Just do the next thing

1. I saw the publicity for the concerts yesterday – it’s going to be part of the Cathedral Concert Series in Albuquerque.

2. I talked with a guy about the Santa Fe venue. There’s a snag with Santa Fe: the weekend we want to do this, is Fiesta Weekend (actually, more like Fiesta month from the looks of the events calendar – every thing seems to be pretty well booked with mariachis or flamenco). So if we do it there, we’re going to have to fluff-up the Southwest poetry & Red Earth theme for Santa Fe. That should be easy.

3. I got three sopranos in the last two days. Yah! So it looks like its going to be a nicely balanced chamber choir of about 16 singers.

4. I gave the music to the harpist (also the guy connected to the Santa Fe venue). Next I give the music to the pianist – who is connected to the alternate Santa Fe venue.

5. I think I have a line on a guy who will record for us…

6. I consulted with the choral director and we set up the rehearsals – 5 rehearsals in as many weeks.

7. I FINISHED composing the “Desert Song” – it’s moody, and seductive, and deep and I love it. I gave parts to the harpist and to the conductor. Watch this space for preview sound files.

8. I had the insulting, painful, nobody-will-like-it conversation with mother. Jeez!

( Parents! – in my case, my mother; in Wolfy’s case, his father – just don’t’ get it. They fear for us ( like, we’ll starve, we’ll be eaten by lions, or sharks, we’ll die of thirst in the desert, we’ll never be successful, employed) and they don’t really care much for our music, either. Do not look to them for validation, acceptance or praise – it is not there and will never be.
So I was thinking about Mozart today. All those sonatas and concertos for piano, all those string quartets – written to “pay for” what he really wanted to do, which was write operas. “Get a job!” So, he played parties; he gave salon concerts; he showed up in the town plaza with his piano on a cart and played. He never had a patron, but he found sponsors and sold subscriptions to his concerts.
My mother does not like my music. 'Truth is, she hates it. She asks me, “Do these people want to sing your music? I hope you’re not forcing it on them.” I don’t even know how to answer that. My friend says, “Just say, ‘I’m hanging up now.’ And hang up.” It’s not really rude, it’s just exactly what she thinks: “I don’t like your music, don’t ‘force it on me’.” Okay – she’s not invited. Some bloody karma there! )

Then I got up like a shot this morning, OMG! There’s no piano in the Cathedral!!! Can I do this with organ? No wonder Maxine thought Ben was the accompanist! And Maxine (the conductor) is flying off to UK tomorrow, and the publicity has probably already gone to press. And … there’s too much to do to fret about mother, we’re putting on a show in less than two months!.