A true renaissance man in the UB music world, Jonathan Golove, visiting assistant professor of music, may be playing his cello in a professional orchestra one night and teaching the history of rock music to students the next.
Golove, who has lectured aspiring musicians, given private instruction to students and offered lessons written on sheet music and notebooks, received a doctorate in music from UB in 1998. He also has two master's degrees: one in composition from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1994, and one in cello performance from the University of Southern California in 1992.
"He is extremely well-rounded," said Adriana Pera, a junior music performance major and student of Golove. "He can teach people how to play contemporary music as well as classical music. That is a very good quality to have in the world of music because being a student at a school where contemporary music is a very big part of the program, I have encountered music that I am not comfortable with, and he has helped me to broaden my horizons and become more comfortable."
Golove has played all over the world, allowing him to connect with an array of audiences. He said music is one unifying element that can help people of different backgrounds relate to each other.
"While working with students in Mexico, music bridged the gap between languages," Golove said. "It is rare to find a subject that students are really passionate about. Many of the students are deeply attached to the music, and I can relate to them through the music, which is the most enjoyable part of my job."
As a professor, Golove teaches one of the more distinctive music classes offered at UB - MUS 265: The History of Rock Music. The class focuses on the evolution of rock and roll, from its roots in the 1950s to current genres.
According to Golove, the rock music class is a favorite because students listen to a wide breadth of musical genres ranging from '50s rhythm and blues, to punk and heavy metal bands like Kiss and Black Sabbath to "show the development of music."
"I like to teach so much because I like so many different kinds of music," said Golove.
Originally, Golove said, the cap on enrollment in the rock music class was 30, but it is now limited to 150 students.
In addition to his responsibilities as a professor, Golove is also a critic, a mentor and a muse for developing musicians.
"Rock musicians bring their band's CD for me to critique," Golove said. "The student must try and construct a song and get deeply into the song and the lyrics."
Golove said he discovered his love for music during his youth, when the psychedelic worlds of Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead collided with the classical compositions of Beethoven and Mozart.
"My parents listened to classical music, so I was exposed to it at a young age," he said. "My brothers listed to rock music, and so I also heard that when I was very young. When I started playing cello at a young age, I was also listening to rock at the same time."
According to Golove, his goal as a musician is to create new sounds and to push the limits of music composition and performance. He draws his inspiration from a variety of artists, from legendary jazz musicians like Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus to rock musicians like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin.
"In rock, I like the Beatles, and I listened to the important guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, who pushed the limits," he said. "I try to push the limits on what you can accomplish on the cello. It's not so much about playing fast either, that has pretty much already been done. I try to find a new sound and express things in a new way."
Golove said he fell in love with the cello when he witnessed a performance of Zigfield Palm, a world-renown German cellist, which was one of the most inspiring events of Golove's life as a musician.
"(Palm) is the most important contemporary cellist in Europe," Golove said. "When I was very young, he performed in Los Angeles, where I grew up. At that moment, I decided that I would meet that man and become a cellist. While at UC Berkley, I had the opportunity to study abroad, and I traveled to Germany to study with him, and it was a fantastic experience and tremendous inspiration."
As a professor, Golove said his greatest inspiration comes from the Baird Trio, a music group that consists of Golove on cello, UB music professor Stephan Manes on piano, and UB music instructor Movses Pogossian on violin.
Recently, Golove has been composing an opera based on the noir-detective novel "Red Harvest," in which a detective tries to rid a town of organized crime.
"The opera is not yet complete, but a portion of it has already been performed overseas recently at a (French) music festival," Golove said. "The Baird Trio has already performed sections from the opera. When it is complete, we plan to release a CD of the performances."
Golove described one missed opportunity in his life.
"While living in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to play in a Guns 'n' Roses video, November Rain, in the orchestra," Golove said. "You could say this one was the big one that got away. Foolishly, I didn't call back right away, and I missed the opportunity."
Golove said he draws on his zeal for performance as an important part of his life, but he lives for the music. He looks upon music as a way to move the mind and the spirit and to connect and relate to his students.
"I wanted to become a professor because I enjoy teaching," he said. "I love to play. I am a performer and a composer, and someone like that can flourish at a university."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
