Last week, my interview with Kelsey Timmerman was published on the Dressember blog. I never imagined I would have a one-on-one conversation with a New York Times bestselling author...
Author: Ars Arvole
composer-pianist, teacher, writer, fair trade and social enterprise advocate
Nourishing Beauty on a Cloudy Day
We arrived at The Cafe at Thistle Farms on a cloudy Sunday afternoon in early March. As my family added baby decorations to the space, I paused...
I’m Still Learning from MIT
...When my dissertation prospectus was approved, I often checked the MIT website for any academic or administrative job my qualifications or experience might fit. "...The intellectual spirit of this place has significantly influenced me..." I wrote in one of two cover letters...
Living Among Confederates
"I see Confederates everyday," I said to a friend last weekend. My two regulars are an unnamed artillery loader on my walk to work and a Revolutionary War Veteran who became a Confederate cavalry leader on my drive from my neighborhood to a main thoroughfare. I have not lived in Richmond, Virginia long enough to… Continue reading Living Among Confederates
What Bright Spots Accompany the Moon
a photo of Mercury from MESSENGER, NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center a poem inspired by my view on the evening of June 15, 2018 with special thanks to my father who often paused to walk into the front yard and look up at the stars and… Continue reading What Bright Spots Accompany the Moon
A Shift in My Creativity
The book Silence and Beauty is part-memoir and part-exegesis of Endo's novel Silence and the intersections it leads to among Japanese culture, Western culture, Christianity, and art. Last week, I paused after reading this quote to ponder what moment would be Ground Zero for my current music-making. It was...
Singing the Syrian
Walking with Earthworms Does an earthworm deserve death after deluge makes it homeless? Or are careful footsteps sacred? If bombs rain as gas and dust flood lungs Shall we trample those who can't go home? Krystal J. F. Grant, April 16, 2017 An earthworm's return home after this morning's deluge became the climax of my… Continue reading Singing the Syrian
Stop and Play the Pianos
"When was the last time I visited a piano store? Over 12 years? Almost 15?" I thought as I parked.
Echoes of Hamilton
"Hey, it's Lafayette," I said and smiled as if referring to a friendly acquaintance. I recognized his recorded voice at the gift shop at The Kennedy Center last weekend: the opening song of Hamilton was playing in the background. After the music's dramatic buildup and split-second pause, I sang along with the name "Alexander Hamilton"… Continue reading Echoes of Hamilton
The Men Who Fried Eggs
My parents do not fry eggs because they prefer the well-doneness of scrambling and boiling. Thus, I was in awe as a teenager when spending the night with a middle-aged couple from church resulted in a fried egg for breakfast. The wife had to go work earlier than the husband, so he was the one… Continue reading The Men Who Fried Eggs
Ars Arvole 