Echoes of Flavio's Ghost Dreaming

In spite of the entropy of passing years I still go to clubs and stuff, although by the time I've been there for two hours I've had enough. There is also the fact that I nearly always have pupils having lessons the following morning -and that takes priority; the livelihood of a self-employed music teacher is rather precarious and if there is work you take it because you never know.

I've not been back to the Slimelight for ... n years. The only time I've been after the pandemic was to the opening of an exhibition by Parma Ham. I am not sure I'm comfortable with the new regime there although it seems that things have got better. I do go to local clubs and several smaller format nights are organised by friends in Aces & Eights, just a few blocks up the road in Tufnell Park and at the Albany in Gt Portland Street, just an 88 bus ride away. This suits me. It is good to see friends and people I've known for many years and catch up (although I do find that difficult in the noisy environment of a club) and dance a bit. In terms of catching up I think I prefer the Hampstead Alternative Picnics that Jon Hannan has been organising since .. 2007 or thereabouts. Last week's one was lovely. I also went to Reformation at Aces & Eights last night. It was good, I even danced (well, I call it 'dancing', others might differ!).

When you wake up longing for the world you were inhabiting in that dream, but the dream vanishes, more quickly the more you try to grasp it.

What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this. Giving rational, science-based answers to absurd questions was just what I needed to raise my mood for a while in these dark times. Hope there'll be a third one; in the meantime, there is always the web site https://what-if.xkcd.com/



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Trying to stay active, walk perhaps half an hour a day (that doesn't make ten thousand steps but it is better than 0, I s'pose). I find it hard to believe I've reached this age, twice as old as I thought I'd ever get to be -but if you're growing up in a place like Caracas those are your expectations.

Sometimes it feels like the universe and my own body are trying to get rid of me. But I'm not planning on leaving the stage just yet. Had a bit of a blood pressure scary moment a couple of weeks ago, which resulted in six hours in A&E and having spent two weeks eating with almost no salt (salt is really bad for blood pressure). Not sure whether it is salt or stress, though. Particularly in the two secondary schools I teach guitar at, which seem to be competing for the most chaos and incompetence.

OTOH, I'm still here and I'm not yet bankrupt. Still reading, writing a little (not much), taking photographs and playing music (be it on my own rather than in public), as well as teaching it. Need to find a few local gigs to play (this is necessary to make myself keep a standard of playing) and a few more private pupils (this is necessary in order to pay the bills and in case I have to walk out of one of those schools). Onwards and upwards.

'Alman' by Robert Johnson (c. 1583 – 1633), from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, transcribed/arranged by my teacher John W Duarte.

The guitar used is perhaps not my best one, it is an electro-classical Alhambra; I felt however that the lighter, thiner and at times a little rough tone of the instrument went well with the texture of the music, hopefully aided by the third string in F# and the capo on fret III, which would put it in the range and tuning of an English lute of the time. The piece is a keyboard not a lute piece but Johnson was foremost a lutenist so I felt this was appropriate.

#englishrenaissancemusic #virginalmusic #englishlutemusic #fitzwilliamvirginalbook #alhambraguitars #guitarlessons #venezuelanguitarist #london #kentishtown

Always slightly mixed feelings about this. I was brought up a Catholic (which sometimes is a sure fire way of turning you into an atheist) but soon decided I didn't share the whole Christian thing -and everything I've learnt about the history of that religion (or, by now, religions) seems to confirm this. But we need landmarks, points along the way where we can stop and reflect on where we are, the road travelled and the road yet to travel. So, we celebrate birthdays, the new year... Christmas.

In the last few years my sister had travelled from Venezuela to either Madrid or Lisbon and I would join her and her troops there and celebrate with them. They are not doing that this year so it will be a quieter time. Maybe I need those days on my own, not doing much. Might even get to watch Barbie and Oppenheimer which I missed on the cinema, read a lot, eat comfort food. And not think about thosed schools I teach guitar at and on how long I may be able to do that and how I may manage without them.

I have lived in this island for over half of a very long life now, but I still am Venezuelan in many ways, even if I don't think I could possibly live there now. It was great to have my first hallaca of the season -bought, alas; it is too much hard work to do on your own. Traditionally it is the whole family labouring for two or three days to get a batch of hallacas. It was good, though.

Bibliogoth today was good. We were discussing 'Circe' by Madeline Miller, a retelling of the story of the witch/nymph Circe. It might seem a book on a mythological ancient Greek witch would be boring, it isn't. It is very well written and the characters are well fleshed out and quite human -even those who aren't human, like those capricious Greek gods who seem to be eternal six year olds And the discussion veered into some interesting side-themes.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50164163-circe

Not a lot happening here. We seem to have gone from summer to winter without having passed through autumn. Apart from that...

.. Had the two jabs last week (covid booster + flu jab). No side effects whatsoever as far as I could tell. Also had a hospital appointment, another follow-up for the cancer surgery of a year and a half ago. I had many questions but although the consultant was trying to be reassuring his answers weren't, that much.

The two schools I teach guitar at seem both to descend further into a form of chaos. At one, new head of music and new administrator of the dept., new ways of doing things and general confusion for the peris and for the pupils. At the other.. well, new head of music plus the usual.

Private lessons still ok. Have a pupil going to do a Grade 7 electric guitar with Trinity Pop & Rock and we are already preparing his Grade 8. A returning pupil, a new one and generally all good. At least that side of life is going ok.

Health... I don't know. At least I'm finally rid of the bladder infection (it seems), but it does feel like the second law of thermodynamics is catching up with me. I s'pose that's how life works. At any rate, I'm still here, I can still play and teach the guitar and do things.

Last Friday I went to 'The Belfry' at the Albany on Gt Portland St. I even danced (well, you know, I call it 'dancing' although many might not). This week, probably Jodi's housewarming if I feel up to it (I seem to be unnaturally tired most of the time, of late). It's a bit far in South East London; hoping to make it.

On third course of antibiotics. This is getting a bit annoying. Hoping this time it will work and get rid of the uninvited, unwanted guests in my bladder.

In the meantime... not a lot. Went to Reformation at Aces & Eights for a little song and dance and catch up with friends on Saturday. Apart from that, lessons and again supremely tired, presumably as am effect of either the infection or the antibiotic. With that and a few guitar lessons (have a 14 year old pupil who is an amazing electric guitar player so that was interesting) thus went the week-end.

Fugue, from the Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV998 by J S Bach.

A few slips and technical recording issues - but of course this was a live recording in concert.