Welcome to Sounds Like Now! My name is Brian Sacawa and I do many things. I am a saxophonist and currently serve as a member of The United States Army Field Band from Washington, D.C. I co-founded and curate Baltimore's award-winning Mobtown Modern Music Series. I'm also a Category 2 bicycle racer for the Pyramid Elite Racing team.

Rapha Festive 500: THE VIDEO
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: THE VIDEO

by Brian on Jan 2, 2012 • No Comments
Over 3000 cyclists from around the world participated in the 2011 Rapha Festive 500 Challenge and I was one of them. When the dust settled, I had logged 556 total kilometers, which ranked me 411th out of those over 3000 riders in terms of distance. But as all cyclists know,...  Continue reading »
Redefinition
News

Redefinition

by Brian on Oct 15, 2011 • 2 Comments
When I first began life on the internet, the purpose was singular and simple: to have a static website designed to promote my work as a saxophonist. The site would house things like my biography, performance schedule, contact information, as well as audio clips and a list of pieces that...  Continue reading »
Latest entries
Rapha Festive 500: Day Seven
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: Day Seven

by Brian on Jan 1, 2012 • No Comments
Distance: 27 km Time: 1:08 I realized that throughout the entire Rapha Festive 500 I had neglected an old friend. In the northeast corner of Baltimore City is a small reservoir known as Lake Montebello. Around its 2.2km circumference is a road as well as dedicated bike and pedestrian lanes. As it has new asphalt, no stop signs (in the bike lane, at least), is completely flat, and is not overrun by inconsiderate dog owners who think a 20-foot leash is a good idea, Lake...  Continue reading »
Rapha Festive 500: Day Six
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: Day Six

by Brian on Dec 30, 2011 • No Comments
Distance: 66 km Time: 2:31 It’s kind of strange. Today’s ride put me over 500km for the Rapha Festive 500—530km total—but I’m not feeling any particular or special sense of accomplishment. It’s not even that there’s one more day for the Challenge and therefore one more chance to add to my total distance that I don’t feel as though I’ve reached any sort of conclusion. There’s really never any sense of an ending, is there? I originally thought that I’d do a long effort tomorrow...  Continue reading »
Rapha Festive 500: Day Five
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: Day Five

by Brian on Dec 30, 2011 • 2 Comments
Distance: 58 km Time: 2:03 I had a devil sitting on one shoulder and an angel on the other today. The devil was telling me that with 405km logged for the Festive 500, that I should just go out and lay down 100km to finish it off and still have two days left to add to the tally. The angel said that there were three days left and therefore no hurry, especially since three consecutive 4+ hour days can take a toll on a man,...  Continue reading »
Rapha Festive 500: Day Four
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: Day Four

by Brian on Dec 26, 2011 • No Comments
Molly was out shooting and caught me on Hillside Road Distance: 62 km Time: 2:15 Some rides just seem completely effortless. On rides like these, your pedal stroke is so smooth and easy, your mind crystal clear and full of positive energy, that time goes by so quickly that you begin to wonder if you have actually been in the saddle for 4+ hours and not in some bizarre suspended dream state. And then there are the efforts that feel like a slog no matter...  Continue reading »
Rapha Festive 500: (Xmas) Day Three
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: (Xmas) Day Three

by Brian on Dec 25, 2011 • 1 Comment
Distance: 107 km Time: 3:58 Though today was Christmas Day, it felt a little bit more like Thanksgiving to me. That’s because as I set out this morning for Day Three of the Rapha Festive 500 Challenge, I promptly began compiling a mental list of things that I was thankful for. Most immediately, I was thankful for the tailwind which helped propel me north out of Baltimore City. Second, I was grateful for the incredible weather—crisp, but not too cold—that I’ve been able to enjoy...  Continue reading »
Rapha Festive 500: Day Two
Cycling

Rapha Festive 500: Day Two

by Brian on Dec 24, 2011 • No Comments
I see this sign all the time; it finally made sense today. Distance: 115 km Time: 4:15 I am generally not a fan of surprises. I know my mother will be proud to see me write that I like to have things planned out, my life organized, so that I can accomplish everything I need to as efficiently as possible. An unplanned, freeform day is a rarity for me—save for family vacations, during which not having a plan is de rigueur—and whimsical is an adjective...  Continue reading »
Rapha Festive 500: Day One
Cycling / Sur la Plaque

Rapha Festive 500: Day One

by Brian on Dec 23, 2011 • No Comments
Distance: 121 km Time: 4:25 Motivation can appear in many forms. Some are motivated by fear—fear of failure, fear of not living up to expectations. Others derive their inspiration from anger, money, revenge, stature, winning. I know all of those people. Motivation in cycling can often be easy to come by—the next big race, setting a new power record, a category upgrade—but when it is scarce, it can lead a person to a dark place. And this time of year, especially, it’s easy to find...  Continue reading »
Voltaire, noise, and difficulty
Literature / Music

Voltaire, noise, and difficulty

by Brian on Dec 20, 2011 • No Comments
‘This noise,’ said the Senator, ‘may amuse one for half an hour; but if it were to last longer it would grow tiresome to everybody, though they durst not own it. Music, today, is only the art of executing difficult things, and that which is only difficult cannot please long.’ — Voltaire, Candide  Continue reading »
Good taste
Miscellany / News

Good taste

by Brian on Dec 12, 2011 • No Comments
As if I needed another project, but it’s something that I should have started long, long ago. I am astounded when I think about all the wines and coffees I’ve tasted and have absolutely no record or recollection of. Well, no more! Corks & Beans will serve as an online journal and archive of the various wines that cross my palate, the coffees I brew, and the espressos I pull. I’ll also share some of my brewing methods, techniques, and experiments whether they yield success...  Continue reading »
Perfection
Cycling / Music / Sur la Plaque

Perfection

by Brian on Dec 5, 2011 • 1 Comment
Individuals who engage extremely deeply in a given pursuit are often termed perfectionists. Their commitment to a particular interest transcends the activity itself, permeating their thoughts and consuming their general being to the point where an uninitiated outsider might consider them obsessed. It’s also a fact that these types of individuals, these perfectionists, choose to participate in activities in which perfection is an elusive and often unattainable goal. Take music, for example. As a musician, there are a myriad of elements one works to perfect....  Continue reading »
Indulge, imbibe, unwind
Cycling / Sur la Plaque

Indulge, imbibe, unwind

by Brian on Nov 29, 2011 • No Comments
Make a mental list of five of the most difficult challenges we face as cyclists. Stop reading and do this right now. Here are mine, which are likely colored by the current season: always staying motivated despite the time of year or weather conditions, getting on the rollers at 5 p.m. after a long day to try and knock out 2 hours of LT intervals in the basement, pushing yourself farther than the pain wants you to during an interval or while establishing a breakaway,...  Continue reading »
Miles are meaningless
Cycling / Sur la Plaque

Miles are meaningless

by Brian on Nov 14, 2011 • 3 Comments
It is a question the devoted among us constantly find ourselves having to answer: how far did you ride? Coming as it usually does from loved ones, friends, or colleagues, giving a proper answer becomes something of a balancing act. Not wanting to appear rude, a response is required, especially since the individual making the innocent inquiry is simply expressing an interest in an activity they know us to take quite seriously. The easy answer, of course, is to simply state the number of miles...  Continue reading »

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