It’s been twenty-two days since my last blog. I am truly remorseful and ready to accept appropriate penance …
OK, so that’s out of the way! Hi again! Miss me? (Don’t answer, I’m sensitive!)
If you checked into the August 4 blog, you saw all the opera stuff associated with Santa Fe Opera this summer. I didn’t get to see Finta or Salome, but, thanks to famous son, I got to hang with some of the singers in those shows. Santa Fe is such a magical location, especially if your an opera buff. We’ve been there now three out of the last four summers and never come away without being enthralled! There’s nothing for us next summer, but look out in 2017 when both family super stars might make return engagements! Meanwhile, we’re globe hopping: Leipzig, Geneva, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Baltimore, etc. It’s frequent flyer heaven!
Let’s do the run-down.
Reading:
I finished Walker’s “The Crowded Grave.” It was rather thrilling for Bruno, Chief of Police in the French village of St. Denis. It had everything – romance, murder, international spy stuff, archaeology, cooking – you know – all the required elements for a ripping good mystery! As with the other tomes in the Bruno series, I liked it a lot. It’s, well, a mystery with which to relax.
Now I’m on to Janwillem Van De Wettering and another in the Grijpstra and de Gier series which takes place in Amsterdam. The title is Hard Rain. This author and this series takes a bit of intellectualism during the reading. The humor is a bit different and you really need to be familiar with the characters to not become confused. (This detective team play duets on the flute and drum set which they keep at the police station. They have two informants named “Ketchup and Karate.”) Anyway, I enjoy the series and I should have not waited so long to return to it. Sadly, Van Wettering is no longer with us and the end of the series is now in sight. If you’ve been reading from my list, hang in there, you really will like it! I hope to publish a review on Amazon when finished.
Writing: Rubbish!
Composing:
Also rubbish – although I have a marketing, promotional idea that will appear on the music page soon. Note to choral folks: I’m looking for a choir who might be willing to record some of my stuff. Reply here or privately at jashrader@gmail.com
Teaching:
This is the main cause of my blog fail! Lots of prep time required this term. OK, I’ll whine a bit! I’m returning to my Honors Leadership class with a new edition of the text. I last taught this about three years ago. I’m continuing with my online Music Appreciation and Development of Rock & Roll classes. Not a real problem for me, but students really struggle understanding and motivating themselves in an online environment. I’m doing a new preparation – Song Literature I. I spent a lot of time prepping this class and the students are good. The problem is it’s only a one hour class, which is like impossible to deal with the vast array of material! I think I’ll call it “Song Literature Light!!!” Additionally, I have some new voice students and all the returning ones – it’s a nice little studio and they will do well. I have a new teaching location which is a vast improvement. Then there are the committees – lots (Did I say rubbish?).
So friends, some of you know my quote, “Time is the currency of the new millennium.” I need more currency!
My goodness – what a bitchy blog this turned out to be! My apologies.
I’ve got to go cook some fried rice for dinner. That should make it all better.
If you’re reading this, thanks for catching up with me. Please share this with your friends list and like, subscribe, all that stuff.
See you online soon – and I really mean that! Cheers! -JAS
