A Composer's Journal Entries: April 10 - 15, 2006

Journal entries by composer and pianist Laurie Conrad

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A Composer's Journal Entries: April 10 - 15, 2006

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A Composer’s Journal Entries: April 10 - 15, 2006

Monday, April 10

Helping JF clean up her house for a family visit later in the week. Between tasks I looked into her study area. On the wall various anatomy charts were tacked up, above an old bulletin board covered with photos and clippings and drawings, family, a tiger - leaning against the wall, on the floor. Funny, I had never consciously seen it. Stacks of papers and books and boxes piled higher than I am tall, on the right - a huge bookshelf to the ceiling along the wall, on the left. Years of clutter, mountainous ruins leading up to her computer. I announced that the clutter had to go, and next week we will begin. The bookshelf alone could take a week.

She had been cleaning since early that morning, and I arrived late afternoon. We started in the downstairs bedroom. Personally speaking, my biggest achievement was going through the kitchen closet; I threw out enough things that the vacuum cleaner fit in. I asked for my next task & JF said it was in the bathroom, behind the door. I looked behind the door & there was a set of shelves to help organize the cabinet under the sink, still in its box. My response: six people on their way to stay for some days was not the time to spend an hour putting shelves together for a cabinet no one was even going to open. My next task: “Look in the shower” she said. I opened the shower door & there was a small purple plastic chair. I laughed. It was a treasure hunt of sorts ... I soaped down the chair & then hosed it off. Little Radia would probably use it. JF is so creative. I miss the clothes that used to hang from the rafters in the kitchen, before they fixed the ceiling.


Tuesday, April 11

Spent hours in the gardens raking leaves. Exhausted. The last movement of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto II is almost memorized. It’s only been a few days since I began it ... Well, I began it two or so weeks ago, but was out of town a good deal of the time. Only about a page left.


Thursday, April 13
10:45 p.m.

Had the idea today, for the third Movement, to begin and end with chant - in Latin.


Saturday, April 15
Windgarth

A message from Myra, & I suddenly remembered the cycle of Songs I had written for her and other instruments ... That would have been a good winter project, this past winter, to find musicians & begin rehearsals. Astounding that I can so easily forget that I’ve written entire pieces, cycles of pieces ... They were poems I wrote for my singer, Carolyn’s mother, Louise McConnell, not long before she died. I think those were the poems for harp and other instruments. Or were those other songs, for voice and piano ... I called them all “Unsung Songs”, & only a small number of them have ever been performed. I think I wrote them over ten years ago ... I’ll have to find the master scores & start thinking about having them performed & recorded.

Spring. Our weekend tenants arrived late afternoon - a beautiful day, sunny & in the mid 60's. A north wind today: the lake in the cove was quiet, but white caps at the Point. I raked leaves, with a lone robin for company, M. took a long walk. Red Emperor tulips & daffodils & small Siberian blues blooming everywhere now. No leaves on the trees. Showed our guests’ oldest girl how to safely enter the kayak; stay along the shore, wear a life jacket. We left them on the dock, the husband standing, the mother sitting, happy, carefree, facing south & where the hills meet in the distance. A sweet image lingering in my mind. A chat with Ester. Went to the Amish on the way home & M. bought me an Amish straw hat, to wear in the gardens. Met a fox napping on the road. Inwardly chided him - not a good place for a nap.
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