My last day of my first semester at the Berklee College of Music just finished and I'm looking back on the whole experience. It's been a blur of learning, so much so that I'm still absorbing lessons long past!
I have been struggling with balancing my career with my work this semester and it's something I've been wanting to bring up as I realised I've been fairly quiet since I began here. This semester was only 12 weeks and I took on a full 16 credit load - which is really quite a lot. Next semester I have opted to take only 12 credits and it will be spread over a 15 week period, so I can spend the time I need to on what I love - communicating with you all, writing and performing!
I head off to Virginia in three days to spend time staying with David Hale, my bassist, and absorb nature - something I've really been missing in Boston. There's no doubt that Boston is a really nice city but I've lived most of my life, at least my later life, in more open and natural areas, and so I felt a tremendous amount of pressure from all around; cars, noise, people.
And now, I shall retire to bed ...
Done and Done
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A Little Too Long
It's been a while since I've written anything of great interest - if indeed what I write is of great interest! The end of my first semester at the Berklee College of Music is approaching and it's been a tough, tough time.
I've realised that I'm not very good at spreading my focus across various things and that means that when it comes to school-work I get everything done - but nothing much else on top of that. My creative time has been severely limited and to top that off I have been feeling incredibly uninspired. I've been advised that I am here to study, but it hasn't stopped me from wondering about the whole situation. I am learning a great deal here and not a day goes by without a new universe of information being thrown at me. My concern though lies in how absorbed I've become in my work here and though I'm doing well academically I feel that my creative output has been neglected.
It's a dilemma I'm likely to become good friends with while I'm here but it doesn't stop it from finding it's way into my thoughts at least once a day. Thankfully I only have two weeks left before I travel to Virginia with my bassist David Hale. I'm hoping to take those weeks to write and consolidate everything I've been working on. I have so many new ideas for songs, so many verse and choruses ready to be explored!
I've realised that I'm not very good at spreading my focus across various things and that means that when it comes to school-work I get everything done - but nothing much else on top of that. My creative time has been severely limited and to top that off I have been feeling incredibly uninspired. I've been advised that I am here to study, but it hasn't stopped me from wondering about the whole situation. I am learning a great deal here and not a day goes by without a new universe of information being thrown at me. My concern though lies in how absorbed I've become in my work here and though I'm doing well academically I feel that my creative output has been neglected.
It's a dilemma I'm likely to become good friends with while I'm here but it doesn't stop it from finding it's way into my thoughts at least once a day. Thankfully I only have two weeks left before I travel to Virginia with my bassist David Hale. I'm hoping to take those weeks to write and consolidate everything I've been working on. I have so many new ideas for songs, so many verse and choruses ready to be explored!
Letting The World In
As I walked back from Tai Chi the other morning I had a thought. I used to walk everywhere with my CD player and, after that died a tragic death, my iPod; to the shops, in the rain, to the skatepark. And then one day, not so long ago, I made the conscious decision to discontinue this practice.
I'm now realising that I'm enjoying life that bit more. I saw that I was blocking the world out and sometimes there are good reasons to do that, but I realised that I was missing things out too. I also began to notice that day by day more and more people were out with their ears filled and it made me reflect on how others might view me - and not in a terribly self-concious way - people feel more able to approach with a question on the street, striking up conversations is made easier because you are visibly open to the world around you.
It doesn't mean now that my dear old iPod lies abandoned - oh no, he's my companion on many a stroll and long journey - but I've decided that there's too much to miss out there, so I'm going to start letting the world in.
I'm now realising that I'm enjoying life that bit more. I saw that I was blocking the world out and sometimes there are good reasons to do that, but I realised that I was missing things out too. I also began to notice that day by day more and more people were out with their ears filled and it made me reflect on how others might view me - and not in a terribly self-concious way - people feel more able to approach with a question on the street, striking up conversations is made easier because you are visibly open to the world around you.
It doesn't mean now that my dear old iPod lies abandoned - oh no, he's my companion on many a stroll and long journey - but I've decided that there's too much to miss out there, so I'm going to start letting the world in.
The Berklee 'Bro' Phenomenon
This is more of an observation than a journal entry - an observation on the clash of cultures, civilisations and creeds!
Well, not quite that dramatic really.
Since I arrived at Berklee I have met people from all the habitable continents of the world and from so many nations; Turkey, India, Canada, Venezuela, Taiwan, Iceland - the list goes on. We might all come from completely different backgrounds with languages that can probably relate to each other several thousand years down the line, but what I find amusing - but also heartening in the quest for a united, worldwide community - is the adaptation of the word 'bro'. I have been called 'bro' by about every nationality I can think of - and even if the person addressing me knows very little English it is almost 100% guaranteed that they will call me 'bro'.
Friendship can bend and break all kinds of barriers, sometimes in the warmest and most amusing ways.
Well, not quite that dramatic really.
Since I arrived at Berklee I have met people from all the habitable continents of the world and from so many nations; Turkey, India, Canada, Venezuela, Taiwan, Iceland - the list goes on. We might all come from completely different backgrounds with languages that can probably relate to each other several thousand years down the line, but what I find amusing - but also heartening in the quest for a united, worldwide community - is the adaptation of the word 'bro'. I have been called 'bro' by about every nationality I can think of - and even if the person addressing me knows very little English it is almost 100% guaranteed that they will call me 'bro'.
Friendship can bend and break all kinds of barriers, sometimes in the warmest and most amusing ways.
Love, the Greatest Bond.
I returned from my trip to Canada a couple of days ago and I decided that it's high time to tell you all about what happened and why those days will live in my memory for the rest of my life.
I awoke at dawn and left the Berklee campus at around 6:50am, taking the 'T' from just round the corner to the airport shuttle. Now I usually make a point of turning up as early as I possibly can to check-in for a flight but there was no need as I soon discovered that the flight from Boston to Montreal wasn't in particularly high demand. So I cruised through security and made myself comfortable; what I didn't realise however, and what I and the other passengers weren't told, was that our 10:30am flight to Montreal had been cancelled and shifted to 2pm. That wouldn't have been so bad had I not had to make a connection from Montreal to Vancouver, so I went to the gate desk and discovered that most of the other passengers had been delayed on the same flight - but the 7am flight! So after much negotiation, and a great deal of help from the staff, I was booked onto a flight to Toronto that would then connect to Vancouver; this was a blessing in disguise as I then received a $12 coupon to spend on food - free lunch!
After flying to Toronto I then connected on to my Vancouver flight and it was upon landing that I had a realisation that had already sprung up before but I'd never really taken seriously. As the plane came down into Vancouver and the skyline opened up before me I felt my heart rise in my chest; I finally acknowledged that Canada feels like home to me. Now my first reaction was to check and see if it was purely related to my relationship with the Maxwell 'family' and no doubt it has had a great deal of influence on my love of Canada, but I have spent more time in Canada in the past few years than anywhere else, doing such a variety of things - and I love the place!
I took my last connection to Victoria and, having had the most wonderful ride after discovering that I was flying with several members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada, was warmly welcome by Sean my old friend and room-mate.
I had the best sleep I've had in over a month.
I'm the sort of guy that insists on getting up early, even if I've had a pretty late night the day before, so I awoke at around 7:30am so I could go and grab some breakfast in the cafeteria. The campus was so quiet and almost deserted - 90% of the students were gone with only a few grade 11s and 12s still around, and the occasional student in a lower grade. Walking through these empty school grounds was a very strange experience having always known it as a bustling place full of life. I ate breakfast and prepared for the weekend ahead, with the rest of the day spent meeting staff and students, and getting myself out into nature. Nature is something Boston can't offer and to be able just to go out on a kayak into the middle of a lake was so unbelievably calming and rejuvenating.
The first day of official ceremonies, Friday was yet another day of preparation, learning how to iron linen shirts, and honouring the grade 12s. I had been invited to the Honouring Dinner and had the honour of being present at Nathaniel Epp's table; Nathaniel is an incredible musician who I had the pleasure of spending many long hours with, making music and talking always of our exciting future. What I didn't expect at this dinner however, was the loss of my voice. As the evening began I felt a tightness in my throat and by the end of the evening my voice had almost completely disappeared! I decided to retire early so that I could get the maximum amount of rest for the day coming, and my speech, though not before the members of the National Spiritual Assembly told me that they would pray for my recovery. So, with prayers and a lot of love on my side, I headed off to bed.
I awoke to what I'd expected and feared. I still had no voice. What is a singer-songwriter meant to do when confronted with a speech and no voice? Well, with a speech at around 3pm and rehearsals from 9:30am, I had a great deal on my side. Liane Culp, one of the grade 12s, bought a plethora of lemons and limes, with some honey and orange juice. She made me a concoction that became my life-blood for the next few hours and allowed me to gain enough of my voice back to crack out a rather hilarious version of 'Saint' and a speech that was quite off-the-cuff. Why was it off-the-cuff? "Surely you'd prepared a speech?", I hear you cry. Indeed I had, but things changed a great deal within a very short amount of time. I was obviously quite nervous as I'd never had such an amazing to discharge before so I decided to sit backstage and watch a play from the wings that the grade 12s had written. I was blown away. The maturity of their vision and their deep understanding of the situation of the closure of the school blew me away. I realised that what I'd prepared for my speech was all old-hat to them and, in some way, a bit presumptuous of me; I also realised that I hadn't really written from the heart, that everything I was going to say was written while trying to sound smart and eloquent. I'm a from-the-heart kind of guy and to speak from anywhere else would be a crime to all present. So when my time came I played and then tossed all my ideas to the wind, speaking from the heart and expressing what I truly had to say. While I may not have been the most eloquent of speakers, and may have had a little too much fun, I said what I needed to and believed would be best for those 32 amazing souls to hear. It was shortly after my speech that the grade 12s received their diplomas and became the final graduates of Maxwell International School. We all traveled back to the school campus for a wonderful barbeque and performances by the students. It was at this dinner that I was invited to be a chaperone for the grade 12s night out; I accepted of course and we all headed out of one of the students homes where we passed the evening away with conversation, food, wrestling and falling asleep in random places (I slept on the carpet, a carpet that I had deemed incredibly comfortable in my exhaustion!).
I awoke on that most comfortable of floors and we all loaded back into the school bus to head back to the school and prepare ourselves for a brunch organised by the alumni of the class of 98' and a final 'Transition Circle'. The brunch was, more than anything else, a great opportunity to meet with old friends, enjoy good food and great company in the wonderful outdoors. A very special moment happened during this brunch that carried with it a great deal of symbolism. As I chatted to one of my dear friends from Japan, she suddenly began pointing excitedly to a point in the tree-line. I turned to see an enormous Golden Eagle gliding majestically through the trees and up into the sky. Not only was the eagle the symbol of Maxwell but also holds a great deal of importance in the Cowichan tribe's belief system, with the eagle feather being used as a gift to honour noteworthy achievements and qualities such as exceptional leadership and bravery. I was one of a very small group who caught site of this beautiful bird and feel honoured to have been able to witness it in flight.
The brunch ended and we all headed off for the final 'Transition Circle' of Maxwell International School. The transition circle is a ceremony guided by the Cowichan Tribes and elders marking the rite of passage from life at Maxwell to adult life; the difference this year is that this circle of transition was for everyone - graduates, their families, former and current staff, alumni and anyone who felt that they have had a connection to Maxwell. If I attempted to describe this event in full it would not only fill out page after page but it would be sorely lacking in the real feelings and emotions that ran through it. What I experienced is so hard to describe and I believe that many of those present felt the same way. Words could not describe for anyone what was truly happening and so all was expressed in tears, loving looks, hugs, and silent consolation; all with the glimmering of an energy of renewal, of life about to begin anew for all.
Reluctantly, but knowing that the only way forward was to leave, I boarded my plane, feeling my heavy heart throb with tears I couldn't let go; though knowing that the future would see me able to see these dear friends at some point or another.
I have learned so much - my life is changed.
I awoke at dawn and left the Berklee campus at around 6:50am, taking the 'T' from just round the corner to the airport shuttle. Now I usually make a point of turning up as early as I possibly can to check-in for a flight but there was no need as I soon discovered that the flight from Boston to Montreal wasn't in particularly high demand. So I cruised through security and made myself comfortable; what I didn't realise however, and what I and the other passengers weren't told, was that our 10:30am flight to Montreal had been cancelled and shifted to 2pm. That wouldn't have been so bad had I not had to make a connection from Montreal to Vancouver, so I went to the gate desk and discovered that most of the other passengers had been delayed on the same flight - but the 7am flight! So after much negotiation, and a great deal of help from the staff, I was booked onto a flight to Toronto that would then connect to Vancouver; this was a blessing in disguise as I then received a $12 coupon to spend on food - free lunch!
After flying to Toronto I then connected on to my Vancouver flight and it was upon landing that I had a realisation that had already sprung up before but I'd never really taken seriously. As the plane came down into Vancouver and the skyline opened up before me I felt my heart rise in my chest; I finally acknowledged that Canada feels like home to me. Now my first reaction was to check and see if it was purely related to my relationship with the Maxwell 'family' and no doubt it has had a great deal of influence on my love of Canada, but I have spent more time in Canada in the past few years than anywhere else, doing such a variety of things - and I love the place!
I took my last connection to Victoria and, having had the most wonderful ride after discovering that I was flying with several members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada, was warmly welcome by Sean my old friend and room-mate.
I had the best sleep I've had in over a month.
I'm the sort of guy that insists on getting up early, even if I've had a pretty late night the day before, so I awoke at around 7:30am so I could go and grab some breakfast in the cafeteria. The campus was so quiet and almost deserted - 90% of the students were gone with only a few grade 11s and 12s still around, and the occasional student in a lower grade. Walking through these empty school grounds was a very strange experience having always known it as a bustling place full of life. I ate breakfast and prepared for the weekend ahead, with the rest of the day spent meeting staff and students, and getting myself out into nature. Nature is something Boston can't offer and to be able just to go out on a kayak into the middle of a lake was so unbelievably calming and rejuvenating.
The first day of official ceremonies, Friday was yet another day of preparation, learning how to iron linen shirts, and honouring the grade 12s. I had been invited to the Honouring Dinner and had the honour of being present at Nathaniel Epp's table; Nathaniel is an incredible musician who I had the pleasure of spending many long hours with, making music and talking always of our exciting future. What I didn't expect at this dinner however, was the loss of my voice. As the evening began I felt a tightness in my throat and by the end of the evening my voice had almost completely disappeared! I decided to retire early so that I could get the maximum amount of rest for the day coming, and my speech, though not before the members of the National Spiritual Assembly told me that they would pray for my recovery. So, with prayers and a lot of love on my side, I headed off to bed.
I awoke to what I'd expected and feared. I still had no voice. What is a singer-songwriter meant to do when confronted with a speech and no voice? Well, with a speech at around 3pm and rehearsals from 9:30am, I had a great deal on my side. Liane Culp, one of the grade 12s, bought a plethora of lemons and limes, with some honey and orange juice. She made me a concoction that became my life-blood for the next few hours and allowed me to gain enough of my voice back to crack out a rather hilarious version of 'Saint' and a speech that was quite off-the-cuff. Why was it off-the-cuff? "Surely you'd prepared a speech?", I hear you cry. Indeed I had, but things changed a great deal within a very short amount of time. I was obviously quite nervous as I'd never had such an amazing to discharge before so I decided to sit backstage and watch a play from the wings that the grade 12s had written. I was blown away. The maturity of their vision and their deep understanding of the situation of the closure of the school blew me away. I realised that what I'd prepared for my speech was all old-hat to them and, in some way, a bit presumptuous of me; I also realised that I hadn't really written from the heart, that everything I was going to say was written while trying to sound smart and eloquent. I'm a from-the-heart kind of guy and to speak from anywhere else would be a crime to all present. So when my time came I played and then tossed all my ideas to the wind, speaking from the heart and expressing what I truly had to say. While I may not have been the most eloquent of speakers, and may have had a little too much fun, I said what I needed to and believed would be best for those 32 amazing souls to hear. It was shortly after my speech that the grade 12s received their diplomas and became the final graduates of Maxwell International School. We all traveled back to the school campus for a wonderful barbeque and performances by the students. It was at this dinner that I was invited to be a chaperone for the grade 12s night out; I accepted of course and we all headed out of one of the students homes where we passed the evening away with conversation, food, wrestling and falling asleep in random places (I slept on the carpet, a carpet that I had deemed incredibly comfortable in my exhaustion!).
I awoke on that most comfortable of floors and we all loaded back into the school bus to head back to the school and prepare ourselves for a brunch organised by the alumni of the class of 98' and a final 'Transition Circle'. The brunch was, more than anything else, a great opportunity to meet with old friends, enjoy good food and great company in the wonderful outdoors. A very special moment happened during this brunch that carried with it a great deal of symbolism. As I chatted to one of my dear friends from Japan, she suddenly began pointing excitedly to a point in the tree-line. I turned to see an enormous Golden Eagle gliding majestically through the trees and up into the sky. Not only was the eagle the symbol of Maxwell but also holds a great deal of importance in the Cowichan tribe's belief system, with the eagle feather being used as a gift to honour noteworthy achievements and qualities such as exceptional leadership and bravery. I was one of a very small group who caught site of this beautiful bird and feel honoured to have been able to witness it in flight.
The brunch ended and we all headed off for the final 'Transition Circle' of Maxwell International School. The transition circle is a ceremony guided by the Cowichan Tribes and elders marking the rite of passage from life at Maxwell to adult life; the difference this year is that this circle of transition was for everyone - graduates, their families, former and current staff, alumni and anyone who felt that they have had a connection to Maxwell. If I attempted to describe this event in full it would not only fill out page after page but it would be sorely lacking in the real feelings and emotions that ran through it. What I experienced is so hard to describe and I believe that many of those present felt the same way. Words could not describe for anyone what was truly happening and so all was expressed in tears, loving looks, hugs, and silent consolation; all with the glimmering of an energy of renewal, of life about to begin anew for all.
Reluctantly, but knowing that the only way forward was to leave, I boarded my plane, feeling my heavy heart throb with tears I couldn't let go; though knowing that the future would see me able to see these dear friends at some point or another.
I have learned so much - my life is changed.