This Community Band Is Up to the Challenge

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Gandalfe

It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing. ~ Boromir, about the ring in Lord of the Rings.

imageWhen the Woodinville Community Band director Leah MacDuffie said she’d luv to have our band perform Johan de Meij’s “The Lord of the Rings: Symphony No. 1” there were a number of challenges facing us. This piece is described thusly:

Lord of the Rings, The (Symphony No. 1) – Complete Edition. (Score and Parts). By Johan De Meij. Amstel Music. Grade 5-6. Amstel Music

This monumental work, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien‘s literary masterpiece, is a challenging and uniquely rewarding composition for the advanced concert band. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008, Johan de Meij’s work was awarded the Sudler Prize for composition in 1990 and continues to receive important performances yearly. Each of the five movements is also available separately. (Grade 5).

The piece is a very expensive $700 which is more than most community band’s yearly budget for new music. This challenge was met by a contribution from a member of the band. Many of us wanted to do this, so this was a huge step and greatly appreciated.

If you read the description of the symphony above you might notice that it is rated 5 – 6 which is about as hard as it gets. Community bands tend to be volunteer organizations, so having the talent necessary to make this chart work is also out of reach for most groups. In Seattle we have many, many great wind symphonies. The Woodinville Community Band is one of these as you will see and hear in the video below.

Then there is the challenge of the the thinly written, very exposed parts. I selected this recording because it illustrated that very clearly, right from the start of the piece. It should be noted that in Movement III – Gollum (Smeagol), our soprano sax soloist is Molly Pond, the principal saxophonist for the Woodinville Community Band.

The band and director sweated blood, sweat, and tear to get this symphony to the public. Hours of practice, days of listening to recordings, and a lot of director prowess went into making this concert a success. Talking to members of the audience afterwards, I think the concert was a success. Although the music was not recognizable without introduction, the music was at once moody, striking, and moving.

Here’s hoping you enjoy the performance. And remember, support your local community band.

Posted in Band, Bucket List, Classical, Community, Gigs, Music, Music Instruments, Saxophone, WCB, Wikipedia, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Friends

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Gandalfe

Friends

Today from the German Shepherd Dog Community on Facebook. Here’s hoping you are spending your weekend with your family, friends, and pets.

Posted in Community, Dog, Facebook, Family, Health and wellness, Lifestyle | Tagged | Leave a comment

Work at 56, Starting Over

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Gandalfe

By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day. ~ Robert Frost

After 20 years in the military and 20 years at Microsoft, I now work in South Lake Union in Seattle. I did not see my layoff coming; I suppose there are those who said the writing was on the wall. All I know for sure is that the person who is doing one part of what I was doing for the company is young and cheap. And it didn’t hurt that I left a strong external (read not paid) team of experts to help manage the community my team worked within.

A great company called Amazon picked me up in January. I have some key lessons to share with my friends, family, and other 50+-year old folk. Here’s a picture of the building where my team works. We’re on the ninth floor.

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                                            Picture from the Seattle Times.

1. Network: I found my job through a friend. 50+ resumes a month to companies with jobs I thought I might be perfect for didn’t generate any interest. I was in a conversation on Facebook and heard from a friend that they had an opening. This friend at Amazon knew me, went to her boss and said, we have to get this guy. *That* is how I got my job. Network! You never know where your next job will come from. But in a state with 8.2% unemployment, it took me three months to find my current position.

2. Be flexible: Most of us can work many kinds of jobs. I accepted a job where 90% of the tools and platforms are new to me. I’m no longer the tools expert. I am working on a service platform that I have to learn from the ground up; it’s not easy.

3. Work Hard: Be the hardest worker on the floor. Make it obvious you are glad to be there. Smile, network, create new friends and alliances. You don’t want to be the one voted off the island. Be the first one in every morning. Don’t be the first one out every day.

4. Work Smart: Just being a hard worker has never been enough; you have to work smart. Fix things in a gentle and complete manner. Establish systems that allow you team to excel. Figure out who the smart people are and learn from then. Establish a mentor relationship with a manager higher up in the food chain than you are. Don’t let someone else pick your mentor. Own the mentor/protégé experience so that you provide a win:win situation for your mentor.

5. Mix Things Up: For example, I started commuting. I used to love to commute in college. I use a 10-speed bike, scooter, or car to get to the Park & Ride. I sit on the bus for a half hour in the morning reading my news and catching up on email on my iPad (with 3G of course). I walk 5 blocks from where the bus lets me off to get to my office. At the end of the day I walk three blocks to pick up the bus, ride an hour on the bus that seems like five minutes because I’m on my iPad again, and then ride home. Month savings in gas, bus fee (Amazon pays for this), and parking fees is around $600+.

Instead of buying lunch, like I did at my last job, I take left overs 4 to 5 times a week. When I go out, I make a point to invite someone to get to know them better. Everyday I bring in a soda or other beverage and I make use of the free coffee. Savings per month: $250+.

There is no one solution for any of us; there are many great jobs to pick from. Some of our success is about luck. Some of it is about timing. But whatever you run into, you get to decide how to make it work for you. Maybe you’ll find something of value in what I’ve shared here. Be well my friends.

Posted in Community, Commuting, Computers and Internet, Culture, Economics, Education, Employment, Getting a Job, Gigs, Guides, Health and wellness, Lifestyle, My World | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cars of the Future ~ The View from 2012

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Gandalfe

imageSome of us wait with fear that eventually you will not be allowed a car, it would drive itself. Others embrace this as the next logical step. If you want to drive it yourself, you would go to a track.

Now along that lines some the Audi R8 with, you guessed it, an eSound to warn “absent-minded pedestrians” that they are about to walk in front of a moving vehicle.

I am not sure how I feel about the eSound. You can hear it in the YouTube video below. Suzy and I drive a Lexus HS and people marvel at the soundless quality of the car. It almost makes you feel like you are gliding rather than driving. Almost.

Mashable reports:

Audi’s not the first manufacturer to cover its legal posterior with sound effects in its electric vehicles, and it certainly won’t be the last. Well, at least Audi’s interpretation sounds like a futuristic gas guzzler, rather than a tree full of chirping birds.

Read more…

Driverless, soundless, and gas-less cars, oh my. What will they think of next?

Posted in Cars, Conservation, Culture, Ecology, Economics, Erotic, Man stuff, review, Technology, Toys, Travel, YouTube | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

My Sweetie

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Gandalfe

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” ~ Mignon McLaughlin

This weekend I present a pictorial montage dedicated to my sweet wife of 36 years and counting.

image

Then:

SuzySteve SuzySoda73 SuzyIconProm74  SuzyWindow  SuzyHomecomingDress73

Now:

P1000727 Dissoance2010suzyMe SuzyClarinet

Posted in Health and wellness, Lifestyle, Quote, retirement, romantic | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Gandalfe

Such a nice spin on a great parable.

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Killer Sax Section

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Gandalfe

This is one of my favorite sax sections to date. The Microsoft Jumpin’ Jive Orchestra played at the Hyatt Grand Ballroom in Bellevue for 3000+ Microsoft MVPs from all over the world. This section is tight and really swings. I’m proud to be a member of this group!

image

Lead tenor ~ Sam Grone

Alto sax ~ Molly Pond

Lead Alto ~ Micah Lapping-Carr

Tenor Sax ~ Laci Casto

Bari Sax ~ yours truly, aka me

Posted in Band, Band Management, Big Band, Community, Family, Jazz, Music, Music Instruments, Sax Quintet, Saxophone | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Selecting and Owning a Dog ~ One Man’s Opinion

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Gandalfe

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. ~ Groucho Marx

AmeliaLightA friend of mine wants a dog. As a single mom she will be at work at least four days a week for 10 –12 hours a day with the commute. I truly understand the peace of mind that a good dawgly provides. I also understand the expense and other considerations that need to be considered before you buy a beastly for your house.

Don’t get a dog if you think you can keep it in the back yard and have a happy dog. Dogs are pack animals and require a pack to be happy. With good crate training, living with a dog is doable and better for both of you. You will want to read up on this before you bring the puppy home.

Crate training takes no more than 3 to 4 weeks if done correctly and assuming you have a normal dog that is healthy and happy. One trick I use to bond with the animal is I put my stinkiest t-shirt in the crate with the puppy. Every dog I have done that with has become truly “my dawg”.

You must have a fenced in back yard at the very least. There will be times when the dog needs to go out and you are busy. Having a fenced in yard means you can let the beastie out and then check back in 5 or 10 minutes. Read more at Please Fence Me In.

Finally, dogs are expensive. They require regular visits to the vet, food, accoutrements, and often, medicine. Crates cost money too. If a $200 – $400 vet bills is too much for you, don’t put yourself in the position of having to pick between feeding your kids and taking your sick dog to the vets. Read more at “The Cost of Dog Ownership”.

No matter what your experience is with dogs, you and your children should go with the puppy to obedience training. The training is really for you and your kids, but this practically guarantees that you have assess to a pro, know the “new” basics about owning and operating a dawgly, and have even a chance of success. To my friend, we will give you three, free, half-hour lessons if you are interested.

Once you agree to these facts of dawg ownership, you can move on the the selection phase.

1993_Shelby I & Amelia IIThis Dog Breed Selector might be helpful in selecting a breed. It promises, “Get some help making this important decision, choosing the right dog breed, with this personalized guide. It’s simple: Tell us your preferences, and we’ll match them with a list of dog breeds, in ranked order, that best meet your desires.” If you aren’t a runner, you won’t want a high energy dog that requires constant running time.

If you are getting puppy consider these two tests which are indicators of the personality of the beastie you are considering to bring in your house:

1. If there is a litter of dawglies, don’t choose the first one that comes to the door of the cage/enclosure. That is mostly the alpha dog that will take a special person to control. Don’t take the one that cowers in the corner, that is the runt that can also take a special owner to work with it. Ever other animal of the pack is up for grabs so pick the one you like; maybe the one with the white socks or the white flash on the chest.

AmeliaShelby12. Take this puppy and separate it from the pack. Place it on it’s back. If it fights to get up and doesn’t stop, this is a stubborn, headstrong dawg. If it fights to get up and then relaxes, this is a normal dog.

Once you have selected and paid for your puppy, you are on your way to the joy, security, and sometimes, frustration of bringing another soul into your house. I can’t imagine not having a dog, so maybe I have the dog gene. But I also appreciate the fact that my wife is a natural with animals that makes it really easy for me to overstate how happy you will be with this new member of the family. You mileage may vary.

Posted in Dog, Education, Entertainment, Family, Guides, Health and wellness, Lifestyle, Tips and Tricks | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Pinterest ~ A Virtual Pinboard

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Gandalfe

“Perusing other folks’ boards, featuring everything from picturesque travel scenes to oddly beautiful bacteria, is as enjoyable as building your own.” ~ Time

As many of my family and friends know, I am often on the leading edge of new social media trends. At my first company meeting with Amazon (I joined the team in January) I heard about the fastest growing social media company in the world, Pinterest. Here is how my site looks after a half hour of palying with it.

image

So if you are still reading let’s answer the question, what is Pinterest? From their site we find:

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.

The site is easy to use, especially if you install the Pin It icon on your favorite browser’s bookmark bar. In very little time you are thrust in the mostly visual world of the virtual pinboard.

“Expressing passion for a hobby is just as easy as browsing for your next purchase. But what’s even more addictive about the site — a collection of collections — is that it’s just as much about the users as it is what they’ve posted.” ~ Mashable

imageFrom Wikipedia we glean:

On August 16, 2011, Time magazine listed Pinterest in its “50 Best Websites of 2011” article. Pinterest is similar to earlier social, image bookmarking systems based on the same principle, such as David Galbraith’s 2005 project Wists.

The Pinterest app for iPhone was last updated in February 2012. An iPad app is being developed. The company has a mobile website.

In December 2011, the site became one of the top 10 largest social network services, according to Hitwise data, with 11 million total visits per week. The next month, it drove more referral traffic to retailers than LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+.The same month, the company was named the best new startup of 2011 by TechCrunch.

In January 2012 comScore reported the site had 11.7 million unique users, making it the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark. Pinterest’s wide reach helped it achieve an average of 11 million visits each week in December 2011. Most of the site’s users are female, with 97% of the site’s Facebook “likes” being made by women.

On the Pinterest site you can zero in on special interest. For example, here is the Humor pinboard:

image

At the South By Southwest Interactive conference in March, Silbermann announced revamped profile pages were being developed and would be implemented soon.
On March 23 Pinterest unveiled updated terms of service that eliminated the policy that gave it the right to sell its user’s content.

I sent invitations to the most adventurous friends of mine. Hope to see youse there soon.

Posted in Blogosphere, Community, Humor, Internet, Social Media, Wikipedia | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Amy Dickson demonstrates Circular Breathing

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Gandalfe

“Don’t play the saxophone. Let it play you.” ~ Charlie Parker

Have you every heard of Circular Breathing (a technique where you can both inhale and exhale air at the same time) in a music performance?

imageThis video features internationally acclaimed Australian saxophonist Amy Dickson in her music-video for Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No 1 (1st movement) . This track features on her second album called Amy Dickson: Glass, Tavener, Nyman which is available now from Sony Music / RCA Red Seal.

Having arranged the piece for saxophone, Amy then had to spend a further 6 months learning how to circular breath in order to actually be able to play it!

In this exhibition I am memorized by beauty of both the player and the music. Her tone is so clear and her articulation precise, while still finding a way to make this a very musical and compelling performance. I challenge you to only listen to this video once.

Saxophonist Amy Dickson began lessons at the age of six and made her concerto debut ten years later. Recognized widely for her remarkable and distinctive tone and exceptional musicality, she has performed in Europe, Africa and Australasia, in venues such as the Wigmore Hall and the Sydney Opera House. She has also performed as a soloist with many orchestras throughout the world including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

Posted in Music, Saxophone, sex, YouTube | Tagged , , | 2 Comments