Re: OT: Music books that transcend technique...(was Re: semi-OT: i recommend Victor Wooten's book)

["Warren Sirota" <wsirota@wsdesigns.com>]

Likewise, Eduardo. I will definitely check out the Carlevaro - I used to play a couple of the Preludios Americanos. Probably my favorite classical guitar pieces ever. And, also, I have found breathing to be incredibly important in practice (once I discovered that I typically held my breath for 20 seconds at a time while playing difficult passages, I found the discipline of sighing softly while playing these passages to be very effective in helping me relax into them instead of "stressing" into them). I may look into that Vermont retreat for next year.

I gave up on footstools many years ago - i have had back issues for a long time, and the weird assymetry forced by footstools always seemed somewhat punitive. Instead i got a funny-looking little pillow-type thing that sits on my leg to lift the guitar into a better position (I got it from the SF store Guitar Solo probably 25 years ago). But I've been very intrigued by a couple of guitarist that i've seen who have modified their guitars to be almost upright, more like a cello. it seems that the left hand is less stressed that way. not so sure about the right.

Warren

On Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 12:40 PM, Eduardo Martinez - musician, composer, artist <subscriptions@eduardomartinez.com> wrote:

Ted, Warren, Per,

Wooten's The Music Lesson sounds very appealing to me. I'll check the test chapter sent by Per (thanks).

I am reading Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery, & like it very much so far. It is one of those rare music books that transcends music technique & explores music as a way of living & growing, what Buddhists call Dharma. This is the kind of approach that for example shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) players & students take when learning & playing their instrument. Achieving this one-pointed focus & playing as if the instrument & the player were one & not separate, is a life-long pursuit for them, but maybe for all of us as well... Werner's book also contains a CD with some "meditations" to drive the message home. I highly recommend this book by what I've read so far. Also of interest is that Werner has pioneered innovative marketing & production techniques for his music, like for example, selling different levels of access to his creative process via his website, thus funding his new works with other than money from a major label.

Along the above lines, I recently read a small but wonderful book by Abel Carlevaro (Latin American classical guitar master), My Guitar & My World. I enjoyed reading his passages where he describes his total identification with his instrument, & how he transcended it to play from a deeper place than just technique would allow. Another recent book along these lines is The Art of Practicing, by Madeline Bruser. She is (was?) a concert pianist that pursued playing her instrument from her heart, & now teaches others (all instruments allowed) how to do this in a week-long retreat at Karmé Chöling, a Buddhist retreat center in Vermont, USA. She studied directly under Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the founder of the Shambala Buddhist tradition here in the USA, & maybe also worldwide. Even though I mention her Buddhist lineage, her book is highly pragmatic & does not directly talk about Buddhism at all. It focuses on stretching/breathing exercises, & many other techniques inspired by things like the Alexander Technique, which emphasizes the correct body posture & use for optimal playing. From this I have stopped using a foot stool to play my classical guitar, amongst many other changes, for the better.

There seems to be quite a few books along the lines we are discussing here. It'd be interesting to see what else others are reading.

Thanks for sending the information on Wooten's book, Warren. It is inspiring & along the lines of what I have been reading lately.

Blessings,

Eduardo Martinez
musician - composer - artist
www.EduardoMartinez.com
www.MySpace.com/EduardoMartinezMusic
Nashua, NH USA

From: tEd ® kiLLiAn <tedkillian@charter.net>
Date: November 7, 2008 11:34:33 AM EST
Subject: Re: semi-OT: i recommend Victor Wooten's book

Anybody ever read and wish to offer an opinion on Kenny Wheeler's book "Effortless Mastery"? Inspired by this thread I recalled Wheeler's book being recommended to me quite some time ago by a dear musician friend.
I just ordered both books on Amazon.com this morning . . . so I guess I'll be reading 'em soon anyway.

---- Warren Sirota <wsirota@wsdesigns.com> wrote:

I'm nearing the end of reading Victor Wooten's *The Music Lesson.* I'm sure
most of you know and admire this amazing bassist. The book is a mystical
story about Wooten's spiritual ideas about music and performance (and life).
There's a lot of stuff in there that is pretty far out, maybe unbelievable,
but the attitudes and perspective on music has already changed me for the
better, I would say (or, perhaps more accurately, I was changing already and
this has helped to focus some of that change). I know a musician who has put
this book down in disgust, but I think it's really worth checking out.