Today at our usual coffee porn/ shinanigans/ TRC meeting, we were talking about how we use music and images to inspire us when we write and how that differs for each of us, though we all agreed that when stuck, music is the thing that can jar the writing loose. Often, when I am channeling my Sharon and Alex characters, I put on Foo Fighters Deadmau5 remix of "Rope." The song just seems to embody these two characters. With all the crazy going on in their lives, they hang on, often to each other. Friday is always the day Sharon and Alex's story posts on The Ravens Crossing. Today, of all days, Alex might "choke on a kiss." So, my man, this one's for you!
After many postponements and cancellations, Nataraja, my drumming performance group finally got together for our late Christmas Party. In the spirit of the season, we have released our latest music video, a truly fantastic collaboration. I am the one playing Carol's crazy hat. I think we'll be nominated for The Kennedy Center Honors, any day now. LOL!
Over at The Ravens Crossing, we are on our short winter break, but we've been posting winter short stories every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, in addition to our usual Sunday posts. Don't miss out on the fun. Yesterday was Morgan & Darien hanging with Rowan & Wade. Good times. Season 3 will begin very soon on 1-13-2013. It seemed a fitting date for The Thirteen's adventures to continue.
I'm home from Floyd Fest, where the line up this year was the best yet. I enjoyed so many amazing moments with musicians I don't even know where to begin. Kenny Malone was there. I about keeled over when I realized who was drumming with one of the groups. Ricky Skaggs showed up on stage with Bruce Hornsby and those two actually jammed out on a mandolin and a lap dulcimer. Fusion jazz meets bluegrass. Amazing!
Anyway, I attended the festival with 12 friends from around the country. You should have seen us in our Suburban bus on the haul from the cabin to the festival each day. Each year, on the last night of the festival, we have a big group dinner at the cabin and vote on the best act of the weekend. This may be the first time the vote was unanimous. Even with all of the incredible music, the best of the best this weekend, hands down, was Michael Franti and Spearhead. Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers came in a very close second.
Of course, you could call me partisan on the Franti vote. The man is amazing. He is a Yogi who is all about healthy living and balancing your life with the environment. He even led a panel discussion at the festival on conservation, and he's published children's books on the subject, too. The latest, Where in the World is Away is lovely. You really should check it out if you haven't. It makes a fantastic gift. Oh, and let's not forget that he is all about equal rights. You may not know that he was adopted into a diverse family which even includes LGBTQ members. He talks all about loving everyone and treating everyone equally at his shows. Yes, you could say that I am fervant in my support of Franti's environmental consciousness, but seriously, that's not why I voted for him in this particular instance. It's about the music. When the man starts to play you are swept off your feet. Literally. If he tells you to jump during his show, I promise you will be asking how high. So, here's a little Franti advice for your day. "No matter how life is today...don't let another moment slip away." Hold on!
Don't forget to stop over at The Ravens Crossing for more photos of Wildwood and a bit more background on all your favorite characters this week. Season 2 starts on Monday.
While I'm on the subject of deconstruction of art, I couldn't help but think of Gotye, another interdisciplinary artist who has made quite a name for himself deconstructing music, recording samples of it, and building those samples into a magnificent collage of sounds. If you don't know who I'm speaking of, you will most likely recognize this particular song, "Somebody That I Used to Know," Here's the lovely video, which also happens to illustrate the idea of building and deconstructing art.
I am fascinated with Gotye and his creative process. I particularly love that he is making art from found objects, in a way, by going out and collecting old vinyl albums to sample for his sounds, and then building a collage of unique music with a style all his own. I'm also enamored with the fact that he often incorporates his own and his father's visual art into the making of his albums, not simply using them as inspiration, but also on his album covers, in videos, and as visuals for his tours. There is always a visual element to his work. Here's a short documentary from Gotye's website about the making of his award winning album Making Mirrors. It was filmed and edited by James Bryans and directed by James Bryans and Wally De Backer.
Last night, I was chatting about music with fellow author David Bain on Twitter. In particular, we were talking about Pearl Jam, which happens to be my favorite band. It got me thinking about why some bands speak to me over many years, even as they grow and change and experiment, while others come and go. Since I have been an avid PJ fan for their entire twenty-year career, liking their music better and better with each new release, it's probably safe to say they are one of those bands that will always speak to me.
Why is that? Of course, I could go with an easy cliche answer and explain their "staying power" by saying they are exceptionally gifted. Although true, I don't think that covers it. I certainly would not dare try to answer this question in any broad sense because music is an intimate experience, different for each of us. But, since my love of music has been front and center in my mind this weekend while I drove the long hours to and from Syl's Memorial Party, I have been pondering this for myself. I kept thinking about certain musicians and why they made Syl so happy, while pondering what other musicians have given to my life.
One thing is for sure, when it comes to my own Creative Antics Pearl Jam takes center stage. So, personally, some of the answers lie in their ability to inspire me. There is something about their music that sparks my creative urges. No, that's not right. Their music doesn't just spark these urges, it lights them on fire. If I am feeling down and having trouble finding my creative energy, I can always put them on, turn up the volume, and, suddenly, things are flowing again. It's brilliant! So, I offer a little bit of advice to all of you fellow creative people. Find some music that energizes you, that really lights you up, and keep it handy for those dreaded creative slumps. Then, turn it on and turn it up! You might find it helpful.
Friday, April 12, 2013 at 7:26PM 