Category: Music & Concert Specials
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Music Appreciation: My First Encounter with Berlioz’s ‘Symphonie Fantastique’
🎼 A Fever Dream in Five Movements: Remembering My First Encounter with Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique One of the most memorable experiences from my college years—now four decades ago—took place on a rare cool afternoon in South Florida. I was sitting in my Humanities class at Miami-Dade Community College, where Professor Jay Brown, a talented musician…
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Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel – 52nd Street’
52nd Street Revisited: Billy Joel and the Art of Returning There’s something hauntingly familiar about the first album that makes you feel seen. For me, it was 52nd Street—acquired through teenage negotiation, a bulky eight-track cassette wrested from my sister when she moved out. At the time, “My Life” felt like rebellion’s anthem, its defiance…
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Music Album Review: ‘Billy Joel Greatest Hits, Volume III’ (1997)
Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits, Volume III: A Late Discovery Worth the Wait I’ll admit it — I nearly passed this one by. When Greatest Hits: Volume III dropped in 1997, I hesitated. Joel’s post-An Innocent Man output hadn’t exactly lit up my radar, and with my classical collection growing, I wasn’t keen on spending limited…
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“This Night”: Music, Memory, and the Moments That Define Us
There’s something about music that stays long after the moment has passed. A lyric looping quietly in the back of your mind. A piano chord that stirs a memory you hadn’t meant to revisit. In Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen, one such song plays softly in the background—Billy Joel’s “This Night.”…
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On Soft Light and Honest Songs: A Note to the Reader
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Billy Joel, Books, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Love and Sex, Melodies and Memories: Music, Songs, and Singers, Movies, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaEvery story in the Garratyverse carries its own rhythm. Some sweep across decades, reckoning with inherited grief, generational wounds, and the long arc of forgiveness. Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen isn’t that kind of story. It’s smaller. Quieter. But no less true. This one lives in the hush between songs, the half-step…
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42 Years Ago, in a High School Not So Far Away (A Tempus Fugit Gig)
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Billy Joel, Blogging, Cold War (1945-1991), Computers, John Williams (Composer), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Personal History, Personal Thoughts, Personal Thoughts, South Miami Senior High School, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Tempus fugit, U.S. History42 Years Ago, in a High School Not So Far Away…. Late Morning, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 — Miami, Florida “It was only high school, after all—arguably one of the most bizarre periods in a person’s life. How anyone emerges well-adjusted is nothing short of a miracle.” — E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly A…
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Where Time’s Winds Blow: The Scene That Started It All
Every story has a beginning. Sometimes, that beginning is clear and deliberate—a spark of inspiration that feels undeniable. Other times, it sneaks up on you, a seemingly small moment that quietly takes root, only revealing its true significance years later. For Reunion: A Story, that moment came in the late 1980s when I was a…
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More Musings for Mother’s Day 2025: Of Mothers, Sons…and Music
Evening, Sunday, May 11, 2025 – Miami, Florida Mother’s Day always brings a mix of emotions. The ache of missing my mother is ever-present, but today, I choose to celebrate the memories—the quiet, joyful moments that defined our bond. Mom and I shared an unspoken connection through the things we loved: books, films, dogs, and…
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Saturday Serenade: Some of My Favorite Piano Pieces*
Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, January 4, 2025, Miami, Florida * Including piano transcriptions of orchestral compositions. Hi, everyone. I’m feeling a bit better today, but still dealing with a persistent cold. I’m exhausted from the symptoms and medication. Instead of my usual long blog post, here are some of my favorite piano performances. Enjoy!
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Evening Reflections in Madison, NH
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Autumn 2024, Creative Writing, Donating “Reunion: A Story” to the Conway Public Library, John Williams (Composer), John Williams in Vienna, John Williams Live in Vienna (2020 Album), John Williams: Live in Vienna, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Madison (NH), Life in New Hampshire (December 2023 – October 2024), Music & Concert Specials, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaOn the evening of September 28, 2024, in Madison, New Hampshire, a chill settled in as night fell. After visiting the mailboxes with Patti’s husband, Marc, the narrator had a relaxing day, enjoying pizza and a brief walk. They listened to John Williams’ film scores while contemplating the fate of their novella, “Reunion: A Story,”…
A Certain Point of View, Too 