Press release 'On the Other Hand', Grachtenfestival, Amsterdam (Dutch only)

Programme notes for Darius Milhaud's 'La Création du Monde' by Ties Mellema online now. Go to 'on music and saxophone'

http://www

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/dominos_scientists_test_limits_of

About to go off on holidays to Terschelling

About to go off on holidays to Terschelling. A week rest, of which one weekend with two dear friends of ours!

I am editing the Bach prelude and Fugue BWV537 now, adding articulation, phrasings, dynamics, etc. A lot of work, much more than putting the notes in the computer!
I am listening to a lot of examples of organists and even the Elgar arrangement to pick out the things I would like to do with my quartet!

Good news: After second opinion at the Medisch Centrum Haaglanden, the polikliniek for dancers and musicians, Dr. MacFarlane was of the opinion that Mellema's hand will be cured in one year, meaning April 2009. himself being a enthusiastic clarinettist and saxophonist claimed that the muscles one misses after an ulnar nerve lesion are not absolutely required for playing the saxophone, except for the spread muscles of the right hand pinky.
Mellema's ergotherapist detected subtle innervation in some muscles in the right hand two weeks after.

A good day today

A good day today. Ergotherapy for my hand: there is progress, it is very slow and she stressed that it will take a year minimum, but there is progress. I can play all the notes on my horn and with maybe 50% revalidation of the hand I expect to be up and running, maybe not with extreme virtuoso music (as in a lot of contemporary music) but most of the repertoire I expect to be playing by Christmas... I hope I am nnot being to optimistic!

Also I saw a Glenn Gould DVD today. What a fascinating musician.... (that's an understatement)