This morning Jieun Newland and I got up early in order to drive to her church job at Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, some 50 miles away. Because of the pandemic, I guessed that there were only about 40 people in attendance, even though the service is live-streamed as well. People who… Read More Reformation at Peace
This morning Ben and Jieun Newland took me to see Organ Mountains, near Las Cruces, New Mexico, declared a national Park only in 2014. Also called La Sierra de los Órganos, the rugged mountain range was so named because someone thought that the jagged peaks looked like organ pipes??? To us organists we couldn’t see… Read More Organ Mountains?
“My heart is full…There is no greater experience than making music with other musicians.” (Jieun Kim Newland) So wrote Jieun Kim Newland on her Facebook page after last night’s faculty recital at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Soprano Diana Esparza and countertenor/baritone Phillip Hill presented a joint recital in three parts. The… Read More “My heart is full…”
Now I know why my mother, after she retired at age 83, bought a second grand piano. To play duets! Being a pianist or organist can be somewhat lonely, as you really don’t need other people to create music. However when you have the opportunity to make music with others, it’s SOOOO much fun! Hence,… Read More Four hands, four feet
Last Sunday I celebrated my birthday with my family in California. This is the second row in a year that I’ve decided to indulge myself for my birthday, so I flew to San Francisco a week ago on my way to the Burbank airport, which is only 15 minutes away from my son’s home. Alas,… Read More Indulgences
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… Read More De profundis
You probably know that I’ve been struggling to learn Spanish over the last three years, spending two hours per day with Duolingo, listening to Spanish podcasts, attending online classes, having daily Zoom tutoring sessions and watching Spanish telenovelas every night. And yet … I consider myself an intermediate student with only a moderate fluency. Sure,… Read More It’s not fair!
Imagine my relief when I opened this morning’s newspaper to read the headline: “TIER 3 ON THURSDAY,” saying that Oahu residents will be able to have larger gatherings starting on Thursday, due to the drop in coronavirus cases. The latest 7-day average of new cases has remained below 50 for two weeks and under a… Read More Turning point
From time to time, I’m asked about how many Hawaiian words I know, now that I’ve lived on Oahu since 1973 (forty-seven years)! I mean, you’re bound to pick up some of the lingo in common usage, and even people who have never been to Hawaii know the meaning of “aloha” and “mahalo.” Aloha is… Read More Aloha and mahalo
Last Sunday, I spent the morning at Nuuanu Congregational Church where they honored organist Jieun Kim Newland for her several years of service. It was one of the first services in which the church has resumed in-person services. Everyone had their temperature taken before entering the church and every other pew was blocked off. There… Read More Social distancing