My Brother, The Legend
Andrew is an artist and a scientist, entrepreneur and chef. He is an explorer and adventurer in the kitchen and his journeys and creations bring ecstasy to the palates of his many delighted customers. It is a joy to consume his food, but an even greater joy to watch him work; seeing his vision and technical procedure with insight into the molecular process the ingredients undergo towards the final presentation is a deeply pedagogical and inspiring experience. He has a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects related to his craft, from farming strategies and livestock handling to transportation and storage; from…
Aural Flow
Recent Real-Time Music Composition and Production:
Winning Winter
It has been months since I've been able to sit a write, partially due to a computer failure, and mostly due to a long stretch of work and life business. The high and lowlights from the Chill: • Patriots win Super Bowl LI with impossible comeback. Down 28-3 with 2:00 left in the 3rd quarter, it looked bleak (and that was being optimistic). But some textbook mental toughness and Tom Brady being the greatest ever, they complete the most fantastic comeback in Super Bowl history. Legendary. • I have been dealing with a Lyme disease diagnosis and have been through several rounds of…
New Era
Making music because I can.
The Movement
Today was incredible and deeply inspiring. The people appealed beautifully and powerfully for Women and against our newly inaugurated president, who has disrespected, disparaged and expressed disdain for the entire gender. After months of dark anxiety and absolute dejection, this was the only possible antidote; a rallying cry from millions of American patriots rejecting the fraud and deception now in the White House and demanding decency, respect and compassion for all people. Alaina got on a bus this morning to be in D.C. for the main event, so I packed Ivy and Miles into the double stroller and, bearing through…
Holidays
I could not have been luckier in the birth lottery, raised well by two amazing parents and accompanied by two siblings through my formative years, sheltered by a beautiful home in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts. This family has grown and now includes wonderfully-chosen spouses and incredible created progeny. When we assemble biennially on Lake Ave and fill the house that once fit five comfortably with fourteen, including six under five, it is wildly chaotic in the most fun and exciting way possible. Great people I see too rarely and whose company I enjoy more than anyone, make 72 hours in their…
In the Moment of Truth
I spend a few minutes preparing an Ableton Live set with a variety of sounds then I hit record and start tapping pads on Push. The result is five to twenty minutes of improvised composition. I enjoy listening to the recordings, but not quite as much as I enjoy making them. The process is stream-of-consciousness and meditative; I am listening and responding in the moment, which means I cease to think about anything else and become entranced by my creation. It is a journey and it is, temporarily, the sole focus of my existence. In many ways, these recordings are…
Making Meaningful Music
Despite the many forces I am powerless to, I am still in charge of my music! It is my greatest non-human interaction and every day I continue my quest to produce the best aural art I possibly can. I have certainly enjoyed creating these cathartic and therapeutic spontaneous compositions over the past month and will dedicate myself to making more out of pure love for the process.
Insane
What The Fuck? Our Country has lost its mind and I have been similarly afflicted with a haunting psychosis. Trump is scarier than anything I have ever encountered in my lifetime and my brain refuses to let me forget it. It's been one month since 11/8 and every day seems harder than the last as he picks his cabinet of ghouls and picks fights with Hamilton, The Media and China. He makes a private deal with Carrier by giving them corporate tax breaks to send jobs to Mexico (and save a few for us). He chooses Climate Change Deniers to…