Henning's Headquarters

[Karl Henning]

What does the title mean?  Is it a place or idea or?  In any event, it's lovely!

PD

Good q. It looks Finnish to my eye, and only recently I've learnt that it's a place name in California. 'at's all I know at press time!

[Karl Henning]

Cross-post:

At Jordan Hall for the Bartók quartets, to be played by the Borromeo String Quartet.

Borromeo Quartet delivers dazzling performance of Bartók's six string quartets at Jordan Hall

[Karl Henning]

Well, the first two "we didn't select your piece" notices have come in, from Voices Up! and Bent Frequency. I hadn't had much hope for the latter, knowing one of the judges on the panel, who has been less than open to my work historically.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Well, the first two "we didn't select your piece" notices have come in, from Voices Up! and Bent Frequency. I hadn't had much hope for the latter, knowing one of the judges on the panel, who has been less than open to my work historically.

Hang in there,

PD

[Karl Henning]

This, I think, is a great philosophy to have.

I don't comment much in this thread, but it is one of the few I keep up with.

Thanks for sharing, Karl. :-)

Thanks!

[Karl Henning]

Hang in there,

PD

Thanks!

[Scion7]

Nostalgic squirrels?
Eh, wot?!?!? 

[Cato]

Nostalgic squirrels?

Eh, wot?!?!? 

[/quote]

Ah yes!  Squirrels can indeed be nostalgic, squeakily lamenting the loss of oak trees to supposed human progress, remembering walnut and hickory trees devoid of nets to prevent a squirrelly harvest of their production, chittering and chattering with sighing sorrow about nuts buried and forgotten...

And that lovable but bumblable moose!  Whatever happened to him? 

[Karl Henning]

Nostalgic squirrels?
Eh, wot?!?!? 

Believe it!

[Karl Henning]

Viz. the saxophone: I am not yet "playing" per se, but still at the "sounding tones" stage. Although my embouchure cannot be what it ought, my friend Peter has furnished a plastic reed on which (while I suspect it may not be ideal for any professional player) I have no problem sounding a reasonable tone. When I met Peter at the (51^st annual!) Aardvark Jazz Orchestra Holiday Concert, he offered to get together for a kind of lesson, which will be nice. This will be sometime in the New Year, of course. Mike (my physical therapist) helped me adjust my neckstrap, which is a great help. I'm finding that I need to be mindful of my left thumb on the thumb "dead-post," a button just below the octave key. Even more, I need to be mindful of my other fingers. I stand at a mirror so that I can see what's going on. The first step is managing the thumb-to-index-finger "pinch," getting the finger to curve around the instrument so that it reaches the appropriate key. This is going to be the task of a couple of weeks, I expect.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Viz. the saxophone: I am not yet "playing" per se, but still at the "sounding tones" stage. Although my embouchure cannot be what it ought, my friend Peter has furnished a plastic reed on which (while I suspect it may not be ideal for any professional player) I have no problem sounding a reasonable tone. When I met Peter at the (51^st annual!) Aardvark Jazz Orchestra Holiday Concert, he offered to get together for a kind of lesson, which will be nice. This will be sometime in the New Year, of course. Mike (my physical therapist) helped me adjust my neckstrap, which is a great help. I'm finding that I need to be mindful of my left thumb on the thumb "dead-post," a button just below the octave key. Even more, I need to be mindful of my other fingers. I stand at a mirror so that I can see what's going on. The first step is managing the thumb-to-index-finger "pinch," getting the finger to curve around the instrument so that it reaches the appropriate key. This is going to be the task of a couple of weeks, I expect.

Didn't know that you also played the sax.  Any other instruments? 

I suspect that all of us here and your other friends and family are very proud of your tenacity.  And keep at it!   

PD

[Cato]

Didn't know that you also played the sax. Any other instruments?

I suspect that all of us here and your other friends and family are very proud of your tenacity.  And keep at it! 

PD

Karl is a composer: he "plays" all the instruments! 

But he is a bona-fide clarinettist! 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Karl is a composer: he "plays" all the instruments! 

But he is a bona-fide clarinettist! 

I knew that he played the clarinet! lol  Didn't know about the sax (and maybe other instruments?).

PD

[Karl Henning]

I knew that he played the clarinet! lol  Didn't know about the sax (and maybe other instruments?).

PD

As I was a better-than-average clarinetist, my band director recruited me to play alto saxophone in the Stage Band, and, because I did not want my clarinet exposed to the elements, I played tenor saxophone in Marching Band. Consequently, I did a lot of doubling in the pit orchestra for sundry musicals. I had an experimental go at making a sound on (e.g.) flute, trumpet, baritone horn. 

[Karl Henning]

Didn't know that you also played the sax.  Any other instruments? 

I suspect that all of us here and your other friends and family are very proud of your tenacity.  And keep at it! 

PD

Your kind thoughts are warmly appreciated!
~ Tenacious K.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Your kind thoughts are warmly appreciated!
~ Tenacious K.

  😘

PD

[Karl Henning]

Merry Christmas from the Woburn Public Library!

[Karl Henning]

So, predictably, more rejection e-mail msgs are coming in. (I should check the ACF Opportunities page again.)  I haven't been composing, as I needed to get the church choir poised for Christmas (a week from today) but I've felt I should set to writing something, I knew not what. Inspired by a slight Rodrigo piece on Friday's program in Lowell, I've decided to write an eight-minute piece for flute and strings: Pocketsful of Uncertainty. I've got the first half-minute done, and I've set up the introduction of the string choir.

[Cato]

So, predictably, more rejection e-mail msgs are coming in. (I should check the ACF Opportunities page again.)  I haven't been composing, as I needed to get the church choir poised for Christmas (a week from today) but I've felt I should set to writing something, I knew not what. Inspired by a slight Rodrigo piece on Friday's program in Lowell, I've decided to write an eight-minute piece for flute and strings: Pocketsful of Uncertainty. I've got the first half-minute done, and I've set up the introduction of the string choir.

What an intriguing theme!  Full of uncertainty is right!  Excellent beginning!

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!