Voice For Liberty

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  • Vincent Dubois, Organ

    On November 8, 2005, young French organist Vincent Dubois played a recital as part of the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series at Wiedemann Recital Hall, Wichita State University.

    I attended his recital last year, and again a most remarkable thing about watching Mr. Dubois play is how effortless he makes it appear. He plays from memory, so there are no scores to fiddle with. He seems totally relaxed, his hands and feet merely skimming and floating over the keys and pedals. Managing the resources of the organ never seems to get in the way of making music, and wonderful music he makes.

    This recital lasted fully two hours including an encore. It was attended by the largest audience I have seen for an organ recital at Wiedemann Recital Hall.

    One piece Mr. Dubois played was the C-sharp minor prelude by Rachmaninoff, transcribed for organ by Louis Vierne. To me, this piece, one of the most famous in the piano repertoire, is so closely associated with that instrument that it was somewhat bizarre to hear it on organ.

    Mr. Dubois played a piece titled Evocation II by the French organist and composer Thierry Escaich. This was an exciting, contemporary, virtuosic piece that prompted an outcry from at least one audience member at its end.

    As the last piece, Mr. Dubois improvised on a theme. The improvisations are amazing. Last year he improvised a prelude and fugue on a submitted theme. This year the improvisation was what I would describe as a prelude.

  • The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

    Book Review: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
    Malcolm Gladwell
    Little, Brown and Company, 2000

    Writing from Lexington, Kentucky

    (I picked up the book from the library because in a hurry, I thought it might be about my ragdoll cat whose name is Tippy. But I decided to read it anyway.)

    This is an interesting book that tells us that often the way to affect change is not through heavy-handed techniques, but by paying attention to small things that can make all the difference. Mr. Gladwell tells us about the Law of the Few (connectors, mavens, and salesmen), which means that the personal characteristics of people make a big difference. The Stickiness Factor explains how small changes in the presentation or characteristics of something can make a huge difference in its effectiveness. The Power of Context tells us how seemingly small changes like the vigilant effort to remove graffiti in New York City subway cars led to a larger reduction in serious crime in the subways.

    I think this book has some good ideas and can be helpful for anyone who wants to influence others. Many interesting examples are used to illustrate the lessons of this book. Author’s website for this book.