Tao of Music

Where music is at

2011-02-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

11.

"Nature provides

The bamboo for my flute

The snake for my sanxian

The silk for my strings

The wood for my guqin

I do not make instruments

The Tao does"

This man was playing an amazing instrument called a Hulusi and it sounded like a soft clarinet of sorts. He was playing at the Summer Palace with a group but I just love how the picture came out. You can almost see how into the music he was. I ended up buying 2 at a later time and they are beautiful.

The first one was quite the story. I found a man selling them outside a restaurant we were going into and my friend said something to the effect of "Don't pay more than 5". Well, he wanted 40. So I said five and he walked away. No problem since I knew he'd wait and try again after dinner. So after we ate he feigned interest until I started heading for the bus. I also feigned interest. This could be long so I'll make it short. We agreed on 10 and from his bag he proceed to pull out a Hulusi the size of a straw with a grape on top. "Uh...no...that one." And pointed to the size of one he was playing. He reluctantly gave it to me, yet I still managed to pay twice what Ms. Zheng suggested but in the end, the seller and I both won.

Sometimes, everyone wins.

Old and New

2011-02-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

9.

"The mocking bird sings
The tree frogs call
Even the forest plays a song
This is the way"

After a 2 year hiatus almost to the day, I have been inspired to write yet another short entry and continue on with much thanks to the Modern Jedi Knight's blog. If you haven't been there yet you should. I have been practicing quite a bit with the sitar and have had a few performances for Yoga classes. The response to live music for Yoga has been tremendous and many practitioners said it really elevated their session.

And believe me this was the perfect setting to play in. Just perfect.

Tao of You

2009-02-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

"All cultures, all people, all beliefs

Music is one of the binding forces

No people are without

It is the way of nature

The Tao that speaks to all"

First off, thank you John, my one fan of this dribble. I wondered if anyone reads this lint collecting. Last night I had an absolutely fantastic night playing great music with some really good players. They are part of a family that enjoys playing Bluegrass and we had some fun jamming last year at a wedding. And what better place to run in to them here but at a wine store. I played piano, flute, and even a little Erhu which apparently was featured on a Bela Fleck album. The image of a man in a vintage suit fire pitting an old dried-up Christmas tree is forever burned quite literally into my brain as we played some good ole' chicken pickin'. A let me tell you pine trees can seriously flame high! And of course some whiskey and singing. That is where the music is at. Music for music's sake.

Tao and Padawan

2009-01-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

"7.

The student who strives for decades

To play as well as the naturally gifted prodigy

Who is better?"

Well its been quite some time but I've been seriously busy, but I am still going to China. I hope its all I think it will be. We'll see but I can't wait to see some sights, eat some food, and most importantly hear some really unique and awesome music.

Tao Jones

2008-10-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

"Thieves cannot steal from the man who has nothing

The Guqin can be taken

Skill in playing it cannot

There is no cheating practicing"

I recently returned from New York City from a performance at the Knitting Factory. I must say that I don't think I'm a New York state of mind person. I mean the city, not the countryside, which is gorgeous. I was absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of people. I felt as though I was in a continuous AC/DC concert crowd. Only there was no "Hells Bells" and the mosh pit wore Prada and pearls. What I did like was the readily available cultures. I stumbled in to a huge Korean Culture parade. Amazing. I'm not much of a picture taker but I wish I had. I walked by a shop filled with Berber lamps. Amazing. New York doesn't sleep, but I sure do because I was tired when I got back. The city pushed my "patience with all" rule to the absolute maximum. San Fransisco is more my speed.

Music is my life. I love music and the way it talks to all of us. From Morocco to Reykjavík, from 45's to iPods, we all listen. Oh, the photo is from 1908. Can you hear it? I can.

Tao for now

2008-09-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-09-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

"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

2008-09-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

"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.

Tao and Zen

2008-08-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

2.

"What is the wind through the flute
Hard and unyielding, no sound is made
Soft and supple the air through the lips
All this from the wind
All this from the Tao"

Tao and Tri

2008-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

1.

"What is the wind through the valley
Hard and unyielding, the pine tree splinters
Soft and supple, the bamboo endures
All this from the wind
All this from the Tao"