Sir Elton John

This Wednesday is called International Day of Pink, a day for people to “stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to continue fighting for equality and acceptance” by wearing a pink shirt. In honour of this day, I’m featuring Sir Elton John, a famous bisexual musician still alive today.

Some of his famous songs:
– Circle of Life (Disneyland 2016!) and Can You Feel the Love Tonight from the Disney movie The Lion King (I grew up with this movie singing all the songs!)
– I’m Still Standing (featured in the movie Sing)
– Your Song
– Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (featured in the movies Gnomeo and Juliet and Ella Enchanted)
– Candle in the Wind (originally written about actress Marilyn Monroe, then made a new version for Princess Diana’s funeral)
– Don’t let the Sun Go Down On Me (performed on his show “The Million Dollar Piano”, live at the Colosseum at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas)
– Rocket Man
– Crocodile Rock
– Tiny Dancer
– Looking Up
– (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again (Academy Award winner 2020)

Gustav Mahler

This week’s musician is my husband’s favourite composer, Gustav Mahler; we go to see the VSO every time they play a symphony by Mahler! Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, nicknamed “Resurrection” is timely for Easter this past weekend.

Some of his famous works:
– Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” (Read 9 fun facts about it, or the more detailed overview of the movements.)
– Symphony No. 6 “Tragic” (Known for its use of a hammer, see the variations here)
– Symphony No. 5
– Das Lied Von Der Erde (Song Of The Earth) (text based on Hans Bethge’s Chinese Flute, an adaptation of poems by Chinese poet Li Bai)
– Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony Of A Thousand’ (Nicknamed because it requires many musicians to play)
– Symphony No. 9
– Kindertotenlieder (Songs On The Death Of Children) (written out of grief for his daughter who died from Scarlet Fever)
– Symphony No. 1, ‘Titan’
– Piano Quartet In A Minor
– Symphony No. 3 (the longest symphony performed – approximately 95 minutes)

(Franz) Joseph Haydn

This week’s musician is an important composer from the Classical Period: Joseph Haydn, whose birthday is this Wednesday (March 31)! One of his famous works, The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, is fitting for Good Friday this week.

Some of this famous works:
– Surprise Symphony (No. 94) (Watch the whole symphony)
– The Paris Symphonies, Nos 82-87 (No. 86)
– The London Symphonies, Vol 1 (Nos 95, 96, 98, 102, 103, 104)
– String Quartets, Op.64 Nos 1 – 6
– String Quartets, Op.76 Nos 1 – 6 (No. 3 “Emperor”)
– The Seven Last Words Of Christ On The Cross (FOUR versions: originally an orchestral work, commissioned in 1786 for a Good Friday service in Spain –> adapted it in 1787 for string quartet –> approved a version for solo piano in the same year –> adapted in 1796 as an oratorio, with both solo and choral vocal forces)
– Missa In Angustiis (Nelson Mass)
– The Creation
– The Seasons
– Cello Concerto No 1
– Trumpet Concerto

Clara Schumann

Today (March 8th) is International Women’s Day! “International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.” There are many talented female musicians in the past and present.

One example is Clara Schumann, a pianist and composer from the Romantic Period. Evidence suggests that her works and performances were more favoured than her husband, Robert Schumann‘s, yet she tirelessly promoted his works. He in turn supported her but they were constricted by the expectations of a patriarch society. Her picture was on the 100 Deutsche Mark from 1989 to 2002.

Some of her works:
– Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, Op. 16, No. 1
– Scherzo No 2, Opus 14
– Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
– Trio in G Minor, Op. 17
– ‘Liebst du um Schönheit,’ Op. 12, No. 2 (translation “If you love for beauty”; performed by our local Elektra Women’s Choir)
– Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 7 (written when she was only 16)
– Scherzo, Opus 10
– Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann
– Liebesfrühling (Love’s Spring), Op. 37, No. 2, 4, and 11 (collaboration with her husband Robert Schumann)

Johann Sebastian Bach

We’ve been look at many 20th century musicians last month, so we’re stepping back in time to study a composer who was born this month – Johann Sebastian Bach! J.S. Bach is one of the most influential composers in history. His music has also been studied by mathematicians due to the structure, patterns, layers, and symmetry.

I’ve played numerous of his piano works. You’ve probably heard some of his compositions before:
– Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring from Cantata “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben” (Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life) BWV 147
– Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ
– The Well-Tempered Clavier (set of preludes and fugues, 24 in major key, 24 in minor key) for harpsichord: Prelude & Fugue in C Major
– 6 Brandenburg Concertos: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
– 6 Cello Suites: No. 1 is the most famous, but also listen to No. 5, 4th movement Sarabande (played by Yo-Yo Ma on September 11, 2002 at the site of the World Trade Center, while the first of the names of the dead were read in remembrance on the first anniversary of the attack)
– 6 Violin Sonatas and Partitas: Partita No. 2 (played by violinist Itzhak Perlman, paralyzed from contracting polio at age 4)
– Air on the G String
– Goldberg Variations: for harpsichord, an aria and 30 variations on the bass line and chord progression!
– Christmas Oratorio, originally performed in 6 installments
– Organ Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor
– St Matthew Passion (background: written to be used as part of a Lutheran church Good Friday service; worship, which used to be in Latin, was now in German – a language understood by the entire congregation)

Walk Off the Earth

In honour of Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, I’m featuring a group called Walk Off the Earth. Following the death of Amanda Todd in 2012, they collaborated with several other Canadian musicians to re-record the song True Colors by Cynthia Lauper, with proceeds donated to Kids Help Phone. They started on Youtube and features mainly covers, often using uncommon instruments or found sounds.

Some songs we might be listening to this week:
– True Colors by Cynthia Lauper (collaboration with other Canadians musicians to form Artists Against Bullying; inspired by increase in bullying/cyberbullying and Amanda Todd‘s death, with proceeds donated to Kids Help Phone)
– Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye (5 people playing 1 guitar!)
– O Canada (not your typical picnic in the park!)
– Shape of You by Ed Sheeran (boomwhackers, kalimba, pop tubes, container of dried pasta, doing splits to play cymbals)
– Hello by Adele (whirly tubes, boomwhackers, bells, fly zippers, tap dancing, cymbal high kick)
– Shake It Off by Taylor Swift (kazoo, shakers, ukuleles, cajon)
– Savage Love by Jason Derulo & Jawsh 685 (ukulele tossing, toy piano, steel tongue drum, squeaky horns)
– Old Town Road by Lil Nas X (hand bells, mug, bowls of coins & guitar picks)
– Cheerleader by OMI (inside their tour bus)
– A History of The Beatles 1962-70 (20 songs in 7 minutes)

Stevie Wonder

To continue our study of Black History Month, this week’s feature musician is Stevie Wonder. Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy, signing with Motown’s Tamla label at the age of 11, and at age 13 became the youngest artist with a No. 1 single. He is also a social activist (short summary here) advocating for anti-racism, famine relief, AIDS awareness, and improving services for the blind and those with disabilities.

Some of his works we’re listening to this week:
– Isn’t She Lovely (written for his daughter, Aisha)
– I Just Called to Say I Love You (won an Oscar award for Best Original Song, which Stevie Wonder dedicated this to Nelson Mandela, and resulted in getting his music banned in South Africa)
– Happy Birthday (composed to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King‘s birthday, which Stevie Wonder dedicated 10 years to making a national American holiday)
– Ebony and Ivory (ebony is black wood and ivory is a white material made from animal tusks/teeth, materials used to make a piano; symbolizes black and white people living in harmony; sung with Paul McCartney from The Beatles)
– Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing (featured in the animated movie Sing)
– Sir Duke (we play this in FAT Jazz too! It was written for Duke Ellington, the pianist we saw in It Don’t Mean a Thing with Ella Fitzgerald, and the lyrics mention several jazz giants)
– Superstition
– As
– Living for the City
– Faith (with Ariana Grande, also featured in the movie Sing)

He’s performed in the 1999 Superbowl Halftime, for Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, for President Barack Obama, and holds many honours, including 22 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Award for lifetime achievement, Gershwin prize for Popular Song, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

BC Chinese Music Association

In anticipation of Lunar New Year coming up on Friday, this week’s Musician of the Week is our local BC Chinese Music Association! When I was studying at UBC, I learned how to play this ancient Chinese instrument called zheng in an orchestra led by professor Alan Thrasher:

Traditional Chinese instruments in the BC Chinese Orchestra include:
Erhu & Huqin (similar to western stringed instruments like violin, viola)
Pipa and Ruan (similar to a guitar)
Yangqin (similar to a piano)
Zheng (also called guzheng, like a sideways harp)
Dizi & Flutes (similar to western flutes)
Sheng (similar to a harmonica)
Suona & Guan (similar to an oboe)
Percussion instruments
Western instruments: cello, double bass, percussion

For those of you taking private lessons outside of school and have learned to play a major scale: Chinese (and many Asian) music use the pentatonic scale (leaves out the 4th and 7th notes of the major scale).

This week, we’ll listen to some of the pieces listed below:
– The Battle of Typhoon (featuring my friend, Michelle Kwan, on zheng, performing at Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby)
– Ambush on all Sides (pipa solo)
– Princess Wencheng (featuring the sheng)
– The Legend of White Snake (featuring the dizi)
– Tiger Grinding Teeth (featuring percussion instruments)
– The Butterfly Lovers (featuring erhu, originally written for a western orchestra as a violin concerto; based on a legend similar to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, called The Butterfly Lovers)
– Yellow River Concerto (featuring the western piano, originally written to a western orchestra)
– Rising Higher (a lucky message for the New Year)
– Spring Arrives at the Qing River (yangqin solo)
– Picking Red Dates (Suona trio, a lucky food for New Year)
– Super Mario Brothers Theme (a fun piece arranged for Chinese Orchestra)

Ella Fitzgerald

We’re kicking off Black History Month (February) with a jazz legend, Ella Fitzgerald (more detailed biography for intermediate students), known as “The First Lady of Song.” She had a difficult childhood, and faced racism and segregation from an early age, but maintained a positive outlook on life. You can also listen to a read-aloud book on her called Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat Ella Fitzgerald by Roxane Orgill. Here is a small selection of what we’re listening to in class (I play a lot of these with my husband and friends in FAT Jazz! Look in the “Gallery” for a recording of us playing A Tisket A Tasket!). Did you know that Gerald in the famous Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems is named after Ella Fitzgerald (say “Elephant Gerald” really fast)?

A Tisket A Tasket (1938)
Summertime (1968) – we listened to the duet with Louis Armstrong (see George Gershwin)
Blue Skies – features scatting (nonsense syllables to improvise on a melody line)
It Don’t Mean a Thing (1965) – more scatting, Ella’s “doo-wah” copies the brass instruments (trumpets and trombones) closing and opening their plunger mutes (watch them in the background at 0:35); also listen to how fast the bass line is going!
Dream A Little Dream of Me – collaboration with Louis Armstrong
Moonlight in Vermont – collaboration with Frank Sinatra

More famous songs we didn’t have time for in class:
My Funny Valentine
All the Things You Are
Misty (1965) – one of my favourite jazz standards <3
Puttin on the Ritz
Lullaby of Birdland
Satin Doll (1966)
One Note Samba (1969) – even more scatting!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

May be an image of 1 person Today is the birthday of our musician of the week, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a famous composer from the Classical Period (right after the Baroque Period). We are listening to some of his famous works:
Eine kleine Nachtmusik (German: “A Little Night Music”)
Symphony No.41 In C (nicknamed “Jupiter” after the chief Roman god; watch the VSO’s performance starting at 14:37)
Piano Sonata No 11 (last movement “Rondo alla Turca”)
Piano Sonata No. 16
Variations on Ah Vous Dirai-je Maman (later known as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”)
Overture from The Marriage of Figaro (a comic opera about pranks before Figaro’s wedding)
Queen of the Night Aria (featured in this Volvo commercial) from The Magic Flute (his last opera, about a damsel in distress and the handsome prince who rescues her), see this recording of a boy singing these high notes!
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (clarinet was the first band instrument I learned in grade 6!)