The Organ

Organ music has a magical effect on my headaches. I can't really explain it, but the low, vibrating notes seem to expand the blood vessels in my head. Or something.

Anyway, it's one more reason why I love the organ.

Kulning - Ancient Swedish herdingcall

Mindful listening

When listening to music, follow every sound as if you hear the piece for the first time.

Altai Kai - Kai Kozhong

Where music stands

Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best…

~ Frank Zappa, "Packard Goose", "Joe's Garage Acts II & III" (1979)

Appreciate the little things we usually ignore

The Flute

Not playing technically correctly, but using the technique to play my soul. 

Knowing the notes not to play a melody properly, but to play the melody's heart through them.

Good King Wenceslas

This is one of the warmest songs in a cold snowy night. I often hum it when I go to work in winter. 

It's already dark at 4 o'clock, the snow is crisp, the frost is cruel, and the best place to be is home. However, the warmth of the saint's footsteps keeps me happy and going.

Perfect and imperfect

The difference between perfect and imperfect is one millimetre off the target, one note off the pitch, one wrong detail. 

They are too closely intervined to allow carelessness.

The old way

You do it how you feel, how your heart sings. Not bothering about rules, not worrying about doing it the correct way.

Following the flow of the world through me is the old way. 

Nocturne

With so many people making all kinds of flutes from PVC water pipes, there's a new meaningfulness to Mayakovsky's lines:

Could you play a nocturne
On the flute of drainage pipes?

(А вы ноктюрн сыграть могли бы
На флейте водосточных труб?)

Instrument practice

There's a simple way to excellence in music:

Practice your instrument every day. 

Get used to it, express your ups and downs on it. Try out different techniques and invent your own ones.

Just do it every day. Let time work for you.

Sources of inspiration

- watching the nature/animals
- watching programmes about other countries/cultures
- listening to various music
- watching people in everyday situations (including film)
- travelling
- browsing through random reading/watching
- browsing through random languages

Composing poetry

Poetry has rhythm like music. If I have a certain rhythmic phrase on my mind, it's very easy to add words to it.

Usually, a poem begins with a beautiful first line. The other lines come naturally once the first one has been caught.

Talent

Talent = passion + skill + practice

But passion comes first.

Learning excellence

1. Watch a master do it
2. Imitate + learn the skills
3. Apply the skills to your own ideas

Playing the flute - improvisation

Playing a musical instrument is like playing with a toy. There are no rules to follow, no limitations to what I can produce. I can play nonsense, or I can play a beautiful melody. The only rule I follow is the melody of my heart. 

Every heart has a melody. The melody of fear is different from the melody of peace, the melody of love is different from the melody of jealousy. 

There's no right or wrong melody. Every tune exists as it is.


Things to try:


1. Noise effects (laughter, bird songs)
2. Ornaments
3. Varied breathing