Alexandra Gardner | Building Noises

Happy Spring everyone! How did that happen??

Back home and more or less de-jetlagged from 2 weeks in Spain – er, Catalunya! Bueníssimo as always…. A few days in Castellón, then to Barcelona for a visit with Los Austriacos Guapos, who are up to some most interesting and creative things. The view from their terraza looks like this:

Tacked on some shortie trips to connect with Harry and Silvia, my Favorite Catalan Composer, and Enrique and Carola, for whom I just finished composing Mythimna Twilight. Regarding that NewMusicBox conversation about writing music on airplanes….si, se puede.

‘Twas the season for two of my favorite things on earth – wild asparagus hunting and calcots….. gotta have my grilled onions and butifarra at least once every couple of years. All the vocabulary for getting, gathering, picking things is beautiful – you buscar asparrago, cazar setas (mushrooms), and farmers recolectar their crops.

One of the things I love about Barcelona is seeing so many people drawing and sketching. Outside, in bars, leaning on windowsills…..local folk. A place that inspires so much creative activity can only be good. I always return from a visit with a long list of books to read, movies to see, music to explore, web sites to peruse….

Happily my Spanish has not completely escaped….also picked up some new Catalan vocabulary and grammar. Aspects of the Catalan accent elude me – there are some sounds that require opening up the back of the throat really wide, and pursing one’s lips just so…. All those names and places that end with ou – the sound is a funny combination of “oh” and “ow”. Salou. Escornalbou. Mompou.

No one can rrrrroll an Rrrrrrr as elegantly as this young man.

More to come soon – new pieces, new recordings, assorted good stuff, so stay tuned! But first another project to complete – something fun for my radio people.

Things to keep you busy:

• For those into bells and/or rituals. Brenda always comes up with good ideas.
• One of the most entertaining blog posts ever. Might have to rethink that orchestra piece.
• Everyone has furniture that needs to be spruced up.

Fins aviat!