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February 9, 2017:

ALL OF THE ABOVE

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, yesterday was such a lovely day. Well, dear readers, yesterday was such a stinky day. Well, dear readers, yesterday was an okay day. This is what is known as a multiple-choice question, so there are three possible answers, unless, smart dear readers that you are, you choose the fourth option: All of the above. If that’s the option you chose, you win the Golden Ticket. I’m not sure any one option outweighed the other, but it was a real roller coaster ride and as you know I loathe roller coasters.

I only got about six hours of sleep, but I slept soundly with some wacky dreams. I was up by nine-thirty. I answered e-mails, did some work on the Rupert show, cast one of the two remaining female performers, and then went and had an omelet and a bagel and fruit. After that, I came back home and the lovely part of the day began, with the Rupert blurb for the new book. Normally, I would share it with you now, but since the title of the book is in the blurb I may as well save it for tomorrow’s notes, when not only will you know the title and see the cover, but you’ll also be able to pre-order your very own copy of the book – and this is one I think you’ll all really enjoy. Of course those who pre-order will get some fun extras – I have a specific idea for this book’s extras, one I’ve done once before. That extra would probably only be available to the first fifteen pre-orders. Anyway, I’m excited for you to see Rupert’s beautiful blurb (could not have asked for better) – he told me it was as if I’d written this book just for him and in that e-mail he called it amazing. That all made me very happy.

Naturally that was followed by the stinky stuff, which was so irritating I cannot even tell you. And that continued for a couple of hours. Then I went and picked up one package and came back home, with two mini-cheesecake things from the mini-cheesecake place – they’re basically so small that you eat them in one or two bites. When I got home, the third proofer’s proofed book was waiting for me, so I went through it immediately, entered the fixes that were easy (and boy did she catch three whoppers that none of the rest of us caught), and then I took a little break and sat on my couch like so much fish and listened to an SACD of Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky. Then I uploaded seven CDs from the seven CD set of historic Sibelius recordings, most from the early 1930s. These performances get raves from all, so even though I knew what kind of sound to expect, I was very curious to hear them, to further my Sibelius education. And the raves were right – the main conductor, Robert Kajanus, has a wonderful way with this music, and the other conductors, including Adrian Boult, Serge Koussevitzsky, and Thomas Beecham, all do wonderful work. Some of these performances were the very first recordings. Obviously later recordings best all of these for sound, including the mono ones, but there is something magical about every one of these performances, especially for the symphonies. What’s most interesting is the speed – these are all very fast readings, and yet never feel rushed. Listening to all this amazing music in these historic performances, one can imagine sitting in the living room of a long ago time, listening to the 78s, or on the radio.

I also think I came into a slightly better source for the release I was going to announce on Friday, so we’ll probably hold that release for a few days until I hear from my restoration guy. I think he’ll be happier with these.

Then I had a conversation with Muse Margaret, who was bowled over by Rupert’s blurb. We then went through all the suggested fixes I hadn’t done, decided which we’d do, and then I entered those and the book has now gone to Grant Geissman – he thinks he’ll be able to start on it by next Wednesday or Thursday, and once he begins it should go very quickly. Then I relaxed and finally had some nice news that allowed me to breathe a little easier. I took a hot shower, and that was helpful, too.

Today, I shall try to have a non-stressful day, I hope to finish the commissioned song, I hope to cast our final gal, then I hope to assign songs and get people their music. I’ll eat – I’m going to make some tuna pasta salad so that will last me two days – I’m just a bit tired of eating out every single day. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and then at some point I’ll relax. And I’ll announce the book title, show the cover, and open it up for pre-orders at midnight.

Tomorrow, I’m not sure what’s happening, other than I’ll finish the tuna pasta salad and begin trying to figure out the show order and maybe begin the patter. The lovely thing about this show is that Rupert is here to give me whatever information I need as well as some anecdotes. I’m not sure what the weekend holds yet. Then next week I have to see a couple of shows, and then there will be book matters to attend to.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, try to have a non-stressful day, try to finish a song, eat, hopefully pick up packages, cast, get people music, and then relax until the notes, at which time I’ll put up the new book for pre-order. Today’s topic of discussion: What songs, music, or artists do you immediately listen to if you need a pick-me-up? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have guessed correctly for the multiple-choice question posed in today’s notes – i.e. all of the above.

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