Day's Big Adventure

Sometimes you eat the City and sometimes, well, the City eats you

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:53:00 +0000

I like to think of August as The Month When Everything Changed. In two consecutive years running, August has marked a substantial shift in my paradigm, and usually for the better.

I'm not unhappy that this August seemed to float by rather smoothly. As well it should. Numerologically speaking, 8-08 should be the most auspicious month in 20 years.

In August of 2006, I moved to this crazy city. That's known history to all of you, I'm sure. But I can say with absolute certainty that I didn't feel like I understood this place until August 2007.

"The Moment" came to me in the 5:30 yoga class at OM on 12th street, when I was resting in child's pose after enduring some rather difficult poses for what seemed to be an ungodly length of time. The teacher, Sarah, used the opportunity to speak to us about realizing that, while we may feel tired or sore from the effort, "this too shall pass." Because we all really did need to use that time to recover, Sarah went on to talk at greater length about accepting the moment for what it is, realizing the impermanence of everything. No matter how bad (or good) things are, surely a more pressing feeling will arise from within us and will carry us away toward new thoughts and feelings, all of which are equally valid.

It was during that moment that I realized that I was carrying some pretty heavy feelings from my very recent past - the subway frustrations, the friendlessness, the empty feeling one gets when they walk through street after street of strangers who do not smile, the feeling that one is entirely expendable - and then, I made my choice. I decided to be happy, no matter what the circumstances, and to be grateful for all of it. Even the terrible parts, like how hot it is on the 7 platform in Grand Central.

Immediately following all of that, a hiring streak at my job led to meeting two of my very best friends in the city and, well, ever, and so things got much, much better very, very quickly.

While I do privately celebrate that moment in yoga class, I've never publicly expressed that story. It was the moment of tuning in to the City and answering its demands. I mention it because I came across this story in the New York Times, and it seemed so appropriate to write a reaction in this neglected blog.

The City is very much a character in the lives of those who choose to live here. The City can be a complete asshole at times, and very docile and manageable at others. I think the stories of those 20-somethings in the article are very true to the nature of what it really feels like within the first year of living here, and how to some it can seem like an irrational decision to have made. I knew that moving to New York City would be the hardest thing I'd ever decided to do, and I'm happy to report that with great risk comes great reward.

I'd love to hear from those of you who have decided to move here, for fame or for fortune. When was your "moment" and how long did it take you to feel like NYC was your home?

Pop Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Mon, 19 May 2008 02:54:00 +0000

What's wrong with this picture?

Hint: The guy in the picture is Bill Gates.

Levity

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:02:00 +0000

My last post is just too depressing to keep at top billing, so consider this a fair way to shake things up a little around here:

For the record, this is the first image returned in a Google Image search for "funny picture." I guess it lives up to its search criteria.

To Buffalo

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:16:00 +0000

My Grandma Anderson passed away yesterday at the age of 84. It's difficult for me to pinpoint an exact cause of death - no one seems to know, exactly. I'd like to believe that she died of old age, but part of me knows that she more or less gave up after taking a spill down the stairs in her home last fall.

It is my belief that she simply didn't want to continue trying anymore. She didn't want to take part in physical therapy, preferring instead to confine herself to a wheel chair. No matter what reward was set in front of her, she simply sat, and waited.

And so it is with mixed emotions that I will travel to Buffalo today for her services on Monday and Tuesday. I am sorry that her life was so full of sorrow that she decided to bide her time, passively waiting for death to come. At the same time, I am glad her life is over, because that is what she wanted most of all. It's what she's wanted for years.

I'll miss my Grandma. She was always very kind to me. She always spoke to me as a human being, and I appreciated that. I know that children deserve to be addressed honestly and openly; that is something my Grandma taught me. I hope that, in the end, she was able to find her peace. She deserved that, in the very least.

Day's Adventure in the Big Apple

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:33:00 +0000

Yesterday, I actually had an adventure in NYC. Given the title of this blog, you would think that I would be participating in a great deal more shenanigans, but my life is actually rather mundane. In any case, given the rarity of yesterday's fun, I feel that I should blog about it, just to ensure that "Day's Adventures" keeps its quota of 10% adventure, 90% banality.

Because it is finally getting warmer, a couple of friends and I decided to meet in Central Park yesterday. We began in the Southeast corner of the park and headed upwards, into the center of the park. There we scrambled on a few rock faces and generally lounged in a hidden spot, where we could spy on passers-by below.

Afterward, we wandered around until we saw a temporary roller skating arena. It was amazing! There was an extraordinarily gifted skater there who could balance a water bottle on his head while skating at any speed in any direction. It was a sight to behold - and I cannot bear to tarnish the memory by poorly describing it further. I wish I had a picture to share, but I was far too dumbfounded to think about pulling the camera out of my bag at the time.

Afterward we strolled the mall. The trees were just budding, which gave the walkway an impressionistic feel, as though the trees were surrounded by vague images of leaves. Pointillism.

We then came across a truly grassy knoll, with actual grass. I'm disgustingly excited to see real, actual grass anymore, now that I exclusively pound the pavement. Actually walking upon dirt and grass and nature and stuff just feels so good, just like in my memories of a time when I used to take grass for granted.

After sitting on the wonderfully green and healthy sod for a good long time, watching a small dog play with a pink bouncy ball, the next mission became clear: find a bathroom. Luckily we were near 72nd Street so it was relatively easy to walk to the Barnes and Noble near Lincoln Center. Those are my favorite public restrooms, since I believe that many people don't think to remember that they're available - you know, in there with the books and all. There is a Starbucks just a block down, and Starbucks in NYC have become synonymous with public restrooms, which further adds to the vacancy of the B & N restrooms.

In any case, darkness had fallen by then, and so we decided to eat burritos and drink beer. Luckily Harry's Burritos was nearby - although we had just missed happy hour by 5 minutes. A few beers after an afternoon adventure was just the ticket. Surely the best possible ending to a rather enjoyable afternoon

The Fame Whore World

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:03:00 +0000

The Real World is back on air, in its much anticipated 20th season. This time they're taking on Hollywood and have recruited cast members who have hopes of succeeding in the entertainment business. Which means that, for the first time in a long while, these roommates might actually exhibit some ambition.

I watched the inaugural episode of this season. To be honest, I was really struck by how awful some of these latest cast members seem to be - one guy flirted up a storm with a female roommate, until he found out that she happens to be a stripper. Then he "confessed" that it is impossible to have any real relationship with strippers in general, and so immediately began giving her the cold shoulder.

Two of the other male roommates got into it after one of them called another a "weirdo" for wearing a t-shirt in the jacuzzi, after which everyone got all riled up into a tizzy. Seems the name-calling roommate has worked everyone's nerves in just the 48 hours covered in this episode. The troubling part was that the offending roommate disparagingly called the weirdo roommate a "female" for overreacting at the name-calling incident.

Misogyny abounds.

This shall certainly be a season of hook-ups and general sluttiness (when's the last time this show wasn't about sex and alcohol?), featuring seven total strangers and complete fame whores. I guess the interesting part of this will be observing which of the cast members will actually work on their "art" in order to break into Hollywood, and which believe that they deserve to be famous, because EVERYONE is famous these days.

They can't be far off from the truth, thanks to these terrible unscripted (reality) televisions shows. They're ruining society, I tell ya.

La Awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:26:00 +0000

Today was a relatively rough day at work. It's bound to happen when you work in one place for years and years that you get a little bit sick of things ever now and again. At least, that's what I've discovered since working in a full time position at a company I respect about 15 months ago. Probably that's a lesson that was obvious to everyone else!

Anyway, I decided to go out to dinner to de-stress. We are fortunate to live about 9 blocks away from one of the best restaurants in Queens, called La Flor. There are several positive reviews floating around in the archives, and it also gets mentioned in Time Out New York, if that even matters.

I ordered the vegetable tacos, which sounds like a completely average item on any random menu, but they're not: grilled seasonal vegetables on homemade tortillas topped with freshly made avocado. Served with a salad and homemade red and green hot sauce on the side.

It was pure deliciousness, and has almost cured the pain.

Only one more day till the weekend...

Numerologically Speaking

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:20:00 +0000

I am loving the year 2008 so far, and not just because a couple of kick-ass things have happened so far. I've been appreciating all of the interesting dates that have passed: 2-4-08, 3-5-08, 4-4-08, and now 4-16-08. I just love the crunchiness of the math that has occured so far this year.

I know, I know, these types of things happen EVERY year. But this time, 8 is a power of two, which somehow adds to the effect.

You're more than welcome to call me crazy, but I think it's great fun.

Speaking of my obsession with numbers, the idea for my second tattoo is finally in place. Deciding on this has been a very delicate, years-long process, as I (like Craig Ferguson) believe that one must only ever have an odd number of tattoos.

Plus, I am facing the issue of space on my body. This is one that all tattoo collectors face, I imagine. Trying to plot multiple tattoos on a body that is prone to aging and sagging takes a bit of planning. Additionally, I have a small problem because my sole tattoo right now literally requires space: it is the constellation Libra.

Understanding how to get to tattoo number three (which I hope will be elephants of some quantity and certain style) was really the issue. So, tattoo No. 2 will have to be some sort of dividing element. I thought I'd get a few lines of text, in order to both delineate the space on my back and also to provide some sort of parenthetic remark on the tattoo directly above it, like a placard at a museum, or a signature line at the end of a letter.

One thing I really, really love (obviously) is data and numbers. Numbers that give you data. I mentioned this to another NYC friend of mine, and he said that I should consider adding a string of numbers that represents my birthday in C-Time.

Sold! That fits all of my criteria. It is specific to ME, involves information that is not easily deciphered, creates a "horizon," and also adds a commentary to the first tattoo.

I thought I'd add information regarding the longitude and latitude of the point of reference from which the constellation takes its inclination. Problem is, Angelina already has a tattoo in that vain, and I do not want to associate my tattoo with Brangelina for the rest of my life. Also, the hashes do not make for smooth number lines.

I decided, then (with the help of the same friend) to express the longitude and latitude of Silver Cross Hospital in Illinois exclusively in seconds. These would also be rather lengthy numbers, and they would present factual, unchanging information. The entire three lines put together would describe all that you'd need to know about the tattoo immediately above it!

At this point, I still need to beg someone with computer know-how to find out what 10-15-81 at 13:41 Central Times is in C-Time (which is the epoch of the Mac OS system and also the programming language C:). I also need to sit down and figure out what the latitude of Joliet IL is in the first place, let alone what it is in seconds.

But there you have it.

Oh! and one more thing about the numerological implications of this idea, which is what started me off on this grand explanation anyway:

Within 6 months, I will have two tattoos.

One of them will consist of three lines of numbers.

The other already consists of five stars.

All together, there will be eight separate elements that create these two tattoos.

Don't forget: 2 plus 3 is 5, and 3 plus 5 is 8. It's the Fibonacci Sequence! And also, 2, 3, 5, and 8 are prime numbers.

Wonderful number crunchiness abounds. Can't wait.

Where's Day???

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:44:00 +0000

Well, well, well.... it's been awhile hasn't it?

I must admit that, for a while there I was contemplating living my life without ever writing in a blog again. To be honest, despite the occasional spot of embarrassment after reading a six-month-old post, it didn't seem that much different.

For the past couple of weeks, then, I've been digesting the advice of a dear friend of mine whose mission it is to get me back into the Blogging Scene. Apparently this friend of mine read an article in Southwest Magazine on an airplane and that article told him that people should blog in order to keep their beloved friends, family and random strangers informed as to the goings-on of their life. Additionally, blogging is good for the maintenance of writing skills as well. I can't argue with that.

So the goings-on of my life? Some of that I can't tell you about - confidentiality and all. But I CAN share my relief that my company survived a sale - and even came out ahead! - which is comforting. No heads will roll, not even mine.

I also had the great privilege to perform The Rite of Spring with a very talented orchestra just this past weekend. No, this wasn't a paying gig. But it was great fun and quite rewarding. The Rite is truly a masterpiece, but you already knew that.

Otherwise, my life has been filled with exercising every now and then, spending too much money on excursions with my growing circle of NYC friends, having a regular Saturday night movie date in a high rise on 38th Street, listening to J. wish for a better job, and worrying about the ills of society.

That last phrase pretty much represents why I've not yet taken the time to type my most current musings about life in NYC. I live in a happy bubble of work and play, but there is definitely a sense of looming fear surrounding everything I do. After all, I'm about 8 miles as the crow flies from Wall Street and all the symbolism that brings.

Nevertheless - if I can get over this sense of foreboding than I shall certainly endeavor to blog more often. Maybe I'll even post pictures of kitty cats to brighten everyone's feed reader!

"Redesign"

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0000

I changed my blog's template! I'm not sure how much that matters, since most of my readers (all 4 of them) probably have me on their feed.

For a long time, I've been thinking about designing a page. It doesn't even seem worth it anymore, given the awesomeness of feed readers. I can't say that I don't really love Google Reader (actually I don't - I think there a couple of interface issues that are very unGooglelike, which is mildly troublesome and a little annoying when I'm trying to get things organized), but there is something sad about never really visiting someone's homepage. Half of the art of designing and maintaining a blog seems to be for naught.

There's also the dilemma of whether or not I should post my links anymore. Does it matter? Is there any real indication that my endorsement of my friend's blogs increases their traffic? Do I even have traffic? I took my stat counter down long ago, so I don't really even know.

Eh, whatev. There was a time when I cared whether or not people were reading. That time is no more. It might be that I'm getting older, or it might be that I loathe the fact that social networking and blogging is eating into people's privacy. All I know is, however infrequent my updates, or the updates of my compatriots in blogging, I love that I have a little virtual community. For all the internet's insanity, there remains the fact that it brings us closer together.

Super Fat Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:17:00 +0000

So here's a secret that I don't know what to do with:

I did not vote on Tuesday.

I've been having a hard time admitting that out loud and even to myself, a little bit. I consider myself a responsible citizen, someone who votes if only for the chance to speak my own individual voice. And also, I read the paper and the New Yorker and hear reasonable opinions on the candidates and the election process.

Even so I had been dreading Super Tuesday since last week sometime mainly because I have not yet endorsed any specific candidate. I listen politely when one of my coworkers tells me why she likes Hillary and then when another tells me why he'll vote for Obama. And I can make good points in defense of either.

But when it comes down to it, I just can't dredge up enough confidence to vote against Hillary. Nor can I walk to any polling place, wait in any line and stand in the voter box, all the while believing in Hillary for President. It's just too hard to see it ever coming to pass.

I struggle also with this whole "first woman president" thing. I would love to see in my lifetime that women are viewed as capable, trustworthy and honorable. I don't see that too often in the women in the media in general, so I would be a happy camper to bear witness to such a powerful event in social history. So who am I to walk into a polling location and vote against that?

At the same time, Obama just doesn't feel right either. I do not subscribe to that movement in which people believe that Obama can bring about CHANGE. I get that we need to address our place in the world as Americans. But I don't think that's the kind of CHANGE that people are so fearlessly getting behind. And that's what worries me a little bit.

So, let the New Yorkers decide. I trust a few of them. Inevitably, I will vote democratic anyway, so que sera sera.

True Love Waits

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:54:00 +0000

I have a feeling that those Christopher O'Riley plays Radiohead CDs I bought a few months back are destined to be inducted into my personal hall of fame - along with the other few CDs that I've listened to over a hundred times, often on a daily basis. For whatever reason, certain albums just fit my mood for years at a time.

I love that some of those CDs are anchored to a particular time and place. The Beatles Abbey Road, for example, is like a temporal vortex that shoots me straight back to 2002, when I would make a point of listening to the B side before falling asleep every night. With the opening chords of "Here Comes the Sun" come memories of hot summer nights, thin red curtains blowing in the breeze, and the unforgettable sounds of so many liquor bottles being trashed behind the bar next door. Listening that sequence of songs is so loaded with poignant and emotionally fraught memories, I honestly cannot bear to hear it in the present day. Which is a shame, because that B-side is a work of art - as any Top 100 Albums of All Time feature would tell you.

Alanis Morrisette's Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie and its strange electronic a cappella opening was literally the first thing I heard when I woke up each day before high school - and it drove my mother crazy. God bless that enormous five CD changer stereo that my dad bought for Christmas. That thing survived all the way through grad school. I learned to program the alarm early on and Alanis was IT for an entire school year. That album never left the number 1 slot in that ugly-ass Sony.

Prior to that, my all-consuming obsession for the Smashing Pumpkins had me singing along while cutting out paper stars to stick on the walls of my bedroom - amongst my posters of Kurt Cobain (you know the one) and the enlarged album cover of Siamese Dream. How I miss those days. Nothing more to do than listen to emotionally wrought power cords giving weight to the anxious treble of Billy Corgan's voice while decorating my bedroom to death. Not an inch of wall space left.

I'd like to think I had come to my senses when I plugged my iPod into the cassette-only stereo in my monstrous '99 Mercury Sable - the one that solidified my desire to live in car-free NYC. On my way to teaching lessons and to Traverse City, I listened to Incubus' Make Yourself. I'm still a huge fan of the way they can change their vibe for each studio album. I appreciate versatility in a rock band - it's the true test of musicianship, to be able to speak in a variety of languages. To that end, I also enjoyed Morning View, starting on the fourth track.

Sophomore year in High School found me laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling alot, and absorbing the pure bliss that is Radiohead's The Bends. None of my friends joined me on that band wagon at the time, though, save one, but he was more of a friend of a friend.

I'm not quite sure what happened between Radiohead and me. The early days of The Bends and OK Computer were our best times. I didn't quite get as into Amnesiac and Kid A. I may have been at the wrong time in my life - addicted to melody and harmony, to traditional tunes with verse-chorus-verse, which the Beatles definitely could provide. Because In Rainbows revisits Radiohead's original mindset, with emphasis on the lead singer that had been more or less abandoned in the ensemble-oriented middle albums, I'm looking forward to being more intimate with this latest effort. I'll even buy it in some store, even though I've had it via download for months now.

Which brings us full circle. Christopher O'Rileys Hold Me to This and True Love Waits might just become emblematic of my life as it is today. Over-lit subway rides, the monochromatic views of Queens blurring past, hours upon hours filling orders for music, this not-so-eclectic group of individuals I call my coworkers... all to the soundtrack of the perfect balance between the "pop" and classical music genres. Seems fitting, somehow.

1-1-08

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:19:00 +0000

Another reason New Year's is my favorite Holiday: unmitigated and socially accepted slothfulness. What a great idea!

In the spirit of 1-1-08, I've created a short list of goals to which I aspire this year:

Add one group class per week to current fitness schedule.
Cook more frequently to save money on food.
Travel.
Spend more time reading books (and maybe less time on the internets).
Finish the scarf started two months ago.
Remember how to spell.

I'm posting this to ensure accountability. Apparently that's supposed to help.

Merry 2008, everyone!

The Year That Was

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:36:00 +0000

New Year's Eve is one of my favorite Holidays. The arbitrary nature of our calendar conveniently places the New Year a mere week beyond the gluttonous duo of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The turning of the year affords us a delightful opportunity to wipe our hands clean of the multitudes of "sins" in which we heartily indulge during the previous two months.

I am also a huge fan of the hundreds of lists that populate mass media of all forms. The Best of, the Worst of, the Top Ten... in every genre, available for every palate! Had I played my cards correctly I would have spent the past week filling this forgotten blog with my personal opinions and my favorite things of '07. Alas, I make this eleventh hour post, in which I shall demarcate the year that was, for me at least.

Double-oh-seven was a good year for yours truly. It will be forever remembered as the year that I indoctrinated myself fully to the art of living in New York City. There is more to learn, I am sure, but I am happy with my progress. In the year 2007, I happily found my first full time job, which is happily tolerable and happily happens to utilize my two degrees in music. I continued to play in several different orchestras, and secured my first paying gig(!). I even narrowed my commitments to reflect a quality of playing that I had enjoyed in my previous engagements as a musician. In 2007, I traveled quite a bit, to Illinois, Western New York, Kansas and New Mexico. For the first time, I flew in a hot air balloon, ate Korean food, heard jazz at the Blue Note, and visited the Metropolitan Opera House in all its lavish glory.

Tomorrow I shall post my goals for 2008. To end my final post of this fine year, I shall post a "Best of" list of my own:

Best Movies of 2007:

5. Superbad

4. Into the Wild

3. No Country for Old Men

2. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

1. Juno

Happy New Year!

OMG

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 04:51:00 +0000

What a night. We had the company Holiday Party, which the library had dubbed "MEAT FEST," at an "urban barbeque" joint on 27th and Park. As feared, the vegetarian plate was really just a conglomeration of various sides. Nothing too impressive. Although I did loved the deviled eggs.

I am stuffed but luckily I'm no longer tipsy. I cannot say the same for other members of the office, who I will avoid tomorrow if possible - in order to reach our minimum, certain members of our staff were able to enjoy bourbon at $30 a glass. This definitely makes me wish we could divert some of these funds into a raise for ME. I need it, more than people need to drink $300 in bourbon alone.

After an interesting ride home, I am enjoying a sample face mask from Lush. Once again I have stayed up past my bed time, so I will go lie on my bed awake, wishing that Jules was home to snuggle up with me (he is currently in Louisiana attending a funeral, which happens to fall on his birthday, poor guy).

Schmapple

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 02:57:00 +0000

Today is an important day for the record books: the grand opening of the West 14th Street Apple Store. Too bad my lack of understanding of the gravity of the situation completely prevented me from partaking in much more than standing 20 feet from the store, on the other side of the slowly moving line of over 1,500 people vying to get in for their first glimpse of New York's largest flagship Apple Store. Blah, blah, blah.

Well, I love my MacBook, and I love the springiness of the keyboard. I especially love that I bought an apple-green Speck case to protect this baby, as I hear cautionary tales just about every night. However, I am not an Apple devotee enough to stand in line for hours, waiting for the thousand people in front of me to clear the store so I can get my first look at it.

So instead of getting to watch J. in action tonight, I did other fun New York things, like brave the throngs at Macy's in search of new shoes for my friend and a hat that does not smoosh my bangs in the morning, because now I care about things like that.

Upon emerging from the subway on my walk home, I received two texts from J. which apparently were sent within minutes of one another:

"I met Mary J. Blige"

"I just touched Whoopi Goldberg"

Great. So while I was bounced around like a ping pong ball in the fifth dimension that is Macy's and performed a walk-about in search of a diner, J. was in the midst of a brush with fame. In the form of Guinan from TNG! I am so lame.

UPDATE: Apparently, even though the official count of the traffic at W. 14th was 10,000, I would have been able to see the store about 2 hours after the opening. I still wouldn't have gotten a t-shirt though, so whatev.

Love, Love, LOVE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:22:00 +0000

I wish I could have multiple sensory inputs operating at all times. Maybe I can invent a machine that allows me to simultaneously listen to multiple CDs while reading a book or two while eating delicious food, like grilled cheese dipped into tomato soup, or that yummy Vietnamese cold noodle dish I ate for lunch. All while enjoying several stimulating conversations with a few of my good friends all at once.

If such a thing were possible, I would be listening to the Smashing Pumpkin's 1992 hit Siamese Twin at the same time as that CD over there on the left, True Love Waits: Christopher O'Riley plays Radiohead.

I impress upon any of you Radiohead fans out there that YOU. NEED. THIS. CD. And you need it in disc form, not downloadable. You need it now. Actually, you needed it yesterday but nothing can be done about that.

If I had that multi-faceted entertainment machine I would also watch Dexter and Heroes and Weeds at the same time. Being that I can't, I will instead resist the impulse to wall paper this entire blog with various pictures of Michael C Hall to sit down in front of the TV with J. And Cake!

Day Is Liking New FB Ammendment

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:59:00 +0000

Finally! Facebook will no longer force anyone "to be" anything anymore! My prayers have been answered!

About Which I am Not Educated

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:47:00 +0000

Now here's an interesting idea: an orchestra with it's own record label! Mind, I've not put a whole lot of thought into recording industry, as I am sure many have. All I know is, I think I kinda prefer to buy music from a smaller label. I'm really digging Cantaloupe Music these days, because I heart Ethel and Bang on a Can - in fact, most of the CDs on my wish list can be found in their catalogue. So hey, why NOT support the emergence of independence from the big corperate names, who never seem to care about "classical" music anyway?

Palm Stone

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:33:00 +0000

Another great part of my job at the moment is that I am always surrounded by musicians. We all certainly do have our individual tastes, but it's pretty cool that we interrupt our scheduled programs to argue about Brahms.

One particular coworker of mine is actually interested in hearing what I have to say about my own research having to do with music (imagine that!). Because it proved to be controversial in the past, I've sort of let my passion for this particular subject matter fall by the wayside. Given the outright animosity with which my opinions have been met, I've been more or less cautious about even mentioning the status of women in Western Art Music, even though it is the perfect merging of my two favorite academic subjects.

Given that I am (or was?) well versed in feminist musicology and how it plays out in our implicit understanding of high art, this particular coworker suggested that I begin to write about it. I'm turning this idea over and over in my mind - the leitmotif in this internal discussion is the most valid point of all:

Am I a good enough writer to publish (i.e. blog) my thoughts and opinions about the state of women in music? Would I be able to commit to maintaining such a venture? After all, to even begin to broach this topic with a good mix of logic and relevance takes quite a bit of research. And maintaining a conversation about it? That's another skill entirely.

Besides which, to be safe I would need to see if there's any precedent for this type of venture. What has already been added to the discussion of women in music? Where is my niche? (Hint: it sure isn't music by women for the horn.)

Such is the state of things for now. Mainly I seek to answer one particular question: with all of the opportunities now available to women, why are we underrepresented in the "voice" of instrumental music? What circumstances prevent women from venturing into the world of music composition? And why does it matter?

iTunes Store Wish List

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:08:00 +0000

I have to say, one of the best parts of working in the business of music publishing is all the free music! Although I will never get my hands on a complete album, my friends in Promotion will kindly make copies of live recordings of new works, often world premieres.

The trouble is, obtaining all of these promo CDs has whetted my appetite for more new music. Due to the positive reinforcement of being fully engaged with new music that we help to produce (and possibly in conjunction with having a computer of my very own) my bibliophile tendencies are back in full force. It does not help that I also work with FOUR composers, each of whom are very outspoken in their musical choices. I find that my taste very closely matches certain coworker and now I am determined to forage away the complete discographies of Ethel, Alarm Will Sound, and Bang on a Can.

It is not at all lost on me that my musical tastes are closely linked to the company I keep. Thanks to J., for example, I now have countless brass quintet recordings. Some of them I still do listen to, and my admiration for Meridian Arts Ensemble has not waned even despite my own decision to not strive to be them some day. And I still think the Etler is the best piece ever. So now that I'm making friends with composers, my geekiness for new music is coming to fruition.

As an attempt to satiate my desire to listen and learn about music written post-1950 I made a journey to Academy Records on 18th street (finally) thanks to a tip from my fellow blogger and BFF. Seven CDs and less $50 later, my CD collection is a little more awesome. But I *still* don't have enough Kurtag!!

For kicks, and just to torture myself, I've been visiting the iTunes store, lusting after that which I do not have but really, really want. In keeping with the title of this post, here are the titles on my must-have list:

Alarm Will Sound - Accoustica: Alarm Will Sound Performs Aphex Twin
Steve Reich - Tehillim & The Desert Music
Kurtag & Keller Quartett - Musik für Streichinstrumente
Boston Modern Orchestra Project - Ziporyn: Frog's Eye
London Sinfonietta w/ Dawn Upshaw - Gorecki: Symphony No. 3
Kronos Quartet - Black Angels
Meredith Monk - Atlas

More Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:40:00 +0000

Halloween also came and went while I was importing CDs into my iTunes library instead of posting to my blog. In Halloween spirit, I consumed probably 3000 calories in bite-sized candy and a delicious meal at the Shake Shack. Their shroom burger is so delicious - deep fried portobello cap stuffed with oozy cheese on a bun with lettuce, tomato and special Shack sauce. I'll have to make a sticky as a reminder to blog about Shake Shack come Spring and its milder weather.

Anyway, here's my pre-indulgence Halloween self-portrait. Can anyone guess what I am?
Hint No.1: Think genre.
Hint No. 2: Think MOVIE genre.
Hint No. 3: A piece named after this genre is in the Boosey Catalogue.

Also related to Halloween, I recently read an Op-Ed in the New York Times about lobbyists from candy companies joining forces with lobbyists in the energy field to have Daylight Savings Time pushed back in order to let the Trick-or-Treating last an hour longer, which would give way to higher candy sales. It just wouldn't be the US of A if we didn't give coorperations the ability to manipulate time in their favor... LOL.

Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:19:00 +0000

I think I've spent more time on a computer this week then I ever have in my life, and yet I didn't write a single post.

I am loving my new MacBook but am having a slightly difficult time switching operating systems. I miss the start menu, for one thing. Add to that the fact that I haven't had a computer of my very own in a long time and so I am having to develop my autonomous computer skills. Easier said than done. There are tons of apps to explore, and I'm stuck on iTunes and iPhoto.

To provide contrast to my geekiness this week, I was fortunate to get VIP tickets to the Phil Lesh show at Nokia Theater. Granted, I had no idea who Phil Lesh is prior to this concert, but I went anyway and had a good time. I have to say, viewing the show from the VIP lounge is pretty awesome. Full view of the floor, plus an unobstructed view of the stage. We were also allowed to keep the passes, which means J and I can dress up as Wayne and Garth next Halloween.

Above it a photo that represents the composite topics of this post so far. I'm not sure why Photobooth takes mirror images, but that's research for another day.

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

noreply@blogger.com (Davis Erin Anderson) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:23:00 +0000

... so to speak.

I am about to make a reckless end to my month of overspending. By my calculations, my average savings at year's end should be around $3G. With the vacation and the clothes shopping and this haircut and all of the products appropriate thereto, I've been widdling away at my savings all month long.

By all means and accounts I should quit while I'm ahead and cut up my credit cards and go back to my low-budget eating plan, which actually involves cooking, God forbid.

But that's not what I'm going to do. I'm going to go out and buy myself a MacBook, that's what I'm going to do.

I've been resisting and feeling guilty for even thinking about spending a cool G on a computer, when I have a functioning desk top at home for all of my computer needs. My resisitance is down, though, because J. returned from California a walking commercial for Apple.

The final straw came this morning when I had to check on the weather to plan my outfit and choose a matching umbrella, if necessary. (Just kidding. I only have one umbrella. It is red. Actually, I'm still using the one Daren R. found in the computer lab at UW-Madison in '03.) But when I turned on the computer and logged in, I found that the operating system had been changed and NOTHING was saved in my profile. Not even Mozilla!

So that's it. I am DONE sharing a computer. I need my own domain, where it looks the same each time I log in, where I don't need to ask anyone to import music under any certain cataloguing system that I was never taught, where my folders stay organized under a single method and I don't unwittingly come across any porn!

I love my boyfriend, but I've had enough. I'm getting a MacBook of my very own. It's going to be Daytopia... and when you think about it, one G for a Daytopia is not too much to ask. Right?