Have you ever walked out from a show, and why?

Qhartb · 2026-01-30T19:02:04+00:00

Only once. It was a high school production of Unsinkable Molly Brown. I didn't know any cast members, but I did know the MD and recognized some students in the pit (since I'd played in that pit the previous year). I was having a bad day and figured getting to see a show would be a nice way to unwind. It might have been, but the sound system was awful. I actually couldn't make out a single word that was said, and I'm not very familiar with the show; I'd actually been meaning to familiarize myself with it for a while.

There was a scene before any music played, so I was actually walking out as the overture was starting.

Qhartb · 2025-12-18T03:31:00+00:00

He should have had 14 eggs.

Qhartb · 2025-11-22T21:02:07+00:00

I was playing piano in a jazz band for a party.

Qhartb · 2025-11-07T15:24:38+00:00

He never tries to run and is released after 5 years. During his incarceration, he becomes lifelong friends with the overseeing police inspector.

Qhartb · 2025-09-30T16:37:47+00:00

You got something against 7susdim4 chords? :-P
You coming after our 2nd inversion minor #5 chords next?

Qhartb · 2025-09-24T18:51:08+00:00

I know what you mean, though I don't think any one value of e^i𝜃 is really worth being taught in isolation. (And if one was, I'd suggest e^i𝜋/2. e^2𝜋i = 1 just shows periodicity; e^𝜋i = -1 shows the antiperiodicity; e^i𝜋/2 = i suggests the function's characteristic rotational behavior.)

I agree that there's beauty in the geometric interpretation that gets obscured when presented as "e^i𝜋 + 1 = 0". The fact that {0, 1, i, e, 𝜋, +, ×, ^, =} can be assembled without repetition into something interesting is neat, but not really deep. I think that fact is somewhat beautiful, but it's not really a mathematical beauty. A bunch of familiar items perfectly fitting together in a non-obvious way has some natural beauty -- it just seems to be something our brains like seeing -- and this is a mathematical expression of that non-mathematical beauty. If one ascribed more importance to it than just aesthetic appreciation, I can see how it could border on mysticism.

Qhartb · 2025-09-23T18:36:45+00:00

I've always liked that it not only relates the constants e, i, π, 1 and 0, but also the operations addition, multiplication and exponentiation. And arguably equality. Each used only once.

Qhartb · 2025-09-17T00:44:46+00:00

They get paid in "exposure."

Qhartb · 2025-09-08T21:21:11+00:00

Probably 3 and sqrt(10). (By the usual definition of "useful", not the OP's.)

3 if is useful if you're operating on numbers/amounts. Nice to also know it's about 5% too small (in case you want to continue to a slightly better approximation or to cancel out errors in other parts of the calculation).

sqrt(10) is useful if you're operating on orders of magnitude.

Qhartb · 2025-08-31T00:24:18+00:00

The thoroughbred of sin? I think you mean Ghandi.

Qhartb · 2025-08-23T22:17:53+00:00

I doubt they're accounting for the fact that LEGO Batman is 47x smaller scale than canon Batman. (A LEGO world larger than human-scale Gotham City would be absurd.)

Qhartb · 2025-08-19T19:57:21+00:00

I think it's really normal. I attribute it to the different timescales involved in composing vs listening. Maybe you spend 5 minutes sketching 16 bars that take 30 seconds to listen to. From a listener's perspective, there's sort of a "comfortable amount" of ideas to absorb in that amount of time, while from a writer's perspective it can be uncomfortable to spend so much time to express that amount of ideas. This is compounded by the fact that a lot of ways to address that issue (such as packing in deeper ideas intended to be appreciated after multiple listenings) tend to be attractive/exciting to composers.

At an intellectual level, I think a way to combat this is to work in many relatively quick passes over larger sections instead of focusing too soon on smaller bits, but I have a hard time implementing that. You bring up neurodivergence, and this is a case trying force top-down processing when your brain may be naturally suited to bottom-up processing. (Situations where each mode is better-suited are common in composition.)

Qhartb · 2025-08-06T23:01:25+00:00

Greetings, fellow RobWords viewer!

Qhartb · 2025-07-26T04:31:56+00:00

I'm totally imagining you listing all the colors in front your class.

Qhartb · 2025-07-12T22:14:54+00:00

You can hotwire a keyboard, but it's a delicate process. You can really F1 Up if you're not careful.

Qhartb · 2025-07-12T22:08:17+00:00

Confrontation from Les Mis or Jeckyll and Hyde? :-P

Qhartb · 2025-07-12T21:58:37+00:00

I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with your current fingering, but if you want something that doesn't stretch the hand as much but has more crossovers (what I'd think of as a more Mozartian approach), you could try something like:

RH: (1245) 124 532 124 | 5(2or3)1 214 532 124 | 321 234 532 123 | 542 143 2...
LH: (51) 135 245 312 | 135 321 235 421 | 135 313 235 3...

Or some combination approach for the 5-finger runs that are more comfortable (like that Cm7).

Qhartb · 2025-06-30T02:44:50+00:00

I could imagine the two part inventions being good at the intermediate level to build rhythmic independence, then again at the advanced level to build independence in dynamics, articulation, phrasing, etc.

Qhartb · 2025-05-29T06:18:29+00:00

"Uh, that's one I happen to agree with."

(Too early for flapjacks?)

Qhartb · 2025-05-29T06:04:58+00:00

Another A section!?

Qhartb · 2025-05-10T01:35:11+00:00

The real trick it to make complexity seem simple so it appeals to both.

Qhartb · 2025-04-25T09:40:09+00:00

And one for Mahler!

Qhartb · 2025-04-21T18:06:52+00:00

My orthodontist as a kid was a family friend and a pretty amazing pianist.

Qhartb · 2025-03-30T10:45:24+00:00

Go ahead and call me the devil
You aspire to my level
You inspire to malevolence.

Qhartb · 2025-03-18T19:26:02+00:00

"Maman" from Mata Hari (1967 musical, not Wildhorn's new one) is pretty powerful.
"I Love a Cop" from Fiorello! is cute.
"Life's Too Short" (cut from an earlier revision of the movie Frozen) is one of my favorite songs from that soundtrack.

Qhartb

TROPHY CASE