The PMX Subspace Communication Station

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 I remember when

posted by Amy Jacob
3/16/2005 11:36:00 PM Got something to say about it? Go on then.

Sunday, March 13, 2005

 Louder

Alex and I played guitar today. We were rather inspired by watching Trip's band coma at Piano's last night. It was a very good time. Their sound is both dreamy and powerful, two feelings in a band I appreciate to no end. It's been so fucking long since I've actually gone out to see live music I wasn't even sure what shoes to wear. You'd think 10+ years of standing around in clubs watching bands while waiting to go on stage would have forever etched in my head the reason I never, ever, ever wear any kind of heel to a bar. Lesson learned again.

I love when I see a performance and then want to run right home and play. Alas, my neigbors are pleasant and tolerant but a 3 am noise code probably would do us in here in the new hood. We waited until Sunday afternoon, after the vacuuming and dusting was finished.

Alex has begun to change his rig around again. He's just doing some effects routing and he came out with some delicious new sounds today. They made me very happy. The creative spirit seems to be back at last. But if you are a song writer, do you ever notice that the harder you chase it down, somehow the less gratifying it is when you catch it?

I've been trying a new approach to music. Simply put, I'm now ditching my crabby, dissatisfied, picky, screw-faced self-effacing manner and instead opting for the "it's all good" method of playing. I imagine this is what stoners must feel when they spark and play, but luckily I still have some ability to focus on an idea and not get completely lost. Simply put, whatever I play, I decide that in some universe it's good and deserving of becoming a song. And I approach everything I hear that way now, whether I play it or someone else is playing it. Sure, some things I like more than others, and I still need to prioritize what sounds move me. But as simple as it sounds, having a different attitude has made all the difference in getting me downstairs to play.

It all started when I picked up a copy of Zen Guitar by the late Philip Toshio Sudo. It's a book on basic Zen philosphy applied to guitar. I bought it for a kid I was teaching guitar to, but got absorbed in reading it myself. It has the simplest of ideas, but they are ideas long taken for granted and abandoned in my own quest for a music career. I highly recommend it. So does Bob Mould, for the record. Husker Du fans take note.

posted by Amy Jacob
3/13/2005 10:41:00 PM Got something to say about it? Go on then.