Ensemble Signal

by Mike Gurfield

I was originally going to title this blog either “How I almost single-handedly got Glenn Cornett’s Spectrum Arts loft shut down”, or “How I nearly made myself deaf in one rehearsal where I wasn’t playing trumpet”, but near-misses are never as exciting as the real thing.  I recently had the pleasure and the privilege to premiere Francesco Filidei’s Ballata no. 2 with Ensemble Signal at the 2012 MATA Festival.  While playing with Signal is always a treat, having a piece commissioned for us to play is a special event.  The MATA festival provided us the unique chance to work closely with the young composer (and incredible foosball player) Francesco Filidei and play the world-premiere of his Ballata no. 2 as the finale of the three-day festival at Brooklyn’s Roulette.

Francesco’s music ranged from eerie to intense, to the sublime and back, focusing on summoning worlds of sounds rather than more traditional melodies for the most part.  What excited the group the most was how Filidei dealt with MATA’s strict prohibition on adding a percussion part to his piece.  Simply, he gave all the work to the group to play by itself.  Everyone had some alternate instrument to play, be it pitched wine-glasses for the double bass, or veiled harmonica for the trombone.  At first I was dismayed that there was a part written for “bubble-wrap”, and that instead of going to me, it was given to Ken and Jackie (clarinet and oboe, respectively).  Seemingly years of my life dedicated to popping the stuff, and in an instant, my big moment was given to others.  But as I read further into my part, I noticed that not only was I going to play some nightingale bird-calls, but I was also given a ratchet part.

If you don’t know what a ratchet is, it’s like a deafeningly loud crank device that composers sometimes mistakenly give to trumpet players to help drive fellow band members to murderous rages.  From the moment I was given the instrument, I heard commandments from the band like, “ok, Gurfield, you’re not allowed to use that at any meals, or during non-musical discussions”.  I think there was some prohibition in there about me not using it as a conversation stopper either.  As the old axiom goes, “don’t feed the bears”.  Either trumpet players in Europe are far more polite (unlikely), or Francesco knowingly gave the loudest percussion instrument to the loudest mouthed/loudest instrument, because it seemed like the right pairing.  Whatever the case may be, it was awesome.  Not only did I get to play this incredibly loud device, but I was asked to crank it with one hand, while imitating a braying elephant on the trumpet with the other.  Read: trumpet gold.  This came on the heels of a section of the music where the brass was asked to make “kissy” sounds into the horn in various rhythms.  It was like all of the things you were never supposed to do in elementary school band, all together at once in one piece.   I was thrilled.  Add to that the fact that both Brad and Francesco were insistent that I really get the thing cranking…

By the time the concert came around, Kate realized that she needed a spit-valve for the piece of plastic tubing she was playing, James had secured his harmonica in a soft knit-hat, and Brad had mastered the giant wooded rubber-band apparatus that he had to whirl up into a frenzy and down to end on the 3^rd note of a triplet.  Between the craziness of managing all of the extra instruments, and our own parts, it was refreshing to hear just how lovely a piece Ballata no. 2 became when all was said and done, and we could finally play all the toy instruments to the liking of Francesco.  Francesco is a total sweetheart, and was a pleasure to work with.  He knew exactly the sounds he wanted from all of these bizarre combinations of instruments, and the whole piece took on a new life in the concert.  It was really thrilling for me as a performer.

If you missed it, it will be replayed in it’s entirety on WQXR’s Q2 soon, and will be available online after that.

Signal’s residency at Eastman for the Steve Reich concert was an extremely fun and insightful experience for me. As a young singer interested especially in contemporary and popular music, I am full of energy and excitement for my future career, yet simultaneously unsure of the various career paths that might be feasible within the constantly shifting sphere of musical performance in a tight economy.

During a panel discussion with Signal through Eastman’s Arts Leadership Program, I heard real-life advice from working professionals Courtney Orlando, Lauren Radnofsky, Doug Perkins and Brad Lubman. The audience was told the truths of the trade, that while it’s not impossible to forge a career as a contemporary musician, such a lifestyle is dependent upon creating opportunities, and “doing it yourself.” We were given a glimpse of what it is like to live —- and survive —- in the real world, a world as harsh as it is rewarding, and a world where at any moment, a good idea can become a career opportunity. These are musicians, yes, but also self-made administrators and entrepreneurs. The Signal panel discussion reaffirmed by belief that a strong passion for music combined with hard work can, and often will, lead to a successful and fulfilling career.

Through my involvement with OSSIA, Eastman’s student-run new music ensemble, I assisted Paul Coleman with sound equipment for the Reich concert. While this isn’t necessarily the most fun part of organizing a concert, I learned a lot about sound technology during the rehearsal process. Moreover, Paul was a fabulous example of professionalism in the industry, not to mention that he is just a plain-out awesome guy. Throughout the week I was earnestly inspired by the work of these experienced professionals who got degrees from Eastman just years earlier. I will admit that I thought at least once, “I want to be like them after I graduate!” …and I hope I will at least continue to love the music I perform as much as these guys do.

Andrew Parmuk, Eastman School of Music Vocal Student

photo credit: Andrew Parmuk

We had a great time this week playing on the very first concert of Miller Theatre’s brand new Pop-up series with JACK Quartet. Signal artists Courtney Orlando and Lauren Radnofsky joined JACK in a program of Sciarrino, Scelsi, Lachenmann, and Xenakis. The show was totally free and so was the beer and wine provided by the Harlem Brewery and Miller Theatre! 

The New York Times’ chief music critic Anthony Tommasini called this first installment of Miller Theatre’s new series “a relaxing way to hear challenging modern music, and said “The setting was ideal for Helmut Lachenmann’s “Pression,” a nine-minute work for solo cello performed by Ms. Radnofsky…Two little girls seated on the stage floor listened raptly, then talked quietly afterward to compare their reactions.” 

We were thrilled to see an appreciative audience of all ages there!

READ MORE IN THE NY TIMES

We just asked Brad Lubman for a “rough” stage diagram for an upcoming concert. Moments later, the above image was delivered. 10 minutes after that, the real diagram arrived…name that piece!

This past Sunday evening (le) Poisson Rouge and Philip Glass’ Orange Mountain Music Record Label celebrated Glass’ 75th birthday. We played some music from the film The Hours with Glass ensemble Music Director and Signal favorite Michael Riesman. Cake was provided by none other than the Cake Boss!