I spent several hours yesterday revising the Marimba part of the the third movement of my Pentecost Suite. My original ideas included sections where I have the player move over the entire marimba from one end to another quickly and then back again and again.

Rhonda’s marimba player, Matt Beck, indicated that the part was extremely difficult especially at the metronome marking I gave (quarter note = 120).

When I looked at the section, I realized that the marking was wrong and that I was thinking several notches down (quarter note = 96). This would make it easier.

But I would love to hear all three movements (Rhonda said she was happy with just performing the first movement and calling it at that). And the part that Matt was saying was difficult was not an intrinsic part of my ideas.

I simply thought it would be a charming accompaniment (I still do). But no need to make someone’s life miserable over some silly accompaniment figures, eh?

I remember consulting with Greg Secours, a local percussion guy, when I wrote the piece. He signed off on it’s doability. But he may not have noticed that dang metronome marking, if indeed it was there.

Anyway, Matt was helpful with his comments in emails and I think I have come up with something much easier but retains the original flavor.

I could make it even easier I suppose and have offered to Matt to continue to adjust it to make it more realistic for performance.

Traffic on this web site went up some this week reaching a high of 57 hits on Wednesday. I’m not sure what this means particularly. But it does show up on  my Google Analytics.

I cashed a check for a funeral yesterday (Yay! I got paid!) and used it to begin a computer fund. It shouldn’t take too long to raise the money needed to buy a Mac Mini for the house.

Eileen pointed out that I come up with ideas to make her life easier but they don’t necessarily do so. Case in point is the large laptop I bought with the idea it would make our (her) life easier since it was more powerful and newer.

Oops. It is slower and clunkier than the smaller laptop I purchased for my use. I think I despise Windows 8 and all “improvements” that so many tech designers put in my life. 

I was never in love with tech for its own sake only for what I can use it for. This is probably a flaw in me as a consumer and user.