Just wanted to give Michael Hirschorn a big thumbs down for his recent ARTICLE about quirkiness in The Atlantic.

Listen to this:

"Like the proliferation of meta-humor that followed David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld in the '90s, quirk is everywhere because quirkiness is so easy to achieve: Just be odd … but endearing. It becomes a kind of psychographic marker, like wearing laceless Chuck Taylors or ironic facial hair—a self-satisfied pose that stands for nothing and doesn't require you to take creative responsibility. Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

He goes on to praise the recent film "Knocked Up" as an "almost 100 percent quirk-free summer comedy" because it "dares to matter" instead of taking the ironic, detached posture of quirkiness.

So many problems with this ... where to begin?

First the entire article compares good "mainstream comedy" with bad quirk. Knocked Up goes against The Life Aquatic (I guess many people thought it was good -- I thought it was just OK). What about the other mainstream comedies that "dare to matter" and deal with everyday issues like the new Adam Sandler film "I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry?" What about the comedies that "dare to matter" and suck?

Also, I don't think it's "easy" to be David Cross or Flight of the Conchords. There a lot of crappy quirkiness that never makes it to mainstream media precisely because it's quirky (and often sucky). Quirk is important. It reminds us of what it feels like to be out of the mainstream. It encourages us to be different, have strange ideas, disagree, rebel, and have fun doing it. It is not a stance that is devoid of meaning.

Hirschorn calls David Byrne the father of quirk. Was that the beginning of the end of modern culture for him? What a shame he doesn't seem to understand it. It's just another artistic stance, and it hasn't happened at the expense of other things that "dare to matter."

(I do agree with him that "This American Life" is pretty lame. Though I wouldn't describe it as quirky so much as gliberal*)

* "gliberal" was invented by Antoine Wilson and refers to quite a few things on NPR.

Check out www.edwinoutwater.com for entries on my recent concert ... a live version of Sgt. Pepper with Cheap Trick at the Hollywood Bowl.

Sometimes my musical path of concerts take interesting turns. What are the odds that I'd be conducting American Indian music one week and Cowboy music the next? But that's exactly what's happened. Last week I recorded two very fine pieces by American Indian composer JEROD TATE with the San Francisco Symphony. This week, I'm celebrating the Fourth of July with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and honoring two cowboys that turn 100 this year, John Wayne and Gene Autry. Now cowboys and Indians weren't really my thing growing up - since they were more or less replaced by movies set in outer space like Star Wars - but digging through this music has been really fun. Country and Western is a really interesting blend of blues, mountain music, and German polkas and waltzes. Throw in some Irish fiddling, and some guitar stylings from south of the border, and an accordion from Italy, and you begin to realize that it's a much more culturally rich music that it seems to be on the surface.

Last night Cedric and Omar from THE MARS VOLTA flew up to record string tracks for a song on their forthcoming album. I met the bass player, Juan, at one of their concerts a few years ago and got talking ... and that's how this session happened.

The string tracks were written by the amazing Nathaniel Stookey, and conducted by yours truly. It was a cool rock/classical intersection. The guys from the band were clearly amused by our liberal use of Italian during the session (fermata, diminuendo, etc.), but seemed to really appreciate our work. What really seemed to seal the deal is that we were all able to improvise, which is not something rockers expect classical folks to do. Omar, the music director of the band, has eclectic musical tastes. On the classical side, he's really into Varése, and is digging a CD of Xenakis lent to him by John Frusciante, lead guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I wish this kind of stuff would happen more often -- who knows, maybe it will.

NATHANIEL STOOKEY is spending the day recording JUNKESTRA, an amazing 3 movment piece for the San Francisco Dump. His next project will be to write some string parts for a dark and brooding rock and roll outfit you may recognize.

ANTOINE WILSON is beginning his book tour for his newly published novel, The Interloper. It's really great -- buy it, order it, read it!

In Los Angeles, HOON LEE is having a career making moment as the lead in the new David Henry Hwang play, Yellow Face. Well deserved I say! He is one talented dude. He even designed my website!

It took me a while, but I want to tell you about my concert last week in Houston with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. It was founded by oboist/executive director/mom Alecia Lawyer. Besides being an excellent ensemble, and programming daring, adventurous music, "ROCO" has drastically changed the classical concert format. Here's the run-down:

5pm concerts, 90 minute concert duration, free child care/music education during concert, 5 minute intermission, surprise pieces at the beginning and end of the concert.

Also, if you fill out a card, you are eligible to be one of four people who gets to sit in the orchestra for one piece after the break. (It's a great way to get info about your audience).

And ... during the five minute intermission, the ENTIRE ORCHESTRA mingles with the audience.

Finally, the older kids in child care get to come hear part of the program right after the break, and are always acknowledged by the concuctor and audience. It's great to hear them cheer from the balcony.

They've done it -- they've taken a classical concert and made it into a friendly, fun, social event without compromising the music. Thus proving what I've always thought -- it's not the music or the programming that need help in the orchestra world, it's the EXPERIENCE. River Oaks Chamber Orchestra is taking off. Congratulations, and bravissimo!

While in Wales, I learned that my friend and colleague, Kenneth Woods, has an awesome blog. It's read by quite a few people and was even featured in a recent issue of Gramaphone Magazine. He's one of the only conductors I know who is blogging like I am! You can find it HERE.

That was a quote today from the editorial board of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record. The "hands" to which they were referring are, of course, mine.

We've just had an enormously successful season preview concert on Tuesday. It's created a lot of buzz and excitement, and it couldn't have gone better. I'm ready for the challenge of reviving this orchestra. I will do the best I can to help the orchestra thrive, but I can't do it alone. It takes more than just one person. The audiences have to keep coming; the adminstration has to carefully monitior the orchestra's finances; the board has to find new sources of funding to keep the orchestra healthy and growing. That's not the job of just one artist. It also takes a highly skilled team, and an enthusiastic, engaged community. I'm pleased that The Record has done its part by dramatically increasing coverage of the orchestra -- that's a big help.

Things are starting to flow, the right connections are being made, and it's looking good. The articles about the concert are availabe to Record subscribers only, but they've left up a slideshow and video about the concert HERE. Check it out. The video link is below the slide show (click on "The audience loves conductor Edwin Outwater and the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony"). In the video you'll get to hear an audience cheer in the MIDDLE of a Beethoven Symphony. And yes ... I know Latin America is not a country ... I was improvising.

One of the best ARTICLES about classical music in a long time.

Getting ready to conduct a concert at Mannes this Thursday. NYC is always fun ... just came back from the MET last night -- Andrea Chenier. What beautiful sounds come from that building! Very expensive singing and playing.

Other than that -- hanging out with my brother and his family, and catching up with the usual NYC friends.

I had an interesting time on Friday with the conducting students at Mannes. Observing them reaffirmed my view that the main challenge of conducting is the COMMUNICATION of music to an orchestra. Of course you have to be good musician, but from then on it's all about the vibe.