Hi Good People, it’s a fantastic creative time here at SpragueLand. I’m in full-on prep mode lining up the deets for the big concert this Friday with my string group. We’ve been rehearsing and I’ve been doing mini rewrites, all in the spirit to present the definitive version of “Dr. Einstein’s Spin.”

The piece is a three movement sonic travelogue that gets inside my head imagining that I’m inside Einstein’s head as he does his math, looks at the world and projects into the future. The first movement is called “Molecules” and we experience melodies ricocheting off each other, colliding and caressing, subdividing and diminishing. Movement two is called “Rainbow’s” and we find Einstein on a lazy Sunday afternoon taking a walk on the Princeton campus, gazing at the colors in the sky. The last movement is called “The Expanse” and now we’re traveling rocket speed towards the far reaches of space. Sun Ra said “space is the place” and he wasn’t lying. Buckle up!

I like some of the things Einstein talked about. These are the ones that I can understand. 

"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."

We just emerged from a house refinance and had to deal with endless details and a zillion notarized signings. We also paid a visit with our income tax statement. What language is this written in?

"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

Ok, for fun I’ll reveal the inspirations for this piece. I ripped off Chick Corea, Billy Childs, Burt Bacharach, Dori Caymmi, Pat Metheny and Bella Bartok.

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."

The most useful thing I learned in school was how to type properly. I can blaze and there really is freedom in speed! It’s like blowing a jazz solo in the heady realm of alphabet soup! Qwerty rules!

Look below for the details on the concert. The Athenaeum Studio space is a great spot for music with fantastic sound and good restaurants nearby for a pre-concert carbo hit. Students get an admission discount too. See you there I hope!