#musical instruments for rent near me

[academiesofmusic]

Rental instrument near me

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[urdreamgirls-dreamgirl]

September 1986

It’s a Saturday when they finally make it up to Bloomington. Steve had to bribe Robin into taking his afternoon shift by promising he’d take three of her Monday mornings in a row. It sucked, but looking over at Eddie in his passenger’s seat, hair whipping around him as he head bangs to whatever music he’s got playing on Steve’s car radio, he thinks it’s probably worth it. 

It takes them an hour to get there and once they reach the city limits, Steve has to turn down the music so Eddie can direct him to the store he’s been coming to for the last ten years.

“Used to come here as a kid, when I first moved in with Wayne,�� Eddie tells him as he gestures for Steve to make a left at the light. “The guy who owns the place—Greg—is an old friend from, like, World War II or whatever. You know, that homoerotic male bonding trauma shit.” Eddie nudges Steve with his elbow, winking when Steve looks over. “Wayne’s the one who taught me to play, did I tell you that?” Steve shakes his head. “Well, he thought it’d be a good way to get out all that energy, I guess.” Eddie grins. “Greg used to give me these tapes of the local music scene, stuff he’d been able to record at live shows or people renting out his booth in the back. There was some fucking awesome stuff in there, some of the bands have even made it pretty big. Oh, take a right here and then another right at the stop sign.” Steve sees it before Eddie points it out, a big red guitar on the sign. “That parking lot there, Stevie.” Eddie makes a big show of pointing, practically leaning out of the passenger’s side window like a dog, as if Steve needs the help at all.

Steve pulls into a spot right in front of the store and puts the car in park. Eddie practically leaps from his seat, slamming the door behind him and bounding up to the double glass doors, not even waiting for Steve to climb out of the car himself before he’s pulling the door open and rushing inside. Steve just rolls his eyes, locking the car doors before he follows.

The place is exactly what Steve expected. A little bell twinkles overhead as he passes through the entrance. It’s a little dimly lit, due to the way the storefront is arranged, but Steve can clearly see the rows of guitars hanging from the walls, the bins of sheet music underneath. There are other instruments, too, a couple of upright pianos near the counter in the back, some electric keyboards, a whole section of violins. He can’t help but think about how Robin would love this place and makes a mental note to suggest they all come up here together sometime. Steve follows Eddie’s voice to the glass counter where the register sits, harmonicas lined up on shelves lined in velvet in the case below it.

“—my friend Steve,” Eddie’s saying, gesturing towards Steve as Steve comes to stand beside him. Steve looks up at the man he assumes is Greg. He’s older, maybe a little older than Wayne even, laugh lines around his mouth and an easy smile on his lips. He’s got a long grey ponytail to match his long grey beard. A green flannel hangs off his skinny frame. Eddie smiles at Steve, his hand brushing along Steve’s bicep as he turns to introduce him. “Steve, this is Greg.”

“Hey, Steve,” Greg reaches his hand out for a shake and Steve takes it. Greg’s hand is warm and dry, eyes sparkling, friendly. Steve feels safe here. “Eddie says he’s teaching you to play guitar. Not sure how much you’re gonna learn from ol’ butterfingers here.” He points his thumb at Eddie.

“Hey!” Eddie yells in mock offense. 

Greg laughs. “When Eddie was first learning, he’d try to snack and play at the same time. Always the same thing, those Bugles, you know?” He holds his hands up in front of him, wiggling his fingertips. Steve nods, grinning. “Hands full of grease, couldn’t get a grip on anything.” 

Steve’s grin widens when Eddie rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, okay, old man.” He lifts himself from where he’d been leaning on the counter, tapping is own fingertips along the glass. “How about you make yourself useful and do your job? Steve’s looking for a new guitar.”

“Awesome, man, first one?” Greg asks Steve.

“Uh, yeah, I’ve been borrowing a friend’s, but I’d like to get one of my own.” Steve runs a hand through his hair. “Nothing too fancy, I don’t know much about anything really.”

Greg grins again. “A real newbie, I love that.” He walks across to the front left corner of the store. “Obviously you want an acoustic, easier to learn on, especially if this dumbass is the one teaching you.” Eddie lets out a sound of offense. “These are your best bet. No bells and whistles, nothing fancy. You can get fancier once you know more.” Greg turns toward Steve. “Wanna try some out?”

Steve nods and Greg slides a stool over, gesturing for Steve to sit. He pulls the first guitar off its hook and hands it to Steve. Steve strums a few chords.

“How’s it feel?” Greg asks.

“It’s good,” Steve says hesitantly.

“Good but not great, right?” Steve nods. “Yeah, I could tell. That’s okay. You’ll know when you feel it.” Greg takes the guitar back from Steve, handing him a new one.

After about four or five rounds, Greg pulls the last one off the wall. It looks a little like Robin’s, but the wood’s a little darker, almost red, and the finish is a little shinier. Steve’s fingertips are buzzing when he takes it from Greg and feels the smooth strings under his fingers. 

“That’s it, right?” Greg asks, smiling.

“Yeah,” Steve breathes out. “This is it.” He returns Greg’s smile.

Eddie meets them back up at the counter, wandering over from where he’d been sifting through the sheet music. 

“Find one?” Eddie nods toward the case on the counter. 

“Found a real good one,” Greg tells him, snapping the lid of the case open to show him.

Eddie grins, dimples on full display. “Wow, Stevie.” Eddie looks over at Steve, face soft. “Looks great. Very metal.” 

Steve’s not entirely sure why that makes him blush.

read the new chapter of all of me changed like midnight. posted now

[daydreaming-optimist]

I LOVE that you’re bandstand posting today bryn 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💗💗💛💛 there’s always some part of me that’s yelling about it 24/7

(speaking of, idk if I’ve asked before - what are your top songs from the show? 👀)

Jess I will ALWAYS jump at the chance to talk about Bandstand, it is so near and dear to my heart I love it so much (also it's available for rent rn on broadway on demand!!)

As for favorite songs, I really just want to say all of them but I don't think that's allowed lol, so I guess here are my top ones

Right This Way

Welcome Home (both versions!! Obv I LOVE the finale but the piano and instrumentals for the original one are just?? So pretty omg???)

Love Will Come and Find Me Again

Counterpoint/Pie Jesu (underrated MASTERPIECE, this scene/transition doesn't get nearly enough attention for how beautiful it is)

Nobody (the instrumental bit in the middle was my gymnastics floor music my senior year of high school)

This Is Life (again, both versions)

A Band in New York City (especially that bit towards the end where the bari sax and brass comes in while the ensemble is echoing right this way)

Everything Happens (June reminds me of my mom)

Who I Was (because I have to shout out my girl Julia <3)

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

I'll Cover You, Reprise (Rent)

Live in my house/I'll be your shelter/Just pay me back/With one thousand kisses/Be my lover/And I'll cover you

"If you know (have seen Rent) then you know. But to take the same lyrics as their joyful love duet earlier on the show and turn it into a solo funeral dirge?? His lover has just died in the most horrific way imaginable and no one cares because the struggle of a gay poor poc in the aids crisis is just a statistic but to him it was so real and so firey and to watch the love of his life go from the most joyous person to ever live into a corpse is just. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

The Killing Kind (Marianas Trench)

If madness overtakes us both/Then nobody would be alone/The ghost of us can linger hereForever not to disappear/Stay, stay near/Oh, stay/We could be together here/Forever with/Together bound in madness

"Where to even start, holy shit. It's the final song of a concept album themed around being haunted by someone you used to be in a relationship with. So many Edgar Allen Poe references. It's orchestral, it's cinematic, it's epic. You Will Get Goosebumps. Upon first listen, you won't be able to describe what you just heard. It's like an auditory hit and run. Listen to it again. It is now stuck in your head. You will be singing it for days. You're welcome. (Also, it starts out a little quiet. For best results, use headphones or crank up the sound, but it does Not stay quiet, so keep that in mind.)"

"It's a descent into madness over the course of nearly 7 minutes. It revisits several of the musical themes and motifs from the rest of the album and the band's previous work. The instrumental really does the fucking me up more than the lyrics."

The Killing Kind submitted by @thegayknee

[eatmangoesnekkid]

I've been a devotee of kundalini for a long time even before I knew what it was. When I lived in New Orleans in 2012 for 4-5 months, I used to be deeply stimulated everywhere all the time—literally. "Wet-daily-like-flowers" was an edit I made to my first book inspired and honorary after moving. I rented one bedroom from a shared house with a couple. I will never forget the heat I felt from merely sitting on the very colonial-looking front porch and watching life pass by. I would be all warm and sweaty and suddenly hear a 'second line' approach in the distance. All the real live instruments, jubilee, and costumes would be near and I'd jump up, rush to lock my door, and run out into the streets with my fairy wings on my back and start twirling. So much genuine love and life force pulsed through my body in these innocent, musical, high-spirited moments with strangers who felt like kin. I also used to go to a Black church near my home. I only went because of the life-giving music I could hear playing when I was in my bathroom, and leave out before the preaching started. The spirit in the music at Black churches is so otherworldly and orgasmic. The reverence in feeling life force protrude and pulse through my spine in various ways opened up and expanded my reality--my heart, sex, and possibilities. Just thinking about New Orleans gives me goosebumps. Goosegumps are the flow of kundalini energy. -India Ame'ye, Author, Pictured in New Orleans in 2012 on the day I paid my deposit and first month's rent and I have no idea what I was trying to say in the text/caption LOL --for the first two months, I lived in this house alone because the couple was working in another state. It was such a magical transformative time for sure.

[demodays]

From Bright Eyes,

Lovers Turn To Monsters

"and I want a place to hang out,

Where record players - play out

and there's a thousand movies rented

For a thousand hours with her"

From Modest Mouse,

A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy

"So you let your hair down

And you let the name's fly

Stupid"

These tracks have sharp edges that create a sincere agony, a true-to-the-sound-of-anxiety. There is nothing feint about these feelings, they are the desperate crawl out and away from the bitter break of loneliness. The vocals are loud and in your face. These songs force confrontations between the self, your limits to scream and how well you remember the stories you tell yourself. You have lived these moments, these songs have seen you cry.

Lovers Turn To Monsters is a track I found on YouTube while looking around for some Neutral Milk Hotel rarities. This track is the 12th release of a project called, "Insound Tour Support." I have not found the entire project catalog. I found that, "Insound Tour Support 2.0" was produced by KEXP in Seattle. I have thoughts on KEXP, I will share those soon. I supposed that this project was like, "Live From Nowhere Near You." I will review songs off that project - it contains some of the best and unreleased songs from some of my favorite artists. I am not sure what or when this tour support was released or where the whole project can be found. There are some tracks uploaded on YouTube, along with this one. The music is out there and I will review the other uploads. The intensity of this track is important to me, the vocal performance is unmatched to any other artist and this song breaks through barriers that I hadn't known from Conor Oberst. A genuine moment of vulnerability was captured in this piece of art, you can hear the exact part the vocal performance confesses a profound sadness and agony to you.

"A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy" is a unique track from Modest Mouse. It is another angle for us to experience, "Edit The Sad Parts." There are two version of, " A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy" and of, "Edit the Sad Parts." For both songs there is a live and studio version, I listen to both interchangeably some days I crave the treble of the guitar that comes from the live performance of either song. There is a sinister sound to the intro of, "A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy" an intro that brings to my mind a painful sensation of something sharp rubbed against the surface of your body, of your shape, your person, your identity. There is a feeling of something hurt by that guitar. The verse and the instrumental sound like a prototype for "Edit The Sad Parts."

Spoilers ahead, I recommend listening to these tracks in their entirety before reading my closing statement.

Okay. The reason I paired these tracks together was the structures of the songs are similar. They emit this sincere feeling of anxiety, and the depression that comes from a self-actualization of self-imposed fear. The worst and most vicious at times. The songs have vulnerable verses and ask the listener to forgive them in the form of a struggling instrumental that evolves into a pressing and strong feeling of hope.

There weren't any versions of "Lovers Turned To Monsters" uploaded to be included in this post. There are uploads on YouTube. This is the live version of, "A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy."

[shatterthefragments]

🌻

SO I sorta play/am relearning to play the flute and (tenor sax),

Treble clef to read: my beloved. Not quite as used to the bass clef but I *can* given enough time

And I have a midi keyboard that I may have mistaken for being able to ALSO be a keyboard oops but at least it was super cheap when I got it 😅 and I have *access* to a trumpet if I so wanted bc the sister played in middle school (cost of buying the cheapest instrument < the cost of renting even just for three years in middle school)

And I’ve always had an obsession with the cello and wanted to play SO hopefully I’ll be able to make space for and save enough money to buy one used and though I HIGHLY doubt it would be in time (especially given I’d probably need to road trip to get it) …or if one of the music stores has an absolutely ridiculous sale… that’s also an option 👀

Buuut given I can’t really remember how to hold a bow properly and tbh was Not very good at it anyway (but hey I only had one free 30 minute lesson that was SUPPOSED to be for the flute to develop skills further in concert band) I’d need actual lessons and probably couldn’t jsut learn on YouTube but the near city has adult basic cello classes!!

But given that maybe bass or guitar would be better first?? But I don’t know if my fingers can reach across the fretboard?? I couldn’t really when I played guitar in my hotel suite I got upgraded to (…I should. Post to my personal social media at some point bc they probably upgraded me bc I’m young and they figured I would) but it’s still super fun!!

Or like. I know I can finger the ukulele bc I played in third grade but it broke so I can’t anymore but back then it was maaaaybe $40 and I fear it would be twice that (ah yeah they are. Also I don’t remember how to play at all) (and ukulele basses are even more expensive)

Buuut I also need to brush up on my theory and tbh bc I play wind, I have no idea about Chord theory or progrsssions. So maybe learning in a keyboard (which are fairly cheap in marketplace but I just. Have a Lot of mini trips coming up… so I should not by any means. Especially if I also want to get more tattoos in the fall) also I kinda want an alto sax too since fingerings translate

So I can’t really decide what to do next (“get good at your current instruments shatters!!”) also I lost the tenor sax mouthpiece after I washed it so I could hopefully start playing again but in sure it’s kicking around in the kitchen somewhere (tbh I’ll need to wash it again if it is though)

Also considered drums bc Ekits are quieter however I have no space (my sax is currently in the sis’ room 😭) and then booked a trip instead :P

And like?? I need to figure out which daw (preferably free) I can use to record stuff~

Ah I should probably get a mic at some point but I’m hoping my phone or earbuds will do the job for me tbh haha

Wanting to maybe fiddle around with a few covers (prev just Kingdom of Cards but gosh there are SO MANY GOOD SONGS less that I am capable of singing - fuck knows I can’t actually sing the way they do and my range is Limited but 🤷🏻 if I’m having a good time it’s all good hey)

And then eventually make one of my songs (which. Let’s be honest. Many old lyric papers I recycled now. And I still can’t get in to so many of my locked notes in the notes app so I have to most likely come up with something new or newish but that’s ok what else are emotions for but vent poetry amiright??

Also the ads for nocturnal bass are wearing me down but it’s too expensive when I have no clue what I’m doing yet. I have a bunch of free sounds loops and resources already… as long as I can Actually access them on a portable drive bc my laptop has no space and I need to delete so much off it already tbh

And I know it’s not a tag game but friendly tags for my fellow musicians to ramble on about music/instruments if they want to: @eepymonstrr @ongreenergrasses @hookedhobbies @caffeinatedbraincell @elkkiel (bc drums 👀) @branches-in-a-flood (unless it’s too long ago now and doesn’t bring you joy to talk about) and anyone else who wants to ! GOODNIGHT!!!

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Kid Millions and Sarah Bernstein

Photo by Caleb Bryant Miller

Kid Millions and Sarah Bernstein both have long CVs in experimental music, Millions as the drummer for Oneida and Man Forever and Bernstein as an avant garde composer and performer with the VEER Quartet, the avant-jazz Sarah Bernstein Quartet, and solo as Exolinger. They’ve been improvising together for roughly a decade, building mesmerizing sonic architectures out of free-form drumming, wild violin pyrotechnics and cryptic spoken word. Of their latest, Live at Forest Park, Margaret Welsh writes, “Bernstein and Colpitts weave sound together into an unsettling fever dream-like warp, growing larger and smaller. All you can do is lay back and surrender to the waves.” Here are some things that inspire the two.

Kid Millions

Billy Harper Quintet — In Europe (Soul Note)

While I admire and enjoy all of the Quintet albums I’ve heard, this particular one captures something ineffable and transcendent. The Quintet’s personnel changes throughout Harper’s career but this particular session has the tunes, the passion, the reaching and the constant surprises that make it my most listened to album in the last ten years. Fred Hersch is especially sympathetic and powerful on this too. I really want to see this group ASAP. Billy Harper is still playing!

Pete La Roca — Basra (Blue Note)

La Roca is a drummer who is unappreciated but his playing and compositions stand out. This album gets the slight nod over the legendary Turkish Women at the Bath because it was recorded well. He’s in the same league as Elvin and also wrote some incredible tunes.

George Adams & Don Pullen Quartet — City Gates (Timeless) (but any record is cool)

I’m leaning on big tenor sounds these days, and George Adams stands in the same universe as Billy Harper because he plays the range of the instrument — there are gorgeous melodies set alongside blistering free blasts. Don Pullen is incredible as well. Near the end of his life he started to write more songs with hooks, but he shreds like Cecil Taylor. I’m digging the stuff that straddles the line between songs and free these days.

Henry Threadgill with Brent Hayes Edwards — Easily Slip Into Another World (memoir)

This is a brand-new book, and I’m finding lots of inspiration and great advice within the pages. His discussion about how young musicians need to find their way within the tradition, among their peers, and on their own terms applies to all traditions, rock included. In order to really engage with the music, you have to play all the time, with other people. You have to play covers, and you have to play in front of audiences. And you need to be fired. I certainly have!

Marcus Gilmore

Such an incredible, deep, drummer. You should go see him ASAP!

Sarah Bernstein

Music/poetry films I like:

When It Rains — Charles Burnett (1995)

Charles Burnett’s work speaks to me as a whole. The films I’ve seen slip into a continuous flow of poetic story/documentary. When It Rains is a 13-minute short film that takes place on a festive New Years Day, but January’s rent needs to be paid. Musicians are among the characters and sound, and it plays like a jazz improvisation. A particular highlight is seeing instrument-maker Juno Lewis on-screen playing his double bell trumpet. The story’s ending will have vinyl collectors smiling.

The Connection — Shirley Clarke (1961)

Before discovering this movie, I knew director Shirley Clarke from her later film "Ornette: Made in America," also a must-see. The Connection is a film version of Jack Gelber’s play for the burgeoning Living Theatre. Most of the actors from the stage play, and all the musicians, are also in the film. The band is swinging: Freddie Redd composer/pianist, Jackie McLean alto sax, Michael Mattos bass, Larry Ritchie drums. The musicians also act in the story, and even the turntable — playing Charlie Parker’s Marmaduke — provides a key recurring motif in the film.

Poetry In Motion — Ron Mann (1982)

Poetry in Motion, By Ron Mann from bob stein on Vimeo.

The other movies on this list are ones I’ve seen relatively recently, but Poetry In Motion I watched in an art-house cinema as a teenager, and it had a big impact on me. The documentary shows 40 poets and performers, including Jayne Cortez, Dianne Di Prima, Helen Adam, William S. Burroughs, Amiri Baraka, Allen Ginsburg, Jim Carroll, John Cage, Robert Creeley, Miguel Algarin, to name a few! Also check out Ron Mann’s first feature film: Imagine The Sound (1981), a superb profile of Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Bill Dixon and Paul Bley.

Desolation Center — Stuart Swezey (2018)

The concert footage is so good. Highlights are Einsturzende Neubauten and Survival Research Labs literally blowing up the desert in Joshua Tree. Also Sonic Youth, Minute Men, Swans, all in DIY festivals and shows taking place in outdoor remote locations in 1980’s SoCal.

Amazing Grace — Alan Elliott/Sydney Pollack (2018)

Aretha Franklin and choir hold a live concert recording session of her gospel album Amazing Grace over two days in 1972. This is not a documentary with talking heads or explanation, rather the action is all in the music and spirit. Aretha Franklin’s genius and deep interaction with the listeners and choir is riveting and inspiring, even more so with repeat viewing.

[bubblesandgutz]

Hello again, Brian! New album is dope and on heavy, heavy repeat. So, thanks for that. Was wondering, now that we're a year out from you and the guys getting robbed, how are you liking the changes to your gear? I noticed your rig is predominantly Darkglass, do you still have the Meatsmoke? We're you able to rebuild your board with the same gear? New preferences? Thanks!

Hey y'all... big apologies for not getting through my inbox with any degree of regularity. This message is from last year, so I've obviously been slacking. Sorry! And thanks for the kind words regarding Gnosis.

Russian Circles were robbed in Chowchilla, CA back in October '21. Our box truck was parked at a hotel parking lot and we woke up in the morning to find the majority of our gear, merch, and a bunch of miscellaneous personal items gone. Personally, I lost two speaker cabinets, a synth, a MIDI keyboard, a baritone guitar, a bass, pedalboard, and a bunch of accessories (DI, strings, cables, multitools, etc). Oh... and they took a really nice pair of boots from me. Assholes.

It was an unusual tour for us because it was only a handful of shows and it was on the West Coast, so we flew out and Mike and Dave rented/borrowed a bunch of gear. I had just purchased three speaker cabs from Darkglass, so I had driven my rig down from Seattle. I was fortunate because my amps weren't stolen (they were in a beat-up cardboard box that the thieves must've missed) and I still had my Meatsmoke back in Chicago. But I had JUST bought those cabinets, so that was a very big bummer.

We were unlucky in that our gear insurance had lapsed. This was because the renewal email from the insurance company was sent to a label employee that had gotten a new job during the pandemic. However, because so much of the gear was rented/borrowed, it likely wouldn't have covered much of the loss. But we were very fortunate that fans were generous via GoFundMe and several instrument companies immediately offered to help us out (thank you Darkglass, Electrical Guitar Company, Dunlop, Fuzzrocious, and Keith McMillen). It was also a big turning point for us because Hiwatt loaned Mike a backline for the remaining shows, and Mike has never been happier with his sound now that he's playing Hiwatts.

Ever since the robbery, I've been cycling through a lot of different gear options. I was able to rebuild my pedalboard, but my new bass and baritone have slightly different sonic characteristics from the instruments that were stolen, and as a result my sound changed slightly. Most of my first shows back after the pandemic were nowhere near Chicago, which meant I didn't have access to my 8x10 and Meatsmoke. So I used the Darkglass amp and cabs for the TAAS shows, SUMAC shows, and remaining stateside RC dates in 2021 and early 2022. Russian Circles went back to Europe in Spring '22 and I rented a couple of Ampeg SVT3s for the tour just because they tend to be the amps that I'm most comfortable dialing in. I felt really confident about the sound I got in Europe... felt like it was closer to my pre-robbery sound... so I got back to the States and bought two cheap used SVT3s for our Fall tour. By the end of the tour, both amps were broken beyond repair. I finished the tour using my Meatsmoke on bass and Darkglass for synth stuff. The Meatsmoke is still an excellent amp but I'm nervous taking it on the road now that Verellen isn't making amps anymore.

My Meatsmoke and 8x10 are still in Chicago. Most of my Darkglass stuff is in LA. And since most of my musical activity this year has been in the PNW with Botch and SUMAC, I've had to cobble together a backline from borrowed stuff here in Seattle. Been using a pair of cabs that belong to Cory from Minus the Bear and have been borrowing amps from Science and Hiwatt. Both amps are fantastic. I actually bought the Science amp after recording the new SUMAC album on it, and am currently talking with Hiwatt about getting one of their DR201 amps.

So that's where I've been at with gear. If you've been wondering why every picture of my backline on Instagram is different, that's the reason.

[casketcat-archived]

Various Ob.ey Me Kiwa Headcanons !

under the read more because this is a long post !!

Sleep ; Kiwa has a few odd sleeping habits! For one, she usually sleeps mostly in the nude. Typically just shorts! She overheats really quickly at night and it wakes her up, so she figured that would be the easiest way to handle that. On some nights she does just have a very loose, thin fabric nightgown though! For sleepovers where clothes are kinda, y’know, necessary— She likes tank tops and shorts!

Sleep 2 ; Kiwa sleeps with a ridiculous amount of stuffed animals and other various cozy, cuddly items. She is a ridiculously cuddly individual and actually can’t sleep well if she doesn’t have her arms wrapped around something. She also just always loves being surrounded in a little pile of soft things!! She will, however, sacrifice some of her plush space for a partner to share her bed with her though… they wouldn’t fit otherwise lol

Bed ; Kiwa’s bed is covered in stuffed animals, pink, and many kinds of pillows and blankets. She doesn’t use the blankets too much, but she likes the texture of most of them! Her bed is also set up with a soft pink sheer fabric canopy, and she has a few extra stuffed animals atop the canopy for storage in a place she can still see them when she lays down! The bed is SUPER fluffy to sit on and very cozy!!!!

Art ; Art is a very, very important thing to Kiwa! Quite a few different forms of art too! She adores painting, and actually has painted a small mural on the wall of her room! Yes, she argued with Lucifer over it at least once lol. He could not stop her no matter how hard he tried. The mural is of various types of flowers with some clouds. She adds small new things to it sometimes when she’s bored! A few of the added things have been clouds in the shapes of various animals! She’s been considering asking Diavolo if she could paint a larger mural somewhere around R.A.D.

Art 2 ; Another form of art Kiwa really adores is music! She’s generally pretty good with a two instruments— piano, taught by her mother, and the guitar she learned in high school! She doesn’t play either too much anymore, but they’re still near and dear to her heart! If you catch her glancing longingly at a piano, it’s probably cause she misses the one she has at her parent’s place back home… she’s just not gonna say anything about it.

Art 3 ; A big (but subtle) way Kiwa shows her affection is sketching things of people she’s close to. She kinda finds herself doodling crushes of hers in class pretty frequently. She also draws them gifts and little sticky notes with motivational drawings very often! That applies to friends too, they always get cute little stuff on their books, doors, and various little places they’d stumble across in their day to day! She just wants to give them little random mood boosts!

Art Supplies ; Kiwa has and uses many different types of art supplies! These take up a good portion of her room and storage within it! Canvases, many kinds of paint, pencils, pens, stickers, and more! She has drawers upon drawers full of them. She typically goes for nicer brands, she’d rather shell out more money for higher quality supplies than have to buy more supplies bc cheaper ones run out faster! A good chunk of her funds go into art supplies. She also has a very large tower of storage drawers full of fabric!

Sewing ; Kiwa is a seamstress who runs her own small business. On top of her various other forms of art, sewing is one that’s especially important to her. Her adoptive father was a fashion designer as well (though he is now retired) and taught her a lot of what she knows about it! She did a lot of online classes about it as well— one of the few school-like things she’s ever been able to focus on. This blossomed into her running a small business making custom lingerie focusing on plus sizes.

Small Business ; Kiwa’s business started while she was in the human world, it’s one of the big ways she paid rent and bought her art supplies and fabric! Her business did continue into her moving to the Devildom, and she’s been having a lot of fun making lingerie for demons now as well! She has also started shifting into making regular clothing clothing items as well since coming to the Devildom. May as well expand her abilities as long as she’s somewhere new!

Angelic ; Kiwa is a human. Her mother, however, was not. For many, many years her mother was angel in the celestial realm. However, her mother eventually fell in love with a human man and gave up her blessing to become a human and live with him. Eventually Kiwa was born from their marriage, and she is completely a human.. but some angels can possibly sense she has a bit of angelic descent in her. Kiwa’s mother unfortunately passed away due to a human disease when she was a pre-teen, a disease that for a long, long, long time wouldn’t have impacted her at all.

School ; School…. isn’t really Kiwa’s thing. She’s not super good with it, nor has she ever been. Even throughout her time in the human world. It’s actually why she dropped out of college to just pursue her small business and the like. Even now enrolled in R.A.D., she’s not doing too well in majority of her classes. She’s a little frustrated about it, and it makes her upset more often than she’d like to admit, but she’s trying… kind of.

Side Business ; Kiwa started doing cam girl-type work around the time she turned 20. Alongside her lingerie business, it brought in a good amount of money! She paid rent, bought her supplies, and lived pretty nicely. She also gave a bit to her parents to assist her brother’s college fund! She really enjoys the work she does, she finds it a very nice way to express herself and her sexuality a little more, but she’s also not super attached to it. She would drop the more explicit work once in a relationship if her partner wanted her to! She would love to still do suggestive photoshoots with her own lingerie on occasion if her partner was comfortable though.

Side business 2 ; despite Kiwa being a cam girl, and doing very explicit stuff for strangers on the internet, she’s never dated or really had any romantic or sexual partners in person. She’s been far too busy, but it’s not for lack of interest!!! She hasn’t even had her first kiss in most situations solely because she’s just… busy. She has always been busy!

Brother ; Kiwa’s younger brother, Shion, has always been someone she’s very close to and who is very important to her. She always values Shion’s opinions and always enjoys being around him! This is possibly because on top of being his older sister, she did spend a good chunk of her teenage years basically half parenting him because of how busy their dads got. Their fashion design business picked up at a super unfortunate time, and they tried to be their for the kids as much as physically possible, but Kiwa assured them she didn’t mind helping out taking care of Shion. She did a decent job basically parenting him!!

Parents ; Kiwa’s birth parents unfortunately passed away when she was still fairly young, pre-teens, but she was adopted by two family friends after that. Her dads are two of the kindest, most loving, sweet people ever. One of them used to be a fashion designer, while the other was basically his secretary and assistant. They worked so well together and Kiwa always looked up to them! They are now retired and teach a pottery class in her hometown. Their hometown is small and in the country side, not very big, but warm and welcoming. One of her dads became mute from an accident a few years before her time in the Devildom, and as such, Kiwa, both of her dads, and her brother all learned and know JSL to communicate.

Mornings ; Kiwa isn’t much of a morning person. She can’t really wake herself up too easily— when she first wakes up is one of the main times you can ever really make her mad or see her grouchy! She’s pretty huffy in the morning when she first wakes up unless it’s on her own terms. She falls back asleep pretty easily too! If you try to wake her up, and you don’t see her put her feet on the floor, she’s probably gonna fall back asleep. She’s a little better about mornings if she has a partner who she shares a bed with— waking up cuddling someone she loves negates any possible bad mood.

Pets ; Kiwa has had quite a few pets throughout her life— animals are something she is ALWAYS going to adore. She’s always cared so much for animals. Currently, though, she has a few pet ferrets. There are five total, and they are absolute little trouble makers. Their names are Cupcake, Macaron, Donut, Bonbon, and Pudding! Their enclosure takes up about an entire wall of her room, and she takes wonderful care of them!! They are her babies!! HER BABIES!! They have plenty of toys and places to hang out!! Sometimes… they run around the House of Lamentation.. chaotic babies.

Magic ; Kiwa has an odd and distinct lack of magical power. She doesn’t have much of an interest in pacts, but she doesn’t have much innate magic either. She struggles to learn it and doesn’t do well in classes that teach and involve magic. She doesn’t really seem to mind it too much, mainly because she knows there’s other things she’s good with! Maybe one day she’ll be more interested in pacts with the demon brothers, but as for now, she’s a little uneasy about the idea.

Love Languages ; Kiwa’s main two love languages are physical touch and quality time. She is a cuddly, touchy, lovey thing and being able to touch and be close to her partners (and friends!!) is so important to her. She respects those who are nervous about it, and she does her best to be considerate about it!! Her brother isn’t much of a cuddly person either, so she’d adapted to try her best to ask less affectionate people before just tackling them into a hug. She forgets sometimes but she’s doing her best!! Quality time is also very important to Kiwa, she’s the type who’s very content just being in the same room with someone she cares about even if they’re doing completely different things. It’s bonding time that she really treasures.

[kimium]

for the ask game: orchid, cactus, mahonia, and jasmine!

(From this ask HERE)

Thanks for the ask, friend! I love how we were talking about asks earlier today and now I have one!

Orchid: What's a song you consider to be perfect?

Perhaps this is sort of cheating, but I think One Summer's Day by Joe Hisaishi (from Spirited Away) is a perfect song. While there are no lyrics, as the song is instrumental, for me this song perfectly encapsulates summer time as a child. The slow start, reflects the languid, sluggish feeling of heat and lack of schedule. Routine clings through the entire song and it's only near the end that change rushes towards you, demanding to be noticed, unyielding in its approach. Change will come for you, but are you ready to deal with it?

Though, I suppose if you want a song with lyrics, then I think HEAVEN by Ayumi Hamasaki is perfect. It's a hauntingly beautiful song, but a sad song. The music video also lives entirely rent free in my brain.

Cactus: Something you're currently learning (about)?

Uh, well entirely against my will I need to learn more about ChatGPT just because it affects my work/job. Literally sat through two PD sessions last week on the topic...

Mahonia: What place, thing, activity inspires you most and how do you express yourself when it does?

I don't know if I have a specific thing that inspires me. Instead, I think I find inspiration in the small pieces that I encounter every day. A quote I read on a tumblr post, a dessert I baked, the glow of the sun as it rises in the morning, the small window of time between my thoughts and sleep taking me, etc.

When I want to express myself I usually write. That's why I have so many fics. I also draw a lot, though it's all traditional media.

Jasmine: Do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

Yes, I do.

When I was twelve I watched Rurouni Kenshin. I adored the series and it sparked my love of the Meiji era. I'll never forget binging the series and holding my breath with each fight and each challenge. I'll never forget how I felt when certain characters died. I'll never forget the OP. I'll never forget the dub, even if it was for a 90s anime.

However, knowing what the mangaka has done, I can never watch the series again. And I'm fine with that. Supporting real people hurting (even if my support feels minimal) is stronger and more important than a series I enjoyed as a child.

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Good Kid (The Lightning Thief)

And no friends,/And no hope,/And no mom!/... She's taken away.

"When I went through my musical phase, this song lived in my mind rent free. The short silence after Percy yells "And no mom!", Just. AMAZING angst potential for any animatics"

Poll Runner: I never read Percy Jackson or anything, but the musical is FIRE. This song is especially sad, Percy just found his place, and feels like he's about to lose it all over again, which reminds him of all he's lost, and how he feels like a screw up for being kicked out of so many schools, his breakdown culminating in his grief over the loss of his mother. And yes, it's absolutely perfect for projecting onto OCs

Progress (The Dear Hunter)

Your mind is open/But your mouth stays closed enough/To keep painful words from falling out/With every ounce of passion I speak 'til my lungs both billow out/I'll give you something to hope for/And the only thing that brings me back is love

"mostly the lyrics in general. the "this is good, and yet..." its so simple and so applicable to mannnyyy blorbos. its also very singable and since it's a shorter song, it's easier to memorize too there's an amount of emotional strain in the song, not in the vocals but definitely in the instrumental, especially near the end when the strings come in. real emotional shit it's as well a much more soft, electronic song, which is a MASSIVE step away from what The Dear Hunter usually sounds like which makes it all the more impactful to regular listeners. jsyk this song runs directly into the next song on the album, Therma, which is why it cuts off kinda weird with the percussion And the only thing that brings me back is *love*."

[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Carla Bley: The Top 25 icons in Jazz history

Carla Bley: The Top 25 pearls in Jazz historyCarla Bley: a life in MusicSubscribe & download the best scores and sheet music transcriptions from our Library.Carla Bley Big Band - Festival de Jazz de Paris 1988Track ListPersonnelBrowse in the Library:

Carla Bley: The Top 25 pearls in Jazz history

One of the finest and most productive of all female jazz instrumentalists, bandleaders and composers is Carla Bley. From her sprawling jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill to her arrangements for Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, and from her Big Carla Bley Band to her trio with saxophonist Andy Sheppard and bassist Steve Swallow, she has made her mark on all sizes of composition and ensemble. This ten-piece band toured in the 1980s and catches her iconoclastic reworking of gospel and big band jazz.

Carla Bley: a life in Music

Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg, May 11, 1936) is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator over the Hill (released as a triple LP set), as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other artists, including Gary Burton, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Art Farmer, John Scofield and her ex-husband Paul Bley. Every jazz fan knows the name of Carla Bley, but her relentless productivity and constant reinvention can make it difficult to grasp her contribution to music. I began listening to her in high school when I was enamored with the pianist Paul Bley, whose seminal nineteen-sixties LPs were filled with Carla Bley compositions. (The two were married.) My small home-town library also had a copy of “The Carla Bley Band: European Tour 1977,” a superb disk of rowdy horn soloists carousing through instantly memorable Bley compositions and arrangements. Some pieces change you forever. The deadly serious yet hilarious “Spangled Banner Minor and Other Patriotic Songs,” from that 1977 recording, celebrates and defaces several nationalistic themes, beginning with the American national anthem recast as Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Sonata. From the first notes onward, I was never quite the same again. The novelist and musician Wesley Stace has a similar story: “Aged sixteen, and full only of rock and pop music, I came upon Carla Bley by chance through a Pink Floyd solo project, Nick Mason’s ‘Fictitious Sports,’ which I only bought because the vocals were by my favorite singer, Robert Wyatt, once of Soft Machine. It’s a Carla Bley album in all but name: her songs embellished with brilliant and witty arrangements. I wanted to hear more. ‘Social Studies’ (also from 1981) thus became the first jazz album I ever bought, opening up a whole world I knew nothing about. ‘Utviklingssang’ is perfect, all gorgeous melody and abstraction, no words required. She’s everything I want from instrumental music.”

In the last half decade, many of Bley’s remaining peers from the early years have died: Paul Bley, Charlie Haden, Roswell Rudd, Ornette Coleman, Paul Motian. At eighty-two, Bley is still composing and practicing the piano every day. But it also felt like it was high time to rent a car, visit a hero, and try to get a few stories on the official record. Bley and her partner, the celebrated bassist Steve Swallow (and another living link to the revolutionary years of jazz) live in an upstate compound tucked away near Willow, New York. When I drove up, Bley and Swallow were just coming back from their daily walk through the woodland. Their lawn boasts an old oak tree and a massive chain-link dinosaur made by Steve Heller at Fabulous Furniture, in nearby Boiceville. The home offers enough room for two powerful artists and their personal libraries, not to mention striking paintings by Dorothée Mariano and Bill Beckman. Bley’s upstairs study is stocked with hundreds of her scores and an upright piano, on which she played me her latest opus, a sour ballad a bit in the Monk tradition, with just enough unusual crinkling in the corners to prevent it from being too square. When we sat down to talk, Bley proved to be witty and surreal, just like her music. (Swallow is the house barista and fact checker.) Bley’s early development as an independent spirit is well documented in the excellent 2011 book “Carla Bley,” by Amy C. Beal. I began a little further along, and asked her about Count Basie in the late nineteen-fifties. “Count Basie was playing at Birdland, Basin Street, and the Jazz Gallery when I was working as a cigarette girl,” she said. “I got to hear him more than anyone else, and it was an education.” Basie is still her favorite pianist: “He’s the final arbiter of how to play two notes. The distance and volume between two notes is always perfect.” At the end of the decade, her husband, an associate of Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, and Sonny Rollins, wanted to play more as a trio pianist but lacked material. One day Paul Bley came to Carla and said, “I need six tunes by tomorrow night.” There’s an obvious thread of European classical music in early Bley compositions, and this fit perfectly with the sixties jazz avant-garde. Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” is closer to a Mahler dirge than to Duke Ellington; Charles Mingus gave a deconstructed blues composition the European-style catalogue number “Folk Forms No. 1.” Many of Bley’s own pieces from that era have atonal gestures and abstract titles like “Ictus” and “Syndrome.” Among the many musicians listening carefully was Keith Jarrett, who told me that Paul Bley was, “Sort of like Ahmad with certain kinds of drugs.” Ahmad Jamal’s biggest hit was the D-major dance “Poinciana,” a bland old standard given immortality by Jamal’s rich jazz harmony and the drummer Vernel Fournier’s fresh take on a New Orleans second-line beat. Paul Bley’s recordings of Carla’s famous melody “Ida Lupino” have a G-major dance with a new kind of surreal perspective. When comparing “Poinciana” and “Ida Lupino” back to back, Jarrett’s comment—“certain kinds of drugs”—makes sense. However, while Ahmad Jamal had to use plenty of imagination when rescoring “Poinciana,” Paul Bley just needed to get the paper from his wife and read it down: Bley’s piano score of “Ida Lupino,” with inner voices and canonic echoes, is complete. Like many jazzers, I first heard of the film-noir icon Ida Lupino thanks to Bley’s indelible theme. I finally got to ask her about the title. “I just saw a few movies she did, and I thought she was sort of stripped and basic,” Bley said. “She didn’t have all the sex appeal that a female star should have. She was sort of serious. Maybe I felt a bond with her for that reason. I wanted to be serious. It wasn’t anything to do with her being the first female director. I learned that later.” Another significant early Bley work is “Jesus Maria,” first recorded by Jimmy Giuffre with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow for Verve, in 1961. Among the listeners inspired by this trio was Manfred Eicher, who reissued these recordings for ECM, in 1990. The reissue leads off with the rather classical “Jesus Maria,” where the pretty notes seem to suspend in the air, suggesting the famous “ECM sound” several years before the label was founded. I asked Eicher about Bley’s early compositions and he said, “There are so many of them, each as well crafted as pieces by Satie or Mompou—or Thelonious Monk for that matter. Carla belongs in that tradition of radical originality.” Bley was a radical, but she also sought structure. She told me about the early-sixties avant-garde: “In free playing, everybody played as loud as they could and as fast as they could and as high as they could. I liked them, but there was also what Max Gordon said about a bunch of guys screaming their heads off: ‘Call the pound.’ I think the music needed a setting. Just as it was, I thought free jazz needed work.” A key turned in the lock when Bley heard the roiling, church-inspired experimental tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler, who she says was, “Maudlin! Maudlin in the most wonderful way. He gave me license to play something that was really corny and love it.” Another watershed was “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by the Beatles, a suite of songs that form a bigger picture. “An artist friend of mine came over one day with this album,” Bley told me. “He said, ‘Jazz is dead. All the artists are listening to this. We don’t listen to jazz anymore. This is it.’ ”

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Carla Bley Big Band - Festival de Jazz de Paris 1988

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQUHXCEflK0 Track List 00:00:09​ - Song of the eternal waiting of canute 00:10:24​ - The girl who cried champagne - I 00:18:05​ - The girl who cried champagne - II 00:21:50​ - The girl who cried champagne - III 00:29:29​ - Real life hits 00:40:53​ - Fleur carnivore 00:52:48​ - Lo ultimo 01:00:51​ - end credits Personnel Carla Bley - piano Christof Lauer - saxophone-soprano Wolfgang Puschnig - saxophone-alto Andy Sheppard - saxophone-tenor Roberto Ottini - saxophone-baryton Lew Soloff - trompette Jens Winter - trompette Gary Valente - trombone Frank Lacy - cor Bob Stewart - tuba Daniel Beaussier - oboe, flute Karen Mantler - orgue Steve Swallow - bass Buddy Williams - batterie Don Alias - percussions Read the full article

[tulipe-rose]

Drummer Lucy M. will forever live rent free in my head. She'd be so cool, and pretty I love her. She would start taking lessons from an early age, taking her time until she could play it like second nature. Mark would've taken two weeks of lessons alongside her (shhh ik it won't make sense given the timeline and how they would probably still be in Canada, and a town near the Mississippi but shhh) because he thought it'd make him look cool, but gave up too soon, and went on to be an amazing self proclaimed musician, trying multiple genres because he can't choose one (he's actually has pretty good vocal range, but his ego is infuriating to those close to him. His outfits are usually made for fan service, and Lucy, his twin in everything but blood, makes fun of him 'You look like a hotdog mascot abshshksb'.)

Atsushi would look so good with a saxophone. He'd be under training for a while since his skills are pretty rusty at best, but his potential is there, with Fukuzawa, and Naomi having complete faith in him from the start. He gets his debut a few months later. His signature haircut grows out a little until it looked decent (looks like the one in beast), he usually wore caps, hoods, a hat like tricky's from subway surfers, or maybe have it pulled back with multiple bobby pins. His popularity skyrockets after a few performances, and let me tell you the people love this albino.

The Guild productions™ is an international agency with it's main branch in America, they attempted to recruit Atsushi into their ranks, using underhanded tricks, nearly succeeding for a little over a week before their Japanese branch nearly went bankrupt, courtesy of souheki; they had to give up Atsushi, and Lucy left along with him to work as a barista in the Agency's favorite cafe, rumours about her are spreading like rapid fire, and she tries to act like she couldn't care less (She has had a little bit of a break down when too many people gave her judgemental stares at the grocery store.). Louisa A, the Guild's manager, manages to pull them, and the president, steadily rebuilding their reputation. They'll never go back to their prime days in Japan though.

The Violinists of the show would be Mōri, Dazai (former), Akutagawa (former), and Yōsano.

Akutagawa would've been a very capable violinist in the past, and continued to play despite Dazai's absence in hope of proving himself to him. Chūya, and Gin convinced him to try something different after gaining Dazai's approval (something like what happened during the guild arc), and that's when he found out how well he went with a trombone. Don't question it. He'd look great with one, and by now he's on the fast track to finishing his treatment and getting cured from his lung illness, because he's actually receiving medical attention (courtesy of the black lizard + Higuchi and Chūya, and the fact that it isn't as severe as canon.). I also read somewhere that playing brass instruments helps with the lungs or something.

I can definitely see Kōyō playing either a flute or a harp with the 'Black Port' orchestra, having the Japanese biwa as a side hobby.

Oda's voice would be such heaven on earth to listen to. He was originally a genius in the music industry, having worked with multiple choirs, and collaborating with multiple artists, yet preferring to be a soloist. However, one day, he up and left the entertainment world behind at the age of sixteen without so much as a notice, only to return as a backstage assistant in the 'Black Port' orchestra, not drawing any attention to himself, and refusing to do anything music related if anyone asked. He left that same orchestra after three years due to unknown reasons, though it was rumoured to be related to an agency called 'Mimic', and the maestro (and violinist) of said orchestra. Dazai Osamu, 'The Black Dove of the Port', went off the grid weeks after that. He isn't recognisable at first sight, but people eventually catch on as he debuts with an electric guitarist under one of the country's best agencies two years later. He would mentor the younger recruits from time to time.

Fyodor's Cello should become a fic name if it already isn't.

Kunikida would be an electric guitarist fight me.

Chūya would've be one of the best vocalists in the industry, being an on and off member with the 'Black Port' until he turned 15, officially joining as a snare drum player. He gets assigned to practice with a group that called themselves 'The Flags', they are still alive, happy, and well (I am definitely not escaping reality leave me alone). He was the former drummer, and lead singer with a band of outcast kids during his middle school years because I said so, and he attended lessons with Michizō because redheads solidarity. (Sheep disbanded teen rock band real?!)

Nathaniel might have basic knowledge of how to play an organ because why not??

Kyōka would be a natural pianist, a prodigy in the making, with Kōyō, and Atsushi fighting for the spot of 'biggest fan'. She was recruited by Atsushi despite Kōyō's complete refusal; she came around eventually, and started being more supportive of her growing on her own.

Kenji country music artist Miyazawa got scouted by Fukuzawa after watching him preform beautifully in the middle of a market. Everyone at the performance was smiling uncontrollably, even Fukuzawa being affected. He can play the ukulele, and a normal guitar too.

Yōsano would continue her violin career after quitting lessons with Mōri, but under Fukuzawa's agency. She was proud of her capability, and recognizing it as her own, still flinching slightly at the mention of her former mentor. (He didn't SA her get your mind out the gutter you weirdos, he was just too strict, and his methods weren't conventional, or suitable for eleven years olds)

Naomi is the agency's esteemed manager, and Haruno is Fukuzawa's direct secretary.

Rampo would be an enigma in his own right, one of the best directors that created revolutionary master pieces throughout the 21st century. The agency was founded to support his child acting career, and to serve as a somewhat safe home for him, before he decided to become a director. His reputation is a mix of good and bad, mostly speaking of his random schedules, and sweet tooth, but he couldn't care less. He only starts new projects when he's in the right mood, he's unpredictable like that. He's close friends with one of the Guild's members that specializes in mystery movies, specifically focused on psychological horror; they cause trouble together a lot despite how usually unsociable the latter is.

Jun'nichirō plays on the keyboard, and his audience loves his awkward + cute personality; he's besties with Atsushi, and is always either seen with him, or Kenji. The audience know of him having a sister, but overprotective big brother Juni would never allow her to appear on stage, much less allow the audience to know her name (no incest crap this is a slightly happier life without Abilities)

I could go on but I'm lazy :>

[rdesai19]

Bhai's going away party

We are in the midst of the second going away party of my life. Bhai is going to America. He is going to SF, where Kanchan has been for the last 6 months. Bhai had been at college with Kanchan, They were great friends even then. They were very close friends right to the end. The same agent - Mr. Sonawala - had been retained for my brother. And the same process had been applied. My brother's friend - Naval, who had become an engineer and had gone to America - had provided the sponsorship.

It is a big party. Bigger because my father has a big family too. 15 cousins - so we had ~50 cousins joining in the festivities for Bhai's going away. In addition, there were ~50 who were from Virpur but not cousins. All day, for days at an end - people would stream in sit for hours at an end and leave. People would sit on the floor, not eating or drinking - just talking. Partying.

One night, we went for a movie. It was my second movie memory - Prem Pujari. The alone-in-a-pack experience of walking on empty streets to catch the last bus. Sometimes the last bus was quite crowded. But as soon as you get off the bus, it is solitary again.

One day, there was the ochav. The mandir was invited to send their musician volunteers to our home to hold a singlng party. The whole virpur community and a big neighborhood community was invited to the singing. People sat shoulder to shoulder on the floor, men and women segregated for maximum density without it being weird. And, they sang religiously themed rousing songs to gujarati musical instruments.

The day of departure is like the wedding day - very busy. All day long, people are dropping by to pay their last wishes to the young man soon to be flying away to America. He is not expected to live here ever again. He is not expected to return for many years - since it is very expensive and he needs to get a green card before coming back, else he will not be allowed in again. Basically, he is getting married - moving away to the in-laws house and can only come back if the in-laws allow it. It is a bit similar to saying goodbye to a girl on her wedding day. The whole communities show up.

My father had rented a bus so that people could come to the airport in the middle of the night. All day long, people had been dropping by and leaving. Towards the latter half of the day, people started staying for the bus.

There was constant food being served. People would go into the kitchen - eat and come out. In and out. My mom and the other women cooked for everyone. At some point - everyone had eaten and dinner wound down.

My father had hired a photographer - rather like a wedding. After dinner, there is a long, tedious session - and all the combinations are played out. The three siblings, the family, the one one ones, the one on twos, all that stuff. I have some beautiful picture memories of garlanding my brother in a 1-1 picture and a picture of all 5 of us and me being coy and cute. It gave me the only picture with Atul. Lot of good photo memories.

The night starts winding down as the time to leave for the airport draws near. People leave, people board the bus. I have this memory of throwing up as soon as the bus moved and then passing out.

Bhai left India for SF in '69. I was in KG. Maybe I am year off.