I have two weeks to prepare for a cello jury. "What is a jury?" you ask. Essentially, a jury is stupid. You have to prepare 45 minutes of material of which a panel of judges will listen to only ten. Anyway, the sonata I'm playing is supposedly really nice. I wouldn't know. I've never heard it. And I have two weeks to know.
On a related note, What's with French people called Sebastien?
In recent news, Irrefragable has been updated for a few days now, and the other sites haven't for a few months now.
If anybody knows how to make archives show up on a separate page, please let me know. The email is eighth_wonder@hotmail.com. Peace,
Email of the Week: I'm from England and I think your site is groovy. Your freestyles with Epidemic are groovy too. You don't update nearly enough though and I miss your archives. Find some way to bring them back. In particular, I want to read the one about you having your underwear stuck in your cello case! Cheerio! Richard, Crooms Hill, London
My webmaster, Amos, is working on it. In the meantime, here's the post you were looking for, affectionately titled:"The Gird Of My Loins Purloined". Groovily yours,
Dicitionary.com. Frankly, I shy away from any organization claiming authority on all things English if they cannot spell their own address correctly.
I'm trying to put together an audition tape for a summer festival I'm applying for. I need a 15 minute tape, but, right now, what with avoiding certain takes that are 100% wack, I have only 14 minutes and 9 seconds. I'm wondering if I should include a 51-second 'contemporary' piece called 'Freestyle'. You know, to wax on some long-missed 8W polished shine.
In not speaking of 8W, a new classical update will follow when I figure out which recording is less out of tune.
I saw the Orion String Quartet play tonight. I know that I've been griping about how much stuff I have to do, but watching professionals like these play is deeply inspiring. It gives me new incentive to practise and a deeper understanding of chamber music. (That part was for my mom. I wish I could use this same excuse to watch movies.)
Frankly, if you were here last night and read my plodding expatiation on the giant slice of pizza I had -- in fact, if you're one of the three people that disdainfully commented on its lack of creativity -- if you ask me, all good writing should culminate with the iron finality that the pizza you had was big.
I'll be rapping and speaking at New Song's after-school program this afternoon. Considering how speaking to children has me breaking into nervous hives, your prayers are appreciated. Until the next pizza,
Ladies and gentlemen, another day has passed by, except this one started at nine and ended at 10. I don't even feel like making jokes about how sitting is hard work. However, I do want to tell you of a new discovery I made. There's a pizza place on the corner, and I have missed it several times, because, as many of you know, I'm a devoted Famiglia type of guy. However, today, because of the sleet and hail (or, as the NYTimes calls it, "Winter Apocalypse") I couldn't be bothered by crossing the street. So I went into this place and it was so good I forget their name. Like Kounitzel or something. In any case, they're pizza is huge. One slice is bigger than my face. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's as big as my torso. Have you ever eaten something for so long that, even though you're enjoying yourself and it's delicious, you just get tired of chewing? That's me. Right here.
I went from 11 to 6:30 today with but a half hour break. That's a quintet rehearsal, a coaching, and two orchestra rehearsals. This is a long day on the cello. To the laymen, it might seem like I'm just sitting but, honestly, all you non-musicians must realize that a lot happens while I'm sitting there. First of all, I'm like, what's the word, concentrating.
Yes, the poems were all written recently. No, I'm not getting a girlfriend. Yes, the poems are about the hardwood floors in my New York apartment.
As of now, I'm at school because all the practice rooms are taken. What do they think this is? A music school? You'd think they're trying to get good or something.
Everything else has been pretty much ordinary. There's a new update on Irrepressible, the poetry page. Like you care.
So the plane wasn't that small. There was plenty of people. I've decided that EnRoute is a million times better than VIA Rail's lame production. I wanted to sleep the whole flight, but I instead engrossed myself in the EnRoute magazine. There was also complimentary drinks and pretzels involved. And there's no way I'm sleeping through that. Not on a Tango flight, anyway.
I'll be boarding a plane to New York in the next hour. The past two weeks has been a little bit like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles -- minus the stress and John Candy. And also backwards since I left Montreal by car, went to Toronto by train, and am going to New York by plane.
Speaking of planes, I'll be boarding the smallest one imaginable. I've been on this flight before and, by its size, you'd expect to see a tiny propellor at the bird's nose. I'm inclined to think the aisle in the plane is mainly for decorative purposes. Okay, more later tonight. Peace,
No, guys, I didn't really teach Justin King how to play the guitar. Maybe I should write Coles' Notes next to what I say so people don't write these scathing types of emails:
"Adrian I'm afraid you just lie too much on your site I can never tell if you're telling the truth or just joking around I mean how are we supposed to kinow the difference you [expletive] liar" Daniel Jobbings, New Hampshire
You're right, Dan. I'm sorry [serious undertones]. I'll think of something practical to help you out [still serious]. How about I work on deliberately writing things in bold, colourful crayon while you work on putting periods at the end of your sentences? [half serious]
In regards to Irrefragable:
"I was expected a little more owmph." -- Ivanna, Montreal
We can't please everyone.
If you're bored, listen to this guy. I taught him everything he knows, and he's coming along nicely. Peace,
I'm finding less and less time to write on the site. When people write in asking what I'm so busy with, ultimately, outside of what I do on a daily basis - such as rap, practise cello, and save the world - there's nothing much more to say.
Three of you have already contacted me about a mistake on Irretrievable. This heartens me because some of you are reading it. Unlike Amos. And he was the one that wanted that feature in the first place.
Okay, I'll go work on my nothing and I think I'll be updating some of the sites tonight. Peace,
With regards to the new freestyle installment in Media:
"I from Finland. I just stumbled on your site few week ago. Like the last freestile. Youre phat." -- Arto
"You're too hyper. Put up more classical stuff. It's less annoying." -- (Wished to be unnamed), San Jose
Anyway, I bought new jeans today. I haven't bought clothes in two years. And that's if you count the 12-pack of sports socks I got at Foot Locker. I just figure it's time to, well, I don't know, grow up.
Spent most of the day on the road doing exciting things such as getting the soundpost in my cello adjusted. This is of deep significance to you. It doesn't matter that you don't know what a soundpost is. It matters that you know I got it adjusted. And I tell you this to further your overall knowledge of what a soundpost adjustment does to my cello: Being fifty dollars an hour, I hope it does a whole lot.
I'm happy that a full day after I updated the Media/Rap section, Elijah tells me that the link didn't work. This also tells me that all of you care so much about whether I update my Media section or not, since, other than the Inbox holding the usual "You're so Ignorant" missives, no one else cared to notify me of this.
I'm now in Toronto. The ride home on the train was uneventful. Except that VIA Rail has started its own magazine, modeled after Air Canada's more polished EnRoute publication. That entertained me for a full fifteen seconds. I think the magazine needs to engross itself with more exciting things than pop singers from Acadia.
Among other things, I'd like to thank Calvin, Jon, and Latimer for housing me during my stay in Montreal.
Lastly, a new installment will be up later tonight in the media section.
As you may already know, I'm in Montreal. Some of you have been complaining that I haven't updated Irrefragable, but I have. I simply didn't announce it in this news section. Also, understand that this is the daily 'news' page -- not Irrefragable. Click Irrefragable at the bottom of the page if that's what you're looking for.
Anyway, it's good to be in Montreal; to see old friends; to catch up; to soak in the sights and relive past experiences. My friends are also happy to see me. They express this enthusiasm by immediately asking me when I'm leaving.
