This past August, I took advantage of a few free days to clean out and re-arrange my childhood bedroom. This proved to be somewhat of a tall order, as I am hopelessly nostalgic and quite often become sidetracked when sorting through relics of years past (“Just put it in the box, Zachary!” is a common[…]
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Hi everyone! My name is Drew Alexander Forde! Some of you may know me from Instagram or Twitter as @ThatViolaKid! Welcome to my first ever blog post! WHOOOO! I want to invite you guys to a glimpse of my life as a Graduate student at the Juilliard School! I hope to invite you into the[…]
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This post first appeared on Musicovation, and is reprinted here with permission. This fall, I am teaching a class in the Eastman School’s Arts Leadership Program titled “Excellence, Innovation, and Uniqueness: Developing Your Creative Career in Music.” I came up with the title when thinking about successful 21st century ensembles and musicians, and I kept coming back[…]
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Check out this fascinating graphic that shows the different ways we have consumed recorded music in the last 30 years. Here is an excerpt from the description: What’s most interesting about this graphic is that it shows just how diverse music consumption is in 2013. In 1983, music consumption was a 50/50 split between vinyl[…]
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It’s All-State audition season here in Illinois–or at least, the first phase of it. Every October, our statewide music educators’ association auditions eligible high school students for placement in one of nine “district” orchestras (a student’s district is determined by their location), and select a certain percentage of those accepted to audition again at the[…]
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Those of you who follow me regularly (you are out there, right?) will know that I recently moved back to my hometown in the suburbs of Chicago. Among other perks, my reinstated status as a midwesterner has allowed for me to once again become involved in the activities of my immediate family, which have changed[…]
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Ivan Trevino has written a compelling post over on his blog here. In the post, he talks about his ideas for a new music school full of cutting edge training, innovative approaches, and practical skill development. Here is an excerpt: “Less large ensembles, more chamber music. Given the amount of orchestra & concert band jobs[…]
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I was only ten years old on September 11th, 2001, yet I recall every detail of that day with arresting clarity: waking up to the brilliant blue sky; learning from a friend of the first plane crash, the news of which didn’t fully register with me as it marked the first time I’d ever heard[…]
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We are excited to announce our Fall 2014 Polyphonic OnCampus webinar series! We have a great line-up of presenters, with topics ranging from crowdfunding to social media marketing to the wide world of music careers. We hope you’ll join us for these engaging presentations and discussions and participate in our live Q&A sessions with the[…]
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This September marks the two-year anniversary of my entry into the blogosphere. I began writing for Polyphonic soon after I began my graduate studies at Eastman in 2012, and have contributed regularly ever since. The experience of sharing my writing and receiving feedback has been as educational as it has been enjoyable, and as I’ve[…]
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Drew, I LOVED reading this blog. I'm going to suggest for Cassidy to read this cuz I think she will…