For some reason, I felt like saying this in Latin, “de profundis.” I feel like I’ve been to the abyss and back. However, it’s not because of any “sorrow or anguish” on my part.

Why?

On Tuesday I had my Covid booster shot and although I had been warned that some people were more deeply affected by this, I hoped for the best, but unfortunately I had two days of a low grade fever and body aches so severe that I couldn’t get out of bed.

I was so tired last night I went to bed at 6:30 pm and didn’t wake up until 4:30 this morning!

Today, though, is a new day and my fever and aches are gone. Good thing, because this week is the last before my October sprint.

On Saturday I have two rehearsals with singers Keane Ishii and Sarah Lambert Connelly for our date-to-be-determined Josquin concert for Early Music Hawai’i, delayed from September 11th due to the coronavirus.

In the afternoon I’ll meet with Dr. Jim Holt, who actually wrote me six years ago about giving a workshop for the American Guild of Organists. Dr. Holt is a retired otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat) doctor who is studying the organ following retirement. The workshop, which was given to the Chippewa AGO chapter, was called “Ear and Hearing Issues for the Organist,” which was described as:

Nerve hearing loss (sensorineural) is the most common type of hearing loss which the otologist encounters. The discussion will show how multiple factors (aging, genetic and noise exposure) contribute to sensorineural hearing loss with the associated tinnitus.

In other words … organists are subject to tinnitus (ringing in the ears) due to their working conditions and genetics! A few years ago, I consulted an audiologist because my constant tinnitus which happened to me after I underwent a craniotomy for a benign brain tumor. However I just had a hearing test about a month ago and aced it!

This visit, Dr. Holt has been studying two new topics. “Upon retirement, I have been able to continue my music studies:  organ and music theory.  There are two related topics that I am interested in learning more about.  First, how to better learn a piece.  Second, how to become more adept in reading the score and processing the score into the actual playing — especially for pieces with a quick tempo.”

Boy, if anyone ever counted the millions of millions of sixteenth notes I’ve had to play over the last 57 years of being an organist, they’d number as many stars in the sky!

On Monday, we’ll record the pieces we’re doing for the Josquin concert. I’ll also be recording all my organ music for the last three Sundays in October since I’ll be away in Seattle October 15-18, in California October 21-26 and in El Paso, Texas October 27-November 1st. (I’ll be home for exactly 3 days after Seattle to do my laundry and get ready for CA and TX!)

Meanwhile Early Music Hawaii will not only postpone its Josquin concert, but will have a very special presentation by the “outstanding young early music group” (The New Yorker) ACRONYM, on October 29th! I can’t tell you how honored we are to engage this Baroque band described as “playing with … consummate style, grace, and unity of spirit (The New York Times).

All this means that I’ve got to get busy updating the Early Music Hawaii website! (P.S. Don’t check it until next week when it’s finalized!)

And my BFF, Jieun Kim Newland, posted these photos of the Visser-Rowland organ I’ll get to play St. Clement’s in El Paso, TX.