{"id":227,"date":"2011-03-20T17:31:19","date_gmt":"2011-03-20T22:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/?p=227"},"modified":"2011-03-20T17:31:19","modified_gmt":"2011-03-20T22:31:19","slug":"versatility-exploration-and-expression-a-conversation-with-chris-komer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/?p=227","title":{"rendered":"Versatility, Exploration, and Expression: A Conversation with Chris Komer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>How many professional horn players do you know who have a piano album out?\u00a0 I know one.\u00a0 As I listened to Chris Komer\u2019s piano improvisations the other day, I noticed several things about these short-but-sweet moments captured in time.\u00a0 I could hear the expansiveness of Kansas and Montana.\u00a0 I could hear crisp jazz riffs of the city.\u00a0 I heard a sense of flow and of exploration and adventure that still managed to be gentle, easy, and cohesive.\u00a0 In short, I heard Chris!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had the pleasure of performing many, many times with Chris over the years \u2013 in Broadway pits, with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and on an eclectic collection of other gigs that New York freelancers do.\u00a0 He, like his music, has an easy, gentle way about him, yet he possesses the highest of standards.\u00a0 As he said to everyone in a recent Schoenberg rehearsal with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, \u201cDon\u2019t worry.\u00a0 We\u2019ll bring it.\u201d And \u201cbring it\u201d he does!<\/p>\n

To me, Chris has always been the embodiment of versatility and flexibility as a musician, and what I find especially impressive is how he manages to explore so many genres, instruments, and avenues while never losing his edge on the horn \u2013 an instrument that really demands your all. \u00a0In his album notes, he writes:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the great things about life is enjoying the people you meet and the places you experience during the journey.\u00a0 If you are too focused on the final destination you miss many of the finer things that are right under your nose.\u00a0 I have been extremely lucky to travel the world playing music and have met many incredible people from all walks of life.\u00a0 But to me the most rewarding journey of all is the miraculously sublime, rapturous, sometimes melancholy, and often solitary journey of self-expression.\u00a0 If you can make that a daily trip and one that is truly exciting and fun then life is full and you no longer have any need for distractions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

We were too rushed on our last job together to have a chance to sit down and do a proper interview, but he graciously agreed to be \u201cinterviewed\u201d over email, and this is the result.<\/p>\n

Hometown:<\/strong> Merriam, Kansas<\/p>\n

Schools:<\/strong> Wichita State University (3 years), Cleveland Institute of Music (1 year), Manhattan School of Music (2 years)<\/p>\n

Major Horn Teachers:<\/strong> Jim Funkhauser, Nick Smith, Richard Solis, David Jolley<\/p>\n

Can you tell me a little bit about how you got your start on horn?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>I started cornet in fourth grade.\u00a0 In the sixth grade I started horn because no one played it and a friend of the family had one I could borrow.\u00a0 I soon joined the Junior Youth Symphony of Kansas City \u2013 a good full-sized orchestra.\u00a0 I think the first rehearsal was Swan Lake.\u00a0\u00a0 I was hooked from then on.\u00a0 I kept playing trumpet in jazz band in junior high and picked up the trombone to play in jazz band in high school because my horn teacher wasn’t too pleased about me playing trumpet and not focusing on the horn.\u00a0\u00a0 So I just didn’t tell him about the trombone.\u00a0 He found out anyway, of course.\u00a0 I guess I knew in Junior High that I wanted to try to play music for a living.\u00a0 Since I was good at the horn and loved playing orchestra music it eventually got narrowed down to horn.\u00a0 In college I put the trombone away but began dabbling on piano.\u00a0 Eventually I got good enough to play in one of the school big bands.\u00a0 I took some improvisation classes and one year of private lessons (on piano).<\/p>\n

I know you\u2019re involved in a great many things in New York, not just horn playing – but can you tell me a little bit about your work life in New York as a horn player?\u00a0 What have been your favorite things about it?\u00a0 And what have you found to be the most challenging things about being a freelancer in New York?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, the great thing about New York is the variety \u2013 and the fact that you can take whatever you are into all the way.\u00a0 I play Broadway shows, jazz gigs, recording dates, chamber music gigs, and get to tour the world with artists like Barbra Streisand.\u00a0\u00a0 And I get to play with a very good orchestra (the New Jersey Symphony) on a very regular basis and sub quite a bit with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.\u00a0\u00a0 I also teach horn at Princeton University.\u00a0 The bad thing is there is a lot of schlepping from place to place and NYC can be a bit stressful because of the noise pollution and the traffic and all the people. <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would love to get your opinion about the state of the arts right now.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about you, but sometimes I feel like the world is changing REALLY fast, and the music industry seems to be in peril.\u00a0 Do you have any thoughts about this? Do you see the changes in the world as being bad for our art form?\u00a0 If so, do you have any thoughts on how to respond? <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, I agree, things look grim for the arts in general right now. The fact is, the arts have always had to struggle to survive bottom lines\u2026and they always WILL have to struggle.\u00a0 But great art and great artists will always survive and there will always be an audience for it.\u00a0 The truth is, with the internet, and with the sudden availability of all types of music to everyone, more and more people are getting into music in a much deeper way than ever before.\u00a0 More kids are learning instruments than ever before.\u00a0 Whereas attendance at major league ball games are down, more and more kids are getting into music and dance than ever before.\u00a0 I read that over one thousand kids tried out for the Cadets of Bergen County (a drum and bugle corps) \u2013 twice the amount from the year before.\u00a0 So the spin is not altogether accurate.\u00a0 Not every professional orchestra will survive these times but many will, and many new groups are being formed and are thriving.\u00a0 Yes, I am an eternal optimist, but I truly believe that things will turn back towards quality (like acoustic sound versus amplified sound) and away from hype and abrasiveness.<\/p>\n

Stemming from this question, what do you think are the most important things for young horn players – thinking about going into music, or already on a path in music – to know or consider.\u00a0 What advice would you have for them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key for young horn players (and young musicians in general these days) is to be versatile.\u00a0 Learn to improvise, learn different styles of music, and be able to adapt your sound and style to fit both the orchestral sound and a woodwind quintet.\u00a0 Be able to play on the leg and off the leg and know when to do which.\u00a0 And check out all kinds of music and check it out live <\/em>as much as possible.\u00a0 Also, learn different instruments that may strike your fancy.\u00a0 Some things you learn on other instruments actually carry over to horn playing.<\/p>\n

Also, make your practicing interesting and fun.\u00a0 If you are bored with practicing, something is very wrong.\u00a0 This is extremely important.\u00a0 Whatever it takes\u2026I found that learning to improvise and playing other instruments was what I needed to do.\u00a0 I also found that learning to improvise even moderately well opened up all sorts of new doors.<\/p>\n

One note about improvising \u2013 the big ol\u2019 elephant in the room is called inhibition<\/em>.\u00a0 So when beginning to improvise, make sure no one can hear you \u2013 because you will sound like an idiot for quite a while.\u00a0 And remember that it is a process of three steps forward and two steps back.\u00a0 You will make progress and then you will get frustrated and stop.\u00a0 Then the bug will bite you again and you will try to do it some more.\u00a0 If you stick with it, eventually it will become incredibly rewarding.<\/p>\n

So can you describe for me in what way learning to improvise helps you when you sit down to play in the classical world?\u00a0 Is it the non-inhibition thing?\u00a0 Is it that your brain has had to work in different ways and you approach classical playing with more inner freedom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, yes, it has to do with inner freedom.\u00a0 This inner freedom that the process of learning to improvise brings will bring a simpler, more natural aspect to phrasing.\u00a0 It will allow all of your music to simply \u201cbreathe\u201d much more naturally and give your \u201cclassical\u201d playing a much more improvised-sounding aspect.<\/p>\n

Now am I remembering correctly that you have some method books out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have three books out, but Mike Davis is the master behind all of them.\u00a0 The very beginner books have a couple of tracks that actually try to get you improvising.\u00a0 Mike is an incredible jazz trombone player and he did all the work on these books not me.\u00a0 They come with play-along CDs and one even has a DVD with me demonstrating some things.<\/p>\n

[Check out Michael Davis\u2019 website at www.hip-bonemusic.com<\/a> to find Chris\u2019s books]<\/p>\n

Now for the extra-fun stuff:\u00a0 Tell me about your interests outside of the horn and some of the projects you have been involved with.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Well, I guess I can plug my retreat project in Montana here.\u00a0 In 2007, I somehow managed to get my hands on sixty acres in the mountains of Montana, in the middle of the Lewis and Clark National Forest!\u00a0 My plan was to build a unique cooperative artist community from scratch \u2013 yup, from scratch!\u00a0 Lo and behold, four years later the project is actually underway.<\/p>\n

If you like camping, right now you can come stay as long as you like in the summer, if you are willing to get your hands dirty.\u00a0 The website is www.thunderheadrefuge.org<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 We have a blast out there, and the work doesn’t feel like work because of the place and the vision.\u00a0 I invite everyone reading this to come.\u00a0 Don’t be shy \u2013 we need more help!!<\/p>\n

What CDs do you have out these days?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, I am sideman on quite a few jazz records now.\u00a0 On some of them I am improvising, others not.\u00a0 Some of the artists I have worked with recently are Ryan Keberle, Marta Topferova, Jamie Baum, Donny McCaslin, and Gary Morgan.\u00a0 But the big news is I released a solo piano CD with all original music \u2013 something that had been in the works for quite sometime.\u00a0 It is called Travlin’ Music<\/em> (folk songs, ballads and improvisations). <\/em>It is jazzy and folky but hopefully sounds fresh and original too.\u00a0 You can hear some cuts on my MySpace page.\u00a0 (www.myspace.com\/ChrisKomer<\/a>.)\u00a0 A second solo piano CD is nearing completion as well.<\/p>\n

I do want to release my own jazz horn record eventually.\u00a0 People have been asking me for a long time when that is going to happen.\u00a0 I do perform from time to time with my own quintet (horn, tenor\/soprano sax, piano, bass, drums) with my own original charts and arrangements, so it is only a matter of time.<\/p>\n

I heard from our colleague Jacqui Adams (of Genghis Barbie fame these days!) that you have some pretty stellar books to recommend.\u00a0 Can you tell me about those?\u00a0 Do you have any favorite good reads that you would recommend for young horn players?<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a great question and one which few people ever ask me.\u00a0 But, yes, I can recommend some very good books that have inspired me through the years.<\/p>\n

The Artist Way<\/em> by Julia Cameron: Incredible stuff.\u00a0 This book should be handed out on day one at every music school in the country.\u00a0 It is a handbook for artists of all types and an incredibly powerful tool for seeing your creative dreams become reality.\u00a0\u00a0 There are actually three books in the series now, but all of her books, including her autobiography are incredibly inspirational.\u00a0 She talks about all the stuff your private teachers and professors and your parents never talk about.<\/p>\n

The Seth Books by Jane Roberts:\u00a0 OK \u2013 these books will turn your whole view of the universe upside-down in a most magical and positive way.\u00a0 Get ready to have your minds blown.\u00a0 I think there are eight or nine books in the series.\u00a0 Any great musician (artist) needs to delve deep into his\/her own mind at some point and these books help you do it.<\/p>\n

Effortless Mastery<\/em> by Kenny Werner: Kenny is a great jazz pianist who has written a beautiful book about the mystical side of making music.\u00a0 We need more books like this. His ideas and guided meditations (this book also comes with a CD) can be applied to many things in life besides music.<\/p>\n

Learn to Play Jazz and Improvise <\/em>by Jamey Abersold:\u00a0 These books (each book comes with a play along CD) were the main tool I used to teach myself how to improvise and play over chord changes.\u00a0 One tip:\u00a0 don’t get bogged down with the book.\u00a0\u00a0 Just put the CD on and start playing along.\u00a0 Your ear is your main teacher.\u00a0 Warning: playing improvised music is a highly addictive activity.<\/p>\n

A couple of other books:\u00a0 The Inner Game of Tennis<\/em>, Zen and the Art of Archery<\/em> \u2013 these help with the mental side of horn playing.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, <\/em>which talks about the tricky subject of defining quality.<\/p>\n

I also recommend reading biographies and autobiographies of musicians and artists \u2013 always enlightening and inspirational.\u00a0\u00a0 Some recent ones that I enjoyed immensely are biographies of Bill Evans, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Jaco Pastorious, and Vincent Van Gogh (who wrote near the end of his life\u2026.”I have now resigned myself to the fact that I will never amount to anything as a painter\u2026.”)<\/p>\n

Thank you so much, Chris, for sharing your thoughts and inspirational ideas and suggestions.\u00a0 I look forward to hearing how all of your projects continue to grow and progress!<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/p>\n

www.myspace.com\/chriskomer<\/a> – Chris\u2019s MySpace page<\/p>\n

www.thunderheadrefuge.org<\/a> – website for his artists\u2019 retreat Thunderhead Refuge<\/p>\n

www.hip-bonemusic.com<\/a> – Michael Davis\u2019 site which contains some warm-up books\/CDs and books for learning improvisation that feature Chris.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How many professional horn players do you know who have a piano album out?\u00a0 I know one.\u00a0 As I listened to Chris Komer\u2019s piano improvisations the other day, I noticed several things about these short-but-sweet moments captured in time.\u00a0 I … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews-with-professional-horn-players"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=227"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":937,"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227\/revisions\/937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.angelashornstudio.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}