James

A quintessential local musician:
loves the land
loves people
loves his family
loves his friends
LOVES MUSIC

In a field coated with fresh straw, next to a corral of horses, a pot - cauldron - of peach cobbler smoldering  - James speaks of past generations and their presence in our lives today.

In the music.
In the recipes.
In our hearts.

Music Here in my 'Hood

If you drove by Jo's house Saturday night, even during the afternoon, you would think you'd come upon a mini- Live Oak Festival. Fiddlers, a dulcimer, guitars to beat the band (ouch), a penny whistle, banjos, drums, harmonicas, a frickin' accordian - making love to melodies, all of 'em, on the deck. Singers singing harmony.

Late into the night, musicians upstairs now, water in their cups instead of beer from the keg, Cohen and Dyan mixin' it with old time, bluegrass, and original tunes about Starbucks, the tide, and good-bye fishin' industry in Morro Bay.

Food in the kitchen. Candlelit conversations.

These musicians. They play for hugs. 

Sound Check

Check. Check. Tap, tap, tap. Testing?

They nixed my idea to record at the Santa Margarita house.
Ok, so it's a mobile home, not a house.
But it's remote enough so the only uncontrolled sound might be a rooster crowing.
Okay, so it is at the end of a long and bumpy dirt road but a rooster crowing?
That is cool.

The long and bumpy road
that leads to your door
will never disappear.

Moving on.
Letting go.
Letting it BE.

Check. Check. Tap, tap, tap. Testing?

Hello?
Where are we gunna record this thing?

First Meeting Behind Us

We gathered here tonight to make our plan.

How to plan? Is it true it's never been done before? I'm no music/cd producer and here I am PRODUCING A CD.

Not just producing a cd, I say in ALL humility. Promoting the amazing original music that is right here right now on the Central Coast.

Fucking A.

We ate bruschetta on TOAST and played with my new Venturi wine aerator. Discussed the documentary.

Susan O'Leary. Maker of Documentaries. Will be filming.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The plan, let's remain calm, is to produce a feature length documentary that will be entered into whatever you enter music documentaries in to.

The plan, let's remain CLEAR, is to promote Central Coast music.

Absolute vs Relative Truth

It's that time in Critical Thinking class.

Teaching Is a Come as You Are Reality

Due to classroom management issues - in college, of all places - I took to wearing manly jackets with my jeans. I tried not to be too friendly or, god forbid, motherly.

This approach succeeded with my parrot, Paco, a "used" yellow-throated something or other, who was as mean as he was beautiful. My forearms turned black and blue from his bites. He'd grab flesh and bear down, one eye glaring at me. One of the many books I consulted said parrots liked the color red so I put on my red cotton jacket when I took him out of his cage in the morning. Like the feather in Dumbo, the jacket gave me confidence. Over time, Paco and I became friends.

So, did the manly jackets I bought at thrift stores help with classroom management? I'm guessing it was more my intention than their perception of me as formidable in my manly jacket. I mean, even college students eat teachers alive, no matter the costumes they wear.

It's who you are inside the jacket. Enthusiastic and  knowledgeable about your subject? Able to say, "I don't know," when you don't know? Capable of enjoying the learning that comes with conscious teaching? Are you trying to provide opportunities for classroom learning, not just providing information? Do you like your students? 

No matter what style you put on, it's a come as you are reality.

Rule # 1: Critical Thinkers Know to Know the Audience

In The Echo Maker by Richard Powers, a character refers to My Antonia (by Willa Cather) as a right “sexy story.” My thinking exactamundo when, as a new teacher, I chose it for my college reading and writing course.

Like Mark, a brain-damaged character, the students did not feel the sexy between the “immigrants and farming and drought and shit.”

From The Echo Maker:

He stuck with the story, to protect his investment, throwing good hours after bad. The book’s ending confused him. "You mean he goes back, after they’re both married and she has all those fucking kids, just to hang out? Just to, like, be her friend, or something? Just because of what happened when they were little?”

Barbara nodded, her eyes filmy.

I assumed, with genuine enthusiasm, that I could teach that book.