Just got back from a week in Santa Barbara, conducting at the Music Academy of the West.

The folks at the Academy decided to house me at the Andorra Estate, which is up in the hills of the Santa Barbara Riviera. It was a huge house, with fine 70’s decor, kind of a Jackie Treehorn vibe (Big Lebowski fans know what I mean). I spent many an hour that week sitting on the patio admiring the wildlife (deer! bunnies! birds of prey!), and the other mega-mansions surrounding me in the hills.

Sunday morning after the concert, blaring music from the mansion next door woke me up at about 6:45am. Sunday morning, I tell you. Anyway, the music happened to be Madonna from the 80’s. Not a greatest hits collection, but an actual 80’s Madonna album. It was a rude awakening. As I slowly gained consciousness, I asked myself “what is that song?” Gradually it became clear that the song was “Material Girl,” then “Like A Virgin,” then a bunch of songs that never made it onto the radio. Now I’m not a Madonna-hater, but this is not what I want to hear at this hour in my mansion in the hills. The whole thing was so strange that I actually got up and walked outside and looked through the bushes to see what was going on in this mansion. Who were these people? Was this the end of an all-night bender, or the beginning of Sunday Jazzercize? Or some sort of pagan sacrifice?

Alas, the hedge was to thick — couldn’t make out a thing. I felt like a private detective in some sort of music-noir.

One of my favorite living writers, Haruki Murakami, talks about how music influences his writing style:

“Whether in music or in fiction, the most basic thing is rhythm. Your style needs to have good, natural, steady rhythm, or people won’t keep reading your work. I learned the importance of rhythm from music — and mainly from jazz. Next comes melody — which, in literature, means the appropriate arrangement of the words to match the rhythm. If the way the words fit the rhythm is smooth and beautiful, you can’t ask for anything more. Next is harmony — the internal mental sounds that support the words. Then comes the part I like best: free improvisation. Through some special channel, the story comes welling out freely from inside. All I have to do is get into the flow. Finally comes what may be the most important thing: that high you experience upon completing a work — upon ending your “performance” and feeling you have succeeded in reaching a place that is new and meaningful. And if all goes well, you get to share that sense of elevation with your readers (your audience). That is a marvelous culmination that can be achieved in no other way.”

Sometimes my musical path of concerts take interesting turns. What are the odds that I’d be conducting American Indian music one week and Cowboy music the next? But that’s exactly what’s happened. Last week I recorded two very fine pieces by American Indian composer JEROD TATE with the San Francisco Symphony. This week, I’m celebrating the Fourth of July with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and honoring two cowboys that turn 100 this year, John Wayne and Gene Autry. Now cowboys and Indians weren’t really my thing growing up - since they were more or less replaced by movies set in outer space like Star Wars - but digging through this music has been really fun. Country and Western is a really interesting blend of blues, mountain music, and German polkas and waltzes. Throw in some Irish fiddling, and some guitar stylings from south of the border, and an accordion from Italy, and you begin to realize that it’s a much more culturally rich music that it seems to be on the surface.

Last night Cedric and Omar from THE MARS VOLTA flew up to record string tracks for a song on their forthcoming album. I met the bass player, Juan, at one of their concerts a few years ago and got talking … and that’s how this session happened.

The string tracks were written by the amazing Nathaniel Stookey, and conducted by yours truly. It was a cool rock/classical intersection. The guys from the band were clearly amused by our liberal use of Italian during the session (fermata, diminuendo, etc.), but seemed to really appreciate our work. What really seemed to seal the deal is that we were all able to improvise, which is not something rockers expect classical folks to do. Omar, the music director of the band, has eclectic musical tastes. On the classical side, he’s really into Varése, and is digging a CD of Xenakis lent to him by John Frusciante, lead guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I wish this kind of stuff would happen more often — who knows, maybe it will.

And now a fun game … two of the people in the picture below are rock stars. Can you guess who they are?

It took me a while, but I want to tell you about my concert last week in Houston with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. It was founded by oboist/executive director/mom Alecia Lawyer. Besides being an excellent ensemble, and programming daring, adventurous music, “ROCO” has drastically changed the classical concert format. Here’s the run-down:

5pm concerts, 90 minute concert duration, free child care/music education during concert, 5 minute intermission, surprise pieces at the beginning and end of the concert.

Also, if you fill out a card, you are eligible to be one of four people who gets to sit in the orchestra for one piece after the break. (It’s a great way to get info about your audience).

And … during the five minute intermission, the ENTIRE ORCHESTRA mingles with the audience.

Finally, the older kids in child care get to come hear part of the program right after the break, and are always acknowledged by the conductor and audience. It’s great to hear them cheer from the balcony.

They’ve done it — they’ve taken a classical concert and made it into a friendly, fun, social event without compromising the music. Thus proving what I’ve always thought — it’s not the music or the programming that need help in the orchestra world, it’s the EXPERIENCE. River Oaks Chamber Orchestra is taking off. Congratulations, and bravissimo!

Highlight of the week — walking around Louisville at lunch I came across a BBQ attached to the back of a truck. There seemed to be a good crowd, so I settled down for a pulled pork sandwich, which was amazing. In the meantime, the cashier’s radio was blaring some R&B that was as good as anything I’ve ever heard. “What’s on the radio?” I asked. “Johnnie Taylor,” answered the chef.

It was an incredible food and music moment. Words can’t describe it.

For the record, the songs were “Good Love” and “Last Two Dollars.”

I spent last week with the mighty Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Do people really think all orchestras sound the same these days? The CSO musicians have a sound, a personality, and a culture that is all their own. They know they’re great, and it comes across in their playing. I love conducting this orchestra — their sound and music-making get under my skin in a really serious way. I’m gushing, I know, but they’ve really shown me what an orhcestra can do …

It’s all going by very fast right now — in the past 6 weeks, I’ve performed 8 different programs in six different cities. 2 more weeks to go (and two new programs) before things settle down a little. I like the whirlwind, though — it’s like surfing big waves — a little risky, but huge rewards.

I’m currently in Cardiff working with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (aka BBC NOW).

Orchestras work harder here than they do in the states. The last two days consisted of two 6-hour recording sessions with an hour break for lunch. We read and recorded Piston’s Symphony No. 2, Barber’s Second Essay for Orchestra, Walton’s Portsmouth Point Overture, and Schuman’s New England Tryptich. The American works were completely new to the orchestra, but they were able to assimilate (and record) these works with impressive speed and skill. It’s true what they say about English orchestras: they’re quick. It’s been a lot of fun to record, and to explore some now obscure American music, “The Boston Symphonists,” as Lou Harrison would say. They all have their moments, but the Barber in particular is a cool piece.

Nerd Alert: BBC Wales is also the home of Dr. Who (it’s filmed here). And I was stoked to see a TARDIS in the lobby. I’m doing a family concert with BBC NOW on Friday, and rumor has it there will be an appearance by an acutal Dalek. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you are not nerdy enough. I watched Dr. Who back in the day on PBS and it is greatly responsible for my subconcious activity.

Getting ready to conduct a concert at Mannes this Thursday. NYC is always fun … just came back from the MET last night — Andrea Chenier. What beautiful sounds come from that building. Very expensive singing and playing.

Other than that — hanging out with my brother and his family, and catching up with the usual NYC friends.

I had an interesting time on Friday with the conducting students at Mannes. Observing them reaffirmed my view that the main challenge of conducting is the COMMUNICATION of music to an orchestra. Of course you have to be good musician, but from then on it’s all about the vibe.

Just got back from Asia after a series of concerts with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. It’s an energetic, young orchestra that attracts a lot of newbies to orchestral music. How? Great marketing … they make each concert into a real event, and the playing of the orchestra is infectious. I also had the pleasure of working with Natsuko Yoshimoto and James Cuddeford from the Grainger Quartet.

The day that I flew back from HK, I immediately got on another plane for LA for a meeting with CHEAP TRICK!!! We’re doing a concert together at the Hollywood Bowl this summer — re-creating Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on its 40th anniversary. They’re going to be fun to work with for sure, and I really enjoyed the meeting. Rick Nielsen was looking cool with skull necklaces, rings and bracelets. I wish classical musicians dressed like rockers too. Maybe I’ll just start doing that.