*****
I performed on the fretted Glissentar for the first time last night (I need to give that axe a new name. "Fretted Glissentar" just doesn't have a nice enough ring to it; Doesn't do it justice at all), and it went well. Basically, that means I didn't embarrass myself. ;^)
What I decided to do was to play the Multiac until my dinner break, and then the eleven-string afterward. That way not only was I all warmed up, but instead of playing my usual after dinner suites, I could replayed the first (And easiest) suites of my set. All was peachy until I attempted to start the third suite, and very suddenly I had absolutely nothing left. Just couldn't continue. That was OK inasfar as I was well within my "quit window" by that time, but I was surprised that it seemed to be going so well, and then everything just instantly vanished. The muscles in my left forearm are decidedly sore this morning, so it was obviously simply a matter of physical strength and endurance. When I got home last night, I was so shot I went straight to bed, and I had a nice nap before the gig!
I believe I'll continue to perform on the eleven-string in the after dinner spot until I can get through the first four suites of my set comfortably on it... and without any following AM muscle complaints. Then I'll move it to the top of the set, and trade to the Multiac at the half-way point of my pre-dinner suites. Eventually, I want to get to where I can play all circa two hours of my ever-expanding performance set on it.
Luckily, my friend Steve - who is the guitar teacher at Sul Ross State (And who has absolute pitch, and who plays keyboards, and who plays trombone, and who plays tuba, and who plays electric and upright bass, and who is a brilliant theorist: In a nutshell, I hate him) was in attendance, and he really liked the new "guitar." His analysis was spot on: "It almost sounds like a harpsichord!" Yes, that's it exactly! The timbre of the harpsichord is my ideal for contrapuntal textures, so that's one of the reasons I like the eleven-string so much. Neato.
*****
The Tri-Axial Fugue is starting to grow on me, but I'm already coming up with ideas to increase the variety of content in it. Right now the archetectural plan is fine so far as the organization of the key regions is concerned, but it's a subject/episode, subject/episode, subject/episode bore at the moment. I was perusing the scores of my previously written Axial Studies this morning, and it occured to me that I need to use some of the sequential "B-sectiony" material from some of those (Or newly composed passages along those lines) to give the piece some more flowing song-like areas. Initial attempts were dismal failures, so the idea needs some time to germinate.
*****
Well, that's going to have to be it for today. I sure hope I land this gig in Marfa; There is a huge artist community there, and this foot-in-the-door would certainly lead to more art opening and party type gigs for me. More art openings would mean more acoustic performing, which I sorely want right now.
This gig is at a coffee house and... book store.
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