Posts Tagged ‘music’

Jun. 27 2012

Sounds of Summer

By Dyana Neal | Posted in Host Blogs | 2 Comments

There are certain pop songs or classical pieces that will always make me think of summer. One is Prince’s “Raspberry Beret”, which I heard on my way to work this morning & thought – perfect! Not only do the song’s flippant lyrics & upbeat tempo seem appropriate for warm weather & sunny skies, the album […]

Jun. 04 2012

B(l)iss

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | 1 Comment

I would love to be a fly on the wall when Jonathan Biss is practicing in the privacy of his apartment to see if he is as physical then as he is on the concert platform.  He is what you might call and mover and shaker in front of the keyboard–bending low, arcing back, fidgeting […]

May. 23 2012

My first time…

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | 1 Comment

Diana Ross, WBJC’s website maestra, has asked us to write about our earliest musical experience, inspired by the moving stories that have been coming in from our members. My mother’s sister was a fine pianist by all accounts (she died when I was young so I could never form my own opinion) and my mother […]

May. 13 2012

Musings on the versatility of a box with strings

By Diana Ross | Posted in Staff Blogs | 3 Comments

A recent newsletter “First Time” submission reminded me of this post…. So I brought it back around for a fun conversational piece. The violin is one of my favorite instruments (along with the cello).  I love the violin’s ability to express so many moods.  From a foot-stomping fiddle tune to mournful, soul-aching dirge, the violin […]

May. 08 2012

All about the music

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | Comments Off on All about the music

Sometimes, when you go to hear a concert it is the performer who is the star of the show.  Take someone like the phenomenal Lang Lang, for example, with his high tech performances that have him approaching the keyboard almost as if it is a computer console.  It is riveting and exciting and, almost no […]

Apr. 16 2012

Teju Cole’s Open City

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | Comments Off on Teju Cole’s Open City

The Nigerian writer, Teju Cole, who was born in the US, grew up in Nigeria, and now lives in Brooklyn, visited the MFA Reading Program at the University of Baltimore recently, and we had the great privilege of having him visit our International Writing Workshop beforehand.  He is also a photographer and an art historian […]

Mar. 28 2012

Poulenc plays!

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | Comments Off on Poulenc plays!

I went along to the Candlelight Concert at Second Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening especially to hear Francis Poulenc’s Sextet for Piano and Winds with members of the Baltimore Symphony and Sylvie Beaudoin.  Poulenc was pretty much self taught, and he learned from the music that he liked.  He said his gods were Bach, Mozart, […]

Mar. 19 2012

“Coming to grips with the composer’s central thought”

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | 2 Comments

You can tell when the big guns come to town by who is in the audience. I saw Leon Fleisher walking up aisle at Shriver Hall yesterday evening during the intermission of Richard Goode’s recital. It’s been a couple of decades since Goode played on the Shriver Hall Concert Series, and it was certainly wonderful […]

Feb. 20 2012

Shawms and bagpipes

By Judith Krummeck | Posted in Host Blogs | Comments Off on Shawms and bagpipes

From time to time you may have heard us play the recordings of the Philadelphia-based Renaissance Band, Piffaro (rhymes with Figaro).  The name comes from the double reed instruments of the oboe family, which were descended from the shawms of the Medieval era. Well, the Piffaro Renaissance Band has quite an active touring schedule, and […]

Feb. 13 2012

Is this the oldies station?

By Dyana Neal | Posted in Host Blogs | Comments Off on Is this the oldies station?

Over the weekend, I walked past a woman about my age who was chatting on her cell phone & overheard a comment that absolutely stunned me. “But why would they pick such old music? Those songs were written before they were even born!” Admittedly, I don’t know of whom she was speaking or the occasion for which […]

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