Yes Friends,
A thrilling dance experience can be yours this weekend! I’ve written a bunch of new music for the Kozmik Keyboard to accompany YOU, while Jacob Larmour speaks inspirationally, and you, of course, dance.
Rain or shine 2-6 pm @ Davie and Bute st. You know, the rainbow walk! Jacob Larmour and I will be on from 3:30 – 4:30 for a fascinating guided experience of the human story. Not to be missed!
Every Monday night for a while now, I’ve been taking my little Portatone keyboard three blocks to the Denman St. Community Centre for QiGong class. Sometimes Bill carries it, otherwise I dump it in my laundry cart and bash and clatter down the lumpy sidewalk, lurching over the paving stones lifted by slow moving tree roots, or a pet python someone forgot about? The first time, I felt quite self conscious about all the racket I was creating and worried how I might be perceived as a shopping cart lady, or worse, a musician. Now I really don’t give a rats ass.
Playing for the class has given me a great opportunity to explore the many previously unused buttons on my Portatone…over four hundred delicious sounds, the “God” button, the arpeggiator! Oh…it’s like squeezing raspberry jello through your fingers…but better.
Like the movie“The Blob” or Dr. Seuss’ green Ooblek...Kozmik Keyboards has grown a life of its own and will be oozing away next Saturday @ 2 – 2:45pm in Alexandra Park
FEATURING: Bill Runge (wind instruments) ZZ Wonder (spoken word) and Jacob Larmour – performing “Cosmic Traveller” (I’ll be in the back, pumping the sustain pedal a lot, and pushing various buttons)
Whatever you do, do not come (unless you love raspberry jello) Just cover your ears. Walk to other side of the street, and keep moving…
A warbling we go! Here by Stanley Park I am surrounded by blossoms…all the shades and varieties of cherries, magnolias, and the early purple azaleas. This year, for some reason, I’m really getting the fragrance of the blossoms more than usual. Even if they are lying on the ground. But the best experience is standing under an old cherry tree with a great canopy of blossoms overhead and standing or sitting or simply *being* – and simply breathing it in – heaven on earth? And birdsong fills the air! I find myself running out to the balcony, zoom recorder in hand, trying to capture the fleeting notes.
There was a sudden bash against my window – alas a little bird had flown into it… putting my hands around it, I gave it a little qi treatment. I thought it was a goner, but amazingly twenty minutes later it flew away!
According to the Stokes Guide to Birds, the orange crowned warbler is “very drab” and the Peterson Field Guide Series is equally unimpressed talking about its “lack of wing bars” and saying its song is a “weak colourless trill, dropping in energy at the end.” I wonder if we’re talking about the same bird! Bill and I have been talking about notating bird song and I’ll let you know how that goes! My ever resourceful scribe, Mike, has brought the following to my attention. Dear readers, how about you give these a try and let me know how they sound! oh…there’s a cow in there too 🙂
I will leave you with one last thought on birds from one of my favourite musical works (can you guess which one?):
One day, Peter goes out into the clearing, leaving the garden gate open, and the duck that lives in the yard takes the opportunity to go swimming in a pond nearby. The duck starts arguing with a little bird.
The bird says, “what kind of bird are you if you can’t fly?”
To which the duck replies, “what kind of bird are you if you can’t swim?”
I was looking at my site stats yesterday and saw that I have had visitors, from literally all over the world!! thank you!! what a tremendous feeling. When your two favourite things to do are play the flute and write poetry…you could feel that you’re, well, like, obscure. But no…I am in touch with you! So what would you like to see more of here, World? Talk to me: in your language. 🙂 Holly 
First Time
isdomDeep breath
dive in
as this new life’s
about to begin
Holly Burke Music 