📚🎺 From Bindings to Brass: A Week in Jo-Mode
Some weeks are stitched together with paper and thread. Others are held aloft by trumpet notes and adrenaline. This past week? It was all of the above—handbound, high-flying, and heart-full
I wrapped up the CBBAG bookbinding course last weekend, and let me tell you—- it was a glorious deep-dive into folded signatures, paper grain, and the sheer satisfaction of pulling thread tight across a spine. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to delve into the tedchnology of the book. If you work in digitization, preservation, metadata, or digital scholarship, learning how books are made—physically—makes you better at working with them digitally. You understand structure, its history, describe bindings with real accuracy, and gain a whole new appreciation for what’s worth preserving (and how to preserve it). Plus, it bridges the analog-digital divide in a way that's hugely valuable for supporting researchers and building creative programs.Highly recommend this kind of hands-on PD. It's not just book arts—it’s book infrastructure.
Then it was off to Thamesford for the Victoria Day parade, trumpet in hand and with my Dad and the Mocha Shrine Trumpet Band. There’s something extra special about making music with family and friends, especially when it supports the Children's Hospital, and so many came out to support the parade from the curb. 💜
Tuesday was dress rehearsal for the London Concert Band’s season finale: Portraits of Courage. And let me just say—playing 1st trumpet in the Shostakovich finale is not for the faint of lip. There are long, slow, high notes that demand every bit of focus and breath support I’ve got. That D above the staff is a summit—and I’m climbing. We are sharing the stage with for a couple of pieces with the talented kids of the AB Lucas Secondary School Concert Band. At one point there were about 150 of us on stage. magnificent glorious sound! ( the Concert is May 25 at 2pm)
By Wednesday I was back with Barclay Road Brassworks, working on some brand-new pieces for some summer gigs. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to rehearse with eight musicians who each play at least three instruments (and often one toy), it’s as joyful and chaotic as you’d expect. We wouldn’t have it any other way. We're guests of the Mocha Shriners Historical Concert Band, June 1 at 2:00 pm and will perform a short set of pieces.
Thursday night brought something truly special—a collaborative rehearsal between The Jazzabelles and the Cantorion Choir. We’re cooking up something neither group has ever tried before, and I think it’s going to be jazzy. Saturday May 31 2:00pm in the Masonic Hall
Somewhere between all the music, I squeezed in some serious librarian brain-work too: planning for the RIMS implementation, diving into ranking data, and prepping for my upcoming BRIC presentation. My worlds collide sometimes, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So yes—I’m a little tired. But also deeply grateful. Grateful for this full, weird, wonderful life stitched together with brass, books, and the occasional breathless high D.
Until next time, BiblioJo with ChatGpt because I'm beat!
