I recently finished rewatching, for the second time, all seven seasons of “The West Wing” television series, when government was sane. The term, “What’s next?” is President Jed Bartlet’s signature phrase in The West Wing, used to signify moving forward, tackling the next challenge, and relentless dedication to the job. It is frequently used when finishing… Read More What’s next?
Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 pm (that’s TOMORROW!) is Joy-Leilani Garbutt‘s recital at Central Union Church for the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists. Bright and early yesterday morning, I picked Joy-Leilani and her husband, Zach Ullery, up from the airport where Joy-Leilani had just played a concert of music by women composers to an… Read More Small world, indeed!
This week the Hawaii Chapter American Guild of Organists is presenting Joy-Leilani Garbutt, concert organist, in two concerts: On Thursday, March 5th at 6:00 pm she has a concert on the Rosales organ at All Saints Episcopal Church in Kapa’a, Kaua’i. On Friday, March 6th, I’ll pick her up from the Honolulu airport and take… Read More Woman Power on Women Composer Sunday!
AI has so permeated our lives that even before I start to read an email, AI gives me a summary of its contents. And look what I got when I typed, “excuses for being too busy!” Effective, professional, and believable excuses for being super busy include stating you are “swamped,” “tied up in meetings,” or… Read More Help! I’m buried in work!
Last weekend was Candlemas, and there was a special High Mass that I played at St. Mark’s which included offerings by the choir, a candlelight procession throughout the neighborhood, and a delicious potluck dinner afterwards. I made another batch of the fresh cranberry shortbread to bring to the potluck! But what instantly transported me to… Read More Transported …
I can see clearly now, the rain is goneI can see all obstacles in my wayåGone are the dark clouds that had me blind It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-shiny dayIt’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-shiny day Do you remember this 1972 song by Johnny Nash? In spite of all the… Read More Celebration dinner!
I used to get so nervous when my students played a concert— my pulse would start racing and the palms of my hands would get clammy and perspire. I think I was more nervous than my students! And with every mistake they made? It was death by a thousand cuts! I wish I could switch… Read More Our biggest one yet!
If you’ve been reading my last few posts, you must know that I’m still struggling to see out of my right eye because of an infection (See “Cyclops” for a complete explanation). I had a short but fun week with my family after Christmas, then flew home on New Year’s Eve, only to have to… Read More Muscle memory!
My eye problems (see “Cyclops“) were only the beginning. On Sunday morning when I arrived at St. Mark’s, I started playing the prelude, Bach’s “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659,” one of my favorite chorale preludes for the Advent season. I immediately knew something was wrong because a number of notes were not sounding… Read More Adding insult to injury
Do you remember the Cyclops of Greek mythology? A cyclops (pron.: /ˈsaɪklɒps/; Greek: Κύκλωψ, Kuklōps; plural cyclopes /saɪˈkloʊpiːz/; Greek: Κύκλωπες, Kuklōpes), in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead.The name is widely thought to mean “circle-eyed”. It is upon Homer’s account that Euripides and Virgil based their accounts of the mythical… Read More Cyclops!