Thanksgiving in Six Words

You may have heard of the “six word story” idea that has been floating around the internet and college writing classes for some time.  The goal is to come up with a phrase that describes in exactly six words a person’s thoughts on a particular subject.  The concept is believed to have started with the famous author, Ernest Hemingway, who accepted a challenge to write a short story in six words.  His response was this – For sale: baby shoes, never worn.  Of course, few persons would be able to come up with such a thought provoking six word story as the one produced by Hemingway.  Still, it is a fascinating exercise and a good way to refine and distill our ideas on a specific theme. 

The Thanksgiving Holiday seems to me to be a good subject for a “six word story.”   I encourage the readers of this blog to come up with some examples that express what Thanksgiving means to them.  I’ll get you started with two of my own.  I love eating at any time (big surprise), but especially at Thanksgiving, so I came up with Favorite meal – turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie.  Another one hints at the busy rehearsal and performance schedule that awaits musicians after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Last rest before rush of December. 

This should get you started.  I look forward to hearing your “six word stories.”

Fanfare for a New Day – Afterthoughts

Our recent Fanfare for a New Day concert was a very enjoyable time for me.  It was a great and rare pleasure to study and prepare all new music (at this point in my career I often find I’m conducting things for a second, third or fourth time!).  I thought that MOS performed extremely well, especially considering the relatively few rehearsals we had to learn the music.  The comments I heard from both singers and audience members seem to suggest it was a meaningful experience for them as well.  This leads me to a question addressed to anyone in attendance at the concert – performer or listener.  What are your reactions to the concert?  What worked for you and what did not?  Which pieces were favorites and which weren’t?   With several weeks now having passed since the performance, is there any of the music that is still “resonating” with you?  Even as we are now in the midst of preparation for our December performances, it can be useful to take a few minutes to reflect on this recent concert.  I look forward to hearing what you have to say.