h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Cynthesis!

I had a weird dream about colourful birds flying all around me last night – probably inspired by our conversation about Messiaen. I don’t remember my dreams very well , so I can’t remember if they were singing or not.

How was your night of Blues and Messiaen? I admire a nine hour performance, but don’t think I could handle even the three hours you said you were attending! That organist's brain must have turned to musch after concentrating for so long!

Your possibly asleep now, so maybe your dreaming of songbirds too. Or a crazy organist droning on, and on, and on…

Hello Wile E.!

What a delight to wake up and find a message from you!
Fleeting snippets of conversation on that word thread were nice but this is ever so much nicer!

The evening of diverse music was full of off-beat surprises. At the House of Blues, a very funky music mecca on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, I had the chance to hear a variety of rock/blues artists. There was one act that was not notable for its musicality but for the fact that the audience were completely at a loss as to whether the lead singer was of a male or female persuasion. A perplexing ongoing musical mystery act that will probably make its way to your town soon.
Then there were the inevitable bands comprised of highly skilled studio musicians doing fuzzy sound mixes and retro power chord riffs. My "friends" arranged to have one of the acts croon and act out something by the Divinyls in my dedication. And on and on the mortification in the spotlights went as my "friends" laughed riotously and snapped pictures. I might explain that my "friends" have a tradition of either scaring me into a catatonic state or pulling a crushingly embarassing prank on me during the Halloween season. All in the concerned effort of bringing notoriously shy me out of my proper shell.

When I resumed breathing, they dragged me to a candle lit cathedral where the madman at the organ was in the midst of furiously churning out Messiaen's modal progressions of chords with alarming skill and passion.
The music is intended to be played on four manuals instead of the two available last night, but I could hear that he had registered the tones perfectly and probably painstakingly in advance.
The resulting notes made the air dance and ring in spectacular dynamic waves around us.
*sigh* It really was a brilliantperformance that I hadn't expected to be enthralled by.
What a beautifulsurprise!
I was always frightened of even looking at Messiaen's scores before but now I've a curiosity to review them from a more appreciative angle!

How was your day? I usually catch you at the end of your days. You're at a distinct liberty to know how the day has been whereas I am in the midst of still sorting out mine!

Yes, it is much nicer this way. There’s only so much you can say in way of conversation in a thread like that.

It sounds like you had a fantastic evening. I love it when something exceeds your expectations and gives you a surprise. It’s always good to have some friends like that around too– I find they keep you on your toes and keep you from getting too complacent in your ways.

I dread to think what a Messiaen score looks like! I’ve often wondered what the scores of 20th century composers look like, as many must push past the boundries of conventional notation. Do you perform anything as modern as that?

I’ve not done much today as I stayed up so late last night. I require large amounts of sleep to feel normal, and spend most days staggering around like a zombie!

I’m currently trying to learn some Brazilian guitar patterns. I’ve just got a great book full of different Brazilian styles, but I’m finding it hard going. Most of the examples have a bass line on the beat, with chords across them. My fingers desperately want to join my thumb on the beat!

The more I think about it, the harder it gets. I always find that thinking gets in the way when I’m playing. This isn’t coming naturally at the moment though.

Family members are pushing me off the computer now, but I’ll probably be back on, later.

I've seen a couple of Messiaen orchestral scores and performed the soprano vocalise in a recital. The vocalise was accesible and standard in notation but the orchestral score made my poor head swim! The man had gone off into a musical world of his own with curlicues and whorls and other indecipherable symbols I was not acquainted with! I had a couple of conductors patiently explain some bits of it but I was even more confused by the simple translations! Messiaen must have had mystic synesthetic influences and abilities to have come up with such a vision and method to his music.

I Brazilian music. You're right, There is a lot going on with the fingering for guitar work in that genre. It's a lot of patting your head while rubbing your tummy as you spin plates technique.

It's funny, I took piano lessons and just plateaued at a certain level and left it for vocal performance. Gee whiz, I had accompanists to do the keyboard work for me, I reasoned. One week my accompanist was hospitalised for appendicitis...the next week he found out I could play challenging pieces to accompany myself without any problem. Sometimes the technique that we *think* we aren't getting the hang of has been waiting in the wings when either necessity or *unthinking the obstacle away* enables us to just do it. btw...I've left piano playing to the entirely competent and skillful hands of my accompanist again because I'm just too darned lazy to try while I'm busy singing.

My next performance is in December. Bach's Magnificat with a chamber orchestra. I love Bach!

Do you play other instruments? My hunch is that you do!

Your description of playing Brazilian music is spot on. It makes me feel dizzy!

I *can* play the saxophone, but for some stupid reason I haven’t since I got interested in the guitar when I was eighteen. Since I became interested in playing jazz, I’ve been slowly teaching myself to play piano in order to assimilate the theory behind it. It’s much easier to see what’s going on in a piece of music on the piano than it is on the guitar.

I will return to the sax one day, but I’ve got too much on my hands at the moment to consider doing that.

Oh, I use samplers and sequencers on my computer, and see them as instruments as well.

I’m a bit all over the place music-wise, really. I should probably focus on one thing at a time, but I’m too impatient for that! I have a theory that all the different things I’m doing will start cross-pollinating with fantastic results one day. Maybe.

I like Bach too, although there’s a lot I haven’t listened to. There’s a purity and elegance to it that makes it really special. I’m most familiar with his piano music, which I can listen to without ever tiring of.

It’s good that you’re performing a piece you care about. I always picture the classical scene as a gruelling and disciplined environment. It must be hard if you have to work on a piece you don’t care for.

Classical music is just as grueling and disciplined as other forms of music. The intensity and focus that I have seen with jazz, rock and blues artists is equally intense. Technique without the balance of inspiration or soul does not amount to music in my book!

I have done some music that made me want to jump out of my skin at first. It was Samuel Barber's Prayers of Kierkegaard. The solo part made me want to go shriek and run out in the parking lot during the initial rehearsals. It was discordant and creepy and not altogether pretty. But as I internalised and assimilated the lyrics, melody and harmonics, I actually started praying the song instead of merely doing my duty to finesse it. I nurtured it and ended up falling in love with it!
It turned out to be one of the finest productions I was part of and the beauty of all the parts coming together flooded my heart with sheer bliss. It was such a weird but enlightening experience. Another one of those unexpected exquisite jewels in life.

Computer sequencers and samplers! I'm impressed! A whole world of musical creativity is possible with stuff like that. Some of what is termed 'New Music' utilises computer generated sounds to great effect.
I go to New Music festival a couple times a year to check out what's up and coming.

Wile E., may I add you to my friends list?

Of course you can! I’ll be glad to add you to mine.

I agree with you about spirit and inspiration. Any music is lost without it. What I have in mind when I talk about classical music is a documentary I saw on Keith Jarrett. He did some classical performances (can’t remember the music) and the experience ruined his health! It struck me that the level of scrutiny classical musicians can come under is seldom found in other scenes.

It’s that time of night again for me. Goodnight.

Lovely chatting with you Wile E.!

I think Jarrett was playing Bach!

Have a sweet slumber and even sweeter dreams!

Are you having a good Halloween? We havn’t had any trick-or-treaters! But I do get to eat all the sweets I got them!

Happy Halloween Wile E.!

My Halloween has been fun so far!

When I got your message I was eyeing a big bowl of and wondering if we'd have many trick or treaters tonight.
I was secretly hoping...not!*giggles*

How was your day?

Work, but then I got home and I’ve been chopping up drum samples on my computer for most of the night. Audio editing is demanding on the ears, so now I’m relaxing to some Brian Eno ambient music.

Had a busy day? Oops, I forget the time difference! Got any plans for the day?

I telecommute as a script reader/consultant for an entertainment company. So I've been reading away for most of the day.

This morning I went to local abused women's shelter and decorated a room for their children's Halloween party to be held later tonight. Made s and read a poem about jack o'lanterns to a dozen pre-school children. I do volunteer work there regularly.

Other than that, it's been a typical Monday spent vocalising and reading.

That bowl of is tempting me...
I don't know if I can hold off...

Why fight it? You know you’ll give in anyway!

You’ve had a busy day already! I think you should relax and do nothing for the rest of the day.

I think the Halloween spirit has taken me over! Tomorrow, I’ll be back to normal -

Must dash – bedtime

Oooookay, if you say so Wile E.!

* walks zombie-like to the table and grabs a handful of *





*drops the *

Whew!Thank goodness for timely interventions!

Have a lovely slumber and sweet*no!* *nuh-uh* dreams!

So you’re one of those script readers, screenwriters live in dread of. I take it, living in California, those are film scripts? How many do you get through a week? What proportion do you tend to recommend?

Turning into a bit of an interrogation, this! I studied filmmaking at uni a few years ago, so you’ve hit upon an interest of mine.

*gets a bright lamp in shines it into cynthesis’ face*

How does it work – do you do a coverage report for each script with recommendations?

What kind of thing do you look for in a script that makes you recommend it? How much of that is down to your personal feelings, and how much is what the company are looking for?

You must have a good knowledge of screenwriting to do that job – done any writing yourself?

*gets distracted and starts switching lamp on and off*

Oh! I’m supposed to be good now! I better stop the interrogation. - that’s me!

* The strobe light effects have left cynthesis in a daze. She answers without hesitation or pause in a little girly voice.*

yes i work with film and tv scripts i read through 7 to 25 a week depending on what is bunged over in my direction and the proportion of them that i might recommend varies it might be in my estimate from my experience anyway perhaps a bit under thirty percent make their way to pre-pre production after i make copious notes as to why the script shows promise and if it is viable to a certain economic or age target audience can i have a lolly now uncle wile e. please *pouts* okay maybe it comes down to what kind of day i'm having that might reflect upon my judgement but i do tend to be as fair professional and ethical as i can be *thinks of reciting the girl scout promise*sometimes okay most of the time i use my intuition because i already know what producers are looking for since they don't let me forget what they really want so i go from gut instinct my flair for being a compassionate literary pushover and the finely honed business acumen that employers were hoodwinked into believing in when i walked into my interview wearing a chanel suit have i been a good girl i like cherry...

*Blinks eyes and wonders why she has a hankering for a cherry lollipop.*

Hello Wile E.!
I was thinking about you today when I had a consult with my hairstylist.
He asked me why I was ing after he told me to "shake and fluff". I shrugged and he told me that hair is a serious matter and that he takes my hair very seriously. He said all this in a more than Svengali like forcefulness that left me with no other alternative but to agree.
I've got a photo shoot tomorrow for next year's concert programmes bios and general publicity stills.
My hair is down to my waist yet he seems to think that a slight trim would change the course of all humankind. Or that was the jist of his esteemed opinion.He then proceeded to give me advice on how to live my life ("the state of your follicles indicate that you need more stimulation") and useful psychic caveats("I can see you stretching the keratin shafts by sleeping with wet hair!!!!Beware!!!Don't do that!!!!)
All he actually did was trim 1/2 inch off, made me shake and fluff, gave me a then sent me on my way!

So...how was your day?

No cherri lollipop until you answer all my questions! Do you write, yourself?

Ok , scary uncle Wile E is gone now. I’ll be an as promised.

Wow! That’s long hair! Mine’s quite long for a guy, mainly because I hate having it cut so much. They never do what you ask them to! I am however, going to get it cut tomorrow, as it’s hit shoulder length and it always starts annoying me at that length. That was good advice about not sleeping with wet hair though. Don’t do that! It’s good to see someone who cares about his work.

Good luck tomorrow with your photoshoot. Think , not !. Just don’t blink when they take the photos and I’m sure they’ll come out great!

I’ve had a pretty lazy evening since I got home from work. I watched the first episode of Rome on BBC2. I think it’s already been on HBO in the states. Did you watch it? Very good!

I’ve taken a few days off work to visit an old friend from my student days, so I’ll be travelling down to Lincoln tomorrow. I’ve not seen him in eighteen months, so I’m really looking forward to it, and feeling like a student again!

Yes, I do write!!!
(Although you wouldn't know it from the utter drivel that I post on h2g2.*Don't tell anyone, Uncle Wile E!*)
Don't hold it against me because I do!

*wipes away a tear* Now do I get that cherry lollipop?

My hair is much more manageable long than short. When shorter, it tends to be too voluminous. And this is not long right now. 2 weeks ago it was down to my hips. The hair stylist only trimmed it so that I'd have more "bounce" for the photo shoot tomorrow.Hairstyle vocabulary can be so ridiculous, but I must remember*ominous music* how serious this really is!

Best of luck with your own hair tomorrow! (I prefer the non concentration camp look on men.) I hope your instructions are heeded well!
I haven't seen 'Rome'. I'll try to catch it on DVD! It got pretty mixed reviews as I recall.
I'll watch 'Lost' tonight. I don't watch a lot of TV. The only things I watch with any regularity are the aforementioned 'Lost', along with 'House', 'The Simpsons', 'Fawlty Towers', 'Iron Chef' and the news.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Lincoln! And I hope that the student reminiscing is pleasant and not deleterious as it sometimes can be. Those friends who took me out last weekend were 4 university friends of mine. So I know how things can get...

Thanks for the well wishes for a good photo shoot tomorrow. I've been instructed to wear a "bone structure defining gown" *shiver* so besides not blinking, I'll have to remember to keep my shoulders back or it might become a completely different kind of photo shoot altogether!

It's getting rather late for you over there!
What part of the UK do you inhabit?
I'd better say goodnight now, while I can!
Have a goodnight's sleep... and sweet dreams to you!

Ok, you’ve been good and you can have your lollipop now.

So, how’s your writing going? Have you had any success with it yet, or is it more of a hobby? All that script reading must be good for it, assuming your writing is screenwriting too.

Sounds like you’re a busy person, with the script reading/writing, volunteer work and singing. You seem to talk about music more than anything else, so I’m assuming that’s where your main focus is.

My interest in film has been on the backburner since I finished uni, but lately I’ve been considering writing some micro-budget shorts, with the ambition of making one and competing at festival.

At the moment, I’m living with my parents in Chorley, which is north-west of Manchester. I was at uni in Lincoln and lived there for about five years, and then I lived in Nottingham for a while before moving back to Chorley. I’ve always wanted to live in London, so I’m looking for a job down there at the moment. I moved around quite a lot when I was a kid and that’s stayed with me – I enjoy a complete change of surroundings every so often.

Have you always lived in California? I’ve always thought of California as an appealing place. It looks like its got a varied landscape and some cool cities.

I guess I should go to bed. I don’t have to go to work, but I’ve got a lot to do before I go to Lincoln. Left to my own devices I like to stay up late, but as I mentioned before, I turn into a zombie if I don’t get lots of sleep!

Goodnight m’dear.

Thanks for the lollipop!

I've done some collaborative adaptations for film and TV. So yes, I'm technically a screenwriter or at least that's what it implies on my guild membership card. I've not been doing it for long. I found that i worked well with some of my friends in the business and so have tried my hand at writing with modest results.

I like to keep busy. I guess music will be my main focus for now... it certainly is a passion for me.

Your skills, education and interests certainly suit a career in the entertainment business!

Yes, I know where Chorley is! I actually resided in London for many years before I left for California to take care of my ailing parents. My father passed away in 1999. I am taking care of my mother now, in between all my other activities.

I am a Californian native, born near Hollywood. So I would make a good tour guide if I gave up singing and writing. California has much to offer in sights and cultures to experience!

Now off to bed! Zombies scare me!

Again, goodnight!