Sometimes I Just Have to Stop Myself

Sometimes I just have to stop myself.

"Stop doing what?" you may ask.

Tangents.

My downfall is tangents.

It all starts very innocently then I delve deeper and deeper.

~*~*~*~

Right now I am doing some pretty intensive research.

This is not a new thing.

I am the one who still has all essays and term papers I've ever written that had a musical theme.

I am the one who at a music conference in 1996 met a university professor called Edwin Gordon who is associated with the Gordon Institute for Music Learning (He founded the institute. See www.giml.org). He also offered me a position as a research assistant.

My response at the time was, "Sure, I'm a research nerd!"

But then I declined the offer explaining I was content with my position. That the idea of going back to school did not appeal to me as I'd only been out of school fewer than 10 years.

Blah, blah, blah.

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

At the time I did not realize the amazing opportunity before me. 

(Very few know of this offer. And no, I do not regret my naïve decision for I might not be where I am today had I taken it. But....who knows!?!?!)

Little did I know that I would be a university professor one day conducting my own research.

~*~*~*~

Today it was this song that sent me off on a tangent.

Phillida flouts me

I had found the song appealing and thought I would arrange it for a small ensemble.

Then my search began.

It is an example of a song about unrequited love from the 1600s.  Many songs of this kind were written during that time period by the troubadours.

I listened to a variation of the song (it did not match the music given above).



Then I looked in to the man, John Coates, who is singing on this video. He was a famed English tenor.

Then I found more verses to the song and started a file.

Then I looked up "Phillida" to see where it came from and what it meant.

Then I found other poems that used the name Phillida.

Then I just had to stop myself.

One song.

A wealth of information.

To continue another day.