Philosophy has and will be a great hobby of mine. I tried to incorporate as much of it as possible in my dissertation back in 2017, without deviating from music. I have a lot to thank to Roger Savage for guiding me through the battlefield of thought! Now that I am out in the world, I've found a few sources I can lean on to get that same gear going in my brain. One, continue reading Paul Ricoeur; Two, The Australian magazine called New Philosophy, it is genius; Three, Lapham's which is from New York and easier to purchase here in the states. I've subscribed to Lapham due to its ease of delivery, but for New Philosophy--I will still go to the magazine stands to get the current issue. There is inherent joy in that method as well. 

The best way to understand orchestration is through experience and interaction with the material. Consider score-studying the parts of specific instruments, or a concerto written for the instrument. While manuals are comprehensive, they do not provide the logical flow of empirical learning that one would get from actually learning the instrument. Knowledge is different than practice.

With that said, here is a space where I will compile free sources on the webs for those who are interested in learning orchestration and instrumentation.

Sources will be from certain public domain libraries, articles, etc.

Anatomy of the Orchestra by Norman Del Mar (Google Books)
Principles of Orchestration by Rimsky-Korsakov (Gbooks)

A Study of Arts Management in the Classical Music Genre

Performers of any form of art deal with the same issue of constrained availability, which has a problem exquisitely explained by this adage—“You are only as good as your last performance”. Performers face this unchangeable but amenable problem called constrained availability, where the physical presence of the performer from the audience’s point of view is constrained by particular geographic or seasonal/time boundaries. For example, if one wants to hear a performer live at an event, that admirer of the performer must 1) within physical proximity with the live event, or has the ability to physically get there 2) be available at that time for the live event. The live event might be in the next year, in which case, the admirer must prepare vigilantly to this live event a year in advance in order to ensure attendance for that event. 




Assuming that the performer’s goal is to maintain constant contact with his/her fan-base, there is one additional problem—that is the inevitable uncertainty of outcome. The arts is wonderful for many reasons, one of which is various artistic possibilities, measured in level of uncertainty, in any live performances. A performer is not a machine—any product of a human being remains variable based on the situation. Some variables that may affect a performance include the time of performance, the location of the performance, the instrument used in the performance, the attitude of the audience, the acoustics of the hall…etc. 




These innumerable differences are what makes each live event special; however, these differences can also instill doubt of consistent performance. The audience should not expect a performer to give a perfectly exact live performance all the time. Even the utmost admirer of the performer celebrity understand that live performances are spontaneous and can be inconsistent at times. This uncertain outcome is crucial when a potential ticket-purchaser is making his/her purchasing decisions.




Social media presence mitigate both of these problems at least in part. This essay comments on the marketing strategies of celebrity performers in the classical music genre. In addition to analyzing why classical musicians need social media presence, this essay will contemplate both the unintended and intended implications of arts marketing. The intent for classical musicians to have social media/ web presence is to maintain persistent availability as well as to alleviate any doubts of uncertainty in the quality of that performer’s future live performances. On the other hand, the unintended consequences of anticipating public opinions by offering public constant access to performances, through the use of uploaded albums and youtube videos, is in a way institutionalizing the standard of popular public taste and preferences. The media is an institution; media has influence over public opinion. I will discuss how by having a successful online presence, celebrities of classical music must first qualify for any generational gap in tastes, and confirm or custom-fit their performance interpretations to general uniformity and understanding. As a result, the community mutually defend these understandings, which results in cultural persistence.




Brand Community




Each classical music performer celebrity is his/her own brand. Arts marketers consider these musical personalities as a “difficult brand”, which has these two characteristics: constrained availability and uncertain outcome (Preece and Johnson 2011). Arts marketers understand that consumers have a very limited face-time/ contact with the performer celebrity. These consumers are oftentimes admirers of the performer celebrity, but also may include the critics of the celebrity. The best way for a brand to thrive is to establish an active brand community. Brand communities are defined as “specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social relations between an admirer and a brand” (Muniz and O’Guinn 2001). The three traditional markers of a brand community are “shared consciousness, rituals and traditions, and a sense of moral responsibility (Muniz and O’Guinn 2001). 

Classical music has a highly specialized audience base, but since music is wordless and can transcend any geo-political borders, building the performer celebrity as a successful brand name can easily translate into a world-wide phenomenon. Of the three characteristics, the one I want to focus on is the first, shared consciousness. Musical performance is a shared experience—viewing musical performance videos made available on social media can facilitate shared consciousness as the community members maintain dialogue with each other. Social media such as fan-pages on Facebook and twitter, personal websites, as well as sound cloud audio uploads and youtube video uploads create a sense of shared consciousness—each present functions for community members to comment on the performance.




Cultural Persistence




While social media is currently a popular method for marketing companies to maintain persistent communication and constant contact with the consumer base, I hypothesize that social capital presented online is previously unseen method of marketing for classical music, and that creates problems with cultural persistence and the resistance to change. A core concept of marketing is to bring a product closer to the user. In a way, the term “arts marketing” suggests that the production of music, i.e. the performer celebrity, is not merely conscious of the consumer base, but rather producing renditions of the music that cater to the consumers. Arts marketing has always been very careful with not overstepping the artistic director’s bounds—to maintain the integrity of the music despite what the market indicates. However, so much of this is unmeasurable. 

With the advent of social media and the easily measurable “friend/fan/follower count”, measuring the popularity of a performer celebrity is a simple process that any given consumer can use in crucial decision making evaluations, such as whether or not to purchase tickets, or purchase albums, or spend time to watch an online full concert etc. Since one would assume the more fans a celebrity has, the better he/she is at th, then the bigger that number is, then less risk is involved. 

In Lynne Zucker’s article from 1977, she writes of the sociological affect of the role of institutionalization in cultural persistence. She found that “the greater the degree of institutionalization, the greater the generational uniformity, maintenance, and resistance to change of cultural understandings” (Zucker 1977). Since the media is a type of institutionalization, especially with the method of validating the celebrity with a “checkmark” in Twitterverse, one could argue that this type of social media marketing correlates with uniformity and resistance to change, and may be an unintentional affect of how arts marketing is shaping the classical music community’s tastes and preferences.











































Works Cited

Albert M. Muniz, Jr. and Thomas C. O’Guinn, “Brand Community,” Journal of Consumer Research 27, No.4 (2001):412-432.

Lee, H. K., “When Arts Met Marketing: Arts Marketing Theory Embedded in Romanticism,” International Journal of Cultural Policy 11, no.3(2005):289-305.

Lynne G. Zucker, “The Role of Institutionalization in Cultural Persistence,”American Sociological Review 42, no.5 (1977): 726-743.

Omar Lizardo, “How Cultural Tastes Shape Personal Networks,” American Sociological Review 71, no.5 (2006): 778-807.

Stephen B. Preece and Jennifer Wiggins Johnson, “Web Strategies and the Performing Arts: A Solution to Difficult Brands,” International Journal of Arts Management 14, no.1 (2011):19-31.

I really want to watch these future movies:
The riot club
Love, Rosie
Two Night Stand

I've decided that teaching is better when customized. That is why I plan on writing short little ditties for my students, as well as create lesson plans catered to each individual. Here are my first two short works. They are easy, and the technique goes along with what they have been working towards currently. 

While I am writing this at the bottom of the Ajax Mountain, at the only Starbucks in town to be exact, I feel that I have already left Aspen. The reason is, of course, my friends were Aspen. All of my friends have now graced their presence elsewhere, back to their hometown or college, and so I am left here with time to kill alone. 

Other topics worth blogging about:

• Breathing
• Ending of Phrases
• Hands having connection with each other
• Importance of Half steps
• Lateral Motion of hand, Angles of the Hand from Body

Aspen Mountain was one intense hike! It was not as intense as my hike up the Alta Peak at King's Canyon though. 

What I learned:
Always take Advil up to the top. Elevation will always give me headaches!
Hiking Boots made me feel so safe when going on really slippery trail! 
Hiking is sadistically addictive. I want to do more and chart more territories!

Goal- to do a 14er this summer.

Red means MASTERED :)
Blue means priority to be done

1. Maroon Bells (July 6th 2014)
2. Maroon Lake Scenic Trail (July 6th 2014)
3. Independence Pass
4. Aspen Mountain/ Ajax (July 14th 2014)
5. Aspen Highlands 
6. Crater Lake Trail
7. Rio Grande (X June 24th 2014)
8. Cathedral Lake Trail 
9. Silver Queen Gondola (July 14th 2014)
10. West Maroon Trail
11. Hunter Creek Trail
12. Linkins Lake Trail
13. Ashcroft Ghost Town
14. Buckskin Pass
15. Maroon Snowmass Trail (Government Trail)
16. Conundrum Creek Trail
17. Capital Creek Trail
18. American Lake Trail
19. Aspen Grottos

It's the arrival of everyone. Most of the Aspen Festival attendees are coming today and tomorrow. Monday is the convocation. Already, my Monday schedule is packed! Also, registration time is today, so I will get to see the repertoire I have to learn by Audition time Saturday. 

What I really want to say is that water is  a central part of my life. I cannot express how much I love the water. The river was such a relief to me when I realized the extra comfort it gave me amidst this strange and beautiful place.

So it turns out the airport I used coming into Aspen was one of the most dangerous airports in the US. If I had known when I boarded, I think I would be more afraid of going. Thank God I am flying Denver after the Aspen Festival.

Today is day 2 of Resident Assistant training. I think I overestimate the duties I have to do. This is good! I will have more time to practice.

Now that I have visited the official Aspen music campus, I can honestly say that the best part of this music festival is the location. It is so amazing. Everything is so beautiful. The buildings are brand new and are such a treat to be in. Comfort is very important when it comes to specializing. I do not feel the same when I practice near nature, as I do when I practice in the basement that resembles a dungeon. 

I have yet to go on any trail hikes here, but that will change because every Monday there is a group hike activity. 

Some of the goals I have this summer are to just keep composing, keep practicing, keep playing... If I'm going to become a champion of my own life, I must keep my composure and do what I do. It's good to work towards something and try my best! 

Talk to you later,
Rosalind

I've been experiencing a creative block for the past quarter, and I believe it has to do with how this quarter I focused only on one thing--piano. It sucked the joy out of that one thing for me though. Who knew that specialization impacts so inversely on my life and happiness!

Having multiple paths/ options, and different, varied hobbies have such a positive impact on me. Specializing only causes me to reconsider my line of work, because I feel so dead in my tracks--the freedom gone, the sparkling bubbles flattened.  My energy is sapped when I have to stay in one place, do one thing, complete one task...

And what joys I felt when I met new people on the set of the Newsroom! And what joy I felt when I meet new friends and connect with people I used to only pass by all the time but never sit down and talk to! 

For my upcoming months in Aspen, I aim to do a few things:
- Connect with like-minded souls
- Be the creative person that I am, no more hiding
- See nature and take pictures, and soak in the immensity of the big broad sky
- Find my inner happiness with God above all else

 I would consider triple majoring a major success in my life. And there were obstacles in place, bureaucratic administrative roadblocks. However, I kept to what I was doing, and I took classes when I was not supposed to, and here it is! I have done it!

I need to follow this same philosophy. If I think I can do it, then I will be able to do it! 

I had so much fun playing at the Hammer yesterday night. It is amazing to play in a place that is sold out... The only other time I had that experience was when I played at LACMA, but the audience there were general audience, they did not come only to see the performers. They are more loyal to the series rather than the performers. However, the sonnets and sonata series is new, and this is their second concert--so the loyalty of the people who attended are still mutable. I hope I was able to captivate them! And I felt that I did. Lili came to speak to me after the concert. I first met her at the Emeritus college. she listened to Samson Francois when she was just a little girl, and he played Scarbo, same piece I played for her. Of course, his was much better, but it was refreshing to have her adore my playing! She came Wednesday especially to hear me. I was so surprised to see her there and she asked for my autograph. She is such a darling lady. A friend she met that night of is this tall french lady. She sat behind my mom, and the whole concert she was admiring my mother's style of clothing and style of hair. For all the years I've been alive, my mother has never changed her hairstyle. She prefers rococo styles, and just elegance of the older European styles. 

Such exciting things are happening to me at a time of such depressing stress and pressing issues. I finally booked my ticket to Aspen! From LAX to Aspen it is 1 hour and 55 minutes. Around 750 miles. 

Tomorrow, I will be singing a Beatles concert, and for once I feel at home in the musicality of the songs! I love them so much. The Beatles are so amazing. The complex rhythm, clashing of styles, etc... 

Scarbo has been one hell of a piece to practice. I cannot remember when exactly did I start practicing Scarbo. I believe it has been a year since I first touched Ondine though, so I might have started Scarbo half a year ago. 

Practicing is actually digestion. I had to bring back Schubert Piano Sonata for a concert today, and it was no problem performing from memory. Although it had been a while, I found that once I've properly digested a piece of music, it will be alright to perform once and again, of course with some refreshing. 

This past weekend, I was so busy hanging out with Matthew, that I could not really practice much. When I did, he got annoyed at me. It's understandable. When we were both just students at UCLA, he would be ok with me practicing and prioritizing that ahead of our rendez-vous.

Friday we went to Clementine, played pool at Q's, and ate at Sawtelle's Sushi and went to his old frat's party. Saturday I needed to practice and play a coaching for Professor Sutre, then we went to West Hollywood for Donuts and Santa Monica beach, followed by watching Game of Thrones and later ate at Gyu Kaku and got oysters at the Backhouse.
Sunday I went to church, and then later we went to Lakewood Mall's Round 1 and bowled and played the arcade. We had Costco food court for lunch, then went to the movie theaters and watched LEGO the movie, and ate Kariya with Joanna and Jason. The movie theater's inside looks like the Tardis. I loved it! When we got home, we watched the new episode of GoT.
The next morning I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to take him to the airport. 

It took a lot for me to remember all that happened and record it so that I will never forget... I hope to always remember all my memories, but it is difficult to focus on the past when the present and future is so pressing....

Sleeping has never been a problem for me. But recently, I only sleep well at my bed at home. My mom's health is deteriorating, and so I spend a lot more time at home now. This lead to the discovery that I actually sleep really badly at the apartment I'm at right now. It affects my daily strength and ability to function, causing me to depend much more on caffeine. 

Also, I have a hard time trying to pair this website with my newly-bought domain name, www.rosalindw.com

I wanted my boyfriend to help me with the pairing, but he does not seem to want to help. It saddens me a bit to know that my requests are ignored... I don't ask much of him mostly, so I don't understand why he won't help me with something he is better at than me. I have paired my previous website before, and I cannot for the life of me remember how I did it! 


Lastly, I find that my life is delicately in balance right now. I am teetering sometimes, when my schedule is insanely full, but I am satisfied. I clearly am stressed all the time, and my body shows signs of it. I get canker sores, I am stress-eating a lot...etc. But mentally I am ok. My symptoms are always physiological, rather than psychological. 

That's it! I hope to keep blogging for an extended amount of time and regularly as well. And I hope to successfully connect my website name with this website!

See you in a jiffy ~

This is true for me at least. Why concentrate in the past, right? When I sleep, all negative feelings dissipate like steam out of my nostrils. I become a dragon, sleeping blissfully and holding only onto treasures. When I wake, I am surrounded by rubies and diamonds.... 

I thought this is the perfect time to start a journal blog, since it is the first day of spring. Each happy day brings another joy into my life. Yesterday, I died, no. Dyed. my hair. It's  burgundy brown, with a faint tinge of purple. I looked in the mirror this morning and found my hair so lusciously flowing down and creating a nice curve at the ends. Sometimes I feel what all girls feel when they look into the mirror--that a good hair day is correlated to having a good day in general. I think this is true only by association. I am happy, and therefore will see everything in a happy way. Simple as that. Waking up with a great hair shape makes me feel renewed. It works better than coffee on some days. I'm slowly acknowledging my mid-fledged addiction to caffeine. Don't expect a full confession though.

Winter quarter just passed, and I had some major breakthroughs. fact, I traveled to the the North-est (if that's a word) I've ever been! It was quite exciting. In exchange, I gave up going to a class field trip with James Franco to Disneyland. 

If there's anything I learned from his class, it is to be brave and take all of life's opportunities. Ultimately, that is what he wants us to do. And I am not afraid of that challenge.

My first trip was within my home state of California... San Francisco, home of the Giants! I might have left my heart in San Francisco. It is clean, cut, well-organized, and something like the sweet dessert of cities. Its sprinkles of attractions are sure enticing to the eye, great to taste, do not disappoint. The frosting of bustling people was an interesting addition to me, an los Angeleno who is quite used to space. The cupcake itself--SF's many diversified districts--was quite delicious. I enjoyed every crook and cranny. At Chinatown, I met some interesting people who I conversed with in Cantonese. You have no idea how strange it was to just speak with a random person off the street with a tongue you usually only use with your intimate family members. Well, perhaps you do have that experience, but it is all strange to me!

My second trip was further East, in the great state of Massachusetts. I really liked Boston, despite its cold. I had no idea what to expect, since I have never been to somewhere that snows on the regular. To be honest, I felt quite at home there. Despite tiresome towing of my luggage in wet slushy snow across Fenway Park upon first arrival, I found myself falling in love with Boston. The night life near the Prudential building, nicknamed "the Pru" by everyone, is so fun! I also experienced my first snowflake there so this warrants for a little bias. 

My longest stay was in New York. I was very sad to find out that the statue of liberty is closed indefinitely. A few days ago, I read in the NY times that it will reopen this year July 4th. What a great day to open Lady America!

It's officially spring, I have a new hair do, what more can I girl ask for? After all that travel and good food, I think I've broken  my old work-hard habit. It's time to get back into work, even though it's spring break! The only way to make myself busy is through spurts of vacation, and longer spurts of work. Anyway, I have Vegas to look forward to. So until next time, keep your rose-tinted glasses on, America!