Missouri Classical Music News

While looking at some proofs, it occurred to me that their structure resembled musical scores, so as an experiment I decided to see what they sounded like. Essentially, the musical notes correspond to the depth of the proof tree as the proof is constructed by the proof verifier. A fast higher note is produced for each step in the construction of a formula. A sustained lower note is produced when the formula is matched to a previous theorem or earlier proof step, to result in a new proof step (which corresponds to a proof step displayed on the Metamath Proof Explorer page that shows the theorem's proof).

Is it "music"? I guess that's for you to decide. It is richly structured, with underlying themes that on the one hand seem to repeat but on the other hand are interestingly unpredictable, teasing your mind as the piece progresses.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has a new toy, and boy, is it a lot of fun.

Philly got a fancy new hall several years ago (a hall that’s still in the process of being acoustically tweaked), and a new pipe organ was part of the deal. The organ was dedicated this past weekend, with a regular series concert (all three performances were sold out), and a five-hour organ recital marathon with five different soloists.

I was there, as part of a posse from the Music Critics Association of North America. It was an exciting time on several levels. The first, of course, was to see a pipe organ in an orchestra hall; they’re too rare in this country, but there’s a significant amount of repertoire that calls for one. There was also the fun of speaking with its creators, and catching some of their enthusiasm over a long creative process that was finally coming to fruition.

There was the related enjoyment of hearing a solid evening of organ-and-orchestra rep done by a first-rate ensemble and soloist. And then there’s the saga of Cameron Carpenter and the broken swell box.

They come from Chillicothe, Carrollton, Trenton and other central Missouri towns better known for their hog farms and meat packing plants than as a fertile spawning ground for musical virtuosos.

Doctors, lawyers, teachers, housewives, retirees or third-shift workers, they share a singular bond: a commitment to orchestral and symphonic performance that has made Marshall, with just over 12,000 residents, a classical musical Mecca.

The Marshall Philharmonic Orchestra just completed its 43rd year as an ensemble. Local historians have traced the roots of organized community bands in the town one hour east of Kansas City back to 1871.


Since 1934, residents have paid a one-tenth of a cent ‘‘band tax'' to support the orchestra and the town's municipal band.

In addition to the tremendous classes, concerts and career development seminars that we have established, our competition is one of the most original in the US: NO AGE LIMIT and NO REQUIRED PIECES.

We chose the unusual competition route since it opens the door to guitarists who are often excluded from competitions by age or their preference for specific historical periods of music. Additionally, the final round of the competition is open to the public and, along with the judges, the audience has ballots and vote for the final three competitors.

This gives a more realistic aspect to the competition since, as we all know, our primary audience is usually NOT guitarists. This helps avoid the "narrow-minded" attitude that often exists in competitions.

Tauscher, 17, began playing the piano when he was 3 and started lessons in third grade. His parents, David Tauscher and Pei-In Yang, encouraged his interest in the piano. Both teach music.

By the time he started high school at Shawnee Mission East, Tauscher enjoyed the long hours of practice his instrument required.

He’d won some competitions and “everything sounded better, everything felt better.”

“It’s my life. It just felt right.”

Now he practices five or six hours daily, and sometimes more, which is why he’s a homeschooled junior.

He studies piano with Jack Winerock at the University of Kansas, and hopes to attend KU, majoring in piano performance.

James W. Bastien, composer, piano pedagogue and musician, died December 7, in La Jolla, California.

Jim and his wife, Jane, are known throughout the world for the Bastien Piano Basics and other piano books published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company.

In 1999, Jim and Jane Bastien were the recipients of MTNA's Achievement Award, the association's highest honor, in recognition of their outstanding career in music and contribution to the music profession. The couple again was honored in 2003, when they were named MTNA FOUNDATION Fellows.

Music is a vital part of human life. In every culture some form of music-making is included...Music is a language which transcends speech and is understood the world over.

Regardless of special talent, millions of students are engaged in the pursuit of musical instruction as an extention of the general learning process.