Snow/Nico Muhly
Listening to this, read this and reading this. Plus school, which will probably absorb more and more of my time as the quarter progresses. The big snow we were supposed to get Tuesday night/Wednesday has disappeared from the forecast, replaced with high winds and rain. I am pleased, mostly for the sake of Tami’s commute/sanity, but a small part of me would have loved another good snowstorm, mostly because there’s nothing quite like escaping from the cold, especially with others. Being too hot makes close proximity with other warm bodies unbearable; being cold is the polar (ha!) opposite. During the Thanksgiving Snowpocalypse, I was waiting for the bus with friends, and after Metro failed time and again to get us home, we fled to a coffee shop to warm up and wait. Despite our misery, it was a wonderful evening.
When I said I’ve been listening to Nico Muhly, I wasn’t kidding. A Good Understanding has been on constant repeat, especially “Bright Mass With Canons” (which is the best title for a musical work since “Short Ride In A Fast Machine”) and “Senex Puerum Portabat” (which you can listen to about halfway down this blog post). It’s incredible how much he has accomplished before the age of 30, and seemingly effortlessly - it has been pointed out that he composes during and around online games of Scrabble. I’m going to be attempting my second composition for St. Thomas, and I can tell you that I’m useless with distractions. Even though I don’t have his natural gifts, the thing that impresses me the most about him is his fearlessness. When I read his blog, I can’t help but notice how self-assured he is, and unapologetic in his opinions. I was thinking today that I can’t imagine feeling old enough - I’ll be waiting until I’m 25, 28, 30, 40 for my feeling of authority to arrive. So, in that spirit, I will stand here, boldly, and tell you that you should listen to, even BUY (!!!) A Good Understanding. It’s totally worth your time.
