Also I had a great time at GeekGirlCon this weekend! Shoutouts to everybody cosplaying, paneling, and making some happy memories before what’s to come.

I caved and started trying out Pokemon TCG Pocket. It’s cute! And much more about collecting cards than battling, which I’m into. I like cute art. =)

I’m going to have a composing session today anyway, because if I can find it in me today I can find it in me any day and knowing that is too powerful to ignore

Rhythmic Practice

Practice composing with rhythm only before creating a melody from that rhythm.

Transcript

Prokofiev imitating classical style #nowplaying #emlistens

youtu.be/CGGNXmIPT…

Made a list of what gets me hyped up to write music, and reframed it as kind of a ‘pre-flight checklist’ of questions to ask myself to generate motivation. Pleased with what came out of this morning’s session after doing this!

The only way to keep your glasses perfectly clean is not to wear them, which would obviously defeat the purpose.

Avoiding use to keep something pristine is foolish. Something that isn’t used, isn’t useful. See also: things you ‘might use one day.’

I’m hosting a seasonal poker night series for my friends, starting this Saturday. I’ve been spending a long time writing a helper guide for beginners.

When introducing anyone to a game, you have to answer a fundamental emotional question: why will this be fun? Why should I play? Here’s my answer.

Why is poker fun?&10;&10;Poker is a game in which total ruin and total redemption are decided by how well you navigated a storm of luck and lies. It combines strategy, chance, deception, and risk into a cocktail of tension and triumph. And it's played with beautiful things: large round tables covered in soft felt, ornate paper cards with hypnotic depictions of kings and queens, and heavy ceramic chips that make you feel the literal weight of your decisions.&10;&10;Poker will test the limits of your concentration, your cunning, and your courage, and it will reward you with a lifetime of stories to tell about the times you won or lost it all against your friends.&10;&10;If that sounds like fun to you, read on!

Three composing sessions today on three different efforts. Gotta make the most of my days off 😅

From ‘Your Music and People,’ by Derek Sivers

On the radio, your music speaks for itself. People hear your music and like it or not. In concert, your music speaks for itself. Hearing and watching you perform is enough. But in every other situation, unless your music is already in their ears, your music can’t speak for itself. The words that describe your music have to do the hard work.

Your mind is the fastest tool you have—it works at the speed of thought. No matter how fast you can look something up, it will always be more efficient to learn it and know it.

Brought myself nearly to tears at work today explaining what The Phantom Tollbooth is about. What a beautiful book.

Composers with doubt: what does ‘bad at music’ mean to you? What is ‘good’ music?

A rough patch in my meditation practice this week. Missed a few days here and there. That’s all right. These are opportunities to practice starting over—that’s the real work.

Still thinking about Tár

Resisting the addictions of social media is really difficult. I’m not posting on the platforms - if you’re reading this on Bluesky for example, it’s my personal microblog crossposting there - but just being aware that my posts show up on socials gives me the pernicious urge to check on them.

I usually carve portraits, so I decided to go for a monster instead this year. Balrog vs. Gandalf—Happy Halloween! 🎃

Jack-o-lantern. The balrog faces off against Gandalf, flaming whip against staff and sword. Exciting!The same pumpkin, from an angle such that the candle shines out of Gandalf's staff. Cool effect!

It is natural to sometimes yearn for a past self. Grief is growth’s mirror image. Try to embrace transformation.

Work in progress

Sheet music. An eerie chorale-like melody floats high in the air.

Spooky skull 😨

A cloud passing over the moon, illuminated, creates the shape of a skull with its mouth open. The moon sits between the two eyes.A closeup of the previous image. You can see something like lips around the mouth of the skeletal face. Yipes!