Practice JOurnal #12

I As usual 
De La
Swirled WiNd of PrAisEs.

Busy weekend unexpectedly.  I got a lot of post-school season house work completed.  

I downloaded Dorico Elements, I am pleased so far, because I ordered this tiny little controller AKAI from Amazon.  I haven't been convinced of my prowess or lack thereof of composing.  Though, I can reharmonize the hell out of anything, so it will be a fun little way to be creative.  

Back when.
When?  Back in the day, I composed A LOT- I loved Sibelius, and would write, and write, and write, and write.  Lot's of garbage, but learned a lot.  Dorico seems to be the hippest choice right now.  The plug-and-play devices and not having to program anything- well, that was easy.  Technology is a blessing.  I'm trying to stay on top of the times.  

Today, the pre-show music was an improvisation on "Spirit of the Living God" & "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," and the prelude was the Chopin Op. 25, No. 1 (Ab, "Aeolian Harp") and the postlude I "played" the Rachmaninoff "Moment Musicaux" No. 6, or the last one, I edited a version sort of, it was a more Liberace-ized version.  Liberace said somewhere (I am highly paraphrasing) "I take the classics, and cut out the boring parts."  He said that he made classical music accessible for the man on the street.  I like that philosophy.  Though, I also believe that the man on the street these days is a man of sophistication and good listening habits. 

I cut out a page and several measures and pieced together others, so that I could fit the piece in an amount of time for the livestream.  Not my worst moment, but, not my best.  My "nerves" and adrenaline are so intense, and I try so hard to be zen and cool, alas, I don't want to be medicated or intoxicated to play relaxed.  I believe that the time we spent in solitude turned my extroverted performance style into a style best suited for private and insular self-indulgement.  Alas, the agora is filled with folks that want to hear me live, and it also provides a life for me, so- watch out for a hippy dippy blog on my new peace and nerve quelling practices.  I'm rambling.

Played through the Barber Excursions some more.... I love the 3rd Movement- is it based on "The Streets of Laredo" ?  I read a little about it, but I didn't want to get too involved in the story if I don't really enjoy playing the piece first.  I love the boogie first movement, it reminds me of a machine.  Which....reminds me of Nancarrow.  I love Conlon Nancarrow's stuff with the player piano and chamber group.  I wish I had the fortitude to learn such rep.  I do however play his "Prelude" from "Prelude & Blues."

I am playing "Un Sospiro" by Franz Liszt in a couple of weeks, so I suppose I need to practice that.  This next week I am playing a Dino arrangement of the great Ralph Carmichael's "A Quiet Place"- it's probably my favorite of his arrangements. 

Not really remembering what else I have practiced.

It is "Decoration Day" in my hometown, so we went to the cemetery and it was pretty with all the new flowers- I may write a vignette of remembrance about that at a later time.  I got some great pics of Maw Maw holding court.