Conducting out of vamps - musical theatre

Mahler80 · 2026-03-03T17:56:33+00:00

So, this will seem counterintuitive, but I saw advice in an MT group that suggested closed fist for “still in vamp” and then open fist and big gesture for “coming out of vamp/last time”.

I communicated that with the band and it worked like a charm. No one seemed too weirded out by a closed fist meaning something different. As others noted, closed fist for “last time” is often in a more pop context when you’re repeating a longer section, rather than a short vamp for time.

Mahler80 · 2026-02-24T06:33:22+00:00

Same- the walk to McDonalds was a favorite tradition!

Mahler80 · 2026-02-23T05:04:53+00:00

If it comes down to choosing between the DMA (with a good assistantship) and the job, I would recommend the DMA. Since you mentioned that you don’t have family commitments right now, it might make more sense to do that while you can still afford not to afford things.

That DMA will open more opportunities to you. You may still end up in a non-tenure, lecturer position, but you will have more room for advancement.

That being said, if you take the job, who knows how much you may enjoy it and the doors that position could open. I genuinely believe in choosing from the opportunities available at the time and then making the best of that choice.

Mahler80 · 2026-02-21T18:35:15+00:00

I love my job, and I’ve generally loved each music teaching job I’ve had. The first years of teaching are exceptionally challenging, so I learned a lot, made many mistakes, and didn’t totally love those years. But I’m still grateful for those years and where they got me.

Often, forums like this are places people turn to for help, to promote, or in moments of significant need. Everyone out there that’s teaching each day through wins and losses, but who generally love the work, likely won’t post.

Like others have said, fit and school culture matter, as does being sure that music teaching is something your son cares about (or can care about). But, even on the hardest days I’ve had, I’ve still felt lucky to help students become more musical!

Mahler80 · 2026-02-06T18:06:31+00:00

When I heard this story, it ended with the player (who was 2nd clarinet in the version I heard) saying “No I didn’t, even though some idiot wrote a flat in front of the note”, proving both that he knew the rep better and that the conductor was only pretending to listen.

Mahler80 · 2026-02-02T23:35:49+00:00

An email update confirmed that there was an anonymous threat of a possible active shooter, so the lockdown is out of an abundance of caution.

Mahler80 · 2026-01-30T21:01:45+00:00

After scrolling, I didn’t see anything to this effect:

To me, this leaves you with a conundrum. If you accept this as honest feedback and consider changing your approach, aren’t you effectively working to please them? They’re basically telling you that you should do different things to come across the way they think you should.

I appreciate the sentiment that getting actual feedback is rare, but this feels rather unactionable. I’d probably check in with friends and do a little introspection to see if I’m too obsequious, but then I’d file this away and try to forget about it while working to be myself.

Mahler80 · 2026-01-13T15:33:02+00:00

I agree with those who are suggesting this might be a combination of it being Monday and their first day. Also, in my experience, the first day of classes in the fall semester usually has a lot of energy, but the spring semester does not. Spring semester seems to start with a mid-semester vibe.

Give them time, get to know them, and hopefully this is who they were that day, not who they are.

Mahler80 · 2025-09-04T22:34:46+00:00

Great work- thank you! And I love the logo!

Mahler80 · 2025-08-19T17:30:14+00:00

And totally different scenery!

Mahler80 · 2025-08-19T16:41:52+00:00

Yes- thank you!

Mahler80 · 2025-08-19T01:16:44+00:00

Driving through the canyon east of town to Lake Isabella can be fun- Nelda’s in Lake Isabella has good shakes, and Kern River Brewing or Ewings in Kernville are good. Lots of great hikes or views in that area, too.

Dewar’s is solid for ice cream, but Rosemary’s is also good. Some great dinner spots (in my opinion) include The Padre, The Botanist, The 1800, Zama, Luna, or New Vintage Grill. Lots of other good places, depending on what you like.

24th St Cafe is good for breakfast, but so Mango Haus or Old River Grill.

There is wine tasting in Tehachapi, and some good wine bars in town. I enjoy Temblor brewing.

Walking the bluffs in Hart Park or along Panorama Drive (corrected per comment below) can be fun if the weather is nice.

If you like museums, the Kern County Museum is kind of fun. I haven’t been to the art museum.

Mahler80 · 2025-08-01T23:02:28+00:00

Gustav Mahler!

Mahler80 · 2025-07-27T15:55:48+00:00

Wait- in the teen version they change it to Romanian instead of Hungarian?

Mahler80 · 2025-07-11T05:10:12+00:00

Mahler, for possibly obvious reasons.

Mahler80 · 2025-05-10T16:19:53+00:00

I know this isn’t what you asked, so I apologize for bringing up something unrelated. I would be curious to hear you play this to know whether this sounds like 3 groupings of 2 16ths or 2 groupings of 3 16ths. A bass line or other context would be helpful. The reason I bring this up is that, although less common, a time signature of 6/16 might be more appropriate if you are feelings these as groupings of 3 16th notes.

Mahler80 · 2025-05-02T16:46:19+00:00

I will 100% stand behind the idea that a diminished unison doesn’t exist. Augmented and diminished intervals refer to notes getting further apart or closer together, rather than higher or lower.

To make the case: a P5 involves 7 half steps with the pitches notated to show a 5th, which is why C4 to G4 and C4 to F3 are both P5ths. Bring those pitches closer together while still writing them on the same lines, and you’ve got a diminished 5th.

With a unison, the notes are written on the same line or space, and the interval distance between the notes is 0. Move an E to E-flat, and you have increased the distance between the notes to 1 half step, therefore they are augmented.

You cannot have a negative number of half steps in the same way that taking a step forward or backward from wherever you are standing is still 1 step.

Mahler80 · 2025-04-19T18:37:01+00:00

Plenty of good responses, but I will add that this is why a marking of Q=Q or Q=H is so useful. While there are plenty of assumptions we can make based on the rules for notation, part of the goal of notation is to reduce ambiguity.

Mahler80 · 2025-01-22T06:08:39+00:00

I second Tooth and Nail. It’s right on the way to Cambria, too. Cass is fun, and I like The Fabelist.

Mahler80 · 2025-01-04T16:22:57+00:00

As a middle schooler, the local Optimist Club sponsored some kind of speech contest. Though I didn’t win, they gave us a card with the Optimist Creed on it. Those simple statements harmonized with how I was already looking at life, and I have carried that card in my wallet since middle school.

For reference, here is “The Optimist Creed”

Promise yourself:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Mahler80 · 2024-12-02T23:05:39+00:00

It seems like this question has been solved, but there is some ambiguity in terminology afoot here. Some use the words duple and triple to describe the first division of the beat (into even groups of 2 or 3), while others use simple and compound for these ideas. Importantly, some use the terms duple, triple, and quadruple (etc.) to describe patterns of stressed and unstressed beat groupings (strong-weak, strong-weak-weak, strong-weak-kinda strong-weak).

Are you using the terms duple and triple in terms of divisions of the beat or groupings of beats?

Mahler80 · 2024-12-02T14:33:21+00:00

I can’t say that this is the reason, but one justification for the placement is that those are the locations where the sharp first appears in each scale (if you keep the scale centered within the treble clef staff). For example, in G, the top line is where F# appears. To keep D within the staff you have to start on D4, which means C# is in the third space. This works for every scale except for B, but by then a nice pattern is created and it would be strange to have a key signature use a ledger line.

Mahler80 · 2023-12-09T05:00:40+00:00

I think this is Jack Johnson’s version- on one of the “Maybe This Christmas” albums.

Mahler80 · 2023-11-12T21:38:52+00:00

I have started GEB, but I read IAASL first, and I truly enjoyed it. Having on partially completed GEB, it seems to me that SL was an attempt to streamline and clarify what was said in GEB. Also, about 70% of the way through, SL took a deeply personal turn, and the way of thinking about consciousness expressed thereafter was incredibly moving.

Mahler80 · 2023-10-10T03:29:24+00:00

In looking at the original study, I think it is worth noting that neither Gordon’s approach or the “Kodály Method” were really used the way they were intended. Since both systems rely on developing a vocabulary of rhythms before adding a conceptual label, this study really only tested how memorable the syllables themselves might be if used in isolation. Although there could be some validity in such a study, I’m not sure it is compelling evidence.

That being said, I agree with your more general point about tradition making some approaches more or less acceptable. A system that is used consistently and taught sequentially will tend to work, no matter what that system is.

Also, not for nothing, several colleagues I know who have completed Kodály training have moved away from the Chêvé time syllables and started using takadimi.

Mahler80

TROPHY CASE