Category Archive for 'Chair chat'

Why I am not a wise man

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

The doorbell rang this morning. I wasn’t expecting anyone so I peaked through the side window and saw a creature that resembled Cousin It in the Addams Family. My heart thumped not being sure what it was. I went to the door, opened it and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi […]

Within you and without you

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Yesterday was a stressful day. Why? Because in my mind, there were so many things that needed to get done but simply not enough hours in the day, nor enough energy to get them all done even if there were.
I watched my body as it tensed up, and all other physical manifestations of stress […]

Scarlatti’s complaint

Monday, April 28th, 2008

I was puzzled to see the name “Scarlatti” on my calendar this morning for an eleven o’clock. My assistant, who can be a mongoose when it comes to scaring away people that I don’t need to see, said it was impossible to deny this man. She said he was a man with a strong Italian […]

1st spring retreat

Friday, April 25th, 2008

Today I go to Malibu (May’s Landing) again for a retreat with colleagues from the Departments of Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Music to discuss curricular ideas of a core offering that could work for all three departments.
The three departments were at war within one big department when I arrived in 1983 and finally divorced in 1989 […]

Too many emails

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

I get too many emails.
I’m not talking about spam. I have a variety of filters that get most of the spam out. I’m talking about email from people I know from the various parts of my life: my family, close friends, friends, colleagues, students, former students, staff, and then all the email that comes at […]

Ties

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

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I have a long affection for ties even though I don’t wear them any longer. During high school and college, I hitch hiked a lot. My standard garb was jeans, a sport coat, and a tie loose around my neck. When I first got the job at UCLA in 1983 I wore ties. My students […]

Having a retreat

Wednesday, March 12th, 2008

From time to time organizations decide to have a “retreat” where members of the company or department get out of their usual surroundings and get out of town. Once out of town, and with usually long hours of discussion ahead of them, participants are able to open up and talk extensively with each other, brainstorm, […]