June 2012
16 posts
Saints
Abel
“Saints” by Abel from Lesser Men
There was a time when I believed everything you told me
But I was only an infant weaned on grace and fed his fill of mercy
You wouldn’t know me if you saw me now
Cause all I want is love, and my heart’s repeating
If only we had eyes to see You with
If only we had ears to hear
If only we could be the children of love
There was a time when I would see visions of Your glory in every story
A hero of the faith, of Your name, with focus like a lion
But now I’m dying to see Your face
Because our love is a golden ring meant to keep each other out
I want Your love, that simple thing that ties my words to my mouth
Another free music download site:
“If you can live without music for two or three days, then don’t write – it might be better to spend the time with a girl or with a beer.”
—Henryk Górecki
So things have been a little crazy for the last month or so. Three weeks ago, on a Friday, my roommate and I looked at a beautiful duplex we were thinking of moving to. We applied for it the following Saturday, filled out reference forms Monday, got it Tuesday, and moved in Friday, exactly a week later. We’re all moved, have had internet for a week, and life has resumed some semblance of normalcy. So that’s why posts have been a little erratic for a bit, but I intend to work on that this week. That is all; carry on. :)
While filling out job applications, I need to be careful to type “homeschool” instead of “hoeschool”. Two very different things.
The Build Up
Kings Of Convenience
“The Build Up” by Kings of Convenience from Riot on an Empty Street
Play
0:06
III. Rondo: Tempo di Menuetto
Laurence Perkins/Douglas Boyd/Manchester Camerata
“Rondo: Tempo di Menuetto, Movement 3 of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto”
I’m currently working on this piece with my bass clarinet student. The third movement is probably my favorite of the work because it portrays the comicalness of the bassoon (and the concept of a concerto written for solo bassoon). As I’ve written about before, I try to teach my students to get into the character and story of the piece we’re studying. In our lesson we talked about how 1:41 in this movement sounds like an evil, mustache-twirling, villain. The downward line a few seconds later sounds like a woman tied to the train tracks, crying. And the upward line following that like the train approaching. I asked her who the hero of the story was, and she said, “Me, obviously”. And then she decided that I was the woman on the train tracks.
“For us to work for justice and peace and really be activists in the good sense of the word is to do it not because we need to prove to ourselves or anybody that we are worth loving. Rather, it is because we are so in touch with our belovedness that we are free to act according to the truth and say no to injustice and say yes when we see justice and peace…The greatest obstacle which prevents the Spirit working in us is that we say to ourselves that we are useless, we are nothing. Once I know I am the Beloved, once I start discovering that in me, then the Spirit can work in me and in others; then we can do wonderful things. Now, once I say, “No, God doesn’t love me, I am not as good as everyone else,” somehow I do not claim the truth that Jesus came to proclaim.”
—Henri J. M. Nouwen from Discipleship and Reconciliation quoted in The Only Necessary Thing
The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)
Switchfoot
“The Sound (John M. Perkins’ Blues)” by Switchfoot on Hello Hurricane
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“What men mean when they talk about their “crazy” ex-girlfriend is often that she was someone who cried a lot, or texted too often, or had an eating disorder, or wanted too much/too little sex, or generally felt anything beyond the realm of emotionally undemanding agreement. That does not make these women crazy. That makes those women human beings, who have flaws, and emotional weak spots. However, deciding that any behavior that he does not like must be insane– well, that does make a man a jerk.
And when men do this on a regular basis, remember that, if you are a woman, you are not the exception. You are not so cool and fabulous and levelheaded that they will totally get where you are coming from when you show emotions other than “pleasant agreement.”
When men say “most women are crazy, but not you, you’re so cool” the subtext is not, “I love you, be the mother to my children.” The subtext is “do not step out of line, here.” If you get close enough to the men who say things like this, eventually, you will do something that they do not find pleasant. They will decide you are crazy, because this is something they have already decided about women in general.”
Reeds
Reed players, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
As performing musicians, we have to keep several reeds ready to go; not too hard, not too soft. Each reed has its own personality, if you will. Some like high notes, some don’t. Some sound great for 2 hours and then die, some sound like poop all the time.
Because each reed is different, we have to find ways of marking them so that we know how they behave and which reed is best suited for whatever piece we are playing. Some musicians mark their reeds with a number. I often mark with a star for excellent or an M for ‘meh’. My bass clarinet student, however, names her reeds. Each reed has its own name, and names never, ever repeat. Currently in the line up are Horatio, Horace, Bertha, and Ed.
