Sorry about the lack of music
or communication
these past couple of days.

I actually fell asleep at night
for several nights in a row.

Which, as you can imagine,
really throws me for a loop.

I do not know what to do
and when
or whether I like this idea,
even a little bit.

Unfortunately, my body does not care
about my opinion regarding this matter.

It rarely does.



I was up in Santa Barbara, yesterday,
making arrangements for today.

It seems that one of first five people
who is likely to have gone off...
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It is about 2 a.m.

I wrote this song,
053013a,
at about 1 a.m.

Is just for enjoyment.

Hope you enjoy.

w/love

vw

2:12 a.m.
Thursday
5-30-13
Ventura, California, USA

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For any who need or want to know,
I got back into town yesterday evening.

Am on my way out the door right now
at almost 9 a.m.

Don't have much time,
right now,
to say anything.

Was very cold and windy
up on the north coast.

I spent two days out in that weather
in order to continue my "conditioning" program.

When I got back down to Ventura,
I thought I had just got off the plane in Honolulu.

Other than that nasty northern wind
the weather was downright perfect beach weather.

Oh, but that wind.

My Wash...
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Last night, just before midnight,
I wrote this piece, titled,
052513b.

I wanted to work on this melody
just a little bit more, and so I did.

I tried to post it
after converting to MP3
and uploading it,
but was overtaken by sleep,
once again.

I hope this cycle of insomnia
has finally come to an end.

Now I have narcolepsy,
instead, it would seem.

Life way out of balance?
or what?

It is a beautiful Sunday morning.

I should be on the road,
northbound, before too long.

I am told that tomorrow is
Memorial Day,
whi...
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Just for information
I will be on the road,
northbound, tomorrow.

Should be at my regular
place for sunset tomorrow
evening,
with any "luck"
(i.e. providence).

Will basically have to
return sometime on Monday.


I decided that I would try my hand
at another composition,
at about 12:30 a.m.,
last night,
before going to bed.

If you listen to the song,
052513a,
on the very last chord
you will actually get to hear a live recording
of what it sounds like when I go to sleep while
playing a song.

It was really weird....
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It is four minutes away from 3 a.m.

I am ready to fall over.

But, before doing so,
I wanted to write this song
for you to be able to listen to,

and to know ---

well, you know --- already.

The song is titled
052413a
and was written
at about 1:30
this morning.

I am using twelve synthesizers again,
on a new template I have just created,
this very night.

Eight synthesizers are dedicated
to orchestral and spatial
and atmospheric sounds,
while four are dedicated to choir.

In this particular song
I have begun in ...
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(note: regarding use of terms "note" and "tone".
They are synonyms, but with a very slight distinction
i.e tone is aural
note is written on paper
or played on a keyboard.
The two are used nearly
interchangeably in common usage.)


Before I continue on
into the very important subject of
"voice leading",
I think I had best stop
for just a moment
and discuss the subject of
tonality
and
tonal centers.

In music we play in
what are known as
"keys".

A "key" consists of
a tonal center,
and, typically,
a musical ...
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It is 2:37 a.m.

I finished this song,
052113a,
a little before midnight.

Just got it posted now.

Forget mellow,
I decided to get rowdy,
instead.

Hope you enjoy.


w/ unfathomable love
to you
oh most beloved of mine

whoever you are

and wherever you are



vw

5-22-13
Wednesday
2:40 a.m.
Ventura, California, USA
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As I have been considering the matter,
in anticipation of sketching out some more
notes regarding same,
I begin to realize just how complex
this matter really is.

I have been debating
whether I should discuss
the concept of tonality,
and tonal centers,
or motifs and
the use of
motive
in music

(think
Pierre et le Loup,
uhhh, I mean
Peter and the Wolf;

one theme for
Peter,
another for
Grandfather,
another for
the little bird,
another for
the duck,
and finally,
der Wolfe,
or is it
das Wolfe?

you know ---

THE WOLF ...
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It is 12:30 a.m.

Could not decide what key to write in,
but finally ended up running with D major.

I wanted some more songs with solo choir.

This is the first one.

I am purposely trying to be quiet and mellow,
which is reflected in the rather amorphous
melodies and harmonies.

I don't want melody that grabs you too much,
or it will take you out of that contemplative state
and put you into a military marching mentality,
(for example),
instead.


I finished writing this song,
052013a,
a little bit before midnig...
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"One thing I've learned
in surviving
in this business
50 years

When I walk in a room   
I LOOK FOR THE EXIT SIGN

I wanna be sure
I know how to get out
if things don't turn out right"



Art Cashin
Director of Floor Operations
for
UBS Fincanical Services
(he manages 650 billion in assets)

May 17 interview
with Eric King
KIng World News



http://www.kingworldnews.com/kingworldnews/Broadcast/Entries/2013/5/18_Art_Cashin.html

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It is 11:37 p.m.

Finished this song,
051613b,
about an hour ago.

Well, this is the first time
in about ten months
that I have been able to pivot
off of my right little finger,
which has been badly broken
and grossly deformed
due to misplaced bones.

Finally, it is becoming functional again.

I really wasn't sure
if it ever was going to.

While writing this piece, tonight,
I suddenly did a few very trick moves
which would have simply been impossible,
due to excessive pain,
just one month ago.

Now, that ...
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It is 2:10 a.m.

This piece, 051613a,
was written just a little after midnight.

I am using the 8 synth template again,
as I try to get a better idea
of what it is capable of
as it is set up right now.

I am thinking about the next "sound"
almost continuously
and hope to begin making the next template
before too long.

This piece is interesting in that I am becoming
more comfortable with writing contrasting sections
in different keys
with different tonal relationships 
to the beginning key I am playin...
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It has been a long and pretty insane path
leading me, musically,
to where I am at this time.

So it has been 45 years
since I first began my formal investigations
into
"melody".

My first insight really came
from a book which I ran into
in my stepdad's collection of music books
which he used as reference books
for arranging for swing band during the 1930's.

So, it was an old book.

And one that you will not see just anywhere.

And a VERY magical book,
where I was concerned.    

The title of the book say...
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Wrote this song at about 10 p.m. this evening.

It is titled 051413a.

It is dark and moody,
like the several before it,
although I have changed templates
(i.e. back to 8 synth instead of 12).

I wanted to emphasize the choir more
and I wanted it to be nice and quiet
and meditative.

I wonder if I will ever get there.

I just seem to get rowdy
while I am trying hard to stay mellow.

I am reminded of so many distressing scenarios
with which I am currently dealing,
that the overwhelmedness is coming through...
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As you can probably imagine
I was running extra hard
these past weeks. 

Many loose ends
in need of being gathered together
and wrapped up.

So, it is almost time to collapse.

Have had to take care of 
a few more business matters
yesterday and today.

And then ---

I hope to work on some more music.

This is the month of the three b-days
all within several days of one another
and coming up fast and furious.

So, from the 20th to the 25th
will probably be a little bit extra crazy.

Even by my standards.

I tri...
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It is 1:30 a.m.

I wrote this piece, 051213a,
earlier this evening.

Did not get a chance
to upload and post
until just now.

More later ---

w/love

vw

1:53 a.m.
Monday
5-13-13
Ventura, California, USA


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I cannot remember a time
when I have seen so much positive energy
in one location.

This is not the energy of wanna-be's
and gonna-be's.

No, this is a room filled with
very accomplished individuals.

Numerous champions,
each tried, tested, and proven,
numerous times.

And that in a crucible of flaming fire.

It is all extra strange to me
because I have been working
with a number of the very first persons
to invent the sport of competitive skateboarding
in trying to ascertain
who did what first, when a...
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Got back from Anaheim
just a couple of hours ago.

It is 11:40 p.m.

I am definitely ready to go lay down for bedtime,
but wanted to blast out another song
before retiring for the night.

The IASC awards was spectacular.

I hope to have more to say tomorrow.

In meantime, here is a new song, 051013a.

Hope you enjoy.


w/love

vw

11:39 p.m.
Friday
5-10-13
Ventura, Califrornia, USA
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It is 11:33 p.m. as I begin.

Has been a long day.

Went 35 miles north of here,
to Santa Barbara
to meet with "Woody, the King"
early this morning.

Have to make sure
that he is going to make it
to Anaheim Sheraton tomorrow,
even if I have to throw him
in the trunk of my car to do it.

Humorously enough,
he assured me, right away,
that he had decided
several days ago
not to go.

But then he had been hounded
by a couple of his old teammates,
who have been at him for years now,
(that I personally know o...

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O.K.,
for those of you who are too disinterested
(or lazy)
to look up this word,
I will explain.

I don't remember where and when
I first ran into the term,
but it came to me
from a very famous German short story
by the title
"The Doppelganger".

I have not been able to find a translation,
although I have seen it in German
(in Germany, but of course).

The word means a "double".

As in your anti-self.

The other you.

The evil twin.

As an example,
I used to run into people in a neighboring town
who would ...
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The first thing I simply must say is WTF?

My life has been extra strange by any standard/s.

But this?

This most definitely takes the cake.

Message, after message, after message
from "on high",
but who can understand even one of them?

New assignment:  do this and do that.

But why?

Long silence.

Uhhhhh, I don't get to know why?

 More long silence.

Wrong thing for student to say to Master?

Yeeeeeeeesss!

You will know when you need to know
and not one nanosecond sooner.

I already knew the answer,
having been ...

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I just got back from my latest excursion
into the northern hinterlands.

It is about 10 minutes to 9 p.m.

I am pretty thoroughly thrashed,
although everything went well;
overall,
very productive and useful.

The coast was ridiculously beautiful.

I got to spend some quality time
with several hundreds
of my very dear animal friends.

We all had an extra good time.

Even the crows,
which are extremely untame,
in the wild,
have finally taken a liking to me.

They let me take close-up flight photos of them,
wh...
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It is almost midnight.

I am ready for bed.

Must drive several hundred miles tomorrow.

So, I figured it was as good a time as any
to write another song in C minor,
before leaving.

Still just kind of feeling things out, here.

I am sure something extra good
will come of all of this.

The song is titled 050213b.

Hope you enjoy.

w/love

vw

5-2-13
Thursday
11:50 p.m.
Ventura, California, USA

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Just a quick housekeeping note
for those who need to know such things.

I am planning on heading back up north
on Friday,
to "where the pines meet the sea".

I hope to be at my regular resting place
for sunset
on Saturday and Sunday
(and Friday too,
if I get there early enough = ?).

Then will probably return on Monday.

Anyone who has problems getting ahold of me,
for whatever reason,
should know to just send a letter to my office address:

1340 Callens Road, Ventura, California, 93003.

Is best way to c...

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I have not slept for weeks,
except for a little cat nap
here and there.

This always creates the problem
of what to do in the middle of the night.

I have tried it all and done it all,
having had this problem
since I was about 18 years old.

By far the most productive thing
I have learned to do over the years
is to compose in the middle of the night,
rather than flip and flop
all over the place
while wishing that I could sleep
"like all the other kids".

Well, I am telling you all of this
because tha...

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