February 29 - A Leap to Review

Harriet out on a job early on that once-in-four-years day

(where slightly less that half the rain for the entire month falls, and certainly still not enough), and I following suit soon after, with a review of Week 6 material for the Theoreticians (manifesting the recent pattern of introducing topics, including matters of Dictation / Keyboard-Solfege, on Monday and Tuesday, with a Wednesday recapituation), plus pretty much  at last finishing up the first cycle of student compositions, proceeding ahead to the second.  Return to do the days other musical activities, including Merton Songs 22 pdf, and composition for Psalm 88 (6) and The Decameron (31).

February 28 - Clouded

After preparing for both Theory and the substitute teaching gig well into the night, rise to work on 21st-Century Music items before heading off to Diablo.  Perhaps it is the compromised parking situation, but after carrying the material for Brett's class separately into the music building (to ensure that the session will be remembered), somehow all the material gets piled up together upon arrival, and, after the Dictation / Keyboard-Solfege / Board Harmony on Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas: When I Am Laid, somehow all endeavors beyond are overlooked, by lingering overlong with students in need of tutorial.  Alas, will have to cover entire Baroque in 75 minutes, during the second substitute session later this week...

Catch a quick lunch and return to grade papers before the evening class, where we proceed through the Renaissance in a slightly more reasonable three hours,

looking ahead to Claudio Monteverdi, Heinrich Schutz, et. al. for next week.  Out with Owen, meeting  Doreen, thereafter, and returning for late night pdf'ing and composing (Merton Songs 21, Psalm 88 5, Decameron 30).

February 27 - Progressive Birthday

Happy Anniversary to Harriet!

And -- after the day's 21st-Century Music work,

Diablo Valley College Theory (Dictation / Board Harmony on Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo: Tu se' morta, plus E and C Minor [Natural and Harmonic], A and E Major, and engaging student compositions),

the

viewful

reverse

commute,

and

errands --

head off together for

an afternoon of dining

and scenic driving,

first

to

Manka's

Corner,

with albondigas,

beer,

chardonay, and

salad

on the

terrace. 

After

a

leisurely

tour

of Gordon, Wooden, and Suisun Valleys...

loop

back

towards

Fairfield

and

beyond

the

greening,

cloud-

dappled

Poverty

Hills

to Chevy's for cabernet, guacamole, and Mexican coffee, ending up at a chicken take-out joint, and returning home.  Among the evening's activities, the next pages of pdf and composition for Merton Songs, Psalm 88, and The Decameron (respectively pages 20, 4, and 29).

February 26 - Better Here

While Harriet is out at a rehearsal, revisit March of the Penguins (still a bit under the weather, but not so much as the arctic birds, their struggles so much reflecting life, the universe, and everything), do pdf of Merton Songs 19, compose pages 3 and 28 respectively re Psalm 88 and The Decameron, and work on matters concerning Fresh Voices XII and Goat Hall Productions in general.

February 25 - Looking Up, Despite It All

Home with Harriet, acquiring and re-visiting Vanya on 42nd Street (1994, a film of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, 1897) and all is lucky (despite the summer string of five temps in the 70's ending with a high of only 63 today) -- including the daily 21st-Century Music work, pdf of Merton Songs 18, and composition of Psalm 88 (a synthetic mode --- C-D-E-G-Ab-C-Eb -- rhythmically off-kilter spin after Peter Cornelius's like-named liturgical work and Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 9: II) and The Decameron (respectively pages 2 and 27).

February 24 - Dark Alterations

Feeling a bit on the mend, and the weather still cooperating, continuing the first temps above 70 for the year (81 days since the last so), in this run of four days (72, 75, 73, 73 -- last year's three-day run of related highs... 77, 78, 71... happened even earlier, on February 5-7, in a year with an 80-day lower-temp gap).  A fine time to do 21st-Century Music work and Pdf of Merton Songs 17, beginning composition of Psalm 87 and continuing that for The Decameron, with page 26 --

then

off

to Goat Hall Productions Board Meeting.

Life changes...

Later, acquire and watch Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn's My Dinner with Andre (1981).

Also receive an email question from Charles Hiroshi Garrett -- of Grove Online and The Grove Dictionary of American Music, Second Edition -- re humor in recent art music; and will definitely turn to this subject tomorrow...