Commentary & Pubs

The piano: the principal prelude to musical prowess

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , , , ,

By Ande Jacobson

There is no question that music touches us deeply. There are also myriad studies showing the cognitive benefits of listening, but there are even more benefits when actively participating in making music. For the purposes of this discussion, the assumption is that the reader, for whatever reason, is now intent on learning to play a musical instrument. Whether their goal is personal or professional, an initial instrument must be chosen, i.e., they have to start somewhere. This commentary proposes that the piano be that starting point.

There can be many goals such as:

  • Mastering the piano and all of its intricacies;
  • Composing music;
  • Playing the guitar, or bass, or drums in a rock band;
  • Playing the violin, or cello, or bassoon in a symphony orchestra;
  • Playing the clarinet or trumpet in a wind band;
  • Playing the saxophone or trombone in a jazz band;
  • Conducting a band or an orchestra;
  • Teaching music;
  • Becoming a music therapist;
  • Developing more tools for connecting with family and friends;
  • Mastering one’s voice for the theater, the opera, or that rock combo.

No matter the goal, the piano is still the best prelude for all of it. It can take a lifetime to master the piano (if one ever truly does). Even when one studies it as a stepping stone to any other musical endeavor, the foundation that piano study helps to build makes everything else much easier to learn. Continue reading →

Why care about classical music?

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , ,

By Ande Jacobson

Many years ago when I was still married, my husband asked me if I would have become a musician if my parents hadn’t played instruments. I told him that there was no way to know for sure if my study and lifelong affinity for music would have happened had I not had my early childhood exposure. That answer surprised him a bit. He knew that I grew up with music as a very important part of our family life, a subject I wrote about in my book, Remembering Mom and Dad, in the story entitled Music in the House. He also frequently had to put up with my practicing various instruments for my numerous musical endeavors.

After taking a music appreciation college course and dabbling with the piano for the first time, he decided that wasn’t for him. Still, he wanted to learn to play an instrument in self-defense, although he was careful to select something I didn’t play (I play the woodwinds shown above for public consumption along with piano and trumpet for my ears only). He didn’t have any musical training other than that very brief introduction in his music appreciation course, so he found a teacher and started from scratch learning classical guitar. Continue reading →

Playing at light speed – the music behind “Driven”

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , , , , , , , ,

titleBy Ande Jacobson

Have you ever watched an animated film and while watching the film thought, “This is great music!” Have you then wondered how that music came to be, and which came first, the animation, or the music? After all, something had to come first.

If the music came first, then the animators would have a timeline to fill, perhaps forcing the story to stretch, or to shrink, to match the music. On the other hand, if the animation came first, then the music would have to fit like a glove, leaving no room for error. Continue reading →

The fuzzy line between amateur and professional theatre

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , ,

Orpheum_Theatre_Vancouver_View_Of_StageBy Ande Jacobson

As I mentioned in my previous commentary discussing the role of a theatre reviewer, I’ve often been asked if I review professional and amateur productions differently. My short answer then and now remains no, but I started thinking about what defines a professional production. Perhaps my refusal to treat them differently should have been a clue that there is a fuzzy line separating professional from amateur theatre in many circles. For instance, in theatre-rich areas such as the San Francisco Bay Area, one can find high quality productions without regard to whether the company is professional or not. Still, I was curious, so I started digging a little deeper. Continue reading →

A theatre reviewer’s role

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs ,

By Ande Jacobson

There are many approaches to writing theatre (or any arts) reviews, and there is significant debate over the role a critic should assume. The varied opinions don’t seem to be unique to a particular sector of readers, be they performers, theatre owners and staff, or potential audience members from all walks of life.

Many readers look to reviews to provide them with some insight into a production, in part to determine whether or not to spend their hard-earned money to attend a performance. Within this group, some are specifically looking for ratings, while others are looking to understand what to expect to gauge whether they’d enjoy a particular show. Continue reading →

Climbing out of the pit

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , , , , , ,

Fiddler_0332By Ande Jacobson

In the fall of 2012, A Good Reed Review published a commentary entitled “The role of the pit musician in musical theatre”. The article discussed the unique role pit musicians play along with some of the challenges they face. Part of that discussion focused on some of the differences between being a pit musician versus a cast member. While I am a pit musician and musical director (normally the reason for periodic breaks from publishing theatre reviews), last fall, a different opportunity presented itself. For a change of pace, I climbed out of the pit and onto the stage as a cast member in West Valley Light Opera’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, an experience which confirmed, amplified and expanded upon much of the discussion in my previous commentary. Continue reading →

Book: REMEMBERING MOM AND DAD

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , , , , , ,

Remembering_Mom_and__Cover_for_KindleBy Ande Jacobson

In REMEMBERING MOM AND DAD, I make the jump from analyzing the stories to telling them.  The book is a collection of nonfiction essays and short stories written over time remembering Bayla and Jerry Jacobson. The stories include personal recollections from my experience along with the retelling of numerous events related to me in conversations over the years. Some of the stories included are: “Music in the House”, “The Parenthood Plunge”, “The Jacobson Pet Parade”, “Disney Days of Summer”, and many more.  Interested?

Purchase the print edition online on Amazon.

Purchase a digital copy in Kindle or Nook formats.

Continue reading →

The role of the pit musician in musical theatre

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs , , , , ,

OUaMWatchingWithOrchBy Ande Jacobson

Imagine that you have gone to the theatre to see a performance of that Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The King and I. You’ve been sitting in the auditorium for a few minutes before curtain reading through the program, and you take note of some of the cast members you may know as you read their biographies. Continue reading →

Inside “Chicago”

A Good Reed Review Commentary & Pubs ,

By Ande Jacobson

This isn’t a review as that would be rather inappropriate given the author is part of the band.  This is instead a view from behind the wall of City Lights’ current production of “Chicago” – behind the wall because that’s where the clarinet player sits.  The experience is quite different “working” at City Lights than it is attending the opening gala intent on writing a review of the production. Continue reading →