More on the Music and the Barriers

I have noticed that people have different attitudes on chewing gum - when is it polite/nice/appropriate to have something in your mouth in public? Well, it depends. But there is an absolute no to it - when you are on the stage. I was thinking of it during Dato Evgenidze's concert, where one young boy was blowing (a trumpet? cannot remember for sure....) and chewing gum at the same time. He was good. But so out of the context with those jaws moving. At those moments he was not sincere, was not all in the music - some part of him was distracted from it.

 ...what are you 
hiding from?...








 
People like making barriers. Having a safe space between themselves and others. It is pretty frightful to endorse the world and be to the fullest - but if you try once to see others as simply human beings, who maybe came to listen to your music; or to hear what you have to say; or just happened to be around, you can make some big discoveries. The biggest one - that everything is much more simple than it looks...

Pic borrowed, from http://www.simonedecker.com/WorksChewinginVenice10.html

Dato Evgenidze - living in the music

There are such musicians who are clearly in their shoes. They enjoy what they are doing - and let you enjoy it too. A little while ago I attended a real party on the stage - Dato Evgenidze's anniversary of 45 years on the stage. It seemed he knows that it's his evening, and he was taking it all - the fun, the attention, the sound, and the joy of improvisation. And for the listeners it was over one hour of most sincere musical performance: how often can you see a piano player who uses it all - the keys, the strings, the inside, the outside....? I left wanting more, and thinking that music can be everything and come from everywhere - if you only thirst for it.

In the midst of Holiday Season

Holiday season in Georgia is a serious business. First - it's long. If you're a Catholic, it starts on December 24th and continues till..... well, it still hasn't finished, and for a week or two everyone will be still celebrating. So you have to be strong, have a good stomach - or some "Mezym Forte" and mineral water at hand...And don't think that I am joking - food is another serious thing about holidays. Special dishes for New Year, two three layers on the tables, then turn for a roasted gochi (piglet) on Christmas, Jan 7th, and lots of guests/visiting each other in between of those days - so the table is always laid and ready for someone to sit! Even though I did have 12 dishes on Christmas Eve, as we are used in Lithuania, it was nothing comparing to New Year - and I have no idea what is awaiting on Christmas!.. Fiesta to all gourmands, which makes me understand the meaning of fasting.....

There are a couple of other things that I noticed here and that got me intrigued. For example, most Georgians have the fake Christmas trees at home, not the real ones. At first it looked strange, but on the other hand... someone has to grow those specially, in order that there would be enough and people wouldn't cut the precious forests. So to save the trees, there is a point in that. Actually, you can get the real Christmas trees too - but only few days before New Year. And there is another option - to buy a stick covered with live branches; they are tied in a way to look like a real Christmas tree. Original?

Georgians also have their own Christmas tree, called chichilaki (ჩიჩილაკი). It is made from straight hazelnut branches, shaved into a form of a curly little tree. Here is a good BBC piece on it. I find it kind of lovely - and it's certainly the area, where Georgians are environment friendly. Which means - it can work.