July 8

"I'm trying to immature."

We always hear people talking about being mature or wanting to have a mature sound. Wanting more maturity in their decision making or in their work. I'm all for that. But, I'm also thinking that more of a "child-like" way of being is important in the creative process, also.

Tom Waits
I enjoyed hearing what Tom had to say about songwriting. Especially interesting to hear him say that the room is an instrument too!


Haneda Photos
Went to Haneda airport today and got some shots from the observation area on the top floor of the terminal. Kind of rainy though.







Chomsky on FinklesteinNoam Chomsky is one my very favorite writers and speakers. Here is an interesting excerpt in which he describes the "institutional control" that is prevalent in the book world.

July 6

Becoming Posthuman Essay - James Sparks

Posthuman Artists

"STELARC is an Australian-based performance artist whose work explores and extends the concept of the body and its relationship with technology through human-machine interfaces incorporating medical imaging, prosthetics, robotics, VR systems and the internet."

STELARC website

Stelarc images
Stelarc
NeMe: Prosthetic Head: Intelligence, Awareness and Agency by Stelarc
STELARC on Wiki

Alexa Wright
Orlan

Democracy Now
Noam Chomsky



Spent some time this morning researching a few "posthumanist artists" (Stelarc-Wright-Orlan), reading the above essay and listening to Noam Chomsky's talk given recently in Harlem. Had to leave early for a rehearsal and a gig. Nice gig tonight with a new band led by Tim Lyddon. Tim has recently moved to Tokyo from New York. I really like Tim's harmonic vocabulary. Gives me space to go a lot of places melodically. Gives me options for color. He is a great listener.

June 15

Juice
I like having fruit juices in the morning. Usually the first half of my day is pretty much all fruit. Made a new juice (mango/banana) this morning.


Sports and creativity
Basketball/Soccer
Talked with my son (great soccer player). He was on his way home from a soccer game. Told me how he felt "in the zone" during the game and was able to play and create situations on the field with so little effort and almost no thinking. We talked about some sports like soccer, hockey and basketball. Some of the sports seem to really have a connection to improvised music and other arts that involve a lot of creating "in the moment."

Photography
Starting to use RAW files. I've had to search the net to find a RAW converter because I'm using a little older version of Photoshop and can't open RAW files. Creativity is great but, involves a degree of technique. I have a lot of technical things to master in photography before I can feel free to really create.

Took some photos in the rain. I love black & white recently.





Listening
Democracy Now
Health Insurers Investing Billions in Tobacco

Reading
Escher On Escher

Good God, I wish I'd learn to draw a little better! How much effort and persistence it costs to try to do it well. Every once in a while the stress of it all drives me to the point of a nervous breakdown. It is really strictly a matter of persisting tenaciously with continuous and, if possible, pitiless self-criticism. I believe that to produce prints the way I do is almost strictly a matter of wanting so terribly much to do it well. Talent and all that are really for the most part just baloney. Any schoolboy with a little aptitude can perhaps draw better than I; but what he lacks in most cases is that tenacious desire to make it reality, that obstinate gnashing of teeth and saying, "Although I know it can't be done, I want to do it anyway."

M.C. Escher....."Escher on Escher Exploring the Infinite", pg.8

Music - Rhythm
Spent some time playing djembe (West African drum) tonight. As a trumpet player, always playing melodies and having had a love for harmony for the past 30 years, I have always felt like rhythm is my weakest area in music. Plus, as a trumpet player I feel like I play only a small percentage of every song. I want to learn more instruments so I have more opportunities to play during a gig.


Games
Played a great game I have loaded on my MAC called MACSWEAR. It's a FREE download. I love these shapes and it has made me realize that I always loved geometry but, hated the way it was taught in school. I guess for that reason, I just never did well and couldn't wait for that class to finish. Now, all these years later, I really want to learn all I can about geometry.