Week 3: Harmonious Journeys
GREETINGS, ESTEEMED TONEBUDDIES!
Are you ready to embark on a musical journey through the enchanting realm of Villa-Lobos and his South-American roots? With the new release of Douglas Lora's Preludes this Friday and the whole Suite Populare Bresilienne with Fabio Zanon in the making, we are thrilled to present the revamped "Villa-Lobos Voyage Extravaganza," an extraordinary experience celebrating the works of Villa-Lobos and composers influenced by his heritage. Over the next four weeks, dive into captivating compositions, exploring the rich tapestry of sounds and rhythms.
WHEN 
- Challenge Start: Official Kick-Off on July 30th
- Challenge Duration: July 30th - August 30th
- Watch Party of Selected Submissions: August 30th
HOW TO BEGIN 
Select a Piece:
- Choose a mesmerizing piece from Villa-Lobos or a composer connected to his South-American heritage. Options include soulful Villa-Lobos compositions, rhythmic Brazilian-inspired works, or pieces by other artists inspired by South-American musical traditions.
- Choose a mesmerizing piece from Villa-Lobos or a composer connected to his South-American heritage. Options include soulful Villa-Lobos compositions, rhythmic Brazilian-inspired works, or pieces by other artists inspired by South-American musical traditions.
Practice and Share:
- Commit to regular practice and share your progress with the community. Aim for daily practice and upload at least two videos per week to showcase your musical voyage. This keeps you motivated and allows you to share your artistic journey with our tonebase family.
- Commit to regular practice and share your progress with the community. Aim for daily practice and upload at least two videos per week to showcase your musical voyage. This keeps you motivated and allows you to share your artistic journey with our tonebase family.
Submit Your Performance:
- Share your favorite performance or recording that captures the spirit of the "Villa-Lobos Voyage Challenge." Your submission will inspire others and create a vibrant collection of potential pieces for fellow members to explore.
- Share your favorite performance or recording that captures the spirit of the "Villa-Lobos Voyage Challenge." Your submission will inspire others and create a vibrant collection of potential pieces for fellow members to explore.
The heart of this challenge lies in exploring the rich cultural heritage of Villa-Lobos and his musical influences. So, pick a piece that intrigues you and embrace this journey with enthusiasm and curiosity. Together, let's celebrate the captivating sounds of Villa-Lobos and his Brazilian roots. Get ready to practice, learn, and immerse yourself in the Villa-Lobos Voyage Challenge! 
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Here is section one of the Finale, the third movement of Abel Carlevaro's sonata, Cronomias. There are two other sections of the Finale which I plan to post in the coming weeks and then hopefully put the three parts together for the complete Finale by the end of the Challenge.
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Dale Needles It’s sounding great so far, Dale!
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Dale Needles Wow! this is great, Dale. This piece is so challenging, technically and musically but you have managed to present it with great understanding. Really looking forward to hearing it in its entirety.
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I was always a bit intimidated with Cronomias, particularly the Finale, but as I have gotten into, it feels very manageable and I am really enjoying it. Hope to post the second and third sections of the Finale next week and the full Finale before the end of Challenge.
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Dale Needles This is so great, Dale. Such a complex sounding piece (at least for me) and you played so well. I was noticing how your right hand brings out such great tones and amazing dynamics.
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Nijwm Bwiswmuthiary While far from mastering it, I do try to apply Carlevaro's right hand technique, trying to capture a variety of tone color and dynamics, not unlike a mini orchestra. Thanks for noticing.
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Hello everyone: Here is the first part of "Chorros," but this time I am using a drum loop that was suggested by Arturo during the past Latin Rhythms Two-Week Intensive. Please let me know what you think of playing the piece using the background rhythm for practice
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Raul Guzman Vidal I think this is great, Raul! It gives you all the benefit of a metronome, but it’s a whole lot more fun. From what I understand, HVL played in choro bands when he was young, and pieces like this come from that tradition. Playing to a Latin drum beat is probably the closest we can get to being in a choro band without leaving our practice room.
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Eric Phillips Thank you for your feedback! Yes, definitely is more fun to play than with the metronome. I also think this is the closest I can get to playing with a band, especially since choro is one of the precursors of other Brazilian rhythms.
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Raul Guzman Vidal You have made great progress, Raul. For the most part, your playing is much more confident. The drum loop is kind of fun. You are having trouble stepping into the piece. I am sure if you practice your 'entrance a bit you will have that solved. (I would have difficulty starting a piece with a drum loop though I can hear it when I am not playing
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Jack Stewart Thank you for your feedback, I will practice entering into the rhythm.
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Mazurka-Choro (Aug 15)
Here is another take on this, with a few new ideas I tried out.
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Eric Phillips This is sounding great Eric. Beautiful playing.
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Eric Phillips Excellent playing! The piece looks complete and well-executed, with a strong sense of artistic interpretation.
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Eric Phillips What can I say other than it sounds perfect, Eric. Beautiful playing as always.
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VL Etude #5 The Good, The Bad, The.....
I am a bit slow joining in on this challenge. I had Covid for the first week of August. It was relatively mild in terms of feeling ill but it really wiped out my energy for a week.
I had presented this a year ago for the 2023 VL Challenge and thought it would come back fairly readily. It did - to a point. However there are several points that continue to give me a hard time. I can now play them but I can't 'perform' them. Sorry about the ending
.I decided to post this now hoping it will reduce the 'pressure' to get a clean recording. Hopefully I will get a clean recording by the end of the challenge.
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Jack Stewart I am in awe at how you are able to pull off a piece like this, with its relentless and almost frenetic counterpoint. I get dizzy just listening to it, and every time I have tried to play it, I give up in less than ten minutes. Bravo, Jack!
I’m glad you have recovered from Covid. I’ve been through it twice, and I can relate to the total loss of energy.
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Eric Phillips Thanks Eric. This piece is relentless and has been very frustrating. (I don't have enough sense to give up). I feel I am getting very close, but the spots that give me trouble do so relentlessly, despite how smoothly I can play them in isolation. Sigh!
This was my 2nd time as well.
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Jack Stewart It is coming along. The first section sounded great and overall nicely played, just need to smooth out a few rough edges. I also like your musicality in your playing of this Estudio. I can also see some influence this Estudio may have had on Carlevaro. Definitely a musical connection. Looking forward to your next post.
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Jack Stewart Well played! It’s clear that this is a very challenging piece. You’re almost there—just focus on refining the more difficult passages to bring it all together.
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Dale Needles Thanks Dale. It is , slowly, coming together. I still have several places that continue to challenge me. I hope to have a completed version by next week.
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Raul Guzman Vidal Thanks Raul. I definitely need more focus on several sections. I keep chipping away at them.
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Jack Stewart I heard Gabriel Bianco say that this piece is scary and haunting, like it reminds him of a scary clown. You've played it scarily and beautifully well, Jack! Bravo.
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Jack Stewart Bravo Jack! You've established a very solid base upon which to build and refine. You also have an excellent musical feel for the piece, which I really really enjoyed. Thank you for your persistence and keep up the great work on this piece.
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Here, I’m trying to play the second part of the Choros with the background rhythm. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
