Archived under: Random
Random Monday: A Horngodess and Disney Lessons
Reflections on the week that has passed.
A horngoddess
A blog site new to me is Catherine Roche-Wallace’s Horngodess blog. Ms. Roche-Wallace has been a contributor to the International Horn Society’s publication, The Horn Call and I did not make the connection between this and her blog until recently.
Her latest posts include loads of pictures: her students from the University of Louisiana on the road and at the IHS symposium 41, and an interesting photo of composer/musician David Amran with poets Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
Lessons from Disney
Over the weekend, my wife and I took a trip to Disneyland for my birthday. Besides the obvious fun and games I walked away with other random impressions.
Layering — the most entertaining attractions involved multiple layers of combined technologies. A ride called Toy Story Mania included 3-D effects and an interactive shooting game. We were so impressed, that after the ride was over we immediately returned to the line for a second ride.
Iconic nostalgia — it is interesting that Disney, a park built in the 1950′s, idealizes the “good old days” of 1890 as a Victorian utopia. Today, we idealize the 1950′s as a utopian era of strong family values and morals. In a hundred years I wonder what current era might be idealized? It seems of late, at least with Baby Boomers, there is a strong nostalgia for the mid-1960′s/early 1970′s time period — a time of great strife and of innocence lost.
“You are special” — a running theme in many of the staged performances. While performers enthusiastically went through their staged routines, I was constantly thanked for being unique and special.
Cool! The performers were doing all the work and I was just sitting there snarfing down chocolate-covered pretzels, yet, I am still so very special and worthy of praise!
Yes — this is the cynic in me speaking, but I could not help but to feel this praise for “being me” as a bit odd.
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