Bipolar, the Fantasticks, France and The Louisville Orchestra

In order to help a friend, I was reviewing the symptoms of bipolar disorder with a friend yesterday. As I was reading through the list extracted from the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, it became amazing to me how many of these symptoms I showed myself. I had always been told that the symptoms of Attention Deficit - Hyperactivity Disorder can overlap with those of Bipolar disorder, but took the diagnosis I was giving in 2002 to heart. However, it is also not the first time the notion has been made that I could in fact be manic-depressive. It would definitely fit the ridiculous shifts in mood I've had for years. I am currently undergoing psychological tests with the University Counseling center, so I guess I may know for sure when I get those results back.

I went to see the IU Southeast Theater Department's production of Tom Jones' 'The Fantasticks' last night. Overall, it was an entertaining music will a cute plot having. Despite some obvious weaknesses in the musical abilities of some of the performers, I thoroughly enjoyed the musical. On those weaknesses, one thing is for certain - there's no way I could do what they do, so I shall keep my criticism to a minimum.

One thing that seeing the Fantasticks did was it pulled at my curiosity for musical theater. As much as I love musicals, one may wonder if I should consider pursuing this direction of music genres following my graduation with IU Southeast. I gave a presentation on neo-classicism in my Fourth Level Music Theory class on Thursday, and freely admitted to the students and Professor Miller that I am a tonal person, and often times I am annoyed by some of the atonal stuff I hear. Have you ever heard a broadway musical without any sense of tonality? This is all speculation at this point, but perhaps it is something I should consider.

A friend of mine wants me to go with her and her friends to France. The entire trip would cost around $2500, and the plane ticket alone is nearly $1400 and would have to be purchased fairly soon. I really want to go on this trip, but I'm not even sure where to begin to try to accumulate those kinds of funds. Aside from the load of financial obligations I already have, my car is on the fritz and needs some serious attention. A trip to Paris would be JUST what I need though. An escape from this hellhole known as Kentuckiana is just what the doctor ordered. I love my friends and family, but my patience for this place is wearing thin. I've had people tell me I wouldn't be able to handle the face-paced living that you find in big cities like Chicago and New York, or high populated states like California. I disagree. I'm a face paced person, and this place is boring me. I would probably handle it very well.

I've also learned that I shouldn't listen to the presumptions people make about me. I had one person who was once very close to me tell me I'd make a terrible server, but then my Manager at applebee's in Nicholasville told me I picked up serving faster than any server he's ever had. The good thing about that was that I was in training for Manager, so I also didn't have to serve much anyway. And that's just ONE example of when someone has been wrong about me. But that's also one thing I will never understand about humanity. Why on earth someone would ever judge someone they don't even know is beyond me - but we ALL do it.

I have to say, that is one clever way to piss someone off.

The Louisville Cardinals had quite the scare yesterday when they found themselves behind 17 to one of the worst teams in the Big East, DePaul. But sure enough, they stormed back and ended up winning by eight in Overtime. Overtime with DePaul. I never thought I'd see that.

Atrocities are still hitting the professional music industry in Louisville as it appears the Kentucky Opera plans to continue a performance with 'replacement musicians' that include children. Yay, I'm so happy that this professional organization is willing to give amateur musicians who spend their times filing papers or answering phone calls at some BS corporate job and play a few notes on an instrument they probably learned in a couple of years an opportunity like this! (Puke) Seriously, though.....this is unbelievably unacceptable, and if I didn't have my own agenda I have to follow I would be in downtown Louisville in a few hours protesting the performance. The musicians at the Louisville Orchestra worked their entire lives to get where they are, only to have it stripped from them. That's just sick.

Oh well....here is what the professor of horn at the University of Louisville had to say. He's a lot nicer about it than I am.

"Hi, Friends,

This note is posted as a colleague who cares about the future in Louisville of the profession we love.

I know that many of you must share my concern about what condition the music business might be in, once our students are ready to graduate and begin their careers. How many full-time jobs in music performance will there be a few years from now? Recently, there were 71 more than there are at the moment.

I believe this is worth fighting for, and has a DIRECT effect on the future of the University of Louisville School of Music, particularly our recruitment of performance majors.

On Friday, night, the Kentucky Opera performance was picketed, and a large number of Louisville Orchestra musicians and sympathetic souls distributed leaflets to those who would take them. You are invited to help with this effort. It would mean a lot to the LO members to see that sympathetic people supported them during their lowest point.

The demonstrators were augmented by former LO Music Director, Uri Segal. Some ticket holders who changed their mind about attending also demonstrated with us. That lifted the spirits of everybody involved. The action was described by neutral commentators as respectful, despite the fact that certain attendees spewed epithets, vulgarities and accusations of "communist" and "socialist" at the demonstrators. The word "scab" was not employed by the remarkably disciplined demonstrators, which included volunteers from numerous unions throughout Kentucky. Instead, they followed a strategy of using a reasoned approach without harsh language. Most of the signs made fun of the KO's decision to lower their artistic standards.

There is an additional Kentucky Opera performance using the orchestra of Replacement Workers tomorrow (Sunday at 2) and it will also be leafleted, from 12:45 until the scheduled 2:00 curtain. It might snow.

The "Replacement Workers" were not named in the program, but they included: Jackie Rosky, David Bybee, percussionist Jim Baker, principal cellist Travis Carlisle, concertmaster Anna Marie Dolan Blanton, SOME - not all - members of the now-defunct Seminary Orchestra, and various children.

Conductor Joseph Mechavich has resigned from the KO and will not be conducting. Instead Jason Raff, of the Kentucky Ballet staff, is scheduled to conduct.

A seminary faculty member with whom I've corresponded is concerned and saddened that the actions of a few could have negative effects on many. She and I agree that it's a sad, sad, mess. Since the opera followed through with their decision to perform with amateurs, the situation has descended to a new low point.

The pathetic truth: the out-of-work LO musicians could undoubtedly have sight read The Merry Widow better than the amateurs performed it (according to the reports of trained musicians) even with all of their rehearsals. From the instrumental point of view, the Lehar is just about the easiest operetta in the repertoire, which was either a stroke of good luck or clever strategic planning by the KO.

Thanks, if you've managed to read this far. :-) I thought some of my friends might want a "status report."

Bruce"

Well said, Mr. Heim. I really hope this message gets out to a lot of people, because this whole thing is just sickening.

Watch out for "BATBEAR". That's funny on soooo many levels.

Well, that wraps it up for today. Thanks for reading, and until next time.

Au revoir!

Peter