Thank you for coming to our performances and for reviewing it. As the leader of Pulse and the one who, along with Take, spearheaded the development of the project, it was a pleasure to see how wonderfully The Distance of the Moon came to fruition and what a success it was with dancers, musicians, composers, choreographers, and the audience. From an initial idea, the project bloomed into a true and organic collaboration between all involved and one we hope to do again in the future. Joe Phillips http://www.numinousmusic.com http://www.numinousmusic.blogspot.com http://www.pulsecomposers.typepad.com

Thanks Nate for spotlighting Seattle's jazz scene especially focusing a bit on the high school programs. Many years ago, before coming to NYC, I was the director of award-winning bands at Interlake High School in Bellevue (just across Lake Washington from Seattle) and always felt that the incredible musicianship and quality coming out of not one or two, but many of the high schools there was deserving of more attention. Two years after I brought Maria Schneider to Interlake HS for a concert/workshop, which was her first performance appearance in the Pacific Northwest, she discussed in her 1999 Eastman School of Music Commencement Address the high-quality and specialness of the students she encountered (you can read about that entire experience here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). I understand that the NY Times article is a somewhat limited snapshot of Seattle's scene but one small quibble is I think you could have put a little more emphasis on the fact that there are plenty of other great high school music programs in the Seattle area. Garfield and Roosevelt are certainly wonderful programs that have produced some outstanding musicians and that I have high respect for (I know how hard it is to do what they do), but despite my having issues with Essentially Ellington as a marker for high school band quality, there are a number of other schools from the area that have been a part of it (Newport High School, Mountlake Terrace HS, Shorewood HS, etc.). And while they didn't 'win', I think the fact that they were there shows that the entire Seattle area is more than just two quality high school programs. In fact, although EE started in 1995, they did not accept West Coast schools until 1999 and since then Seattle area schools have been the predominant area represented year to year, with often multiple schools as finalists. Anyway, it was nice reading about my old stomping grounds and glad to see Seattle get some light shed its way, especially on the educational front. Thank you. Joe Phillips www.numinusmusic.com

Kelly, thanks for sharing your story and your succinct reasons for leaving NYC. I do recognize some of your frustrations with being a musician in the city so I'm sad to have a fellow compatriot-in-arms go, but as someone who changed life mid-stream as well, I'm excited for you and your adventures-to-be. It is quite admirable and courageous and I wish nothing but the best in your quest for inspiration and a chance to breathe again. When we're in Rome again, we'll let you know as it would be fun to take a little passeggiata with you and recount your soon-to-be stories of a "New Yorker in Europe." Please keep in touch. Joe

Congratulations to you and all of the Society. Now good luck with that J@LC gig, that's really entering the Dark Side...

Sadly it doesn't really matter to her supporters whether she is being duplicitous (great photos in RW, but all of a sudden sexist in NW!?) or acting the knave. I think trying to judge her actions and motives rationally and logically is a mistake, as I do think underestimating the number of people who will think unpredictably and irrationally in supporting her. As someone said earlier, a (supposed) attack on her is an attack on them and what they believe or value. For a certain group of people, I can see how she is appealing and while she may not be middle class now, certainly her background does resonate to the working and middle class and the "we need someone in office who understands us or is like us" type of voter.

Thanks Nate for this insight here (and in the NY Times profile) into Henry Threadgill's soundworld. Reading about his mutable music and the intervallic system I was reminded much of Brahms' approach, among other classical composers that followed him. I have been a fan of Threadgill's music since the Sextett days and have worked my way backward and forward in his output since that time, eagerly awaiting his next elusive recording. I don't have the new Zooid album yet, but it is on my list. When I moved to NY many moons ago, his was the first show I saw, so I was sorry to miss the recent Roulette show, but happy to know that he is still putting out exciting and interesting music; I hope to be so lucky when I'm his age!

I like the idea that George gives about more time being allotted for listening to grant submissions. While certainly a logistics nightmare to organize, this can help those musicians whose work needs sustained exposure and repeated listening to fully illuminate their ideas. I also wonder about the lack of African-American and women in the grantees this year. I'm not sure if it says something larger about the music some African-Americans and women are making (not 'grant-ready' enough)? does that reflect the preferences and/or lack of diversity of the grant panel? or is it, as Miles states, just who applied and this is possibly just a one-year anomaly? I think the true reasons are probably more subtle and less defined that it might appear.

Nate maybe another intriguing question is what about those musicians that didn't get the grants? are they still going to do their proposed projects without funding? are they and their projects now considered unworthy because they weren't funded? how does not winning affect future opportunities? As Alex states, the whole system of grant/award/critical winners and losers in this process, seems to pose (already is?) problems with the development of music.

Thank you for bringing Greg Tate's insightful article to my attention. Despite all of the media hype surrounding Michael's death, the article was one of the few that give a clear (and different) perspective on his cultural and musical influence and legacy.

I offer my own recollections of Michael at http://numinousmusic.blogspot.com/2009/06/dont-stop-til-you-get-enough.html but one thing I'll always remember is how EVERYONE in my circle was talking about him back in the day (black, white, young, old, rich, poor, etc.); we all wanted to figure out the moonwalk, wanted his red jacket from Thriller, and all loved the music. Despite the artistic decline after 87's Bad (and all of the personality and legal troubles), he was a model for balancing quality and fun with funkiness and grooviness, all in a popular music framework easily understandable. And to think he once was considered too ethnic (or whatever euphemism was used) for MTV is pretty laughable now, but I remember that at the time it wasn't. And for me, that groundbreaking aspect of his legacy can't be overstated.