Michael Jackson himself), Diddy will put his would-be collaborators through rounds of grueling auditions designed to weed out the wannabes from the future music legends and turn this talented team of rookies into the Bad Boy backup band of his dreams.

Those who do make it through the early do-or-die rounds will still have endure scathing reviews, endless trials and constant critique in order to prove they’ve got the talent, drive and ambition to succeed.

The series is pretty legitimate, and the auditions very critical. The first episode showed panel members holding auditions in LA, Chicago, Detroit and New York. This is no Big Brother, if you don’t perform to the judge’s standards, you’re out of the house. Eight of the show’s forty were sent home after their first challenge – Play the first 9 Hanon studies on command in any key.

Some of my favorite quotes so far:

1. Strength, speed, agility, all are indispensable qualities for fine execution of music.
2. None of you played the Hanon Exercises with Swag.
3. This is a proficiency test, you all divided yourself.
4. (On Hanon and basic piano technique) You all can play [Diddy's] songs, but we’re going to see who has the discipline to get through the boring sh*!

We’ll see the long-term effects of show like this making it to mainstream television.

I just read an article about mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato fracturing her leg during a performance of Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia,”at the Royal Opera House. Read the article from the New York Times Here.

Ms. DiDanto finished the Saturday night performance on crutches, and spent 4 hours in an emergency room thereafter. For the performance following (a Tuesday), she performed in a wheelchair.

I must say, this is a great representation of dedication to one’s craft. Be passionate in everything that you do.

You can read more on Joyce DiDonato’s blog, Yankee Diva (yankeediva.blogspot.com).

Someday the understudy will get a shot…

By Dejen Tesfagiorgis

I have to applaud the San Francisco Opera for its long running Opera in the Park series.  Although this is my first year hearing/reading about the broadcast, SF Opera has held this annual FREE concert in Golden Gate Park since 1972.

This is a perfect example of innovative and integrative marketing; effectively seeking new listeners and followers instead of relying on traditional methods of reaching an audience (postal mailings, word of mouth, reputation, website only).  Read the Full Article here

After reading this news on several arts websites and seeing the full article in the SF Chronicle, I decided to take a look at the SF Opera’s additional online marketing efforts. The results were as great as I would expect.  This opera house near Silicon Valley Opera has recognized and capitalized on the tech trends.

Have a look at the additional leverage of social media used to grow their fan base (and maybe even add them as your friend!!).  You have to give a little to get a little, and the SF Opera is definitely putting forth its best efforts to reach new listeners:

SF Opera on Facebook

SF Opera on MySpace

SF Opera on YouTube

SF Opera on Vimeo (Behind the scenes)

SF Opera Podcasts

However, I would suggest that the SF Opera Webmaster push you Bravo! Club more, maintain an opera Blog, and make the links to social networks more obvious from the SF Opera homepage. I was navigating the site for 5 minutes trying to find links to these social networks in ONE CONVENIENT LOCATION before deciding to search each site individually.  Also, social network links on your Contact Us page would be awesome.

All arts sites should have a look at AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS http://blog.artsusa.org/, on the right hand they display their convenient array of social networks.

Fans don’t have time to read and open mail, we demand information conveniently and immediately.  Artists are the best listeners, so listen to your fans and connect with them as they connect with each other.  How is your website?

Here’s a small video clip from YouTube of the ~27,000 some listeners in attendance June 5

I recently ran into a YouTube video of NYU alum musician/artist NYLE.  His music video of “Let the Beat Build” is an interesting example of collaborative artistry, drawing together over 40 participants in music, film, and production.  This is the type of entrepreneurship that independent artists NEED in order to stand out.  No matter your genre or discipline, collaboration is king.

From NYLE’s website:

“The story behind Let the Beat Build is long and crazy. When Tha Carter III dropped [album from rapper Lil' Wayne], my friend Jo Bellino hit me up with the idea to cover the song with a live band, and do a video. That never really happened, but since I already had written the rhymes and the song was now permanently stuck in my head, I decided to do it anyway.

Over the months, the idea just snowballed. I asked my friends at 194 Recordings to join the project and together we applied for a grant help make it happen. As I was looking through the list of film students I knew, my friend Nina Reyes-Rosenberg referred me to the guys at Last-Pictures to me.”

Now go practice with somebody!