This evening at dinner Jonathan gave me his extra copy of Hotteterre's L'art de preluder sur la flute transversiere. He thought I would appreciate it because of my interest in the Baroque period of music, because I have some knowledge of French, and because he thought it might be something I could use in my practice routine. Right on all accounts.
L'art de preluder becomes the sixth method book in my collection. I have the four Rubank method books for flute (used in the Darien Public School system 30 years ago and by my second flute teacher; and the first volume of which my mother has, along with my student flute), a method book for C instruments developed for the Norwalk Public Schools (which I used when teaching a beginning student who belongs to my church in preparation for starting lessons at school), the dreaded Taffanel-Gaubert (which my last flute teacher used), and now L'art de preluder. This represents only a small fraction of available method books. I've been considering the Altes vol. 2 based on the suggestion of Linda Chesis during her Open Master Class at the NFA Convention, but at this stage of my flute life, how many method books do I really need?
For a fairly comprehensive list check out Ardal Powell's Bibliography of Flute Method Books on his site flutehistory.com. (Side note: Who puts together a bibliography without alphabetizing it?) Even if one eliminates the more obscure and historical ones, the list still contains more than any one student could possibly use in a lifetime. So unless anyone has any strong recommendations, along with concrete suggestions on how to use them, I'm going to stick with what I've got. At least until my next teacher...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
More On Breaking The Record
Two weeks later stories are still popping up on the web about the record breaking performance at the National Flute Association Convention in New York City.
Here's a short video taken by someone in the ballroom during the performance.
And a longer one focusing primarily on one participant, but you can see from some of the shots taken from the back of the ballroom that the room with 2,000 chairs was standing room only.
Finally, the one from James Galway's official site. Note the number of "assistant conductors" helping us keep together while playing.
Here are some of the stories:
Breaking a Guiness world Record
Flutist's performance one for the record books
Peace,
Jeff
Here's a short video taken by someone in the ballroom during the performance.
And a longer one focusing primarily on one participant, but you can see from some of the shots taken from the back of the ballroom that the room with 2,000 chairs was standing room only.
Finally, the one from James Galway's official site. Note the number of "assistant conductors" helping us keep together while playing.
Here are some of the stories:
Breaking a Guiness world Record
Flutist's performance one for the record books
Peace,
Jeff
Going Into Debt?
Well, maybe not yet, but an amusing look at dating from one of my favorite TV shows, BBC's The Vicar of Dibley.
Something else Jonathan and I have in common, an enjoyment of "Britcoms," though he's not seen The Vicar of Dibley. I guess we'll have to make a couple of evenings of it sometime soon.
Peace,
Jeff
Waltzing while Fluting - Part 1
Probably the most amazing workshop I attended at the NFA Convention was Zara Lawler's "The Flute on its Feet":
I've also picked up a lot of good things from Zara's "The Practice Notebook," which is linked to the right. I'll be talking about those in future posts.
Those of you who know me know that I do contra dancing. In the past I played D whistle and flute from time to time with a Boston-based amateur band. Occasionally the Lavender Country & Folk Dancers Dance Camp offers opportunities to play for dancing, but if you're playing, you're not dancing.
Who knew you could dance and play at the same time?
This afternoon I decided to give it a try playing The Margravine's Waltz, which I can play from memory on both the whistle and the flute. First I worked with the whistle. If I got my feet going pretty well, I couldn't play the tune. If I kept the tune up, I messed up the steps. However did we manage to learn to march and play at the same time given who little time we spent on the field practicing in high school? (Since we weren't a competitive band, I suppose it didn't make a lot of difference, but still...) It was a little frustrating, so I didn't spend too much time at it today. Later in the afternoon, just before my daily practice, I tried it with the flute. For some reason, maybe because I'd already tried it with the whistle (or maybe not), it was much easier. I was even able to start waltzing rather than taking one step for each measure.
I was waltzing while fluting!
Maybe a couple of my ideas aren't so far fetched after all. I'll keep you posted.
Kinesthetic artist Zara Lawler...gives a performance workshop on incorporating dance and story-telling into your playing.Zara and choreographer C. Neil Parsons performed Lowell Liebermann's Eight Pieces and led participants through some warm ups and exercises. Zara also combined storytelling with playing using Debussy's Syrinx, Varese's Density 25.1, and Hoover's Kokopeli. I went in thinking, "This could be interesting..." and left feeling energized about all sorts of possibilities.
I've also picked up a lot of good things from Zara's "The Practice Notebook," which is linked to the right. I'll be talking about those in future posts.
Those of you who know me know that I do contra dancing. In the past I played D whistle and flute from time to time with a Boston-based amateur band. Occasionally the Lavender Country & Folk Dancers Dance Camp offers opportunities to play for dancing, but if you're playing, you're not dancing.
Who knew you could dance and play at the same time?
This afternoon I decided to give it a try playing The Margravine's Waltz, which I can play from memory on both the whistle and the flute. First I worked with the whistle. If I got my feet going pretty well, I couldn't play the tune. If I kept the tune up, I messed up the steps. However did we manage to learn to march and play at the same time given who little time we spent on the field practicing in high school? (Since we weren't a competitive band, I suppose it didn't make a lot of difference, but still...) It was a little frustrating, so I didn't spend too much time at it today. Later in the afternoon, just before my daily practice, I tried it with the flute. For some reason, maybe because I'd already tried it with the whistle (or maybe not), it was much easier. I was even able to start waltzing rather than taking one step for each measure.
I was waltzing while fluting!
Maybe a couple of my ideas aren't so far fetched after all. I'll keep you posted.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Practice Makes...
In spite of what the proverb says, practice does not make perfect. There is always something that can be improved, especially for an amateur musician. In fact, it's probably true for the vast majority of professional musicians as well. What practice does do is make better music.
Since the NFA Convention, my friend Jonathan and I have been engaged in an ongoing discussion about practicing. Both of us are working toward settling into a consistent routine of practice that includes both technique and fun. Jonathan has had more formal training than I have, both in terms of years of study and in terms of content. He's had theory and composition along with performance training, and he did some of in France. I've had six years of formal lessons, the last of which was over 20 years ago, and I always felt like I was playing catch up. G minor scale? Ummmm...
When asked, I'll say that I'm pretty much a middling amateur when it comes to the flute. A couple of years ago I was asked to play a Mozart trio at church. The other two musicians were a professional bassoonist and a child prodigy violinist. When we sight read through two trios to choose one, I managed to keep up. I was reminded again that I sight read better than I think when I attended the flute choir reading sessions at the NFA Convention. I've played for weddings and church services. I'm not a bad musician, but I could be better.
For the last 20 years "practice" has been pulling out things I like and playing them for 15 or 20 minutes three or four days a week. Unless, of course, I had a gig. Then I would practice at least 30 minutes every day until the performance. After that I'd take a break until I felt like playing again.
Attending the NFA Convention gave me a lot to think about. The workshops I attended that were geared toward amateurs talked about practicing technique--the "icky stuff," as one presenter called it--even if only for 5 minutes a day. Intonation, articulation, and scales all help us make music. I returned home determined to start a more regular practice routine, including the dreaded Taffanel-Gaubert exercises!
I've been practicing 30 minutes a day. Right now that consists of 10 minutes working on Taffanel-Gaubert #4, 10 minutes on Frederick the Great's/Quantz's 100 Daily Exercies, and 10 minutes playing fun stuff--mostly traditional dance music (jigs, reels, etc.). I'll vary what I'm working on, and any gigs that come my way would alter what and how long I practice. But my aim is to keep a balance of technique and stuff I like to play.
Because I live in an apartment and don't like to practice after 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. in deference to my neighbors, that can put a crimp in my practice time.
Or used to.
At the Convention Linda Chesis led an Over 30 Open Master Class in which she gave everyone a plastic drinking straw and showed us how to use it to work on articulation and intonation. Interesting, I thought. I was still a little skeptical even after having seen first hand how it helped improve a musicians playing pretty much immediately. So last night I did't get home until 10:00 p.m. Since I couldn't practice with my flute, I thought I'd give the straw thing a try. I spent 15 or so minutes "playing" through Taffanell-Gaubert #4. Today when I started to work on the scales with the flute, I noted a discernable improvement in both my articulation and my intonation.
So even on days when I can't practice with the flute, I can still practice. Every little bit helps.
As does having a friend to talk with about practicing and receive (as well as give) encouragement as I work toward becoming a better musician.
Since the NFA Convention, my friend Jonathan and I have been engaged in an ongoing discussion about practicing. Both of us are working toward settling into a consistent routine of practice that includes both technique and fun. Jonathan has had more formal training than I have, both in terms of years of study and in terms of content. He's had theory and composition along with performance training, and he did some of in France. I've had six years of formal lessons, the last of which was over 20 years ago, and I always felt like I was playing catch up. G minor scale? Ummmm...
When asked, I'll say that I'm pretty much a middling amateur when it comes to the flute. A couple of years ago I was asked to play a Mozart trio at church. The other two musicians were a professional bassoonist and a child prodigy violinist. When we sight read through two trios to choose one, I managed to keep up. I was reminded again that I sight read better than I think when I attended the flute choir reading sessions at the NFA Convention. I've played for weddings and church services. I'm not a bad musician, but I could be better.
For the last 20 years "practice" has been pulling out things I like and playing them for 15 or 20 minutes three or four days a week. Unless, of course, I had a gig. Then I would practice at least 30 minutes every day until the performance. After that I'd take a break until I felt like playing again.
Attending the NFA Convention gave me a lot to think about. The workshops I attended that were geared toward amateurs talked about practicing technique--the "icky stuff," as one presenter called it--even if only for 5 minutes a day. Intonation, articulation, and scales all help us make music. I returned home determined to start a more regular practice routine, including the dreaded Taffanel-Gaubert exercises!
I've been practicing 30 minutes a day. Right now that consists of 10 minutes working on Taffanel-Gaubert #4, 10 minutes on Frederick the Great's/Quantz's 100 Daily Exercies, and 10 minutes playing fun stuff--mostly traditional dance music (jigs, reels, etc.). I'll vary what I'm working on, and any gigs that come my way would alter what and how long I practice. But my aim is to keep a balance of technique and stuff I like to play.
Because I live in an apartment and don't like to practice after 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. in deference to my neighbors, that can put a crimp in my practice time.
Or used to.
At the Convention Linda Chesis led an Over 30 Open Master Class in which she gave everyone a plastic drinking straw and showed us how to use it to work on articulation and intonation. Interesting, I thought. I was still a little skeptical even after having seen first hand how it helped improve a musicians playing pretty much immediately. So last night I did't get home until 10:00 p.m. Since I couldn't practice with my flute, I thought I'd give the straw thing a try. I spent 15 or so minutes "playing" through Taffanell-Gaubert #4. Today when I started to work on the scales with the flute, I noted a discernable improvement in both my articulation and my intonation.
So even on days when I can't practice with the flute, I can still practice. Every little bit helps.
As does having a friend to talk with about practicing and receive (as well as give) encouragement as I work toward becoming a better musician.
What Not To Wear, And Who Cares?
Shortly after I returned from lunch yesterday, Jonathan called to see if I wanted to get together for a bite after work. Or would it be too late for me in terms of getting home, if I had to wait around until he finished work? Two simple answers. Yes. No.
A while later I was in the rest room and happened to look in the mirror over the sink while washing my hands. I'd done laundry Tuesday night, and I was wearing exactly the same shirt and slacks as I'd worn Monday, the last time Jonathan and I got together for dinner. If I hadn't said anything at dinner, he wouldn't have noticed. "I'm such a guy," he said. The conversation moved on.
It has been a long time since I've had someone to talk to about music, and especially about the playing the flute. We've been playing about the same number of years, but he's had more formal training as a musician (including things like theory and composition) than I have. He's also been more intentional about practicing for the past couple of years. I'm playing catch-up. Or at least it sometimes feels like that. But it's nice to have someone to talk to about practicing.
Actually, it's nice to have someone to talk with about all sorts of stuff.
I might actually get to like this dating stuff.
Peace,
Jeff
A while later I was in the rest room and happened to look in the mirror over the sink while washing my hands. I'd done laundry Tuesday night, and I was wearing exactly the same shirt and slacks as I'd worn Monday, the last time Jonathan and I got together for dinner. If I hadn't said anything at dinner, he wouldn't have noticed. "I'm such a guy," he said. The conversation moved on.
It has been a long time since I've had someone to talk to about music, and especially about the playing the flute. We've been playing about the same number of years, but he's had more formal training as a musician (including things like theory and composition) than I have. He's also been more intentional about practicing for the past couple of years. I'm playing catch-up. Or at least it sometimes feels like that. But it's nice to have someone to talk to about practicing.
Actually, it's nice to have someone to talk with about all sorts of stuff.
I might actually get to like this dating stuff.
Peace,
Jeff
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How I Came to the Flute
Who knows what might have happened if I'd taken up the flute when offered the choice of continuing music lessons in the fourth grade. I took violin lessons during third grade--the only instrument offered through the music program for third graders. That same year I also joined the Cub Scouts. I completed the one year commitments I'd made and then dropped both.
In eighth grade I joined the guitar group, which I enjoyed, but after a year decided there were other activities I preferred to spend my time on.
It wasn't until my junior year of high school that I began taking flute lessons from the band instructor at Darien High School. Why the flute? I really can't recall. Probably a combination of liking the way it sounded and the fact that it wasn't a reed or a brass instrument. I really enjoyed playing in the Band, especially the Marching Band. It should tell you something that by Christmas I was First Flute Second Chair in the Band and Second Flute First Chair in the Orchestra. As revealing is a picture in my senior year book of part of our Marching Band during a halftime performance. It shows five band members, no two of whom are in step.
Taking lessons with a bona fide flute teacher my freshman year of college was a real eye-opener. I was THE LAST Chair Flute in the Concert Band that year. When I transferred to a smaller college I continued to take lessons, even though we had no instrumental ensemble in which to play. I played occasionally for chapel services, and perhaps during a couple of choir concerts (I honestly don't remember, and would have to dig out my scrapbooks).
I was 16 when I first took up the flute, which means that I've been playing off and on for 33 years. A couple of weeks ago, for the first time in the 20+ years I've belonged to the organization, I attended the National Flute Association Annual Convention. Why? Primarily because it was in New York City, and I didn't have to worry about transportation or hotel costs. I came away having met a new friend, made some connections, and collected a lot of ideas. This blog comes out of that experience as I embark on what I hope will be my continued growth as an amateur flutist.
In eighth grade I joined the guitar group, which I enjoyed, but after a year decided there were other activities I preferred to spend my time on.
It wasn't until my junior year of high school that I began taking flute lessons from the band instructor at Darien High School. Why the flute? I really can't recall. Probably a combination of liking the way it sounded and the fact that it wasn't a reed or a brass instrument. I really enjoyed playing in the Band, especially the Marching Band. It should tell you something that by Christmas I was First Flute Second Chair in the Band and Second Flute First Chair in the Orchestra. As revealing is a picture in my senior year book of part of our Marching Band during a halftime performance. It shows five band members, no two of whom are in step.
Taking lessons with a bona fide flute teacher my freshman year of college was a real eye-opener. I was THE LAST Chair Flute in the Concert Band that year. When I transferred to a smaller college I continued to take lessons, even though we had no instrumental ensemble in which to play. I played occasionally for chapel services, and perhaps during a couple of choir concerts (I honestly don't remember, and would have to dig out my scrapbooks).
I was 16 when I first took up the flute, which means that I've been playing off and on for 33 years. A couple of weeks ago, for the first time in the 20+ years I've belonged to the organization, I attended the National Flute Association Annual Convention. Why? Primarily because it was in New York City, and I didn't have to worry about transportation or hotel costs. I came away having met a new friend, made some connections, and collected a lot of ideas. This blog comes out of that experience as I embark on what I hope will be my continued growth as an amateur flutist.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Update: We Did It!
According to this article on a Tampa, FL media site, we broke the world record for the world's largest flute ensemble with an official number 1, 989. You can see a video of the performance on James Galway's website.
And I was part of it!
Peace,
Jeff
And I was part of it!
Peace,
Jeff
Next Year In Anaheim?
After 15 days in Anaheim, California, last month for General Convention, and I'm already considering going back there next year. Why? Because the National Flute Association's annual convention is scheduled to be there next August--in the same hotel I stayed at for those two weeks. Any final decision on attending will depend on what is offered next year, and I'll have more to say about that later.
Saturday morning I planned on taking the 6:34 train into the City but overslept. The 7:34 arrived in Grand Central at 8:34, and I still made it to the hotel meeting room in time for the 9:00 a.m. Flute Choir Reading Session, the last one of the convention. The session had a travel theme, which the sponsoring flute choir's director put together to show how one might program a concert. One of the things I appreciated about the reading sessions was that the music folders we were given were not all one part. For the first piece you might have the first flute part, for the second fourth flute, second flute on the third piece, etc. Not only does that give participants a better feel for the music, no one gets frustrated with always "getting stuck" with the fourth flute part. I'll have to see if there are any flute choirs in our area.
At noon I attended Ivana Zahirovic's performance of flute music by Croation composers. I liked a couple of the pieces well enough to keep them in mind to look at if I ever had the opportunity to perform solo.
Next I went to the 30+ Open Amateur Masterclass with Linda Chesis. This workshop was part of a series of three organized by the NFA's Amateur Resources Committee. A Masterclass is where a student musician performs a piece of music (or a portion of it) and then a "master teacher" works with the musician to improve technique, performance, etc. Usually a small number of students are chosen by audition. At conferences and other events, Masterclasses are done in a larger venue with an audience--the Masterclass James Galway taught at convention took place in one of the ballrooms. An open class is one where people in the "audience" can volunteer to work with the teacher, or be called upon by the teacher to ask a question of their own. This particular class was specifically for amateur flutists over 30--people like me! Linda showed us how to use a drinking straw to work on airflow and articulation. She also demonstrated a more relaxed posture for playing and gave us some good ways to practice scales, exercises, and performance pieces. It was amazing to see and hear immediate results from her teaching. As a result of this workshop, I did go to the Exhibit Hall and make another purchase--a small tuner.
Here is the description for the last workshop I attended on Saturday:
I stuck around late because I wanted to go to the Cabaret Concert of the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band, which was selected through competition. Ordinarily, Jazz is not my thing, but Jonathan was one of the winners, and I figured I could go see him perform. Unfortunately, in order to catch the 12:07 p.m. train home, I had to leave the concert early and missed his solo (though I didn't know he was playing one...).
I got about four hours of sleep before getting up Sunday morning to catch the 6:34 train, so I could attend the 8:00 a.m. Targeted Strategies for Amateurs workshop led by Lisa Fahlstrom, chair of the Amateur Resources committee. More really good ideas for practice, especially when you have limited time to practice. Two of the things that stand out from the session are don't avoid the "icky stuff" (scales, etudes, and exercises), because you do need to work on technique, and play something you like and can play well last, so you can end your practice time feeling good. We also had a conversation about where to find opportunities to play. Lisa asked again and again for ideas and input for programming for amateurs at future conventions. She said that while the NFA had been founded by professional flutists, the majority of the membership consists of amateurs, even if they don't might not admit it. Her definition of an amateur? "Anyone who isn't playing the flute to pay their mortgage." I spent a couple of minutes after the workshop in conversation with Lisa, and I volunteered to participate in the Amateur Concerns Committee, which could affect my decision on whether or not to attend the convention in Anaheim next year.
Next on the schedule was a Mini Flute Spa with Patricia George. The program described it this way:
I was really looking forward to Fenwik Smith's From Urtext to Your Text:
I had lunch with Jonathan both Saturday and Sunday, and we hung out together whenever our free time coincided. So often the first time you go to events like this you don't know anyone. I never travel without a book, but having someone to hang out with and talk about what was going on at the convention was really nice. Not that we spent all of our free time talking a bout the convention and flutes. We discovered some common interests outside of music. We're planning on getting together to see a movie or something when I get back from Pennsylvania.
Even though I didn't stay at the convention hotel in the City, there was still the sense of being in a different time with its own rhythm similar to the way Lavender Country and Folk Dancers Camps feel. Or any convention or multi-day gathering, I suppose. The last day is always that winding down and preparing for re-entry into the "real world." Fortunately, I'm not doing an immediate re-entry, because I'm spending the week with Scott, Maureen, and the kids.
Peace,
Jeff
Saturday morning I planned on taking the 6:34 train into the City but overslept. The 7:34 arrived in Grand Central at 8:34, and I still made it to the hotel meeting room in time for the 9:00 a.m. Flute Choir Reading Session, the last one of the convention. The session had a travel theme, which the sponsoring flute choir's director put together to show how one might program a concert. One of the things I appreciated about the reading sessions was that the music folders we were given were not all one part. For the first piece you might have the first flute part, for the second fourth flute, second flute on the third piece, etc. Not only does that give participants a better feel for the music, no one gets frustrated with always "getting stuck" with the fourth flute part. I'll have to see if there are any flute choirs in our area.
At noon I attended Ivana Zahirovic's performance of flute music by Croation composers. I liked a couple of the pieces well enough to keep them in mind to look at if I ever had the opportunity to perform solo.
Next I went to the 30+ Open Amateur Masterclass with Linda Chesis. This workshop was part of a series of three organized by the NFA's Amateur Resources Committee. A Masterclass is where a student musician performs a piece of music (or a portion of it) and then a "master teacher" works with the musician to improve technique, performance, etc. Usually a small number of students are chosen by audition. At conferences and other events, Masterclasses are done in a larger venue with an audience--the Masterclass James Galway taught at convention took place in one of the ballrooms. An open class is one where people in the "audience" can volunteer to work with the teacher, or be called upon by the teacher to ask a question of their own. This particular class was specifically for amateur flutists over 30--people like me! Linda showed us how to use a drinking straw to work on airflow and articulation. She also demonstrated a more relaxed posture for playing and gave us some good ways to practice scales, exercises, and performance pieces. It was amazing to see and hear immediate results from her teaching. As a result of this workshop, I did go to the Exhibit Hall and make another purchase--a small tuner.
Here is the description for the last workshop I attended on Saturday:
Kinesthetic artist Zara Lawler, featured on Thursday’s Gala recital, gives a performance workshop on incorporating dance and story-telling into your playing."Interesting, I thought, I'll go see what it's like. I can always leave." Wow! Zara and dancer choreographer C. Neil Parsons performed and led workshop participants through a series of exercises that ended up with a choreographed playing of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Dancing while playing your instrument; what a concept! Storytelling in instrumental performance isn't new (think "Peter and the Wolf"), but one person doing both the narration and the playing? I came away lots of ideas for storytelling in church settings and things that might be interesting to try in contra dancing and even ballroom. Zara also contra dances--she and her partner had contra dancing at their wedding--and plays for English Country Dancing down in Greenwich Village. She was very interested in the Lavender Country and Folk Dancers second Friday dances at the LBGT Center in the City, too, so I may see her again.
I stuck around late because I wanted to go to the Cabaret Concert of the NFA Jazz Flute Big Band, which was selected through competition. Ordinarily, Jazz is not my thing, but Jonathan was one of the winners, and I figured I could go see him perform. Unfortunately, in order to catch the 12:07 p.m. train home, I had to leave the concert early and missed his solo (though I didn't know he was playing one...).
I got about four hours of sleep before getting up Sunday morning to catch the 6:34 train, so I could attend the 8:00 a.m. Targeted Strategies for Amateurs workshop led by Lisa Fahlstrom, chair of the Amateur Resources committee. More really good ideas for practice, especially when you have limited time to practice. Two of the things that stand out from the session are don't avoid the "icky stuff" (scales, etudes, and exercises), because you do need to work on technique, and play something you like and can play well last, so you can end your practice time feeling good. We also had a conversation about where to find opportunities to play. Lisa asked again and again for ideas and input for programming for amateurs at future conventions. She said that while the NFA had been founded by professional flutists, the majority of the membership consists of amateurs, even if they don't might not admit it. Her definition of an amateur? "Anyone who isn't playing the flute to pay their mortgage." I spent a couple of minutes after the workshop in conversation with Lisa, and I volunteered to participate in the Amateur Concerns Committee, which could affect my decision on whether or not to attend the convention in Anaheim next year.
Next on the schedule was a Mini Flute Spa with Patricia George. The program described it this way:
No time to practice? This participatory masterclass will explore several exercises to keep you playing well. Suitable for all ages and playing abilities.While I learned a couple of interesting things, Patricia seemed to have designed her workshop with teachers of young flute students in mind. I did walk out of this workshop early.
I was really looking forward to Fenwik Smith's From Urtext to Your Text:
Using a Telemann Fantasy in the Bärenreiter Urtext edition, Fenwick Smith will guide you through the options of dynamics, articulation, tempo, phrasing, and style to come up with a viable and stylish “edition” of your own.This was another mild disappointment. Fenwick was late, and it was another presentation using an overhead projector. However, because we were marking music as we worked through the Telemann Fantasy, it was probably the best way to do it, short of digital pen technology such as Canson's PaperShow, which is still in its infancy. He also allowed a couple of participants to hijack the workshop and turn it into a conversation on judging of performance competitions. I and two other participants ended up shutting that down. I did learn a little bit about looking at a piece of music before preparing it for performance, but not as much as I expected out of an hour-and-a-half workshop.
I had lunch with Jonathan both Saturday and Sunday, and we hung out together whenever our free time coincided. So often the first time you go to events like this you don't know anyone. I never travel without a book, but having someone to hang out with and talk about what was going on at the convention was really nice. Not that we spent all of our free time talking a bout the convention and flutes. We discovered some common interests outside of music. We're planning on getting together to see a movie or something when I get back from Pennsylvania.
Even though I didn't stay at the convention hotel in the City, there was still the sense of being in a different time with its own rhythm similar to the way Lavender Country and Folk Dancers Camps feel. Or any convention or multi-day gathering, I suppose. The last day is always that winding down and preparing for re-entry into the "real world." Fortunately, I'm not doing an immediate re-entry, because I'm spending the week with Scott, Maureen, and the kids.
Peace,
Jeff
Friday, August 14, 2009
Did We Do It?
Another early train into the City and a walk across town to get to the hotel. First thing on my agenda upon arrival at the NFA Convention was the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Flute Ensemble. I joined some 2,000 other flutists in the Broadway Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis to rehearse, first with one of the event organizers. James Galway was in Times Square filming a segment to introduce the attempt. When he arrived, we played "Happy Birthday" for him in honor of his 70th birthday later this year.
Then Sir James rehearsed us. He seemed to spend more time with the first flutes, but some of us in the fourth flute section decided it was because they needed more work than the rest of us. At 10:05 we did the "official" performance for the record. Did we break the it? We don't know yet, they're still counting the registration forms.Here's a short story from NPR on the event.
Once again, I found that it makes a big difference playing with other musicians. What I didn't think I could play through, I managed to play with minimal mistakes. Not to mention hearing all four parts live. Incredible!
The lecture I attended after the--hopefully--record-breaking performance was somewhat anticlimactic. More than that, it bordered on boring. Kate Clark's presentation on the Renaissance Flute, which consisted mostly of overheads (yes, she used an overhead projector!) of works of Renaissance art depicting musicians of all sorts and excerpts of Renaissance music, fell flat. It is possible to present such material in more interesting ways, as demonstrated by Rachel Brown yesterday. Perhaps Ms. Clark's performance later in the day was more interesting, but I was playing in the flute choir reading session at the time.
The next workshop I participated in was Brian McCoy's Irish Music on the Boehm Flute (the flute most of us are familiar with today). I learned a couple of things I didn't know before, and it was a fun workshop.
When I checked my phone messages after the workshop (unlike some people, I turn my phone OFF during workshops and performances) I had a message from Jonathan suggesting a place to meet. As I was composing a text response, he arrived outside the meeting room. We walked over to 9th Avenue and had lunch at Island Burgers. We talked a lot. We're about the same age and both college educated. We both work in education--he as a tutor at a college in lower Manhattan. And, of course, we both play the flute, although our specific interests are a bit different--he likes Jazz, while I tend toward Baroque and early classical. He's also an artist. At one point I asked him, "Is there anything you don't do?" He laughed and replied, "Many things."
I'm still not sure what it was that sparked his interest. He said he'd first noticed me in the Exhibit Hall and more or less screwed up his nerve to follow me out and initiate a conversation. I'm glad he did. And I'm glad I was open enough to engage in the conversation.
We're hoping our schedules work out so that we can have lunch again tomorrow.
I did try one instrument in the Exhibit Hall this afternoon. Brian McCoy had what turned out to be an aluminum Soprano D Whistle. I found the booth and asked to see one of the whistles. It played like a dream and had great sound. However, the $190 price is a bit beyond me at this point. If I were playing regularly with a dance band, I'd consider it. My plastic Susato does just fine, and I know a couple of professional Irish musicians that play Susatos.
Peace,
Jeff
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bright Flutes, Big City
I'm on vacation, yet I still got up this morning to catch a train into the City--one of the same trains I often take when I'm going to work. The reason? The National Flute Association's 37th Annual Convention. For the first time in the 20+ years I've been a member of the NFA, I am attending it's convention.
I planned on doing five things today (other than registering for the conference!): one sight reading session, one workshop, two performances, and time in the Exhibit Hall. I did three. The workshop was cancelled, and I decided to head home before the second performance.
During the Flute Choir Reading Session we read through eight pieces of baroque music under the direction of Linda Kirkpatrick. I have not sight read in an ensemble of any size for a few years, and it has been many years since I've played with a large group. I tend to think I'm not a very good sight reader, but that comes from doing so much sight reading alone. Sight reading in a group is very different. During our read through of a transcription Vivaldi's Spring Concerto for flute choir, I managed to keep up and play with a minimum of glaring errors. What a difference playing with a group makes.
After lunch I attended Rachel Brown's lecture/recital of Joachim Quantz's music. She played excerpts of Quantz sonatas, most of which have probably not been performed in public since the time of Frederick the Great. She played them on a flute "built to the specifications of Quantz's own flute." While I did not learn a great deal about the court of Frederick the Great that I didn't already know, I did learn quite about Quantz and his theories of music and instruments. And, of course, the music was great.
The Exhibit Hall was overwhelming. I don't think I've seen so many flutes an piccolos in one place at one time in my life. And noisy! People trying out flutes everywhere. I can't imagine buying a flute based on how it sounded during a test in an overcrowded hotel ballroom with so many other flutists testing instruments at the same time! It was also crowded. Why did they plan such narrow aisles when they knew that people were going to be stopping to test flutes, look at music, etc.? What a mess!
I did see a couple of books and some music that I've been looking for, but I'm holding off until a little later. The discounts are good, but there might be something else I learn about during convention that I'd like to buy.
After having been at General Convention, it's refreshing to be at a convention where the average age is not 60+. I saw young children, teenagers, college students, and young adults in about the same percentages as adults, middle-aged adults, and seniors. I also observed a child prodigy and his mother. I'm not sure who was the more insufferable individual!
During the afternoon, before I learned that the workshop was cancelled, I took some time to look through the program and plan for the rest of the weekend. While I was at the table another man about my age came up to the other side of the table to do the same thing. He initiated a conversation, and we talked for a bit before a friend of his came to meet him to go to a performance. Before his friend arrived, we made a date for lunch tomorrow. Hmmmmm...
Another early train tomorrow.
Peace,
Jeff
I planned on doing five things today (other than registering for the conference!): one sight reading session, one workshop, two performances, and time in the Exhibit Hall. I did three. The workshop was cancelled, and I decided to head home before the second performance.
During the Flute Choir Reading Session we read through eight pieces of baroque music under the direction of Linda Kirkpatrick. I have not sight read in an ensemble of any size for a few years, and it has been many years since I've played with a large group. I tend to think I'm not a very good sight reader, but that comes from doing so much sight reading alone. Sight reading in a group is very different. During our read through of a transcription Vivaldi's Spring Concerto for flute choir, I managed to keep up and play with a minimum of glaring errors. What a difference playing with a group makes.
After lunch I attended Rachel Brown's lecture/recital of Joachim Quantz's music. She played excerpts of Quantz sonatas, most of which have probably not been performed in public since the time of Frederick the Great. She played them on a flute "built to the specifications of Quantz's own flute." While I did not learn a great deal about the court of Frederick the Great that I didn't already know, I did learn quite about Quantz and his theories of music and instruments. And, of course, the music was great.
The Exhibit Hall was overwhelming. I don't think I've seen so many flutes an piccolos in one place at one time in my life. And noisy! People trying out flutes everywhere. I can't imagine buying a flute based on how it sounded during a test in an overcrowded hotel ballroom with so many other flutists testing instruments at the same time! It was also crowded. Why did they plan such narrow aisles when they knew that people were going to be stopping to test flutes, look at music, etc.? What a mess!
I did see a couple of books and some music that I've been looking for, but I'm holding off until a little later. The discounts are good, but there might be something else I learn about during convention that I'd like to buy.
After having been at General Convention, it's refreshing to be at a convention where the average age is not 60+. I saw young children, teenagers, college students, and young adults in about the same percentages as adults, middle-aged adults, and seniors. I also observed a child prodigy and his mother. I'm not sure who was the more insufferable individual!
During the afternoon, before I learned that the workshop was cancelled, I took some time to look through the program and plan for the rest of the weekend. While I was at the table another man about my age came up to the other side of the table to do the same thing. He initiated a conversation, and we talked for a bit before a friend of his came to meet him to go to a performance. Before his friend arrived, we made a date for lunch tomorrow. Hmmmmm...
Another early train tomorrow.
Peace,
Jeff
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Picking Up The Pieces
If there's one thing I'm good at, because I've had to do it over and over again, it's picking up the pieces. Shattered careers, shattered relationships, shattered hopes, shattered dreams--basically, if it has fallen apart, I've picked up after it. Sometimes you can catch something before it completely comes apart, repair the damage, and even make it stronger. But sometimes there comes a point when you realize that there are only so many fingers you can stick in the levee, and the best thing you can do is move to higher ground and wait for the flood to pass. Only then can you move in, clean up the debris, salvage what you can, and rebuild.
Right now, the Church Center is broken. The layoffs resulting from the budget decisions of General Convention have affected the entire staff, both those who have lost their jobs and those of us who are still employed for the time being. One of my colleagues described it as the walking dead and the walking wounded. Those who were laid off are awaiting answers from Human Resources about their options and their severance packages. Those answers are slow in coming. Those of us who still have our jobs for the immediate future are waiting answers from upper management about how the work will be redistributed. Those answers are even slower in coming.
It's broken. Let if fall apart. Clean up. Start rebuilding.
The Anglican Communion is broken, and the Archbishop of Canterbury is running out of fingers to stick in the levee. It is clear to most of the Communion that one conservative faction will settle for nothing less than expulsion of the North American provinces unless they cave in to their demands. It is also clear that neither the Anglican Church of Canada nor the Episcopal Church is going to do so, especially in light of the conservatives' unwillingness to uphold all the articles of their beloved Windsor Report.
The Archbishop's latest attempt shore up the levee with the sandbags of a covenant and a two tier structure will not save the communion as it is. Can you imagine the battles that will ensue when the issue of lgbt people in the church as a criteria for first or second tier membership is in place? Provinces with women bishops? Second tier. Provinces that ordain women? Second tier. Provinces that don't hold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as the official BCP? Second tier. The flood will overwhelm the levee and probably cause worse damage than letting go the Communion now.
It's broken. Let it fall apart. Clean up. Start rebuilding.
If we aren't allowed to pick up the pieces, how can we move forward?
Peace,
Jeff
Right now, the Church Center is broken. The layoffs resulting from the budget decisions of General Convention have affected the entire staff, both those who have lost their jobs and those of us who are still employed for the time being. One of my colleagues described it as the walking dead and the walking wounded. Those who were laid off are awaiting answers from Human Resources about their options and their severance packages. Those answers are slow in coming. Those of us who still have our jobs for the immediate future are waiting answers from upper management about how the work will be redistributed. Those answers are even slower in coming.
It's broken. Let if fall apart. Clean up. Start rebuilding.
The Anglican Communion is broken, and the Archbishop of Canterbury is running out of fingers to stick in the levee. It is clear to most of the Communion that one conservative faction will settle for nothing less than expulsion of the North American provinces unless they cave in to their demands. It is also clear that neither the Anglican Church of Canada nor the Episcopal Church is going to do so, especially in light of the conservatives' unwillingness to uphold all the articles of their beloved Windsor Report.
The Archbishop's latest attempt shore up the levee with the sandbags of a covenant and a two tier structure will not save the communion as it is. Can you imagine the battles that will ensue when the issue of lgbt people in the church as a criteria for first or second tier membership is in place? Provinces with women bishops? Second tier. Provinces that ordain women? Second tier. Provinces that don't hold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as the official BCP? Second tier. The flood will overwhelm the levee and probably cause worse damage than letting go the Communion now.
It's broken. Let it fall apart. Clean up. Start rebuilding.
If we aren't allowed to pick up the pieces, how can we move forward?
Peace,
Jeff
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Sightseeing At Home
This afternoon Rachel and I visited the Lockwood-Mathews mansion here in Norwalk. I grew up in Darien, which is one town west of Norwalk, and I've spent most of my adult life living in Norwalk, but this was my first tour of the mansion. I'd been there once before for an antiques show, but we were only inside two rooms, which were crammed with dealers' booths.Our tour guide turned out to be one of Rachel's former middle school teachers, so there was some catching up along with the tour. The second floor was closed due to things being moved around in preparation for more restoration work. Instead, we were given a tour of the basement where we saw the bowling alley and some of the original fencing that surrounded the 30 acre estate.
We learned a lot of interesting history. The mansion predates those in Newport by 10-15 years. Most of the builders, carvers, stonemasons, etc. came from Europe. primarily Italy, to work on the mansion and then returned home. Most of them. Some remained, and Norwalk's Italian-American community predated the influx of Italian immigrants by more than 20 years. The entire building, including the interior work was done on site. After the City of Norwalk bought the property for a municipal park, the mansion was used as an office building and storage, which was in many ways responsible for the preservation of many details. When the government of Norwalk decided it needed a city hall, it planned to tear down the mansion and build the new city hall on the site. Preservationists were able to save the mansion not because of it's historic importance, but because it was in a municipal park, and a government building could not be built in the park.
Our guide told us stories about how the museum has acquired original furnishings and artwork over the years. Some of the artwork came from descendants of the Lockwood and Mathews families. Furniture occasionally comes up at auction, and is purchased. One desk returned to the mansion when a woman noted the woodwork around the library fireplace and remembered a desk in her husband's office. She told him about the woodwork, and he replied that he'd bought the desk from the city during a tag sale of mansion's contents.
One of the interesting things for me was to see the difference between the restored drawing room and the room next to it which had been conserved (the grime from 140 years was cleaned using rubber erasers!). A small card room off the drawing room sits directly below the prayer room on the second floor.
Other places in Norwalk I have yet to visit include the Mill Hill Complex of three historic buildings and a burial ground, the Norwalk Museum in what was the South Norwalk City Hall, the Sheffield Island Lighthouse, and the SONO Switch Tower Museum. Expand the radius, and Fairfield County has a variety of historic homes, museums, and things to do.
Sometimes when you want something to do on a weekend afternoon, you don't have to go very far.
Peace,
Jeff
Sightseeing At Home
This afternoon Rachel and I visited the Lockwood-Mathews mansion here in Norwalk. I grew up in Darien, which is one town west of Norwalk, and I've spent most of my adult life living in Norwalk, but this was my first tour of the mansion. I'd been there once before for an antiques show, but we were only inside two rooms, which were crammed with dealers' booths.Our tour guide turned out to be one of Rachel's former middle school teachers, so there was some catching up along with the tour. The second floor was closed due to things being moved around in preparation for more restoration work. Instead, we were given a tour of the basement where we saw the bowling alley and some of the original fencing that surrounded the 30 acre estate.
We learned a lot of interesting history. The mansion predates those in Newport by 10-15 years. Most of the builders, carvers, stonemasons, etc. came from Europe. primarily Italy, to work on the mansion and then returned home. Most of them. Some remained, and Norwalk's Italian-American community predated the influx of Italian immigrants by more than 20 years. The entire building, including the interior work was done on site. After the City of Norwalk bought the property for a municipal park, the mansion was used as an office building and storage, which was in many ways responsible for the preservation of many details. When the government of Norwalk decided it needed a city hall, it planned to tear down the mansion and build the new city hall on the site. Preservationists were able to save the mansion not because of it's historic importance, but because it was in a municipal park, and a government building could not be built in the park.
Our guide told us stories about how the museum has acquired original furnishings and artwork over the years. Some of the artwork came from descendants of the Lockwood and Mathews families. Furniture occasionally comes up at auction, and is purchased. One desk returned to the mansion when a woman noted the woodwork around the library fireplace and remembered a desk in her husband's office. She told him about the woodwork, and he replied that he'd bought the desk from the city during a tag sale of mansion's contents.
One of the interesting things for me was to see the difference between the restored drawing room and the room next to it which had been conserved (the grime from 140 years was cleaned using rubber erasers!). A small card room off the drawing room sits directly below the prayer room on the second floor.
Other places in Norwalk I have yet to visit include the Mill Hill Complex of three historic buildings and a burial ground, the Norwalk Museum in what was the South Norwalk City Hall, the Sheffield Island Lighthouse, and the SONO Switch Tower Museum. Expand the radius, and Fairfield County has a variety of historic homes, museums, and things to do.
Sometimes when you want something to do on a weekend afternoon, you don't have to go very far.
Peace,
Jeff
Friday, August 7, 2009
No Anglican Covenant
Lionel Deimel has created a new graphic:
Go read his blog and spread the word... um... picture!
Peace,
Jeff
Go read his blog and spread the word... um... picture!
Peace,
Jeff
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Sound Of The Other Shoe Dropping
Ruth Gledhill, not known for always getting her facts... ummm... straight, wrote an article for the [London] Times Online titled "Liberal Anglicans declare war on conservatives in the Church." (Hat tip to the Mad Priest.) It was the final paragraph that caught my attention:
I have no idea whether or not anyone has approached the Episcopal Church officially regarding the affiliation of liberal parishes from the Church of England. Quite frankly, given everything the Episcopal Church has said and done in response to parishes and dioceses affiliating themselves with other Anglican provinces, it would be hypocritical to accept such affiliations. On the other hand, perhaps it is time to say, "All bets are off, and what's good for the goose is good for the gander!"
The bulk of the article talks about efforts by a coalition of liberal organizations to document how many priests in the Church of England have blessed same-sex relationships and how many blessings have been done. How ironic that Rowan Williams' two-tier version of Anglicanism will have to apply to his own back yard.
Rowan Williams has no one to blame but himself. How long did he think his strategy of appeasing conservatives could hold the Anglican Communion together? Neville "Peace in Our Time" Chamberlain anyone? How long did he think the liberals, and many of the moderates, would tolerate the conservatives picking and choosing the parts of the REPORTS, which they insisted were Communion norms, to follow while holding liberal provinces to all of the parts?
And now the proverbial other shoe is dropping--perhaps even being thrown--out of the Church of England's own closet.
Peace,
Jeff
The Times has learnt that talks are already under way about forging permanent links between liberal parishes in England and The Episcopal Church, rather as the conservatives have linked up through the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and related bodies. A new US Episcopal Church outpost in London is also being considered, should any liberal parishes in England wish to affiliate with The Episcopal Church in the US in the way that many conservative US parishes have affiliated with evangelical provinces in Africa and the Southern Cone.I don't know if it's true or not. We can't be sure without independent confirmation, given Gledhill's track record, and it may be that this was put out to push the envelope and perhaps even inflame the conservatives. So far the conservative blogs have been fairly quiet, but that could change at any moment.
I have no idea whether or not anyone has approached the Episcopal Church officially regarding the affiliation of liberal parishes from the Church of England. Quite frankly, given everything the Episcopal Church has said and done in response to parishes and dioceses affiliating themselves with other Anglican provinces, it would be hypocritical to accept such affiliations. On the other hand, perhaps it is time to say, "All bets are off, and what's good for the goose is good for the gander!"
The bulk of the article talks about efforts by a coalition of liberal organizations to document how many priests in the Church of England have blessed same-sex relationships and how many blessings have been done. How ironic that Rowan Williams' two-tier version of Anglicanism will have to apply to his own back yard.
Rowan Williams has no one to blame but himself. How long did he think his strategy of appeasing conservatives could hold the Anglican Communion together? Neville "Peace in Our Time" Chamberlain anyone? How long did he think the liberals, and many of the moderates, would tolerate the conservatives picking and choosing the parts of the REPORTS, which they insisted were Communion norms, to follow while holding liberal provinces to all of the parts?
And now the proverbial other shoe is dropping--perhaps even being thrown--out of the Church of England's own closet.
Peace,
Jeff
Monday, August 3, 2009
B033 Is Falling Down, Falling Down, Falling Down
This weekend my email lists went into overdrive. On Saturday, the search committee for the next bishop of the Diocese of Minnesota announced its slate of three candidates. On Sunday, the search committee for the next bishops suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles announced its slate of six. The Minnesota election will be held October 31, and the Los Angeles elections on December 4 and 5. Usually, the members of my mail lists respond by asking where the various candidates stand on lbgt issues. These two announcements elicited excitement because one of the Minnesota candidates and one of the Los Angeles candidates are out lesbians, and another of the Los Angeles candidates is an out gay man. All three of them are partnered.
Take a look at Episcopal Cafe's The Lead for more in-depth coverage of the news.
These nominations follow logically from General Convention 2009 Resolution D025, which, although titled "Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion," was a compromise resolution merging the dozen or so submitted to General Convention in an attempt to repeal GC2006 B033, the infamous "manner of life" resolution. In spite of the fact that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies insistence that D025 does not repeal B033 (see the Episcopal News Service story here), many people on both sides of the issue see it as a first step, if not as an actual repeal.
Even though the Minnesota and Los Angeles search committees did not make their final decisions until after General Convention, clearly they were already considering the lesbian and gay candidates that made their final lists. We will probably never know if either search committee intended to place those candidates on their final lists even if D025 had not passed in Anaheim.
Will any of the candidates be elected? There is a good chance, especially in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Once one, or more, of them is elected, there is the consent process. The Bishops will have the final word, this time. I am guessing that if any of the lesbian or gay candidates is elected, they will not receive the required consents. This time.
If dioceses in the Episcopal Church continue to raise up and elect openly lbgt candidates for bishop, and if the bishops with authority continue to refuse consents, there will be a backlash much stronger than any backlash the remaining conservatives inside the Episcopal Church will raise when lbgt candidates are elected and, finally, ordained.
It may take us another three years, until GG2012 in Indianapolis, or even another six, until GC2015, but we will have more openly lbgt elected and ordained bishops. B033 cannot stand in the face of the Church moving forward, even if it moves at glacier speed.
Peace,
Jeff
Take a look at Episcopal Cafe's The Lead for more in-depth coverage of the news.
These nominations follow logically from General Convention 2009 Resolution D025, which, although titled "Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion," was a compromise resolution merging the dozen or so submitted to General Convention in an attempt to repeal GC2006 B033, the infamous "manner of life" resolution. In spite of the fact that the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies insistence that D025 does not repeal B033 (see the Episcopal News Service story here), many people on both sides of the issue see it as a first step, if not as an actual repeal.
Even though the Minnesota and Los Angeles search committees did not make their final decisions until after General Convention, clearly they were already considering the lesbian and gay candidates that made their final lists. We will probably never know if either search committee intended to place those candidates on their final lists even if D025 had not passed in Anaheim.
Will any of the candidates be elected? There is a good chance, especially in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Once one, or more, of them is elected, there is the consent process. The Bishops will have the final word, this time. I am guessing that if any of the lesbian or gay candidates is elected, they will not receive the required consents. This time.
If dioceses in the Episcopal Church continue to raise up and elect openly lbgt candidates for bishop, and if the bishops with authority continue to refuse consents, there will be a backlash much stronger than any backlash the remaining conservatives inside the Episcopal Church will raise when lbgt candidates are elected and, finally, ordained.
It may take us another three years, until GG2012 in Indianapolis, or even another six, until GC2015, but we will have more openly lbgt elected and ordained bishops. B033 cannot stand in the face of the Church moving forward, even if it moves at glacier speed.
Peace,
Jeff
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Present Tense, Past Participles, And The Pluperfect
I spent most of my weekend in Barnes & Noble sitting in the cafe and reading. Mostly I read books on language, including Arika Okrent's In the Land of Invented Languages and Marty Grothe's Oxymorinica. I took notes in my handy dandy Moleskine notebook on things that interested me from both books but also some ideas to think about for Treth, Inlig, and Hinlig.
Treth? That would be a language spoken by the Traders who carry goods throughout the Jevanite Empire and surrounding countries.
Inlig? Most likely the language of Osnia before it was sundered.
Hinlig? The result of an influx of Mithel Tretha speakers who settled down in an area of Inlig speakers. It really serves an a forerunner for still developing language.
Confused? It's one of my pastimes: creating languages for the imaginary planet I've been noodling around with since graduate school (the first round). And, as usual, research and developing geography, history, and cultures are more fun than actually writing a story. I may get around to writing stories at some point, but the creative process of developing geography, history, and cultures provides me with a lot of enjoyment.
There are many different ways of constructing languages, and you can find a number of sites on the Internet devoted to Conlangs. Conlangs have a rich history, including Esperanto and the languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien created a world for his languages. I came at it the other way around, having already created a world. So, what would happen to language if you dumped refugees from Western Europe and North America on an uninhabited planet?
I started with the languages I know well, English, French, and German, which led to the development of Treth. At first I just worked on vocabulary and sound shifts, but it didn't take long before I realized that I really needed to spend some time on grammar. Somewhere in the depths of the Internet sits a translation of the Babel Text into an early version of Treth. Once I had some basic framework in place for Treth, I turned to looking at how an English-only language might evolve, which resulted in Inlig. And what about some of the descendant languages interacting? Now I have Hinlig, which is evolving on its own into an as yet unnamed language.
I was getting ready to start on a French descendant when I wondered what would happen if I threw in some Breton. Or Catalan. And let's not forget Spanish. What about orthography, how the languages are written?
As you can see, this can keep me occupied for a very long time. It's a fairly inexpensive pastime. Most of my research I can do on the Internet, in the library, and in local bookstores. A few vocabulary and grammar SparkCharts and BarCharts Reference Guides, notebooks, and pens, and I'm good to go.
Peace,
Jeff
Treth? That would be a language spoken by the Traders who carry goods throughout the Jevanite Empire and surrounding countries.
Inlig? Most likely the language of Osnia before it was sundered.
Hinlig? The result of an influx of Mithel Tretha speakers who settled down in an area of Inlig speakers. It really serves an a forerunner for still developing language.
Confused? It's one of my pastimes: creating languages for the imaginary planet I've been noodling around with since graduate school (the first round). And, as usual, research and developing geography, history, and cultures are more fun than actually writing a story. I may get around to writing stories at some point, but the creative process of developing geography, history, and cultures provides me with a lot of enjoyment.
There are many different ways of constructing languages, and you can find a number of sites on the Internet devoted to Conlangs. Conlangs have a rich history, including Esperanto and the languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien created a world for his languages. I came at it the other way around, having already created a world. So, what would happen to language if you dumped refugees from Western Europe and North America on an uninhabited planet?
I started with the languages I know well, English, French, and German, which led to the development of Treth. At first I just worked on vocabulary and sound shifts, but it didn't take long before I realized that I really needed to spend some time on grammar. Somewhere in the depths of the Internet sits a translation of the Babel Text into an early version of Treth. Once I had some basic framework in place for Treth, I turned to looking at how an English-only language might evolve, which resulted in Inlig. And what about some of the descendant languages interacting? Now I have Hinlig, which is evolving on its own into an as yet unnamed language.
I was getting ready to start on a French descendant when I wondered what would happen if I threw in some Breton. Or Catalan. And let's not forget Spanish. What about orthography, how the languages are written?
As you can see, this can keep me occupied for a very long time. It's a fairly inexpensive pastime. Most of my research I can do on the Internet, in the library, and in local bookstores. A few vocabulary and grammar SparkCharts and BarCharts Reference Guides, notebooks, and pens, and I'm good to go.
Peace,
Jeff
Saturday, August 1, 2009
A Dying Art?
The August 3rd issue of Time (which came out on Friday July 24th) contained an article titled "I'm 26 years old, and I can't write in cursive," by Claire Suddath. It's an interesting look at the decline (she calls it "the death") of handwriting in our modern culture. Suddath notes:
I have no problem text messaging, tweeting on Twitter, or using Facebook to connect with friends and colleagues, though I probably don't "Facebook like a native." But there is something about writing by hand that speaks to my mind and my soul.
Maybe it's my generation--I'll be 50 in January--the tail end of the Baby Boom easing into Gen X. I don't share most of the Boomers' common memories, and my world view has more in common with the Gen Xers. It's like having a foot in two worlds, and hopefully, that experience will keep me flexible in adapting to change and not becoming stuck in my ways.
Peace,
Jeff
I am a member of Gen Y, the generation that shunned cursive. And now there is a group coming after me, a boom of tech-savvy children who don't remember life before the Internet and who text-message nearly as much as they talk. They have even less need for good penmanship.And later:
penmanship has almost no bearing on job performance. And aside from the occasional grocery list or Post-it note, most adults write very little by hand... We are living in the age of social networks and frenzied conversation, composing more e-mails, texting more messages and keeping in touch with more people than ever before. Maybe this is a trade-off. We've given up beauty for speed, artistry for efficiency. And yes, maybe we are a little bit lazy.I do a lot of writing on the computer, this blog for example. And often it is faster and more efficient. But sometimes, I find it necessary to write a draft or two by hand in order to put my thoughts in order. I also hand write my journal in a notebook. I tried writing on the computer and then printing it out and putting the pages into a three-ring binder, but it seemed mechanical after a while, and I gave it up.
I have no problem text messaging, tweeting on Twitter, or using Facebook to connect with friends and colleagues, though I probably don't "Facebook like a native." But there is something about writing by hand that speaks to my mind and my soul.
Maybe it's my generation--I'll be 50 in January--the tail end of the Baby Boom easing into Gen X. I don't share most of the Boomers' common memories, and my world view has more in common with the Gen Xers. It's like having a foot in two worlds, and hopefully, that experience will keep me flexible in adapting to change and not becoming stuck in my ways.
Peace,
Jeff
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