This winter was the first “real” winter we’ve had in years. Brooklyn was covered in snow and ice for two months. Two big snowstorms and a little extra sprinkled around, and for most of January and February temperatures did not crack the melting point. It was relentless. The Northeast ski season was strong and we made treks to The Catskills, The Greens and The Longfellows. We also journeyed to The Rocky Mountains in Colorado and skied at Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin, fulfilling a dream of mine and a promise to the kids that when they could ski everything on the mountains of the East, we would go West to explore bigger ones. Our schedules lined up for five days in early April, and although it was late in the season, the snowfall across the West was much lower than average, and two weeks or scorching heat before we arrived limited the terrain, we still found what we were looking for in beautiful vistas, wide open bowls and warm spring conditions.
We also made two tropical trips; one to the Bahamas with the entire Taylor clan to celebrate mom’s birthday and one to Puerto Rico with three other families to celebrate Brian’s. Both vacations were amazing and involved relaxing in beautiful places with the people I love. I am very fortunate to have opportunities like this to experience such inspiring places. Travel has always been vitally important in my life and I hope to instill an appreciation for other cultures in my children.
Last weekend was Bang On A Can Long Play Festival featuring some of my favorite composers and musicians. Highlights included Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint with 13 electric guitars and Philip Glass’ Glassworks, with a new arrangement incorporating an electric guitar. Oneohtrix Point Never produced beautiful electronic soundscapes, my high school classmate Steve Lehman played saxophone with his excellent group, Sam Prekop performed solo on a modular synth and Secret Chiefs 3 closed the festival with a high energy and meticulously tight set. This is always a well-curated and smoothly-run festival; I’m already looking forward to next year’s edition.
My book club:
What Is Real by Adam Becker – history of the quantum physics revolution and biographies of its key contributors
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – reread from my first encounter 30 years ago, a dystopian world of psychological conditioning and social hierarchy; Henry Ford’s assembly line as the model for society.
Island by Aldous Huxley – a utopian vision of a Pacific Island promoting healthy living and spiritual wellness, with exploitive capitalist interests encroaching.
Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner – a guide to playing music from a pure and uninhibited place, a meditation for musicians.
Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife by Francesca Wade – a friend of mine spent years researching the fascinating and inspiring life of Gerturde Stein, who became the epicenter of modernism in the first half of the 20th century.
The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil – written in 2004, Kurzweil accurately predicted the rise of today’s conversant AI and describes a human-computer merger that will unfold over the next 30 years.
The Singularity Is Nearer by Ray Kurzweil – written in 2023, continuing the themes of his futurist vision, the accelerating technological developments that will lead us to the Singularity of enhanced brains and biology.
I Am A Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter – Consciousness as a dance of symbols and ideas in our minds, with the concept of “I” as the foundation of our experiences.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – I read it, then gave it to Miles, who finished it a few hours before we went to see the movie at Nitehawk. Very fun sci-fi with the survival of life on earth in the hands of a middle-school science teacher.
Romeo and Juliet ballet – music by Prokofiev. Dance installation at The Park Ave Armory with stunning movement and live video throughout the beautiful building.
Hank’s Saloon – a documentary about one of the greatest bars ever, a dive bar in downtown Brooklyn with a great music scene. We spent many evenings there and our bands played on the stage several times before it closed permanantly in 2018. The movie is a tribute to the community and culture that Hank’s provided and a lament for the loss of spaces like these as modern development engulfs them.
