This is a living blog post – designed to support my 30 minute guest slot on Manao Radio later this week. (Saturday 3rd actually – noon, Hawaii time)
The brief: John you have 30 minutes as a ‘Guest DJ’ …. GO !
… and speaking of ‘guest’, I ‘guess’ the usual approach would be to spend 30 minutes playing your favorite tracks, or maybe the ‘soundtrack of your life’. I find that close to impossible (for all kinds of reasons – maybe that wil be another post one day) … and anyway – do you really want to hear that Pink Floyd / Zeppelin track again ? Moreover, the soundtrack of my life wouldn’t fit into 30 minutes – I have single pieces of music in my favorites list that go longer than that.
So I took a slightly different approach – and I am calling the session ‘Boundaries’.
Mathematicians amongst you will recognize the term ‘boundary condition’ – complex stuff to explain in a music post – but it is the mathematician in me that originally got me interested in ‘boundaries’. I was about 12 when a teacher asked me to imagine a surface that was finite in size – yet had no boundaries. The answer amazed me [1]. Obvious when you look back, but at the time – he had me hooked. Maths became my subject of choice until finally graduating from University with a Maths degree some 9 years later.
On the other hand, it was Douglas Adams that got me to thinking a few years after that in his comedic (but prescient) SciFi series Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. [2]
A beach house isn’t just real estate. It’s a state of mind,’ said the man.
Oddly, the man’s face was now only a couple of feet away. He seemed in one way to be a perfectly normal shape, but his body was sitting cross-legged on a pole forty feet away while his face was only two feet from Arthur’s. Without moving his head, and without seeming to do anything odd at all, he stood up and stepped on to the top of another pole.
Either it was just the heat, thought Arthur, or space was a different shape for him.
A beach house,’ he said, doesn’t even have to be on the beach. Though the best ones are.
We all like to congregate at boundary conditions … where land meets water. Where earth meets air. Where body meets mind. Where space meets time. We like to be on one side, and look at the other.’
Here was a man who seemed to be moving through some kind of Escher space saying really profound things about all sorts of stuff.
“We all like to congregate at boundary conditions … where land meets water. Where earth meets air. Where body meets mind. Where space meets time. We like to be on one side, and look at the other.’”
Don’t we just.
But what the hell is that to do with 30 minutes of music on Manao Radio this coming Saturday ?
I’ll get to that.
But for now, let’s explore the boundary conditions that surround Maui. Truth be told, it is a veritable delight for those seeking boundary conditions, and curiously it has only recently come to my mind that boundaries are exactly where I like to be – whatever I am doing, which probably explains why I love Maui so much. It is an island of boundaries – and of course as an island we recognize those boundaries - understand them – and then cross them. They are there not to be a fence – but to allow us to look at something differently.
Let me explain.
First – Geographic Boundaries
Have you noticed how people pay a premium to live on the boundary of the land and the sea here on the island. It’s not just Maui. It is true all over the world. Then if you live ‘Up Country’ – don’t we just love the idea of a view of the mountains and sky – even better, if you can get a look into the ocean as well. In fact – a view of North and South Shore , plus Mountains is truly admired.
Boundary conditions – I think Douglas was onto something.
Second – Climatic Boundaries
It is generally recognized that there are seven climatic regions represented on this single island. I think most (if not all of them) can be found on a single drive around Haleakala ( I mean right round – not just to Hana and back.) Now that’s a set of boundary conditions worth exploring right there. In a single drive; Sierra Desert, Rainforest, High – and Low Altitude Mountain slopes, and and and ….
Three – Micro and Macro Boundaries
And yet if you consider Maui at the macro – not micro – level … you quickly realize that we are one of a small cluster of islands that are (very) arguably the remotest islands on the planet. We are 2,500 miles from LA, 2,400 from San Francisco and 2,800 from Alaska – and 3,800 miles from Japan – our closest neighbor to the East.
The Eastern most, Southern most, widest state in the Union. A group of 8 ‘‘significant’ islands – as Governor Neil Abercrombie put it – JOINED (not seperated) by ocean. And uniquely – in my humble opinion – JOINED (not seperated) by ocean from the rest of the world.
I work hard to try to show how the strengths of the lessons we learn here on Maui – and the other 7 main islands of Hawaii – can help us demonstrate to the rest of the world how we are UNIQUELY positioned to show the way forward in these tumultuous times. But that is a topic for another post.
Four – Skill Boundaries
The range of talent, skills and people on this wonderful island of ours create a set of boundary conditions that are in themselves extraordinary. In the 2010 census, Maui registered some 150,000 people. In a population catchment of that size where else in the world is it possible to meet theoretical physicists, astronomers, some of the finest artists, musicians and many other creative individuals, artisans, thinkers, the finest and most successful business people, entertainment moguls, farmers, ranchers … and all here for us to meet, talk and listen to. Wonderful.
My own project that I am kick starting – The Maui Music Movement – is exactly that merging of two seemingly disparate disciplines – in this case Theoretical Physics and Music. But again – that is a different post.
Five – Historical Boundaries
Our islands live with a couple of histories. One is the ‘recent history’ of the ‘West’, including ‘discovery by Captain Cook’ and annexation and statehood by the USA spanning a little over a couple of hundred years that blends people and populations from all 5 continents of the world.
And then the ‘ancient history’ of Hawaiians that spans over a thousand years in terms of earliest recorded arrivals of the Polynesians – and longer, when considering the entire cultural history.
And both histories live here on this island – side by side.
Here’s a side thought :
Anyone else find it interesting to note that ‘The Sandwich Isles’ – that we now know as Hawaii, were discovered by James Cook right in the middle of the war of independence being fought 5,000 miles away as the fledgling America fought for its right to be independent of Great Britain. And now the flag of Great Britain (The Union Jack) is an integral part of the state flag of Hawaii.
Six – Scientific Boundaries
Modern Maui houses one of the world’s super computers here and telescopes pointing into space from the top of 2 mile high Haleakala.
And yet long before Captain Cook, the ancient Hawaiians had developed a self sufficient farming system that demonstrated a real understanding of the world we lived in and in turn supported somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million people without any import or export of any goods.
A truly remarkable feat.
And THAT is how this theme came to me and I hope you see it not just of a celebration of some amazing music and musicians – but also of Maui itself.
…. and so to the Music that I will be featuring on Saturday.
I have reduced a choice of well over 150 tracks that I identified (and in true modern style – I took a highly collaborative approach to creating that list – thankyou my friends.)
I then reduced the play list down to the 17 I hope you will hear (with judicious use of the ‘fade’ knob.)
The full list will be made available post show and maybe even the recording, but suffice to say that in those 17 tracks, the music and artists in the play list represent all of the following ‘genres’;
poetry and the spoken word, comedy, classic rock, stadium rock, jazz, classical , opera, techno, funk, bluegrass, pop, native american music, native australian urban, grunge, english folk, american folk, protest, ambient, latin, psychedelic, progressive, world … and more I think !
Not only that, but in seeking to describe the musical boundaries contained, I can tell you that
- there is music from every decade since the 50s
- every track delivers a unique juxtaposition
- each track connects to its predecessor and successor with a story
- the first and last track of the set are connected through
- style of delivery
- song source
- And the boundary conditions throughout go well beyond the musical juxtapositions exploring
- youth and age
- life and the afterlife
- good and evil
2 comments
11 pings
Shiloh says:
September 3, 2011 at 4:44 am (UTC -8 )
Another thing about boundaries. That is the place where ARTISTS (of life) LIVE. This particular brand of creative folks (for we are all creative), and I’m not speaking of plainer painters, but the true artist: the synergizer/synthesizer with a passion for life that is unrestricted by status quo “reality” but in their insights and pushing of boundaries, become TGE harbingers of our future world… I’m speaking of the visionary tightrope walkers of reality (s)
Shiloh says:
September 3, 2011 at 5:20 am (UTC -8 )
I wasn’t done… … Who set the trends, that point to possibilities setting the direction of culture and societies that DARE to be different, the edge walkers that take our limited sight/understanding and push us beyond that safe and restrictive edge (think fenced in) self- limiting rhetoric to have us consider, and perhaps even embrace, a new way of seeing/being. THESE are the icebreakers of mind, thought and form that enables/speeds evolution… The creative problem solvers that if discovered/harnessed/celebrated/nurtured, would speed society over and safely beyond the great precipice (think edge/boundary) upon which “modern” beings dwell and protect. THE TRUE ARTIST has sight unlimited by convention, the true artist is a special breed of edge walker; a mostly untapped natural resource who lights the way beyond and out of the darkest times, and quite often is the manipulator of energy convayed in the mathematical complexities where relationships of intervals, take a giant leap beyond our comfort zone and manipulate not only our thoughts, but the underlying emotional engines between fear and pleasure that drive us toward social change, these subtle progenitors or possibilities are no better represented by the brand of artist we relish with every fiber of our being… I speak of the communicators of complexity who “speak” in terms understood by the masses to help us past the confining edge… THE MUSICIANS of our world. — typed with one finger on a thin iPhone membrain while dancing on the edge of time.
Fair the well YE SPINNER OF SONG! Here’s to one giant leap of humankind, powered by the musical mind! Lead the way doctors of devotion to your inner calling, soothe our soul, melt our heart and give us hope as your sense of timing, resonance of reason foretells our future and compels us paste out self limiting beliefs. A TOAST to the music of our Sphere!!
Maui and Its Boundaries « Webservations says:
September 1, 2011 at 11:28 am (UTC -8 )
[...] Full Article on Just Good Music [...]
Maui and its Boundaries – Part Two « Webservations says:
September 1, 2011 at 12:59 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] Full Article on Just Good Music [...]
Maui and its Boundaries – Part Three « Webservations says:
September 1, 2011 at 5:38 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] series of posts focussed on points in a post earlier today at Just Good Music where I spent some time exploring the idea of the Boundaries that make Maui so interesting – [...]
Maui and its Boundaries – Part Four « Webservations says:
September 2, 2011 at 1:04 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] fourth in a series of posts focussed on points in a post from yesterday at Just Good Music where I spent some time exploring the idea of the Boundaries that make Maui so interesting – [...]
Maui and its Boundaries – Part Five « Webservations says:
September 2, 2011 at 1:07 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] fifth in a series of posts focussed on points in a post from yesterday at Just Good Music where I spent some time exploring the idea of the Boundaries that make Maui so interesting – [...]
Maui and its Boundaries – Part Six « Webservations says:
September 2, 2011 at 1:08 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] sixth in a series of posts focussed on points in a post from yesterday at Just Good Music where I spent some time exploring the idea of the Boundaries that make Maui so interesting – [...]
Peter Sellers – A Hard Days Night « Just Good Music says:
September 4, 2011 at 1:10 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] Maui and Music – Exploring the Boundaries [...]
Brian Eno and David Byrne – The Jezebel Spirit « Just Good Music says:
September 4, 2011 at 9:40 pm (UTC -8 )
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The Boundaries Session « Just Good Music says:
September 5, 2011 at 1:46 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] Maui and Music – Exploring the Boundaries [...]
Kevin Ayers – Oh Wot A Dream « Just Good Music says:
September 6, 2011 at 11:38 am (UTC -8 )
[...] Maui and Music – Exploring the Boundaries [...]
Rolf Harris – Stairway to Heaven » Just Good Music says:
September 14, 2011 at 7:49 pm (UTC -8 )
[...] Click here to read the original post that provides the context of The ‘Boundary Mix’ [...]