But, there are moments that make it all worthwhile. I have a small number of strong friendships that have developed from these communities; and no matter the state of my personal life I make sure the best I can that the communities trudge on.

Today someone posted this note from one of my communities that provides free supp0rt for a serious illness. We’ve been running this for about 7 years now and it’s blossomed into a very special place. These members are somedays just fine, and other days can barely sit up to get to their computer. I was very touched by her comments, here it is:

Begin message:

So, as I am experimenting with the new site, fiddling with buttons and clicking on links, I realize that I am excited, happy, and filled with anticipation. So, for several moments of each day, I am discovering something new; both on the site and in myself. What I’ve discovered is that Conrad has not only given us a beautiful new home, but he’s filled it with so many exciting new gadgets, games, buttons, and links. In so doing, we have completely forgotten about our pain, our frustrations, our disappointments…if only for brief moments….as we “ooh” and “aaah” and “oh wow..look at this” while we are navigating our new home.

So, Conrad has given us a tool to allow us to escape from the tedious and unpleasant nature of our disease. We are lost, for hours, playing games in the arcade; or we are roaming about uploading pictures, downloading avatars, posting blogs and generally squealing and laughing as if we were children on Christmas morning.

Now, the newness and excitement may wear down, if our new home remains static. But, I know our Beloved Administrator Conrad and I can almost guarantee that static is something that will NEVER happen!

So, I want to thank Conrad for all that he has given us and also for what he did not realize that he had given us! Sweet moments of wonder, laughter, excitement and anticipation. All of which have provided us with the most wonderful moments of escape!

Thank You Conrad! Family…go out there and explore our new *website* and have lots of fun because there is lots to be had here!!

With Love & Appreciation
*Moderator at website*

Hi Conrad,

I stumbled across your website when researching Cirque composers. I  am a student at Musicians Institute LA, and i have been invited to audition with cirque here in LA next tuesday. I am a keyboardist and guitarist (acc/elect) and was wondering whether you had any tips regarding how to make the best impression at the audition. I have picked 2 pieces on keys and one of guitar, as well as a piece of my choice.

I love the cirques music, feeling and message and i dearly hope to give the best performance that i can possibly give at the audition.

thanks
(name edited)

************************************

Reply:

Hi,

Well first things first, let’s get the disclaimers out of the way.  As of this post I am not part of the audition team at Cirque and I certainly am in no position to speak on Cirque’s behalf. However, I am a musician with Cirque and all of us now working for Cirque had to audition at one point. So here’s my two cents worth.

I think it’s important you wholly be “who you are” at your audition. Don’t try to “be something”. Cirque likes authenticity in intention, motivation and performance. They will be looking for very specific things and you don’t know exactly what that is. They want the real essence of who you are so they can get a sense of what you can be. Which is part of the reason they audition worldwide to get that rare combination of colors.

I have heard of people preparing specific pieces for auditions and maybe they are sometimes used. But my experience for my audition was it was all improvisation and playing back parts by ear. There’s no way to prepare for something like that, you just need to relax and bring your best game. They may also ask you to play something of your choosing, so good to be prepared as you are.

I will give you a couple scenarios of musicians now working with Cirque:

1. Player auditioned and was told on the spot they were the best player for that instrument that had auditioned in that town (a MAJOR music hub). Cirque said they would hire them on the next available spot. The player literally stood by the phone for months, eventually gave up, and two years later Cirque called with a job offer.
2. Player saw a job opening on the Cirque website and submitted a video of improvisations on various instruments. Three months later Cirque called with a job offer.
3. Player was contacted off their MySpace page and requested to submit a video. They were offered a job within a few months.
4. Player was asked to submit a video. Cirque didn’t care for the performance and asked them to submit a new video with certain changes. New video was submitted and player was offered a job.
5. Player submitted audition recording and was sent three more rounds of audition screenings via mail. Not hired, but Cirque said they would keep them on file. 3 months later player invited to do live auditions. Offered job on spot but player didn’t like job. Two years later player receives email to update artist information or be taken out of waiting list. Player updates files. 6 months later is given audition materials for show. Not hired. Four months later player is called and offered contract for a different show.

I think there’s only one thing to take from that information: There’s no “one road” or “one way” to Cirque. You would be amazed at the different stories of how people got to Cirque. But all the people I work with have one thing in common (the ones that last anyway): They all LOVE Cirque and it was there #1 choice for a job. Many said no to other big companies just for the chance to work with Cirque (they refused other big contracts just waiting that Cirque might hire them.)

And if you’re not placed right away just keep doing your career. Cirque has a good feel for when an artist is ripe and ready. And also, there are many elements that come into play aside from musical chops. For instance, in my current Cirque show one of the things they looked for was people they thought would be cool under pressure when going to a foreign country.

What to wear? To my audition I wore a full suit and tie (custom suit from Nordstrom no less). I’ve gotten a lot of ribbing for that: “What, are you crazy? You wore a SUIT to a Cirque audition? I would never hire you just for the fact that you wore a SUIT.” A close friend of mine wore a bright colored psychadelic monstrosity. But we were ourselves. I’m more comfortable playing in a suit. Other players wore the ethnic clothing they play when they perform their genres. Others in jeans and t-shirt.

I’ve met artists who knew they nailed their audition with Cirque but were never offered a position. And I know artists who thought they totally blew their audition and were offered contracts. So you never know.

In fact, that would be my one description of Cirque: “You never know!”

Break a leg and let me know how it goes.

For others reading and maybe thinking they’d like to audition for Cirque; you can visit http://www.CirqueDuSoleil.com for information on job openings, worldwide audition locations and dates, as well as instructions how to submit your materials to Cirque.

I wondered if you knew of some great orchestration companies or tracks to enhance  our production of Elton Johns Aida. We have a small venue and could really use some tracks specifically for transtitions.

Any information is helpful. Thanks!

MY REPLY:

I’m not exactly sure what you mean – do you mean orchestrations of Elton John’s AIDA music, or other music? I supposed you could always use some transition music from the original CD soundtrack. There is a lot you could do with ethnic percussion if you had people double up on percussion during transitions – that’s one way to beef it up, but still keep it legit and live.

When I did the show I let the musicians open up a lot on the transitions and underscore music. Lots of great textures from the percussionists. I do remember the drummer using the edge of his stick to scrape the cymbals during the scenes by the river bank – and also one of the percussionists even blowing on an empty plastic soda bottle to get eerie distant wails. I was quite surprised how effective that plastic bottle was.

Check on your contracts for what is allowed and what is not. There are great opportunities in this score to pull from a lot of different tribal sounds and World percussion elements.

And just so no one overlooks the obvious – since you probably have one or two keyboardists in the pit, they can also do thick synth pads and effects.

Conrad

One of my former piano students posted this on Facebook. I think this was around 1990. Here I am at one of my students’ yearly piano recitals, probably around 1990. I taught piano to many students from around 1989 to 2004. At one point I had over 40 students. I loved teaching.

It was never important to me that my students become professional musicians – but it WAS important to me that they COULD be if they wanted to.

My biggest one memory of teaching piano? I had a parent complain to me that I was teaching their child religious music. We were studying Bach and I explained to them that we were studying his Inventions which were not “religious”. They were convinced that anything by Bach was religious so they told me no Bach.

So I told them not to come Bach. (Man, am I funny). Don’t mess with Bach!

Being older now, I would probably handle the situation differently. Now I would probably just agree with the parent, and then scotch-tape “MOZART” onto the tops of all the music pieces. Old age and trickery will always win over youth and skill…

As many teachers will tell you – I actually learned more from my students than they ever did with me. And a good teacher will teach a student to teach themselves. So there was always the sad time when I had to let students go because they needed new influences. That was always painful – but always fun to know I was part of their path.

Did the lessons affect their lives in a positive way down the road? I hope so.

In order to make a good pianist do I really have to learn notes and play them? Since 4 years from 12 to 16 I have played music by ear all the way through. I have also watched others play and I play what they play in a day literally. God gave me this talent to where I can play music that I want to within about 4 hours.

I have fans even though I am 16 but some people that ain’t fans do not like me. Some will say “I should learn notes that is what a pianist must learn. If you don’t learn it then what you play isn’t music.” Another is ” my 7 year old brother probably can play better than you.” I don’t believe that though. My teacher Brian Froge told me this, ” that is insane Anthony, I don’t know anyone that can play the entertainer by ear like you did!” That was my first song I learned.

I have been told that but I was told by a collage student that “the most professional piano players play by ear like I do.” Do you think I should stick with playing the way I have or playing with notes?

After this post and reply was made, this video link was sent of Anthony playing:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1fXxTrUprI

Conrad’s Original Reply:

Hi there,

To your original specific question: In order to make a good pianist do I really have to learn notes and play them?

My answer would be no, depending on what your bar or definition of “good” is.

However, learning to read music will open up a whole new world for you. There is a misconception about “playing by ear” – most professional pianists read music but also “play by ear”.

In conversations people often say to me “My father is a fantastic pianist and only plays by ear, no training. Do you play by ear or read?” And my usual reply is, “Oh, I only read” – and I try to say it sheepishly so they can retain their pride for their relative.

The two sides of playing great music is reading, then interpreting and getting the music off the page. The printed music is only a representation of a performance, it is not the performance itself. The perfomance itself is a quasi mystical journey and lives somewhere in the ether. How’s that for “out there”?

It has been my experience that the more I learn, the more I realize I have YET to learn. When I know little, that’s when I think I know a lot. My guess would be you are having this experience.

When you go pro there’s a painful experience of breaking out of the bubble – and being called on what you can and cannot do.

So my advice would be that if you enjoy your music for yourself, then by all means continue on this path and enjoy it. If you want to work in the field of music then I strongly recommend you learn to read music.

Have there been great pianists in history that cannot read music? Yes, mostly in pop, ragtime and jazz styles.

Do I know piano players that do not read music? Yes, but they lose a lot of work because of it, so not good for business.

I have mentioned that there ARE famous pianists that don’t read music. But I have had hundreds (yes, hundreds) of people in my life play piano for me and exclaim the joy that they have no training and cannot read music. Not one of them was any good at all. They all played the same tripe 12 bar blues or A minor melancholy pentatonic crap. Of course when they played I told them it was good because they were so excited about their talent. Why rain on someone’s parade?

Now if the same person told me they wanted to go into music as a profession, I would have a different (more pointed) conversation with them. The more you can do – the more versatile you are – the wider net of work you can get.

Hope that helps!