posted Jun 19, 2011, 8:43 PM by Brian Spicklemire
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updated Jun 19, 2011, 9:35 PM
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Hey Everyone,
(And by everyone, I mean someone. Anyone. Surely someone is visiting my website. I hope.)I'm normally not a fan of blogs. Well, I should probably re-phrase that. I'm not normally a fan of ME having a blog. If you've ever talked to my friends, they might tell you I'm one to ramble (they're all shaking their heads right now,) and can tell long-winded soliloquies that get built up to a level where the eventual verbal pay-off never measure up to the anticipation, (sadly, still nodding.) Add to that my long-standing belief that no-one really cares too much what I have too say, and the fact that I'm just not that great with words, and you've got a perfect storm of me always thinking I have things to say, but never committing them to paper.
But, as part of a concerted effort to start a lot of good new habits this summer, (working out, picking up golf, cooking,) I've decided I'm going to try to start writing on here a lot more, (or on the blog-page I have but have never used.) I've been encouraged in a few of my grad classes to start writing more here and there to improve on my writing skills as it relates to me professionally (program notes and critical essays and such,) and develop my literary 'voice,' which should take some tinkering, as I suspect mine is some sort of combination between Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Simmons, and my other-sports/pop-culture infused influences.
As a composer my music should be, at it's core, a reflection of my view of the world around me. I suppose it's fitting then, that my first bit of writing that I'm adding to this site is a link to a piece of writing I did for my good friend Chris Pennant's site, where I wrote about Shaquille O'Neal and his retirement. This article was one that had been brewing inside me for a while. It's core idea (becoming "institutionalized" to something; a feeling, place, or way of life, and trying to hold onto that/knowing when to let go,) was something that I had already explored musically to a small extent, and am exploring in some of my current sketches as I work on a new piece for the BrainTrust Ensemble, (there's sure to be more blog postings about that group and it's development in the future.) When Shaq finally retired, it seemed as good a time as any to try to relate it to sports/my favorite movie of all time. So the article is below. I'm fairly happy with how it came out, (and am as always grateful that Chris has given me a space to blurt out the sports ramblings that pass between my ears,) and I hope it's a good introduction to whatever my literary 'voice' will eventually develop into. If nothing else, it's a starting point, and all the fun is seeing where it goes from here.
Life in The Cheap Seats: The Shaw-Shaq Redemption |
posted Apr 30, 2011, 10:29 AM by Brian Spicklemire
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