Recital Poster!

Ciao, Tutti!

Now announcing: the official Sam Goldsmith Senior Recital Poster! Photography courtesy of my friend Aurora, who is super cool and is loved by all who know her. Here's the good stuff:



Make sure you check out the wonderful news from Tuesday if you haven't already. I'm still on a high from it all!

-Sam goldsmith

P.S. Just noticed a bit too late: I've been spelling Patti's name wrong the whole time! Well, just so you know, I've caught the error. Sorry, Patti!

Sam Goes 2-0

Ciao, Tutti!

Well, I've got good news, and I've got more good news.

1) I just received word that my short story "A Fascinating Line" has been accepted into the publication West 10th Street! You can look out for it on April 3rd, when there will be a release party on - who woulda thunk? - West 10th Street. I'm super psyched about this; it mean's I'm a perfect 2 and 0 for submission season, between this and The Historian! I guess this means it's time to start submitting elsewhere... Look out, world!

2) Owl Eyes will be playing the first show, live, on Thursday, April 8, at 11:45 at Goodbye Blue Monday (in affectionate remembrance of Kurt Vonnegut). We've started playing with a drummer, Gabe, who subbed in with Flaming Fire for a couple of shows and really knows how to rock the place. Sweet! Thanks to Justina for doing the dirty work and getting us the place. Now all we've got to do is pack it!

In other music performance news: My senior recital is still scheduled for Sunday, March 7, at 6:00 at 35 West 4th street, room 779. And it's still planned to be mind-shattering.

Also, the Ralph Alessi ensembles will be playing at the Jazz Gallery, as we have done before, on Wednesday, April 14. It will be as cool as a rabbit wearing shades.

Now I'm off to celebrate! Yippee!

-Sam goldsmith

Owl Eyes Have a MySpace!

Ciao, Tutti!

Some good news for all you music fans out there: Owl Eyes is finally getting off the ground an has posted a MySpace page! You may find it on the left-hand column. There you can listen to our songs "Rose-Colored Spectacles" and "Pleasure Dive," both written by Justina Flash and performed by her, Jordan Wolosky, and myself. Venues like it if our MySpace has a lot of hits (hint, hint).

In other news, about 109,000 people watched the NBA all-star game live at the Dallas Cowboy's stadium where it was hosted. Not only that, the stadium, as many of you might already know, hosts the biggest HD TV in the world, which was bigger than the court itself. At first I thought it was just a trick of the camera. But, alas, the world really has sunk that low. I don't know why that depresses me so much, but it does.

-Sam goldsmith

Slam Dunk Contest?

Ciao, Tutti!

It's time to complain about something! Oh, boy!

I just got finished watching the NBA slam dunk contest. And, uh, it sucked? Yeah, it sucked. I think I had more fun... I dunno, sleeping, or something.

One thing I was glad about, on the other hand, was how frank the TNT announcers were about it. You would expect a candid opinion from Charles Barkley, but the other guys, too? Some rookie on the Raptors, DeRozan, made a dunk that "woke them up" about mid way through. Other than that the commentators spent the entire telecast romanticizing about slam dunk contests past and wishing they could suit up and show these pretenders how to dunk.

Just like the all-star voting that allowed Allan Iverson a starting position in tomorrow's came had he been healthy, it seems that everything except the word "break" needs renovation in the NBA all star game. There's simply no reason left to watch, and then what's the point?

In other news, there's a new trailer for "The Last Airbender," which actually doesn't look horrible. That is, unless you're fond of the characters from the TV show. But I'm still excited. And it looks visually exciting. And they're taking out advertising space on the ESPN NBA site. A fantasy movie based on a kid's animated show is advertising to NBA fans. Next I'll see a nun with a tattoo of a flaming guitar on her forehead.

The movie comes out July 2. Anyone want to see it at midnight with me?

Flaming Fire's new installation art space is open! It's called the Silver Salon and it's located on 539 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, New York. You should check it out if you're around town, and especially if you missed Eternal Christmas.

Now I'm off to work on recital music! Up, up and away!

-Sam goldsmith

Some News About History and Music

Ciao, Tutti!

Long time no see.

Even though I've been away for a while now I don't have all that much to say. I don't have any short stories that are polished enough to share, and Flaming Fire has been on hiatus as our leader copes with his newborn. Still, as the first post I'm making in 2010, I feel I should start with a bang. So here it is:

1) Recital Mania!

My recital date has been given to me finally! That's the good news. Bad news is they gave me the one day I wanted least: March 7, at 6:00. That's a Sunday, when I knew some members of the family wouldn't be able to make it. On the plus side, though, my cellist wouldn't have been able to perform on the 6th, the day I wanted. How 'bout them apples, destiny?

I am currently wrapping up the music creation part of the program with my wonderful teacher Gil Goldstein, which promises to be a set of 12 pieces like none other. It will feature approximately 15 different performers, which, incidentally, would have probably been my only audience. But I don't care. This is Sparta. Or something.

It will feature:

- Me (Vibes, piano, bass, vocals, compositions, arrangements)
- The Inspiration Sextet with special guest Julian Waterfall Pollack on Piano
- The 4-string Trio
- Guest Conductor and Composer Leo Birenberg
- Special Guest Greg Englar on Guitar Insanity
- Owl Eyes

It is located in room 779 (they screwed me with the worst room, too) of 25 West 4th street, Manhattan, New York, 10003, in some universe or another.

2) First Ever Real Publication!

About a week ago I received word that my essay about the shape of Costa Rican nationalism in 1921 has been accepted into "The Historian," the NYU undergraduate history journal! I'm still giddy just thinking about it. I've been working with an editor throughout the month of February and will submit a final draft by the end of the month. Hopefully the publication will be available to the public sometime in April!

Who knew my first publication would be a history paper and not a short story? Speaking of which, I'm still waiting for word from the NYU creative writing journal, which I am expecting to hear from in March, as well as the Re:Write Review, which sort of runs on its own schedule. Now that I'm done novelling for a while I should be able to devote some more meaningful attention to my short stories, I hope...

3) Good Times

I don't actually have anything else leaping to mind to share with all ye good lot. Hope everything is going well for you all, and be sure not to burn the chicken.

-Sam goldsmith