To "Adagio" oneself

This evening I attended a concert of Baroque music by the group Kammerensemble Cologne. They were really fantastic. Such a treat, to take a 5 minute walk to the church in Cabris and hear beautiful music by internationally acclaimed (and interesting) musicians.

It's kind of a weird thing to do- go to a concert. I mean, what's the point of sitting in a room and having people play their instrument in front of you when you could flip on the Bose and hear it at home, whenever you want, in your pajamas?

I think it's because an interaction is taking place when you attend a concert. A living body is interacting with a living body at an exact moment. The music is being "intended" for that exact room full of people. It's an exchange. You don't want to go WATCH a music concert. You go because you want to experience something. To be inspired. To be told a story through music. To hear colors that don't exist to the eye or through the Bose.

I remember being in the student world of music. It seems now like it was more about whether the student could pull off a certain piece-- could they play such-and-such by memory, in tune, in front of someone. In the professional world of music, it's more about the exchange with the audience- a give and take. The musician is speaking through their intstrument- actually talking to and with the audience. It has passed through the inspired work of the composer, through the craftings of a dictator/writer/arranger, through the hands and interpretation of the instrumentalist, and into the lap of the audience. And when those last two baton-passes happen live and in person, it's pretty cool. No?

Backwardness happens, though... a professional musician's live sound can bounce off the wall and on to the floor. A student musician's performance can move and inspire its listener.

One thing I'm reminded of: I want my music to be relevant to whoever is listening. I want it to say something.

On another note (ha!), I'm really having to reacquaint myself with a kick-back lifestyle here the South of France. I'm fairly type A, actually more type A than I want to admit, and it sometimes bugs the crap out of me. Here, there's no judgement passed on the person who does nothing. Sleep 10 hours, hang out at the cafe all day, flop around on the beach, pig out, you name it.

I'm accustomed to 15 minute sips of TV watching. An occasional movie. A rare 1 hour stay at a coffee shop. But what does one DO when they have nothing to do? No really.

AND it's August. The entire country is currently on vacation. All month. The French have doing nothing down pat. And they won't tell you differently.

I'm harpless this week and rapidly whipping through my list of things to do that have been stickied on my desktop for months. I feel like the Presto movement in Vivaldi's "Summer" lol Oh geez. I need to Adagio myself.