About Paper Theatre During the Victorian Era, London’s playhouses printed fine souvenir posters, which described architectural elements of their theatre. Aspects of set design were shown on the posters, along with representations of actual actors of the company (dressed in costume from a specific production). Condensed scripts were included in these poster kits, and paper […]
To celebrate July 4, here’s a 1979 home movie of a UC San Diego computer main frame, performing “Stars & Stripes Forever” (tune into the music portion of the video at 6:52) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih1psGzLvlw That classic Sousa march, via the whirrings of a 1970’s Control Data CDC 3600 computer, comes courtesy of colleague Pea Hicks. Hicks […]
All school-year long, we’ve been celebrating the 50th anniversary of UC San Diego’s iconic Geisel Library building. Designed by William Pereira, the building is an other-worldly wonder, such that one could very well hear Theremins playing upon approach. Part of the official 50th celebratory Library programming was “Short Tales from the Mothership,” a sci-fi micro […]
May 22 is a designated celebration of National Buy a Musical Instrument Day! This is a lesser-known celebration with forgotten roots and no stated founder but worth marking on your calendar! The implied purpose of the date is probably to visit a local music store, and during this less-restricted Covid month, those stores could use […]
April is Jazz Appreciation Month! And our very own Godmother of Jazz and Blues, Jeannie Cheatham, has suggestions for you and me about that…. The Smithsonian Museum dedicates special programs and activities annually in the month of April to recognize and celebrate the heritage and history of jazz. Their Jazz Appreciation Month (“JAM”) is dedicated […]
Dear Troubadour readers, After hibernating during much of the winter season, I’m ready for spring on March 20 and will get back in the swing with various short-term and long-term music projects. A promising start this month: March 5 is my COVID vaccine appointment at UCSD’s RIMAC center—making me optimistic about pursuing future plans. Dear […]
I’m so lucky to have a monthly column here at the San Diego Troubadour! It’s the month of February and on Valentine’s Day, I’ll officially profess my love for Liz Abbott, editor of this very wonderful music tabloid. Hang in there, Liz! You’ve been doing a great job keeping musical dreams alive during the Pandemic. […]
Thank you, January 1, 2021! Lots of reasons to ring in the New Year with gusto. The chimes atop Geisel Library at UC San Diego is where I play live requests and mark meaningful dates. I won’t be able to climb up to the Library roof to play live this quarter due to COVID restrictions, […]
The celesta gets its name directly from the French word for “heavenly” (celeste). And the first time you hear it, it is heavenly! Maybe you first heard it on the flip side of Buddy Holly’s premiere single. Holly’s producer happened to have a celesta in the studio and Mrs. Vi Petty (the producer’s wife) offered […]
