I pulled out my paints and the canvas in process. Here’s what I learned this round:
1.Spent too much effort correcting lines after I began painting.
2. Color: have a plan while the canvas is bare.
3. I can pull a tight effective composition together.
4. Have “my” technique down pat.
Morning
Made a household plan for the week and charged to the market.
Evening
One.
Taylor performed again today, same place, same time one week later. I have to admit, even making the conscious decision that the concert was a Sabbath event, I went to work.
Here were more than a dozen kids working tirelessly to sharpen their musicianship. Still, this is the third performance this spring where I was squirming in the audience because the mentors will not acknowledge entropy staring them in the face.
I can understand the lack of audience at Hannah’s performance—stubborn leadership. I will never forget the snippet of dialogue I had with the head of the Music Department when we met to inquire about the program:
“So I understand that the university has quite a reputable Film Department, second to USC…”
“Yes.”
“I am wondering if your music composition majors have the opportunity to collaborate with the film makers?”
“Oh heaven’s no.”
At this point I lost my voice. What?!!! I’m sorry, but this seems like a no brainer. I simply could not respond this woman’s indignant response. My heart sank. Why would an entire department at a reputable private university make a conscious decision to miss an opportunity? This is thwarted potential.
So here I was, for the second weekend in a row, in an audience of primarily parents facing the same problem: entropy. Somehow the music world has become elitist, disconnected from an audience at large that desperately needs to be inspired.
When the 8 year old began to play Dr Gradus ad Parnassum I caught a glimpse of the fine line. I thought to myself, "What's the difference between this child performing at this level than the six-year-old who, according to his demanding mother read at a post high school level?"
Musicians need to learn notes. Readers learn phonics. But as mentors, we must walk the fine line to help them know that music is more than notes and reading is more than phonics.
When it was time for Taylor to play, I think the audience caught a glimpse of potential, not just his potential, but "potential period" in his original composition. Looking down the right hand side of the program I saw impressive composers: Liszt, Mozart Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Bredberg. Surreal.
After the concert, I was struck how many parents came over to talk with my son. But one father’s comments made my ear perk, “You told a story, it was very visual experience.”
SEE… I was WORKING!!!!
Two.
LOST! I’m still processing all of this, another end to another era. I began watching the Pilot Part 1 (my third time around) after dinner and that led to the Pilot Part 2, but I couldn’t stop there with Tabula Rasa next in the queue.
Massive procrastination?
Intellectual stimulation?
Creative muse?
What if this recent Dharma drop is manna?
Jack: “Three days ago we all died we should all be able to start over.”
I’m always trying to out run something that is slowly gaining. No matter how much tenacity I muster, I eventually loose steam. Terrified the beast will devour me when I collapse I’m surprised when the thing just passes by. Life’s not a race it’s a journey. What if Sabbath is an opportunity to start over?
