tag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:/blogs/levinismsFrank's Blog2020-06-23T16:15:49-07:00franklevinmusic.comfalsetag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63007112021-04-10T01:36:36-07:002021-06-23T17:13:58-07:00Duet Improvisation on I Love Coffee, I Love Tea <p><a contents="Link to Score (PDF)" data-link-label="fiery-bw-091.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057490/fiery-bw-091.pdf" target="_blank">Link to Score (PDF)</a></p>
<p>Recently I came across a rough sketch of a duet arrangement I had made of "I Love Coffee, I Love Tea," a tune that every beginning pianist used to learn to play years ago. I had extended the tune and added a second part so that it could be played Piano Four Hands or on two pianos. From the sketch, I recreated the arrangement replete with its humorous wrong notes, and present it here. Enjoy the traditional Secondo part alone, or if you can find a second pianist, try the duet. Frank, April 2020.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63641052020-06-23T16:15:49-07:002020-07-02T22:06:46-07:00Visual Artist Statement<p>Just as I begin most musical compositions improvising at the keyboard until I find an idea I can expand upon, I begin most visual art works without a plan, sketching randomly with a pencil, often with my eyes closed. Then I search the resulting image for an idea I can develop, erasing lines lines that don't belong, and adding to those that do until the final drawing emerges. I usually finish with ink, adding texture and thickness to the lines and other details as required. </p>
<p>I rarely work from real life, relying more on memory and imagination. And just as musicians employ musical motifs to impart coherence to their creations, I look for visual motifs in the form of lines, shapes and textures I can build upon to imbue my work with unity, and what others have perceived of as a particular “musical quality.” Also guided by my composer's miniaturist sensibility, economy of thought is crucial. Color and unnecessary detail are frequently omitted. </p>
<p>My goal is to elicit a meaningful emotional response in the viewer through the creation of works that are evocative of reality, but not in themselves realistic. </p>
<p>Frank Levin, 6 February 2007.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63641032020-06-23T16:15:26-07:002021-06-19T09:14:32-07:00There are no Rhymes for Month, Silver, Purple and Orange <p> </p>
<p>You may hunt for a runt,<br>Kick a punt way out front, <br>But you'll never find a rhyme for month. </p>
<p>You may pilfer what you will for<br>Some dill you may kill for, <br>And never find a rhyme for silver. </p>
<p>You may drink a tea that's herbal,<br>Burble at a gerbil, <br>And still not find a rhyme for purple. </p>
<p>You may cringe or show courage,<br>You may throw away your porridge, <br>But you'll never find a rhyme,<br>It's a shame it's not a crime, <br>But you'll never find a rhyme for orange.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63641022020-06-23T16:15:07-07:002021-07-02T19:21:23-07:00Poem in English and French <p><strong>Merry-Go-Round </strong></p>
<p>When winter nips our noses, frozen fingers thaw from frost, <br>In vain we cry, “Oh summer, how were your warm days lost.” <br>Then summer with its stifling heat returns to parch our throats, <br>And we can't wait till winter to don our duffel coats. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Le Carrousel </strong></p>
<p>En ete, vous songer, <br>Que vous aimez l'hiver. <br>En hiver, au contraire, <br>L'ete maintenant est cher.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63641012020-06-23T16:14:49-07:002020-07-02T16:49:30-07:00Invitation to Vancouver<p>Come and see the rain, <br>Your trip won't be in vain. <br>Morning, noon or night, <br>Enjoy the soggy sight. <br>And for variety for some hours, <br>The rain will turn to showers!</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63641002020-06-23T16:14:32-07:002020-07-02T17:00:25-07:00A Madman's Tale<p>To live from day to day is just a coward's way, <br>When hopes begin to fall, the time has come to end it all. <br>For should your life become a bore, when waking means just one day more, <br>Of treasured hopes that tripping fall, like shattered glass against the wall, <br>The time has come to end it all. </p>
<p>Should bank accounts be getting low, and landlords order you to go, <br>Evicted into winter snow and forced to live in old skid row, <br>With falling plaster, filth and rats, at night the sound of screeching bats, <br>No faithful friends to ever call, when liquor brings no help at all, <br>The time has come to end it all. </p>
<p>Jump off a cliff this very day, “Poor wretched soul,” they all will say, <br>But vainly seek the fated hill that suited for your final spill. <br>This one's too high and that's too low, ( a river rushes by below ) <br>Now jumping's fine but drowning too, then fear of heights takes hold of you. <br>You'd likely catch your your death of cold, in struggling against the river's hold. </p>
<p>Far safer from your window sill to calmly jump steadfast of will. <br>But leaping in a gust of air, you fall and hardly muss your hair. <br>Then while you on the pavement sprawl, a dog comes by and does his all. </p>
<p>Your second attempt is more carefully planned, you hold the gun steadily in your left hand, <br>But being right handed, what do you suppose, you pull back the trigger and shoot off your nose <br>You fill the tub and stepping in, grasp the socket the light was in. <br>Yet death again eludes your will, you forgot to pay the electric bill. </p>
<p>Oh miserable soul of all sanity spent, the public forever must now pay your rent, <br>Destined till death to gaze into the skies, through iron bars with maddened eyes.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63640992020-06-23T16:13:36-07:002021-06-19T09:25:44-07:00The King's New Dictionary <p>THE KING'S NEW DICTIONARY </p>
<p>( An Adult Fairy Tale ) </p>
<p>Once upon a time in the medieval kingdom of Foffdan, the King had a dream. And lo, in the dream, a great wizard appeared before him and cautioned, “You have been a goodly counsellor to your subjects over the years, However no-one in the kingdom is wise enough to succeed you. There is an urgent need for a Dictionary of Regulations to guide future kings of Foffdan in their decisions once you are gone.” </p>
<p>Next morning, the king called his his chief Advisor, Bakerty to discuss his plan to prepare a Dictionary of Regulations. “Hmph,” said Bakerty, his jowels shaking, “it can't be done.” </p>
<p>Then the King called for his enthusiastic young Idea Man, who appeared shortly afterwards, trailing behind him, ashes and shredded pipe tobacco. “We'll have to arrange a meeting of the knights,” observed the Idea Man enthusiastically, since as usual, he had no idea whatever to do, and stooped embarassedly to pick up a toy train that had fallen from his pocket. </p>
<p>Accordingly a meeting of The Conversion Table ( so named as the knights joining it were converted from K2 to K3 pay classification ) was convened in Chamber 101. </p>
<p>“I've got a joke” said Sir Berald Forest, Knight of the Hoods. “If it isn't in The Funnybone Digest,” frowned the solemn Earle of Carle, “it doesn't exist.” </p>
<p>“You've never seen anything like these pictures” panted Sir Noel Hornykwin” and nudged the bored Sir Lyall of Ikson, who brushed him away with an indignant turn of his wrist. </p>
<p>“Silence” said the King, striking the table. “We are here to discuus a project in which we can take great personal pride, and which will be of immense importance to the future of Foffdan. I want you to compile a dictionary of all my regulations and decisions. I will edit the draft for syntax, hyphens, and punctuation. The dictionary will provide the precedents forevermore for the great decisions of our Country.” </p>
<p>The King waxed eloquent at great length, and one by one, the knights fell asleep. </p>
<p>Next day, the knights gathered to begin work on the dictionary. Tubby, the King's Chief </p>
<p>Records Clerk, who could not bend over to get into the file cabinet reported that all copies of the King's regulations and decisions were missing. A search of the castle failed to turn up any unauthorized persons on whom to place the blame.The knights were dismayed. They dared not tell the King. </p>
<p>“I have a suggestion,” said young Lord of Garybert, fresh from business school. “Let's sit in our offices surrounded by papers and scribble memos furiously back and forth to each other. I've only thirty-five years to retirement and it's all pensionable time.” </p>
<p>“No,” considered Sir Berald, “the King is certain to ask to examine our work to ensure we have used the correct Oxford Dictionary spelling.” </p>
<p>“I've got it” creid the always resourceful Lord Mask-Arrow. “Well prepare a dictionary for the King, but there will be nothing in it. We'll tell him it was written with invisible ink to safeguard its contents. We'll present the King with a meaningless formula to bring out the ink and imply he naturally understands it becuase he is the King. And not wanting to appear a fool, the King will guard the formula to the end of his days, as will all the Kings that succeed him, and no-one will be any the wiser.” </p>
<p>“He'll go for that,” rejoiced the Knights and adjourned for an hour coffee break. </p>
<p>There were tears in his eyes as the King accepted the impressive volume, bound in red leather with gold print. He had heard of the wonderful work that had gone into the dictionary, and soon opened the accompanying envelope to examine the secret formula. He frowned as he read it, and puffed slowly on his pipe, then dissappeared in the direction of the greenhouse, housing the scrupulously-maintained royal ferns. </p>
<p>Some time later, the King returned with various jars and bottles, and consulting the formula proceeded to mix their contents in a large beaker, underwhich he placed a cork coaster to catch the drips.. Once satisfied the formula had been prepared to specification, he he opened the dictionary to its first page and began to cover it with the mixture, using a broad green brush. </p>
<p>Meanwhile the Knights shuffled about nervously. Two suddenly remembered the Chariot Pool to which they belonged was about to leave and hurried out. </p>
<p>The King did not notice them leave. He was too busy being infuriated. Nor did the remaining knights notice their comrades' departure. They were too busy being astounded. The printing on the first page had appeared. The King had found five hyphens and two semi-colons missing, three misplaced subordinate clauses, four redundant adjectives and most inexcusably, a regulation he denied as being his own. He began a lecture. It was a long oration on punctuation and syntax, the knights' duty to their country, their pay increases and job security, their attendance, their attitude and the neatness of their waste baskets. Never had the King appeared more brilliant. Never had the knights felt so crushed and humiliated. </p>
<p>The King announced a revision of the Dictionary would be undertaken immediately and there would be no vacations until it was completed. The knights agreed without a whimper, and at last report were still revising.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63526882020-06-13T19:37:57-07:002021-04-07T13:33:58-07:00Haiku<p>Haiku </p>
<p>In my late teenage years and young adulthood, I was fascinated with Japanese Haiku, read many in translation and even wrote a few myself. My favorite Japanese poet was Issa and his “romantic” natural imagery greatly influenced me. </p>
<p>I never attempted to follow the Japanese three line, 5 syllable, 7 syllable, 5 syllable format as it seemed foreign to English, but did adopt a free three line structure, and focused on natural images and moments of insight as did the traditional haiku. </p>
<p>Below is a sampling of my haiku. They are listed alphabetically by first line.Two haiku won poetry prizes and were published in the Ottawa Citizen in June 1972, and these are marked with an asterisk. </p>
<p>A cloud smothers the moon. <br>From the sky, <br>The cry of a loon. </p>
<p>Across the vast dessert sky,<br>A little fly,<br>Seesaws along.</p>
<p>A cold day,<br>And yet, how warm<br>My dog's tongue.</p>
<p>A flower breaks through the pavement, <br>A child dances, <br>And the street becomes a theatre.</p>
<p>A gust of Autumn wind and suddenly, <br>A thousand falling leaves, <br>Sparkle in the sun. </p>
<p>After a shower, <br>Seated motionless, and from my hair,<br>Water dripping.</p>
<p>Another summer gone. <br>And to show for it? <br>Hay fever again. </p>
<p>Awkward, vulnerable and needy, <br>Nature's newborns. <br>Teach us compassion. </p>
<p>Barren branches, <br>Skyward, <br>In prayer. </p>
<p>Because of you, firefly, <br>The darkest night, <br>Is magical. </p>
<p>Before the onrushing headlights, <br>The porcupine, <br>Standing steady. </p>
<p>Bicycling east, <br>The wind blows, <br>Always west. </p>
<p>Carpeting the ground,<br>Like pink snow,<br>Cherry blossoms.</p>
<p>Contemplating the weariness of our days. <br>From the street, <br>A vulgar laugh. </p>
<p>Crushing maple keys underfoot, <br>Wondering, <br>What might have been? </p>
<p>Dead bird. <br>By a stone, <br>Water lapping. </p>
<p>Decrying the infamy, <br>Of the Nazis. <br>Swatting flies. </p>
<p>Do you blossom to please yourself? <br>Or does it please you to delight others? <br>Selfish cherry.* </p>
<p>Fluttering in the wind, <br>A discarded kleenex, <br>So free. </p>
<p>Heaven's<br>Moving furniture.<br>Thunderstorms!</p>
<p>How beautiful is<br>The frost,<br>On my window pane.</p>
<p>Idly imitating faces,<br>And suddenly,<br>Understanding them. </p>
<p>In the cafeteria, <br>Everyone sits alone. <br>Dishes clatter. </p>
<p>In the garden, <br>Embracing the blossoms, <br>Thorns. </p>
<p>Looking at their reflections, <br>In store windows, <br>The ladies of Yonge Street. </p>
<p>Milkweed seeds. <br>And chasing them, <br>I float away! </p>
<p>My hot chocolate, <br>This morning, <br>Tasted lilacs. </p>
<p>Never realizing she might, <br>Little Laurie, <br>Died in her sleep. </p>
<p>Oh cherry! <br>Would that you had ear to hear, <br>Our praises! </p>
<p>On TV, <br>A melodrama. <br>And outside is raining. </p>
<p>Over the rugged mountainside, <br>How smoothly we travel. <br>The superhighway! </p>
<p>Pigeons or snow on the hill? <br>From a distance, <br>Who can tell? </p>
<p>Pine trees, <br>Tickling, <br>The sky. </p>
<p>Pushing through,<br>The grubby sidewalk,<br>A tiny flower.</p>
<p>Rise and shine.<br>But also,<br>Reflect.</p>
<p>So no one can see it, <br>Into my attache case, I place, <br>An autumn maple leaf. </p>
<p>Sanibel, seashell isle. <br>Ocean's jewels, <br>Crunching underfoot. </p>
<p>Scorching sands, <br>Sear the cactus. <br>Shrivels, oozing slime. </p>
<p>Skipping across the water, <br>A tossed pebble dances a moment,<br>And disappears. </p>
<p>The Book of Knowledge. <br>I finally finished, <br>The first page. </p>
<p>The moon, <br>Making faces, <br>In a mud pond. </p>
<p>The old town,<br>And the old dog's eyes,<br>Tired. </p>
<p>Without thought, <br>Or conversation, <br>Dragonflies mating. </p>
<p>Underfoot, stretched out, <br>On the shiny pavement, <br>A sticky worm.*</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63458472020-06-07T19:39:18-07:002020-09-10T14:48:50-07:00The Death Wish<p>I was just stepping away from the piano when our host thanked me warmly and observed, “you have an excellent hand position; you've clearly had fine training.” She was an elderly Hungarian Jew, whose tatooed forearm bore witness to unspoken Nazi horrors. </p>
<p>I acknowledged her compliment and asked if she might favor our small gathering with a selection or two of her own.”You must be quite accomplished,” I added, “judging by the difficulty of the sheet music in your piano bench.” </p>
<p>“Oh, I don't play anymore” she responded. “My daughters used to play before they married and left home. I still keep sheet music for guests such as you.” </p>
<p>“It's such a beautiful piano,” I encouraged. “Don't you ever feel like playing a little.” </p>
<p>“Yes,” she said, “but years ago, I promised myself I never would. You see my playing once carried a death wish.” </p>
<p>“I don't understand,” I answered puzzled. </p>
<p>She hesitated a moment as if wondering whether to explain, then proceeded to recount the following story. </p>
<p>“ When I was a young girl in Budapest, my family was comfortable, and as I showed some talent at the piano, they determined to get me the best teacher they could afford. My teacher was severe, a dour-faced woman, always in a grey suit and in her mid-forties, I would guess in retrospect.” </p>
<p>“She made me work hard; I spent hours practicing and yet it was never enough. She felt I had great talent and resolved to make a concert pianist of me. And while I loved the piano, I lacked the motivation to become a professional and would much rather play the popular songs that were current at the time, a practice she expressly forbade.” </p>
<p>“One afternoon, my teacher arrived unexpectedly to discuss some matter of payment with my parents and discovered me playing a popular song. She stormed into the living room outraged, accusing me of wasting my talent and of being unappreciative of the time and energy she was devoting to me Then as I trembled, she warned me were I ever to play such music again, she would drop me outright.” </p>
<p>“At that moment, I hated her more than I had hated anyone before, and as I resumed my assigned exercises, wished she would die.” Ten days later she threw herself to her death from her eighth story apartment window. She had just learned she had untreatable brain cancer.” </p>
<p>“Still I could not help but feel my death wish had some part in her demise. I vowed never again to touch the piano and I never have.” </p>
<p>“Now,” our host continued without pause, “may I offer you some tea and cookies.” </p>
<p>( Story written prior to 1970 and based on real life incident. Frank )</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63376282020-05-31T20:02:33-07:002023-10-16T07:44:29-07:00How the Arts Have Sustained Me During the Pandemic <p>During the first couple of weeks of being confined to my apartment, I was at loose ends, trying to get adjusted to the loss of my exercise classes, piano playing commitments, concerts, lunches and activities with friends. By week three however, it was clear that things were not going to return to normal soon, if ever, and I had no choice but to adapt to the new reality. I decided the way forward was to focus on my various artistic pursuits that had always been a source of challenge and satisfaction throughout my life. </p>
<p>I first turned my attention to completing several unfinished drawings. I sent pictures of the finished drawings to friends and acquaintances and immediately got an order for one. With nothing but bad news everywhere, this indeed was something to celebrate. </p>
<p>Next I dug through some old music notes and found a couple of good tunes I had composed for jazz theory classes years ago, and never used. I put them together in a new piece and forwarded it to Jannie Burdeti, a fine pianist with whom I had been working. She loved it and made a recording. Entitled Memories of Fort Mason, it already is up on my website: <s>www.relaxationx3.com</s> www.franklevinmusic.com. </p>
<p>When I heard Scott Meek and his wife Clare were streaming piano four hand concerts live from their home Sunday nights to entertain shut-in concert goers, I contacted them and asked if I could help. They needed more piano four hand music and I agreed to provide it. I have now completed three arrangements and have promised to produce two more. One has already been performed. Rarely in my life have I been able to prepare music with the certainty that it would get a live performance, and inadvertently, this virus has made it possible. </p>
<p>Finally, I took advantage of the opportunity we had to go out and enjoy the Spring awakening all around us. Nature clearly was oblivious of the virus, and the flowers were particularly spectacular this year. I took many pictures and shared them with family and friends back east where the promise of Spring was still a remote dream. </p>
<p>In reviewing the last two months, a couple of sayings come to mind: "When one door closes, another opens." And "if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade." During this pandemic, I have used my artistic skills to challenge and entertain myself, and in so doing, created works that might not have been created otherwise, and have positively affected others. I feel like in my own way, I've brought a little sunshine into a troubled world. And yes I still have moments of loneliness and nostalgia for what is lost, but I go forward and take comfort in the contribution I can make. I appreciate not everyone is an artist, but we all have something special we can do now, and we may be surprised by how good we feel when we do it. </p>
<p>Frank Levin, Composer and Visual Artist, May 2020. </p>
<p>Article written at the request of the West Vancouver Community Arts Council.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63290892020-05-24T20:43:27-07:002020-05-24T20:43:27-07:00Colors of the Wind<p><a contents="Link to Score (PDF)" data-link-label="colours-of-the-wind-2.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057497/colours-of-the-wind-2.pdf" target="_blank">Link to Score (PDF)</a></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63290882020-05-24T20:42:49-07:002020-05-24T20:42:49-07:00Autumn Leaves<p><a contents="Link to Score (PDF)" data-link-label="autum-leaves.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057495/autum-leaves.pdf">Link to Score (PDF)</a></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63290872020-05-24T20:38:44-07:002020-05-24T20:38:44-07:00Sicilienne<p><a contents="Link To Score (PDF)" data-link-label="scicillienne.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057493/scicillienne.pdf" target="_blank">Link To Score (PDF)</a></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63290862020-05-24T20:38:14-07:002020-05-24T20:38:14-07:00Tears In Heaven<p><a contents="Link to Score (PDF)" data-link-label="tears-in-heaven.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057492/tears-in-heaven.pdf" target="_blank">Link to Score (PDF)</a></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63290852020-05-24T20:37:45-07:002020-05-24T20:37:45-07:00As Time Goes By<p><a contents="Link to Score (PDF)" data-link-label="as-time-goes-by.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057491/as-time-goes-by.pdf" target="_blank">Link to Score (PDF)</a></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/63007322020-04-30T20:02:04-07:002021-06-19T09:27:24-07:00Silent Night<p>Contemporary arrangement free to download and use. Program acknowledgement requested in public performance.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/6414e000f2ee74b06a319d139aefcf37cf695e9a/original/frank2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/d4d82a834fddbe8c2186e7948742adef783630c4/original/frank2-2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/62084832020-02-07T22:19:55-08:002020-02-07T22:19:55-08:00Scribblings in a Spare Moment... <p>This article from The Ottawa Citizen in June of 1972, features two of my Haiku that won in a local poetry contest. Frank.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/ee94f426e34638160fa6d8efe69e402eefa6aa39/original/screen-shot-2020-02-08-at-1-18-13-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/62084822020-02-07T22:19:24-08:002020-02-07T22:19:24-08:00Dear Abby<p>This article featuring a New Year's poem I found among the papers of a deceased co-writer was published in Dear Abby's New Year's column for the year 2000. I have since noted that it has now also been uploaded onto the Internet. I still consider it one of the best New Year's poems I have ever read. Interestingly, Abby contacted me later saying she tried to identify the writer of the poem by approaching local historians in Menomonie Wisconsin where it first appeared in a school paper in 1934, but was unable to come up with any leads. Frank.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/3ca79f363c886c844b1c9995b31de18eec6b738f/original/screen-shot-2020-02-08-at-1-18-01-am.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/62084602020-02-07T22:15:28-08:002021-08-28T14:33:57-07:00Haiku<p>I</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/62084592020-02-07T22:14:29-08:002020-02-07T22:14:29-08:00Robert Ward ( Bob ) Margeson June 28th 1944 – December 16th 2016 A Memoire by Frank Levin<p>I met Bob in our first year at Fisher Park High School. We shared the same home room along with Andrew Carson, Brian Joynt and others who would become friends and acquaintences for life. </p>
<p>Even then, with his tall, lanky frame, high forehead, horn-rimmed glasses, and flat brown hair, he typified the quintessential nerd, long before the term became known. And it soon became obvious, he was every bit as smart as he looked. He was soft-spoken and kind, with a dry, never-biting sense of humour, and I soon began to hang out with him because he always had something interesting to say and I was being wonderfully and painlessly educated in the process. For my part, I shared my passion for music and art with him, and he seemed to enjoy the mutual exchange. </p>
<p>Bob was an A+ student....and I was not. I spent too much time day-dreaming and still do. I frequently called on him to help me with my Latin homework, and often, we would sit together in the cafeteria eating our lunches and pouring over our assignments. Years later, I found my my old Latin book when clearing out old boxes, and the pages were still generously sprinkled with his mother's gingerbread cookie crumbs, that still retained their smell. </p>
<p>I'm not sure where Bob's love of Literature came from, but I know it was reinforced by Mrs. England's Latin Literature Classes. Though the words were written over two thousand years ago, the epic qualities of Virgil, nobility of Horace, whimsy of Catullus and journalistic style of Ceasar were all brilliantly alive and palatable, and had a lasting effect on us both. At one point we even composed some Latin poetry together, and one poem was published in a province-wide, high school Latin newspaper. My contribution was primarily to come up with the idea, and Bob's was to translate it into flawless, beautiful Latin. Often we would rework a passage over and over again until we got something that was not only correct, but beautiful to hear. </p>
<p>Another probable literary influence was Mr. “Freddie” Howard, a retired English Teacher, who was brought in to fill in for the regular teacher who was on extended leave. Mr. Howard not only read literature to us, he acted it out! And though he was not a good actor, and some of the class snickered, many of us were caught up in his passion. Shakespeare was no longer dry. When we heard, “Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt and resolve itseld into a dew,” or “To be or not to be, that is the question,” we felt it in the marrow of our bones and understood we were experiencing life at the profoundest level. </p>
<p>I believe Mrs. England's enthusiasm for Latin Literature and Mr. Howard's for Shakespeare were instrumental in Bob's choice to focus on old literature in University where he completed an exhaustive treatise on Beowolf. </p>
<p>Bob and I saw less of each other at university though we both went to Carleton, he specializing in Old English Literature and I in Sociology. And our lives diverted even more when I moved to California to study, and later to compose and teach music. </p>
<p>Throughout that time, we kept in touch by email and I visited with him and Betty whenever I came to Ottawa. </p>
<p>I still find it hard to accept that Bob is gone, but appreciate, he was not well in his last years, and at least no longer suffers. </p>
<p>In the end, I thank you Bob, for your kindness, gentle humour, profound insights and love of learning that made me a better person than I might have been otherwise. And I hope that somewhere in that great beyond, you are enjoying your mother's wonderful gingerbread cookies. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Parting Tribute to a Friend: </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Bob Margeson and Frank Levin </strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Heu! Fugit a nobis nunc qu(o) occurri tibi tempus, </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Laetus ducens ad Vestam fessum soci(um) atque, </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Frustra Parcas orans ut longe maneres hic, </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Sed iam discedis longaequ(e) horae patiendae. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Pluris enim te certum quam mill(e) aestim(o) amicas </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Qui, non temptati, nimbo desunt tibi primo. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Alas! Now has fled from us the time when I greeted you, </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Joyfully leading you to the hearth my weary friend, </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">And vainly imploring the fates that you might long remain. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">But already you are departing and long hours must be endured. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">For I value you, proven, more than a thousand friends, </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Who untested, let you down at the first storm cloud. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">A fitting tribute to you Bob. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Frank Levin, January 2016.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/62084582020-02-07T22:13:24-08:002020-02-07T22:13:24-08:00A Good Man and a Hard Worker<p>Wesley liked to consider himself a good man, and a hard worker. He always got to the office early and stayed late. Frequently he would work through his lunch break, eating his sandwiches and sipping his milk ( good for the ulcer ) brought to him promptly at noon by one of the typists. He would take great pains to proofread the work of his five subordinates, changing a word or correcting a code number with his sharp red pencil. And he was always ready to assist his staff by developing neverending memoranda which the typists would dutifully prepare, xerox and distribute. </p>
<p>But Wesley was not a success and somehow things had not gone well for him. After the War and a rather undistinguished career in the military, he married. and with only a high school certificate, took the best work he could find, a sales position in a large men's clothing store, a job for which he had neither the inclination nor aptitude. </p>
<p>However as his family grew, expenses increased. promotion was nowhere in sight and his salary could not keep pace. So Wesley was happy when his brother-in-law invited him to become a partner in his small tool and die operation. The economy was expanding. He believed their business would too and in so doing, bring him the success that had so far eluded him. </p>
<p>It was a struggle at first but Wesley was used to that. And his fundamentalist religious background had taught him patience and respect for honest toil. Even his father at seventy-five was still working. </p>
<p>In time, the business flourished. The partners employed ten workers: four qualified tool and die makers, and the rest involved in less skilled shop activities. </p>
<p>The brother-in-law, who knew the business, made the decisions, solicited the contracts and serviced the accounts. Wesley accepted the more routine personnel, supervisory and clerical responsibilities, and quickly set up procedures, time cards, and bulletin boards. He began rating workers on the cleanliness of their machines, assigned one machinist to paint the walls, assigned stock-control duties to another, and wrote up elaborate, cross-referenced production reports. When his brother-in-law occasionally complained about the misuse of his staff or would reprimand him for letting a defective shipment of parts go out to a customer, Wesley would point despairingly at his elaborate files and complain the paperwork was preventing him from overseeing the workers to the extent he would like. He avoided discussion of the relatively high staff turnover, and suspected the men joked about him behind his back. </p>
<p>At the age of fifty-two, Wesley's brother-in-law died and the partnership with him. Feeling unable to carry on alone, Wesley took a modest profit from the sale of the business, and using his veteran's preference secured himself a government position in an office carrying out Canadian Indusrial Surveys. </p>
<p>At first there was just three of them: Wesley, another man and a typist. Uneventfully at first, Wesley went off to factories and offices, prepared his reports and collected his paycheck. But the Survey grew, new members were added, and Wesley, having once held managerial responsibilities was appointed Supervisor. He had not especially cared for the survey work, the inconvenience of traveling to plant sites and the meetings with plant personnel which made him ill-at-ease, and quickly developed an elaborate set of clerical responsibilities to keep him in the office. And as time passed, he became more and more distant from his employees as he could no longer relate to the problems they were having in the field. Often they grumbled among themselves about the poor quality of his advice, and sensing this, he attempted to avoid contact by developing lists of instructions for every exigency. His staff turnover was high. There were days he would bury himself in his work and say virtually nothing to anyone. He found it harded and harder to conceal how little he knew about government organizations and procedures, and at times felt totally overwhelmed. That's when he first developed his ulcer. </p>
<p>A real source of concern was a new hire, a recent university graduate who had worked in a related field two years before joining the survey team. His informal manner annoyed Wesley who felt work ought to be a serious matter and his questions were often difficult to answer. He recommended procedural simplifications and when these were not implemented, took shortcuts. In addition, he began to bypass his boss turning instead to senior co-workers, a behaviour not lost on his boss. He refused to buy a car when Wesley requested it noting it was not a requirement of the job, making it more difficult for his boss to assign him to work sites. And he began to show he recognized the intellectual limitations of his supervisor. </p>
<p>Wesley began to view the manner of his young hire as arrogant, and his recommendations as a refusal to be guided. The Junior sensing the hostility of his Superior began to guard his speech and develop a careful, formal manner in his relations with his Supervisor. Interactions were uncomfortable. And though the work of the Junior was generally good, Wesley lacked the skill to mitigate the deteriorating relationship. In fact he chose to chastise his subordinate disproportionately for the occasional error that occurred. </p>
<p>Finally, Wesley failed to recommend his Junior for his annual salary raise. At this point the Junior appealed the decision through the Employees Union and won. In the process, he was recognized as an excellent worker, promoted and transfered to the Head Office to work in the Research Department. </p>
<p>The tension and embarrassment of the appeal proved hard on Wesley and he had to be hospitalized for a month while his ulcer was treated. Afterwards he returned to his job, where he continued to work until his retirement. </p>
<p>This story was first written in the late 1960s and was revised and published here for the first time in December 2019. Frank Levin</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/52323522018-05-13T16:33:18-07:002018-05-13T16:33:18-07:00Auld Lang Syne<p><span class="font_large">A contemporary arrangement I wrote for Auld Lang Syne</span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/d8bf79ccaf9fa9817dd21eecd63342eac123454d/original/alsp1.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/76e20805f57ff09eec4f718cf64ffc99cd7d61c7/original/alsp2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/52322962018-05-13T16:08:44-07:002022-01-11T03:19:17-08:00Beautiful Vancouver<p><span class="font_xl"><strong>Beautiful Vancouver, Historical Note </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Beautiful Vancouver was self-published by the composer, George Brownson in 1952. Nothing seems to have become of the song, and no information is available about the composer or what became of him. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I found a copy of the work in a pile of old sheet music at Barclay Manor where, once a week, I accompany a seniors sing-a-long group called Heritage Harmonies. While there were problems with the arrangement and some lyrics, I basically liked the song, undertook some editing and presented it to my seniors. They loved it, learned it and have been singing it ever since, especially in our public performances. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">The recording is from one of our sing-a-long sessions. While it lacks the polish of a trained choir, it certainly conveys the enthusiasm the group feels for this long-lost gem.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large">Barclay Manor's Heritage Harmonies Group singing Beautiful Vancouver composed by George Bronson and edited by Frank Levin.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Click here to listen to Beautiful Vancouver" data-link-label="frank-levin-beautiful-vancouver.mp3" data-link-type="file" href="/files/335074/frank-levin-beautiful-vancouver.mp3" target="_self">Click here to listen to Beautiful Vancouver</a></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Beautiful Vancouver </span></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Nature made a second Eden, on the verdant western strand. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">There you twinkle like a gem, fair in Nature's diadem, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">A shining city set by silver sand. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">BEAUTIFUL VANCOUVER, queen of the western shore. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Mountains crowned with snow, where sparkling rivers flow, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lie bountifully at your door. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Flowers richly blended grace your lawns of em'rald green. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Brightly colored lights make fairyland of night, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Vancouver, my seaside queen. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">BEAUTIFUL VANCOUVER, queen of the western shore. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Mountains crowned with snow, where sparkling rivers flow, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Lie bountifully at your door. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Flowers richly blended grace your lawns of em'rald green. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Brightly colored lights make fairyland of night, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Vancouver, my seaside queen. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Brightly colored lights make fairyland of night, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Vancouver, my seaside queen.</span></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/51432162018-03-22T19:14:51-07:002022-05-21T19:23:35-07:00Jazzy Birthday & Melody for Michael<p style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Jazzy Birthday</strong></p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Every pianist at some time has to play Happy Birthday, I prepared this arrangement for those who might like to do something jazzy. An optional five measure Intro is provided to help singers begin on key and in tempo. Feel free to use and share this arrangement freely.</p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/67ff66d47b9e5cf9177e4a6e92cd59ca98546eb7/original/jazzy-birthday.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Melody for Michael </strong></p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Throughout my career, I have composed a number of "signature pieces" based on the letters of a person's name. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">In my recorded music, Lullaby for Kevin and Melody in C for Glen Lee are two good examples. Melody for Michael was composed for my friend, the composer Michael Conway Baker. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">There is no problem assigning notes to letters A to G, however for letters beyond G, I repeat the alphabet in sequence from A to G until all letters have an assigned note. Thus H becomes A, I becomes B, J becomes C etc. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">In this way, the name MICHAEL CONWAY BAKER becomes the notes, FBCAAEE CAGBAD BADED. I add and change sharps and flats as needed for musical reasons. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">I encourage those with some music theory background to try to do the same with the names of their friends and family. It makes a unique gift and is both fun and challenging to do.</p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;"><a contents="Link to Score (PDF)" data-link-label="fiery-bw-026.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/1057498/fiery-bw-026.pdf" target="_blank">Link to Score (PDF)</a></p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/51432002018-03-22T18:58:16-07:002018-03-22T19:00:26-07:00English Bay and Stanley Park after a rare snowfall<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tbody> <tr> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/2c2d06eb56d6cbdd1bed6697788224136378996f/medium/img-0073.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/84c540789d590c384977bea2b8eb82bf539f473d/medium/img-0074.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/10007b63a046f5aa437aa2ff322531d53e60c505/medium/img-0076.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/7ee383271ec1098c7383343857743599796bf150/medium/img-0079.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/f239f966b367c1e1a6643ede73f237bef765aec3/medium/img-0083.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/042fc9f76d1d2eb16b33f86435dd569120a4a7b9/medium/img-0088.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/9481/056023df72db37d0f2372d3c36484d0bff8e1ed3/medium/img-0095.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></td> <td> </td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/807062010-07-04T00:00:00-07:002018-04-19T15:54:18-07:00Practicing Hints<p style="font-family:verdana;">There are prodigies who can sit down at the piano and learn effortlessly, but most students must practice diligently to play well. Often students frustrate themselves by trying to do too much at once. Attempting to handle notes, fingering, timing, and expression in both hands at the same time can be overwhelming. However, by dividing the practicing process into a number of manageable sub-steps, you can progress more readily with a minimum of frustration. Below is a method I've found most effective in accomplishing this end.<br><br>First divide the piece into practice sections, following as much as possible the phrasing and natural breaks in the music. If the music is relatively easy for you, these sections may be eight or sixteen bars long. If the music is particularly difficult, two or four bar sections may be more appropriate.<br><br>Begin in the first section with the right hand. Play the notes firmly, with the correct fingering. If fingering is not provided, write it in if necessary to guarantee you use the same fingering each time, since learning is facilitated by exact repetition.<br><br>Don't rush. Pick a tempo that enables you to play comfortably and accurately. Remember if you play a note wrong once, you'll tend to make the same mistake again.. Repeat the notes in the section until you can play them effortlessly and without stumbling. Saying the notes out loud as you play tends to increase concentration and speeds learning.<br><br>Once you have mastered the notes and fingering, go over the section again, focusing on playing in time. Repeat the section several times until you can play it correctly. Then go on to the next and succeeding sections, treating each in the same way until you finish the piece. This is concentrated work. You may want to stretch this process out over several practice sessions, if as you tire, you begin to make careless mistakes.<br><br>Treat the left hand in a similar fashion.<br><br>Don't attempt to put the hands together until you can play each independently, comfortably and in time. Practice sections should again be employed in putting the hands together. It is often helpful to play alternately the the right and left hand parts several times independently before attempting to coordinate them. Counting at this stage is essential to ensure that the parts come together correctly. It's also important to repeat the section several times once the hands are together to consolidate the learning and ensure that there will be a minimum of "learning loss" between practice sessions. This frustrating but common phenomenon can be reduced by maintaining a frequent practice schedule.<br><br>Pieces should be taken up to tempo very gradually; rushing the process leads to mistakes that are easily learned and difficult to correct.<br><br>Finally, focus on dynamics, phrasing and other performance details to achieve a polished effect.<br><br>Sometimes, in spite of careful practice, you may find yourself stumbling at a certain point in the music. If you examine the situation, you'll usually find you're making the same mistake each time- like forgetting to play a sharp, putting one in that's not there, missing fingering, or playing a phrase consistently out of time. I've found the best way to deal with such trouble spots is first to identify exactly what you are doing wrong. Then go carefully over the bar or phrase containing the trouble spot several times, reminding yourself as you approach it exactly what you must do to correct the problem, such as "play G not A" or "count two not three". As you follow this procedure, you'll tend to memorize the correct version and transform it into one of the securest parts of your performance.<br><br>To play convincingly, the performer must get beyond the notes and attempt to convey the spirit of the music. In doing so, several factors should be considered: the work's title, tempo, and expression markings; knowledge of the composer's life, times and the performance practices of the day; and most importantly, the performer's own imagination. Imagining dancers will make your waltz more life-like, as thinking of a loved one will render a love song more convincing. The more knowledge and imagination you can bring to a performance, the more effective and communicative will be your style.</p>franklevinmusic.comtag:franklevinmusic.com,2005:Post/807162009-11-15T15:29:00-08:002021-06-19T09:32:57-07:00Levinisms<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AyBP3jFClKI/SwDl06LgKtI/AAAAAAAAAAw/4BuN_mK9we0/s1600/Tuxedo_Frank.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="//2.bp.blogspot.com/_AyBP3jFClKI/SwDl06LgKtI/AAAAAAAAAAw/4BuN_mK9we0/s400/Tuxedo_Frank.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404572249978055378" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 210px;" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<p>Here are a few original puns I call Levinisms</p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What is better than to rise and shine? <br>A: Rise and reflect </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q:What's the appeal of bicycling? <br>A: Its wheel-y fun </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: How must you behave in a swimming pool? <br>A: Pool-itely </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: Why are shopping malls dangerous? <br>A: You can be mallested. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What can a slow Post Office line lead to? <br>A: A stampede. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What adjective best describes an eagle? <br>A: Talonted. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q:What must you avoid when buying rattan furniture? <br>A: Being bamboozled. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q:What happens if you steal a pen? <br>A: You get sent to penitentiary. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What happens if you steal a penny? <br>A: You get sent to pennytentiary. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What do Chinese cooks do before preparing a meal? <br>A: Go for a wok. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What is the pessimist's creed? <br>A: In life you must learn to accept the bitter with the sour. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: How does a motorist with a full load of passengers drive? <br>A: Car-fully. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What do you say to someone who lost their dog? <br>A: That's a dog gone shame. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What would you call a retreat on the moon? <br>A: A moonastery. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: How's your cat? <br>A: Feline fine ( or, Feline not well ) </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: Why take an elevator? <br>A: For an uplifting experience. </p>
<p style="font-family:verdana;">Q: What do jockeys do? <br>A: Horse around.</p>
</div>franklevinmusic.com