http://erniestires.com A tribute to an unforgettable mentor. Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:39:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I recently spent an afternoon digging through the Nicholas Slonimsky Collection at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC to see if I could find evidence of correspondence between Ernie Stires and his beloved mentor.  I was pleased to locate a folder which contained several items.  Included with one of ... http://erniestires.com/?p=256 Ernie Stires came from a prestigious lineage of musicians. Ernie's cousin was legendary American composer Samuel Barber,  widely known for his piece Adagio For Strings (or Agnus Dei, for voices arranged by the composer). Louise Homer, Ernie's grandmother, was a world-class contraltist who sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New ... http://erniestires.com/?p=227 " Every child should have an opportunity to learn to play some musical instrument and should be taught to sing. All schools, including the lower grades, should have teachers of music of high standard. For children with special aptitude for music, more intensive teaching should be provided, including ... http://erniestires.com/?p=213 I have to quickly remark on a 24-part lecture series I've been thoroughly enjoying entitled, "The Symphony" by Robert Greenberg, Ph.D. and distributed by The Teaching Company. With an energetic and entertaining delivery (think Mel Brooks), Dr. Greenberg brings us the 300-year-old story of the symphony, from its earliest development, breaking ... http://erniestires.com/?p=185 While listening to NPR's review of guitarist Sharon Isbin's latest release Journey to the New World the other day, I was reminded of something Ernie once suggested during a discussion on the composer's role in popular music. Isbin's album, which also features performances by Joan Baez and Mark ... http://erniestires.com/?p=146 "My muse is a combination of Tallulah Bankhead and Bette Davis," he drawls. "She smokes and ... http://erniestires.com/?p=56 Ernie often prodded me to listen to more music, especially classics written by the great composers. I once asked him for suggestions and he effortlessly rattled off a list. In my futile attempt to keep up with him, I managed to jot down enough to keep me busy for ... http://erniestires.com/?p=72 In my ongoing quest to becoming a more prolific and inspired composer, I always think back to something Ernie once said to me, "You're only a composer when you're composing." In other words, a composer should only call himself a composer when he is actually sitting down and writing ... http://erniestires.com/?p=37 With guitarist Trey Anastasio of Phish being Ernie's most publicized disciple,  many people are under the impression that Ernie taught guitar lessons.  While it is true that most of the budding composers who sought out Ernie's advice played guitar as their primary instrument (with the exception of Jamie Masefield of ... http://erniestires.com/?p=10 Thank you for being patient as I configure the site.  Posts and additional content to arrive shortly. http://erniestires.com/?p=5