Simons Fellowship – Week #3
I decided before I came out to KU that I would try to use this opportunity to the max. Having 24 hour access to the Hall Center has allowed me to achieve most of what I set out to do. The Hall Center shuts its doors at 5PM and I have been staying late into the evening. The quiet is supreme and glorious. I have used this time to work on some new music for my new song cycle, ‘Speak’. I have rehearsed with student musicians for my upcoming concert on the 14th of October and even used the concert space as the location to film interviews for the documentary being created about my visit here. What a gig!!!
I rehearsed with four student musicians individually and selected music that fit their playing styles. Great Fun! Their reaction to the music has been positive and I find that very fulfilling. Their enthusiasm is overwhelming. I did notice that, I had to remind each one of them that they were allowed to be musical. They all want the notes to be perfect! Perfect isn’t always musical! It is amazing how much music emerges when musicians allow themselves to be musical.
The crew from the film school assigned to making the document about my visit set up a late night interview session this past Wednesday evening. For me, it is a bit strange to sit in front of a camera and be asked personal questions about myself. They asked the question, ‘What is it like to be able to improvise and create music? I tried to tell them how I had little control of what comes out, yet I do have some control over it. I think, my answer was a bit ‘disjointed’ because it is a very difficult question and more than that very difficult to describe this feeling in words. I’ll have to think on this one for a while. But, the question that stopped me in my tracks was, ‘Do I ever get a vacation from it?’ My answer was, ‘No, you never get a vacation from it, you can allow it to rest, but it is always there and I don’t have much choice about that.’ This interview session made me realize how lucky I am to have the gift of music. It is an enviable place to be. Sitting in front of a camera is not something I’m used to. I guess it takes practice to be able to feel comfortable with lights on you and the camera rolling picking up every movement and twitch you make. Sitting in one place for a long period of time has never been my cup of tea!
On Saturday, I drove over to Kansas City again. This time my destination was the Nelson-Atkins Museum. The museum has a wonderful collection that ranges from classic painting, to a wonderful photography collection, to Rodin sculptures, to Asian Art, to American Indian Art and all displayed and lit in a way that each piece simply captures you. The Nelson-Atkins Museum is a joy to visit.
One more week with lots to do. More to come…
Randy Klein
