New Stylus

First, I must apologize to the handful of people who actually read this blog. Where have I been for three weeks?

The simple answer is that, after the intensity of the CD release (and all that self promotion stuff), I just needed a break from myself. For the last two weeks I have spent my free time on activities that have clear, satisfying results: organizing my closet, getting a new stylus for my turntable, etc.

The more interesting answer is that the rise in popularity of twitter has caused me to rethink the purpose of blogging. Twitter has an "instant gratification/short attention span" vibe that makes it appealing. One sentence is all we need to get a glimpse of your thoughts, the instant you are having them. One sentence and a link is really all we need to know when your next concert is and what you will be playing. For these subjects, twitter is more effective than blogging, because each twitterer has a dedicated audience. It's quick, easy, interesting, and you know who your readers are. Why blog?

Well, there is no reason to blog anymore, unless you really have something you want to communicate that requires more than 140 characters. These days, most of what we have to say can be communicated in fewer than 140 characters - that's the twitter revolution: embracing our attention deficit. However, there will always be some subjects that require more characters. Things like composer interviews, essays on creativity, program notes, descriptions of new work, etc., can't be effectively communicated through twitter. I will make those subjects the main focus of this blog.

So, I'm sorry to have disappeared for three weeks. I needed to sort out my feelings about blogging. Starting today, the subject of my twitter entries will be ME, and the subject of this blog will be MUSIC, and life in New York. Hope you'll join me!