elemental spirit
Tonight, I’ve been needing to hear a “loud and clear” message about the life-affirming properties of music. Found it in this article about the late great jazz drummer Elvin Jones.
Archive | role models
5 expert ways to turbo-charge your practice routine
Monday, July 30, 2007
Feel your motivation flagging at the thought of yet another dreary practice session? Your instrument starting to pick up dust? Never fear! We’re living in a brave new age of gurus, and there’s a solution-head out there for every spiritual and practical problem that ails’ ya. Here’s a shortlist of techniques and approaches from trusted [...]
community guitar: interview with Andrew Lawrence
Sunday, June 24, 2007
For my June 2007 podcast, here’s an interview I conducted with Andrew Lawrence while I was attending Django In June in Northampton, Massachusetts. Andrew is founder of the Community Guitar Program, as well as being the director and coordinator of Django In June, the only annual music camp in North America dedicated to the pursuit [...]
gypsy (camp) fire, new england rendez-vous
Saturday, June 9, 2007
In a few days, I’ll be heading south of the (Canadian) border, for a week-long vacation in Northampton, Massachussetts. Why Northampton? What’s so special about the place? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were allegedly spawned there. One of my all-time favorite movies – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf – was filmed (in part) in Northampton. According [...]
why it’s easier to play for strangers
Monday, June 4, 2007
You’re ten years old, it’s Christmas eve. Uncle Fritz (fictitious name) has gotten in disguise: Santa’s about to distribute the gifts. The living room is packed with relatives, in dizzy anticipation at the surprises to come. Alas, before Santa Fritz can grab the first gift, your mom stands up, and blurts out to all ears: [...]
how to reset your central nervous system
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Don’t have enough vein diameter to feed blood to your virtual avatar in Second Life? Need to relax, but find the practice of meditation too emotionally barren to pursue? Can’t even properly evoke the Slow Movement in your bowel displacements? Listen, friend. Don’t even think about “getting tased”. Rather, consider this quote by classical guitarist [...]
may day! may day! what’s your tune?
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
There you have it: May 1st is upon us once again, pronouncing winter officially dead! So… Ready to raise your fist and chant in favor of a worker’s paradise on earth? Or will a simple drunken picnic in the midst of a sun-baked crowd do for you? Whatever the case, someone’s bound to break out [...]
Vivaldi made me do it
Friday, March 2, 2007
It’s true, Vivaldi‘s the dude behind my initial decision to learn a musical instrument. Recently pondering on the movers and shakers of my life, I’ve been left wondering how many other wannabe violin virtuosos Vivaldi must has spawned. And, conversely, how many misguided career choices. We’ve all heard of people who were compelled in childhood [...]
I want to (hear you) complain
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I never thought I’d see the day where bureaucracy gave way to music. Or perhaps it’s my middle-class angst that has finally found its ideal outlet. Regardless, whatever hurts your soul, thanks to artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, it’s goodbye (Swedish) Ombudsman, hello (Finnish) “Valituskuoro”. Valituskuoro – literally “Complaints Choir” in Finnish – is [...]
bad posture is good for you
Monday, January 1, 2007
I have to admit, I love finding this stuff: recent medical research has uncovered a relationship between chronic back problems and… straight posture: Aching Back? Sitting Up Straight Could Be The Culprit Science Daily Researchers are using a new form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show that sitting in an upright position places unnecessary [...]
- Chiropractor Phoenix: Wonderful paintings! This is the kind of info that...
- Peter Dyer: I have to say, I very much enjoy reading your blog...
- Alejandro: I totally agree, this is the kind of thinking we n...
- Ziyad G: Dude! you're so true. I wish could get that i...
- Terry: A good read, thoroughly engaging. ...
- fear that tune
- no child left behind without a midlife crisis
- have music, will love learning
- play from your heart, or i’ll knock your teeth out
- the Molestics have a Memoir
- input/output: the taste-makers
- why your music is somebody else’s noise
- the symbolic matrix of music
- there’s too much goddamn music
- music. it’s really simple.
Latest Flickr photos
Categories
- django in june (9)
- instruments (18)
- music theory (11)
- musical form (8)
- musings (49)
- podcasts (1)
- practice groups (4)
- psychology of music (24)
- role models (23)
- sharing + distribution (7)
- technology + trends (9)
Sunday, August 5, 2007
0 Comments