Comments on: Here and There

By: Eddy and Willie (and the late Rider) from San Francisco

Eddy and Willie (and the late Rider) from San Francisco — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 03:47:49 +0000

Nico, you beautiful boy with a love for our late dog Rider…I wonder if you’d consider the incredible animal suffering that went into the meal you just described eating. I know it’s delicious and all…

[Oh no RIDER! So sorry to hear. I’m always considering animal suffering; I was just looking at pictures of me and my mother feeding our lambs as a kid…it rides high in the mind. Surely the most polite way to venerate the whole thing is to eat its neglected bits, though? And if it’s had a nice life, a final anointing in butter…]

By: Toby

Toby — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:04:47 +0000

Somebody gave me a pointer on eliciting answers or questions (in a classroom context, but it applies here too): Most teachers who pose questions to classes don’t wait long enough for the students to answer. And they think they’re waiting longer than they actually are. (I don’t remember the specific numbers, but it’s on the order of a teacher who thinks he’s waited through, say, fifteen seconds of miserable silence has only waited three seconds.)

Of course I don’t know how long you’re already waiting, and of course as a composer you’re more attuned to how long something takes than the average teacher might be, but still, think about doubling how long you let the silence hang before you let your audience off the hook. The shy ones with good questions may need that much time to realize that it’s on them to break the ice.

I’d love to hear whether this make sense to you, and if so, how it works. And keep up the lovely observations about cities.

By: andrea

andrea — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:49:57 +0000

Spot on about the three kinds of question-posers…

By: Lucian

Lucian — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:49:48 +0000

The part with asking questions — just don’t answer them yourself cause then you would be like a gay muppet.
I went to your Bedroom Community gig in Ghent and I think it was really really beyond great.
What are you doing for the World Soundtrack Awards exactly?

Thanks very much! I know, the gay muppet thing is a nightmare. I won a WSA last year so this year I have the pleasure of playing. I’ma do the big cue from the end of the Reader with the bass trombone solo.

By: Daniela Dias Ortega

Daniela Dias Ortega — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:43:24 +0000

Waw, your blog is so nice.

the joy of the modern condition… haehae

By: Cory

Cory — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:38:04 +0000

Dude….beef tartare….how do you eat that??