thirteen ways

(This is a continuation of Perpetual Students.)

Another unique UMich residency activity was coaching two of the University of Michigan’s student orchestras.

(A personal digression: Orchestras can be savage beasts: impatient, unruly, defensive, arrogant. I have seen them turn conductors into aggressive ring-leaders, wielding batons only for protection from potential physical, musical or psychological harm. It is simultaneously inspiring and nerve-jangling to play a concerto with a professional orchestra, which I have been lucky to do on several occasions. Playing the Nielsen Flute Concerto in 1999, I was given “helpful” secondhand advice from one of the players: “The concertmaster thinks your rhythm is not good, and several string players think you are taking off too fast in the second movement. Oh, and watch your intonation; the winds are saying things.” No pressure.)

The UMich orchestras were playing student compositions, and we had just an hour to work on two pieces. Both pieces were very accomplished, which was no surprise given the school’s strong reputation and the high level of quality and diversity in the composition studio.

With little time, we divided our time between working directly with the composers (suggestions of balance, orchestration, structure) and talking directly to the conductor and players. It was an unusual and singular experience. We made it up as we went along, taking turns acting in various roles, trying not to step on each other’s toes: Matthew and Matt talked to the composers (”You might consider thinning the orchestration here;” “Have you thought about adding some expressive marks here?”), Michael passed advice to the conductor, and I barked obnoxious orders to various orchestral players (who looked less than delighted at being lectured by a new music flutist with an unintelligible accent).

More residency fun tomorrow, from our last visit to DePauw University.