tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19649922599093155072012-02-16T08:49:24.872-06:00c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.comBlogger1561100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-73048360648781880002009-10-10T13:33:00.009-05:002009-10-10T15:35:51.895-05:00

Synesthesia...I've always been fascinated by synesthesia, a condition that causes people to experience sensation in one sense when another sense is stimulated (i.e. equating a C major chord with the color yellow). In the late 1800s, spurred by Freud and a fascination with the subconscious, many musicians were obsessed by the concept of synesthesia. It pops up a great deal in my thesis research.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-39592030697069304262009-09-23T00:24:00.002-05:002009-09-23T00:57:47.631-05:00

people boo at operas. It's just such a snotty pseudo-conservative-opera-goer thing to do. Seriously, haven't we seen it all when it comes to opera at this point? Must we continue to feign shock, horror, and disdain in the face of innovation? You spent $1200 on your seat. If I were you, I'd be disappointed if I weren't shocked.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-66822755316703795972009-09-18T00:19:00.006-05:002009-09-18T01:10:30.450-05:00

I teach a lot of F*@&ing piano lessons every week. This week has seemed particularly long (which is probably why I used the F word to describe piano lessons...wonder how often that's been done...hm...)Anyway, I was reminded today of something my piano pedagogy professor used to say in graduate school: "Always remember that you are not teaching piano, you are teaching people." He reiterated the

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-17729894777659893582009-09-08T22:08:00.003-05:002009-09-08T22:56:54.415-05:00

Yes, Minnesota...where Al Franken showed up and did this:I'm impressed. I've watched this about six times tonight and while it isn't perfect (Tennessee for instance is a little stubby in his version), it's pretty damn good. Almost as impressive as winning that Senate seat, Mr. Franken...Now get back to work and get all 50 of those states some universal health care!P.S. Just in case you haven't

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-11234092427935027702009-09-06T01:31:00.003-05:002009-09-06T12:12:46.692-05:00

This just in (because I just found it):Pitchfork listed its top 500 (yes, 500) songs of the 2000's. And they posted all 500 with MP3s. Go Crazy, kids!(Just FYI, I think the Young Jeezy song "Go Crazy" is somewhere in the 300s. You know the one..."pop my collar then they swing they chain, all the gangstas in the street they be doin they thang...")I'm going to stay up all night going through this

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-46202073160978728192009-08-27T00:45:00.005-05:002009-09-06T12:24:26.068-05:00

It's the first week of school and I'm dragging my heels a bit. I just had a really nice two weeks off and, as Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke can tell you, Reality Bites.I spent a lot of time alone this summer and I think the sudden onslaught of students is overwhelming. All I want to do at the end of the day is sit in total silence and read. Feeling a tad like a hermit reminded me of this quote

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-27913001443165803332009-08-25T01:57:00.004-05:002009-08-25T03:25:26.970-05:00

I never go to bed on time. Never. Ever. I'm not even terribly sure what time "on time" is, but I'm sure it has to be sometime before 3am. Especially when your alarm is set to go off around 7:30...Anyway, the point of this post is actually to give you a little ear (and eye) candy in the form of a new video of an acoustic performance by the Avett Brothers (just posted on myoldkentuckyblog.com).

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-12646098142696151512009-08-18T15:57:00.007-05:002009-08-25T01:48:56.965-05:00

I've been taking a bit of a break from blog land this month. What have I been doing, you ask? Well, in short, sleeping, drinking, and reading way too much about health care reform. So, Monday morning I decided to take a break from the sleeping and the drinking and participate a bit more actively in the debate. Texas senators Pete Sessions (R/Douchebag)and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) met Monday

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-38676153589987607612009-08-04T13:20:00.002-05:002009-08-04T18:59:55.150-05:00

But I love Mad Men:Don Draper. Le sigh...

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-33665794441277655162009-07-22T22:09:00.004-05:002009-07-22T22:42:37.885-05:00

Losing My Religion..." No, that's not a link to an R.E.M. song, but rather to an interesting article this week by Jimmy Carter outlining his reasons for leaving the Southern Baptist Church (yay! better late than never, prez!).In his own words: "It was an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-21683996100776977762009-07-16T14:17:00.004-05:002009-07-19T11:28:46.156-05:00

...it is 102. One hundred-freaking-two.Dear Texas, In the words of New Edition, cool it now.Actually not bad advice in general, people.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-80439513712432144492009-07-15T11:03:00.002-05:002009-07-15T11:33:41.412-05:00

You, over there...the one in the senate...not the one with the Argentinian lover. Mr. L-Graham-R-S.C., you are obnoxious on so very many fronts. But I just wanted to let you know, every time I've heard this clip over the last few days, these are the thoughts that go through my head:1. Listening to you talk is actually the one thing that could make an intelligent, tolerant, cool-headed judge,

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-86268937672841649312009-07-14T20:49:00.007-05:002009-07-14T21:18:23.966-05:00

Thank god for Rufus Wainwright! If nobody else remembers to grow a beard and dress up like Guiseppe Verdi, he's got us covered...(Wainwright)(Verdi)In case you didn't know, Rufus Wainwright wrote an opera. I know. For real. And it's called "Prima Donna." (Or, when art imitates life...) I just got around to reading the NYTimes review and this is my favorite part:"Sure enough, while a crowd

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-89199059947748095122009-07-04T16:35:00.006-05:002009-07-04T16:57:43.605-05:00

Happy Birthday, USofA...what is this, 233? I guess you're lookin' pretty good for your age. Perhaps a bit broke at the moment, but you'll bounce back. What with your inventive entrepreneurship, your future really is bright!Case in point:And just FYI, this is how my brain works...it is independence day, so I've had this song in my head ALL DAY! Really though, what's more American that Destiny's

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-46811821452214440782009-07-02T17:37:00.005-05:002009-07-02T18:03:43.808-05:00

Well, maybe not a week, but at least a day.Today was my bi-monthly day-before-thesis-meeting-scramble-day and I found myself in the west stacks of SMU's main library digging around for the writings of Wagner on Beethoven. (Incredible that those two have anything to do with a thesis on late-nineteenth century cabaret music, but you know, theses tend to meander into unexpected territory....)

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-81711112683692656672009-06-25T19:54:00.006-05:002009-06-25T21:27:51.440-05:00

Given that I was born in 1982, Thriller was a bit before my time - about a month before my time to be exact. Regardless, didn't we all grow up on MJ? (yes, yes, we did) I felt like those songs had just come out in the early 90s when I started sneaking behind my parents back and watching the videos on MTV (my parents were totally against MTV, clearly. corruption central, that place!).One of my

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-55444254205605887902009-06-23T12:43:00.003-05:002009-06-23T13:14:26.869-05:00

Disturbing/uncomfortable thing number one:Disturbing/uncomfortable thing number two:Conservative rap.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-51961100729881161762009-06-18T12:04:00.003-05:002009-06-18T12:15:43.608-05:00

So it seems the author of every music blog I read made some comment yesterday about Google's Stravinsky banner. Oh, fellow classical musicians, we are a desperate little crew! We get so excited when someone (anyone!) in the "real world" notices something important to us and we just have to comment ("We're still here! Our music matters too!! Look, Google says so - that's the internet folks!").

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-83026837367366475382009-06-17T10:43:00.005-05:002009-06-17T11:10:41.308-05:00

Good old google. You can always count on them to remind you of important events. Today they attempted to wish Igor Stravinsky a joyeux anniversaire.I say attempted because, well, see for yourself...Cute Firebird. Whatever. But floating music notes (can I get a cliché up in this house, what, what)? And if the caterpillar and the daisies are supposed to conjure up images of The Rite of Spring,

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-56362428570773390522009-06-17T02:52:00.006-05:002009-06-17T10:04:50.314-05:00

I love sitting in an empty apartment. There's something about a fresh start...just a room...before all the shit that makes up life crowds the space.I'm moving in a couple weeks and last night I went over to my new (empty) apartment to measure the walls and make sure I can actually fit an organ and a piano in my one-room place. I ended up just sitting on the floor for a while. It reminded me...

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-58586223475778348392009-06-17T01:11:00.002-05:002009-06-17T02:49:02.385-05:00

The thing about live music - in any genre - is that the experience is completely different when you know the band/composer's music by heart and when you are hearing it for the first time live. Both experiences are great. Some of my favorite music is music I "discovered" live. Then there are those pieces you think you know, but when you hear them live your perception of them completely changes.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-85210832303426252322009-06-07T02:53:00.005-05:002009-06-07T11:01:23.321-05:00

As you may have heard, Tetris turned 25 yesterday.(cue theme)The music, like the game, is Russian of course. Actually, it is based on a Russian folk song called Korobeiniki. Here is an orchestrated version of the folk tune with balalaika and accordion.But why stop there? People have way too much time on their hands to stop there. Let the games begin!The Tetris theme...With humans.With

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-21077735620341378112009-06-02T21:38:00.004-05:002009-06-02T22:14:45.799-05:00

I like music videos. They are like opera. What is better than one art form? Two or three art forms combined. (Gesamtkunstwerk, baby!)Anyway, I was thinking recently that music videos are powerful things (this is all relative of course...i mean powerful the way microwaves cook food, not the way jesus saves or obama gives you hope). For instance, there is this song that I love and have loved for

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-59913925216556659552009-05-28T01:06:00.003-05:002009-05-28T01:49:29.122-05:00

I found out this week that my thesis adviser and the chair of the Music History department at SMU, Dr. Donna Mayer-Martin, passed away on Sunday, May 24th. I've felt a wide range of emotions over the last few days. Dr. M-M was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year but her death was sudden and unexpected.I began studying musicology midway through my masters degree in piano performance and

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-31326399906945308112009-05-26T19:44:00.006-05:002009-05-26T23:09:12.278-05:00

Admittedly, this movie (that closed the Cannes festival this week) looks a tad predictable and tedious and I'm not terribly impressed with Mad Mikkelsen's Stravinsky from the little you see of him in this trailer. Regardless, I can't wait to see it, if only for the first 30 seconds of the preview. After that, meh...  Comme Au CinemaThe 1913 premier of Le Sacre du Printemps is one of the most

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-24172346661984374512009-05-26T19:35:00.003-05:002009-05-26T19:44:06.820-05:00

It's like Terry Riley a whole step lower. DO try this one at home, kids. Click here. Oh, and this is fun, too.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-8133038700057599802009-05-26T15:01:00.002-05:002009-05-26T15:49:43.027-05:00

Rules. I like them. I make them all the time. For instance,"I can only eat ice cream once a week this summer," or "I am not allowed to download anything else on iTunes until July," or "I will stop using so many ellipses in emails and blogs."You get the point. Probably the only thing I enjoy more than making rules is breaking them. One of my biggest rules is, in fact, that all of my rules are

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-91517689499470325272009-05-22T11:05:00.003-05:002009-05-22T11:47:03.556-05:00

It's Cliburn time in Texas. Over on the Art and Seek blog Olin Chism reviews the contestants' repertoire choices and points out that there are no fewer than 36 potential performances of Liszt (not surprisingly, Chopin and Beethoven are tied for second with 34 potential performances each). For more on repertoire, read this post. Other Cliburn news/schedules are here. I have mixed feelings

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-58117966510704710382009-05-19T22:57:00.003-05:002009-05-22T11:46:46.499-05:00

"Teaching music is like any teaching except that when you fail, it is loud. And failure is so easy. Every note is a chance to mess up."~ Ira GlassFrom an old This American Life episode on music lessons. You can listen to the entire episode here (it includes an excerpt of David Sedaris singing commercial jingles in Billie Holiday's voice).

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-64392973446945353902009-05-18T00:49:00.005-05:002009-05-18T02:31:45.034-05:00

1. "Paint" (click to change color and drag)2. "Compose Music" The person who did the above clip is currently my hero.3. Watch TV "No duh to the max, Dick..."

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-44371989565887359212009-05-16T19:10:00.005-05:002009-05-17T04:36:58.150-05:00

I love a rainy Saturday...especially just before the inevitable onslaught of the oppressive Texas sun. I've had this song on repeat all day. I will never tire of this song and I just decided that I've loved it long enough and hard enough to move it over to my "all time fav" playlist. It's a very exclusive list. Happy induction to the list, Daniel Rossen...Deep Blue Sea - Dan Rossen of Grizzly

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-3783487522075610022009-05-12T22:46:00.003-05:002009-05-13T09:46:43.443-05:00

6:00am - Try to wake up in time to go for a run.6:10, 6:20, 6:30, 6:40 - Fall asleep, hit snooze, repeat...7:00am - Give up on the run and make coffee instead. Grade, grade, grade.10:00am - Sign lease on new apartment.10:30am - Get more coffee.11:00am - 1:00pm - Meeting with professor about thesis. Discuss methodology, minimalism, and nineteenth-century French fascination with the occult.1:00-1:

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-63433533153887495122009-05-08T00:03:00.003-05:002009-05-08T00:07:30.832-05:00

1. You are averaging 3-4 hours of sleep a night.2. Um...I don't know...I'm too tired to think of a two.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-75931812299198047902009-05-03T12:10:00.002-05:002009-05-03T12:14:27.021-05:00

Listening to this composition based on the genetic sequence of the H1N1 virus by Stephan Zielinski. Read about it here.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-90878619315018074672009-04-29T13:48:00.007-05:002009-04-29T14:08:16.673-05:00

Last week I ordered several books and articles through inter-library loan. You know the old tracking-down-an-original-source-to-make-it-look-like-you-found-it-even-though-you-really-found-it-in-an-already-overused-secondary-source trick? Anyway, I picked up my books last night. I was looking for one quote in particular in a book by French composer and conductor Manuel Rosenthal titled, Satie,

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-11464252840601285592009-04-26T15:46:00.006-05:002009-04-26T16:23:49.313-05:00

Confession: I'm not really a fan of much (quote-unquote) world music. As a genre, "world music" is sorely underrepresented in my music library. I feel it is something I should appreciate, like bebop or Guinness or nineteenth-century Italian opera, but I just have never developed a taste for it. However, I am recently very obsessed with this track from Amadou & Mariam's new album, Welcome to

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-25672986225598279232009-04-24T00:09:00.004-05:002009-04-24T00:28:42.058-05:00

Have you ever considered producing a Broadway show about the life and music of Liberace? "Who hasn't?" you ask (and rightly so). Well, unfortunately, someone has beat you and me and everyone else to the punch. You can read the announcement here. Which brings up a few questions. Namely, why? No, really, why? Wouldn't watching that show be just as painful as watching Liberace actually perform

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-59269234944830825862009-04-22T18:45:00.002-05:002009-04-23T00:24:55.631-05:00

Student (age 7): "Miss Katie, guess what!? I practiced!! And I'm not even lying this time!"Same student a little later: "Did you know today was Earth Day?"Me: "Yes, I did. Did you do anything special to celebrate at school?"Student: "No! It was awful. They made us pick up trash off the ground!! It was disgusting. I picked up gum that was already chewed up. And then we all had to wash

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-21818089876085558272009-04-16T11:45:00.006-05:002009-04-16T12:07:27.317-05:00

Embedded video from CNN Video1. Let me get this right, you're angry over the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which uses tax payer dollars to fund PUBLIC projects with the hope of boosting the economy and creating jobs. I'm confused because if memory serves, you were not angry when your homeboy, George (and company) bailed out private banks (TARP) with tax payer money and, oh yeah, they

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-52947926824435332382009-04-14T21:08:00.000-05:002009-04-14T21:09:24.240-05:00

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-2287498981302474052009-04-09T10:14:00.002-05:002009-04-09T10:22:40.575-05:00

"Once two strangers climbed ol' Rockytop, lookin' for a moonshine still. Strangers ain't come down from Rockytop, reckon they never will..." "I've had years of cooped up city life, trapped like a dog in a pen, alls I know is it's a pity life, can't be simple again..."

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-42152287889150587602009-04-08T22:18:00.005-05:002009-04-08T23:15:52.640-05:00

Thanks to facebook and status updates from high school acquaintances, I happened upon this week's edition of my home town's local newspaper. Goldmine! I spent a considerable amount of time tonight reading about a fire in an old municipal building downtown that brought "hundreds of people" into the streets (the news story that was the genesis of my initial inquiry) and catching up on small town

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-62265862618388630492009-04-06T22:28:00.004-05:002009-04-07T00:18:07.829-05:00

On my mind: thesis revisions, piano lessons, i need to grade essays, thesis revisions, beethoven sonatas, basketball (go Heels!), i need to do laundry, and going home to NC this weekend(!!). Or, to put all that musically via youtube...

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-1570338151514344072009-04-05T18:36:00.008-05:002009-04-07T00:18:18.788-05:00

This whole article (mentioned in post below) really is a good read. Make sure to click on the audio clips on the left side of the page to hear Schiff on several topics (they are short excerpts...just a couple minutes each). This quote is from "I Don't Like the Piano:""I don't play the piano because I like the instrument so much. I don't. Because, there are instruments I much prefer...the

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-83604153462281718212009-04-05T11:45:00.008-05:002009-04-07T00:18:36.440-05:00

Last night I attended a concert at my alma mater billed as a "Distinguished Artist Concert" featuring Guest Pianist in Residence, Jerome Rose, performing works by Beethoven, Schumman, and Liszt.Quit honestly, it was terrible. "Uninspired" is probably the best adjective to describe the performance. I know that the hall in which he performed (not to mention the piano on which he performed) is not

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-18960091983559933402009-03-31T11:09:00.005-05:002009-04-06T23:57:56.753-05:00

"We forget that every good that is worth possessing must be paid for in strokes of daily effort. We postpone and postpone until those smiling possibilities are dead.... By neglecting the necessary concrete labor, by sparing ourselves the little daily tax, we are positively digging the graves of our higher possibilities."1. From Talks to Teachers (excerpt from Ch. XIII "The Laws of Habit") by

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-10968317846366451352009-03-31T00:00:00.007-05:002009-04-07T00:22:11.367-05:00

1. Is there anything better than an upright bass in a gondola over a mountain?2. Lyrics: "We sat at Lake Junaluska, and cried over where we would wed." I went to youth camp at Lake Junaluska in middle school and high school. Sheesh. Memories.3. The Avett Brothers are from NC. Maybe they also went to youth camp at Lake Junaluska.4. Maybe I went to youth camp with the Avett Brothers.5.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-34466205940820474722009-03-27T18:37:00.002-05:002009-03-29T15:25:51.257-05:00

I think I like this game: In a sign of the times, even Mozart is now being updated for the “American Idol” age. A coming production of his opera “Così fan tutte,” about a pair of officers and their fickle sister fiancées, and the romantic machinations of the sisters’ maid and an elderly philosopher, will ask audience members to vote at intermission for which characters should be married in the

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-80761567111942706312009-03-27T09:46:00.006-05:002009-03-27T14:00:00.554-05:00

If you woke up this morning and thought, "I need to spend some time today pondering the value of the arts in light of our current economic situation," you can do so by following these simple directions around the interweb:Step 1). Read this sobering article from the New York Times. Step 2). Take a little trip to Boston for a hefty dose of inspiration. Step 3). Next, head to the blogosphere

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-11946566912173764532009-03-25T10:53:00.004-05:002009-04-07T00:26:23.021-05:00

I don't think I'll be giving this piano book to any of my students:

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-81696100964840620852009-03-24T09:29:00.003-05:002009-04-06T23:58:31.477-05:00

(click to enlarge)

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-54596021893334310112009-03-23T00:37:00.007-05:002009-04-07T00:26:48.518-05:00

Alas, spring has sprung and I have breaked (broken? breaken?). I thought I'd be ready to get back to work after a week off. Au contraire...Regardless, I learned (or was reminded) of these facts on my week off:1. This place has exceptionally delicious cuisine.2. It is really, really fun to eat donuts for breakfast at noon on a Tuesday.3. Taxes suck.4. Grading papers inevitably always takes

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-7160258229108003972009-03-14T11:32:00.004-05:002009-04-07T00:27:16.986-05:00

Here's a saturday morning cartoon for you. Brought to you (on a sunday morning) by Elmer Fudd, Johann Stwauss and youtube.Wasn't that wovely?

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-41963103796607463452009-03-13T14:31:00.003-05:002009-04-07T00:23:04.354-05:00

...my very own copy of Robert Orledge's Satie the Composer...It finally arrived today, all the way from the good ol' UK. I should have bought this book 6 months ago, but alas, it is très cher and I've been Madame le pauvre. I've had SMU's copy checked out consistently for the last two years (and have accrued an embarrassing amount of late fees in the process). Now I have my own copy and I CAN

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-53292322879664081442009-03-11T12:23:00.006-05:002009-03-11T13:10:14.603-05:00

We music-y people just love it when science-y people give us attention (three cheers for validation!!!). Sure, we are artists (which makes us cool), but we are also oh-so-much-more-than-that (read: smart), a fact that makes us better than other artsy people like dancers and actors (read: dumb) and visual artists (read: flaky). We musicians are basically just cooler versions of doctors and

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-48425765097838178082009-03-08T23:23:00.006-05:002009-04-07T00:42:13.345-05:00

With one week left before spring break, I'm feeling a tad stressed. Just normal stuff...grading, writing midterm exams, preparing piano students for spring competitions, my own thesis deadlines, getting tax stuff together (argh!), blah, blah, blah, and the list goes on...Shit just seems to always pile up by mid-March and I'm definitely ready for the break. So, until this Friday afternoon when

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-38087595847913615022009-03-06T11:47:00.006-06:002009-04-06T23:59:46.858-05:00

Dear alma mater/employer,Thanks for the good times and the pay checks and stuff, but you kinda suck. The music on this video is what got me this time. Seriously? As if giving him a library isn't enough, you have to pull out the ol' fife and drum routine? Oh, and speaking of libraries, is there any way you could drop those late fees for me? Mucho thanks.All my love,k

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-44482403230610858602009-03-04T13:05:00.008-06:002009-04-07T00:28:01.403-05:00

According to this article, the Czech piano making company, Petrof, is cutting back, laying off, and switching from piano making to a more lucrative and recession friendly kitchen cabinetry business. Sad. Sadder still are the number of musical terms used as cheap puns in the article (i.e. "piano maker Petrof to hit the soft pedal" or "orders...have gone decrescendo"). Also, (I can't help myself.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-40333136856040090802009-03-03T21:20:00.003-06:002009-03-03T21:30:32.284-06:00

A quick update on the YouTube orchestra... Performers have been chosen (from 13 U.S. states and 30 countries) from their online video submissions (read: auditions) and will perform live at Carnegie Hall on April 15.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-39652512015044621672009-03-01T10:43:00.002-06:002009-03-01T10:48:21.614-06:00

The recession is merciless. It seems it is stamping out what was left of the already badly beaten record store industry. Here's to the end of the end of an era.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-7919627697613803832009-03-01T10:41:00.002-06:002009-04-06T23:42:20.038-05:00

"The things humans do! The little creatures in the UFOs must have figured out the sex by now, and our cars, but the dreaming, and the praying, and the singing . . . How to explain music to them?"

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-90347260402610032752009-02-26T09:11:00.005-06:002009-04-07T00:00:18.697-05:00

As many have duly noted, the republicans are having a really rough time recovering, revamping, recouping, etc. (whoa...way too many r's in that sentence). Anyway, it seemed this week was particularly spotty for the G.O.P. It is just sad and pathetic that Bobby Jindal is their shining star and that they have to pay each other to vote their "convictions." Poor Jindal completely flopped in his

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-7646488358065654272009-02-25T10:35:00.003-06:002009-02-25T11:06:49.933-06:00

I'd like to preface the following paragraph by mentioning that I love my job and that I teach a great deal of very bright, inquisitive students at the community college where I work. That being said, sometimes a community college is...well...a community college.And now I will rant.I have a student in one of my classes this semester who is seriously testing my patience. Here's the latest in a

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-90515193889795655542009-02-22T23:47:00.007-06:002009-02-23T12:33:21.897-06:00

1. A couple weeks ago I went to the Dallas Museum of Art to hear Alex Ross (music critic for the New Yorker and one of my personal musical/literary heroes) give a lecture on twentieth-century music. The lecture was primarily a multi-media walk-through of his book on the same topic. Since that night, I have sporadically been pondering the following: A.R. began his lecture by posing the

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-45016444990681911192009-02-22T17:28:00.000-06:002009-02-22T23:47:39.617-06:00

Everyone needs a teenage-angst-filled song now and again that uses every curse word your mother told you not to say...and then some. So, because upbeat music with an angry message can make you smile whilst at the exact same moment providing you with the perfect lyrics for a giant "Fuck You!!" to The Man or The Universe or that boy (or girl), you should listen to this:The Sarcastic Dharma

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-61491401790283323842009-02-17T14:12:00.008-06:002009-02-17T23:13:23.484-06:00

On their new record, For All I Care, The Bad Plus succeeds in creating near perfect neoclassical jazz in their cover of Stravinsky's Apollo Variation. This is very good news to my ears and endears them to me greatly. The perfection is achieved primarily (in my opinion) through clarity of structure and the restraint and angularity of Ethan Iverson's melodies at the piano. If I'm gushing a bit

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-80373820168318622882009-02-17T14:10:00.003-06:002009-04-06T23:43:19.978-05:00

"No matter in how many ways our lives are demonstrated to be insignificant, we can only live them as if they were not..."From A Month of Sundays

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-47735552594262230532009-02-11T14:38:00.003-06:002009-04-07T00:00:56.108-05:00

The San Diego school district apologized to Pete Seegar this week for demanding he sign an anti-communism oath nearly 50 years ago before performing at a high school. This story proves that if you sing for Barack Obama and company on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial wearing a hat and looking like an adorable grandpa, old foes will be struck with guilt and apologize for past misdeeds. Good job,

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-13636866821614244852009-02-09T12:00:00.006-06:002009-02-09T12:59:16.588-06:00

Question of the day: Who looked more ridiculous at last night's Grammy Awards?(Hint: The answer is Coldplay)M.I.A....Katie Perry...Or Coldplay...Keep in mind that M.I.A. was performing live....9 months pregnant.....ON HER DUE DATE. Polka dots aside, she's a bad ass. There is no excuse for Katie Perry's lame performance, pathetic "dance" moves, or the bananas on her hips. And Coldplay, oh,

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-69942784188055948082009-02-07T13:28:00.012-06:002009-04-07T00:43:00.517-05:00

Valentine's day is a week away. As I was perusing the interwebs this morning, I came across this photograph. If this isn't romance, I don't know what is...Hungarian composer/pianist György Kurtág and his wife, Marta Kurtág during their New York debut in a concert of works by Mr. Kurtag and others at Zankel Hall on Feb. 1, 2009. They met in the 1940s when they were both studying at the Ferenc

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-2775755920575190072009-02-06T08:47:00.006-06:002009-04-07T00:28:46.643-05:00

According to the Austin American Statesman, "Someone reprogrammed two city construction road signs near the University of Texas early Monday morning in an attempt to warn Austin of an imminent zombie attack. Messages that typically alert Lamar Boulevard drivers to a detour for Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard splashed several warnings like “Caution! Zombies Ahead!” and “Nazi Zombies! Run!!!”

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-48819530342980070692009-02-03T21:41:00.007-06:002009-04-06T23:43:40.417-05:00

Prompted by the sad news of John Updike's death, I started reading A Month of Sundays last week. It was a rather arbitrary pick. I just grabbed something of Updike's I'd never read before off the shelf at Half Price Books. I should have read it sooner. And I will probably read it twice. The protagonist is a minister who is the son of a minister and grew up in a parsonage. As the daughter of

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-23892950676589976512009-02-02T12:45:00.009-06:002009-02-03T02:11:42.987-06:00

In case you didn't catch the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's performance this Sunday because you were, oh, i don't know, watching the Super Bowl game or something, here's what you missed: Brahms Hungarian Dances (1-6), Liszt's First Piano Concerto (with 21-year old Natasha Paremski), and Béla Bartók's Miraculous Mandarin Suite.Thoughts:Without a full symphony in the second half, the concert felt

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-16257475197267776402009-01-30T11:10:00.006-06:002009-04-06T23:44:18.737-05:00

"Ganstas don't ax questions." But they do answer questions from Katie Couric...Lil Wayne and "Miss Katie" in a pre-Grammy interview:Watch CBS Videos OnlineAnd the quote of the day..."Music is another form of journalism." Agreed. And I think people need to be reminded that all types of contemporary music - popular, art music, opera etc. - are hugely relevant artistic outlets that often can and

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-57728274246387383652009-01-29T01:38:00.006-06:002009-01-29T02:47:33.564-06:00

It iced last night in Texas...Other happenings in my day: I didn't have to teach this morning because school was canceled. I barely slept last night because I kept dreaming that I was dreaming the icy conditions and was actually supposed to be teaching. I checked my computer at 4am to be sure...and then again at 6am. Around 1pm today, I fell down. By that I mean I completely wiped out -

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-37728550277385033132009-01-28T15:33:00.004-06:002009-04-07T00:24:25.683-05:00

(Inside the Chat Noir cabaret on Montmartre c. 1880s/90s. Shadow theater is depicted on back wall. Note fish on ceiling.)

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-53059116343122912542009-01-28T15:21:00.005-06:002009-04-07T00:40:31.542-05:00

(I've been working on my thesis...so here is a quote for you with footnote...)"People in general seem convinced that only the Official Establishment in the rue de Madrid can inseminate musical knowledge. Good for them; but I still ask myself – with hands clasped – why we musicians are obliged to receive a State education when painters and writers are free to study as and where they want. I have

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-50151127886115604332009-01-26T21:27:00.009-06:002009-04-07T00:01:35.233-05:00

1. No broken promises. 5 for 488 and counting...2. Reviewing the Inauguration: various and conflicting responses among music"y" folk to Williams's Air and Simple Gifts here and here and here. Also, Yo-Yo (I like to call him that. "Hi, nice to meet you, Mr. Ma." "Oh, really, just call me Yo-Yo....") revealed on NPR this week what we all already knew: they were finger-syncing.3. President

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-31311099263408223762009-01-26T21:04:00.004-06:002009-01-26T21:19:54.846-06:00

In case you didn't know, Jane Fonda is returning to Broadway this March after a 46 year hiatus. She's going to play a musicologist studying Beethoven's Diabelli Variations in Kaufman's "33 Variations." My career...oh so hip...

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-38846340871263247052009-01-20T12:24:00.006-06:002009-04-07T00:01:51.920-05:00

My favorite line from the speech: "We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals."(Yes, we do!! Finally.)The money quote: "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-46949193401266217772009-01-19T16:01:00.008-06:002009-04-07T00:02:31.534-05:00

A few things that caught my eyes and ears around the interwebs this week:1. Oh the things you learn on NPR...Three guys wrote a song for every single American president. You can read about it here and listen to song number 44 here. I listened to several pieces from the project. Love the idea. But, unfortunately, I can't say much for the execution. Even when Rosie Thomas is singing them (I

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-85115347281370284572009-01-18T17:30:00.001-06:002009-04-07T00:24:06.923-05:00

On Friday, one of my piano students was explaining to me that she had a long weekend coming up and wasn't going back to school until Wednesday. "Oh, really," I said, "That's pretty cool. Do you know why you are off school Monday?" "Um, well, Monday is Marthin...um...Marthin...um...I can't remember his last name, but it is his day. Not like, his birthday. It's not his birthday. It's just a

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-65796217444042063022009-01-16T00:00:00.002-06:002009-01-16T00:53:30.259-06:00

In case you haven't heard, George Steel (general director of the Dallas Opera since October) just ditched Dallas for NYC. Cue indignant ranting in the Dallas arts scene about unfulfilled contracts and blatant lies. In the fall there were rumors that Steel was being considered to head the New York City Opera. Steel repeatedly refuted the reports. So, is this a case of a genuine (if somewhat

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-37612346011900300532009-01-15T22:54:00.006-06:002009-04-07T00:29:31.076-05:00

When I switched computers recently I lost all my trusty iTunes playlists. I didn't mean to lose them, but I am a technological idiot and so they are gone. Tear. Anyway, this morning I was trying to make iTunes lemonade out of this slightly sour situation and so I turned on the shuffle feature. (Sorry for the terrible iTunes/lemonade metaphor just then...couldn't resist). Anyway, I thought

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-6576139646426785852009-01-13T01:17:00.004-06:002009-04-06T23:45:27.844-05:00

I listened to GWB's final press conference this morning in its entirety on the way to a meeting. When asked about mistakes he may have made in the Presidency, this was his initial response:"I have often said that history will look back and determine that which could have been done better, or, you know, mistakes I made. Clearly putting a “Mission Accomplished” on a aircraft carrier was a mistake.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-27833341590985217762009-01-13T01:06:00.002-06:002009-04-07T00:29:46.993-05:00

This is a tad ego-centric (and more than a little cheesy), but whatever. It's a blog. That's the point. Here's my year in pics.January(new year's '08)(who knows. we had glow sticks.)February(classiest valentine's day ever)(leap year day party with boas. because it only happens once every four years...)March(i think they call this research)(boston. harvard square with my sister.)April(a rare

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-63154399997360901812009-01-11T23:50:00.002-06:002009-01-12T00:14:33.914-06:00

I'm all for technology and using it to promote music and the musical cause, but this annoys me. I realize I'm being a bit fuddy duddy. In theory I like the idea of bringing art music out of the concert halls and into (onto?) the world wide web. However, I can't stand the idea of a virtual orchestra. I think my strong aversion to the YouTube orchestra can be traced back to my piano teachers.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-76615524298974029392009-01-11T23:01:00.002-06:002009-04-07T00:30:07.188-05:00

I was on an airplane for 10 hours last week on my way home from Scotland and I was really sick. I couldn't focus on reading or writing or anything other than just trying not to snot all over the poor guy next to me (who, incidentally, kept ordering orange juice, I think because he was terrified of my germs. Vitamin C, baby!). Anyway, I listened to this Bon Iver song on repeat for hours:It was

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-24564018528340581302009-01-09T10:55:00.001-06:002009-04-07T00:03:07.030-05:00

He should have learned early on the dangers of tape recordings.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-49182720732487061812009-01-07T09:22:00.006-06:002009-04-07T00:03:24.411-05:00

So, now these signs are popping up all over the neighborhood in Dallas where George and Laura just bought a house and where I work every day. The signs, btw, are compliments of some obnoxious college sophomore who I can only imagine as the over-enthused leader of his local Young Republican chapter, defiantly dressed in khakis and a polo shirt accessorized with a vintage "Bush/Cheney 2000" button

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-70134486881623924582008-12-25T19:49:00.004-06:002009-04-07T00:30:19.215-05:00

Slept 'till 2:30 (let's blame that on the jet lag). Ate toast and tea. Phoned the fam. Cooked sausages and pears, sweet potatoes and broccoli (pics to follow). Ate and drank (two bottles of wine between the two of us I'm afraid...and a vodka tonic). Watched Love Actually. Passed out on the couch. Woke up at 2am. Listened to music and sang. Merry Christmas!

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-79642702255564178252008-12-23T03:14:00.006-06:002009-04-07T00:30:31.336-05:00

I've seen Love Actually probably 200 something odd times. (Actually, maybe 500 times or maybe just 75 times. I'm terrible at estimating. "How many people were at the party last night," you ask? "Oh, I don't know...somewhere between 15 and 97.")I mention this excessive viewing of Love Actually to explain my obsession with the clip below and the logic behind the seemingly illogical and

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-88071972241121148412008-12-23T03:06:00.001-06:002008-12-23T03:10:05.983-06:00

I'm adding these lyrics from Fleet Foxes' Ragged Wood to this list. This line is always stuck in my head and I like it there.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-69780422469854432102008-12-17T12:17:00.001-06:002009-04-07T00:31:00.098-05:00

My all time favorite Christmas movie.And why don't men look like this anymore?? Sigh...

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-83054621448469245602008-12-16T01:27:00.007-06:002008-12-23T03:02:39.190-06:00

My favorite song lyrics of 2008 (in no particular order):From Bon Iver's For Emma:"Go find another lover,To bring...to string along,With all your lies,You're still very lovable..."From Chairlift's Bruises:"I tried to do handstands for you, I tried to do handstands for youEvery time I fell on you, yeah, every time I fell.I tried to do handstands for you, but every time I fell for youI'm

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-3690498608914986232008-12-15T01:12:00.014-06:002009-04-07T00:31:18.646-05:00

Brad, my gay maid, gave me an organ. (Yes, i have a gay guy clean my house twice a month. Embarrassing. But also really, really great. And totally worth the money. I hate dusting and mopping.) By the way, if you met Brad-the-maid, you'd know why I can't mention him without using the qualifying phrase "gay maid." The first time I spoke with Brad he told me, in what can only be described as a

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-17513366996924209512008-12-12T01:33:00.013-06:002009-04-07T00:31:37.490-05:00

Another stop I made tonight along the procrastination highway was a quick trip to my local CVS to pick up some shampoo. I don't like the shampoo I have right now so I spent some serious time on the shampoo aisle researching my options. You know the classic, "this one gives your hair body but it doesn't protect color/this one protects color but weighs your hair down/this one gives your hair body

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-85748762607578607702008-12-12T01:02:00.003-06:002009-04-07T00:03:46.275-05:00

Q. Why did I do this tonight? A. Because I have 50 quizzes to grade and a final exam to write by tomorrow morning at 8am.Please note that this superfluous and unnecessary blog redecorating occurred at 12:30am after I went over to a friend's house for champagne for three hours instead of doing work. So, once again I will get up at 4am to get done what I could have done at a reasonable hour.

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-7601323803343252682008-12-10T01:14:00.008-06:002009-04-07T00:32:00.693-05:00

1. I made a kid cry in his piano lesson this week. Really, though, he needs to practice. Life lessons and shit.2. My roommate and I thought there were mice in our walls for weeks. We figured out tonight the squeaking is just a tree branch that rubs against our window. Whew.3. I think Fleet Foxes made the best album of the year. I was wavering, distracted by other worthy contenders. And

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1964992259909315507.post-11503682693538055822008-12-09T00:33:00.002-06:002008-12-09T01:28:42.513-06:00

My notes on The Dallas Opera's opening night production of Die Fledermaus (12/5): unedited and uncut. 1. Lost in Translation: Strauss in English. I get it. An attempt to contextualize and translate the nineteenth-century operetta idiom into twenty-first-century language. I get it. But I don't have to like it.2. On humor: Nineteenth-century operetta was snarky, sarcastic, political, and

c.e.w.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13604995469610647997noreply@blogger.com1