Feb 9
Today Ashley and I presented a short musical program for preschoolers – it was a blast! We had an incredible turnout – 56 children plus teachers and parents! “Saxophone Steve” (my made-up superhero saxophone character!) made a surprise entrance playing some jazzy saxophone, and we sang a bunch of fun songs with the joyful crowd. We even handed out stickers at the end! See Ashley’s post here for a full description of our program.
Composers have famously carried little black books with them to jot down ideas, regardless of where they are when inspiration strikes. I don’t necessarily do this, but I do find myself thinking about composing pretty much everywhere – while walking, driving, eating, etc. And, I find myself working on pieces in various locations. Obviously, when we travel we are forced to work outside of our normal spaces and sometimes get some work done in a hotel room or in a cafe. I have always enjoyed working in cafes and coffee shops, where there is some bustle but also some ability to concentrate. At the same time, I also like very quiet and secluded places where I can really focus on creating ideas and hearing them in my head. However, those quiet and secluded places seem to be less and less common these days. Today I find myself in a library where it is relatively quiet, but not without people walking by and some ambient noise. I have my score for Magnolia Star (latest wind ensemble piece) here and I’m thinking about sounds, sections, and form. It’s nice to be able to get some amount of composition work done from anywhere.
Today I made a small donation to each of the two schools where I studied (University of Miami Frost School of Music, Eastman School of Music). I have donated in the past, but rather irregularly, and now I’m making a commitment to donate every year. I think this is important, because both these institutions provided me with so many opportunities, so many experiences, and so much learning which have all proved invaluable. I recognize how much I gained from these experiences, and I want to make sure those opportunities exist for many students in the future. It may sound a little corny, but I really believe that if everyone gave back a very small amount, it would have a huge impact on these institutions (and future generations of students). Sometimes those 7:00pm dinner time calls from cheerful student fundraisers seem contrived, but one thing they say is definitely true – any amount you can give makes a difference. So if you can, give back.
Copyright © 2012 Steve Danyew. All rights reserved.
