Album Release

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Seizing the Day

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

This is a good rule to live by. But I don't think it means to run out and do whatever you want, not taking into account consequences of moment-by-moment living. This is not the concept behind the phrase "Carpe Diem."

I think it means that we are to look behind us, what's in our past, and to look forward, to where we'd like to go and achieve, and with those two pieces of path in our vision, we are to seize that exact moment, to "carpe diem" on that point on path... to be okay with the past and not apprehensive of the future, and to be confident in the passing moment... to let that moment be filled with abundant life.

Pablo Picasso was a big shot in this part of the world (Mougins, Southern France). I saw some photos of him recently that were taken when he was working and painting. Usually with his shirt off. Always with a cigarette in his mouth. He seems like a normal, down-to-earth man. Approachable. I like this guy.

Aside from his obvious "realness", I like the way his art morphs from "safe and mandatory" to a style totally his own over the course of his career. He put in his time with the still life paintings (flowers, fruit) like many other artists. This was a foundation for learning the techniques of painting- colors, strokes, light, etc. He did this for years. And then there's the stuff he was doing towards the end of his career: crazy and eclectic and unmatched by any other painter. Beautiful.

Painting those flowers and fruit (boring?) gave him a foundation for which he could then place a trampoline and jump into his own painting style.

I feel like I'm at a point in my music where I've put in my time with the fruit and flowers and I'm making plans for a trampoline installation. :-) Carpe diem. Thank God for the path behind me, for the unknown in front of me, for my goals and hopes, and for this very moment.

Harpe Diem (haha)

Houses and Harps

I have never been a homeowner, but from what I can tell, it's a big decision, and often times not an easy one. One of my housemates, Royce, was telling me yesterday about how there is a lot of emotion that goes into buying or selling a house. He was talking specifically about selling, and how it's sad because a house represents memories and a period of life that won't be revisited, or at least not in the same way. He spoke about one of his houses, which happens to have been his vacation home in the North-Eastern US where he and his family vacationed for years. It was a beauty, nestled up to a lake, warm in the winter, cool in the summer… you get the idea.

Since retiring and moving to France, Royce and his wife recently sold this house to make it feasible to buy another. Despite the excitement and thrill of buying a great house on the Cote d'Azur, he was still just bummed about letting this other house go.

The only thing I can relate it to is selling a harp, which I happened to do about 3 weeks ago. Her name was Austin. She was a beauty. She was "home" to me, in some crazy way. So many memories with her! And such a significant period we spent together. It's sad. The thrill and excitement of one day buying another will some day come, I hope. But I'll still miss Austin.

Someone once said that we should "fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Harp and houses are temporary; we can't take them with us to our grave. What remains will be the unseen.

So for now, it's me and Dave (my other harp). It's the start of a new season for me in a lot of ways: I'm shifting gears in my music, in between a "real" place to live, closing the France chapter and moving back to the States soon, and taking a hard look at personal growth.

Dave and I will have a lot of stories to tell.