www.youtube.com/watch?v=In1yHZr8GrU

And now, the explanation.
As promised in the video, here’s why I chose to play this song this year.
First off, the piece is called Prelude (Preludio) in C Minor, and it was written by the superb Paraguayan guitarist and composer Augustin Barrios Mangoré.

But, why this song?
Well here’s why…
Toward the end of my book, there’s a chapter that see Charles wandering aimlessly through the park. He’s devastated–events at the office took a cruel turn–and and he’s feeling sorry for himself. Really sorry for himself.
Waiting with increasing impatience for Fay to arrive, Charles has his iPod with him, and there’s  one song—one soulful, wistful lament—that his iPod is playing, in and endless loop, over and over again.

Yes, you guessed it, Barrios’ Prelude in C Minor is that song.
It’s a gorgeous piece of music, and it’s one I’ll never grow tired of.
And just like Charles who listens to it over and over, I don’t think I’ll ever stop practicing it, over and over, in the hopes of, one day, perfecting it.

And so, there you go. That’s why I chose the song, I hope you enjoyed it, my 2011 Musical Holiday Greeting.
Now, before I go, let me, once more, wish each of you a wonderful holiday season and a super 2012!

So you wanna be a musician?
Oh, one more thing! I’d like to take a quick moment to put in a plug for my guitar teacher, Chris McCourt.
Seven or eight years ago, Chris introduced me to classical guitar music and, for the last seven or eight years, Chris has demonstrated the patience of Job as I work at coaxing (I hope!) ever less painful sounds from this wonderful instrument called the nylon-string guitar.
And so…
If you’d like to learn music, and if you’re in Ottawa, get in touch with the McCourts—Chris for guitar lessons and Janet for piano and voice. Just click here to visit their website.

Thank you and talk soon!

Avarice as a virtue
There’s a guy on television—O’Lear, or Leary… maybe just O’Leary.
A guy who—so it seems—is a come-to-life Gordon Gecko.
“Greed is good,” I heard him say, on public television.
Imagine that.
After what we’ve been through.
In our post-crash, sub-prime, Madoff-mad world, one that foretold foreclosures; one that is still underwriting distress, torment and hard suffering…
There is a make-believe uber-Gecko proclaiming—on national television—the virtue of greed.
Imagine that. Avarice as a virtue.
How distasteful; how upsetting.

Prozac for Fido
And that’s but one reason I’m moving to Mars.
I’m moving to Mars, too, because big pharma, after over-medicating you and yours, has desires on your cat, your dog and, I’m guessing, your gecko lizard too.
Imagine that.
Beef-flavoured Prozac; formulated for Fido.

Hapless and clueless
“Ready my spaceship!” I say. And redouble the effort too.
‘Cause now’s the time to abandon this planet’s decent into indecency. Now’s the time to distance oneself from the hapless individuals, otherwise called world leaders, who—each one—is less prone, less willing and less adept at stemming the rising tide of avarice, the unquenchable taste for profit.
Your head guy (I’d like to think) recognizes the danger. But your guy (I’d hate to think) is only now sensing the arduousness of the task. Most leaders (I’m afraid to think) are too obsessed with power and prestige to notice or care.
Hence my departure for Mars.

Imagine that
Imagine a simpler, less covetous, less wolfish world.
Imagine a world where no-one demands gazillions; from the input of a trifle.
Imagine a world where integrity and high-mindedness count for something. Imagine a world where honest effort is rewarded with honest appreciation—both in kind and in coin. Imagine a world where avarice is advised against, not promoted as a career choice.
Imagine, in fact, a world where the widening gap between them that’s got and them that’s not lessens. Each and every day.
“Back to my capsule,” I say, “Posthaste!”

On second thought
But wait a moment, hold on a second…  them that’s got shall get, them that’s not shall lose… Billie Holiday, right?
Hmmm, let me rethink my plan.
Rather than a space capsule, why not one of another kind?
A time capsule? Yes, that’s it!
Instead of a foray into another world, why not one propelling me to another era?
Yes, that’s it exactly!

Jumpin’ at the Savoy
Eighty-six the space capsule! Prepare for a trip to the past!
And I know where (um, I mean when) too…
1948; New York City.
Minton’s Playhouse; The Savoy Club; The Three Deuces.
Live jazz; honest jazz; real jazz… Jazz to wash away the blues.
Maybe that’s what we need.
Not a cold, desolate planet, but a hot inspired home from sixty years prior.
And yes, I do realize the world, back then, wasn’t perfect.
But I’ll sit at a table. Never venture outside, nursing my single malt…
And listening—just listening—to Monk and Miles, Dizzy and Bird, Lady Day and Prez.
Over and over. Forever.

What say you? Which do you prefer, a trip to a simpler time or a voyage to a fresh new world? Please leave a comment.

Do you love music? Me too. (hence the many song references in my book). And now, with Christmas just over a week away, I thought we could have some fun.
Last year, instead of snail-mailing Christmas cards, I grabbed the old guitar, youtube’d a semi-accomplished rendition of White Christmas and emailed the link to friends, clients and colleagues. To my surprise (and relief), it was well received.

This year, while fully cognizant of the potential shock on your oreilles tendres (but hey, look at Harper, he’s doing it; can I be any worse?) I decided to expand my reach.

And so, as advertised in my last post, and with no further preamble (nor, for that matter, any reason for delaying the inevitable) here is a musical holiday greeting. Just for you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZX1BdfCDiA

OK. Your turn. You have two ways of joining the fun.

1) Tell me what you think. Can I quit my day job? Should I ditch the six-string itch? Leave a comment and be honest. Better yet, be creative. There’s a free copy of The Net Present Value of Life up for grabs for the most amusing, funny or imaginative response.

2) If you’re a musician, send me a link of yourself playing a Christmas song, and I’ll post my favourites right here on this blog. The winner also gets a free copy of the book.

Alright? Alright! Let the merriment and music-making begin.

Ramble on, get too wordy—that kind of stuff.

I don’t want to do that.

All I want is to offer up a BIG THANK YOU to Daniel Peters of Hal-Leonard Corporation.

At Hal-Leonard, Daniel represents song composers and publishers, and he administers the rights for lyrics reprints. I contacted Daniel in February for permission to use certain song lyrics in my book. His response was immediate, efficient and, best of all, positive.

One of those “Sure we can do that,” type of responses.

Over the ensuing months, I became, let’s say, a little frustrated with the delays and complexity associated with obtaining permissions from other publishers. It was then that Daniel showed his professionalism—not to mention, for someone so detached from my writing project, his enthusiasm. He suggested catalogs I might want to browse, he outlined some of the composers and publishers his firm represented, and he offered his thoughts about the likelihood of obtaining lyrics permission for the songs I had in mind.

All to say, not only did he save me time and frustration but, by pointing me in the right direction, Daniel helped me select compositions that were more simpatico to the book’s premise.

Now, that’s what I call above and beyond.

And so, once again, with gusto, thank you Daniel. You, sir, are the man.

________________________________________________________

I’m leaving town tomorrow and will be out and about, with neither cellphone nor computer, until September 24th. Unless I come across a web-enabled machine during my travels, you’ll see no update on this blog ‘till I’m back.

In the meantime, thanks for reading my posts. I truly appreciate it.

While walking up one aisle, then down another, ogling one intricate design after next, I got to thinking of the talent, imagination and artistry that goes into guitar-making. It’s sort of like writing a book, I guess (although, given I’ve never built a guitar, I really don’t know for sure. And, anyway, thinking back on my blatant ineptitude in high school woodworking class, you wouldn’t want to see me even attempt the task).

But after arriving home late last night and after collapsing into bed, I immediately approached that not-quite-awake-but-not-yet-asleep state, the one that had me slowly replaying images of those magnificent instruments. That’s when I knew for sure, just before drifting away. Yep, guitars are like books. Here, let me show you a few examples.

Daddy Mojo Guitar

I don’t know about you, but this interesting work of art (and my best friend, Nino’s hands-down favourite) reminds me of an outlaw. And when I think of outlaws, I think of Elmore Leonard. I didn’t get to try this instrument, but I bet it plays just like one of his books reads—edgy, maybe a bit off-balanced, and always intoxicating.

Benoit Maillette

A Benoit Maillette electic guitar–can you picture Gene Roddenberry writing about space travel, modeling USS Enterprise prototypes,  and somehow coming up with something like this? Well I can.

Fabrizio Alberico

What this photo only hints at is the level of craftsmanship and the attention to detail that Fabrizio Alberico lavishes on his work. Every feature is carefully thought through, every component artistically crafted and lovingly assembled. If you’ve read David Adams Richards’ The Friends of Meager Fortune, you’ll know what I mean.

John Monteleone

A  John Monteleone guitar is like an Ayn Rand novel, especially Atlas Shrugged. Big, bold and mysterious.

Peter Malinoski

Hunter S Thompson. For sure.

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I’m out of town for about a week, away from computers, wi-fi, cell phones and the other accoutrements of modern living. I’ll report back soon. Thanks for reading my blog.