Silicon Beach Professionals - JUNE 23rd 2016 Mixer by Google

I get invitation after invitation to these types of events. By the time  your communication appears in my in-box the "FREE" spots are gone and only the paid spots are available. I check my in-box regularly. 

Are you running  a scam? Do you release the email to your "friends" first and then the rest of us later? 
The price of the ticket is trivial, but I find the Eventbrite fee intolerable.

I'm a regular attendee at Creative Mornings LA and I know that if I sign up promptly at 10:15 AM on Monday I will get a spot. They are democratic and transparent. Are you?

Percussion Is Difficult: Letter to Chris

C

I thought of you last night. I attended a concert, "Jazz for the City: The Bill Cunlife Trio: music from the Movies." Bill and his bass player, Darek Oles, have been together for 20 years. Their improvisations were amazing, tasteful, innovative, surprising, delightful.

After listening to their first two numbers I wondered, "What the hell is the matter?  What's wong?" I was the young drummer, Jake Reed, who obviously has not played with the trio because he's not old enough. And he was definitely not good enough. However, he looks great.

It's like buying an expensive Hi-Fi system. When you get great sound reproduction you start hearing all the imperfections that you didn't

Cunliffe and Oles are so damn good that when Reed on percussion is just off the beat, usually late, or banging endlessly on his largest cymbal with little variety it's really obvious and disturbing.  I found it difficult, but necessary to tune the percussion out and just listen to the piano and bass.

So I thought of you and wished you were there to provide the necessary support on percussion for the other two great players.

Also, I wish I could attend a concert and just enjoy it like most others, but.......Well, you know.

Percussion is really difficult.

R

The Railway Man by Lomax: letter to C

C

The Railway Man, of course,  the whole prison section is horrific. However, his description in the last section about his long recovery is absolutely devastating. Anyone wishing to understand what some soldiers go though after they return should read this book. The author's exhausting detail about trains that turned me off in the first section of the book, in my opinion ,now powerfully describes the complexities and side effects of long term,mental.damage, often much worse than the physical.

Consider Trump's evaluation that Mc Cain is not a hero because he was a prisoner of war. In the book when the POW's are on the ship heading for home the officers in charge of ship duty also do not understand. I guess they are the type that would have voted for Trump.

Thanks for the recommendation  Powerful!

R

USC Films USC Composers

Visited USC last night for a student composers concert. Not very interesting.

Just happened into a film showing before the concert featuring "A Sinner in Mecca." (see the web page: http://asinnerinmecca.com/). Just its very existence astounds because its filming was life threatening. Further, I assumed that the pilgrimage to Mecca only involved the Tawaaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba. This film reveals the entire process that involves many additional very difficult rites. Insights into the policies and practices of our political friends, the Saudis, truly frightens me. Comparison of Muslims in Saudi Arabia and India was insightful. A major film, but not for the closed minded or weak hearted.

Also, in the panel discussion I learned of a group on the USC campus that calls themselves "secular humanists" that brings a positive pitch to the negative term "atheist." They study the many faces of spirituality. Hmmmmmmmm!  A better vector?

Its refreshing to learn (again) that one path to answer an expected question (What are the USC composers doing?) might lead to a second unexpected one.