Poor Richard's Anorak

Sandow | Greg Sandow on the future of classical music

via www.artsjournal.com

Greg continues to write provocative and informing posts about the present and future of classical music.

Jeremy Denk in The New Yorker

Jeremy Denk New Yorker Article

 

Anthony Shadid, a New York Times Reporter, Dies in Syria - NYTimes.com

Anthony Shadid, a prize-winning journalist, was reporting inside Syria when he suffered a fatal asthma attack.

Mr. Shadid, 43, had been reporting inside Syria for a week, gathering information on the Free Syrian Army and other armed elements of the resistance to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, whose military forces have been engaged in a harsh repression of the political opposition in a conflict that is now nearly a year old.

The Syrian government, which tightly controls foreign journalists’ activities in the country, had not been informed of his assignment by The Times.

via www.nytimes.com

Anthony Shadid was a courageous, talented journalist. This is so very sad.

Hey, you pundits, just read the signs.

Visit Slate to read the outstanding Dahlia Lithwick essay on how the mainstream media refuse to look into the very real issues being raised by Occupy Wall Street: "Mark your calendars: The corporate media died when it announced it was too sophisticated to understand simple declarative sentences. While the mainstream media expresses puzzlement and fear at these incomprehensible 'protestors' with their oddly-worded 'signs,' the rest of us see our own concerns reflected back at us and understand perfectly."

"A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere." ...Groucho Marx

Florida governor Scott wants to discourage students from liberal arts study

Our fraudster governor now wants to discourage students from studying liberal arts in Florida universities. Could it be that if students study the liberal arts they will be able to think, analyze, and write; and they will understand that Rick Scott is guilty of Medicare fraud, and is doing his Koch level best to destroy the great accomplishments of Governors such as Rueben Askew, Lawton Chiles, and Bob Graham? Is he afraid that students would see through his corporatist agenda?

"Throw the bums out" has never felt more appropriate than it does with this man's administration.

Occupy Wall Street/Occupy Together

 It now seems obvious that this movement has struck a chord with a huge number of people in this country. In spite of the media doing their best to ingnore it in order to please their owners, the Wall Street protesters have gained support daily. "Too Big To Fail" is a fact, and if you read The Report of the Financial Crisis Commission you will understand why. The facts are undeniable--they crashed our economy and haven't paid a price for it. As a matter of fact, they have been handsomely rewarded for it.

Watch this short discussion between Keith Olbermann and Matt Taibbi about the impending crisis Friday morning between Mayor Bloomberg and OWS. Taibbi is one of the heroes in the unveiling of the secrets of the Wall Street crooks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTJI7OompCM&feature=youtu.be

Wild Card Push

The Yankees are playing like the best team in baseball tonight, unfortunately. Only Baltimore can save our hide now, and the Red Sox just went ahead of them with a home run from Pedroia.

AL East Wild Card

The Tampa Bay Rays have miraculously cut their deficit from 9 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox to 2 games. Now we play the Yankees!

Service Station from Taco Bell

"Son, you have an oblique sense of humor." Elvis Presley to Steve Martin

The Happiness Project

I'm in the middle of The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin, and I'm very happy I bought it. Rubin is insightful, honest, clear, and refreshing in her lack of didacticism. The simplicity of a lot of her suggestions is attractive.

Tampa Bay

Last season the Tampa Bay Rays won the American League East, then got rid of the top seven salaries on the team. Now, miraculously, The Rays are back atop the American League East!

And, Tampa Bay Lightning lead the Boston Bruins 1-0 in NHL playoffs. Amazing!

Thunder storm

We had a violent thunder storm this afternoon. The thunder was the loudest I have experienced in years. On an afternoon which would typically be in the 90s we have a cool, overcast day.

This has been a welcome change. I just planted a habanera plant in a huge pot with a full package of sweet basil seed.

I'm thinking about the poor farmers and residents of the Mississippi Flood Plain. That part of the country has endured so much since Katrina and the oil spill.

David

"Son, you have an oblique sense of humor." Elvis Presley to Steve Martin

The Real Reasons We Have A Deficit

All the mealy-mouthed, right-wing blaming of the public for poor decisions and irresponsibility are simply self-serving lies. Paul Krugman tells the simple truth here.

Florida--The Sad State of Our State

Bob Graham was one of the finest governors and senators this state has ever had. Last week in an op-ed in the St. Petersburg Times he explained how the policies of the current Republican Legislature and Governor endanger the progress made in Florida for decades in the areas of education and environment.

Playing Our Parts at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in Jazz at Lincoln Center

Last Tuesday evening 22 February 2011 Jazz at Lincoln Center presented a fund raising concert for the Jazz Foundation in Dizzy's Club Coca Cola. The concert was in memory of my brother Dennis Irwin.

The Jazz Foundation paid medical bills for Dennis when he became ill. His stage four cancer was discovered when he went for an MRI at Englewood Hospital in New Jersey, which is centerpiece of the work done by The Jazz Foundation. This annual fund raiser is in memory of Dennis, and the Dennis Irwin fund is dedicated to cancer screenings for jazz musicians. 

Here is a slide show by Frederic S. Sater of some of the highlights of the amazing evening of music making. I'm grateful to Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Adrian Ellis, Todd Barkan, and Wendy Oxenhorn for arranging this special evening; and to all the master musicians who gave of their time and talent to help their brothers and sisters in the jazz profession in need of medical assistance. Playing Our Parts is an annual event given by Jazz at Lincoln Center. 

One of the most important people in setting up this event is Todd Barkan, currently in the hospital recovering from a serious auto accident. We all send Todd our best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Money buys PR for Republicans

The Washington Post reports that an equal number of people believe the Republicans and Obama would be responsible for a shutdown of government. This is simply a reflection of the huge amount of money the Citizens United Supreme Court decision has allowed corporations to pour into Republican PR coffers. We are well on our way to Plutocracy.

New Horizons Band at Eckerd College

Our New Horizons Band at Eckerd College is busy. We are in our third week of winter semester, and we have had two great rehearsals and a nice outdoor gig. We performed two sets for the Gulfport Art Walk this past Friday night. It was a beautiful evening, with a nice audience and lots of pedestrian traffic.

We will be performing for International Night at Sanderlin Elementary next Thursday night 10 February. The International Baccalaureate PTA is sponsoring the evening.

On Saturday afternoon 12 March we will host one of New Horizons Southeastern tour stops, with a 2:00 pm reading session followed by a dinner with participants at Billy's Stone Crab in Tierra Verde. That should be a great day.

Kovacs, Poulenc, Bruch, Mozart, and Cahuzac

I hosted a lovely clarinet, viola, and piano recital Friday night. The visiting artists at St. Pete College's Music Center were Mark Gallagher, Frank Corliss, and Ken Kwo.

The program included music by Cahuzac, Kovacs, Mozart, Poulenc, and Bruch. They all played with artistry and sensitivity. Some of the finest chamber playing I have heard in a couple of years. Mark Gallagher teaches at Frostberg State, Frank Corliss at Bard College, and Ken Kwo is a member of the Florida Orchestra.

Paul Simon

I listened a lot of Paul Simon tonight, and am reminded again of what a masterful song writer he is. And he has always collaborates with great artists.

Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise: Film score report

Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise: Film score report.

Alex weighs in with his take on outstanding film socres.

Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine is the most insightful book I have read in years. Highly recommended.

Oddly enough, what she describes as having taken place in countries such as Chile and Poland is happening now in the US. It is happening at the federal level with the blind push for privatization, but it is happening at the state level because of the huge budget shortfalls caused by the Bush War Recession. It is Chicago School Economics taking place in states like Florida. Look out folks. We are the new banana republics.

New Yorker going easy on Repugs?

The New Yorker seems to have gone soft on Boehner and Gingrich

R.I.P. Pete Postlesthwaite

Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlesthwaite has died at 64.

Think Progress: Ron Paul catches shutdown fever

This is such horse patootie!

Thirteen Blackbirds

Participated in medical study?  Thirteen Blackbirds present a master-class.

Topic Drift on Yogurt

Topic Drift on Yogurt

Steve Clemons: Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review

Steve Clemons: Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review

TPM Cafe: AIPAC's Palestinian Bashing Bill Rushed to Floor Today

AIPAC's Palestinian Bashing Bill Rushed to Floor Today.

Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary

A tremendous music reference source.

Political Animal 15 December 2010

Political Animal 15 December 2010

7 Apps about Water

7 Apps about Water

Hydrogeologists Without Borders

A great outfit!

Barney Frank on DADT

Barney Frank on DADT

Oslo Ceremonies

Better attendance than predicted

Green Futures

Speech at Yale on Green Future

The Company They Keep

Conservatives join campaign to attack Southern Poverty Law Center.

String Orchestra Concert at Eckerd College with guests from The New German Symphony

Please join us for an evening of music for string orchestra by the Eckerd College Orchestra conducted by David Irwin, and the members of the touring chamber orchestra of The New German Symphony. The program is free and open to public Thursday 9 December 2010 at 7:30 PM in Fox Hall on the campus of Eckerd College at 4200 54th Avenue South; St. Petersburg, FL 33711-4744.

Our special guests are member of The New German Symphony, an orchestra which gave their debut in October 2001 in Karlsruhe, Germany with the objective of forming a new orchestra that is independent in all respects and not hierarchically organized.

The members are either playing in opera or symphony orchestras all over Germany, or are outstanding students at the beginning of their careers. Touring Germany, Europe and overseas the orchestra forms chamber groups, consisting of 7-9 players performing orchestral works. They don't work with a conductor, and so interpretation and phrasing are inspired by every musician.

For the New German Symphony it is the fourth series of Florida Christmas Concerts after successful performances in Miami, St. Petersburg, and Orlando, amongst others. 

The program includes music by Mouret, Handel, Corelli, Bach, Elgar, and Brahms. The New German Symphony members will perform the Bach Concerto for Flute and Two Violins in D-Major, BWV 1064 and the Elgar Serenade for Strings op. 20 separately. Soloists for the Bach are Flutist Peter Epple, and Violinists Claudia von Kopp Ostrowski and Dietrich Shuz.

Merlin Mann on Broken Meetings

Merlin Mann talks about broken meetings and how to fix them.

2010 "Best of" list by Alex Ross in The New Yorker

Alex Ross lists some of the best musical moments and recording releases of 2010.

Plenty here to keep you busy and listening to some of the best music around.

Anton Chekov

"What is needed is constant work, day and night; constant reading, study, will...Every hour is precious for it. You must drop your vanity. You are not a child. It is time."

Time for a Holiday

My last official tasks finished for the week, I can now relax for my favorite holiday. I like thanksgiving because it brings families and friends together without the incessant commercials and retailing overload.

Mind you, the Black Friday nonsense has impinged on Thanksgiving, but that can be ignored. Who wants to spend an hour in a mall parking lot looking for your car?

Thanksgiving is always a breather for me to assess what has to be done in the rush up to the end of the term, and to think about the music I'll be conducting with my bands and orchestra. It is usually when I know how many subs I will need for concerts.

I'm currently in the midst of reading six different books. Perhaps I'll finish them.

Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful holiday, and safe travel.

Getting Things Done

Today was a productive day, and I managed to accomplish much more than I expected to. I got the banking card problem straightened out, and that was the key to most of the other things. 

Two good rehearsals and a good class contributed to a feeling of getting things done. I can't really begin the holiday yet, as I have a three-hour rehearsal tomorrow night, and more things to take care of at the office, but I accepted an invitation to dinner in Tampa for Thursday, and I'm looking forward to that.

 

I never expected to become part of a tradition of eating Thanksgiving dinner with a large group of neurosurgeons and their families, but that is what I have done for the last several years, taking my Mom with me on one occasion. She loved it.

 

 

Our Most Loved Resource: Water (British Columbians)

It is no surprise that British Columbians regard water as their most loved resource. Would that Floridians were as wise. 

Mahler Owes Me Ten Bucks!

If you are a Star Trek fan you may find this interesting: Mahler Owes Me Ten Bucks! This isn't the first instance of a debt owed to one of the great composers by a Hollywood composer. In fact, it is a great tradition.

Cyber Frustration

I'm having one of those weeks when one problem related to the internet causes lots of them. What a web of complication we weave with our modern technology. Earlier this evening I was listening to an interview with Kevin Kelley, author of What Technology Wants, and it occurs to me that I am stuck in something that could be considered a little brain hemmorhage of my neighborhood of the world internet brain.

On the same program they interviewed Paul Davies, author of The Eerie Silence which is about the search for alien life in the universe. He thinks that if we detect other life it may have already evolved into computer-like life forms, which might be tended by human-like life forms. 

The interviews were on the program To the Best of Our Knowledge from Wisconsin Public Radio. I have become addicted to listening to my digital radio on weekends. Intelligent people abound, and there are no annoying ads.

I'm hoping that tomorrow I'll be able to get things back on an even keel, and spend time and energy on more important matters, such as preparing for our fall concerts on December 9th and 12th.

 

 

Beautiful Afternoon

Walking back to the office at the college this afternoon I was struck by how beautiful this campus is. On the banks of the lake next to our building there is a huge Silk Blossom Tree which was being visited by busy crows, as below, egrets and ducks crowded the shore of the lake, grazing and probing. Peaceful and calming. Just the thing one likes to see on the way back to the office.

Putin as Stalin?

From the outside looking in the latest show trial in Russia of former oil magnate Khordokovsky looks a lot like the Stalinist era:

Show Trial

Drivel from the Right

Some of the drivel from the far right during the run up to this election is truly disgusting. I refer specifically to the not-so-veiled threats of violence if the right doesn't get its way at the ballot box. They still can't handle the fact that they lost the Presidential election, and that someone beside a Republican is in the White House. 

Never mind the lies told by the corporate-funded astro turf groups such as Dick Armey's. The insurance companies continue to pour millions into the race to buy congressmen. And Karl Rove's Crossroads America continues to pour millions and millions into the race to keep the corporations in control. Forget oligarchy, we are sliding rapidly toward plutocracy if people don't come to their senses and avoid what Mussolini described: "Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power." 

Trio Recital

Please join us for an evening of chamber music for flute, clarinet, and piano. Barbara Prescott, flutist, David Irwin, clarinetist, and pianist Cory Hall perform music by Franz Danzi, Alec Wilder, George Bizet, and Scott Joplin. 

Free and open the the public, the concert is at 7:30 in the Music Center of St. Petersburg College, Gibbs Campus. 66th Street North and 5th Avenue North in St. Petersuburg, FL. Parking by the lake.

The Associated Press: Major study charts long-lasting oil plume in Gulf

The Associated Press: Major study charts long-lasting oil plume in Gulf.

This article details the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution research verifies the findings of the scientists from The University of South Florida. The idea that all that

chemical mess had just evaporated or been burned off, etc. is patently stupid. the effects on the growth of the fish in the Gulf will be major.