The Maestro and the Punk Part 1- THE MAESTRO- Dr.Jim Stopher

Why am I trying to talk to musicians from all kinds of backgrounds and examine the differences in what makes them who they are? Because I consider myself a walking musical contradiction, a paradoxical blend of a passionate music theory enthusiast/composer/teacher and an unapologetic obnoxious punk rocker that plays only 1 speed and 1 volume. In order to understand my own perspective, I feel the need to observe every walk of life in the music world. The greater the variety, the better, and nothing says variety like pitting an Orchestral Conductor against a Punk Rocker.

MEET THE MAESTRO

Jim Stopher is a Harvard grad with a Master's Degree in Orchestral Conducting, and a DMA in the same field. Aside from conducting, he is a 20 year+ pianist, and also a music educator and composer. Jim first fell in love with music when he composed his first song at the age of 11.
For Jim, an advantage of doing what he does is that he has complete control over the repertoire in which his ensembles perform. By hand selecting his concert literature, he can build and mold programs based on whichever theme or idea he'd like! A true maestro!
When selecting music, for Jim, it's a combination of both his emotional involvement and the nuts and bolts of the music itself.

"Beautiful and unexpected harmonic progressions are crucial, but also melodic invention and unpredictability."

So how is Jim Stopher able to identify all these nuts and bolts? Does he just know?

No, he reads music.

To Jim, the ability to read music is "indispensable." For his profession, this could not be more true. Not only does he have to know how to read, but he must have a developed enough ear to catch and fix when musicians are not playing the correct pitch or rhythm. Reading is everything for Jim, and it enables him to literally see the harmonic intent of the composers he chooses, and therefore, build better programs and ultimately feel more fulfilled as a musician/performer/conductor.

Dr. Stopher's favorite, Brahms.
(and my 2 cents)

Brahms's Violin Concerto is Jim's favorite piece of music. In my listening to it, I enjoyed the pentatonic (5 note scale) melody at the beginning and I loved that they revisited that melody later in piece, also, the half cadence left me hanging at around :20 seconds, which I liked. Don't know what I'm saying? Google it for now!

It had my attention and took me places. From then on, there's drama, and many instances of all those things Jim looks for in music. Surprises, but thought out surprises, executed precisely and never abandoning melody and harmony.
Well I don't listen to Brahms regularly, it was very cool to listen to this while thinking about Jim's background and his adoration for this music, not to mention how his identity as a musician plays into his tastes. I always take my interviewees tastes into serious consideration and set my personal tastes aside, as should you.
My sincere thanks to Dr. Jim Stopher for his time and his input.

Stay tuned, and meet the PUNK!