Dai Segaki

Tags

chant, Dai Segaki, death, Japan, music, Zen

Dai Segaki

For an old friend.  Happy birthday, buddy.

Thank you CJ!

Tags

Liebster award

I would like to thank C.J Nigh of Undead Dad for nominating me for the Liebster Award.  Check his blog out- it’s terrific!

As part of the deal, I’m supposed to answer 11 questions of his, so here goes:

1. Which of your blog posts is your personal favorite?

That’s a real toughy.  I am proud of the recent music posts I’ve done, and am particularly pleased with the one I did tonight and the recording of the Bach Sarabande.  Some of the poetry posts I wrote I am very pleased with.  The one that comes to mind is Anaplastic, one of several poems having to do with the death of my father-in-law last Thanksgiving.  The one called February 28 is a powerful one for me, though I didn’t tell you the whole story behind it.
2. Name one other blog post from another writer that really inspired you.

Several of Susan Scheid’s  and Angela’s posts got me riffing and prompted several poems.  I hope that didn’t get too annoying for them!

 

3. Unicorns or zombies?

If you ask my daughters- both.  I prefer them grilled with a good Kansas City style barbecue sauce.

 

4. Favorite children’s/YA book?

I’m too old to remember!

 

5. Why did you start blogging?

This blog is an experimental laboratory to help me find a creative voice.  This kind of creativity and what Angela would call “contrarian” thinking was not exactly encouraged when I was a kid.  You colored in the lines OR ELSE.  This blog is a direct outgrowth of the course in Modern and Contemporary American Poetry (Modpo) at Coursera.com.   It is a fantastic course (and I’ll be TA’ing next September).  I highly recommend it.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that the course changed me.

 

6. On average, how many times a day do you check your blog and/or its notifications?

That varies a lot.  If I have a demanding day at work and am busy at night, I may not even look at it.  On the other hand, I do try to keep up when I can.  been harder lately as I’m a bit overcommitted.  I learn a lot from everyone I follow.

 

7. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from blogging so far?

I’v learned to turn off the self-censor and create- take chances.  Art is not created in the comfort zone.  I’ve learned that I can be creative, despite everything I’d ever been taught.

 

8. Do you have kids and, if so, do you hope that they’ll read your blog one day, or stay the hell away?

Hell, my kids have posted on this blog- here and here!

 

9. You’re on death row: last meal?’

Sure, I’ll take one.  No sense getting a lethal injection on an empty stomach.

 

10. When does the writing bug tend to strike?

Unpredictably- though I can’t wait for it to strike.  If I am not intentional about making an effort to write, it will not happen because of my insane schedule.  Look at how many poems I’ve written in the last two weeks, for example.

 

11. Real name or pen name?

The title of this blog comes from the first poem I posted here.  It was written for an assignment for Modpo.  That poem gave me the confidence that I could write, I could create.  I wanted a place where I could create, and unlike Emily Dickinson, be able to share them with somebody.

And yes, my name is really Mark Snyder.

Another part of the deal is that I am supposed to nominate 11 more for the award:  In no particular order, I nominate:

Prufrock’s Dilemma

Yellow House Cafe

HillbillyZen

Quirk’n’It

pinknoyze

Masqua’s Art

Cleaver of God

Daily Echo

biljanazovkic

Daina’s Book

Shannon A Thompson

(As I write this post, the reader quit cooperating.  I’ll finish linking to these excellent blogs later).

Here are my 11 questions:

1. Which of your blog posts is your personal favorite?
2. Name one other blog post from another writer that really inspired you.
3. Who in your circle of family and friends reads your blog?  How does that affect your writing?
4. Favorite book?
5. Why did you start blogging?
6. On average, how many times a day do you check your blog and/or its notifications?
7. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned from blogging so far?
8. What is your creative process?
9. What writers/artists inspire you?
10. When does the writing bug tend to strike?
11. What are your dreams?  

 

Moonlight

Tags

abstract, aleatoric, baseball, bass guitar, double bass, intuitive composition, Lee County Community Orchestra, music, solo, soundscape

Moonlight

An ambient aleatoric intuitive composition soundscape created by me.

I needed to cut loose after a terrible dress rehearsal tonight with the orchestra.  I was like a pitcher who can’t find the plate and gave up a 5-0 lead in the first inning.  I expected Reinette, the principal bassist, to come out to the mound and send me to the showers- but she’s too kind for that.

It is so frustrating having expectations so much higher than your actual ability on a difficult instrument.  With the double bass, I have to struggle with every bit of minutiae, since I’m a beginner and because it is so difficult to play, especially being self-taught.  The bass guitar comes naturally- I can ask “what can I do to use this creatively?”  Nowhere near that on the double bass yet, and it’s frustrating.

By the way, if you’re in the neighborhood, our concerts are at the Grace Chapel Church on Highway 1 in Tramway (Sanford), NC on Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm.  Admission is free.  C’mon by if you’re not doing anything.