Last week I was talking to a friend about her recent trip to Ireland - and walking along the flaggy shore that Heaney writes so beautifully about. My mind immediately went back to this evening when the sun was setting and the light was gold and spilling a golden glow over everything - water, land, dog, man. Part of my heart is there.
Onyx Ashanti is a musician, geek, open-source advocate, Maker, collaborator ... and we come back around again to musician. The intrumentation he has created fuses technique and technology into a full-body musical system, playable with hands, arms, mouth and body.
As he says: I am what can only be described as a cyborg musician. in other words, the music i create live, can not be replicated without technology. My music is called "Beatjazz." It is a mix of sound design, live looping and jazz improvisation. My instrument of choice over the years has been a Yamaha Wind MIDI controller, but now the limitations have started to stunt the growth of this new form, so i designed an instrument that can take it into future.
He is now working on the next iteration of his instrument, codenamed Tron, and built around a helmet-mounted controller.
I first became aware of Stephen Fry from a British friend who told me I should follow him on twitter. I did - and occasionally I would be amused by something he said - but I never really looked deeply into his life/work. Then another friend from Sweden posted this on FB (all these connected ways of learning from like minded people) and I had to post this here. I love his ideas about music - and especially this idea of a concerto being a conversation between the individual and the state. It made me immediately go to itunes and create a "concerto playlist" and start listening.
Absolutely one of the most brilliant and prophetic writers ever...witness...survivor. I've been about him for the past few years....and I just can't get enough of his wisdom, his wit and his unflagging love.
I have been teaching long enough now that when I see former students giving the same advice that I give in the classroom....well - big internal smiles. Not that I take any credit for their wonderfulness - but love that I have had the honor of working with them for part of their / our journey.
wants to remind the young people of facebook not to post anything you wouldn't want a current/future employer to read/see, or to change your privacy settings to "friends only".
