Please contact David Lieberman Artists Representatives to discuss options, fees and scheduling.
To discuss details of your scheduled residency, or for more information,
call Chris Richardson at 312-813-1558
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eighth blackbird provides proof to students that there indeed is a future for new music, and that the process of creating a new work and bringing it to life can be exciting and inspiring to composers, performers, and audiences alike.
- Asaf Peres, composer
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eighth blackbird made me feel like a colleague rather than a student.
- Kerrith Livengood, composer
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eighth blackbird is able to make a diverse range of contemporary music and techniques accessible – and exciting – to our students. These world-class musicians are so warm, gracious, and approachable.
- Misti Shaw, music librarian
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Coming from the orchestral world, having not played chamber music in years, working with eighth blackbird in Switzerland was a real eye-opener for me. I learned about the importance of cueing – how to do it, why we do it, why we can't do too much of it, and how to use it.
- Jessica Prus, flutist
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They showed me that contemporary music can have important cultural significance.
- Alex Stephenson, composer
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Working with eighth blackbird was one of my most vibrant college memories.
- Sarah Wachter, flute
teaching philosophy
eighth blackbird's teaching philosophy is an extension of its performance philosophy. It can be applied when working with music from Boulez and Bach, and consists of the following broad points:
1. Play it "like it’s Brahms"
New music comes from the classical tradition. Everything chamber ensembles play should have “good tone,” warm sound, phrase direction and varied colors.
2. Play it together
Chamber musicians should always have a strong knowledge of the score. This can best be gained by cueing individual parts: writing other instrumental lines over your own. Two hours of studying and writing can save days of rehearsal time.
Use a metronome during rehearsal. Make sure everyone can hear it, write down what speed you accomplished on a given rehearsal day, agree on goal tempos and get there gradually.
Spend time every rehearsal (with non-fixed pitched instruments) on intonation, practicing scales and arpeggios, and playing intervals agains tuner-created drone pitches. Discuss temperament, knowing when to use a mean or an equal tempered third.
Use an mp3 or flash recorder to record run-throughs and disseminate online so that all members listen and bring comments to rehearsals. If working with living composers, use them as a resource: get feedback.
3. Use tools to resolve conflict
Metronome, tuner and digital recordings can resolve most conflicts within a chamber ensemble, leaving more time to focus on questions of phrasing, interpretation and color.
4. Consider the entire performance
- What are you trying to get out of a piece?
- How can you communicate that to an audience?
- What will you wear?
- Where will you stand?
- How do you introduce a piece?
- How do you construct programs and time transitions?
- What information to list in printed programs?
- Can memorization and staging improve the performance?
