Remiss

Children have a way of saying the most accurate statements about what they’re getting from the world. In the last few months I’ve been remiss in publishing this little newsletter, and now reflecting on all the things that cut into my writing time. Not that this newsletter is much more than a few notes, for the most part. And that may change, or ebb and flow. Yet, much was accomplished. And it was heartening that some of you, dear readers, asked, “What the hell?”

I bring children into this because thinking about organizing my time brought to mind statements made by two children who did and do not know each other, and at around the same time. Both observations had to do with school, or perhaps more accurately, schooling. Paraphrased, here they are:

The worst thing about school is that it cuts into my reading time.

School really cuts into my learning time.

Both children did something about it, one by purposefully carving out reading time when and wherever he could; the other by starting a Learning Club with her friends. We’re talking here about something missing leading to a creative action. So here I am; here we are, playing with words, much like the emergence of “all the things” as a thing. I apologize.

Studio construction does indeed continue. We’re in the final phases of painting and various interior and exterior details. A punch list will be developed. Probably when Central Texas is under a heat dome, part of the driveway will be cut out and re-poured to a better water-directing contour. I will guess that we are eight to twelve weeks from beginning to move from our South Congress warehouse, and I think the rest of the year will involve getting our studios organized and functioning. Sara has already done a couple of small paper pieces, just visiting. I look forward to seeing how all the natural light after decades in windowless warehouses will transform her practice. My shop has been essentially in storage for seven years. I’m already meditating on safety.

Here are some views from the last few months:

Mala Nota plays two shows this week. The first, tonight at Ballroom at Spiderhouse, will likely be in the books before you read this. I didn’t go to prom, so who knows what I’ll have worn (see poster below).

On Saturday we join over 50 bands spread across twelve venues in the inaugural edition of the Elgin Music Festival (May 9-12). Mala Nota plays La Cultura Market, May 11 at 4:30 PM.

May 9
Ballroom at Spiderhouse
2906 Fruth St, Austin TX
10:00 PM

May 11
Elgin Music Festival
109 Depot St, Elgin TX
4:30 PM

Aside: sometime during the blur of last year, I sold a PA to a fresh young Austin band, The Formality. They “…make music and play it at places.” I was asked to mix a show about a month ago. It went very well, and I’ll be re-suffering the consequences after the Mala Nota’s set at the Elgin Music Festival. I’m kidding—they write catchy, compelling tunes with the right injection of at least three forms of humor. Plus: a lead-singing bassist and … two drummers!

I’ll have more to say about this next month, mainly to get into some philosophy about engineering live sound.

May 11
Boomerz
6148 West US Highway 290, Austin
9:00 PM - 1:00 AM

On February 1st I went to hear Atlas Maior’s Joshua Thomson and Josh Peters at Carousel Lounge, where you can hear anything. It was billed as a night of adventurous music, and it reminded me of many performances heard at The Luggage Store in San Francisco. In this incarnation, playing completely improvised music, Thomson and Peters adopt the name Palindrome (also the title of an Atlas Maior album of improvised music).

As evidenced in the photo below, the Carousel Lounge offer a distinctive backdrop for performances, letting you know right away that serious fun is available. Also in evidence is the combination of ancient instruments with the latest in modular synthesis and sequencing. In short: Rules? What rules?

Music of this kind goes by many names, including difficult. But when played honestly (that is, without gimmicks), with an ear towards the heart, the listener is rewarded with witnessing people just working it out together, trying ideas and responding to each other. If there are any rules, they’re more like emergent patterns, and the listener, with judicious attention, notices—and may feel something.

Listening to the music, in that setting, I was reminded that pretty much everything we humans do is make-believe. Frankly, we do have to suspend disbelief in something resembling a constancy just to create coherence for ourselves and in the world. Just maybe, if you find yourself in a difficult situation, or listening to difficult music (I do recommend you seek it out, or at least unfamiliar music), you might reflect on the make-believe nature of what we do. It could be the key to enjoying the difficult.

Thanks again for reading. Feel free to send questions or topics you might like to hear about from me.

Peace, Love, and Art,
Ralph
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Ralph Manak
Raking Light Studio
Austin TX
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