Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
First Day of Fall
September 23rd, the AUtumn Equinox! (didn't it used to always be on the 21st?)
Yes it is the first day of Dylan's first Fall!
However, it is important to note that it is 107ยบ today here in Tempe, so she is not going to quite understand the significance. Nicole is presently in the pool as I write this. I think this topic of Fall is on in which my Northeastern bias will come out - there is nothing like Fall in Syracuse or NYC, or the Northeast. I'll have to let her know that she doesn't really know a first day of Fall until she sees the amazing colors of the trees when driving on Route 81, or feels that brisk air while walking in Central Park. She will definitely have that experience.
So, my Dad asked me to get some recordings of the new sounds Dylan is making. However, it seems anytime I get the digital recorder ready for her, she stops making sounds! Luckily, this morning I got some video of her and she makes some noises. Not all of her noises mind you, but a few.
Yes it is the first day of Dylan's first Fall!
However, it is important to note that it is 107ยบ today here in Tempe, so she is not going to quite understand the significance. Nicole is presently in the pool as I write this. I think this topic of Fall is on in which my Northeastern bias will come out - there is nothing like Fall in Syracuse or NYC, or the Northeast. I'll have to let her know that she doesn't really know a first day of Fall until she sees the amazing colors of the trees when driving on Route 81, or feels that brisk air while walking in Central Park. She will definitely have that experience.
So, my Dad asked me to get some recordings of the new sounds Dylan is making. However, it seems anytime I get the digital recorder ready for her, she stops making sounds! Luckily, this morning I got some video of her and she makes some noises. Not all of her noises mind you, but a few.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
First Concert
Tonight was the first composer's concert. My piece "Love Songs" was first on the concert, and I played piano for another composer's piece (Su Kim). It went well, a Dylan and Nicole came to support me. Dylan lasted through my piece!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
A New Life Begun
Life is getting busy again! I have a few minutes now before heading over to the school. We have moved into our new apartment, and we are slowly unpacking all of our boxes. As we hoped, we have a much bigger apartment than we had in New York, and our stuff is fitting so nicely. No longer do we have to stack all of our glasses on top of each other to fit in the kitchen. No longer do I need to keep the tool boxes and the storage in my clothes closet! No longer do we have to keep Super's litter out for all to see and smell (it is now in the laundry room)! The place is wonderful, we have met a couple of neighbors, and everyone seems really nice and around our age. There is a DMA bassoon student across the way also, whom I haven't met yet but I have been told about. I think once we get more unpacked and settled we are going to have a nice time here.
The days are still very hot. I have been riding my bike to school now, about 2 1/2 miles each way. It is an easy ride; rather than have to go over the very busy main road and bridge, I go a back way along the "Tempe Town Lake" and cut over a smaller, less busy bridge which brings me to the west part of campus where my classes are. It is safer than I could have hoped, and is a beautiful ride. Going to school has been fine, but coming home in the 110 degree heat has been interesting. The ride is easy, but I am regularly sweating through my shirt, so averaging 3-4 shirts a day now :)
Dylan is going to be 3 months tomorrow! She is still great, smiling more than ever, blowing lots of bubbles, making all sorts of sounds. She laughed for Nicole a week or so ago, but hasn't really laughed out loud again since, but she comes very close. The only issue right now is that she seems to hate being alone at all when she is awake, so we have to constantly carry her around and have her next to us. This makes the unpacking take a bit longer than it would have, but that is ok. We'd rather spend time with her than anyone else. She loves her crib. Nicole is going to take some photos of her in it so I will post when those are ready. I think she will wait until the bedroom is more cleaned up and put away. The crazy thing is that Dylan has more clothes than Lady Gaga. She is just outgrowing her 0-3 month clothes, so we now get to jump into the plethora of 3-6 month outfits. She could wear a different outfit every day and still not run out I think.
School is going great. I love teaching, which I do every Tuesday and Thursday. My ethnomusicology class is really inspiring me to think about how to incorporate ethnomusicology into my doctoral studies. I am meeting with the professor, Ted Solis, today to discuss some of my ideas. My other class, Music Crossover and Borrowing, is a study about the ways 20th century composers have used other works, in almost collage fashion, in their pieces, and how this relates to the meaning and intent of the music. One piece in particular we are studying is Berio's Sinfonia, from 1968. The piece is shocking, but incredible. He combines music from Mahler's 2nd Symphony, Samuel Becket text, and James Joyce excerpts to create a commentary on 20th century music at the time and the political situation of the time (civil rights, Vietnam , etc.), all as part of a tribute to Leonard Bernstein, who conducted the first performance. I have embedded the piece below - it is in two parts. It is definitely abstract, but even on first listen you can hear the drama and theatrics, and understand the juxtaposition of time periods as a reflection on modern problems. I think it is still relevant today.
Part 1:
Part 2:
The days are still very hot. I have been riding my bike to school now, about 2 1/2 miles each way. It is an easy ride; rather than have to go over the very busy main road and bridge, I go a back way along the "Tempe Town Lake" and cut over a smaller, less busy bridge which brings me to the west part of campus where my classes are. It is safer than I could have hoped, and is a beautiful ride. Going to school has been fine, but coming home in the 110 degree heat has been interesting. The ride is easy, but I am regularly sweating through my shirt, so averaging 3-4 shirts a day now :)
Dylan is going to be 3 months tomorrow! She is still great, smiling more than ever, blowing lots of bubbles, making all sorts of sounds. She laughed for Nicole a week or so ago, but hasn't really laughed out loud again since, but she comes very close. The only issue right now is that she seems to hate being alone at all when she is awake, so we have to constantly carry her around and have her next to us. This makes the unpacking take a bit longer than it would have, but that is ok. We'd rather spend time with her than anyone else. She loves her crib. Nicole is going to take some photos of her in it so I will post when those are ready. I think she will wait until the bedroom is more cleaned up and put away. The crazy thing is that Dylan has more clothes than Lady Gaga. She is just outgrowing her 0-3 month clothes, so we now get to jump into the plethora of 3-6 month outfits. She could wear a different outfit every day and still not run out I think.
School is going great. I love teaching, which I do every Tuesday and Thursday. My ethnomusicology class is really inspiring me to think about how to incorporate ethnomusicology into my doctoral studies. I am meeting with the professor, Ted Solis, today to discuss some of my ideas. My other class, Music Crossover and Borrowing, is a study about the ways 20th century composers have used other works, in almost collage fashion, in their pieces, and how this relates to the meaning and intent of the music. One piece in particular we are studying is Berio's Sinfonia, from 1968. The piece is shocking, but incredible. He combines music from Mahler's 2nd Symphony, Samuel Becket text, and James Joyce excerpts to create a commentary on 20th century music at the time and the political situation of the time (civil rights, Vietnam , etc.), all as part of a tribute to Leonard Bernstein, who conducted the first performance. I have embedded the piece below - it is in two parts. It is definitely abstract, but even on first listen you can hear the drama and theatrics, and understand the juxtaposition of time periods as a reflection on modern problems. I think it is still relevant today.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
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