Cory Henry’s solo on “Lingus”
I’m going to retire this tumblr and leave this post at the top for posterity. The world is dark right now, but about three months back, I found this video which has been church to me ever since.
It’s pretty simple: an upbeat, odd time signatured, fairly dorky prog jazz song played live in-studio with an audience by the funk band Snarky Puppy (oof that name, as though lonelysandwich were any better) and at 4:20, the extraterrestrial genius Cory Henry takes a keyboard solo that elevates it above music, above performance, into religious territory. Watch his bandmates’ faces as he plays. Watch the other keyboardist take off his headphones and stand up laughing because he just can’t take it any longer. They’ve never seen anything like this. You’ve never seen anything like this. This is a man who speaks the language of his instrument with such a profound gift that music is transcended. I believe this solo to prove the existence of God.
But not all by itself. Because once the importance of this solo hit me, I started to research and found that it’s not an unheralded fluke. This solo is a cultural event, and millions of people have been touched by it. This Reddit thread about the solo invites people to weigh in and break down its impact with theory.
This guitarist, Jonathan Asperil covers the solo so virtuosically, so in sync that it seems like a special effect:
This French vocalist, Camille Bertault, scats along to the solo with such effortless grace you’d think she has a MIDI cord plugged into the back of her neck.
So it’s not just Cory Henry’s solo by itself that makes me believe this piece of musical splendor was put on our planet for a reason…it’s the planet’s response to it. If I believed that music were the spiritually divine’s encoded messages attempting to tell us that yes, there’s a truth to existence, and that nature is harmony (which I do), then this is my Bible. I’ll leave it here and wish us all good luck.
Shy Person’s Guide to Calling Representatives
In the coming weeks and years you will be seeing a lot of requests to call your representatives about issues facing our country. But maybe, like me, you hate calling people SO MUCH. This is a guide for you.
I’m anxious on the phone. My blood pressure rises when I need to call a customer service line, or even just ask the hours at a restaurant. So calling representatives about political issues is one of my least favorite things to do. I posted on Facebook recently about my experience calling my reps and it got a good response. I think there are a lot of us who want to pitch in but hesitate to pick up the phone. With that in mind, here is my shy person’s guide to calling your representative.
BEFORE YOU START:
* Pick an issue. This week I suggest calling to oppose the incoming administration’s cabinet picks:
White nationalist Steve Bannon for chief strategist
Climate change denier Myron Ebell for EPA Administrator
Jeff Sessions, who has a history of racist comments and voting, for Attorney General
Islamophobic Michael Flynn as NSA advisor* Know that it’s FAST. It takes maybe 2 minutes to call one person, including the time it take to look up their phone number. Think of it like ripping off a bandaid.
* Know that you don’t have to be persuasive. You are really just calling to put yourself on a tally that will be passed along to your representative. You don’t have to convince anyone and no one will try to argue with you. Just say your piece (as awkwardly as you want! they won’t care!) and get off the phone.
* Know that calling is better than emailing. I would much prefer to email, but your message is more likely to get lost in the deluge. When you talk to a staffer you know for sure that your opinion is being recorded.
* Find your reps’ numbers. Go here or here to find out who they are. Call their local lines when possible. Write down the numbers or save them as contacts so you don’t have to look them up every time.
* Take a deep breath.
DURING THE CALL:
* Start with an introduction. I use: Hi my name is _____ and I’m a constituent of Rep./Sen. ____ calling about a concern I have. I see many scripts that omit how to start the call, and it helps me to know for sure how to begin. Be sure to say you are a constituent. They might ask for your zip code, so have that ready.
* Have a script. This is 100% the best way to keep you focused and calm. There are lots of good scripts you can use here or you can write your own. Say what you are comfortable saying. Remember, you are just calling to be counted.
* Expect their response. The thing I see missing from most instructions for calling reps is what to expect in their response. Most of the time they will just tell you they will pass on your concern. Congrats - if they do this then you are done! They might read a prepared statement in response. They might even say that your rep is not going to take action on the issue you brought up. What they WON’T do is argue with you or say, “what a stupid thing to be concerned about.” Don’t let your anxious brain convince you they will do this.
* If necessary, reiterate your request. If they read a statement or say the representative will not take action, don’t get flustered. Just say, Once again, I’m calling on the Rep./Sen. to _____.
* Thank the staffer and hang up.
AFTER THE CALL:
* Take another deep breath.
* Congratulate yourself.
* Do some self-care. Maybe start here. Or here. Do whatever makes you feel happy and rewarded.
* Know that it gets easier. The more you call, the more you know what to expect. You may even get to know some staffers. You might never like calling but I promise it gets less awful.
Who would pose for a People of Retrotech calendar where we all channel Bill Gates and pose seductively with old tech??
Z, it is time.
Sign me up.
Does this count?
(via floppy-diskette)
“[David] Fincher: Scorsese once told me, “The things you do poorly are as much a part of your style as the things you do well…” Which was totally true, and oddly reassuring.
I love this. Embracing the mistakes has always been a core tenet for me. And when I put it at the end of my Creative Mornings talk a couple months ago, it went like this: “If you’re going to fuck up, fuck up like only you can fuck up.” Errors are artifacts and artifacts are where your voice is.
Have you played the game QuizUp? It’s addictive, the topics go deep on whatever your obsession might be (mine is Arrested Development, I play as @lonelysandwich) and today, they launched a new version with a whole social thing under it, where you can find and fall in love with people who like what you like. Also, a tumblr-like thing that’s just for following posts specific to the topics you play.
And this video! With me in a silly cameo in my favorite hat.
I don’t think I’ll get very many opportunities to be illustrated in medieval friar gear standing between Snoop and Jared Leto and called a chubby stoner, so I’ll put this here to remember it as the WSJ stipple portrait that never was.
Providing jazz guitar harmonies for local commercials is one of the strangest ideas we’ve ever heard of but god damn is it ever hilarious.
Wow. This is a good groove.
“Sometimes behave so strangely…”
I’ve been close friends with Darren Bader for eighteen years. His work is always unique, always challenging, sometimes funny, sometimes provocative. A new piece will go up for auction at Christie’s next month. Darren is raising money at this Indiegogo page, and the money raised will be put up for auction as art. Proceeds from the sale will go to charity. I made this video. Support the arts.