photo credit: benster17
With another restless week of day gig activities (I’m covering for someone out in India), my musical fidgeting was limited mostly to intellectual and flaming pursuits within the context of assimilating John Adam’s recent memoirs.  Outside of my attack on some of his narrow views these last few days, the pursuit has been educational in musical ways, opening [...]

Continue reading " Composing Status Update #65 "

Once George W. Bush had seized the moment, standing on the pile of rubble at Ground Zero and mouthing into his bullhorn a John Wayne oath of vengeance, the country as a whole began to buckle, yielding up decades of hard-won civil rights and allowing itself to be manipulated by cynical appeals to patriotism, xenophobia, and [...]

Continue reading " Delusional Self Centered Composer "

Table tennis evening wrapped up a long day doing computer related day gig tasks.  I am starting a clinic to get my skills up to par.  The coach, who is on the national level and contributes to the Jr National Team is well respected and knowledgeable.  Last evening, our first class, we worked on stance, grip, [...]

Continue reading " Table Tennis Clinic "

photo credit: fotologic
As I sink deeper and deeper into the thoughts of experiment as a means for a  personal language, I’m appreciative that John actually admits the mistakes he has…as it outlines some common problems I have also experienced, but rarely acknowledged that other composer also had them.  Having someone out there who is [...]

Continue reading " More thoughts from my short ride with John "

The weekend was a flat zero productivity.  It’s almost a joke these days, or some strange Ionesco play I am stuck in where the composer is never able to write either because of interruptions or exhaustion or self made.  But, Saturday, I spent the entire day chasing down records for this new doctor I am going to [...]

Continue reading " Lesson with John Adams – Cognitive Bigot "

photo credit: Atilla1000
Finally, finally, I have a chance to surf the piano keys and improv a bit last evening – starting off as a review of materials and general ideas for a chamber work, and then into free floating through a general idea for some arbitrary orchestral piece.  Somewhere in there I had time [...]

Continue reading " Composing Status Update #64 "

Yup, as predicted…wednesday – a bummer day running around and debugging the worlds problems, and getting absolutely nothing done in the creative personal life.  Well, at least I had a chance to digest on someone else’s prophets.  The John Adam’s memoirs is worth the read.  There are places of course I jump to point out [...]

Continue reading " Splat Wednesday "

Damn.  I wanted to spend some time this morning continuing my quests in John Adam’s book here in this blog – specifically some of the things he was saying that I find interesting and helpful to a composer – specially me and my particular creativity problems of late.  But, unfortunately I am in a terrific rush.  Yesterday [...]

Continue reading " Rushed Beyond Measure "