Personal reflections / impact of Young Onset Parkinson's in life of a late-40's musician,husband,father and teacher. Metaphysical implications of disease, musings on life, music, poetry ...

Saturday, December 1, 2007

How do we do what we do, while we can do it?


From conception to intention without a hiccup...until the hicupping begins...
'Stitch got a glitch' sort of thing, only its happening to you, you and not some marginally
cute animated disney-'freakin space alien....and that makes it mighty personal!

So how does the quarterback throw the flawless spiral, the dancer the impossibly precise kinetic gesture, or the master musician one focused note so emotionally charged that someone back in the nosebleed seats is propelled into a profound emotional catharsis, a node struck on their string of inner experience, as a doctor would tap your knee in a neurologic exam, only this time with a sonic hammer weilded by a muted trumpet played by a dying jazzman?

There's so much we take for granted... being able to balance, to extend a steady arm, to swallow.
It's been a little disturbing to experience challenge to each of these formerly taken-for-granted
abilities of late - and as a keyboard musician and conductor of a reasonably solid high school jazz ensemble and orchestra I cannot deny that ability to acurately control gesture has begun to impact how I work....."mr. stictch got a glitch.....daaaaaaang!" (said in the vernacular of a contemporary high school terrorist)

1 comment:

faithlikeruth said...

Hello! :) How are you doing today? I found your blog via Kate's. Do you mind if I post a link to your blog on my site? Please let me know...

IndyMama
(http://youngparkinsonsmyjourney.blogspot.com/)