May 30 - Home for the Range

Have a nice chat with Sorrel, who is in Southern California for a short vacation, but alas, duties call, and we must remain north (although the weather throughout the state has been fairly middling, so, no matter on that account -- but also missing seeing John and family, and others), to lay groundwork for semester grades, plus the usual suspicious roster of activities, including 21st-Century Music work, composition of page 2 Psalm 58, transferring works through the Pied Piper Suite (Op. 132) from PC to MacBook via email, pdf'ing first movement of Book ("Prehistoric Atlas") (Op. 15), with another clip (the 22nd) added to the ongoing Camino Real: Block 9 video.

Also spend some time with Harriet taking up again the planning of a production for The Countess Cathleen, orchestrating page 1.  Plus, third run (first at night) to the Big Box, continuing to be impressed by prices and relative diversity of offerings.

February 8 - With Flowers

Compose the second page of Psalm 47 "Plaudite" ("Clap your Hands") and update 21st-Century Music, before blitzing to DVC mindful of receiving the word from Harriet as to hospital departure.  Like clockwork, minutes before 11 she calls, and it looks like noon will suffice, so there's time enough at least to teach an abbrieviated Theory session with dictation and board harmony on the Musica Enchiriadis Rex Coeli (Bass Clef C Major, Oblique, Parallel, and Contrary Motion) with a blog review of D Dorian and Minor, and E Phrygian --

then

taking

the

transit

towards

Vallejo.  Harriet has been able to take a stroll around the hall and can negotiate herself about the room with a contraption, so I am sent down for

medications from the amazingly busy and impresssively time-studied pharmacy, then back up to assist in leave-taking, carrying various bundles as she sets forth on wheels to the

valet-parking exit.  Frank and Marie come to our assistance as we arrive home.  After car and people-shuffling, Harriet is at the front step, where she takes a leap inside -- another sign of marked progress!  Many tasks throughout the afternoon (including a bit of paper grading), and one must depart for the early evening's foreshortened Music Literature (but, thankfully Marie is on hand to provide company).  The discussion ranges from Beginnings of Buddhism through Mesomenes of Crete, listening beyond to

Medieval Music I.

Check in with Doug and Owen, foregoing the late-night tradition, then home to look after Harriet, do the next piano-vocal-page-into-orchestration (7) of New Big People Old Trouble So Sunday (through page 47) and video of 



Pied Piper Suite: V. Rondeau - The Wonderful Music.

February 7 - Active Interlude

Update 21st-Century Music, begin composing Psalm 47 "Plaudite" ("Clap your Hands") in framework of Giovanni Gabrieli's spin on a related text, informed by the rhythms of Steve Reich's Clapping Music.  Keyboard-solfege for the Theoreticians is Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9: IV Ode to Joy, which is followed by introduction of D Dorian and Minor, and E Phrygian Modes.

Off to the hospital thereafter to visit Harriet, but, as our appointment is for mid-afternoon, there's time to explore

Crockett Hills Regional Park -- which has only been upgraded from closed land-bank status for the past couple of years (and OK, the exploration is definitely overdue) -- taking the unassumingly named

Edwards

Creek

Trail,

which actually vaults up almost back to Cummings Skyway.

Take a video of the greenway enroute that will probably be used for Poems on Crane: The Wayfarer.

Upon hitting

the 360-degree heights

adjacent to the

upper Boulevard

near the top, the first car to pass lingers, a window is rolled down for a calling out of "Mark!"  It's good old former student Spencer, who happens to live nearby and is just serendipidously driving by.  Do I want a ride?

As the time is now pressing, sure, and in no time we are back to point of origin at the trailhead, again in the car (greeting a friendly couple who we've encountered earlier),

and

on

through

Vallejo

to

the

medical

center,

It's

a bustling place today, now that the weekend is over, with challenging parking and good help that is unfortunately stretched a bit thin.

To the counterpoint an episode of All in the Family, Harriet is continuing to improve (under the care of an able staff, although there are challenges re therapy equipment, etc), and the word is that she can be released tomorrow.

Great news!

Heading

homeward,

it turns out to be a two-walk day,

with another short stroll along McGary Road,

now from Eucalyptus Bend

to

South Lynch Canyon Road

nigh

unto

the

municipal

border.

In

a

couple

of

hours

at

the residence, do the next piano-page-into-orchestration (6) for New Big People Old Trouble So Sunday (resulting in pages up to and including nine of II. Big),

then

bounce

back the city for

Lisa Scola Prosek's

Salon (with music of John Bilotta, Loren Jones, Martha Stoddard, and the hostess -- her Golden Gate Bridge settings -- plus the videos for Diabolic Variations: XXIII [Belly Dance] through XXVIII [Candlelight Procession]).

San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra

Board Meeting follows down the street at Erling's with a presentation from

John McGrew --perhaps our largest-attended meeting ever at 10

(make that 11 with Phil's appearance),

then home for the next Pied Piper Suite video



(IV. Pavane - Once More).