Finding my sound (s)

Colin O’Donohoe
Artistic Director for

www.pangeanorchestra.com

Personal site:

www.donohoemusic.com

 

 

What is my sound??

 

For the length of my career as a musician I’ve always had projects and interests in various styles of music. I enjoy classical music and have written for some amazingly talented cellists. I love conducting and leading Pangean Orchestra (www.pangeanorchestra.com) which is a phenomenal group of world musicians. I’ve written country songs, pop songs, electronica, rock songs, jazz songs, choir stuff, etc etc.

 

I don’t want to apologize for liking popular styles to my classical fans, and don’t want to frustrate fans of my modern albums with my classical things.

 

My struggle in all this is how or what am I as a product. It is hard to ask people to follow me if my music isn’t predictable to my fans. If my fans love my classical or world stuff but hate my electronic stuff than it can be fatiguing for them to follow me. They don’t know when I’m writing what they like or when I’m experimenting with my turntable again.

Am I my own label? Am I 5 musician/bands trapped in one mind? Should I make a band for each persona?

Does anyone else face this dilemma? I’m sure you do. I’d love to hear the thoughts of my readers as to their ideas on how to tackle this issue. I’m going to continue writing music and performing music in many styles so I need to find the best way to let the part of my audience that likes that style know when I’ve got new stuff for them while not wasting their time having ‘em check out my new classical thing when that is not their bag at all.

So, any thoughts or suggestions? Feel free to post or email me.

Thanks for reading!

Colin

 

Music by Colin O’Donohoe can be found at

www.donohoemusic.com

Pangean Orchestra interviews guest leader: Jacob Adler

For all fans of Pangean, I’ve place the interview here. I wasn’t able to find a “notes” section on facebook.

BTW – you really should follow Pangean Orchestra on facebook to stay current on all things Pangean:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pangean-Orchestra/178897032533

- -

So, here’s the interview with our amazing guest artist.

Special guest Jacob Adler will direct the Pangean Orchestra at the ifest!

On Sunday evening at 8 pm The Pangean Orchestra will perform under the leadership of Jacob Adler. Jacob is an active composer, teacher, and performer in Phoenix, and he has been performing with Pangean since the beginning. In a very special performance, Jacob will now take the stage as the group’s director. TPO thought it would be fun to interview him in advance.

TPO: Jacob, what first interested you in performing with us?

JA: It was an opportunity to make music with a group of talented musicians from around the world. Where else could I share a stage with a santour, sarod, rabab, tabla, pipa, pedal steel guitar, and bagpipes?

TPO: What do you think will be different in this Sunday’s performance to fans familiar with our group?

JA: The Ifest concert will feature all new music, each piece written by a different member of the ensemble. The program developed as a collaboration during the rehearsal process, each player contributing their ideas to create a unique sound. The TPO is a vast collective of world musicians, and a new constellation of performers have come together for the Ifest.

TPO: What is your goal as director of the Orchestra for the Ifest?

JA:  Mike Tyson said, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. My main role is to facilitate rehearsals, which is a forum for creativity and communication. The ensemble consists of highly talented individuals who know how to unite as a single organism.

TPO: A little bird told us you teach Carnatic rhythms, how did you get to be so knowledgeable on this subject?

JA: I studied Carnatic rhythm and its application to contemporary classical music and improvisation at the Amsterdam Conservatory. I teach this subject privately and at ASU; my next rhythm workshop will be in NY on June 12. What I do is demonstrate simple tools for performing complex time proportions and ratio relationships – these can be applied to any style of music and any instrument.

TPO: Do you have a favorite project/group outside of Pangean that you’re involved with? Can you tell us about it?

JA: My wife, Ilona, and I create music under the name Zeelab, which began at the edge of the North Sea. The windy shores of Zandvoort aan Zee became for us an inspiring environment in which to discuss and develop new musical ideas and questions: how can biological growth and fractal integer sequences be expressed in sound? what does the 17th century Stylus Fantasticus performance practice sound like on a hammond organ? how can the overwhelming ecstatic drone experience bring communities together? Armed with pipe organs, pianos, synthesizers, and laptops, Zeelab continues to explore the sonic universe in a wide variety of spaces. We are collaborating with the Iktus percussion quartet in concert at the Issue Project Room in NY on June 9. Recordings can be heard here: http://zeelab.bandcamp.com

TPO: Who’d win in a fight – Thor, Iron Man, or Papa Smurf?

JA: You know, I had a funny dream last night about conducting the TPO. The musicians wouldn’t listen to reason, and against all good taste they decided to perform Frescobaldi Passacaglias with car horns from under the hood of a Camry while being driven recklessly around a Tempe strip mall. Maybe for the next concert.

Thank you Jacob! We’ll see you all Sunday at 8pm at the AZ ifest.

A recording from every country on the planet

Project 196
I’m currently working on Pangean Orchestra’s first CD alongside master producer Kevin Essar. After an amazing recording session last friday I found myself pondering a question….

“How hard would it be to get a recording from every country in the world?”

The Pangean Orchestra in addition to performing live aspires to license music on film/tv/and any other media outlet created or soon to be created. One thing that I feel would make our orchestra’s offering incredible is if we were able to have at least one recording from every country on the planet.

We could utilize “honorary Pangeans” to join our catalog and try to get to the staggering goal. We can provide a link to every musician and they’re country on our website. How cool would it be if we were able to tell people we had a recording from all 196 countries in the planet.

I realize that many countries are diverse and contain within them many cultures. I’m not going to aim for a song from every culture on the planet…. yet.
I want to get a list of 196 countries, make a check box, and then figure out how are we going to do one recording from each.

Let the critics come and tell me that I got a song from the mountains and that doesn’t really reflect the majority of the country or that I got something from the north and not the south or….  I’m ready for criticism on this front. I just want to see if we can get it done.

Any ideas? Want to help? send me an email at
codonohoe72  – at – gmail dot com

By contributing my own song I’ve already gotten more than half a percent done. On Friday we had Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq represented.  4 down and 192 more to go.
Wish me luck
Colin

Sneak previews of our orchestra’s upcoming movie: http://vimeo.com/channels/immigrantorchestra
Turn off HD if you have trouble viewing it

How I approach a new year

I love the new year. It is a great time to reflect on a years worth of work, self evaluate, and plan ahead. I also try to stop a couple of times a year and do this. If you think about businesses they break the year down by quarter and I think this is great to do personally as well. You can self correct at any time.

The way I see it you need to look at the following:
Financial Position – this is so crucial!! List out your assets and liabilities and see if you are positive or negative for net worth. Either way, are you moving up or down from year to year. If you want advice on how to do this send me an email or phone call. I don’t mind helping you out.  This is the one absolute MUST for every January. You have to know your finances and be on top of it. IT MATTERS!!!!!!

After this I then look at the past year. Was I successful in my ventures? Did I fail? Why did it succeed or why did it fail? This is the time where you have to be brutally honest with yourself. If something failed, don’t ignore it. Don’t abuse yourself, but find out why it failed and what you could’ve/should’ve done.

Think about 2011 now. What one thing would make 2011 unbelievable? What would make this the best year ever? Do that! Seriously, do it. Find out how it is possible. Life is too short and there are no good excuses.

ok, so you have your one dream for 2011. What other goals are cooking in your head? What are you hoping to get done? Write those down too and how you’ll get them done. If you don’t know how to get them done, what things will atleast move you towarads it.

Write all this down. After you have these goals, you must write out concrete steps. If you have only one step, that’s fine as long as you know that is only the first step.

Now, put these steps in your immediate future!!!! If it is “Call Tony and ask how he….” or “buy ticket to seminar on….” or “buy book of…”
Go do it today or asap.

Don’t let the year slip away. Write down goals and then put reminders in your google calendar or other place that will email you to check up on yourself. It is best to look back monthly to check yourself.
Now, go make 2011 amazing!!!!
Happy New Year,
Colin

music of Colin O’Donohoe
www.donohoemusic.com

Music of The Pangean Orchestra
www.pangeanorchestra.com
Amazing documentary of The Pangean Orchestra
http://vimeo.com/channels/immigrantorchestra (Turn HD off if it skips)

Finish 2010 strong!

Finishing Strong

I’m always happy in January to look at the past year and look ahead to the next to plan big things. However, I also feel that you do not want to give up on a year ever. So, I have been looking at the last two weeks like the last leg of a long race. You want to push hard to the end.

I’m a musician and so I’ve been spending the last part of the year writing more music than normal. I’m trying hard to be productive at the end of this year. Once ’11 comes around I’m hoping to use the momentum built from ’10 and be even more successful.

What can you do in the last remaining days of ’10 to begin 11 with a leg up? I realize that I’m writing this blog a little late, hey, I’ve been busy finishing strong! However, what about using these last two days to plan ahead and hit ’11 on day 1 with a head of steam.

Whatever you do, don’t give up on ’10. It might have been a great year or a terrible year for you but it isn’t over yet. Finish strong and do something that will help you. Run a mile today, workout, begin your diet…. so something and finish strong!

Happy New Year!
Colin

Pangean Orchestra
www.pangeanorchestra.com

www.donohoemusic.com

I need to write what I’m afraid to write

Write what you’re afraid to write -

As a composer it is hard to write things that mean too much or are from too deep a place. It is scary because you know the entire time you write it that it will be heard. It will be heard by someone, a friend, teacher, former teacher, parent, stranger, spouse, or often harsh imaginary crabby old judge. You know (or think you know) exactly where they’ll pick apart what you just wrote. It’s always harsh.
why is it so… pop, dark, feminine, slow, fast, weird, mean, happy, amateur, bad
why did you write it for solo accordion?
Hey, there’s too many parallel fifths
It’s ALL parallel fifths
People won’t like this because…
Your singer sounds whiney…
It needs a modulation….

Further, any criticism of the song just gets translated mentally into criticism about you personally. Since artists often see art as an extension of themselves it feels as though the criticism is about your soul rather than a piece of music you made at one point in time.

The risk seems greater than the reward so why bother? Why not just write things that are safe and that you know someone will just be indifferent about? Indifference is much easier to handle than emotionally charged reactions. Indifference kills great art and nurtures mediocrity.

For the past decade I’ve detached myself from my writing by writing things that I first created a purpose for. I put a destination out there and then wrote about it. I never just thought about writing music that was naturally occurring from within. In some ways that was effectively squelching creativity by putting a hand over the artistic pipeline.

The music may end up being too simple, too boring, to0 club house dance remixy The truth is, I don’t know what it is I’ve been protecting myself from. I have decided yesterday that I am going to go in full force and find out. It may be that I have to dig a while and out comes half imagined works of art. If I keep digging I should be able to find my way back to the center and release the music that I’ve been hiding from.

It might only entertain me, but at least it will be free.

I can’t promise that I’ll ever even release it or share it on facebook. That is a decision I’ll have to make when the time presents itself.

Until then, I have to grab a shovel and start digging towards the center.
Wish me luck
Colin

www.donohoemusic.com

www.pangeanorchestra.com

Sneak previews of our orchestra’s upcoming movie: http://vimeo.com/channels/immigrantorchestra (Turn HD off if it doesn’t play well)

Last Night’s Concert

Looking for Words….

The Pangean Orchestra put on an incredible concert last night at Doc’s Place in Phoenix. It was a great time and the audience was so wonderful. We performed in a restaurant which would typically be loud with conversations from several people. This night was so different as the guests were all quiet for the music.

The concert amazed me in so many ways. I’m not sure how exactly to write about it so this blog is a search for the write words to describe the show and my feelings about it.

Our orchestra is comprised of individuals from all corners of the globe. We have instruments you may recognize immediately like electric guitar sharing stage with a rabab. This concert was a variety show in that each piece of music was a demonstration of what each person or group does best.

The concert began with a spoken word performance with didgeridu and poet. The night ended with Cosmos (mediterranean fusion), Polynesian/Hawaiian songs, and then a big drum ensemble extravaganza. Sandwiched in between were:

• Ken Koshio performing Japanese music, Taiko, and his own song.
• Tierra del Fuego -Traditional American Country music (the real stuff, not Taylor Swift)
• Lai Ma Gates – Incredible Pipa solo
• Ali Kamil – Virtuosic Iraqi Qanun solo
• Kevin Qais Essar and Daniel Hirtz Rabab and Tabla -performing a late evening raga which was dazzling to experience.
• Irish music performed by dear friends I met at Fibber Magee’s. No concert is complete without an Aire by Tom Connor and some festive Jigs right?
• Jacob Adler performing on Tsimbl and manning our sound. He did amazing on both.
• Jugalbundi – Jugalbundying it up on a tango. What is Jugalbundi? Why it is French Horn, Rabab, and me on percussion.
• Saman Mahmoudi performing wonderful music on his Santour

In addition to the groups who kicked it off and close it. If you missed it, I am so sorry. I had reservations about how it would go, would people come, would people enjoy it, would anyone yell out a request for “Free Bird”….

However, the night went as perfect as you could hope. Rose French and Kevin Essar were the real force behind making sure this concert happened. As I said I was a little reserved about it but they really made sure we forge ahead with it.

I’m still looking for the right way to describe the show. When I find it I’ll be sure to put it in the blog.
Until then,
get on Pangean Orchestra’s mailing list and come to the next performance, it is incredible!!  www.pangeanorchestra.com

Colin O’Donohoe
Artistic Director
Pangean Orchestra
www.pangeanorchestra.com

Thanksgiving 2010

I’m not sure how my wife and I got started in our Thanksgiving tradition but I’m very happy that we did. Ever since I can remember (I’m old and the memory is the 2nd thing to go, I can’t remember what the 1st is) we have invited in friends who were either; recent immigrants and didn’t do Thanksgiving, or stranded Americans who had to be away from their family, and asked them to celebrate with us.

 

We have always ended up having an amazing party atmosphere. I admit many of the friends were also musicians and so jam sessions break out pretty routinely. It hasn’t always been music though and who ever has come in the past has given us much more then the few extra portions and turkey we gave them.

 

Thanksgiving is an idea. It is a beautiful idea. It is a time when you can welcome in anyone, sit down at a familial table, and rejoice. It is the idea that two opposing sides can sit down and eat with one another. Preparing food and eating are sacred things. There are few things so intimate that can be shared amongst a group.

 

It can be argued forever about the historical accuracy of a big happy meeting between Pilgrims and Indians. Did they really come together and have a big meal? I’ve heard people passionately speak about the 1st thanksgiving from both sides. Even if the first thanksgiving were to be a true as flying reindeer, it is amazing.

 

I hope that all of you reading have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I encourage you to fill any unused seats at your table with someone deciding between microwave pizza or microwave burrito’s to eat while watching a tivo’d “Glee” tomorrow.

Have a great day and “Thanks” for reading.

 

Sincerely,

Colin

Colin O’Donohoe
The Pangean Orchestra
www.pangeanorchestra.com

Last concert of 2010 tickets on sale for $10!!
http://vimeo.com/channels/immigrantorchestra

 

 

 

Prep for our next concert

Dear Readers,

I’d like to take this blog to invite you all to my orchestra’s last concert of 2010. What we are doing this time is very different than our last couple concerts. This time we are in a very intimate setting and all performances are small group or solo pieces.

You get a glimpse into several different cultures music. Within the span of one evening you hear genuine authentic Arab music, Chinese music, Irish, Japanese, Afghan, Greek, Country and so much more.

I sometimes do take for granted the fact that I’m friends with such diverse musicians. This is your chance to hear and see what I get to work with and for daily.

It is also an evening where the Pangean Orchestra hopes to raise funds for the 2011 performances.

Please come with an open mind and an open heart, we promise to fill them both with love and splendor!!

Now for the ask
Purchase your tickets right now and don’t wait. Seating is very limited and it will sell out.

Our next big event is scheduled!

Sunday, Dec 5th 6pm
TICKETS ONLY $10
Doc’s Place
40 E Camelback Rd # 102, Phoenix
Sunday evening 6-8 pm.

Tickets on sale now at our website. But Tickets Here! (site is a little slow to load, we’re working on that I promise!)

 

 

Immigration interview!

I’m going to be taking a small break from blogging and return by mid-November.

Meantime – Please read a controversial interview with me about immigration at:

http://www.ourblook.com/Immigration-Reform/Colin-O-Donohoe-on-Immigration.html

Do you agree/disagree? No doubt you have an opinion.

-

I’m thrilled to begin learning how to play the Daf. I heard it played live for the first time last week so I went out and bought one. I’m putting all efforts for the short term into getting a grasp of this magical drum.

I will ten be headed to Los Angeles for about a week. It’ll be hard to give you my full blogging best.

I will return in 2 weeks, promise!

Colin

ps – in the meantime check out the video if you haven’t already (turn off HD if the vid is choppy)

http://vimeo.com/channels/immigrantorchestra