California… Here we come!

What is the coolest place on Earth to see all the new gears for musicos locos?
Where is the place to meet rockstars, sexy girls – houlalala! – have cool parties at night, jam with friends, have a perfect weather every day (huh, almost every day… last week wasn’t as good as usually…), play Alhambra Guitars… and go back home with tons of inspiration and projects?

The NAMM show in Los Angeles, of course! 

Model for Industry Growth

As always, I went directly from the plane to the NAMM without stopping at the hotel. The bed wouldn’t see me a lot for the next few days… Geoff was waiting for me and right away, as we get into the convention center, the thrill possessed me – and is not gone yet. Music everywhere! And people from all around the World, which is really cool!

Are you famous? That is funny… Tell me “where”.

You know what if cool too? When you do not know anything. Especially about people, if they are famous in their world or not. Then, you just meet the true person.
Two or three years ago I went to the library and it was incredibly packed! I picked up a few books and went to calm area where a tall, bulky black guy was seated at a table… doing nothing… just getting bored apparently and I sat down with him.
Born talker… well… I started the conversation with him. And he was a cool dude. We talked about the kids – ours, of course… – I asked about his life, and he shared with me his passion for football – not the real one, everywhere in the World they know real football is soccer, but that is another story – that he started playing football when he was very young in East Texas… became professional and all these things about his life.
I shared my snack with him – tall and fat as he was, nobody thought about feeding him… come on! - and we kept going on the chit-chat. All of sudden, the whole crowed from the other side arrived like just one man! Came revering my new buddy, asking for autograph, ask if I was a friend… This dude is a famous football player who came for a press conference and present a movie about his life.
I even cannot recall his name but only the fact that we crossed the boundaries because I did not know who he is. And I do not care about football anyway… and whether people are known or not. Just bring them to a different place and their fame is nothing… even the talent – try to play guitar for farmers in south east Laos… who do not give a damn… and you will grasp what I’m talking about.

Being Famous… is a new job.

You guys understand now that, being famous, is relative.  And, really, do you want to be an icon? Not having life anymore and pushed to become who the heck people think you are? Is that what you want? Everything you do being watched? And for what? You go to another country and nobody knows you… and if you go to Rain Forest you will realize the Yanomami Indians revered their shaman but do not give a damn about

A game for you

So, I got a game for you… I took a bunch of pics at NAMM – if you want to read about the new guitar you will have an article on my PhilBlog – therefore, look carefully at those SO KNOWN people and give me their name… if you have the complete list, I offer you… huh… my picture with an autograph… no, that sucks… huh…. a CD?… Some French Fries… By the way, we (zee french peepele – read people please) did not invented the French Fries, neither the French manicure… we call that American nails (no, no… this is the truth)… I will tell you where French Fries are from and will offer you a good recipe if you put a name under all the pictures… How cool is that, huh?  Okay, see you guys. And do not worry if you are not known, if you are not a “People-Magazine-type-of-person”, the ones who love you  know you, and you can be real with them all the time.

Tags: alhambra guitars, business, california, eddie van halen, los angeles, music, namm show, sure, trade, yo yo ma

Round Top

In the heart of  Texas exists an amazing place:
Round Top Festival Institute

The Round Top Festival Institute is a musical institute established in 1971 by pianist James Dick in Round Top, Texas.  James Dick was born on a small farm in Kansas. His father was an auto mechanic. They raised a small wheat crop and grew vegetables.
- “We were dirt poor. We didn’t think so. We didn’t realize that we were just ‘poor’ but we were. Daddy…got paid every two weeks and when I was in high school it was just dollars…twenty, thirty-two- fifty…just dollars…and yet somehow we didn’t consider ourselves poor. We still had enough money to pay $3.50 for my piano lessons. I didn’t get scholarships from my teachers.”

While pursuing a distinguished career as a concert pianist, he began the Festival-Institute in 1971 with concerts in the Winedale performance barn. Many of the Festival’s first concerts were in tents on the property of supporters. Slowly, and with remarkable care, he and the brilliant team he has created have produced a remarkable institution with a 200 acre campus of incomparable beauty. The wooded countryside on the edge of Round Top nestles wonder after wonder. Stone bridges lead to beautifully restored Victorian homes surrounded by clever herb gardens amidst crumbling ruins. It’s dreamlike.

They also serve great food… but no French Fries that, by the way, are not French! Do you know why?

Can You Really Appreciate Beauty?

It was around 8 o’clock, on cold morning in January.
The street musician was standing at the “L’Enfant Plaza” station, in the Washington DC subway playing his violin. Bach to start with, and Schubert, Massenet and Bach again.
He played for about 45 minutes and, at this rush hour, thousands of commuters passed while the artist was playing.
A 3-year old boy stopped but his rushing mother tugged him along hurriedly. However, the kids walked away still looking at the musician.

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
During the 45 minutes the violonist played, only 7 persons really paid attention and stopped for a while to listen to him.

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition

About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32… which is good for 45 minutes but…
Nobody knew he is Joshua Bell, one of the most famous world’s musician.
He played at the station some of the most difficult pieces on his 3,5 millions dollars Stradivarius!

Two days before his subway performance he was performing a sold-out concert at the Boston theater where the average ticket price was $100.
And… this is a true story.
« Washington Post » organized this subway concert to observe people’s perception as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

Questions were :

• At an inappropriate time, a in common public space, can we still perceive the Beauty ?
• Do we stop to appreciate it ?
• Are we able to recognize talent if nobody tells us ? 

One of my conclusion after reading this article is:
If we do not take the time to appreciate and listen to one of the best World’s Musician playing some of the most beautiful pieces of music, how many beauty are we missing in a life time?

Tags: Bach, beauty, Joshua Bell, metro, social experiment, stradivarius, subway, Violin, washington post

THE WORLD’S WORST GUITARIST !

Hi Folks…

I just found a new goal: Being the World’s worst guitarist.
NO! Do not read it again… it’s what I meant:
THE WORLD’S WORST GUITARIST !

Firts of all, there is no competition. Seriously, everybody in the classical guitar world wants to become the best. As a Youtube junky, any video I’m watching presents the “Leading Guitarist of His/Her Generation”. Sometimes the dudes claiming – or presented, it’s not them writing comments about themselves, are you kidding? they are too busy practicing in their bedroom - are just a few years appart… but they all are the leading guitarists or His/Her generation… so, maybe in the new world a generation is just a few years appart… or months… or those guys do not watch videos on Youtube… I do not know. Leaders are busy you know.

Thus, this morning… seeing there is no future for me with all those leading guitarist of his/her generation… I decided to become the Worst. Find me any competitor now. Do you know anybody who will tell you: I am the Worst?

What is “Leading Guitarist of His/Her Genreration?”

A leading guitarist is a Virtuoso. What is a virtuoso? Someone playing really fast – metronome companies won’t go broke soon… trust me. They can extend their finger in crazy fashion, even when they have little hands and big guitars… They have a terrible life, confined in their bedroom, with a metronome and try to play this Villa Lobos’ Etude faster than anybody… even when the tempo is… Allegro Non-Troppo… meanings not too fast. It has to be… very fast if you are a virtuoso…. and the “Leading Guitarist of His/Her Genreration”.
You also can recognize the virtuosi because they all play the same music pieces… and they compete to be the fastest (I guess the Leading… blahblahblah ranking stuff change every minute and the problem is to update the title of “leading so and so” in real time. Hard to go to your computer if you have to practice the same piece over and over…) So, the best does not mean “Unique”. By the way, when you are unique… you have no competition and cannot be the best. To be the best, you have to take part to the competition and do what others are doing… And then, it’s hard….

You can also recognize the “leading blahblha…” beacause at the concerts – where normal people looking for music are showing up – you see a group of guitarists from the other categories… Not a lot of people though.

How to be the Worst Guitarist in the World?

Well, there is a nuance between the “Worst” and someone who cannot play. It means you have to play the guitar but not enough to be good. Even not a little bit good. But practice from time to time to make sure your keep your status. If you practice too much… you become too good… if you do not practice at all well, you cannot play guitar anymore.

You can see it requires a lot of subtility. Being the Best: you have to play all the time! Stay in your room and practice, practice, practice.

I also can see another advantage to be the worst, it will be good for the best ones, as they can really see how good they are, the ones-on-their-way-to-be-the-best, it will valuate their effort and see there is worts then them… even if they are not the best yet. The ones-who-are-not-in-those-categories-but-who-know will laugh at me. What a joy to provide good time to the folks who are not in the main categories but still struggle to make a living as Classical Guitarist (yeah, it’s specific to classical guitarists… again…)
The people who do not play will just come for the music, like to a normal concert what… They do not really care if you play fast or not… they just want to have a good time… more than that if possible…

Where is the Art?

Now we come to the core of the question missed since the begining… Where is the art? Art is the victim in all that… not just the Art… but the classical guitar concerts…. empty halls… for classical music in general.  Yeah, it’s specific to Classical Guitarists… Rock guys do not have this problem… Jazz and Blues neither… they play music, not practice finger sport. Where would I read: This Classical Guitarist will move your soul, bless your heart with a deep interpreation of this piece… also I would love a piece I do not know! Please… PLEASE!!!! A composer I never heard of… Not something from the Segovia-Barrueco-Russell’s repertoire. I want to discover new music pieces, I want to dream, laugh, cry, I want you move my heart… I want you point at a new world of possibilities… I want to hear a great range of tones… a singing expressive guitar. The Bel Canto!

I want some art! Thank you…
Eddie Van Halen is the best in the world anyway…

Success

Hey, good morning!

Inspiration

This morning I received music from avant-garde composer Jeff Harrington.

That is the kind of music I have not listened to in a while… And, it’s the essence of the Art. The one that grabs my soul, draws a landscape, surrounds me, makes me feel and think, develops the “Intelligence of the Heart”.
Truly, Jeff is an artist and doesn’t try to be the replica of anybody.

The kind of guy who inspires you to be yourself.
Notice it’s not: “to become yourself” but: “be yourself”.

This is how and why we love and appreciate great artists. We look at their creations with a ‘Wow’ effect; their magic touch enlight the world, give sensations, feelings and, by pitching ourselves into a different mood, open us to a different thinking.

Thus, I took a trip back to the time I was 16. Studiying composition with Jacques Charpentier, having nights of passionate discussions about art and meaning of life with my friends, or nights at Paul Calatayud’s studio where I was practicing while he was painting. Being “Mutual Inspirations”; becoming richer inside because of this human exchange, Heart-to-Soul.

Harrington’s music sent me back to this day I spent at Juan Miro’s retrospective where I went because I did not like his painting and wanted to understand it; stayed 8 hours filling my heart and soul with Miro’s universe, cried in front of some paintings, laughed, dreamt and had inspiration for the years to come. Kandinsky, Paul Klee and many others nourished my life and inspired me… to be an artist every day.

I love their work because they are personal, because they dare to be themselves, like you love other artists, writers, politicians, your sweet half and… others.
Some of you – and do not tell me it’s not true (I am watching you…) – are looking for the “keys of success“, “how to feel up your pocket with money” (I realized I have to wear different jeans… the pockets, once full, do not contain that much, I would starve after a week), “how to have everybody knowing who I am” (I got a recipe: do something crazy, like this pianist stating every where she is Mel Gibson’s doll… Now she sells posters of her big boobs and we still do not know how she plays piano), “the fans tearing my clothes down as I arrive in a Palace Hotel in L.A” (You better have to dress yourself at Wal-Mart or Ross, otherwise it will cost you a fortune). It’s like a new job: Being Known.

And this cyber space is filled up with new gurus who studied the successful businesses and put them into patterns trying to sell you the way to success (Why aren’t they running successful business themselves then?), all the jobbers who “know” how to become a millionaire – especially when they are not – how to flip houses and become reach – truly, I’m wondering why the realtors don’t keep the houses for them to run such business… House flippers LOL! It looks like the stuff outside will make us happy, right? But, happiness is not something from the inside… Well, you get the point.
Happiness is From-The-Inside.

Living a dream

First of all living a dream is what will make you happy and know why you wake up in the morning. And that will be your first success.
Philippe Petit read an article in a French newspaper about the Twin Towers construction project. Way before they have been built. Then, he did not have a day without dreaming about walk on a wire stretched out between the two buildings.
Thomas Johnson was working on wood under a tent in Ghana and moved to the US with $20 in his pocket. Hi is now running a flourishing and successful business here in America and has been consulted personally by the President of America. (read about him on my blog).
And others like Obama and more…

They do not limit their dream, limit themselves. Like Johnson says:
~ do not look at the ceiling but at the sky; because it has not end.

What great examples those people are for us… They really show us the waypath to follow.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.