Henning's Headquarters

[Cato]

There is a lot of insight in your analysis. It pointed out to me some things of which I was not full-frontally aware.

And that places you with the best artists!  Allowing things to happen unconsciously is a key to transcending mediocrity.

Being too conscious of everything in an artwork will practically guarantee a contrived and uninteresting result.  e.g. Writers who pre-plan everything, even the symbolism, will end up with a calculated and shallow story.  The characters will become puppets or cardboard cut-outs following a script and will have no free will.

Thomas Mann once wrote to a professor who had written an analysis of Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain).

Mann thanked him for his effort and said that the essay revealed many things to him which he had never noticed!

But again, that is as it should be!      

The composer needs to follow where the musical ideas lead, and not force them down pre-set paths: that discovery, the discovery of where the musical idea wants to go and how it wants to develop, is part of the excitement of creation, and that excitement will be transferred to the listener.  Like a character in a novel, the motif, the theme, whatever the musical idea might be called, needs free will to do what it wants!

[Karl Henning]

I've had to inform Heinrich that the Henning Ensemble will be unable to mount a concert for our April date. I've told him that I'll reach out when we're earworthy again. One reason is that our hornist-composer Pam Marshall has repatriated to Portugal. And another member has suffered the loss of her husband, and is therefore simply overwhelmed by logistical concerns, atop her grief.

[Karl Henning]

My friend Todd Brunel asked today if I had something for clarinet and piano. I've sent him the Clarinet Sonata. We shall see.

[relm1]

My friend Todd Brunel asked today if I had something for clarinet and piano. I've sent him the Clarinet Sonata. We shall see.

That's awesome!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!  He'll pass it on to his collaborative pianist, and they're meeting tomorrow, so at the least, eyes will look it over.

[aligreto]

Thanks!  He'll pass it on to his collaborative pianist, and they're meeting tomorrow, so at the least, eyes will look it over.

A good start! Best wishes.

[Cato]

My friend Todd Brunel asked today if I had something for clarinet and piano. I've sent him the Clarinet Sonata. We shall see.

That's awesome!

AMEN!  Excellent news! 

We need more of Karl's music: spread the good news of musical salvation!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, all!

[Karl Henning]

Courtesy of Facebook, this was a post I wrote 11 March 2019:

I've begun work on a new piece for Ensemble Aubade, something of a companion piece to Oxygen Footprint. I have indeed been thinking about such a piece since my time in rehab, although the piece as I have started working in earnest now, is of a somewhat different character than my initial conception, or it may be that the original idea may serve for a coda, rather than as the principal material. I am thinking about 4 or 5 minutes for the new piece, which I am calling Swiss Skis.

Since I'm not much composing this year (so far?) this was a nice reminder.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Courtesy of Facebook, this was a post I wrote 11 March 2019:
Since I'm not much composing this year (so far?) this was a nice reminder.

Swiss Skis....movie scored by KH starring Roger Federer and family? 

PD

[Karl Henning]

(* chortle *)

[Karl Henning]

Holy cow! A classmate sent me my high school yearbook photo ....

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Holy cow! A classmate sent me my high school yearbook photo ....

Oh, my!

Now who came up with the bit about "mercenary musician......"?

PD

[Luke]

LOVE this photo       But it raises many mysteries!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

LOVE this photo       But it raises many mysteries!

Yep! 

PD

[relm1]

Holy cow! A classmate sent me my high school yearbook photo ....

Impressive!

[Karl Henning]

Just now home from church. My choir did very nicely, and I've got our music all taped out through Easter. A solid morning's work--and in spite of the onerous time change!

[Cato]

Just now home from church. My choir did very nicely, and I've got our music all taped out through Easter. A solid morning's work--and in spite of the onerous time change!

To paraphrase Chief Dan George: "Only the white man would change a clock and think he has saved daylight!"   

Glad to hear the good news!

[Karl Henning]

I get blast emails from the American Composers Forum, an organization which, bluntly, hasn't done the least thing for me yet this century. Today's message is an invitation to a webinar Wednesday on networking with orchestras. Although my expectations are lower than a hungry snake's belly in a wheel trough, registration is free, and it won't rise to the level of being useless to me, if I don't participate. And, hard-earned pessimism aside, what if some actual benefit results?

[Cato]

I get blast emails from the American Composers Forum, an organization which, bluntly, hasn't done the least thing for me yet this century. Today's message is an invitation to a webinar Wednesday on networking with orchestras. Although my expectations are lower than a hungry snake's belly in a wheel trough, but registration is free, and it won't rise to the level of being useless to me, if I don't participate. And, hard-earned pessimism aside, what if some actual benefit results?

True!  You might as well give it a try, given that there is no registration fee.