6. Professional Integration Activity (PIA)
Description of the activity:
As a complement to the master's research, it was our task to carry out a professional activity in which we could develop in a new field. Activities such as concerts, master classes or recordings were valid for this section, always within the professional field or trying to get as close to it as possible. In my case I decided to create an audiovisual product.
This deliberable would be a sample of my knowledge and skills as a horn player specialised in Wagner tuba. For this I thought it appropriate to compose an arrangement for Wagner tuba and horn ensemble (adding bass trombone and timpani) that would show my facet as a professional. At the same time it was a great opportunity for me to get involved in the world of arranging, as I had never done any before, and in this way increase my skills as a musician.
The activity also had the short term objective of collaborating with the horn class of the conservatory (KCHornclass) and giving them the opportunity to get to know and play the Wagner tuba by participating in this recording (an opportunity which, as already explained, is rare).
Product:
The final product is a video with images collected from the day of the recording, which are displayed above the audio we recorded. The arrangement is made for 4 horns, 4 Wagner tubas, a bass trombone and timpani and is based on the original orchestral ending of the Siegfried funeral march from the opera Gotterdamerung, composed by Richard Wagner. I consider it a fascinating sample of the music of the Ring of the Nibelung and certainly very interesting to arrange and exciting to play. The recording was carried out by the conservatoire's horn class with the help of collaborators from other departments of the conservatoire who are named below:
Conductor Wagner tuba players
Herman Jeurissen Gaizka Ciarrusta Insagurbe
Joan Guerra Domenech
Horn players Ana Muñoz Koniarska
Pablo Bajo Collados Sarah Brien
Miguel Herrera
Arne Minnaard Timpani
Hendrik Marinus Gonçalo Martins
Bass Trombone Recording engineer
Giovanni D'Agostino Isa Plaat
I would like to thank all of them for their time, effort and dedication as they have made this project a reality.
Conclusions of the activity:
The final balance of this whole activity is clearly positive. The whole process from the idea to the final product has been long and complex at times. It has been really interesting to be able to create it from scratch and at the same time to be able to see how such a project works from an organisational point of view. From the day the general idea was born, to choosing the music and arranging it for an ensemble of these characteristics, getting a place to record, organising the rehearsals and gathering all the people and material needed... a lot of things have happened. Of course there have been simpler tasks and other more complex ones that we have had to adapt to, as well as many others that could have been organised or carried out in a better way. But the final personal sensation of all this is that without a doubt it has been a process with which I feel fulfilled and with which I have increased my skills and abilities.
It is obvious that if we analyse the recording in detail, some may say that there are moments in which a better/cleaner or more professional result could have been achieved, and this is absolutely true. If the aim of the product we have created was to make money with it... we should have certainly approached it differently to achieve the best possible result. But it must be made clear that this has never been the aim of the activity. The aim or the beauty of the whole process has been to be able to play Richard Wagner's music, to play the Wagner tuba, to work in a group, to develop new skills and to enjoy playing. Therefore I consider that despite the imperfections of the recording (which everyone will see more or less) we have enjoyed this whole project and we have a nice sample with which to enjoy the work we have done and that we can remember it in the future.