My first footsteps into the Mediterranean Sea were even sweeter with the memory of the Syrian Gala concerts still fresh on my mind. On Friday night, the piano and voice students of American Voices were at their best. It is no exaggeration to say that each and every student made the best music I heard [...]
Archive for July, 2010
A Song Without Words
Posted in Uncategorized on July 29, 2010 | 1 Comment »
The Politics of Air
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged broadway, classical music, diplomacy, education, Iraq, music, pianist, Syria on July 22, 2010 | 5 Comments »
It is Gala time in Syria, beginning with the student piano and vocal recital tomorrow night. The program looks to be strong, with works ranging from early Beethoven to Rachmaninoff. Some of the pianism here is remarkable. Ayham Hammour plays his Scarlatti brilliantly. Most of the students are Russian trained, though they lament the one-dimensional [...]
Revved up like a Deuce, Another Runner in the Night
Posted in Uncategorized on July 17, 2010 | 2 Comments »
It is 8:30 Thursday evening. We pack our gear into three cabs for the drive to Erbil airport. Time to leave Iraq. It is hard to leave old friends, but we eagerly anticipate the new ones awaiting us in Syria. Goodbye to Old Friends New Friends Await… We pass through the first checkpoint…a dozen concrete [...]
Under Construction
Posted in Uncategorized on July 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
A few unexpected minutes of internet time. So, I can elaborate a bit… The Gala is finished, and I think that it is fair to say that American Voices pulled off another unlikely success. As mentioned in my last entry, the finale concert was performed for a packed house, and the concert hall was full [...]
Night Crossing
Posted in Uncategorized on July 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Lots to tell, but only a few seconds to tell it. We had to change hotels yesterday, and though this one is nicer, there is little internet access. Hoping to publish this should I get a window of access somewhere in town. The Gala concert was a success, with a full house. It is amazing [...]
Kudos, and Tales of the Taliban
Posted in Uncategorized on July 11, 2010 | 3 Comments »
I just have to share a few “unusual” stories. But before I do, I want to make a shameless plug for my prize student at the Yes Academy, Miss Boran Zaza. Boran handled herself with poise through a very rough week, and in the process still managed to be productive at the piano. After seeing [...]
I Found Matt
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged classical music, education, Iraq, middle east, music, pianist on July 9, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
…and he is right here, and for the last few days he has been my partner in crime for some rather upbeat expeditions. But more about Matt later. I finally figured out the secret to getting out to see things. It is not that I could not “solo” in relative safety if I wanted, but [...]
A Stroll in the Park
Posted in Uncategorized on July 8, 2010 | 3 Comments »
It is hard to believe that I am a hard day’s bike ride from total chaos. Mosul, which lies a mere 50 miles to the west, scarcely more than a drive from Waco to Hillsboro, is by all accounts a lost city. Several bombings and killings per day are commonplace. While American and Iraqi troops [...]
A Day of Days
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged classical music, diplomacy, education, Iraq, middle east, pianist on July 2, 2010 | 2 Comments »
A Dry Heat
Posted in Uncategorized on July 1, 2010 | 3 Comments »
…as if it matters. This could be Las Vegas. I must admit that I was not the least bit apprehensive until I arrived at the Houston airport. It seems that the lack of sleep, combined with too much caffiene led to a round of nausea. It is possible that the “farewell” Chicken Fried Chicken did not [...]
