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Monthly Archives: May 2011
Hold the Restart, Please
“Nearly every sensible middle-aged person would give away all their money to be able to go back to age 22 and begin adulthood anew.” That’s David Brooks writing in the opinion section of the May 31, 2011 New York Times. … Continue reading
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Beck: A Post
The title is for all you Updike fans out there. I refer not to the ever-bland Henry Bech, but to Franz Ignaz Beck, a notably successful 18th century composer about whom posterity has remained mostly mum. Beck was just two … Continue reading
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A Musician’s Audio Test
I fulfill almost every standard criterion for an audiophile: I’m male, I’m middle-aged, I’m well-educated, I’m a professional with a decent income, I’m adept at technology but overall more left-brained than right. However, I depart the ranks in one critical … Continue reading
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The Critical Piece
The pundits are quick to point out that the Greeks could have invented sound recording. How cool would that have been? We could hear scratchy records of Aristotle teaching or a bootleg of the premiere of The Bacchae. We would … Continue reading
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Addlepated Kitty
Senility isn’t restricted to people. With modern nutrition and veterinary care, more and more kitty cats are becoming über-senior citizens, so feline gerontology is very much an ongoing concern. My cat April has recently passed her 25th birthday; that puts … Continue reading
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Those Who Can
Thirty-three years is a long time to be a teacher. To have gotten this far without burnout is downright remarkable. But that’s my situation; I just wrapped up another year in the pedagogical saddle with my enthusiasm intact and no … Continue reading
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Literal Spirituality
Bart D. Ehrman has produced another book that takes a gimlet-eyed look at Sunday-school attitudes towards the Christian writings. In this case, he is bringing up not only the notion that many of the New Testament books aren’t by their … Continue reading
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HIP Hop
HIP is on my mind. Not that Historically-Informed Performance has ever been off my mind; I was an early and enthusiastic convert to the notion of seeking musical insight via historical re-creation, at least as far as possible or advisable. … Continue reading
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Abundance, the Great Leveller
There was a time, not all that long ago, when musical performances were as ephemeral as casual conversations. People played, people listened, then everybody went home. All that remained was memory, pleasant or not as the case may be. In … Continue reading
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Digital Absolution
I’m a backwards audiophile. I don’t mean that I play beautiful sound into pricey electronic devices. I mean that I reversed my horse and cart about computer-stored digital audio. Most audiophiles are adopting computer-based audio gingerly or reluctantly; some haven’t … Continue reading
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