2023-03-10 - 10:37 a.m.

Interesting

Research- reading about communal life and the relationhip with technology

I am drawn to research as the story idea was incubated upon visiting the coffee shop run by the 12 Tribes
and enjoying my Artist Date of a moment of peace.

Its interesting to me the Basic Principles of Julia Cameron's The Artist Way are grounded in faith.

"5. Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity if our gift back to God.
6. The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.
7. When we open oursleves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselces to God: good orderly direction "

My question really is how these communities protect against the instrusion of the world onto their lives; yet how they have adapted to USE the tools available through technology
the Amish

https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/behavior/use-technology-like-the-amish/#:~:text=Yet%2C%20contrary%20to%20popular%20belief,even%20a%20kind%20of%20computer.

Heck even the 12 tribes have a website. I observed the cofee show was wired- had wi fi for guest; and has an electronic credit card reader for doing business.

Their web site has interesting details of their community-https://twelvetribes.org/why-twelve-tribes

I have a couple ideas for pieces to work on. Decided to just do the work today a bit. Some reseach and writing....

I suppose when I have down time this is what I choose to do: Write.

It calls me more than guitar practice just now. Guitar is a means of joy and also of connection with and to others in a tangible way. It is an activity I do enjoy solo but moreso in community when I create music. I love a good jam session. It is the going to the drum circle, or the gathering of musicians. ( I have to get out of my own head and judgement as it is hard when there are not all serious musicians in a space. I had to leave when the quality unraveled at the convention I went to where I brought my drum and the fact of a music room for improvistaion existed and gave that opportunity, I try not to be a music snob but I understand those who are! I get it that my one friend who is carving his own djeme, who went on tour with Mamaday for a bit just won't show up to the drum circles that are not inhabited by trained actual African masters. I get it he won't teach as he feels to do so would be cultural appropriation and lack respect of the masters that taught him-- I get his persepctive

BUT at the same time I think he is blocked and honestly just wrong in his judgement of the others who are not "good enough" to be playing the music
or who are not fully understanding the depth of the meaning of it
the spiritual connection to ancestors

I think he is right to want to HONOR those traditions of his teacher, and his teachers family who are passing it on to their African counterparts
BUT as a white man
*I guess for me a white woman

I think it is not a lack of respect, but in humble apprechiation that we enter those spaces mindful they are not ours.

We are both welcome there.

BUT I think just because we can both show up in spaces like that- because we were in essense just LOVED BY someone in those communities

I mean that is really what it comes down to. Someone showed love and welcomed us in.
* For me my teacher
for him HIS
(Two separate but similar communities. Mine the one created in Buffalo by my teacher; and his wife in the 70s a dancer and they and others created a vibarnt community and it grew... along with other amaxing people.. organically it grew...)

But I don't think it WRONG to also be willing to enter spaces of those who are genuinely interested in experiencing joy of meditative drumming in its morphed next generations of presentation
even when it is by folks who are not African of decent, not part of they diaspora.

And the drum teacher of the very hippy circle mostly of white folks I can go to out here in rural VA is a man from Zimbabwe.

He too is part of the diaspora . He shares his joy of teaching his love of drumming to anyone who wants to show up.

So out here in rural VA it is the women, and a few men who love music. MANY have been studying drumming for years! MANY ARE GOOD

There is however a blend of their interests including Native American, and other traditions. Sure it is cultural appropiration
but I think it is not in any way disrespectful

and it becomes its own thing

Different
BUT BEAUTIFUL

I think the hardest part about it is when all are welcome you get some who are just not gifted with a good ear. Not gifted with internal ability to keep time,

I mean some who are not drummers but who come and do enjoy the drumming

for lack of better way of descibing it.

It is not a part of who they are
but an experience they want to enter for a brief period.

And I am quite OK with that.

I think the drummer I know is not, and it saddens me as I would love to experience sharing the joy of drumming WITH HIM as I liked him as a person. He is a Facebook "friend". I apprechiate and have such gratitude that he introduced me to the Mamaday fam drummers in DC and welcomed me to go there.

It stirred my soul. ( So did the hearing of jazz from the musician I was watching play the night I met him. He came in to hear him play that night as well as he is his friend.)

The jazz musician doesn't play out much. I would also so love to go hear him play again when /if opportunity arises. I was sad the club he had a regular gig at has closed. It was such a delight when I discovered its existance near where I used to work! I mean what a find!! I first went there with my co worker who is the one I met with to go walking every few weeks through COVID. She and I do make a point of making plans to go hear live music every so often or walk or hit a nice restaraunt for a meal. Its good to have her friendship. (YEah I am a homebody but do like to go out about once month!!... or go walking with friends whenever.)

Ok back to my reading. I am going to just spend a bit more time on this. Curious about the relationship with technology among cloistered or otherwise closed kind of counter culture communities.

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