The funny thing about music is that one note follows another. That note might go up, it might go down, it might stay the same but basically— one note after another.
Simple things are, I think, the most difficult to master. I remember the years I was studying Organic Chemistry and Calculus. These subjects seemed difficult at first but, ultimately, they gave way to sustained effort. One step followed the next.
My friends in the culture change movement can already see where I am going with this. Creating an environment that is rich in person-centeredness is also a simple thing to do. There is no “rocket science,” no secret ingredients, no need for shaggy gurus. The hard part comes with making one step follow the next.
Music and Culture Change both about doing simple things really well. How does that happen? Practice. Practice. Practice. We need a tolerance for error that does not extend to a tolerance for mean-spirited-ness. We need to be able to laugh at ourselves and we need to gradually expand our repertoire.
This is exactly what Hot Koko has been doing. Jude and I practice because we like to practice. We laugh at ourselves because we have no reason to take ourselves too seriously. There are musicians we admire, musicians who are, literally, awesome. We will never be that good and that is OK. We will never play like T Bone Walker but can play like HOT KOKO!
Jude and I are working on a new CD and this is the current mock up for the cover. We are still tweaking it but we like the concept. The name of the the CD is “Wayfaring.” Thoughts? Suggestions?
Leave a Reply