multitasking

It's been years (if ever) since I was able to listen to music and concentrate on my work. Particularly since Eastman, I've found it virtually impossible to not focus on the music playing when I'm trying to multitask.

On the eve of my MA exam, I find myself able to do it again. What has changed? The way I work, the way I pay attention, the depth of my attention, my attitude towards music, my disgust at continuing to labor past the satiation point? As I read and take notes, for chapters at a time I don't notice the music, and its occasional intrusion into my consciousness is proof that I'm not hearing it. This seems vaguely inappropriate for a musicologist, but also a most welcome skill when my life feels entirely too narrow, musically and otherwise.

the perfect country and western song

On the road I came across a radio station playing old-skool country and discovered that I enjoy those songs immensely despite my distaste for most of the formulaic upbeat crud on the radio today. The station caught my attention with "Ruby, don't take your love to town," a song I know through Cake's cover but had never heard in its original form. According to Wikipedia it is "one of the world's most popular songs of all time" and covered a subject both "daring" and "compassionate" at the time--the story of a crippled veteran. The final lyrics are frightful and the whole thing seems a bit tongue-in-cheek to me. You figure it out.

My real favorite off this station's playlist was David Allan Coe's hilarious "You Never Called Me By My Name." Any recommendations from readers are most welcome.

the best buildings you'll ever hear

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
Originally uploaded by carillonista

"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." So Elvis Costello or some other fellow quipped. But what if architecture is one of the keys to the future of music?

I finally understand the subject of one of my favorite photos from Germany. Herzog & De Meuron (one of my favorite architectural firms) is turning this building on the perimeter of the industrial harbour of Hamburg into a rather monolithic concert hall. A recent NY Times article describes the exciting marriages of innovative architecture and symphonies taking place today. The dreamlike ballpark interior of this hall will certainly draw me back to Hamburg to attend a performance. I just hope all these new halls incorporate really good organs. At least the organ still seems like a requisite piece of the pie, even if few composers actually use it in their concert hall pieces.

sound, glorious sound!

It's sooo good to have my AKG K 301 headphones again. To be able to hear music for what it is! Music, glorious music. Music not being made by me (thank heavens). My life is complete.

Oh, and I'm officially 24 now. I didn't even notice until 20 minutes in. I decided earlier today that I'd been so traumatized by birthdays beginning with my 21st that I had developed an aversion to them rather than the apathy that sometimes develops because there are no landmark birthdays between 21 and 30.

People do remember although I tried to keep it under wraps. I had a birthday message from Belgium at precisely midnight CET, the loanable birthday banner moved mysteriously from Donna's bathroom door to my doorway, and the ECMC folks have even contrived to convince me to go to Matthew's with them tonight on account of it being the final ECMC staff meeting for the year. This is all very much appreciated, at least with what feeble capacity I have left.

The question is: Will I survive to see my 24 and 2/365th day? Monday isn't looking pretty, folks. Oh no it isn't. I wouldn't be unhappy if that cipher in Schmitt persisted all day. It was so loud that uniformed Jeffrey Leo (who didn't recognize me in my non-carillonista guise) came in just to inform me that the school was closing down for the dreaded 11th hour as I attempted to practice my improvisation, "Changes," by drowning out the cipher with deafening bell motifs.