Fiddling; Craft

Finally I'm starting to get the swing feeling. I still don't know really but when it feels like you're on fire that's probably something close. too tired to write much about it, and I have little to say about it except some self congratuation on the point.

I was speaking with a friend about Persian music last night. He's well trained in the music and a respectable man, a few years my elder but young nevertheless. Despite our mutual liking of criticism (I bet most people are just like this.) we talked about very intersting phenomena of music. I have an interest (perhaps an intelectual quest) into finding out what the difference is between something that moves you and something that you can hear is "good" but does not move, doesn't get into your heart. I of course have my theories some more recent than others. He argued that this is an interesting and usefull interest and approach but not the way to learn the subtlties. You cannot force the mysterious elements in, they will come if they see fit.

I'm also interested in being a craftsman. I had a violin teacher (Lance Elbeck) who would often remark how he was interested by the craftsman's way of 'filling a hole in the wall', how he starts from somewhere and ends up in a place where you cannot tell there ever was a hole. Lance looked at preparing a passage or fixing a problem in the music as just that. I've also been interested in the violin maker's craft and the calligrapher. All movements functions of time, and effort, movements in time, actions (and non action) in the particular sequence. Some things you do something you let the object (or nature) take care of. You let the plaster expand, you stop for enough time. You let the glue dry let the meat marrinate. And all the while a sacred sort of patience and calmness.