issue 57 - february 6, 2014

BENOIT ROLLAND:A NEW ERA OFBOWMAKING

A CLOSER LOOKAT BETA BLOCKERS

PENGUINSPOTLIGHT:ALLESANDRACIONCO

REMEMBERINGCONDUCTORSARAH KIDD1986-2014

THE PENGUINN E C ’ S S T U D E N T - R U N N E W S P A P E R

ISSUE 57 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

A NEWCONCERTEXPERIENCEAT NEC

WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM

Next week, somewhere between drilling our excerpts for Tanglewood and flying across the country for another audition, many of us will stop, panic, and remem-ber that we forgot to buy a Valentine's Day gift for our significant other/family member/friend. We'll feel horribly guilty for being so selfish and unable to stop the "workaholic" syndrome that comes along with a life in music. Hang on a sec, though-- before you add yet another stressor to your life, remember that it's impossible to show love to anyone unless you take care of yourself first. Just as flight attendants reminds you to "put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others," if you take care of yourself, you'll be in a better posi-tion to care for those around you. So, in the spirit of V-Day, we dedicate this issue to helping you achieve balance in the crazy months known as "audition season."

We'll hear from several writers about their personal journey in music and how they overcame self-doubt. You'll find practical tips scattered throughout the issue for conquering your career goals. We've also included an in-depth article about beta blockers, that off-limits topic that often arises in the midst of audition season. And, if you'd rather forget about auditions for awhile, check out Nick Tisherman's story about traveling to Israel (it will give you hope for an adventurous summer!) Chin up, Penguins-- spring is just around the corner, and now you have lots of reading material to get you there! Please feel free to drop us a note at any time at [email protected]. We always love hearing from you, and we welcome new writers at any point in the year.

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2 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

NEC is mourning the death of Sarah Kidd, 27, who had been a student in the elite orchestral conducting program directed by Calderwood Director of Orchestras Hugh Wolff. A native of Bloomington, Indiana, Kidd died of cancer, January 28. She had received her Bachelor’s degree in 2009 from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where she was a cellist as well as a budding conductor. In 2011, she received a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from the Juilliard School working under James DePriest. At NEC, she studied with Wolff, con-ducted the Conservatory Lab Orchestra, and assisted Associate Director of Orchestras David Loebel in a performance of Ives’ Holidays Symphony in 2012. Although the first woman accepted into the highly selec-tive conducting program and part of a persistent minority of pro-fessional women conductors, Kidd found the issue of her gender irrelevant, as she somewhat impatiently explained in an article she wrote for The Juilliard Journal in 2010. “What I mean is that a tall, skinny person and a short, fat person could not use identi-cal gestures to get an identical response from an ensemble,” she wrote. “I view my gender as just another variable: because I’m female, my gestures will have a slightly different effect. Every conductor has to figure out what works for him or her, and in this regard, I don’t feel like my gender gives me any real disad-vantage.” Musicians who played under her seemed to feel the same way. “Her own peers seemed truly inspired by her as a conductor and a person,” said Margie Apfelbaum, NEC’s Administrative Director of Orchestras. “People were jazzed by her. The whole gender thing dissolved as soon as she was on the podium.”

Her teachers and fellow conducting students were also impressed with Kidd’s inherent talent and her ferocious work ethic. Calling her death a “tragedy,” Hugh Wolff said, “I feel such loss at the notion that she came here full of promise and full of energy. She had that rare combination—that conductors need—of being comfortable and natural with authority, with be-

ing in charge of things, but also of being very open to learning and realizing that there was potential and opportunity to really grow, to learn, to absorb things.” Loebel, remembering Kidd’s entrance audition, said “it was clear that she was somebody who was going to have a career. She had all the tools. There was also an indefinable something that really fine conductors have. At her age, it was not fully developed but the seed of it was there.” Apfelbaum, for whom Kidd worked in managing the orchestra department, recalls her being “incredibly organized and someone who asked great questions all the time. And she studied like hell. In the morning conductors’ seminars, she came prepared every day and was so impressive. She definitely was getting every ounce of knowledge that she could extract from her study here.” “Her death is a terrible loss,” Wolff said. “It’s a loss for her family and loved ones, for the school, and the wider musical community. She’ll be missed.”

NEC Mourning the Death of Sarah KiddBY ELLEN PFEIFER, NEC SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

3 WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM

As part of the conservatory-wide festival Music: Truth to Power, a

group of NEC students, including myself, has curated a multi-disciplin-

ary concert on the theme of ‘difficult conversations’ – an important

step toward understanding and working with differences of opinion,

background, and values. Representing every major and discipline at

the school, the program will cover everything from Western Classical

to free improvisation and new student works.

The EM Department facilitates a student-driven performance each

year as part of a larger initiative to empower students to lead pro-

gramming, production, and marketing efforts. Through a collaborative

planning process that spanned several months, we responded to and

interpreted the themes of the larger festival to create a unique state-

ment about music’s power to draw attention to and create dialogue

around social issues.

A program for the conceptual and eclectic music fan, Unconserva-

tory will include unconventional performances of the first movement

of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 (Leo Marillier), Chopin's Ballade No. 1 (Tong Wang and Wesley Chu), and

Rzewski’s Les Moutons de Panurge (Shane Simpson and audience). In the vein of upsetting expectation, classical violist

Mathilde Geismar will perform David Dramm’s Smack Girl, a contemporary work that combines elements of dance and

percussion in a one-woman performance, while jazz pianist Shane Simpson and saxophonist Billy McShane will take a

page from Mingus’ book to act out an argument between friends through free improvisation.

The program will be rounded out by several original student compositions—ranging from my piece Four Ways to

Look Hot While Singing in Public, an ironic critique of the damaging media messages to women, to A Person who First

Met the Snare Drum (by Guang Yang, performed by Bryce Leafman) a theatrical piece about musical exploration and

discovery. The group's staff advisor, Eva Heinstein, shares their excitement about the program. “It’s very gratifying to

observe students taking ownership over a performance that reflects their interests, values, and experiences," says Hein-

stein, "especially with a subject as challenging and provocative as Truth to Power.”

The performance will take place February 19th at 8 p.m. in Brown Hall. We hope you can join the conversation!

penguin CONCERTMusic: Truth to Power | UnconservatoryWEDNESDAY, F EBRUARY 19 , 8 P.M . | JORDAN HALL

by Rebecca Sullivan

UNconservatory

4 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

penguin CULTURE

“More tension! Accent the dissonances! The emotion of the piece lies in the crunchy harmonies before tonic!" We know the principle well, if not from rehearsal then definitely from theory classes. Whole symphonies flex their abilities to avoid a serene, peaceful, and much anticipated resolution. That’s where the music lies, anyway. If music were about arriving at the tonic, operas would be considerably shorter. I think by now, as conservatory students, this isn’t breaking news to anyone. As members of a culture that eats, breathes, and lives music, it would be petty and naïve to point out a principle so basic to our work. I will, however, point out our tendency to let our work bleed seamlessly into our lives; more than might be emotion-ally sound. Living a life of music is so good to us in so many ways. When I tell people who are not artists or musicians about what I do, they heartily praise my vitality and bravery to live a life so true to my heart and filled with passion. Being a musician is much more fun than being a “regional leader of sales," and they know it. Despite the late hours and chal-lenges a life in music throws at us, it still sustains our unique human need for beauty. But being a musician is thankless. Even among other musicians, a job well done is not rewarded; it is expected.

Our lives are led primarily by our ears, and sometimes logic takes a backseat to our devout services to music. What both-ers me is seeing the world that encourages us to follow our passion turn cold on us as we travel so far down the road toward it. Some of that chill is our growing older; some of it is our economic environment. And some of it is us. I think our years spent accenting the dissonances has informed our lives to do the same. Our years spent unsatis-

fied with our talents where they lay, striving for just one metronome click faster, have made us anxious. We don’t strive for the resolutions; we strive for the struggle that leads our listeners to it. I want musicians to be able to see their music as their work, and not let the tension we pursue in our work lead

to tension in our shoulders. I think it’s okay to be content; it’s okay to be comfortable with the musician you are today. When you stop singing or stop practicing, stop. Don’t let the small details you work on during the day follow you to sleep. My New Year’s resolution is just that: a resolution. I want to spend my last semester at New England Conservatory enjoying the simple beauty of the tonic I have worked so hard to arrive at. I want to relax and allow myself to be comfort-able with the key I chose at the beginning of this journey as I near the end of it. Because it's been informed and developed by so much tension and dissonance, the end of this movement in my life is arriving much, much sweeter.

ResolutionACCEPTING TENSION AS PART OF MY JOURNEY IN MUSIC

by RALEY BEGGS Second-year MM Guitar


Failure: Things My Teachers SaidI have incredibly wise teachers. This should be a given of course, but just as a teenager makes the mistaken assumption that his parents have no idea what it’s like to be a teenager, sometimes I forget that my teach-ers have "been there, done that," and probably know exactly what I am going through. In audition season, there’s usually a lot going through our minds. Statistically, almost all of you will be rejected at least once. Even the greatest musicians I’ve met have lost an audition. The key is not whether you suc-ceed, but how you approach the situation if you don’t. College can be difficult. The path is littered with things you can’t anticipate and problems you don’t know how to handle. Once, I told a teacher, “I feel like I’ve made all the wrong decisions until now.” “No,” he said, “You’ve just made decisions of varying de-grees of right.” I was skeptical at first, but on reflection it rings true. All the decisions you made got you to here. Some were good decisions, some not so good. But you wouldn’t be at the school you are now if you didn’t do something right. Still, if I thought all the decisions I was making were wrong, how could I decide to make right ones? I feared

failure. I was deathly afraid of being rejected, as I thought this meant I had failed myself. This resulted in a problem – if I didn't want to be rejected, then I didn't even apply in the

first place! Obviously, that wasn't a viable solution for a musician. I told this to another one of my teachers, who responded with this: “I took a lot of auditions when I was your age. According to your thinking, I failed. But to me, ev-ery audition I took was a step in the right direction. I learned something about myself at every audition, and eventually I stopped getting ‘no’ as an answer and started to get ‘yes’ all the time.” Of course, he was right. Getting a ‘no’ at an audition is not a failure at all. Sure, it’d be nice to win whatever you were auditioning for, but what did you learn about your-self in the process? You may have learned that you need more prepara-tion time, or perhaps you learned you

don’t respond well to certain stimuli in the audition room. Maybe you played your absolute best and you still didn’t get it? To be told your best is not good enough is hard, but it is a huge opportunity to grow. Perhaps next time your best will be good enough! “Focus on the process,” one teacher told me. If your goal is to get into this or that program, your process will be distorted to reach that outcome. Instead, if your goal is to become a better musician, and in the process get into this or that program, your journey will be elevated beyond success or “failure” at one junction. Lastly – “Treasure what you do have. You can be constantly be focused on what is just out of your reach (and it’s a great way to grow), but being content with where you are doesn’t mean you have to be complacent as well.” With all this talk, it’s a wonder I manage to fit in trombone playing in my lessons as well! I don’t mind, though. I have incredibly wise teachers, and so do you.

by ANDREW NISSEN First-year GD Trombone

6 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Grey skies. Harsh air. The endless swirling of fresh snow. With a tremulous heartbeat and clammy hands, I braved the arctic gusts and rushed inside the building. Removing my coat, I felt the warmth of hundreds as petrified as I. The panicked footsteps of those racing to their next appointment set the beat of the hall, and I found myself oddly comforted by the fact that I was not alone in my anxious state. I glanced down at my packet and found that I had thirty minutes before what my mum had so lovingly referred to as “go time.” Wiping my absolutely affront-ing hands on my dress, I nodded to mum, took a self-reassuring sigh, and strode off in what I hoped appeared to be a convinc-ingly confident pace. Minutes later, I arrived at the final destination. My fever from the morning had not subsided, and I felt the familiar waves of nausea invade my consciousness. Do not throw up on the judges, do not throw up on the judges, do NOT throw up on the judges… Of all the mornings to catch the flu, this was most certainly not the most ideal. Alas, the show must go on. My practice session with the assigned pianist went smoothly, and despite my illness I forged through to the best of my ability. He was kind and politely chose to ignore the fact that my voice sounded remarkably like I had made a habit of swallow-ing sandpaper for the past several years. And so the minutes rolled past, and the time came for me to set aside any fears or expectations and do what it was I had always done: perform. To set the record straight, I’m used to the stage. For the past twelve years I have been performing musical theatre, and have spent the last year or so auditioning professionally in the Seattle area. Nevertheless, this was a new avenue and the beginning to a new chapter in my life: classical voice, a venue to boldly go where no me has gone before. In 2008 my first voice teacher, Laura, told me quite plainly that my voice was not built for jazz or R&B or classic theatre, but instead for crossover musicals and even opera. I laughed it off and shook my head.

There was no way I could ever be good enough to sing opera. It seemed farfetched and acutely unfeasible that I could even do well in theatre, but opera? Surely not. A few years later, Laura transferred me to my second voice teacher, Meg. As with Laura, Meg repeated the same thoughts, but instead of simply telling me that I would do well with more classical repertoire, she moved forward and dished out art songs and small arias for me to learn. To my great sur-prise, I sounded better than I had anticipated. I began listening to diva after diva and bought heinous quantities of classical albums. My passion for opera had ignited. I continued to study musical theatre as my primary

career path, but now had a hobby on the side of listening to as much opera as my busy schedule could afford. Meg saw this progression and sat me down in lesson one day to discuss my future. I said I wanted to double major in college in musical theatre and writing, with a minor in some kind of biology. She tilted her head almost completely off her shoulders and let out a kind of exasperated sigh edged with desperation. “Sugar, have you lost your damn mind?” I laughed, but then realized that she had a point. I had studied plenty of classi-cal dance and acting techniques, but singing, my favorite part of theatre, had somehow escaped classical training. In that moment I knew that I needed to eliminate my collegiate

goals of academia and theatre for the training I so desperately needed. Only a year before school auditions, I was panicked, but understood that if I was going to have any sort of shot at my newfound love of opera, as well as better my current level of musical theatre performance, I needed to get on this as quickly as possible. Twelve months later, I found myself out of breath, fever-ish, and riddled with anxiety about my impending audition at NEC. It was terrifying. Usually, I skate through auditions with ease and find myself my most comfortable performing, but this was different. I had barely had any training in the classical

A Note to Prospective StudentsIT'S GOING TO BE OKAY, I PROMISE.

by SYD DONIELLE RVINSKY Vocalist '17

SYD'S EARLY DAYS AS A BUDDING PERFORMING ARTIST


One of the biggest challenges in finding a practice room during high traffic hours is not knowing when one will become avail-able. Oftentimes, the moment you walk past a room, it opens up! Struggling to find space often becomes a gamble of chance and good luck. To ease the process of finding practice rooms and help students plan and budget more efficiently, the piano department is putting forth a new set of regula-tions. “These guidelines and procedures were developed to help make access to priority rooms more fair and equitable, and to improve the experience of waiting for a free room,” according to a public NEC email sent on January 24th. In accordance with the new policies, sign-in sheets will be posted outside each room, on which students can write down their estimated practice session length. This will allow stu-dents to preview availability when searching for a room. Even better? Students can also write down their name to reserve a practice session immediately after the pianist currently using the room. “I think it’s great!” remarked pianist Pinshu Yu. “I’ve been thinking about the practice room problems and this seems like a practical solution. A three-hour maximum is a good way to push people to be more efficient and productive – some rooms have the same people in them for the whole day."

Additional guidelines also address another common concern of pianists. "Often the pianist's stuff is there, but the person isn’t…such a waste!" remarked pianist Yuting Ma. "But at the same time, we feel like it’s rude to just walk in.” The new policy asks pianists to shorten break times from 15 to 10 minutes, giving pianists who are waiting outside

empty but "occupied" practice rooms a better chance. Of course, these new guide-lines received a variety of respons-es. Some pianists such as Yoojin Noh have expressed that they would like to keep the 15-minute break, and others feel that the new restrictions could potentially limit freedom and creativity. Additionally, a few pianists be-lieve that these new guidelines only serve to temporarily alleviate an existing problem. “The new policies are the best yet," says Lana Suran, "but pianists are the problem. We are often selfish, isolated, and we don’t want to share. That being said, the majority of

the responses were positive. Yuting Ma feels that the new poli-cies will be effective, saying, “The policies are similar to those that Shanghai Conservatory implemented, and they're much more efficient than the current situation!” “It’s a wonderful idea!” exclaims Tingting Wu. “We can always improve on it if it doesn’t work, and I think finding practice rooms will be fairer this way. Let's go for it!"

New Practice Room Policies by TONG WANG Pianist '16

NEC ADMINISTRATION TAKES A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

genre and was mortified at the task ahead. Nevertheless, I did what I had always done in these situations: power through it with a smile. As I write this, I find myself incapable of holding back the grossest laughter in existence. I am now a vocal performance major and have had the best time of my life in a school that has given me unlimited opportunity and invaluable help with my love of singing. If you had asked me a year ago whether or not I was well equipped to handle opera, I would probably have started

hyperventilating and immediately transformed into the equivalent of a pile of mashed bananas. And yet, here I am. If I was able to make it into NEC, I guarantee that anyone with the right mind-set and unyielding passion for music, regardless of their back-ground, could do just the same. It is with a smile and the most enthusiastic thumbs up that I bid thee many broken legs and the most fulfilling of auditions. Above all things running through your head, keep in mind that you are worthy and valuable, and PLEASE don’t forget to breathe. Toi toi toi!

WHAT NOT TO DO IN A PRACTICE ROOM (IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING)

8 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

As human beings, we are ruled by emotions. Joy, sadness, fear, curiosity, worry, jealousy... these exemplary emotions, in combination with countless others, dictate our every move. Though we humor ourselves into thinking we are rational creatures, emotion almost always beats logic in determining our courses of action. Among the vast spectrum of emotional states we experience, however, love may very well be consid-ered one of the most volatile of all. What other emotion has a holiday attached to its sake? What other emotion has the absolutely devastating power capable of bringing us from extreme highs to lows (and everywhere in between)? It’s no wonder that some people refer, in fear, to the word “love” as “the L-word," as if it were some spiteful god. But love itself is by definition a feeling of affection, right? Why, then, is it so capable of creating such negative emotional states? In my opinion, the answer lies within attachment. Love is often as-sociated with attachment. When we love someone, we often feel the urge to share our entire being with them: our time, our feelings, our thoughts, and even our possessions. However, the feeling of attachment itself is a precarious state. Attachment leads many to experience a fear of loss; worry over potentially losing the elevated state that comes with love is a fear that keeps many from allowing them-selves to love freely. In addition, attachment easily lends itself to creating discontent when we place unmeetable desires and unreasonable expectations on those that we love. We become blinded by fears, jealousies, and insecurities when the tyranny of attachment comes into play. These negative emotions take over our feelings of love until we are left largely with mixtures of anger, frustration, disappointment, and sadness. Letting go of attachment is a difficult task, but one worth the effort. To learn to love without attachment, we must practice compassion. Compassion is an emotion I have come to venerate above all other emotions, one that is rooted in

empathy and kindness. According to Merriam-Webster Dic-tionary, compassion is “sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." Fundamentally, it is an empathetic desire to minimize negativity. It is from a compassionate place that we are able to love most deeply, genuinely and freely. To love compassionately is to love openly, without expectation, for the sake of creating and shar-ing happiness above all else. In order to share true compassion with others, though, we must start by feeling compassion towards ourselves. To accept and love one’s self is one of the most valuable of all endeavors, and one that is especially pertinent during this time of year. Two events are looming upon us that often result

in feelings of self-doubt: Valentine’s Day and audition season. At a time when pressures and stressors overflow, learning to embrace self-compassion is absolutely essential to achieve the confidence necessary to thrive during such occasions. Getting exercise, meditating, and eating healthfully are all extremely effective ways of doing so, and require only minimal amounts of effort.

There is an ancient Sanskrit mantra which translates, “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all” (“Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu”). By emitting compas-sionate love to all of those around us, one truly takes to heart the intentions of the above mantra. Through this practice, one gains a greater sense of appreciation for the surround-ing world and its inhabitants; in addition, genuine bonds are more easily and strongly formed, and perspective is continu-ously widened. As musicians, one of our primary aspirations is to connect and share with other human beings. By loving compassionately, we can move one step closer to achieving that goal and gain the potential to send some much-needed positivity into the world.

On Love, Non-Attachment, and Compassion by JULIA DOMBEKHorn '14


by JULIA DOMBEKHorn '14

It was a calm night in Ein Gedi, literally an oasis on the edge of the Dead Sea in the beautiful and exotic land that is Israel. My brother, an undergrad clarinetist at Northwestern, and I were staying in a hostel nestled between the sparkling water and the sandy mountains of the Negev desert, enjoying some rare downtime on our Birthright trip this past winter recess. All was placid as dusk turned to twilight, when we heard a faint sound we both recognized. “Was that…a clarinet?” “Probably a radio or something.” We dismissed the noise, but half an hour later, we heard it again, like catching the sound of a Klezmer band from afar. It sounded like live music, so we decided to search the hostel to find the source. What we found was a group of Israeli twenty-somethings outside one of the cabins drinking wine and passing around a clarinet like it was a pipe. We said we were drawn to the sound, and they of-fered us seats on their couches. My brother Benjy explained his clarinet background, and soon they were eager to pass him the instrument. For some reason he defaulted to the clarinet excerpt from the first movement of Beethoven 6th. The Israelis seemed to have an ear for it, and they started humming and singing along. They even had a little wooden flute, which I made a semi-successful attempt to play. We sat around talking, joking, and squeaking around

on the clarinet for a while. Benjy and I told our new friends all the places we had seen, and we all agreed that their country was downright gorgeous. The Israelis also shared our feeling that swimming in the salt-saturated waters of the Dead Sea was fun once, but didn’t feel the way water is supposed to feel. As we thanked the Israelis and stood up to leave, one of the more outspoken of the group turned on his philosophi-cal side, and imparted us with some wisdom: “The next time someone asks you where you’re from, tell them, ‘Planet Earth,’ because we’re all humans here.” “That was so. cool.” I whispered to Benjy as we made our way back to our cabin. Later that night, as I watched shooting stars streak across the untainted night sky, I realized that my experience in Ein Gedi was a reminder that our art spans borders. Music is a universal language, and music can take you to places across the globe and connect you with people of many different backgrounds. The world of music is incredibly international, so let your music take you abroad. Apply to that festival in Europe for which you’re on the fence about applying, or just spend part of a summer in a foreign country. Learn new languages, discover new cultures, and hear how the rest of the planet makes music—it will broaden your horizons, musically and otherwise.

Strangers in ParadiseREFLECTIONS ON MY TRAVELS ABROAD

by NICK TISHERMANOboist '16

10 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

Beta blockers. Just mentioning those two simple words to another musician can spark any number of reactions ranging from disdain to fascination. The controversial nature of the topic has caused musicians to fear public discussion of beta blockers. How-

ever, just because no one is talking doesn’t mean that the drug isn’t a very real issue in the music world today, especially during these wonderful months lovingly referred to as “audition season.” When I posted online asking for my friends’ opin-ions and experiences with the drug, only two people dared to comment publicly. However, within five minutes, my private inbox was flooded with people’s experi-ences. In the following pages, I’ll present the most basic facts about beta blockers and share experiences and opinions from all ends of the spectrum. This article is not meant to force an opinion upon you; rather, by offering varied information for you to consider, I hope I can enable you to come to your own personal conclusion.

UNDERGROUND drugby KATE LEMMON Second-year MM Flute

the musician's

A Closer Look at Beta Blockers

• If you decide to try beta blockers, you should consult a doctor first. You could be at risk for harmful side effects, particularly

if you suffer from asthma or heart disease.

• When you experience physical anxiety, you are experiencing your body’s “fight-or-flight” response, which is a natural

physiological response to stressful situations.

• Beta blockers counteract this effect by blocking the effects of norepinephrine and epinephrine, hormones secreted by the

adrenal glands that increase blood circulation. Beta blockers cause the heart rate to slow and the blood vessels to relax,

which in turn helps to reduce blood pressure. Other physical effects include reduced sweating and shaking.

• Beta blockers only affect physical responses to anxiety—they will do nothing to help the mental anxiety itself. Beta blockers

by themsevles cannot make you a better player, but they can allow you to play at your personal best.

• If you experience stage fright, you are NOT alone! Famous musicians such as Glenn Gould, Pablo Casals, and

Van Cliburn have suffered too.

• By 1987, the International Conference of Symphony Orchestra Musicians reported that 22% of its members had tried beta

blockers for performance reasons (an additional 5% took them for medical conditions)

• The International Olympic Committee has prohibited athletes from using beta-blockers since 1988 (they were deemed to

give an unfair advantage in sports such as pistol shooting, in which a steady hand could affect the accuracy of a shot).

THE FACTS


View #2: I didn’t enjoy my experience with them.“Beta blockers really helped me get over my problem with nerves like shaking and self-doubt. But the new boost of confidence made

performing less exciting over time. I began to notice that I didn't have that performance energy that makes everything sound so char-

ismatic. I also noticed that I made more mistakes just because I wasn't really in "the zone.” After I stopped taking them I noticed a big

improvement in my performances.”

“I took beta blockers for the first time right before I performed in a concerto competition. In retrospect, this was a bad idea because I

feel like it made me lose my edge. I was certainly calm for my performance, but I was lacking my fire, which was a bigger part of my

playing than I knew at the time. I should have tried them a few times before I just walked into a competition on them for the first time.”

View #1: Beta blockers have helped me.Please note: comments are anonymous to protect the privacy of the musicians. Experiences with beta blockers differ from person to person; as a reminder, you should always consult a doctor before trying any medication.

“Beta blockers took away the physical manifestation of my nerves (shaking, shallow breathing, etc) wonderfully, and just let me do my

thing as a musician. I didn't notice any negative affects, but I only used them probably twelve times during a year. Those few audi-

tions on beta blockers really boosted my confidence. The drugs didn't make me a better musician, they just made me less anxious, and

nailing a few auditions made me realize that I don't have any reason to be anxious at all.”

“I've played horn professionally for over thirty years and given thousands of public performances without ever freaking out on stage.

Less than a year ago, after about 18 months of occasional moments of anxiety on stage, I had a disastrous public performance. I was

THIS close to stopping and walking off---afterward, I swore that I'd never play in public again if I ever felt or sounded that way on

stage again. I got a prescription for Propanolol a few days later and have subsequently given some of the best performances of my ca-

reer, including winning an orchestra audition at age 51. I haven't used it every time I perform, but it's been nice to have the option.”

“I made the leap after hearing that [a member of a prominent orchestra] encouraged her students to take beta blockers. I started off

by taking half of a 10mg pill, which is the amount that I still take before important performances and auditions. One time I took a full

pill, but I felt out of touch with my body and made more mistakes because I didn’t feel totally in control. Every person is different, so it

might take a bit of experimentation to find the dose that works right for you. For me, beta blockers have made a world of difference

in the physical manifestations of performance anxiety, but I’m still glad I spent 10 years learning how to perform without them. The

combination of personal mental preparation assisted by beta blockers have helped me to feel more comfortable on the stage.”

“I went through a confidence fall-out with my playing; suddenly I became insanely nervous just to play in studio class. Beta blockers

helped to control the shaking and heart thumping, which helped me get my confidence back. I think they can be a powerful learning

tool as well as a form of "rehab" for students who haven't built the confidence to control their nerves and have tried everything else.

"I started using them in Austria, where you could obtain them without a prescription. I use them at most auditions I take now. I take

them to smooth out any physical reaction I'd rather not experience-- short breath, jitters, exhaustion. The mental side will always be

there, but the beta blockers sort out some of the physical isssues caused by nerves."

continued on the next page

by KATE LEMMON Second-year MM Flute

12 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

View #3: I’ve never tried them, but here’s what I think.“I have never used beta blockers, and I have nothing against [people who use them]. But personally, I feel it's best for me to just not

go there because I don't want to depend on any outside sources. I'm working hard to cutting out other addictions (coffee, smoking)

because my playing and persona is affected and influenced from the inside out.”

“I've never personally used beta blockers, but what I've witnessed in friends and colleagues is a belief in their ability to lessen the

detriments of "stage fright." I think the drug is counterintuitive to a performer’s purpose, yet I also believe that the popularity of its use

is symptomatic of the stress associated with the highly competitive environment of classical performance. The expectations of technique

and musical delivery have set a standard that thousands of students and performers struggle to meet every single day. This is not to

say that they are being set up for failure, but I do believe that the introduction of beta blockers has become an easy solution to what

should be developed through natural practice and experience. By relying on a drug that hinders natural impulses, an artist sacrifices

their ability to develop the very survival skills they need to become successful. Beta blockers have become a mirror of societal expecta-

tions – the belief that a flawless performance is a “good performance”. Listen to Jascha Heifetz or Jean-Pierre Rampal or even Miles

Davis – none of these musicians were perfect, because they were human. Take away the human mind, and what’s left is a machine. Of

course, there will be scenarios where the use of beta blockers is appropriate (and necessary) to give the performer a fighting chance.

Yet on the whole, a musician should be able to stand “as is” before an audience or panel of judges. It is in this state that a musician’s

voice is truly their own."

(View #2 continued) “While I definitely noticed a calming effect, beta blockers made me dizzy, forget words, and actually caused the fight mechanism in

my basal fight-flight mechanism to kick in. I was only taking half of the smallest possible dose.”

“I always got nervous to play in studio class, and I took a beta blocker for the first time before a particularly stressful studio class

performance. I don't remember playing. Nothing. But [my studio mates] told me it was the best I ever sounded. What upsets me is that

I couldn't achieve success like that without it. I never took one again because I didn't want to miss a moment like that. It was such a

great and sad moment all at once. I had finally played my best studio class and I didn't remember it. My brain robbed me.”

“I used to get quite nervous before auditions/solo performances - common symptoms were dry mouth (death to a wind player!),

uncontrollable shaking of my leg, difficulty getting a relaxed breath, and a generally accelerated heart rate that was beyond what

I'd get during strenuous exercise. So, I thought I'd try beta-blockers, as one of my close friends swore by them, and was willing to

share his supply. I used them for two auditions in which the result did not matter; I figured it'd be safer testing them on inconsequential

performances. For the first audition, I took one 20mg pill and felt no nerve issues whatsoever. However, this seemed to almost be to a

detriment, as I felt disconnected from my playing. I felt like my excerpts were on auto-pilot (in a bad way); it was almost an out-of-body

experience. I felt like I couldn't control what I was doing. I definitely remember feeling slightly woozy the whole time I was on stage.

The second time I used them, I tried splitting twice the original dosage over the two hours before the audition. Once on stage, some of

the previous symptoms came back, but with less severity. I didn't feel as removed from my performance, but I did lack the acuity to fix

things as they were happening. I felt as if I forgot many of the things that I had practiced during the weeks prior. Ironically, the audi-

tion panel felt as if it was one of the most inspiring performances they had ever heard from a student, and rather enjoyed my stage

presence, saying I looked very relaxed, yet commanding. Unfortunately, my intonation and rhythm suffered from being so relaxed.”


“Beta Blockers Help Some Musicians Fight Stage Fright” by Sarah Bryan Miller, www.stltoday.com

“Better Playing Through Chemistry” by Blair Tindall, www.NYtimes.com

“In Defense of the Beta Blocker” by Carl Elliott, www.theatlantic.com

“3 Reasons Why Beta Blockers Could Ultimately Be Holding You Back” by Noa Kageyama, www.bulletproofmusician.com

RECOMMENDED ONLINE READING

1234

ATTEND A WORKSHOP.Led by Jeffrey Nelsen, horn professor at

Indiana University, the two-day "Fear-

less Performance" workshop takes place

at various locations across the country.

Information about performance anxiety is

tied together in a directed, comprehen-

sive methodology for practicing meaning-

ful interpretive strategies, allowing for

enlightened focus during performance.

Check out www.jeffnelsen.com.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO PERFORMANCE A N X I E T Y

EVALUATE THE PROBLEM.Says one NEC student: “I used to get sick

to my stomach before concerts so I tried

beta blockers, which took away a lot of

the fire in my playing. Soon after, I went

on Celexa for my general anxiety prob-

lem. Now I don't use beta blockers, and

I can stop a lot of the negative thoughts I

used to have. I'm still nervous for perfor-

mances, but in a better way—it’s more

manageable and more like excitement.”

EAT MORE BANANAS.According to Lori of HealthExtremist.

com, bananas affect your body in a

manner similar to beta blockers. Down-

ing a banana (or two, or three) half an

hour before your performance can help

counteract the body’s natural response to

anxiety—a drop in potassium levels due

to a rising metabolic rate. Bananas also

contain tryptophan and high levels of

Vitamin B, both of which can help calm

your nervous system.

MANAGE YOUR BREATHING.You can achieve this in a number of

ways—popular methods include practic-

ing yoga, learning to meditate, or learn-

ing Qigong. The most effective breathing

techniques originate from your belly so

that the breath resonates throughout your

body. When you are able to slow down

and deepen your breath, your mind will

slow down, followed by your body.

READ A BOOK.There are many books about performance

psychology in all kinds of fields, not just

music. The Inner Game of Music by Barry

Green was adapted from a book for ten-

nis players, for instance! Audition Success

by Don Greene is another popular title

within performance psychology, and the

addresses musicians specifically.

14 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

In 2012, Benoit Rolland decidedly raised the profile of his art form after becoming the first bowmaker to win a fellow-ship from the MacArthur Foundation, typically referred to as a “MacArthur Genius Grant." While many achievement awards in this country are given on the premise of recognizing past accomplishments, MacArthur bestows this honor with the intention of “continued and enhanced creative work.” From his workbench in a modest Boston-area studio, Rolland lives up to this expectation with work that is not only creative but evolu-tionary.

Born in Paris, Benoit Rolland’s musical journey began as a young boy in the salon of his grandmother, Germaine Thy-seens-Valentin, a contemporary of Messiaen. He showed no lack of virtuosity in his own musical studies, winning a prize in violin at the Versailles Conservatory, and another in music theory at the prestigious Paris Conservatory. But it was the sight of a beautiful, ornate bow that first drew Rolland to the art of bowmaking.

RC: What was it about this particular bow that attracted you to

bow making?

BR: I loved violin making and jewelry. This bow gathered both things.

RC: How would you say your background as a violinist impacts

your work, even to this day?

BR: As a violinist, I can really understand the interaction be-tween the violinist and the violin through the bow, and the bow to me is the most important part. The bow is the object that will create the music.

RC: What’s the process when someone comes to you and

commissions a bow?

BR: I ask them what kind of instrument they currently play, what kind of bow they like, and then, after a small talk, I ask them to play several excerpts of several different kinds of music in order to have an idea of what kind of sensitivity and sensibility of playing the musician is showing.

The current wait time for a Rolland Bow stands at around 18 months, making a non-string player such as myself wonder: What is it that sets Benoit Rolland apart from the rest? I’m drawn to the impressive roster of those who play or have played with his bows, running the gamut from Yehudi Men-huin, one of his earliest clients, to Anne-Sophie Mutter and Kim Kashkashian (see the complete client list at www.benoitrolland.com/clients.php). But these names and the many others are only a testimony to Rolland’s craftsmanship. Instead, I find the answer to my question by recalling an old adage that intelli-gence is measured by curiosity. With Rolland, it is the ability to act on that curiosity that has served as the impetus for mastery.

by ROB CINNANTE BM '11, MM '13A RENAISSANCE IN BOWMAKING

"A VIOLIN WITHOUT A BOW IS NOT A VIOLIN."– BENOIT ROLLAND BOSTON BOWMAKER

THE 'GALLIANE' FROG. PHOTO COURTESY OF BENOITROLLAND.COM


Looking back to his days as an apprentice, Rolland was warned about diminishing availability of pernanbucco, the wood used to make most bows. So, in 1982 he left Paris and set sail for the Isle of Bréhat. In this secluded environment he worked with composite materials to invent the first carbon fiber bow of concert quality, Spiccato®. The success of Spiccato paved the way for a career marked by innovation rooted in tradition. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Rolland recently introduced one of the most significant innovations in classical bow making: the Galliane™ frog.

RC: Can you talk about how Galliane came into existence?

BR: In bowmaking, nothing has changed in 250 years. I wanted to shake tradition and propose something new. I knew if only changed the design, it would not introduce anything new. So, for this particular frog, I knew I had to change not only the aesthetic, but the functionality. This is what led me to the creation of the Galliane frog.

The Galliane frog sets the hair ribbon at an angle, allowing it to have greater traction with the strings, thus producing an increase in sound power, something I’ve witnessed in both live and recorded demonstrations. Furthermore, its design follows

the natural movement of the string player’s arm, allowing for greater ease and stability.

RC: What is the most important thing that you would want

someone to know about Galliane?

BR: This is something that the musician can try without dam-aging their bow. It’s a new experience. If the experience is negative, if the musician doesn’t like it, we can come back to the original frog.

Although, according to BSO Concertmaster Malcom Lowe, “Is there any reason why we should revert back to the conventional frog?”

Galliane received one of its earliest presentations here at NEC,

and is currently being played by several faculty members,

including violinist Miriam Fried. To learn more about Benoit

Rolland and Galliane, visit www.galliane.com

Robert Cinnante (BM ’11 MM’13) is an independent arts management consultant and the General Manager of Music for Food, a musician-led initiative for local hunger relief. He can be reached at [email protected]

by ROB CINNANTE BM '11, MM '13

BENOIT ROLLAND AT WORK IN HIS BOSTON STUDIO. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

16 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

penguins GET CREATIVEFOUR SHORT POEMS

TO THE RESIDENTS OF FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDAso

about that sunshine

you know

the one that sends a rush of gold down the waves of your

hair

and flares in the rearview mirror of that Trusty Steed

it is really until april

that i have to watch the ground crusted white with road

salt

from my frozen dorm window

that i have to wait in agony

until i can feel that sunshine spreading blooms of heat

across only one layer

of clothes?

HOLIDAY DETOX HELL oatmeal, cantaloupe,

lentil soup, cabbage salad...

just this for two days?!

THE FIRST DAY BACK IS PRETTY MUCH UNIVERSALLY TERRIBLE: A BRIEF NARRATIVE IN RHYME your face blurs

your voice fades

on the pages your notes roam free

my heart stops

my brain melts

over break I did not miss TP

SO WHERE ARE YOU GOING THIS SUMMER?PMP PMF MAW NAVI

Bowdoin Banff Verbier Ravinia

Prussia Cove Keshet Eilon Domaine Forget Kneisel Hall

back to China back to Korea to Argentina to Belgium

on to grad school to med school to teach school

traveling sleeping reading missing you all so much

going back going forward

going places

going?

by NATALIE ALPER-LEROUXViolist '16


Movie music often makes a bigger contribution to a film than certain actors do—which is why Best Original Song and Score are the most highly discussed and anticipated Oscar categories. Here is everything you need to know about the 2014 music nominees, in order to sound intelligent at cocktail parties...or whatever.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG“Happy,” Despicable Me 2 (Pharrell Williams): Makes you happy.“The Moon Song,” Her (Karen O, Spike Jonze): Makes you sleepy.“Let it Go,” Frozen (Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez): Idina Menzel. Fractals.“Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen): Sounds like U2.“Alone Yet Not Alone,” Alone Yet Not Alone (Bruce Broughton, Dennis Spiegel): …What’s this movie?

BEST ORIGINAL SCOREHer (William Butler and Owen Pallett): Arcade Fire/Reflektor.Gravity (Steven Price): Long, held notes.The Book Thief (John Williams): Basically Schindler’s List.Philomena (Alexandre Desplat): Approximately 98% glockenspiel.Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman): “Chim Chim Cher-ee?!” That’s definitely the Sherman Brothers. Thomas Newman didn’t write Mary Poppins. I just hope everyone in the Academy is taking that into consideration. We wouldn’t want to have to dispute artistic integrity at the Oscars. I need to go find out what kind of belly button Jennifer Lawrence has.

The 2014 OscarsEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

ILLUSTRATION BY TONG WANG

by ISABELLA DAWISFirst-year UD Voice

18 FEBRUARY 6, 2014

What you do as Director of Residential Life?

Since I am the only full-time staff member, I'm responsible for all aspects of Res. Life including staff training/management, budget management, housing assignments, conflict mediation, etc.

What’s it like to live in the empty residence hall in the summer?

Creepy. Building operations and the cleaning crew come in and do some work, so that adds to the creep factor. Sometimes they’ll come in and lights will be on and a door will be open that wasn’t before, and I'll hear creaks and noises from somewhere else in the building. You just have to assume that everything is because of workers, and not because of anything else! But there are weird noises in the middle of the night that I would normally blame on people; when no one is there, I have no idea what they're coming from!

You were a vocalist at NEC, so how

did you end up in Residential Life?

I did a lot of work for Residential Life in my undergrad. Throughout that period I was an office man-ager and personal assistant to the community relations person. When I came to NEC I worked in the Student Activities Center as well as Admissions. I found I still wanted to be involved in Res Life, so I applied to come back as a graduate assistant. And then I decided not to return to school and apply to the director posi-tion, and now here I am!

What unusual situations do you have to deal with?

Nothing’s shocked me. Coming from a state school, there was a wider range of students, so I’m not really surprised by anything

here. I was a lot more shocked at San Jose State. They were re-ally…creative. Music students are tame in comparison.

Since you’re a Boston transplant, what do you appreciate here?

It’s very different from California (my home), and I like living in a city much more than the burbs, where I grew up. I like being able to walk everywhere and live in a place filled with culture,

art, and history. The West Coast is very fresh and new, which is cool in its own way, but I’m really intrigued by American history, and I love being in the birthplace of it all.

Do you have any advice for students who

have upcoming auditions?

Keep everything in perspective. You’re at one of the best music schools in the coun-try – in the world, arguably – and you have an incredible community at NEC. All these auditions are great and you should take them and enjoy them. But you’ve done a lot of hard work to get here, so take the time to enjoy it before you skip on to the next thing.

Any advice for new/incoming residents? Take advantage of this style of living. You are living with people now that you are going to work with for the rest of your lives, potentially. Make friends with the composer down the hallway, or whatever the case is. Make strong connections with the people you’ll be at school with for the next for years. Ten years from now, that composer could be one of the most in-demand composers in the world and they'll remember how awesome you sounded in the practice room and that you were a nice person and they'll say, “I want this guy to play in my new piece." Get to know them. Hang out with them. Play music with them. These are your colleagues.

penguin SPOTLIGHTAllesandra Cionco

by Andrew Nissen

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDY HURLBUT


THE PENGUINN E C ’ S S T U D E N T - R U N N E W S P A P E R

SUBMIT SOMETHING!If you'd like to contribute an

article, illustration, or idea, email a 1-2 sentence proposal to: [email protected]

Please limit articles to 650 words.

PENGUIN PENMENKate Lemmon, editorSuzanne Hegland, faculty editorSophia (Sophie) Adickes, writerNatalie Alper-Leroux, creativeRaley Beggs, writerIsabella Dawis, writer Luci Disano, writerStephen Garman, webmasterAndrew Nissen, writerAkenya Seymour, writerNick Tisherman, writer Liz Tobias, writerTong Wang, illustrator

SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR J A N U A R Y: S U N D A Y MARCH 2ND

WE'RE ONLINE!

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK:www.facebook.com /penguinnewspaper

READ PDF ARCHIVES:www.NECpenguin.com

BEFORE YOU LEAVE• Obtain prescription refills.• Request copy of your medical or immunization record. (For future requests, download form on NEC Health and Counseling Services web site.)• Have your insurance card (copy available from GK site if NEC plan).• Call 617-585-1284 (or come by SB112) for any questions.

HEALTH INSURANCE AFTER GRADUATION• If enrolled in NEC’s insurance plan: o coverage continues until August 24, 2014 o referral not required to obtain care after graduation o for questions about coverage: www.gallagherkoster.com o contact Stephen Hagen for questions about insurance claims or medical bills: (800) 457-5599 x6458 or [email protected]• If enrolled under your parent’s insurance or in another plan: o check with the insurer for continuation of coverage o some plans end on day of, or 30 days following, graduation• If you will be resident in Massachusetts: o health insurance is mandatory (penalty for no coverage) o check options: www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/site/connector• If you will be living in United States: o and changing to a new insurance plan • read the fine print to understand all of the benefits & requirements – co-pays, network providers, etc. • know when it becomes effective o know importance of insurance, compare cost of premium to cost of care for injury or hospital stay o newly legislated Affordable Care Act (ACA) -- dependent coverage (under parent’s insurance) until age 26

LOCAL RESOURCES AFTER GRADUATION• Call 617-667-9600, Health Care Associates (HCA) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) • Leah McKinnon-Howe, MS, ANP-BC, can be reached during the summer by calling HCA and leaving a message • Fenway Community Health Care -- 617 367-0900• Massachusetts General Hospital MGH) Walk-in Clinic -- 617-726-2707

EXCELLENT resource for insurance/healthcare information:Toolkit for Graduating Students: www.YoungInvincibles.org

Health Checklist for New Grads

20 FEBRUARY 6, 2014 | WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM

penguin PHOTOSby Andy Hurlbut

1) Natasha Brofsky and Roger Tapping perform in recital on January 13th. The players in Pintscher's Janusgesicht are asked to sit back-to-back in performance. 2) David Charles Tay, tenor, with NEC's Contemporary Ensemble. 3) Puppeteer Jamie Moore performs in Triangle, a multimedia play that explores the legacy of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. 4) Anna Patton ('14 M.M.) and Daniel Pencer ('14 M.M.) perform in Triangle. 5) Jessica Zhou, BSO harpist and NEC faculty, performs Philippe Hersant's Choral. 6) Patricia Au and Julia Yang share the stage with John Harbison after performing his piece, Abu Ghraib. 7) Elizabeth Burns, James Coyne, and Moe Winograd perform in Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings.

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issue 57 - february 6, 2014

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