KORB ’ S HEADJOINTS DESIGNED WITH GEOFFREY ELLIS FLUTES
ONLINE READERS CLICK HERE pandemic , it was already happening ; even if the composer is in Toronto , most times they ’ d rather just send you the files , and you send your part back ,” he says .
Korb ’ s recording chain into Logic on a MacBook Air starts with a Røde NT4 one-point stereo mic into a Focusrite Scarlett interface via an FMR Audio RNP8380 preamp . “ One reason I resisted recording at home is that I detest the sound of drywall pinginess that you can ’ t get away from unless you treat your room acoustically . Bryan Weirmier at Long & McQuade suggested that I rent the Aston Halo reflection filter , try it out and see what I think . It ’ s a total game-changer — it really works in killing those unwanted reflections . They also recommended opening up a closet full of clothes and using that as a back . It doesn ’ t sound sophisticated , but it really does work , and sometimes I get even better results than in the studio .”
How does he choose which of several hundred flutes to play on a track ? “ You have to choose a flute that works in the key of a piece ; there ’ s also the timbre to consider . Some flutes are a little bit dull , which is fine in some cases , and other times you want it to cut through more , so you need something that ’ s a little brighter sounding . And if it isn ’ t working out , sometimes you use a different mic or even a different room . When I want the flute to sound like it ’ s in a concert hall , I go to a room with a hardwood floor .
“ In Divine Tides , Ricky wanted an evocative wooden flute to set the atmosphere for ‘ Our Home ’ and gave me complete freedom to improvise the opening . I tried several instruments before I found the right sound . I also like to alternate and combine the flutes I am using within a song . For example , in my track ‘ The Beautiful Sadness ,’ I open with a bamboo zhu xun that has a breathy primal sound and then play the first verse with a transverse dizi with just a slight buzz on the reed , and the second verse with the gold flute , then back again to the dizi in the next section , this time with more buzz . In the final phrase , I double the flute in octaves . This sonic variety adds interest to the arrangement , especially when the same musical material repeats ,” he explains .
Korb also designs his own flute head joints . “ That is also part of my sound . I have a Brannen Brothers gold flute , and also a Muramatsu SR soldered tone hole flute with two Albert Cooper head joints , one gold and one silver . I ’ ve also designed a line of wooden head joints with Geoffrey Ellis Flutes in California that I use all the time in my own recordings and studio work . In a concert hall , a metal mouthpiece has a lot of loudness and brilliance , but when recording , the wooden head joint offers me more warmth and intimacy . The latest addition to my collection is a set of 12 bansuri flutes from a top maker in New Delhi , Subhash Thakur , which are a gift [ from Kej ] for playing on Divine Tides ,” he says .
Kej adds , “ It is with the hope that when I produce Ron ’ s upcoming album , he will play some parts in an Indian style .”
RON KORB AND WIFE JADE ON THE GRAMMY RED CARPET IN 2016
Korb ’ s interest in world flutes grew after he graduated with honours from the University of Toronto with a degree in music performance . “ As a child I was drawn to visual art and later film making . I ’ m a relatively late starter in music . That sounds like it might be a huge drawback , but because of the way I had to explore things on my own , it drew a unique path for me . Here in Toronto , Moe Koffman was a big influence for me . As soon as I could drive , I was always going down to George ’ s Spaghetti House to see him play . He was a woodwind player who wrote his own tunes , and that inspired me from day one to write my own material ,” he says .
The flute has taken Korb far afield . He has performed for Queen Elizabeth II , Princess Takamado of Japan , and Princess Bopha Devi of Cambodia , and as a featured soloist in The Lord of the Rings symphony at Roy Thomson Hall and with the Toronto Symphony in the 2008 Olympic Bid concert , on a song he composed with Donald Quan . He also plays and has recorded with The Yardbirds ’ drummer Jim McCarty , a long-time friend , on several albums , including the Renaissance / Illusion release Through the Fire , The Yardbirds ’ Making Tracks DVD , and McCarty ’ s own Sitting on the Top of Time , which was recorded at Quan ’ s Toronto studio , Q Music , in 2009 . He has also played on albums by Olivia Newton John , Amy Sky , Mychael Danna , and Liona Boyd among many others . His IMDB credits for film score work alone number well over 100 .
So , what ’ s the connection to Peter Gabriel ? “ I met Peter at his Real World Studio in Bath , England when we recorded [ my album ] Celtic Heartland . When he saw the wide array of world flutes I played , he immediately put me in contact with the Cambodian flute player and human rights activist Arn Chorn Pond . Arn and I became quick friends and he invited me to Phnom Penh to help record and archive music by surviving Cambodian master musicians . At the tribute to Peter Gabriel at Harbourfront ’ s A Festival of Creative Genius that I co-music directed , they took my suggestion to invite Arn to speak when Laurie Anderson couldn ’ t participate ,” he says .
Korb ’ s mother , a Japanese Canadian , and her family were all interned during World War II along with 22,000 other Japanese Canadians whose property and businesses were confiscated by the Canadian government . His mother was an elementary teacher at the Pine Crescent School in the Slocan Valley , BC , which was attended by the environmentalist David Suzuki , the novelist Joy Kogawa , and the architect Raymond Moriyama .
“ When I was asked to host and perform at the gala for the Being Japanese exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum in 2019 , I realized that as a community , many of us carry this collective pain . It is a subtle thing , but it ’ s there in the background . I ’ ve been exploring my Japanese heritage over the past two years with my cousin , and we have traced our family history all the way back to the medieval warlord Kamatari Fujiwara , born in 614 .”
And after his extensive personal and musical journeys , any advice for young players starting out ? “ Despite where musical education may be pulling you , find the type of music that you enjoy the most and develop your skills and connections in that genre . Even if making money is difficult , at least you will be fulfilled in other areas . Take advantage of all the social media and crowdfunding tools to build your audience . Learn how to manage your copyrights . If you become successful , then the revenue will come straight to you and you can shape your musical destiny as you wish .”
Alan Hardiman is a Toronto-based specialist in professional sound design , producing soundtracks for film and TV , events , exhibits , and theatre for over 20 years .
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 41