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It gets ever that little bit more difficult to get up early in the dark to go to those schools where I teach guitar. It is only twice a week but ... maybe it is precisely because of that? But at this point in life most people would have given up on any work that demanded this sort of thing, but I can't afford to. So I continue. OTOH I would not want to 'retire' even if I could afford to. Many reasons for that but won't go into those, it is too early for that. More coffee is needed...
Sunny Sunday, 20.5º C. Ideal weather.
Two guitar lessons today, one in person, one on Zoom. Also the meeting for Bibliogoth, today discussing 'Eat the Ones you Love' by Sarah Griffin, an Irish retelling of something like the House of Usher but in small town Ireland and with carnivore (very carnivore) plants.
Need to prepare for recital at UCL on the 29th -and let them know that what they are advertising is not what I'll be playing (potential problem there).
Goodreads link to the book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209531586-eat-the-ones-you-love
Two guitar lessons today, one in person, one on Zoom. Also the meeting for Bibliogoth, today discussing 'Eat the Ones you Love' by Sarah Griffin, an Irish retelling of something like the House of Usher but in small town Ireland and with carnivore (very carnivore) plants.
Need to prepare for recital at UCL on the 29th -and let them know that what they are advertising is not what I'll be playing (potential problem there).
Goodreads link to the book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209531586-eat-the-ones-you-love
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'La Distancia' - A piece which is kind of a little homage to Vytas Brenner, who was an extraordinary rock/jazz Venezuelan musician; I use some elements of Venezuelan music that he used but with a basso ostinato to try and play with the rhythmic ambivalence of it being both 3/4 and 6/8 -at the same time. Work in progress and will probably change it quite a bit. The strumming at the end will probably go, for instance.
The guitar is a Yulong Guo Chamber Concert. The video was realised with simple tools, just iMovie and Garageband.
Things what I've been up to in the last week or so...
The Hampstead Alternative Picnic
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10165462102074919&type=3
Jon's Birthday at Aces & Eights
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=flaviomatani&set=a.10165504855569919
Went to Dark Scene at O'Meara (can't remember what it is called now). Stayed only a couple of hours, which seems to be the limit of my endurance for socials, but it was good:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10165499616029919&type=3
Mel's talk at the Guildhall Library on History and Treasures of the Library:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=flaviomatani&set=a.10165522247904919
after that, went with Mel and Bill her partner to Aces & Eights (I'm not drinking alcohol but still, maybe I should just move in there).
First school teaching day in the school year. It was as full of surprises as I anticipated.
Apparently I'm going to be playing at the Renaissance Festival next Sunday. I let myself get talked into this but I still feel what I do is way too different, but, well, we'll see how it goes
https://www.facebook.com/events/4448377992157034/?active_tab=about
Today it will be just one lesson and then the monthly meeting of Bibliogoth:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/262405353796481 (private group so FB might not show you the page).
In the meantime, coffee and an arepa...
The Hampstead Alternative Picnic
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10165462102074919&type=3
Jon's Birthday at Aces & Eights
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=flaviomatani&set=a.10165504855569919
Went to Dark Scene at O'Meara (can't remember what it is called now). Stayed only a couple of hours, which seems to be the limit of my endurance for socials, but it was good:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10165499616029919&type=3
Mel's talk at the Guildhall Library on History and Treasures of the Library:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=flaviomatani&set=a.10165522247904919
after that, went with Mel and Bill her partner to Aces & Eights (I'm not drinking alcohol but still, maybe I should just move in there).
First school teaching day in the school year. It was as full of surprises as I anticipated.
Apparently I'm going to be playing at the Renaissance Festival next Sunday. I let myself get talked into this but I still feel what I do is way too different, but, well, we'll see how it goes
https://www.facebook.com/events/4448377992157034/?active_tab=about
Today it will be just one lesson and then the monthly meeting of Bibliogoth:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/262405353796481 (private group so FB might not show you the page).
In the meantime, coffee and an arepa...
Tags:
La Distancia' - a first take at home (with some bloopers) of a little piece which is kind of a little homage to Vytas Brenner, who was an extraordinary rock/jazz Venezuelan musician; I use some elements of Venezuelan music that he used but with a basso ostinato to try and play with the rhythmic ambivalence of it being both 3/4 and 6/8 -at the same time. Work in progress and will probably change it quite a bit. The strumming at the end will probably go, for instance.
The guitar is a Yulong Guo Chamber Concert. The video was realised with simple tools, just iMovie and Garageband.
#guitar #classicalguitar #music #venezuelanmusic #flavmusic #fusion
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc4U0egp379/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The guitar is a Yulong Guo Chamber Concert. The video was realised with simple tools, just iMovie and Garageband.
#guitar #classicalguitar #music #venezuelanmusic #flavmusic #fusion
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc4U0egp379/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The rubbish/recycling in the building hadn't been collected for something like three weeks so, at least having a car, took mine to the local (no, it's no longer called a dump, it's a-) recycling centre. I asked one of the staff where I should put the household plastic (plastic bottles, etc) and he said 'in the non-recyclable container' and I said that could not be right. He said 'Camden burns it, provides energy for tens of thousands of homes this way' which sounds unfeasible on several counts but I thought slightly terrifying. Will have to look into that and find out as that cannot be right. I hope he was just pulling my leg but who knows..
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I've put this on YouTube now: 'Sidereal Moments' (2001) is a work by Walter Fabeck dedicated to me, which I premiered in concert at Burgh House on 2002. It is a recast of a larger chamber ensemble work. In the words of the composer, 'there is no narrative in the piece, just moments separated by space' although bound by the 'gravity' of the attraction between the notes. This performance was done at the Summer Garden Concert in Rustique, Tufnell Park, London on 23/07/26.
The guitar is a Yulong Guo Chamber Concert. Space pictures by NASA.
#music #guitar #contemporaryguitarmusic #classicalguitar #rustique #tufnellpark #kentishtown #london
The guitar is a Yulong Guo Chamber Concert. Space pictures by NASA.
#music #guitar #contemporaryguitarmusic #classicalguitar #rustique #tufnellpark #kentishtown #london
A somewhat busy week.
On Tuesday I went to the Escher exhibition at Somerset House. This was a bit expensive but also vast and quite well laid out -apart from many samples of Escher's work with a lot of information about them, there were several rooms exploring the optical illusions and apparent impossibilities the artist was fond of.
On Wednesday I spent all morning at Camden Town Hall, waiting for things to happen and holding a little flag. This was the culmination of the most expensive thing I did this year: processing British citizenship. Well, not the culmination as I still have to request the passport. Anyway, maybe a little premature as I've only been here some 39 years.
On Friday I went to a concert (flute + organ) at St Stephen Walbrook church near Bank. This was very good and ended up sharing a glass (non-alc wine for me) and tapas with one of the performers and his troops at a local wine place.
Before that concert I went to see the Mithreum, the small museum on the site of the Roman Mitras temple a couple of steps away from St Stephen. There may be a couple of photos somewhere. They do try but the 'experience' was short and doesn't say much about the history of the place.
Rest of the week-end rather quiet apart from lessons and, tomorrow, Bibliogoth, this time reading Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto.
On Tuesday I went to the Escher exhibition at Somerset House. This was a bit expensive but also vast and quite well laid out -apart from many samples of Escher's work with a lot of information about them, there were several rooms exploring the optical illusions and apparent impossibilities the artist was fond of.
On Wednesday I spent all morning at Camden Town Hall, waiting for things to happen and holding a little flag. This was the culmination of the most expensive thing I did this year: processing British citizenship. Well, not the culmination as I still have to request the passport. Anyway, maybe a little premature as I've only been here some 39 years.
On Friday I went to a concert (flute + organ) at St Stephen Walbrook church near Bank. This was very good and ended up sharing a glass (non-alc wine for me) and tapas with one of the performers and his troops at a local wine place.
Before that concert I went to see the Mithreum, the small museum on the site of the Roman Mitras temple a couple of steps away from St Stephen. There may be a couple of photos somewhere. They do try but the 'experience' was short and doesn't say much about the history of the place.
Rest of the week-end rather quiet apart from lessons and, tomorrow, Bibliogoth, this time reading Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto.
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Last week was quite busy. I had a new pupil having her first lesson -a twenty-something young woman who looked interested and keen. I only need perhaps five more :D
I also played, like every year, the Summer Garden Concert at the Rustique Café here in Tufnell Park. This went very well; had a full house (this is not saying much given that the garden has a capacity for 25, perhaps 30 people) and it went very well. I had been extra-nervous as the night before the recital while practising I had a bad cramp in my left hand that left me unable to play for an hour or so -very worrying but it didn't manifest itself during the performance -phew! I also played a slightly different programme, with half a dozen preludes by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce and another half dozen 'estudios' by the Cuban Leo Brouwer. And a work that had been dedicated to me by the British composer Walter Fabeck -not an obvious choice for a summer garden recital as it is a rather abstract piece in several contrasting movements, very contemporary (as in art music contemporary, not something like jazz or pop). I didn't get tomatoes thrown at me so I think that was a win. Need to find little local venues where to do this. I, after the initial panic that you always get when you come onstage, enjoyed it and the audience seemingly did so as well.
The rest of the week-end was also good. Went to a concert by a couple of bands some of the members of which are friends, was asked to film for one of them (their very high end equipment for this was ... an iPhone 6..). On Saturday went to another alternative night at Aces & Eights, there was a performance by an EBM artist that was slightly marred by technical issues. Sunday was a quiet day of reading and walking.
I also played, like every year, the Summer Garden Concert at the Rustique Café here in Tufnell Park. This went very well; had a full house (this is not saying much given that the garden has a capacity for 25, perhaps 30 people) and it went very well. I had been extra-nervous as the night before the recital while practising I had a bad cramp in my left hand that left me unable to play for an hour or so -very worrying but it didn't manifest itself during the performance -phew! I also played a slightly different programme, with half a dozen preludes by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce and another half dozen 'estudios' by the Cuban Leo Brouwer. And a work that had been dedicated to me by the British composer Walter Fabeck -not an obvious choice for a summer garden recital as it is a rather abstract piece in several contrasting movements, very contemporary (as in art music contemporary, not something like jazz or pop). I didn't get tomatoes thrown at me so I think that was a win. Need to find little local venues where to do this. I, after the initial panic that you always get when you come onstage, enjoyed it and the audience seemingly did so as well.
The rest of the week-end was also good. Went to a concert by a couple of bands some of the members of which are friends, was asked to film for one of them (their very high end equipment for this was ... an iPhone 6..). On Saturday went to another alternative night at Aces & Eights, there was a performance by an EBM artist that was slightly marred by technical issues. Sunday was a quiet day of reading and walking.
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Well, that was another birthday gone. Very strange, I never thought I would live to perhaps even half my age. Bearing in mind where I was growing up and everything that happened around me then, it was not an unreasonable assumption. This one went relatively quietly; beer (non-alcoholic Guinness for me, I'm not drinking alcohol) and pizza with friends at the local rock pub on Sunday and on Tuesday, my birth day proper, met with my friend Krisztina to go have breakfast/lunch (don't know why I don't much like the word 'brunch') at Café Palestina, then walking about on the cobblestoned back streets of my neighbourhood.
As the meme goes. 'I can't believe I'm the same age as old people'. But, well, what can you do -you get on with life while you can. I haven't mentioned the worry and grief about what happened in Venezuela, that will be on another post. Hope you all are ok.
As the meme goes. 'I can't believe I'm the same age as old people'. But, well, what can you do -you get on with life while you can. I haven't mentioned the worry and grief about what happened in Venezuela, that will be on another post. Hope you all are ok.
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Reading three books at the moment (in between practising for that concert on the 23rd at Rustique -you coming to this?): one is 'Atmosphere' by Taylor Jenkins-Reed (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220858074-atmosphere_ which is the set reading for the next Bibliogoth: June 2026 meeting and which so far is a very good fictionalised yarn on NASA and the days of the Space Shuttle. Another one (and this is long haul if you know how Neal Stephenson writes) is re-reading the Confusion (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/822.The_Confusion), the second book in The Baroque Cycle. Finally, The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan (https://www.goodreads.com/.../34184069-the-storm-before...) an account of the decline and fall of the Roman Republic by the hands of greedy ambitious men and the breakdown of institutions, which feels scarily topical.
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Haven't mentioned (I think) that my recital at Café Palestina went very well. Their events room is small and holds about 25 people -I had that so I can say we had a sold-out event. People liked what I played (or were too polite to say otherwise :D ) so it was all good. Normally for something like this the arrangement is that half the proceeds go to their charity (helping Palestinian children), which it did. It is not a massive help as a classical guitar concert is not a massive event but every little help helps a little. It also doesn't pay my bills and I end up getting only slightly more than I would for a private lesson but that's ok -it is an occasion to show my work and share something I love.
I need to get more small suitable venues where I can do a ticketed event like this. I'm not after the big places, I never played the Wigmore Hall or the South Bank and I never will, but just a place where you can put thirty people who appreciate what I do. If you know of any such, I would appreciate if you let me know.
I need to get more small suitable venues where I can do a ticketed event like this. I'm not after the big places, I never played the Wigmore Hall or the South Bank and I never will, but just a place where you can put thirty people who appreciate what I do. If you know of any such, I would appreciate if you let me know.
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Strange days, the counterpoint of long days spent teaching guitar or practising it and trying to stay on top of all the things that you have to stay on top of, while the world outside burns -or threatens to burn.
Now sitting at my school of Wednesdays; half of my charges are not doing their lesson today because they're in exams, some others are away on school outings.
Preparing (or trying to) for concert on Friday. At this point you always feel like you're playing your worst ever; hopefully it won't be like that on the day.
Completely missed the whole Eurovision thing, which so many of my friends follow with dedication -I just don't get it, that kind of pop show doesn't do it for me and in the shape of a competition... even less.
Half of my friends seem to already be in Leipzig for the WGT. I kept saying I would go next year, every year but realising it was an expense I couldn't afford and it needed a bit of organising things that I most often are bad at and don't have time or energy for. Would like to go but every year the chances that I will do it one day are less and less. Not that there aren't lots of things to keep me occupied.
Now sitting at my school of Wednesdays; half of my charges are not doing their lesson today because they're in exams, some others are away on school outings.
Preparing (or trying to) for concert on Friday. At this point you always feel like you're playing your worst ever; hopefully it won't be like that on the day.
Completely missed the whole Eurovision thing, which so many of my friends follow with dedication -I just don't get it, that kind of pop show doesn't do it for me and in the shape of a competition... even less.
Half of my friends seem to already be in Leipzig for the WGT. I kept saying I would go next year, every year but realising it was an expense I couldn't afford and it needed a bit of organising things that I most often are bad at and don't have time or energy for. Would like to go but every year the chances that I will do it one day are less and less. Not that there aren't lots of things to keep me occupied.
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I couldn't go in as it was closed -so many years in London and I didn't know this existed, the Graveyard for the Outcast Dead. The outcasts were sex workers, immigrants, disabled and other minorities. Will try to go at a time it's open next time. The site next door is also interesting. London is full of interesting things!
Project Hail Mary by Andy WeirMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved this. Of course in describing an interstellar travel there are a few impossibilities and you have to choose which to ignore but the story here felt 'real'. Loved the possibility of friendship between beings that have so little in common -even sensorial bandwidth. We could all learn a couple of lessons from Rocky. A perhaps implausible plot with a wild take on Panspermia but it all works and you 'live' in that world for the duration of the book. Loved this book.
View all my reviews
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Getting up on a Tuesday at 9:00 am is so much better for my delicate constitution ( 😃 ) than getting up at 5:15 am. Only one lesson (here at home) today. And returning an air-fryer that I'd bought a few days ago which stopped working half way through making dinner last night. For now, coffee and arepa with buffalo mozzarella (because I'm a mongrel South American/Italian). And avoid the news, just in case.
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Yesterday I went out in shirt sleeves for the first time this year. That felt good. Not sure whether we had a lot of sun today as Wednesdays means teaching in that room (more like a cubicle) without windows in that school in Highbury. Maybe the season is finally changing. Or maybe it is the false spring that we so often get in February...
Leo Brouwer's 'Omaggio a Tárrega' - Nuevos Estudios Sencillos No 5
And yes, it is the same thematic material he uses in 'Flight of the Lovers through the Valley of Echoes', second movement of 'Decamerón Negro'(which I have posted at some point). In a much more concise form.
And yes, it is the same thematic material he uses in 'Flight of the Lovers through the Valley of Echoes', second movement of 'Decamerón Negro'(which I have posted at some point). In a much more concise form.
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