One More Blogger

20. July 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble, sfsymphonybloggers07

I believe I met the two women who have this blog and one of them posted a blog entry about the symphony concert we bloggers were invited to attend. She doesn’t mention the invitation or the festivities, but she does give her review of the concert.

As far as “themed programming” … well … I’ve done ’em for years, so that was no surprise to me at all. (And I thought Tchaik’s R&J was one of the biggest warhorses ever, so it was interesting to read what she thought.)

My guess is that this will be the last blogger I locate … seems like they’d all have posted by now if they post at all. One thing about blogs is that they are pretty much “in the moment” or very close to it. Yes?

Wanna Take This Poll?

20. July 2007 · 1 comment · Categories: Ramble

Who Wants to Abuse an Orchestra asks:

Which would you rather see?

  • Cheap Trick with an orchestra
  • The Decemberists with an orchestra
  • Clay Aiken and friends with an orchestra
  • The Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  • Just an orchestra by itself

    • I’m sure you all know me well enough to know I’d go with the last choice. But if that were taken away? I’m guessing I’d say The Decemberists. Mostly because I don’t know “Cheap Trick” (or at least I don’t know if I know them!) and Clay is a definite “NO” and Trans-Siberian Orchestra is not my cuppa.

    But anyhoo … you can go cast your vote. I was pretty shocked at the tally so far.

    UPDATE:
    Oh … or you could hear an orchestra play The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony

    Rush Hour

    20. July 2007 · Comments Off on Rush Hour · Categories: Ramble

    I just landed here and I am going to be thinking about this idea for a good long time, I think. Part of me thinks that we can’t be all things to all people — that some folks won’t like it no matter what the site says. But the noisier part of me says, “Hey, I’d like to do this! Why can San Jose do something like this? Pick me! Pick me!”

    Because, really, we all want people to like what we do and play. Even though we are told that classical music is dead or dying, isn’t relevant, and won’t appeal to certain people.

    Because, truth be told, (most of us) love what we do and play. I can’t explain to you what it feels like to enjoy and play wonderful music with my friends. I can’t tell you what music does to the all of me. I can’t tell you the joy and the sorrow and the delight … and of course more … that music can bring. I can only play music and hope it does the same for you.

    So anyway, if you live in Chicago, and if you want a free concert, and if you like things short and sweet (the concert isn’t long, and they offer you some food too!) check ’em out. And then comment here so I know you went.

    You May Have Noticed

    20. July 2007 · Comments Off on You May Have Noticed · Categories: Ramble

    … that I didn’t really review the San Francisco Symphony concert I attended as a “Citizen Blogger”.

    Nope. Not gonna happen. I don’t “do” reviews. It’s not my style.

    But Dan did a brief “non-review” (his word) you can read if you’d like.

    Am I qualified to review a concert? I think so. I just don’t believe that, as a performing musician, it’s something I should be doing.

    Maybe when I retire, though …?

    Back Home

    20. July 2007 · Comments Off on Back Home · Categories: Links, Ramble, sfsymphonybloggers07

    So I drove over the hill, met with a potential student, and drove home. When I do something like that I’m always in a bit of a daze by the time I get back in the house. Part of it is that I spent nearly twice as much time on the road as in the classroom. Part of it is that my ears go a little wacky over highway 17.

    But I’m home safely. That’s always good, yes?

    I love meeting with potential students. Really. Even if they don’t choose “my” college and “reject” me. I like hearing them play. I like finding out what they are interested in. Maybe I’m just nosey.

    Since arriving home I’ve run into two more blogs about the San Francisco Symphony bloggers night.

    Here are blog entries from one blogger. I don’t recall seeing him there, but I wasn’t very good about looking at other bloggers. I’m shy that way I guess. This blog entry by another blogger is just … well … lovely. 😉

    MQOD

    20. July 2007 · Comments Off on MQOD · Categories: Quotes

    … and yet the only vehicle for expressing all of this are the preordained notes and ancient text which have been (divinely?) scribbled down by an old man over a century before. How ridiculous it seems on the one hand, and yet how rapturously sublime.

    -Joyce DiDonato (RTWT)

    I Like This!

    20. July 2007 · Comments Off on I Like This! · Categories: Ramble, sfsymphonybloggers07

    “Mr. Pattyoboe”.

    🙂

    And yes, lots of subs in the orchestra. Some I knew; Andy in the bass section, Alex in the horns, James in the oboes … and there were more.

    That’s the way summer works. Musicians … well … some actually do the vacation thing. Others are doing summer music festivals. (I forgot, but meant to attend Midsummer Mozart Music Festival’s concert—a group I belonged to “back in the day”—last night. Rats.)

    Soon I’m off to UCSC to hear a high school student who is interested in the campus. Ciao!

    Do I Care?

    20. July 2007 · Comments Off on Do I Care? · Categories: Ramble, sfsymphonybloggers07

    I guess I’m not a “classical music purist” because this article suggests I’d be unhappy with the “Big Duh” ads by Hyundai. And I’m not. I don’t care.

    Hmmm. Perhaps I’m not as uptight as a particular horn player (see bottom of that post) might think. 😉

    (Truth be told, some non-oboe players have suggested I’m not your typical, reed obsessed, crazed oboist. Now of course I am a bit of a worrier about how I’m perceived, so when someone says, “Your not like the typical oboist,” part of me is flattered but the other, somewhat more powerful part, worries that I’m just being told I’m a horrible player! Call me silly.)

    If someone ever wants to explain Technorati to me feel free. I did subscribe—or whatever it’s called—years ago, but I honestly don’t really “get it”. What’s it for? Who cares? And how do my sites get the “authority number”? This site has a higher one than the pattyo so I’m assuming higher is better?

    Not that I care about this either. I’m just trying to figure it out, because I noticed a couple of bloggers who blogged about the San Francisco event are on some sort of Technorati list, but Technorati doesn’t recognize my (!) four (!) exciting (!) posts (!). And since it’s all about the oboe—or the oboist—I just wonder how Technorati could go so wrong.

    … and if you click on Technorati list link do you see some pop artist’s picture on the site, with an ad for “Live Earth Concert Recap”?** Why do pop artists like to look somewhat pasty, near “Edward Scissorhandsish”, sort of sad and angsty? What would happen if we had saw of these guys with a smile on his face? Would the teen girls lose interest in someone who appears to enjoy life? (Since most teen girls—I’ve seen some of those “No one likes me or understands me” blogs and I used to keep a journal much the same—like unhappy people … until they meet them, that is! Guys who are truly that unhappy—like girls who are that way—are usually fairly self-absorbed and … yawn … boring.)

    Unlike a self-absorbed oboist. We are merely realistic about what truly matters. 😉

    Oh dear … a true pattyramble™. So sorry! Or am I?

    Hmm. Maybe I don’t care. 😉

    **UPDATE: I clicked on that link again and now I don’t see AngstMan™ but some cute young girl who is sort of smiling. So I guess angst is more attractive in guys. Or something.