= Elemental Soul Dance =
== beginning ==
=== David ===
I've loved playing music for dancers, and I've also been wanting a musical outlet which digs deeper into my soul than my current involvement in the Hersey Street Jazz Project. Not that I'm slowing down on jazz, I still love the fun, challenge and endless learning in jazz, but I want also some heart music.
My heart has been so opened thru [[https://www.selfsoul.org/classes/swtraining/|SoulWork]] sessions with Rod and Yahya. I'm getting to know many of my blocks for allowing my music to flow - those voices who try to keep me safe by telling my I always have to make a perfectly beautiful sound, that I need to temper my emotions. These voices who drive me to be louder, fuller, more solid more cool, more masculine in my playing. As I've learned to bring even these painful voices into my heart where they can learn to rest, I slowly feel my music freeing.
My first exercise was this Earth song. I start by playing the lowest notes on the cello prioritizing relaxation above all. I seek out the very least amount of tension required to draw the bow across the string. I allow myself to make a scratchy weak uneven tone. My body is so happy to experience what it is like to be more important than making a good sound. Then slowly I add tension back only until my sound becomes full enough to move on to a simple song.
== in progress ==
A rough idea of cello part for the first Earth tune. One thing I don't like is that the beat is not steady, need a drum!
{{/earth-no-crackle-no-rhythm.mp4}}
The audio below has a longer intro, thinking the intro will be majority of the voice-over.
{{/earth-no-crackle-no-rhythm.ogg|earth audio}}
== what's next ==
I want to find a drummer, and I've asked Nataraja to write some voice over for the intro of the Earth song. Perhaps a singer too or some other instrument.
I'm thinking of a second Earth song with a funky bass line I can feel in the depths of my body.
I dream of expanding to a performance in a dance space. In this dream we cycle through the four elements and end with a sharing circle.
