A Place to Start, A Place to End

This photo, I might have mentioned before, is taken from live PBS broadcast of the 1977 Drum Corps International Championships, held in Denver, CO at the old Mile High Stadium.

PBS did a closeup of me on the very last note of the show. Not shown is the shot that followed afterward, a medium shot of my part of the baritone section, arms raised diagonally in a "V", horn in one hand, index finger of the other pointing "one" skyward - as my silver cummerbund almost slid down from my waist due to the weight I'd lost in an entire Summer of marching and working.

Well, dignity and victory may not always go together.

Today, I'm please to report - they did.

click to see full size

The software is called Logic Pro and I use it almost every day to create and produce music.

My goal for today was to be able to demonstrate my knowledge of every menu, slider, button, dial and colored box on this screen shot. Not only what they were but what they did and most importantly - why one might want to use them.

And wonder of wonders, I did it.

This was my fourth try. Had I not made it there would have been "professional consequences" - namely I would have had to have taken another test, this one on professional photography software, which I sometimes use but don't know in detail.

I will take that test but for right now I'll settle for letting my soul unwind to enjoy what I've accomplished.

I'm not used to feeling success. That might sound odd but I'm not used to it. I am used to being successful - had I not been so almost none of my career would have happened.

What is odd is that I don't feel successful.  Oftentimes I feel arrogant or misanthropic or plain scared - but it's hard to let the particular feeling of joy in oneself come to the surface.

Many of my Facebook friends have been graciously tolerant of my reclusive behaviour - I've said before i'm barely human at the best of times, I know I've been unbearable these last few weeks - well, more unbearable than usual.

So with this test done, and in good measure (89.71 over 80 possible) I can focus on writing again, focus on teaching, dancing, building relationships - as much as I can manage it.

Most import, again, is that I can focus on writing. I have a lot to say.

So thank you for keeping me in your thoughts - I will try to be more communicative in future, as much as I can.

Just for fun the YouTube video for the music you see in the Logic Pro screenshot is just above.....

Portland, Maine