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Looper's Delight
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Dear people, It's oddly ironic and touching for me that Geoff Smith would publish his paper to the list today. And since the last email I sent to this list expressed no small amount of frustration on my part, I think it's appropriate that I give some positive perspective as well. Rick Walker and I are sometimes notorious for being on different pages philosophically, but right now I'm afraid he and I (and Bill) can relate to one another all too well. This past Saturday, May 24, my father Leopold LaFosse, aged 75, passed away from Cancer. I came into Iowa City (where he's lived for 31-odd years, and where I was born almost 29 years ago myself) on Friday, after having gotten a call from his hospital. About an hour before he passed, I spoke to him privately. He wasn't responsive, but he could still hear what was being said to him, so I wanted to talk to him honestly and openly while I still could. My father had taught violin at the University of Iowa for over 30 years, and had always encouraged me to look into the academic world as a way of generating possibilities for musical connections and livelihood. So one of the things I told him during our last talk was that, even as we were speaking, there was a discussion happening on a mailing list where people were commenting on my music and the number of listeners it had generated. And I told him that a fellow in the UK had asked me a series of questions for his academic thesis, and that he was making comparison references to people like Steve Reich and Terry Riley. My father didn't always relate to or understand my music (indeed, he was not very amused initially when I told him I was quitting cello after five years so I could focus exclusively on electric guitar, though he later came around and was incredibly supportive and encouraging towards me). So it was extremely gratifying to me to be able to tell him that I was generating some attention in the academic world, to reference some names he was somewhat familiar with, and that I was apparently having some sort of impact on people, even if it wasn't necessarily reflected in my livelihood to the extent that he and I would have liked. I guess it was my way of telling him that my work really was connecting with people. So thanks to the people who have listened to what I do, and thanks to Geoff for his interest and consideration. As you can probably tell, it means more than I can really express right now. And I'm sure Leopold appreciated it as well. If I have to spend some time working telephones as a result, I'm all too happy to have been able to do so. Very best wishes, --Andre LaFosse ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .