Kismet, July 25th

I'm playing Reda Darwish's Ciftitelli piece for Farasha, tomorrow night at Kismet. We're first up so don't be late!

In edame dare. This will be continued.

This made me cry.

www.time.com/time/world/...6740,00.html

Didn't help to be listening to Jennifer ne of E Museki playing the violin on "Vern's Lament" and "Praylaya".

My dreams are still haunted by Neda.

Now, the Ayatollah has insubordination to deal with.

Rebel clerics in Iran defy their leader...

His High Holiness must be going--HOLY CRAP!

www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/m...es/index.html

And, lest we forget what's at stake....

This is graphic. It made me think of my daughter and son. So far away, but so close in spirit.

There are no secrets anymore. A billion people will never, ever forget.

Neda

www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/m...l#cnnSTCVideo

To Maddy and Max and Kaitlyn and Maya, and all the rest that Neda sacrificed for...

Brilliant Analysis on Iran

www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/m...hs/index.html

It's a completely different revolution there, and one that requires a completely different perception.

GRRR!

Roma families attacked by thugs in Belfast, North Ireland.
www.breitbart.com/article.php

This is no different than the brutality taking place in Iran, that happened in Abu Graibh, or in Taliban dominated Pakistan.

It's not a secret anymore. Careless if not tyrannical governments and their stupid employees cannot get away with this. The cel camera and the internet insure that a billion people will know about it within 24 hours.

Being a well rounded drummer...

...is fun!

I kicked ass on the cajon this weekend in Houston at the Tourquoise Grill. I was playing with a flamenco and Puerto Rican guitar player named Ricardo. I'm so glad I've taught myself rhumba, bolero, cha cha and other rhythms, as well as being able to play 12312312 in my sleep.

You never know what the music will call for, and having fewer rhythmic limits means more fun!

My Rates for Restaurants and Paying Shows; group lessons, private lessons

Restaurants--$50-75 per 20 minute set (three songs)
Shows--$175, plus gas and tolls if the trip is over 30 miles. 50 cents a mile. Overnight stays will include lodging, sometimes, and $24 per diem, from the day before my first appearance through the day after my last appearance. I generally drive to and fro, because of my drums and equipment. Longer trips of course will require airline flights which will replace the gas mileage.
Group lessons--$15 walkin, $65 for one 1-hour class, five weeks
Private lessons--$65 for an hour and a half, $50 an hour minimum
Group lessons at a workshop or festival--70/30-me/promoter

Haflas--If I am a member of the organization throwing the hafla, generally speaking it's my party too, so I don't charge. If however, I've been invited to perform at a hafla, and anyone else is getting paid, I do as well.

Tips with dancer--2/3rd to the dancer, 1/3 to me. Playing for a troop is negotiable on a case by case basis, depending on the size of the troop and the venue.

My philosophy is that all entertainers get paid by management. If the dancer gets paid, I gets paid. I will not split the dancer's fee with her. She needs the money as much as I do.

I'm one of the few drummers or performersI know that publishes this on his blog. Why, you may ask. Because, it's come to my attention that in my neighborhood, management tends to think musicians play free. So the dancers in my neighborhood can better negotiate their rates for performing by themselves or with a musician, they can direct management here. Management in my neighborhood has had this attitude since the 1950's. Change can be good.

This is also my principle web site for now. When I have my own page in the near future, there will be a section for this.

Kismet--Dallas--July

Thank you in advance to Farasha for the invitation to play for her. I'm looking forward to being on the Kismet Stage again.

Art as Reflection of Who We are in Time

ELIAS: Within your societies, throughout your globe and throughout your history, your arts in all forms mirror the movement and activity which is occurring within consciousness. All of your arts are very connected within consciousness to that which you objectively manifest within political alignments and belief systems. As you move through consciousness and adopt new belief systems or are merely within the throes of established belief systems, you reflect this objectively through your arts. All of these arts in all forms reflect or mirror subjective activity.

Therefore, individuals that are expressive through the objective element of creating within any of your art forms within this particular dimension are expressing not only their own subjective movement, but also in alignment with the masses within consciousness. You may view within any of your time periods all of your different art expressions and you shall view the correlation between all of the forms, for they move in waves. They are quite reflective of the collective within consciousness, and express themselves outwardly as a symbol of the collective consciousness. Therefore you shall view, and are already viewing within many of your arts, expressions that are indicative of this shift. You shall notice that your stories, your motion pictures, move in the direction of futuristic elements, for this is the area that you concentrate your attention in relation to the shift. You shall also view within your art, your literature, your motion pictures, your dance even, expressiveness alluding to subjective consciousness; inner senses, psychic abilities – unofficial information. These are mirror images expressed objectively as the undercurrent of your societies, expressed through your artists.
www.eliasforum.org/transcri...3197.html