My Blog

Giorno 5 or 6 um Sabato

joematzzie — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 14:44:14 GMT

This picture is of the 1st Italian "cousin" I met here, Juliana. My mom's father, Giovani Linarello, had like 10 siblings and so Juliana's the granddaughter of one of Giovani's sisters. It took me a while to understand what the significance was to this statue, but I'm holding an example of the traditional dress of Gioissa Ionica women. This female dress is a symbol that I see over and over again, associated with their town and with the greater region of Calabria. On the souvineers and tourist stuff there's always a woman in traditional dress. You can't see it but the statue has a black "pleated" layer in the back, like a train but not to the ground" ---Today's Saturday. Not as much time to blog as I would hope for but hey. Plenty of time for that when I get home. I've played in the surf of the Mediteranian Sea, drank home made wine from Mountain top viniards and pure spring water from a minerette (they don't really call it that but it so reminds me of the other countries in that region), wandered around casbah-like streets and hung out with cousins. Everyone in this town seems to be my cousin and everyone is Italian. They had a brass band do a concert of mostly Italian music, with a few Souza marches thrown in. I was trying to translate "Stars and Stripes Forever" for some of my new Italian friends.

The Blog from Italy

joematzzie — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 14:05:41 GMT

Here I am in Southern Italy, Gioissa Ionica in Calabria, to be exact. Much to tell but not much time at the internet center so I,ll just post a photo, and write more later Check out my Italy photo album on Facebook. http://berklee.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2008504&l=bd0ff&id=20804734

Mt Etna

joematzzie — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 21:27:40 GMT

Only 3 weeks and 3 days till I get to stand in Calabria's ancient valcanic ash and be close enough to several active volcanos and think hey that could explode and kill everyone at any minute.

More Bizarre Counterpoint

joematzzie — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:15:50 GMT

OK this tune is counterpoint to itself, but backwards, but not a palandrome. . One instrument plays the notes backwards and one instrument plays forwards. Sounds pretty serial when you listen to it; not exactly atonal but not exactly something they'd use in a lightbulb commercial either.

Barbequed Wench?

joematzzie — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:09:16 GMT

OK I just got back from the S.CT.RenFaire. Spent the day doing laundry, cleaning my apartment while listening to North American Drum and Steel's 2nd album, a band I haven't listened to since that dream I had about living 8 years in New York City. Washed my car, lined up some prospective roommates to see the apartment. Relaxingly stressed out day. I watched a video of me conducting Petroushka in conducting class, rolled some coins. The past 3 weeks was filled with a lot of joy, a lot of music in the sun, friendly faces and dirt in the woods. My faire plans this summer are sparse but enough for me, because I really want to dedicate my energy to the new things I'm doing and learning in Boston. I'll be at New York Ren Faire for a day in September and at the New York Medieval Fest on Sunday October 8

Table Music

joematzzie — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 21:23:07 GMT

today I brought my Classical Guitar to school, to play a piece that was handed out last class by my Counterpoint teacher. It's a duo for 2 instruments except that when you look at the page, the text at the bottom of the page is upside down. It's a style of counterpoint called Table Music, whereby 2 musicians face each other and read the same piece of music from opposite directions. Very cool. I wonder if I can scan it and upload it.