Now
that I've gone ahead and redacted myself from the {redacted}SO, I
intend to begin blogging again, although the subject matter will
probably be substantially different than before. But more on
retirement will be forthcoming later. The pressing concern of the
moment is a concert by The Growlers: A Double Bass Ensemble, exactly
one week from today. Details are below.
I'm
very happy to be performing Logs, by Paul Chihara on this concert.
It has been a favorite of mine since college days, way back in the
late 1970s. Most notable to me is Chihara's use of the 'circular
bowing' technique, which produces a very earthy, organic kind of
sound, evoking feelings of being deep within a quiet, ancient forest,
sensing that trees are truly alive. The inspiration for the piece
apparently came from Zen breathing exercises in The Art of Archery.
Our performance of Logs will use six double basses, spread out as
much as space will allow, hopefully giving the audience the sensation
of being surrounded by old trees. Indeed, what is a double bass, if not
an old log fashioned into something else?
