Lotus - Bryan Charles Wilson (ft. Teaneck Public School Music Teachers)

I am very humbled and thankful to share something that my first ever music teacher, Larry Marino, created using one of my songs. Larry has been the strings teacher in Teaneck for over 25 years and was the first person to ever put a cello in my hands. We still play gigs together to this day.

He showed me this video that he made to help recruit students going into 4th grade to play musical instruments. Ordinarily, there is a school assembly where teachers demonstrate each instrument, but obviously this year everything is virtual. At the end of the video after each teacher has demonstrated his/her instruments, all of them jam on my song, Lotus, from my book, Advanced String Jams.

It's really special for me because this is where it all started for me many years ago and now my music is being used to help promote something that has made a huge difference in my life. It's truly touching and I'm honored to have my music used in this capacity. I am in the process of adapting the music for string orchestra as well as band instruments to help create excitement and promote creativity for new musicians.

Thank you very much to:

Lee Ann Newland - French Horn

Reggie Pittman - Trumpet

Dan Bassett - Trombone

Larry Marino - Violin, Viola

Joseph Hochgesang - Cello

Jessica Bergen - Clarinet, Flute

Luke Short - Vibraphone

Merely Players - Harp and Cello Collaboration (ft. Esther Swift)

Last June, at a music residency in Hoi An, Vietnam, I had the great pleasure of meeting and making music with Esther Swift, one of Scotland's premiere musicians. Esther is an immensely talented composer, harpist, and singer who brings a really personal and deep connection to her music.

We collaborated on a song which she wrote for a friend, Helen Mcleod, who unfortunately passed away. This song is dedicated to Helen and we hope that it brings a sense of peace and calm reflection to those who listen.

Distant: Cello and Đàn Bầu Collaboration (feat. Ngo Tra My)

The đàn bầu is such an incredible musical instrument, but it's otherworldly when in the hands of a master like Ngo Tra My Trà My - Đàn Bầu. I am humbled and honored to have been able to collaborate with her.

This piece is dedicated to all of the people who have lost their lives in this pandemic. This week in the USA, we reached more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. I've been trying to not focus on the virus just to maintain sanity, but after improvising over what Trà My had sent me and listening back, it was apparent that subconsciously there was no real escaping it.

I hope you enjoy the music and that the spirits of those lost to this virus can live on.

Intransience for Cello And Piano (feat. Bryan Charles Wilson)

West Troiano · Intransience for Cello And Piano (feat. Bryan Charles Wilson)

One of my all time favorite people from college, the amazingly talented pianist and composer, West Troiano, wrote a hauntingly beautiful piece for me. I had such a great time helping bring his composition to life (not that it was that hard to do since it's such a cool piece).

Hoài Niệm - COVID Music Collaboration between Vietnam and America

One of the most talented, inventive, and dedicated musicians/composers I know in Vietnam is nguyễn đức minh. He is part of Phù Sa Lab, which is an arts institution of the highest caliber that combines Vietnamese and ethnic minority traditional music with contemporary elements.

Minh plays a million different instruments (and makes his own too). He recently posted a short video of him playing the sáo (flute) and it was so beautiful I wanted to collaborate with him. I composed some cello parts to support his flute and slightly alter the context of what he intended.

Upon listening to it, he told me it brought to mind the words, Hoài Niệm, roughly translated as, nostalgia. I think it perfectly fits because though Vietnam is much further along in terms of returning to 'normal' since containing the virus, the USA has a long way to go. There is certainly a nostalgia here for the way things were and a definite sense that things will never really be the same as before.

I'm very honored to be able to work with Minh and I hope that this small piece of music brings you some sense of peace.

Lý Tiểu Khúc - Cello and Đan Tranh

One positive aspect of this time has been my ability to collaborate with wonderful artists from around the world. My friend, Duyệt Thị Trang, is a master of the đàn tranh as well as an expert craftsmen of Vietnamese musical instruments. I was very lucky to be able to play many concerts with him while in Vietnam and I've missed playing with him.

We decided to collaborate from afar and I am really happy with how this came out. The song is called, Lý Tiểu Khúc. and is dedicated to all the people separated by the COVID-19 virus. All the weddings that can't take place, all of the new relationships that have to wait, and all of the friends and family that can't meet.

I hope you enjoy it and hopefully this brings some peace and comfort to those far apart.

Lưu Thuỷ - A Cross Cultural Collaboration to Honor the Heroes of this Pandemic

I had the great honor of collaborating with Tuấn Hoàng on this project. Tuấn and I met at a music residency that we participated in Hanoi, Vietnam. He plays the Đàn nguyệt and is highly trained in the royal court music from Huế, Vietnam, which is the ancient capital of the country.

Even though we live on opposite sides of the planet, we decided to improvise and trade ideas back and forth in the spirit of creating something to give back to all the frontline heroes combatting the virus. Vietnam has done an absolutely amazing job of containing COVID-19, while unfortunately the USA continues to struggle with high rates of infection and fatalities.

The title of this piece is Lưu Thuỷ and it means water flowing. We sincerely dedicate this piece to everyone risking their lives to help others in Vietnam, the USA, and across the globe.

Reflections on Online Improvisation Workshop For Strings

Since the pandemic started and everything got shut down, I have been running free Online Improvisation Workshops for String Players. With the release of my new books, String Jams, I wanted to give people a glimpse at what the book offered, but also to give them concrete steps they could use to practice improvisation. Let’s face it, I’m not a doctor, nurse, or grocery store worker fighting for the safety everyday out there. Nevertheless, I did want to give something back to help boost people’s morale and the only real skills I have are cello and teaching, so I thought it could at least be a drop of positivity in a seemingly endless stream of scary news.

I have done 3 workshops so far and have been blown away by the support from the participants. Essentially, I give everybody the sheet music for a piece from my Advanced String Jams book as well as the improvisation loop track that comes with it. I then outline about ten different ways that they can go about improvising such as doing nonstop improvisation, limiting note choices, leaving space, etc. Everything I’m saying is detailed in the beginning portion of both String Jams.

It really is humbling and inspiring to have a workshop with people from across the globe in one Zoom meeting. I’ve had participants from Finland, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, USA, Germany, and more. This past workshop I had my grandfather attend. He’s a saxophone player and like I mention in the book, he’s the reason I started music and the inspiration behind creating these books. At the end of the lecture, he told a story about the first time he taught me how to improvise when I was around 9 or 10 years old. It was a story I hadn’t thought about in a long time and it was really special to have him remind me and the other attendees.

It’s been a really positive experience for me to run these workshops and connect with string players from across the world. It’s a very strange time and I doubt that live music gigs will return this year. Nevertheless, having the ability to connect with others virtually and offer something useful has been helpful in keeping me focussed and grounded.

I’m going to try to offer more workshops, concerts, collaborations, and music in the future and hopefully we will pass through this time safely.

Thank you all for the support.

Free Online Improvisation Workshop for Strings on Monday March 23rd at 8PM (EST)

The world is in quite a crisis at the moment as some of us are quarantined and scared to go out. Since this is a tumultuous time, I want to give back to help restore any semblance of peace of mind that's possible.

I will be offering a FREE 40 minute online workshop on Monday March 23rd at 8PM (EST) to string players across the world on improvisation. I'll be using my new books, String Jams, as material and will go over various approaches to improvisation. In addition, everybody in the workshop will receive sheet music and a backing track to one of the songs from my new book, Advanced String Jams.

Make sure to register now because there are only 15 slots available. To register for the FREE class please visit: https://forms.gle/sK2MTiuQaZgxEdG69

I hope that this workshop is helpful to string players across the globe and can offer a some positivity in a time of uncertainty. Remember to use art, music, and creative expression to boost your morale.

New Books, String Jams, Debuting on March 2nd, 2020!

I am really proud to announce the launch of TWO new books that I wrote on March 2nd, 2020: Advanced String Jams and Beginner String Jams. It took me 9 years to publish another book after Cello Chords and let me tell you, it might take me another 9 to do the next one. It’s a LOTTTTTTT of work, but I am very happy I did it.

So what exactly are these books?

Both String Jams books are an opportunity for violinists, violists, and cellists to go beyond classical music and start exploring contemporary genres! For Advanced String Jams, I composed 16 original songs in 15 genres including Hip-Hop, Hard Rock, EDM, Pop Rock, Latin, Synthpop, Film Score, Indian, and more! The book includes sheet music and high quality backing tracks for every song. It’s like you’re playing with your own band every time. This book is recommended for players with at least 5 to 6 years of experience on their instrument.

Even better is that each song has a space for improvisation as well. No experience is necessary with improvisation, I break down how to start going about it and provide cheat sheets in terms of scales and chords for every track. I want students to start diving into creating their own solos, songs, tracks, symphonies, whatever! Just get creative with it. I feel improvisation is a necessary and key element that is lacking in mainstream string education.

Every song has practice backing tracks as well at slow, medium, and performance tempo. Plus there is an improvisation loop track to practice jamming just on the improv section. Finally, I recorded myself playing all the melodies so you have the full tracks as a reference. But I really want students to explore and make these songs their own.

Beginner String Jams is comprised of 8 simplified songs from Advanced String Jams. The keys and melodies are easier, the range of notes is smaller, there are minimal extensions, the improvisation sections only use one scale, and there's no shifting! Beginner String Jams features backing tracks that come in Very Slow, Slow, Medium, and Performance Tempo, so you can practice with the backing track from the very beginning! This book is recommended for students with at least 2 to 3 years of experience on their instrument and again, no improvisation experience is necessary. 

I really can’t express how excited I am about these books (also how much work they were to produce, haha). If you want to preorder the books, you can get over a 20% discount before March 2nd, 2020. You can do so here: http://www.bryanwilsoncello.com/stringjams

Thank you all for your support! I am sure you are going to find this book not only super fun, but also really educational.

Music in the Circle of Life

What are the most important parts of life? I mean the major milestones by which you mark time. Offhand I can think of a few: births, graduations, relationships, jobs, marriages, retirements, and deaths. Since the passing of my grandmother, Roslyn Wilson, in September of 2019, I've been contemplating how music has fit into my life's turning points.

When my grandma was sick in the hospital, I would bring my cello and play music for her. This was the first time I had ever seen my grandma incapacitated. She had always been super sharp, she could tell you synopses of the three books she was reading simultaneously all while volunteering at the thrift shop and yelling at Trump on TV. It was really difficult for me to see my grandmother like that in the hospital. Nevertheless, I tried to find pieces that she would like and would hopefully soothe her even if she wasn’t completely with it. I played songs from her youth, famous classical themes from symphonies and ballets, her favorite Berceuse by Schubert, anything that I thought might get through to her. When I played there was recognition from her and there was connection. Most importantly, I do think she was able to feel the love I was sending her through the music.

When she passed away, I played at her funeral. I performed the Berceuse and later, Roz, the piece I had written for her when she turned 95. I fought back tears as I played, something that hadn't happened in many, many years, and certainly not for that reason. At her burial, I played the extraordinarily sad and emotive Sarabande of Bach Cello Suite Number II as the mourners shoveled dirt onto my grandmother's coffin.

I just find it interesting that I brought that same cello into the hospital when my wife, Minh, was going to give birth to our daughter, Kaia. When Minh asked for me to bring the cello, I was initially hesitant, but as a married man you heed by the expression, “happy wife, happy life,” and god knows I wasn't about to question her at the birth of our first child. The truth is, I was scared too. I had no idea what to expect and certainly wasn’t thinking about playing music at that time.

While Minh was in bed at the beginning, I played Sahaja Yoga meditation music and Vietnamese songs for her. I knew these songs would give her at least a modicum of comfort. I understood how much she missed Vietnam and her family and at least this connection could provide her with a small sense of calm during one of the biggest moments of our lives. Later, while Minh was in labor, we walked and danced around the hospital and outside (I had the cello on a strap) . Everybody was stunned at how lithe and resilient she was. They certainly had never witnessed a woman dancing around the hospital during labor as her husband serenaded her on cello. It was a truly magical and unforgettable time in my life. Here’s a link to the video in case you’d like to watch.

A decent amount of my livelihood comes from playing weddings and for me, these are just nice gigs. Obviously, I play well and make sure the people are happy, but I wouldn't say I'm emotionally invested in these couples' lives. Nevertheless, this is one of the most important days in their lives and I'm providing the musical accompaniment. Certainly it was a different story when I played at my own wedding. I played a piece I had written called, “Wedding Day,” which was full of emotion and love for my wife. I had written a speech beforehand and though I do think I’m a pretty good writer, I felt like what I really wanted to say was much more evident through my playing.

It really is amazing how powerful music is. I bet you can remember the song you listened to over and over again when you had a significant breakup in your life. Or the song that as soon as it comes on you can't help but start dancing.

It is a bit weird as a musician to see how this thing that I do, though it's a very difficult career path and not always the most lucrative, has such a power in so many situations. The same instrument can welcome a new life, bring two people together, or help someone pass onto the next world. As I get older and the years go by as a musician, the circular nature of life becomes clearer. This passage of time and experience of these milestones are universal and I'm lucky to be able to accent these occasions with the power of music.

Online Remote Session Cello Recording

One of my favorite activities at the Bryan Wilson Cello Studio is doing remote session cello recordings for artists all across the globe. I’ve done it all: songs in a variety of genres, film scores, commercials, dance pieces, theatre performances, puppetry, animation, etc. Check out this new video where I explain the process behind recording and showcase some of the past projects I have played and composed for.

If you need remote session cello recordings for your next project, be sure to drop me a line at bryanwilsoncello@gmail.com!

Artists and Projects Mentioned in the video:
Qais Essar: www.therabab.com

NYCEED: www.nyceed.com

SagaDance Company: SagaDance Company

Music From "Inner Peace" Featured in Sahaja Yoga Video

I am humbled and honored to have two of my tracks from, "Inner Peace" featured in this wonderful video promoting the 25th anniversary of the International Shri Krishna Puja to be held at Nirmal Nagari, Canajoharie, NY. The music fits perfectly with the bucolic scenery and it's a fantastic event. I hope you enjoy the video, music, and good vibrations!

A Culturally Rich Year in Vietnam

After an unbelievable year of performing, composing, and collaborating in Vietnam, I have finally returned to my hometown of Teaneck, NJ. It’s bittersweet because I really did have an amazing experience abroad, but I’m also excited to be back and teaching my students, playing gigs, and composing more music.

I had so many performances in Vietnam that I’ll never forget. I played cello in a running stream of water while people danced and frolicked around me as my wife led a Dance/Movement Therapy workshop. Was I the only one wearing rain boots instead of being barefoot because I’m a curmudgeon? Of course I was. I had to take the cello on a rickety canoe across a river and then walk through the jungle to get there, too.

I collaborated numerous times with the superbly talented, Duyệt Thị Trang. Our cello and đàn tranh improvisational duo took us everywhere: the U.S. Embassy, a packed to the gills show at Heritage Space, and even the jungles of Vietnam.

I had the real pleasure and fortune to collaborate with Phan Y Ly and Eliott Malderez as well. We created the group, Mandala, which combined cello with đàn tranh, sào meo, and percussion. They became my really good friends and we’d often hang out and just improvise for hours. There were so many improvisations that I am super proud of. They came over on my birthday and surprised me (I was taking a nap and wasn’t exactly Mr. Friendly when I opened the door). I remember we improvised one song that really brought me to that next level, following which they made me eat a Vietnamese specialty called, Chân Gà Đông Tảo, which is a chicken foot that looks like it came from a chicken that was a professional bodybuilder.

I had some really beautiful solo performances in Vietnam as well. I played to packed houses at Vincom Center for Contemporary Arts and The Hanoi Social Club, where I got to debut some new compositions that I had written since being in Vietnam. After going to Trang An and taking a canoe around the staggeringly beautiful rock formations in the water, I was inspired to write a piece about it. There was something really mysterious about these geological structures that resonated with me.

I had the great fortune to be selected for two music residencies in collaboration with Lune Production and Phu Sa Lab. I met musicians from across Vietnam and got to make music with instruments I had never even seen or heard of before. A lot of them were custom made, one-of-a-kind instruments. These residences were really intensive, no days off, but the opportunity to create, explore, and make connections with these superb players was invaluable. I certainly will collaborate in the future with a lot of these musicians in some capacity.

I collaborated with my wife a bunch for her Dance/Movement Therapy workshops. I played for her workshops across the country, but the most powerful one for me was working with the Vietnamese soldiers from the American War. It was a small group, but the connection that we had was extremely powerful and made me quite thankful for the opportunity. I hope that my wife and I can expand upon this premise of working with soldiers (hopefully from both Vietnam and the USA) in order to help them heal from the war.

What I’m most excited about taking back the USA and expanding upon is my studies and compositions with the đàn bầu. I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like it’s going to become an integral part of my writing and hopefully performing as well. I busted out a small đàn bầu solo for the first time at a gig that my fellow residents and I played at this beachside restaurant in An Bang. As I grow more confident on the đàn bầu, I’ll definitely be working it into my live performances more. There’s a world of possibility with this instrument, especially the combination with cello.

Well it was truly an eye opening year in Vietnam and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I’m back now at the Bryan Wilson Cello Studio in Teaneck, NJ and I’m getting ready to teach a bunch of new students, to record cello for artists across the globe, and to write some new pieces for cello and đàn bầu.

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 7

Yesterday was the culminating concert of the residency and to be honest I had mixed feelings about it. There were a lot of positives, though. First off, Ro Cham Ti, the master musical instrument maker got a traditional Jarai outfit sent down from the highlands of Vietnam just so I could wear it for the show. I got to show off my shoulder hair while being cool for once.

My wife, daughter, and mother and father in law came down for this concert and it was an absolute joy having my family there and especially seeing my daughter dancing and calling, “DADA!” I told everyone near me on stage, you’re going to hear my daughter and sure enough within about 30 seconds of the beginning of the show, you could hear her laughing and hollering with excitement. I proudly turned to my friends, “yep, that’s my daughter.”

The concert definitely had some great parts to it. We covered a lot of ground musically and showcased combinations of instruments that I’m sure have never been done before. Sometimes I felt like maybe there was actually too much. Maybe we tried to cram a bit too much musical material into one concert.

The sound on stage was not good, however. There were many times that microphones weren’t on and players couldn’t be heard and even when they were on, the mix was poor and it was difficult to hear one another. I wish there had been a more comprehensive sound check because when you are playing and can’t hear yourself (or others that you need to hear) it’s enormously frustrating.

People seemed to enjoy the concert, I even got an email shortly after the show from a guy who happened to be in Hoi An, heard the music, followed the sound, and came for the final number. He was bummed that he missed most of it but he really was excited by the music.

Sometimes when you’re performing it’s difficult to be objective about how it went. I think overall the concert was good and that the residency was worthwhile. I met a lot of really awesome musicians, who I hope to collaborate with in the future. I will say that I wish it was a bit better organized. Like I explained in previous blogs, there was a lot of downtime at rehearsals. So much downtime that I ended drawing a whole series of cartoon fruits with different fun expressions. I used to love drawing cartoons when I was younger, so it was nice to reconnect with that part of my brain.

I do wish I had learned some more traditional tunes from a lot of these musicians’ cultures. I feel like that element was lacking a bit. I know that organizing and coordinating something of this magnitude in creativity and scale is monumentally difficult. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have taken part in this residency and I hope to do a lot more experimentation, creation, and cultural exchange in the future.

This was a really nice way to end my year here in Vietnam. I’m currently writing this on my phone from the train from Hoi An to Hanoi (a 15 hours ride). Now we have about 5 days to pack everything up and leave to go back to New Jersey. It’s been such an amazing year musically and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to cap it off.

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 6

Last night I played a gig with a bunch of the residents from FAMLAB at this beachside restaurant in An Bang. I got there and was stunned at how beautiful the scenery was. The sun was setting over the ocean, the water was angelic, and air had a salty twang to it. There were 7 of us on total: Esther Swift on harp, Tom Bancroft on bodhran, David Shedden on tin whistles, LinhHafornow on vocals/electronics, Scobi Wan on electronics, and Escuri on electronics. I of course was playing cello, but I brought my đàn bầu as well.

The gig was incredible. It was one of those times playing music where you totally lose yourself in the moment. There’s nothing else besides just playing and creating.

Esther, Tom, and David played a bunch of traditional Scottish tunes from their home country and they absolutely killed it. Just amazing musicianship combined with some really cool music. It was a pleasure to watch them because I rarely get to hear that style and especially done so well.

I went on second with LinhHafornow. She is an amazing vocalist who combines her ethereal voice with looping and effects. I was quite excited to play with her because we have a similar musical aesthetic and I knew that our instruments would blend really nicely together. We had literally nothing planned, it was all going to be improvised. Honestly, I like that approach because it makes you really be in the moment. You’re responsible for creating every second, nothing is determined.

We started playing as the sun had just set and the music turned out so sublime. As I had expected, her lush vocals combined with my cello just created this sonic landscape that had me captivated. I’m a fan of doing ambient, slow, and melodic music and this hit the nail right on the head. I even jumped over to the đàn bầu for one song and messed around. People were actually surprised that I made it sound halfway decent. So was I. It’s nice to take risks on stage. I’ve been in situations before where I just felt like nothing was at stake when I was playing, no risk, no nervousness. That kind of feeling is kind of the death knell of creativity.

After a bit, we were joined by Escuri who added some sweet beats. It sounded fantastic and was so much fun to play over. Over the next couple hours we all did various configurations of the FAMLAB residents on stage. After sitting out for a bit, I hopped back on with Escuri and David on tin whistle and we created some Scottish folk techno cello madness. Unbelievable and awesome.

At the very end of the gig, we all got on stage and did an amazing slow meditation piece for the crowd. People were invited to lay down on the grass and look up at the stars as we lulled them into a different universe. It was truly beautiful.

Playing a gig like this really hit me deep. Not every gig is like this. Sometimes it’s a job, people don’t want to admit that, but it’s true. But this was different. This was why I love music and why I continue to do it everyday.

There’s just nothing like it.

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 5

The residency is starting to come together. The pieces are shaping up and are sounding cool, we just need to trim some fat off them. Rehearsal isn’t exactly riveting. I spent the majority of this morning drawing a fully colored cartoon eggplant on my iPad, but hey it came out pretty cool.

Other than music, I’ve been sampling a lot of different Vietnamese cuisine. Every region of Vietnam has specialties, for example Hoi An is known for its Cao Lau and Mi Quang, which are noodle dishes with a bunch of things in them. I gotta be honest, those were okay. I know my wife is gonna kill me, but the best meal I’ve had here has been a hamburger and french fries. I KNOW, I KNOW. I’m a culture-less misanthrope who can’t enjoy anything beyond his sad provincial upbringing. I get it, trust me. But, you don’t know how happy that burger and fries made me. Jesus Christ, I almost cried.

That being said, I have opened up my horizons a bit. I’ve never really eaten that much seafood before. I just never really got into it. Honestly, fish with bones scare me. I’m not trying to get one of those stuck in my throat. I didn’t even know that was a possibility until I saw my buddy Eliott choke on one as I was eating a fish with him that honestly wasn’t that good anyway and I thought to myself, okay, that seals the deal, I’m out. Look, I grew up eating tuna out of a can, I couldn’t pick a tuna out of a line up. It never even occurred to me that fish had bones.

But I am growing as a person (though my growth is microscopic compared to that of the average person, but hey I’m trying). We went to a seafood restaurant for one of our colleague’s birthdays and I tried a bunch of different things. Squid, clams, stingray, shrimp salad, fish soup, and of course….french fries. I swear I didn’t order them, someone did it for me…but I ate a lot of them. The clams were my favorite. You dip them in this salt with lime sauce and it’s fantastic. People got these huge raw oysters to eat, but I tapped out there. I don’t know, I just couldn’t do it. What’s in the oyster shell looks like what comes out when I clean the pipes underneath the sink (which also is a sign of growth for me that I know what that looks like because earlier in my life trying to do any sort of manual labor quickly devolved into me shouting obscenities and kicking the wall).

I will say that the river right by our hotel is quite pretty at night when it’s illuminated by quaint boats with picturesque colored lanterns. Too bad it’s right next to a tourist hellhole. It’s all foreigners here and you walk down the street and after barreling through 400 Korean tourists taking photos, all the people at the restaurants are aggressively trying to get you to come in and eat there. This is just because we are in the tourist sphincter of Hoi An. When I stayed here a couple months ago while my wife was teaching a workshop, we stayed off the beaten path and I barely saw any foreigners at all. You could walk two minutes to some really beautiful rice fields and drive to the beach as well. That was a lot more enjoyable.

You know you’re not exactly in the most authentic part of Hoi An when there’s an Irish pub a two minute walk from your hotel. But hey, at least I can get a burger.

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 4

Well, I gotta be honest, the honeymoon period of this residency has definitely subsided. The past couple of days have kind of been a bit of a bummer. We split up into two large groups, the other group going back to the hotel to rehearse. The first day of this type of rehearsal the air conditioning wasn’t working right in the practice hall. We were working on a section where I was instructed to make ‘noise’ on the cello, which I really don’t like to do. It’s okay for a little bit, but making noises that sound like I’m shredding a tree through a wood-chipper is not really why I like playing music. It brought me back to my days at CalArts, where they loved this HORRIBLE experimental music that made me want to jump out the window headfirst. Couple this terrible noise music with the fact that it was 1,000,000 degrees while we were practicing and you get a recipe for what we will call: Not Nice Bryan. I had to take my shirt off it was so hot and my cello was sliding off my body because I dripping in sweat. My wife gets annoyed when I take my shirt off in public, she doesn’t want me to show off my hairy monkey body. She’s afraid that the authorities are going to cart me off to the zoo. Sorry, Minh, once it reaches a certain temperature, I don’t care who sees my thicket of shoulder hair.

I just felt like there was no reason for me to be there. The music was so painfully loud and had so much sonic BS going on that there was no way anything that I did was going to make a difference. That’s the thing with playing cello. You can’t compete with drums and electronics and, the ken bau, which is this horrifically loud oboe-like instrument that sounds like a bagpipe and a rubber chicken had a demonic baby. That thing has become the bane of my existence while being here. I found out they play it at funerals here in Vietnam. I think it’s because when you hear it all you can think about is wanting to die. Okay, I know that’s harsh and culturally insensitive, but you try listening to that thing blast your eardrums to pieces at 9 in the morning. You’ll see what I mean.

Today was a little bit better. I think they scrapped the noise music part and I actually got to play HONEST TO GOD REAL NOTES THAT SOUND GOOD. I still had to wear earplugs on stage because it was ridiculously loud with all those instruments. Honestly, it’s probably all going to come together very nicely despite all my complaining. Sometimes rehearsal is pretty boring but that is a function of how large the ensemble is.

I know the main guys who are doing the artistic direction are stressed out and understandably so. It’s a lot of people to manage and a ton to put together in just 20 days. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in charge. I’m hopeful that this has just been a bit of a lull and once we put all the pieces together it’s going to sound great.

Featured Article in Việt Nam News!

I was featured in the esteemed newspaper, Việt Nam News!

FAMLAB Hoi An: Seaphony Blog 3

Yesterday we finished up the first piece in our concert. It is mostly very arhythmic and droney, but it has so many different elements that it keeps it interesting. It leads into a slightly more rhythmic section that I think blends Scottish and Vietnamese music very well together. I have a small solo in which I trade some kind of bluesy phrases with this awesome Vietnamese master, Chu Ninh, who plays the ca nghi (not sure how to spell it correctly) (it’s a bowed single stringed instrument and the body is made out of a turtle!). He’s incredible and it’s so delightful playing with him because I feel like we have a great chemistry. We both kind of just feel the music and don’t need to talk about it.

We finished up early yesterday and it was decided that there would be an all night party to help build camaraderie. Well, in classic Bryan Charles Wilson fashion, I went home and took a nap to prepare myself for the party knowing full well I don’t drink alcohol and was probably going to leave early anyway. I woke up as it was getting dark and moseyed my way over to the other hotel where there was a full on barbecue of like 10 chickens roasting on an open fire. Everyone was already a couple beers deep and yelled at me for being late, which I took in stride as I picked up a bowl of vegetables and started eating them with a skewer (eventually I just used hands because I was too lazy).

By far the best food was by the master instrument maker and musician, Ro Cham Ti. This guy does everything. He can build you a bamboo house, 40 original musical instruments, sew you some new clothes, cook a gourmet meal, you name it, all the while having the most fun and enthusiasm for life I’ve ever seen anyone have in my entire existence. I can barely bend down to tie my shoes without groaning like some old geezer, meanwhile this guy who’s close to 50 years old, is slow roasting a chicken while jumping up and down and dancing like he’s some sort of youthful cherub.

Okay that’s not entirely true, I’m not a complete alter cocker. I did lead people in a dance the other day when I was called upon to do the morning warm ups for the group. I immediately used my brilliant wife’s Dance/Movement Therapy techniques of having everyone say their name and do a movement and everyone else in the group has to repeat that same name and movement. People were quite surprised I could actually do something other than play the cello and complain how hot it was outside.

But back to that CHICKEN! Man, was that chicken good! In Vietnam, it’s the WHOLE chicken. Head, feet. EVERYTHING. The food in Vietnam is all about spices and balance to make sure the yin and yang is in perfect harmony. The music maintains a similar philosophy as well. But let’s be honest, I like to eat. I kept burning my fingers going to grab some more chicken it was so amazing.

By about 10:30 PM people were sufficiently drunk and as a non drinker who honestly isn’t that fond of parties to begin with, when they start busting out the guitar and singing drunkenly (no matter what language it’s in), that’s usually my cue to head back home. I did have a good time though. Lots of good people and plenty of laughs. My excuse for leaving was that I had to teach at 6 am the next morning, which was true, but I probably would have left anyway because I’m not what you would call, “a fun guy!”

One thing is for sure, I might be the only one without a hangover today though.