Roger Bourland
writes about music and life

As the topic of “friends” was something that appeared everywhere I looked a few weeks back, lately it has been “death.” I’ve had four friends die in the last month. Today Paul and I had lunch and we both seemed to dwell on dying, death, and maladies. It wasn’t that we normally chat about dark things, it’s just that it has been intensely present in both of our lives for the past few weeks.

In high school and college, I was obsessed about death and what happens “on the other side” or after death. This question drove me for decades to research what various religions, metaphysical traditions, and science had to say about the matter. I think that at this point, I’ve done my homework and am ready for whatever happens, whether it is the evolution of the soul, cosmic recycling, or pure extinction.

I got home from lunch with Paul and what was next on my DVD pile but THE BUCKET LIST with terrific performances by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The film is all about death from the point of view of two men who decide to do a Thelma and Louise in the last few months of their lives. and make a list of all the things they want to do, and do them before they kick the bucket.

I brought up the issue of planning for the disposing of your stuff before your death to several people this week and it was NOT a popular issue. I forget that we all have different tolerances about talking about death, and specifically, our deaths.

[Image: Father Time Overcome By Hope, Love]

One of my loves is taking photos. I make no claims to be a great photographer but I find it rewarding and an excellent complement to composing. I am putting up many of my sets/shows on Flickr and are I hope you’ll take a few minutes and flip through them. It gets a bit confusing on the internet with my name and photography, as my father has a photo blog and there is a commercial photographer in Santa Barbara with the same name. So on Flickr, I use my complete name which is Roger Bourland III, or rbourland3, to differentiate myself from them.

Ozma of Oz

OZMA for orchestra (1996)

Program notes for the premiere:

Ozma was commissioned by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra to commemorate their 50th anniversary as an orchestra. The tie-in to Oz and Kansas seemed a good starting point for this concert overture. I read several of the sequels to Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz and was immediately taken by Ozma, the third sequel. I set out to compose a “blow by blow” musical correspondence to the story, but soon abandoned this approach as it seemed too accompanimental. What finally came through was a concert opener whose themes were inspired by many of the characters and incidents in the book. It is not a prerequisite, however, to know the story in order to appreciate the music. Just sit back and imagine what you will.

Ozma was written over the summer of 1995. I arose every morning at 4:30, fixed a strong cup of coffee, sat down in front of my computer, put on headphones, and listened to a CD of rain and thunderstorms. The piece went from my imagination directly into the computer: no pencil sketches, no piano, no synthesizers — just manually typing notes into the computer. When I finished, the piece clocked in at 15 minutes. In order to “proof” the piece, I connected the computer to two synthesizers, assigned staves to instrument, and the score “played itself.” Over the next week I edited the piece, and pared it down to the slim 10 minute work which you will here tonight.

MP3: Play audio file (ozma.orchestra.mp3)

Ozma by Roger Bourland

MP3: Play audio file (we_mustered_out.mp3)

“We Mustered Out” from HOMER IN CYBERSPACE

Music by Roger Bourland
Lyrics by Mel Shapiro

We Mustered Out

Sung by all the soldiers

We mustered out
With a roar and a shout
“Get outta my way,
I got ten years back pay”

I’m practically rich
With the dough and the loot
Stuck in an old boot
A few treasures in there
For my sweetie to wear.

We mustered out
With a roar and a shout
“Get outta my way
This is finally my day”

I gotta practice not limping so much
The last thing I need is anyone’s pity
What I cant see, I’ll find by touch
There’s gotta be a rehab in my city

I’m practically rich
Gonna have me some fun
Cause ten years war is won
That was one if ever there was one
To be won , to be won.

A bunch of us waiting at the dock
Waiting to go home on anything that sails
Anything’ll do
A life raft or an old canoe
When we hear….

O enters

O
What a bunch of beat up old war dogs.

(The men bark and laugh)

Men
G’day, general.

O
I’m proud of everyone of you
Let me know if there’s anything I can do.

Men
How about hopping a ride?

O
Hey sure
I got plenty of room inside.
Where we going?

Men
Thrace
Sicily
Thesaly
Thebes
Macedonia
South Ionia

O
Come on, all on my way

Men
Is the ride free, sir?

O
Sure, it’s what’s called soldier’s pay.

They all laugh

All
We mustered out
With a roar and a shout
And we’re going home
Say it: home,
Remember it: home
Sing it loud and clear: home.

After large projects, or every few years I like to rearrange things. Sometimes it’s just my office. Sometimes it’s the whole place. When you have a studio with lots of wires and equipment, that can take a while. Well, that’s what I did the last three days and I’m pooped. I’m someone who is driven until the job gets done. So I get up early, and work solid without a break until night when I collapse.

I’ve also hooked up my turntable (for LPs, remember them?) and cassette player with the intention of digitizing some old performances, improvisations, and radio interviews. I’ve also decided to digitize some of the films I’ve written music for where the companies have not released the film on DVD. (I can’t wait until the next trend of digitizing every movie ever made and it will all be able to be downloaded at the click of a mouse!) I will post clips of this project over the upcoming year.

Yesterday’s earthquake was a doozy. 5.8 they said. I was in Radio Shack and the single story building was shaken from side to side, but business went on without incident. My dogs and birds didn’t like it so much (the birds call it a cage-quake). None of the precarious glass pieces that I had just put up were knocked down, nor the unsupported book cases. I know, I’m asking for it. Better get some earthquake putty and some L-brackets.

Having delayed doing my taxes, the dining room table is filled with receipts and with any luck, I’ll get them all ready for the accountant by Friday. First I get to have my annual physical exam and find about that suspicious mole or the funny sound in my heart or some other imagined malady.

“DreamDrag” from FLASHPOINT STONEWALL (1994)
Music: Roger Bourland
Lyrics: John Hall
Bass: Craig Wheeler
Chorus: Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles
Conductor: Jon Bailey

FLASHPOINT/STONEWALL celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and was co-commissioned and performed by GMCLA, the Seattle Men’s Chorus, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Wash. DC, and the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. The word “Stonewall” is now nearly synonymous with gay liberation.

Each chorus performed the whole work in its own city, and then an all-star cast of all the choruses sang it for 2 sold out audiences in Carnegie Hall.

The interlude in “DreamDrag” originally called for the drag queen to shoot up on stage, but we decided to tone it down.

Music is available from Yelton Rhodes Music.

© 1994 by Roger Bourland and John Hall.
Recording by Kim Paulsen.

Here is an mp3 of the same performance:

MP3: Play audio file (flashpoint3.dreamdrag.mp3)

THREE ARIAS FOR CELLO AND PIANO

1. Cl’Airea (for Paul Reale and Claire Rydell)

MP3: Play audio file (arias-cello1.clairea.mp3)

2. Mount Shasta (For Mark Carlson and Charlie Swigart)

MP3: Play audio file (arias-cello2.mount_shasta.mp3)

3. In Paris (for John Hall)

MP3: Play audio file (arias-cello3.in_paris.mp3)

Ronald Leonard, cello
Antoinette Perry, piano
David Cloud, recording engineer
Schoenberg Auditorium

Music: © 1989 Yelton Rhodes Music (BMI)
Photo: © 2005 Roger Bourland “J 196″

Last night we helped Howard pack up Mike’s stuff. You saw a slide show (below) of his stuff, well, the time has come to pack it up and move it out. I was assigned the books. With Mike’s collection, there is an impressive number of metaphysical books, and specifically books on gnosticism. It seemed appropriate that they go to his church’s library. The rest will go sit in Howard’s garage until they find a home, along with all the other tchotchke’s around his house. But it got me thinking.

As I approach my retirement or my end, I’d like to slowly get rid of stuff. My library should be the most fun to give away, or sell. One one hand I could imagine retiring and having a hobby of selling all the stuff I’ve accumulated. On the other hand, to give stuff away that could mean something to the recipient, is so much more fun than leaving it to your executor to dispose of as s/he sees fit.

Among his effects I found concert programs for musical collaborations with Mark Carlson (Love Songs) and another with me (Acts of Love). He had kept the program to the premiere of my ROSARIUM. Nearly 20 albums of photography. Where will they go? Who wants to store two shelves of Mike’s photography?

Mike had only a fraction of what I have, so it hit home that a plan to get rid of stuff is a good plan.

Penelope is exasperated by suitors urging her to remarry and forget O. She is frustrated at her husband’s complete disappearance and wishes that he would just come home.

MP3: Play audio file (come_home.mp3)

Click to play

“Come Home” from HOMER IN CYBERSPACE

Music: Roger Bourland
Lyrics: Mel Shapiro
Soprano: Grace Wall
Trumpet: Jens Lindemann

© 2008 Roger Bourland and Mel Shapiro
Image: PENELOPE WAITING FOR ULYSSES
The patient grief and endurance of Absence: the loyal wife puts off her suitors.
Painting by Rudolph von Deutsch.

In the vein of FRIENDS, in case you haven’t seen this, here is a video you’ll never forget.