Blog | Ann Grogan

SEVEN PERSONAL WISHES IN 2025 FOR YOU AND FOR ME

rhapsodydmb

Dec 63 min read

SEVEN PERSONAL WISHES IN 2025 FOR YOU AND FOR ME

"A" is the first letter of the English alphabet (here calligraphed on parchment and gilded by me some years ago), and the perfect way to...

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THINKING ABOUT HONORING OTHERS AND NEW BEGINNINGS AFTER YEAR'S END 2024

rhapsodydmb

Dec 15 min read

THINKING ABOUT HONORING OTHERS AND NEW BEGINNINGS AFTER YEAR'S END 2024

"The Golden Rule, a version of which is appears in all major spiritual and ethical traditions, may be the most narcissistic of our moral...

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ONE MORE STEP ALONG THE CATTLE CHUTE TO CERTAIN DEATH -- BY FASCISM

rhapsodydmb

Nov 264 min read

ONE MORE STEP ALONG THE CATTLE CHUTE TO CERTAIN DEATH -- BY FASCISM

When I opened up a blank page on which to write today's music or poetry blog, a full third of the bottom of the page was occupied with a...

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rhapsodydmb

Nov 187 min read

UNEXPECTED GIFTS -- THE BEST KIND!

Do you notice how sometimes you set out in one direction toward a location only to end up headed in another direction and landing at...

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"NOT INDIFFERENCE, BUT DETACHMENT" (OLIVER SACKS)

rhapsodydmb

Nov 106 min read

"NOT INDIFFERENCE, BUT DETACHMENT" (OLIVER SACKS)

The Phoenix Bird statue, carved out of the remains of a burned out tree and living now on the patio of Nepenthe, my favorite restaurant...

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"ESSENTIAL TRUTHS" - NECESSARY IN POETRY (AND MUSIC)?

rhapsodydmb

Nov 67 min read

"ESSENTIAL TRUTHS" - NECESSARY IN POETRY (AND MUSIC)?

My A.I.-generated picture of "frivolous"; is she holding a plum? (read on) Does poetry have to have a meaning, or an "essential truth"...

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DIALING UP THE MAGIC WHEN WE ARE WORN OUT

rhapsodydmb

Oct 306 min read

DIALING UP THE MAGIC WHEN WE ARE WORN OUT

Coming upon the poet and activist Joanna Macy (who lives just across the Bay from me!), I decided to see how her perspectives on life...

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ACUTE ATTITUDE ILLNESS AND SURVIVAL OF OUR SPIRITS

rhapsodydmb

Oct 284 min read

ACUTE ATTITUDE ILLNESS AND SURVIVAL OF OUR SPIRITS

I found an article in a recent online Journal of the American Medical Association that I thought was entitled "ACUTE ATTITUDE ILLNESS",...

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rhapsodydmb

Oct 194 min read

TOO MANY, OR JUST ENOUGH?

San Francisco moon, October 18, 2024 I often get tangled up in the lure of words. Mainly by using too many, sometimes by choosing wrongly...

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rhapsodydmb

Oct 63 min read

GIVING PEOPLE CHOICES

Giving people choices conveys many benefits in life, and to both or all parties to the equation. I was happy to learn there is one 2017...

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A NOTABLE EVENT IN MUSIC: SEATTLE SYMPHONY HAS A NEW FEMALE MUSIC DIRECTOR, XIAN ZHANG

rhapsodydmb

Sep 163 min read

A NOTABLE EVENT IN MUSIC: SEATTLE SYMPHONY HAS A NEW FEMALE MUSIC DIRECTOR, XIAN ZHANG

(Image from Xian Zhang's website. ) In 2024 it's a notable event when a woman wins a permanent management position in a top tier...

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TWO MORE REASONS WHY WOMEN - AND MEN - SHOULD SPEAK AND ACT UP CONSISTENT WITH HUMANIST AND PRO-FEMINIST VALUES IN MUSIC, MEDICINE, AND LIFE

rhapsodydmb

Sep 108 min read

TWO MORE REASONS WHY WOMEN - AND MEN - SHOULD SPEAK AND ACT UP CONSISTENT WITH HUMANIST AND PRO-FEMINIST VALUES IN MUSIC, MEDICINE, AND LIFE

There have been a number of recent and not-so-recent books about hope . The latest published by a psychologist in August of this year...

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rhapsodydmb

Sep 25 min read

LONELINESS AND MUSIC

A year and a half ago I wrote a blog about the topic of loneliness because I continued to find a lack of connection with others in the...

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IN 2024 THE MUSIC WORLD (and AI) HAS NOT "COME A LONG WAY...BABY"...AS THE 1969 VIRGINIA SLIMS' CIGARETTE COMMERCIAL SAID (image created by AI*)

rhapsodydmb

Aug 164 min read

IN 2024 THE MUSIC WORLD (and AI) HAS NOT "COME A LONG WAY...BABY"...AS THE 1969 VIRGINIA SLIMS' CIGARETTE COMMERCIAL SAID (image created by AI*)

Did you ever wonder what the final dying words were of famous composers? A writer for the online music newsletter Interlude , wondered....

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rhapsodydmb

Aug 96 min read

JOY - AND DANCING ON!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars.(1)

"JOY!" I heard it yesterday morning! The news media who listened, heard it . Did you? The word "JOY!" ushered out of the mouth of our...

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rhapsodydmb

Aug 76 min read

THINKING ABOUT DUALITY THINKING

I've been thinking about duality thinking, and how to diminish it. Diminish, because I suspect there is no "cure." All we need is a...

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MUSIC - "FROM MY VERY FIRST CONTACT ... AND UNWAVERINGLY EVER SINCE..."

rhapsodydmb

Aug 52 min read

MUSIC - "FROM MY VERY FIRST CONTACT ... AND UNWAVERINGLY EVER SINCE..."

Reflected in the title above is a heartfelt comment to mine that he must truly love music. It's the response by my musical...

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FURTHER THOUGHTS ON "WAR WORDS" AND ON "NO" AS A "COMPLETE ANSWER"?

rhapsodydmb

Aug 111 min read

FURTHER THOUGHTS ON "WAR WORDS" AND ON "NO" AS A "COMPLETE ANSWER"?

" Hey, hey, hey - what ya got to say? " For a fun take on speaking one's "peace" (pun intended!), above are the Initial lyrics and video...

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WORDS OF "STRUGGLE" AND "WAR" IN THE MUSIC WORLD - GOOD, BAD, OR INDIFFERENT?

rhapsodydmb

Jul 2510 min read

WORDS OF "STRUGGLE" AND "WAR" IN THE MUSIC WORLD - GOOD, BAD, OR INDIFFERENT?

( Followup blog on this topic) Photo by Jacob W. Frank, from the National Park Service website of the recent hydrothermal explosion in...

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BETA BLOCKERS: ONE OPTION TO HELP WHEN YOUR BODY BETRAYS YOU IN PIANO LESSONS OR PERFORMANCE

rhapsodydmb

Jul 1912 min read

BETA BLOCKERS: ONE OPTION TO HELP WHEN YOUR BODY BETRAYS YOU IN PIANO LESSONS OR PERFORMANCE

My body betrayed me a few years ago during lessons with two piano teachers. One was my third teacher since taking up piano lessons after...

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