When It’s Time To Listen

I just gasped out loud when I read this about violas, and practically jumped out of my seat. Said by Trey Anastasio of Phish, in the book “Music” by Andrew Zuckerman:

“The musician only has one job and that’s to listen. Listening is the essence of all great musicianship… When I studied with my composition teacher, he used to say, “The music is in the middle voices. Check out the violas. Check out the middle voices in the chords. That’s where the action is.”

HELL YES. The life of a violist in an orchestra or band is that they very rarely drive the melody of a song. We spend our lives listening closely to melodies and then fill in what is missing, find what’s needed. This role may not sound glamorous, but I’ve always been grateful for this aspect of my training. I’m certain it’s played a role in why I constantly search for new sounds, and trained me to find unexpected ways to express and idea, song or vision.

When it comes to the viola, action is indeed everything. It’s one thing to have the ability to create a melody. But throw a song at any skilled violist, and we’ll find countless ways to take the tune to a new, more complex level.

Here is the trailer to this music and photography project that Andrew Zuckerman did in 2010:

Snakes on a Plane! Or in a dream…

Last night my dreams were full of snakes. All kinds, all sizes and colors. At first they were peaceful and dormant. I knew the snakes were there, but was OK with them and we were all going about our business. The danger came only after people learned there were snakes around. Suddenly, without seeing a single snake, the people panicked.

Then I watched everyone in a frenzy wake all of the nearby snakes up. The people shook the plants, unearthed the dirt we heard the creatures were in. Numerous snakes came out and slithered around. Black and yellow, blue and red, green, all colors. They did not attack, just movement.

And suddenly I became overwhelmed with the collective fear in the room. I did not know if I should feel such fear, if it was real or manufactured. I did not know if the snakes were poisonous, if they would attack, and how real the threat was. But instead of running I kept them at bay (5 or so of them), in hopes they would not go further into the world. I tried to ask for help, but in this moment I lost my voice, too.

And right at the end, right before I woke up from the dream, this enormous snake came up to me and raised its head like a cobra. I suddenly felt the reality of the danger. It was ferocious. I stood up, looked at the giant snake, and then stabbed him right in the eye — with a WOODEN CHOPSTICK. Haha.

He fell and died immediately.

And all day long today I’ve thinking about this dream… Why did everyone wake the snakes up? Why did I lose my voice? How awesome are chopsticks, really? Friends and Powers-that-be, interpret this at your own will.

In between working on my own music for the new album, I’ve been studying the behavior of villains, researching the subconscious and the seductive mind, thinking about Dante and the seven deadly sins, and often listening to this song from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

These are dark, juicy days… all for sake of the next project. It’s dark and shadowy in here. And fascinating.

The things we do for art…

I’m currently reading “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell and studying and researching man’s relationship to duality… and of course all of this always leads to Carl Jung.

In the mist of discussions, musing and thinking out loud on Campbell and Jung’s philosophies, my friend recently shared this quote by Carl Jung, and I love it. I wanted to share it with you for your own musing:

“There can be no resolution, only patient endurance of the opposites which ultimately spring from your own nature. You yourself are a conflict that rages in itself and against itself, in order to melt its incompatible substances, the male and the female, in the fire of suffering, and thus create that fixed and unalterable form which is the goal of life. Everyone goes through this mill, consciously or unconsciously, voluntarily or forcibly. We are crucified between the opposites and delivered up to the torture until the reconciling third takes place. Do not doubt the rightness of the two sides within you, and let whatever may happen, happen. The apparently unendurable conflict is proof of the rightness of your life. A life without contradiction is either only half a life or else a life in the Beyond, which is destined only for angels. But God loves human beings more than the angels.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to spend my year…

I’ve been hiding out this past month, since my return from touring and performing so much in 2011. I LOVE travel and touring, but it takes a toll on time and energy. And when it comes to recording, staying put is the key. (At least it is for me.)

So now that I’m on the ground and staying put in Los Angeles, I’ve been working hard on the new album that will be released this year. The recording sessions have begun, the wheels are turning on the big production.

The new album is a narrative and will tell a mythological story that is full of archetypes and characters from this world and beyond. Some of it feels delicious, but some of it is very, very dark.

Like many stories are told, this album will be released in three parts. As for when it will be done exactly, I’ll reveal as the production develops… so stay tuned. The entire project will be over 20 songs. This album is big, beefy and will be very juicy for your ears.

I wish I could clone myself to make execution happen as fast as possible. But since cloning is a new technology and relatively freaky, I’ll just have to settle with being patient and keeping my head down to get the project out. Sigh… oh, patience, you test me so often!

Other new-ness to share with you? Soon I will be unveiling a new website! Very excited about this.

As for gigs, I won’t be playing much until Spring and Summer, so that I can keep focused on recording and releasing the new work. But there will be gigs, oh yes, so stay tuned there too. Lots of surprises are planned for you.

Life is amazing, and I am inspired! And now that I’m stationary, I can find the creative time to write more blogs. Thank goodness, because I always want to share more with you than I do. But as you know, timing really is everything… and time is always on our side. (Note to self.)

I’ve just returned to Los Angeles after spending three weeks in Oaxaca de Juarez, the capital city of Oaxaca, Mexico. I gave five concerts, ate world-class cuisine, even brushed up against danger. I took so many photos and videos that I’m contemplating how to share it all with you, too…

Oaxaca is a place we can learn from. It is artistic, colorful, revolutionary, and the attention to detail in the design, architecture, cuisine and culture is outrageous. The prime industry are the arts and tourism, so life is juicy and always vibrant. It was my second time there and my love affair with the city has only grown.

Where to begin? I suppose we should begin where my heart is lingering from the entire trip, the Museo del Ferrocarril (The Train Museum).

The Museo del Ferrocarril is one of the portals into the creative underground of Oaxaca, and the venue for the 5th and last concert of the trip. It is an old, unused train station that has been taken over by a collective of artists from Mexico and beyond. Scattered all over the compound are installations, sculptures, paintings, and drawings.

The energy of the place is vibrant and the art is alive and always changing. I was so grateful for the discovery; it was just the kind of community I adore. The collective of artists are of all ages, and they are inspired, determined and committed to their creative work. Yes, please.

I was invited to perform here by Gabriel Coto, a Cuban-born artist who now lives in Oaxaca, by way of Argentina. Gabriel attended my concerts at Café Central the weeks prior, and we became fast friends. He is full of talent no matter what medium, whether it be painting, sculpture, installations or simple sketches.

At my first show at Café Central, Gabriel sketched these images of me on a napkin using a marker:

Beautiful, aren’t they? He sketched six images in total. The one where my hands is close to my face was drawn while I was playing the harmonica.

It was then that I was asked to give a concert at the Museo del Ferrocarril, where Gabriel is a resident artist.

I was invited to give my concert in front of the trains, but it was a bit too cold outside for such a thing, so I performed inside of a giant building. I took this photo while we were preparing the stage, which was a railroad platform on wheels.

They brought out the chairs, they had food and vendors serve food and fresh, warm punch made from figs, apricots and cider. The perfect drink for a fall evening.

And as I performed the 90-minute set, I noticed my shadow against the blue wall in the side, dancing with my every beat. My friend Bea captured all five of my concerts on video, so I’ll share some moments soon.

After the concert I discovered that Gabriel had been creating paintings of me on canvas. I was elated when I first saw them… and I’ve been debating whether I should share them with you since they are not finished, but works in progress. It is a sensitive thing to share a work in progress.

I am going to show them to you, because I want to celebrate Gabriel’s talent now, in the moment. But let’s honor Gabriel and not distribute these images since they are not the finished. (Thank you.)

This first image was inspired by the insert that comes with my debut CD Vol. I: Battle Cry. Face isn’t finished, of course…

And this next one I like very much too. During my last night in Oaxaca this past Friday evening, I posed for Gabriel so he could get the lines of my face right. He even captured my favorite newsboy hat that I’ve been wearing a lot this year.

Ah, Oaxaca… the city kept a piece of my heart, a part of my soul is still there. I’m going to go begin another blog now so I can share more stories and photos.

There is to be said about Oaxaca. The architecture, the political history, the 2006 revolution, the food… oh, the food. The indigenous Zapotec, the colors, the cathedrals, and last but not least, the Day of the Dead.

In the meantime, here is another angle of Gabriel Coto’s studio.

I custom-designed my new bass guitar even more. I changed all of the tunings of the strings so that they match the viola. Here’s what happened:

A bass guitar’s tunings are usually in 4th intervals, and the notes of the strings from lowest to highest on a 4-string bass (they can also come with 5 or 6 strings) are typically E, A, D and G. Now, just like the viola, my bass is tuned in 5th intervals, and the notes are C, G, D and A.

I also put on flatwound strings, which I hear are used less because they are slightly less dynamic in sound. But I chose thse because my li’l viola-trained fingertips have callouses that are unique to the viola, and I don’t want to get the monster callouses that come with the regular roundwound strings of the bass as they will interfere with my viola’s needs from my fingertips.

They say that flatwound strings are a bit less dynamic, but in my case things rules don’t always apply because of the circumstances: I have the Reggie Hamilton edition bass, which means I have the incredible ability to change the tones of the bass internally as it in itself is a dynamic bass. I also have multiple effect processors to run the guitar through that can manipulate the sound.

There will be no lack of dynamics in this camp, because there are no rules.

I love the bass guitar! Too much.

I’m slowly getting better at it, with my tone especially. The callouses that one gets (or I am getting) from the bass are kinda intense. Thing is, I have to be careful not to practice the bass too much in this phase of learning because it uses the muscles in my hands and arms in a new way, and over-doing it can mess w/ my super-trained viola muscles.

Patience is in order, cuz I love wailing and plucking that thing — it’s so sexy!!!

And huge. Wait until you see me standing with it. Tiny girl with a big bass is coming your way!

I love my setup. Ah music, you mean the world to me…

Ladies and Gents, I want to introduce you to the new addition of sound for my music… my new Reggie Hamilton Bass Guitar!

I’m so giddy about this addition, and already started writing songs with it. I wanted a bass to add some very low frequencies and thunderous rumbles to my sound, as well as have a way to bring in more funk to the mix. For all of you music geeks out there, below is the description of all it can do. I’ve custom designed this bass to match the low tones and strings of the viola, too.

The Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz Bass® guitar is designed to the virtuoso R&B bassist’s exacting specs, with gorgeous tone, great looks and unbelievable feel. Features include an American Series Precision Bass® pickup, custom Noiseless™ Jazz Bass bridge pickup, active/passive switch, 20-fret maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, ’70s stamped open-gear tuners and Hipshot® Bass Xtender drop-D tuner on the E string.

My music has been categorized as many different genres and I’ve heard again and again that until one sees me perform live, can they fully understand what it is I do. The genres that my music often falls under are classical, contemporary classical, electronica, acoustic ambient… and Discmakers felt entitled to call Vol. I: Battle Cry new age (I have no idea what that means and find it upsetting – my warning to musicians who want to print CDs with Discmakers).

I have never fully-vibed with any of these categories. And recently, a friend and fan of my music called me a bluesman, and it made my heart explode. He articulated the reasons so well that the relief that his compliment presented brought me to tears. I felt for the first time someone got it right.

Here’s what he said:

“Your music really feels like the Blues, Christen. And I should clarify – when most people think of the blues, they are usually only talking about the standard 12-bar blues form that we all know and love. But often when I think about the Blues, it’s in a much larger context, one that is more of a state of mind that extends past that simple definition. Not just Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, but also, Bartok is the Blues, Jobim is the blues, Flamenco is definitely the blues (big time), the Ode To Joy… (!!!) Hank Williams. Miles. Jimi. Stravinsky. That sweet Gypsy (Roma) viola stuff… mmmmm. There’s so much poetry, art, film, literature that absolutely mine that Blues thang (usually all of the good stuff… Van Gogh!!!, Coppola, Joyce, freakin’ Shakespeare!!! – all the Blues).

Intrinsic to all of these is this quality of trueness and authenticity – and that involves a bit of dipping into the well of melancholy and sadness that underlies all existence (not in a big bad awful sense, but more from a kind of Buddhist perspective). It’s not all doom and gloom, because somewhere in there is a strong feeling that beauty, wonder, and hope do exist (otherwise, what would be the point of all that singing it out loud in the first place?). That’s the benchmark that humanity is always longing for. And that’s why all the best stuff has that ability to coax a tear, or make the little hairs stand straight up (check out the lyrics to the Supremes’ “Stop In The Name Of Love”!). Your song “The Crux and The Shadow” did that to me today as I was driving around in the car – and that, Christen, is why you’re a Blues-man.”

The only amendment I would make to this heartfelt statement is that some might say I’m more of a Blues-woman.