TEM254: Monica Ellis of Imani Winds

TEM254

Monica Ellis has been the bassoon player for Imani Winds since founding it 25 years ago and is a creative force in the musical world.

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TEM254: Monica Ellis of Imani Winds

Monica Ellis has been the bassoon player for Imani Winds since founding it 25 years ago and is a creative force in the musical world.

On Today's Episode of The Entrepreneurial Musician:

• The past collaborations between Imani Winds and Boston Brass and how special it was to combine so many seasoned chamber musicians

• The importance of bringing a point of view when making music

• The people, the mission and the “badassery” that have enabled Imani Winds to survive and thrive for 25 years when so many other groups don’t make it a fraction of that time

• How a group having a strong foundation and premise helps things to always be moving forward when adversity arises

• How each time Imani Winds has brought on a new member they have brought their own authentic selves to the group (and why they always look for strong personalities)

• Why the backstage relationship is what brings the magic to the stage in a chamber ensemble

• The enormous amount of opportunities presented to Monica and Imani Winds and how they decide when to say no

• How Monica is able to be so present in her family’s life while also being so involved with Imani Winds (note this is NOT the how can you be a mother and have a career question!)

• Why “turning the switch off” is important as a musical entrepreneur since there is always something else still to do

• How the mission of Imani Winds has evolved over time (and how their mission started by knowing what they didn’t want to do)

• The musical storytelling that Imani Winds has done over the last 25 years

• Why no matter how young you are, you don’t need to wait to tell an interesting story

Show notes for all episodes of TEM including topics discussed, links to all books and websites referenced can be found at:

http://www.tem.fm/shownotes

The Case for One Person Calling the Shots in a Chamber Group

I have been in chamber groups with one person calling the shots artistically. I’ve also been in chamber groups where everyone had an equal say in what was played and how it was played.

It’s seems to be a common belief that a true artistic democracy is the more desirable of these two models. That everyone putting their vision forward will always end up with a richer artistic product.

But in my experience, each model has benefits.

Jeff Curnow, former member of the legendary Empire Brass and current member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, talks in the clip from TBJ182 below about the benefits of playing in a group where one or two people are calling the shots.

It’s just food for thought if you’re ever considering starting a group.

Artistic democracies are good! But so are groups that are formed to realize the vision of just one or two people!

For episode 182 of The Brass Junkies, come for thoughts on how to set up a chamber group artistically and stay for the Empire Brass road stories. This interview was one of my favorite hours in quite some time.

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The Brass Junkies 110: Listener's Choice - How to Start a Brass Group, Part 2

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The Brass Junkies 110: Listener's Choice - How to Start a Brass Group, Part 2

In this episode, Lance and I pick up where we left off in TBJ97 and do a deep dive on starting a brass group. We talk a lot about the successes and failures that we had while touring the world with Boston Brass.

My son is a big fan of this episode’s graphic which is courtesy (as they all are) of Will Houchin!

You can check out the complete show notes including all links mentioned during TBJ110 over at Pedal Note Media.

It's Not About You

"Blend towards the ticket buyers, not each other."

—Marty Hackleman

I have seen countless chamber ensembles fail to grasp the vital principal behind the above quote. The audience experience is everything.

Don't sit in the easiest possible configuration for your group to interact with each other. Sit in the configuration which makes it easiest for the audience to feel like they are interacting with you.

Don't just make sure something is balanced on stage. Make sure it is balanced in the hall.

Don't lift your stand up higher than it needs to be. Put your stand at a level where the audience feels like they are a part of the experience and not just allowed to peer over your shoulder.

Don't just check for dynamic contrast on stage. Make sure that contrast is reaching the last row of paid seats.

Don't match articulations on your side of the bell. Be sure they are matching at the back of the hall.

This list could go on and on...

I couldn't believe how much left edge I had to put on notes when I first joined Boston Brass. Like, I was dumbfounded. What my colleagues were asking me to do sounded stupid on my side of the bell.

But guess what? Those comments were coming from a rehearsal technique that we frequently used. One player would go out into the hall and listen from out there (ie the only place where it matters what it sounds like!) They would then ask for adjustments until it sounded right out there.

They would ask for so much attack that I thought it sounded stupid. But I trusted them so I did it.

Then I would listen to a recording of the performance from later that evening and I'll be damned they were always right. I had to very gradually adjust what I thought it "should" sound like on my side of the bell.

I have yet to find anyone who will pay me to in an orchestra, band, quintet or as a soloist based on me sounding good on my side of the bell. No one cares.

Literally your only job is making sure it sounds (and looks) good in the audience.