Musicians as Vessels for the Divine

[Murali_Mohan_das]

How about a nice, light, Friday topic!

 

I consider myself an aspiring musician (just as I consider myself an aspiring Vaishnava). I was just asked to join a band, and I let a friend know via e-mail. Here's a portion of the e-mail thread (read from bottom to top if you care about order) from this morning which I thought might be of interest:

 

 

CW

Yes, actually that was my only point. You expressed it so wonderfully. What I had meant to say was those musicians that allow the Divine to use them as vessels are sweet kind of folks. It is usually those sounds to which I am attracted. Music for me is a way to soothe the soul and put at ease any dis-ease. IT IS MY DRUG OF CHOICE - if you will.

 

 

MM

 

 

Well, you raise another big point. The best musicians are the ones that allow the Divine to use them as a vessel through which to pour mercy. Their ego may not be involved at all in the music-making process.

 

 

CW

 

 

"

my own personal definition excludes those who merely use music as a means to an end. Music is an end in and of itself

" I definitely agree. also the genera of music that flows through the person and ultimately out of their instrument of choice has a lot to do with whether or not the 'musician' can be defined as a 'sweet kind of person'. Know what I mean: "

I mean after all - it takes a real special -read enlightened- person to be able to make melodious sounds from...

"

 

 

MM

Subject:

RE: NAME OF THE BAND

 

 

Oh, right. It's a great name, too. "Play Naked"

 

 

Can't wait to get T-shirts made up!

 

 

"Yeah, most musicians are sweet kind people" I guess this all depends upon what one's definition of a musician is. If a musician is a person who is just out to get laid, then I'd say there are lots of egotistical musicians who see music as a competition.

 

 

Of course, my own personal definition excludes those who merely use music as a means to an end. Music is an end in and of itself.

 

 

CW

 

 

Yeah, most musicians are sweet kind people. I mean after all - it takes a real special -read enlightened- person to be able to make melodious sounds from boxes, strings and hollow tubes covered with skin, strange metal shapes with holes that one blows air through -WOW. I've always been amazed at how and what the creative mind/spirit can do. So the name of your band, again is?

 

 

MM

 

 

...

 

Like I was telling one of the band-members last night, "It feels like coming home". They are such sweet, sincere, down-to-earth musicians--it's really an honor to be playing with them!

 

...

 

 

 

[mahak]

Are you any good? If you really are, you wont have trouble at all answering that question. I was good, really good, but my axe is retired, but Im really good at harmonium, making unique original melodies. I write good lyrics, too, some are vastly better than others, but some are even better than that.

 

If you say Im an ego dude, you are correct. Without ego, one will not take a breath of air, because this is a selfish ego trip, this breathing.

 

Now, open mike time. Take the stage, turn your back on the crowd, and wail. If you are good, they will ask you to show them, but dont let them see your licks. And if you do songwriter showcases, watch out for tape recorders (It is very sad to hear one of your tunes and some of your lyrics on a fleetwood mac album that sells billions - my sad story).

 

I worked at Subbase Bangor, the most political job one can have, but the music iundustry is manyfold more cutthroat. Your base player will sell your guitar right out from under you.

 

I know a drummer in the bay area, unknown, but the very best, and I need good drummers, crave good drummers. Hes the best, and I actually jammed with some really good ones way back. Hes ginger baker, buddy miles, keith moon and bonzo all rolled into one. Are you any good?

 

You can have my lyrics, but my drummer?????

 

mahak

[Murali_Mohan_das]

I've tried to remain humble. Having seen the example of Kurt Cobain (I woke up to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" every morning for two weeks before "Nevermind" came out my sophomore year in college--my next door neighboor had gotten a reviewer's copy of the album) and so many others, I've been afraid that I would not handle success well.

 

The rhythm section of my college band went to Hollywood and founded Elephant Ride, a band that got signed to a Sony subsidiary (Work Records), recorded an album with John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin fame) producing, toured like mad to support the album, got a tiny bit of airplay, and were subsequently dropped before getting a chance to make a second album.

 

I've watched and waited and practiced at home in the back yard.

 

I don't know if I'm any good, but I've received some encouragement from musicians whom I respect. Now, some opportunities have arisen for me to start sharing whatever talents I've developed with a wider audience than my cats and my kids, and it feels like "coming home" to be playing with these musicians.

 

As far as stealing goes--I try to write songs that nobody else would *want* to sing, let alone steal.

 

Still, I'm curious about that tantalizing morsel you proferred--Fleetwood Mac ripped you off??? Must be Rumours of which you speak--one of my all-time favorite albums. Which song????

 

I have a friend in Santa Cruz that is suing the makers of the Terminator movies for ripping off his idea. I'm not so sure how wise it is to be suing the Hollywood establishment if one has any hopes of working there in the future. Folks (and their friends) tend to be wary of doing business with antagonists, no doubt.

 

To clarify my earlier statements--musicians can certainly be some of the *most* egotistical people (myself included), but even those persons, when engaged in musical meditation, seem to set aside their egos temporarily and allow some form of spirit to pass through them (though I might not go so far as to say that all music is Divine Revelation (much is mere pornography (in the sense of aiming to inspire lust or other desires)).

 

 

Are you any good? If you really are, you wont have trouble at all answering that question. I was good, really good, but my axe is retired, but Im really good at harmonium, making unique original melodies. I write good lyrics, too, some are vastly better than others, but some are even better than that.

 

If you say Im an ego dude, you are correct. Without ego, one will not take a breath of air, because this is a selfish ego trip, this breathing.

 

Now, open mike time. Take the stage, turn your back on the crowd, and wail. If you are good, they will ask you to show them, but dont let them see your licks. And if you do songwriter showcases, watch out for tape recorders (It is very sad to hear one of your tunes and some of your lyrics on a fleetwood mac album that sells billions - my sad story).

 

I worked at Subbase Bangor, the most political job one can have, but the music iundustry is manyfold more cutthroat. Your base player will sell your guitar right out from under you.

 

I know a drummer in the bay area, unknown, but the very best, and I need good drummers, crave good drummers. Hes the best, and I actually jammed with some really good ones way back. Hes ginger baker, buddy miles, keith moon and bonzo all rolled into one. Are you any good?

 

You can have my lyrics, but my drummer?????

 

mahak

[mahak]

did you ever cry, did ya break down, shattered by the illusions of love. Is it over now, do you know how, to pick up the pieces and go home.

 

This was a song about the rasa of aghast, how the world gives us death for our reward of hard labor. And there is a way out.

 

Not my exact words, not my tune, but coincidental. I played at free venues where they hung. Im not accusing, just warning. I really liked stevie when I met her, she was troubled at the time.

 

George didnt do chiffons when he chanted my sweet lord, even though he is so fine. Prabhupada did not do "this land is your land" when he made his tune widespread in the west. But if your sond is heard, and liked, other musicians will use, and this isw okay by me. I didnt do anything with it.

 

I know you are good enough to be quite a smash, ya got yout on your side mon. But ya gotta grab your spot, foprget cobain, the 100 bucks three times a day in his veins made him grab the shotgun, not his fame.

 

Fame is an opulence, one of the six. Ya got beauty, wealth, certainly good knowledge, ya aint dead so ya got bucks, so why leave out fame. Bottom line, and you know it where cobain doesnt, you are aloof from the other five. This is the greatest opulence.

 

So, I sing my surf music about fame, despite jimi's false declaration bout surf music:

 

from point surf (http://www.geocities.com/mahaksadasa/surf.html):

 

Racing through the tunnel, all behind me pops.

I like to ride big waves to take the endless drop.

It's smoking at the top, nevah evah stop.

See all those cheering up there on the rocks.

 

so go let em cheer ya, or else they will cheer some non-devotee.

 

haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

[mahak]

I quit public performances because of what you speak about. I hit a riff, di Ibanez and peavy vibrate, and I wail, and burst into tears, uncontrollably. This is why my stylee was with my back to the people, Im over emo toward riffs that go all the way to Dhruvaloka and back. Townsend was like that, he didnt punch out abbie hoffman at woodstoick because of anger, he was in a trance and the fool tried to get his attention right at the wrong moment. Hendrix sometimes couldnt say anything, was foaming out the mouth, especially with band of gypsies and his friend buddy miles.

 

Once, I was in a canyon your way, bonnie dune, with maestro echoplex, Ibanez artist and peavy Mark II Musician (my old amp). With my beloved late sister, bhava devi dasi. We rocked the canyon. Only the squirrels heard us (I had an inverter power source to my pick-up), but it nevah goes away, the ecstacy, not at all unlike being way inside the tube of a twenty of the bowl of a crusher with only a handboard and churchhill fins.

 

Way too emo, but thats just me. Im always bursting into tears. My latest episode is when I heard Loreena McKennett's Highwayman.

 

Are ya emo, bro?

 

mahaksadasa

[mahak]

There is a time to be humble, there is also a time to be fearlessly aggressive and do what yall do for Him (and Her). There are too many, on a plea of being humble, that they dont grab the chair, wont help others because you dont wanna be dissed as a guru wannabe. Get over it, nows not the time. Heres a song for yall (literally):

 

 

 

 

 

<CENTER>All, c-1993-mahaksadasa</CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER>one sure way to be pleasing to your teacher

learn all the lessons, then pass them along

bring your light into the darkest of caverns

all who have eyes will see what is going on

 

the greatest musician taught you to play

 

</CENTER><CENTER>

all who have voices will want to sing along

the greatest of scholars gave you the words

all who have ears will surely hear your song

 

 

</CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER>after hearing philosophy and putting it to the test

all who have feeling will win this holy war

when the gift of pure love is placed at one's disposal

all who have heart will never cry any more

 

 

</CENTER><CENTER></CENTER><CENTER>if you ploclaim and sing the ballad of your master

all who have minds will know what this life is for

don't hold back now, not after what you have been given

 

all of the world is needy and at your front door </CENTER><CENTER></CENTER>

[gHari]

"all of the world is needy and at your front door"

 

Words for us all.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

did you ever cry, did ya break down, shattered by the illusions of love. Is it over now, do you know how, to pick up the pieces and go home.

 

Oh, so they only ripped you off for one of their best songs (though there's not a weak song on that album).

 

I'm glad you're not bitter about it. While "ripping off" somebody's lyrics verbatim, it's nearly impossible to write a song without at least hinting at another song's chord progression (or having the exact some progression with varying rhythms). Lyrical allusions abound as well.

 

Still, the honorable thing to do is for us all to credit our inspirations.

 

 

This was a song about the rasa of aghast, how the world gives us death for our reward of hard labor. And there is a way out.

 

I've always had a macabre fascination with the ghastly rasas!!

 

 

George didnt do chiffons when he chanted my sweet lord, even though he is so fine. Prabhupada did not do "this land is your land" when he made his tune widespread in the west. But if your sond is heard, and liked, other musicians will use, and this isw okay by me. I didnt do anything with it.

 

Well, Cobain is another good example in this case. How many cheap Nirvana imitations followed in their wake?

 

 

I know you are good enough to be quite a smash, ya got yout on your side mon. But ya gotta grab your spot, foprget cobain, the 100 bucks three times a day in his veins made him grab the shotgun, not his fame.

 

Your encouragement is very touching, Prabhu. If I got some fame, I pray I'd use it for the purpose of spreading the mercy and not for increasing my sense enjoyment. I don't want to sell my soul for 15 minutes in the spotlight!

 

 

so go let em cheer ya, or else they will cheer some non-devotee.

 

Ha! Well, I'm not quite sure which are "devotees" and which are "non-devotees". I certainly can't begrudge them cheering for somebody like Caetano Veloso or Zakir Hussain, or....

 

The first two gigs with the new band went well this past Saturday. I've never felt so comfortable performing in front of people (despite it being 10 years or so since my last official public performance). Of course, the fact that I was playing bass took off some of the pressure. Folks often don't notice the bass (though they'll notice if it's absent).

 

Regarding youth--I suppose it's all relative. I'm too old to be a contestant on American Idol, but I'm younger than all the members of Extra Large (a great band--probably right up your alley--who I mixed sound for on the Idle Hands Show Saturday night).

 

The key, for me, is to be playing music because I can't help myself. Fame isn't the goal (though it could end up coming anyways). Staying sane *is*!

 

Writing songs is my therapy. If somebody else can get some solace or inspiration from the songs, that's even better.