Author Archives: shawn salgadoe

For my final concert journal, I wanted to contribute my experiences at two separate showcases for talent in the community, and ultimately share how these two events have reinforced a sense of appreciation in music for myself and the individual experiences which each of us take away in those moments.

The first event was on Tuesday, March 5^th, at a vibrant bar in Gastown, called Guilt and Co. The event that night was coined “Under the Harlem Moon”, and showcased songs which fit within that theme of music from the 70s’ to 80’s. What made this performance even more special, was that two of my friends (boy and girl) were performing with their band, called ‘Tiffany and the Dreams’. For one of whom, this was a special guest performance. The band playing behind my friends consisted of a lead guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and a few backup vocalists. Contributing to the theme of this performance, which allows it to stand out compared with any random bar performance, was that my friends and their band chose to interpret these songs in the 70s and 80s, through an R&B lens. This ultimately, added to the experience by detailing and capturing how songs can be re-envisioned and told with different sensations and emotions behind the narrative. A few of the songs performed by the group were; All I Do by Stevie Wonder, Closer I Get to You by Roberta Flack ft. Donny Hathaway, Rock with You by Michael Jackson, and September by Earth Wind and Fire. This performance showcased more modern sounds and elements, through the bands colouring of the tracks.

For the final showcase, I attended a talent-show at the Arts Connection, in Richmond, on Saturday, April 13th. It is an extra-curricular based program for kids, where they can take all forms of lessons in musical instruments, voice, and dance. I was able to hear about this event, as one of my other friends is a vocal and piano instructor there. This performance was special, as not only did several young students share their talents and how they interpret such high-level classical music at an early age, but the instructors performed alongside them, as well as in their own sets. This was done, to illustrate the point that music is for everyone, and at every level of experience, there is always space to grow and share. I was deeply impressed at the level of technique of the kids performing, but was more so astonished at the emotion that was conveyed beyond their skills. Whether through song or instrument, you could feel that they understood the written and unwritten language of their pieces, as it meant something to them. One female vocalist performed Chanson d’Amour, by Gabriel Faure, while another performed A Faded Letter, by William Gillock, on the grand piano. A piece which really stood out was performed on violin, by a young boy, Allegro Brilliante, by Ten Have. I could witness the subtleties in his strokes on the violin, and could only imagine the detail and patience it would take one to acquire such skills. Hearing some of these classical pieces live, rather than on a tape or online, left the listener such as myself, with the appreciation for experiencing it in its truest form, in a hall which is designed to capture the best sound and acoustics.

On Wednesday, March 20^th, I attended Noon Hours at the Barnett Hall at UBC. The performers on stage that day were Mark Takeshi McGregor on the flute, and Adrian Verdejo on guitar. Takeshi McGregor provided a vivid experience on the versatility of the flute and the different voicings it presents. Verdejo, as well presented a style and technique in guitar playing, of which I have never fully witnessed before. It is safe to remark that both of these individuals are world class talents, and together they created a very scenic and moving performance.

An interesting segment of the pieces which they picked, were that each composer/arranger was from a different country. It is evident that these two performers take pride in having knowledge and repertoire from their own respective backgrounds and cultures, and was brilliant that they aimed to provide more cultural repertoire to the audience. The pieces not only take the audience across borders, but across time as well, as we can witness the development of styles within the postmodern classical genre from specific points in history. The composers of the four pieces were Toru Takemistu 1930-96 (Japan), Ignacio Baca-Lobera b. 1957 (Mexico), Jocelyn Marlock b. 1969 (Canada), and Astor Piazzolla 1921-92 (Argentina).

The first piece was Toward the Sea for alto flute and guitar, by Takemistu (1981). The contrast and journey taken between the movements, really painted a picture of a ship or crew’s quiet voyage across the waters, and the moments they interact with their surroundings. A featured technique which Takeshi McGregor utilized on flute, was a breathing a puffing noise, which made replicated water shooting from a wales’ spout. The interaction between the flute and guitar was moving, as they acted like a collective. There seemed to be one line moving in the song, and they would pick up where the other left off, while at times play together. The sound they created was distinct from one another, yet created an image of where they were taking you on the waters, ultimately making it a very visual and interactive piece.

Moving to their last piece, Histoire du Tango, by Piazzolla (1986), Takeshi McGregor and Verdejo presented the history and development of the tango, through a four-movement spectacle. The opening movement stood out to me the most, as the classical guitar techniques used by Verdejo to explore the rhythms and the tango, truly took me to a visual place, as if I were in the streets of Buenos Aires, at night.

I was fortunate enough to coincidentally run into the both of them at the bus stop later that day, and was able to thank them for their performance, of which they were most appreciative. I expressed to them that their last piece made me envision that I was in the same geography as the country of origin for their pieces. They were both glad to hear that, and commented that this was their hope and wish for how audiences would interpret their set. This concert journal stood out to me the most, as it brought me to a different place musically, than I had experienced before.

On Wednesday, March 13^th, I was able to attend UBC’s high noon hour performance at the Barnet Hall to experience REConnected. Overall, this musical experience was one of the most unique experiences I have had, as it felt truly contemporary and interpretive to the listener. The performers were Daniel Tones, as a percussionist. He is widely known across Canada, the US, Asia, and the UK for his work in this genre of contemporary percussion, and it was a treat to witness someone of his calibre for a performance during a casual day of the week. Unfortunately, I had arrived just under five minutes late to the recital, as I was not able to hear them introduce themselves in the beginning.

            The pieces performed were titled, To the Earth (1985) by Frederic Rzweski, A/Symmetry Ritual (2018) by Owen Underhill, Invisible Cities (1982) by Linda Catlin Smith, and Temazcal (1984) by Javier Alvarez. The piece which blew me away the most from this performance, was A/Symmetry Ritual. I had never previously known the technique and different styles which can be utilized to play all sorts of percussive instruments. The range of instruments used were wind-type whistles, shakers, drums, symbols, and the xylophone. The theme presented was quite contemporary, which is where I was able to understand how this genre can mean so many things, to whomever witnesses it.

In my own interpretation, the separate instruments of which Tones and Underhill kept rotating around, provided a sense of contrast, as if it were a double performance going on. As one would play a part, the other would wait and only join in on a vastly different percussive instrument when it was their turn. In a way, their different instruments could be interpreted as if they complimented each other. Alternatively, I also got the sense that these sounds were completely different and should not belong together. This theme had myself diving into what could have been their bigger message through this piece. Though sounds may appear to have no connection and compatibly with one another, this does not mean they cannot be played together. The only interpretation which matters, could be the listeners.

As a whole, I had never heard sounds being created in the manner which they were on stage. Tones displayed a unique image when he played the xylophone with four sticks, two in each hand. The entire score represented a sense of nature, as the serene setting depicted a therapeutic wall of sound. I also quite enjoyed the humour in these pieces, as the two artists did not take their unique percussive performance too seriously. It was a lighthearted affair with moments of laughter, involving odd sounds, when tension seemed to be built. To understand the way your music will be interpreted by audiences and to be playful with it, is a skill most performers aren’t able to utilize. The foundation of this made me believe that this show could be displayed as Intermezzi, in the early days of theatre and Opera seria, as it was unique and jovial.

On Sunday, February 17^th, I had the pleasure of attending the UBC Opera’s production of The Magic Flute, an opera I later found out to be composed by Mozart. The show for that morning (10am), was at the Old Auditorium, which seemed a bold and detailed site to display music in, as witnessing performances in that space adds to the authenticity of the show. The UBC Opera program put on the production as a Kid’s Takeover version, which was family friendly. Attending this performance also meant a lot to myself, as my friend is in the program, and was in this performance as one of the three ladies (alto- lower range typically for women).

The piano accompanist for the event was Richard Epp, who played the instrumental lines for the entire show. As mentioned above, this interpretation was a kid’s matinee event, so what should be a three-hour long opera, was condensed down to just over an hour. I believe this to be beneficial to a listener such as myself, as I am not too familiar with opera’s, and a longer production would have slowly lost my focus. What was also helpful, was that the English text was projected overhead the stage, as the entire opera is in German. As such, I was able to authentically listen to the original text, while following the story of fantasy, magic, and comedy.

The artistry of the student performers was phenomenal, as I was never previously aware of the breath and talent this program consisted of. From my former understanding, most opera singers reach their peak maturation of the voice in adulthood, and while that may remain true, the voices of these students were quite professional, yet seemingly effortless at the same time. I learned and witnessed a lot of the techniques in voice through this one show and how the voice can be trained to be a vessel for so many powerful and sweet notes. My favourite character and interpretation, was of Papageno and the oddness, yet childlike theme he represents. The Pamina and Papageno duet was my favourite as the lightheartedness and technique of the performers was intricate, as well.

It is quite telling how much of an impact the fantasy of genre has had in the modern world, with works such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones etc. This experience was truly interesting as it provided me with a perspective where I could appreciate even deeper this opera by Mozart, as it was part of the foundation of works which inspired and grew into what many people in the world enjoy, including myself.

On February 6^th, I attended “From Their Youth”, at the Barnett Hall at the UBC School of Music.  The performance featured particular music originally unpublished by Brahms, and focused primarily on by Schubert and Vaughn Williams from their early days, and how they contributed to chamber music. Overall, the aim of the performers was to provide a complete picture for the two composers’ work in Chamber music. The performers consisted of a quintet of a violin (Mary Sokol Brown), a viola (Tawnya Popoff), a cello (Eric Wilson), a bass (David Brown), as well as a piano (Terence Dawson).

The first piece was Schubert’s Sonatensatz in B-flat major, D. 28 in 1812. It was noted that Schubert may have originally intended this work to be a part of a larger movement, however, it went unfinished, but was found in 1922. It was performed by a trio consisting of the piano, cello, violin (Dawson, Sokol Brown, and Wilson. The setting which was presented to the audience, was a serene and had a calm tone. The vibration from the strings resonated through the performance hall, which is a memorable part of the performance for me, as the violin was always one of my most favoured instruments to listen to. What was surprising about the performance, were that the three instruments responded to each other, in a fashion where they echoed each other’s lines and phrases, which was quite a beautiful interpretation. Stylistically, the lines from the strings had strong moments of legato (long-sustained notes and phrases), which interacted with the piano in an imitative-polyphonic theme.

Following this was the Vaughn Williams piece, Piano Quintet in C minor, which involved all five musicians. The piece consisted of three movements and is dated back to 1903. The first movement showcased the piano as the lead instrument, in terms of setting the tone and vibrancy in the song, while having the strings play strong lines of music and build on one another. Overall, the first movement was quite busy and painted a sound with much layering, through the string’s homophonic nature. The rolling chords of the piano reminded myself of one of my favourite pieces of classical music, Claire de Lune, by Charles Debussy. The second movement held stark contrasts, as it showcased moments of bold and intense playing, then switched to long flowing rhythms. Finally, the third movement featured the strings with precise, short lines, with the piano engaging behind them through a floating tempo. The image this painted me was of a sunset fading away in the distance, as the plucking of the strings drew to a close.

Overall this first experience was pleasant, as witnessing a live interaction of strings and a piano, with how the sounds vibrate off one another, is something I could never have experienced through listening to tracks online. As a whole, I was pleased to see the rebirth and reintroduction of these pieces being brought to life by the musicians, and that pieces of history involving Schubert and Vaughn Williams, were not lost through their interpretation and efforts.