Thursday, December 20, 2007

End of an era



Actually that's a little harsh - let's call it the changes that time makes.

In a couple of weeks I will be contacting a friend of mine who operates a music store in Takoma Park. The reason for this is to enlist his help in donating my percussion stuff: the mallets, the sticks, the auxillary equipment. I have 2 large bags of different chime mallets and orchestral bell mallets, drum sticks and timpani mallets, jingle bells, woodblocks, a kabassa, latin shakers, triangles and so much more.

These are things I accumulated over the many many years of playing with the local symphony, community band, community jazz band, and college bands.

I will never come to the emotional realization that that part of my life is over while I still have these. I've known for quite some time that my hearing isn't good enough to play anymore. It was going south over 5 years ago. I've been deluding myself that I prefer to watch television upstairs when in reality that's where it is set on closed caption. I don't go to movies because in crowded noisy areas I can't hear specific sounds -- it's all a roar.

I will never play again. Not percussion. Not with a group. Not in front of people.

Wow that was hard to write.

I *do* have a lovely digital piano that has earphones. It's not the same rush as the 32 measure roll from Russian Christmas or the gong crash in Fanfare for the Common Man -- it's definitely not timpani nor crash cymbals but it *is* music.

Maybe I can conquer my love/hate relationship with it? Only time will tell I guess.


The picture is a sculpture by Alexander Calder that is in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in Washington DC. I noticed as I moved here and didn't play, my muse was drawn towards art and photography. I'm just hoping that Harold likes the piano as well. I know he'll miss the cymbals.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

:) coincidence?




I'm not one for glaring coincidences. However you have to wonder about this one. This was one of my favorite songs ever --- yet I was from Kansas. I had no clue where Easton was.

I know now.

Coincidence? You be the judge....



the person who did this video quite correctly used images from Ocean City, Maryland. Easton is on the Eastern Shore and the areas mentioned in the song are either Eastern Shore or Baltimore.

My photo is of Kent Island Maryland on the way to The Eastern Shore taken from the Bay Bridge across the Chesapeake Bay ;)