Life Revisited
Ah, the smell of grass - yes, there's grass even in the Bronx. And the air...well, even though it's NYC I feel like I am enjoying the space to breathe for the first time in many weeks-even months.
I can't believe how long it's been since the last blog. Well, as you might imagine, there are always reasons [eg. excuses] for absences such as these. Since my last post I have found myself very nearly up to my eyeballs in work. Between student lessons (including trying to catch up for two two-week tours worth of absences), classes, then Thanksgiving Holiday traveling, then dealing with papers and final exams, not to mention preparing for a masterclass at SUNY Purchase and a separate performance with the Montclair Salvation Army Band, it has been a whirlwind!
But, here I am in the Brass Room at Avery Fisher Hall, writing this post as the rehearsal for our Live From Lincoln Center New Years' Eve concert continues upstairs. Right now it's La Gazza Ladra, but we're continuing on with some opera aria favorites, so we shall see how long I have for the composing of this blog entry.
I have had much time to reflect on things beyond music and work these past few days. Usually my commuting on the subway keeps me reading school work (as I'm finishing up with my MM in May), but I've had the chance to do a bit of extracurricular reading due to the break in the semester. And I'm on a C.S. Lewis kick.
I recently purchased as a gift for my wife several additional titles to add to our collection of Lewis; the 30 minutes I have on the subway allow me time to delve into these and others. Thus, I decided I would begin with a fresh revisitation of an old favorite, The Screwtape Letters. This book reaffirmed in me just why I like C.S. Lewis so much -- great wit and imagination, but a thoughtful perspective as well. The book is a collection of letters from a Senior Tempter (Screwtape) to a Junior Tempter (Wormwood), regarding the latter's dealings with his new 'patient'. The results are highly amusing, as well as incredibly enlightening, especially at a time when so much of my time and energy has been focused on work with little room for other (though admittedly far more important) matters. One of the [many] things that struck me was the concept of time.
My regular schedule for the Fall found me very much over-extended. This we can deal with. But why do we get cranky when other, unexpected, commitments require the use of time for which we had no other use? Lewis brought to light something regarding Man's perception of time: that it is our own. That the time which we have, and which we enjoy in this life, is somehow ours by right; that because we have been placed in our particular locations at this particular time in these particular circumstances, we somehow have a claim to our time, to do with it as we please.
However, every man moves along at the same rate as every other: 60 seconds a minute, 60 minutes an hour, 24 per day, and so on and so forth. There is no way to stop, or even somewhat control, the time that has been given us; we can only be stewards of it, spending it in whatever ways we warrant as most important. In this light, as I have no claim of ownership on time, even my time, it becomes far more important to use my time, as I have it, for good and noble purposes. Of course, Lewis presents it far better and far more amusing than I can. I highly suggest getting his own words first-hand.
To continue, having completed Screwtape Letters, I am currently in the throes of two other works - The Great Divorce, a recent acquisition, and The Four Loves, one which I have had for a while but never quite made it through. Since the semester starts up again on January 16th, I should have time to make my way through these, and others.
One of these days, probably soon, I will write a directly trombone or orchestra related post. However, it's far too much fun right now to reflect on other [albeit more important] matters.
:-)
Till next time...
Jim
I can't believe how long it's been since the last blog. Well, as you might imagine, there are always reasons [eg. excuses] for absences such as these. Since my last post I have found myself very nearly up to my eyeballs in work. Between student lessons (including trying to catch up for two two-week tours worth of absences), classes, then Thanksgiving Holiday traveling, then dealing with papers and final exams, not to mention preparing for a masterclass at SUNY Purchase and a separate performance with the Montclair Salvation Army Band, it has been a whirlwind!
But, here I am in the Brass Room at Avery Fisher Hall, writing this post as the rehearsal for our Live From Lincoln Center New Years' Eve concert continues upstairs. Right now it's La Gazza Ladra, but we're continuing on with some opera aria favorites, so we shall see how long I have for the composing of this blog entry.
I have had much time to reflect on things beyond music and work these past few days. Usually my commuting on the subway keeps me reading school work (as I'm finishing up with my MM in May), but I've had the chance to do a bit of extracurricular reading due to the break in the semester. And I'm on a C.S. Lewis kick.
I recently purchased as a gift for my wife several additional titles to add to our collection of Lewis; the 30 minutes I have on the subway allow me time to delve into these and others. Thus, I decided I would begin with a fresh revisitation of an old favorite, The Screwtape Letters. This book reaffirmed in me just why I like C.S. Lewis so much -- great wit and imagination, but a thoughtful perspective as well. The book is a collection of letters from a Senior Tempter (Screwtape) to a Junior Tempter (Wormwood), regarding the latter's dealings with his new 'patient'. The results are highly amusing, as well as incredibly enlightening, especially at a time when so much of my time and energy has been focused on work with little room for other (though admittedly far more important) matters. One of the [many] things that struck me was the concept of time.
My regular schedule for the Fall found me very much over-extended. This we can deal with. But why do we get cranky when other, unexpected, commitments require the use of time for which we had no other use? Lewis brought to light something regarding Man's perception of time: that it is our own. That the time which we have, and which we enjoy in this life, is somehow ours by right; that because we have been placed in our particular locations at this particular time in these particular circumstances, we somehow have a claim to our time, to do with it as we please.
However, every man moves along at the same rate as every other: 60 seconds a minute, 60 minutes an hour, 24 per day, and so on and so forth. There is no way to stop, or even somewhat control, the time that has been given us; we can only be stewards of it, spending it in whatever ways we warrant as most important. In this light, as I have no claim of ownership on time, even my time, it becomes far more important to use my time, as I have it, for good and noble purposes. Of course, Lewis presents it far better and far more amusing than I can. I highly suggest getting his own words first-hand.
To continue, having completed Screwtape Letters, I am currently in the throes of two other works - The Great Divorce, a recent acquisition, and The Four Loves, one which I have had for a while but never quite made it through. Since the semester starts up again on January 16th, I should have time to make my way through these, and others.
One of these days, probably soon, I will write a directly trombone or orchestra related post. However, it's far too much fun right now to reflect on other [albeit more important] matters.
:-)
Till next time...
Jim
posted by Jim Markey at 11:04 AM
