Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Now is Good Times

I got an invite from the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, asking me to come down and sing some songs in May. They’re having a salon – their term – and the topic is Getting Thru Hard Times.

And then, I think just to be sure (unconsciously) that we’re sharing their pain, they added a clarifier: Getting Thru Hard Times (That’s Now Folks).

I got to thinking about it because frankly I do not believe that Now, the only Life moment we have available to experience, is hard times, nor should be considered hard times.

I know the traditional argument – “look around, man – these are hard times”. Recession, a stupid president, war, a stupid president, George W. Bush, a stupid president, a ridiculous congress, a stupid president. I understand all of that.

But I got to thinking about how I don’t ever have anybody on the street come up to me and start asking for help, and telling me their story of hard times. I don’t have one person do it, nor dozens, nor hundreds.

I only hear these stories on the news. In the media. And from organizations that want to wage war based on their story. The War on Hard Times. Oh no. Not again…

It struck me then, as I made coffee – a very patriotic Americano I might add – that perhaps by being proactive, inclusive, and nonjudgmental in my art/career/outlook for the past so many years, perhaps I have developed a different perspective. The folks I primarily share music with are seen by most in our society as living through hard times. They’re seniors, tucked away in nursing homes and living facilities, disabled adults and children in hospitals, care and day facilities. I used to look upon their Life situation as something akin to a hard time. I used to get that “what a good boy am I” feeling as well, fighting the good fight to make these poor folks forget about their hard Life for awhile.

The thing is I outgrew that point of view. I evolved beyond it. I understand now that all of humanity is truly created equal. And so I share my music with all men, all audiences, without judgment. I don’t judge their condition anymore. Would they tell you, if asked, that they would enjoy more visits from community members like me? Sure they would. But would they start up a society to recognize, broadcast, dwell upon and wage war on their Hard Time Lifestyle? No. Not to my knowledge. I don’t know of any such organization.

I don’t ever get to see the side of these folks that complains. They don’t complain. Others do that for them, pointing to them as miserable, less well off, and needy. Calling them all sorts of questionable names. Names I have for sure never heard them call themselves. Perhaps it’s because I simply love them as they are, and share with them as they are. They don’t have to drive designer cars, drink designer beers and hang out in a trendy nightspot to be in my audience inclusion model. And they don’t have to be a special, suffering charity case in my mind either, before I will share my music with them. Perhaps because I do not judge them as lesser than, or worse off than, I do not experience them that way. I don’t know.

But it occurs to me now that I also should not judge anyone else’s Time, or Times, as being hard, or harder than mine. Nor should I decide that someone else made my Time harder than it should be, and I now need to get through this awful Hard Time. And could they please change their ways so my Time will be less hard?

Time is mine, to do with as I please and choose, which means to perceive as I please and choose. I perceive there to always be only one useful moment in Time, and that is Now. I do not perceive it to be useful to decide that Now is somehow harder to “get through” than it used to be.

I just can’t do it.

I think I’ll go sing One Choice Thing for them, and explain to them that Time is a choice, not an obligation.

It’s an Opportunity.

**

One Choice Thing

When I said this before, somebody called it cliché
but there’s one choice thing about love I come to relate
Well all I can do is all I can do, & it’s all that I could have done then
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?

There’s one choice thing about – peace that I came to suggest
But whenever I do, the fighters are put to the test
The best I can tell you is all I can do – basic. simple. clear.
if peace is what I would have, I won’t start a war.

There’s one choice thing about – changing the world I can say
But whenever I do, blame gets in the way
Well all I can sing is all I can say, & all I can play is my part
if change is the end that I would have, maybe it’s also the start

There’s one choice thing about – god I was charged to remind
But whenever I do, ideas go on trial
Well all I can do is all I can do, God knows I continue to try
if god’s the track I am on, is belief the train I should ride?

There’s one more thing about – love I come to share
But whenever I do, I wonder what do they hear?
Well all I can sing is all I can say, I’ll probly sing it again
if love’s the end I desire, doesn’t that make it the means?
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?
if love’s the end We desire…


**

from the CD It's Time That Time Was Overthrown

copyright Greg Allen

Friday, April 18, 2008

R.E.M. - Accelerate

Accelerate - What a great new CD this is from a great band. I'm enjoying every minute of it - as I did, by the way, with Reveal and Around the Sun. I don't understand critics - I thought those 2 albums were great - their diversity was part of the greatness. Anyway...

R.E.M. again have some great things to say on Accelerate and some great ways to present their visions, ideas and experiences. The record is a continuation of their fine presentation of valuable insights.

Which makes me wonder about people saying that Accelerate is some sort of return to form for R.E.M. I never thought they lost form, and I re-e-e-ally don't think this record is anything like Life's Rich Pageant or Fables of the Reconstruction. Those two records were stunningly practical metaphysical treatises of sorts; some "Life & How to Live It" glimpses into the R.E.M. that would eventually get'round to Accelerate a couple decades later.

Accelerate continues the tradition of poignant, often pointed, generally tongue in cheek lyrical observations of what is and what obviously might be - well, obvious to some of us...

The musicianship is R.E.M., 2008. I'm grateful for that. That freakin' keyboard thing on Houston is bitchin' - and it's wonderfully interesting to note that they proceeded without the keyboard for the filming of the TakeAway Shows. Going forward it's nice to know that they don't have to shy away from Houston in situations where they don't have Mike's keyboard handy...

Someone please post chords for Sing for the Submarine, soon. :^) email them to me. I'm awful at figuring stuff out.

If you have not seen the TakeAway Shows done by Vincent Moon - go HERE
and download them, especially Sing for the Submarine.

Sing for the Submarine is my favorite -the backing vocals are priceless, as is Michael's percussive contribution.

**

It's quite clear to me that R.E.M. is about having fun and being sincere about their music, but none too serious about themselves. I respect that. The world could use more of it.

I'm gonna DJ at the end of the world....

What a great CD - thanks fellas!


p.s. I'd have never guessed that Michael smoked cigarettes...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Untitled

I just gotta say...

It's really something to tune into the media these days. On the one hand you get global warming, on the other you get endless examples of how society has no intention of changing - car shows, China and coal and petroleum, the US and coal and petroleum, US business' staunch refusal to simply do something different.

For crying out loud - it seems right clear that ethanol is horrid for the environment, not to mention the food supply, and we're just plowing right ahead with developing the stuff.

It should be clear by now that we are where we think we have been going.

But it isn't. We're still trying to get here, and killing off everything to do it.

Ain't Life grand?

**

Today's hint/reminder:

Time is not going to get you where you want to be. Time is where you want to be.

Now, what are you being?

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Time is a Choice

Dear sleepwalking Charlottesville musicians,

I do love you, but you're acting sort of asleep - no, actually, you're acting in a terribly discriminatory fashion.

Time is a choice.

For ten years most of you have been telling me you do not have Time to play in Community Venues.

Yes, you do.

Please stop discriminating against these audiences. It's very unbecoming of you.

It also explains to me why the traditional music business model is sucking wind right now.

I've been hearing people sing beautiful ideas from a place of inaction for 50 years. Thousands of you. Peace, love, get along. Share, care. Now, not later.

Now, you're doing it. Please...

Yo.

Live the lyrics.

Stop discriminating against old people, retarded people, sick children, and anyone that cannot drive a BMW to the club and buy a designer beer.

You really look and sound pretty stupid with your lame excuses.

I am just telling you this because I like you - it's like having a little booger at the end of your nose, and no one will tell you...

I'm telling you.

Time is a choice.

You have Time. In fact, you CREATE Time. You didn't know that, did you?

If you need some help with creating Time, let me know. I'm a shaman.

Best of Now, Always,

Greg & Alice

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

I Have A Question

I have begun to understand less and less the media's tendency to rely on quoting people that they will not identify.

I guess whatever they do is fine, but why do we tend to believe any of it? I mean constantly you see in the news that someone said something extremely pertinent to the story being reported, and then "...who spoke on condition of anonymity because..." whatever reason. My favorite is "they are not authorized to speak to the press".

Maybe there's a reason for that... ??

It just strikes me as funny because so often I have run into the media's tendency to shun input from local or unknown contributors because we are not experts, not "authorized to speak" on this subject. Even though we'd happily put our face and name out there, we are not afforded the same respect or opportunity that someone who is speaking without authority (or some coward hiding behind anonymity, spewing bullshit?)

Yup. It just seems funny...

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Sing the World Unified

I can
Sing about Changing the World,
or I can
Change the World with the Song of My
Life.
Alice once pointed out to me that I was affecting the world
with every song I sang, whether I was aware of that or not. The important question, she said, is
"How are you affecting it?" Are you
influencing it with Belief that your Life Dreams are Dreams of Now, or Dreams of Later?"
"You can't have future visions," she added. "You can
only think they are."
Last fall I joined an association dedicated to something they call "positive music". A group of Virginia members are now planning a concert near me, in Charlottesville, where SongSharing was born.
When we had a meeting about this a month or so ago, I suggested that members might want to do some SongSharing Community Venue shows in association with this "positive" show, regardless of where it took place. I mentioned the positivity in action aspect, the live the lyrics aspect, as well as the added media appeal. The idea never got mentioned in the announcement made by the association later that week, as I am fairly certain the Virginia members did not pass it along. They did however pass along some misinformation, which I asked to have corrected in future.
I wrote to these Va. members several days ago when a confirmation of venue came through for the May Charlottesville show. I asked if anyone would be interested in arriving one-hour earlier than planned and doing a brief Community Venue show. One hour.
It's been 3 days. No responses. No questions. No acknowledgements.
From the new CD, It's Time That Time Was Overthrown, I am reminded of
One Choice Thing
When I said this before, somebody called it cliché
but there’s one choice thing about love I come to relate
Well all I can do is all I can do, & it’s all that I could have done then
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?

There’s one choice thing about – peace that I came to suggest
But whenever I do, the fighters are put to the test
The best I can tell you is all I can do – basic. simple. clear.
if peace is what I would have, I won’t start a war.

There’s one choice thing about – changing the world I can say
But whenever I do, blame gets in the way
Well all I can sing is all I can say, & all I can play is my part
if change is the end that I would have, maybe it’s also the start

There’s one choice thing about – god I was charged to remind
But whenever I do, ideas go on trial
Well all I can do is all I can do, God knows I continue to try
if god’s the track I am on, is belief the train I should ride?

There’s one more thing about – love I come to share
But whenever I do, I wonder what do they hear?
Well all I can sing is all I can say, I’ll probly sing it again
if love’s the end I desire, doesn’t that make it the means?
if love’s the end I desire, isn’t it the begin?
if love’s the end We desire…
It's so easy. So easy to change the world right Now, as we sing about it. I wrote to someone the other day that Our Life is our "Show Me" answer to the question "How would humans act in Your pefect world?" It's the "put Your money where Your mouth is answer". It's our chance to Walk It, to Live the Lyrics.
That's what the Now Exspirientuality(tm) is about - simply creating/having the spiritual experience, Now.
I'll try to remember to keep you posted on what the Pozzers decide... I'll likely not be part of the show if no one will participate in SongSharing shows. It just doesn't feel right anymore.
Talking the talk is fine, it's good stuff. But it is the same old long way 'round that humanity has been taking down a self-destructive path. Many institutions have been talking the talk of humanity changing behavior for centuries, millenia.
The problem with every one of these approaches is that they are Other-focused - talking and singing about what a great place the world will be when Others - listeners I guess - begin to do things differently.
The spiritual seeker movement, and new age, and new thought, and new spirituality, and all of these rapidly soundling like the same old thing disciplines are Other focused.
Funny, to me, considering they speak and sing to ideas like Unity, One-ness, the Absolute.
Funny, they even believe they are singing and speaking to Others.
In the "who gives a musical hoot what I think" category, here's One word of experiential advice to them, and any musician - the traditional music model is suffering because it is about talk, not walk. It's about later, not now. It's about business, not music. It's about audience discrimination.
There is no later, kids. Poets should know that.
And frankly, there really is no talk. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are walking our walk right now. What are You walking? A Life of Later or a Life of Now?
A Life of Love with No Other Side, or one where Love has positive and negative sides, speculative sides and actual sides?
Please, if you're a singer, bring Your Dream to Life's Stage through the Song of Your Life, Now. Artists, Paint It! Dancers, Dance It! You get the idea...
Wishing you the best of Now, Always!
Greg, and Alice the Canine Messiah