This seems relevant to something which happened earlier this week.
The Parkway is a movie theater in Oakland that plays mostly second-run
movies. They have couches in addition to the regular movie-type
seats, and you can order pizza and beer to eat while you watch the
movies. For the early two showings on Monday nights, they welcome
people with babies under a year old. Since November, that's us, and
we really enjoy being able to see a movie together.
Since the event is very popular, we sometimes go early in order to get
a couch. This past Monday we arrived a full hour before the
showing--ridiculously early. I carry my shakuhachi everywhere, in a
case over my shoulder, so that I may practice whenever I find the
opportunity. The theatre was empty, so I got up on stage and played
some music for Heather while our son slept in her lap.
She told me that it was by far the best thing she'd ever heard me
play. (She normally does not enjoy my shakuhachi practice or very
much of my playing.) My hypothesis is that this is because I was
actually playing FOR her as opposed to practicing near her. Or it
could have just been the reverb in the theatre.
-jeremy
On Wed, Jul 03, 2002 at 08:20:14AM -0600, Herb Rodriguez wrote:
> Karl, (and everyone)
>
> One thing I forgot to mention that I'd like to add.
>
> During the student concert, one person, Jim, (I'm sorry, I've forgotten
> your last name and left my camp list at home) played an original
> composition that he said he wrote for his wife in response to her
> difficulty with his playing shakuhachi. She like the piece he composed for
> her and when he plays it for her, it smoothes things so he can then do his
> practice on other pieces. Now, his piece sounded very honkyoku-ish to *me*,
> so if she likes his piece why wouldn't she like the other pieces? Maybe the
> difference is just that he composed it for *her*.
>
> So I thought I'd mention this as an example for others to consider. If your
> spouse, kids and cats go into your sound proof scream room every time you
> play, you might consider composing a song just for them. (Of course, it
> helps if they like it.) A simple, loving act like that might go a long way
> to smooth household relations and make it easier for you to play your
> regular pieces.
>
> Thanks Jim for your excellent example.
>
> Herb
--
jeremy bornstein <jeremy@bornstein.org>
-*-
if you try to study yourself according to another
you will always remain a secondhand human being.
[j. krishnamurti, _freedom from the known_]
-*-
http://bornstein.org/jeremy/
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