An Insomniacathonian letter to the KING of AWAKENESS, MR. RON WHITEHEAD HIS OWN DANG SELF-------------------------------------(Page 4)

"Tell your friends how it used to be, 'cause it ain't that way no more, and never gonna be" said the man behind the counter. "But we still got the world's best hot-dogs"

After our sojourn of chomping down the quadruple bypass specials, we returned to nearby Windber, and I was asked to read the final pages of "On the Road," to end the festival, to be filmed and then intercut with the old video of Jack reading the same passages with Steve Allen playing the piano from the 1958 telecast.

There were people of all ages who attended this event, and it was a heartwarming two days, seeing how much young people love this great book, and the spirit it conveys.

Now as I write to you, I have finished my residency in Denton to Texas, barnstorming the Denton/Dallas area with concerts, workshops, collaborations with dancers, actors, choral groups, writers, poets, composers and then driving one hundred miles to conduct performances of "Giants of the Night," the flute concerto which I composed for James Galway, and my "Theme and Variations on Red River Valley' for flute and strings.

When we had our first rehearsal with the orchestra for the concert in Wichita Falls, to my amazement, they played both of my symphonic works incredibly well. It was really fun conducting them, and the flute soloist in my concerto, Pam Youngblood, was amazing, playing the part I had composed for Sir James Galway. So THERE IS HOPE IN THEM THEIR HILLS!!!

I stayed in Denton at an old bed and breakfast close to the university, and the owner was also a professional story teller, and it is a step back in time, eating meals with visitors, many of whom are not from Texas, and all of whom were enjoying the sunny spirit of this unique state. In between my marathon of activities there, I got to spend time rapping with a small army of people of all ages who are native Texans who have such an amazing bunch of stories, regional accents and a poetic way of expressing themselves, making their down-home Southern-Western everyday conversational speech styles a musical feast to listen to, as they share stories and observations about their lives that are always unpredictable, often humorous and consistently full of energy and special farmerly rural joie de vivre!!

The symphony concert in Wichita Falls was fantastic, and the symphony played both "Theme and
Variations on Red River Valley for flute and strings" and "Giants of the Night," the flute concerto which I wrote for Sir James Galway, whose three movements are dedicated respectively to Charlie Parker, Jack Kerouac and Dizzy Gillespie.

In all the whirlwind of events I participated in prior to the performance of the concerto, I spoke of my experiences with the three of them.

When I spoke about them, I saw that the enduring creations of Charlie Parker, Jack Kerouac and Dizzy Gillespie are more appreciated than ever, and the positive energy and enthusiasm I saw in the faces of people, young and old, which I encountered every day, were all inspired by their work. This a constant source of joy, proving the old adage, (ONE MORE TIME) that a thing of beauty IS a joy forever.

I was told that after my concerto "Giants of the Night' was performed by the Witchita Falls
Symphony, that the standing ovation it received at the end of the last movement, was the first time that they had ever had one in the orchestra's history.

The other two works played on the program, in addition to the two of mine, were Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" and Darius Milhaud's "Creation of the World." The flute soloist, Pam Youngblood, was a local musician who played incredibly well, and it was a great time. Sorry that Wichita Falls Texas is not closer to where you live in Kentucky!!

I know that the flute concerto "Giants of the Night," like the memories of the three people I dedicated the concerto to, will have a life of its own.

Speaking of jam sessions and joyful music made in Texas, I am preparing a collaboration with Willie Nelson for a new CD with him, to be recorded in Texas, using idioms from Native American, Latin American, jazz and classical styles.

All in addition to all this, I am doing programs resulting from the release and great reviews of my new symphonic CD David Amram's Symphony Songs of the Soul for Naxos records and the Varese-Sarabande release of my 42 year old score for The Manchurian Candidate "

I am going to Toronto this Wednesday for that, in addition to a memorial concert I am participating there, in memory of Estelle Klein, the founder of the Mariposa Festival.

So with all this crazed activity, I won't have any time to get into trouble. My little free time is spent working on my new book, my composing of new orchestral music and trying to answer mail!!!

I send love and big hugs to you and your beautiful family, and can hardly wait to see you and play with and for you again.

you have inspired a lot of people, not on;y with your life's body of work, but by what yhou have contributed to other people by showing that generosity of spirit and positive yea-saying are what make a rewarding life, and that our job is to spread joy, love, laughter and Insomniacathonian feelings, and bypass the soured postmodern gloom mongers, since Whineology, Blameology, Greedology and Jealous-ology are all overcrowded fields.

We can all celebrate the WIDE OPEN SPACES OF INSOMNIACATHON 2004. PLEASE RESERVE ME A BOX SEAT, NEAR THE DUGOUT, THE 50 YARD LINE AND THE BANDSTAND.

I send cheers from that never-ending road, and look forward to our paths crossing soon again.

David
www.davidamram.com

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