Are you curious to learn what it's like to be a conductor? Here's where you can learn a little bit about Keith. Each month he will respond to your questions. Click on the email address below and send in your question, then check back on this page to see if yours was one of the questions he answered. Ask Keith today: AskKeith@KeithLockhart.com.
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July - 2008
George C.
Hi Keith, I've noticed that when performed on July 4 the "1812 Overture" is several minutes shorter than it is on several recordings, including the CD "A Splash of Pops." I was just wondering how and why the piece is shortened for the July 4 performance on the Esplanade?
Keith Lockhart
You're very perceptive! There is a short "cut" in the music (which removes about 2 minutes) that is frequently taken in live performance of the 1812 Overture, especially in pops concert situations like the 4th of July concert. At the Pops, we always perform it with the cut because, otherwise, we wouldn't be able to fit as much other material onto the concert! When recording, though, we thought it important, for "authenticity," to include the entire work.
Ben S.
Hi, Keith, I noticed occasionally conductors will conduct a second or two ahead of the orchestra (I think you did it once or twice on the July 3rd concert). So a conductor will show a beat, and then the orchestra plays that beat a second or two later while the conductor has already moved on. So why is this done, and how can someone conduct "ahead" of the orchestra yet listen to what the orchestra is playing at the same time without having your head explode?
Keith Lockhart
Interesting question and an astute observation! Some orchestras have a collective response time that is considerably behind the beat of the conductor. In many European orchestras, this delay is quite pronounced. American orchestras tend to play closer to the beat, though some of the greatest (like Boston) have a pretty considerable delay. The amount of distance between gesture and response varies based on what the conductor asks for, the nature of his/her beat, and the requirements of the music. If the music is fast and rhythmically complex, the response tends to move closer to the beat, because the delay is confusing for everyone. In lyrical, slow, emotive music, though, the delay tends to increase. When you're a young conductor, this difference in response can really throw you off.
You eventually learn to disconnect what you are indicating from what you are hearing at the same moment...conducting, after all, is about doing things before the sound happens.
What you heard/saw on the 4th of July could have well been some of this but also, depending on where you were sitting, a function of the sound system. There is considerable delay in large, outdoor venues between what you see and what you hear. Our sound system allows for that delay digitally, so that you don't hear the sound from the speakers, followed by the live sound from the stage, which would get really annoying after a while!
Kenneth D.
I can understand your passion for music but what truly inspires you and what instruments do you play?
Keith Lockhart
Music inspires me, not so much in and of itself, but because of the reactions and emotional response it invokes in those who are exposed to it. It is an art form unlike any other: people from all different walks of life, nationalities, backgrounds, can listen to the same piece and be brought to tears, all without any knowledge of the composer, his emotional state, background, or cultural influences. I love being associated with such a powerful force.
My primary performance medium is piano (I studied through college, and still play on occasion). My orchestral background is as a clarinetist (an instrument I also studied through college, taught and performed on through my twenties). I have also played some sax and flute professionally. In my quest to know as much as I can about the people I work with, I have also studied violin and viola, percussion, and some other orchestral instruments...but not enough to say that I "play" them.
Gerry K.
How much rehearsal time did you have for the July 4th concert with Rascal Flatts and Craig Ferguson?
Keith Lockhart
We met with Rascal Flatts on the morning of July 3rd. After a rather extensive sound check, we rehearsed with them for about half an hour. Then, we had the "dress rehearsal" performance on the night of the 3rd to iron out any wrinkles. Craig came in on the evening of the 3rd, and rehearsed his M.C. work in preparation for the 4th. We expect everyone to be pros, and getting it right the first time is a necessity in this business!
Betsy M.
Hello, How much influence do you personally have in the selection of music and guests on the 4th of July televised concert?
Keith Lockhart
The musical selections performed on the program are mostly my responsibility, with input from my Director of Artistic Programming, Dennis Alves and his assistant, Margo Saulnier. The guest artist selection is mostly in the hands of the network (CBS), though we have veto power if we feel that their proposed artists are not a good "fit" with the Pops.
Gary M.
Dear Maestro Keith Lockhart, my wife and I enjoyed your 4th of July show. It was marvelous. Yourself and the musicians are always world class! I work with a violinist on the weekends strolling in an Italian restaurant. I noticed that the orchestra played, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." I've tried to order it through a music store and through sheet music plus but have been unsuccessful. Would you happen to have a copy for, piano, guitar or accordion? I've had requests for it. This has been a tough one. Your help would be great. Thank you.
Keith Lockhart
As far as I know, there is no published sheet music to "I'm Shipping Up to Boston." To make our arrangement (with the Drop Kick Murphy's permission), our arranger listened to their recording, and "took down" the tune and harmonies.
Kate M.
Hi, Do you have a program listing the music performed as well as the performers from the 4th of July? We loved the performance - watching from home!
Keith Lockhart
In the local broadcast portion of the show, we played Leonard Bernstein's "Mambo" from West Side Story and the Overture to his Candide. We accompanied Katie Mahew, who sang "Being Alive" from Stephen Sondheim's musical Company. We performed a tribute to baseball and the Red Sox, featuring a narrated arrangement of "Casey at the Bat," as well as Sousa's "The National Game" March, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," "Sweet Caroline," and the Drop Kick Murphy's "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," with dancers from the Forbes School of Irish Dance. After Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, the show went national, with two numbers with the band Rascal Flatts ("Life is a Highway" and "Every Day"), as well as our traditional patriotic sing-along and Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever."
Helen B.
What is your favorite part of the July 4th concert?
Keith Lockhart
That varies from year to year. This year, I really enjoyed being able to play some of the great music of Leonard Bernstein during the first part of the show. I also thought our winning high school vocalist was amazing. 1812 and The Stars and Stripes Forever are always fun, mostly because of the audience reaction.
Gail P.
What are some of your favorite books about music?
Keith Lockhart
"This is Your Brain on Music" by Dan Levitin is a fascinating study of why, neurologically, music affects us the way it does. "What to Listen for in Music" by Aaron Copland is a great primer. Hector Berlioz's "Memoirs" are the most entertaining autobiographical words I know by a musician. And I just finished reading a wonderful novel by Ann Patchett, called "Bel Canto," which captures some of the indescribable beauty and passion that stems from musical performance.
Valerie H.
Hi Keith, by any chance are you and the Pops ever planning to come down to the Jacksonville, St. Augustine, FL area in the near future?
Keith Lockhart
We're going to Florida in March, 2009. We'll be in Orlando on the 8th, Naples on the 9th, Sarasota on the 10th, Ft Lauderdale on the 11th, Daytona on the 13th, Vero Beach on the 14th, West Palm Beach on the 15th, and Clearwater on the 16th. Hope one of these is close enough for you to come and see us!
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