M o u t h p i e c e. November Conductor Frances Feldon. the. E a st Bay Recorde r Socie ty. Vol. 18 No. 3.

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1 the E a st Bay Recorde r Socie ty M o u t h p i e c e Vol. 18 No. 3 November 2014 Monthly Chapter Meeting Friday, November 7, :30 pm to 10:00 pm Zion Lutheran Church, 5201 Park Blvd., Oakland, CA. Drawing by Bob Dawson If your name begins with A-L, please bring a snack for break, if possible. Everyone, bring a music stand, a pencil, and instruments (SATB and lower if you have them). Please arrive in time to set up and be ready to play at 7:30. November Conductor Frances Feldon

2 The EBRS November chapter meeting will be an appreciation of water, which is in such short supply in California during these days of drought. We will enjoy selections from Handel's beloved Water Musick, composed for a barge party on the River Thames. Lesser known, but just as compelling, is G.P. Telemann's musical depiction of water deities and rushing tides in the music from the Tempest scene of his Hamburger Ebb und Fluth. Finally, we will also thrill to an exciting musical storm from Marin Marais tragedy Alcyone. Frances Feldon is quite sure she was a troubadour in a former life; in her present existence, she performs on baroque flute and recorder, and is a conductor, educator, and arranger. She has performed with American Bach Soloists, California Bach Society, Sonoma Bach, Ensemble Mirabile, and in conjunction with the Berkeley Early Music Festival. Ms. Feldon was a recipient of the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology recorder residency. She is music director of the baroque/contemporary chamber music ensemble Flauti Diversi, and principal conductor of The Barbary Coast Recorder Orchestra. She teaches recorder and baroque flute privately, at the Albany (CA) Adult School, is a regular conductor and faculty member at recorder workshops throughout North America, and has also taught at UC Davis, Indiana University and The Greenwood School in Mill Valley, CA. She directed the San Francisco Early Music Society's Recorder Workshop for nearly twenty years. Ms. Feldon conducted her recorder orchestra arrangements of Gershwin and Ellington classics at the international recorder festival "Les Journées de la Flute à Bec" (Montreal) and again at the International Congress of Recorder Orchestras (Holland). She writes about jazz and pop recorder players for American Recorder. Dr. Feldon received a Doctor of Music in collegium directing at Indiana University s Early Music Institute with a thesis on musical rhetoric and vibrato in France from Ms. Feldon recently recorded Boismortier s complete Opus 37 trio sonatas for baroque flute, viola da gamba and chamber organ. She is currently having a blast studying with jazz composer/saxophonist Kasey Knudsen and Arabic music with Jordanian oud master Omar Khadif. Look for her concert with an Arabic ensemble at the California Conservatory of Jazz (formerly the Jazzschool) of medieval instrumental dances and Arabic tunes on January 11, Blue Guitar Troubadour Painting by Marcio Melo

3 Dear Members, The EBRS Board has decided to continue encouraging SFEMS to bring more recorder music to their lineup by buying two tickets to every recorder concert. Their November 22 concert features Daphna Mor and Nina Stern, both world-class recorder players, along with other members of the group East of the River. At the November meeting we ll hold a drawing for the two tickets. You do need to be present to win. The group will be playing medieval music of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Armenia and the Middle East. It s sure to be a crowd-pleasing concert. Here are a couple of reminders: It s time to renew your membership. If you want your name in the directory that gets sent to members in December, sign up now. Keep March 29, 2015 in mind. It is the date for our member s recital. It s not too early to begin preparing. Remember to set your clocks back on November 2. Winter is fast on its way. Susan Jaffe, President.

4 WE NEED WATER A few months ago Dr. Noa Kageyama wrote about the need for musicians to drink plenty of water during practice and performance. Following is an excerpt from his blog. We ve all been told how important it is to stay properly hydrated. So is staying hydrated actually worth the effort when it comes to practicing more effectively and performing better when it matters? Levels of dehydration We know that severe dehydration defined as a loss of body water of more than 5% can be pretty serious. Serious, as in delirium, unconsciousness, and even death. But that s not very typical, and is going to take way more than playing even the longest symphony ever (Havergal Brian s Symphony No. 1 The Gothic ), which clocks in at almost 2 hours. Reaching a state of mild (1%-2%) or moderate (2%-5%) dehydration on the other hand, is pretty easy, and can occur in the course of a normal day s activities. We don t really start getting thirsty until we have lost 1%-2% of our body water, so many of us are probably mildly dehydrated for at least part of each day. Mild/moderate dehydration and physical performance When it comes to classic athletic indicators like strength, power, and speed, it s been estimated from the results of a variety of studies that a 2% loss of body water can result in a 20% decline in performance. On the other hand, the impact of mild to moderate dehydration on one s cognitive performance is likely to be of interest to musicians across the board. Dehydration and cognitive performance Cognitive performance can be tricky to measure, but researchers have found several things that are intriguing and relevant to musicians. Attention At 1%-2% dehydration, there doesn t seem to be much of a drop in performance on tasks testing our ability to pay attention. Go beyond 2%, however, and performance does begin to drop. Motor skills Losing 2% or more of body water also has an impact on motor functioning. A study of cricket players found that at 2.8% dehydration, the velocity of their deliveries remained the same, but the accuracy of the line and length of their bowls was reduced by 15%. A study of golfers found that at 2% loss of body water, shot distance decreased from an average of meters to meters. But more

5 importantly, shot accuracy degraded from an average of 4.1 meters from the intended target to 7.9 meters from target. likely to bonk and start seeing your performance decline sooner than someone who is better hydrated. Mood Other studies have also found losses of around 2% of body water to contribute to headaches, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue as well all of which would make it more difficult to be productive in the practice room and at one s best on stage. Effort Perhaps the most intriguing finding comes from a recent King s College London study, where researchers compared the brain activity and cognitive performance of 10 participants when properly hydrated and then in a dehydrated state. It s kind of silly to make ourselves work harder when a drink of water can make things a bit easier on our poor overworked brain. Take action So, the next time you have a headache, are feeling tired, cranky, or just not in the mood to practice, go drink a glass of water, maybe even add a minute power nap, and see how that changes things. On the surface, being dehydrated didn t seem to matter much. The participants performed a test of executive functioning called the Tower of London and being dehydrated did not have a significant impact on performance. However, having to perform the test when dehydrated led to a marked increase in neural effort in a part of the brain which is known to be required for complex thinking. In other words, when dehydrated, the participants brains had to work harder to achieve the same level of performance as when they were hydrated. The implication being, given that energy and willpower is a limited resource, you are more

6 UPCOMING EVENTS MUSICA PACIFICA EAST OF THE RIVER Judith Linsenberg, recorders; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin; Kevin Cooper, guitar; Katherine Heater, harpsichord; David Morris, bass viol Daphna Mor and Nina Stern, recorder, ney and chalumeau; Tamer Pinarbasi, kanun; Jesse Kotansky, violin; Shane Shanahan, percussion For the first concert in our 6 th regular season we are delighted to be able to present the West Coast s most eminent early music group: Musica Pacifica. They will be playing a concert entitled In the Gardens of Spain, a colorful array of delicate passacalles, brilliant sonatas and vibrant dances from Baroque-era Spain and its territories. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2014, 6:00 pm St. Mark s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley Tickets $15 general, $13 seniors/students/ SFEMS members, 18 and under admitted free and welcome. Levantera Medieval music of the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Armenia and the Middle East, exploring the earliest songs of those extraordinary cultures, together with their traditional dances a fascinating and beautiful repertory the origins of which go back centuries and much of which is little known to today s audiences. XXXXXX SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 7:30 pm St. John s Presbyterian Church 2727 College Ave at Garber, Berkeley Tickets at the door or reserve online (recommended) at event/ SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 4:00 pm St. Mark s Lutheran Church 1111 O Farrell Street at Gough, San Francisco Buy Tickets

7 January Events UPCOMING EVENTS Flauti Diversi Frances Feldon, recorders, medieval flute; Peter Maund, percussion; Sarah Michael, qanun/tarhu; Gary Haggerty, oud/ tarhu; Karolyn Stonefelt, percussion; Roy Whelden, vielle. Flauti Diversi will perform a program combining medieval instrumental dance music and traditional classical Arabic music on early instruments at the California Jazz Conservatory, 2087 Addison, Berkeley. January 11, 2015 Save the Date details soon MPRO Workshop with Adam Gilbert On January 31, 2015 the Mid-Peninsula Recorder Orchestra (MPRO) will present a workshop directed by Adam Gilbert. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 330 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park. Contact Fred Palmer for more information.

8 Photo by Patricia Wheeler Recipe from the September Sonoma County Recorder Society Workshop This is from Nina Simmonds Asian Noodles. Chinese Peanut Dressing One 1/2" slice fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half 8 cloves of garlic peeled 1 tsp. hot chili paste, or more to taste 1/2 cup smooth peanut better 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 1/2 tbsp. sugar 3 1/2 tbsp. Chinese black vinegar ( or Worcestershire sauce) 3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil 5 tbsp. chicken broth or water. Add more for a thinner sauce. Place ginger and garlic in food processor and finely chop. Add remaining ingredients in the order listed and process until smooth. If too thick add more water or stock. If too thin add more peanut butter. Will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in a covered container in the refrigerator. Glad all had a good time. We certainly enjoyed ourselves also. Dan Lapsansky A great workshop with David Morris and lunch with fellow players.

9 EBRS Monthly Meetings At Zion Lutheran Church East Bay Recorder Teachers David Barnett November 7 December 5 January 3 Frances Feldon Tish Berlin Shira Kammen Letitia Berlin Tom Bickley tbickley/ (Twelfth Night Celebration at Hillside Community Church in El Cerrito, 2:30 pm with potluck following.) Frances Blaker February 6 March 6 April 10 May 1 June 5 Frances Blaker Judy Linsenberg Louise Carslake David Morris Andrew Levy Louise Carslake Frances Feldon Judy Linsenberg Hanneke van Proosdij

10 EBRS Board of Directors President: Susan Jaffe Treasurer and Electronic Distribution: Susan Merrill Conductor Locator: Rachel Bradley Newsletter Editor and Producer: Carol Coon Chapter Meeting Music: Linda Skory Webmaster: Suzanne Siebert Headlands Committee: Glen Shannon (Coordinator), Merlyn Katechis (Registration), Bill Stewart (Contract), Patricia Wheeler (Publicity) Publicity/Librarian/Composer-in-Residence: Glen Shannon Member Performances: Cindy Keune Annual Workshop: Cindy Keune and Jody Harcourt Hospitality: Anna Lisa Kronman, Ray White, Brenda Bailey Members at Large: Britt Ascher, Kathy Cochran, Brenda Bailey The Mouthpiece is published by the East Bay Recorder Society. EBRS is a chapter of the American Recorder Society and an affiliate of the San Francisco Early Music Society. Please send information and photos for newsletter consideration to Carol Coon at ccoon.wildwood5@att.net The deadline for the December issue is November 15