Sprout Wings and Fly (1983)

If only this style of music was still appreciated. You cant get much more purity than this.

As I was saying.

Ok.  Back to my post about the journey towards musical enlightenment.  I had been playing music for a very long time with the idea in mind that I should let my fingers play the notes that came to them, without thinking about what I was playing.  I also thought it unacceptable to pre-meditate an interesting  melody in my head, prior to expressing it sonically for others to hear.  I got this musical paradigm, I think, from some jazz book that said you should practice practice practice, and then forget everything you learned.  My problem, was that for the past 6 or 7 years, I have been forgetting everything I learned, and also conveniently forgetting the practice, practice, practice aspect of this simple musical equation.  Now that I have begun to practice again, I find melodies forming inside my head well before it is time for me to play them, which gives me the chance to actually enjoy what I am playing.  There is a very similar phenomenon, (if you can call it that) in the game of chess, where it is very desirable to be at the very least one to three  moves ahead of your opponent;  in my situation with music, there is a three-way chess game  going on between very ancient foes.  They are as follows:  my old, unpracticed self ( who wants to play an unrehearsed stream of continuousness style), my new, well rehearsed, one step ahead self, and finally,  the actual song that I am playing.  But, as with chess, music, and most everything else in life that really matters,  it's not about who wins, but how you play the game.

Flatt & Scruggs / Blue Ridge Cabin Home

Bluegrass back when it was still bluegrass.

STEPHANE GRAPPELLI: "California, here I come". Live in San Francisco. 1982.

light jazz

Life is but a dream.

Chuang-tzu dreamt that he was a butterfly, fluttering here and there, care free, unaware of Chuang-tzu.  Then he woke up, and there he was again: Chuang-tzu, beyond a doubt.
But was he Chuang-tzu who had dreamt that he was a butterfly, or a butterfly now dreaming that he was Chuang-tzu?  There must be some difference between Chuang-tzu and a butterfly!  This is called "the transformation of things."

SLoth

I am too lazy to finish my last post just yet (you know, the one about art and chess and music mornings).  Its been a long day of dull movies with sharp friends( that much of my day was relaxing and enjoyable) and paying medical bills as I weave through miles and miles of bureaucratic Bull shit.  Its 1in the morning and I just now have time to start my intense dissection of jazz.  I will leave you with this.                                                                      
        
                                                           Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer

Early morning inspiration

7:30 in the morning might not be early for you, but it is a haunting time of day for me.  A witching hour, of sorts, where all is surreal, yet quietly, even calmly, true and clear.  I have realized that there is a certain magic that can be harnessed during this time before I have eaten, or taken a shower or washed my face. I have a wealth of ideas to write about right when I wake up, all unadulterated by the day's stresses and expectations.  Hopefully this revelation will prompt me to wake up early more often.   One idea that struck me this morning is the fact that I have been thinking about music in a singular, narrow minded sense for a long dime due to necessity.  Having recently gained the tools to look at it in a completely new way, I realize how many alternate  paths there are to musical enlightenment.   (this is not to say that I have even come close to musical enlightenment, I simply believe I found a more enjoyable, direct path to it).  I must go,  but more to come on this topic later  ( there will be discussion on the logic and art of Chess, stay tuned).

A great idea for any time of year.

Asthetics

I just spent half an hour trying to improve the appearance of my blog.  I have nothing to write about.  It is way too hot in this room because the electric fireplace has only two settings: off and HOT.   So I open a window.  Now its about to be too cold.  I'm about to watch the fifth consecutive episode of Weeds, which is my new favorite show.  I find the character development to be very well done, especially in the case of Andy,  Nancy's happy go lucky brother in law.  The trick about Andy, however, is that his role is not in any way dynamic, his character simply reveals the fact that people aren't always as they appear.  From the get go, the show had me thinking Andy was going to be this weasly, back stabbing mooch.  As the show progresses however, we find him to be the most loyal, productive and trustworthy character on the show (aside from Shane, of course).  

Its late and my spelling is poor

I am going to bed.  This concludes day 31 of a month long recovery from jaw surgery.  I have been cooped up at my parents house working on my Facebook music page and learning guitar.  My love just left to go to Athens for a week, and Im all alone.  Right now i'm listening to my band, Town Mountain's new album, critiquing it and taking notes to send to the producer in Nashville so that he can make final corrections.  Hopefully it will be ready by Merlefest, and we can sell a bunch of copies.   The album has a real good earthy original feel, blending the bands mountain music influences with it's original songwriting and excellent musicianship.  Ive been taking Oxycotin for the pain from surgery, and its very very relaxing, but also somewhat blah.  Im ready to be off it.  Have a wonderful slumber world, and look forward to a brighter tomorrow.

Flatt & Scruggs playing: Randy Lynn Rag

Classic. Hot dobro playing.

I will Title these blogs as I please. Ticonderoga.

Indeed, It will be an adventure finding the proper balance for my blog, between stream of consciousness and its opposite, contrived rhetoric.  Also, what  will be the common theme of my blog if any?  Do I start by telling readers about myself?  Right now I am too busy to write at length,  mainly because I am consumed with practicing violin for a college audition.  Boring post, yes, but I am taking a tortoise's pace in this tortoise and hare blogging race.

My first blog

Hello world, welcome to mine. Can you imagine what I have in store for you?  I can't.  Being very new to this world of Blogging, I have resolved to take it slow and see what happens.  Touche!