Category Archives: Faculty

Margaret Miller pictured playing the viola

String Area Blog #1: First day of class

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the String Area blog from the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Colorado State University.These bi-monthly postings will focus on a variety of topics, from preparing for auditions, being in music school, to having a career as a musician. There will be postings from string faculty – Dr. Ron Francois, Dr. Forest Greenough, Prof. Barbara Thiem, Prof. Leslie Stewart, and Prof. Margaret Miller – and guest postings. Please feel free to contact me (Margaret Miller) if you have topics you’d like covered, or if you have any questions.

August 24, 2015: First day of classes….or how am I going to get everything done???
I’m sure that the first day of classes brings a variety of emotions to you: everything from excitement to anxiety, to nervousness, and everything in between. I feel that way, too! I always look forward to seeing the returning students, as well as new students. Orchestra seating auditions are completed, as the first concert is at the end of Sept., in the fifth week of the semester. Yes, you read correctly!

Life happens fast at the university level, and one of the issues that comes up quickly is how to manage time so it doesn’t manage you. We all have different, unique ways of working. You might be a planner, or you might wait until the last minute to practice/finish that theory assignment, etc. Or you might be a combination of those two models. What I have discovered is that if I have a plan for practicing/assignments for the week, then I can be much more efficient with that chunk of time. For practicing, try not to work more than an hour at a time, as your brain and your body need a break. You have a lot of music to learn- for your lessons, for orchestra, and for chamber music. Experiment with how you divide your practice time, and know that some days you might not get to everything on your list. Remember, it’s about quality, not quantity.

Speaking of practicing, time for me to get to my recital program. We hope you enjoy reading this blog – let’s connect on Sept. 8.
~ Prof. Margaret Miller


Our Bond is Beautiful Music

Colorado State University Special Assistant Professor of Horn, John McGuire, is currently traveling in Russia by special invitation, as a member of Fortress Brass Quintet.

Eurail platform

After a 4 hour train ride on Sunday, we arrived in Moscow from St. Petersburg. We have been very fortunate to have great weather almost the entire trip. Normally,  it is pretty cold here by this time of year, but it is unseasonably warm and we Americans love it!

Fortress Brass in Moscow

Fortress Brass in Moscow

Our time in Moscow included a little sightseeing, but centered on a day of rehearsals for our final performance on Tuesday evening. Everything went smoothly, as expected. When you tour, it can be very tiresome to be out of your norm, but rehearsals become a time when your balance is restored and you get rejuvenated, and that certainly has been the case for the Fortress Brass!

street sign to the Moscow Conservatory

On Monday, we had a masterclass at the Moscow Conservatory, where we heard some tremendous young college age students. It is always interesting to see how, in spite of language and cultural barriers, we are always able to effectively work with these musicians. Words aren’t always needed! And they are so interested in our views that many students stay long after the masterclass to talk to us and ask about anything and everything, through an interpreter if course!

Dan Cherry, Fortress Brass trombonist, and a Moscow Conservatory student.

Dan Cherry, Fortress Brass trombonist, and a Moscow Conservatory student.

Tuesday evening we performed for the final time on this tour, this time at Rachmaninov Hall at the conservatory. We were one of several groups on this opening concert for the annual Brass Days Festival, where we performed Bach and American composer Arthur Frackenpohl, which was completely new to the Russian audience. The response was tremendous and completely thrilling!

Lobby to Rachmaninov Hall at the Moscow Conservatory.

Lobby to Rachmaninov Hall at the Moscow Conservatory.

But I must say, the coolest part of the evening for us was listening to all of the other groups on the concert, which were made up of the top professional brass players in all of Russia. They play with such power and authority that it is truly mind boggling – it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up!

Fortress Brass Quintet John McGuire 2014 Tour Photo

Afterwards, there was a reception with everyone who performed, and our host here in Moscow, Vladislav Lavrik – principal trumpet of the Russian National Orchestra and a leading international soloist – said in a toast that “despite all of the differences our cultures might have, we all are here for the same reason: to make beautiful music.” That is our bond and that is something we will always have. So, as I prepare to return to the U.S., I keep that in mind. Music is our bond. It transcends race, culture, politics. ..everything!  And that is a comforting thought, don’t you think?

~ submitted by Dr. John McGuire, Assistant Professor of Horn

What Words Cannot

CSU Horn Professor, Dr. John McGuire is traveling in Russia as a member of Fortress Brass. The quintet is performing and teaching masterclasses for the Wind Music Seasons International project, held throughout the year since 2003, as a component of the annual Romantic Trumpet International Festival. As the festival grew, it added traditional concerts of American soloists and brass quintets, called American Brass Autumn, to its offerings. We are enjoying Dr. McGuire’s blog entries from Russia!

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace

10.10.14 – Tonight we performed at the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace in the heart of Saint Petersburg, a 200 year old palace that has also served as a hospital and now a concert hall. We shared the concert with a local band called The Defílé Brass, a group that specializes is popular music arranged for brass ensemble. They really got the crowd going with their exciting performance!

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace performance hall.

Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace performance hall.

The Fortress Brass’ part of the show was just as exciting, focused on popular music of an older generation – Dixieland and the Roaring 20s! This was by far the largest audience we have had in Saint Petersburg and moreso than anything else, what I noticed was that it was such a varied crowd. There were families with young children who were clapping along with our tunes, elderly people who were just grinning from ear to ear with our standards from a bygone era, and every age in between.

Fortress Brass

Fortress Brass

In fact, there was one lovely elderly lady that came. She only spoke a few words of English, but it was quite clear what she was there to see. It was us! She comes to hear us perform every year when we are in Saint Petersburg, and she always comes up to say hi, and let us know how much she has been looking forward to hearing us. How utterly beautiful is that?! She even brought each of us a gift, a wonderful calendar with pictures from Russia. Somehow, I think I may keep that calendar well beyond its date of expiration!

Catherine's Palace

Catherine’s Palace

The sights and history of Saint Petersburg are astounding (like a visit to Catherine’s Palace), but the reason I have every intention of returning to perform here is simply for the people. Politics are nothing. People are people. And these wonderful Russian people welcome us, and embrace what we do with open arms and open hearts. Music expresses what words cannot.

Fortress Brass

Fortress Brass

Tomorrow is an off day, then on to Moscow! We will have a couple of rehearsal days and will teach masterclasses at the Moscow Conservatory before performing as part of the annual Brass Days music festival! More soon!

~ submitted by Dr. John McGuire, Assistant Professor of Horn

From Masterclasses to Mahler to Madame at the Mariinsky

Colorado State University Special Assistant Professor of Horn, John McGuire, is currently traveling in Russia by special invitation, as a member of Fortress Brass Quintet.

Saint Petersburg Music Academy masterclass.

Saint Petersburg Music Academy masterclass.

Today I spent the day with my colleagues in the Fortress Brass as we taught masterclasses and gave a short recital for the students at the Saint Petersburg Music Academy. These students are pre-college age and showed us that there is a tremendous amount of musical talent in the younger generation here in Russia. They performed for us collectively as a brass ensemble, playing an arrangement of part of Mahler ‘s Kindertotenlieder and later individuals on each instrument volunteered to play for each of us in front of a large audience.

Saint Petersburg Music Academy masterclass.

Saint Petersburg Music Academy masterclass.

As a pedagogue, I have to be honest, these students, while still young, displayed a tremendous amount of maturity and musical acumen. They each had things that needed attention, but it was very refreshing to see just how eager and capable they were to hear our perspectives and to implement them quickly. You hear so often in our media about the Arts dying, but I can assure you that they are alive and well and quite secure for the future over here in Russia! How wonderful  to see!

Fortress Brass and students from the St. Petersburg Music Academy.

Fortress Brass and students from the St. Petersburg Music Academy.

After that,  the Fortress Brass performed a short recital, including several standards from the Baroque period as well as jazz standards. The audience was quite enthusiastic and eager to hear more, especially the jazz tunes.

Madame Butterfly at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Madame Butterfly at the Mariinsky Theatre.

And lastly, as a sign of appreciation for our efforts, members of the Academy’s faculty gave us tickets to tonight’s performance of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly at the famed Mariinsky Theatre! As I said before, the Russian people have shown time and again how kind, generous, and appreciative they are.

~ Submitted by John McGuire, Special Assistant Professor of Horn at Colorado State University

Expect the Unexpected

Colorado State University Special Assistant Professor of Horn, John McGuire, is currently traveling in Russia by special invitation, as a member of Fortress Brass Quintet. Over the next two weeks, he’ll share his touring and teaching experiences with us.

From John McGuire:

Experience has taught me that when traveling, expect the unexpected. As I headed out to travel to St. Petersburg, Russia last Thursday, I was supposed to have connections in NYC and Paris. But due to a baggage truck hitting our plane and knocking a hole in it, I had to be rerouted through Detroit (where I ran full speed with my horn to make my flight) then through Amsterdam. Still, I made it to St. Petersburg only a couple of hours later than planned, and was able to catch up with my quintet, the Fortress Brass, before our first rehearsal.

Fortress Brass rehearsing in their hotel conference room.

Fortress Brass rehearsing in their hotel conference room.

Our first concert was a gala event at the historic Cappella Concert Hall. This hall is part of a former palace just a block away from the Hermitage and Revolutionary Square. The concert included the Fortress Brass performing several jazz standards (of which the Dixieland tunes were by far the audience favorite!), solo Baroque concertos (including my performance of the Telemann Horn Concerto), and a second half that featured a Russian military band.

John McGuire warming up for his performance of the Telemann Horn Concerto.

John McGuire warming up for his performance of the Telemann Horn Concerto.

The hall was packed, and the audience was was enthused! At one point, the concert organizer came to the microphone and talked about how special and important it is for people from both our countries to come together and collaborate. The audience enthusiastically applauded and was clearly appreciative of everyone on stage.

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This is now my second trip to Russia and I have found the people here to be absolutely wonderful, warm, and gracious. Russian musicians are just like musicians anywhere. They have the same humor, the same artistic ideals, the same work ethic. And the audiences love hearing the music we bring to them, music they don’t usually get to hear. Whatever the political climate may be, I can tell you that the Russian people are wonderful beyond description. I hope you all can experience their rich culture and society someday!

In the footsteps of Mozart

Flower bed on Austrian estate

Today we played two outdoor concerts here in Salzburg, one in a picturesque garden once used in the Sound Of Music, the other in a park outside of the Mozarteum.

footsteps of mozart

As we walked from one concert to the next, winding our way through idyllic city parks and streets, literally hundreds of years old, it was hard to not realize that we were walking in the footsteps of Mozart. After our second concert, our group posed for a picture in front of Mozart’s Geburtshaus.

<span lang="de">Mozarts Geburtshaus</span> 'Mozarts Birthplace'

As a musician, it seems like a rite of passage to trek halfway across the globe and pay our respects to arguably the greatest composer to ever live. Before there was ever Beethoven, Brahms, or Mahler, there was Mozart. In the world of French Horn players, Mozart is held in particularly high esteem. Our entire solo repertoire begins and ends with Mozart. And while his works for the horn are wonderful pieces, they aren’t even his best works as he is known far more for his operas, symphonies, and piano concerti.

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Why, after more than 220 years since his death, is he still so revered? For me, it is simply because Mozart’s music is the quintessential definition of refinement in an art form of unparalleled beauty and grace. More so than any composer before or since (at least in my humble opinion), Mozart clearly defines not just an entire age, but an entire genre. His music requires the utmost skill, grace, and purity of tone.

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I believe that to this end, we were able to honor him here in Salzburg with our renditions of his music. And as we stood in front of his Geburtshaus afterward, realizing that we were standing in literally the same place Mozart had once stood, I had a tear in my eye, but also a smile on my face. Thank you, Wolfgang. I wonder if you ever realized in your lifetime just how much your music would touch people on a deep emotional level so many years later.

~ contributed by Dr. John McGuire, Assistant Professor of Horn, Colorado State University

Click here to view more pictures.

~ Happy Birthday John – we’re all so thrilled that you had this experience on your special day!

Mozart is here.

The ensemble is thoroughly delighted by Salzburg and it’s rich arts culture and history. The fourth largest city in Austria boasts over 4,000 music, theatre, dance, and art events and exhibitions each year, including the famous Salzburg Music Festival.

statue of Mozart

For any group of musicians and music professors, a pilgrimage to the city’s Mozart landmarks is essential and emotional. Significant destinations for the group included the Geburtshaus (birth house), the Wohnhaus (a later residence), St. Sebastian’s cemetery, the burial site of Mozart’s father Leopold and wife Constanze, and Mozartplatz, featuring the composer’s statue, unveiled in 1842. “Michl march, Mozart is here,” was enthusiastically proclaimed at the time!

Burial site of Leopold Mozart and other Mozart relatives

“I have goosebumps,” “It brings tears to my eyes,” and “I’m incredibly grateful to be here,” were all overheard by this blogger; I had my own special moment with the opening to the Requiem Mass running through my head as I meandered through the historic cobbled streets of the Altstadt (Old Town).

This incredible and picturesque city has much to offer, and much more for us to discover!

Click here to view more pictures.

~ posted by Jennifer Clary