My day started off really nice, even though I woke up just past six.
I had a first breakfast and took a nap. Then I woke up woke up and had second breakfast. Then I went to work in the garden, which is really lively with colors and activity today.
I didn't know that bees got dressed up to search for flowery goodness. This guy was not like the other bees in the area, in that he had beautiful boots on.
Did I ever tell you that I walked out of the Peking Opera? I love the Chinese culture to which I've been exposed. I love wu xia movies, the spiciest of Cantonese food, and some of my favorite directors are the Shaw Brothers, Wong Kar Wai (Please see In the Mood for Love, and Happy Together.), Jackie Chan, and Sammo Hung. Jackie Chan's training was through the Peking Opera, as was Sammo Hung and Biao Luen. But they don't sing in their movies, which I love (Watch Knockabout, Wheels on Meals, or Project A and Project A 2!). So the singing at the Peking Opera offends every sensibility that my hearing has. Painful. Just painful. I've learned not to go to high-pitched stuff, although I do like some counter tenor stuff like Vitas. But I didn't take any of that into consideration when I went to see a free concert at the Eastman School of Music. The performance was put on by the Eastman Summer Saxophone Institute's faculty, and they were fantastic because, holy crap, how did she make that instrument do that?
So I don't care for the soprano sax. It is just too high, much like the singers and music in the Peking Opera. Perhaps it didn't help that the pieces that were performed were written by a Japanese composer. The harmony was distinctly Eastern, but the melody was not.
I really enjoyed the pieces done by Kristin Bayer on the alto sax, even though she did get up there a few times--and boy did she. Her sax was just under half of what she is, literally, but that girl can blow! And she can bend notes. How the heck does that even happen on a sax. I saw it, and it was difficult for her that was plain to see; but I don't get it!
The Eastman Music Hall is only little over a mile from where I'm staying, and the walk there was fantastic! I really enjoyed the weather and the walk. The architecture in Rochester is definitely not what's found in FL. They have crooked streets here so that when they used to have run-away horses the horses would get slowed down by the walls that were upcoming. So only the new streets are straight, and that ain't the downtown ones.
It was such a beautiful day here that I set out really early to get there, which I did. I must have been acting squirrelly when got there because the campus police came out to see what I was up to. I told them and said I didn't know precisely where to go, and he took me there. I still had 45 minutes, so the cop suggested a coffee shop down the road. I went there and had a great smoothie.There was a lot of really good art in the coffee shop, and I ended up in front of this great print that is reminiscent of Schiele's work, who is an artist that I really appreciate for a variety of reasons. Plus it reminded me that I'll see val soon.
So Dwain has been schooling me on the ways of the world, as seen by him through 74 years of living. We were talking about politics, and I said something about us vs. them. Dwain talked about how this gets us nowhere, and, in fact, causes the world to be more divisive. What Dwain said struck a chord in me that had not sounded before then. And I've been thinking about it. I saw this today and had to respond
Do you agree?
So then I was having a great afternoon, and I decided to do more homework and study music theory. I'm a neophyte in the area, so why shouldn't I start with Music Theory 101. There is even a video online with that exact title. But I only made it 21 minutes in of the way-too-long video before I realized that this dude is full of shit and just making things up!
Music theory is the dumbest fucking thing I've ever seen, and I grew up a hick and went to a Vo-Tech high school. This makes no sense what-so-ever. I'd punch this guy in the throat if I knew him!
Enough of that crap. So I was playing my dulcimer, Dwain's really, and a woman came up to the porch. It turns out that she plays the dulcimer--but she hadn't for a long time due to an illness. So I said bring it over and we can tune it up and play--I'm an expert, you know. So she brings her dulcimer over and I tune it to DADD, which is the industry standard. And I play all of the two songs in my repertoire. Then she plays two of hers, and then she leaves. But what a positive experience in my early career!
Now I'm going to bed in hopes that I'll forget that stupid video!
That dulcimer has an amazing low sound! And, you're adorable.
ReplyDeleteThanks! and yep, he is.
DeleteShucks.
DeleteArgh I want to find a cave on an island somewhere and be a hermit...
ReplyDeleteWe know a place in TN that is secluded! You can come down out of the mountain every great once in while to get salt or whatever. You wouldn't even have to talk, just not. People here do that!
DeleteI'm so glad you posted that bit about MUSIC THEORY 101. Every morning this week I've been attending a 9am MUSIC THEORY--FROM THE BEGINNING class that is a gadzillions times more complicated than this chart--which I really do, mostly, understand. My teacher is great, it's just that the pace is way too fast for me. Many others in the class seem to be doing great....at least they answers his questions correctly, while I'm sitting there thinking there is no way to figure out what the question even means, much less come up with an answer. But I come at this from a play-by-ear background, so a lot of these things I instinctively know...I just don't have the language to talk about it. I've been playing triads and inverted chords and dominant 7ths, etc. my whole life...I just didn't have names for them. It really is like learning a whole new language...with a peculiar alphabet and a whole lot of math thrown in. I'm starting to absorb some of it, slowly. I know that ti wants to go to do and fa wants to go to mi.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just want to go to bed. Good night!
I will play a lot more when I get home; the Pickin' Porch is right down the road. And I think I'll find someone who can help me with the theory, but I don't know how much energy I'll put into it.
DeleteI love how much you are doing with music and love your playing. It will be nice to meet you in person.
Really big smiles to you!
It's a word search puzzle, Mark. See how many places on that chart you can find "BEAD' and circle each one. Look forward, backwards, up, down, diagonally, and in a zig-zag. Try it!
ReplyDelete