A Couple of Sessions in the Time of COVID

 There is occasionally some music work that happens in the ongoing crisis. Actually, in reality some people have been continuously working, but they are they anointed few with home studios and big time hookups. For the rest of us, gigs are extremely rare. I did manage to do two recording projects at the end of January. One for a project of  Woody Aplanalp's and one for  Vinny Golia. Woody's was stacking a few passes for a pop song. A really good song. I think people will like it, if they manage to get the project out into the world. That is always the challenge, getting it out into the world. Vinny's is a large project. He has realized the large ensemble portion of the piece on with samples and synthesizer, then sent some of those files out to various folks and asked us to improvise over them. Then he is going to select and mix those in for the final composition. I will be interested to hear how this turns out. The ensemble parts are very dense. It was a challenge to figure out how to place any improvisation into it. But I managed. Who knows what he will actually use? I decided to go over to Wayne Peet's to record my contributions. It was just easier that way. 

The other news from the end of the month is that I assembled the electric bike and have had a few rides on it. I like it. It will take a while to get used to it. I have to get used to just riding a bike again and then there is the added aspect of the power provided by the electric motor. Riding it is not intuitive, I can tell you that. 

Woody sets the mics.

Doing a vocal for Vinny's project from Wayne's remote studio.

The e-bike. 

Elephants in the Room - Divoc Lockdown! Divoc!

 Karl Evangelista of Grex has been curating online music festivals during the reduced live activity necessitated by the COVID crisis. He asked me to contribute something for Lockdown Festival IV. 20 - 30 minutes was the requested length. You could live-stream or send in something pre-recorded. I opted for the latter. It took a lot of work and despite the many steps involved in creating a video piece, it was largely improvised, even in the editing. Especially in the editing. Other than the final portion that I play on cimbasso, it was all editing. That final piece on cimbasso btw, is Fanfare COVID-19, which I wrote on commission to be part of a project by Mia Kuwada. It is for any single instrument and is available if you want it. Just drop me a line. The festival was streamed on New Year's Day, January 1, 2021.

To get background shots for the video, I took a trip to Joshua Tree and the Salton Sea. By the time I got to Joshua Tree, I was pretty clear in my mind that its particular style of desert had too much life going on for what I wanted. I really wanted those shores of dead fish, images that are burned in our minds of the Salton Sea. But I was at the monument so figured I should take a least some shots. Good decision. On walking to "my spot," (I have a spot I always go to in Joshua Tree) I came upon a recently dead cottontail rabbit. I have no idea what killed it. There were no bite marks, no sign of a struggle, so it wasn't some other animal's dinner. Maybe just old age or a heart attack. Who knows. But it was perfect. Definitely made the trip to Joshua Tree worthwhile. 

Then I headed south to Mecca. You have to go through Mecca to get to the Salton Sea. There were not hundreds of dead fish on the shores of the sea. That only happens in die-off events. But I did have some excitement. I stepped into what can only be called quicksand. It was up to my middle thigh. Both legs. I was alone. Just like in the old jungle movies and westerns. And I did what they did to get out. Laid the upper part of my body flat. I was able to work my way out. It was not fun. It is a good story now, but I am not a believer in dying for my art. At least not by that method. Click here for a YouTube video on how to get out of it. 

Here is the link for my piece Elephants in the Room - Divoc Lockdown! Divoc!:

https://vimeo.com/494889617

Some screenshots from the video:

Pigs, Pigs, Oh! Those Tasty Pigs

 So, it is a new year. 2021. I'm going to give this another go after a very long break. Here in Los Angeles we are in the middle of a huge COVID-19 spike. 318 deaths so far today in L.A. County. Needless to say there has been no work really since this has started. No music work, no food work. The odd outdoor music job here and there. I think I've only done three since last March, 2020. Anything else I do is online. 

2020 was going to be a big year for me. I won't go into details now. That would take too long. What I want to do with this blog right now is just short entries. Some links. Some photos. That way I have a chance of keeping it going. 

2020 was going to be a big year for me. One of those biggies was that Southland Ensemble was going to do a program dedicated to my works. Didn't/couldn't happen. But through an offshoot of theirs, the Middle Ear Project, they are doing video productions of six of the solo works and one ensemble work. They've produced and released three of the solo works and later this month will release the ensemble work, Pigs, Pigs, Oh! Those Tasty Pigs. The musical performances are excellent. As impressive is their embracing and exploitation of the video medium. They make the musical pieces into video works. I am very pleased. 

Here are links to the three solo pieces:

Vespertilio Murinus - Lied Der Naab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYUSW3GYiAk

Procyon lotor– Überall Hänge Ich Meinen Hut ist Haus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBl2jfSDmEs

My Head Is Always Down For I No Longer Look For You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0roUj0t00Cc

The release of Pigs, Pigs, Oh! Those Tasty Pigs is coming up. Here is the link (useless by the time you read this) to that happening: https://www.middleearproject.com/#/music-for-your-inbox/

Actually, it is not useless, because you can subscribe for upcoming productions/concerts. I suppose it is possible that once you do that, you'll have access to past presentations, but I am not sure. 

Here are some shots and maybe videos from the promo efforts for Pigs. I am hoping that it is easier to embed vids on here now than it used to be. If not, you won't see them. 

They had me make a postcard. It is a perk for their subscribers.

And they had me record an introduction to the piece. 

And finally, a little bit of the piece:

A Picture of Life in Hollywood

This post is a transcript of an email/text conversation between myself and a manager in pursuit of getting three days of background work. As you will see, ultimately I did not get the work. I am putting it up because it strikes me as very silly. Background work does not pay tons of $$$, but it can be close to as arbitrary for big $$$ commercial work as a principal. I think there are a lot of things wrong with what goes on in this exchange, most of which you won't recognize if you don't engage in these activities. I won't point them out. Just read through it and enjoy yourself.

Perry Mason Timeline

>Aug 28 at 11:56 AM

Hello 1930's style musicians!

Checking your availability to work 3 days on the HBO show: Perry Mason.  The work dates are:

Thursday, Sept 19

Friday, Sept 20

Monday, Sept 23

Rate is $275/up to 8 hr day, followed by overtime at time and a half, double time and possible golden time (the day rate per hour).  On top of that are instrument bumps ($25), possible wardrobe bumps, possible smoke bumps, and oftentimes, meal penalties as well.  So, please don't fixate on the 'day rate' as these jobs usually pay way more than that, along with free food all day on set :-)

Please REPLY with your FULL AVAILABILITY for ALL 3 days PLUS the instrument(s) you could bring to set.  See list below.

After that, each of you needs to be approved by the production team before booking.

Here's what they're looking for:

Clean cut, no facial hair, no tattoos, nice clean cut.

20 member band - 15 Men, 5 Women - all Caucasian but 4 can be different races. If anyone has the period instruments please let me know.

3 coronets (regular)

3 trombones (2 tenor, 1 bass)

3 Alto horns (not saxes, they are in the French horn range)

2 euphoniums

2 tubas

1 flugelhorn

1 baritone horn (again, not a sax)

Organ

Bass drum (the one that looks like it would be in a marching band)

Crash cymbal (like held upright in 2 hands, again marching band visual)

Snare

Again, please REPLY with your FULL AVAILABILITY for ALL 3 days PLUS the instrument(s) you could bring to set.  If you are NOT available at all, there's no need to reply at all. Thank you!

>Aug 28 at 12:00 PM

Also, there will be a fitting day, if you get selected for this work call.  The fitting will be during a 2 hour window and I'll do my best to work with your schedule.  This will take place the week prior.  Fittings pay 1/4 of the day rate.  For this call, the fitting would pay $68.75.

Again...if you're not available at all for this job, there is no need to respond at all.  Thank you!

>Aug 28, 2019 at 12:23 PM William Roper 

Hello, ________,

I am not Caucasian, so I would have to be one of the four. 

Available all stated days. Can't say about the wardrobe day, since you don't know it.

Instruments available: (btw, it is cornet, not coronet)

1. Trombone

2. Alto horn (oval style)

3. Euphonium (period)

4. Tuba (period)

5. Baritone horn

If I have to actually play something, limit it to euphonium, baritone horn and tuba. 

>Aug 28 at 12:26 PM

Thanks...will keep you posted if they select you.  Fingers crossed!

>Aug 28, 2019 at 12:26 PM William Roper

_______, 

It doesn't say if this is a SAG job. If it is not, then don't send my name in.

>Aug 28 at 12:27 PM

It's SAG.  I negotiated a higher rate but it's still on SAG contracts.

>Aug 28 at 6:34 PM

Just to clarify, we do need all ethnicities on this call.  Please reply only if you're available.  Thanks a bunch ;-) 

>Aug 29 at 10:42 AM

Hello 1930's band fellas,

We don't have a definite booking yet but it's looking pretty good.  I"ll get more concrete info as soon as I can.

For now, we need your jacket size ASAP.  There will be a fitting as well, so they may be able to tweak here and there.

Here are the sizes of jackets they have.  Which one(s) suit you?  Please give all possible options so we have choices:

2 size 38

3 size 40

5 size 42

2 size 44

1 size 46

1 size 48

Thanks for replying with your best option(s)!!

>Aug 29, 2019 at 10:55 AM William Roper 

I am a snug 48R, but I wear it. No way a 46. A comfortable 52.

I can assume this means that I am in the running?

>Aug 29 at 11:01 AM

As I said, it's looking good but we don't have a definite booking yet.  Are you willing to wear a wig provided by hair/makeup dept?  They won't accept your beautiful bald head this time around ;-)  

>Aug 29, 2019 at 11:03 AM William Roper 

I'll wear a wig and a dress. BTW, I have 30 Afro wigs of my own.

>Aug 29 at 11:05 AM

WOAH...dude!  That's awesome!!  I don't even have one, lol!  Ok, I'm working on that.  They said they wouldn't have you on the job because of the bald head but I asked about a wig so they're considering it.  Think outside the box, right?? 

>Aug 29, 2019 at 11:10 AM William Roper

Correct. The bald head is sometimes a drawback, mostly for period stuff. But, the long hair is very grey these days.

You can see a little of it on here (in your spare time):

roper_Fever-Femur

>Aug 29 at 11:12 AM

OMG...bizarre but wonderful!! 

>Aug 29 at 9:17 PM

We need photos of some of your wigs. We’re trying to find the ones that would most likely be used for 1930s scene. I also have one more African-American who is bald, Calvin Winbush, do you know him? He would also need a wig. 

You wouldn’t happen to have two wigs that would be suitable, do you?

>Aug 29, 2019, at 9:29 PM William Roper

I have 30 Afro wigs, all the same. And one Trump wig. Those won't work for the 1930's. What next? I can't go out and buy a wig now.

>Aug 29 at 9:52 PM

No, definitely not. I don’t think it’s going to work then unless you have one that can pass for 1930?

We move to texts:

>Thu 9:28 PM William Roper: ______, I've got your email about the wigs. They are afro wigs. They are all the same. 30 of the same wig. And afterwards don't really go with the 30s. I also have a trump wig. Which won't work either. What's your advice?

>Thu 9:57 PM: We'll have to pass on this call. It's not a definite booking for anyone officially yet. 

>Thu 9:59 PM William Roper: I suspected as much. Sorry for the misunderstanding on the wigs. You would think they'd have one or two in their coffers. But why should they make it hard when they can be easy. So it goes. Thanks much.

>Thu 9:59 PM: They prob don't have a wig dept for this show.

>Thu 10:00 PM: If anything changes, I'll let you know!

>Thu 10:01 PM William Roper: Okay, thanks. Not to complicate things, but I have a hundred different hats/caps, of which I do have photos of. If they want to cover my head that is. 

>Thu 10:02 PM: No hats/caps. If you want to try on some wigs & take pix for me, that might work. You could write it off.

>Thu 10:04 PM William Roper: In future. But, I've looked at wigs in these few minutes and you're talkin like $150 for a wig. It's a big investment even getting one, two or three it gets to be real money. But I'll check it out.

>Thu 10:05 PM: Ok.

A Return to "Killer King."

What's been happening? Pretty busy. Last Wednesday (Aug. 21), I did a hit with the Bobby Bradford Sextet at the Santa Monica Public Library on their Sound Waves Series, hosted by Jeff Schwartz. It was a very good show. There is good documentation, but I don't know if Bobby will allow it to go up on YouTube. Members of the septet are Bobby Bradford - cornet, Vinny Golia - reeds, William Roper - lip reeds, Don Preston - piano, David Tranchina - bass, Tina Raymond - drums. We had a good crowd. This show was the first time I played pennywhistle in public. It was a duo with Vinny on clarinet. 

Bobby and I headed out to Santa Monica early and had dinner at Hollywood Swingers Diner.

Bobby enjoyed his burger (cooked medium well) as did I mine (cooked medium rare).

photo credit: Chuck Koton

photo credit: Chuck Koton

photo credit: Chuck Koton

photo credit: Chuck Koton

photo credit: Chuck Koton

On Saturday (Aug. 24), I participated in another piece (Stay Awake) with the Heidi Duckler Dance Company. Heidi's company specializes in doing site-specific works. This one was at the M. L. King Community Hospital in Willowbrook. Willowbrook is just south of Watts. Everyone has heard of Watts, Willowbrook not so much. This is the second iteration of the hospital. The original one was the King Drew Medical Center. It became known as "Killer King." My mother was one of the people that helped that institution justify the moniker. She should not have died the way she did. She should not have. It was because of deaths like hers that the Feds closed it down. And now, here I was, creating work at the new version of the institution. So far, there are no stories of the old horrors be repeated. Despite some challenges, it ended being a very good show. I was not a composer on this, but a featured performer. As always with Duckler, I created my role. I used six instruments: pennywhistle,  wakrapuku, never lur (first time in a performance), ran singha, conch and helicon.  I was in two scenes. There were two composers for the work: Jessie Cox (out of NYC), Justin Bardales, and 12 dancers. 

These shots are from the rehearsal the Saturday before the performance (Aug. 17):

Rob "Rawbzilla" Lambaren protecting the helicon from the sheriff deputies. 

Featured dancer Raymond Ejiofor.

Featured dancer Himerria Wortham giving notes to the company. They are not in jail.

Heidi making decisions.

The parking structure. One of three "stages" the piece took place on.

Rob working out his duet.

Shots from the day of the show...

Heidi Duckler - artistic director, Raphaelle Ziemba - managing director

Calling Hemirria with the ran singha.

And here she is.

Using to wakrapuku to bring Raymond and Hemirria together.

Playing and singing arhoolies with the helicon.

Doing this show provided opportunities to try out some local food stands. 

After the rehearsal on the first Saturday, I found a food truck on Avalon Blvd.

I had a buches mulitas.

A & T Burger on Central Ave. 

Lunch before Friday's dress rehearsal.

It was a good and honest burger.

I passed this place on the first day down there, but the line was too long for me stop. I don't stand in long lines for food. 

The line wasn't very long, but it still took forever to get the food.

Asada taco. Very home-style, very familiar. I haven't had a taco like this for a long time. Not a taco I'd want every day,
but a few times a year would be cool.

This is the taco burger. It looks messy. It is, but more so, because

it was an hour before I could eat it. The bread would not have been

soggy had I eaten it right away. It was a fun burger to eat. 

Then on Sunday (Aug. 25), I premiered a new ensemble for an event called: "Black Music in LA @ WAA - DCA Presenters Showcase." Grand Performances is the entity that hired us. The event was held in Leimert Park. The original request was for Purple Gums, but neither Francis nor Bobby was available. I worked very hard to pull together another ensemble that fit the mold, yet would have an identity purely its own. Ultimately I came up with a trio of Chris Williams on trumpet, myself on tuba, aerophones, vox, and Roberto Lambaren doing movement. The set, like those of Purple Gums, was free improvisation. We did good. 

I only got a short video in terms of visual documentation of the performance. I did get a complete audio recording. There will eventually be shots or video from the Grand Performances folks. For now, here are three screen shots pulled from the video.