My Music Medicine

There were two comments made to me — about me — in the last year that I have been pleased to keep active in my memory:

1. “If I were stranded on a desert island, I’d want to be there with you.”   I knew what my colleague meant by the statement.  She had witnessed my broken aura.  She knew I’d find a way, a solution and anyone in my close proximity would benefit from my instinctive, inventive, inspirational ways to survive.   Another person I told about the complement, totally missed the mark — replying that I’d play my oboe to keep happy.   That’s not at all what the comment was about.

2. When you play oboe, I see a white glow around you.  You bring life to the notes.  This comment was especially impressive.

“The Auric Field – Aura is life. It is the energy that animates our physical body. The auric field exists in different layers sometimes referred to as harmonics because of the color fields they emit. Each layer of the auric field is a body just as real and alive as the physical body. Each layer is a mini world with its own sense of purpose. The magic of the auric field is in how these mini worlds intertwine and dance with one another. These layers interconnect with one another determining our experience with our physical reality.”

Treatment Tunes

Musical Resonance

Music Therapy

I currently perform with the Sunbury City Band.  It doesn’t provide income — most of us professional musicians can’t survive on our highly skilled craft.   But band is part of my “music therapy”  — priceless reward of camaraderie.

L-R: Marti, Christina, Deanna, Marvin

My next therapeutic session will be providing music for others during a Sunday at Six program at All Saints Episcopal Church of Selinsgrove.  Second Sunday at Six (10/13/2013).   My mother (Mariam) will accompany me with piano on four pieces. One selection will be for unaccompanied oboe.

The proposed program is a mix of traditional folk music, standard ballads (instrumental version) and film theme.  Hope to see you there — if you’re in this country or county.

iQ, mEq, uQ, eQ, WeQ

While working on my website and emails today, a tweet popped up about college students and getting grades for their emotional intelligence.
I clicked on the link and read through the artical.  I reminded me of the book published in 1998 called “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”

The question was whether college students should be given grades for emotional intelligence?    (the question)

Then I read a comment from a person who asked “give credit for breathing?”   That got me thinking — look out folks.   I’m back at it again, analyzing.   So, consider the fact that at age nine I started learning to play oboe.  My lungs not yet fully developed (that process is completed at age 12), and there I was holding an instrument in my hands in which I had to, ever so slowly, hold and control my breath.   hmmm, I think.  I became a professional oboist about 12 years later (getting paid to perform and/or teach).   Did I get “credit” for breathing or for controling my breath?   I sorta think so.   You can see my breath condensate (my science knowledge) on the inside of this oboe.  Does that makes my invisible breath real?

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At what point will we as humans, begin to accept that emotions ARE part of our existence.   They are as real (or unreal, sometimes) as our breath.  Emotions ARE real.  Ask the folks who lost a loved one in one of the countless, senseless shootings across this country and world.   What is the worst part of a death — not the loss of the body — but the loss of the spirit of the person, the personality, the air space the person occupied, the feelings that came WITH the person.   Emotions can not be replaced with things or money.   They ARE real.  They need to heal just as any other part of our body needs to heal after a “boo boo” or down right surgery.   Emotions are housed in our brains.

Subjective. Sure.  So is art, music, writing, reading, dance, sports, medicine, lanquage, science.  Lots of subjects are subjective.  What we need is a form of measurement like the mathmeticians have managed to get to work in their favor.   “It’s all about the numbers.”  — one of my very unfavorite comments in the last year.   There are SO many aspects of life that are “priceless” that have nothing to do with numbers.

iQ vs eQ (the difference)

Poder These:

iQ – intelligence quotient (answer)

eQ – emotional quotient (answer)

mEq – abbreviation for milliequivalent

hiQ – (answer)

uQ – university quotient — OK, this was odd

WeQ – wind erosion eQuation, worry emotionality questionaire, war event questionaire, work experience questionaire (check this out)

wiQ – Waring Intimacy Questionaire, Walking Impairment Questionaire, (huh?)

theyQ – alien emotions — just kiddin’ (or not?)

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream. (answer)

gig-a-bites — feed the musicians

How do musicians land performing gigs in a time when more people play tunes on their phones than on their pianos?   Many venues where musicians were hosted weekly, monthly or even yearly have removed music performances from their budget.

What do musicians do when economic times don’t even give space on a street corner for them to earn money with the skill that took a decade or more to learn?

Back in the 1990s, I began marketing small music ensembles to my local area.  It was possible to get my woodwind quintet work at almost bimonthly.  Then it was quarterly, yearly — until the gigs dried up and we all returned our individual instrumental parts to the owner of the score. Paring down to a quartet helped for a brief time.   The most “popular” group to be hired was a trio.   Eventually, the request was for a duo.  Then — down to a soloist.

Our training is extensive as well as expensive when we consider the potential job market.  “Fall back” positions as teachers is an insult to my ears considering I decided and prepared to be an educator since the age of twelve.  I often wonder if your doctor, dentist, lawyer would “love” their work for a concilation for not making a respectable income.

There were times when I received phone calls from “charities” inquiring about musicians to help them earn money for their cause.   They always seem to think the artist and/or musican is able to donate his/her skills or product because they “enjoy” what they do and may benefit from the “exposure.”    When I became more skilled at discerning the intent or asking bluntly “do you have a budget?”, the request for a “free performer” did not make my skin crawl as often.

At some point, I began to question whether the fundraiser consisdered asking a garage mechanic, electrician or plumber to donate their time.    I replied to a lady who expected I find someone to be a volunteer so SHE could earn money, “the electric company is not impressed that I’m a musician when they send me a bill, or that I volunteered for your organization.”   Her “tune” changed and she said she could afford $75.  Wow, from $0 – $75 in only 5 minutes.   Good work on my part.

There still is the problem of skilled musicians that have “real” day jobs and then volunteer.  They play for fun by volunteering their service for local symphonies who don’t even pay the musicians!    The symphony will pay for tote bags, advertisement — but not pay the musicians?! (more on this topic another time)

This topic is open for discussion and suggestions for how to preserve our heritage of live music performance (not “pop stars”)

My Mini and Me

When I shift into gear in my car, it is a pleasure all its own. I thoughouly enjoy driving a manual transmission vehicle. I find I’m fully “engaged” when I have the need to use my left foot, right foot, left hand, right hand (sounds a bit like Twister) Driving manual transmission activates the entire brain – right/left hemisphere. Perhaps driving manual transmission is similar to playing a woodwind instrument.

With oboe, I need to use both hands, tongue, lips, air, eyes, ears as well as both hemispheres of my brain. Sometimes I get to tap my feet and sing, too.

I’m sure that’s another reason I didn’t find playing violin interesting enough when I was 8 years old (besides the shrill of the bow across the strings). The violin just didn’t provide enough opportunity for a full body experience. Ok, I may have gained more respect and gigs much sooner (the world caters to strings). I would have sustained more income through tough economic times, but what’s the point if I couldn’t reach the heart enough and soul of others as I have with my oboe playing. At age 9, I chose to play the dynamic, all-inclusive double reed instrument — the OBOE.

My jokes — it’s a 4 letter word! So is “reed” and “solo” — both are crucial to the formulation of sound and the importance of the player. Why be one of many in a big section of musicians? As an oboist I’m almost always a soloist. That doesn’t mean I can’t play well with others. I enjoy the comoradery of chamber musicians, but I sure enjoy the challenge of showing up alone for a gig with an entire chorus — and ME, the oboist.

I enjoy hearing and sensing the shifting of gears with my “new” Mini. It’s Me. I’m somewhat of a loaner — not alone — but not common like a miniVAN, SUV, Ford F10, Honda Accord, Chevy Camaro.

So I’ve added another family member to the “four”some words: Mini.