Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Ollie is Moving to NYC
Our Son Ollie Bauer is moving to New York City. It is a dream come true to do graphic design and play music -He is a precussionist- is such a great center for both. Follow his drive out to NYC by checking out his trip blog on drop.io. I've got it listed on my favorite links.
Think Before You Pass It On
The other day someone sent me one of those emails that seem to burn through the Internet regularly advocating a position or belief. This one looked like a nice little promo for John McCain with a story about his POW experience; how one of his compatriots sewed an American Flag on a tee-shirt and how they used it to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each afternoon. It was a nice story and one McCain has repeated many times in speeches. But as I read further it turned out that it wasn’t so much McCain fan mail as it was a set up to bash Barack Obama.
The email ended with a photograph of Barack Obama at a campaign event. In the photograph all of the other candidates held their hand over their heart, while Obama had his hands folded in front of him. The email presented the photo as “proof” that Obama did not respect his country and asserted he was refusing to cover his heart during the pledge of allegiance, with the following quote; “oh......and then you have this clown, who refuses to place his hand on his heart and say the pledge...... " (To get more details and the facts check www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp)
These kinds of things are ubiquitous on the Internet and the so called “right” and so called “left” are guilty of publishing misinformation to "prove" to others what they already believe. I had one recently quoting a Ronald Reagan diary entry in which Reagan reported that George H W Bush, his VEEP at the time, ask him to find a job for his "neer do well son, not the one from Florida." I wanted to believe it but a little research revealed that it was misinformation too like so much of what drops into our email boxes.
But what about the photo of Obama and the claim that he was “refusing” to cover his heart? What is that really about? It wasn’t a difference of opinion on the issues. The writer complemented Hillary Clinton, whose views on most issues and particularly a commitment to withdraw troops from Iraq parallel Obama’s. But the writer said; “I don't care for Hillary, but at least she shows respect for the country she lives in!”
I believe the charge of disrespect had nothing to do with covering his heart. A little research quickly revealed that the moment captured was a rendering of the national anthem, not the pledge of allegiance. Go to any professional sporting event in the United States and observe how many people are holding a beer in the hand that should be covering their heart.
So what is really behind this? Could the real purpose be that the writer and his compatriots are suggesting that Obama is not really an American? The writer makes a point of stating; “Barack Hussein Obama that’s his middle name.” It is difficult for me to accept and follow the logic but I think there are people who believe that sharing a middle name with thousands of Arab and Muslim men makes him dangerous and not loyal to the United States. I wonder if the writer is also suggesting that Obama, because his father was African, black and Muslim, is less worthy of our trust.
Why give more attention to this? People who believe these things are a minority and are themselves inconsistent with American and basic human values, aren’t they? After all, what is more underhanded then guilt by association? What is more un-American then religious intolerance? What is more inconsistent with our American heritage the bashing the success of someone born of the “melting pot” of diverse cultures and nations that have created United States.
I am sure there are plenty of people who don’t support Obama because they hold different views on the issues or because they think he doesn’t have as much experience in government as McCain. But to say he doesn’t respect the country he lives in based on a photograph with no documentation of the event and suggest a disloyalty based on a name or a parent’s religious affiliation is at a minimum disrespectful and perhaps hateful.
If, God forbid, we ever do have a candidate for president that is in league with interests that want to destroy us the one thing we can count on is that he or she will never be caught without their hand over their heart during our pledge of allegiance and our National Anthem.
The email ended with a photograph of Barack Obama at a campaign event. In the photograph all of the other candidates held their hand over their heart, while Obama had his hands folded in front of him. The email presented the photo as “proof” that Obama did not respect his country and asserted he was refusing to cover his heart during the pledge of allegiance, with the following quote; “oh......and then you have this clown, who refuses to place his hand on his heart and say the pledge...... " (To get more details and the facts check www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp)
These kinds of things are ubiquitous on the Internet and the so called “right” and so called “left” are guilty of publishing misinformation to "prove" to others what they already believe. I had one recently quoting a Ronald Reagan diary entry in which Reagan reported that George H W Bush, his VEEP at the time, ask him to find a job for his "neer do well son, not the one from Florida." I wanted to believe it but a little research revealed that it was misinformation too like so much of what drops into our email boxes.
But what about the photo of Obama and the claim that he was “refusing” to cover his heart? What is that really about? It wasn’t a difference of opinion on the issues. The writer complemented Hillary Clinton, whose views on most issues and particularly a commitment to withdraw troops from Iraq parallel Obama’s. But the writer said; “I don't care for Hillary, but at least she shows respect for the country she lives in!”
I believe the charge of disrespect had nothing to do with covering his heart. A little research quickly revealed that the moment captured was a rendering of the national anthem, not the pledge of allegiance. Go to any professional sporting event in the United States and observe how many people are holding a beer in the hand that should be covering their heart.
So what is really behind this? Could the real purpose be that the writer and his compatriots are suggesting that Obama is not really an American? The writer makes a point of stating; “Barack Hussein Obama that’s his middle name.” It is difficult for me to accept and follow the logic but I think there are people who believe that sharing a middle name with thousands of Arab and Muslim men makes him dangerous and not loyal to the United States. I wonder if the writer is also suggesting that Obama, because his father was African, black and Muslim, is less worthy of our trust.
Why give more attention to this? People who believe these things are a minority and are themselves inconsistent with American and basic human values, aren’t they? After all, what is more underhanded then guilt by association? What is more un-American then religious intolerance? What is more inconsistent with our American heritage the bashing the success of someone born of the “melting pot” of diverse cultures and nations that have created United States.
I am sure there are plenty of people who don’t support Obama because they hold different views on the issues or because they think he doesn’t have as much experience in government as McCain. But to say he doesn’t respect the country he lives in based on a photograph with no documentation of the event and suggest a disloyalty based on a name or a parent’s religious affiliation is at a minimum disrespectful and perhaps hateful.
If, God forbid, we ever do have a candidate for president that is in league with interests that want to destroy us the one thing we can count on is that he or she will never be caught without their hand over their heart during our pledge of allegiance and our National Anthem.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Joey Schwartz and Will Yetts
When we were kids growing up in St. Paul in the 1950's, my brothers and sister were lucky because we were among a small group of kids who got to go to work with our Dad. He owned a beer and glassware distributorship at 226 University Avenue just a few blocks from the state capitol. There was a Standard Oil Station on the corner and Dad's business, Lux Distributing Company, was next door. Ron Saxon Ford was located across the street. The other day my sister Maribeth sent me an email recalling that place and some of the characters who dropped by:
"I turned off the news this a.m. and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and thought about the price of gas and where the price may be going to. I had this sudden clear vision of Dad, Joe Schwartz, Will Yetts (sp) and a few other fellows, I can’t recall their names, standing at the corner of the counter at Lux on a Saturday afternoon. All smoking, a bottle of Blatz and blah blah blah about the price of gas and who’s fault it is ; I can even see the dice unit on the counter between them."
Have you ever had that happen? Where does it come from so suddenly and clear? Loved it. Good memory.
Maribeth's memory brings back a vivid picture of that warehouse near the intersection of University Avenue and Marion St. It was a place of business where our dad sold beer and glassware to bars and liquor stores in St. Paul and the emerging suburbs. But like Maribeth I also remember Lux as a place for fellowship and a cold beer at the end of a work day or on Saturday when dad did his bookwork.
Joe Schwartz worked at Eagle laundry on the other side of Marion street. Joey and his brother Lenny -who also worked at the laundry- would come over on hot summer days wearing sweat soaked tee shirts and big smiles, to banter with dad and our grandma -who helped with office work- ready to shake dice to determine who paid for a cold bottle of beer. I think dad charged $.15 for a bottle of beer. (I suspect technically he didn't charge anything since he didn't have a license to sell off sale) It was probably 100 degrees inside the laundry on a hot summer days and I can imagine how that ice cold beer must have tasted. It was a real bargain.
What did they talk about? What would they talk about today? To me, not yet a teenager at the time, these men were big and strong and authorities on life and current events; this small business owner who was my father, the laundry workers like Joe and Lenny Schwartz, insurance men like Will Yetts, policemen like the motorcycle cop that came by, or mechanics like Milt who ran the Standard Oil station next door and of course, Len and Ernie, the drivers who delivered the beer. They were variously sweaty, dirty, smudged with grease, calloused hands and they complained plenty about their aches and pains. It is hard to remember specifics but topics included; Eisenhower, they called him Ike, and seemed to love him; Kids, who had it easier then they did; Politicians, who were mostly crooked; unions, are they good of bad for busines; it's hard to make a living but glad to have a job; The St. Paul Saints; things they wanted, a new car, fishing boat, or a lake cabin; Del Flanagan, a boxer who contended for welterweight champ; boxing;was it fixed or on the level. They probably got a little noisy and argued but to me they seemed to enjoy the banter, and rolling the dice for beer in this dusty hot warehouse where the walls were formed by stacks of beer cases and glassware containers that led you to the dice board and the refrigerator.
What would they talk about today? I think they'd be surprised that people call them part of the greatest generation. Most all were veterans but they never talked, in front of me, about war experiences, except for crabby sargants, brawls they witnessed or were in, practical jokes and characters they met. I suspect if the price of gas came up today they'd argue abit, reminisce about gas wars and fifteen cent a gallon gas and end up agreeing that we wouldn't be in this mess if we had a man like Ike in the White House.
If you have a memory, or a meditation on life, politics, the meaning of life, A big, small or medium truth etc please share it. You can share it through a comment on any entry you wish. Or you can send it to me by email at pjmblog@gmail.com.
"I turned off the news this a.m. and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and thought about the price of gas and where the price may be going to. I had this sudden clear vision of Dad, Joe Schwartz, Will Yetts (sp) and a few other fellows, I can’t recall their names, standing at the corner of the counter at Lux on a Saturday afternoon. All smoking, a bottle of Blatz and blah blah blah about the price of gas and who’s fault it is ; I can even see the dice unit on the counter between them."
Have you ever had that happen? Where does it come from so suddenly and clear? Loved it. Good memory.
Maribeth's memory brings back a vivid picture of that warehouse near the intersection of University Avenue and Marion St. It was a place of business where our dad sold beer and glassware to bars and liquor stores in St. Paul and the emerging suburbs. But like Maribeth I also remember Lux as a place for fellowship and a cold beer at the end of a work day or on Saturday when dad did his bookwork.
Joe Schwartz worked at Eagle laundry on the other side of Marion street. Joey and his brother Lenny -who also worked at the laundry- would come over on hot summer days wearing sweat soaked tee shirts and big smiles, to banter with dad and our grandma -who helped with office work- ready to shake dice to determine who paid for a cold bottle of beer. I think dad charged $.15 for a bottle of beer. (I suspect technically he didn't charge anything since he didn't have a license to sell off sale) It was probably 100 degrees inside the laundry on a hot summer days and I can imagine how that ice cold beer must have tasted. It was a real bargain.
What did they talk about? What would they talk about today? To me, not yet a teenager at the time, these men were big and strong and authorities on life and current events; this small business owner who was my father, the laundry workers like Joe and Lenny Schwartz, insurance men like Will Yetts, policemen like the motorcycle cop that came by, or mechanics like Milt who ran the Standard Oil station next door and of course, Len and Ernie, the drivers who delivered the beer. They were variously sweaty, dirty, smudged with grease, calloused hands and they complained plenty about their aches and pains. It is hard to remember specifics but topics included; Eisenhower, they called him Ike, and seemed to love him; Kids, who had it easier then they did; Politicians, who were mostly crooked; unions, are they good of bad for busines; it's hard to make a living but glad to have a job; The St. Paul Saints; things they wanted, a new car, fishing boat, or a lake cabin; Del Flanagan, a boxer who contended for welterweight champ; boxing;was it fixed or on the level. They probably got a little noisy and argued but to me they seemed to enjoy the banter, and rolling the dice for beer in this dusty hot warehouse where the walls were formed by stacks of beer cases and glassware containers that led you to the dice board and the refrigerator.
What would they talk about today? I think they'd be surprised that people call them part of the greatest generation. Most all were veterans but they never talked, in front of me, about war experiences, except for crabby sargants, brawls they witnessed or were in, practical jokes and characters they met. I suspect if the price of gas came up today they'd argue abit, reminisce about gas wars and fifteen cent a gallon gas and end up agreeing that we wouldn't be in this mess if we had a man like Ike in the White House.
If you have a memory, or a meditation on life, politics, the meaning of life, A big, small or medium truth etc please share it. You can share it through a comment on any entry you wish. Or you can send it to me by email at pjmblog@gmail.com.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Carson Westra Breaks Up No Hit Bid
In an otherwise disappointing loss Carson Westra's single in the fifth inning on Saturday broke up Cottage Grove's no-hit bid during a tournament game against the West St. Paul Senior Squirts. West St. Paul lost the game 12-0 and with a record of 1win and 2 losses did not make the championship bracket. However, with a win on Sunday against Farmington, the West St. Paul club, playing together in their first tournament, salvaged a 2-2 record for the weekend effort. Westra, age 9, went 4 for 11, with three singles and a double to hit .363 for the 4 games.
Paige Westra's Late Goal Prevents Road Loss
Paige Westra, age 11, scored a goal late in the second half on Tuesday night (6.10.08) to salvage a tie for the Inver Grove Heights Heat, in the hotly contested East Metro Girls U11 Soccer League. The Heat, playing on Hudson's home turf, narrowly missed a victory after a goal earlier in the half was nullified due to an off side call. Westra's goal came, with 2 minutes remaining. She dribbled the ball away from an opposing player, broke into the open and kicked into the left corner of the goal, well outside the reach of the Hudson goal tender. In her typical modesty Westra averred when asked for details saying only that her kicking foot hurt. She was seen later celebrating at Culvers, with family and friends.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
A Photography Center For The People
When my friend Tom Arndt was a boy, growing up in south Minneapolis his bible study class visited a photography studio to learn how photographs were made. “So that’s how you got hooked on photography.” “Nah,” he said, “I didn’t get into that until art school.”
The other day I met Arndt at the Matchbox Coffee Shop in Northeast Minneapolis. It’s just around the corner from the Minnesota Center for Photography (MCP) where he volunteers his time to help create opportunities for photographers that are deeper and more continuous than a chance bible school field trip. Now an accomplished artist working on his second book and a show at the Minneapolis Institute of Art he was recruited originally to serve on the board of directors of the not-for-profit MCP. But over the years his mission at MCP has grown to what he described as “teaching, motivating, and asking people for money.”
The center is located in an old residential neighborhood, in Northeast Minneapolis, on a corner with buildings that - in the days before malls, supermarkets and ubiquitous automobiles- might have housed the centers of neighborhood commerce. Today there is the Match Box Coffee Shop, which is appropriately named and may have once been the local shoe repair shop. A group of architects, specializing in urban development, occupy the corner building that at one time could have housed a drug store with doctor and dentist offices on the upper floor. The MCP is located in a storefront that most recently was a neighborhood restaurant, but might in earlier years have housed the local grocer.
As Arndt walked me through the center what unfolded was an institute for photography that is accessible and easy to use. Upon entering, beyond a short corridor, are the current photography exhibits inviting patrons into a brightly lit gallery. There are no gates, uniformed ushers or ticket sellers at the door. The exhibits are free though a donation of $3 dollars is requested as evidenced by a large plastic container watched over by a smiling intern.
On the opposite wall, in the gallery, I could see a picture of a young woman that looked like an enlargement of a passport photo. I was curious about the rest of the exhibit but as I started toward the galleries Arndt took me by the arm and detoured me though a small bookshop into a digital photography lab with 12 work stations and a digital color printer. We left the digital lab and once again Arndt bypassed the galleries and led me through a fully equipped commercial kitchen, left over from the former restaurant, and into a spacious black and white photography lab and dark room. The labs are available to members for a reasonable rental fee and to students of the many classes the center sponsors in fulfilling a mission that Arndt described it as “a place for young photographers –of all ages- to learn the craft, show their work, and converse with other photographers.”
Finally, Arndt and I stood in the gallery and what earlier looked like a passport photo was the first in a group of self portraits by EJ Major that mirrored the fourteen year decline of a young woman through a progression of “mug shots”. As I looked over Arndt’s shoulder at the photographs, he described the MCP’s partnership with Free Arts Minnesota, a program dedicated to helping abused and neglected kids and their families express themselves artistically. In the exhibit the photographer used wigs and make-up to document the real life case of a young woman who tragically deteriorated from drugs, and the hard miles and choices that accompany survival on the streets; the very experience the Free Arts Minnesota works to prevent.
Next we moved to an exhibit by German photographer Bastienne Schmidt portraying photographs of contemporary life in Germany. Her photographs depict a world in transition from the cold war and a divided nation to a more peaceful, integrated world, with fewer walls and barriers. As I looked at Schmidt’s vision Arndt told me that since 2006 the MCP has partnered with the McKnight Foundation’s Artist Fellowships Program. It provides a one year artistic residency at the MCP and a $25,000 grant to each of the four photographers selected. MCP provides a venue to the Fellows to exhibit their work, make public presentations about their work and to participate and instruct in MCP’s educational programs.
The MCP is truly The “Peoples” Photography Center. It is only appropriate and likely that Arndt, the official photographer of Lake Wobegon, would have a passion for the MCP. (It is Arndt’s images that inhabit the current Lake Wobegon Calendar that I found hanging on the wall at the MCP, on which he teamed with Garrison Keillor, to document in pictures and words everybody’s favorite Midwestern Burg.) If you would like to meet Tom Arndt he hosts a monthly session called the Camera Workers Group an informal discussion of contemporary photography, held at the MCP, where participants can review their work. It is open to all.
The center is located in Northeast Minneapolis at 165 13th Avenue NE. It is a place that is easy to take in on a lunch break, a stop while running errands or for a respite from a bike ride.
More about MCP can be found on their Website: http://www.mncp.org , or call 612.824.5500.
The other day I met Arndt at the Matchbox Coffee Shop in Northeast Minneapolis. It’s just around the corner from the Minnesota Center for Photography (MCP) where he volunteers his time to help create opportunities for photographers that are deeper and more continuous than a chance bible school field trip. Now an accomplished artist working on his second book and a show at the Minneapolis Institute of Art he was recruited originally to serve on the board of directors of the not-for-profit MCP. But over the years his mission at MCP has grown to what he described as “teaching, motivating, and asking people for money.”
The center is located in an old residential neighborhood, in Northeast Minneapolis, on a corner with buildings that - in the days before malls, supermarkets and ubiquitous automobiles- might have housed the centers of neighborhood commerce. Today there is the Match Box Coffee Shop, which is appropriately named and may have once been the local shoe repair shop. A group of architects, specializing in urban development, occupy the corner building that at one time could have housed a drug store with doctor and dentist offices on the upper floor. The MCP is located in a storefront that most recently was a neighborhood restaurant, but might in earlier years have housed the local grocer.
As Arndt walked me through the center what unfolded was an institute for photography that is accessible and easy to use. Upon entering, beyond a short corridor, are the current photography exhibits inviting patrons into a brightly lit gallery. There are no gates, uniformed ushers or ticket sellers at the door. The exhibits are free though a donation of $3 dollars is requested as evidenced by a large plastic container watched over by a smiling intern.
On the opposite wall, in the gallery, I could see a picture of a young woman that looked like an enlargement of a passport photo. I was curious about the rest of the exhibit but as I started toward the galleries Arndt took me by the arm and detoured me though a small bookshop into a digital photography lab with 12 work stations and a digital color printer. We left the digital lab and once again Arndt bypassed the galleries and led me through a fully equipped commercial kitchen, left over from the former restaurant, and into a spacious black and white photography lab and dark room. The labs are available to members for a reasonable rental fee and to students of the many classes the center sponsors in fulfilling a mission that Arndt described it as “a place for young photographers –of all ages- to learn the craft, show their work, and converse with other photographers.”
Finally, Arndt and I stood in the gallery and what earlier looked like a passport photo was the first in a group of self portraits by EJ Major that mirrored the fourteen year decline of a young woman through a progression of “mug shots”. As I looked over Arndt’s shoulder at the photographs, he described the MCP’s partnership with Free Arts Minnesota, a program dedicated to helping abused and neglected kids and their families express themselves artistically. In the exhibit the photographer used wigs and make-up to document the real life case of a young woman who tragically deteriorated from drugs, and the hard miles and choices that accompany survival on the streets; the very experience the Free Arts Minnesota works to prevent.
Next we moved to an exhibit by German photographer Bastienne Schmidt portraying photographs of contemporary life in Germany. Her photographs depict a world in transition from the cold war and a divided nation to a more peaceful, integrated world, with fewer walls and barriers. As I looked at Schmidt’s vision Arndt told me that since 2006 the MCP has partnered with the McKnight Foundation’s Artist Fellowships Program. It provides a one year artistic residency at the MCP and a $25,000 grant to each of the four photographers selected. MCP provides a venue to the Fellows to exhibit their work, make public presentations about their work and to participate and instruct in MCP’s educational programs.
The MCP is truly The “Peoples” Photography Center. It is only appropriate and likely that Arndt, the official photographer of Lake Wobegon, would have a passion for the MCP. (It is Arndt’s images that inhabit the current Lake Wobegon Calendar that I found hanging on the wall at the MCP, on which he teamed with Garrison Keillor, to document in pictures and words everybody’s favorite Midwestern Burg.) If you would like to meet Tom Arndt he hosts a monthly session called the Camera Workers Group an informal discussion of contemporary photography, held at the MCP, where participants can review their work. It is open to all.
The center is located in Northeast Minneapolis at 165 13th Avenue NE. It is a place that is easy to take in on a lunch break, a stop while running errands or for a respite from a bike ride.
More about MCP can be found on their Website: http://www.mncp.org , or call 612.824.5500.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
What I learned from a Master Class in Piano
How could someone like me, who can't play a note, benefit from attending a Master class for prodigies, conducted by a musician who studied under a piano teacher who was a classmate of Rachmaninov. This past Saturday, Pat and I attended such a class taught by Alexander Braginsky. Pat is studying piano at MacPhail Center for Music. That is how we discovered this gem of an event, and many other classes and concerts MacPhail sponsors.
It was enjoyable and the recitals by the students were beautiful. They are all teenagers, except one, who is 11 years old. They played with skill and demonstrated talent that was incomprehensible to me. I wandered what, beyond the listening, I could get from this class other then the pain of watching these youngsters sweat under the scrutiny of a Master?
The first young lady, Jasmine Lim -age 11- played beautifully. She didn't miss a note as far as I could tell. When she finished Dr Braginsky said; "That was really very good." He asked; "What emotion do you feel this Chopin Nocturne is communicating? "
"Sadness?" She said.
"That is good. I agree."
For half an hour they went back and forth on their piano's searching for the emotion of the work using pace and softness to bring across the somber and sometimes anguished feeling.
Next Charlie Bremer, performed a Beethoven Sonata , another somber piece that alternated between very sad, soft, grieving notes and strong angry notes. Braginsky termed the instruction on the score for the very quiet notes, pianissimo. "You know, there is another way to interpret this instruction. You may think of this as an instruction to play with emphasis. Not more volume." So he and Charlie worked on translating quietness into emphasis, not loudness (Forte). "You will get emphasis by relaxing more. Breathe." Braginsky added. Braginsky looked at the audience and said. "you know this is a common problem for musicians they don't exhale. It is very important to breathe. Over his 30 minutes we saw Charlie, under the glare of 60 onlookers begin to relax and play with emphasis. His body language changed from leaning into the piano in jerky movements to sitting back and moving his hands smoothly across the piano in a kind of gentle Tai Chi like flow.
Isabella Dawis played a flawless Bach piece in three short movements. Braginsky said, "you know that was very good, but we can always find something to work on." He concentrated on her first movement, the introduction. "It is important how we introduce things" he said. "You know, Bach music is like a jazz composition --it has a beat, a tempo. Listen for the tempo Bach wants." Dr. Braginsky asked her to play the first movement all the way through while he accompanied her with occasional hand claps; clap-clap-clap-clap, to keep her and all of us conscious of the beat.
Greta Bauer (no relation) played what appeared to be a difficult Schubert piece. She played well, but even to my unsophisticated ear, I could hear one or two short stumbles. When she finished he said; "You played that very well. But I want you to know something and we all should remember it. When we play, we make mistakes. Everybody does. We should not judge the quality of the playing by mistakes. This is why many musicians win competitions even though they may have made mistakes."
As I said, I don't play the piano and I am not a musician. But as we left and headed to our car, I couldn't help but thinking that no matter what we play or play at, there were some valuable lessons from that piano class on Saturday.
Also, you may want to note the names of these musicians. Don't be surprised if one of them shows up on the international concert scene.
Call the MacPhail and get the schedule of these great recitals, concerts and master classes. It is amazing what greatness and joy exists among us on any given day if we search for it. They are offered often free or for a small amount.
It was enjoyable and the recitals by the students were beautiful. They are all teenagers, except one, who is 11 years old. They played with skill and demonstrated talent that was incomprehensible to me. I wandered what, beyond the listening, I could get from this class other then the pain of watching these youngsters sweat under the scrutiny of a Master?
The first young lady, Jasmine Lim -age 11- played beautifully. She didn't miss a note as far as I could tell. When she finished Dr Braginsky said; "That was really very good." He asked; "What emotion do you feel this Chopin Nocturne is communicating? "
"Sadness?" She said.
"That is good. I agree."
For half an hour they went back and forth on their piano's searching for the emotion of the work using pace and softness to bring across the somber and sometimes anguished feeling.
Next Charlie Bremer, performed a Beethoven Sonata , another somber piece that alternated between very sad, soft, grieving notes and strong angry notes. Braginsky termed the instruction on the score for the very quiet notes, pianissimo. "You know, there is another way to interpret this instruction. You may think of this as an instruction to play with emphasis. Not more volume." So he and Charlie worked on translating quietness into emphasis, not loudness (Forte). "You will get emphasis by relaxing more. Breathe." Braginsky added. Braginsky looked at the audience and said. "you know this is a common problem for musicians they don't exhale. It is very important to breathe. Over his 30 minutes we saw Charlie, under the glare of 60 onlookers begin to relax and play with emphasis. His body language changed from leaning into the piano in jerky movements to sitting back and moving his hands smoothly across the piano in a kind of gentle Tai Chi like flow.
Isabella Dawis played a flawless Bach piece in three short movements. Braginsky said, "you know that was very good, but we can always find something to work on." He concentrated on her first movement, the introduction. "It is important how we introduce things" he said. "You know, Bach music is like a jazz composition --it has a beat, a tempo. Listen for the tempo Bach wants." Dr. Braginsky asked her to play the first movement all the way through while he accompanied her with occasional hand claps; clap-clap-clap-clap, to keep her and all of us conscious of the beat.
Greta Bauer (no relation) played what appeared to be a difficult Schubert piece. She played well, but even to my unsophisticated ear, I could hear one or two short stumbles. When she finished he said; "You played that very well. But I want you to know something and we all should remember it. When we play, we make mistakes. Everybody does. We should not judge the quality of the playing by mistakes. This is why many musicians win competitions even though they may have made mistakes."
As I said, I don't play the piano and I am not a musician. But as we left and headed to our car, I couldn't help but thinking that no matter what we play or play at, there were some valuable lessons from that piano class on Saturday.
Also, you may want to note the names of these musicians. Don't be surprised if one of them shows up on the international concert scene.
Call the MacPhail and get the schedule of these great recitals, concerts and master classes. It is amazing what greatness and joy exists among us on any given day if we search for it. They are offered often free or for a small amount.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Kid's Sports and Coaching
On Sunday February 24, Minneapolis StarTribune printed a short interview with a 32 year old pitcher trying to make the Minnesota Twins. He'd played around the league and he was asked to compare the Twins to other organizations he'd played for. He said, "I see why they win a lot...the guys are laid back and fun. It's kind of just a kids playing baseball attitude, instead of like the Cardinals and Yankees where it was all kind of a business attitude."
Pat and I have been attending a lot of basketball games lately. Our grandchildren play in park and recreation leagues - 9 to 11 year old kids with a lot of enthusiasm. It has been fun to watch how coaching shapes and develops these energetic kids. Coaching styles range from hands off let the kids play, to sideline pacing motivators. Some coaches are laid back and some are “all kind of a business attitude.” They all seem dedicated and care about the kids.
The coach we see most often is our son in law, Thor Westra. During play there is always a lot of cheerleading and instruction coming from the coaches as they pace the sidelines. It is always fun to watch those coaches that clap, laugh and celebrate the good plays and hold criticisms for the breaks in play. Thor, if he does instruct during play, is less a barker than the purveyor of friendly suggestions. On the other hand, during breaks no teaching moment is lost. Thor huddles the team to review their play during the previous period and go over things to work on and set the plays and the line up for the next period. Watching from the sidelines you can see the how the kids have applied what they have learned over the season; they are moving, not just standing and waiting. They are passing the ball, running set plays, increasingly aware of the clock and time remaining. I don’t know what’s going on inside Thor, but outside he seems patient and content to let the players use their developing knowledge without much interference from him while they are on the floor. He seems to know what the kids are capable of and lets them have fun.
Watching Thor and the other coaches makes me think about the false dichotomy I've heard over the years about process versus results and the focus on winning. First, watching these coaches exemplifies that results are the outcomes of a process and if the process is good the results will be optimal. It seems to me also in watching these young players those teams that have fun and are well schooled in the fundamentals seem to win more.
John Wooden, now in his 90's, is the legendary former coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team. He once told an interviewer that during his years of coaching he got more satisfaction from practices than games and more joy from teaching his players than winning championships. His teams, by the way, won 10 NCAA basketball championships.
You might ask how Thor’s methods are paying off. To Pat and I, we’d say he seems to get a lot of joy from teaching those kids how to play basketball. For me, I wish I would have practiced more.
Pat and I have been attending a lot of basketball games lately. Our grandchildren play in park and recreation leagues - 9 to 11 year old kids with a lot of enthusiasm. It has been fun to watch how coaching shapes and develops these energetic kids. Coaching styles range from hands off let the kids play, to sideline pacing motivators. Some coaches are laid back and some are “all kind of a business attitude.” They all seem dedicated and care about the kids.
The coach we see most often is our son in law, Thor Westra. During play there is always a lot of cheerleading and instruction coming from the coaches as they pace the sidelines. It is always fun to watch those coaches that clap, laugh and celebrate the good plays and hold criticisms for the breaks in play. Thor, if he does instruct during play, is less a barker than the purveyor of friendly suggestions. On the other hand, during breaks no teaching moment is lost. Thor huddles the team to review their play during the previous period and go over things to work on and set the plays and the line up for the next period. Watching from the sidelines you can see the how the kids have applied what they have learned over the season; they are moving, not just standing and waiting. They are passing the ball, running set plays, increasingly aware of the clock and time remaining. I don’t know what’s going on inside Thor, but outside he seems patient and content to let the players use their developing knowledge without much interference from him while they are on the floor. He seems to know what the kids are capable of and lets them have fun.
Watching Thor and the other coaches makes me think about the false dichotomy I've heard over the years about process versus results and the focus on winning. First, watching these coaches exemplifies that results are the outcomes of a process and if the process is good the results will be optimal. It seems to me also in watching these young players those teams that have fun and are well schooled in the fundamentals seem to win more.
John Wooden, now in his 90's, is the legendary former coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team. He once told an interviewer that during his years of coaching he got more satisfaction from practices than games and more joy from teaching his players than winning championships. His teams, by the way, won 10 NCAA basketball championships.
You might ask how Thor’s methods are paying off. To Pat and I, we’d say he seems to get a lot of joy from teaching those kids how to play basketball. For me, I wish I would have practiced more.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Discerning Authenticity In Presidential Candidates
Last Saturday, January 5, Pat and I watched our first presidential debates. We watched the Democrat debate all the way through, and saw about half of the Republican debate. The debate between the Democrats centered on whether it would be more important to be the candidate with the most experience or to be a candidate who would be a catalyst for change. In our house the threshold for the measurement of what constitutes change is pretty low. Despite the fact that we would both lean toward Democrats, after a few minutes of watching the Republican candidates Pat said,"any of these guys would be better than Bush." I agree.
At the moment, I am less concerned about where the candidates stand on the issues then I am about their basic authenticity; that is, do I know where they will take the country, can I believe them, will they follow through and will they be able to get results? Most of us know our positions on the issues we care about and we know how to find out where the candidates stand. But how do we evaluate authenticity? Below I have proposed five criteria that I think defines a leader's basic authenticity:
Has the candidate stated a vision for the future?
A candidate can have a great track record and a history of success, but where will he or she lead us? I want to know where the candidate wants to take us and I want to see it clearly and unambiguously, so that I can decide if I want to be part of it. Examples of visions, past and present, that have inspired me include; Al Gore's vision of a sustainable planet, President Kennedy's challenge to go to the moon and Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of racial equality.
Does the candidate's vision inspire action?
In other words, does a candidate motivate us to get off our butts and do something? Visions only work if they are shared. In the past year Pat and I began keeping a weekly peace vigil with others because we believe that war as a solution to solving problems is irrational and unnecessary. While the War in Iraq and the continued occupation of Palestine by Israel has been a prime motivation we've also been influenced by former President Jimmy Carter's advocacy of Human Rights and Democratic Institutions. In the 1960's I joined the VISTA program in part because of President Kennedy's challenge to sacrifice and serve.
Is the candidate motivated by service as opposed to arrogance and self promotion?
This is maybe the hardest to discern in today's world of sales, marketing and media driven politics. But the things to ask ourselves once we get beyond the clothes, the hairdos, the practiced smiles and rehearsed talking points are: Will the candidate recruit strong people? Is he or she not only tolerant of but inviting of different points of view? Will people who work for this leader be willing and able to deliver bad news, take contrarian positions and challenge the default approach to issues. Looking backward, I ask myself if we would have had invaded Iraq if there had been a more deliberately established diversity in formulating foreign policy ideas, more critical thinking about the root causes of September 11 and more effort to perceive the future consequences of the decision to initiate a preemptive invasion in terms of the cost to our society and our position globally.
What are this candidate's priorities?
The professor of management and author Peter Drucker described this as "first things first". So what is the core issue or two that will define a first term as president? You may remember the famous incantation of Clinton's campaign and first term; "its the economy stupid!" Looking back in history we could probably agree that for Franklin Roosevelt "Putting people back to work" was the "front burner" issue.
Is this candidate able to learn from their experience and change their attitudes and maybe even the course as they gain new information?
Civil Rights and ending segregation was not high on President Kennedy's agenda, if at all, when he came to office in 1960. He didn't want to alienate the powerful southern democrats, in the congress, who could undermine his legislative agenda. But as circumstances changed and the brutality against Blacks increased he changed his stance and became a president who mobilized the federal government to protect the freedom riders, the demonstrators in Birmingham and students desegregating the Southern Universities. By 1963 he was supporting passage of federal civil rights legislation. To evaluate this in the current candidates running for president might take some deeper research into their biographies. In addition, how they answer questions that ask them look critically at mistakes they may have made, or how certain events or life experiences changed them may provide hints as to how open they would be to changing course, as president, if circumstances required it.
We can be sure that the candidates will appeal to their base constituents and parse their views to gather a hefty share of independent and centrist voters. But underneath the rhetoric, image and position papers is a person, who has qualities of leadership, that given the circumstances they will face, could result in greatness. I am betting that the candidate with a clear vision, who inspires action, is motivated by service, articulates clear priorities and demonstrates the ability to to change will emerge the winner.
At the moment, I am less concerned about where the candidates stand on the issues then I am about their basic authenticity; that is, do I know where they will take the country, can I believe them, will they follow through and will they be able to get results? Most of us know our positions on the issues we care about and we know how to find out where the candidates stand. But how do we evaluate authenticity? Below I have proposed five criteria that I think defines a leader's basic authenticity:
Has the candidate stated a vision for the future?
A candidate can have a great track record and a history of success, but where will he or she lead us? I want to know where the candidate wants to take us and I want to see it clearly and unambiguously, so that I can decide if I want to be part of it. Examples of visions, past and present, that have inspired me include; Al Gore's vision of a sustainable planet, President Kennedy's challenge to go to the moon and Dr. Martin Luther King's dream of racial equality.
Does the candidate's vision inspire action?
In other words, does a candidate motivate us to get off our butts and do something? Visions only work if they are shared. In the past year Pat and I began keeping a weekly peace vigil with others because we believe that war as a solution to solving problems is irrational and unnecessary. While the War in Iraq and the continued occupation of Palestine by Israel has been a prime motivation we've also been influenced by former President Jimmy Carter's advocacy of Human Rights and Democratic Institutions. In the 1960's I joined the VISTA program in part because of President Kennedy's challenge to sacrifice and serve.
Is the candidate motivated by service as opposed to arrogance and self promotion?
This is maybe the hardest to discern in today's world of sales, marketing and media driven politics. But the things to ask ourselves once we get beyond the clothes, the hairdos, the practiced smiles and rehearsed talking points are: Will the candidate recruit strong people? Is he or she not only tolerant of but inviting of different points of view? Will people who work for this leader be willing and able to deliver bad news, take contrarian positions and challenge the default approach to issues. Looking backward, I ask myself if we would have had invaded Iraq if there had been a more deliberately established diversity in formulating foreign policy ideas, more critical thinking about the root causes of September 11 and more effort to perceive the future consequences of the decision to initiate a preemptive invasion in terms of the cost to our society and our position globally.
What are this candidate's priorities?
The professor of management and author Peter Drucker described this as "first things first". So what is the core issue or two that will define a first term as president? You may remember the famous incantation of Clinton's campaign and first term; "its the economy stupid!" Looking back in history we could probably agree that for Franklin Roosevelt "Putting people back to work" was the "front burner" issue.
Is this candidate able to learn from their experience and change their attitudes and maybe even the course as they gain new information?
Civil Rights and ending segregation was not high on President Kennedy's agenda, if at all, when he came to office in 1960. He didn't want to alienate the powerful southern democrats, in the congress, who could undermine his legislative agenda. But as circumstances changed and the brutality against Blacks increased he changed his stance and became a president who mobilized the federal government to protect the freedom riders, the demonstrators in Birmingham and students desegregating the Southern Universities. By 1963 he was supporting passage of federal civil rights legislation. To evaluate this in the current candidates running for president might take some deeper research into their biographies. In addition, how they answer questions that ask them look critically at mistakes they may have made, or how certain events or life experiences changed them may provide hints as to how open they would be to changing course, as president, if circumstances required it.
We can be sure that the candidates will appeal to their base constituents and parse their views to gather a hefty share of independent and centrist voters. But underneath the rhetoric, image and position papers is a person, who has qualities of leadership, that given the circumstances they will face, could result in greatness. I am betting that the candidate with a clear vision, who inspires action, is motivated by service, articulates clear priorities and demonstrates the ability to to change will emerge the winner.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
What is This Blog About?
This blog is a gift from my son, Oliver. I thank him for it. I asked for it; a place to post my writing. But now that I have it I wonder what I'll will do with it. It begs the question that I having something to say, doesn't it, or somebody to say it to?
Who is this for?
This is for people who know me, family, and friends, people I've worked with over the years, and people I am volunteering with. I suspect if you are reading this it is because I've told you about it. If you don't know me, I welcome you. I hope you find something to make your visit worthwhile.
What's the Purpose and Content?
Hells bells...Damned if I know. For now lets just say I want to keep people up to date on my work; e.g., grandparenting, writing, consulting, and volunteering. I may want to share some of what I am experiencing and learning as I retire from previous work and move toward new work. Beyond that I am asking myself how I'll use this space: Will I comment on current events, post research on topics of interest, publish some short fiction and memoir? Who knows?
Who is this for?
This is for people who know me, family, and friends, people I've worked with over the years, and people I am volunteering with. I suspect if you are reading this it is because I've told you about it. If you don't know me, I welcome you. I hope you find something to make your visit worthwhile.
What's the Purpose and Content?
Hells bells...Damned if I know. For now lets just say I want to keep people up to date on my work; e.g., grandparenting, writing, consulting, and volunteering. I may want to share some of what I am experiencing and learning as I retire from previous work and move toward new work. Beyond that I am asking myself how I'll use this space: Will I comment on current events, post research on topics of interest, publish some short fiction and memoir? Who knows?
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