Words, birds, music. Usual nonsense. South London. linktr.ee/levparikian
@levparikian.bsky.socialIt’s good to shout it loudly so you can’t hear the racket they’re making
Lev Parikian
@levparikian.bsky.social
@levparikian.bsky.social@levparikian.bsky.socialA neighbouring alpaca said that he was a quiet tiger who kept himself to himself
@levparikian.bsky.socialThey are. Always nice to order it in the shop too so they don’t have to pay Justeat
@levparikian.bsky.socialHahaa sorry forgot you were local. POTH. It’s closer.
@levparikian.bsky.socialsorry what
@levparikian.bsky.socialLuckily I don’t want that
@levparikian.bsky.socialProper rollercoaster, those 90 seconds
@levparikian.bsky.socialAfter a long day I am very easy to please/displease
@levparikian.bsky.socialChip shop shut 😭 Curry house open 😀
@levparikian.bsky.socialCoffee, tea, me?
@levparikian.bsky.socialOr an L shape. Or an upside-down T.
@levparikian.bsky.socialWhich isn’t to say that it’s not possible to teach it or that there are no techniques you can apply to it, but when it comes down to it all you’re doing is standing in front of musicians and hoping you can encourage them to play better. And there are loads of different ways you can do that.
@levparikian.bsky.socialSpent the day coaching four talented young conductors on Prokofiev’s 5th Symphony with @rehorch.bsky.social. I always struggle with teaching conducting because very often the answer to the question ‘how did you do that?’ is ‘I don’t really know’ or ‘it depends’.
@levparikian.bsky.socialReposted by @levparikian.bsky.socialToday is World Migratory Bird Day. Please say hello to the Pfeilstorch (‘arrow stork’). In 1822 this bird was shot in the German village of Klütz. It already had a 30-inch arrow in its neck. The arrow was made of African wood, and this bird played a pivotal role in our understanding of migration.
@levparikian.bsky.socialI am indeed. londonphoenixorchestra.org/whats-on/1945
@levparikian.bsky.socialAnd if that’s piqued your interest, it probably won’t surprise you in the least to learn that I’ve written a book about animal migration, which contains a whole lot more about migrating birds and other beasts. It’s out in April and you can pre-order it here.
@levparikian.bsky.socialHere’s a snapshot. A year ago, the migration tracking project BirdCast recorded a wave of 1.25 billion birds heading south over North America. Billion. Not a typo. You can find out more about that here.
@levparikian.bsky.socialWhat we know about bird migration is still swamped by what we don’t know. It’s one of the most extraordinary phenomena in the natural world. But technology is advancing all the time, and we can now monitor a lot of it in real time.
@levparikian.bsky.socialBut perhaps that’s understandable. The truth – vast numbers of birds fly halfway across the planet twice a year, overcoming challenges that would freeze the blood of most mortals, because the overall benefit to their species outweighs the dangers – is, on the face of it, just as ridiculous.
@levparikian.bsky.socialThe most outlandish now seem laughable: they transmogrified from one form to another, they hibernated at the bottom of ponds, they flew to the moon. All these were suggested and discussed with great earnestness.