In Jamaica, ma'n - no worries, no worries

The common thread in this blog as I attempt to catalog my daily activities has one thing in common - I never know exactly where to begin. We left for Ft. Lauderdale at 4am - right after loading the bus with all of our instruments, music, and bags, showed up for a 1pm rehearsal, a concert that evening, and then another performance the next morning followed by a big concert with the Ambassador of Jamaica in attendance the same evening. And we didn't even leave the US. By the time we actually left US territory, I felt like I've been on the road for a week. This is how the New England Youth Ensemble functions - unfortunately. We lose a great deal of musicality when musicians are falling asleep on stage, so with that said, the concerts went well, but could have been much, much, much better. But, I was glad, nonetheless, to be away again.

Once in Jamaica, we loaded a shabby, but colorful bus, and headed to Northern Caribbean University for the annual Christmas "Feast of Lights" celebration. The dorms and hospitality were awesome, except for a lousy shower, and it certainly helped get us off on the right foot. The most wonderful thing happened at the end of the concert - you see, Jamaicans take their time - with everything. We played, they gave a speech, we played some more, they gave some more speeches, we played again with full orchestra and choir, they spoke some more still, and then we played a big final number...after we blew out the power. The final Hallelujah chorus from "Messiah" was performed with a packed house of cheering Jamaicans, a sweaty, tired group of Americans on stage, and a very animated Jamaican choir belting out the notes. If it weren't for a few audience volunteers to help hold candles for the musicians, it wouldnt' have ended in pitch blackness and without music! The candles made everything better - the music, the vibe, the listeners...it was real magic.

The following day we made our way to Starfish Resort - passing through rural Jamaican village after village. Third world, developing...I was a bit uneasy - not ALL Jamaicans are super chill or welcoming of foreigners. In any event, the more touristy resort was welcoming in my book - lots of Americans and Europeans and Asians visiting, a friendly staff - open bars - a pool, a beach, and of course, a fun concert for the tourists at night. Jamaica lacks orchestral instruments, so Randy and I had to make due with some beat up travel timpani for the whole trip. But it worked somehow. And the food at Starfish was DELICIOUS.

The next day we headed out to Kingston to an even nicer resort - Pegasus. The bus driver took us to a market, we visited Dunn's River Falls, I got scammed HARD CORE by a street vendor, and Mr. Flash treated the orchestra to a very satisfying meal at the end of the day. The rest of the night was spent relaxing after meandering bus rides through the country and seemingly endless performances. Our director has a history in Jamaica (among other places) and I am certain she'll want to go back next year.

The Carnegie Experience

Where to begin?! I've been to Manhattan many times before - Radio City, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway, pre-9/11 financial district, and so on. But, I never dreamed of being on the Isaac Stern Auditorium Stage, THE premier concert venue in the U.S., performing John Rutter and Mark Hayes in front of thousands.

The choir was enormous(350 strong?). The orchestra 'wowed' our conductor, Sean Boulware. A standing ovation at the end of the concert was...expected, in my opinion, about halfway through the Hayes.

We had rehearsal in the Kaplan Space on the third floor for two days.

I got a thumbs up from the principle percussionist and timpanist. I'm looking forward to going back to that incomparable stage.

Stressed

Ennio Morricone ^

Things to do this semester:

Percussion Pre-recital
Percussion Recital
Shakespeare scene composition
Carnegie (twice)
Piano Jury
Piano Proficiency
A bunch of little concerts in between
Music History paper


My head is going to explode - I wish, wish, wish that I could focus all my attention on composition and not be distracted with all this performance/school stuff. Alas...

Back to the Drawing Board

Wow is all I can say right now - this has been the most ridiculous July of my life. As you, fellow reader, might know I just got back with the Manhattan Philharmonia of New York (Columbia Union College and Friends) from an outrageous tour through Eastern Europe.

It went like this: the first two weeks of July were spent on the island of Syros in the Aegean Sea (that's Greece territory) performing Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" during the Festival of the Aegean. Rumor has it we will be going back next summer to perform another opera after good newspaper reviews, standing ovations, and a packed house - which I am ecstatic about. The Apollo Theatre is a gorgeous Italian-made opera house situated in central Hermoupolis' town center - shops, restaurants, plenty of people and action, etc.

After days of lovely beaches, resort relaxation, and music we made our way north to Istanbul, followed by Budapest, and number of smaller cities throughout Bulgaria and Romania, followed by the grand finale: a performance at the Dome Cathedral during the Salzburg Festival in Austria. And of course, we played a number of concerts along with way. Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, and others were common in the repertoire. The C.U.C. choir also accompanied the orchestra during the Festival of the Aegean, some smaller venues, and at the Romanian Cultural Arts Center.

A wonderful time (despite long bus rides through the countryside). The only downer for me was when I lost my camera on the choir bus. However, the other musicians were able to snap hundreds of photos for me to "borrow" from facebook. In hindsight, this is definitely 20/20.

Ahh The Good Life

This morning I woke up feeling like I should just stop and reflect on all the wonderful things that have been happening lately.

- Friends have been popping back into my life and they're all doing better than before
- Eamon and I are still writing and making awesome music
- I haven't gone to bed hungry
- The Lexus is a great great car
- I just wrote music for my first commercial
- The prospect of meeting professional musicians and what opportunities await through those relationships is only limited by my imagination
- Senior year (finally) this fall
- More scholarship money than I ever expected
- Spiritual stability for the first time in a long time
- I've been creating more music than I can keep up to write down
- MobWars is going strong

Dang. The pressure is on, boy!

Summer Shananagans

People have been asking me, "So, John, what are your plans for the summer?" Instead of running my mouth for 45 minutes explaining what my plan is, I'll just list them here:

My summer mostly involves writing/scoring music.

May: 48 Hour Film Project, Doug Wallace Percussion Competition, score movements I & II from "The Eternal" for full orchestra (v1, v2, vio., cel, db, 2 clar., oboe, 2 fl., bass., 4 horns, 3 trp., 2 tbn., btbn., tuba, paino(?) or harp(?), and of course, lots of fun percussion), WGTS 91.9 Radio editing part time job, percussion lessons, practice, practice, and practice.


June: score final movement III from "The Eternal," piano C minor prelude, F Major Piano Concerto (smaller sized orchestra), lessons, part-time job, practice, practice, and practice.

July: GREECE!! :)

August: find a place to live for the fall - and then its back to school. *sigh*

Taking on Los Angeles...One Composer at a Time

BANG! I friggin' love the fact that someday I'll be working full time composing music. I've made a few new friends out in Los Angeles - most of whom are active in the Hollywood movie-scoring circuit. It was wild talking to active composers who do stuff not just for film, but theater, commissioned pieces for major symphonies, opera, and commercials. Will keep pressing to get out there.

My original goal was to be working in LA this summer, but I changed it when I realized I had too much going on here:

a month-long gig in the Mediterranean
a percussion recital to prepare for
my first symphony to write
local jobs on the side.

A summer mentor position would probably have more set-backs while I'm still in school... GAH! I hate school ... gotta graduate ...

Albeit, being a musician is incredibly exciting and the sky is the limit!

Beetroot and Greece and Rants

Alright, so I just discovered Beetroot. The two percussionists are STOMP performers and they have some gnarly grooves - a really cool vibe that satisfied my ears. A q-gasm in my ears if you will.

Also, something else I'm excited about: I was invited by Mid-America Productions to perform a month long opera in Greece this July. Obviously, I'm killer stoked about this opportunity. And I've decided I'm growing my dreads back. Big night for me. I also went to South Street Steaks for dinner and it was sick as usual.

Living with savages

This will be a short blog.

I'd rather live with savages who have a respect and understanding for life than live with savages who have none.

Over the weekend I went on a Native American movie binge watching "Dances With Wolves," "Little Big Man," and "Smoke Signals" - all of which highlighted the sanctity of life. For a while I wanted to move out west and live out the rest of my days on a reservation away from the evils of white men. But then the Great Spirit spoke to me saying, "Human Beings also live among whites, not just the Sioux." After this I felt relieved because the Great Spirit was correct: goodness is found in all cultures and I don't have to give up mine to understand the sanctity of life. In closing: I will always miss Two Socks.

Myspace Music

Hey there!

Well, finally. I put a couple of songs on myspace for you to listen to and, I guess, get a feel for the type of music I'm attempting to write. It is nothing spectacular, but could lead to something extraordinary.

To check out the page, visit: www.myspace.com/johnmaestri

If myspace wasn't so stupid, I would upload all my songs. Instead, every few weeks or so, there will be one or two new songs to give a listen to.

Thank you, everyone! You have my love. Especially you, Flash. My little Hershey bar.

On Being Pentecostal

You've heard the rumors. Now here's the truth: those who are of the Pentecostal denomination are not a bunch of quacks. Surprised? I've been approached by a number of Seventh-Day Adventists (as well as non-Christians) who question and scrutinize the act of speaking in tongues. Perhaps I can go through this step by step and explain where Pentecostals are coming from in our beliefs.

Rumor: speaking in tongues is pure jibberish without meaning, weird, and frightening.

The Real Deal: speaking in tongues was very much a part of the early church. Check it out in the Book of Acts 2 where Peter, his homies, and a bunch of onlookers are mystified by followers of Christ who speak in a completely different language when inspired by the Holy Spirit. This event happened on the "Day of Pentecost" (first day of the week [Sunday]) which is why we don't go to church on the Sabbath, thusly taking on the title of being Pentecostal. This isn't just a New Testament event, but also an Old Testament one.

Let me explain. When people bust out in speaking in tongues in Acts, it occurs during a significant Jewish feast that was REQUIRED by Jewish law found in Leviticus: The Feast of Weeks. Pentecost is the day after the seventh Sabbath during this feasting period, but it was still a part of the Jewish Festival of Weeks time frame. So then, in summary, the day after Sabbath is Sunday(Pentecost) - the day which the Holy Spirit "indwelt" the early church believers changing the day they got together for [the majority] of Christians from Sabbath to Sunday. So what exactly are these mental people uttering? If you'd pick up your bible and read it rather than someone else telling you how to think, you would find the Apostle Peter has a concrete answer for us. Over and over the believers muttered things in other languages and Peter, one after the other, 'translated'/interpreted them.

How can we know then that what Peter says is true or not? Easy. You have to judge it for yourself and line it up with what the bible says. For instance if a paster in a mega church starts raising his hands and shouting in weird words, "habbah legah kalaje" and says it means, "give me your money and you'll have an inheritance in heaven!" Clearly...this is not what the bible teaches. Jesus said give Him your heart and you'll have an eternal inheritance. Amen? You can be 100% certain this preacher is a fake, a liar, and not someone you should listen to, but instead pray for. This is why we need to stay in the Word - daily - so we can decipher truth from false teaching according to biblical principle.

Moving onward...

Rumor: When people speak in tongues, it is a psychological experience where your brain releases chemicals - you're spiritually high when this happens and your mind buys it.

The Real Deal: No doubt your body, mind, and spirit go through something that is really, for lack of a better term, unusual. If someone came up to me and said with complete sincerity, "John, I was abducted by aliens from Andromeda - they did strange things to me, spoke to me in a weird language, and dropped me back on Earth just now," I would be a skeptic for sure. Personal testimony is a great source for evidence, but it can also be the most inaccurate, so what I say next is completely up to your discretion. I am not here to convince you to believe one thing or another, but to inform you of how some people think. Fair?

My personal [speaking in tongues] testimony: I visited my church after being at UM for a while. It was good to be back and see everyone. At the end of the sermon, which was preached by a guest speaker whose name escapes me, the congregation was invited to "experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit" aka speaking in tongues. I wasn't eager to see what this was all about. I was not excited about it. I wasn't skeptical, either. I just went for the heck of it, but expected SOMETHING to happen. I did not go based on heightened ultra-religious zeal or some type of pious attitude, but simply to go and to see for myself what this speaking in tongues bit was all about. There were a handful of us. I was ushered within the tightly packed group and lead into prayer by the guest preacher, one or two church elders, and my pastor. Basically it was a hard core prayer 'pack' of Christians praying for one thing: to please their creator and savior, Christ. And that was it. I thought, "Sure I can pray about this" and just started to give thanks in an intentional way. So we were all praying quietly at first, but it snowballed into speaking, to raising the voice, but not shouting. I let go of everything that was on my mind and went for it. My eyes began to twitch uncontrollably, which I was 100% aware of, my stomach began to tighten, which I was also 100% aware of, and my lips slowly began to move forming words. The neat part is that I was aware and also unable to control the physical attributes of this experience. The words which came out just flowed - I didn't have to think about what I was saying - it was like speaking on auto pilot. I spoke words that felt like honey in a tongue that wasn't of my own familiarity. The words were then, get this, 'translated' by the guest preacher in English and it lined up with what was on my mind in utterances. Unreal, eh? Afterwards, I was in absolute confirmation of my faith and that single experience marks the landmark of not being able to deny Christianity. I went to my friend Jonathan's house to tell him about it. He is on facebook if you really want to hunt him down and ask him.

Rumor: Evangelical Christians are scam artists.

The Real Deal: I agree some mainstream televangelists are scammers. This should not be a surprise to a follower of Christ. Anyone who knows how to read knows the bible says there will be a host of teachers/preachers/evangelists who fit the mold of 2 Timothy 4:3-5. "Feel good" messages who allow people to marvel at their amazing healing gifts and life improving formulas. It is too bad that the poster boy of Evangelical Christianity is one of these preachers. While there are a number of mainstream preachers, such as Joel Osteen, who preach a twisted message under the Pentecostal umbrella, it is unfortunate, and I must admit, it is normal to be be skeptical of his methods. A good study would be to listen to any of his messages and find where in the bible he gets his stuff from - you'll find its comparing apples to oranges.


Evangelical Christianity, I believe, is complete submission to the Holy Spirit and allowing it to work through us on a day-to-day basis, not through mega buildings or fairy tale messages. I hope this clears up some things...leave a comment if I should rethink all this or try to explain something again - after all...I gotta be accountable for what people read!

Back From Cali...Again

Talk about a winter "break." If a break from school means traveling to the opposite side of the country to perform with the New England Youth Ensemble, play 3 billion concerts, sleep in California mansions, and eat at In-n-Out Burger, then I had one heck of break.

On this trip, I noticed something: I'm becoming increasingly picky about my flight arrangements. We flew United and when you compare this great American airline with ANA (Japan's super efficient airline) it doesn't even come close! I spent 5 hours crushed in a tiny seat with my knees up to my chin begging the stuartist for a second pack of peanuts and a cup of water. The movie selection was terrible...for some reason the Jane Austin Book Club didn't interest me too much and watching The Rock flex his muscles in the Game Plan was as exciting as watching a Thomas' English muffin in my toaster oven. Sheesh.

But, besides the flight, Southern California, again, left me wanting more when it was time to go. The orchestra played several concerts over a week in about 5 or 6 different cities - most of which were about 45 minutes from Los Angeles. The last two days were spent in sunny San Diego - what a freakin' gorgeous city. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time for sight seeing, but just being out in the weather was a reward in itself. Standing on line at Cha-Cha's with the warm sun beaming down, and snow covered mountains all around, and the palm trees, and the ultra-chill people...it was great! The amount of money in Southern Cal is remarkable. We stayed with one family who provided us with a "modest home" - only worth about 1 million. Their "modest" '95 Mercedes had a more humble look on the road next to the BMW's and high rollers.

Besides the jaw-dropping scenery and real estate, I was supposed to meet John D'Aquino on a movie set (he is the guy who does sound for the Super Trooper guys). But, our schedules conflicted and couldn't work anything out this time. We'll see in the future.

Bring On the New Year

Well, here it is. My first blog entry of 2008 and probably the only entry of 2008. These internet things are wonderful wastes of time, but can keep me occupied from the stressful activities of day to day life. Welcome, friend!

I suppose the purpose of this blogspot is to keep my friends and family updated with all the crazy shananagans that I find myself in. Mostly, it will probably be about my music adventures as I attempt to actually finish school, play gigs, and travel as much as humanly possible, making some duckets in between. I find that in this industry, one meets a multitude of interesting people which would make interesting stories to tell here.

Also...

Once I figure out how to use a digital camera and dispose of my disposable ones, I will put up some pictures to make things easier and more entertaining for you, dear reader. So, here we are in '08 and, after a difficult end to 2007, I am looking forward to new opportunities and making every interaction a meaningful one, whether it be in cyberspace or in...whatever the opposite of cyberspace is, meatspace.

I still don't own an ipod. Anyone have an old one they can give me?

Cheers everyone!

A look at 2007 real fast to get you up to speed:

Jan. skiied...alot. dropped out of UMd after a lousy audition
Feb. started working full at a music gear pawn shop
Mar. got a local gig on DCTV writing music (AWESOME!)
Apr. Jack says, "You want to go to Japan?"
May. I say, "Yes, hai."
Jun. Jack and John backpack from Sata Miyasaki to Oita, Kyshu
Jul. applied to a new school in DC, flew to LA for my boy Mike's wedding
Aug. still worked at pawn shop, auditioned, got a scholarship
Sep. new school, new potential, left DCTV
Oct. wrote pages music, New England tour
Nov. practiced, Michigan tour
Dec. went to Thailand, Grandpa lost cancer battle, but lives, held my dog as he was put to sleep for kidney failure