I don’t think about time. You’re here when you’re here.
I think about today, staying in tune.
— John Lee Hooker
I remember seeing Mr. Hooker when we performed on the Tonight Show, around 1994 or so, where he was a guest as well. The most Zen-like quote uttered by a musician?
[aiming a video camera] …at anything doesn’t collect what is meaningful to me. I need someone to gather it in with all their senses, mix it round in their head, and make it over into words.
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
He who seeks Truth
Shall find BeautyHe who seeks Beauty
Shall find VanityHe who seeks Order
Shall find GratificationHe who seeks Gratification
Shall be DisappointedHe who considers himself as the servant of his fellow being
Shall find the joy of Self-ExpressionHe who seeks Self-Expression
Shall fall into the pit of ArroganceArrogance is incompatible with nature
Thru the nature of the universe
and the nature of man
we shall seek TruthIf we seek truth we shall find Beauty
– Moshe Safdie, Architect
Among the many good suggestions made by Theloneous Monk (Sound Advice 003) there is this one:
Stop playing all those weird notes, play the melody!
oh, and this one is fine also:
Don’t play everything (or every time); let some things go by. Some music is just imagined. What you don’t play can be more important than what you do play.
This is interesting on so many different levels, but particular in terms of testosterone:
Protect me from what I want.
Poem of the day via Weekly Words of Wisdom:
Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn,
a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter;
If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.
– Wu-men
Or how about this from the Upaya Newsletter:
Fear is the cheapest room in the house.
I would like to see you living in better conditions.
– Hafiz
