Dickens & The Romantics

That would be a good name for a band.

I’ve been writing to pass the time — I have a half+ draft of of a very Dickensian chamber musical written. If you’re familiar with Dickens and/or the Romantic Poets; it’s principally about the Micawbers, Nell Clenham, and Thomas Gray.

Its usual fate would be this: Printed out, bound, and put in a drawer unproduced. That’s 100% okay. I have a few of these unfinished on top of the upstairs piano. It would sting a little to banish this one though, because I think it’s quite good.

The last time I produced a musical I was swimming in actors and theater people. Since moving, I don’t have the theatrical friends I used to, we’re all spread out now. After a point, I don’t work very well alone. Eventually, you need to make demo recordings, bounce ideas around, and read out loud with another person.

I decided I’m going to be actively on the lookout, but I haven’t decided quite how. I’ll be looking for a baritone-tenor to work with, who could then take the role of Thomas as things progress.

I looked at the rates and specs for the Paramount theatre around the corner. It’s beautiful, but it’s way, way, way too big. I knew it would be. It’s a good thing — if it were 50% the size and didn’t have a balcony, I’d have been tempted to get out my checkbook.

There’s a super-cute small theater about a sixty-second walk from our house. (No kidding!) It’s a “nope” though. It’s marketed as a wedding/events/catering venue. Of course, its rates reflect that.

I think I probably gasped when I was given the dollar signs for this beautiful, quirky little place. But, being what it is, it would cost several thousand dollars for just one afternoon/evening. Plus, no piano. (And I don’t need canapés at intermission.)

My peculiar little five-person musical play would be most at home in a small 19th century lecture hall or an old stone meeting house, even the large parlor of a grand home. So, that search continues.

But first things first. If you know a “Thomas” candidate, send him my way! We’ll do a video submission. He’d be late 20s/early 30s, handy to Westchester, theatre experience, baritone/tenor, perhaps a bit awkward. I imagine an Adrian Brody type.

Sun, Sand, Movies, and Manageable Nature

Musician, Travel

First of all — Curse you, Netflix and Amazon Prime for fixing it so your films cannot be played via a projector. Good. I got that out of my system.

I just had the best day yesterday. No pain all day, no issues other than fatigue.

I’m working hard on my silent film scores. I’ve finished the Chaplin two-reeler and started the Harold Lloyd short! Then … Nosferatu!

We now know surgery will be early July and eight weeks recuperation after that. Then I want a vacation after recuperation. I have something specific in mind.

It’s funny how I arrived at this.

In the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, there was a short scene shot on a sandbar well out into the ocean somewhere, about ankle deep. I remember seeing the film at an invited premiere because Jonathan worked for Disney at the time. I saw that sandbar 15 years ago, and thought, “I want to go there.”

And I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

I found a specific bay on Bermuda that I really like. I’ll think about it.

*Tobacco Bay, St. George’s Island, Bermuda*

The Bouncer

Arts and Crafts, Health, Musical Instruments, Musician, Personal, Uncategorized, Webloggy

Hi, Friends!

I am good! A large part of that is because I came up with some projects (even video piano lessons!) that can be done from my sick-person bed in my sick-person room. (Also, I’ve been through this before and I know what to expect. That makes a big difference.)

I am indeed, right smack in the middle of radiation. The only side-effect I’m having is the extreme fatigue. But. Mixed with no-joke pain meds, my cantankerous gastrointestinal system, a bit of spectrum disorder, and a dash of neuropathy … by late afternoon I’m literally bouncing off things like a plodding pinball. (Nothing serious, only door frames.) But, I have lots of projects that don’t require standing up!

I’m scoring two silent films for theater organ, to be played live in the Fall.
I continue to hang stuff and fuss with things in my new safe-room. I mean bedroom.
I’m starting to draw diagrams for the little pipe organ I want to build. I finally found an octave-and-a-half set of the type of pipes I was looking for.

Hope you’re well too!

Bonus points if you can identify the woman on the bottom left in the silver picture frame. Any guesses? I’ll just tell you — it’s Linda Lee Porter, Cole Porter’s wife. That’s a prop that sat on the piano from a show I did. Thanks, Bonnie! =)

It’s Here! It’s Here!

Arts and Crafts, Musical Instruments, Musician

Took a drive down to Whitestone this morning, and picked up my very own barrel organ (piano). There is great news, and not-as-great news.

The great news is that it is in near-mint condition, and everything mechanical is completely operational without so much as a squeak. You couldn’t ask for a better from an instrument that’s sixty years old. The condition is absolutely uncanny — no paint fading, no rust on the strings or gears. Even the hammers are in pristine condition.

The seller didn’t know why it didn’t play. (Something inside.”) The reason is a simple one — It doesn’t have its cylinder. The cylinder looks exactly like a music box cylinder, only big. They came with six songs each, and were interchangeable so you could switch to different tunes.

However. The good news far outweighs the bad. Cylinders can be bought. From what I’ve seen, they come up now and then. I’ll just have to look on the auction sites I frequent.

These were manufactured in the nineteen-fifties and sixties for tourists visiting Italy and Spain. They’re about half size — full size would be about six feet tall.

It must’ve sat lovingly in some Nona’s front room. I plunked some notes; and while (of course) they were out of tune, they weren’t unrecognizable out of tune. In highly professional technical terms, I’d say “it sounds like a beat up classroom piano.” A video —

A great purchase! Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. This one was a winner. =)

In the Studio

Musician, Personal

One of my older students asked me yesterday what my studio looked like. I’m sure he was imagining the puffy egg cartons on the walls, a rolling desk chair, a gigantic mixing board, and a plate glass window.

We had been talking about recording, and he was interested in what I am doing right now, so we’d had to listen to the track I’m working on (“Saint Clement’s, Forestbury“).

At one point, I guess it must’ve been about 15 years ago, my studio did indeed take up a small room of its own — a full-size digital piano, a smaller controller keyboard, digital sound modules in a rack, a mini disc deck (and before that, a DAT deck), a big lunky computer, etc. I still use versions of all those things and more; but as we know, electronics have gotten much smaller and much more powerful. I use an iPad Pro, an Akai MK3 mini, and a Sennheiser condenser mic.

A picture sounds 1000 notes, so here is a photo of my studio and workstation these days; including my recording engineer, Eli.

Sit Still Phill

Incidents involving antiquity, travel, renovation, and music.

Musician