December 1963

For the last 50 years, I have developed an improvisational compositional technique using multitrack recording.  This tone poem was written to be an actual orchestral piece, but it was not worked out with pencil, paper, and piano.  Instead it was composed and performed in the controlled yet improvised environment of a multi-track recording studio.

December, 1963

Weather threatened rain.
Walked across the quad.
Heard Taps bounce off the cafeteria walls.

Football game was cancelled.
School they let out early.
Walked home, watched tv all weekend. 

Saw 

Ruby shoot Oswald, 
    John-John’s salute,
        horses and soldiers 
            marching, marching.

Riflemen salute.
We Shall Overcome, 
    heard in the smoking gun barrels, 
    or a ghost song moaning 
    in my held breath speechless body?

    Life went on, head down, 
        through December rains.
    Then one night Jack Paar 
        ran a home movie 
    of the next new thing.

Nothing changed for a month or two.
Then suddenly there was a multitude 
    of  heavenly girls singing 
    Joy to the World 
    disguised as I Wanna 
    Hold Your Hand.

Copyright © 2005, 2014 by David Larstein, all rights reserved.  

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