Rebekah Fuller from Lincoln Agritech presented at the first 2019 Speaker's Science Forum held in the Banquet Hall at the Beehive on Wednesday 13 March. The topic of the forum was Mātauranga Māori.
Lincoln Agritech hosted senior officials from the Chinese National Agro-Technical Extension and Service Centre (NATESC), a division of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), renewing an agreement first signed over two years ago.
IRANZ CEOs met at the Malaghan Institute for their quarterly meeting.
Dr Rebekah Fuller from Lincoln Agritech, right, discusses Mātauranga Māori with MPs Mr Nuk Korako and Dr Parmjeet Parmar. Photo: Rob Whitney.
New Zealand has struggled to deliver new builds that are accessible to all ages and abilities. Now, a Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities research project is looking at ways to deliver affordable functional housing, particularly for older people.
The Building solutions for affordable, functional housing in ageing and changing communities project is a collaboration between CRESA, Massey University, Public Policy and Research, and BRANZ.
The team expects to deliver their first research findings by late 2019.
Current European regional policy promotes "smart specialisation" by encouraging regions to expand into activities that "build on local strengths". Smart specialisation rests upon the idea that bringing together people with complementary skills helps them generate new ideas that boost innovation and growth. But does this actually work?
In a study funded by the Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities National Science Challenge, Benjamin Davies and Dr David Maré, both of Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, analyse the potential for this way of generating ideas to promote urban employment growth in New Zealand. They find that, in New Zealand, the presence of related industries in an area is not a strong predictor of local employment growth.
Local job networks promote growth in big cities, but not in small towns. Wellington docks: Photo by James Coleman.
Following its commitment to improving medical practice through developing and implementing evidence-based management guidelines, the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand has played a senior role in the drafting of the Asthma & Respiratory Foundation (New Zealand) Adult asthma guidelines: A quick reference guide.
The guidelines are designed to aid health professionals in delivering asthma care in the community, providing simple evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of asthma in adults. The intended users are health professionals responsible for delivering asthma care in the community and hospital settings, and those responsible for the training of such health professionals.
MRINZ Director Professor Richard Beasley says many of the key recommendations are based on landmark research undertaken at the MRINZ that has led to improvements in the management of asthma worldwide. Prior to this initiative New Zealand asthma guidelines had not been updated since 2002.
MRINZ Director Professor Richard Beasley presents the new adult asthma guidelines in a video podcast.
Cancer Immunotherapy - Cancer cell biology programme leader Professor Mike Berridge talks to Lynn Freeman about cancer immunotherapy and the science behind mitochondria and its important role in cancer and human disease.
Understanding the allergy epidemic - Allergic responses expert and immune cell biology programme leader Professor Franca Ronchese lends her opinion and understanding on why so many Kiwis struggle daily with allergies, and why we're in the midst of a global rise of allergic diseases.
Vaccinating asthma - Malaghan Institute director and asthma, allergy and parasitic disease programme leader Professor Graham Le Gros has been on the hunt for a cure for asthma for many years. Using parasites like human hookworm to understand the inner mechanisms of the immune response might be our best chance in finding a cure.
Microbiology and immunology - Translational immunology programme leader Dr Olivier Gasser rounds off the RNZ Summer Times series with Lynn Freeman, talking about the vast role our gut bacteria play in human health and immunology. In particular, Dr Gasser and his team are looking at how our nutrition and gut affect influence our immune responses and consequently our health and well being.
There are many different branches of research into understanding the immune system and human disease. Photo: Malaghan Institute.
The Otago Daily Times reports on research work at Lincoln Agritech to deconstruct coarse wool fibre to create new materials.
Described as a "major breakthrough", coarse wool — which comprises about 75% of New Zealand's wool clip — is broken down into its cellular components, creating new materials that are not wool but contain wool attributes.
Potential uses for the novel materials include cosmetics, filters, and luxury clothing. This research programme is being co-funded by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand (WRONZ).
In February, 25 school leavers joined WSP Opus as cadets through a regional scheme that channels emerging talent into engineering careers. The new recruits will work on transformational infrastructure projects that will reshape and benefit their communities.
"There has been a long-term shortage of skills in the construction and engineering sector globally and locally – and the list of sectors affected continues to grow. At the same time New Zealand is investing in more infrastructure than ever before – as well as needing to effectively maintain our existing and ageing assets," says Scott.
New research from Motu explores how changes in the way land is used can mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While it focuses on cost-effective land-use responses that could be implemented by landowners, it does not recommend who should bear the costs of those changes.
The report presents scenarios developed by the Biological Emissions Reference Group with input from Motu's modelling team. The main project objective is to predict the likely extent and nature of land-use change as part of a cost-effective response to land-sector mitigation targets and the potential economic, and social impacts of these changes.
The report explores how land-use changes, and the intensity of effort required to achieve them, vary with the timing and stringency of targets and with different assumptions about new land uses and technology. Also examined are the national impacts on gross domestic product (GDP), production of key export commodities, and employment.
"Dr Duncan Steel is a scientist at the Centre for Space Science Technology (CSST) and he knows a thing or two about the Universe. He has even had an asteroid named after him. Steel is currently working on looking at how we can exploit satellite imagery for the good of New Zealand companies. And CSST CEO Steve Cotter reckons this is where New Zealand can really have an impact."
Read about the work by the Centre for Space Science Technology on Radio NZ.
Cawthron Institute Freshwater Ecologist Joanne Clapcott was the coauthor of a recently-published research article in Science Advances on the effect of climatic factors on river-based ecosystems.
Science Advances is an open access journal from AAAS - The American Association for the Advancement of Science, that publishes innovative original research across all disciplines of science freely and globally.
Joanne was one of 153 researchers from 40 countries that worked on the project.
The Regional Science and Innovation Centre (RSIC). Here the steel construction allows a structure with open spaces and free circulation. The main seismic resisting elements are the Buckling Restrained Braces (BRB) manufactured by HERA members D&H Steel under license from Star Seismic.
The team at HERA have developed a new procedure to select steel grades manufactured to Australian and New Zealand standards in collaboration with the University of Wilhelmshaven and the University of Sydney.
To ensure the safety of steel structures, design engineers need to select steel grades that will remain ductile under the imposed conditions that include in-service loadings, fabrication-induced conditions, seismic actions, and service temperatures.
Following a $7.1 million pledge from the Hugh Green Foundation a world-class biomedical research technology hub is to be built at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, marking a new era of science discovery in New Zealand.
The Hugh Green Cytometry Centre, to be led by Head of Research Technology Kylie Price, will underpin the Malaghan Institute's immunology research across cancer, asthma and allergy, gut health, brain health, and infectious diseases. The centre will also support a range of New Zealand science organisations in biochemistry, molecular biology, chemistry, neuroscience, and marine biology.
Head of Research Technology at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Kylie Price. Photo: Malaghan Institute.
Kūtaicam, a data-capturing buoy deployed as part of the Open Ocean Aquaculture Programme. Image: Cawthron Institute.
Cawthron Institute and Whakatōhea Mussels Ltd are providing boaties with the key information they need to plan their summer trips in the Eastern Bay of Plenty region using "Kūtaicam", a data-capturing buoy deployed as part of the Open Ocean Aquaculture Programme.
Cawthron Institute deployed the buoy at the Whakatōhea Mussels Ltd's farm 8km off the coast from Ōpōtiki and is now publicly sharing some of the data it captures on weather conditions - including wind direction and strength, wave heights, and water temperature.
Cutting-edge technology, developed by Lincoln Agritech Ltd and commercialised by CertusBio, aimed at minimising waste in the food processing industry has received major recognition at Australia's largest agricultural technology event.
CertusBio CEO Dr Matthew Jones took home the top cash prize of $20,000 in the Investment Ready Pitch Tent competition of the inaugural EvokeAg event held in February in Melbourne. The Christchurch-based innovator was one of five finalists.
Dr Jones' winning concept is an automated technology which reduces industrial food processing waste by 40 per cent. It includes a biosensor device that provides real-time insights into when food is wasted.
With 2-3 per cent of all processed milk disappearing down the drain, the dairy industry loses around NZ$12.8 billion per year globally to wastage.
"CertusBio is transforming industrial food production to prevent this type of waste," says Matthew.
Dr Matthew Jones, CertusBio CEO, wins the AgriFutures EvokeAg Investment Ready Pitch Tent prize in Melbourne. Image: Lincoln Agritech.
BRANZ are collaborating with multiple Research Organisations and government agencies on the 2018 General Social Survey (GSS) to provide new important data on the quality of New Zealand housing.
The last house condition survey in 2016 saw BRANZ research provide evidence to support Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) changes that are expected to lead to 180,000 properties being insulated by this year.
Trained surveyors undertake a comprehensive assessment of the physical properties of houses in the survey, recording details on materials, systems and services present, energy efficiency (insulation and heating), signs of damp and mould, the condition of individual components and an overall assessment of state of repair. Image: BRANZ.
IRANZ has gone social. For up-to-date information about the activities of our member organisations and same-day notification of updates to the website follow us on the link below.
IRANZ is an association of independent research organisations. Its members undertake scientific research, development or technology transfer. Members include Aqualinc Research Ltd, BRANZ, Cawthron Institute, CRL Energy Ltd, Centre for Space Science Technology (CSST), Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA), Leather & Shoe Research Association (LASRA), Lincoln Agritech Ltd, Mackie Research, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), Motu Economic and Public Policy Research, New Zealand Institute of Minerals to Materials Research, PlantTech Research Institute, Titanium Industry Development Association Ltd (TiDA Ltd), Transport Engineering Research NZ Ltd (TERNZ), and WSP Opus Research.


text:
Forget London, it's far too pricey! I launched my property start-up in Berlin instead - and bought 1,000 flats
By Amy Andrew
By all accounts, the London property market has gone bonkers.
Every week it seems to break further and further away from house prices in the rest of the country, but property investment entrepreneur Jonathan Freedman is unconcerned - instead his attention is focused approximately 600 miles away, in Berlin.
Unlike in the UK's capital, prime housing prices are 'reasonable', while rents are 'unbelievably low'. And, to add insult to injury for those squabbling over a £450,000 ex-council one-bed flat in Hackney, many of the apartments might be in a rough state, but are solidly built with beautiful period features and grand-sized rooms.
Property savvy: Jonathan Freedman (left) has made the most of investment opportunities in Berlin's up-and-coming neighbourhoods
'Berlin is the capital city of the most powerful country in Europe but the prices don't reflect that,' points out Jonathan.
'So, even though the yields for prime residential stock in Berlin are at sub 5 per cent, the selling price for new development stock is still cheap at around €5,000/sqm.
'Whereas in London I feel the market is overcrowded, and huge prices are being paid for stock where there aren't any sales angles.'
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The 33-year-old decided to specialise in the Berlin market while he was working at estate agent Savills, in London, after hearing about opportunities from clients.
After a two-day visit to the European city he decided to quit his job, move to Berlin, and go solo with his own business - and in 2006 launched Schönhaus Immobilien, a property management and investment advisory firm.
He has since bought more than 1,000 flats in the German capital and acquired a management portfolio of more than 2,000 rental apartments. They are located in prime central Berlin districts such as Berlin-Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Neukölln.
'At the time I realised that the market was quite immature but wide open for an investor who was on the ground and who could act quickly and get a deal done,' he explained.
'The city has a young, creative energy and is cheap enough to give everyone the opportunity to try out their ideas.
'The major pro is the large number of new people coming to the city each year. There is a booming tech start up industry and there is a scarcity of apartments for rent in the most sought after districts.
'The square metre price is still one of the lowest in Europe and the rents are still affordable even though they are rising steadily. Also, locals are only now starting to buy their apartments whereas before everyone rented - this means a whole new market is opening up from within.'
Jonathan's risk has paid off. Rents in Berlin are now 44 per cent higher than they were in 2006.
Berlin: Toucans painted on apartments in the capital
He also acts as acquisition agent for funds, trusts and individuals looking to gain exposure to the Berlin property market.
By developing a forensic knowledge of the German capital and hand-picking the best deals, the company's portfolio under Jonathan's management has significantly outperformed the market - consistently achieving occupancy rates at 100 per cent and delivering a net yearly income of around €10million.
On the downside, because of the confusing estate agent set-up, German property deals often fall through - although since Jonathan has built up relationships with trusted agents the process has become much smoother, he says.
Although Jonathan's focus is firmly on Berlin, the property guru also owns 'assets' in London, and points out that despite major differences between the two markets, there are also some similarities - specifically, both cities are attracting a large amount of foreign investment from those looking for a safe haven.
He is the first to admit that buying in London does not come cheap, but his advice would be that although there aren't the same opportunities as there are in Berlin, it is still worth investing if you can.
'London is the financial and cultural capital of the world and people have been paying huge money for real estate. However, in general the UK is always a good place to invest as we have a very transparent market, clear laws, hard working industrious people - and the Pound.'
But he adds: 'I do think UK High Streets need significant attention as local shops are almost non existent now which is a real shame for local communities as well as a huge drain on the economy.
'Lowering business rates, giving grants and providing space to small enterprises should be at the top of the government's agenda. These type of initiatives would provide huge benefits at every level of society - as well as to properties nearby.'
HOW TO INVEST IN PROPERTY ABROAD - TOP TIPS BY JONATHAN FREEDMAN
Berlin: Hotel rooftop terrace and view of the city skyline
'It's vital to know the place you are investing in. Take your time and learn the city. Don't just listen to agents or rely on research papers.
'Go out and speak to the locals, listen to what they have to say. Learn the areas and assess the assets by visiting them at different times of the day. It's the most simple things which I think a lot of international investors fail to do - usually because they are too busy to really focus on what they are buying. I learnt more about Berlin real estate from going to the bars, restaurants and clubs than I ever could have sitting at my laptop.
'Once you've learned the market the most important thing is to make sure you have good lawyers, tax advisers and of course property management!
'Regarding currency, I think you have to know you are investing as much in the currency as you are in the real estate assets, so the strength and future strength of the currency needs to be assessed at the same time as you're assessing the local real estate market.
'However, I think its a good idea, once you've invested, to only think in terms of the local currency. Especially as you will be collecting your rent in the local currency and paying your expenses and interest in that currency.
'The exchange rate is the one thing you can't control and should only become a major issue again when you are thinking of exiting the market. I think its important to define yourself as a real estate investor as opposed to a currency speculator from the start.
'Regarding tax, this also needs to be fully assessed at the same time as assessing the local market. Choosing the wrong tax structure for your investments can cause massive inflexibility. So take your time and seek extensive advice before making any decisions.
'Take advice from your UK tax advisers first and then meet with a number of international and local advisers to try and get as many points of view as possible. Then it's up to you.
'I found that each different structure has its pros and cons. I chose to keep it all very simple and transparent and use local structures which are easy to understand. Setting up and running offshore structures can be very costly and time consuming and are not guaranteed to work. So, again, I would advise to focus on the assets you are buying and buy them in structures which can be run easily and sold without restriction. With tax it's all about keeping it simple!'
London? It's far too pricey! I launched my property start-up in Berlin instead
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Minnesota Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman announced Monday (April 21) that he will retire after 23 seasons in the NBA.
The team made the announcement via Twitter, saying he plans to spend time with family. "Adelman says he'll move back to Portland to spend time with family. Says his grand kids are be there and will keep him busy #Twolves," said the team's Twitter account.
The team also said Adelman will continue working for the franchise in a consulting role.
Adelman leaves with a celebrated coaching career that includes 1,042 victories, eighth on the NBA's career list. Throughout his career, he's coached both in Portland and Sacramento, as well as Golden State and Houston. With the Timberwolves, he spend the last three seasons with the team.
"I think it's time for me to step aside," Adelman said. "When I came here, we really tried to see if we could turn some things around and we made some strides. Not as much as we would have liked, but I think it's time for me to step aside and let someone else come in with this group. We're not that far away.


text:
extern crate rand;
extern crate num;
extern crate rayon;
extern crate roulette_wheel;

use std::iter::{IntoIterator, Sum};
use std::cmp::PartialOrd;
use num::{Num, Zero, ToPrimitive, FromPrimitive};
use rand::{Rng, thread_rng, ThreadRng};
use rand::distributions::range::SampleRange;
use rayon::prelude::*;

pub mod traits;
pub mod crossover;

use traits::Individual;

// Termination
// This generational process is repeated until a termination condition has been reached.
// Common terminating conditions are:

// - A solution is found that satisfies minimum criteria
// - Fixed number of generations reached
// - Allocated budget (computation time/money) reached
// - The highest ranking solution's fitness is reaching or has reached a plateau such
//       that successive iterations no longer produce better results
// - Manual inspection
// - Combinations of the above

/// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm#Termination
#[derive(Debug)]
pub struct StopConditions {
    /// A solution is found that satisfies minimum criteria.
    pub reach_fitness: Option<f32>,

    /// Fixed number of generations reached.
    pub number_generations: Option<usize>,

    /// The highest ranking solution's fitness is reaching or
    /// has reached a plateau such that successive iterations no longer produce better results.
    pub stagnant_results: Option<f32>,
}

#[derive(Debug)]
pub struct Parameters {
    pub mutation_rate: f32,
    pub population_limit: Option<usize>,
    pub elite_threshold: f32,
    pub deletion_threshold: f32,
}

/// Quick and easy who-mates-and-who-dies algorithm with two thresholds.
/// The diagram below shows two typical threshold values which can be changed.
///
/// +-------------------------------------------+  1.0 Best Fitness
/// | Always a parent; lives another generation |
/// +-------------------------------------------+ ~0.9 Elite Threshold
/// |                                           |
/// | May be a parent; lives another generation |
/// |                                           |
/// +-------------------------------------------+ ~0.5 Fitness Deletion Threashold
/// |                                           |
/// | Does not survive this generation,         |
/// | Replaced by new offspring                 |
/// |                                           |
/// +-------------------------------------------+  0.0 Worst Fitness
#[derive(Debug)]
pub struct Calco<F, T, R> {
    rng: R,
    parameters: Parameters,
    population: Vec<(F, T)>
}

impl<F: Num + Zero, T: Individual<F>> Calco<F, T, ThreadRng> {
    pub fn new<I: IntoIterator<Item=T>>(parameters: Parameters, population: I) -> Calco<F, T, ThreadRng> {
        Calco::with_rng(thread_rng(), parameters, population)
    }
}

impl<F: Num + Zero, T: Individual<F>, R: Rng> Calco<F, T, R> {
    pub fn with_rng<I: IntoIterator<Item=T>>(rng: R, parameters: Parameters, population: I) -> Calco<F, T, R> {
        Calco {
            rng: rng,
            parameters: parameters,
            population: population.into_iter().map(|i| (F::zero(), i)).collect()
        }
    }
}

impl<F, T, R> Iterator for Calco<F, T, R>
    where F: Send + Copy + Num + PartialOrd + SampleRange + Sum + ToPrimitive + FromPrimitive,
          R: Send + Clone + Rng,
          T: Send + Clone + Individual<F> {

    type Item = (F, T);

    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
        // TODO: do this elsewhere (specific trait ?)
        {
            self.population.par_iter_mut()
                           .for_each(|&mut (ref mut f, ref i)| *f = i.evaluate());

            self.population.sort_by(|&(a, _), &(b, _)| b.partial_cmp(&a).unwrap());

            let len = self.population.len() as f32;
            let deletion_index = (self.parameters.deletion_threshold * len) as usize;
            let elite_index = (self.parameters.elite_threshold * len) as usize - deletion_index;
            let (winners, mut loosers) = self.population.split_at_mut(deletion_index);

            for &mut (ref mut fit, ref mut ind) in loosers.iter_mut() {
                // TODO: +1, -1 ?
                let &(_, ref mother) = self.rng.choose(&winners[..elite_index]).expect("Can't choose elite mother!");
                let &(_, ref father) = self.rng.choose(&winners).expect("Can't choose winner father!");

                *ind = mother.reproduce(&father, self.rng.clone());
                *fit = F::zero();
            }
        }

        if self.rng.gen::<f32>() < self.parameters.mutation_rate {
            if let Some(&mut (_, ref mut ind)) = self.rng.choose_mut(self.population.as_mut_slice()) {
                ind.mutate(&mut self.rng);
            }
        }

        self.population.first().cloned()
    }
}

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    #[test]
    fn it_works() {
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This week received from Mr. John Verhagen (Engineering Office of the City of Rotterdam) this fantastic picture of a very early CPT penetrometer rig. This picture was taken somewhere between 1947 and 1951 not far from Rotterdam harbour.
It shows a CPT penetrometer pusher on a 3 wheeler trailer. The pusher is powered by a hand-cranked winch and the force is transferred by means of a steel cable. Ingenious!
The CPT trailer was pulled by a decommissioned ex-US Army Willys jeep. More pictures on the "History of Cone Penetration Testing" page. Thanks John!!


at Thiruvalluvar Auditorium, Delhi Tamil Sangam.
Ramalinga Adigalar also known as Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar lived in the mid 19th century between 1823-1874. He propagated the principle of worshipping Shiva in the form of a Jyothi. His songs were aimed at proliferating the thought of 'unity in diversity' through a spiritual path. His songs evoke a unique feeling of supreme bliss with their beauty, richness and simplicity of Tamil language. He has mainly written songs on Lord Shiva and Lord Muruga.


text:
Sonic Sandbox
The Music Workshop
Make Sound Connections!
Movement Workshop
How We Listen
The Rules of Play
Depersonalization of Everything
Ziggurat Palms
How to Listen to Our Recordings
November 6, 2017 November 6, 2017 Community, Connection, Dance, Facilitation, improvisation, Isolation, music, Music Improvisation, Music improvisation workshop, Safe Space, Sonic Sandbox, Therapy, Trust, workshop Leave a comment CreativityFreedomfunHistorylisteningmeditationmental healthmusicplayrecoverysoloSupportworkworkshop
Sonic Sandbox topics I want to think and write about
There are a number of topics I want to write about related to Sonic Sandbox. Some of what I want to write about is about how Sonic Sandbox works. Some pieces will be about the theory behind the exercises/games I use. Some will cover my long terms plans. Some will lament (maybe even whinge) about my struggles in building Sonic Sandbox. Some will describe and reflect on my personal experiences. I'm using this post to provide an outline for topics I want to write about in the future within each of these subject headings. I will return to this post from time to time to update it as I think of new ideas or as I write some of the pieces, so I can add links.
How Sonic Sandbox works
Making sounds together without judging (toning)
Sustained sound with change through copying
Laughter "meditation"
Moving with our music
Sound mirroring
Sound infection
Sound conversation
Life opera
Theoretical issues
What happens in our brains: the different ways we think
Characteristics of the sensate and conscious minds (feeling self and thinking self)
How sound creates connection
Consequences of connection
Authenticity or "speaking" from one's feeling self
Eyes closed or open
The role of movement
Interaction types: group, dyad, solo
Rhythm, harmony, melody
How to teach listening
How to teach people to support each other
How to create safety
How the experience can be used in psychological recovery
How the experience can be used as a model for relationships in other areas of life
Supporting people to be safely transparent in as many aspects of life as possible — eliminating self-destructive shame/reducing the need for secrets/increasing tolerance for variation in human behavior
The survival value of cooperation, the need to appear to be someone others can cooperate with, and the consequences of diverging too far from your true self in order to appear to be someone others can cooperate with (homo-cooperability vs hetero-cooperability)
How Sonic Sandbox widens the range of hetero-cooperability through example and experience and how to create a wider range of hetero-cooperability in other aspects of life
Building a sustainable workshop
Expanding workshops to other areas
Using the workshop for team building in formal organizations
Teaching youngsters alternative ways to relate to each other
Giving music therapists additional tools
Rituals for community building
Aiding community problem solving
A mechanism useful for changing habits of thought and creating psychological wellness
The Sonic Sandbox Institute
Integration into life in many kinds of institutions and across cultures
Marketing, oh marketing
I HATE Facebook (and don't get me started about Twitter)
Doubting my business skills and my energy and focus
Finding allies and helpers
My musical experiences
Peak moments
Reflections on the last workshop (what it was like; what I learned)
Sonic Sandbox at conferences
The original testing ground Sonic Sandbox "Band" experiences
Me and my trumpet
Improvisation in the wild (typewriter story)
Music, mental dysfunction, and recovery
October 4, 2017 October 7, 2017 Community, improvisation, music, Music Improvisation, Music improvisation workshop, Sonic Sandbox, workshop Leave a comment funlisteningmusicplaySonic Sandbox
And…. we're off!
My first official Sonic Sandbox Workshop is behind me. I rented space. I advertised. Hung up flyers. Got totally frustrated with the idiocy they call Facebook. Used my email lists. Tried to contact everybody I know, and even paid for some Facebook outreach. When they talk about targeted marketing on Facebook, I now know what they mean, because I tried to target my outreach.
We had a great time at the West Philly Suzuki Piano Studio. It's a wonderful space. My son took some pictures and a video which I hope to post soon. Sometimes, even though I really believe in Sonic Sandbox, I'm amazed at how well it works. I look around at the group, and see the smiles on people's faces and see how much they are into it and how free they are, and then I check in with myself, and even I'm not worrying about how things are going or whether I need to tweak something here or there, and I start relaxing and letting myself go, just like I created this for. I stop being facilitator; stop feeling like I'm always watchful, and trust the process and let myself go, because it's working! You can sign up for it here.
I was hoping and predicting that, based on the response to my initial marketing, I'd have five to eight people there, but there were three. That means I still have lots of marketing to do. It's not my favorite thing because of the struggles managing lists and of course, dealing with Facebook. Can anyone explain how Facebook managed to take over the world with such a non-intuitive, crappy interface? It is the very definition of kludge. You can barely say it works, and yet, it has taken over the world. One can only hope that the competitors in China or India or elsewhere will manage to establish roots in the US and show Facebook how things really should be.
The amazing thing is that with four of us, the energy was incredible! We did a kind of debriefing afterwards, because I wanted to know what people thought about both the workshop and my outreach, and the folks there were really helpful. Honestly, I don't really remember what people said about the workshop itself, but my impression was that it really matters what I say to set up people's expectations. When I say that we are here to support each other to freely express ourselves, people believe me and actually take that to be true — simply because that's what we really want to do. Who wants to live constantly worrying about whether what they do is acceptable?
I think some people might fear that if we all just let loose, it'll be chaos. The thing is, Sonic Sandbox isn't chaos because of the emphasis on listening and copying. There's space both to let loose and be all in with your energy, but also to be supportive and create a strong foundation for others to let loose. If we take turns, and share in the responsibility for caring for everyone else, what happens is not chaos. It's beautiful, but with an authentic energy I haven't really heard anywhere else.
The feedback I got about marketing was that the thirty-something generation is more of a "drop-in" generation. In uncertain times, it's hard to make a commitment to ten sessions, knowing that you'll probably not be able to make it sometimes. As a result, I think I'm going to open my sessions up to drop-ins.
I really want people to come regularly because in my experience, when we work with the same people again and again, and we practice regularly, we get to know each other better (which is mostly the point of these workshops) and we can take more risks and express ourselves ever more deeply. When people take risks, the music gets more and more incredible! When we know each other better, we can start to predict what others are going to do, and that anticipation means we are more in tune with the energy of the moment and everyone latches on to a new direction that the music takes more quickly and more powerfully.
Still, even without knowing each other, the workshop works well. I've taken it to several conferences now, including one international conference, and while my groups seem small to me (fifteen people at best), the energy people experience and the high they get from the work/play seems really deep. I'm almost afraid to have a big group because I don't know if it could be the same — I'd have to learn how to break it into smaller groups, I think. But still, that would be a wonderful problem to have.
So I need help. I need help reaching out to more people in Philadelphia. I need help figuring out how to price the workshops in a way that makes it easier for people to participate, but also encourages people to make it a practice. Obviously, if I have people coming regularly, it generates more income for me, but I truly believe that practice is also going to make the impact these workshops have on individuals much stronger.
One suggestion at the confab after the workshop was that I could charge a regular individual workshop price (which is currently $25) and then offer people discounts if they are willing to pay in advance.
In any case, one person signed up for the ten sessions, and one person gave a donation, which covers my space rental for the month. I still have expenses related to marketing and instrument purchases that will take more income to cover. I share this because I want people to know where I'm at, financially. I also have expenses related to the conference attendance. So far, I've been able to get funding to cover my attendance at these conferences. I had thought that maybe they pay for presenters, but it turns out that's not the case, but I feel like breaking even is a decent goal for me at the moment, since I do love this work.
In the works is a letter of inquiry for a grant proposal where this Foundation that is interested in supporting community-building arts work would do a documentary about Sonic Sandbox. If I get that, then people who participate would have a chance to have their participation filmed. I'm sure that for some that would be a great inducement to participate, although others might find that a bit scary. Ideally, I want to be able to find ways to help everyone be comfortable, and I hope I will always be open to suggestions to make the experience better and to meet people's individual needs. That doesn't mean I can succeed at all that, but I want to be open to feedback, and I think I will be, as long as it follows the Sonic Sandbox guidelines in terms of being supportive.
That's a lot more news that I was expecting to impart when I sat down to write this. One more thing on my schedule is the iNAPS conference in Phoenix on October 16-18th. I'll be doing a workshop there on the 16th, in case anyone will be there, too.
July 29, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, Government, mental health, Trust, workshop 1 Comment Bureaucracydata miningentrepreneurialismfeelingsfingerprintsimprovisationjusticelaw enforcementmistrust governmentMUSIC THERAPYsacrificework
So here's one of those things that happens that makes me wonder whether my responses to reality are inappropriate or not. Am I crazy?
They like my workshops, but they tell me I can't continue unless I get cleared by the FBI.
Cleared by the FBI???
I'm trying to volunteer. I'm not getting paid. I'm taking my own time and resources to drive all over the city to help people have fun improvising music, and in order to that I have to get FBI clearance? Get my fingerprints taken and put into that vast black box that our justice system uses to blackball anyone they don't like for any reason they want?
When I grew up, the cops were being used to suppress opposition. They thought nothing of shooting at young people who were merely protesting a war that seemed to have no purpose and was killing so many of their fellow youngsters. When I was young, the feds were killing students everywhere from Kent State to Philadelphia Mississippi. It was so clear to me that the police thought like bullies and had little compassion.
Have things changed that much since then? How many people have been killed by cops in the last few months just because of the color of their skin? They were totally cooperating but it didn't matter. They were killed because the cops couldn't control their own fear.
My first job after college was canvassing for the equal rights amendment. We were trying to engage in political speech, going door to door, asking people for financial support, and the cops were always trying to stop us. They didn't care about speech. They just wanted to keep strangers from knocking on their neighbors' door. I never got arrested, but I've spent more time than I cared to sitting in police lobbies while they try to sort out whether we have a right to speak or not.
Nowadays, the "justice" department and the security departments have vast advances in technology that they can use to bully and intimidate people into behaving like normal people. Unfortunately, I can't behave like a normal person even if I wanted to. I've got a diagnosis. I'm certifiably different from most people. Supposedly, there's something wrong with my brain that makes me behave in ways that are against my own best interest, as other people see it. Who knows? Perhaps I am doing that now, writing this.
I've been a data librarian. I've dealt with large data bases. I know how much one can learn from seemingly innocuous data. Do I want to give away information to vast bureaucracies that engage in group think and are afraid of their own shadows? Do I want to let people have an easier time punishing me and forcing me to conform if they should ever have a desire to do so?
I can't imagine that they would ever have such a desire. I'm a good person. But then, people have weird ideas about the mentally ill. They want to take away our right to own guns. Personally, I don't think anyone should have a right to own a gun. I don't think the cops should carry them around. So many people would still be alive if we didn't have such easy access to guns. So many people would have had to find another way to kill themselves if we didn't have such easy access to guns and guns weren't so easy to use.
I don't want to make it any easier for cops to make me change the way I live. Even if the chances are very low that this will happen, I don't want to make it any easier.
Furthermore, I don't believe that doing background checks actually make us any safer. I think using vast databases to make decisions is the lazy person's way to evaluate others. So many people get caught up and punished forever for doing silly things. Getting drunk and getting caught urinating in public can get you banned from working with children, forever. It's a sex offense that can get you on public lists. That's just plain stupid.
The best way to evaluate people is to pay attention to them; to work with them; to see how they interact with the people they work for or with or who they serve. Bureaucracy is supposed to make it possible for vast organizations to control the workforce and this is supposed to be more efficient.
It isn't. It discourages creativity and innovation. I don't want to get caught up in these kinds of supposedly benign but secretly destructive social mechanisms.
So I don't want to get my background checked, even though there's nothing there to worry about. Or maybe something could show up, simply because these systems make a lot of mistakes. How many times have bill collectors harassed me on the phone because my name is so common. Never mind these other David Fords have completely different addresses. They can't even be bothered to use the data easily available to them to figure that out. Laziness, venality and bullying seems so much easier than doing a good job, and doing a good job means nothing if you don't fit inside the regulations that don't accomplish what they want to accomplish. All they do is allow people to act as if they conform, thus covering their asses, while not actually improving security one whit.
Am I cutting off my nose to spite my face? Is there some kind of fear of success thing going on here? Am I letting this bureaucracy become an excuse to not try, and not take on responsibility?
I don't know. I can't tell. Maybe others would make those judgments, and then I could succumb to those judgments and make myself into a horrible person again, and get depressed and all that comes along with that.
All I know is that this really bothers me. It feels so wrong. If I have to do something that feels so wrong just to volunteer, then maybe I'm not really going to be able to help either myself or others this way. So maybe I just need to find some other way to do music with people. Maybe I can't help in psychiatric rehabilitation facilities. Maybe I have to start my own operation, and try to run classes where people can choose to come to me, instead of being forced into attendance because that's what they have to do to get their meals and SEPTA passes. I want people to do this work who want to do the work, not because they have to satisfy the unthinking rules of big bureaucracy. Maybe that's not the place for me.
That's my case for myself. That's my case against myself. I really have no idea whether I'm fooling myself or this is just the way I feel. I'm so used to not being able to honor my feelings that this throws me. Should I contort myself to be good and be liked or will that send me back to place that made me depressed?
The irony, is that these organizations are trying to help people with mental issues such as anxiety and depression. I need therapy, too. This work is my therapy. But do I have to submit to their rules, and thus shove myself down again, in order to be allowed to be helpful to others and to myself? Would that even work? Or would it all be counterproductive?
I don't know. My therapist says "I don't know" is a part of myself that I use to avoid my feelings. I'm pissed off. Does it matter if my anger is justified or not? I'm angry and that comes from fear that these systems will squash me yet again. I don't trust these huge bureaucratic systems. The individuals in them are surely well-meaning, but the systems they develop take on a life of their own, and that's dangerous, particularly to marginalized people like the mentally ill, or people who aren't white or especially, people who are both.
"Strange how paranoia can link up with reality now and then."
― Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly
"Who's they?" He wanted to know. "Who, specifically, do you think is trying to murder you?"
"Every one of them," Yossarian told him.
"Every one of whom?"
"Every one of whom do you think?"
"I haven't any idea."
"Then how do you know they aren't?"
"Because…" Clevinger sputtered, and turned speechless with frustration.
Clevinger really thought he was right, but Yossarian had proof, because strangers he didn't know shot at him with cannons every time he flew up into the air to drop bombs on them, and it wasn't funny at all."
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
"Anyone not paranoid in this world must be crazy. . . . Speaking of paranoia, it's true that I do not know exactly who my enemies are. But that of course is exactly why I'm paranoid."
― Edward Abbey, Postcards from Ed: Dispatches and Salvos from an American Iconoclast
Edit: I went to a meeting of the West Philly Icarus Project tonight and told this story.
The Icarus Project is a support network and education project by and for people who experience the world in ways that are often diagnosed as mental illness. We advance social justice by fostering mutual aid practices that reconnect healing and collective liberation. We transform ourselves through transforming the world around us.
There were fifteen people there and three of them came up to me afterwards to tell me that they had been required to give their fingerprints in order to work in the mental health field. One of them had been fingerprinted seven times. None of them felt that the process was anything other than busy work. They didn't seem to believe that anyone was safer because of it. I'm not sure they shared my indignation about big brother, but in any case, it was nice to know I'm not the only one who has problems with this.
Maybe it is worth trying to fight this senseless and worthless bit of do-nothing, feel good legislation. In any case, I'm sorry I won't be able to work with people who could probably really benefit from what I'm doing. Maybe there's a way around this. If anyone has any ideas, please add a comment.
July 20, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, Connection, improvisation, Isolation, mental health, Music Improvisation, Music improvisation workshop, Safe Space, Spirituality, Therapy, workshop Leave a comment acceptancecopingCreativityempowermentFreedomimprovisationMUSIC THERAPYpersonal powerSafe Spaceself-esteemsupport groups
The Music Workshop Live!
I'm kind of high right now because the response to the first two workshops I gave was so enthusiastic. I'm so excited right now, that I did a bunch of research and correspondence in the last few hours. I really, really don't like passive engagement, just interacting with a screen and my imaginary ideas about the people I'm writing to. I've done too much of that in my life and it leads me far away from the kind of human connection I really want.
Leaving these workshops, I'm feeling so open, I can talk to anyone. After each one, I had a pretty intense conversation with people on the street! Yesterday, right after I crossed the street from a support center on Germantown Ave, I looked into the eyes of a man, something I would ordinarily never do. He looked so interesting, though, that I felt like I knew him, and weirdly, he thought he knew me, as well. Maybe it's that we were both feeling open to the world at the time.
He was about my height. Skin the color of light chocolate. A big, almost Muslim beard, but a bit bushier. His brown eyes were intense, and he engaged my gaze directly, but without threat, nor urgency. He was present. He had that aura of a street person, but his clothes were clean, and he didn't ask for money — not right away, anyway.
"Don't I know you?" He asked.
"I don't think so." It was a strange feeling, feeling like you know someone, but not recalling ever having seen them before.
"Do you drive a red Cadillac," he asked?
"No. That must be someone else. You're the second person today who thought he knew me. I just gave a music workshop across the street," I pointed down the street to the entrance to The Wedge.
"I did an improvisational music workshop," I said. Then, volunteering, "It's for people with…" I jabbed my finger towards my head. "I have bipolar disorder."
"I have bipolar disorder, too. I've got a lot of problems. I need some help — finding some place to live. Could you help me out?"
Oh the struggle in my head. I dearly wanted this to be one of those cool encounters where you just meet a kind of kindred spirit. Giving him money would make me feel like I was paying him to talk to me. I fished out my wallet, anyway, and gave him a dollar.
"The music helps with the depression and the self-hatred. It's like a mini-vacation from all the crap that goes on in my head."
"I play the guitar."
"Do you know about the center across the street?"
They have a lot of services there. They help you get a place to live. They get you medical care. They've got a bunch of things for people to do. Like the music thing I'm doing."
We talked a little bit more, and then said goodbye with a handshake and a little "bro" hug.
Today, the workshop at another location of the support center was a lot more energetic. I tell my story about how this workshop came to be, and then I enter into the first exercise, which is a short meditation designed to ease people's fear of what others might think of the sounds they make. Even before I asked people to start making sounds, some of the people were. It made me relax, because I knew I wouldn't have to do much coaxing.
A lot of people were making a low, guttural sound, like an idling motor boat. It felt like it was coming from deep inside, without any filters. There were a few self-conscious laughs here and there, but there were just as many people who were already lost in the sound.
The next exercise generated most of the high. It's the name game, where we each take a turn singing our names together with a movement. Later on, I recall the movement and I can recall people's names. Normally, I would forget their names right away — maybe even before they said them.
The person on my right was a staff person. Maybe a ringer, but she was so genuinely enthusiastic about this exercise that she was free in making up her song and movement, as well as improvising later on when we repeated her name. The group developed a rhythm and even the reluctant people were encouraged to step up and after that, everyone was on board. I got back so much energy from their enthusiasm that I'm still buzzing hours later.
Out on the sidewalk after the workshop, I struck up a conversation with one of the people from the workshop. He ended up telling me about how tough his life had been. How dangerous it was; how many people had died; how he'd spent time in jail; in the shoe, and so on.
It was like the music totally opened him up. He started telling me about his brother.
"He was in the hospital with a stroke. When I went to pick him up, I had to carry him to the car. His legs were paralyzed." He was choking up as he remembered this scene, and as he struggled to hold back his tears, he turned away from me a little. I stood there, letting him be. Remembering my therapist telling me to feel my feelings. You feel them, and they start to dissipate. They're no longer something you run away from and do all kinds of stuff to keep from feeling them.
"Will you be coming back?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Those people," he said, pointing back inside, "They don't get it. They hear what I'm telling you and they'll use it against me."
I think he was expecting me to judge him for the things he'd done. I just wanted him to be able to tell his story, and I'm a little bit amazed at how powerful music can be to help people have fun and open up the things they've kept hidden, if they feel safe enough to do so. I respect that as a sacred trust. I'm not going to name names or share too many details about what happens. Just enough to give an idea of how powerful this work can be.
I am gaining confidence about it. I'm a bit in awe. I know that people are lonely and isolated and desperately want to be their true selves and share the real stuff with others. I know that because I know how isolated I've been. I know where that has led me.
By sharing that with others, and by teaching them a way to create the safety they need, perhaps this can help them heal. At the least, it can help them cope, as it has helped me. I can't guarantee that anyone will be safe. But I hope that I can teach folks methods to create that safety for themselves. Perhaps they will learn how to build trust with each other.
June 6, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, Connection, improvisation, Music Improvisation, Performance, workshop Leave a comment bandimprovisationmusicplaySonic Sandboxvocals
West Philly Porchfest
Thirty years ago, give or take a month, I arrived in West Philly to look for a place to rent. I looked at a place on Windsor avenue, across the street from where I live, now. I had just graduated with a degree in Labor Relations, and I was moving to Philly because my girlfriend was going to Grad school at Penn. I was looking for work with a union.
One of the things that I thought would help in locating a good place to live was to interview people living on the street about what it was like. The person I interviewed is now my next door neighbor, and her husband was working for a union. What more did I need to know about the block?
That decision changed my life forever (not that every decision you make doesn't change your life in the same way). It led to me finding a cool place to dance, which led to meeting my wife, which led to more dancing, which led to music returning to my life when a car accident made it impossible to dance. Which led to…. And led to…. And so on.
When we moved into this house after we married, 48th Street was the edge of the gentrified area. Now, I have no idea how far it extends, but it's a lot further out. 50th? 52nd? When we moved in, it was a pretty quiet area that focused on each block, in terms of most community activities.
In those days, the neighborhood was not only seen as edgy, but also not very cool. It might still be edgy in a different kind of way, but now, as my daughter said on returning from college last week, "The neighborhood is a lot cooler now than it was when I left."
This was even before Porchfest. How cool are we now?
The band that eventually became Sonic Sandbox started a little over a year ago, when I started jamming with a few friends. When we started, the others weren't sure what they wanted to do, but I had an idea about how we could improvise together, which is what I wanted to do because playing music that other people know makes me feel judged, and feeling judged makes me not want to play.
I don't want to be compared to anyone, because I'm convinced I won't compare well, and I've used that feeling to hurt myself a lot in the past. Instead, I wanted to get together to improvise because when you improvise, nobody can tell you that you didn't do it the way it was supposed to be.
I had a few musical games in mind that we could use to start us improvising, and we started using them to jam together. We tried doing other people's songs once or twice, but we kept going back to the improvisation, especially as the others came to understand the process better.
Playing at Porchfest was perfect for us, because they just wanted people to make music. They didn't care about your experience. No one was getting paid. We were all on our own to make things go. But is was a community thing. Strength in numbers. The intangible feeling of support you get knowing that everyone knows this is happening and a lot of other people are out there playing or listening. It's such a West Philly thing for me.
One of the things I like to do sometimes when we improvise, is to sing a story that I make up as I go along. I just picture some events from my life in my head, and do a musical play by play as the internal movie plays in my imagination. I sang the story that I am now writing. https://sonicsandboxbanddotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/west-philly-personal-history.mp3
In the end, I started talking about what I find so cool about West Philly. Porchfest is a perfect example of that kind of thing. It's all about people not judging each other. It's about setting up community, connecting to others and not judging. Not criticizing. There's an awful lot of creativity in this community, and that's no accident. Creative people locate here because it's a safe place to play, to express ourselves and to live the way we want to without others judging us. I'm not saying there are no limits, but the limits are a lot more flexible here than in many other communities. West Philly is an oasis for many people who get stigmatized and judged for being who they are in a lot of other places.
I told myself that playing on our porch was just like any other time we get together to jam. We're just playing, and we're doing it so we can get out of our minds and into that place where we become part of something larger than ourselves. It doesn't matter if others like it or don't. We're doing it for fun.
Of course, having support does make a difference. So when an audience started filling the chairs I had put out, it gave us a lift. It's nice to be able to play for others as well as ourselves, and we knew people were there by choice. They could get up and leave any time they wanted, but they could also stay, and stay they did.
I think we were all grateful for the people who listened to us having fun playing together. They were fellow players in the sonic sandbox, and some of them even joined us. We take inspiration from any place we can, and once we started like a pack of dogs, because my neighbor's dog was barking. Listen hear: https://sonicsandboxbanddotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/porchfest-sonic-sandbox-number-4.mp3 It may have started in an unusual way, but what it turned into had a lot of energy, and that's true for most of what we do.
I think it helps to understand our process when you listen to us. It's not just about pretty sounds. It's about accepting sounds. When we accept the sounds we hear, no matter how we might judge them if we were in judgement mode, we can take them to places we'd never go otherwise. That means we have to ask an audience to give us a chance. Don't give up in the first couple of minutes. It might take us a while, but we will find some place cool, musically speaking, to go. It's just that we have to wander around in trackless spaces for a while before we can agree on what path to follow. I have fond hopes that people will enjoy listening to us wander, and then be amazed at the incredible scenery we find when we agree on a trail to follow.
Whether or not people listen to us that way, we can still have fun wandering around together and creating a path through the places we're exploring. We can do that, and we can lead others in doing that through our workshops, and others can watch and listen to us doing that in our performances. What's important is that we do it. It's a spiritual practice for us, and as long as we do it, we're better off, and if we can share it with others, either as participants or as audience, there's a chance that others will be better off, too. That's my hope.
March 31, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, improvisation, Music Improvisation, Performance, Spirituality, Uncategorized Leave a comment bandimprovisationmusicPerformanceplayvocals
Last Act for Poetry Night at W/nw/n
We were the final act at the W/nw/n coffee bar tonight. This is the second month in a row. The people there are really nice (Hail Miguel, Tony, Rosie and Unity)! They've been really supportive of us.
Normally, we meet on Tuesday night to play together, but this week, it got moved to Wednesday. Then we realized it was the last Wednesday of the month, and wondered if we should try to play at W/nw/n again. I texted Miguel and we kinda sorta made an arrangement, in an improvisational way. Making it up as we go along. Not that it's always so easy for me to sit back and enjoy the ride without being certain where we'll end up. But I'm learning.
I picked up Bob and Kurt, and then it occurred to me that we might be spending a lot of time listening to poetry when we could be playing together, so we decided to go over and check out the scene and if we had to wait until the end of the evening, we might just bag it and go back to Bob's to play.
There were three stools at the end of the bar closest to the place where the poets stand. So we sat there, to see what was happening. Miguel was just announcing the first poet.
At first I was feeling annoyed about listening to the poetry, but as the poets started doing their thing, I got drawn in, and after a while, I was happy to listen, although I was still itching to play. At the break, we went to get our instruments. Kurt must have spoken to Miguel, because when I came back in, he told me we would be doing the same thing as we did last month.
I sat down and did a bit of drumming with Unity. They have a lot of percussion instruments to play — djembes, congas, some really neat vibraphony sounding things. Those vibraphones created some really nice spaces for the poetry. Not all the poets wanted musical accompaniment. But it was a nice vibe when they did. I found myself keeping beat very quietly on my Djembe. It was really interested how all the poets read with a very regular rhythm, no matter how many syllables they had to speak. Sometimes, I felt like I knew their rhythm even before they started. I'd love to play with poets more, and get into the musical aspect of poetry.
There were traditional poetry styles as well as more energetic hiphop and poetry slam styles. Some of the poets just made it up on the spot, and that went pretty well. Impressive. Some of them had poetry handles, like Number X, who I believe was the one who claimed to be bipolar. Hail fellow bippie!
I started thinking about how it would go. Last time we had to fiddle around setting up after the last poet, and the audience started talking, and we didn't really interact with us the way I had imagined. I felt like we were background music and I had been hoping we could get a closer listen.
I decided I would use the Kalimba and sing about us while Bob and Kurt were getting set up. I tried not to think too much about what I would say. I just reminded myself that I've been writing a lot about us for this website, so I could use some of those ideas. Maybe tell a bit of our story. Maybe sing about how to listen.
So I started singing in my own way. Telling our story, using the kalimba. I started right after Miguel introduced us instead of waiting. I was almost weird how comfortable I felt. Last month, I felt so hot and I sweated an awful lot. This time, I was much more relaxed. No sweat. Literally.
I got a few laughs, but most importantly, I kept their attention. They weren't drifting off to their own conversations. There were even some guys who were nodding their heads and making eye contact with me and smiling, which really helped. At one point, I looked back to see if Kurt and Bob were ready, but they were still setting up, so I said something about that, which got another laugh.
Then I got the idea of doing a music game with them. I decided to do toning, so I explained what toning is in my song, and got them all to do it. Twice. The second time, Kurt joined in on the guitar, and it turned into our jam. Perfect! I love how ideas can come to you in the moment, and you don't even have to think twice. You just implement them, and it works.
I stopped singing, and picked up my horn, and came in as if there was a head to the song, and we were off. It was a lot of fun, and I can't believe how comfortable I felt. I was dancing and playing. I invited people to move, but either they didn't hear me, or they didn't really want to. I didn't push it. Maybe next time.
It's all about acceptance. Me accepting myself. We all practice accepting ourselves in the Sonic Sandbox and then we practice accepting others. I was teaching the crowd our ethos. How to love the one true sound they make, and people got it, and we were all together for a few moments.
We asked Tony about having a night of our own, and he seems into it, now. So we got to figure that out, and then get our people to come. I've got the website now. And a template for flyers. Just gotta print them up and maybe make up some cards. Maybe print out a few CDs and try to sell them, although I really want to do it online. Just get a paypal payment and give them the link.
It's been really healing. Kurt and Bob are really enjoying it. I am, too. It's all about practicing acceptance and stopping all that second guessing and worrying about how I come across. It's great to play for others. It's one of those off-road trips you might have on vacation when you turn off the highway and stop driving with the GPS. Who knows where you'll end up, but you see a lot of stuff you'd never see otherwise. That's what happens in the Sonic Sandbox. I just gotta let myself play and I'll have fun. It's a choice I can make. Just keep myself from thinking all those obsessive, ruminative thoughts, and focusing on the play.
….note to self: take pictures next time. They might help give more flavor to this blog! Yeah. Just a note. Don't beat yourself up for not thinking about it before. Just do it next time. Remember, we're just playing. As long as we're playing, it won't become a job. And there won't be any judgment.
March 29, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, Connection, improvisation, mental health, Music Improvisation, Music improvisation workshop, Performance, Sonic Sandbox, Spirituality, workshop Leave a comment acceptancebandcoping techniquesimprovisationjudgmentmental healthmusicplayrecoveryvocalsworkshop
How I will use this Blog
From time to time, I will post my thoughts about playing in the Sonic Sandbox. The charter membership is made up of three or four of us. We all met in the "recovery rooms," which is jargon for the rooms where people meet at twelve step meetings. Because we met that way, we may or may not actually know each other's names. The key to twelve step recovery is anonymity. Most of us only feel safe enough to talk about what is really going on inside when we have some measure of protection about our deepest shames becoming public knowledge.
For that reason, I only know the first names of the people I play with in the Sonic Sandbox. I will also not be able to provide any more details about what kind of twelve step group it is, nor what troubles we are dealing with that brought us together. I hope that won't matter. What is important is that playing in the Sonic Sandbox has become a part of our recoveries. It is a coping technique that helps us learn to change our habits from ones that are destructive to both us and the people we love to ones that, we hope, will be a lot healthier.
The idea of making music together, I believe, was first discussed by Bob and Kurt. Bob plays electric violin and Kurt plays electric guitar. Bob also told me that Kurt was a singer. When I heard they were going to do some music together, I decided that I wanted to crash that party. I wanted to play with other people, because I had stopped playing for over a year, as a punishment to myself for harming people I loved. This was an opportunity to get together in a way that wouldn't contribute to my problems. In the past, music had opened the door for me to get into trouble.
I knew I needed music because of what it does to my brain. I helps me access my sense of connection to others. As such, it directly counteracts the feeling of loneliness and isolation I was living in. It gave me respite from despair and hopelessness. It provided a few moments of relief from what felt like a black hole in the pit of my stomach, that was slowing down light as well as weighing me down. My life, for a time, felt slow and miserable and impossible — except for those moments when I was connected to others, primarily through music.
Then, I decided I was such a bad person, that I didn't even deserve any relief at all. I stopped playing music. I stopped dancing. I stopped socializing. I stopped talking to friends and family members. I stopped working. I stopped using the phone. I simply couldn't.
Finding people I felt safe to be with and to make music with was a miracle for me. It started at my house. Kurt and Bob and Ralph started coming over on Tuesday evenings to play together. Not all of them every single time. Sometimes it was only two of us.
I used my background in improvisational music to come up with games that would help us develop a practice. At first, we didn't know what we wanted to do. We thought about writing music or songs. We thought about being a rock band. We're still open to any ideas that anyone wants to bring to our practice, but mostly we started playing together using these improvisational games I either borrowed from others I have learned from, or that I made up myself.
I started recording our sessions, and then listening to the recordings, and after a while, I started thinking that maybe we had something that other people would enjoy. Maybe we were developing a process that could help others gain the benefits we were gaining. Maybe we could play for others and with others in more public situations.
To date, we've played for others in a formal way three times. We've given the workshop once in a formal setting (a twelve step group retreat). We enjoyed ourselves on each occasion, and we also got some positive feedback, which felt good. The workshop went over very well, and our last performance generated an amazing amount of energy. It got a group to get up out of their audience roles, and some played music with us, while others danced. It was a regular party!
I am beginning to see a future for this play for us. We can do the workshop at parties, or for people interested in learning how to make music together (no experience required). The workshop is also good for people in recovery, both from addictions and from mental illnesses. It provides a coping technique that gives people relief from the pain these things can bring.
Performing also brings people together, both as audience members and participants. It provides another way to connect with others, and, I hope, it helps to break down judgmental barriers that often come between us. It is great fun for us to be the spark plugs that generate the energy of connection within groups of people we do not yet know.
So, from time to time, I will post my descriptions and reactions to these events — our practices and our outreach to others. This may primarily be my thoughts, but I hope that other members of Sonic Sandbox will also want to post their thoughts, too. Until next time… I hope we can play in the sonic sandbox together one day soon.
March 25, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, Connection, Dance, Facilitation, Music Improvisation, Performance, Spirituality Leave a comment acceptancebandcoping techniquesDanceFacilitationHistoryimprovisationmental healthmind trainingmusicplayrecoveryworkshop
Roots of the Sonic Sandbox
The Sonic Sandbox has roots extending to many sources of inspiration. Some roots grow out of the improvisational music and dance community. Other roots reach into spiritual traditions meditation, yoga, and mindfulness, as well as into the support group and recovery movement.
Dance Improvisation
In 1986, I moved to an apartment in West Philadelphia with my then girlfriend. We were invited to a party by our upstairs neighbors — mostly, I think, out of self defense. They wanted to avoid us complaining about the loud music. It worked.
I liked the party, although my girlfriend didn't seem to enjoy them so much. I think she made an appearance and then went back downstairs to study. I stayed, up in the attic where the party was being held, to witness a form of dance that was both new to me, but it felt like I'd known it for a long time. I asked the party-goers where they learned to dance like that.
"The Friday Night Workshop at Group Motion," I was told.
I started going to the workshop, almost religiously. I met my wife there. I took the workshop facilitator training in Bermuda. I danced. I played music. I learned about rituals, tribes, and getting out of your head and into your body. Eventually, I figured out that this was my form of meditation, and later on, when I got sick, dancing at Group Motion was the only relief I got from my despair and hopelessness.
One of the dancers at Group Motion introduced me to his passions: drumming and a special form of music improvisation that he learned from the cell
David Darling and Chungliang Al Huang
o player, David Darling at Music for People workshops. Ron Kravitz, creator of Music in the Moment, introduced me to Baba
tunde Olatungi's drumming style as well as Music for People. I had the privilege of studying with Olatunji himself, at a weekend workshop in Philadelphia. I also worked with David Darling together with Taiji master improviser, Chungliang Al Huang at a workshop at Esalen Institute.
I played music. I improvised. I danced Taiji to the shapes of the giant pines and played my recorder to the sounds of the birds and the ocean at Big Sur.
I learned about the hero's journey and story telling and five minutes before the group performance on the last night, David Darling told me he wanted me to do a solo.
In 2008, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I started attending both a bipolar support group to learn how to manage depression and a twelve step group to learn how to cope with compulsive behavior. I learned about the power of listening to other people's stories. I learned how rules can create a safe environment for people to tell their deepest shames openly in an effort to learn how to stop punishing themselves for the imagined and real hurts they have inflicted on others and themselves. I learned that giving back is a very good way to help heal myself.
The Warp and Weft of Root Weaving
Many roots. Many influences. Coming together to inform my life and my true work. It's all a mass of knotted roots, now. I doubt if I could ever unentangle it, even if I wanted to. There's much more, of course. Stuff from my family and my childhood. My struggle to feel lovable and loved. My efforts to punish myself for all the hurts I caused others.
These are also my spiritual roots. For me, spirituality is about feeling connections between me and others and our environment in a way that feels as if there is no separation. The magical paradox of being a separate being while being a part of everything. I am weaving all these things together; mostly making it up as I go along; and trying to pass on the things I have learned so they can help themselves recover from whatever it is that haunts them, and to find more joy and fun and love in their lives.
March 22, 2016 August 2, 2016 Community, Connection, Facilitation, improvisation, mental health, Music Improvisation, Safe Space, Spirituality, Uncategorized, workshop Leave a comment acceptancebalanceequalfairnessfunimprovisationjudgmentlisteningmusicplaysoloSupportworkshop
The Rules of Play in the Sonic Sandbox
Making our Sandbox Safe
Sonic Sandbox re-imagines the playgrounds of our childhood. For many, these playgrounds were places where we played without thought, just for fun. For some, they were places where they could be ostracized or bullied. The Sonic Sandbox is dedicated to creating a safe place for playing together without feeling judged or made wrong. The rules are simple:
Listen. Find something interesting in every sound.
Support others by copying them.
Take turns riffing off what others are doing
Make sure everyone gets a chance to develop their solo voice.
Guard everyone else in the group.
The Sonic Sandbox is a place to practice acceptance. There are plenty of opportunities to beat ourselves up in the rest of the world. It is easy to feel criticized and then take that further: to join in and criticize yourself. This is what stops people from playing.
When I was in third grade, someone from the instrument rental store came in to demonstrate all the instruments. When he played the trumpet, I knew instantly that that was my instrument. My parents rented a cornet for me (because it was easier for a kid to hold) and I started taking lessons with a high school student.
Later on, I took lessons from adults, eventually studying with Walter Chestnut, the trumpet professor at the University of Massachusetts. I loved the trumpet, and Mr. Chestnut was a very jovial teacher, who rarely made me feel that bad when I hadn't practiced.
I was studying classical music, which was the only thing I really knew about in those days. My parents listened to classical music at home. I knew little about jazz or even popular music, except that when I heard "Never on Sunday," Herb Albert became one of my favorite trumpet players. I still own several of his albums — on vinyl.
I loved playing my horn, and I joined the junior high and high school bands, and was in the local youth symphony. It was great, except for two things: soloing and competition. It was (and still is) the practice for most students of classical music to have to perform in recitals as a part of our training. Another problematic custom for me was having to challenge others in the band for the first chair — the one who always played the melody line and who, on occasion, also took the solos.
I think that all my life I have had a love-hate relationship with wanting to be a star and hating the pressure of trying to be a star. I wanted to take the solos and be first chair because it carried some prestige and because we got to play the most interesting parts. I hated playing in recitals or taking solos in band concerts because if I screwed up, everyone would hear it and know who had made the mistake.
In classical music, most listeners are pretty familiar with the music, and so they know when performers make mistakes. When I was growing up, it became a kind of game to catch people out — especially the more famous people. I guess it might have made them seem more human and approachable. Unfortunately, when it was time to play the solos or the recitals, I imagined the audience and my fellow musicians (especially my teacher) were only listening for my mistakes.
There is a long, complicated, and amazingly common psychology behind this. I'll simply say that in my family, making mistakes was a really bad thing that would get you a lot of scorn. Classical music just built on the neuroses I learned in my family. The culture of star worship in the United States also reinforced this message, and thus, every solo, for me, became a period of terror, as I knew I would have ample opportunity to make a glaring mistake (or more than one) that everyone would know about.
As a result, I couldn't really enjoy the music. I was too concerned with not screwing up to enjoy myself.
I'll tell the story of how I learned to get over this fear another time, but the main thing I learned that has lead me to try to create the Sonic Sandbox is that I need a place where there are no mistakes. A place where people will not be looking for mistakes. That means, I learned in David Darling's Music for People workshops, that I need to learn a different way of listening.
If we listen for what there is to enjoy in music instead of listening for mistakes, both musicians and listeners will get a lot more enjoyment from it.
Watch us play
Sennesory Red
Latest Addition: After the Rain, Sparx
Tryptych in Five
Journey Through Nine Vistas
Christmas Alone
Jackie the Dog
Puppywop
Tidal Wave Goodbye
Adeste Fideles
West Philly Personal History
Sand Sailing
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Is your business 'stuck in the middle'?
Have you ever noticed how some businesses continually struggle to stay afloat? It's usually those that don't offer a product or service that stands out above the competition. If you don't have anything to tempt customers to buy your product over a rival's product, you're minimising the opportunity of a sale and increasing the likelihood of your business just staying afloat. This occurs when a firm is 'stuck in the middle' and fails to understand its strategic position.
More often than not, being stuck in the middle is due to the absence of a clear set of objectives, or it may be an even bigger issue such as a lack of strategic direction. It is those businesses that possess strategic direction and clear objectives that drive them forwards more quickly than rival firms, achieving successes as they push to notch up specific objectives. Having defined goals gives a business a purpose, a mission, possibly even an advantage as the workforce can become energised to meet the demands set by the leadership. But the problem is that most businesses simply don't set clear objectives for the firm to drive towards. They are too busy keeping the cogs turning to take a long term view and map out a desired future state for their organisation. This is an all-to-frequent characteristic of the average business that's just trying to keep the monthly numbers up.
Firms that are stuck in the middle have often taken their eye off the ball and tend not to price competitively, although many will claim to be competitive despite their failure to actually scope out rival pricing policies. Another characteristic is that they don't understand their target market and fail to market appropriately to them, adopting a broad brush approach to tactical marketing. Sure, the 'scatter gun' technique will bring some return on investment, but imagine if it was done with a more acute focus on the real target audience? Refined messages, tailored specifically to the customer and delivered from a channel that they actually use will clearly have a greater impact than the broad brush approach. Yet so many firms just can't seem to get their heads around this methodology.
The first step to avoid getting stuck in the middle is to create a preference for your business over a competitor in the mind of your customers. When a business provides a product or service which clearly has something special that differentiates it from the competition, it becomes the easy choice for selection. Customers will go wherever they can to get the best value. Therefore, seeking out a way to deliver the greatest possible value to your clients will ensure that they select your business over a competitor. The next stage is to identify the most suitable market or segments, then the customers - the targets. Once you understand what your segments are and the targets within those segments - and I mean really understand them via profiling - you can begin to gain an insight into what they value about your offering and then how you go about marketing to them. Within this process, you will probably begin to realise that what you were doing previously was inappropriate and unspecific to your market. You will also start to understand how effectively you can connect with your audience now you know what they value, and how easy it is to prevent your business from being stuck in the middle.


"Human in the morning is not the same at noon. Like the waves of the ocean our nature transforms itself. We might be calm and quiet at dawn and as furious as the scorching sun at noon" – I found this quote in a coffee shop in Kathmandu. Kathmandu is surrounded by beautiful mountains. But it is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in South Asia. I stayed in Sanepa for half of a month. It is a place at Lalitpur District, Nepal. It is basically a residential area. It is popular for tourist residence as well. I grew up in a very slow place where I have never seen any mountains with so many buildings and human made structures.I felt suffocated while I can see beautiful mountains far away from the city but cannot find a empty space to sit and breathe.


Going to Disneyland isn't cheap. Currently, one-day tickets range from $97 to $124 — and that's just to walk through the gate.
Disney gives its employees free tickets every year. If you know someone who works for the company, then "it can't hurt to give them a call and see if they have any leftover tickets," said Leslie Tayne, head debt attorney and founder of the Tayne Law Group. Otherwise, tap your friends and family to see if they have Disney employee perks, run an ad on Craigslist or place a post on your social media accounts.
If you find someone who's willing to hook you up, he or she is likely going to want some cash in return. Remember to be discreet, because profiting from employee perks could get that person fired.
You might not find it among traditional Disneyland insider tips, but you could save money by getting a job with a Disney company. You'll get free admission to the theme parks, plus in-park employee discounts.
If you're working solely for Disneyland savings, keep the job only as long as you need the perks. When they don't benefit you anymore, just quit.
Keep in mind that quitting abruptly might prevent you from getting rehired. But if you give proper notice, you'll probably be eligible for rehire and have the opportunity to pull this stunt again.
Disneyland offers special rates to locals. Currently, Southern California residents can get 20 percent off two-day tickets good for visiting one park per day.
Inquiring minds might want to know whether the promotion for locals operates on an honor system. Unfortunately, proof of residency is required for purchase and admission with a local Disneyland pass. So, if you're old enough to wield an ID, you probably can't slide by.
Plans like this can meet an embarrassing demise when children aren't hip to what's going on, however, and a savvy staff member asks the child for his or her age.
Enlist a soldier to help you save money with the Disneyland military discount. U.S. service members get a sweeter deal than locals.
Disneyland is currently offering them three-day passes for $168. On some military bases, the tickets might be even cheaper. Soldiers can buy six of these tickets, and share them with family and friends. They aren't supposed to sell them for profit, however, and could get into big trouble for doing so.
The deal with timeshares is, if you're willing to sit through a presentation and aggressive sales pitch, you usually get a free gift. Find one that offers timeshare tickets to Disneyland, and you can get into the park for free.
But after your trip, remember your original intent for opening the account. Don't get attached to the new plastic and run up unnecessary debt. These cards often have annual fees and steep interest rates. "So I would recommend that you cancel the card before the year is up," said Cruz.
For kids, dressing up is a big deal. They'll often wear Disney costumes to character-themed events, and it makes for great picture-taking when a child and a character are dressed alike, Tayne said.
Disneyland gift shops aren't good places to outfit your kid, however, because costumes can range from $75 to $100, Tayne added. If you're traveling with a child under age 12, buy a Disney character costume before you go to Disneyland.
Gift shops are also not good places to get caught with a new Disney outfit in your possession that you can't verify. If you buy Disney gear in advance and bring it along, take care to avoid any shoplifting confusion.
If you're planning a trip to Disneyland, be aware that the park does reserve the right to refuse you entry, or prohibit you from entering with certain items. If your food raises a red flag, you might have to leave it in a locker outside the main gate.
Granola bars and carrot sticks have their place, but if you're going to spend the whole day in the park, chances are you'll want more than just snacks. But meals at Disneyland can add up quickly. In fact, a family of four can save over $100 by avoiding lunch, said Mike Scanlin, CEO of investment website Born to Sell.
Forget spending money on drinks. Take a bottle with you, and enjoy free refills at Disneyland's drinking fountains all day.
If, for some reason, you can't get in with your bottle, ask for a free cup from one of the park's restaurants. Otherwise, buy the cheapest drink you can find and refill that from the drinking fountains.
Disneyland's parking rates start at $20, but that's a cost you might be able to avoid. Many hotels in the area offer free Disneyland shuttle service to the park.
In the end, it might not work. In that case, the worst that's likely to happen is you'll get banned from that hotel's property. It's more likely that you'll just be at the center of an embarrassing scene.
Disneyland hotels have a lot of amenities, but they're also pricey. For example, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel has rooftop adult and kiddie pools and the twisting California Streamin' waterslide. Right now, during the off-season, rooms start at $256 a night, compared to numerous hotels less than a mile away listed at under $100.
Travel experts often advise Disneyland-goers to avoid getting sucked into the appeal of luxury, and stay in cheaper hotels nearby. But if personal space isn't important to you, you can avoid overspending without sacrificing luxury. Just pack a lot of people into one room and split the price among the adults.
It's important to remember that you run the risk of getting kicked out of the hotel if you're caught, or having your belongings stolen if you bunk with strangers.
Click through to read about 15 places to have an unforgettable family vacation.
GOBankingRates does not condone policy/law-breaking practices or unethical behavior. This article is meant to educate readers on the potential dangers of a deal that's too good to be true.


Here's the interview thanks to ScreenSlam.com. The exact question comes in at 1:15.
Q: How important is secrecy for the company now and how do you try and keep secrets considering how fast things travel?
If we're to believe Kennedy here (And why wouldn't we? She's the person most responsible for these films, not Abrams), that whole Abrams mystery box, keep- everything-hidden-from-everyone way of thinking will not be the norm when Star Wars Episode VII starts shooting. Whether or not he'll be cool with that remains to be seen (hopefully he'll answer that with Star Trek Into Darkness coming out) but keeping fans in the loop will likely keep them happy and not full of venom.
What are your thoughts on this? Will Kennedy be able to change Abrams' thoughts on this? Will we get Star Wars Episode VII information during shooting?


Dana Rogozinski '07 recently launched an original line of Holocaust remembrance jewelry inspired by the legacy of her grandparents and the lessons in philanthropy she cultivated at The Bolles School.
Called The J&E Legacy Collection and named after her grandparents Jakob and Ella Rogozinski, the jewelry company was developed in Israel and is now based in Jacksonville. A portion of each jewelry sale supports Holocaust education and scholarships.
"I hope this endeavor will carry on not only my grandparents' legacy, but of those who perished," Dana Rogozinski said.
She said her grandmother's story of bravery, honesty and courage has compelled her since she was a young student at Bolles. When she was in Grade 5, Dana's teacher invited grandmother Ella to speak to the class about her Holocaust experience during a unit on World History. Following that initial presentation, Ella visited Bolles as a guest lecturer on many other occasions to share her survival story.
"My grandmother's honesty, bravery and courage has stayed with me all these years," said Dana, recalling A5674, the numbers tattooed on her grandmother's forearm, and 56512, the numbers assigned to her grandfather in a forced labor camp. Ella was a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. "I realize it is up to my generation to keep the conversation of the Holocaust alive so that history does not repeat itself."
Dana took this conviction with her to Florida State University, where she received a degree in merchandising and product development. After studying fashion in Milan, Paris and London, Dana received a master's degree in business from Nova Southeastern University. She later worked in fashion and business in New York and Jacksonville as a buyer and product manager before spending a memorable year in Israel. There, she "spent time mastering the language, absorbing the culture and working for a start-up" and creating The Jakob and Ella Legacy Collection.
Dana said she developed much of her business' creativity, personal meaning and charitable purpose during her years at home and at The Bolles School.
"Since I was young, giving back was always an important lesson my parents instilled," Dana said. "The Bolles culture emphasizes academics, philanthropy and leadership. These ideals have served me well, and it is important to me that my new endeavor have a charitable component. Education, as well as giving back, are what my goals are in this new journey." The company's website is www.jakobella.com.