I’ve been writing letters to old friends, telling them stories about my adventures – sailing and other life stories about them…memories.  So, needless to say, another non productive week…however
I find it interesting I am back with an interest in listening to commercial stuff – the alternative pop/rock of Tori…finding something of interest in production value [...]

Continue reading " Composing Status Update #78 "

It’s that time of year when I start to receive DVD’s in the mail from SAG for the annual voting.  On Saturday, THE DARK KNIGHT was in my mailbox.  
What can I say?  Well, my judgement is still out on Heath’s performance.  Was it a stretch?  Take away the film elements, is his performance that [...]

Continue reading " Batman "

I found a few hours over the weekend to practice my improv chops a bit.  But what was interesting to me was actually doing a fair amount of listening, mostly to old pieces that I used to like to much, but then abandoned because either my own tastes became more sophisticated or the style of [...]

Continue reading " Retro "

Monday morning and I feel it.  A whirwind and no music outside of listening to some wonderful Schumann and RV Williams.  I just don’t understand how people can dismiss the latter so easily as flutter.  I enjoy R and can listen to his 2,3,4,5 for hours, being taken away from my other tasks.  The lyrical [...]

Continue reading " Weekend Poof*…Gone! "

A half hour of improvisation a day, helps keep the theorist away.  My weekend motto.  
After the first two days attempting to come to speed, I switched at the end of the session last night to focus only on the right hand – fluttering to get the fingers moving.  There seems to be a lot [...]

Continue reading " A half hour a day "

Mixed bag of trinket tasks this weekend.  

Worked through segment three of the interval cycle.  Wanted to start segment four but I ran out of time.  
Played around with a couple of ideas for two new works.  I should really start thinking of moving on to these – which are chamber works and not such [...]

Continue reading " Mixed Weekend "

Venturing outside of my norm, I took a distraction over to Berkeley to see a Cal Performance w/ Mark Morris’ Dance Group and Prokofiev.  This turned into a double hit as I returned Sunday to see the Matinee, and the residual effects stayed with me and are still with me as I write this almost [...]

Continue reading " Composing Status Update #61 "

It still sticks with me after a couple of days – this performance.  Maybe too much.  I couldn’t sleep Sunday night as the Ear Worms were chugging away, and eventually just stayed awake from 3 AM till dawn.  This is one reason I absolutely hate going to concerts of any kind – a composers affliction.  Still I [...]

Continue reading " More on the Issues of Verona "