Hello again

Well, howdy there! How are things?

It's been about three years since I've posted anything on this here blog. That's mostly because the original intent behind it was to chronicle my musings on life and music in Crete, and once I packed up my fiddle, shaved off my impressive mustache, and moved away, I decided that it had served its purpose. But now, a few years into a new stage of musical exploration, this time of a more conscious, reflective, and academic bent, and constantly informed by my ongoing adventures in the crazy world of people making music, I've been inspired to start blogging again. In part as a way to get down some thoughts and ideas outside of the normal realm of academic writing about music; in part to engage in a dialogue with my fellow musicians and musicologists who are doing exceptional things on their own blogs; and in very large part to share with the wider Internet-using world some of the music that I love. I suspect I'll also write a lot about football.

That being said, in the spirit of open access to ideas and materials, I may occasionally post some of my non-published academic writing about music, both as a way to solicit comments about it and to share what I'm up to with other researchers who might find it useful.

A bit about me: I grew up around, and play, the modal music traditions of insular Grece and Ireland, but also play all kinds of stuff on the drums, including punky surf rock, and have an abiding love for what I consider the Happiest Music in the World, that of Brazil. I teach Modern Greek Studies and Music at Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts, and am a graduate student in Ethnomusicology at Boston University, home of the Terriers, whose football program was lately dissolved due to lack of enthusiasm on the part of the boosters and student body (sad trombone sound). But mostly because they really, really sucked. Being a Floridian, I find this apathy incomprehensible. But this is Boston. In early January, when the Patriots are preparing for their annual first-round playoff choke after having outscored their regular-season opponents by 5000 points, nine out of ten local sports fans would still rather discuss the technique of seventeen year old Dominican minor league catchers. Whatever.

So I'll be writing again soon! Nice to be back. Told you there'd be football, didn't I?