Got this email from Catherine at Community Bookstore in my inbox today:

absolutely wonderful things are happening with the store, and I’m
very excited to tell you all about it, but I’m going to send out a
proper newsletter soon, and don’t want to take up space here going into
details — there ARE things you can do now (buy gift certificates and
shop local!), and going forward, there will be more — because it’s
beginning to look like things might get rather exciting around here,
soon.  (Tip!: if you buy a gift certificate and donate it to a
non-profit for them to use, you can tax-deduct it!)

 

One Way Avenues Stupidity Update:  ANOTHER MEETING APRIL 11th (wed)!

Okay
— I know the word in the neighborhhood is that the terrific turnout at
the Community Board 6 meeting effectively squashed the one-way plan,
but THAT meeting was, I think, just the opportunity for DOT to present
the plan — the actual VOTE on it happens on Wednesday, April 11th
(this I’m sure of).  Pressure at the April 11th meeting is important
too!  Don’t let the effort you’ve already made (those of you who have)
go to waste!  The

Community Board meeting is at:

 

John Jay High School
237 7th Avenue
(4th & 5th Streets)
Auditorium
6:30 PM

 

My sources say:

"You
probably thought we were in the clear, but it ain’t over until CB6
votes.  The pressure at the last meeting was phenomenal.  Power to the
people.  If we let up now, however, CB6 might pass a wishy-washy
resolution that would not safeguard our neighborhood from DOT’s plans.
So spread the word and see you next Wednesday!"

Steve Reich’s Different Trains on Tuesday, April 10th.

Just
a reminder that the Music Listening Group is meeting this Tuesday at
7:30 pm.  The recording is available to listen to in the store NOW, and
Sue Bernstein’s left some photocopies of pertinent information up
front, if you want to think about some aspects of the music, beforehand.

 

In
my usual bumbling way, I’m bearing the (probably totally erroneously-
based, but oh well) following in mind, in listening beforehand (which
I’m actually doing, for once) . . .

 

As
Reich is credited (at least by my liner notes) (and this came as a
surprise to me) with figuring out "how to restore, after a long period
of experimentation, the primal pleasures of stable harmony and a steady
pulse"  (his own experimentation? musico-historically ?) — I’m
listening trying to hear two things:  The harmony and the phenomena of repetition.

 

I’m also hoping to troll around for a good definition/descript ion of minimalism before the meeting.  Sigh.

 

Related
things to listen to (that influenced Reich):  Bach’s "Brandenburg
Concerto No. 5," Stravinsky’s "Rite of Spring" (!ha!), any John
Coltrane, Terry Riley’s "In C."