It was around this point in the evening that the radio switched to a new program, one that was playing quite punchy jazz-funk and latin music. Somehow, at least on this evening, this posed a real challenge to concentration. The music was interesting and lively - a little too interesting to tune out.
Whatever the case, where the earlier Irish reels were a nice steady tempo, as rhythms and tempos shifted, my mark-making kept jumping around. My dad knows a composer who once got thrown by an ocean's surf sounds because it was off-tempo to his inner timing. It made it impossible for the guy to write or sleep while on a songwriting retreat. I was feeling like that at first: dance to this - yes; draw to it - not in a flowing way.
It did occur to me that if I had been willing to let my marks run with the music, I might have discovered something unfamiliar and possibly useful. But for that night I just tried to maintain focus in spite of the music. These are 2-minute studies.
