In case you have been wondering...

If you have been reading my blog lately (which you probably haven't given my posting frequency), you might be wondering to yourself, "the silent 'h' in Zach has been a little too silent lately. What's going on in his world?" Sometimes I even wonder about the same thing.

The biggest, life-changing event of the recent past has been the birth of my baby girl. She is now 5 months old, in case you were wondering.

5 months! How did that happen? She is the cutest and happiest little person I know. She is also channeling her little dinosaur friend's energy this Halloween (tomorrow).

I'm breezing through the last several months. Anyone that feels they need more info, just hold tight and I'll try and keep you more updated. Besides, there will definitely be more things to come about with this little dino.

This Fall, my wife, 11-week old girl and I bravely moved down to Arizona. I started a DMA in Composition at the University of Arizona. It has been a while since I have been completely immersed in musical activities. I jumped on the Electroacoustic music class in my first semester and have loved getting back into this unique musical and compositional world. Below is a quick, little music concrete piece that I composed. Enjoy!

Book on Tape Worm

A few months back, I had the opportunity to record some horn parts for a local band called Book on Tape Worm. It was a fun experience and I love doing that kind of stuff. Just recently, they put out a video on the website to promote their new album. The video features many moments in their journey to create an album. It's a really nice video and it shows me for 2 seconds of the 3 minutes and 29 seconds recording! How awesome is that?

Here it is! Watch it!

I am spotted playing my horn at 2 minutes and 9 seconds.

I feel so cool being in a music video.

Back to School: Take Two

The second first day of school was a lot like the first first day of school. Only this time, I leaned a little more into it.

I think it's going to be a great semester.

Back to School

Check off the first-day-of-school box.

Check off the first-day-of-teaching box.

Oh wait... They're the same box.

Sight Singing hasn't seen anything like this before.

Brace yourself Music Dictation.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Friday the 13th

Well, this was the best part of my day. I'm really digging Handel lately. I never really gave him much credit for his amazing music.

Thank you Friday the 13th for living up to your reputation. It's a good thing that tomorrow is a new day.

String Quartet

I just recently found a recording of my String Quartet #1 that I thought I never had. It was performed a while ago at a student composition recital on November 3, 2010, probably the most stressful recital for me ever. My senior recital wasn't even this stressful.

The day before, I knew that my piece was being performed at the recital. The main problem was that I still wasn't sure who was going to be playing it. I had been through more than ten different string players in the previous weeks trying to get ready for the recital and watched them all disappear like rain drops in a river. I finally managed to nail down four string players the day of that weren't going to back out on me.

I rehearsed with them most of the day. I became frustrated to no end and was sure that I was going to pull my piece from the program. Part of it was my fault. The piece was quite difficult, especially the first movement. There is so much independence of line and tight counterpoint that it was practically impossible to put together hours before the recital. However, my players came through and did the best that anyone could have done in their situation.

If you'd like to take a listen, head over to the 'compositions' tab to the right and enjoy!

Where the Magic Happens

I have been on the fence for a while now regarding my own website. I thought that it would be a good idea but I always hated maintaining it, especially since I had a blog (and I love my blog). I can do everything on my blog that I did on my website, but I couldn't quite get my website to be as cool as my blog (All I have to say is carbon fiber). So, after looking at the pros and cons of a personal website, I have decided to delete it. I will probably still have a personal website in the future, but for now, this is the best for me.

Now, for those that enjoyed listening to my compositions, dry your tears and listen to this. I have worked hard throughout this night to preserve the recordings from my website and have created a handy tab titled "compositions" at the top of the right column on my blog. Yes, all of the recordings are there for your enjoyment. Almost everything from that site has been moved over here. "Zach with a Silent 'h'" is now your one-stop shop for everything Zach.

One of the nice things about having a personal website is that I knew a lot of people weren't going there and thus my fragile, tender pride was protected. Those who are artists understand this a little better (see my friends post about vulnerability). It's very hard to put yourself out there. I feel extremely vulnerable having my compositions so accessible to family, friends and whoever else comes across my blog. And that's ok. I'm just trying to get where the magic happens. I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.

Marina and the Diamonds

Almost the exact opposite of my last post, here is another song I can't stop listening to and cannot, for the life of me, get it out of my head.

http://youtu.be/Gj5L9SYhoSE

I stumbled upon this artist when I was recording the Graham Norton Show on BBC for my sister. Nobody in my household even watches that show, but my sister heard that her heartthrob, Zac Efron, was making an appearance. He was just as dreamy as she was hoping.

Marina was the highlighted artist at the end of the show and I just loved how in-your-face pop this song was. Maybe I'll be tuning into this show more often near the end to see if there are more interesting artists. She is Welsh, by the way, and has a very attractive accent.

Oh, and Charlize Theron was on the show last week. Oh, Charlize.
Definitely a Hollywood crush.

Jónsi

I have not been able to get enough of this song lately.

So beautiful.

Jónsi - Stars in Still Water [Acoustic] - Live at Origami Vinyl from plastic pearl on Vimeo.

Thanks, my dear friend, for showing this to me.

The Wiener Philharmoniker

It begins with a slow introduction, very calm and subdued. Then a wave of an arpeggio comes sweeping by, shortly followed by another. Suddenly, many more waves come flying in, colliding together and sweeping me away into a wonderful sea of harmony taking me far beyond my emotional threshold. For the next few minutes, I was being tossed from wave to wave, each one so gentle and pure. The experience was unlike anything I had experienced in music.

This is a well as I can describe what happened to me while listening to the Vienna Philharmonic's rehearsal of Wagner's Der Ring ohne Worte (The Ring Without Words). I was captivated for the next hour and fifteen or so minutes, never realizing that time was even passing by. In the simplest terms, it changed my life. Above was just one taste of many amazing things that I experienced in my two hours there. It was incredible.

This afternoon, I attended their performance of Sibelius' Symphony no. 7, Symphony no. 5 and Symphony no. 1, in that order. It was, of course, amazing! This group has such amazing musicianship and perfect mastery over their instruments. The music they create is out of this world!

I don't know what else to say. Really, I have tons to say but I have no idea how to put it into words.

I had a taste of heaven.

I want more.

After the Sibelius concert

Accordion Men

You know, I never thought I would be regretting not bringing my accordion with me to Vienna. I knew there was going to be something amazing here involving the accordion, I just didn't know how amazing. Check it!

Definitely not your average bums on the street. All three of them were legit players. Why am I taking horn lessons when I could be taking accordion lessons from these gentlemen? Believe me. They sounded amazing and wished I was one of them. Maybe the next time I'm here...

The Konzerthaus

The past couple of days, I have had the opportunity to attend the rehearsals of the Wiener Symphoniker. It was pretty amazing. Let me tell you all about it.

On Wednesday, February 1, I went to the rehearsal in the afternoon in which they were rehearsing Shostakovich's Festive Overture and Cello Concerto No. 1.  I also went back again today to hear them rehearse Tchaikovsky's Symphony no. 5, which is one of my favorite symphonies ever. It has been a while since I have attended a professional orchestra concert, the last time being The Rite of Spring with the Utah Symphony.

There was just something amazing about listening to them play. There was just something about the way that they were playing that literally sends chills down my spine. Sure, I have listened to these pieces several times before but hearing it live was very special. There is something about the pure sound of the instruments, unadulterated by digital devices and equipment (electronics, headphones, amplification, etc.). It was just me, my ears and the raw sounds of the orchestra in the Konzerthaus in Vienna. It was a beautiful experience and I wish that everyone that reads this could have witnessed and felt what I did while listening to them.

Also, to top this whole experience off was how beautiful it was inside of the concert hall. Don't worry, I have some pictures for you. I would love to play inside of here some day.

  

How to Make a Violin

The other day, we went to visit Henriette Lersch, a violin maker in Vienna. She is pretty awesome. She is actually a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For all my friends who are LDS, you may have seen her video profile on mormon.org. If you haven't seen it, check it out here. It's pretty cool. Anyway, she basically taught us everything we need to know about violin, viola and cello making, so I'll give you the run down and you can make your own.

Here is a of picture that has four steps all in one shot.

Step 1 :: Get a piece of wood (slab of wood on far left).

Step 2 :: Shape the wood so it's kind of a rooftop (second from left).

Step 3 :: Cut out violin shape and shave away excess wood (far right piece).

Step 4 :: Glue a very thin strip of wood around the outside of perfectly shaped piece (second from right).

Step 5 :: Carve a neck and scroll out of some piece of wood (there is a small example on the far, far left).

Step 6 :: Make a top piece just like the bottom piece, except cut some f-holes in it. One or two or three. Whatever you feel like. Most have two, so I suggest two.

Step 7 :: Glue together, slap a finger board and bridge on and you should end up with something like this.

If yours doesn't look like this, you did something wrong. It's rather easy, you know.

Step 8 :: Hang it upside down with the others you have completed.

Finally, you can lacquer it or something so it looks pretty. Then after you are satisfied with that, slap some strings on there and give it a try.

How does it sound? Amazing? Probably not. It sounds horrendous. While my step by step guide was pretty amazing, it doesn't even scratch the surface of everything that she does to make a violin. She says that it takes anywhere from 160-200 hours to finish a violin. Sometimes even longer, depending on how the musician likes it and what adjustments need to be made.

The wood that she uses has to be at least 7 years old. If you take it from the forest or your backyard or neighbor's yard, the wood will still be living and will change over time as it dries. She does something cool to get her wood. Sometimes, buildings in Vienna will need renovation and she hits these sites up to see if she can get some cheap, or sometimes free wood. Many of the support columns are huge wooden pillars that are perfect for making violins. Who knew?

The instruments are made entirely by hand and she only uses mechanical tools for two parts of the building process, to cut the shape of the body and to drill the holes for the tuning pegs. She doesn't even use sandpaper to make the surface smooth. She uses a series of planers that get smaller and smaller. She prefers to have the wood with a little bit of texture than baby smooth. I agree with her on this.

There are tons of fine tuning things she has to do in order for the body of the violin to properly vibrate and project sound: position of the bridge, tension of the strings, thickness of the wood, etc. People will ask for a certain sound and it is her job to make an instrument that can do that. Crazy!

Henriette also does a lot of instrument repairs. She'll fix anything. She has a lot of horse hair just in case you were looking to have a bow restrung.

(Catching a paparazzi shot with the mormon.org star)

Pretty neat experience to see a stringed instrument in the process of being built. Watch out Strativari. Henriette Lersch is taking your place!

Get ready Vienna!

So, as of today, I now have a ticket to Vienna! I'm so excited to get over there. We are going to be right in the middle of the city where there is so much art and music history. I seriously can't wait to check out all the museums, orchestra concerts and operas.

This is going to be a great way to start the new year. I can't wait for it. Not to mention the adventure that my camera is going to have. :)

Mylo Xyloto

This image basically represents how my week was.

Amazing.

Hairdos

I went to the Utah Symphony concert in Deer Valley this past weekend. It was a very entertaining concert. The music was definitely programmed to please the crowd. Many classics that are familiar to many were played: Grieg's Piano Concerto, Mozart's Serenade from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Grieg's Peer Gynt, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (with real canons, might I add). If some of these don't ring a bell, look them up and take a quick listen. You'll probably have the moment of, "oh yeah! I know this!"

Anyway, the concert was a lot of fun, but that wasn't the best part. We were surrounded by a group of Koreans that were here visiting. I scored some pictures of two of my favorite hairdos. Check 'em out!

This was quite the hair bun! I can't imagine how she didn't have a headache. It was pulled back so tight. 

Now, my favorite...

This old man was rocking the combover. He is so proud of his combover that it's a different color from the rest of his hair. But by far, my favorite part about this is half of his combover is hanging down by his right ear. 

Utah Symphony :: The Rite of Spring

(I love this sculpture at Abravanel Hall)

So, this post is a long time coming. I wrote down the title of this post and slapped a picture on in hopes of writing the actual post few days after the event. Well, a few months later, I have finally come around to write this post.

To end the 2010-11 season of the Utah Symphony, they played the Rite of Spring, by far, one of my favorite pieces of all time, by one of my favorite composers of all time, Igor Stravinsky. 

The performance was very exciting and well done. I loved the whole thing. There is such passion and power in this music. This is the reason that I took to classical music. I remember listening to this for the first time when I was 12-years old. It was unlike anything I had even heard before in my life until that point. All I knew was Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. That was all I listened to. The Rite of Spring was a revelation to me. It was a whole new sonic world full of so much color and excitement. 

Going to this concert brought back so many wonderful musical memories and rekindled my love for classical music. I have always had a love for classical music, it just sometimes get lost in our crazy fast world. 

There is nothing in music like the opening of this ballet. It opens with a solo bassoon at the top of its register. It is quite amazing and so beautiful. Then later, the pulsing and accenting low strings are exciting, eerie, unpredictable, powerful, uncertain and determined all at the same time. So. Cool. In order to keep this post to a reasonable length, take a listen to it yourself an let me know what you think! An absolutely amazing piece.

Album Cover

So, I was a little bored at work and started looking through my photos. I came across my Japan/Korea tour pictures and found this beauty.

Why was this never on the cover of the tour cd? Oh, man! That would have been sweet. If I ever get a rock/funk/whatever band together, we're going to do something epic like this for our cover. Awesome.

The "Me" Monster

How many of us out there have been plagued by the "me" monster? I'm sure at some point, all of us have. I know I have, especially these past few days. I this, I that, me this and me that. It happens to the best of us.

These past few weeks, in our church meetings, we have talked a lot about serving others. Of course, my initial response is, "no way can I find the time to serve others. I have so much to do that I can barely take care of my self." The thing is, that is exactly what the "me" monster wants us to think. He wants us to think that we are the most important, the number one. However, this goes against the teachings of the Bible and everything that Christ stood for. I'm sure that Christ could have played the "woes me" card, that I so often play when I'm overwhelmed and in need of strength and help. The fact is that in times where He could have done that, he served and helped others. Because of this, our Heavenly Father provided for Him and gave Him the strength he needed to progress.

We had a great lesson in Sunday School that came from the book Ezekiel. Three verses in particular stuck out to me. It was Ezekiel 34: 2-4. These verses are regarding the leaders of the church and how they should be watching over their flocks (respective callings and congregations), but they are neglecting to do so because of everything they are doing for themselves. There was a comment made that really hit me. She explained how this also applies generally to everybody, where the flocks are all those around us with whom we may come in contact everyday. When we focus on ourselves, we neglect everyone around us who may need help, even if we ourselves are seeking help. What occurred to me, after this comment was made, was that when we are able to help others when we ourselves are hurt and seeking help and guidance, that is when our Heavenly Father puts someone else in our path to serve and help us. Purely focusing on ourselves and our immediate needs does not bring us all that much happiness, as has been proved by these last few days in my life.

Of course, we are all busy. There is no denying that, especially in this modern world. Service rendered does not have to be huge and require hours of our time. It could be a smile or even a brief conversation. This is something I need to work on. There are so many opportunities for service that I miss because I'm thinking too much about me, my schedule and everything I have to do.

For everyone that made it to the end of this, I have a treat for you. If you have ten minutes, listen to the most beautiful piece of music ever (link below). I'm sure there is other beautiful music out there (actually, I'm positive there is), but this piece moves me and ignites something deep down in me. This is the beauty of art. It does something to you. It calls upon emotions of all kinds. This, however, is another topic of discussion I may touch on in the future. I hope you enjoy "Fratres II" by Arvo Pärt (If this does not move you, you have no soul, or I'm just a little weird).

drumroll, please...

It has been seven months since my senior composition recital and I made a promise that I would post the recordings of my music. Well, it wasn't possible for me to post my music on blogger because it either isn't possible, or I'm just too stupid to figure it out. Well, without further ado, I present to you...

zacharyvanhouten.com

Here you can catch all the updates on my musical life including performances of my pieces, premieres and any other concerts and what not I may be participating in. I hope that you all get a chance to check it out. It's not super impressive (yet!), but I'm going to keep working on it and hopefully I'll turn it into something amazing and awesome.