Last Time, I Promise

This will be the last time I'll talk about the concert in Norman--I promise, haha. It'll be at the Nancy O' Brian Center for the Performing Arts @ 8:00. The doors will open @ 7:30, so tell all your friends to come and enjoy some marimba!!

-J

Don't Forget!!

Hey! Don't forget that I'll be doing a concert at Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Friday, November 30 @ 8:00 pm.

Also, here is a flyer promoting my concert in Norman!

It's kind of small, but the really small print isn't that important anyway.

Tell all your friends about Norman!!!

-J

Final Concerts

Hello all!

Just a quick update to remind everyone of the two concerts I have left for the year of 2007!

-Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma: November 30 @ 8:15 pm
-Nancy O' Brian Center for the Performing Arts in Norman, Oklahoma: December 5 @ 8:00 pm

If you go to the concerts, be sure to say hi afterwards!! I would love to hear from you all!

-J

2 Down, Infinity to Go

Last Friday (November 9), I performed a "question and answer" recital at the Metro Christian Academy, in Tulsa OK. I was on stage for about 3 1/2 hours playing my repetoire and answering questions from the music students. And I have to say that I had a really great time up there. I didn't play very well (lot's of mistakes were made that cannot happen in Norman), but speaking to the kids and sharing my knowledge of marimba/percussion was unbelievably exciting! Here are some pics:

As you can see, I had fun. Well, maybe you can't see that I had fun, but just take my word for it :)

In other news, I recently performed on a departmental recital. The piece I played was entitled "Giles", and it is quickly becoming a loved piece for me. I got it recorded and put it on youtube. So here's the video. Enjoy!!

So that's about it for now. My next performance is at Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Friday, November 30. And then it's on to Norman!! So tell all your friends!!!!

-J

Elk City Tomorrow!

Two things:

1. If you check out the previous post, titled "Long Overdue", I entered a concerto competition. Round I was sending the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra a cd of the concerto (in my case, the Creston). I'm not entirely sure how many people entered the competition, but I was one of twelve selected for round II! That means I'll be going to Denver, CO on January 12 to compete live against the other 11 finalists. So the hard work is beginning to pay off!

2. Just a reminder--I have a concert tomorrow at 3:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Elk City, OK. So come check it out!!! It should be a really great show, and I am very excited for it.


I'll be updating soon on how the concert went for those who won't be able to make it.

Peace out,

-J

Long Overdue

Well, it's been forever since I've written anything on here. Here are some updates:


1. I now have my marimba! I would put pictures of it on this site, but Blogspot is being stupid. So just click on the link to see pictures of Miss Feodore, haha. Also, there is one picture of the beginning of the 3rd movement of the Creston Concerto. I'm not quite sure why I took that picture, but I did anyway. So get over it ;)

Marimba Pictures

Also, here is the url of the company where I purchased my marimba. If anyone reading this is a percussionist looking to buy a marimba, go with these guys. They make the most amazing marimbas I've ever heard, and the most beautiful marimbas I've ever seen. You won't be disappointed.

marimba1.com

Moving on...


2. I entered a concerto competition with the Creston Concerto about two weeks ago. There are two rounds and I should be hearing from them next week on if I passed round 1. It's exciting, but very nerve-racking.

3. I have my first concert next Sunday, October 28. It's in Elk City, at the First Presbyterian Church. It's at 3:00 pm, so if anyone reading this has some free time, come check out some awesome marimba music!! Also, keep checking my myspace for updates on concerts I'm doing. I will have more dates up pretty soon for the month of November.


That's about it concerning performance stuff. There's a lot more going on, but I will write about that later. For now, enjoy the pictures of Feodore!!

-J

"Creston" and "On It's Way"

I have two wonderful pieces of information!

1) Yesterday, I performed the Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra by Paul Creston! This major work is incredibly difficult in almost every aspect (technique, musicality, etc.), but I really feel I pulled it off quite nicely--especially for the first time performing it. I look forward to a lifetime of playing this piece, and it getting better and better each time!! I'll be posting audio and video clips as soon as I get them uploaded.

2) Not even half an hour ago, I just sent the last of the money owed towards my marimba (Feodore) in the mail. That means Feodore will be shipped TOMORROW!!!!!!! And I will have her in about 3-4 days. I can't even explain how exciting it is!!


That's about all the information I have right now. I'm still working on getting performance dates, but they should be coming soon. I plan on getting everything set by the end of September. I do have a new date now for Norman, which is December 5 at 8:00 pm. So mark your calenders!

-J

Feodore

Good news:

I HAVE JUST BOUGHT A MARIMBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha, I'm so excited! It's a Marimba One, what I consider to be the Steinways' of the marimba world. It's 5 1/2 octaves, and will be the most beautiful thing anyone will ever lay their eyes on. And that includes significant others, haha. It's name is Feodore (hence, the title), which is a Russian name meaning "gift of God". Which I definitely consider it to be.

I HAVE A MARIMBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-J

Georgia...

This Friday, I will be taking a short vacation to Georgia (about three weeks) to visit my mom and get out of Oklahoma. I still plan on practicing though, so hopefully I'll have some stuff to write about.

For anyone who is not familiar with the Enigma Variations, by Edgar Elgar, shame on you!! Find a recording and listen to the Nimrod variation. You will not be disappointed.

That is all. If I don't write any in the next three weeks, I'll catch up when I get back from Georgia.

-J

New Pictures

Instead of "Drum Corps Memories, Part IV", I am announcing two things:

1. I have some new pictures up of me playing marimba in a more informal setting (no concert dress). So check it out!!

2. I now have a my first date set for concerts in the fall!!!! It will be at the Nancy O Brian Center for the Performing Arts (Norman, OK) on September 14, at 8:00 pm. Check out my myspace (click the link to the left of the blogs) to get more information on it.

Things are getting started, and it's unbelievably exciting!

-J

Drum Corps Memories, Part III

Here we go again!




Tyler Athanon, apparently dying. I'm pretty sure this was during finals week, around lunch or something. Anyways, how he looks is how I felt pretty much all that week, haha.





Tyler choking Donna, because he's angry. Haha, I can't decide which person looks funnier. I'll go with Tyler.







Tyler in the last visual warm up of '05.





Tyler, Mark, and I. This was at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, IN. This was one of the coolest experiences so far in my life, because we got to rehearse on the same field that my favorite football team (the Colts, obviously) play on. It was seriously one of the most awesome things to ever be able to do. And on top of that, we played that night in some ballroom in the RCA Dome for NASM (National Association for Schools of Music). Imagine how loud 60 brass and 18 percussionists can be in a relatively small ballroom (compared to a football field). It was pretty awesome.

Part IV coming soon!


-J

Drum Corps Memories, Part II

Here's part II of my various drum corps memories, as shown in all the pictures I have.

Haha, Kevin and Lauren. This was taken during the last week of tour.

Tyler, Mark, Kevin, and I. Again taken on the last week of tour.

Lauren McGill: the biggest complainer of us all/the biggest badass of us all. Haha, she was a total enigma, because she could go through some of the hardest shit with ease, but she would whine so much! But without her, Kevin, Tyler, and Mark, I wouldn't have had any fun during tour at all. So I owe her a lot for that.

Haha, Matt Reschetz. This guy sat in front of Lauren and I on the bus. And he would always be turned just like the picture bugging the hell out of either Lauren or me. He was always a lot of fun.

Me, on the last visual warmup of the '05 season. I had no idea this picture was even taken until about a month after tour ended. But I do remember what I was thinking, and it was something to the effect of "Ow!" Haha, I'm just kidding. By that point of tour, I could've stood for a very long time in that position, and not had a problem with it at all.

Part III coming soon!

-J

Drum Corps Memories, Part I

Instead of posting the normal stuff about percussion, I thought I would do something a little different today. For those who do not know me personally, I marched with a drum and bugle corps called the Blue Stars in 2005. I didn't play anything percussive--instead, I played baritone. And since the drum corps season is in full swing right now, I have a been a little nostalgic about my past experiences with the Blue Stars. So I thought I would give some random thoughts and comments on some pictures I found not too long ago when I was cleaning my room. I have way too many pictures than one blog could handle, so this will be the first in a series of drum corps memories. Here goes:













Here's the 2005 baritone line. It was the only picture taken that had all of us in it at the same time. It was taken during finals week 2 or 3 days before the season ended.














This is on finals night for the division I corps. Division II corps had their finals that day at a different location. The seats aren't too great, but I was pretty much in the stadium just to get the picture. I was more interested in watching the corps warm up in the parking lot. So that's what I did lol. Oh, and contrary to most people, I loved SCV's show, no matter how bad they did. So anyone who didn't like it can bite me lol.

Here's our horn sergeant, Ben Franke. He was a really cool guy and an excellent leader. I have no idea what he's up to now, but I hope he's doing okay.

This one of the infinite brass arcs we formed to warm up before a show. This was fairly early in the season, if I remember correctly. I think it was sometime around the middle to late June.

This is Doug Hall. He's making a goofy face, haha, and that's pretty much how he is normally. He's a really great guy too. He was the visual tech for the mellophone line, but he helped me get through a lot of hard times throughout the season. I owe him a lot for his advice and help.




















This is one of my good friends from the season, Kevin Guth. He was always hilarious and was a source of inspiration for me to always do my best. This was his second season, and it was never an odd thing to hear him complain about how '04 was so much easier. Haha, and I complained right with him.


Well, that's it for now. Part II is coming soon!


-J

New Performances

As the title suggests, I now have some new performance dates for this upcoming fall! But before I get into that, there is one thing I should write about.

This makes me kind of sad, but I found out last week that I was not chosen as a finalist for the Adagio composition competiton. Like I said, it's kind of depressing, but there are more options. And one of them is to get it published. So I will be working on that very soon (within the week). In the meantime, I will go ahead and post the Adagio along with a .pdf file of the score in my next post. I'll have to convert the files I have and I don't want to do it now, so I'll do it later, haha.

Anyways, here is an updated list of performances I have this fall (again, in no specific order):

1. Cameron University (Lawton, OK)
2. Tulsa University (Tulsa, OK)
3. Nancy O' Brian Center for the Performing Arts (Norman, OK)
4. Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Weatherford, OK)
5. Enid Public Schools (Enid, OK)
6. Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA)
7. Oklahoma Baptist University (Shawnee, OK)
8. Drake University (Des Moines, IA)
9. University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
10. Tulia Public Schools (Tulia, TX)

So I'm getting a pretty full schedule, haha. But it will be an amazing fall, and I cannot wait for it.

I'm out.

-J

A Perspective on Warming Up

This is an illustration on the process I use right now concerning warming up. This is strictly concerning marimba--I warm up differently on other instruments such as snare, timpani, piano, etc. However, there are general things I do that can be transferred to any instrument. I hope that anyone who reads this can find something interesting to add to their warm-up, no matter what instrument they may play.

1) I take a couple of deep breaths, and let go of everything that happened previously in the day. I don't practice in the morning, so this step is important for me.

2) After getting relaxed, I immediately think the word "music". And I never get away from that thought. After all, if I'm not practicing music the way I'm going to perform it, then what's the point of even practicing? There simply isn't, not for me.

3) Now I actually start playing. If I have plenty of time to warm up, I will start with a major 7th chord and use chord mutation to go an octave down the marimba. A more elaborate explanation follows:

For example, say I play a C major 7th chord (major chord, not dominant). Mallets 1 and 2 play C and G, respectively, and mallets 3 and 4 play B (natural, not flat) and E, respectively. Then I move mallets 2 and 3 down to F and A, respectively. Finally, I move mallets 1 and 4 down to B and D, respectively. And I continue through this alternating pattern until I reach the same C,G,B,E pattern an octave down the marimba. This is transferrable to all natural, flat, and sharp keys and should be done so.

Hearing is always better than reading about it, so here's an audio file. It should make more sense, if it doesn't already. Keep in mind, playing music is the most important thing, so I always try to play this as musically as I can.

7th Chord Progression


4) Next, I play some major and minor arpeggios. Starting on C, I go three octaves, up and down, in sixteenth notes. After finishing C I continue to C#, and repeat the process until I reach the next C an octave up. I always do this with a metronome, and again always play as "musically" as I can. The speed of the met depends on if I just want to warm up my technique, or if I want to push my technique. It varies depending on the day. Here is an audio example of the arpeggios I play.

3 Octave Arpeggios


5) Next, I play some sort of chorale. I do this to get in the mood of playing actual compositions. The ones I use are from a book by Evelyn Glennie ("Three Chorales for Marimba"). I don't play through the whole chorale (unless I feel like it), but I do always play them as musically as I can. Here is an audio file of the chorale "Giles", by Evelyn Glennie.

Giles

6) Finally, I take a break!


So there you have it. This usually takes 30-40 minutes or so, and of course can be shortened if needed. If I don't have that time to warm up, I'll usually just play a couple of the 7th chord proggressions and go a few times through the arpeggios. This is an ever-changing philosophy I will have on warming up, but as of right now, this is what I do.

Thanks for reading!

-J

A Brief Hiatus

So I have taken a bit of a break from practicing. I've needed some time to refresh my brain with all the intake it has gone through for the past month and a half. I'll be back tomorrow working as hard as ever though. So look for more posts having at least some relevant though to them.

-J

Birthday

I'll be 21 in 1 hour and 35 minutes. That is all.

-J

Getting Caught in the Rain

Interesting story:

I was on my way to rehearse the Creston concerto about an hour ago . It was storming, but storms are awesome when you're practicing and it didn't seem too bad outside. So I get to the fine arts building (commonly referred to as the f.a.r.t.s. building *insert immature laugh here*), and make my way to where I was going to rehearse. I get my marimba in place next to the piano, and start to get a music stand, when *BAM!!!!* And then the lights go out.

"Great", I think to myself. So I go to a door that leads outside to see if the power was out in the building or on the whole campus. And as it turned out, there was power everywhere except for the fine arts building and a dorm accross the street. So I wait for about fifteen minutes in the pitch-black darkness until I gave up and went home.

There goes a potentially good rehearsal. But oh well. I'll just have to play catch-up tomorrow.

The end.

-J

Creston 2nd Movement

Since I now have the option of adding audio to my page, here is a link to the second movement of the Creston Concerto. It's still in the process of becoming great, but it's a start. Enjoy, and ignore all mistakes, haha.

Creston 2nd Movement

-J

Figuring Out Audio

For my birthday (which is the 17th), my mom got me a digital recorder. This awesome gift is the perfect way to record rehearsals and critique myself. Also, I'll be recording certain things of interest and will put them up on blogs. So after figuring out how to upload audio, I posted a couple of things on this blog.


1. One of my more intellegent moments: Weird Noise

2. On a more serious note, here is a hymn that I am composing for my grandfather. It's in it's beginnings, so it's only on piano right now. The voice part is the isolated line in my right hand, and the harmonies are...well, harmonized in my left. Hymn

-J

Accomplishment

There are a lot of adjectives to describe the Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra, by Paul Creston. Here are two:

1. Fun!
2. Difficult beyond measure

I can understand more and more every time I rehearse the piece why it is such a standard of the percussion--more specifically marimba--literature. If you get a chance to hear it, do it!!

I finished my biography today. It is a longer version, meant for PR in a newspaper. Here it is:

"Jason Johnston is currently pursuing a bachelor degree in percussion performance from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, studying under David Bessinger. While studying percussion for little over a year, Mr. Johnston has performed many works for marimba, including the famous Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra by Paul Creston. His debut CD, entitled “Independent Thinking”, was just released this past summer.

Born in 1986, Mr. Johnston has resided in Oklahoma for over ten years. While playing cornet, euphonium, and snare drum throughout middle school, high school, and the first half of college, Mr. Johnston made the decision to change to percussion entirely in the fall of 2006. It is a decision he never regrets.

Later this fall, Mr. Johnston will perform at Azusa Pacific University, in Azusa California. Along with his friend and accompanist, Dr. Dennis Widen, and two professors at Azusa, Mr. Johnston will be premiering a work for marimba, piano, trumpet, and cello.

In addition to performing, Mr. Johnston is also a composer, having won two competitions with a choral arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” and an Adagio for Strings. The latter composition will be performed by the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra in the 2008-2009 season.

As a proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, it is Mr. Johnston’s hope and desire that wherever he performs, he can benefit someone’s life, and inspire them in whatever they do—be it music or anything else."


So that's that. I'll do the short bio, meant for programs, tomorrow.

-J

Beethoven, hmmm...?

I am not the biggest fan of Beethoven, nor the entire Romantic era (although I do like early Beethoven, which I consider late Classical). I realize that to most classically trained musicians I am blaspheming, but the Romantic era--in terms of theory (harmonies and "new" compositional techniques such as doubly augmented 4/3 chords and the ridiculous use of enharmonicism), simply does not appeal to my compositional and performing nature. However, I really enjoy his seventh symphony, especially movement II (Allegretto). It's one of the few pieces by Beethoven to get some feeling from me. So go Beethoven! And, why not? Go me.

-J

Getting the Ball Rolling

Today, I started work on getting programs and flyers ready for the performances I have in the fall. I completed all the program notes for the marimba pieces I've done, and will begin to work on four or five different layouts for programs tomorrow. I find it quite humerous--although I doubt anyone else will-- that if I played just the marimba pieces I know, it would take over two hours. And there's still concert snare and timpani. Oh, how I love timpani...

I also had my first lesson of summer school. I layed out my goals, and will be concentrating almost exclusively on timpani. I'll do some vibraphone as well though. I'll be doing marimba this summer, of course (there is a cd I'm doing this summer), but it'll be on my own. Speaking of my cd, here are the pieces I'm performing:

1. Nocturnal Dance--Jesse Monkman
2. Marimba Dances--Ross Edwards
3. Light in Darkness--Evelyn Glennie
4. Memory's Glimpse/Z' Rondo--Ginger Zyskowski
5. Concertino for Xylophone and Orchestra--Toshiro Mayuzumi

The cd will be titled "Independent Thinking", paying amage to the fact that I simply think differently than most people. That is a blessing but also a curse, at times. I like who I am because of the way I do things and my confidence (we're talking strictly about music; I have no confidence in anything else), but it gets me into a lot of embarassing situations, haha. But I digress...

-------------------------------------------------------------

Concerning the fall, here is a tentative list of the locations I'm performing (in no specific order):

1. Cameron University (Lawton, OK)
2. Tulsa University (Tulsa, OK)
3. Nancy O' Brian Center for the Performing Arts (Norman, OK)
4. Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Weatherford, OK)
5. Enid Public Schools (Enid, OK)
6. Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA)

An interesting thing about the California date is that I'll be premiering a work along with my good friend, accompanist, and professor Dr. Dennis Widen. The work will be for marimba, piano, trumpet and cello. It will be composed by Seth Cudd, a very able composer and music educator. Check out his website--you won't be disappointed with his music.

There are about a million other things to write about, but I'm tired and will be going to bed soon. I'll continue the ridiculously busy saga that is Jason Johnston's life tomorrow.

-J

A Purpose

As a first post, I feel I should explain just why I have this website to begin with. And so here I go...

The reason I have titled this page "A Musician's World" is because I intend to give an account of what a prospective performer (in my case, percussion) goes through in their quest for their own "holy grail". What exactly that "holy grail" is differs for every person; you all will find out soon enough what it is for me.

This page will be used for personal accounts of practices and rehearsals I do, as well as the ever-growing list of pieces I perform/learn. In addition, I am sure I will end up posting general things about music theory, history, and anything else that I find fascinating about music (it is after all, my page).

It is my hope that whoever reads these blogs will find inspiration in whatever they do, even if it doesn't have anything to do with music.

-J