Saturday, September 25, 2004

Sleepidy McGhee

this is an audio post - click to play

Friday, September 24, 2004

A MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT

That's right. Are you ready for this?

...........

Well, I hope so....

........................................

...........................................I JUST BEAT THE COMPUTER AT 3-D PONG!!!!!

[waiting expectantly]

....well, yeah, I know, doesn't sound like much....

...but here's the deal with this game:

You play 20 different balls, basically, and each hit of the ball off a paddle is one point.

If I hit the ball past the computer opponent, I get 20 points.

HOWEVER...

If the COMPUTER hits the ball past ME, IT gets 40 points.

So, if you do the math, that means that you can win as many as 13 out of 20 balls against the computer AND STILL LOSE.

You have to get 14 out of 20 balls past the computer opponent to have enough points to win.

It's a HARD GAME, too. Ever played it? http://www.addictinggames.com/3dpong.html

Well, it's hard for someone like me, who doesn't play video games.

The score was 444 to 398.

Yup. That's my big news for the day.

Yup.


Thursday, September 23, 2004

knock knock knock knock knock

My hours are still pretty messed up. I slept off and on from...I don't know...9 am until 1 pm on Wednesday.

I would've slept longer, but I was awoken by the sound of the knocking.

You see, we were evicted from our house not so long ago, and I was the only one home.

You don't want to experience that.

[either one, being evicted period, or being evicted while you're home]

So, whenever people come knocking, it really scares me.

I didn't answer the door.

I THINK it was the maintenance people stopping by like we'd asked them to for the air conditioner. It wasn't working, but then it started working again after some ice that had built up on it had melted off. So, I put a note on the door saying 'Thanks, looks like we've solved the problem", partially so that they WOULDN'T knock.

But, some time after they knocked, there was someone out back looking at the air conditioner.

ANYway, more music, less sleep. That's the story these days.

Got to hang out with Steve tonight, who's been having a rough time as of late with house stuff, job stuff. I think the light at the end of the tunnel is visible now, though.

Seems to be a lot of general turmoil making the rounds these days. A lot of changes. A lot of stuff happening.

Let's hang with each other here. We're gonna make it.




Tuesday, September 21, 2004

people are supposed to SLEEP at night!!!!!!!!

Here I am. 3:19 am. Not much sleep to speak of this last day and a half or so. I'm at the Webster campus having worked on some new pieces, and I SHOULD be going home, but, instead, I'm in the cybercafe listening to something I heard on the NPR show This American Life last Spring that, actually, I'd highly recommend...

If you go to http://www.thislife.org and click on All Episodes/RealAudio in order of broadcast. Then, click on 2004 and click on 'Reruns'.

Click on the Realaudio link and scroll down to about 5 min 30 seconds to be narrated through a movie, supplemented by audio from the movie, which is, TRULY, one of the very most suprisingly structured and realized movies ever. I'm telling you.

It's hard to see the actual movie because the director doesn't want to distribute it, but, luckily, the Webster Film Series had it this weekend. It's crazy. Really: if you want to hear something really cool, go listen.

Anyway, I'm thinking about making a short CD every month or so and sending them out to Leonard Slatkin, like he asked. I figure the main thing is that it's a great motivator to stay focused on new material, and, secondarily, it's good to send him the music.

But I gotta get more sleep...and, I will.

So, if you get a minute...go listen to that thing I mentioned before.








Friday, September 17, 2004

Kenny and Lenny

That title was actually penned by a student composer guy around here at Webster.

Anyway, it's been a very interesting last few days here.

The blog leaves off where I'd gone to all this trouble to make this new tape for Leonard Slatkin.

For anyone who may not know, Leonard Slatkin is one of the biggest classical music figures in the world. He conducts the National Symphony and the BBC Symphony, and, before that, he conducted the St. Louis Symphony for 18 years and brought them to international fame and etc and etc.

I got home Tuesday night and I saw that I had a message from Taki, my friend in the symphony.

He said that he'd spoken with Leonard. Before Taki said anything about what was said in the conversation, he said something like:

"I don't think he's in the position to volunteer any help for you, you know, someone of that kind of world fame..."

So, I took that as not a very good sign.

Then, he says that he asked Leonard about my tape and what he thought of it, and...

"He was very impressed."

SO...not only had he SEEN the tape we sent him, he apparently enjoyed it. So, very good news!

Then, Taki went on to say that I should come to the free outdoor symphony concert on Thursday night and speak with Slatkin then.

So, at this point, my dad steps in, invites himself along, and starts saying what he thinks we should talk about. He thinks he fully understands where I am and stuff like that, and that I should try to get Slatkin to get me into a school for free.

"He could get you into Juilliard for free! We need to try to get him to help you get school paid for. Musically, I know there's a lot you can do now, but if you went to a school like that..."

He doesn't understand that:

1. I'm probably at my prime as an artist right now.
2. Juilliard is NOT where I want to be. At all. Nor is it where I should be.

But, that's ok. It's ok that he doesn't understand, exactly, what's happening and everything like that. It's also ok, of course, for him to come along.

I did tell him, though, to let me do most of the talking.

So, we met up and then we walked down to the stage and met up with Maestro Slatkin (as you're supposed to call conductors).

He were introduced and we shook hands.

"You're very talented. I enjoy your music."

I thank him.

"So, what are you working on now?"

Just new pieces, I say.

"What do you find is the most difficult part of composition?"

So, I talk about that a little, etc. Then, I start asking him questions about what he thinks I should do, who I might want to contact, etc.

The first thing he told me was:

"Keep sending me your stuff."

So, that's good. He seemed serious about it, too, maybe because he figures it might even serve his interests at some point, or because he knows he might cross paths with someone else who can help me, or both.

Then, he mentioned someone who he's friends with here in St. Louis who runs a national music publishing company that's based here. He said he's in routine contact with her and that she might be a good contact for me regardless.

I also asked him about management and if I should look into that, especially since I'm in a small market.

At first, he said that for composers, it's not such an important thing, but I can certainly get a hold of a few different agents and things, that there's a lot of different agents for different people.

He said that it certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to visit the larger markets, but that I seem to be doing well right here in St. Louis.

Then, he said that I probably would need someone out there hitting the pavement for me, though.

Taki asked if he had any musical advice or criticism or whatever, and he said no.

That's fairly important, too, because Slatkin is REALLY serious about education and growth and etc., and he could've approached me like a student-type if he felt it was appropriate, and not like someone who's ready.

And, that was basically the meeting!

It kind of hit me a little more about the significance this may have when Slatkin said from the podium:

"I got a call this afternoon from my dear friend, John Williams, who, of course, composed the score for Star Wars, which we're about to play. I am very pleased to hear that he is one of this year's 5 Kennedy Center honorees."

The Kennedy Center is also where Slatkin works. That's where the National Symphony does everything.

So, just to clarify: Fame isn't any kind of a goal for me. I feel that if you're an artist and are making things that resonate with people, it becomes a large part of your job to do everything you can to get it out there. That's why I'm interested in people who know people and etc..

Whew. Pretty interesting last few days.

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

the thrills of creative living

La-dee-la-dee-la.

Had a pretty crazy odyssey yesterday.

You see, Taki, from the St. Louis Symphony, says that he is going to speak with Leonard Slatkin today about me. So, I was going to drop off a video at Taki's house by yesterday.

I would've done it sooner, but, for a long time, I was trying to think of some clever package for the video. I think I was just overthinking the whole think-um, I mean, 'THING'. The main thing is that it's coming to him via a musician he knows well and respects.

But, last night, starting at around 10:00 or so, I finally gave up on that idea and started trying to come up with some kind of text to include with the video.

For a while, I worked on an FAQ, but I didn't think it read particularly interestingly. So, after the same guy from a previous entry talked at me for a good 40 minutes or so (I'd have to come off as truly rude to cut him off...one of those kinds of people who start talking to you and have a way of dragging it on and on, as if it was appropriate), I finally ended up discovering that I had a press release on disk from my last concert that had a cool photo graphic in it.

So, I changed it around, added some things, erased some things...that whole process took until around 4:45am.

Then, I had to go to Kinko's to get a color copy. I thought I'd just be able to run in there and have them do it. He said he couldn't get to it until around noon.

Well, I didn't understand that, but I went ahead and got a copycard and did it myself, which is actually a process that they should make easy and painless, but it is not.

Then, I started looking around for folders and things, and took a lot more time. I ended up going with a small cardboard box. Creative, right?

THEN, I finally started in the direction of Taki's house.

THEN, I realized I left my wallet at Kinko's. So, I turned around, got it back, had to get gas, and THEN went to Taki's house.

I parked on the street and looked for his house. By the time I saw it, some guys had parked close by and were just sitting there. I kept walking.

When I felt fairly sure that they weren't going to destroy me, I went to Taki's doorstep and put the box there, along with a thank-you note for Taki.

Then, I had to figure out how to get home. You can't just leave the way you came in on his street.

I finally got home at around 6:45am. So, well over eight hours just to do that.

Thrilling, right?


Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Moonlight. Crickets.

Geez. My sleep schedule's messed up again.

I'm such a night worker that I get turned around sometimes, and I'm pretty well turned around. Again.

Anyway....

Completely random entry from the Guinness Book of Records:


LONGEST LEASE.

There is a lease concerning the plot for a sewage tank adjoining Columb Barracks, Mullingar, Ireland, which was signed on 3 Dec 1868 for 10 MILLION YEARS.

It is to be assumed that a future civil servant will bring up the matter for review early in A.D. 10,001,868.


Wow! That's pretty ridiculous!

Like I said, I just opened to it at random. I think I'll keep doing that for this here blogamajig.

I met with Allison Reece on Saturday, an old friend from Webster. She started working at the Missouri chapter of the Lupus Foundation this past June. We talked about the possibility of me putting on a benefit concert for them.

She sent me an e-mail several weeks ago just updating me on what's been happening, including the new job at the Lupus Foundation.

I wrote back saying "Hey, maybe there's a benefit concert or something in the future, but, I'll let you know if I come up with anything worth doing." I was thinking about scheming together some more complex endeavor. Possibly.

But she wrote back with a lot more interest in something I just threw out there than I would've expected.

She was at my first full-fledged solo concert on 1.20.03. [cool date, eh? I put it like that on the front of the programs] I guess she can clearly see how it could work because she's seen one of the shows.

Turns out that when the idea was thrown out there, they had just decided against a Spring benefit event and were looking for ideas. So, the timing appears to be perfect.

This is something that's just on the drawing board right now, but Allison's going to pitch it to her boss and she says she thinks it'll happen. WE'LL SEE, THOUGH. Nothing's been committed to or anything like that.

Lupus is pretty crazy. For some reason, your immune system decides to attack healthy parts of you as if they were enemy organisms and foreign bodies. The bad news is that they still don't know why it happens, BUT, the very good news is that if it is diagnosed relatively early, there's an 80 to 90% chance of a long and full life. It's still fairly difficult to diagnose, though.

Just like probably all diseases and ailments without cures, the puzzle will be solved, it's just a matter of time. The sooner the better, though, of course, so, on with the money.

Curious about lupus? http://www.lupusmo.org

St. Louis is 18th or 19th in overall size in America, but it's 10th in charitable giving.

That means that giving is a priority among many of the major organizations in St. Louis. With the right media and marketing approach (they apparently have great ease in getting the major media outlets to cover them), this could be a good little piggybank to give to the organization, as well as some pretty special exposure for me.

It would be great to really pack 'em in or whatever, but I wouldn't expect that seeing as how mine's not a 'popular' art, from a sheer numbers perspective. Allison told me from the outset, though, that they wouldn't even be too concerned about that. They'd be more excited about having the cause associated with new people. It's good for public awareness and etc.

That notwithstanding, I was thinking that it might be a good idea to make a multi-act show out of this, just for the sake of trying to draw people. There's some well-known jazz musicians, classical musicians, and others in St. Louis. [of course, I didn't mention 'pop', but there actually is a large contingency for jazz and classical music in St. Louis. I'm not ruling out pop acts, though}

The problem with that is that I would tend to throw off any semblance of balance in a program without reeeeeeally careful attention to detail in terms of who'd be on the program, and when. I'm just not quite doing something anyone else is doing.

So, I'm leaning towards a solo thing...but I'm still thinking about it. My mother mentioned the possibility of having three distinct acts. That kind of sticks in my mind.

But, I don't know. If this thing ends up happening and I had to decide today, I'd definitely do it alone.

Also on Saturday, I wrote a short story. It's pretty bizarre, but it was fun to write. Maybe I'll post it soon.


.....anyone still think a 12-month lease is unreasonable?





Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Oh, let's not MINCE WORDS.

This expression has no meaning.

blllllaaaarrrrnnnnn.

I was supposed to meet with the Chair of the department today, but I had to re-schedule because he's swamped.

with....

an actual swamp.

Well, that would be cool, but it's actually just work and deadlines that he's swamped with. I'm hoping I'm not in some kind of trouble or something, because, like I alluded in my last post (somewhere in there), the last time he summoned me in this way, it was to yell at me about things he thought I was doing or not doing.

He told me "It's all I ever hear about! 'What's Kenny doing, what's Kenny doing...' It's like the question of life!"

You see, I use the Webster University campus as a kind of second home, mainly for artistic purposes, and I only take a class here or there (this is all because it's just too expensive for me to be there full-time). But I'm not exactly transparent around there, either. Whenever I have a concert or something going on, the campus is dipped in a really large container of my posters.

Literally. YES. LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

And stuff like that. So, that is partially what seems to bother some people: I'm a rather known and visible 'figure' around there, or whatever, but I'm not doing very much of what everybody else is doing...

...and on and on. It doesn't stop there, of course, with people. It never does.

That still doesn't explain why people were harassing him about me. Am I that noticeable or something? Seriously. I really don't know. I told him on no uncertain terms that it blows my mind that he got as much inquiry about me as he apparently did.

But, anyway, I didn't really sleep last night (my internal clock gets out of whack fairly often...I do most of my work at night), and I could've been sound asleep early this morning, but I figured if I caught him first thing in the morning, it could've been dealt with. But, alas, no meeting now until tomorrow and, no actual sleep for me. I'm going to a baseball game tonight: the historically-good Cardinals. (seriously. Their record since June 1st is like No.2 all-time.)

They should have a team called the Humans.