Losing my mind

I'm in the thick of chairing our search for a new director of orchestral activities. When you have a looming deadline and people who don't respond to emails or phone calls, you tend to lose your mind.

I'm also in the thick of finishing up memorizing the Dupré A-flat Prelude & Fugue. When you are presented with such a masterful composition with two subjects and two counter-subjects, you lose your mind. In a good way.

I'm also in the thick of saying goodbye to my cat, Sebastian, whom we adopted just last November when his mistress, my aunt, died. Sebastian now appears to have some sort of lymphoma, and it is not wasting any time.

But speaking of Sebastian, a wonderful bit of trivia came to mind a few days ago. In my last News post before this one is a vague movie reference. I was considering adopting "Bagheera," a gray tabby, to be Sebastian's brother. The real Bagheera was the black panther in The Jungle Book. But Sebastian is the black cat, and therefore the two kitties ought to exchange names if Bagheera comes into the fold! But this gets even better: the voice of Bagheera in Disney's The Jungle Book was SEBASTIAN Cabot! While part of a mind is lost, another part finds beauty and joy in some details.

Then there's Avenue Q, which I am music directing this semester.

Then there's a recording on one of my favorite Aeolian-Skinners of all time.

Then there's my continued work on my in-house organ lit textbook.

And there's good exercise shoveling snow.