I'm very impressed by your (and Mr. PA's) knowledge and interest in the contemporary jazz scene, Art Ensemble of Chicago, etc. Maybe you've already told me, but for folks here, how did you get into that?

I have to confess the knowledge is almost all Mr. PA's. He grew up liking rock'n'roll, prog rock, all that stuff, but when he was in his 20s he started getting interested in more intellectual creative improvised music because has that kind of mind. I think it was mainly the idea that people could create something so intricate on the fly that got him hooked on it. He now has an encyclopedic knowledge of jazz, CIMP, and everything in between.

I did play composed modern music when I was in school and shortly after. I was in a couple of contemporary music groups. I enjoyed it, but there's not a lot of opportunity to play music like that unless you're in school. I also took a few classes -- 20th century literature from the composer Joel Hoffman was one (but we mostly talked about Stravinsky and the second Viennese school). I was the only classically oriented student who took the jazz history class at CCM while I was there.

I guess I'm kind of more simple-minded in my tastes -- I like older style jazz, bebop, and music along those lines -- but I keep going along for the ride with Mr. PA hoping for enlightenment.

Do you have a favorite color?

If you had the chance to interview a composer.

Who would it be and what would you ask?

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel:
Do you have a favorite color?

Blue. No! ... Aghhhh!

quote:

Originally posted by lilylady:
If you had the chance to interview a composer.

Who would it be and what would you ask?

That's an assignment that could easily take a month! Or a year! In fact, it would be a great topic for a term paper or a dissertation. Probably many of the things I would ask knowing only what I know now could be answered by reading about the person, which I would do if I knew I was going to be communicating with the dead.

But off the top of my head, and while I'm eating breakfast, I would ask J. S. Bach

-what he really meant by all those ornaments and how much leeway he expected the performer to take with them,
-if he felt that a nonreligious person could play his music effectively,
-what he thought about his music performed on our modern instruments,
-his favorite piece of music (his own and/or by another person), and
-if he wrote the fourth cello suite for a cello tuned to pitches more congenial to E flat major.

quote:

Originally posted by Piano Again:

-what he thought about his music performed on our modern instruments,

Now THAT would be interesting to me too!

I need to participate in these things more.

Finally someone I have met as a result of the forums!! with a few exceptions of course.

My only question is when are we going to have another piano party?

quote:

Originally posted by Big John:
I need to participate in these things more.

Finally someone I have met as a result of the forums!! with a few exceptions of course.

My only question is when are we going to have another piano party?

You're asking me? If it was at my house, the theme would be "how many people can fit into a 14 x 15 room with a 6-foot grand piano in it?"

And my answer to that question would be at least John, me, and my wife. Pittsburgh is not all that far from DC and John seems willing to travel, too (maybe all that trucking experience).

I'm sorry we didn't have an opportunity to talk more in Philadelphia, but I guess we're both somewhat non-assertive. I'm delighted too that you've been the WTFer of the month. I'm left with the impression that I'd know you better if I read your blog, but I almost never engage in that activity.

With that lead-in, I'll ask these questions...

"What do you think would most surprise someone meeting you for the first time who didn't know you?"

"Given a week's time with nothing else to do and unlimited resources, how would you spend that time?"

Big Al

quote:

Originally posted by big al:
And my answer to that question would be at least John, me, and my wife. Pittsburgh is not all that far from DC and John seems willing to travel, too (maybe all that trucking experience).

I'm sorry we didn't have an opportunity to talk more in Philadelphia, but I guess we're both somewhat non-assertive. I'm delighted too that you've been the WTFer of the month. I'm left with the impression that I'd know you better if I read your blog, but I almost never engage in that activity.

With that lead-in, I'll ask these questions...

"What do you think would most surprise someone meeting you for the first time who didn't know you?"

"Given a week's time with nothing else to do and unlimited resources, how would you spend that time?"

Big Al

As I sit here wondering if I should have made another chocolate pecan pie or if one is enough . . .

1. That I like musicals. I grew up listening to them because my parents bought a lot of soundtrack albums and took us to see a number of them. I saw Zero Mostel in "Fiddler on the Roof," and I have this memory of seeing Angela Lansbury as Mama Rose in "Gypsy" but can't remember exactly where that would have been. I even dragged Mr. PA to a sing-along "Sound of Music" once where there was a costume contest (though we didn't participate in that). He didn't hate it as much as he thought he would, and he actually liked the movie.

2. Unlimited resources and time for a week? This will sound frivolous, but one thing I'd do would be to go and see a great image consultant to get advice on the best look for me (clothes, hair style, etc.), and then I'd have them order everything and have it tailored to fit if necessary.

I'd have a lesson with a great piano teacher who would evaluate my playing and help me figure out the best way to improve. Then I'd take a lesson on each of the other days to fine tune this evaluation, after practicing enough to get something out of each one.

Every day, I'd spend at least an hour outdoors or in some interesting place like a museum or art gallery (which I always have a problem with because I feel like once I've paid for admission I need to spend the whole day there, when really an hour or so at a time is enough).

I'd hire someone to clean my house from top to bottom, prep rooms for repainting that need it (so I could paint them myself -- I like doing the painting but not the prep), and repair anything that needs repairing/refurbishing.

(I wish I could think of public service that I could do in a week, such as discrediting Glenn Beck in the eyes of the American public, but alas, I think I'd be better off shoring myself up with self-improvement.)

As for the piano party: I think we'd be full up with the five of us (you, Mrs. Al, Big John, Mr. PA, and I). Unless everyone stood up in rows wall to wall. We do have a nice-sized living room, but with a not very nice upright piano in it. The good piano is in a smaller room with a door on it so I can practice whenever I want in privacy.

quote:

Originally posted by Piano Again:
If it (piano party) was at my house, the theme would be "how many people can fit into a 14 x 15 room with a 6-foot grand piano in it?"

Ha, that's an easy question! My living room is even smaller, so people just kind of wandered in and out as they felt like doing. I think at one point there were 15 people, but we were scattered all over the place.

nice reading this thread and getting to know you P A.

quote:

Originally posted by apple*:
nice reading this thread and getting to know you P A.

what apple said. i've really enjoyed your blog, too.