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Subject: +*+*+*+ Stephen's Secure Blog #317 "Before the Third Vienna Concert" +*+*+*+
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 19:43:10 -0400
From: " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant>
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Stephen's Secure Blog #317
These stories about Stephen began was when he was 10 years old, and
moving to a new part of the country to attend a special school for
gifted students, in the 1950's. This was from a time before computers
would fit on a desk, and when people communicated with friends in other
countries by actual letters sent through the postal service. He wrote
225 of them to a friend. He stopped writing to his penpal, but found he
still wanted to record his life, in case he lost his memory again, and
wrote 30 entries in his first logbook. Then he wrote to an artificial
intelligence called Geenee, in the master computer in his school for
gifted students, which he started attending in 2016. Now it's after
2018, and he's continuing to save his memories in a secure blog.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stephen is 17 in this story, in Summer of year 7 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #317 "Before the Third Vienna Concert"
START Page
We arrived early for the third concert in Vienna. With me were Rose,
Hawk, Chad, and Dan. Half of the orchestra musicians were there. The
director was there. I said to him, "Do you have any new ideas for me?"
He said "No. You make some, and I'll beg for them to be included." I
grinned and said, "That's an idea, but not really new." He grinned back
and nodded. I wandered around. I ported a my violin to me, and played
some marches on it, mostly as a challenge, because it's not a good
instrument for that. Then I said to Dan, "Sometimes we make up a little
swing band. Want to hear it?" He said "Absolutely?" I said to Rose and
Hawk, "That could be something like a yes." We all grinned. I called
out to the musicians, "Anybody here know big band swing?" The
percussionist said, "I do!" I said "Want to join us?" He looked at the
director, who nodded approval. I ported in a big drum set for him. I
had my clarinet, and Rose was on the piano, and Hawk was on the
trumpet. I said to the drummer, "I'll lead. My friends and I have had
some practice with this. When I nod hard at you, you do an accompanied
solo. When I nod hard at you again, you go back to backup. Got it?" He
said, "Yes!"
We played a lot of different songs, but I had to stop and ask the
drummer if he knew some of them, at times. The flute player came in, in
the middle of that. I ported the UMD team in then, too. I said for the
last song, "Sing, Sing, Sing!" We went wild, and the drummer did a very
good solo. We earned a lot of applause. I said to the drummer, "You
were great! Thanks a lot." He said "You're welcome. It was great fun. I
wish I had a recording of that." I said "You do. Check your right front
pocket." He did, and was even more thankful. I said to the flute
player, "So, what did you think of that?" He said "It was wonderful.
You all were wonderful. Was that the first time you used an outside
drummer?" I said "It was, and he did very well. Tell me, how many
famous flute soloists never had their own band to accompany them at
times?" He thought, and said, "I see what you mean. They all had bands
or accompanists for some performances." I said "In entertainment, or
show business, the bigger the act, the bigger the draw can be at times,
and can really make the lead look bigger and better than if he were
alone. Center stage can be a very lonely place. The greatest
clarinetist who ever lived, only had real success when he had other
players with him. It's a simple fact of life in music, that instruments
that can't play chords, make very difficult single acts." He said "I've
been noticing that, and thinking bad thoughts. They aren't so bad now.
Thank you very much."
A professor from UMD said to me, "Did you plan this lesson?" I said
"Our swing group play here, was intended to illustrate that." Rose
said, "Taking a line from you, 'I feel SO used!'" I laughed. Hawk
laughed more. I said to the flutist, "How many successful flute
soloists only played one kind of music?" He grinned and said, "I have
already received that lesson from you, as you intended." I said to
Rose, "Ready for another one? I feel SO exposed!" A lot of laughter. I
said to him, "Do you know why these people are here from a university
in the States?" He grinned some more, and said, "To watch you teach
me?" I looked at Rose, and she laughed, and said, "Exposed again!" I
said to him, "If you want a group of your own, how will you find them?"
He thought some, and said, "Beginners like me. Those with talent, but
little experience."
I said to him, "I don't think you will have much of a problem in
recruiting them. Just make sure that only you handle the money and the
assignments. Being the most talented in a group, doesn't guarantee the
leadership." He nodded, and said, "I see. I hope I can do that." I said
"It will make you feel very strange in the beginning, but you will soon
get used to it. Keep learning. The more you know, the more your people
will come to you for answers and advice, MAKING you the leader for
real, and not just the accountant. Always defend them in public, but
rip their heads off when they need it, but only in private. Care for
your people, and they will care for you. Well, most of the time. You
will lose some when they see opportunities to advance on their own, and
with other people. Be nice about it, and you will gain more in the long
term. Do you know why?" He thought some, and said, "Yes. People won't
want to work with me, if they think I will hold back their
advancement." I said "Yes. A lot of band leaders never understand that,
because they concentrate on the now, instead of extending that into the
future."
I said "Using the swing leader, Goodman, as an example, most of his
star performers went on to form their own very successful groups. But,
even after that, when he called them to perform with him for something
special, they did. Grow your people, and all the music world will
benefit. And one more thing. You will grow as a person." He bowed to
me. I said to the UMD group, "How many of you are students?" Three
raised their hands. Rose said "Oh, oh!" I said "Does that mean the rest
of you are incapable of learning?" All the other hands went up in a
flash. Hawk laughed. I said to them, "Don't mind Hawk. He laughs at
practically everything I say." He laughed some more, and the UMD people
grinned. I said to the flutist, "The lesson in that?" He grinned and
said, "We are all students all our lives. There is always more to
learn." I said "And sometimes in the strangest places and ways, which
we often don't realize until long after it happens. One more thing
about that. The more you teach, the more you learn. In fact, some
things you can only learn by teaching." That made them all think, even
the orchestra players.
I said to the UMD group, "One at a time, please tell me your major
interest in music, and the skills you now have." They did. I said "Have
any of you written any poetry?" None had. I said "In sports training,
they do many things to train and condition their bodies, which aren't
directly related to their sports specialties. Can anybody tell me why?"
A teacher had a light dawn on him, but I motioned him to wait. He did.
A student said, "Because it helps?" I said "Well, that is already
indicated, because they wouldn't do it if it didn't. More?" Silence. I
nodded to the teacher, who said, "Rhythm and music are in a lot of
things. Studying them helps you in your music." I said "That's true,
but not the whole of it. Interestingly, the clue to the answer is in
what I just said." The flutist said, "I have it! The whole person! You
need to teach the whole person to improve them in creative arts. I
didn't realize that before, but I see it is true!" I said "Yes. Do all
of you know of the ancient samurai of Japan?" They nodded.
I said "They were the best swordsmen in all history. Part of their
training involved calligraphy and flower arranging, and metal working,
too. They were all about fighting and dying. They would not have
studied those things if they didn't help them to do what they lived
for. Now you know why. There is more. Health, in mind and body, is very
important. So is attitude. I am probably the healthiest person living.
I work out at least two hours a day, so hard that even five minutes of
that would make the average person, well, dead. Hawk, round kick to the
abdomen, full power." I set myself, and with a loud thwack, he did
that, and I didn't move. I said "That would have killed almost anybody.
He's VERY skilled. I'm not saying you should go to my extreme, but I
think you should understand about the many positive benefits of good
health."
There were a lot of wows. Rose said "He hears that a lot." They
laughed. I said "So, learn to write poetry, and you can put words to
your own music. Learn to dance, and your music will make people dance.
I can prove that, right now. Do any of you doubt that I can make music
which will make you dance, even if you don't want to?" Chad said
"Stephen! Please don't! When you did that before, you almost
incapacitated the orchestra musicians in Thailand!" Hawk said in
could have played the drums with their hands behind their backs, it was
so erotic." I said "But I didn't hear any complaints." Chad said, "They
couldn't." I said "Oh. Well, I was busy." Some laughter. I said to the
Chad sighed, and said, "You know you did. Your third symphony." Hawk
said "He couldn't get an orchestra to play it, without them screwing
each other." Rose said "I just guessed something. Did you write that to
cause what your special feelings cause?" I said "Yes. We still don't
know if it will actually do that." Chad said "It does. Now shut up
about it!" I grinned and laughed.
Dan shouted, "Accordion!" We all looked at him, and he was
embarrassed. I said to the group, "I had asked him to challenge me
before, with things I had never done. I think that stuck with him a
little too much." They laughed. I said to him, "There are different
kinds. So, which one?" He said with a grin, "The one you can do the
most with, or your design." I said "The piano key model is standard
now, but there is one of Vienna, called the Schrammel Accordion." The
director said "PLEASE play that one!" I said "But it is not as advanced
as the others. Oh, alright. I knew you would want that one." I said to
the group, "I know about these things, because I can see the internet
with my mind. Convenient for research. Then I sent out my perception,
programed to scan for the instrument I'm looking for. I found some. I
copied them into one master instrument, and I just made it, and ported
it to my hands. I'll play and sing one of my compositions, called 'The
Fantasy Waltz.'" I did that, and received a lot of applause.
The students examined the accordion, and one said, "You never played
it before, and the buttons are arranged oddly. How, without practice?"
I said "I made it, so I know which button does what. With my intense
physical training, I know what my body can do, exactly, and I have a
total recall memory. Combine all those, and I could do what I did,
because of all that. We know, because I er, actually did it." Some
chuckles. I put it down and ported a much fancier one to me. I said
"This one has a LOT more buttons, and a richer sound. Heavier, too.
Would give you quite a workout if you weren't used to it. Oh, right!
Remember the good health rant?" They laughed, but nodded in
understanding. I said "Chad, want to guess what I'm going to play?" He
said "Well, that's like an organ, and I know what your favorite is on
Toccata. There was some very loud amazed applause after that. I said
"Thanks. No way I'm going to bow with this thing on." They laughed. I
played the Clarinet Polka. They liked it a lot. Dan called out, "Play
laughed, and so did others, Hawk the loudest. I composed something very
difficult, but not too long, and played it. Then there was shocked
silence. Then a lot of applause. I said "Well, that worked." Some
laughter.
Dan said, "Please, one more?" I said "Just one." He said "Over the
Rainbow on the trumpet." I said "I'll do it." I ported a trumpet to me.
A student said, "Wow!" I said "Thanks, but I haven't even started
playing, yet." He said "I mean for the trumpet. It's beautiful! What is
it made of?" I said "An alloy of iridium, osmium, platinum, and
ruthenium. Harder and tougher than brass and silver, so it's thinner
and more resonant. Want to try it? Oh, I know. One of my notorious
stupid questions." Hawk laughed very loudly. I gave it to the student,
and he tried a few things. It sounded great, naturally. He gave it back
to me, a little reluctantly, and said, "How much would one like this
cost?" I said "If somebody else made it, it's one of those things where
if you have to ask, you can't afford it. If I made it, it would have no
cost, because I don't sell them. However, when we get our universities
set up in Tibet, and there are fully staffed music departments, well,
there will need to be some instruments, I think. Not this one in
particular, but better than any others. I don't think there will be
many complaints." The professor said, "I would like to talk with you
later, about that." I said to the group, "Who didn't expect THAT?"
Laughter.
I started playing "Over the Rainbow". I played it straight, first,
with a lot of expression. Then I made it fancy, and then I really
jazzed it up. Then I found myself starting to glow orange. Chad yelled,
"Everybody step back, and off the stage!" Hawk actually had to pick up
one student, and carry him off. I left the trumpet hanging in the air,
and ported my violin to me, and then the other parts of my small
musical group. My transparent images played those instruments, while
the real me played the violin. I made the timpani and cymbals in the
back of the room make sounds like a thunderstorm. There were dark
clouds over me. I played the intro, and then let the violin hang and
play itself while I sang the song with feeling. In the middle, I took
the violin back and played it, then let it go to sing the other verse.
The storm quieted down, and a faint rainbow appeared, growing brighter
as I neared the end, and we could hear some birds singing. One even
lighted on my shoulder. A bluebird, naturally. Then I was done, and the
images faded away, but there was a fresh spring smell, still lingering
in the air. There was stunned silence, and then Chad started clapping.
That woke them up, and they all did that. I bowed. The director came to
me, and I said before he did, "Yes, in the concert." He grinned.
A student still in shocked awe, said, "Those er, how did you do
that?" I said "You know I can port?" They nodded. I said "Well, before
I could learn to do that, I had to learn to move objects with my mind.
That's what made the instruments float. The images were projected from
my mind. Anybody with a very strong mind and some practice can do that.
Hundreds of people in Tibet can." Hawk said, "But he's the all out
best, and he's teaching them to do it better." I said "Yes, and it will
be part of our university program. Those with the right talents will
learn it, like they are now." One asked Hawk, "Can you do something
like that?" I nodded. He said, "Yes, but not like he can." He looked
like he was concentrating very hard, and made a simple cartoon picture.
Then it vanished. I said "It takes a lot of effort and practice. What
he just did was only visible to the mind, and not to a camera. There
isn't much point to doing it, but it's a good mental workout." The
student said, "But you did it." I said with a grin, "I noticed. I'm an
artist, and I did it for art." Hawk said "I'm not an artist." It looked
like they accepted that.
I said to Chad, "I think I would like to do the Shiva dance for
them." He said "It would show dance and music together, and show them
for real that your music can affect them. Go for it." I made some
really big speakers on either side of the stage. I said "I'll be using
a recording. The music and dance are in the style of India, but are my
own creations." I hid behind my silvery shield, and then let it fade to
show me in costume and makeup. I took the pose, and started the music.
Then I danced. Some of the musicians, flutist's father, and some
reporters came in during it, and were really surprised. Rose took care
of them. They were all jumpy when the drums were at their wildest, but
a little calmer when I finished. I bowed, and they applauded loudly,
and I changed back, inside my silvery shield. I said to the students,
"Do you believe me now about the effects of music?" They nodded, still
unable to speak.
I said "The more different kinds of music you know and perform, the
more your appeal will be, for all audiences. To do your best, you need
to be in complete control of the performance. You and I might have a
different idea about what complete is. If you write your own music to
suit your abilities, or at least the arrangements, you will do better.
I do that, which I think you know." They nodded. I said "Here's
something extra. Who invented the musical performance trademark style?"
Silence. I said "A clue. He was the first musical superstar, and had
his own groupies, and some of the women actually fainted in his
concerts." Silence. I said "Alright, I'm going to look like him, and do
what he did. Illusion, here we go." I did that, and played the piano,
something of Liszt. One yelled "Franz Liszt!" I said "Right. He used
the candelabra on the piano trademark all the time, and the exaggerated
taking off of his gentlemanly gloves. He was VERY successful as a
performer. So much so, he hated it, and retired to teaching. So, why
have I brought him into this?" The flutist said, "We should do
something uniquely ours, so we will be recognized for it. I see. Your
blue suit. You always wear it. Your trademark!" I said "Correct. And my
white hair, which I didn't choose. Also, in my music, I always use the
same last encore." He said "That is known, too. I have to say, and well
done!" I said "Thank you." I bowed.
I said "Contrary to what most believe, I'm a very shy person. Hawk,
that's enough for now." He stopped laughing, but it was a big strain. I
said "If it were not for my task to free Tibet, I would never have let
the public know about me. But I did, so I am doing the best at it as
possible. I don't like this suit. Well, I'm an artist. But it's
necessary for recognition, so I wear one all the time, except at home."
One said "What do you wear then?" I grinned and said, "I'm not going to
tell you." One yelled out, "Nothing!" I said "By saying nothing about
it?" He looked confused, and some laughed. I said "Let's go get some
food, and make our clothing too tight!" That's what we did. But I
didn't check for tightness. I think the reporters might have done that,
but I didn't look.
END Page
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Grant
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