Focus

As I'm working on my graduate school applications, I'm realizing more clearly that I don't want to focus on traditional Vietnamese music. It's important to learn as background. But I think I've had enough of that in Saigon. All I want to do now is check out the contemporary music scene in Hanoi, and figure out how cutting edge composers like Vu Nhat Tan and Tran Thi Kim Ngoc could have come out of these old-school Western art tradition focused conservatories of Vietnam.

And I'm figuring out that how much I miss having a piano and guitar around! I thought I could survive if I had a dan bau and dan tranh, but I can't express myself properly on these. I am in need of an outlet. I haven't done free-improvisation in about 2 months and didn't realize how cathartic it was until now. (Can you imagine what the nuns would think if I let go and started playing for real on a piano?) I have Cecil Taylor's 3 Phasis on repeat on my i-pod. It helps a little.