Monday Dec 19th Rotterdam
The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness -
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| — | Lao Tzu |
June 21st, 2011
Not sure where to start today’s entry. It’s been about a week since my last post and I’ve been staring at my computer for the last hour trying to figure out how to put it all in perspective. We’ve been in residency now for 20 days with 14 days left to go. The experience has been great so far! Since my last post, Omari and I have been to Paris, Antwerp Belgium, then back to the Bijlmer in Amsterdam. There’s a moment I’d like to share here that truly characterizes our journey until this date.
It happened in a conversation I was having with Jeff Coerse, a fellow Open Ateliers work space occupant. The back story starts exactly 24 hours after landing in Holland. Omari and I were visiting Leidseplein, an area in central Amsterdam popular with visitors and tourists. We were randomly approached by a photographer to take a picture for the local newspaper. I was given the capital letter “D” to hold up and “click click”, she took the picture and ran off. About two weeks later, Jeff and Sara are having lunch with her parents. They were discussing their work at the Kraineest rooftop, Me, Omari and all the other things they have going on. Right after he mentions my name, he looks down at the cover of the newspaper and yells “that’s the guy I’m talking about right here!” There I was, on the front cover of the Saturday paper, holding a “D” in a group picture that spelled LEIDSEPLEIN!
That’s how it’s been. My residency is being defined by Precision Randomitry (yes dammit…I made that up!) I have experienced more unexpectedly cohesive conversations and states of mind then EVER in my life. Seriously, I’m chronically prone to exaggeration and hyperbole, but since arriving here on June 1st, the question of how we use our voices, and what we imagine as indigenous, has been answering itself through a series of unique coincidences and peculiar timing.
THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS COINCIDENCES. I can safely say that i FIRMLY believe this to be true. In spite of the fact that most of the course of my adult life has been punctuated by Precision Randomitry, I have been personally experiencing an epiphany with vast intellectual and spiritual consequences. If you’ve been following along so far, you’re most likely up to speed about my conversation with Monique De Jong, the instructor for the hearing impaired, and how we connected around the issue of voice. I’ve since met another person who, of all things, just finished a thesis on the use of “Audio tune” on our voice and how it affects our identity. That was Sunday night.
We start a seven day film shoot on Thursday the 23rd-June 30th. I’m working with a film director named Heike Tjepkema, She is also a member of the Open Ateliers group.
In the midst of all the random shenanigans, I saw one the the most incredible live performance I’ve ever seen! FELA!!!!!!!
Sahr Ngaujah has accomplished an incredible interpretation of one of the world’s freest men; FELA KUTI. Omari and I have been very fortunate to spend quality time with the cast and crew. I was fortunate to be able to tell Sahr that the show teaches Omari things about the world that my words would not be able to describe. I’m grateful to have been able to tell him that.
In Paris. I hung with my brother from another mother, the Mighty Mike Ladd. I actually left Omari in Paris with him on Thursday so I can do a pick up gig in Antwerp. Worked out perfectly, Omari took the train back to Amsterdam and we met at Central Sation to go see FELA! for the first time.
Our gig was great! Dr. Zhivago strikes again!
Got to run for a second…enjoy the pics and vids…much more soon!
