Coronavirus stuff: in the KP household, things are much the same. New York City is about to do a Phase 1 reopening. It occurred to me that it's entirely possible that if I get job interviews (knock wood), I may actually have to go to an office in a suit at some point for one, …
Back to Basics
When you practice a piece of music, if there's a tricky part you are not getting, you disassemble it. You break it down into pieces. You work the pieces - just the right hand here, for one measure. Very slowly. Does each note flow one to the next using the fingerings you're using? No? Try …
Drano
OK, it's now "American Summer", the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It took me a while to realize that, once I got out of school, summer wasn't actually that much fun. I wasn't a 'go to the shore with a bunch of friends' kinda guy, mostly summer was just hot and sticky. For …
Horta
For #MOC19, Vance prompted: If you are in an area that encouraged self-isolation during the pandemic, and were able to self-isolate, how have your daily patterns changed from the beginning of your self-isolation to now? Consider writing about any alterations in your trips for essentials, recreational patterns, or in your day-to-day routines, between the beginning …
Sinkhole
Here we are, some more. What is this, week 8 since shutdown? Something like that. I still go out once a day, and have a mild feeling of shame that I don't wear a face covering until I go into a store. I could, I guess, but I know the point of the face covering …
…where merry lads are staying…
...inside. Well, actually, weather's getting nice. I got out on my bike twice this weekend, and g-d willing, will get out several times this week. A shout-out to my bike, which was C's bike. He doesn't use it any more, and when I got rid of my folding one last year, suggested I take it …
Mosaic of Faces
I feel like there's a ton to get down, but no central theme. OK, let's start with the prompt: What changes are you observing in recreational patterns in your home neighborhood? (For the purposes of this exercise, consider dog-walking, jogging, outdoor exercise, outdoor gatherings, park usage, and the like as recreational.) How have these patterns …
Five Weeks In?
Something like that? Steady state here, although New York is still losing hundreds of residents a day. I suspect that at some point, it will hit me what that means, and I'll become unfunctional for a while. Still numb. I do think my ability to be empathetic about the death of large numbers of people I …
Pride & Joy
Fifteen years ago today, I wrapped up a seven-year run as the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps concert band director - and, essentially, my thirties - with my final concert, Pride & Joy. It was a concert shamelessly stuffed with pieces I loved, many of which were part of my own personal musical history, (For instance, …
Solipsistic Nightmares
Vance prompts, "In addition to social distancing, the CDC is now advising the use of masks, in the form of simple cloth face coverings, as a means of slowing the spread of COVID-19. Are you now wearing masks when you visit places in which social distancing is difficult? What type of masks are you and …
The Toast Point Page 