Clocks changed

Listening to my recordings of Vladimir Horowitz again - amazing Piano playing - will anyone ever play like him? A quiet day here. The news in the UK is still dominated by the US election and the situation in Iraq. I have been having an unseasonal spring clean and trying to work out 'where I want to go from here'.

The Station Agent

I have been listening to Vladimir Horowitz playing Chopin and Schumann today - wonderful stuff. Last night saw a beautiful, gentle film 'The Station Agent' (2003) written and directed by Thomas McCarthy (debut) and starring Peter Dinklage (the little guy from Living in Oblivion,1995), Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale a wonderful tragi-comic slice of life - ten stars. Making slow progress on the novel and keeping myself entertained with playing cards and surfing eBay for bargains!

Birthday Theatre trip

It's been really hectic here. I had my birthday yesterday - the big double-four. I'm in the midst of lots of exciting news - talking contracts with publishers and generally feeling creative. My novel is coming along nicely and there is lots of potential for my music. I heard from my pianist friend, Louis Alvanis. He's preparing to record an all-FeBland Piano CD.

I am still reading and greatly enjoying 'Thinks...' by David Lodge - perhaps his best novel (although 'Nice Work' might be a more influential work). I received many congratulatory emails yesterday which gave me a boost and I am going to the theatre on Saturday night with a group of friends (to see Alan Bennett's 'The History Boys').

I am sure things will calm down over the next week and I'll be able to settle down to making some progress with my comedic opus. Doctor Fish now has an interesting rival - Pyotor Zeus von Schmidt and things are hotting up in their email correspondence.

Novel and Prokofiev 5

A quiet Sunday. Managed to make a little progress with the novel. I try to write about half a page a day - of course, I don't manage to write every day so progress is rather slow but I am working on the basis that it is easier to revise than write, so if I can get something down at least then I will be able to re-write at some unknown point in the future. The main thing is that I am getting ideas which I suppose means that I am inspired!

Listening to Prokofiev's 5th Symphony over and over today - perhaps his masterpiece?

Will try and play cards tonight - have had some good results recently.

Publishing and Four-part Harmony

Thrashing out various possiblities with my publisher today via email. I still have to see the contract and really hope it's 'straight'. Sadly, I've been offered around half-a-dozen dud contracts over the past twenty years. Assuming all is OK I will be thrilled to get my Jazz Piano music finally into print - it's been an agonising four nearly five years from Composing to Type-setting to promoting to attracting a publisher.

I have been too excited to work any further on my comedic novel but hope to return to this shortly as it is a most amusing diversion.

Teaching (Piano) has been going particularly well. One of the things I do for my students is to produce Theory Infosheets and I have the challenge ahead of me this week to compile one on the rules of four-part harmony - quite a challenge!

Publishing Jazz

I have had some exciting news. My composition '12 Jazz Piano Pieces' looks like it is finally going to get into 'real print' with a British publisher. Discussions are still at an early stage (and I have to read contracts etc) - also, it is not clear yet if we will just publish the most popular 5 or 6 of the 12 pieces in a smaller book. I had been trying to get these pieces into print since the year 2000 and it had been a major headache not to mention heartache to see such a commercial venture failing to get off the ground.

Music and Writing

Another quiet day. Listening to Bartok Piano Concertos No.s 2 & 3 on my Walkman while out-and-about in Edgware, Middlesex - wonderful compositions. At home, am still wading my way through the 7 CD boxed set of Schumann Chamber music - very enjoyable. Will try and settle down to my novel (Doctor Fish) now and see if I can develop any ideas for the plot.

Thinks...

I am reading a superb novel 'Thinks...' by the outstanding British novelist, David Lodge. Lodge is classed as a writer of 'Campus Novels' (i.e. novels based in or around Universities) and there are strong similarities between his work and that of the late Malcolm Bradbury (read 'Dr Criminale' if you get the chance).

'Thinks...' concerns Art (largely in the form of creative writing), Science (mainly Cognitive science and the subject of consciousness) and relationships. I have read most of Lodge's genre and this late work is among his best (I'd also recommend 'Nice Work').

Schumann in the Mountain

I saw a very interesting film 'Mountains of the Moon' on Thursday evening round at Mr.B's flat - I'd strongly recommend it if you want a cinematographic treat. The subject matter concerns the search for the source of the Nile in Africa. Made in 1990 it was the screen debut for Bob Rafelson and very well he carried it off too.

I have been listening to my new boxed set of Schumann Chamber Music today - I purchased this from eBay and it was quite a bargain at under 20GBP for 7 CDs.