Yours truly (the short one) and my great friend Justin Levitt – composer, pianist, and manager of the Steinway Piano Gallery in Walnut Creek California – who sponsored my designation as a Steinway Artist. Thank you, dude.
I distrust very good weeks.
I would explain.
By calling this a “good week” I am (obviously) asserting that good things have happened during the last seven (or so) days. And that is true. But saddled (as I am) with my particular psychoneuroses, such a positive assertion is riddled with dangerous implications. You see, by publically admitting that I’ve had a good week I fear I have called down a Karmic wet blanket that will suffocate my present high spirits and render me, once again, susceptible to the existential gloom that is my natural emotional condition.
I expect it can all be boiled down to a single unfortunate assumption: that when a good thing happens there must be a bad reason for it.
So here’s what’s happened. On Saturday last, I got married, as documented previously on this site. Yes; all good. In fact, all great. Then today (Thursday), I was informed that I’ve been designated a “Steinway Artist” by Steinway & Sons piano manufacturers.
This is, no doubt, a tremendous honor, and I have indulged myself mightily by announcing it here on this page. But my ingrained suspicion of positive news has put me on my guard and made me wonder what sort of cosmic retaliation will be exacted as a result.
I suppose I will simply have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, I am thrilled by Steinway’s largesse and in response I would suggest you all to go out and buy yourselves Steinway “D’s” (8’ 11¾” concert grands). They are, indeed, wonderful pianos and we all deserve them, each and every one of us.