Jazzy Photo Decor

Well, I got back from a short little jazz tour today. We were gone, what, two days? Yeah, two days. All in all, a fairly nice little jaunt, but pretty crappy placement. I had these delusions of grandeur, that I'd sit in the van and get all this work done on my Thomas Paine paper. So productive I thought. Then why am I sitting here droning on and on about Common Sense and I'm still only on page 5? Obviously not as productive as I had hoped.

We had one not so hot performance and one frekking sweet performance, Thursday and Friday nights respectively. The thing that is unique about jazz orchestra from any other Luther music group is the fact that we visibly have fun. We yell at each other. Laugh at each other. There's just so much smiling happiness around. I wonder if that's ever startling for the audience. Maybe at Luther it would be. So often, we seem to lose the meaning of the music. Perhaps this is a bit of prejudice coming out, but the choirs never look like they're enjoying themselves. Or maybe that's just part of the classical tradition: stoicism. Well, fuck that. In jazz, we have fun, and it's awesome. Most definitely we all play better when we're energized and enjoying ourselves. It's like a jolt of electricity. I don't know, it's like the groove frees you almost. I'm a fairly reserved guy, yet when I hear that groove, I just kind of get lost in it. I almost forget that there are people watching us. It's a cool feeling.

Almost every stop for jazz orchestra, Tony makes some crack about the Scandinavian makeup of our band and audience. We have people named Lars-Erik, Leif, etc, etc, etc. He then contrasts it with his own very Dominican heritage, but talks about how he's an Iowan at heart. He then refers to himself as "Tony Guzmansson." I don't know what it is, but I think that's the funniest damn thing I've ever heard. I lose it every single time he says it. Love it.

The flowers that my mom brought me for my recital are finally dead. Which is good and bad. The good news, they won't be taking up more room on my shelving unit/heater. The bad news, they were a nice (albeit temporary) addition.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what people try to communicate through decor. Meaning, what is it about your surroundings that you use to try to give away aspects of your personality? I have this big poster of Bob Dylan in my room. It really is an amazing photo. It has Dylan, black glasses on, harmonica around his neck, looking curiously up. It's as if he's on the cusp of doing something so monumentally breathtaking and beautiful, you won't know how to react. An artist on the brink of creation. I have another poster of Led Zeppelin next to their tour plane, basically looking like badass rockstars. I have a bunch of Twins bobbleheads, yada, yada, yada. What do they all say? Who knows, but I think they represent something about me. People put stuff up for a reason.

Then comes the all important aspect of photos. Photos, photos everywhere. Why do people put out photos of their friends? Is it because they genuinely love these people and want to be reminded of them all the time? Or do they want them up so that when said friends come in the room, they will see said photo and say to themselves, "Hmm, that sure is nice." I don't know. I'd like to think it's the first option for me. But then what about the photos that aren't up? Because the ones that aren't up aren't up for a reason. When I was in high school, I never had any photos up of girls I liked, for fear that they would come over, see them, and think me a creeper. But then again, they never came over (kaching), so it probably wasn't as much of a problem as I had anticipated. I have plenty of photos, but instead of posting them publicly, I have them in a book in my desk. Are people scared? Embarassed? Lazy? I think I might be a bit of all three. I mean, there are somethings that you don't necessarily want to see everyday. Just every once in a while. Plus, men can only have so many photos up. Otherwise it's unmanly, and that definitely can't occur. I mean, shit, I have quite a few up, which is obviously why I'm still doing the hard body plan. I have to balance one aspect out with another. Right elements in the right proportion.

Right elements in the right proportion. That's the Greek ideal of beauty, you know. Just a fun fact.

This post has been relatively pointless, but I was sort of in the mood to write something other than how Thomas Paine was the leading advocate of worldwide republican revolution. Just for a bit, at least. Don't get me wrong, Tom's a great guy, but as in every healthy relationship, you have to have some time away.