|
Monday, September 26, 2005
ON ECHOES OF A PASTIME
I have to tell you how much I liked the film short. It was a little slice of immediacy that highlights the beauty of the ordinary. The divergence of the beat track and the piano actually serves as a soundtrack for the soundtrack. The timbre of the piano goes with the stadium and the feel of the 'great American pastime,' while the rhythm underscores the cycles of the days like an eternal heartbeat, and yet it's all wildly cohesive. Cool!
9:38 PM -
permanent link
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
ON WILBER'S TAKE ON TERRORISM
While Ken Wilber is certainly no professional social psychotherapist, I do believe he's shed a certain degree of truth (or at least a new perspective) on the issue, one that acknowledges that terrorism doesn't necessarily equal Islam. We might take such an idea for granted, but the rest of this country does not. But yes, I agree he should do better research and attempt to give more than just his midwestern American take on it all.
9:44 AM -
permanent link
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
MORE ON NEW URBANISM & MUSIC
On a more basic and spontaneous level, how about street musicians? Street musicians only flourish in the public realm, where there is a sizable flow of pedestrians, and where the environment is pleasant enough to linger for a while. Talk about frozen music -- some musicians specifically appreciate spaces like subway tunnels for the superior acoustics. Even successful musicians like to play on the street from time to time; witness Paul McCartney's recent performance in the London Tube. These are some of the basic pleasures of urbanity, and when we only build a world of freeways and private malls, active street life withers and disappears from the daily experience.
7:46 AM -
permanent link
Monday, July 18, 2005
ON NEW URBANISM & MUSIC
Interesting post. I've been a fan of Delauny etc. for a while (have you read of Kunstler's books on the same topic? Home From Nowhere might be the best), and attended several charrettes back in the day, but I'm a little dissapointed in the movement, as every new urbanist community I've seen (boulder has several) violates one of new urbanism's core principles of designing habitats for multiple income groups. If you want to have a new urbanist house, you'll pay up the ass (although a new apartment complex in booming Uptown Broadway in Boulder actually has some affordable places).
Another thing I was hoping you'd touch on more directly is new urbanism's hostility towards the artist as genius archetype we've inherited from modernism. Knowing your fandom of Frank Gehry, who is pretty much the anti-delauny, I was hoping you'd have something to say on this. Relatedly, what really what a "new urbanist" music look/sound like? Instead of music created by "alienated geniuses" with no regard for the music's social function, how would we scale music for mixed human use? What about more public music? I'm reminded of the passage in Alex Grey's book wherein he talks about the public installation he and his wife did at a hospital.
9:55 AM -
permanent link
Thursday, July 07, 2005
ON THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER
Something was really touching about the fact that you recorded it on your porch, in the summer, on the fourth. Between that and the acoustic piano you've somehow "humanized" what otherwise sounds like sterile posthuman beats... This is like a new way to do folk music in other words. Cool.
12:16 PM -
permanent link
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
ON HANNAH, BEAN, AND GESTATIONAL DIABETES:
Hannah and the Bean look great. So relieved to hear about her not having the diabetes issue. FYI, for one angry moment contemplate how much money drug companies (and some doctors) make off women who are advised to take the second and longer test. Just wait. The growth charts at the pediatricians’ offices are printed by formula companies. Who decides what’s ‘normal’ in the length and weight of the baby of a petite woman?
10:10 AM -
permanent link
Monday, June 06, 2005
ON THE STAR WARS SEXTET REVIEW:
I could see this becoming a book. Talk about a terrific integral application to cultural studies! You've touched on a lot of deeper aspects of the two trilogies which have gone over most people's heads, showing the enduring themes and even redeeming the more disappointing recent flicks. I could almost see this being a book-length intro to integral told through a more compelling pop lens.
Some people dismiss Star Wars as simply a recapitulation of Campbell's hero's journey (such as those who see deeper ideas in The Matrix triology). Yours reveals that there's much more to the story, especially the man vs.machine aspect, a more modern theme which I don't believe Campbell ever focused on (and, uh, your analysis of Anakin makes him seem suspiciously like Wilber-like, in some ways). There are a lot of great lines in this piece but I don't have time to comment on all, but suffice to say that this added some much-needed depth to the discussion. I also really liked how you equated anakin's flaws to the series's flaws as whole.
Additional questions I have:
Why did Lucas start with episode IV, not I? i know there were technical reasons (he couldn't render Corsucant back in the 70s the way he wanted), but were there deeper narrative reasons?
What about Luke and Leia? Isn't Luke's story as equally important to the first trilogy as anakin's is to the second?
What about the cyrptic prophecy--made by the Jedi during a time when they thought the Sith had been compltely eradicated-- that Anakin would bring balance to the force? Were the Jedi NOT doing this?
8:55 AM -
permanent link
Friday, May 06, 2005
ON THOUGHTS AFTER ANOTHER LESSON WITH ALLAUDIN:
Thinking about your Allaudin lesson. Would it be accurate to say that what he wants to you do is skip linear and go for concentric? There’s a whole masculine/feminine structure there. I used to go nearly insane talking with people in Egypt, who spoke English well enough to converse but not like English speakers. (Couldn’t fuss too much. My Arabic is nearly nonexistent.) Later I learned that the way of communicating itself is completely different. In English (and most European languages) one goes from point A to point B as directly as possible, male/female get to the point already embellishments aside. In Arabic one states an idea, and then circles around and around the idea with ever more increasing description and explanation like concentric circles endlessly (and sometimes this really does feel endless!) encompassing each other. Often the ends of funny stories are rather anticlimactic, since the punchline was obvious from the beginning.
What Allaudin is asking you to do (which seems really cool, BTW) is a whole practice unto itself and makes me wonder if it isn’t beneficial for people to figure out which way they go about creating, and if it’s possible to try the other. Can’t start a carved sculpture in the middle, but you can an additive one. Much food for thought.
3:16 PM -
permanent link
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
ON CAMILE PAGLIA:
Thanks for the Paglia post, she's got some terrific ideas, and very inspiring for we writers. I passed on the Telegraph essay to my little brother, an aspiring poet in need of encouragement. One thing that took me aback with the Salon.com interview though was her self-congratulatory tone -- "I did this, I did that" -- is she always like that? Makes Wilber look almost MODEST (almost), but maybe I'm just being hypersensitive. But other than that, i think I'll be buying her new book when I secure the $$$.
(Read my response here.)
2:07 PM -
permanent link
Friday, April 01, 2005
ON THE ORGANIZATION OF I-I AND SUCH:
Totally agree with your diagnosis of the ills of I-I. It is completely an administrative problem in my estimation. Ken should have handed the reins over from the get go to someone who had excellent administrative/management skills. Ken obviously does not.
The reason Ken got into such a mess has to do with what I call the 'Michael Jordan Complex.' It largely has to do with so many people raving about you, going on and on and about how great you are in terms of your natural gift (for Mike, it was basketball... for Ken... it is philosophy and writing). The danger... as you can probably surmise... comes in assuming that this greatness/genuis is naturally translated into other domains (for Mike, baseball... for Ken, organizational leadership).
That assumption of course is totally bogus. Mike pretty much failed at baseball and Ken is a failure as an administrator. The sooner one is able to realize this the quicker that one can get back to doing what one was getting all the 'raves' for in the first place!!
Greatness in one domain does not eqaute with greatness in other domains, does it? This may be an unavoidable pitfall of integral theory: the assumption that we can be 'great' in all domains, equally. Maybe we have un-developed lines for a reason Matthew? Maybe our lack of development in one area is a conspiracy for genuis... not against it!
11:14 AM -
permanent link
Monday, March 21, 2005
ON HARMONIC EXPERIENCE:
I have a kinda funny story about the Harmonic Experience book. When I first got it, I didn't really skim through it at all. I just started reading the intro and maybe a little of the first chapter. Then I started thinking about the idea that tones are just really fast beats. As a percussionist I have a kinky polyrhythm fetish, so the idea that harmonies are polyrhythms popped into my head instantly, before i ever read it.
Then I thought to myself, "I bet perfect fifths are 3 over 2." My reason being that they kinda had a similar feel. So I got out a calculator and worked out the ratios, and sure enough, 3 over 2. Then I thought to myself, "I bet major thirds are 5 over 4." The reason being again that they both had a similar feel. So I worked out the ratios again, and low and behold, 5 over 4. I was flabbergasted by my own intuition.
I went out and told some friends about my discovery, and I continued to postulate possible implications: If the beats continue to get faster, then they leave the realm of sound and turn into light, so colors are polyrhythms too! And then it turns into matter, so everything is just polyrhythms!
Then I picked up the book again and started reading some more. And of course, I came to the chapters on perfect fifths and major thirds explaining the polyrhythmic nature of each. I was kinda disappointed that my discovery wasn't anything new, but I was simultaneously happy that I could learn more about it. So that's my harmonic experience story.
8:37 AM -
permanent link
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
ON THE FLOWS OF ART & FEAR:
Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed your essay! It kicks ass, man! Of all of your writings that I have read thus far it is definitely my favorite. It is very engaging and takes the complex questions of "How do I make art?" and "Is it worth it to make art?" And boils them down into an elegant metaphor...or even better, a LIVING metaphor that the reader can dive into, pun intended.
I also am glad that you mentioned the dirt that one washes off. That was, of course, being the Dostoyevsky lovin', cheerful celebrator of the Sorrow of the world (celebrating in order that we may transcend them and laugh authentic Love with an awareness of that Sorrow of course) my favorite part.
The essay has sparked in me a powerful breakthrough and acceptance of my vision...of my Duende. Have you read Lorca's essay on the Duende? I absolutely love that concept.
1:10 PM -
permanent link
Thursday, March 03, 2005
ETERNAL LIFE BELONGS TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE PRESENT:
Hope you are well. I've been on the road quite a bit lately with a variety of projects but wanted to stay in touch. And while I have yet to check out "Why Art Cannot Be Taught", the idea of the title has been a little quirky idea stuck in my head for a while. I just participated on a panel for a doctoral exam where the student's minor area was philosophy and her major area was saxophone performance. The philosophy question was: How does musical expression compare with verbal expression?
Her answer, while right in line with Wittgenstein's ideas about reality being made up of cultural and linguistic contexts....stopped there. She maintained that essentially, what we do in musical expression, is simply a construct of language-games that are learned. Certainly, this is true - but I asked her if musical expression had a particular "feel" to her and the whole interview stopped (not out of awe I might add)! What's more, is that her monograph will be on meditation and music. (The reason I'm on the panel is because I'm teaching a meditation class for musicians.) I asked her if she was aware of the traditional idea that we have gross, subtle and causal levels of existence and that, perhaps, musical "expression" is expressing, not only culturally 'fixed' language games, but also the current 'state' (I decided to save the 'stage' discussion for later) of the artist (not to mention the other two quadrants).
And to use Wittgenstein's line: "If we take eternity to not mean infinite temporal duration, but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present." This points to an internal perspective or feel and should be in the discussion about musical expression.
Can music be taught? Can anything be taught? Well, until I figure it out I'll just keep pointing as best I can!
7:35 AM -
permanent link
Sunday, February 06, 2005
ON THE HERO JOURNEY OF WILBER:
I just read your scathing piece on your blog. Love your ideas, but unfortunately, do we have a better model to work with (sans his ego?). This is something i often grapple with...that the man who shades the leaf under the paper with as much clarity as the 'hero' does usually can't be 'of' what he speaks. He can under-stand it (like looking up at a cloud) but he isn't yet looking 'through' the cloud. While it is indeed 'his' version of 'integral', is there any better?
4:50 PM -
permanent link
Thursday, January 27, 2005
ON A MONK IN THE WORLD PLAINCHANT AND SUITE:
I wonder if you could describe the plainchant as "spiritual mourning"?
What I mean is, you've got the drone, which aurally represents God or Divine essence or Timelessness, as you point it in an earlier current. And, for me as a listener, the sheer sound and tonality of the drone alternates between luminosity and transparency, or Emptiness and Light, while emphasizing the inseparability of the two. "whhhAAArrrhhhhwhhAAArrrwhhhhAAArrrwhhhh"
In other words, it sounds like the Clear Light Void. And the singer at once announces the arrival of this man, this monk who remembered his way back home, who stayed in the drone, in the Clear Light...While also reminds or invites the rest of us to be monks in the world: to remember our true Nature - A call to remember that Nature by our own Original Voice.
I see the piano improvisations as directions for us on our way back home. That these are meditation instructions: inhale, notice a thought, witness it, release it or let it pass, and exhale. And what is meditation but a rehearsal for that Clear Light Void, for the 'Great Death' of enlightened awareness.
1:49 PM -
permanent link
ON IMPROVISATIONAL SUITE FOR MONKS IN THE WORLD:
Bartok is a weird one for me. I don’t really "listen" to Bartok, I let him seep into me as I do my work in the studio. There is some kind of emotional payload to his stuff, especially those quartets. But like I said it works in my consciousness at a level just below awareness and has to be allowed to stew in it for while to get the effect.
Your "Monks in the Worlds" suite has a similar effect, only you seem to lay it out over a repeating base driving underneath the notes floating on top. (Sorry, but I don’t have a language to talk about music in proper term...) For me, the dissonance is always breaking expectations. As I listen to it, I would have to say that it is a dark piece overall but it has moments of tenderness that keeps it from going too deep into the night. Let's say that it fits my darkness right now and meshes with the emotional residue from my meditation practice. As does Bartok, and especially Paul Giger's violin and choral work. Do you know of his work, especially his "Ignis" album? You both share a common 'feel' to your work.
9:51 AM -
permanent link
Friday, January 21, 2005
ON VARIOUS TOPICS:
I like the World image [on The Daily Goose - ed.]. It works. And I liked the Cellph Shot 'Shadow of a Man'. I'll be honest and say I don't understand any of the Integral art stuff... For some reason it makes my head hurt trying to figure out what it is about. It sounds very spiritual. Also, I loved your description of your ski trip, and running out of steam, I could picture you sitting on your snowboard trying to get down the mountain,. You tell a good story. You should try writing, it was very descriptive.
9:06 AM -
permanent link
Monday, January 03, 2005
ON DAVID BROOKS' BOBOS:
I read Brooks' Bobos in Paradise, and I thought it was interesting. I was fascinated by the description of the life of an intellectual. I thought that insight that there is this dual jealousy between the rich in the social elite and the intellectuals in the social elite was facinating. It made me think about what is it we are doing as artists in society and about how to make money.
Artists have always served society in a variety of ways as critics, shaman, educators, entertainers, etc., and they still do. But the power dynamic has shifted and they are supported by society less and less for these activities. I would say artists are the ideal of the bobo class but it has to be a self-sufficient artist and an artist of the most general sort. The 'ethic of charity' tradition to support the arts is dwindling, which effects funding.
I think this encourages the arts in the direction of the artist being a educator and politician (entertainer/celeb is ok, too, if a more risky ambition). Plain old significant-aesthetics is not what it used to be, so artists are Artist-educators or Artist-politicians and then they become Educator-artists and Politician-artists because that is where they get paid.
How can the intellectual class support the arts when they struggle to hold their spot and help their kids get there? They have disposable income to toss a few bucks at commercialized mediums but cannot really mobilize the kind of capital that really supports projects and the artists. Everyone is an artist now anyway. If someone can be an I.T. artist and make 70,000/year why can't a painter find a way to make their way as well?
So it looks like artists either try for celebrity or support themselves as educators or polticians. There isn't much else in the U.S.A. right now unless artists can come up with something else.
9:44 PM -
permanent link
|
