Tao for now

5.

"Yin and yang

Loud and soft

Sound and silence

This is the way of music"

I just finished talking with a good friend of mine in the martial arts. We both started off at the same time and soon went slightly different ways. He went the "House of Pine Waves" path to the "Tai Chi Chuan" school while I went the "Small Forest" style and then to the "White Crane" school. Nothing like friendly competition and mutual respect to keep things moving. I miss it but its not lost either, just waiting for me to get off my butt. Why spend years training to let it go? I did the same thing with music though and found I was better when I came back after NOT doing any music at all. I bet the same thing for this as well.

And for those of you eagrily waiting, (all one of you) my Erhu gig went great! I did well and it really was quite fun. It was the most interesting gig I've had in the past year. The best part is I got paid to practice my Erhu. They loved it and so did I. Someone took pictures and said they'd send me some but I haven't received them yet. And now for a real erhu player. Kicking but on only 2 strings!!!!

And for those of you that can help? I typed everything exactly the same. But as you can see each paragraph is a different size. Help?

Tao and Erhu

4.

"Use the fingers, the lungs, the lips

One plays the flute

Listen to the Tao

Hear the soul

The flute plays itself "

In time I suspect that the only rhetoric on this site will simply be the "Tao of Music" quotes since there's only so much lint collecting to be done. I have my first true Erhu gig to be had in this town and I don't even really play Ehru. I'm OK, but I'm no Rou Qing. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm playing in the midst of 1000's of dollars worth of old Chinese furniture and paintings to set the atmosphere.

Dont get me wrong, my main instrument is sax and I've played on stage with the Skatallites, Men at Work, Alana Davis, etc. I must admit I'm as excited about this. Here's why. The sax is a known. The Erhu is not. I'm really winging it. I know 5 or 6 traditional songs and then its all improv. So here's to going with the flow. Its either going to be fun or a nightmare. I'll let the one person reading this know next week.

Tao and Clouds

3.

"The empty cup, the empty vessel, the hollow flute

Usefulness lies in emptiness

The string alone is quiet

But the hollow of the Sanxian hears its voice"

As a boy I remember looking at clouds and seeing all sorts of faces, shapes , and animals in them and can't really remember when I stopped. Now I'm no hippie nor do I do any type of substance other than Advil or Rum but on my way to Key West this weekend I looked up at a cloud and saw a seated figure that looked like the little Buddha statues you see in gardens, only huge. Then it stretched slowly into what looked like a seated gorilla. Its been a long time.

And so it also looks like I might get to travel to China this year. OK, well next year in March, but it's really going to happen. I want to see as much music as I can. Guzheng, Guqin, Erhu, Dizi, whatever. I want to see it and hear it. Apparently in the summer palace daily "jam" sessions break out during lunch. I'm all about that. We all have music. We all play music. It's just fun sometimes.