(no subject)

[felicula]

Bernie Lehmann makes handmade guitars in the $3K-$10K range. He came to my Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance class to speak about how he makes guitars. Our professor uses him as an example of quality, and he is. He's got all the attention to detail, love for the craft, and perfectionism that goes into that kind of work.

On Sunday at Artisan Works there was a concert with a number of performers mostly playing Lehmann instruments. Though I detest crowds of people and feel very awkward going to events like that, I realized that I really wanted to go. Doors opened at noon and I arrived shortly thereafter. The venue itself was amazing. A seemingly endless warehouse of many rooms, each with as much art stacked floor-to-ceiling as would fit and sometimes more. Every direction I looked there was eye candy. In hidden niches were art treasures. Paintings and sculpture even hung from the ceiling. It made me miss art.

I got to talk with the creator himself a moment, getting some friendly conversation in return about the class, the professor, and our questions. Then I turned my attention to the guitars and he turned his to one of the musicians who was saying he picked out the guitar he wanted to play. It caught my attention, because it turned out that the guitar was the newest. It was the baby of all his babies. Mr. Lehmann was concerned because the musician's style included using the body of the guitar percussively. He did not want the instrument to require repair so soon after its completion. I did not stay for the conclusion of the conversation, but wandered off to look at all the guitars and lots of the art.

A pleasant woman made a comment about all that there was to see and I agreed. She introduced herself and we talked awhile. It turned out that she owned two Lehmann guitars herself and would be playing one in the performance. She was a music therapist and though she's not big on complicated musicianship, she was the best of all of them at getting the crowd involved with the music.

I sat down relatively early and was rewarded with a seat in the third row of chairs actually set up in front of the stage. By the time I looked when the show was half over, the rest of the place was packed literally to the rafters with people.

The music itself was eclectic. New age, jazz, ragtime, blues, country, celtic, and more. There was a banjo player whose music was actually beautiful. I'd always associated banjo with hick or country, but he played it almost like a classical guitar at times. Every act was very good at what they did. Some weren't my cup of tea, but I could still appreciate their strengths. And musicianship wasn't always where the focus was, though many of the performers were extraordinary musicians as well.

By the time the musician I'd overhead speaking with Mr. Lehmann was done, I was thankful that he was allowed to use that guitar. His name is Jerry Preston, and his style is hauntingly beautiful to me. It reminds me of what I like best about Windham Hill artists, but with a more complex intertwining of fingertapping, harmonics, and harmonies that tickle my appreciation. Sure, he manages to use the guitar as both drum and stringed instrument, but I don't think the guitar was in any danger. That instrument took what Jerry Preston was doing and carried out to its fullest potential. Mr. Lehmann even left the room rather than see the guitar get hit. It was worth it, I think. Both instrument and player sound excellent on their own, but something more was gained in the combination of the two. It's too bad that the collaboration is not likely to be repeated.

Two acts were the kind of stuff I wouldn't mind hearing more of. One I've already mentioned. The other was Kinloch Nelson.

There were technical difficulties during the show, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment. The only snag that came up was during intermission. I was chilly and kept on my coat, but wanted to stretch my legs after sitting a long time on a cheap nylon-and-aluminum folding chair. So I walked a few paces away to stand and try not to be in the way of the enormous crowd milling about. A few minutes later there was a woman sitting in my chair. I let it go for awhile, but I decided that it couldn't hurt to at least ask if she'd let me have my seat back. She went into this bitchy tirade about seats not being reserved and someone taking hers and no, I could not have it back. The older fellow who had been sitting next to her spoke up and vouched for me, saying that I'd been sitting there. She continued with her bitching, going so far as to point out that there was a currently empty seat up front. I knew for sure that an elderly woman had been sitting there, so I said I would rather not take someone else's seat. Some others around us were giving her dirty looks by then. I stood back, intent to let it go since my attempt had failed. Apparently she felt guilty, because she got up and asked the person who took her seat if she could have hers back. Whoever it was gave it up without a fuss. Because I'd had the courage to speak up, I got my seat back. It's as if I made a successful stand for mutual respect and community. The man next to me even made friendly conversation about the show with me after that.

Overall, I'm glad I went. It was an experience I don't get the opportunity to have regularly. Who knows, I might never get a chance to see that particular kind of line up again. I was exposed to a lot of performers I wouldn't have otherwise heard, and I got to see the amazing space that is Artisan Works.

A blonde calls her boyfriend and says, "Please come
over here and help me. I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get it started." Her boyfriend asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?" The blonde says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a tiger." Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle.

She lets him in and shows him where she has the puzzlespread all over the table.

He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a tiger."

He takes her hand and says, "Second, I want you to relax. Let's have a nice cup of tea, and then....." he sighed, . "let's put all these Frosted Flakes back in the box.

-ganked from InkedAG


RAVEN EYES

You have Raven
Eyes!
Positive Traits: Intellectual,
Wise, Experienced, Honest,
Trustworthy
Negative Traits: Pompous,
Condescending, Withdrawn, Pessimistic,
Depressed


Your eyes are the windows to your soul. What type of eyes do you have?
brought to you by Quizilla


-ganked from sheltered_dream

Comments

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

*giggles at the joke*

Also, I guess you're right that we still have plenty in common - I received the same result on the test. :) I see how it fits you (though I wouldn't call you pompous, ever), but I haven't decided if it suits me or not.

[blackfelicula.livejournal.com]

I don't usually propagate blonde jokes, but mechanchaos said that one was the first original blonde joke he'd heard in a while. It had us giggle-groaning.

I can be unintentionly pompous sometimes, if I am confident in something. It certainly isn't intentional, but it happens.

Yep, we do have things in common. That includes our brain-waves at times. :) ***hugs tightly and loves***