Hyundai Elantra Is Even Better

With the Korean manufacturers on a roll, I've been waiting eagerly to sample the latest Elantra. Hyundai's been impressing the folks at the car magazines--including Consumer Reports--with its Sonata, which is taking market share from the big guys--Toyota Camry and Honda Accord--with its stylish body and strong platform. It was the Elantra's turn.

The last couple of generations of the compact Elantra have been like Toyota Corolla wannabes, but now, the Corolla's looking positively ancient and even the new Honda Civic seems conservative. Long celebrated for reliability and environmental responsibility, the Elantra is all-new, and seems much more expensive than its price now. The environment inside is stunning in its design as well as materials and assembly.

The 1.8-liter, 148-horsepower engine makes the car feel fairly peppy, although my only disappointment was the fuel economy. I averaged just over 27 mpg--pretty decent--but the sticker says 29 City and 40 Highway, and I drove a lot of miles on the freeway.

My tester, a GLS in a gorgeous Metallic Sky Blue, was only $19,510, not including transportation.

Learning Songs from the Record Again

There's been a song running around in my head for weeks--Uncharted, by Sara Bareilles--so tonight, I decided to learn to play it. I haven't learned a song from a recording this way since, well, when I looked like the photo to the left.

This time, I was able to play the song on my iPod with one earbud in and the other out--to hear if I was getting close. Of course, I had to sing an octave below Sara (I'm not Paul McCartney), but I worked it out--mostly. I needed to capo the first fret to move the pitch up to what I assume is the way it was recorded. It's possible that the studio sped up the song, too, I guess.

I any case, I now have a song from 2010 (or 2011) that I can play and sing to go with all those ones from the mid to late sixties that I learned off those vinyl albums and by ear. Who knows where this could lead? Maybe I'll go do another open mike night somewhere.

When the Music is Over

Here I sit in my kitchen, on what would normally be the Sunday night before Monday's workday ("...not that there's anything wrong with that," as Seinfeld would say). It's just that after a weekend containing a full day of chamber music and a concert, it's over now. My spring Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra season ended this afternoon with a rousing performance of Borodin's Symphony No. 2, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and some very entertaining music from the bayan--the Russian button accordion. That's Mr. Borodin at the left.

I've written on this concert already--but the point is, what do you feel when something you've been looking forward to is over? After every concert, I feel the sense of accomplishment of a job (pretty) well done -- remember I am an amateur -- and a feeling of completion. And, I don't have to work on it anymore, so it's a little like freedom (school's out). But--when we finish a piece, it goes away. I no longer play it, and although it's added to my repertoire, and nowadays, to my iPod, it's over. So I miss the piece too. And, of course, I'll miss seeing my fellow orchestra members all summer, too.

As I've been harranguing my son lately, there's nothing quite like the enjoyment of accomplishing a goal. It's doing something with a purpose--not simply receiving something you like or want. It's earning it. I wish I had understood this earlier, but perhaps this knowledge, too, is something you have to earn.

Another Chamber Music Workshop Is Done

It's late in the day, but I'm happy. I got to play chamber music on my bass all day today--and all evening too.

Over the last few years, I've attended gatherings of the Chamber Musicians of Northern California (CMNC) that take place three times a year at a San Francisco Bay Area campus. After about 12 of them I know the drill, and always learn something. Also, it's great to be with people who are interested in what you're interested in--and being a "workshop," it's about developing yourself as a musician--not being a perfect concert performer. Good thing, too, because I make lots of mistakes!

We were assigned a Piano Quintet by German composer Hermann Goetz, who lived from 1840 to 1876 (see photo). The piece was beautiful and challenging. Goetz wrote it late in his short life--1874, while he already was suffering from the tuberculosis that would kill him.

We opted for the slow second movement, and even after a day's work of practice, I never quite got it right. Some parts are simply harder to play. But it was worth it to try to figure it out.

My work on this piece helped me realize that it's one thing to play every day, but for my next step, I need to work more on the basics--hand position, intonation, bowing techniques, scales--to move to the next level. That's something worth knowing--and acting on.

After dinner, I joined seven other musicians in playing through Schubert's Octet--a favorite ensemble piece that gives the bass plenty to do. Much of it is easy to play (for me now) but there are some challenges. I did a better job than the last time I played it--gratifying.

Double Graduation and Memorable Dates

May 27th marks the day I graduated from high school--and college too. Yes, the diploma-receiving walks were eight years apart. But I was a busy guy--spending a year on a kibbutz in Israel and earning my way through school.

Despite the fact that high school was more than "two score" ago and the day I snagged my English degree is also ancient history, I commemorate my double graduation day every year--by myself. No parties, no special activities. I just remember with some gratitude.

Graduations are interesting in that the date itself really isn't what's significant. It's that it normally indicates the end of something and the beginning of another. After high school, I embarked on a little adventure in guitar strumming and working that lasted a year and eight months. By the time I went to college, I was ready. After college, I stepped immediately into a fulltime job that lasted three and a half years.

Some dates are obvious--birthdays--yours and your significant other--and your kids' (especially young ones, who have great expectations). Some are more significant to the world--sometimes horrible too. What about D-Day (good), September 11--(bad), November 22 (JFK shot--bad). For me, December 8 is a bad day--when John Lennon was murdered. That one hurts me every year. How about May 1, 2011--the day Osama Bin Laden was found and dispatched? I'm guessing that most people consider that a "good" day. It probably won't become a Hallmark holiday, however.

Or course, January 1 is always important as a new beginning, and December 25 is significant to Christians--and most of the rest of us too--as a time to do something a little different beyond it's religious significance.

The first day of the each new season is recognized. When June 21 arrives, we expect summer warmth and long days--but maybe we're remembering school being out and the "freedom" that came with it.

For me, November 25 and 26 together are very significant because the first date is the day I met my wife and the 26th is--her birthday.

I'm glad I graduated (twice)--my college degree especially has been useful to me, as has the effort I had to put in to earn it.

Russian Classical Concert Sunday

This Sunday, the Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra takes the stage again to play a concert of Russian classical music. Besides exciting works by Mussorgsky (the famous Pictures at an Exhibition) and Borodin (Symphony No. 2) we'll be playing a few stimulating pieces with Grigoriy Krumik, who's bringing his bayan. A bayan is a button accordion and Grigoriy is a master of it.

Rehearsing for a show takes time and effort. We've been meeting for 2+ hours every Tuesday night since September, and I just got back from the "dress rehearsal" -- an extra two hours to go through the concert selections again. Even on concert day we won't be perfect--but that's what's great about being amateurs.

I love every minute I spend with my fellow musicians--since my start on January 2, 2007. I'm sure I'll be back for more next Fall.

If you're in the vicinity at 2 p.m. on Sunday, here's concert information. Like the Castro Valley Chamber Orchestra on Facebook, too!

Badge Engineering for Honda and Isuzu

The other day I saw an Isuzu Oasis minivan in my work parking lot. Wow--hadn't noticed one of those for awhile. I had to think about it, but then I remembered where that car came from. It was a rebadged Honda Odyssey. See the 1996 Oasis, left.

And why did Isuzu have a Honda minivan for sale? Well, back in the mid 1990's before the CR-X and Pilot were household names, Honda didn't have an SUV to offer. However, Isuzu, which was in business and doing fine in the U.S. at the time, did have the popular Rodeo. Add Honda Passport badges, and voila--problem solved. There were a few other vehicles involved in the deal too, but those were the major ones. See the Honda Passport, below.

This kind of badge engineering has gone on for years, and it makes sense, for example, if Ford needs a subcompact car to let Kia build it (Aspire) or Dodge wants a little car and Mitsubishi makes it (Colt). It's still going on today with Daewoo-built Chevys--although GM owns part of Daewoo now.

The secret is, though, to make the car you borrow at least as good as the ones you usually sell--then you're fine.