2/6/10

Learned something about myself last night. Something about going back into the past.

Several years ago, I wrote a block of songs about a life experience of mine (throat cancer). Maybe 5 years ago, I had an opportunity to record those songs in Tokyo. After I released the CD, we performed those songs throughout Japan for about a year. By that time, I just didn't want to have anymore to do with those songs.

Was informed a couple of weeks ago that I would need to do those songs for a gig last  because we were being video taped for TV in Japan. I felt kind of irritated for 2 weeks about the gig. Didn't want to rehearse the band. Haha..even lost the music (my copy) 2 days before the gig. Got to the club last for the soundcheck/rehearsal. Wow...talking about avoidance!

My point is I don't like to go backward. I want to live now, experiencing this moment and creating something based off of the experience.

August 22

Ever play a tune or a classical piece and notice that there is a spot in the music that you always feel kind of uncomfortable? During your improvisation you ever feel there are a few measures that you always feel awkward or confined? But, you've been playing this song for months or even years. Why are you still feeling restricted in the same place? Have you avoided isolating that spot and spending days or weeks working that spot out? Technical studies could easily be created and practiced to eliminate the awkwardness. My real question is why do we avoid the problem areas? Even when we are completely aware (and most likely everyone around us knows as well) of the problem area, we continue to avoid it. Why don't we attack that area? That small place in the music seems to take on a power of it's own. Maybe we completely avoid playing the whole piece of music just because of a few measures. How can fear be created like this in our heads?

August 14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrence_McKenna
http://deoxy.org/media/McKenna

My buddy Curtis turned me on to McKenna today. Woke-up, came in and sat dow at the computer and there were the links sitting in front of me in a chat box.

August 12

Haven't posted on this blog for 12 days after doing 72 days in a row.

It's called "hitting the wall."

July 17

Reading

Vein of Gold
Notes:
Mind Map

dreamtime
imagic-nation
causal plane
walking
"cross the bridge" into a "space"where our imagination and thoughts
start to take a physical form
vibration 6 rhythm
(desire + energy) + imagination (thoughts)= manifestation (solid form)
dreams (thoughts) become reality

"As we walk, we "cross the bridge" into the realm of desire and imagination."

Julia Cameron - Vein of Gold pg. 32

DeBono Creativity Work-out
Exercise #9 Value
Pick 5 random words
Which word creates the most value (Expensive, Safest, etc)

Exercise #10
Multiple Connections
Pick 2 random words
Create multiple connects for these words
(Go beyond the obvious)
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If You Want To Write - Ueland
Chapter 3

"But the moment I read Van Gogh's letter I knew what art was, and the creative impulse. It is a feeling of love and enthusiasm for something and in a direct, simple, passionate and true way, you try to show this beauty in things to others, by drawing it."

Ueland - If You Want To Write pg 19

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I've read in multiple locations in the past 2 weeks, the value of walking in the creative process. Taking a simple walk. Who would've guessed? Once again, it's the simple things. I can attest to the importance of walking, not only for the obvious health values, but also the way in which taking a 30 minute walk can free up the mind.
I started intentionally taking daily walks about 5 years ago. I can't imagine the number of miles I've covered in those 5 years. There really does seem to be some connection between the rhythm that you get into on a longer walk, coupled with the breathing that causes me to be able to go deeper with my imagination. Sometimes there is a flood of new ideas, things to do, new insights on projects, new melodies, old melodies, etc. Julia Cameron speaks of the importance of walking in the Vein of Gold. She explains how valued walking was to creative/spiritual groups all through history. Walking is an improvisation. I've asked students if they take the same route to school everyday or to their train station. Invariable, the answer is yes. Trying a new route is fun. It can be really surprising (even in your own neighborhood) what new things you will encounter just trying a different route. That's the same kind of idea as playing tunes in the same old keys. Try a tune in a new key. It's surprising what new ideas pop-out unexpectedly because the fingers aren't able to run through the same old patterns. Suddenly the subconscious is released!
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If You Want To Write-Chapter 5
Action
(Walking-everyday)

"I will tell you what I have learned myself. For me, a long 5 or 6 mile walk helps. And one must go alone and everyday.

My explanation of it is that when I walk in a carefree way, without straining to get to my destination, then I am living in the present. And it is only then that the creative power flourishes"

Ueland - If You Want To Write pg 43

Today
taking care of "odds and ends."
drivers License renewal
phone office-new battery
teaching at Senzoku
dentist
internet work
cafe-Couple of hours of reading
trumpet-late night long-tones

Taught final ensemble class of the semester today. Gave the students a copy of my latest CD. I gave them the CD because I wanted to stress to the students the idea of doing a complete creative project from beginning to end.
Create a concept/idea
Composition/arranging
Forming a band
Rehearse the band
Perform
Record
Post Production
Design/Photo/Art
Sales/Marketing
Follow-up gigs/tour

We talked about being involved in every step of the process rather than doing a

"corporately controlled"

project. Talked about how the culture is being created from the top down. (PR-propaganda-brain washing)
Documentary:
Century of the Self
Edward Bernays - "Father" of PR (Propaganda)
Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6




It's funny..serendipity I guess. This morning as I was packing to leave for the day, I put together the CD's for the students (to talk about "concept/idea oriented projects") and put an old issue of LENSWORK magazine in my bag. At the cafe, I started reading Brooks Jensen's editor's notes and he was talking about "portfolio-oriented projects" for photographers. It's really a great article and applies perfectly to musicians as well as photographers.

Notes:
why do folios?
project-oriented photography
material included (quantity) varies from artist to artist & project to project
consistency throughout the project
there is a "big picture" idea that encompasses the project
portfolios are about ideas-another level above just photos
tells a story
creates emotion

July 4

Work
Had a gig today (finally). Nice trio gig. Was fun just blowin' through some tunes and having a lot of good conversation between the sets.

Exercise
Morning - Stretching and weights before I went to the gig this morning.
Evening - Weights (again)/yoga/chi kung

Movies
Saw two movies this evening when I got home.
Lord of War
The trials and tribulations of an illegal arms dealer. Highlights several situations around the world including the Soviet Union, Sierra Leone, Africa, and South America. Draws attention to the bigger picture of the arms business, that war and conflict are necessary for profits. A lot of "predictive programming" in this one.

House of 9
A study in how quickly and devastatingly societal structure can deteriorate. Unfortunately, confirms what I read and posted in this blog yesterday from John Dewey's book, Experience and Education. Dewey basically said that humans aren't intelligent enough to maintain a society on their own.

Also, these people in the movie were being monitored by 75 cameras. I happened to look up several times today walking through train stations and noticed cameras always above me. Saw this article on Alan Watts' website this evening when I got home.
"Big brother is watching: The technologies that keep track of you" by Claudine Beaumont (telegraph.co.uk) - July 2, 2009.
Alan Watt Podcast 7/3/09

Reading


War of Art was suggested to me by my buddy from college, Perry Lawrence. Perry has been traveling all over the world the past several years video recording and making documentaries. Recently, he's been doing great things on the internet with his new business at ASKMRVIDEO.com

It's really a great book that has as it's basis resistance. Talks about resistance in all it's forms and how we create blocks to disrupt our creative flow and also how we can use the "commitment of a pro" to do battle against the resistance and eventually transcend all of that to a more creative "space." I can understand the concept of the "commitment of a pro." My survival (food/paying rent/taking care of family/life responsibilities/bills/etc) depends on the sound coming out of my horn. Knowing that can definitely cause you to play from a deeper place I think.

"The professional keeps his eye on the doughnut and not on the hole. He reminds himself it's better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot."

Steven Pressfield - The War of Art (pg 90)

June 21

Books
Couldn't resist going to the used book sale at Book-Off in Shirokanedai yesterday. Couldn't believe it! I got all this stuff for about $10! Picked up a couple of great little things:

I'm collecting and reading/studying all of DeBono's books now. Great ideas on creativity..especially "lateral thinking."

***See the documentary below***

I had kind of forgotten how much I used to enjoy looking at mind-bending illusions.

I was lucky to find 2 old issues of my favorite magazine right now.

I'm really looking forward to spending some time in this book and studying about one of my favorite composers!

Documentary
I was amazed/shocked the first time I saw this documentary. In fact, this is one of the things that started me a mission for the past 3-4 years to get down to where the "rubber meets the road" regarding the reality of the world we live in and the one that is being presented to us..hahaha..talking about mind-bending illusions!

"The Corporation"
***see the book above***


Random Word
Spent some time sitting in a cafe at the bookstore this evening and doing some random word exercises that I saw recently in Tom Wujec's book, Pumping Ions.