Thursday, March 12, 2009

Oberlin Conservatory

I feel honored by the opportunity to speak at Oberlin Conservatory with Leah Curtis, another composer. We did so much I can hardy remember what went on over the course of two days. On a Monday we spoke at an Entrepreneurship lunch, an Entrepreneurship Class, then we did a public lecture; the following day we had private meetings with students, then we spoke to Colin Roust's Film Music History Class.  *whew*  Not to mention lunches, dinners, and some poking around in the electronic studio, complete with ARP 2600.  (mmmm 2600)
This is Colin Roust (L) and myself.  Colin is a foremost authority on French composer Georges Auric. I eagerly await Colin's monograph on Auric.  Auric, contemporary of Poulenc, Satie, Cocteau, member of Les Six, composed not only ballets and concert music, but scored over 120 films, including noir classic Rififi and Cocteau's La Belle et la Bete.  I am eating scallops.  Colin is eating some kind of pasta.  This is at the fancy restaurant in Oberlin.


Leah Curtis (L) and myself having breakfast at Black River CafĂ©.  Awesome biscuit.  Leah's last name is my middle name and we have matching orange laptop bags.  I should just stop there.


Leah Curtis, myself, and Colin Roust in Colin's corner classroom with great windows.
Love the black board.  Real Conservatoire.


Here I stand proudly before Oberlin Conservatory's "Radiator Building."  Everything was held at the Radiator Building except the entrepreneurship lunch.  That was in Wilder Hall, which I wondered if it were named after Gene Wilder or Alan Wilder?


Here we are at Case in the office of Daniel Goldmark.  The office is across from a practice room, which I think is quite cool, although I admit that could be distracting if you have work to do.  L to R is Daniel Goldmark, Colin's daughter Ellie, and Colin Roust.  Ellie's name reminds me of Ellie Armer, one of my Composition teachers. Daniel is the leading expert on music in American animation, as well as editor of Oxford University Press' Music/Media Series. Right now he's working more on film, music, Tin Pan Alley, sheet music covers, and a whole load of fascinating stuff.  You need his books.
Daniel and I lunching at the Albatross, a hidden but very popular eatery near Case in Cleveland. We are sitting at the bar. I am having mussels and fries and Daniel is having a salad.


With the family Roust, I have BBQ in Vermilion at The Pit BBQ.  Yes that's how they spell it: Vermilion.



Not bad.  These were the kind of ribs that are cooked for a very long time so the meat just falls off the bone.