My students are taking their final exam right now. Or, rather, some of my students are taking their final exam while most students haven’t arrived yet. In any event, I’m going to take their exam time to write, and hopefully I won’t be interrupted too often.

I’m not going to use a timer this time around as it might be disruptive to the students. In fact, I’m worried my typing might be distracting. Ah, fuck it.

Right now I want to freewrite on Sun Ra for a bit to see where that gets me, then loop an idea and so on.

One of the things that fascinates me the most about Sun Ra is his - sorry, interrupted just now - ability to read and drill down on ideas such that he is able to incorporate the totality of his study into the music he makes. One thing I need to do is sit down and have a focused listening for all the Sun Ra recordings I have, taking notes and freewriting. In fact, this sounds like a notebook kind of project. In any event, I want the next stuff I write about Sun Ra to be informed by close listening rather than endlessly citing others. I need to develop my sense of close listening as similar to close reading, reading/listening analytically the textures and signified meanings of the music as well as the key centers, harmonies, melodies, counterpoint, etc. Rhythm and harmony especially.

My mind is wandering too much. Let me post this and move on.