Switched ON

It's been a while since any substantial posting has happened here. That is largely because of the beginning of the semester at UCA. Things are busy. I have more students than I have ever had and I've been trying to help get the drumline off to a running start. I've also been getting the music ready for our two percussion ensemble concerts this semester. Oh, and I leave for South Africa on Tuesday morning to perform at the Unyazi Electronic Music Festival. Missing most of the first full week of class isn't ideal, so I have been trying to get a plan together to keep things running smoothly. And...I'm still putting the new piece I've written for solo marimba and 3 percussion into the computer.

Robert Moog died last Sunday. It's hard to listen to the radio without hearing his influence, and I still remember the first time I heard Switched on Bach. I hit the used record stores immediatley in search of my own copy. Someday I hope to have my own Moog, but for now it's just a dream. The NYT has a few features about him and his work. Jump on these links fast becuase the NYT will put them in an archive and charge you money for them in the near future. They are free for now.

An Appreciation
Switched On and Ready to Rumble - New York Times
Just under the picture of Moog on the left is a link to a great multimedia story with sound clips.

The Obit
Robert Moog, Music Synthesizer Creator, Dies - New York Times


There is also an interesting story about a Ward Marston, who restores old recordings of everthing from jazz to classical to presidential speeches.
A Master of Making Old Tunes New Again - New York Times

Now it's time for a little chai latte. More later.