HOW TO TREAT THE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Ya know - if I knew who was logging onto this site...whether there were more sports fans, movies fans, music fans...I would make the needed adjustments and give the public what they want. But I don't, so I get to keep doing what I want. So I was just thinking how sad I feel when an NCAA basketball player makes it to the final four and his family members are unable to get the money together to see him perform in the finals live because he is an inner city kid and his family has no money. I always felt that the university should pay for the family to be there; after all, the university makes millions on these events. So I just changed my mind. No university would ever pay for my parents to come see me perform at a major international venue as a musician just because my family didn't have the money to attend. I say treat the athlete like any other college student. You're probably getting your tuition paid....oh, and by the way, in addition to getting your tuition paid, you get to go play ball for 4-5 hours a day.....oh, and wait....sometimes you can get a counselor or tutor to actually take tests for you. Oh, and your parents can watch the game on TV very much unlike my performances as a musician. I think that's plenty, thank you.
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
In case you missed this one a few years ago, the Motorcycle Diaries is a nice independent film touching on episodes in the life of Che Guevara. I just heard that there is a 2 part epic out in theaters that really goes into more detail on Che's life and I plan on seeing it. Che led quite a fascinating life and was a true independent spirit and this film focuses on more of his early life....teenage through early adult years. It's a beautiful film and it is highly recommended.
APPALACHIAN SPRING
Last night a new work...a ballet by Martha Graham with music by American Aaron Copland was premiered. It is called "Appalachian Spring" and every second of it
exquisitely captures all things American from the vastness of our land and beauty of our nature to the vitality of rural life and the personality of its people. Copland once again supplies us with open harmony - 5ths, 4ths....stacked on top of one another, which at times obscures key center but also give the music a feeling of openness and anticipation. Copland's ability to write music that craves the partner of human movement undoubtedly puts him in line with the greatest of ballet composer, from Lully to Tchaikovsky to Stravinsky. However, like all great composers, it is the sound that sets one apart. Copland has his own. It is in his orchestration, it is in his harmony, it is in his underlying optimism and feelings towards the nature of this country that have allowed him to rise above many others. In 100 years when someone asks.....What is America? Who are the people that have defined America? Some may say Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln and others but in the art world their may be no match to the name Aaron Copland.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
This is a gripe gone reverse. I use to complain that Wal-mart was trying to be all things to all people and putting others out of business. Then I couldn't understand why McDonald's needed to sell Starbucks style coffee to try to take people away from Starbucks. Then I complained that Starbucks added breakfast sandwiches to try to get back at McDonalds. (not sure of the order of when each of these occurred but I did find it humerous) So I'm not griping any more. I live in L.A. .....we drive a lot. From now on, I'm interested in one stop only in the morning. I want my mocha and the food of my choice and I'm happy that both Starbucks and McDonalds can satisfy me. However, I did need black shoe polish on the way into work the other day and wonder if Starbucks and McDonalds wouldn't consider a little area called "things that people might need on the way to work because they forgot" as part of their marketing and sales strategy....you know, show polish, one a day vitamins, mouthwash, deodorant, sun glasses, umbrellas, floss, eye liner for the ladies, crossword puzzle books for the kids. How about it?
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Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
METAPHORS OR LACK THEREOF
BASEBALL
Baseball is a great metaphor for life. We work to attain a certain level of excellence as individuals in various facets of life but eventually most of us become part of a team....could be a family team or work team. We still work to achieve individual goals but often we must sacrifice for the greater good. And that brings me to my main man, Ichiro Suzuki. This guy had more hits in one season than anyone in the history of baseball. Yes, the other night, in a critical moment of the game, he laid down what was to be a sacrifice bunt. This play allows the runner on 2nd in this case, to move to 3rd and usually the bunter is thrown out. In effect, the player gives himself up for the good of the team and to move the runner up. In this case however, Ichiro was simply too fast and even made it to 1st safely himself. This is why I think baseball is the greatest sport. I've racked my brain today and can't think of another team sport where a player has to truly sacrifice themselves and make an out in order to help the team. You can say passing up a shot in basketball is similar but you're really no giving yourself up. Luckily, baseball realized early on that a player should not be penalized due to such a sacrifice and the player is not even given an official at-bat in the box score. I love the sacrifice in baseball.....it is the ultimate in respect for team and group goals and seems to mirror much of what we encounter everyday at work and at home.
MOVIES AS METAPHOR FOR PILES OF CRAP
I understand that I look at things from an artist's perspective. So when I see what I consider heaping piles of dog shit thrown up on the movie screen on a weekly basis and watch millions and millions of people pay millions and millions of dollars to see this stuff I understand why it is a never ending cycle. To me movies are theater. I want to see people who are at the highest level in their profession, who really now how to act, who don't just look good but can get inside a character's mind and bring that character to us. I also like costume design, music, sounds effects and all that stuff. So when I see an odd cut in a movie...something I'd consider bad editing...I think to myself "are you fucking kidding me?"....."this is the same as an NBA player - someone who shoots baskets all day long - only able to hit 50 percent of his free throws". Please people....are we just going to keep turning out the crap as fast as we can forever? Are any of these idiot editors and idiot screenwriters ever going to be held accountable? Well, I guess as long as you can hit just 50 percent at the free throw line you're good enough to make 10 million a year. In the NBA it's called height. In Hollywood it's called "who ya know".
97.1 AS A METAPHOR FOR ARMAGEDDON
97.1 was my favorite talk radio station. They had Adam Carrola in the morning, Tom Leykis in the afternoon and a bunch of other rather funny and entertaining shows on all day long. It made driving in L.A. tolerable. But now hang on people - all those talk personalities are too expensive....so they fire everyone and start a non-stop music format. The billboards all around LA now have "The New 97.1" and lucky for us - pictures of Brittney Spears all over the place. I'm at a complete loss, I really am. This is what is important in America. Brittney Spears. She must be marketed over and over and over. This is what we want our children to behold as the good in life. This is what we want them to aspire to. This is good art. This is good entertainment. Thank you CBS. Thank you 97.1 for clarifying. OH, I know it's a money issue like everything else but why don't you take your money and just buy yourselves a nice place on the Ivory Coast or something. Why must you keep force feeding our culture such complete shit?
GRIPE OF THE DAY
HUH? Must I really grip? I've done that already. OK - maybe I'll try a "Props of the Day" today. Um...let me think. OK - props to every music student at my university who double or triples their practice time on weekends while everyone else is out playing in the sun. You are the ones that will have the jobs in the future and then you'll get your time in the sun, while the others are stuck in 60 hour a week jobs.
Baseball is a great metaphor for life. We work to attain a certain level of excellence as individuals in various facets of life but eventually most of us become part of a team....could be a family team or work team. We still work to achieve individual goals but often we must sacrifice for the greater good. And that brings me to my main man, Ichiro Suzuki. This guy had more hits in one season than anyone in the history of baseball. Yes, the other night, in a critical moment of the game, he laid down what was to be a sacrifice bunt. This play allows the runner on 2nd in this case, to move to 3rd and usually the bunter is thrown out. In effect, the player gives himself up for the good of the team and to move the runner up. In this case however, Ichiro was simply too fast and even made it to 1st safely himself. This is why I think baseball is the greatest sport. I've racked my brain today and can't think of another team sport where a player has to truly sacrifice themselves and make an out in order to help the team. You can say passing up a shot in basketball is similar but you're really no giving yourself up. Luckily, baseball realized early on that a player should not be penalized due to such a sacrifice and the player is not even given an official at-bat in the box score. I love the sacrifice in baseball.....it is the ultimate in respect for team and group goals and seems to mirror much of what we encounter everyday at work and at home.
MOVIES AS METAPHOR FOR PILES OF CRAP
I understand that I look at things from an artist's perspective. So when I see what I consider heaping piles of dog shit thrown up on the movie screen on a weekly basis and watch millions and millions of people pay millions and millions of dollars to see this stuff I understand why it is a never ending cycle. To me movies are theater. I want to see people who are at the highest level in their profession, who really now how to act, who don't just look good but can get inside a character's mind and bring that character to us. I also like costume design, music, sounds effects and all that stuff. So when I see an odd cut in a movie...something I'd consider bad editing...I think to myself "are you fucking kidding me?"....."this is the same as an NBA player - someone who shoots baskets all day long - only able to hit 50 percent of his free throws". Please people....are we just going to keep turning out the crap as fast as we can forever? Are any of these idiot editors and idiot screenwriters ever going to be held accountable? Well, I guess as long as you can hit just 50 percent at the free throw line you're good enough to make 10 million a year. In the NBA it's called height. In Hollywood it's called "who ya know".
97.1 AS A METAPHOR FOR ARMAGEDDON
97.1 was my favorite talk radio station. They had Adam Carrola in the morning, Tom Leykis in the afternoon and a bunch of other rather funny and entertaining shows on all day long. It made driving in L.A. tolerable. But now hang on people - all those talk personalities are too expensive....so they fire everyone and start a non-stop music format. The billboards all around LA now have "The New 97.1" and lucky for us - pictures of Brittney Spears all over the place. I'm at a complete loss, I really am. This is what is important in America. Brittney Spears. She must be marketed over and over and over. This is what we want our children to behold as the good in life. This is what we want them to aspire to. This is good art. This is good entertainment. Thank you CBS. Thank you 97.1 for clarifying. OH, I know it's a money issue like everything else but why don't you take your money and just buy yourselves a nice place on the Ivory Coast or something. Why must you keep force feeding our culture such complete shit?
GRIPE OF THE DAY
HUH? Must I really grip? I've done that already. OK - maybe I'll try a "Props of the Day" today. Um...let me think. OK - props to every music student at my university who double or triples their practice time on weekends while everyone else is out playing in the sun. You are the ones that will have the jobs in the future and then you'll get your time in the sun, while the others are stuck in 60 hour a week jobs.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I GOTTA BE HONEST.......
I'M WORN DOWN
You'll never here this from me again. I'm so tired after a long day that I'm even having trouble turning on sports center right now. I have no idea what happened today in the world of sports. That is completely insane. I should never be put into such a positions. There must be a way to reserve 4-6 hours out of every day for the remainder of my life in order that I can enjoy my greatest hobby....sports viewing. I feel like I'm letting town those 10's or thousands who log onto this thought provoking blog every day in order to take just one sip of the wealth of sports trivia that houses itself in my brain (just to the left of the part that remember my first sentence in Spanish class: "Esta Susana en Casa?". Sorry. Sports will return tomorrow.
I'M REALLY WORN DOWN
Don't know why, but a movie always pops into my head. I never log onto this blog with a particularly movie in mind. I start typing (clocked at 90 WPM last check, thank you very much), and out comes Dustin Hoffman being "worn down" in the Academy Award winning Kramer vs. Kramer. What a great movie. Yeah, there's something no name actress named Meryl Streep in there. She's ok and all, but once you get over her it really does turn out to be a classic. Oh, come on Meryl...you know I love ya. As a matter of fact I just may make next week Meryl Streep week on my movie blog.
DAMN I'M TIRED
Six piano concerti is a lot of music for an orchestra to have to learn. And the amount of stress it can cause a conductor is quite noteworthy. And so it is without further delay that I hereby shun all piano concerti and recommend the spectacular, gorgeous and outright odd Harmonica Concerto of Hector Villa Lobos. Yes, the harmonica concerto. OK - it may be impossible to find and even harder to find someone to play it but you know, it's really quite amazing what a virtuoso can do on that instrument. Wow....I'm exhausted to the point of writing about harmonica concerti. What next, the famous Johann Sebastion Hinkelmeister's "Hurdy Gurdy, Zither, and Dulimer Triple Concerto". I'm tired.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
People that don't like the fact that other people are perfectionists. "oooh...he's such a perfectionist"......"yeah, he's nice and all, but what a pain...he's such a perfectionist". Hate to announce this on my blog. But if not for perfectionists we wouldn't have some of the great art works, musical works and literary works that we have today. Not many of the works were conceived and executed by average people doing and average job. So you go ahead and keep being average. I suppose that's the way to live a more comfortable life. Sometimes perfectionism is not a choice. It is often an inborn trait...a part of our personality, possibly even our genetic makeup. I'm sure perfectionism can lead to bad things from time to time but I'm pretty certain it cannot lead to as many bad things as being a no-standards, non-motivated lazy ass. Good night.
You'll never here this from me again. I'm so tired after a long day that I'm even having trouble turning on sports center right now. I have no idea what happened today in the world of sports. That is completely insane. I should never be put into such a positions. There must be a way to reserve 4-6 hours out of every day for the remainder of my life in order that I can enjoy my greatest hobby....sports viewing. I feel like I'm letting town those 10's or thousands who log onto this thought provoking blog every day in order to take just one sip of the wealth of sports trivia that houses itself in my brain (just to the left of the part that remember my first sentence in Spanish class: "Esta Susana en Casa?". Sorry. Sports will return tomorrow.
I'M REALLY WORN DOWN
Don't know why, but a movie always pops into my head. I never log onto this blog with a particularly movie in mind. I start typing (clocked at 90 WPM last check, thank you very much), and out comes Dustin Hoffman being "worn down" in the Academy Award winning Kramer vs. Kramer. What a great movie. Yeah, there's something no name actress named Meryl Streep in there. She's ok and all, but once you get over her it really does turn out to be a classic. Oh, come on Meryl...you know I love ya. As a matter of fact I just may make next week Meryl Streep week on my movie blog.
DAMN I'M TIRED
Six piano concerti is a lot of music for an orchestra to have to learn. And the amount of stress it can cause a conductor is quite noteworthy. And so it is without further delay that I hereby shun all piano concerti and recommend the spectacular, gorgeous and outright odd Harmonica Concerto of Hector Villa Lobos. Yes, the harmonica concerto. OK - it may be impossible to find and even harder to find someone to play it but you know, it's really quite amazing what a virtuoso can do on that instrument. Wow....I'm exhausted to the point of writing about harmonica concerti. What next, the famous Johann Sebastion Hinkelmeister's "Hurdy Gurdy, Zither, and Dulimer Triple Concerto". I'm tired.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
People that don't like the fact that other people are perfectionists. "oooh...he's such a perfectionist"......"yeah, he's nice and all, but what a pain...he's such a perfectionist". Hate to announce this on my blog. But if not for perfectionists we wouldn't have some of the great art works, musical works and literary works that we have today. Not many of the works were conceived and executed by average people doing and average job. So you go ahead and keep being average. I suppose that's the way to live a more comfortable life. Sometimes perfectionism is not a choice. It is often an inborn trait...a part of our personality, possibly even our genetic makeup. I'm sure perfectionism can lead to bad things from time to time but I'm pretty certain it cannot lead to as many bad things as being a no-standards, non-motivated lazy ass. Good night.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
THANK GOD.............
it was Korean and Japan in the World Baseball Classic Championship last night. Thank God it wasn't the lazy ass "we don't want to send our best players" Americans. I'm going to tell you why the Americans won't send their best players. Because they will get their ass handed to them on a silver platter and won't be able to boast that we are truly the baseball mecca. Screw that. Japan is the greatest baseball power in the world and Korea is second. I'm not sure the U.S. even cracks the top 5 but.....we'll ok - I'll give the 4th for now. There is no way on earth, even with our best players that we would be those teams. THEY ARE TEAMS AND NOT INDIVIDUALS. I watched the game starting in inning 3 with the score 1-0 last night. It was a baseball lovers dream. High intensity, strategy on every pitch, electrified crowd. I've never seen this sport before but I hope it comes to this country soon.
PROPS TO THE JAPANESE
I'm going all Asian today - Memoirs of a Geisha is the film and I highly recommend it. Like Slumdog Millionaire we are not bombarded with big name actors and at times get very nice performances turned in by children as well. What really struck me was the pure beauty of the film shooting, the wardrobe and the music. The film is sensual form beginning to end and you can't help but not get wrapped up in it. I remember being completely shocked the John Williams wrote the score. I hear no John Williams in that score. I moved him up a few notches on my composer ladder to the stars.
TAKEMITSU
I like him because he only sound like him. That's the true mark of a great composer. Mozart only sounds like Mozart. Debussy only sounds like Debussy. Takemitsu only sounds like Takemitsu......well wait....OK - maybe he sounds like a weird mix of Debussy and Messiaen with a touch of Lutslawski and a few others but all in all he sounds like him. How does a composer achieve a distinctive sound? It's all about melody, harmony and tone color....rhythm is important but I find that the distinction can primarily be drawn from their approach to melodic and harmonic ideas and their use of color and shading. So thank you Japanese for baseball, movies and music. My blog for the day is complete.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
I don't yell at umpires - I think it's immature and I think they do the best they can. But when my son made a spectacular diving catch in right center last night and the ump was not in a position to seem him officially catch the ball he ruled no catch. So HEY UMP ------ YOU SUCK!!!! BTW - that same kid with the no catch hit the game tying triple and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
it was Korean and Japan in the World Baseball Classic Championship last night. Thank God it wasn't the lazy ass "we don't want to send our best players" Americans. I'm going to tell you why the Americans won't send their best players. Because they will get their ass handed to them on a silver platter and won't be able to boast that we are truly the baseball mecca. Screw that. Japan is the greatest baseball power in the world and Korea is second. I'm not sure the U.S. even cracks the top 5 but.....we'll ok - I'll give the 4th for now. There is no way on earth, even with our best players that we would be those teams. THEY ARE TEAMS AND NOT INDIVIDUALS. I watched the game starting in inning 3 with the score 1-0 last night. It was a baseball lovers dream. High intensity, strategy on every pitch, electrified crowd. I've never seen this sport before but I hope it comes to this country soon.
PROPS TO THE JAPANESE
I'm going all Asian today - Memoirs of a Geisha is the film and I highly recommend it. Like Slumdog Millionaire we are not bombarded with big name actors and at times get very nice performances turned in by children as well. What really struck me was the pure beauty of the film shooting, the wardrobe and the music. The film is sensual form beginning to end and you can't help but not get wrapped up in it. I remember being completely shocked the John Williams wrote the score. I hear no John Williams in that score. I moved him up a few notches on my composer ladder to the stars.
TAKEMITSU
I like him because he only sound like him. That's the true mark of a great composer. Mozart only sounds like Mozart. Debussy only sounds like Debussy. Takemitsu only sounds like Takemitsu......well wait....OK - maybe he sounds like a weird mix of Debussy and Messiaen with a touch of Lutslawski and a few others but all in all he sounds like him. How does a composer achieve a distinctive sound? It's all about melody, harmony and tone color....rhythm is important but I find that the distinction can primarily be drawn from their approach to melodic and harmonic ideas and their use of color and shading. So thank you Japanese for baseball, movies and music. My blog for the day is complete.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
I don't yell at umpires - I think it's immature and I think they do the best they can. But when my son made a spectacular diving catch in right center last night and the ump was not in a position to seem him officially catch the ball he ruled no catch. So HEY UMP ------ YOU SUCK!!!! BTW - that same kid with the no catch hit the game tying triple and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 6th.
Monday, March 23, 2009
I TOLD YOU SO
I told you the United States would get beat and eliminated from the World Baseball Classic and I was right. It's the two teams that play the game correctly: Korea and Japan. It will be psychological warfare tonight. Should be very exciting and intense. Oh - and I'm doing pretty damn good in my NCAA brackets as well.....look out for Missouri to upset Memphis. I'm now worried about the Arizona / Louisville game. I picked Louisville to win it all but Arizona is my alma mater? What is one to do? After yesterday, I can't wait to have a place with 3 or 4 large flat screens.......to many good sporting events on at the same time. I need a sports room....a major sports room. It will happen....I don't know when, but it will happen.
MOVIES
Who has time to discuss movies today with all this sports stuff going on. OK.....let me rack my brain a second. OK - Mary Poppins - that's it. My daughter watched it this weekend and I kept going into the room to sneak peaks....yes, Julie Andrews is great but Dick Van Dyke can do it all. What a wonderful person...actor, dancer, singer.......by the way - whatever happened to the actor/dancer/singer......do those people exist any more? OK - Hugh Jackman on the Academy Awards......I admit...he surprised me. It's nice to see people with that much talent make it. There are so many others with NO talent that make it and I never understand how and why.
MUSIC
I'm preparing a ton of piano concerti - so today I'm just giving props to Artur Rubenstein and Martha Argerich. Artur for his incredibly musical Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 which can be seen on youtube. It is effortless...it is gorgeous, it is stylistically difficult to duplicate. It all looks so easy and each phrase is so perfect. Argerich gets props for her almost unhuman technical dexterity in everything she plays.....and once again - effortless. Yes, she is very musical but I think it is her speed and power, in addition to her knowledge of so much repertoire that makes her.....dare I say a freak of nature. She is amazing as is he.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
Nascar? Yes - here is the problem. There is an overtime system....when there is a caution flag with under 5 laps left they add a few laps to the end of the race. Here is the problem. They add two laps whether it is a 2 1/2 mile monster track or a 1/2 mile small oval. How about 2 laps for the big tracks, 4 laps for the medium tracks and 6-8 for the small tracks. Are ya hearing me NASCAR?????? That 2 lap overtime yesterday took about 45 seconds......that ain't no overtime y'all.
MOVIES
Who has time to discuss movies today with all this sports stuff going on. OK.....let me rack my brain a second. OK - Mary Poppins - that's it. My daughter watched it this weekend and I kept going into the room to sneak peaks....yes, Julie Andrews is great but Dick Van Dyke can do it all. What a wonderful person...actor, dancer, singer.......by the way - whatever happened to the actor/dancer/singer......do those people exist any more? OK - Hugh Jackman on the Academy Awards......I admit...he surprised me. It's nice to see people with that much talent make it. There are so many others with NO talent that make it and I never understand how and why.
MUSIC
I'm preparing a ton of piano concerti - so today I'm just giving props to Artur Rubenstein and Martha Argerich. Artur for his incredibly musical Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 which can be seen on youtube. It is effortless...it is gorgeous, it is stylistically difficult to duplicate. It all looks so easy and each phrase is so perfect. Argerich gets props for her almost unhuman technical dexterity in everything she plays.....and once again - effortless. Yes, she is very musical but I think it is her speed and power, in addition to her knowledge of so much repertoire that makes her.....dare I say a freak of nature. She is amazing as is he.
GRIPE OF THE DAY
Nascar? Yes - here is the problem. There is an overtime system....when there is a caution flag with under 5 laps left they add a few laps to the end of the race. Here is the problem. They add two laps whether it is a 2 1/2 mile monster track or a 1/2 mile small oval. How about 2 laps for the big tracks, 4 laps for the medium tracks and 6-8 for the small tracks. Are ya hearing me NASCAR?????? That 2 lap overtime yesterday took about 45 seconds......that ain't no overtime y'all.
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