23. March 2006 · Comments Off on See What I Mean?! · Categories: imported, Ramble

Read this:

Website Warnings

Spending a lot of time lately doing phone interviews with prospective interns for the summer. Especially with phone interviews, I tend to google applicants first. A word to the wise: Be careful what you put on the internet.

And know that it was written by Kim Pesinger Witman, who is with Wolf Trap Opera.

You just have to assume that whatever you put on the web is on a billboard in every city of the world. That way you’ll not be surprised when people say, “Oh yes, I know some things about you…” with a peculiar look in their eyes.
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23. March 2006 · Comments Off on My Poor Brain · Categories: imported, Ramble

Zachary Lewis, of A Solo Keyboard writes:

Dying stars pulse at an audible frequency equal to F above middle C before becoming supernovae.

Until I reached the last word I thought he was talking about people … you know … like movie stars or famous musicians and whatnot. Sigh.

I’m not sure where my mind is these days, but it’s clearly not working very well. Maybe it’s because I’m still pondering Mr. Teachout’s prediction and desire that we symphony folk be done with. Or at least our careers in live performance of old works be done with (and he says he needs no new recording of works that have been recorded before, so that’s out too), and I’m not sure what else I’d do with the oboe. (From what he wrote I guess I should play at dinner parties and get a “real job”? But perhaps I’m misreading him.) I dunno. Somehow what he wrote hit me harder than I like. I guess it caught me by surprise. In a more recent blog post he writes:

Having said all this, let me close by speaking directly to those readers who get all steamed up whenever I write something with which they disagree: I’m genuinely sorry that my work upsets you. I don’t set out merely to make anyone angry or stir up a fuss. I always mean exactly what I say. Naturally, you’re entitled to your opinion?but so am I. So the next time you write, please do me the favor of giving me the benefit of the doubt. Merely because you happen to disagree with me doesn’t necessarily mean I’m stupid, or even ignorant. Who knows? I might even be right.

I wasn’t angry when I read his post. I wasn’t steamed up. I was just sad and scared. That happens sometimes. It’s a byproduct of this career of mine.

I need a vacation. And just in time I’m going down to visit our daughter, Kelsey, in the not so exciting city of Irvine. The city’s not exactly a vacation spot, but visiting Kelsey, and her boyfriend Mel, will make it worth the drive and time and heck with the city itself! Any place can be HappyVacationLand™ if one is with the right people.
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23. March 2006 · Comments Off on MQOD · Categories: imported, Quotes

Treble double-reed instruments have for centuries been invested with the potential to captivate those who hear them and to still the savage spirit. Shawms were used by Muslims and Christians alike to muster forces for battle and to inflame their warriors with courage, and alongside their comrade-at-arms the trumpet, shawms and oboes have been the instruments of power, attendants to colonial conquest.

The Oboe by Geoffrey Burgess and Bruce Haynes, p7

(We can make you calm. We can get you to fight. We are multi-talented.)
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