Somewhere Beyond the Sound

Kelly tells a story of Bobby Darin.  He was so fond of Big Sur in California and particularly Pfeiffer Beach--with its natural arch which allowed waves to crash through with intense beauty--that he often sang "[Somewhere] Beyond the Sea" at that beach, even producing a recording there.  We would talk of this every time we visited that beach near where Liam was born.

Yesterday provided a glorious mix of sun and partial cloud cover (which made it easier to see mountains) at the secluded mile of beach I walk between Scatchet Head and Maxwelton.  I brought my lightest guitar along and paused several times to play and sing Irish and Folk Songs (I'll learn "Beyond the Sea" with sheet music today for my next sojourn).  Thoughts of Bobby Darin were pretty strong as I played for the beauty and peaceful solitude (one old dog and its owner did eventually walk by).

When asked if he has read The Great Gatsby, an English professor responds, "Have I read it?  I haven't even taught it yet!"  Around this time last year, when I committed myself to playing music professionally again, I concluded I would never do much with guitar:  for all my years of dabbling, I had never developed a consistent technique.  Too much time trying to be like Eddie Van Halen and Ygwie Malmsteen and not enough on rhythm guitar playing; not enough grace and coordination to play and sing at the same time.  Then, my school sought a guitar teacher for 7th & 8th grade, and I found myself volunteering.  This granted me the opportunity to smooth out my playing, learn to sing and play at the same time (which some of my students pick right up), and become a somewhat avid guitarist again (only somewhat because of time spent on violin and cello).  With gratitude I think of mom and dad and their patience in my Van Halen days when I insisted on practicing with a loud amplifier in order to become adept at avoiding feedback (or using feedback musically a la Jimi Hendrix).

Liam turns 7

With a few friends, Liam, his mom and dad, and Grandma K and Grandpa Bob, went to the Paint Escape, a paint your own pottery shop.  Liam chose to paint a simple Easter Cross for his birthday gift.

Redwood is the name of Liam's Little One.  Little Ones are companions (to adults they might look like dolls; children know they are alive) that find children in kindergarten.  Each little one comes with a name, can come home a child if the child has a bed for the little one, and must return to fairy mother each weekend.  Liam is quite attached to Redwood and to the imaginative world of little ones; many of his stories and ideas revolve around little ones.  For a year Liam has asked to have a picture of Redwood on his birthday cake.

Liam and his peers showed presence and focus as they painted for the first hour of his party--Kelly and I reflected to each other how peaceful it was.

Earlier this week, Crispin came with me as I taught violin to 4th graders and orchestra to 5th & 6th graders.  With 4th grade, he played violin right along with them, stopping and starting, adjusting his music as needed, standing when it was time for them to stand.  He became tired in the 2nd class and began falling asleep.  I carried him to place him on top of my cello gig bag, which was right next to the piano.  When he discovered the piano, Crispin began playing piano along with the jigs and reels my 5th & 6th graders are preparing for Mayfaire, much to their delight.  If anything, the behavior and focus of the 4th to 6th graders was greater with an unassuming 3 year old in their midst.

Kelly's mom, aka Granda K, is visiting.  Here is a portrait Liam drew of her on Saturday.

Williamdolde.com launched

Dear Friends and Family,

      I now have a music web-site www.williamdolde.com.  It has recordings and sheet music for songs I have composed as well as pictures of Liam and Crispin.

Musical Car

Liam's great grandfather gave him a subscription to a children's magazine.   This morning Liam, with delight, showed me a photograph of an art car, with a number of guitars and other instruments ostensibly adhered to the car's exterior.   I wonder if this drawing is Liam's reproduction.

Crispin in his classroom

The blur captures Crispin's kinetic nature.

Liam's island drawing

Liam was nonchalant about this work: "Oh, that's just something I did in aftercare!"  It is fascinating to observe how a child's drawings evolve.  It also reminds me how art (like so much or everything else in life) cannot be forced.  When we ask Liam to fill one page before using a 2nd one, we generally do not inspire such richness.

I wonder if Liam will ever have a memory of an author crumpling page after page as she revises in the era before word processing.

tiles by Liam

Often when Liam draws, he narrates the adventures of the boxcar children Jesse, Henry, Violet, and 6 year old Benny, the intrepid enthusiast who solves the mystery in a favorite series of books.  Sometimes the products of this work might contain only a few lines; the path is the goal.

These two pages stood out last night.   Liam has created art like this before, with a number of distinct panels on a page.  Then the work goes to sleep.  Liam could not or chose not to explicate.