Three Day Remaining

Readers,

I apologize for my reticence, though. . .  as of yet there is not much more than the count down to share with you all.

I left Athens on the 3rd, I flew into New York and was immediately submergered in that unique sensation one gets when they feel home. It is difficulty to explain - others tell me how overwhelming the flow of traffic feels and how arresting is the volume of things to do - people - buildings. . . and the list goes on. As I explained in an earlier post, these things bring me inexplicable comfort.

I was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Queens. I lived there in Queens, where my family still abides, until I left for college. I returned home and either took the train or drove to the city several times a year - I still had the best of friends living in the city. The commute was only 45 min from Purchase College in westchester NY - my Alma Mahler [music joke] - I never felt removed or distant from my youth.

In 2009 I left it all.

I started the masters program at UGA, 900 miles away from my sweet and dedicated girlfriend - my family - my friends - my home. The rest is more or less history. In fact what took place over the next 3 years were the necessary steps to putting me here - right here at the foot hills of a music career. Turbulent and tumultuous, far from home I found a community of friends and music lovers, instructors and musical institutions who believe in what I am capable of. I fell into a nest, rich in opportunity and of teeming support.

It is three days and counting before I am off - Lufthansa to Frankfurt to Rome and Rome by bus to Novafeltria where I'll be living for the next 5 weeks.

Great news to share - Salina (the dedicated and loving girlfriend that I mentioned) has gifted me a digital camera!!! So you are guaranteed several hundred photos to make you feel like you're right there with me!

- Since this is my blog and it is still several days before I leave the following is a little explosion of memories and thoughts, of no particular or far reaching impact or interest:

The gift of a digital camera is one that is important to me. Though the ultimate worth of this reflection has no far reaching impact, it does have extraodinary meaning to me. My father is a photographer My Father, William Brent not only did he teach me many things about that art, he encouraged me to pursue it. I spent 2 semesters with my father's Pentax Honeywell 35 mm working as an intern with the International Center for Photography in mid-town New York. I was in the dark room learning to develop film and the techniques/tricks like burning and dodging.  I was excited to find out after 9 months as an intern several of my photos were shown in a gallery downtown Manhattan. This was, as I am sure you can tell, a rich and beautiful experience. Several months after my internship ended my parents gifted me a digital camera - after all film is expensive, cameras are delicate and I had already been educated in the art. I mistakenly left this camera at school after a performance - in a locked room, 8 years ago. It is among some of the most regretable misplacements of generous gifts I have ever lost... my baseball mitt... the komboloi cole gave me... my catchers helmut and mask... thist goes on, and maybe someday I'll find them. I never found the camera, noone ever returned it... 8 years laters Salina offers me this Lumix 14 megapixel digital camera - I am over joyed!

Until next time readers,
Thank you
Joe