Armchair Astronomer
@armchairastronomer.bsky.social
Amateur Scientist, Luthier, Musician, Maker, volunteer at the Suncoast Science Center, member of i3Detroit, VP Rochester Symphony Board of Directors.
Now I'm just out and outright bragging. 365 straight days of practice. #adultlearner #violin
October 22, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Now I'm just out and outright bragging. 365 straight days of practice. #adultlearner #violin
No Kings. Rochester Hills MI.
October 18, 2025 at 6:07 PM
No Kings. Rochester Hills MI.
and he asked us all to not applaud between the pieces and between the movements of the Magnifcant. I want you to hear Bach's whole setting of Mary's speech after she hears she is going to be the mother of the MessiahThe choral soloists were fantastic. A truly moving experience.
September 14, 2025 at 1:45 AM
and he asked us all to not applaud between the pieces and between the movements of the Magnifcant. I want you to hear Bach's whole setting of Mary's speech after she hears she is going to be the mother of the MessiahThe choral soloists were fantastic. A truly moving experience.
Lexington Bach Festival day 4. Handel, Mendelssohn and 2 pieces by Bach. "Vor Deinen Thron Tritt'ich hiermit" his last composition and the "Magnificant." both this year with a 15 piece professional chorus. Music director John Dodson's pre-concert talk was incredibly informative, as usual.
September 14, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Lexington Bach Festival day 4. Handel, Mendelssohn and 2 pieces by Bach. "Vor Deinen Thron Tritt'ich hiermit" his last composition and the "Magnificant." both this year with a 15 piece professional chorus. Music director John Dodson's pre-concert talk was incredibly informative, as usual.
Lexington Bach Festival day 3 the Axiom Brass. A wonderful group out of Chicago. Music by Claudia Francesca Rusca, Magdalena Casulana, T. Patrick Carrabre, Lillian Lee, and Astor Piazzolla. All new to me and ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. I am going to search out their recordings.
September 13, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Lexington Bach Festival day 3 the Axiom Brass. A wonderful group out of Chicago. Music by Claudia Francesca Rusca, Magdalena Casulana, T. Patrick Carrabre, Lillian Lee, and Astor Piazzolla. All new to me and ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century. I am going to search out their recordings.
Fall is here. The Lexington Bach festival kicked off last evening and the program was repeated today at the St. Clair County Community College. Today he "Festival String Quartet" playing Bach, Pert and Dvorak. One more performance at 7 tonight. Also at SC4. The rest of the concerts look wonderful.
September 11, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Fall is here. The Lexington Bach festival kicked off last evening and the program was repeated today at the St. Clair County Community College. Today he "Festival String Quartet" playing Bach, Pert and Dvorak. One more performance at 7 tonight. Also at SC4. The rest of the concerts look wonderful.
Hard job #1 done. Bending and clamping the C Bout ribs in place. Can't imagine doing this without modern tools. The 16th and 17th century masters had some serious skills. #violin #violinbuild
July 25, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Hard job #1 done. Bending and clamping the C Bout ribs in place. Can't imagine doing this without modern tools. The 16th and 17th century masters had some serious skills. #violin #violinbuild
Today's progress. The blocks are shaped and square. Cleaning up the ribs. She might even have a name already. While I was working Respighi's "The Birds" was playing. She might be L'usignuolo, The nightingale. We'll see if it sticks. #violin #violinbuild #classicalmusic
July 24, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Today's progress. The blocks are shaped and square. Cleaning up the ribs. She might even have a name already. While I was working Respighi's "The Birds" was playing. She might be L'usignuolo, The nightingale. We'll see if it sticks. #violin #violinbuild #classicalmusic
Carving the blocks into shape. #violin #violinbuild
July 24, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Carving the blocks into shape. #violin #violinbuild
Blocks on. Glue drying. #violin #violinbuild
July 22, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Blocks on. Glue drying. #violin #violinbuild
Today I finished up an ergonomic handle for a carving blade I purchased recently. It's based on one of my Dad's designs but scaled for my hand and the use case. Really happy with how it came out.
July 21, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Today I finished up an ergonomic handle for a carving blade I purchased recently. It's based on one of my Dad's designs but scaled for my hand and the use case. Really happy with how it came out.
At Sunday's Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert at the Meadowbrook Amphitheatre, The Music of John Williams. The DSO's pops conductor Enrico Lopez-Yanez started the second half wearing his Potter cloak but that was just a disguise. He was really Anakin Skywalker. Great concert great venue.
July 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
At Sunday's Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert at the Meadowbrook Amphitheatre, The Music of John Williams. The DSO's pops conductor Enrico Lopez-Yanez started the second half wearing his Potter cloak but that was just a disguise. He was really Anakin Skywalker. Great concert great venue.
No Kings. Waterford, MI. Protestors solidly on both sides of Highland Rd (M59) from Crescent Lake to Airport Roads. About 1 mile. The car horn to middle finger ratio was a fantastic 95% to 5%. Thanks to everyone who came out! #NoKings
June 14, 2025 at 10:17 PM
No Kings. Waterford, MI. Protestors solidly on both sides of Highland Rd (M59) from Crescent Lake to Airport Roads. About 1 mile. The car horn to middle finger ratio was a fantastic 95% to 5%. Thanks to everyone who came out! #NoKings
First big Windoze to Linux Mint conversion. Dell XPS 18. Sorry Satya not buying the Win 11 thing. My hardware is just fine. No need to turn it into e waste just yet. Planning on a mix of OSes going forward. MacBook, Linux desktop, Win server.
June 6, 2025 at 1:32 AM
First big Windoze to Linux Mint conversion. Dell XPS 18. Sorry Satya not buying the Win 11 thing. My hardware is just fine. No need to turn it into e waste just yet. Planning on a mix of OSes going forward. MacBook, Linux desktop, Win server.
71°, wind from the SE across Lake Huron. Emmy Lou and Mark Knopfler "All the Road Running" playing on the pad. One sip of wine left in the glass. Season 29 at our beautiful cottage begins.
June 3, 2025 at 11:27 PM
71°, wind from the SE across Lake Huron. Emmy Lou and Mark Knopfler "All the Road Running" playing on the pad. One sip of wine left in the glass. Season 29 at our beautiful cottage begins.
intonation, nice bow work. He has already played with the Moscow and Vienna Phils. I just saw Yo Yo Ma recently and he reminded me of a young Yo Yo Ma. Watch this one. He is going to make a mark.
May 31, 2025 at 3:05 PM
intonation, nice bow work. He has already played with the Moscow and Vienna Phils. I just saw Yo Yo Ma recently and he reminded me of a young Yo Yo Ma. Watch this one. He is going to make a mark.
Last night was the Rochester Symphony Orchestra's (MI) final concert of the season and we presented our annual Young Artist competition winner, 13 year old Cameron Renshaw from the Grand Rapids area. He played fourth movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto. He was fantastic. Expressive, great
May 31, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Last night was the Rochester Symphony Orchestra's (MI) final concert of the season and we presented our annual Young Artist competition winner, 13 year old Cameron Renshaw from the Grand Rapids area. He played fourth movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto. He was fantastic. Expressive, great
Tonight I got to see Hillary Hahn in concert and it was magical. She played the Brahms Violin Concerto with the National Symphony. Her encore was a piece called "Shards of Light" by Carlos Simon who was in the house and got an ovation himself. I wish I could have told her my practice count is 153.
March 25, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Tonight I got to see Hillary Hahn in concert and it was magical. She played the Brahms Violin Concerto with the National Symphony. Her encore was a piece called "Shards of Light" by Carlos Simon who was in the house and got an ovation himself. I wish I could have told her my practice count is 153.
So I live literally on the US Canadian border. That's Canada across the lake from our beach. I spent a good part of my working life helping to integrate the US and Canadian auto supply chains. Working for both US and Canadian companies. This imposition of Tariffs my friends is the absolute stupidest
March 4, 2025 at 10:10 PM
So I live literally on the US Canadian border. That's Canada across the lake from our beach. I spent a good part of my working life helping to integrate the US and Canadian auto supply chains. Working for both US and Canadian companies. This imposition of Tariffs my friends is the absolute stupidest
Last night we went to see the incomparable Yo Yo Ma. He played lots of Bach, Shostokvich, Arvo Pert, and many others. He also spoke eloquently about the need for us humans to reconnect to the Earth and to each other. Before the concert he held an "Ask me Anything" session. One of the questioners was
February 28, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Last night we went to see the incomparable Yo Yo Ma. He played lots of Bach, Shostokvich, Arvo Pert, and many others. He also spoke eloquently about the need for us humans to reconnect to the Earth and to each other. Before the concert he held an "Ask me Anything" session. One of the questioners was
My practice streak is still going at 125 days. Maybe you really can relearn the violin after 50 years of neglect.
February 24, 2025 at 7:08 PM
My practice streak is still going at 125 days. Maybe you really can relearn the violin after 50 years of neglect.
Yesterday's adventure was hearing violinist Anne Akiko-Meyers with the Sarasota Orchestra. She played a piece she commissioned "Fandango" by Arturo Marquez. To say her performance was wonderful is damming with faint praise. She gave it everything she had as did the orchestra under conductor Guerrero
February 3, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Yesterday's adventure was hearing violinist Anne Akiko-Meyers with the Sarasota Orchestra. She played a piece she commissioned "Fandango" by Arturo Marquez. To say her performance was wonderful is damming with faint praise. She gave it everything she had as did the orchestra under conductor Guerrero
100 days of practice. I did it Hillary! #100daysofpractice
January 30, 2025 at 6:03 PM
100 days of practice. I did it Hillary! #100daysofpractice
A Winter Solstice Eve thought. "Turtles all the way down."
December 20, 2024 at 9:31 PM
A Winter Solstice Eve thought. "Turtles all the way down."