Mike

FYI it appears that Bluesky turned "autoplay videos and gifs" back on without my knowledge--you may want to check your settings.

I have parents who came tell me that they're going to work the symphony into their regular date-night rotation.

Most people, even if they're not huge classical fans, or don't know much about it, enjoy and appreciate what goes in to making a concert happen.

Tomorrow, I have a family coming to see "A Soldier's Tale." Their son is a bass player in one of my elem orchestras; the daughter, a violinist in my jr. high orchestra. I've known them for years now. They're paying out of pocket to bring their kids to this. This is (at least) their second visit.

Maybe they only went twice, maybe just the once. But they went and they loved it.

My students are floored when we compare the price of a symphony ticket to the price of a Seahawks or Mariners ticket (no disrespect--also live human entertainment, so ok in my book, just not my thing).

Adding a bit more to this: I have brought so many people with me to the symphony over the years. I've paid for tickets, given out comps, used my teacher discount, helped folks buy tickets..

Probably 85% of those people went back a second time, unprompted by me.

Timothee who was saying what about opera and ballet?

Was he the guy in that Bob Dylan movie?

Oh.

Grr… *Soldier’s Tale* obvs

You know, doing this Soldier’s Rale production with actors and dancers, making music with my students… watching them draw, make litte beaded bracelets.

Fuck AI. Humans are capable of amazing shit. Computers could never.

I think I got rosin in my eye?

Conductor just reminded us that we’re playing this concert on Sunday, which is daylight savings time.

The “time change”/Stravinsky jokes flowed freely.

Field trips are the ultimate blend of extremely stressful and lots of fun. Enjoy!

Very true

Weird to think that like four hours ago I was yelling and clapping at fifth graders trying to get them to play “London Bridge” and now I’m rehearsing a fully staged version of “A Soldier’s Tale.” 🤪😵‍💫

Congratulations!

Took me hours to get back home--transit was suspended for a long time. Finally got on a train and was practically outside--in the space between cars--for the ride home. Ordered Dominos when I finally got back.

I saw one of my classmates standing there crying. "My dad works there" she said (turns out he was ok).

Couldn't make calls; only send emails.

Walked over to the GC and looked down 34th st to see them burning. I would go in and work/check the news, go back out and see what was going on.

I remember standing in the middle of 5th Ave--no cars at all--and being amazed at how silent everything was. Only sounds were dozens of sirens at a time.

Some FBI looking guy in a suit with sunglasses and a flag pin on his lapel took a call and mentioned that a small plane had crashed into the WTC.

Got off the train at Penn Station (NYC) and tried calling home; no luck--all cells were jammed.

I was on the train from Hamilton (near Trenton, NJ) into NYC to go to work at the CUNY GC when we were stopped at (maybe) Elizabeth or Linden--we were told that the connection to the PATH train was not working due to a fire at the Trade Center.

“Rutherford Statement on Operation Epic Furry” “Furry” highlighted by me http://rutherford.house.gov/media/press-releases/rutherford-statement-operation-epic-furry

Google result showing the presser for Rutherford’s statement on “Operation Epic Furry” was posted 11 hours ago

What a time to be alive

Well done!

The world could be such a nice place if we allowed it. It's all so goddamn unnecessary. There's no need for any of it. It's so beautiful here. It should be so cool to be alive

Agreed. It’s so interesting to think about how this piece “works.”

I have never *not* looked at a conductor so hard. 😑

A score and bass part for Stravinsky’s “Soldier’s Tale” on a music stand. A pencil and some Pops bass rosin look on.

LFG!

YouTube video by Shel Silverstein - Topic Boa Constrictor

In Adventures in MLL teaching today we were reading a news story (from an old workbook) about how Burmese pythons were an invasive species in Florida etc. etc.

We talked a bit about snakes and I played this for them:

Just a few more days to submit proposals for the Music & Labor Symposium (May 15­–17 at the Friday Harbor Laboratories at the University of Washington)!

Details at the link -- please share widely. I'd love to review lots of proposals! (Yes, really!)

careers.amsmusicology.org/opportunity/...

Might need to track down some of the old Dragonlance books too…

“He got drunk, wandered into the forest and we didn’t find him for two days.”

I was speechless.

“Wow… uh, was he ok?”

“He died.” 😑

A few of them were chuckling and I said “can you imagine being swallowed by a boa constrictor?”

One student raised their hand and said “My uncle was.” 😬