Friday in Denver

02009-07-31 | Photos

Today, two interviews at noon. First a phoner with Jim Beal of the San Antonio News, followed by a live phoner with Luke on KDNK-Radio in Aspen. The conversation with Jim Beal was a little more in-depth and I am looking forward to finding out what he will write.

Thanks for your comments. Seems like the vote is for me to continue writing. Hey, after all you are paying for the subscription and I meant it when I wrote that I would be fine with no longer writing journal entries if that’s what you want. :-) (((Music and words don’t always mix well, I have always maintained. It is the reason I prefer to make instrumental music. Writing in an online Journal could be considered a contradiction of that, or even hypocrisy if one was unkind. I am sure adding a slideshow to my solo-concerts is a contradiction as well, considering how often I talk of not letting visuals overwhelm the music… I am comfortable with that. Too me much of life is a beautiful, surprising, even shocking contradiction.)))

I think Marijose made a great suggestion in her comment and I enjoyed the links to Neal Stephenson and Anne Dillard, who are much more eloquent than I could ever hope to be. Over the last couple of years I have received too many emails from irrate fans who were upset that they did not receive a reply.

I will continue to try to answer emails and @ottmarliebert tweets when I can. Please don’t expect me to follow you on Twitter, to read your blogs and to look at your Flickr. I don’t have the time. (((I you want to read between the lines that I am not willing to make the time, I will not disagree with you)))

I spent too much time online as it is and if anything would like to reduce that amount. I see that Stephen feels similarly because http://www.myspace.com/stephenduros, http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Duros/ and http://twitter.com/stephenduros are no longer valid addresses. Can’t say I blame him. It’s a time-suck and you know how I feel about MySpace and Facebook. Let him concentrate on his third album. I have heard the tracks he is working on and feel that it will undoubtedly be his strongest album to date. Great music! We can always go to his blog to find out more.

A subscriber, who wants to remain anonymous sent in this link s/he feels might be relevant:

Robert Fripp on June 02, 2007 in Mendoza
Thanks for your clear description of the life of the professional musician. This is exact and precise.

In my field, I would add the description of performing in front of continuing cameras and recorders, and the extensive commentary on how those acting in this fashion have the right to do so, even where this is non-consensual; even where their behaviour is utterly without innocence. Plus an endless demand for autography and bowing to the demands which celebrities rightfully bow before – because fans have the right! And then the commentaries on how declining these demands is rude.

The difference between the innocence of a child and that of a master is this: one is a given, the other is assumed. Mastery (please forgive the gender specificity) confers the assumption of innocence within a field of experience. This is exceptionally hard and can only be the outcome of many years of training. In a word, discipline. I don’t claim this for myself, but it is possible to move into this space from time to time.

Whether we persist is largely a result of what we see our work in life as being. Sometimes, the conditions of the world are such that we admit it is not possible for us to continue in the same way. Then, we look at how we may be true to the spirit of our intent, our calling, and accomodate the externalities of our life to approximate to the best fit. Sometimes, we simply head in another direction completely. Sometimes, we take a sabbatical. Sometimes, the work we left returns to claim our attention. Sometimes, we just drop our concerns and eat cake with coffee.

But if we are silent for a while, something may speak to us from where life is really real, and tell us the way to go.

This earlier Diary post may be somewhat related and certainly speaks to why comments are enabled in this Journal and not in the Diary.

Woke up before 06:00. A few photos from an early morning walk in downtown Denver:




I included this last photo because I like the idea of an oil & vinegar bulk store. (((I have two large stainless Klean Kanteens for that purpose))) The store is at the corner of Market and 15th and I haven’t been inside yet.

The Good, The True and The Beautiful: A Conversation with Ottmar Liebert
Submitted by Jamie Lynn Miller on Thu, 07/30/2009 – 03:44
“Doesn’t everyone love trains?” World music virtuoso and world traveler Ottmar Liebert poses the rhetorical question, talking excitedly about his favorite mode of travel. The multi-Grammy nominated artist grew up across the river from the Cologne, Germany train station, the sound of the train whistle and the mystique of faraway places always nearby.

More here. I don’t think I actually said the good, the true and the beautiful in the cellphone-interview, but it was a bad connection and I am glad it came out like that. Plato said it first, didn’t he? And then Wilber expanded on it.