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{ Monthly Archives } January 1, 2007 - י"א טבת תשס"ז

Another Night in the Media Ward

The music that blasts from the children’s shop next door to and below ours often gets stuck in my head, bursting back into my consciousness when least welcome. Today, it was playing the original “Someday My Prince Will Come,” Adriana Caselotti’s implausible vibrato slicing through the grinding groan frustrated traffic and the half-conversations of crowded, isolated people, only some of whom had telephones. On Saturday, it was the impossibly cheerful music of an imagined old world, a sort of Chipmunk Klezmer of the Damned.

2007 01 29 joseph.zitt the store Comments (5)

Moses Composes

As usual, work on creative stuff has gotten stuck in a sargasso of technical crud, but I’ve dug my way out, and the accelerated composing of “Moses” continues.

2007 01 17 joseph.zitt music
tech Comments (5)

Moses (for narrator and orchestra)

I’ve been asked to compose a piece for narrator and string orchestra, for a performance in New Jersey just before Passover, on the themes of the holiday. The music is still coming together, but here’s the text as it now stands:

2007 01 12 joseph.zitt music Comments (2)

Performance: 24 January 2007

On Wednesday, 24 January 2007, The “Wednesdays at Grace” performance series presents:
D’MAMAH (דממה)
(Hebrew for “Still,” as in “a still, small voice”)

Nancy Beckman: shakuhachi, voice
Thomas Bickley: recorder, electronics, voice
Joseph Zitt: voice

Performing “Badbury Rings,” “Banquet of Heaven,”
“Te lucis ante terminum,” and other works and improvisations
7 pm
Grace North Church
2138 Cedar Street
Berkeley, CA 94709
Open to the public without charge

2007 01 11 joseph.zitt music Comments (1)

The Time of the Headcold Hath Come

Christmas is over. And, as predictably as the taking down of Christmas lights and the half-off sales on the foot-tall black, gold, and fuschia plastic trees, it’s time for the retail workers to get sick. I’m no exception.

2007 01 09 joseph.zitt the store Comments (3)

On the Sunny Side of the Sleep

After many months of working afternoon and evening shifts, heading outside to go to work in the morning can be quite disorienting. All the shadows are on the wrong sides of things.

2007 01 08 joseph.zitt the store Comments (1)

Comet

She walks, a straight line moving in silence through a room crowded with noise. Even as she frowns, she smiles, full lips set in a stasis of beauty that drifts, undisturbed, above the sound.

2007 01 07 joseph.zitt Uncategorized Comments (3)

The Naming of Customers

As closing time approached, I went around the music floor to make sure all of the customers had left. One that I had seen earlier didn’t seem to be around, though I hadn’t seen him leave. “Is Tracksuit Man still here?” I asked another worker.
A voice came from the far side of a bookshelf. “Yes, [...]

2007 01 06 joseph.zitt the store Comments (4)

My Tooth is Blue!

Thanks to all who responded about my Bluetooth problem and keypad confusion. John’s comment, erudite as always, explained the odd history of keypads in a way that made sense of things (though my hands will remain confused until my brain convinces them of how things are).
Ron’s comment explained what I needed to do to get [...]

2007 01 05 joseph.zitt tech
the rounds Comments (1)

Idiot Interfaces 67 and 68

Here I am again, trying not to go to bed angry after having spent several hours battling to get my technology to do something that should be dead-simple.
I just got a Bluetooth USB dongle for my laptop, so I can send photos to it from my phone more easily. Setting up Bluetooth on both the [...]

2007 01 04 joseph.zitt tech Comments (5)

Bad Behavior has blocked 58 access attempts in the last 7 days.