Boots & Sneakers: A Farewell to Rob Ayotte

This still life, which I did in a college class, is rendered in oil pastel. It makes me think of a friend, who recently died, who had the largest sneaker collection I have ever seen. There were fireworks somewhere a little while ago, and a band is playing across the street. Now though, it's 10:30pm. It has grown hot and sticky. The dog is nervous because of the fireworks. The cat is ignoring us as usual. There are sirens downtown. And I am thinking about the Rob: Robert Bryan Ayotte /

Hometown: Tonowanda, NY / United States You can visit  RememberingRob  on Youtube, a channel setup in his memory at http://youtube.com/RememberingRob It includes clips of some recitals, some from his choir & soloists and selections from his Master's recital for SUNY Binghamton (NY) played on the organ at the First Presbyterian Church there.

  The late Robert Bryan Ayotte, who was Director of Music and Organist for St Mary Parish for seven years, died at home in his Danbury apartment, and was found on June 4, 2008. He was only 34 years old.

Rob earned music performance degrees at SUNY Buffalo and SUNY at Binghamton. At the time of his death, he was in the last stages of earning a DMA in Organ Performance from the University of Indiana at Bloomington. Through the course of his studies, his applied keyboard teachers included Roland E. Martin, David Fuller, Jonathan Biggers, Marilyn Keiser and David Smith. He was known for his devoted work ethic, his skill as a choirmaster and organist, for his dry sense of humor, his generosity of spirit, his willingness to encourage colleagues, his love of chocolate chip cookies and brownies, and for his enormous collection of sneakers and boots.

Besides his work at St. Mary's, Rob served as membership registrar at the local chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He gave his last recital on May 20, 2008 at a Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church, in Baltimore, MD, where he played on a one-of-a-kind antique pipe organ. His is survived by his parents, Peter and Joanne Ayotte, a brother Eric (Shannon), as well as a neice Devin and a nephew, Joshua. He will be greatly missed by the members of his choir, his music staff, his colleagues in the organists guild and other musical organizations he had worked with, by his many friends from college, the clergy and parishioners, his friends at St Mary's. Rob's Funeral was held at St Mary's in June, and later on July 11, 2008 his ashes were interred at St Mary Cemetery. Rest in Peace, friend.

bad day down on the farm

What a horrible day for everyone involved here. my 86 year old aunt (visiting from Florida) fell early this morning and as it turned out - broke both knees as we were getting ready to leave for Foxwoods. My aunt is now off her feet for eight weeks. Her daughter spent the entire day with her at the emergency room. And Maisy, instead of a fun day at the casino, or having a party or going to dinner for her 80th, we have spent the day having high blood pressure while awaiting news about my aunt. Oh yes - fabulous day. Move over Friday the 13th.

Military cheating soldiers out of rightful help

Nation Magazine has estimated that the Military is saving around $8 billion dollars. You might think that they are economizing by getting a deal on equipment. NOT. They are cheating soldiers who have served them well. They are discharging long term soldiers for so called pre-existing mental disorders - disorders not discovered until after ten or twelve years of service. Ten or twelve years that included repeated mental health screenings that found nothing wrong. If not for mental defect, these men are discharged for misconduct when they fall apart with untreated Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome or for Traumatic Brain Injury. Once they are discharged not only do they not get the help they need for treatment - THEY ARE FORCED TO PAYBACK RE-ENLISTMENT BONUSES somethings over $10,000 dollars. Many of these soldiers asked for help, but their requests were denied.

What kind of country have we become? We ask men to give their lives to a trumped up war, then throw them away like used cars when maintenance costs loom.

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/424/soldiers-ptsd.html

Inverse Origami - a poem from Inverse Origami

Instructions for a Timed, Juried Performance:
(hear the author read this poem)

Be sure to
to unfold yourself
as the music begins
or the universe

will unfold another like you
less, perhaps, or more
or in another key
but similar enough.

Chaos conjures you
out of the void
can conjure an army
of you if need be

like you, less, or more
but not you not quite you
not you in all your intricate detail.
You've come this far - unfold.

Expedite.
Don't make them call you twice:
flatten out the soul
until geometry recedes

and winds roar
through you the code
written there
time's sweeping hand.

Unfold before the shredder,
before the trashman turns you on end
before the recycle plant
dissolves you to pulp

again.

---

from Inverse Origami - the art of unfolding
--- Mar (Mistryel) Walker, © 1998
Puzzled Dragon Press

/

Battling entropy - with cat watching....

The forces for chaos are all around me in piles. My cat, ever seeking a better vantage point from which to observe, knocks over the piles. The piles mingle into heaps. Old mail. scraps of drawings, poems. Today I am a Klingon swinging a broom - sorting and barbarically imposing order onto my chaotic belongings which mutter to me of memories and past plans gone awry.

Saxofestivus - crazy name, wild sounds

Yes, Sunday night, a friend, Anne Marie Marra and I attended Saxofestivus – a concert of saxophone quartets at Western Connecticut State University. We went because it was close, and cheap. The press release on the college web page said the event was free, although a sign at the door suggested a $5 donation.

Considering all the pricy alternatives – we thought it might be a hoot to hear a bunch of saxophones playing in their brassy way. We sat in the back in case it wasn’t – so we could sneak out. But we didn’t sneak out. We stayed to the end and clapped for every round because it was worth clapping for….. Unlike a quite a few in the audience – we were not family to any of the players, nor fellow students at WCSU, but were just a couple of low budget boobs out for a little tune to tap a toe to…..

There were four student quartets that played – and the concert ended with a set by the first quartet, who ( I think) were upper classmen or at least the most experienced players of the evening. Who knew four saxophones at once would be so lush? The program ran the gamut from Bach to Twentieth Century music, and strayed once over into pop. All in all – the quality was very good. Well done.

patchwork - a crazy life...

I think my life has been something of a patchwork like the colors on this sculpture. It's been an extended juggling event. Still, I have dropped a lot of plates over 5 decades. You can't go back. You have to start from where you are and figure how to go forward with joy. Selah and hi ho!

This is one of my small scale sculptures. It's gessoed, air-dry clay with oil paints on the surface over the gesso. It was not meant to be provocative at all, just a dramatic pose. There is a bit of gloss medium on top of it all as well.