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Magpie
Immortal
Oct 16 2009, 5:49pm
Post #101 of 165
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Your comments about Doug's analysis of Howard's work...
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...would be interesting to ask of them both. I'd be curious how they handle it since I'd bet anything that they've discussed just that thing in some manner.
Not a lot of characters get major themes in the movie. Gandalf does actually have two themes although I guess both are applied to him while White. But both are placed (in this kind of retroactive analysis) in other categories: one within the Fellowship category (along with the predominate Fellowship Theme) and the other in the Nature category (along with Nature's Reclamation heard in the moth scene and when the Ents attack Isengard). There's also Gandalf's Farewells but I would consider that a 'farewell' theme as much as it is about Gandalf.
Eowyn has three themes although the differences between them appear a bit subtle in some cases (to me). Arwen has two (the glowy Arwen theme heard at Trollshaws and the Arwen/Aragorn theme heard in the 'this is a dream' scene).
I suppose the other 'person' theme is Sauron's Theme, that screechy thing we hear when we see Barad-dur. But that is also called the Mordor Theme under the category of Mordor and... the same music is also called The Evil of the Ring under the One Ring category. And Sauron isn't really a character in the movie as much as a concept.
But, all the other themes are really applied to locations or concepts. So, I don't know if Gandalf the Grey will get a theme in The Hobbit. It will be interesting to see how similar (to LOTR) the structure of the music is for The Hobbit or how different it is.
LOTR soundtrack website
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Magpie
Immortal
Oct 16 2009, 6:39pm
Post #102 of 165
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is here.
I'm going to quote some random stuff that I think might be interesting to the broadest audience here. Keep in mind, he is covering pre concert events from Oct. 1-Oct 11:
I’ve gotten pretty comfortable (conducing interviews as the interviewer)… even back when the composers would call my home and get my mom on the phone. Heck, even when my mom asked Phillip Glass if he was one of my percussion students, or when she asked Quincy Jones to call back later because she wasn’t comfortable speaking with famous people!
That made me chuckle pretty good. I love Phillip Glass.
It turned out that Billy was actually staying in the same hotel, so we walked back after dinner. He pointed at a nearby building as we walked. “Elijah’s in there shooting something for Saturday Night Live right now.” Although we did a little LOTR talk that evening, we certainly didn’t focus on it exclusively. It was interesting to note, then, how often Billy brought up Elijah and Dom without prompting. Their friendship was, and is, genuine, not simply the result of effective marketing.
[..]
Afterwards we (Howard, Elizabeth, Doug, et. al.) did a dinner/business meeting with some of Howard’s staff to discuss book contracts and some potential new collaborators. (I say “staff,” but they’re all friends at this point, so it wasn’t really much like a meeting.) Different Chinese place this time. By total coincidence, the party arriving at the restaurant before us was discussing “these upcoming Hobbit films.” They didn’t seem to be in the business, just fans. If only they’d seen who was standing behind them in line!
[..]
(Signing autographs after Friday's concert) A few confused—and apparently nearsighted—souls thought I was Billy Boyd, and asked for autographs and hugs. They said, “You were my favorite hobbit!” They seemed so excited, I didn’t have the heart to tell them. I mumbled thanks hoping that they didn’t notice my lack of Scottish brogue, then scribbled a really bad signature so that they wouldn’t notice a complete lack of the letter B. Howard asked why my signature was getting “increasingly cryptic,” and I just laughed.
[..]
Before I knew it, it was time for the blog dinner party. I knew going in that this would be one of the weekend’s highlights – and most likely, one of its great frustrations. My time would be limited – we had an engagement not too long after the party’s start – and I wouldn’t be able to really spend quality time with everyone there. There were so many people I wanted to meet. Actually, I didn’t want to just “meet” them, and I wanted to sit and get to know them. I guess that’s the weird tradeoff when any aspect of your life becomes public. You meet a million interesting people, but you’re kept at a distance. This is why I generally try to schedule an event or two on my own, like the book previews we did in London last spring. But there was no time for that on this trip. As we go more and more public, I wonder if those types of things will become impossible.
I was thrilled to speak with Doreen, Taylor, Georg, Tim, Marilynn, Glen, and other whose names I’m either now forgetting, or whose names flew past my ears too quickly. I was absolutely embarrassed by the number of gifts you guys brought – many of which I was simply unable to open until returned home! What beautiful, thoughtful creations!
Well, if I spoke of disappointments, it was because I too was hoping for some time to 'sit and get to know' Doug. And I think I wondered the same thing, " As we go more and more public, I wonder if those types of things will become impossible."
And I will sheepishly admit that my present to him must have caused great vexation. He fussed over not wanting to unwrap it because it was wrapped so nicely. Finally he did, then (without it wafting up to my conscious mind) continued to struggle with it for some minutes. I was so whirly headed I just wasn't able to focus. Finally he said, "I can't get this open. I'll have to do it later." which was fine with me. Later, I realized what he had been struggling with. I had wrapped up two picture frames face to face with a piece of cardboard between them. I was hoping nothing would push in on my luggage and break the glass. But then, I had soft wrapped these two frames in tissue paper and tied them up with thin crochet cotton. This is essentially string with no slipperyness to it (as a plastic string might have) and I had strongly double knotted them. Those knots could not be picked apart and the string was tied around such that you couldn't slip it off the package either. The only way to get it off would have been to cut it with scissors or a knife. If I had any ounce of sense in me, I would have realized what he was trying to do for all those minutes and tell him to give it up. It was hopeless. It is funny to see him wrestling with it in the two pictures I have of that moment.
(regarding visiting the Marquette Exhibit) Unused ideas were hastily scrawled and marked out. New concepts were jotted on the back of student exams and Oxford faculty menus. It reminded me of the knee-high stack of paper currently on my office floor with my own collection of margin doodles, red ink corrections, sloppy rewrites, etc. I’m not comparing myself to Tolkien, of course, but I was thrilled to see that that I’m not the only one who accumulates what I like to call “the detritus of endeavor.”
I think Howard took away something similar. He was happy to see that Tolkien didn’t always know where he was going with his massive creation, that he spent great time and effort to work out details, and let the story lead him when necessary. Howard creates his music in much the same way. He focuses on the moments before he focuses on the big picture. The big picture will always reveal itself, but if you try to attack it too early, it’s almost prohibitively imposing.
[..]
(after Saturday's concert) After the signing we returned to the backstage area to pick up our gifts from the blog party. We took one last look at the stage, which was being struck, then drifted out into the street. The marquee was already coming down. “It went so fast,” Howard noted. “Pretty soon it’ll be like we were never there.” It was one of the few times I disagreed with Howard. Whatever happens next, it will never be like we were never there.
LOTR soundtrack website
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ElanorTX
Tol Eressea
Oct 16 2009, 6:49pm
Post #103 of 165
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Thanks for bringing your portfolio to the moot
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I had seen several pieces of it online, but of course they are even more impressive in reality
"I shall not wholly fail if anything can still grow fair in days to come."
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entmaiden
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Oct 16 2009, 9:35pm
Post #104 of 165
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because while deconstructing the score is very much something Doug will enjoy, I don't think it's something that Howard is keenly conscious of, nor does he want to be that aware of how the themes are created and how they evolve. He seems to rely more on his instincts and innate talent, and over-thinking would probably be more a hindrance than an asset. If Doug does a book tour, he'll probably have a few events in Chicago since he lives here, and I could ask him. If I miss his book signings, I can always send him a message through his blog.
Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like a green leaf veined with silver.
`Are these magic cloaks? ' asked Pippin, looking at them with wonder.
`I do not know what you mean by that,' answered the leader of the Elves.
NARF since 1974.
Balin Bows
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gkgyver
Bree
Oct 16 2009, 11:00pm
Post #105 of 165
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First of all, thank you for explaining my random comments to everyone, looks like I have my personal online secretary now 
And you know what?
That dreaming/daydreaming is maybe the most important factor in creating something extraordinary and timeless is not just some sort of funny footnote.
The really ingenius people just practice a different, instinctual way of thinking. An "idea" comes to life when an abstract, ghostly, intangible whisper gets in touch with the part of the mind that thinks in a technical way.
There have been studies about this. Such people use maybe 20-25% of their attention on the technical, hands-on factors. The rest of their mind is not firmly rooted in a certain idea or in the "reality in front of their eyes"; their mind is permanently open, permanently ready to go into every direction. They have complete control over the entire thing, the larger picture, without losing themselves in details, because they are ready to change direction every second.
That's what Howard Shore recently described so cunningly as "You just keep the pencil moving".
Until "it hits you".
I think it's well known that Albert Schweitzer (Einstein) was one day sitting in his chair at work, and the inexplicable, unmotivated thought came to him "When a person is falling from a building, he will not feel the weight of his own body."
And that thought, which could have come to anyone, was the little pebble starting an avalanche.
This is very special, and the whole magnitude of this only came to me last Sunday, when Howard said that most of the times, he did not think about reprising most of the themes, he came back to them when he remembered them. Only the really pivotal themes were planned.
This is what I mean, such people have complete control over their doings, they know exactly what they do, without being aware of it.
(This post was edited by gkgyver on Oct 16 2009, 11:06pm)
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Lossefalme
Gondor
Oct 17 2009, 1:30am
Post #106 of 165
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Everything looks amazing! I so wish that I could have been there. I thought about you all all throughout the weekend. I didn't even know that Shore and/or Adams would be there, but that would have only made it worse for me knowing that I was missing that. I'm so appreciative of your report and all of your wonderful pictures. It's so lovely to put some faces to nicks! I'm sure this was an experience that you'll all treasure forever. If I weren't so sad right now I might be jealous. I'm so glad that you shared this for those of us who weren't there; it's a gift. Thank you!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn threw back his cloak. The elven-sheath glittered as he grasped it, and the bright blade of Andúril shone like a sudden flame as he swept it out. “Elendil!” he cried. “I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil’s son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!” TTT, Book III, Chapter 2
And Éomer answered: “Since the day when you rose before me out of the green grass of the downs I have loved you, and that love shall not fail.” RotK, Book VI, Chapter 5
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silneldor
Half-elven
Oct 17 2009, 4:33am
Post #107 of 165
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bring some of it to you and it would have been great to have you along, but i understand. What i do know is, that you have your beautiful family. You are fortunate none the less:). Until we all gather at our next moot:).
''Sam put his ragged orc-cloak under his master's head, and covered them both with the grey robe of Lorien; and as he did so his thoughts went out to that fair land, and to the Elves, and he hoped that the cloth woven by their hands might have some virtue to keep them hidden beyond all hope in this wilderness of fear...But their luck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing; and when night fell they vanished into the darkess of Mordor.'' - - -rotk, chapter III
May the grace of Manwë let us soar with eagle's wings!
In the air, among the clouds in the sky
Here is where the birds of Manwe fly
Looking at the land, and the water that flows
The true beauty of earth shows
With the stars of Varda lighting my way
In all the realms this is where I stay
In the realm of Manwë Súlimo
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Ainu Laire
Tol Eressea
Oct 17 2009, 9:37am
Post #108 of 165
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I didn't bring my camera to the Friday Moot (d'oh) and then after the Saturday show I was too much on Cloud 9 to be of any use to anyone, so no photos there.
However, I do have a few completely random shots around NYC, including a few from the RCMH and Sunday's programming (haven't put them through photoshop though, and they turned out terrible, gah). But anyways, for those mildly curious: http://www.facebook.com/...571815071&ref=nf I think the stuffed dragon is, at least, somewhat on topic for the weekend...
And I have around 400 photos of architecture/statues/stuff from the Metropolitian. If you *really* want to see those, PM me and I'll PM you back when I have them all up on my stock photography account. They may come up this weekend depending on how much I want to procrastinate on work.
I was hoping to, err, well, steal any photos that have me in them, so you may be getting PMs from me within the coming days. When I get to it.
My LiveJournal ~ My artwork and photography ~ My LOTR fan fiction
NARF since age 8, when I refused to read the Hobbit because the cover looked boring and icky.
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Ainu Laire
Tol Eressea
Oct 17 2009, 9:39am
Post #109 of 165
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I don't carry the originals around due to their size and not wanting to lose them, but if you are ever in my area and you want to I'd be happy to show you some of the real ones in all of their too-big-to-carry-around glory. 
It was so wonderful to meet you!
My LiveJournal ~ My artwork and photography ~ My LOTR fan fiction
NARF since age 8, when I refused to read the Hobbit because the cover looked boring and icky.
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Doug Adams
Bree
Oct 17 2009, 2:10pm
Post #110 of 165
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because while deconstructing the score is very much something Doug will enjoy, I don't think it's something that Howard is keenly conscious of, nor does he want to be that aware of how the themes are created and how they evolve. He seems to rely more on his instincts and innate talent, and over-thinking would probably be more a hindrance than an asset. If Doug does a book tour, he'll probably have a few events in Chicago since he lives here, and I could ask him. If I miss his book signings, I can always send him a message through his blog.
Well, you could just ask Doug now. ;)
Howard's point was not that he dodged self-analysis or introspection, but that at certain points he would specifically avoid consulting his notebooks regarding thematic development. Whatever he didn't remember from the previous development became the next stage in the development. "Did I use an F# or G last time?" "Well, it's a G now!"
Remember that Howard's instinct is informed by a considerable intellect. His technical acumen is still quite present, it's just that he's internalized the process over the years. He is extremely aware of the detail in his thematic writing, and it is there by design.
I will occasionally make connections between themes that Howard didn't realize he'd created, but only where he acknowledges the existence. We were extremely careful to come to a shared view of the score before putting material in the book. We had dozens of conversations about these things. Disagreeing about this, agreeing about that. Consulting music dictionaries, historical texts, etc. It was a lot of work!
But Howard is not simply a top-of-his-head tunesmith. He is a composer in every sense of the word. The structures, the interwoven networks of thematic notions, are all there for a purpose.
He just doesn't want over-intellectualize large-scale choices -- ensemble colors, instrument choices, etc -- because they must connect on a visceral level in order to engage the audience. For instance, why write LOTR for orchestral forces rather than electronic? Well, it just feels right. We could get into a discussion of Tolkien's concept of the natural versus the industrial, but in the end, an orchestra just feels right, that's all.
Our work together specifically avoids this as well, save for an anecdotal/historical mention here and there. I don't say, "The whistle is effective because it came, historically, from a hollowed out reed, and the natural world connects to Hobbiton because in our collective unconscious we blah, blah, blah." That's not analysis, it's rationalization and has no place in this book.
Also, please note that Howard read the first draft of this book before he was done with The Two Towers, and read each subsequent draft while working on The Return of the King. Creatively, our work on The Hobbit won't be much different at all. It's the business model that's changed this time -- we'll be able to create a practical schedule for OSTs, Complete Recordings, Rarities and a Book (or whatever we all come up with) well before we begin work. We had no model on LOTR, so we've been winging it! Anyway, if my participation colors his work in any way (and I don't think it does), then it's been doing so since 2002/2003. His work from that period came out... you know, pretty good. :)
All best,
-D
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entmaiden
Forum Admin
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Oct 17 2009, 2:33pm
Post #111 of 165
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and you said it much better than I could. I didn't mean to imply that Howard is winging it when he composes - as you said, he is extraordinarily talented and has internalized the music so that he can build on the themes without having to consult his notes. He is a true professional and knows what he's doing at all times.
So if you get this question in Chicago (where I also live) at a book-signing, you'll know it's me ;).
Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like a green leaf veined with silver.
`Are these magic cloaks? ' asked Pippin, looking at them with wonder.
`I do not know what you mean by that,' answered the leader of the Elves.
NARF since 1974.
Balin Bows
(This post was edited by entmaiden on Oct 17 2009, 2:38pm)
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Altaira
Superuser
Oct 17 2009, 3:02pm
Post #112 of 165
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Nice to see you here. 
Remember that Howard's instinct is informed by a considerable intellect. His technical acumen is still quite present, it's just that he's internalized the process over the years. He is extremely aware of the detail in his thematic writing, and it is there by design.
That reflects what Howard was saying last Sunday about knowing the ins and outs of being a composer in part because he's been doing it for so long. For me, part of the fascination of continuing to learn about the process of composing the score for LOTR is witnessing (in retrospect) the creative process of someone who, as you say, has 'internalized' much of the process of creating a score. This, in turn, frees him to think and dream about other things. It's like the perfect marriage of left and right brain thinking, honed by years of experience. I admire that and love learning more about it.
Now see what you've done. I don't think I can wait until April for your book!
Koru: Maori symbol representing a fern frond as it opens. The koru reaches towards the light, striving for perfection, encouraging new, positive beginnings.
"Life can't be all work and no TORn" -- jflower
"I take a moment to fervently hope that the camaradarie and just plain old fun I found at TORn will never end" -- LOTR_nutcase
TORn Calendar
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Magpie
Immortal
Oct 17 2009, 3:19pm
Post #113 of 165
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I opened this post in threaded mode by clicking on the title because it was the next 'new' one. Then I read: "Well, you could just ask Doug now. ;)"
I had to think about that for a few seconds trying to puzzle out what that meant exactly till I looked at the poster's name. I was kind of hoping your google alerts would drive you here.
I hope I haven't (and I don't think I have but it bears saying) think that Howard composes off the cuff. I do believe his 'technical acumen' is the foundation for the results he acheives. And that acumen is worthy of great appreciation. I'm just one who marvels at his trust in his instinct.
I will occasionally make connections between themes that Howard didn't realize he'd created
That's interesting to hear. I sometimes think that I see connections as well that have not (at least yet) been discussed. Whether they were subconscious on Howard's part of just a figment of my imagination, they're fun to consider. And your comment tells me he does acknowledge he's not consciously aware of all that he might have made. That's the instinct at work again.
Thanks for dropping by.
LOTR soundtrack website
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Magpie
Immortal
Oct 17 2009, 6:39pm
Post #116 of 165
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a few more photos of goodie bag items : check out the donors and people who helped
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I didn't get all the items from the TORn goodie bag photographed when I first created my photo album. I've since added the last two items and wanted to highlight one in particular.
Laithaine, who I believe was a member of TORn's older boards (someone clue me in, I never was able to identify everyone in the TORn moot planning committee), has a body products company called Mythology Body. She hand made two bags of soap and drove them into the city... a little late for the Friday moot but Loresilme carried them from the hotel to the Sunday panels. I just wanted to make sure that anyone who got one of those soaps knows where they came from and were aware of the connection to TORn and the efforts of three TORnsibs: Laithaine and Loresilme (in regards to the soap) and Smeagirl/Girllum who did an amazing amount of work to collect all the items offered in the bags.
Mythology Body's website
I grabbed one of these soaps before they left for the panels and I've been enjoying the scent since I returned home from NYC. I think it will sit in my room until the scent fades and then I'll use it for soap. :-)
Also, I just added an image (captured from the web, I will admit, since I'd already put away the camera before remembering) of the DVD, Satanic Rites of Dracula. Anticipating your puzzled looks, the connection is Christopher Lee. :-)
And the connections to LOTR for other puzzling items:
potato pins & potato pamphlets from the Idaho Potato Commission : PO-TA-TOES
Honey : this honey is from NZ. But it's more than mere honey.
The Maori and early European settlers have been using the Manuka and Kanuka trees for centuries for their medicinal properties. The bark, sap, leaves and oil of the trees have been used as teas, poultices, wound dressings and skin products. Today, manuka products including its honey are recognized throughout the world for their powerful antibacterial strength.
Honey bees collect nectar from the Manuka and Kanuka flowers. It is then produced into a dark, rich, distinctive flavoured honey known as Manuka Honey. There are two different types of manuka honey, one is ordinary manuka honey which has a beautiful taste but contains small amounts of antibacterial properties and then there is UMF active manuka honey. UMF manuka honey is a potent antibacterial honey that is recommended for therapeutic use.
It's my understanding these packets were shipped all the way from NZ.
When we ran out of potato pamphlets, Smeagirl/Girllum personally donated a collection of NYC postcards and notecards she had.
So, perhaps a few of you will be inspired to click on some of those links or even shoot a thank you to one of those donors.
Thanks to the TORnsibs who worked to solicit, donate, store, transport and stuff items into bags: Smeagirl/Girllum (the mastermind of it all), S/G's Mister, Thorongil, Thor's traveling companion (whose name escapes me - is this the 'Nim' that greendragon lists?), Laithaine, Silneldor, Ordinary Hobbit, and Loresilme.
Magpie's photo album with pics of the goodie bag items and more mementos from the weekend.
LOTR soundtrack website
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(This post was edited by Magpie on Oct 17 2009, 6:41pm)
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ElanorTX
Tol Eressea
Oct 18 2009, 2:20am
Post #117 of 165
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also thank you (who?) for the authentic WETA keyrings //
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"I shall not wholly fail if anything can still grow fair in days to come."
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Tamara
Rivendell
Oct 18 2009, 8:27pm
Post #119 of 165
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Sorry it's taken me so long to post my NYC weekend notes- midterms are upon me right now. :?
Thursday travel started out well- caught my train and got to the airport and through security quickly. Arrived on time and found my friend Kitsa- a local- waiting to guide me through the MTA's transit system. Went to call fellow Ringer Garfeimao...and discovered I could not. Luckily, she had another group she planned to travel with if I failed her, so Kitsa and I took to the trains.
Arrived at the hotel and discovered that I had trouble both sending AND receiving calls and texts on my phone. Spent the time catching up with Kitsa until I called Deej from TORn and she said her dinner reservation was for 8- not 11pm- for the 11:30 concert. I had not printed any info and just had my concert ticket, so I headed out with Kitsa to the club. Meantime, I finally heard from Lith and Over that they were arrived. Panicked them about the dinner, but then arrived at the club to discover, dinner was still at eleven, so I called them back to let them know they had a few more hours to prepare. Kitsa and I killed time window shopping and hanging at Starbucks, where we met Garf and chatted until 11 or so, before we walked over to the club. Met up with Lith, Over and several other TORn folks, where we waited for the club to let us in...and waited...and waited. Of course, at the end we spotted Elijah and had some eye candy while we waited...so not a bad exchange. :D
Beecake was great. Billy opened with a couple of numbers that surprised me- as a tenor, they were much lower than I expected, so it was nice to see him stretching his vocal range. He introduced almost every song with a short story and most or all of their music has a social, ethical commentary: war, materialism,etc. The location was great (I know they were headed to my backyard in Cambridge the next day and cringed to know they would have only half the space and a much smaller stage- glad I saw them in NYC). Drinks were good, if spendy at $14 a pop, but it was all about the music that night. Like Lith said though, seeing Elijah and Howard were nice extras!
Friday morning I went on a hotel visit with Garf to the Ritz Carleton by the park, since she works in travel. It was nice, despite the rain and we got to see rooms I'll never be able to afford without 6 other roommates, but it was nice to see how the upper class live. :) I really wish we had been able to do their special cupcake tea that weekend, because it was under $30 and their high tea is over $60- a bargain and did I mention...CUPCAKES! Headed back to the hotel to change back to jeans and meet up with Lith and Over before we all headed over to see the manuscripts at 1pm. Nice leisurely stroll to the venue and although the exhibit was small- 2 cases- it held some lovely material. Tolkien's script was so tiny, but his ability to organize vast amounts of information was amazing. There were timelines for the books tracking each major group (Merry/Pippin, Frodo/Sam, Sauron, Saruman, Viggo/Legolas/Gimli, etc.) Most of it on cheap, lined paper that looked like modern notebooks....that today no one would keep in the days of the PC. Thank goodness it was all saved. Afterwords, we rambled through Central Park back to the hotel. Relaxed for awhile before heading over to the pub for TORn's Ringer gathering at 7pm. Trains were awesome (wish we'd known we were only going one stop) and we arrived by 6:30 to discover they had moved us from the 3rd to 2nd floor. Still, we weren't the first folks to arrive. A bunch of us beat the organizers! I called Deej to let her know folks were already at the pub and they arrived shortly. I ate lots of cheese c=sticks and nachos while joining my lovely roommates Lith and Over imbibing lovely Cranberry Vodkas (I think. Not sure what it was at that point, but if it's fruity, I'm happy). Played some trivia, at which I failed miserable, and reminded me how long it has been since I read the books and must do so again. Lith and I walked back early and relaxed for awhile before bed.
Saturday was more good fun with my friend Kitsa in the morning. We are old friends from the Witchblade fandom. Garf and I actually met at a Witchblade convention in Toronto many moons ago, so she joined us as we went to the West End Village and had some yummy Mexican food at Tio Pepe's. Nice margaritas too, followed by something tasting of coca-cola in a shot glass. (I'd like to say now that I drank more this weekend that in the past 6 months combined. This is WAY more than I usually have). We visited a tea shop and I picked up some fresh fruit from a street vendor and then we went back to the hotel to get ready for the LOTR concert. Howard and Doug Adams had an interesting presentation before the show around 6:30, which was cool, but then....The concert was magnificent! It was so moving, especially the solos, and I was happy to hear the crowd really embracing the musicians. With Billy in attendance on Friday, we heard that the fangirls got carried away and roared at all of his scenes- acting inappropriately for a cultural event and turning off the regular symphony attendees. Picked up a pizza on the way back and shared dinner back in our room. And, at last, when I turned my phone back on after the concert, all of my voice and text messages from Thursday afternoon finally were available!
Sunday was confusing. Garf and I were going to head over together, but those plans got scratched. Luckily, Lith and Over decided to check out the panels before leaving, so we shared a cab over to the event, only missing 30-40 minutes or so. I was sad to miss greendragon sing, she's in my local line party group, but glad we caught Colleen Doran. I love Colleen. Not only do I have some of her work from the first ORC convention, but I love how generous she is in appreciating other Tolkien artists. Others might have only shown their own work, but she presented a great variety of other worls and brought free Legolas prints too. Lovely woman. David Salo talked about the Tolkien languages, then Howard's wife introduced her short documentary, which was cool (seeing how Howard works to create), and then Doug and Howard doing a presentation, then Q&A. So intimate compared to the concert. Caught another cab back to the hotel with Hobbitlove and some other Ringers with a terrible driver- I am amazed he didn't deafen or kill us during the trip. Kitsa and I then met and went out to Pogo's, a veggie restaurant that was terrific! I ingested more carbs the first three days than I care to think about, so it was good to get some veggies. Yum! We went to Grom's for the best cinnamon gelato I've ever had and then hung out the rest of the evening. She stayed over to guide me back to the airport at 6:30am...what a friend! The trip went smoothly and I headed back to Boston w/o any mishaps.
Of course, I wound up feeling too unwell to return to work Tuesday, but since I frequently catch something while traveling (I'm going to need to start wearing a med mask on the plane, I swear), it was no surprise.
And now, back to the midterm...
---Tamara
Being a Steward of Harvard is almost as good as being Steward of Gondor, but I'm headed for Minas Tirith (New Zealand) in 2011!
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Laerasëa
Tol Eressea
Oct 19 2009, 6:58pm
Post #120 of 165
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I just got a package in the mail, and it had lots of wonderful, awesome things in it! The package said on the back, "My friends went to NYC and all I got was this louse....well, you'll just have to open it to see, from Magpie and ElanorTX."
I got a booklet from the concert autographed by Howard Shore and Doug Adams, (thank you so much, Elanor, and Magpie and Magpie's Mister) and Magpie's picture of Menelwyn and me with all of yalls signatures on the back!! I called Magpie and was all choked up-- this was so amazing! And I cracked up at V's signature (complete with quotes from V for Vendetta), and yes, overlithe64, I do know you from TORn, and my friend Laura was telling me about how she talked to Ainu Laire and how she saw her artwork at the theater (she even sent me pictures....I can post a few after I write this)-- I love this picture of Menelwyn and me, and I can't wait to show her!! I also got a picture of the Les Mis ads on Broadway (on Broadhurst), and a postcard of a 1932 picture called Civic Insomnia-- I looked for it online, but had some trouble finding it. It's really beautiful, an almost pointillist expression of the NYC skyline at night.
ElanorTX also stopped by last week to drop off the LOTR film strip, from the quiz during the mixer. Laura had called me during that; I was pleased with all of my answers, except I couldn't at all remember which animal was used to make the noise of the Moria orcs (when she asked me, I just vaguely remember hearing at some point that marsupials were used, but only vagely, so we just decided to let her guess something for that one). But I have it up on the top of my bookshelves now! Thank you for bringing that over, Elanor...I really appreciate the thought you put into all of this.
I have also loved reading all of the reviews on this thread-- I really hope to go next year! But I'm so happy right now with all of the thoughts I got from other sibs-- thank you!!
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Traveling Journal Official Site
"....Here’s what I think. We can’t go around measuring our goodness by what we don’t do – what we deny ourselves, what we resist and who we exclude. I think we’ve got to measure our goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include. " - Chocolat
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Laerasëa
Tol Eressea
Oct 19 2009, 7:56pm
Post #121 of 165
(1045 views)
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Some pictures that Laura took!
Congratulations to Earl and Ainu Laire!!
********************************
Traveling Journal Official Site
"....Here’s what I think. We can’t go around measuring our goodness by what we don’t do – what we deny ourselves, what we resist and who we exclude. I think we’ve got to measure our goodness by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include. " - Chocolat
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Glaurung63
Lorien
Oct 20 2009, 12:48am
Post #122 of 165
(1004 views)
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at Radio City Saturday night.....wow....I heard little things in the score, and could watch the players....fantastic
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Sunflower
Valinor
Oct 21 2009, 5:57pm
Post #125 of 165
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Sil, one time in Albany we had an ice storm on Oct. 2. That was over 20 yrs ago, but we get strange weather hereabouts:)
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