We enjoyed a fabulous day of distraction yesterday. I spent the early morning doing some comp-work, responding to questions from performers preparing recordings of Anima/Animus (Chris Nappi, the marimbist it’s written for), and Six Humors for Shelter Recordings. The violinist working on Six Humors was someone I’d not known and, like Eliot and Ran who recorded On Balance, he’s just wonderful to work with.

When working with a performer on a project, it’s always via close contact. Together in a practice room or office; at the very least, phone conversations. But given that these are really introductions at a time of pandemic–‘shelter’ being the operative word in this project–the primary mode of connection is written via email...

At long last, we’re in Surf City.

We arrived yesterday morning at 1030, and the movers were here waiting for us, 30 minutes earlier than expected. And they were a super efficient and nice crew of 3 gents. 90 minutes later, furniture and tons of boxes were in the house, ready for unpacking and organizing.

Pattie spent the day cleaning some things, unpacking a ton. I mostly worked on repairing a few things around here. The workmanship we found was spotty; some things done very, very well, and other things done quite poorly. My main task yesterday was to fix very leaky shower/tub faucets. Two trips to Lowes (one for advice, one for parts), which then led me to Wilmington to a plumbing supply store, and three attempts to rebuild the faucet cartridge and, success...

I was raised to consider the police as a source of assistance. And there have been times–stranded on a highway with a car that won’t run–that I’ve felt a relief in the assistance offered. But that’s certainly not the bulk of my experience with police, and not at all the experience that non-white, non-males have had.

It shouldn’t be necessary to have videos of police abusing their power, their badges of authority, the intimidation of their sidearms to know that many in communities throughout this country have been killed, abused, effected in profound ways by police.

To see that so many are reconsidering what “police” are for, what sort of protection we, as a society, need/want from this public service–this is more than necessary...

These are learning days for me. Specifically, ‘attending’ a few days of workshops relating to online teaching; Canvas, our online system; ways to organize within that system; technical matters, etc.

What’s clear to me is that this is going to be a ton of work–but it seems equally clear that once it’s done this will save alot of work in terms of delivery of materials, and even in terms of grading/giving feedback. Each subsequent run will offer chances to improve/tweak, of course, but this first run will certainly be the most difficult.

And speaking of learning, this video came through this morning; Jackson clearly learning to shake his head ‘no.’

Yesterday was Joe’s 32nd birthday. This morning they video-called and we all enjoyed a nice visit. Jackson now crawling all over, very determined to get where he wants; when redirected, he turns right around to get back to his goal. Pulling himself up easily, even standing unaided for a few seconds on occasion.

The living room there has become his playroom, and there’s so much to play with. He’s a joy to watch, and now clearly becoming a handful. It’s good they’re both home to watch him, and to enjoy his milestones and antics.

What a relief from the day-to-day news to see Jackson, to know they’re all ok, healthy.

Maybe there’s solace in the huge turnouts for protests. So many cops still acting as though the anonymity they find behind armor, shields and masks (yet again, masks playing a role), makes their militaristic, third-world, power-hungry tactics acceptable.

Correspondence/dialogue with my dear sis has been helpful over the past day. Reaching back to memories of family, of the perspectives that molded our sense of ‘differences.’ So interesting as we found those starkly contrasted models among those who’d themselves been singled out.

So curious to me that the effects of being singled out lead o different paths. Like victims of domestic abuse, i suppose, some are led to follow in their abusers’ steps; others do whatever they can to stem the tide of such models...

The world’s in a horrible state, and I get notice that this recording is now publicly posted and available. I don’t know how to process the idea of music–organized sounds with no literal message–having import at a moment like this. I post the music here, because it’s an honor to have had fabulous musicians–Eliot Heaton and Ran Cheng–apply their gifts and time to the order I’ve tried to create; and because I think ACA has done a great service to both composers and performers in generating this “Shelter Recordings” project.

I spoke with a dear friend yesterday, a gifted clarinetist with whom i’ve worked on many occasions, over many years...

Centuries of abuse, decades of police brutality, years of undeniable video proof of killings throughout this country, of hateful, deeply ingrained prejudices on plain display. So very many peaceful protests over so very many years, ignored or fodder for creating distraction via discussion about patriotism.

We are in a moment of both implosion and explosion. Coming out of pandemic-driven lockdowns and business closures for months, desperate people are crying out, screaming out for justice; and others are using the confusion to loot businesses trying to reopen.

Who’s to blame now becomes fodder for creating distractions, again, via discussion about who is a “law & order” political party, about Antifa...

just a horrific few days this past week. That we’re living in a time when the spirit of Gerge Wallace is louder than the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. More than infuriating, more than depressing, more than discouraging.

From the top on down, the institutions that comprise the powers within the U.S. are so rigged against the non-white, the non-male. Could it be that this country is boiling over, again, as it did 60 years ago, 50 years ago, 40 years ago.

I honestly did not think I’d be saying this any time soon, but yesterday Pattie and I did a walk-through at in Surf City.  A very small punch list, and we’re likely to go there next Friday to do a deep clean, then have everything moved back in about 2 weeks from now.  After 19 months, we’ll actually get to spend lots of time there this summer, much to our surprise, and we’re psyched!

There’s a long list of things to take care of (taxes, house stuff), get to work on (teaching online, learning software), and continue (writing projects). Sensing today the things I want to accomplish before next Friday, as i know that when we get to Surf City there will be about a week of cleaning, then moving in, before any return to work is practical...