Fwd: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Zen Harmonica (Be here now)

["John K." <jkuzloski@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, IcemanLE@... wrote:

In a message dated 5/16/2007 2:06:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
winslowyerxa@... writes:

Those of  us who are old enough to remember the 1960s and actually do
remember at  least some of it (didn't take enough drugs, I guess) may
recall a guy named  Alan Watts and a book he wrote called "Be Here Now."
Genius, that. The  entire message of the book, which was a pretty slim
volume, was conveyed in  the three-word title.


oops, Be Here Now was written by Ram Das (Richard Alpert, buddy of 
Timothy  
Leary and involved in the Harvard LSD studites....


*******
I remember wondering about what makes some performers "compelling," and 
thinking that at least part of it is being really present (here/now) to 
the song/tune (and the audience and other performers if there are 
any).  I suspect that extreme presence (for lack of a better term)is 
felt by the audience (not in some ESP way, but in the subtleties -- or 
not so subtleties --  of the performer's behavior). And I wonder if 
extreme presence is contagious and appreciated -- hence cmpelling. The 
whole group is invited to be extremely present together.  Maybe that's 
what (and it goes way back with our species) performance art, group 
ritual and even sporting "events" are about -- and sometimes it works! 
And the event is "compelling." YMMV.
--John K.