Ava - Quote of The Day

The following quote from "Seven Types of Ambiguity" by Elliot Perlman jumped out at me when I read it this morning while doing my laundry.

"A lot of the very best art will barely ever come to you. You have to come to it."

Art, by its very nature of being the truest possible expression of some one's inner perceptions, must be uncompromising and, so, can only be exactly what it is and never what it is not.

So, it could be said that art is excruciatingly and exquisitely demanding from start to finish and, then, beyond.

Ava - V-The Hierophant

The rule of the royals has ended. No longer will the heart and the sword be sufficient, alone, to govern.

Emerging now, in our downward progression from "rarified spirit" to a "fully fleshed human being", is the reality - and the organizing principle - of the hierarchy.

"Ye shall live by the word.
By the word shall
we live."

Ava - April 27th is Nettle Day!

Today, I stopped at Bonnie-Sister's place on Milhaven Creek on my way home from morning drills (whoops ... I mean rehearsals) with Garrick at The Fiddleguy's Place.

On my way I thought of nettles. Specifically, I wondered if the nettle crop at B-S's was the right size for creating our 2010 (double-sized) batch of Nettle Schnapps. Turns out they were ready and, this, one month earlier than they were last year when we created our premier batch of this weedy nectar.

Further to this prickly business we added a new nettle experiment to our roster. Due to my crusade against the inflammation of joints we decided to try something a little more daring with this hardy (and specialized) weed. Bonnie-Sister played the role of the "lasher" to my role of the "lashee" and - in doing so - we succeeded in distributing a goodly portion of nettle venom evenly around both of my elbows.

Hmmm ... sting-y !!!!!!!! Hmmmm ... warming !!!!!! Hmmmm ..... sensational !!!! Oh, wow ... when immersed in warm water the feeling ramps right back up to sting-y (and stays there) !!!!!!! Hmmm ... it's all very interesting !!!!!

Now for some fresh nettle tea and honey!

Ava - Dungeon News

As usual for a Monday in the dungeon the work is a mix of:

• creating new files (recording new work),
• managing these and older files,
• discussing, planning and implementing promotional efforts
• greeting friends
• moving automobiles
• rehearsing

Ava - UItimate Goal

I would like "The Open Sesames" to create something so worthy that Aszure Barton interprets it for her Artists to dance.

In terms of both the music and the dancing the performance given by "Aszure Barton & Artists" at The Grand last Tuesday was truly inspiring.

The music was highly original, quirky, provocative, playful, amusing and surprising - so, of course, too was the dancing.

Bonnie-Sister and I were enthralled. And, later, we both thought of this being one of the ultimate showcases for the work of "The Open Sesames".

Ava - Dear Madam, Or Sir, Or Whomever ...

It occurs to me our blog page and our blogging communicates at least an idea of who the three individuals (Garrick Tyas, Stuart Mitchell and Ava Darling) comprising "The Open Sesames" are in terms of: 1. their individual backgrounds, and, 2. their individual talents.

And, it gives at least an idea of what we three collectively agree our combination of individual talents - as represented by the existence of "The Open Sesames" - produces in terms of: 1. what it is (new salon music), and, 2. who can enjoy it (the open-minded, the adventurous and the civil).

Today, after a long submersion in water (the medium in which I can freely let my feelings play out as far as they will reach) I realized I needed to share what "The Open Sesames" is for me, Ava Darling, personally.

The Open Sesames is a beautiful, creative, buoyant, challenging, exciting, provocative, interesting and immensely satisfying vehicle for sharing what I, Ava Darling, feel (about all manner of potentially worthwhile things) and, in some cases, what I, Ava Darling, know (about all manner of potentially worthwhile things) in the best way - and at the best time in my life - I could ever imagine.

A short while ago I realized I had somehow (through my efforts, the efforts of others and through grace??) reached a level of inner attainment which would allow me to die knowing "I am who I came here to be".

So, my next choice immediately became - on a level that was real or simply felt to be real - to go/die or to stay/live (at least until a later moment of choice arrives).

I decided (and not without at least a glimpse of what this might cost me in terms of emotional and physical discomfort) - on a level that was real or simply felt to be real - that I would stay around longer in order to be of help.

And, when I say "in order to be of help", I understand this to mean "in order to share myself with others and to accept their sharing in return to the best of my ability".

One of the ways I can potentially be of help to someone, anyone, is to make my feelings and my (fewer) knowings made public through my contribution to "The Open Sesames".

The fact I am working with two other fine human beings - who also trust "The Open Sesames" are up to something good (in whatever way they wish to individually define this "something good") - is both a treasure and a blessing to me. And, it feels RIGHT.

Ava - "IV-The Emperor"

Appearing after "III-The Empress" in the tarot's downward progression from "0-The Fool to "XXI-The World" is dah-dah-dahhhh ... "IV-The Emperor".

So, in other words, appearing after the "the evening star by day" (Venus) is the "man from Mars" (Aries).

Whereas "III-The Empress" is the bringer of life more abundant "IV-The Emperor " now emerges to rule over and protect the entirety of this life.

He rules with the might of his will and of his sword. He rules with his hand and with his stern gaze. Ultimately he rules with the whole of his red, instinctual nature.

Ava - More on Wording (Sort of)

Just wanted to say I have reworded the blurb under our banner located at the top of our blog based on the revised "romantica" press release and that I chose to substitute "stimulate" for "titillate" just to see how it sits in print.

Also, I have pasted the entire press release (retaining "titillate") into our CBC Radio 3 bandsite page.

Oh, boy, one more blog and all my Monday night homework is done.

I am so looking forward to my outing with Bonnie-Sister to experience Aszure Barton & Artists (see photo) performing at The Grand Theatre tomorrow evening. - preceded by dinner downtown and ending back at the nest curled up with glasses of red wine and late, late, late night snacks. My thanks to Kingston This Week for selecting our ballot in the draw for these great tickets.

Ava - Titillate vs. Stimulate

Hi Garrick and Stuart - I'm second guessing my choice of the word "titillate" in our revised "romantica" press release. (Stuart, if you don't ken what I'm on about please check your email.)

I looked up this juicy word in the dictionary just to make doubly sure it is a good fit for what is best understood about our material on "romantica" and - while it can fit in its strictest sense - it also has a pretty firm connotation of "superficiality" about it. And, of course, the "romantica" stories can be received on a superficial level by any listener but, at the same time, our work isn't created to be entertained thusly. Or, at least in my mind it isn't.

Therefore, I'm wondering if it would be more accurate to use "stimulate" here instead? (Drat, I wish there was an underline option with this text window as I would definitely use it to underline the previous sentence.)

I welcome your thoughts because I don't wish for any of us to be making a number of copies of the "romantica" press release only to then become certain it would be better with this substitution.

Ava - Another Dungeon-y Monday

It's Monday and two of "The Open Sesames" are hard at work bringing to life - with sound - the characteristics of "III-The Empress" with great success. She is among us and we welcome her with open hearts and minds. Wonderful.

And, as usual:

- office work
- "romantica" rehearsals

The "romantica" rehearsals went extremely well last night. The 6 pieces that are in various stages of progression are all starting to accummulate a richness of feeling and expression - through both the vocals and the live music - that are absolutely essential to bring these stories fully to life. And, what does it really take? I find the answer to this is practice, practice and more practice.

Sometimes when I am at home practicing (and sometimes when I am rehearsing at The Fiddleguy's Place) the words I am saying feel like ashes in my mouth ... like if I have to repeat them one more time, I'll scream ... then, voila, the next time they will be as real and as close to me as my own tears. And, it is this 100th time that makes the 99 leading up to it all worthwhile.

Ava - Chiming In

Stuart - Hi there. Sorry to learn of your disgruntlement with our rate of progress. If I can be part of the solution I will do my best to be. I am working (mostly alone) on memorizing and learning my part in romantica. It does take time, though, because my "day job" wears me out so I definitely lose 3 days a week because of that. But I do push myself along and I always try to bring something more (if only a little something more) with me when I come on Sundays. I'm learning "Seven Sisters" and "To Whom It May Concern" now. But, I don't have them down yet. It seems to be harder for me to memorize two at a time, rather than one. As you may have noticed I tend to have a "one track mind" and don't multi-task all that well. Anyway, I will miss seeing you around for the next while but will remain confident that everything will come together in some magical way in the end - when we need it to. PS: I definitely want you to feel alive, invigorated and satisfied with our work and can understand, I think, why you don't right now.

hey the sunday night tues nite jam open jam was your idea to get things to happen i smell politics here ?

Morning Garrick and Ava. I'm out of it for the next few days. Unfortunately I gotta make some money to keep things moving in the right direction.............that is food, roof over the head etc etc etc.
As was brought up last week.......we are 4 outta 9 songs done (and that is just Romantica), so having me there to play to a track is not needed. Full track/ dummied down track,,,,,doesn't matter......I'm needed when there is NO TRACK. I can't and wont sit around "not playing," due to having a track playing and loosing money when you guys can play the track, practice what needs practicing and I can go out and make money.
I see no point in recording any new ones until the first 9 are complete. I tried saying this last Sunday.................................................I'm just a drummer but..............perhaps some things are better heard over the written word as opposed to the spoken word, and no matter how often I voice the track issue, or the getting all 9 done issue, for me nothing changes..............so instead of having my hand forced, to keep playing to constantly changing tracks, and instead of entertaining yet another day/night of the same 4 tracks I place the ball firmly in your guys court to move it ahead............................you dont require my presence to do this.

Ava - A New Focus at The Canex Building

A pair of ospreys have built a nest on a light standard in the parking lot at the Canex Building where I work part-time as a barber. What a lot of fun this is going to be for the summer. They have blocked off an area under the light so cars can't park there and have debris rained down upon them. The groundskeepers are rather ugly about it all but everyone else is energized by this opportunity to observe osprey behaviour up close. I routinely park near where the nest is so I can greet them in the morning when I arrive for work and bid them good evening when I leave. The night before I first encountered them I dreamt I called a female owl to my side out of a tree where she was perched with her mate. Maybe this was a forerunner of what's to come.

Ava - III-The Empress

Stuart and Garrick - Now, on to the next card/character in our progressive descent down through the 22 cards of the Major Arcana.

The last card we dealt with, of course, is "II-The High Priestess". Now, following her (and what she represents) is "III-The Empress".

So, we are stepping down from the irreproachable to the approachable. Granted "III-The Empress" is far above us - in terms of stature and greatness - but she is still one of us. She is warm-blooded and fertile. Her life is our life. She fills our earth with all the things which give us pleasure, comfort and sustenance.

She is lovable and she is worthy of her crown.

Ava - Computer Woes

Many thanks to my priceless "technoweenie" (his term, not mine) for bailing me out my great, vast, endless computer woes of yesterday.

And, no thanks to the folks who make computers and build in an obsolescence factor. Shame on you.!

I was so furious yesterday that if the bagpipes had of been skirling in the background I would have gone to war.

writing

do you write because you like to think or do you think because you like to write. i play music to live to play music to live! uuuuuuuummm

a bit more

and inject small and distinct body movements and gestures while keeping the mike in position

Ava - It's Dungeon Time Once More, Folks

Well, it's Monday all over again and I am back spending the day with Garrick where we are mostly in the dungeon working on two computers in tandem. Garrick is on the "music computer" and I am on the "internet computer. We do get a lot done.

Later, we will probably rehearse upstairs using our "romantica rehearsal tracks" which have my voice removed and the musical sounds left in.

I am being directed by the ever vigilant Garrick to pitch my voice low, for emphasis, instead of high. Do you know how hard this is? If you read the last sentence - in what is now the typical manner of speech inflection - your voice will go up at the end. Well, so does mine.

It is extremely hard for me to hear this habitual inflection in my voice because this is what I am used to doing and what I hear all around me. So, word-by-word-line-by-line I have to train and then groom my voice to speak differently for the purpose of giving the true "The Open Sesames" performance.

So, to recap I must:

• Memorize my material down to the bone.



• Embed my material into the music rightly and consistently.



• Train myself to drop my voice instead of raising it for emphasis.



• Deliver my material in such as way as its story is best told.

the energy level for all of our projects is rising and it seems to effect the music as it does it seems a very positive thing to me!

Ava - "II-The High Priestess", Continued

Hi Guys ... After hearing what Garrick sent me today I have to say, "Oh, boy, are we ever going to push the envelope with this work." I mean this in the best possible way.

The material lends itself to creating sound that is really "out there" (in a powerful way) and it is going to be a great, great ride.

Gratitude.

Ava - Hey! Garrick!

Apparently I am not receiving emails from my mother. Nor, did I get any email from you since you sent on that Art's Council material last night.

If you read this can you please blog to let me know if you sent me any emails today (Wednesday)?

Sheesh.

Ava - More On "II-The High Priestess"

The next character to appear in the progressive descent we are making - which started at "0-The Fool" and then went on to "I-The Magician" - is "II-The High Priestess". She is also the first feminine character to emerge from the light.

Think of her as the absolute dark (the dark of the womb, the dark of the place beneath the earth, the dark of the hermit's cave) in which the spark of knowing resides - ready to blossom in due time. Out of the still, dark place issues life. "II-The High Priestess" is the secret who is yet to make herself known.

Ava - Completely Off Topic

I simply feel like doing this so I am posting a picture of my son, Worth, in New York City. It is one of the nicer photos I have seen of him lately (usually he is less pensive and more animated) plus I missed him at Easter. It is the first time he hasn't been with us for this holiday or, at least, the first in a long time.

My excuse for allowing myself to become rather pedestrian in this particular blog is that Worth is one of my truest inspirations. Always.

Ava ... II-The High Priestess

We are giving "II-The High Priestess" her voice today following a thorough discussion of "I-The Magician" and the careful selection of a base track for him. His representation will be purely instrumental.

I have given an actual voice to her in the form of a chant which Garrick has just recorded. Now, he will create a base track to support the chant and then the live instrumentation will be added - for embellishment and reinforcement - at the end.

Very exciting work, my friends.

Ava - Tuesday in The Dungeon

Hi Stuart - I just arrived from Kingston and now I am down in the dungeon catching up with Garrick before we start to work. We both look forward to seeing you later and hope Patricia is - or will soon be - on the mend. Cheers fellow Sesame!

Ava - Here's to Moving Onward, Upward, Downward and Outward

Hi Stuart - I like your response. It sounds very positive and I, for one, look very much forward to hearing how you and Garrick capture the spirit of I-The Magician.

Hope you had a great Easter Sunday with your family. What did you create in the kitchen? See you Tuesday, actually. I will be rolling in at 10:30 and staying for the evening's jam session.

Stuart, New Ideas

Yup, I think I can find a musical flavour for this.....................sounds like fun. I have gottten intouch with Wolfgang, and am in the process of forwarding him much stuff, pics, rants, etc etc etc. Tryin to get to the cbc frenteic site today, but will probably be tomorrow as today is the easter meal with the entire family thing. Either way.........................I'll see you guys tomorrow............... happy Easter

Ava - Gratitude Mutual?

I believe the reason we work so well as "The Open Sesames" is because we are mutually grateful ...

... that the lines of gratitude extend and run equally between us.

Ava - Spartacus: Blood and Sand

HBO has a new series about the famous Roman gladiator, Spartacus. Along with being highly instructive regarding the entire male physique (yiyiyiyiyi ...) it also supposes to teach us Roman manners.

For instance: When a favour is given the recipient of said favour inclines his/her head slightly and says, simply, "Gratitude".

So, fellow Sesames, to you both I slightly incline my head and say, simply,

"Gratitude".

Ava - Easter Greetings