Well deserved peace

I am so very very happy that Ted Van Natta was "promoted" yesterday morning and is, at last, at rest and at peace. He is with our Creator for eternity and probably making a few angels laugh with his jokes. He will be missed all over the world where he traveled so extensively, but there are plenty of others who will be testifying to his artful influence. Hey Ted, smile - you've reached your destination.

Pictures are from Timisoara, 2007

An international 'International Music Day'

I dreamt/dreamed up a new project today. Nothing new, you say. True, but unlike the 780 billion others ideas I've budgeted (now why's that darn figure STUCK in my head, I wonder...) this one is exciting. What do you think?

While studying my list of 'national days' I noticed a distinct lack of music and performance related material. Lots of medical and tons of political, with a smattering of sports, but in over 1,000 national recognition days, not one music. But then google came to the rescue - there's the International Music Day. Heard of it? Nor me. October 1st, and I presume every year. It's coordinated in Australia by the International Music Council. Heard of it? Nor me. More interestingly, it's promoted/ supported/ funded/ cajoled/ whatever by UNESCO, or UN-ESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Heard of it? Right.

I don't know if UNESCO supports things like a Japanese University handbell choir playing a spanish song composed by a Frenchman, but I'm really glad they'd like to help people celebrate music on an international scale: even more kudos to the late Lord Menuhin (oh, for a peerage) for suggesting it.

So... my idea? [Tom Peters would love this: full of Excellence, Talent, Design, Implementation, Branding, Marketing to Women and Boomers]...

There are seven continents.
Let's host seven concerts
over the next seven years,
producing seven CDs and
seven DVDs,
each with seven pieces,
and why not produce seven documentaries for youtube, too?

The concerts, held on Oct 1 2009-2015 on a different continent, would have a piece composed about or by someone from each of the seven continents. My first program might look like this: Copland Fanfare for the common man, Ginastera Dances from Estancia, Ifukube Japanese Rhapsody, Westlake Antarctica Suite, Akpabot Three Nigerian Dances, Milhaud La Creation Du Monde, and Whitehead The improbable ordered dance. Of course, let's hope UNESCO is willing to help me find the $200000 needed to fund each show! Oh, and if you're wondering WHERE the concert on Antarctica will take place? LOL - I actually did some homework, and we'd probably charter a cruise ship and rent a small chamber orchestra from Oceanbound!!