In October, I was mostly an indoor pet. I did quite a lot of scampering outside at the beginning of the month, then got struck down with a stubborn virus đź¦
Concerts 🎻
Frustratingly, I had to miss quite a few events I’d booked. However, I did manage to see the magnificent Mary Coughlan at the Union Chapel in London. Her performance justified the protracted journey home, thanks to tube disruption and the Islington bus stops showing the times for services in Romford.
At the Unitarian Church in Brighton, I saw the Kelleth Trio perform pieces by Mozart, Arvo Pärt, Sally Beamish, Haydn, and Beethoven. The trio are members of the Brighton Chamber Ensemble and comprise Rachel Ellis on violin, Siriol Hugh-Jones on cello, and Stephen Carroll-Turner on piano. I’ve seen them a few times and they’re wonderful.
The Brighton Early Music Festival is always an Autumn highlight. Although I ended up having to miss most of it, I did manage to see their performance of Purcell’s semi-opera The Fairy Queen at St George’s Church in Kemptown. Although The Fairy Queen is widely performed, it’s unusual to include the dance, which had been restored in this production. Based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the story follows the Fairies and their King and Queen, Oberon and Titania, quarrelling over a changeling child. First staged in 1692, the final masque celebrates the 15th wedding anniversary of William III and Mary II. It was glorious to hear the original music and see the dancing.
Music 🎵
One advantage of feeling poorly is that it made me more focussed on the piano. Lacking in energy, I spent most of the month working on just one piece: Rameau’s Les Sauvages. Three bars are eluding me, so I’m currently devising some techniques to make it easier. Molly Gebrian’s Learn Faster, Perform Better has been immensely helpful, for learning music and just about anything else.
On the bass, I’ve been trying to get the hang of the Nashville numbering system. I perhaps need to park that until my brain is more cooperative. Mostly, though, I’m playing along with lots of tunes, from Aretha Franklin to Black Sabbath. I’m also trying to improve my speed: maintaining consistent 16th notes requires a lot of stamina.
Books
Unsurprisingly, I spent a lot of time reading in October. Highlights included:
Trade World by Ed Conway - an eye-opening and absorbing exploration of international trade routes. The section on bread was especially good. But the ultimate message was grim: increasing complexity means increasing fragility. There will be shortages.
A Time of Loss by Daniel Schreiber - a beautiful meditation on grief, burnout, and recovery. Schreiber escapes to Venice to confront his emotions and also mourn the collective losses we’re all facing. It’s translated from German by Ben Fergusson, who captures the gorgeousness of Schreiber’s prose.
Supernormal Stimuli by Deirdre Barrett - a compelling study of how humans are attracted to exaggerated versions of natural phenomena, such as choosing social media over real conversations, or a 900-calorie confection instead of a cup of coffee.
The most depressing book I read was Daniel Susskind’s What Should My Children Do?. Although young people definitely need to learn marketable skills, I couldn’t disagree more that AI is the best way to do it. Susskind thinks the answer to the education crisis is filling classrooms with chatbots, rather than with more teachers and resources. I’ve written about the book at greater length on my other blog.
Work 👩🏻‍💻
Fortunately, online workshops mean you can sit with a blanket on your knees and touch up your appearance on Zoom. Having missed out on many events in October, I enjoyed my sessions even more. And there were lots of new faces among the new cohorts of doctoral researchers. It’s delightful to hear about the projects they’re working on.
I’ve also been creating an online course on How to Prepare for Your Viva. I’ll be recording in November, then hopefully launching it at the end of the month.
Otherwise, I’ve been experimenting with lots of research-related tools so I can share them in blog posts and workshops.
Writing ✍️
Most of my writing was for the viva course, but I did publish some blog posts on The Livelihood. I’ve been alternating between three different online writing groups, which has enabled me to create a reliable schedule. Belonging to those writing communities makes a huge difference: we encourage each other when we’re struggling, commiserate when life gets in the way, and celebrate our successes. When there’s so much AI-generated tripe around, it’s heartening to be with people who are committed to sharing their own ideas.
In November, I’m starting to think about my next book project. I’m using my own Idea Evaluator to help me focus on one idea, rather than attacking several in a frenzy.