Ciao, Tutti!
Happy Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Solstice, New Years, Chinese New Year, and anything I may have forgotten. Love each other and kiss total strangers. It may help them get through the incredible stress of endless shopping, partying with people you hoped would have moved to Virginia by now, making food, and decorating. 'Tis the season.
My vacation has been exactly that: a vacation. The best part about college is the length of vacations. And yet I feel I should be hard at work. I'm still working on my fantasy trilogy of novels. My original goal was to finish with Book 2 by the end of the break. Ha! That would have been great. Plus I wanted to finish writing all the music for my recital next semester. Now I just feel inadequate. Not to mention my inability to read any or all of the great books I've received this season. Plus wanting to post more short stories on this blog, which hasn't exactly happened yet.
So work never ends. How come no one told me about this?
But today I feel it is my duty - No! My privilege - to post my top ten CD's of 2008. About a month ago I was wondering how I was going to even come up with 10. Now I feel 2008 was a pretty strong year after all for music, much more so than last year.
But first:
Where To Find My Stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Enjoy!
Top 10 CD's of 2008
1) The Dodo's - Visiter Yes, that is spelled correctly. The title of the CD gives this Oakland-based group an apt portrayal of their homemade style, as does their childish album art. The acoustic, wry guitar-drums duo (no, not like the White Stripes or Black Keys) pounds groove and distinctive melodic qualities into the mind in one of the best complete CD's I've heard in ages. Everything's there. Great songs, like "Joe's Waltz" and "Park Song." A feeling of continuity throughout the disc. Innovative rhythm and harmony. Emotional vocals. The only complaint to be had about this CD is the occasional ill-conceived lyric. Otherwise, this is amazing. Please, go buy this CD right now. I'm waiting.
2) Dafnis Prieto Sextet - The Emotions Series: Taking the Soul for a Walk I may be biased here, since I personally know most of the musicians on this project and the leader, drummer Dafis Prieto, is one of the senior faculty at my school. Plus I saw the premier of this suite at the Jazz Gallery in New York City. That said, I've been waiting for this CD for about a year now and it did not disappoint. This is some of the most exciting jazz writing and arranging out there since Dave Holland, conspicuously absent from this list, accidentally relinquished the mantle. A unique fuzzing of Afro-Cuban jazz styles with fusion and traditional jazz, Prieto utilizes the colors of the sextet and his own virtuosic drumming to the extreme. It can be a bit much at times; Prieto's writing, like his playing, has the tendency to be dense. But it's worth it.
Talking to Peter Apfelbaum, saxophonist and melodicaist on the record and lifelong friend of mine, he said that the musicians brought their best to the studio that day. They were so excited about it that they considered not even remastering it. Now, how's that for chemistry? Magic? One of the few good jazz records of the year.
3) TV On The Radio - Dear Science You have to understand this as two CD's: one that starts on track 1 and the other that starts on track 6. If this were the second CD, it would easily be number one. Home of "Love Dog" and "DLZ," two of the best songs released this year, the second half of "Dear Science" is potent, gritty, and exciting. Other than "Dancing Choose," nothing else of the project resembles anything of the originality and drive of their previous records. When listening to "Crying" for the first time I felt like ripping my headphones out. It felt more overproduced than the Black Keys's new CD, produced by Danger Mouse. However, after a few listens I have been able to appreciate all the songs, including the over appreciated single, "Golden Age." If I sound down on the CD, it's only in comparison to TV On The Radio's other work. Compared to the rest of the bands out there, a mainstream, poppy TVOTR CD is still one of the best of the year by far.
After the first three there's a real drop-off. I like all the CD's in the top ten, of course, but these three were by far the best, and depending on your style, can probably be arranged in whatever order you want.
4) Flying Lotus - Los Angeles Add a vocalist and this dub CD would easily be with the top three in terms of quality. More songs like the second-to-last "Testament" would have been appreciated. But it's hard to complain here. Flying Lotus has an obvious niche, and it's not meant to be listened to with the same rapt attention as the music listened above. It's meant to be soothing or in the background. "Los Angeles" has the composition of a great disc, even if a bit long. It functions like a long suite, so listening to the whole project in one sitting is rather fulfilling. Still, if you only have the time for a few singles, "Comet Course," "Riot," "Breathe.something/Stellar Star," and the aforementioned "Testament" eagerly await. Exciting rhythm and bass flow create this well-crafted CD. Now if there were only a melody...
5) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair If you don't know Antony And The Johnsons, you're in for an adventure. The man can sing, but his voice takes some time getting warmed up to. His falsetto and self-inflicted tremolo fit this band perfectly for two reasons: he doesn't have to sing so slowly that the tremolo gets annoying, and the two weirdnesses complement each other. This dance/techno/electronica/soul/funk/whatever group's sonorities are so distinctive that Antony seems necessary here. And he kicks butt. This perfect-length CD features three different lead singers, violins, brass (including solos!), bass synths, and drum machine beats. Most of the time it rocks, grooves, jams, and gets into your soul, especially "Hercules Theme" and "Blind." Easily interchangeable with Flying Lotus for 4 and 5, but I went with Flying Lotus because its beats are more interesting. Innovative rhythm and harmony won over innovative rhythm and melody. Perhaps the two bands should get together... yeah, no.
6) Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued If I had to choose one CD from this 2-disc set, it would be Microcastle, but there's really no need. This collection of music is not particularly innovative, but the sound of the band and its lead singer is so in sync that they pull off a great project. Using styles ranging narrowly from indie rock to alternative rock to classic rock, everything falls easily into place. "Never Stops" actually had me thinking deeply about tonic/mediant relations in harmony, though now I'd say I like "Saved By Old Times" best on this CD. There's nothing to say about this CD's newness, just that they did everything right, save for the boring segment in the middle of the CD.
7) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Near the top of everyone's list for 2008, I had to check them out. And they are quite good. Americana, folk rock, a capella, Christmas carol sounding, etc. I was quite excited about them when I first put them in the CD tray. I am a sucker for cool vocal harmony, and they reminded me of a less innovative but fully welcome Crosby Stills Nash and Young. And the too-long CD is solid all the way through. I am particularly fond of the reverb on the singers' voices, giving the whole project a pastoral feel (as do the religious lyrics that are probably there but I don't listen to). But this is the first CD on the list without a single to brag effusively about. The 4th best song on "Dear Science" is better than the best song on this disc, to be honest. This disc is lined with undistinguished song after undistinguished song, all excellent, making up a fairly good unified work. And there is no rhythmic or chordal innovation here at all. The Dodos takes Fleet Foxes to school in terms of creativity, even if they would be grouped together under "acoustic rock."
8) Ambrose Akinmusire - Prelude: To Cora Another biased choice, Sam! While never overlapping with him in high school, we attended the same BHS Jazz Ensemble and know each other from there (okay, I doubt he knows me). The trumpeter cut this album right off his winning of the Thelonius Monk international jazz competition on trumpet, and he deals with the pressure of everyone watching him with the same gusto he had in high school. He plays trumpet, and I normally can't stand the way trumpets sound. Normally. He wrote most of the music, including the scary "M.I.S.T.A.G. (My Inappropriate Soundtrack To A Genocide)," one of my favorite songs to come out this year. Featured throughout most of the CD, giving it a distinctive sound, is a singer who sounds more suited for opera than for jazz, though it oddly meshes well with the trumpet here. She dominates "M.I.S.T.A.G." as well as a few other tracks by sounding out of place at first and dramatic at second. The vibraphonist (yay!) who shares a name with my middle school math teacher also lends his strange sound to the mix with his fast vibrato. The only shortcoming of the disc is its inconsistency. I could delete half of it, especially the superficially covered "Stablemates," and I wouldn't even notice. But try and take the whole CD and you'll have to kill me first.
9) Ben Allison - Little Things Run The World Bassist Ben Allison being Ben Allison at his best. The first track explains it all. "Respiration," one of my favorite tracks of ALL TIME from his record "Buzz," is the opener again for his jazz/rock/fusion quartet Man-Sized Safe. Done differently and featuring a burning trumpet solo that makes the new rendition worth it, the tone is set for Ben Allison the way we've always known him. Like Deerhunter, this CD is nothing new done very well. Especially appreciated is the added play of saxophonist Ted Nash on a few tracks. Ben Allison has, as always, a rock-steady rhythm section and characteristic methods of composing melodies and harmonies that have always distinguished him from his contemporaries. His low rank on this list is almost a competition with himself rather than other CD's of 2008. The composition of this CD is at least as good as Fleet Foxes and probably the best place to start if you don't know his work yet. But still, nothing quite like "Riding the Nuclear Tiger" or the original "Respiration."
10) The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me and There's You This disc is by far the most original of all on the top ten. That made for weird listening the first time through. Perhaps this is why record stores don't know whether to put him in the jazz or electronica section of their stores. May I add a category? Soundtrack, anyone? The lead vocalist sounds plucked from Broadway and shoved into a brassy jazz big band with a sampler running behind them. It was hard to get used to. The tracks sounded like show tunes, though at times like jazz big band pieces, and at others avant-garde dub pieces. I couldn't figure it out. But I figured that any guy who's able to scrounge together 100 musicians (no joke!) for a project deserves a second listen, and I'm glad I gave Matthew Herbert that second chance. The songs are catchy, thanks to their show tune nature; rhythmic, thanks to their electronica nature; and groovy and hip, thanks to their jazz influence. It's got it all thrown together in a hodgepodge of sound. I like it. My mother hates it. It's a personal preference thing. I personally don't like the predilection towards brass, and the singer's voice gets annoying eventually, but songs like the first track, "The Story," show what kind of insane brilliance a man with a vision can come up with. This is recommended just to hear what people are doing with music these days. Wow.
Honorable Mention:
Dave Holland Sextet - Pass It On. Meh. All the playing is good. I've heard it all a million times already. Still, though. Some the best players in jazz playing what I've heard a million times. Why I'd listen to this as opposed to any other Dave Holland record is beyond me, though.
High Places - High Places Short and sweet electronic music that sounds like a forest. It's calming and unique, but they ran out of ideas. 30 minutes and every song sounds the same.
DJ Rupture - Uproot Some of this dub record is really interesting. It works well as a continuous piece, but it gets long and tedious. He's got some great ideas, like with the violins in the middle somewhere, but a lot of it I can do without. People loved this record, though, so I'm giving it another shot.
The Bug - London Zoo "Poison Dart" has a great chorus, and some of the songs rock out. Great beats in general, and I love the political Jamaican rap. But about half of the CD just blows. Such a good idea with choppy execution.
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life If you don't mind punk rock with a guy screaming into the mic but mixed so low you can't even hear him, this is for you. The first song, "Son The Father," rules. Without it I would have never given the CD a chance. The music is actually pretty good, and they make it clear they have melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic sensibilities throughout the disc with different methods. "Crooked Head" is a good example. But do they have to scream? And do they have to mix it so bad?
Conspicuously Missing: Vampire Weekend
I never thought I'd have to justify not liking this CD to anyone. It's that bad. But here I am, trying to think of technical reasons to trash it. People loved this CD. It got about as much acclaim as "Dear Science." And it didn't deserve it. Every song sounded the same. It was tinny and wiry sounding. The harmonies sucked and the rhythms sucked even more. It was so damn bright I couldn't see a thing. It's not even innovative: The Walkmen are basically the same band (and their new CD was pretty bad, too, but it was better than Vampire Weekend, by a little). I'm sorry, world who likes that CD, but I just don't see it. This doesn't usually happen, but I really just don't understand the allure of that CD. I listen to a CD where people scream into the mic and the mix is awful, but I don't get this CD at all.
Seriously, don't waste your money.
Okay, I need sleep
No, really, I do. If you have any questions about the CD's or are having trouble finding them and need more information, just let me know. Or if you think I left something out and have some suggested listening for me, please please please PLEASE let me know! I love listening to new music! As well as, you know, making it.
Happy New Year.I knew it had to happen sometime.
-sam goldsmith
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Winter Victory Dance - Sudden Fiction
Ciao, Tutti!
What? Sam goldsmith has time to write in the middle of his crazy finals schedule? Well, here's all I have to say about that:
Egyptian History: Check! Big fat check! And with 23 hours to spare, too. Now I don't have to spend all day reading hundreds of pages of boring excavation accounts and compiling them into a semi-coherent argument! I almost shudder to start reading for pleasure again, worrying that I might start instinctively skimming for the important stuff.
Well, now I get to relax a bit before hitting the airplane and heading home. And while I'm relaxing I figured I'd do my winter victory dance. Naked and outside.
Hold on a moment.
Wow. It's cold out there.
Anyway, I'll finally be able to write my novel again, record into garage band, write music, read for fun, and write short stories again! No more having to put off thinking about all the wonderful things I'd rather be doing than hi-lighting a photocopied piece on some papyrus that really doesn't amount to anything more than an icicle in hell.
So, since I'm so happy, I'd like to share some sudden fiction with you. These are all stories that are less than 250 words long, since that's about all I had time to write during my 5 minutes of study-breaking each day. That's an exaggeration. I usually got to take two study breaks per day.
I hope you enjoy!
Where to Find the Other Stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Enjoy!
Step Down
A native Spanish speaking man makes me and hundreds of other students lunch every day in a glass building on Washington Square Park. He is not thrilled about this. He gets irritated if the people in the line don’t step down fast enough once a person receives his order. He let’s us know about his irritation. And it makes sense. He has a long day filled with long lines.
This doesn’t stop him from making a good stir-fry. That’s why I eat there every day. And I always order the same thing. So he knows me, and I wish I could make him less irritated somehow, other than stepping down fast enough.
“Chicken and broccoli, please,” I say firmly so he can hear me easily over the sizzling of the frying pans. He already knows what I want, the tongs already moving towards the chicken, but I like saying please. His expression tells me he doesn’t hear that word enough.
“Sauce?” he asks.
“Sweet and sour, please.”
“Rice? Noodles? Noodles, right?”
I nod and smile. “Yeah, noodles, please.” Sometimes I’ll joke around. “How did you know?”
He puts the food in a box and hands it to me. It smells sweet and sour and it warms my hand.
“Thank you,” I shout over the sounds of the kitchen.
“All right, man. Have a good one.” As I leave the line he turns to the people behind me. “Step down, folks, step down!” he shouts, irritated.
I make my way to the checkout line, regretting that I couldn’t be thankful enough.
The Little Things
I spent almost half a year studying in Italy. It was nice.
In the grocery stores there you have to weight your own fruit. There are machines for this. You place your fruit on the scale, push the according picture, and it prints a price tag for you to stick on the bag.
Everyone’s lives are easier now.
When I came back to the United States I went searching for the fruit scale in my local grocery store. I asked the cashier where I could find it.
She weighed the fruit for me. I felt dejected.
Live With It
They fell in love at first sight. Which sucked dearly.
The man was addicted to underage Asian virgins, and true love was not going to keep him away from the meat he could not resist.
The woman was an overemotional control freak who grew up being scolded by a catholic priest for impure thoughts she hadn’t realized she was thinking.
It didn’t mix. But, oh well. It was love at first sight. What can you do but live with it?
Haiku Man
A skinny black man handed me a slip of paper. I was wearing headphones. People usually don’t hand me fliers while I’m wearing headphones. I thanked him and put it in my pocket.
“No, it’s a haiku,” the man said. He had a bit of a beard. Maybe he could tell I was an artist, too. “I’m trying to make a couple bucks. Read it.”
I read it. It was about balloons or something and it didn’t follow the proper beat scheme. Even so, the imagery was vivid, and the poem was almost memorable. I handed him back the slip.
“I like it,” I said. “It’s very bucolic.”
He didn’t take it. “Hey, man, I’m trying to make a couple bucks here,” he repeated. I realized he wanted to make a couple of bucks from me. I had more than a couple of bucks. I only had a twenty-dollar bill.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have any cash,” I forced, a phrase I usually reserve for Greenpeace, not street artists. I felt bad. I would have liked to give him a couple bucks. I owed it. “But thanks for sharing it with me,” I said with a smile and all the sincerity I could muster.
The man reluctantly took back the card and strode off and I wondered if I had been grateful enough.
Fine
There's another, but I doubt it's appropriate to post online. You know me and my dirty mind...
I haven't had a chance to look at these again yet, but I will. Oh, I will. And then you know what will happen? Editing time!!!!! Woooo, hoooo!!!
Okay, finals season drove me insane. I'll be going now....
Home!!
-Sam goldsmith
What? Sam goldsmith has time to write in the middle of his crazy finals schedule? Well, here's all I have to say about that:
Egyptian History: Check! Big fat check! And with 23 hours to spare, too. Now I don't have to spend all day reading hundreds of pages of boring excavation accounts and compiling them into a semi-coherent argument! I almost shudder to start reading for pleasure again, worrying that I might start instinctively skimming for the important stuff.
Well, now I get to relax a bit before hitting the airplane and heading home. And while I'm relaxing I figured I'd do my winter victory dance. Naked and outside.
Hold on a moment.
Wow. It's cold out there.
Anyway, I'll finally be able to write my novel again, record into garage band, write music, read for fun, and write short stories again! No more having to put off thinking about all the wonderful things I'd rather be doing than hi-lighting a photocopied piece on some papyrus that really doesn't amount to anything more than an icicle in hell.
So, since I'm so happy, I'd like to share some sudden fiction with you. These are all stories that are less than 250 words long, since that's about all I had time to write during my 5 minutes of study-breaking each day. That's an exaggeration. I usually got to take two study breaks per day.
I hope you enjoy!
Where to Find the Other Stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Enjoy!
Step Down
A native Spanish speaking man makes me and hundreds of other students lunch every day in a glass building on Washington Square Park. He is not thrilled about this. He gets irritated if the people in the line don’t step down fast enough once a person receives his order. He let’s us know about his irritation. And it makes sense. He has a long day filled with long lines.
This doesn’t stop him from making a good stir-fry. That’s why I eat there every day. And I always order the same thing. So he knows me, and I wish I could make him less irritated somehow, other than stepping down fast enough.
“Chicken and broccoli, please,” I say firmly so he can hear me easily over the sizzling of the frying pans. He already knows what I want, the tongs already moving towards the chicken, but I like saying please. His expression tells me he doesn’t hear that word enough.
“Sauce?” he asks.
“Sweet and sour, please.”
“Rice? Noodles? Noodles, right?”
I nod and smile. “Yeah, noodles, please.” Sometimes I’ll joke around. “How did you know?”
He puts the food in a box and hands it to me. It smells sweet and sour and it warms my hand.
“Thank you,” I shout over the sounds of the kitchen.
“All right, man. Have a good one.” As I leave the line he turns to the people behind me. “Step down, folks, step down!” he shouts, irritated.
I make my way to the checkout line, regretting that I couldn’t be thankful enough.
The Little Things
I spent almost half a year studying in Italy. It was nice.
In the grocery stores there you have to weight your own fruit. There are machines for this. You place your fruit on the scale, push the according picture, and it prints a price tag for you to stick on the bag.
Everyone’s lives are easier now.
When I came back to the United States I went searching for the fruit scale in my local grocery store. I asked the cashier where I could find it.
She weighed the fruit for me. I felt dejected.
Live With It
They fell in love at first sight. Which sucked dearly.
The man was addicted to underage Asian virgins, and true love was not going to keep him away from the meat he could not resist.
The woman was an overemotional control freak who grew up being scolded by a catholic priest for impure thoughts she hadn’t realized she was thinking.
It didn’t mix. But, oh well. It was love at first sight. What can you do but live with it?
Haiku Man
A skinny black man handed me a slip of paper. I was wearing headphones. People usually don’t hand me fliers while I’m wearing headphones. I thanked him and put it in my pocket.
“No, it’s a haiku,” the man said. He had a bit of a beard. Maybe he could tell I was an artist, too. “I’m trying to make a couple bucks. Read it.”
I read it. It was about balloons or something and it didn’t follow the proper beat scheme. Even so, the imagery was vivid, and the poem was almost memorable. I handed him back the slip.
“I like it,” I said. “It’s very bucolic.”
He didn’t take it. “Hey, man, I’m trying to make a couple bucks here,” he repeated. I realized he wanted to make a couple of bucks from me. I had more than a couple of bucks. I only had a twenty-dollar bill.
“I’m sorry. I don’t have any cash,” I forced, a phrase I usually reserve for Greenpeace, not street artists. I felt bad. I would have liked to give him a couple bucks. I owed it. “But thanks for sharing it with me,” I said with a smile and all the sincerity I could muster.
The man reluctantly took back the card and strode off and I wondered if I had been grateful enough.
Fine
There's another, but I doubt it's appropriate to post online. You know me and my dirty mind...
I haven't had a chance to look at these again yet, but I will. Oh, I will. And then you know what will happen? Editing time!!!!! Woooo, hoooo!!!
Okay, finals season drove me insane. I'll be going now....
Home!!
-Sam goldsmith
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
3 Classes
Ciao, Tutti!
3. Count them. Won, too, three. 3. Threeeee. That's how many classes I finished up with today. Yeah. I know. I'm awesome.
1) Music History 3 final. Check. A ton of memorization of music I've never heard of before plus obscure facts about odd historical tidbits and German names couldn't deter me. I'd be shocked if I got worse than 97 on the 100-question test. Even if I got an 85 I'd still have a solid A in the class. And I didn't even know what Liszt's "Mazeppa" sounded like until this afternoon. Huh.
2) Power and Poverty. Check. My favorite class of the term, as well as the most demanding. I wrote five drafts of this essay, and I have to admit that I'm moderately proud of it. I'm taking a research-themed class with the same instructor next semester, and I'm looking forward to it. I need exactly 39/40 percent on this paper to get an A- in the class, so there's not much pressure or hope for the golden letter. Either way, I think I got a lot out of the class. That's what's important, no? A B+ isn't so bad... I'll be turning in the paper tomorrow morning.
3) Jazz Arranging. Check. One of the worst class experiences of my life. I can say that now that it's over, but Ralph Alessi, my instructor for the ensemble immediately following it, could probably tell from my frequent venting. One of the leading contributors for me to hate classic jazz. I didn't hate it before. Now it just pisses me off. Thanks, Dave Schroeder. So I dug in and finished this chart I never wanted to write in the first place, its form sadly dictated to me by the constrictive assignment. I tried my best to be original, but I don't know... At least it's finished. I'll see Dr. Dave tomorrow and finalize it, print it out, and turn it in so it can be recorded on the 20th.
So what's left? Just one course, but it's a monster. For my uninspiring Egypt course I have to write 2 5-page research papers. Problem is the sources have largely been missing. Long story short, I have both a lot of reading and a lot of writing to do in the next four days to get it in on Monday at 12:00. I've worked out a plan, but I'm really not looking forward to the work, especially because of how bored I am by the subject. We're done with the pyramids, and the professor is not very good at sparking interest. The readings are similarly bland. So I plan on being very bored for about too many hours each until Monday.
And then, I leave. Bye, New York. I'm going home!
I can't wait.
In the meantime, no time to write. I can blog because I'm excited about getting three classes done. But no short stories. I've got two 200-word stories , but I need to edit them. Not happening anytime soon. Maybe on the airplane ride back home, if I'm not too exhausted. Anyway, don't expect much from me until I get home. Tuesday, I'd guess.
And Sam goldsmith has to log off now so he can start his mountain of reading. Yay!
-Sam goldsmith
3. Count them. Won, too, three. 3. Threeeee. That's how many classes I finished up with today. Yeah. I know. I'm awesome.
1) Music History 3 final. Check. A ton of memorization of music I've never heard of before plus obscure facts about odd historical tidbits and German names couldn't deter me. I'd be shocked if I got worse than 97 on the 100-question test. Even if I got an 85 I'd still have a solid A in the class. And I didn't even know what Liszt's "Mazeppa" sounded like until this afternoon. Huh.
2) Power and Poverty. Check. My favorite class of the term, as well as the most demanding. I wrote five drafts of this essay, and I have to admit that I'm moderately proud of it. I'm taking a research-themed class with the same instructor next semester, and I'm looking forward to it. I need exactly 39/40 percent on this paper to get an A- in the class, so there's not much pressure or hope for the golden letter. Either way, I think I got a lot out of the class. That's what's important, no? A B+ isn't so bad... I'll be turning in the paper tomorrow morning.
3) Jazz Arranging. Check. One of the worst class experiences of my life. I can say that now that it's over, but Ralph Alessi, my instructor for the ensemble immediately following it, could probably tell from my frequent venting. One of the leading contributors for me to hate classic jazz. I didn't hate it before. Now it just pisses me off. Thanks, Dave Schroeder. So I dug in and finished this chart I never wanted to write in the first place, its form sadly dictated to me by the constrictive assignment. I tried my best to be original, but I don't know... At least it's finished. I'll see Dr. Dave tomorrow and finalize it, print it out, and turn it in so it can be recorded on the 20th.
So what's left? Just one course, but it's a monster. For my uninspiring Egypt course I have to write 2 5-page research papers. Problem is the sources have largely been missing. Long story short, I have both a lot of reading and a lot of writing to do in the next four days to get it in on Monday at 12:00. I've worked out a plan, but I'm really not looking forward to the work, especially because of how bored I am by the subject. We're done with the pyramids, and the professor is not very good at sparking interest. The readings are similarly bland. So I plan on being very bored for about too many hours each until Monday.
And then, I leave. Bye, New York. I'm going home!
I can't wait.
In the meantime, no time to write. I can blog because I'm excited about getting three classes done. But no short stories. I've got two 200-word stories , but I need to edit them. Not happening anytime soon. Maybe on the airplane ride back home, if I'm not too exhausted. Anyway, don't expect much from me until I get home. Tuesday, I'd guess.
And Sam goldsmith has to log off now so he can start his mountain of reading. Yay!
-Sam goldsmith
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Short - Group Therapy
Ciao, Tutti!
For those of you who don't know, it was Thanksgiving last weekend. The holiday of food and family! Being far away in California all my life, it has mainly been a holiday of food and close friends for me traditionally, although I never really did develop a solid Thanksgiving tradition. However, now that I go to school in New York and I'm not so homesick that I have to waste my parents' money by flying all the way home for each three-day weekend, I was able to take advantage of the cheaper tickets and fly to Detroit for the holiday. And it was wonderful, even if I ate everybody out of house, home, apartment, trailer, or whatever it was they were all living in. Basically I ate. And ate. And ate. Food tastes good, you know?
Now we're back to school, and it's time to think about finals. It won't be time to do anything other than think until the day before, but thinking about them will force me to post less blogs. It's always something, isn't it? Nanowrimo, then schoolwork, all keeping me from writing. And yet I somehow manage to do it. Just don't look at my grades when they come in.
I'm just kidding. You can look at my grades as soon as I've fled the country.
Speaking of writing, I've finally finished my next short piece, the last one I drafted before November. I've had a hard time with this one and I still don't think it's quite done yet, but it's ready for the online community to critique. So here you are! If you're too full from Thanksgiving turkey to digest some more words, I understand entirely. Wait, no I don't. What does "too full" mean, anyway?
Where to find the other stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Warning! This story, while not as vulgar as my brother's, has some potent language in places. Just be sure to note that before you read it out loud to your kids. Since that's what I assume you do as soon as I post a story. Don't deny it.
"Group Therapy" has been removed from the site by me, Sam goldsmith, for copyright reasons. Deal with it.
This is embarrassingly autobiographical. Basically the only thing in here that's not true is the crush on my therapist. I've had therapy before, but the therapist wasn't very attractive. And I never told her anything that personal, so I wasted my folks' money. Again. Damn, I'm getting good at that! Anyway, I've never had a therapy session quite like that before, but I do get hopelessly attracted to women who look like the girl who broke my heart. It kind of sucks. And I talk to myself. I'm doing it right now, in fact.
The important thing I'm trying to get across is the need for real love, not simple attraction, which is why I'm not too into her at the end and I try to use words that make it seem like we're fighting each other rather than in love with each other. Plus I sort of remove myself - the real me - from the picture.
Ha ha! Can you see the real me, doctor? Sorry, inside joke between me and The Who fans.
Anyway, let me know if I did a decent job getting that message across at the end. Did I at least make it clear that I didn't want a relationship with her even though I was hopelessly attracted to her? I didn't? Nooooooooo!!!!!!!
Anyway, time for Andy Milne Ensemble. Catch you all later. Happy finals period and crazy holiday shopping time! Yippee!
-sam goldsmith
For those of you who don't know, it was Thanksgiving last weekend. The holiday of food and family! Being far away in California all my life, it has mainly been a holiday of food and close friends for me traditionally, although I never really did develop a solid Thanksgiving tradition. However, now that I go to school in New York and I'm not so homesick that I have to waste my parents' money by flying all the way home for each three-day weekend, I was able to take advantage of the cheaper tickets and fly to Detroit for the holiday. And it was wonderful, even if I ate everybody out of house, home, apartment, trailer, or whatever it was they were all living in. Basically I ate. And ate. And ate. Food tastes good, you know?
Now we're back to school, and it's time to think about finals. It won't be time to do anything other than think until the day before, but thinking about them will force me to post less blogs. It's always something, isn't it? Nanowrimo, then schoolwork, all keeping me from writing. And yet I somehow manage to do it. Just don't look at my grades when they come in.
I'm just kidding. You can look at my grades as soon as I've fled the country.
Speaking of writing, I've finally finished my next short piece, the last one I drafted before November. I've had a hard time with this one and I still don't think it's quite done yet, but it's ready for the online community to critique. So here you are! If you're too full from Thanksgiving turkey to digest some more words, I understand entirely. Wait, no I don't. What does "too full" mean, anyway?
Where to find the other stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Warning! This story, while not as vulgar as my brother's, has some potent language in places. Just be sure to note that before you read it out loud to your kids. Since that's what I assume you do as soon as I post a story. Don't deny it.
"Group Therapy" has been removed from the site by me, Sam goldsmith, for copyright reasons. Deal with it.
This is embarrassingly autobiographical. Basically the only thing in here that's not true is the crush on my therapist. I've had therapy before, but the therapist wasn't very attractive. And I never told her anything that personal, so I wasted my folks' money. Again. Damn, I'm getting good at that! Anyway, I've never had a therapy session quite like that before, but I do get hopelessly attracted to women who look like the girl who broke my heart. It kind of sucks. And I talk to myself. I'm doing it right now, in fact.
The important thing I'm trying to get across is the need for real love, not simple attraction, which is why I'm not too into her at the end and I try to use words that make it seem like we're fighting each other rather than in love with each other. Plus I sort of remove myself - the real me - from the picture.
Ha ha! Can you see the real me, doctor? Sorry, inside joke between me and The Who fans.
Anyway, let me know if I did a decent job getting that message across at the end. Did I at least make it clear that I didn't want a relationship with her even though I was hopelessly attracted to her? I didn't? Nooooooooo!!!!!!!
Anyway, time for Andy Milne Ensemble. Catch you all later. Happy finals period and crazy holiday shopping time! Yippee!
-sam goldsmith
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