Month: April 2006

It’s been a few weeks now since the Alumni Concert and now that things have settled back down for me I realized I had not spent time to reflect on the concert…

The Alumni Concert at the University of Georgia was such a nice event. It was a real joy to see so many old friends whom were fellow students when I was there at the University, getting to catch up with them in both their lives and in their music. I saw a few old Professors there as well and was very glad to reconnect with them. I was very happy to be able o share my piece at this concert with my friends and professors as well the rest of the audience.
I think that it’s a real credit to my old professor, Dr. Leonard V. Ball, that he put in so much effort to put on such a great concert, and perhaps more importantly that he has had so many students who have gone on to explore many different interests in electronic music. I think it wasn’t only techniques he taught(though he does this very well), but also a sense of exploration that we all took with us when we left that school, and that I think is so much more important.

All in all it was a very warm and positive experience to be back in Athens with this fine group of people. I only hope that we will all be able to see each other more often in the future.

^_^

Today, Lisa and I rented a car and drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County to visit Muir Woods National Park. It was hard to believe that we’ve lived here a few years now and that we haven’t gone to explore such a beautiful placeuntil today.
Overcast but seemingly appropriate, we travelled to Marin listening to Feist, driving up and down windy streets until finding the park. Once inside we attended the free Ecology talk, learning all about the Redwood trees and why they grow so specifically to the coastal area, and how they are able to gather water from the fog. The park has a few signs along the main trail with information as well as numbered signs that corresponded to the guide map we received, and was all very informative.

We walked along the main path which followed along a creek until we got down to bridge number 4, where after we crossed and headed back towards the entrance via the Hillside Path. The experience of being within the woods was truly astonishing. The air was incredibly rich and fresh, filled with a sort of tangible energy, and every breath seemed to vitalize the mind, the body, and the spirit. The Redwoods, having been there hundreds of years, felt timeless and serene as we walked amongst them. The sounds of the water were soothing and delightful as we hiked along the paths.

It was such a peaceful time there, hiking around together, smiling away, connected with each other and with the forest…

Leaving the park, we drove back to San Francisco listening to Mamoru Fujieda’s Patterns of Plants which was perfect for the return trip. The time in Muir Woods left a very deep impression and I was very much inspired. As we walked through the forest today, many sounds real and imagined went through my mind and I felt deeply moved to begin working on a new piece of music. I am sure that the experiences from today will stay with me for quite some time; I am looking forward to the next time we can find our way back to the forest and to the mountains…