Thank you to all the folks who have subscribed so far. I would like to invite you to the Schubertiade Discord server https://discord.gg/T2kMVPW9 or to the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/981053577347913.

Joining either of those by no means is a commitment to participate at this stage, don’t worry!

The organization of the Discord server is inspired by my many years watching Discord communities, which means that I believe essential to a thriving online community are explicit spaces to share (a) recipes and food pictures (b) animal pictures (c) (under-18 appropriate) memes and jokes. Which do not have to have anything to do Schubert or classical music at all — we’ll just be happy to see what your cat or dog or horse or local crow or favourite zoo animal is up to.

Spring is upon us, and the plan is to have the summer to think about our repertoire and make friends with potential chamber collaborators, and by autumn, we will get a program together!

Meanwhile, I as organizer am putting together applications for as many grants as I can find, in the hopes that this will be as free of charge as possible to everyone. In the spirit of friendship, as Schubert believed.

Monthly Schubert anecdote:

“Lachner called on Schubert one day when he was not in the mood for work. ‘Let’s have some coffee,’ said Schubert, and fetching out an old coffee mill — ‘my most precious possession,’ he called it — measured out the beans, took off his glasses and began to grind. Suddenly he exclaimed, ‘I’ve got it! I’ve got it! Your rusty little machine!’ He threw the coffee mill into the corner, sending the beans flying. ‘What have you got, Franzl?’ asked Lachner. ‘This coffee mill is a wonderful thing,’ exclaimed Schubert excitedly. ‘Melodies and themes come flying in. You see, it’s the ra-ra-ra, that’s what… You search for days for an idea, and the little machine finds it in a second.’ And he began singing the themes of the String Quarter in D minor, ‘Death and the Maiden,’ which Lachner faithfully wrote down.”

— from The Book of Musical Anecdotes, edited by Normal Librecht

Which is why we want a channel for food discussion. Talk about coffee together, have coffee together (or tea, or beverage of choice), and you never know what can happen. Please don’t throw appliances in a corner, though, for the safety of all.

Happy listening and practicing till next month!

Tamara

Schubertiade YYC