Growing up

Recently, I asked a friend, who I have not seen in quite some time, to lunch. Believe it or not, this is significant! After asking him to lunch, I thought it very strange and exotic. In previous years, friends and I could talk and have fun in school, hang out after sports practices, and pass nights away leisurely with hardly a worry. Times such as that are become less and less frequent! Now, it has occurred to me that I am not able to see my friends on a whim as I once could, and my life is no longer structured so that my friends are always nearby. I now have to result to adult tactics: I now have to be truly proactive enable to keep a friendship going. Asking a friend to lunch... there seems to be no other time in which we may both be free. I now have to ask people to lunch. Strange and exotic. I'm not exactly sure I like it, but I am growing up. These things happen.

I think myself quite smarter than I was a year ago. Being so young, I am by no means wise, but I have grown wiser than I was before. I am pleased to see myself and those around me grow, change, and improve. Now, I dedicate more time to myself than I did a year ago. I seek to make myself happy more than before - and others less than before. This is not to say that I don't seek to make my loved ones happy - I do - but I hold my own self as a higher priority and the results show.

I no longer accept any compromise for becoming a more skilled and experienced musician. I am working much harder in that regard than I did in the year previous. I've learned pieces by Howells, Mendelssohn, Purcell, and Couperin in the past month alone. My lessons with Mark Laubach have helped me to practice more thoughtfully and understand more fingering possibilities, increasing my overall technique. My conducting and voice lessons with Dr. Decker have helped extend my range and have added warmth and body to my voice, while maintaining the brilliance I already had naturally. I have been directing a church choir, learning service music every week, giving private sessions to soloists... it is so invigorating to teach and direct and organize!

Music aside, I've improved exponentially as a runner so far this Autumn. I've dropped my cross country time from a record of 23:05 last year, to a record of 21:36 - with a month left in the season to improve further still.

Now isn't a time for us to be concerned with others. Young people (my age specifically, and a few years older) must prioritize, focus on themselves rather than others, and make compromises less frequently. The time will come later in our lives when we will once more be able to focus on others more strongly and loyally. For now, I hope my young friends and peers strengthen their focus more on themselves.

Integrated Arts 2011: Week 1

Week One of the BTE Integrated Arts Camp 2011 is over! Integrated Arts is a two week day camp for students aged six through thirteen where students learn about the culture of a certain country or area of the world through art, music and theatre (and sometimes food!). This year, the theme is the Caribbean! The first week is over, and here is some of the artwork the students have made in art class. I'm going to update this post soon with some of their artwork! I didn't get any footage of music or theatre yet, but I will by the end of the second week!

Love and Companionship can be Painful Reminders...

The past two days I've spent mostly at my friend Lydia's house. We watched the Beavis and Butt-head movie and 'The Bucket List', had a picnic, got soaked in the rain, talked, played life and just had a wonderful time. I love her so much and I truly appreciate the time I spend with her and her family. That being said, spending this time around them and thinking about how much I appreciate them gets my emotions going. Sometimes, it makes me think of things I regret and things I have lost. Now, in this reflectively sentimental state, I'm thinking about mistakes I've made - and how sorry I am for them. I love Lydia so much. However, thinking about that love - thinking about how much I love her and how beautiful she is - reminds me of how much I have loved others, some of whom I have lost, some of whom I have grown apart from.

Summer Music - Part 1

My new position as assistant organist and choirmaster at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church is going swimmingly! The choir is unbelievably kind - they all know my name and I'm working hard to remember all of theirs! I've made some friends in the choir and have enjoyed their company, there are already some inside jokes which I am in on!

On July 20th, we had a rehearsal in preparation for a visit from Bishop Nathan Baxter. We had rehearsal at the Decker household followed by a party. I worked with the men in the basement while Dr. Decker worked with the women at the piano upstairs. After some rehearsing - we enjoyed a large meal (and just about everybody but me enjoyed beer or sangria!).

Here are some photos from the event, taking by Ken, a stunning bass.

Some of the men socializing before warming up with some hymns. 

Men rehearsing in the Decker basement, myself at the keys.

Myself and Dr. Bill Decker at the piano after a successful run of the anthem

Bishop Baxter came, and the music was sublime - the choir sang very well and the bishop remarked how he was moved by the offertory and communion music.

At the same time, I've been playing in the pit band for the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble summer musical - 'The Landlover'. Here are some photos of the pit band after this afternoon's matinee.

DJ Mikestro (guitar, keyboard) and myself (keyboard)

L to R: David (guitar, mandolin, banjo), Connor (drums) and Nick (bass guitar)

Recital Success!

My third professional solo recital was a success! I played very well and was confident from start to finish. We had approximately 87 audience members in attendance and raised just under $300 in free-will donations. Here is a picture of myself speaking before the final piece on my program.

My dear friend, one of my very dearest in fact, Darren Motise came down from Poughkeepsie, NY just to see me in recital. Darren, Courtney and I had lunch at Prana Juice Bar and the Namaste Cafe on Friday, followed by a trip to the mall. After the recital, my grandparents, the Deckers, some school friends and Darren and I went to dinner at Rosemarie's - talking about everything from what groups of people we would send to jail if we ruled the world, how intriguing/disgusting the Tyra Banks show is, dead deer, and much more. After dinner, we borrowed a lighter from a guy in reflections and set of fire crackers in the church parking lot - at midnight!
The next day, Julia, Andrea, Courtney and I had brunch with Darren at Bloomin' Bagels and bid our farewells until next time! Here's a picture of us taken by Darren:

My third professional recital is in about 21 hours. I'm not nervous - but I am very stressed. I'm feeling rather depressed at the moment. But I shouldn't be, because wonderful things happen tomorrow! Darren Motise is visiting from New York. He and I are going out to lunch at Prana/Namaste at 1:00. At 4:00 we're meeting up with Bob Glass to see his Hauptwerk project. Also, my grandparents are visiting from Dayton, Ohio. The recital should go very well. Dr. Decker and his wife will be there, Harry, Courtney, Andrea, Hugh, Sam, Lyell, Alex, Kathy, Jessica, John, Mother Marjory, Lydia and possibly Dorothy, Alyssa, Abby and Mark, too! Afterwards, some of my closest and dearest friends and I will go out to dinner and have a good time.

I've been listening to a lot of the piano and chamber music of Mendlessohn and Faure lately, as well as Bach concertos and the typical Haydn masses. The music is depressing to me, at the moment. The music is so powerful and sublime - but I am feeling empty. This blog is becoming a diary it seems! Haha! Woah - watch out narcissism!

Recital Poster!

The always amazing Courteny Sabo came into First Presbyterian Church to shoot some photos and today she sent me her poster design for my recital this upcoming Friday. I couldn't possibly be more pleased! The poster amazing! I'm having twenty-five printed and will post them throughout Bloomsburg.

The Greatest Hymn Harmonization Book Ever

Appreciating

Maeve has a little bag full of girl scout badges. I hadn't realized she had so many badges! That little trooper!

Anyway - on to the lesson! Or... blog, excuse me! Lydia was gone for the past week and I missed her terribly, this got me thinking about appreciation. Those who know me know that, once I get started thinking about appreciation, I go overboard!

There are many summer things to appreciate. The other night, I went to a backyard movie night at Walker's house. We watched 'Airplane!'. I played some Messiaen on the piano for Hugh, who is a big Messiaen fan. I appreciate that he loves Messiaen and gets a kick out of 'Apparition de l'Eglise Eternelle'. I appreciate just how gorgeous Andrea is, inside and out. I appreciate that Walker can put on these events on such short notice. Hugh gave me a slice of Boston cream pie which I had to eat with my bare hands which then got very messy and sticky - I appreciated that. We had a water balloon fight and I came out unscathed, partly because I'm a big sissy. Walker wasn't so lucky! I appreciated that!

I appreciate being FREE! Yay!

I appreciate Darren's humor and three hour phone conversations with him! I appreciate Robert's knowledge! I appreciate their appreciation of all great music! I appreciate their friendship! I appreciate Dr. Decker, Dorothy, Mark, and Mr. Glass! I appreciate Mr. Roberts! I appreciate getting locked out of Harrisburg parking garages! I appreciate that Lydia lives in walking distance and I can just go hang out with her whenever! I appreciate Dick Johnson's and Rees's humor! I appreciate all my Indy friends! I appreciate goofballs at AGO conventions! I appreciate going places with Courtney and Jet Puff! I appreciate BTE and the summer musical and being in the pit orchestra! I appreciate Sabo and the pictures and posters she makes for me! I appreciate everybody and everything that makes me happy - whether it's intentional or not! I appreciate all my friends past, present and future! I appreciate my family and my teachers! I appreciate those who make life great for me and I hope I can do my part to make life great for them too!

Recital and Visitors

My third solo recital will be held at the Bloomsburg First Presbyterian Church at 7:30 on Friday, this 8th of July. I will be performing works of Bach, Mendelssohn, Franck, Messiaen, and Alain.

For the event, my dear friends Robert Fertitta and Darren Motise will be visiting. I presented Robert in recitals two months ago; he is the greatest musician I know. I hope to present Darren in recital in the Spring of 2012. Darren is a vegetarian so we're going to lunch at the Prana place on Main Street.

This Wednesday, Dr. Decker and I are going to Harrisburg to hear Mark Laubach in recital as part of the AGO Region III Convention. Mark is an incredible organist and musician, and a very kind friend.

Here is an excerpt of the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 22 in E flat Major:

Bittersweet! Bittersweet! Ohhhh bittersweet!

Yesterday, the Bloomsburg High School class of 2011 graduated, amongst them were many of my best friends, old and new. I am excited for all the graduates, but especially for those I know and call friends. I'm especially excited for Andrea Fronsman, Tyler Dalious, Lydia Heier, Courtney Langmeyer, Meghan Ashford, Kelsey Flick, Christian Tloczynski, Hayley Miller, and Katie Knorr. I cannot wait to see what they do and where they go and who they become! However, I think who they are now is just as important, if not more so. They are all inherently beautiful people.

Afterward, Mrs. Zimmerman was walking around saying "Bittersweet! Bittersweet! Ohhhh bittersweet!" repeatedly. I love Mrs. Zimmerman, but for a good half hour after going home, I still had 'Bittersweet... bittersweet... bittersweet...' playing in my head! Ha!

Well, anyway, here's some great music related to graduation and this school year. First is Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, which is where we get our 'graduation' march from.



Here is Michaela singing Faure's 'Apres un Reve'. I just have to put this here because it is such an incredible piece and she sang it so beautifully.



Pure joy. That's what Brahms Op. 39 Waltzes are - pure joy! Graduation is likewise a joyful event! May the rest of the graduates lives be as joyful as these waltzes, here performed by Dinu Lipatti and the legend Nadia Boulanger herself.

Lili Boulanger and Jehan Alain

Lili Boulanger may have composed very little, due to her untimely death of tuberculosis, but what she did produce is among the most beautiful music ever written. Her 'Veille Priére Bouddhique' is truly a monumental piece of music!



Her Pie Jesu, composed in 1918, was the last piece she composed, while she was dying.



This tragedy of a young composer passing at such an early age was repeated in 1940, when the twenty-nine year-old Jehan Alain, was killed protecting France from German invasion. His most well known piece is 'Litanies' from his Trois Pieces pour Orgue, played here by his younger sister, Marie-Claire Alain.



'Jardin Suspendu', also from the Trois Pieces, is another favorite Alain work of mine.

My new favorite passage of all time

Nadia Boulanger was one of the greatest human beings to ever walk this Earth, I am convinced. This passage about her says so many great things about that wonderful lady, music, composition, understanding... EVERYTHING.

"When I met her, I showed her my kilos of symphonies and sonatas. She started to read them and suddenly came out with a horrible sentence: "It's very well written." And stopped, with a big period, round like a soccer ball. After a long while, she said: "Here you are like Stravinsky, like Bartók, like Ravel, but you know what happens? I can't find Piazzolla in this."

And she began to investigate my private life: what I did, what I did and did not play, if I was single, married, or living with someone, she was like an FBI agent! And I was very ashamed to tell her that I was a tango musician. Finally I said, "I play in a night club." I didn't want to say cabaret. And she answered, "Night club, mais oui, but that is a cabaret, isn't it?" "Yes," I answered, and thought, "I'll hit this woman in the head with a radio…." It wasn't easy to lie to her.

She kept asking: "You say that you are not pianist. What instrument do you play, then?" And I didn't want to tell her that I was a bandoneon player, because I thought, "Then she will throw me from the fourth floor." Finally, I confessed and she asked me to play some bars of a tango of my own. She suddenly opened her eyes, took my hand and told me: "You idiot, that's Piazzolla!"

And I took all the music I composed, ten years of my life, and sent it to hell in two seconds."

—Ástor Piazzolla, A Memoir

That lady was a blessing to this planet. I never 'met' her, but she has still had a profound influence on my understanding of music and what I mean to be as a musician.

Igor Stravinsky and Nadia Boulanger

Mass for the Convents!

I'm currently learning Francois Couperin's 'Mass for the Convents'. This organ masterpiece is one of the great works of the French Baroque period! As cool as French Baroque music is - French Baroque pipe organs are equally cool!

Below is Jean-Baptiste Robin playing a movement from the Mass for the Convents on the Clicquot pipe organ at la Cathédrale de Poitiers, France. The organ which Couperin himself played his entire life at Saint-Gervais was also a Clicquot (albeit it a slightly larger organ).

The clicking sound the organ makes is actually the mechanics of the organ and its action - since this instrument was built in the mid-18th century, it has no electricity or anything to assist its operation. The entire functioning of this quite large instrument is mechanical, hence the clicking noises. These noises can be heard up close, but from down in the nave where one would be during mass or a concert, the clicking is to far away to be heard, and only the sounding of the pipes is audible.

Chorales, Chorales, Chorales!

Few things in this world exceed the beauty of great chorales and other music which incorporates great chorales.

Some wonderful chorales...

'In Deep Distress' - Johann Sebastian Bach (performed by Pierre Cochereau in 1959 on the Cavaille-Coll organ at Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris, France)



'O Man, Bemoan They Grievous Sins' - Johann Sebastian Bach (performed by Michael Murray on the Muller organ at Sint-Bavokerk in Haarlem, NE)



'In Thee is Joy' - Johann Sebastian Bach (performed by Ton Koopman)



Sonata no. 6 in D minor 'Our Father in Heaven' -Felix Mendelssohn (performed by Peter Hurford on the Rieger organ at the Ratzeburg Cathedral)



There is much, much, MUCH more great chorale music out there! This is just a grain off the tip of the iceberg!

Thinking Right

I recently read an article about improving ones mind - of course it spoke of sleep and exercise and the like, but it also spoke of intentionally using experiences and thought to change one's mind. In terms of experiences, for instance, in my case, listening to, learning, performing, even analyzing lovely music or creating and looking at artwork are two great experiences I, or anybody, can do to help their minds and themselves. As for thinking right - thinking kind, loving, happy thoughts, can help to change the way one's brain works and can make one healthier in the end. Thinking thoughts opposite to these actually has much broader and more permanent consequences than people tend to think. Thinking bad thoughts can literally change the way one's brain works and make them less healthy - and more prone to continue thinking such thoughts. We all need to make a conscious effort to think right - if not for the sake of our health, then for the sake of the morality and justice that is in it. A loving, caring, selfless, forgiving, and accepting mind is the only truly moral and just mind.

Below is the Gloria from Franz Joseph Haydn's unbelievably gorgeous 'Theresienmesse' (Theresa Mass).

Hershey trip

Today, the chorus and drama club went to Hershey park. The day was fun, filled with roller coasters, other rides, friends, Latsha, Aaron White, and more! I rode four roller coasters and, for me anyway, that is a proud accomplishment!

Spice of Life

No person can take the spice out of one's life unless one allows them to do so. Well, I've been letting others take the spice out of my life for quite some time now. Which is especially unnecessary given my age! However, that ends. Nobody is taking the spice out of my life anymore! Better still, so many wonderful friends are returning to Bloomsburg from college - they all make me so happy. I went to the park with Breanna and Julia the other day - I love them so much! Happenings like these and angels like them remind me of what I used to love about life and why I loved it.

Whether it be Julia's irreplaceable laugh, or her uniquely inquisitive outlook on acquaintanceship... whether it be Breanna's lovely smile, or her quirky, often perverted sense of humor... whether it's Cheyenne's adorable voice, the way I look up to Carlyn like a big sister, the way Ashley has an aura of immense coolness radiating from her, the fact that Darbs is just forty pounds of love, kindness, and beauty in a human costume, Tyler's wonderful kindness, Eric's never-ending laugh (am I really that funny?), Danny's smile, Christian's heart, the way Kaitlin screams 'Mead' and used to give me car rides everywhere, the wonderfully awkward moments with Mr. Burrell, Kelsey's many impressions, Latsha's over-dramatics, Mr. Dodge's hum, Dr. Decker's down-to-earthness, Lyell's inability to shut the heck up in theory class, Walker's irreplaceable quirk and loveability, the fact that John from St. Paul's and I are like old pals after knowing each other for a week and a half, my father's enormous collection of vinyl records, the way Barbara G checks on what I'm up to by using her daughter's facebook accounts, Lydia's facial expressions, Andrea's talent for finding some goofy fun in any situation, Harry's uniquely wonderful - and frequent - eye roll, the way Hugh calls me 'Co', Robert's sensational antics and his incredible knowledge and admirable love of music, Darren's youtube links, the one waitress at Harry's Bar and Grille with the heavenly laugh, Loco Mama's drunken, cross-dressing, online ramblings, the fact that Father Les referred to me as his 'Easter Bro' during Holy Week, Dr. Jones's absent-mindedness, the ease of which I can speak with Dr. Polhill and the fact that he treats me as an adult, Angela's smile, Aileen's all-around-loveliness, Courtney's willingness to be my best friend and spend so much time getting lost, being bored, and indulging in intellectual discussions (without a table! Ha!) with me in her car, or perhaps the fact that I don't know if I've properly punctuated this paragraph (haha!) - I LOVE all of them and they make me happy. They inspire me. They restore my faith in myself and make me love life and the world!

:-D

Sometimes, we really would do ourselves well to appreciate the simple things. The landscape painted by Edgar Degas seen here below is unbelievably beautiful in its simplicity.

Broad Ripple Geese

Broad Ripple Geese
-
The geese on the Monon scream hello
"HEY THERE!"
The walkers pay notice
"Hello!"
The geese advance
"I said HEY THERE!"
One thinks 'Silly geese!'
They are neighbor geese
They share with us
We share with them
We live together
Neighbor geese
Family in strange places
Broad Ripples scatter the canal
as the geese dive in
Broad Ripples scatter the water
as it makes its way toward drinking
"HEY THERE!"
Why! Hello, goose.
-

Broad Ripple is a neighborhood on the far north side of Indianapolis. While I live in Indy this past Summer, we would walk and drive through Broad Ripple on almost a daily basis. There is a cycling/walking path on what used to be a railroad track (the Monon) called the Monon trail. There is also a path along the Indianapolis Canal called the Central Canal Towpath. Geese congregate on these paths like they own the place. They are much friendlier than Bloomsburg geese! They are the nicest, friendliest geese I've ever encountered! I'm convinced they try to talk to humans. They make no effort to avoid the people running and walking and cycling, and they often make strange, loud noises as one passes - I've always interpreted these noises as them saying 'Hello!' What a great place.

Beautiful Paintings!

These are paintings which make me happy. It is a a beautiful thing to be able to enjoy artwork such as this. It is fulfilling.

'Garden at la Hune, Saint-Tropez' - Jeanne Selmersheim-Desgranges

'A Slag Heap near Marchiennes' - Maximilien Luce

'Side Farm' - Andre Leveille 

'Boat along a Bank' - Jan Viglbrief

'An Orchard in Springtime Bloom' - Achille Lauge

Mr. Davis

I was making a children's book illustrated in water colors. Well, I gave up on that endeavor... but at least this awesome picture of Mr. Davis came out of it! I'm pretty proud of it. :-)

Todd Davis

Words of the Wise...

Some great, true quotes by some inspirational people. Nadia Boulanger was one of the greatest influences on music in the 20th century, she is an inspiration to me every day as a musician. Johannes Brahms is known for having a myriad of great sayings, and this one relates both to his disdain for many of the nasty people in the musical community at the time as well as a basic truth about human society. Edouard Manet also inspires me as an artist. And Father McIlhiney is one of the kindest and most loving human beings walking this Earth. These people speak words of wisdom.

- "Everything we know by heart enriches us and helps us find ourselves." - Nadia Boulanger

- "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” - Abraham Lincoln

- “Those who enjoy their own emotionally bad health and who habitually fill their own minds with the rank poisons of suspicion, jealousy and hatred, as a rule take umbrage at those who refuse to do likewise, and they find a perverted relief in trying to denigrate them.” - Johannes Brahms

- "The attacks of which I have been the object have broken the spring of life in me... People don't realize what it feels like to be constantly insulted." - Edouard Manet

- "Christ says that if God is going to forgive us, we must first become forgiving people ourselves. Whenever I say “I’m sorry,” I’m helping another person to find that forgiveness within herself or himself." - the Rev. David McIlhiney

-“Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Way past my bedtime...

It's way past my bedtime, but I've been thinking about how much I love all my friends and how much I appreciate everything that is beautiful about them. My Courtney 'poem' which I have been continuously writing for over a year now. :-)

Courtney Langmeyer :-)

There is some really annoying chick
I think she’s annoying
That’s why

When I was in eighth grade
she pretty much attacked me
because she liked a picture I drew of James Marsden

Actually I guess it was ninth grade

But not really

So I tried to avoid her
because she creeped me out

Then we did a spontaneous exercise thing
She laughed at her one answer
But it wasn't funny
Like, at all

Silly her

Still weird

Then she got marker all over her face
and looked like a freaking weirdo

What a goofball

Then this one time
she was in a play
and everybody said her laughing was annoying

My mom got a headache

And she kept creeping me out backstage

I thought her laugh was the bomb

Then this one other time
she sang Danke Schoen really, really well

Then she was like
Blah Blah Blah don't put that on youtube

She thinks she's a bad singer
or something crazy like that

Then this other one time
I was really stupid and went away for the whole summer

What and idiot

Then this creep who is always bothering us was like
Oh blah blah blah SKYPEE

Then I was like
oh blah blah blah SKYPEE

Then I skyped Courtney instead

Then this other time
she was in this integrated arts camp

And we both thought Josiah was just the best
and then we went to a picnic and ate vegan food
and she got peach juice all over her face

She's one messy eater

Then this other time she worked at the fair
somebody's orangeade
she got paid and was so excited

then she had to buy mustard stuff

Then this one other time
she was going to audition for a play

She was really nervous

But she shouldn't have been!

Then we spent New Years in Jet Puff
We saw the donkeys and automated elves
and wondered where Santa Clause was with our chips?!

And she got a cool tie to put on her bag

Then she was the most beautiful Mabel in history
And she sang Ma-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-bel
We worked on it at the piano in the hall
She didn't seem to think I could help her
But I did

And she blew me away
She has a way of doing that

Then we went to Southern
Only we had no idea where we were going
Then we must have been on something
because it was right there
but we missed it
It was the glare, I betcha

Then we slept on Hugh's futon thing
and Walker was on the couch
I'm glad I was asleep
But years from now
we'll be glad she wasn't

She's so funny

That’s why I love Courtney Langmeyer

As the school year ends...

A year ago (actually, one day short of a year ago), I wrote a post titled 'As the school year ends...' well this is this year's version of the same post.

To get out of the truck in the school parking lot and be tackled by my best friend after being away in Indy for two months. To meet Josiah, Grace, Romey, Sean, Jonathan, Eric, and all the other amazing kids at Integrated Arts camp! They still inspire me! To go around the circle and share about ourselves. To carry books to and from the Alvina Krause - except I didn't get to carry any books because SOMEBODY wouldn't let me! To help the IA kids paint and act and create stories and make Mondalians and Fridalians. To play games with them! To SCARE people!

To go to Walker's house - I cannot adequately describe the nostalgia that place gives me. To watch 'Dinner for Schmucks'. To see Hayley laugh harder than I thought a person could. To ride home in Hayley's green 'stalker car'.

To walk down Main Street near midnight with Courtney, Meghan and Carlyn - actually, I was 'stalking' them. To see that guy light up a 'cigarette' in front of the courthouse and then follow us creepily for a block or so after we laughed at him. To be given the stare of death by one poor man who didn't get our joke. To go to the last pond party before everybody left. :(

To run three miles, four miles, five miles, six miles, seven miles, eight miles, nine miles. To lose thirty pounds. To meet Coach Smoliga and Coach Stevens, Beavis and Butthead. To 'be destroyed... and lose' - in an Arnold Schwarzenegger accent. ;-) To have fun on the bus - Courtney, remember the changing incident? ;-)

To fall in love with the music Faure, Chopin, Brahms, Grieg, Poulenc and Stravinsky.

To wash cars. To be 'Colby Mildrew' - the killer. To run all over creation being counter productive. To wash the ALERO! To go to Balzanos. Pizza, pizza, pizza... I love pizza. "Um... um... oh wait - come back! I changed my mind! Ummm..."

To spend more time at the student council stand than probably any other student council member in history at the fair. To get some lovely new CDs. To 'click, click, click'. To keep losing Mo because he could keep up. To drink Orange-aide. To sit on the steps of Carver Hall. To steal someone's scarf! To always forget to tell Coach Stevens that we met the guy who wants to 'put his Volkswagen in the river' or something like that!

To run Diamonds. To have second Thanksgiving at the Ball household with so many awesome people. Yum! :-)

To learn to sing. To sing at TreeFest and the elementary schools and SUNCOM. To sing at the Mall and for a fund-raising dinner.

To spend New Years in Jet Puff with my best friend. To go to see the Christmas Boulevard. To see the cute donkeys and the demented automated figures. To wonder where the heck Santa Clause was with our chips?! To have lots of other fun times in Jet Puff.

To be the very model of a modern major general, and to hate doing it. To look forward to nothing at play except Kelsey, because she makes me smile and laugh, and that's what I needed to get through the evening. To take pictures of us shaking our heads with faces and see how our faces would look at a given moment. To just want to sit at the piano without being bothered by everybody under the sun!!! To go to O.Y.E.T.D. for once and only. To yell at my twenty daughters to get in bed before the top of act two every show and dress rehearsal - they were up and out of bed way past their bed-time every night. To see my best friends steal the show. To dance with Ashley backstage during 'Catlike Tread' every single night. To sit in the copy room with Courtney for the entire cast party, lamenting our youths.

To get lost trying to find Southern Columbia High School - accept we drove right up to it and somehow managed not to see (where the hell were we looking??? hahaha). To see a show done very well. To be recognized. To go to the Chinese restaurant.

To wish I had listened to Courtney! Actually, track wasn't that bad... but it was nothing compared to XC.

To go to Indianapolis and see so many great friends, people who care about me even though they hardly know me. To see Randy, Father Les, Alan Davis, Charlie, Anna, Cait, Mr. Boles, Jake, and Joyce and lovely family. To be so disappointed when I DIDN'T get to see Marilyn Vargo!

To have Robert Fertitta come and play one of the greatest concerts I could ever have asked for. To laugh with the waitress at Harry's. To meet Darren for the first time.

To have dinner with the Susquehanna Valley chapter of the AGO - a wonderful group of people.

To have the Spring concert go so much better than any of us were expecting. To accompany everybody's favorite song with Latsha.

To learn the importance of humility, dedication, kindness, forgiveness, and love.

Alain 'Litanies'

The final segment of Jehan Alain's famous 'Litanies' from his Trois Pieces pour Grande Orgue. This is me performing on the 27 rank Estey-Fritzsche pipe organ at the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg, PA.

Wonderful people

Something is very comforting and consoling in having ones picture taken with wonderful people. It puts me at ease, which is no small feat. I am extremely blessed in that I have can claim to have the miracle of wonderful friendship and companionship with so many beautiful people. It is a blessing I by no means deserve, but it is an enormous blessing.

My mother and I. She truly is the best mother in the world.

Hayley, myself, Lydia, and Alex. Three great friends who I am blessed to know and be supported by.

Rees, Hayley, myself, and Maeve. Three GREAT people in every way.

My mother and I, with Maeve's head at the bottom.

Indianapolis Zoo visit

Pictures of Maeve from the Indianapolis zoo.

Maeve looking strangely at the Giraffes

Maeve looking strangely into space

A slightly exuberant Maeve in front of the meerkats.

Recital by Robert Fertitta a stunning success!

Robert Fertitta's long-awaited organ and piano recital was last night. We had a relatively small, but very enthusiastic and appreciative crowd, and ended up raising $392 in free-will donations! Dr. Bill Decker was there; it was lovely to see him as always! He told me his favorite piece on the program was the Faure Nocturne No. 6 (my favorite as well!). Darren Motise, a friend of Robert's and mine, came down from New York to see the concert as well! It was so great to have both of these friends visiting from out of town and bringing people together to hear such amazing music. I saw Pastor Steve today and he told me that everybody he's talked to has been raving about how wonderful the recital was!

Here's some pictures from the recital:

I introduce Robert at the beginning of the recital

Robert explains his program

Robert plays Brahms on the piano

Robert plays the organ, while I assist in pulling and pushing stops

I continue to assist while Robert plays

The sheet music for Faure's Nocturne No. 6, which Robert played immediately after the intermission

Indianapolis Friends

Myself and Dr. Randy Frieling at the pipe organ at Saint Paul's, Indianapolis

Myself and Father Les Carpenter (the coolest priest ever)

Indianapolis and other happenings next week

Indianapolis Day 1

I'm visiting my grandparents in Indianapolis. We arrived at around 9:30 p.m. last night. Early this morning, I ran 4.5 miles on the Indianapolis Canal Towpath in my new spikes. Fun fun! I got back to the house and everybody was gone (except my father, who was still sleeping) so I made myself breakfast. My grandfather had been at the Rivi (a club my grandparents belong to) to exercise, my grandmother, aunt, and Maeve went out to get breakfast, and my uncle went to work early in the morning.
At noon we went to the Good Friday Eucharist service at Saint Paul's. The choir (a partial choir today, the service being early on a weekday) sang in the back of the nave today; it was a nice, simple service.
For lunch, I had some left over ziti, a dish of mango slices, and a bowl of squash, apple, and curry soup (which was DELICIOUS!). That's one of the things I love about visiting my grandparents - the food is awesome! :-D
We went to the Fashion Mall just North of Indy in the afternoon. Maeve was given free samples of hair product and she bought some lipstick, then she wanted to go to the Body Shop and she ended up getting perfume there!
For dinner, we had my grandmother's home-made cod fish sticks, along with backed potato slices and sweet potatoes, and home made coleslaw (which my grandmother makes super spicy with lots of brown mustard). So much good food!
It was very cool sitting at a table with eight people tonight at dinner, as well. I love that big family feeling! :-D We had some good laughs today.
It rained all day today, but tomorrow it should be nice, and hopefully we'll go to a museum or the zoo or something.

Robert Fertitta's Recital - One Week Away

Dr. Robert Fertitta's piano and organ recital is exactly one week away! It's going to be an incredible event, I know! It's so exciting that one of the greatest musicians in the world - a student of the legendary Nadia Boulanger in the early 1970's - is going to be performing a concert - free admission - in Bloomsburg!
In addition to being an incredible performer, and having absolutely endless knowledge of musical structure and analysis, Robert is a professional stained glass photographer. He was gracious enough to photograph all of our windows entirely for free! The photographs came out wonderfully! Truly fantastic! To the right is our great West window at the First Presbyterian Church of Bloomsburg, as photographed by Robert. I'm guessing this large window to be around twenty-five feet from top to bottom.

Rubinstein and Chopin's Polonaise

Artur Rubinstein

To be blunt, Artur Rubinstein is one of the only pianists in history who performed Chopin's Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53, correctly.

Nine months ago, my dear friend, Dr. Robert Fertitta, was studying and analyzing this piece and shared modified scans of each page of the score to myself and several other musical colleagues - challenging us to figure out what was meant by the modifications.

Today, I figured out exactly what was meant. Further, I realized that by this analysis, Artur Rubinstein is one of the few performers who have played the piece correctly enough to use as a model, at least in recording.


What is meant by this? Simply the adherence to the beat of three. Note that the very first measure is a quarter note, followed by an eight rest, followed by a group of two and then four sixteenth-notes. The quarter note is beat one, the eighth rest is beat two, the third sixteenth note (the first in the group of four) is beat the three. Going by the beat of the sixteenth note, the first measure is as follows:


Beat 1 of 3 - E-flat                       (16th beat = 1-2-3-4)
Beat 2 of 3 - Eighth rest              (16th beat = 1-2)
                   A-natural                 (16th beat = 3)
                   B-flat                       (16th beat = 4)
Beat 3 of 3 - B-natural                 (16th beat = 1)
                   C                             (16th beat = 2)
                   C-sharp                   (16th beat = 3)
                   D natural                  (16th beat = 4)

Then in the second measure, the eighth note of the E-flat chord is beat one. One is the downbeat in this beat of three, so this E-flat chord should be the downbeat of the second measure. HOWEVER, most pianists completely ignore this. They completely ignore the 16th beat for the first measure, turning it into a beat of two or a beat of three which ends not on the beat three which Chopin specified, but rather on what is supposed to be beat one of the second measure. The only two pianists I know of - and I've listened to a myriad of performances in this study - who perform measures one and two correctly as written (and the rhythmically identical measure groups of five and six, nine and ten, and eleven and twelve) are Artur Rubinstein and Evgeny Kissin. Those two pianists play the first two measures of the Polonaise rhythmically correct, like this:

1-2-3-1-2-3

Most pianists play the actual beats something like this, written here in actual beats:

1-3-1-2-3

Notice the first beat two isn't there... practically all pianists completely skip the second beat of the first measure and render it completely insane rhythmically. This translates into this:

1-2-3-1-2

Now you see that this mistake also makes the first two measures equivalent to five beats, even though it is actually six beats. So where does the sixth beat have to go when a pianist plays it wrong like this? Not on beat three of measure two, but rather on beat one of measure three. This bring about another problem...

In measures three, four, seven, eight, and thirteen through sixteen, the beat of three is constantly turned into a beat of two by pianists. The groups of sixteenth notes in measures three and four (as well as the rhythmically identical seven and eight) are almost always played, written here in their actual beats, like this (the second three is crossed out to show that it is a dead, useless, senseless beat the way most perform it):

2-3-1-2-3

This translates into this beat:

1-2-1-2-unspecified beat (rhythmically useless)

Now this makes no sense because of the grouping. Why does this happen in so many performances? Partly because beat one of measure three is being turned into a beat three for measure two, making up for the omission of beat two in measure one. So as most pianists play the Polonaise, measures one through four go like this rhythmically, using actual beats here (The measure is specified by the color of the numbers, B3 = beat of 3, B2 = beat of 2):

  B3      B3     B2   B2
1-3-1 - 2-3-1 - 2-3 - 1-2 - 3

Does it get anymore discombobulated than this? Notice how the measures are split up nonsensically! The beat, very simply, is actually like this:

  B3       B3      B3      B3
1-2-3 - 1-2-3 - 1-2-3 - 1-2-3

So, if this is entirely caused by the omission of beat two in the first measure, then both Rubinstein and Kissin should play measures three and four correctly, right? Wrong. Kissin plays the first two measures correctly and then still makes beat two the downbeat in a fake beat of two. This doesn't just happen in measures three and four, it also happens in the following measures with nearly all pianists (in fact, as far as I know, every pianist who has recorded this piece except Artur Rubinstein):

3, 4, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 87, 88, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 107, 108, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 151, 152, 153, 154, 157, 158, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 177, and 178.

That's eighty-nine out of one-hundred-eighty-one measures. Basically, most pianists play somewhere in the neighborhood of 49% of the entire masterpiece rhythmically incorrect. Now this is a very subtle thing, but if one goes through and listens and analyzes, Rubinstein is the only performer to be found who plays this entire piece as it is written correctly.

Lets celebrate by listening to the great Rubinstein himself playing. Here's to one of the greatest performers who ever lived!

BWV 532 Fugue

A very fun piece to play. This is myself playing the Fugue section of Johann Sebastian Bach's Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 532 on the Casavant Freres pipe organ at Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. This organ has 90 ranks and 5,144 pipes.

STRAVINSKY

I definitely have a Stravinsky obsession. Igor Stravinsky was arguably among the top six or seven 'classical' musicians in the world during the entire 20th century. His compositions are insanely gorgeous.


One of my favorite Stravinsky compositions, 'Scherzo a la Russe'. Three minutes of utter genius and beauty:



Here we see Stravinsky himself practicing/conducting a movement from his 'Pulcinella' suite. Words cannot describe this. He has such a definite vision of how his music is to be performed - seeing the composer himself directing an orchestra playing one of his own gorgeous masterpieces.... AMAZING:



Possibly my very favorite Stravinsky composition, 'Petrouchka'. This is a section of the Fourth Tableau, just a portion of the immense masterpiece that is Stravinsky's 'Petrouchka':



In this video, Stravinsky himself conducts the final movement of his own 'Firebird' Suite. The last two or three minutes are absolutely spectacular. The entire video is beyond words:

Fun Day with Puff

Pretty girl waves her arms
Flails her hair
Crazy face!
Ya big goofy!

Ruthie laughs
Patrick squeels
Many crazy faces
Glitter everywhere
Paper on the tables
...an on the floor
The whole house is dizzy!

That couch in the corner
is occupied by a little club
a little band of robbers!
Juice and cookie robbers!

The big one are all wearing t-shirts!
I hardly recognize them
without dresses, jackets, and ties
Mrs. Polhill isn't wearing a t-shirt.
Lovely, stately lady!
She brings the little ones
things they have forgotten.

Pretty girl eats a bagel
Poofs of cream cheese
stick to her cheeks
Chocolate milk in a big carton
Fun day with Puff.

Angel-ic

Smile on that little face
makes me think of smooth blankets
vanilla
a bed after a long day
baby Angels!

She's on a mission!
Car Junior, Baby Car
Trooper makes us proud
makes us cheer
makes us scream
makes us dance (ha!)
Always new things for her

Funny little froglett
A few saw her
- go figure
now we all see her
Here's a big, general thank you
for Angela.

Family pictures!

Some artwork by my family!

Family artwork on top of the Television cabinet

Abstract painting - oil on board by Maeve

'Flower' - acrylic by Maeve

'I love you Mom(m)y' - oils on board by Maeve

Rose magnet - marker by Maeve

'Horse' - Water color by Maeve

Baby Cody - Chalk pastels by Courtney Langmeyer (she's basically family)

The Beauty of Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg is a mysteriously under-appreciated composer. Norway's greatest composer, he lived from 1843 to 1907. His music is both strikingly beautiful and undeniably innovative, creative, and original. Recently I've been delving into his music. As you may know from reading my blog, there is little which bothers me more than great composers going unrecognized. Grieg was one of the greatest composers of all time and a true genius. His works are of the highest substance possible.

He is best known for his 'Peer Gynt' Suite and his Piano Concert in A minor.

Check out these videos of those works (you'll probably recognize them):


Peer Gynt Suite: Morning Mood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVbq-7o84jU

Piano Concert in A minor, Mov. I: Allegro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh-hV3tTS-E

Both of these are absolutely gorgeous works. However, as with most composers (actually all composers), there is so much more to the composer and so many works that go unheard and unspoken of. Here are some links to more of his great works. Unfortunately, much of his music isn't represented on youtube. Aside from orchestral and piano music, Grieg also wrote songs, and only a precious few of his lovely songs have been recorded and posted on youtube. The scores, however, are available at IMSLP and if one just takes a look at the music, one can hear how gorgeous it is in their head.

Lyric Suite, Op. 54
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_lkjnaIXB8

Lyric Pieces, Op. 12, Op. 38, Op. 43, Op. 47, Op. 54, Op. 57, Op. 62, Op. 65, Op. 68, and Op. 71
(this is several books of short piano solo pieces. All gorgeous. This Berceuse is the first piece in the second book and is the most famous of the many pieces.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Rlkwq4JKg

Holberg Suite, Op. 40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNc5z2nu4MQ <--- Movement 1 of 5

Hjertets Melodier, Op. 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypNHslF5Q94 <--- Song 1 of 4

There is so much more glorious music by Edvard Grieg, but I'll leave you to find the rest on your own. Unfortunately, the vast majority of his compositions are not represented on youtube.

New Organ Console at First Presbyterian!

Note mismatched, crumbled, and blank knobs.

As part of the church's upcoming renovation project, in addition to new lighting and an overhauled chancel, we are having a new console installed!

This is a huge deal! To understand... let me give you an idea of what the current console is like.

The current console was built by the Moller organ company for an organ (which no longer exists) in Allentown in the late 1940's or early 1950's. In 1976, when our organ was rebuilt, instead of making a new custom console just for our organ, the Fritzsche organ company (who rebuilt our organ and had possession of the Moller console from Allentown, and probably the pipe work too - our organ has one rank built by Moller, which Fritzsche installed). So it's not meant for our organ. Because of that, there are blank stop knobs and the bottom keyboard doesn't do anything except couple and play the harp and chimes.

In addition to this, the console physically shows wear. Being about 60 years old, many labels have broken off (so one doesn't know what certain pistons do). In addition to that, many stop knobs have crumbled because of the age of their plastic. They have been replaced (several times) with new knobs that don't match the old ones. Some knobs don't even say the correct stop names! The keys are yellow and chipped, the wood is scratched, numerous pedal coupler contacts do not work, divisional unisons and busted swell to choir couplers are busted. New problems like these occur on a regular basis.

Note mismatched knobs and crumbled labels.

Being very old electro-pneumatic action, the console has developed some enormous leaks in it's wind supply, and develops new leaks on a fairly regular basis. Due to the action itself, let alone with the leaks, pistons are very slow to act and some reversible pistons hardly work at all. The console literally weases. One can hear quite audibly the wind leaks wooshing inside, and the sag when a piston is hit.

Further, the organ console is enormously tall and deep. Enable to fit all the pneumatic action inside, the shell of the console had to be huge in those days.

Lastly, the current organ console is not movable, which makes seeing an organist play during a concert impossible. This also makes it impossible for an organist to properly judge the balance between the pipes on the West side of the chancel and pipes on the East side of the chancel.

With a new console, all these problems will be solved!

Here we see the monstrous pneumatic action of the current console.

Note yellowed keys, missing key faces, yellowed pistons, and general wear.

A new console will use Solid State Electric action, which is quieter, more versatile, and more reliable than Pneumatic. This electric action allows for a much smaller console shell, a console which can be moved throughout the chancel for concerts and for the organist to hear the balance between the pipes on the West and East sides of the chancel. Solid State will also allow us to have more pistons and multiple levels of combination memory.

With a new console, all aesthetics would match, there would be no blank knobs, all coupler contacts would work, all pedal contacts would work, all reversibles would work, and pistons would act much faster without putting any strain on the console whatsoever (as the current pneumatic system does).

The cost of a new console would be in the area of $50,000.

Our console will most likely be built by Patrick J. Murphy and Associates Pipe Organ Builders. Here are some pictures of what their consoles look like (and what ours may look like).

This movable console is in concert position so an audience can watch during a concert.

Since people are going to see it, a new console will be much more attractive.

Not how much shallower this console is from front to back as compared to our old Moller console. Also note how the horizontal stop jambs and flat top make the console much shorter.

Best of all - here is the Solid State electric action of a new console. Much smaller (as well as more versatile and reliable) than the mechanical pneumatic action in our old Moller console.