Happy Birthday, Grandmom Nellie

Dear Grandmom,

      I have composed a birthday waltz for you.  You and family and friends can listen to it by visiting http://www.williamdolde.com/fr_mothersday.cfm

It comes right after the Mother's Day songs.  Liam created the cover art, perhaps inspired by his recent visit to the Saratoga Chamber Orchestra (his illustration looks a bit like a king and conductor and oboe player all in one).  Liam has taken up humming the tune to the Scherzo from Mendelsohnn's 5th Symphony frequently.

Liam continues to enjoy cooking.  Here he has created an onion volcano out of a salad onion, a la the chefs at Kabuki.

Enjoy your birthday.

Love,

Bill

Bass flute

In the brothers' continued creation of instruments, here is Crispin parading around a clearing near school playing what he calls a bass flute.   We refer to this clearing as the big rock.

Later that day, communication standard deviations with someone who was going to watch Crispin while I taught strings created another opportunity for Crispin to help me teach Violin to two ensembles.  To Crispin it made perfect sense that he would play violin in both ensembles.  He was so engaged that I am a little sorry he won't get to perform with us at the final assembly.

Location : 3453-3481 Marshall Rd, Marysville, WA 98271,

Swinging by the Beach

Crispin and I had a chance to bike around Whidbey on a sunny and warm Sunday.  We stopped at Maxwelton beach, where he can swing in view of water and mountains.  What he remembers most fondly is the lamb with handles that he can rock back and forth on at the playground by the beach.

At the beginning of the weekend, Liam enjoyed the sun in the afternoon at school.   He climbed onto a rock and leaped off a number of times.

Earlier on that Friday, Crispin and I enjoyed the pied beauty of the dappled light in the woods at school.  Crispin spent some of the time napping, and some of the time collecting sticks to move about or use as bassoons or oboes or power tools.

Later that afternoon, while Liam was jumping off a rock, Crispin and I played guitar to serenade parents as they picked up their children from school. 

Happy Mother's Day

Visit http://www.williamdolde.com/fr_mothersday.cfm to hear songs for Mom and Grandmom Nellie.

I took this photo right after Crispin visited my 5th/6th orchestra class and played along for every song.

Homage a Spy Gadgets

The following is not a paid advertisement, but rather a recognition that I--once mistaken for a Luddite--have found graceful uses for modern gadgetry.  I was playing cello and violin for our school's 5th grade play about Theseus and the Minotaur--performed at a small and well-designed local theater.  I had no rehearsals with the students, had cues of when to play, and had found scholarly reproductions of ancient Greek music (which I played on fretless instruments so that I could better approximate the slightly different tuning from back then).  The music moved from 2/4 to 3/4 to 5/4 to 7/4; it definitely sounded different from the Celtic or classical music I often play.

       I set up early and felt comfortable and ready to perform.  The play commenced, and the houselights went out.  I could not see the scholarly reproductions of Ancient Greek music at all.  I considered fumbling around and speaking to the teacher to ask them to turn up the houselights but instead reached into my pocket, pulled out my smart phone, turned on the Droidlight flashlight application I had downloaded, rested the phone against my wallet to make a stand light, and continued with my music.

     Tomorrow I will bring stand lights.

Woodwind Players

Liam's grandfather gave him funds for Seattle Symphony tickets for his birthday.  Last Sunday Liam and I attended our first SS concert and watched them perform Beethoven's 5th (a delight) and Tchaikovsky's Francesca di Rimini (which was new to us, but we have a copy from a cd set of Tchaikovsky symphonies, also from his grandfather).

We arrived early, and Liam and I went to Soundbridge, the Seattle Symphony museum.  There Liam got to play a number of instruments, including the clarinet.

He also had a chance to play the oboe and French Horn and produced a number of melodies.  Daniel, the museum curator, was kind and gave effective and brief instructions for each instrument--I learned more than I ever knew about the woodwind family.  We were told that Sunday morning is an excellent time to attend; the museum is normally packed during the week with field trips, and Saturdays tend to be busy as well.

Although he was not with us, Crispin picked up a penchant for playing woodwind instruments either through osmosis or stories from his brother.  Here he is in the woods at school playing what he terms a tuba-bassoon while his buddy Jack sings.  Crispin has found a number of sticks and turned them into bassoons in the past week.  Crispin has also found time for other occupations.  On the left you see Crispin and Jack with their May crowns.

On the Ferry

We are on the ferry to whidbey.   The boys have been valiant travel companions.  Now they sleep.

One more reflection.   I have been traveling to Sebastian for about 20 years, sometimes more than once a year.   I am almost enough of a local to have breakfast at Earl's Hideaway.