Sounds of Life

6:30 pm

Sitting quietly in my living room when suddenly the wind invites a crashing chord on the wind chime. The wind, the chimes, and myself return to silence.

Then the bass sound of a car door closing as the furnace crescendoes into a pulsing drone, the clatter of little feet playing an accelerando on the pavement. Key change as my grandaughter bursts through the door reciting text from a book on tape she had been listening to. Laughter, shrieks, and racket ensues in a post modern Ode to Joy.

8:30 pm
Happy to pick up my guitar as she lays down to rest. Life is very good. Began with ear training and work on Dandelion Wish. Break over. Time to play through and examine Why?

Photo by Ted Andes all rights reserved

Frames

8:30pm EST

After my usual Qi Gong and sitting this morning I left for work. I choose to drive in quiet and take in the leaves and rain for the beginning of my commute today. Then I played some ear training exercises for the final 10 minutes. When I got out of my car I noticed that the rain sounded in a way I have never heard. I wondered was it all the leaves on the parking lot or my concentrated listening with the exercises. I posted this to Facebook and one musician said both. The good news I was present to notice and happy for this intriguing sound.

Various quotes arose to frame my day today.

Photo by Baron von Willig. All rights reserved.


"It is not we who create performance but performance which creates us" (Daevid Allen)

Certainly true for me, but I leave you to ponder this.

From an AT person: Alexander Technique -because we create habits. Are you creating what you hope for in your habits?

And later I found- "A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." ~Leopold Stokowski

Finally from our book discussion group tonight, the book we are using "you are here" by Thich Nhat Hahn. "Has the most wonderful moment of your life already happened?"

A rich and thoughtful day. Smiling as I remember now that the Tuning the Air team is setting up for tonight's show in Seattle. Now I am off to practice.

10:10 pm EST

Just completed a practice that had joy throughout. I want to say this is rare but these days that my be more my norm. Need to look at this. Anyhow I began with improvising. One phrase really resounded with me and I followed where it led. Called this Frames as this was in my brain from the earlier posting. So far it is short and that is wonderful. Perhaps a series of minature pieces called Frames is in order. Perhaps not. Worked on Stepping Stones,  a new piece that came to me & I am now learning how to play. Delighted in playing through Livin' the Dream and then Gathered Hearts.

Why?

We killed a man tonight. We called him the sniper. Easier that way, put a label on him, let go of the name his mother gave him, let go of his pain, his life.

He did horrible things, so many suffered, many enduring pain and loss that is unimaginable. More of us suffered smaller discomforts – fear of gassing our cars, of going shopping, of … living our lives.

So we killed him. Our society, our culture, our fear, all that shaped him, that taught him how to kill.

I do not know the man. Guess I need to rephrase that I did not know this man, John Allen Muhammed. I know he had parents, family, people like us. He was sick and he killed.

I thought of him tonight. Could not watch the hype on TV, just took out my guitar at 7pm, like I hope they (us) would let me on my last day if our fear had caught up with me. After my final meal, after family, if there was any, had to leave. I wrote a piece, perhaps his piece,a piece he will not hear. I was able to get lost in the sound of my strings, listening, following where the notes wanted to go. Grateful I could forget what we were about to do. I wanted to hold what he might be feeling, what I might be feeling if it was me watching my final moments tick away. But then it was time to join my wife. As I put away my guitar I wondered what it would be like to know that I was wiping down my guitar strings for the final time. Closing my case, now a casket of memories.


At 8:45 EST my wife and I quietly sat. Images of ‘the snipers’ acts flowed into my mind. I wondered how he was feeling? What it would be like to count my final breaths … Then I found my breath, my mind slowed; I sent him good wishes. I sent the families and friends of his acts love and understanding. I saw him walking his final steps with our officers of the law holding him, guiding him on his walk with justice.

Again I found my breath. At 9:06 EST I sensed that his life was over as I looked at the clock. I do not know how long we take to kill someone, but I knew that his bowels had evacuated, his blood stilled, his breath no more. His curtain had been drawn, yet we are still on the stage.

9:40 pm EST November 10, 2009

Listening

Musicians need to listen. Actually everyone needs to listen. The world is getting louder all the time. So tune in and listen:

- to yourself while playing.
- to others you are playing with
- to your muse. For this I need silence.
- to your body (if I did this faithfully I never would have had tendonitis nor would I be so tired right now.
- to yourself while playing via a recorder and then listen to this. Now what do you hear? Do this in a positive constructive manner.
- to your loved ones, the world will be a better place.
- to those you dislike, they have a lesson for you also.
- to learn period!
- to the messages you tell yourself.
- to the birds and the insects, the oceans and streams, the stars and children.

And listen to what you say to others, please listen.

Evenness & Passion

Listening, listening, more listening all the time. Currently insects singing outside over the dehumidified drone in the basement. Tonight I began transcribing the lesson I had with Tony Geballe last week addressing my right hand in Dancin' Free. As always Tony had good insight into my playing and gave me an approach for the piece and that will improve my right hand in general. Found a comfortable place to work with these exercises on the metronome and enjoyed the practice.

I have always enjoyed working on exercises, looking at technique, the subtle use of my hands. At one point I was told I was spending too much of my practice time on exercises and needed to spend more time with music. A balanced approach to my instrument. These days the emphasis is more on music, but when the music needs assistance out come the exercises. And as I said tonight I really enjoyed them. I am aiming for an evenness of sound and rhythm as I play these arpeggios in triplets at the beginning of this piece. To not rush the rests nor cut the note values of any of the notes.

Recently I have been at three outstanding musical performances. The first was Todd Rundgren performing the entire album of his epic work A Wizard, A True Star. Last Thursday I heard the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra perform Bela Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and then this past Sunday The Fry Street Quartet performed Bartok's First String Quartet. All of these performances were powerful and the music played with great passion and I was transported. My wish is that I may reliably play with power and passion. With an evenness in my approach coupled with my passion for music and the discipline to work and develop my skills - all is possible.

Juggling Priorities

Could be subtitled - A Day in the Life.

Up at 4:30 today, rested and ready. After grooming and sitting out the door at 6:15.

Good to be at work early as I am behind from my recent illness. Listened to Dancin' Free on the way to work and sang along with the notes. I really have this piece in my ear now, but the opening arpeggios are not in my hand. Went to play "air fingerstyle" with the right hand at a stoplight and realized I need to sit with this and write out the fingering. While Tony was here he helped me map out a systematic approach to mastering these arpeggios. An added benefit to have an engineer/producer who is also an accomplished guitarist.

After 9 plus hours at work home for dinner and delightful conversation with my wife. Spent 40 minutes with my guitar working on the revisions of a piece. Played this for Joann and received her feedback. Off for a 45 minute walk and played with this piece in my head. Back home to work on the menus for the upcoming Guitar Craft course in Seattle this month. Now back for another look at the new piece before retiring.

No matter how busy I am I find that hour to work with the guitar, sometimes more.

After listening to a rough take of this piece I heard where editing is in order for one section and an idea to experiment with in another section. Now I have the bridge to my practice tomorrow.

What have you done today to further that which you love?

Photo by: Sandra Prow

Write Your Goals

First day at full strength since the flu invaded me. I wrote out my monthly goals and with a bit of terror began addressing the musical ones. Great progress made on one piece. Was able to address my errands and had a nice walk in the sun and one by moonlight. Never underestimate the power of writing down your goals. Many thanks to Tom Redmond for always telling my to write it down.