[book : C+geTalk_Dialogues With]

[ When Syvilla and I were discussing her graduation concert, I said she could have two or three pieces written for her by different composers available from the music department—and John was one of them. She had to prepare the rough outline of the dance so they had something to see, and then she worked with the composers. John came to me after seeing the dance and said, “I have to have a gamelan orchestra.” I laughed at him and said, “John, you’re absolutely crazy— we can’t even afford fifty cents!” We had no budget whatsoever. He said, “But she’s done an absolutely beautiful work called Bacchanale, which has many textures that would be so right with the gamelan.” So I said, “It’s not possible, we can’t even buy a gong.” There were a few old instruments around that we could borrow. John played for class on a beat-up grand piano—the dance studios tended to get the leftovers from the music students. It wasn’t in the greatest condition; I had a little box behind the piano where I kept all the nuts and bolts and things that fell off! ]   [.........]