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OLIN JOHANNESSEN
This month, we had the pleasure of catching up with our old friend, Olin Johannessen. If there's one phrase that would sum up Olin, it's well-rounded. From his charter membership in the UMASS Amherst Marimba band to his drum corps years with the Boston Crusaders, working in the industry as an assistant Director of Education for Vic Firth, Inc, composing for a variety of mediums, and ultimately landing his current gig as the Director of Choral Activities for the Portsmouth School Department in New Hampshire, Olin has covered some serious ground in the world of music.
Read on to learn more about what makes Olin tick, and how Stravinsky cracks the whip on his motivation.
Who is your favorite author?
Hemingway, partly because of his intimate and terse style. He rarely uses extraneous words; rather, he chooses words carefully so as to maximize their impact and meaning. His is a very efficient style, which is surely a sought-after quality for a composer of music. When an idea is pure and speaks for itself, there is no need for fluff. I also find great encouragement in his writing habits. He once said, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." This speaks to both the emotional aspects of writing and the self-discipline required to commit yourself to your craft…and to practice it frequently without frivolity or excuses.
Of all the pieces you've written or arranged, which one is your favorite, and why?
A piece for orchestra called "Soundscape," composed during the second year of my masters degree program. I can still go back and listen to the workshop and performance recordings and hear the issues that I had written into the score as a young composer. I enjoy reflecting on the changes that needed to be made and can still hear some which have yet to be made. The creative process is never finished; there are always things you can improve upon. That's why the workshop process was so important!
Favorite ice cream flavor?
Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch! OH MAN that stuff is delicious, but only if I can get it from Lago's Lone Oak (Rye, NH). If I can't get that, I'm going with Ben & Jerry's "Phish Food." That one better not ever get taken off the market, because when they removed the Dave Matthews Band flavor "One Sweet Whirled," I was pretty upset. Love me some ice cream.
Favorite teaching tools?
I am now a middle and high school choir director, having previously spent the bulk of my teaching career in the marching percussion world. Teaching percussion and choir are pretty different enterprises, but they have many similarities! One tool that I use with both groups is ear training and singing. Having students sing their parts rhythmically and/or melodically is huge no matter what type of ensemble you work with. They create an even more intimate connection between brain and body since students are creating the sounds themselves, direct from their brains…there are no implements to manipulate.
Biggest musical influence?
I would say that Stravinsky is my biggest musical influence. Stravinsky was never satisfied with where he was; he was always striving for the next level. His music is so laden with emotion and technical complexity, and yet it remains very accessible while not giving away too much of itself. The degree to which his rhythmic structures and altered harmonies in "The Rite…" so closely resemble some of the more advanced jazz concepts which were not to be for another 50 years or so is breathtaking. It's always been a curiosity of mine to try and trace these harmonic substitutions and alterations from Wagner (and you could still go further back) through Stravinsky and on up through some of the jazz greats like Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, etc. There is much to be said for tracing that line!
I keep a photograph of Stravinsky on my computer desktop. It is motivation enough each day to look at his gaze and imagine that he is saying, "What have you done with yourself today, sir?"
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Video Submission of the Month
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The University of Tennessee Knoxville (Andy Bliss, director of percussion studies) has just started a new pre-game ritual where the drumline and football team join together. Here, you'll hear them performing
To share videos of your latest performances of Tapspace music, click here. We'll look forward to hearing what you're doing with our music, and maybe we'll feature you here!
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 Playing any Tapspace pieces?
Like our music? Want to help make sure more music like it is created in the future?
By letting ASCAP know that you performed our pieces in concert, you’ll be supporting composers and Tapspace, and it doesn’t cost you a thing! Every year ASCAP collects monies from orchestras, bars, radio stations, karaoke clubs, even sports stadiums—nearly every place and space where music is played. These funds are distributed based on reported performances. If you don’t report this performance, that’s one or two more pennies that will go to Mariah Carey.
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The Friend Zone
Are you following us on Facebook or Twitter? If you are, you already know that the latest and greatest is posted there first. And we often run flash promotions to save you some quick cash exclusively via our social channels. But mainly we like to know what you're up to so we can all engage and keep up with everything that is creativity in percussion.
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