Aardvark Blog

Today is much like other days even though it's a Sunday. There's still the same routines and chores to go through. At last I have some breathing space and can try to formulate a plan. This plan is no less grandiose than my usual plans and boils down to finding a suitable project to work on and then making the time to complete the project. As a result of time simply spent thinking, I have made a lot of headway today.

I just wrote a private post only visible to myself!

Things are not quite what they seem. Of course, we know that things are open to interpretation.

I have been toying with publishing some fiction here, but that isn't really the happiest choice for blog posting.

I played through Piano Piece No.6 today, a "serious" composition which I am hoping my colleague Louis Alvanis will learn with a view to premiering either here or in NY.

In other musical news, I have now written 16 of the projected 17 mini etudes entitled genre benders for solo flute which are gradually being recorded by Johann Chan on YouTube.

I've heard from Mike Turtle in Switzerland who's masterminding the October recording sessions of songs that I wrote in the second half of 2008. Most of the work for that project is complete by now.

I intend to write a new work for 'Cello for David Johnstone from now until completion. David is based in Spain but plays in the UK from time to time.

Is a blog really meant to be about "what happened today"?

If that were the case it would just be an online diary.

I prefer to write about what didn't happen today.

Well OK another day has happened just as I predicted; Tomorrow however will be different.

"The above" was going to be my blog, but on consideration it had more of a tweet feel to it.

The 6th flute piece (in the projected set of 17) has been recorded for YouTube by Johann Chan in HK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXbSHkYfGk8

In other news, a quiet day sorting and arranging sheet music which needs to have lyrics put to it - the choice is leaving the music as instrumentals but the producer thinks the more vocal tracks the better.

I've been working away at the Switzerland project largely. I've had to come up with some more music for a couple of the proposed tracks and some new ideas for lyrics on tracks which were previously instrumentals. The feedback I've had from Mike Turtle so far via email has been positive and I hope to near completion within the next couple of weeks.

The project is going to go ahead in October 2009 without me needing to be physically present in Switzerland.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7955542.stm

I just found the story above and thought it was quite amusing.

Heard from Johann Chan (flute) in HK he's generally pleased with the way the new 17 flute pieces have turned out. He's struggling a bit with #5 and technically it has some tricky moments. I offered to recompose it or to put in a substitute piece of music (i.e. scrap the current #5 and replace it completely) but he wants to have one last go at it as it stands at present (this is for a YouTube performance).

Daytimes are spent teaching 1-2-1 Piano - more advanced students do such things as theory and composition. Evenings are often spent playing cards - not poker as seems to be all the rage these days, but bridge.

I managed to fit in a trip to see the new Clough movie on Thursday night and found it highly entertaining.

Things are generally better today than yesterday if that isn't too vague!

I'm going to try to time-rationalize today to see if I can have a more constructive 24 hours. I've certainly got enough free time ahead so there are no excuses.

Uninstalled and re-installed AIM as I think it was this of the three new chat facilities that was causing me the most agro.

I can reformat the desktop icons but the web pages are still in large format. I might word this up and put it on Ask or Answer as a technical question if I can't sort things out soon.

I am looking for the answer to many questions. Days pass and a few of these questions gradually get answered. The vast majority of them however, rarely see the light of day.

In the mean time I have pencilled in a few spare hours tomorrow for writing annoying or puzzling questions on Ask or Answer. I won't avalanche the page (as I'm aware of bolging etiquette), but I'll gradually release questions at the rate of one every 24 to 48 hours.

Highlights (or lowlights) of the day.

Worked far too hard leaving little time for bolging.

However, managed to find some bolging time anyway.

How is it that you fit more into a busy day than a non-busy one?

Ask or Answer group some people are revealing how they hit upon using their pseudonym. I'm taking the 5th for the moment.

I have to go late night supermarket shopping again - it's the best time for it.