Tag Archives: music

Guide by the Perplexed

Posted on May 6, 2019 by JMN

The Poet sat in a dive on 52nd Street “uncertain and afraid.” I sit in a shed on 3rd Street where I, too, watch “the clever dreams expire of a low, dishonest decade.” The manic hubbub of tear-it-downers and bust-it-uppers … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bastard File

Posted on April 20, 2019 by JMN

I went shopping online for a metal file with which to increase the gap of the hook on the support strap I use for my classical guitar. The hook engages with the sound hole of the instrument, and is too … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wrestling With Darkness

Posted on April 11, 2019 by JMN

I wish the article quoted here had reproduced the De Chirico painting it mentions. I like to see evidence of how painting and music can interact for an artist. I’m only now becoming acquainted with Monder’s music. His recurring dream … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Black Hole Sings in B Flat

Posted on April 11, 2019 by JMN

There is great buzz today around black holes in celebration of the latest observations. The sense of awe these phenomena induce has intersected just now with my private boning up on fundamentals of music theory, leaving me astounded on many … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Quotations | Tagged | 2 Comments

Scott Walker (1943-2019)

Posted on March 28, 2019 by JMN

As a latecomer to Scott Walker’s music I’ve only scratched its surface. The admiration other artists have expressed for his solo work makes me want to hear more. I want to appreciate the zone of listening that stretches from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Resolving Uncertainty”

Posted on March 14, 2019 by JMN

I’m trying to make the musical intervals stick in my head through associated songs, a technique I’ve only just discovered. I’m painting each interval on canvas, first the minor second,  exemplified by the theme of the movie “Jaws.” The article excerpted below  recommends drawing … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged | 9 Comments

Titans in Natty Attire

Posted on March 7, 2019 by JMN

Joni Mitchell describes herself as a “painter derailed by circumstance.” (“Joni Mitchell,” Wikipedia) (Photo from Guy Trebay, “Of David Hockney and Joni Mitchell Holding Hands,” NYTimes, 2-28- 19) (c) 2019 JMN.

Posted in Anthology, Commentary | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dangerous Music

Posted on February 21, 2019 by JMN

In 1919, jazz, or “jass,” as some still called it, was a peculiar word with musical and sexual connotations. It could be noun, verb or adjective, indicating pep, liveliness and noise. Jazz was the new counterculture dance music replacing ragtime … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthology, Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment

Massive Attack

Posted on February 18, 2019 by JMN

“Gigs have become very formulaic these days,” adds [Adam] Curtis. “Not just gigs but all of culture – and that’s the challenge. The way you make people look again is by finding a different sort of image. And so the … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

This Is America, Too

Posted on February 18, 2019 by JMN

Since 1991, the Bronx Conservatory of Music, a nonprofit arts organization, has provided low-cost education in classical music to a constituency that has been historically underexposed to the tradition. And at a time when music classes are being cut from … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged | Leave a comment