Gandini Juggling : Gandini Juggling Journal

21 February 2010

The relative value of art

Owen Reynolds, Tom Johnson, Chris Patfield, Inaki Fernandez Sastre, Jon Udry, Sean Gandini, Kati Yla-Hokkala performing Tom's three notes for three jugglers.
I have often thought that the appreciation of performance is completely intertwined in the context it is performed in. We recently had the pleasure of performing a work in progress version of two of Tom Johnson's pieces. In the context of a contemporary classical concert our showing felt light hearted and frivolous, in the context of a friendly juggling showing it felt serious and rigid...

This summer more finalised versions of these pieces will be premiered officially. Tom has been extremely generous over the years with sharing his music and we are very exited that he is getting interested in juggling as music. Indeed i think he lectured in Luke Wilson and Jay Gilligan's music and juggling course in Stockolm.

On a separate note, someone noted that although they appreciated our version of Steve Reich's clapping music they felt that it was more a visual illustration than a piece of music. I see their point.
Tom Johnson and performers.jpg

The Post Quartet, Tim Parkinson, Michael Parsons and the Gandinis.

Posted By Sean Gandini At 23:09 • Comments (0)

12 February 2010

Disparate thoughts and a Poem

Following from Inaki's post about large numbers, the BBC broadcast a wonderful documentary on Infinity which ironically includes spends some time discussing the ¨large¨ numbers, Google, Googleplex and Graham's number. Vertigo inducing indeed.

On a different note I recently discovered that Charlie Parker died whilst watching a Juggler on TV. I wonder whom? Below is a Jack Kerouac Poem that mentions this.

Charlie Parker looked like Buddha

Charlie Parker, who recently died
Laughing at a juggler on the TV
After weeks of strain and sickness,
Was called the Perfect Musician.
And his expression on his face
Was as calm, beautiful, and profound
As the image of the Buddha
Represented in the East, the lidded eyes
The expression that says "All Is Well"
This was what Charlie Parker
Said when he played, All is Well.
You had the feeling of early-in-the-morning
Like a hermit's joy, or
Like the perfect cry of some wild gang
At a jam session,
"Wail, Wop"
Charlie burst his lungs to reach the speed
Of what the speedsters wanted
And what they wanted
Was his eternal Slowdown.

Posted By Sean Gandini At 11:27 • Comments (0)