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Posts Tagged ‘travel’

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Bustling About

In My Work on March 6, 2012 at 12:54 pm

After a serious bout of spring cleaning at the office, the sun peaking out to suggest that days are getting longer, and a few well placed plants, I am getting an injection of inspiration and motivation. A few projects are brewing in my mind, and I’m really looking forward to sharing them with you once they are more presentable. They have to do with ‘music knowledge’ in a general sense, and helping people make connections with each other more specifically. I am looking forward to distilling the projects and ideas into a more refined form through conversations with a variety of people.

One such effort is my trek to attend the British Forum of Ethnomusicology later this month, which will be significantly more relaxed than my previous visits. I won’t be presenting a paper, but Kiku and I will have a ‘digital display’ of our on-going research on the transmission of shakuhachi online, building on what we had presented at the DIY Citizenship conference in Toronto. The next few weeks will be spent reviewing and editing some video footage, and producing the digital presentation and related collateral.

Now, let’s see if I work better with a clean space or a cluttered space.


There and Back Again

In Reflections on December 8, 2011 at 2:35 pm


My “break” came a little early this year… or a few years late depending on how you look at it. The truth of the matter is probably somewhere in between. Convocation in early November followed by one last outstanding piece of academic work before I could treat myself to a few weeks of not worrying about any deadlines kept me on my toes. And then, I woke up one morning, and it was time to head off on a trip where there would be no technology; just me, nature, a new place, and lots of exploring to do.

There were many first on this trip: plants, animals, landscapes, waters. Even the skies were different. My brain got a total reset, and my mental space was freed up by a total disconnection with any kind of digital media. It’s definitely motivation to draw better boundaries between work and life, in order to enjoy both to the fullest. Engaging in one while worry that the other is being neglected is completely counter-productive, and all it takes to shift the energy is a little mental adjustments. Admittedly, relaxing is not exactly my forté, but you know what they say, practice makes perfect. I better enjoy this before I suddenly find 2012 magically filled up with things to do!

Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday (whatever it is that you may be celebrating). I hope 2012 will be good to you. See you in the new year!

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Is this the writing bug?

In Reflections on September 1, 2011 at 1:11 pm


When a paper I submitted to a special issue of OCLC Systems and Services on Music Information Retrieval and Library Issues was accepted, it was right around my birthday and a wonderful surprise. It was a particularly welcomed piece of good news as I was in the early stages of thesis writing, and fretting about having to produce the largest document I have ever written to date.

I’ve never thought of myself as a particular good writer, but I realize I love the process of research and writing. Am I a writer? Researcher? Librarian? I don’t know. I like connecting people with each other, and introducing hidden gems of ideas to a wider audience. I have benefited from such interactions, and the trajectory I’d like to embark on is shaped by a desire to help people make those connections. Part of that, I have a feeling, is going to involve writing that is directed to more than just me and a handful of immediate collaborators and colleagues. While I figure out what that will ultimately mean, here’s a little update on what’s coming up as fall approaches.

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