18 WAYS TO SHOW YOURSELF SOME LOVE DURING AUDITION SEASON
PG. 10
ELEVATE ME: THE UP SIDE TO THE JORDAN HALL ELEVATORS
VALENTINE’S FEATURE: NEC’S MARRIED FACULTY PG. 4
PG. 6 PG. 16
PG. 2
NEC TAKES NCAA TITLE
MEET THE NEW PENGUIN PENMEN
THE PENGUIN
ISSUE 48
FEBRUARY 7, 2013
N E C ’ S S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S PA P E R
WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM COURTESY OF TADAED
The Penguin is spreading the love! Welcome back to the newly revamped version of the Penguin! We love you for picking up a copy. Speaking of the “L-word”, this issue is all about spreading the love in every form possible. We’ll start with the traditional definition of love by speaking with married NEC faculty members. We’ll introduce you to our new writers, with whom you might fall in love! We’ll tell you how to spark your own romance in the Jordan Hall elevators. And we’ll cover anonymous love with an exclusive interview with NEC Compliments.
During this busy audition season, don’t forget to show yourself some love too! Check out page 6 for 18 different ways you can de-stress and ace your graduate school and summer festival auditions. By now, you’re probably feeling all warm and fuzzy, so why not show some love to the Penguin too? Visit our brand new website at NECpenguin.com or drop us a line at penguin.newspaper@ gmail.com. We’d LOVE to hear from you!
penguin CULTURE New England Conservatory Takes NCAA Title COURTESY OF A MYSTERY CONTRIBUTOR
Once again, we find ourselves at the end of a long football season of the National Conservatory Athletics Association (NCAA) in which New England Conservatory has emerged victorious. This year’s NCAA Super Bowl was a hard-fought battle between the NEC Penguins and the Colburn Cougars. NEC pulled off the thrilling 24-17 victory with the help of their star quarterback, Paul Lueders, who threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and dazzled the crowd with the big oboe solo from Don Juan. The road to the championship was a long one. NEC edged out The Curtis Institute in the semifinals after a comeback led by the electric and eclectic halfback, Billy McShane, who ran for two touchdowns, kicked the winning field goal, and amazed coaches and audience members alike with a sideline saxophone serenade. Colburn ousted Juilliard in the previous round to advance to the championship. The victory was decided when a Juilliard player fumbled the ball and refused to pick it up because it touched the ground, allowing a Colburn Cougar to recover the fumble seventy-nine yards for the go-ahead touchdown. At the beginning of the year, it seemed that Berklee College of Music would be a force to be reckoned with, but as the season went on, it was clear that Berklee was only good at ultimate Frisbee. The preseason number-one-ranked team, the Eastman Eagles, faltered down the stretch, losing to the Cleveland Institute of Music, Peabody, and Indiana University’s Jacobs School before getting smashed like the hammer in Mahler 6 by Curtis in the first round of the playoffs. The Penguins were led by their bold and talented coach, Hankus Netsky. When asked to comment on the victory, Netsky replied, “I didn’t know we had a football team or a newspaper.”
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THE PENGUINS’ STAR QUARTERBACK, PAUL LUEDERS
The road to a repeat will be lengthy and difficult. Juilliard, Colburn, and Curtis will all be restocked with new recruits, and Boston Conservatory is coming very close to closing a deal with Keith Lockhart to be their new head coach. However, the NEC football team will be at it again once fall rolls around, primed to defend their trophy— a golden bust of Ludwig von Beethoven.
Spreading Smiles One NEC Compliment at a Time BY KATE LEMMON
“Brian J. Hong is such a happy person. His smile lights up my day.” That’s the kind of positivity that overflows from the newest addition to NEC’s social scene, Facebook page NEC Compliments. Students submit compliments via private messages to the anonymous adminstrators of the page, where their words are then shared with the student community. With dozens of submissions only a month after the page’s creation at the end of December, NEC Compliments’ popularity continues to increase. Inspired by the launch of a similar project started at Queens University in September 2012, the Facebook compliments movement has spread rapidly, with similar projects sprouting up in at least 60 other schools. Says the founder of the page, “Earlier in the fall we noticed a lot of friends at other conservatories [Eastman, Juilliard, CIM, etc.] were being tagged on these compliment pages and decided NEC needs some happiness too!” NEC continues to spread the trend, inspiring similar pages at GSAIM and NEC Prep. Submissions range from adorable (“Alida Doornberg and Nash Tomey are the cutest thing since baby hedgehogs”) to sincere (“Julia Yang’s cello playing makes me really happy”) to flirtatious (“Kyle Ruggles is a hunk!”) to flat-out weird (“Max Light is a beautiful cat”). What is NEC Compli-
ments’ favorite kind of compliment to post? They say, “While the ‘X is sooooo hot’ compliments are fun and silly, it’s really heartwarming to get sincere and very specific messages that detail someone’s good qualities. That’s the best kind of compliment anyway, right?” Surprisingly, when asked who submits to the page, NEC Compliments reports that they have yet to read a compliment that a user submitted for themselves. Compliments sometimes come from outside of the immediate NEC community, including NEC alumni and students’ friends from other schools. Friends complimenting friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. constitute a large percentage of the contributors. But the founders encourage NEC students to step out of their comfort zone and see the page as an opportunity to compliment somebody they don’t know—“on a great performance, an awesome haircut, whatever!” In a world that continues to see increased bullying and violence in schools, NEC Compliments is doing its small part to add light back into the world. “Generally anonymity on the internet emboldens people to say malicious/inflammatory things. But here we’re using that idea to allow people to be more open and sincere than they would perhaps otherwise be.” So who are the angel(s) behind NEC Compliments? When asked, they reply, “That one’s secret I’ll never tell... XOXO NEC Compliments.”
Drawing courtesy of Billy McShane
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Superstar Sweethearts: NEC’s Married Faculty Members BY KATE LEMMON AND JULIA PARTYKA
What do marriage and teaching at NEC have in common? Both require an incredible amount of hard work and patience. The Penguin talked to these four incredible faculty couples about their success in both realms, and we’re so grateful for their insight! MIRIAM FRIED AND PAUL BISS have slightly different recollections of their first meeting. Says Fried, “I arrived in Bloomington, Indiana in October of 1965, late for the school year because of the visa issues. Some students of Josef Gingold came to the airport to pick me up and took me directly to a student hangout. Paul was playing the Pinball machine and wildly kicking it as we walked in. I thought he was nuts.” In response to Fried’s story, Biss protests, “It is true that I was playing the pinball machine, but my recollection of my behavior is less dramatic!” “I started commuting to Boston for a part-time position in 2003 and we both moved here in 2006,” says Fried. “We love NEC because the level of students is so high, the spirit of the school so positive, and the colleagues wonderful.” She adds, “It’s also wonderful to live in Boston after being in DONALD AND VIVAN WEILERSTEIN a small town in the Midwest for 27 years!” The couple says their passion for what they do keeps them “young and happy.” When they’re not teaching, Biss and Fried do everything together (“except watching sports,” Fried adds!) Their mutual adventures include traveling, exploring new things, going to concerts, museums, theater performances, restaurants, and doing crossword puzzles together.
other’s noisy students to complain about. On a more serious note, Tapping and Brofsky enjoy that they are able to “support each other with a deeper knowledge of the satisfactions and challenges we both have in our work.” However, the pair admits it can be difficult to “switch off.” They try not to drive their girls crazy by constantly talking about NEC at home (the couple has two daughters—Cordelia, 15, and Eleanor, 10). They advise that finding balance “needs constant monitoring,” and “depends upon a mutual respect and understanding of the importance of music in [one’s life]. Younger people tend to think of relationships in a bubble,” Brofsky explains, “and they don’t realize how much a relationship is affected by happiness in one’s professional life.” When asked if they ever feel competitive with one another, they say, “No, but in some ways we challenge each other to keep our standards high,” adding, “When we dare to play for each other, we know that we will get some loving honesty!” Brofsky is inspired that Tapping is trying to cook more, and Tapping is inspired by Brofsky’s cooking. Says the pair via email, “We love to ski and are not bad at it - usually cross-country, but some downhill too. And a dinner-movie date is always relaxing and fun.” They both love podcasts of radio shows like Radio-Lab, This American Life, The Moth, and Fresh Air. They also enjoy listening to music together—usually you’ll find Bach, late Beethoven piano sonatas, Brahms Intermezzi, Schubert lieder, and jazz on their iPod.
VIOLIST ROGER TAPPING AND CELLIST NATASHA BROFSKY met at Prussia Cove, a chamber music festival on the beautiful Cornish coast of England, where a Brahms trio helped to bring them together. Brofsky was offered a position on the cello faculty at NEC and Tapping decided, after ten fulfilling years in the Takács Quartet, that a move would be good for the family. After some years teaching chamber music, a viola teaching position serendipitously opened up. ”We’re so glad we came,” they say. “We often talk to each other about how spoilt we are by the attitude and the quality of the students and by the friendly atmosphere among our very dedicated faculty colleagues”. When asked what they love about working together at NEC, they jokingly respond, “Parking!” Continuing lightheartedly, they add that another job perk includes having studios in different buildings, since they began as neighbors with only each
WHILE VIOLINIST DONALD WEILERSTEIN AND PIANIST VIVIAN WEILERSTEIN were teaching at the Cleveland Institute of Music, they received a call from NEC inviting them to visit the school and do some teaching. Say the pair, “We were both very attracted to the NEC environment, the great faculty, the focus on chamber music, and the cultural vibrancy of Boston.” The two still share that enthusiasm for New England Conservatory. When asked about their favorite part of working together, they cite “having opportunities to coach some students together, sharing our joint teaching experiences, sharing a similar schedule, and sharing relationships with wonderful faculty colleagues.” They both enjoy being inspired by their students. “[Don and I] often exchange ideas about music and teaching, and we continue to learn from each other,” says Vivian Weilerstein. “We also play together, and we do our best to
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inspire each other and enjoy that we are doing what we love!” In addition to their musical lives, they enjoy being outside in nature, staying physically active, reading, and going to movies. They like to take walks, see beautiful places, and most of all spend time with their kids [violinist/conductor/NEC alum Josh Weilerstein, and cellist Alisa Weilerstein]. Explaining that their home life was not all about music, Donald says, “Most people don’t know that I played sports with my kids and did a lot of roughhousing with them!” VIOLINIST NICK KITCHEN AND CELLIST YEESUN KIM met as students of the Curtis Institute of Music, where they were assigned to the same string quartet studying Schubert’s Death and the Maiden. Since then, they’ve continued to play together in many different configurations. Kim completed her Master’s studies at NEC with ROGER TAPPING AND NATASHA Larry Lesser, and during that time, Kitchen and Kim formed the Borromeo Quartet along with two other students from Curtis. Says Kim, “I loved studying at NEC and thought it would be fantastic if the quartet could study here too. I talked to Larry Lesser, who was the president of the school at the time, and he recommended that we try for the Artist Diploma program. We were the first-ever chamber group to be accepted in the program. As we were finishing the amazing two years of studies, we were asked to be the Quartet-in-Residence.” Twenty years later, the Borromeo Quartet has been described by the Boston Globe as “simply the best there is,” and Kitchen and Kim have performed hundreds of concerts together with the quartet all over the globe. What’s it like to work together in such close proximity? The two respond, “What we do as a quartet is so intense that having someone who knows everything about every minute of your life both professionally and personally can be both a blessing and a curse. Obviously, viewing it as a blessing has better consequences as a whole. [We’ve learned this lesson] over time and through a lot of discussions, arguments, and soul-searching meditations.” They find it helpful to recognize that each person has very different ways of processing information, and each has definite strengths and weaknesses in different areas of music-making. Says the pair, “We recognize them and try to help each other deal better with weaknesses and celebrate our strengths.” Kitchen and Kim believe that respect for each other as human beings (and the subsequent flexibility for each other that comes with that respect) is the key to their relationship. They try to “conceptualize what [their] common and individual goals are as a couple, as parents, as performers and as teachers,” and they share their concerns, insecurities, and complaints as openly as possible. Says Kim, “Sometimes the situation gets really raw, but I think we have learned when to put on a bandage and let the wound heal, and when to give each other room and encouragement when the other person needs it.” In addition to their own successful chamber music careers, Kim and Kitchen believe in their students immensely,
and they find excitement in “being able to share with each other in the process of helping talented and committed students find their way in the world.” They say that there are “so many ways each individual can contribute to society as musicians and artists, and discovering that quality within each student is truly gratifying.” When they’re not performing a concert with the Borromeo Quartet or teaching lessons, the couple enjoys watching movies, taking walks, cooking homemade meals and rearranging furniture in the house. They almost never eat out when they are BROFSKY in town. So how does this superstar couple celebrate Valentine’s Day? Fittingly, Professor Kitchen and Professor Kim respond, “Usually we have a concert to play somewhere!” Who needs flowers and chocolate when you can create beautiful music together?
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS NICK KITCHEN & YEESUN KIM: “Be as open-minded as you would want others to be, read about all that interests you even remotely. Be less self-conscious, jump into all things familiar and foreign with same enthusiasm and same attentiveness.” PAUL BISS: “Be patient and be more courteous and respectful of others.” MIRIAM FRIED: “Do what you want and need to do, and do not worry about what you think others think you should do.” THE WEILERSTEINS: “Follow your passions and listen to your heart!” ROGER TAPPING & NATASHA BROFSKY: “This is your time to have adventures - try everything, accept interesting invitations to play, see the world, and enjoy food from different regions and countries. And practice a lot, because you never will have so much time to practice again when you have more responsibilities!” NICK KITCHEN & YEESUN KIM: “Feeling down about yourself and/or others at various times is a big part of the equation in the pursuit of any serious endeavor. I think it is wiser to accept it as such and think about bigger picture of how you want lead your life. Building this mindset is something that requires lots of practice. Once you sort out these priorities, the balancing act feels less chaotic and you [find] focus in each moment.”
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18 WAYS TO SHOW YOURSELF SOME LOVE DURING THAT NASTY THING CALLED AUDITION SEASON 1) SAY NO.
2) TRY YOGA
That composer is great. But his reading can wait until your auditions are done. Limit your schedule to the essentials– it’s only a little while, after all.
You don’t have to be able to touch your toes to learn yoga! The posture, strength, and flexibility learned in class can make a world of difference in your playing. Check out the SAC’s free class on Sundays or catch the 39 bus to Back Bay Yoga.
So you don’t have time to make it to the gym? Skip the T and walk to school instead. Put away your cell phone to soak up the full benefits of fresh air and Vitamin D!
If this winter weather’s got you feeling down, take a small supplement of Vitamin D to boost your mood. It works wonders!
5) STOP PRACTICING!
6) PLANE PREVENTION
Well, maybe not completely. Just make sure that you take adequate breaks to prevent injury and mental illness ;) For every hour that you practice, set aside 15 minutes to stretch and give your body a rest.
Because of circular ventilation in airplanes, you’re much more susceptible to illness. Before you fly, make sure to get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, and pop a couple extra Vitamin C pills the day before and the day of your flight.
7) FIGHT THE BLUES WITH BLUE
8) SWITCH UP YOUR PLAYLISTS!
Researchers from the University of Sussex found that when people saw blue, their brain waves showed increased happiness.
Seriously, a little Beyoncé never hurt anyone! Sometimes the best way to get a fresh perspective on your repertoire is to put it away and listen to something new.
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Image Credits: 123RF.com, yogaposeweekly.com, fanpop.com, recoveryhelpnow.com, marthastewart.com, cats3dayadventure.com
4) SPEAKING OF VITAMIN D...
3) WALK EVERYWHERE.
9) AVOID DISTRACTION
10) LEAVE THE MESS
To help yourself focus before an audition, switch off your cell phone, computer, and other electronic devices. Sometimes unplugging can help bring you back into the moment.
Stress usually comes with a messy apartment or dorm room. Don’t worry about the clutter– focus on your auditions first! After all, it’s called SPRING cleaning, right?!
12) DRINK WATER!
11) SKIP DUNKIN’ AND HEAD TO PAVEMENT
Water can help you lose weight, energize you, and keep you from getting sick. It also helps keep your joints working. And the best part? Studies show that drinking eight to ten cups of water per day can improve your levels of cognitive performance by as much as 30%!
If you’re a coffee addict, try switching to tea instead. Coffee can leave you dehydrated and shaky, and who wants that before an audition? Check out Pavement for an extensive tea list.
13) OUTSOURCE
14) PERSPECTIVE.
You are the only person in the world that can play your instrument like you can. However, there are other people that can do your laundry and clean your house better than you! Just this once, splurge on a housekeeping service for peace of mind.
This performance might feel like everything to you, but take a second to imagine what would happen if you lost. You’ll live through it and can still find happiness without winning every audition.
15) ASK PROFESSORS FOR MORE TIME
16) GET A MASSAGE. Massage gives you many of the benefits of yoga without the work! Check out Boston Massage Studio at 351 Boylston. You can catch the 39 bus straight there, and an hour-long massage is only $65 (that’s cheap for Boston!)
Most NEC professors understand that your musical goals are incredibly important. If you know that you’re approaching a tough time, ask for an extension in advance! The worst they can say is no.
17) FAKE A SMILE
Sometimes it’s hard to smile when you’re putting so much energy into audition prep. However, studies show that the simple act of smiling can improve your mood. The physical motion is hardwired to our emotional state. Plus, you might brighten someone’s day!
18) GO TO BED. When all else fails, get some sleep! Your mom is right– everything always seems better in the morning.
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Why Arts Management? BY ROB CINNANTE
“Why do you want to go into arts management?” is a The main thing that excites me about the field of arts question I’ve been asked more times than I count, and one management is its broad definition. It’s an ever-changing secto which I still don’t have a good answer. For me, it’s not tor that increasingly demands individuals with highly specialthe sort of thing that evokes a simple, clear-cut response. I ized training. My background as a performer has helped to guess that’s because sometimes I can’t quite grasp the formal foster in me a deep love and appreciation not only for opera separation that is often erected between artist and manager. and classical music, but the arts as a whole, and a sincere I’ve come to realize that often the more successful artists are commitment to their continued survival and success. While I the ones who embody a bifurcation of roles. New England don’t believe myself to be God’s gift to the profession, I come Conservatory has firmly espoused this principle through its energized with fresh, original ideas, an eagerness to learn, continued investment in the Entrepreneurial Musicianship and the desire to make a difference. I feel that the perspecprogram. In an ideal tives I’ve gained in my world I envisioned own musical training are myself as this superhuan asset, versus someone man, perfectly balfrom a purely adminisanced artist-manager. trative background. I’m But as time went on working to develop the I found one part of managerial principles that equation to be necessary to effectively more prevalent than lead in this field. An avid the other. Still, I didn’t reader, I started doing so suddenly wake up one by crafting my own methmorning and cross this od of self-education, imimaginary threshold mersing myself in various from aspiring artist materials pertaining to the to prospective mantopic of arts management, ager. Rather, nine such as those by Kaiser. months ago I began I’ve been very lucky to seriously exploring supplement this theoretical what a career in arts knowledge through the management meant. practical experience I’m Around that time I gaining working part-time purchased The Arts in NEC’s Office of Instituof The Turnaround by tional Advancement. And ROB CINNANTE, ARTS MANAGEMENT ENTHUSIAST Michael Kaiser, the last but certainly not least, current president of I’m incredibly thankful for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and one of the the invaluable insight I’ve gained in conversations with variforemost authorities in the field of arts management. Reading ous individuals currently working in arts management. this book, which details Kaiser’s years of rescuing around Next time someone asks me, “Why do you want to troubled arts organizations around the world, was like turngo into arts management?” I think I’ll reply, “Why not?” It’s ing the pages of a great novel. And like a great novel, when a journey that goes back a lot farther than nine months ago. I finally reached the end I found myself wanting more. I view my recent decisions towards pursuing a career in this A recurring theme in Kaiser’s writing that resonated field as a sort of turning point in my own life. But I also came with me particularly well is the need for creative arts managto the realization that most of my performance activities thus ers, or as he puts it in his other book, Leading Roles, “artistic far have coincided with some level of involvement in arts leaders who know how to make or present interesting and management. If you were to take stock of your own perimportant art.” It led me to the belief that management is not forming career you might find the same to be true. I would a separate entity, but rather another aspect of the overall encourage you to do so by thinking about performance artistic process. When people go to a performance they only situations where you’ve been required to carry out adminiswitness the spectacle of what is before them, all of which trative tasks, such as marketing, programming, fundraising, would not be possible without the work that goes on behind rehearsal scheduling, contract negotiations, etcetera. That’s the scenes. After years of being involved in one side of this arts management; you probably just didn’t know it. process as a performer I felt driven to work in an administrative capacity. Without all the prerequisite steps that go into TO BE CONTINUED… planning, funding, marketing, and managing a performing arts organization, there would be no performances.
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Escaping the Bistro: FOUR Great Places to Eat Off-Campus! ENDORSED BY THEGOURMETOBOIST
CHEAP/gourmet india
CLOSE/pita
Located inside the Prudential Center food court, this is an excellent place to grab a quick bite between classes or on your way to a gig.
Small Middle Eastern sandwich shop with fantastic food! Open for lunch and dinner. Staff members are extremely friendly!
ADDRESS: Prudential Center
ADDRESS: 197A Mass Ave (between Floyd’s Barbershop and Tomodachi Sushi)
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PRICE RANGE: 2-7 dollars BEST DISH: Samosas
DISTANCE FROM NEC: 2 blocks
WHAT’S COOL ABOUT IT: Some of the cheapest food in Boston surrounded by some of the most expensive clothing
PRICE RANGE: : 5-8 dollars
BEST DISHES: Lentil soup, falafel roll-up with garlic sauce, grape leaves roll-up, Moroccan mint tea DISTANCE FROM NEC: 3-4 blocks
COOL FEATURES: optional outdoor dining, mosaic tables, occasional gelato and spinach pies ADVICE: Don’t get the hot sauce on your roll-up unless you like smoky flavors (I don’t)
FAVE/gourmet dumpling house
VENTURE OUT/ fiore’s bakery
Located in the heart of Boston’s Chinatown, this is the one restaurant in the world where I look at the food coming out of the kitchen and almost wish I ate meat. (I am a lifelong vegetarian.) ADDRESS: 52 Beach St, Boston, MA 02115
Located on the edge of downtown Jamaica Plain, this cute café has managed to completely master the art of coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. As a result, it has become my absolute favorite place to get breakfast. Everything they make is heavenly, and they even manage to offer a surplus of vegan options
PRICE RANGE: 3-13 dollars plus tip
ADDRESS: 55 South St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
BEST DISHES: Steamed vegetarian dumplings, ma po tofu
PRICE RANGE: 2-10 dollars
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DISTANCE FROM NEC: 7-minute train ride (orange line to Chinatown) or 20-30 minute walk
COOL FEATURES: Open until midnight according to website. Open until 2am according to rumor. Portion size for soups is gigantic. Best Chinese food I’ve ever had! ADVICE: Avoid conventional dinner time on Fridays and Saturdays. The line to get in can be quite long and they don’t take reservations.
BEST DISHES: Vegan bagel sandwich with seitan on an everything bagel, mocha latte, bread pudding DISTANCE FROM NEC: 10-minute train ride plus 7minute walk (orange line to Forest Hills) or 40 minute bus ride (39 bus to South St, the Monument) COOL FEATURES: Breakfast sandwiches come with a small coffee which you can add many things to including cinnamon. Customers are often given free samples of pastries. Free dog biscuits are available in case your pets want a pastry too.
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RANDOM penguin Elevate Me
BY STEPHEN GARMAN
Take cover! Valentine’s day is next week, and for many, “Singles If anybody knows about elevators (“lifts”) bringing Awareness Day” (SAD) is a loathed, pointless event, second only you down, it is the students of The Royal Academy of Music, in to Columbus Day. But our conservatory is a very social environLondon. The institution boasts nearly an identical enrollment as ment, one for which we are better outfitted than surrounding NEC, within an entire campus the size of Jordan Hall. In many institutions like BU and Northeastern. The latter have modern ways they are our twin conservatory. But in a sense they are betfacilities, computers, elevators, and automatic doors that operter off because their only elevator has the footprint of a Yamaha ate too quickly to be socially useful, and these devices reflect P-22 and moves slower than a Beethoven Largo. No institution the busy society in which we live, one in which being a blasé is so tightly wound as they, and studio incest is through the roof, urbanite is easy. As far as this writer is concerned, these urbanno doubt because the best way to reach their seventh floor midites are missing out. day is in someone else’s very personal bubble. Upon entering Such holdovers from the industrial revolution like NEC the main foyer of RAM, outsiders are immediately embraced by elevators are commonly bypassed vehicles that can fill the the powerful vibe of diverse and uncommonly friendly musicians gap that a companionless who needed to be someplace romantic feels with new, exfive minutes ago. Ascending citing platonic and romantic six other floors is no quick task, relationships. Consider the and if the lift is at the top when outrageous time it takes for called, one may as well grab the doors to close (just give a coffee with friends from the it a minute….at least…) as canteen. There’s time. Once, a a chance to be outgoing. student summoned the lift from All it takes is a creepy smile the basement, stepped into the directed at the many winded academy’s bar and polished passersby tackling the stairs off a pint before the lift arrived. to impart your good nature He was Scottish. on random strangers. But I digress! The A suggestion to the point, my friends, is not that winded passersby: Catch one of the hundreds of “mainyour breath and creepily tenance” rooms in the Jordan smile at the trapped souls Hall basement would not be in the elevator. They should missed were it to be turned into have taken the stairs. a social establishment for the See, there is beauty many thirsty, responsible, ofin our pre-Schoenberg elevaage students of NEC. Regardtors. From the time you call less of whether you are single KRYSTEN KECHES AND MATT SZYMANSKI ENJOY A RIDE IN THE ELEVATOR the main Jordan Hall elevaor spoken for next Thursday, BY BROWN HALL. UNFORTUNATELY, KRYSTEN’S ALREADY ENGAGED. tor to the time you reach the best moments to show your intended floor (1 minute and 29 seconds from basement to kindness towards your likewise romantically-doomed brethren the third floor, by the way), those generally timid in nature have are sometimes veiled by little inconveniences. Furthermore, I ample opportunity to create a little fellowship, and this writer encourage you to demonstrate your appreciation, however big can think of no better conversation fodder than shared laziness. or small, for others not just next Thursday, but year-round. It takes almost no time for beautiful friendship to spawn, and if Start with something innocent like an elevator ride and have a you are going up more than one or two floors you might even be Happy Valentine’s Day. Now, where’s that stop button? able to set up date number two.
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WHO DO YOU ADMIRE? “Masuko Ushioda. Because even with what she’s going through she doesn’t fail to remind us of how lucky we are to have music in our lives. She is the strongest person I know who won’t let anything get in the way of music and I’d be lucky if I could ever become as strong as she is.” –Lisa Fujita
“The low brass professors (Mike Roylance, Steve Lange, Toby Oft, Norman Bolter, James Markey) make this school a great place to grow as an orchestral musician. They have all helped me become a better person and performer.” –Adam Rainey
“I admire Mai Motobuchi! She works so hard through day and night, and is one of the most jolly members of the NEC faculty.”–Kevin Hsu “Wenting Kang is such an extraordinary and inspiring musician. I’m in awe of her poise, grace, and infinite wisdom.” –DJ Cheek
“The AV crew - they know how to serve the NEC community, they can adapt to tricky situations, and they love what they do.” –Jason Belcher
“Mai Motobuchi– she’s amazing! Always smiling :)” –Krysten Keches
“I admire Bob Anemone because he is an incredibly intelligent, down-to-ear th yet humorous person.” –Alina Czekala “Natsuki Kumagai of course! I admire her discipline, determination and having one of the kindest and warmest hearts i have ever seen.” –Christina Dioguardi
“John Heiss. I love him. Every class with him is an epiphany, and he is capable of giving life to what he teaches in such way, that you think you are actually seeing and listening to Stravinsky” –Lina Gonzalez
“I admire John McNeil because there are no mysteries with him. If he feels something, he says it, and it’s always the right thing to get you back on track.” –Jake Baldwin
“NEC as a whole. Each person has something different to offer and so much passion to share. I find it so inspiring to be immersed in such a variety of talent, cultures and ideas.” –Julia Partyka
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penguin CONCERTS
! k e e h C J By D
Since moving to Boston last September to begin my Master’s studies at NEC, I’ve been overwhelmed with the sheer volume of concerts, lectures, masterclasses, and workshops that happen everyday at school and around Boston. Trying to balance active learning through practice, rehearsals, and study with passive learning as an audience member, in the classroom, and in other academic settings is a tricky endeavour. Often as students, we must make difficult decisions about what merits our time on any given day. Should you prepare for an upcoming lesson? Should you attend a friend’s recital? These decisions are hard to make, but these three upcoming performances at NEC provide us with an extraordinary chance to broaden our horizons! Special thanks to Tanya Kalmanovitch, Kim Kashkashian, Hannah Nicholas, and Kristopher Tong for their guidance and assistance in the writing of this preview.
NEC Residency: Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) F E B RUARY 13 , 6 P.M., BROWN HA L L | FE B RUARY 14, 8 P.M ., W I L L I AM S H AL L
WHAT: ANIM will showcase both large and small ensembles, featuring students of both Western and Afghan traditional instruments. Concert programs will include both Afghan traditional music and arrangements of standard repertoire selections like Ravel’s Bolero and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Selected works on both of the performances will include NEC student collaborators as well. WHO: ANIM was founded in Kabul in 2010 by Dr. Ahmad Sarmast. Although both traditional and Western music thrived in Afghanistan for decades, growing war in 1992 shuttered the music school in Kabul (affiliated with the School of Fine Arts), and music The Epoch Times was subsequently banned by the Taliban regime. After two very tumultuous and violent decades, ANIM opened its doors in June 2010 thanks to the tireless advocacy and work of Dr. Sarmast. The students at ANIM receive training in music from Afghan and Western instructors, and also receive an excellent education in mathematics, English, and other core subjects. NEC professor Tanya Kalmanovitch stresses the important restorative work that ANIM does for its students. “ANIM is committed to gender equity in education, and roughly half of the student body is drawn from orphans and street workers,” she says. Although the focus of ANIM is music education, the social justice work that the school does is hard to overlook. After years of cultural repression under the Taliban, girls and boys attend classes together and perform on the same stage. While ANIM is a small school of only about 150 students, the paradigm of gender parity that the school creates is a welcome and meaningful change for all of students who attend. WHY IT’S COOL: The two concerts at NEC will be the culmination of workshops and collaboration with NEC students, including a side-by-side project with the Chamber Orchestra the morning of February 14th. Additionally, the ANIM students will have a chance to hear the NEC Philharmonia perform in Jordan Hall, one of the first opportunities for many of these students to ever hear a live classical concert. The ANIM residency will certainly be a great time for cultural exchange, wonderful music making, and inspiring collaboration.
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FEBRUARY 7, 2013
Music For Food: Fight Hunger with Classical Music
F E B RUARY 18 , 8 P.M., BROWN HA L L | AD M I SSI ON BY M ON E TARY AN D F OOD D O N AT IO NS Community Music Works
WHAT IS IT? Music for Food, founded by viola faculty member Kim Kashkashian, is a chamber music series that enables musicians to dedicate their time and skills to address the issue of food insecurity. Kashkashian cites the “growing desire on the part of musicians for a way to give back,” saying that Music for Food provides a chance for artists to effect social change and be good citizens.
WHAT YOU’LL HEAR: The concert pairs two chamber music works by Antonin Dvorak (the Miniatures for Two Violins and Viola, and the G major Bass Quintet, op. 77) with a duet by Ivan Tcherepin. Each concert this season is anchored by a large Dvorak chamber music work, including the Piano Quintet, the String Sextet, the Bass Quintet, KIM KASHKASHIAN, FOUNDER AND PERFORMER and the E-flat major String Quintet. Paired with these masterworks is a very vocal and lyrical duet performed by NEC faculty James Buswell and Carol Ou. Kim Kashkashian will be joined by faculty members Lucy Chapman, Dmitri Murrath, and Donald Palma, guest artist Marcy Rosen and NEC Artist Diploma graduate Yura Lee in the Dvorak works. WHY IT’S COOL: Astonishingly, 23% of children in Greater Boston live with food insecurity, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from. By collecting monetary and canned food donations instead of admission, and because all participating artists are volunteers, 100% of concert proceeds goes directly to the Greater Boston Food Bank. Now in its third season, Music for Food provides artists and audience members with a direct, effective way to address social inequality in their local community while experiencing great chamber music masterpieces.
Borromeo Quartet + NEC Student Artists F E B RUARY 2 5 , 8 P.M., JOR DAN HA L L
WHAT IS IT? Borromeo Quartet violinist Kristopher Tong says “the germ of the idea [for the Guest Artist concert] originated with a similar initiative the Emerson Quartet had at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. The legend goes that Wu Han [the spouse of Emerson cellist David Finckel] was one of the winners!” Although the members of the Borromeo Quartet aren’t exactly on the lookout for a future spouse, the concert does provide a fantastic chance for the group to perform works for larger ensembles, and for NEC students to gain valuable insights into the life and work of an acclaimed string quartet. From the student’s perspective, the chance to study and perform timeless masterpieces with a quartet renowned by the Boston Globe for their ‘musical DJ CHEEK, STUDENT GUEST ARTIST fervor’ is invaluable. As for the quartet, violinist Tong put it simply, “Anytime you can bring a fresh perspective into the ensemble it has the potential to be very rewarding. Different people and perspectives remind us of what else is possible.”
Kate Lemmon
WHAT YOU’LL HEAR: The Borromeo Quartet will perform alongside guest NEC students chosen through the Guest Artist Award. This concert will include the Dvorak Bass Quintet, op. 77, featuring guest bassist Nate Martin, and the Brahms op. 18 Sextet in B-flat major, featuring students Louise Grevin and DJ Cheek. WHY IT’S COOL: Although the repertoire for the February 25th concert was chosen based on the instruments of the award winners, there is certainly a connection between the two works on the program. Brahms was one of Dvorak’s earliest promoters, and while both composers wrote chamber music with careful deference to tradition, they also harbored deep interest in folk traditions and musical idioms. The Borromeo concert will be a unique opportunity to see the spirit of cross-generational collaboration at work during a concert of amazing music.
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penguins GET CREATIVE
BY TONG WANG 14
FEBRUARY 7, 2013
Haikus
Love
BY TJ CIENKI
BY 11-YEAR-OLD JULIA PARTYKA
Dew-drops feed rose buds In the Garden of Eden Heaven on our minds
life, so unfulfilled so misunderstood needing comfort needing strength
A woman curtsies As spring blossoms in her eyes And love quakes her heart
day after day passing by and by like a river, a soft wind slowly finding meaning
An athlete dies young The living carry the strong As souls drift down Styx Fireflies dance by Under a summertime sky As day folds to night Blue birds fly away Chocolate satisfies me Streams of consciousness
suddenly, a glimpse you see different faces a mother, a father, a friend, your other half, an acquaintance, a stranger What do these creatures hold in their hearts for us? they hold kindness, beauty, freedom, truth and above all things, they hold what completes who we are they hold LOVE. WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM
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penguin PENMEN join us @ NECpenguin.com! KATE LEMMON, editor/photographer My instrument: Flute | My hometown: San Antonio, TX. Go Spurs! | My website: www.kateLphotography.com | Before I came to NEC, I attended: Eastman School of Music | Favorite drink at Pavement: London Fog, mmmhmm. | Favorite thing to do on the weekend: Hang out at Trident on Newbury. Amazing food + books. | If I had a million dollars, I would: Print the Penguin in all color!! My favorite musical performance was: Seeing the CSO play Beethoven 5 live in Chicago | Why I love writing for the Penguin: I love connecting the community!
DJ CHEEK, writer Year in school: First-year Master’s | Instrument: Viola | Studio: Kim Kashkashian | Favorite dish at Pavement: Chia sandwich with veggie tofu spread on whole grain read | Favorite restaurant: Veggie Galaxy in Central Square, Cambridge | Before I came to NEC, I studied at: Oberlin Conservatory as a student of Peter Slowik
STEPHEN GARMAN, writer My instrument: Bassoon | My hometown: Arlington, Texas | The craziest thing I’ve ever done was: Donuts in a Toyota Prius at 2AM | The coolest thing I’ve ever done was: Drink at Temple Bar in Dublin following a tour of the Guinness brewery | Before I came to NEC, I attended: Northwestern University | Who do you admire most? My former teacher, Christopher Millard | If I had a million dollars, I would: Hide | The funniest thing I’ve ever experienced was: Avenue Q on Broadway | Favorite dish/drink at Pavement: Bad coffee with good company
AKENYA SEYMOUR, writer My instrument: Jazz Voice is my major, but I also play piano. | My website: http://akenya.bandcamp.com (my other websites can be found there, too). | My hometown: Chi-City, baby! | Before I came to NEC, I attended: The Chicago Academy for the Arts. | Who do you admire most? My mother, for more reasons than I could ever name. | Why I love writing for the Penguin: I’ve always loved writing and I love the idea of a school paper that represents its students’ interests and projects. This is the perfect way of combining those loves of mine.
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ROB CINNANTE, writer Why I love writing for the Penguin: I love writing and the Penguin gives me an opportunity to do that. More importantly, writing for the Penguin allows me to share my thoughts and ideas and reach out to the NEC community at large | My instrument: Voice/Tenor | Most people don’t know that: I also play flute | The best class I’ve taken at NEC was: The Entrepreneurial Musician | My hometown: Holbrook, NY | Who do you admire the most? Michael Kaiser, President of The Kennedy Center
TONG WANG, illustrator Why I love contributing to the Penguin: I love drawing and I want to be involved | What I love about NEC: the people!| Favorite thing to do on the weekend: play volleyball, eat, and hang out with friends! | My instrument: piano | My hometown: Edmonton, Canada! <3 | Most people don’t know that: I am a fairy! | The best class I’ve taken at NEC was: CI Improvisation Ensemble | My favorite quote is: “The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.”| Who do you admire most? Mr. Norman Krieger, a substantial teacher and pianist at USC :)
BILLY MCSHANE, illustrator What I love about NEC: Everyone holds doors | Favorite thing to do on the weekend: Spend time outdoors with friends | Most people don’t know that I: love drawing moons and sausages | The craziest thing I’ve ever done was: Climb up high in a tall, thin tree with 3 other guys | My favorite musical performance was: Guerilla Toss @ Death By Audio. | One of my favorite quotes is: “We shall see but a little way if we require to understand what we see.” -Thoreau | Website: fleshandbloodandmeatandbones.blogspot.com
JULIA PARTYKA, poet What I love about NEC: BIG FAMILY! | Favorite restaurants in Boston: Bangkok City Restaurant and Citizens Public House. | My website: juliapartyka.com | My instrument: Voice | Most people don’t know that: although I was born in the USA, Polish is my first language. | My hometown: NYC! | The craziest thing I’ve ever done was: cliff dived 40 feet into a waterfall. | My favorite quote is: “already am, always was, and I still have time to be.” - from Here Am I by Anis Mojgani | If I could go anywhere in the world, it would be: All over the world.
TJ CIENKI, poet Why I love writing for the Penguin: The students decide what goes into it and it is a great creative outlet that serves as a vacation from music! | Why I love NEC: I have met so many wonderful teachers, coworkers, colleagues, and friends who have helped shape my life. | On the weekends I: love to participate in what the Spanish call “the sweetness of doing nothing.” | My favorite quote is: a tie between “Every tadpole becomes a frog” and “’We’re all mad here’ said the cat.’” I admire: My mother-- she is my greatest source of strength and inspiration.
Special thanks to Dean Hegland for her guidance in the making of this issue! WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM
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PLpEenguin . newspape
THE PENGUIN N E C ’ S S T U D E N T- R U N N E W S PA P E R
NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 @ 7 P.M. IN THE STUDENT LOUNGE
SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR MARCH:
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21S T ZODIAC OF THE MONTH: AQUARIUS (1/20-2/18) BY AKENYA SEYMOUR
Are you feeling a sense of unpredictability in the atmosphere? Are your days tinged with aloof undertones, overwhelming eccentricities, or the constant conflict of whether to walk on the path of righteousness or drift into the weird and ever-probing unknown? It may be due to the fact that Sun has once again made that transition into the constellation known as Aquarius. Yes, our water-bearing humanitarians’ time has come again. Known for their inventiveness and for being ahead of the curve, Aquarians usually are drawn to career fields such as politics, science, and the arts. Though their path is not always clear, to them or to others, they manage to find their way due to their general charisma and captivating intellect. Or maybe because they’re able to tap into the beyond, far beyond where most of us are willing or able to go. Fun Fact: Did you know that our very own New England Conservatory is an Aquarius?! That’s right! NEC officially opened February 18, 1867. Guess that explains both the innovation and quirkiness that ensues here.
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PLANETARY RULER: Uranus RULING HOUSE: 11th DIRECT OPPOSITE (DETRIMENT): Leo POSITIVE TRAITS: Independent, Forward-thinking, Creative, Witty, Philanthropic, Amiable NEGATIVE TRAITS: Eccentric, Rebellious, Sarcastic, Stubborn, Egocentric, Detached FAMOUS AQUARIAN MUSICIANS: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer) Django Reinhardt (Jazz Guitarist) Etta James (Blues and R&B Singer) Antonio Carlos Jobim (Bossa Nova Pioneer) Stan Getz (Jazz Composer/Saxophonist) Bob Marley (Reggae Singer/Songwriter) Alicia Keys (R&B and Pop Singer/Songriter) Justin Timberlake (Pop Singer/Dancer) Dr. Dre (Hip-Hop Producer/Mogul)
This Valentine’s Day...
NEC:
UNDERGROUND WHAT: NEC: Underground is a benefit concert that seeks to showcase the hidden talents, projects, and interests of our student body and to raise money for students in financial need. WHEN: Monday, May 13, 2013, Brown Hall Silent auction at 6 p.m. | Concert at 7 p.m.
...Be a little less awkward. The SAC is sending out valentines FOR YOU.
Stop by anytime to make a card! Message us on Facebook and we’ll make it for you! Just tell us who to give the card to and we’ll put it in their mailbox.
February 11-14
You may have seen me in the halls or at your last concert- Susan Reed, NEC Board Member, former NEC Prep faculty, and more importantly, former NEC student. I lived in the dorms, I too searched for practice rooms, and I got stuck on the Jordan Hall stage during my first orchestra seating audition. Where did that door seam go? I am Chair of the College Student Affairs Committee (CSA). We meet four times a year to brainstorm ways to make your NEC life better. The committee is made up of students, faculty, administration, and board members, each bringing their unique perspective to problem solving and exploring new ideas. Do you have a question, a concern, or a good idea? If so, contact your student representatives and have your voice heard. Your 2012-2013 representatives are Mallory Zakeosian, Andrew Chilcote, Yijuan Geng, and Kate Salfelder. .
WHY: Many of us in the NEC community have abilities, interests, and projects aside from our main focus of study. This is an opportunity to present those unique and hidden talents, strengthen our bond and sense of unity within the NEC family, and show our external community who we are and the magnitude of what we can do. The funds raised from this project will go directly into a scholarship entitled Students 4 Students.
we need your help! If you’re interested in performing, donzating prizes, joining the committee,or volunteering in general, please email akenyamusic@gmail.com for more information!
YOUR (free) AD H E RE ! Email your submission to penguin.newspaper@gmail.com! Spots offered first-come, first-served. March ads due February 21st.
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penguin SNAPSHOTS Submit your photos (even iPhone shots!) to penguin . newspaper@gmail.com
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FEBRUARY 7, 2013 | WWW.NECPENGUIN.COM