a friend of mine had her percussion sextet played at school tonight. stunning piece and very solid, graceful performance. I enjoyed every second of it.

in hearing a piece of music I'm always hoping to have an experience about which I have no questions, no second-guesses and no challenges. sometimes I have to work harder to listen to a piece than what I end up getting out of it, or I'll be unsure whether I "understood" what the artist intended for their work to express. when I hear a piece of music I'm always hoping that it meets me where I am, and listening to it does not become a conscious act of discrimination; I crave that experience of having questions and doubt washed away, where meaning is both complex but ultimately arresting, ultimately sufficient/coherent on its own terms, that holds my attention in its unwavering clarity.