Monthly Archives: April 2015

Apr 29

Recommended Listening

By Lars Rosager | Music

“Cascades” by Oliver Nelson from the album Stolen Moments is impressionistic jazz. It makes me want to learn more about the cues jazz musicians may have taken from the late romantics—any artist intending to convey scene, character, idea, etc. through a medium possibly foreign to the underlying concept. People have cited Charlie Parker’s interest in Stravinsky, perhaps the twentieth-century classical influence on the generation of Parker as a whole. Debussy could have a part to play in all this . . . Give “Cascades” a listen and consider the wider reach of impressionism within the jazz tradition.

Apr 27

Practical Applications of Mathematics

By Lars Rosager | Uncategorized

These days, so often is math associated with money that one may easily lose sight of the treasures of universal truth behind numbers. For me, music and astrology are crucial to an understanding of the history of human culture. These two disciplines were cornerstones of ancient learning systems, but have since gone by the wayside as perhaps the most asked education-related question continues to be, “So what are your plans after you finish your studies?”
Politicians are wrapped up in a frantic need to build up the economy and post better numbers, and education has been feeling a negative impact. How much sense does this make, really? Can we create employment and discourage students, all while stressing the importance of education’s job training? My current stance is that people are more obligated to find mathematical and scientific truths in nature than to apply their knowledge to engineering, medicine, and other businesses that put humankind’s harmony with nature to one side. If music lovers were exposed to the rich historical threads that portray music as an activity unextractable from the worship of natural divinity, they may shift their consciousness away from numbers on a bank statement and toward numbers of universal heartmind.

Apr 27

Graduate Research and Creative Works Showcase

By Lars Rosager | News

I will be sharing a bit of my research at the 2015 Graduate Research and Creative Works Showcase on Thursday, April 30, 2015 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. The event, an open walk-through with many poster boards by SF State graduate students, will be held in Gym 100 on the SF State main campus at 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA, 94132. I have prepared some research and innovative thinking on guitar technique in the baroque period. It would be a pleasure to see you there. Thanks.

Apr 21

In the midst of the countless issues of this world, 

By Lars Rosager | Uncategorized

I continue to research the history of music and perform as a vocalist and guitarist. One may criticize my perceived detachment, but just because I am not marching on Washington does not mean I am apathetic. In fact, my scholarly and artistic efforts are aimed at exacting a lasting effect on my community and, more vastly, the world now and hereafter. For me, it is important to substantiate my limited dealings with society with a knowledge of history as well as current events in human civilization on a broad spectrum.
This post has been written on the realization that I have been reclusive as a matter of lifestyle choice. Know that I work for you, for everyone who may take interest in applying music and language arts to the improvement of human awareness—even though you are left looking for traces of my public career. By improvement of human awareness I mean the propagation of peace not only among humans, but with earthly ecosystems and the nature of the heavens (and all cultural interpretations of Creation and Heaven, the Spirit World, etc.) as well.  As the humanist agenda established, moral philosophy must be one of the primary concerns. How will one’s work hold up to ethical critique? Now a question for you: of what practical use is the historical study of music or performances that exhibit musical genres from outside the financially-minded mainstream?

Apr 10

Musical Community Service

By Lars Rosager | News

I had a very pleasant interaction with two men who expressed their appreciation for my singing and playing at the Apple Box Café. They were eager to engage with me about spirituality and the immediacy of the divine in human life. We agreed that God is not to be secluded from our day-to-day lives. To my surprise, one of the older brothers said an informal prayer for me, thanking me for my volunteer work and asking for blessings and peace. It is a wonder to reflect and see where music has taken me.