The Unthinkable

Back in college, when we discussed the influences of “nature and nurture,” genetics and upbringing, inevitably the notion of a child “raised by wolves” came up. Fictional stories like Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan or Mowgli from Kipling’s The Jungle Book made us wonder what would happen if a child was left alone in the wild. … Continue reading The Unthinkable →

An Opus

I’ve always been troubled by the ending of the film, Mr. Holland’s Opus. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.) The story is about a would-be composer who became a high school band director. Mr. Holland’s time and energy were so consumed by his calling as a teacher that he put his dreams on hold. Early on, his school … Continue reading An Opus →

A Music Lesson

Before I played the Tomasi Concerto with the IU Orchestra, Keith Brown, the conductor, gave me some advice. He said words to this effect: “Keep in mind, a large orchestra can’t turn on a dime like a pianist can. Think of the orchestra like a tractor trailer, and a pianist like sports car.” Good advice. … Continue reading A Music Lesson →

Opportunities

For two years (Fall 1975 through Spring 1977), I had the privilege of being a student of Jerry Coker at Duke University. He began his professional career as a saxophonist with the Woody Herman band in the mid-1950s. While he was a doctoral student at Indiana University he led the Indiana University Jazz Ensemble on … Continue reading Opportunities →

First Things First

In 1944, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed one of the best comedy dialogs of all time. If you’ve never heard it, you should check it out. It starts like this: Abbott: Well, Costello, I'm going to New York with you. You know Bucky Harris, the Yankee's manager, gave me a job as coach for … Continue reading First Things First →

Exile

When I taught a freshman course called, “Justice and the Good Society,” I used an equilateral triangle to describe the relationship between church, state, and individuals. My point was that historically speaking, whenever there was not a healthy tension between the three, society suffered. When two of these conspired, the third was in trouble. For … Continue reading Exile →

A 70th Birthday Reflection

Last summer, I became the oldest living Murray in our family. Dad died in July. Technically, I have two cousins who are a little older, but thanks to the patriarchal convention of surname assignment, I carry the family name. So, I suppose I’m just the oldest male Murray. I have lived three score and ten … Continue reading A 70th Birthday Reflection →

Robo Santa

A Short Christmas Tale “We lost one, Mr. Dodge.” “Well, just find it. Use the geolocator.” “That’s the thing. The transmitter must be off.” “Or someone shut it down, or it’s damaged…” “Nope. The manager told me Unit 42 just walked off the job a couple of days ago. He assumed it was called back … Continue reading Robo Santa →

Friendship

Fifty years ago, give-or-take, our family car was rear-ended by a Pontiac. Three of my classmates were with me, on our way to play in church on a Sunday morning. I was driving the nearly new station wagon, which had “cruise control,” a new option at the time. I had it set on 55 mph. … Continue reading Friendship →

Shadows

A short Thanksgiving story. Not a prediction. Merely a possibility. “I told you. The plan is to return in another 223 local star system years,” Rodof stated. “But they might need our help sooner than that,” Mas replied. “I’m not sure it was right to help them as much as we have already.” “But we’ve … Continue reading Shadows →