I’ve finished reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. It continually made me want to stop reading the book and start writing - it’s powerful stuff. Her comments about needing to open up and tell what you know as truth resonate with me, and got me thinking about something I may start writing as a series of blog entries (and already have, to some degree, starting with my first post) - the story of how I became a Christian.
I’m not sure if that would be interesting or not, but I feel sort of compelled to write about it. I’ve had enough interesting encounters with other people after mentioning my faith that I think it might be worth doing.
On a few other topics:
1. Work has been extremely busy lately. If anyone reading this is owed an e-mail by me, I apologize. If any of my team members happen to be reading this, I love and appreciate you all.
2. Music has been going well. I’ve been working on 3 different projects simultaneously, and am seeing some great things taking shape. The record that Josh and I have been at for almost 2 years is really taking shape (already?), my solo stuff is slooooooowly coming together, and the collaborative project I’m doing is blazing along, with 3 people/groups signed up to contribute already. I apologize for not elaborating more about this, but I’m heading to bed directly after this is finished.
3. Just when things seem to be settling back into a normal routine at work after Bryan Bickel’s death, I keep finding myself noticing things that remind me of him. Something I mentioned to a friend at the visitation is that it’s a real testament to how important he was to the team - his personality is all over the office, woven into server names, language, traditions, and countless other things.
I still intend to write something about him more, but for now, a playlist I composed the night after his funeral. I thought it fitting. In case you’re interested, the Kool and the Gang is in there because it reminded me of a great time I had with him.
In May of 2002, the entire Detroit office of i33 flew to New York to meet our compadres out there, and we all piled into 2 vans to make the trek from the airport down to the meat packing district where i33’s NY office is located. Bryan and I were sitting in the front, chilling, as the relatively insane van driver ducked and wove through New York traffic, and “Summer madness” came on over the radio. Bryan and I both got hyped at hearing it; it was the perfect soundtrack to the warm weather and time of year. I can still imagine Bryan doing the air synth he was known for when it hits that portamento’d glide up into that final octave…
a playlist for Bryan Bickel
1. Green Pastures - Emmylou Harris (Roses in the Snow) 2. Sometimes- Daniel Lanois (Shine) 3. Never Tear Us Apart - INXS (The Best Of INXS) 4. Final Sunset - Brian Eno (Music For Films) 5. Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang (Light of Worlds) 6. …Passing By - Ulrich Schnauss (Far Away Trains Passing By) 7. Track 01 - gas (zauberberg) 8. Vietrmx21 - Autechre (Tri Repetae++) 9. My Radio - Solvent (Tangent 2002 - Disco Nouveau) 10. “the 3 synthpop tracks” - D’Arcangelo (Rephlex Cat 039, Gold 12”)