Here is another poem I wrote. This was for my wife; I wrote it in 2007.
The Figurehead
I am my true love's head, but she the neck:
The crown of Christ's authority I wear.
But she, by will or whimsy, doth direct
All motions of the crown, the head, the hair.
That God created man a quadruped,
Beloved brother Gilbert taught us well!
But which shall be the tail, and which the head?
And how to steer this monster, who can tell?
To all her wifely wisdom, I submit.
But, is such abdication not unjust?
How so, if I employ her sense and wit?
If in my love my heart doth safely trust?
May God, by Whose great wisdom we were wed,
Have mercy upon me, a figurehead.
© 2007, Paul W. Erlandson
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
A Winter's Eucharist (London, 1990)
It always annoys me when I recall a poem of mine, and Google it only to find that it is posted nowhere on the internet. So, I will be posting some of these "missing" poems here, in order that I'll be able to find them more easily should I ever decide to publish my first volume of poetry.
This one is from 1993, about my trip to St. Paul's, London, in 1990. A word about the unique form. It is the invention of my Anglican friend Russ Smith. The form requires 80 syllables in total. It is first written as ten lines eight syllables, and then as eight lines of ten syllables, and each pair of consecutive lines must rhyme in each presentation. Trickier than you might think!
A Winter's Eucharist (London, 1990)
© 1993, Paul Erlandson
This one is from 1993, about my trip to St. Paul's, London, in 1990. A word about the unique form. It is the invention of my Anglican friend Russ Smith. The form requires 80 syllables in total. It is first written as ten lines eight syllables, and then as eight lines of ten syllables, and each pair of consecutive lines must rhyme in each presentation. Trickier than you might think!
A Winter's Eucharist (London, 1990)
A winter's Eucharist I took
At noon, with Cranmer's little book
My fork and spoon to eat the bread
Of heaven as we sung and read,
The blood of Jesus on my tongue.
St. Paul's Cathedral round me rung
With late echoes of Donne and Wren.
How very great our God is then
Who on His wise wheel spun the sun,
As well as Messrs. Wren and Donne!
A winter's Eucharist I took at noon,
With Cranmer's little book my fork and spoon
To eat the bread of heaven as we sung --
(And red the blood of Jesus on my tongue).
St. Paul's Cathedral round me rung with late
Echoes of Donne and Wren. How very great
Our God is then who on His wise wheel spun
The sun, as well as Messrs. Wren and Donne!
© 1993, Paul Erlandson
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Christ Church Anglican Revisited.
Last year, while making my annual pilgrimage to the Arnold Sports Festival, I discovered a really cool Anglican parish in Columbus, Ohio. I blogged about it here.
This year, I was able to attend two Holy Communion services at Christ Church Anglican, one on Saturday evening, and the main one on Sunday morning.
Several friends had asked me, after I posted last year's blog, what a "Contemporary 1928 BCP" service was. I told them that I didn't know, but I now have the answer to that.
As walked up the sidewalk to the church door on Saturday afternoon, my heart was heavy. I always try to invite my fellow bodybuilding fans to church, and nobody ever shows any interest. It makes me sad that so few people in the world seem to truly love church. I love it so much that it puzzles me how others cannot like it at all. It seems a burden to them. Perhaps that is because they are not Anglicans; since I have been Anglican, I love church so much that I would attend even if I ceased to believe in God. So, anyway, I was a bit sad and lonely as I walked up to the church door.
As I opened the door, however, my heart was lifted straight up into heaven, by the sheer smell of the place. I love a church that actually smells the way a church is supposed to smell! Inside, I met Doug, the music minister for the contemporary service. Then, once in my pew, I met Shaun. In a breach of Anglican etiquette, Shaun and I chatted before the service started. I found out that he was from a town in Michigan half an hour's drive from my home. I also found that we had a mutual friend in Fr. Robert Kerr.
The music used throughout the service was very reminiscent of that used at my local AMiA parish, so was not really my cup of tea. I commented afterwards that it was a bit like being at a Counting Crows concert. But, of course, I love the Counting Crows, so it is all good. Rather than be my usual Music Snob self, I humbled myself and entered into the singing with all my heart, an act of will which God immediately rewarded. I felt my soul transported again into the presence of God. The service was a full 1928 BCP Holy Communion liturgy, except that the language was modernized (which thing I abominate, as you can probably guess). No "thee", "thou", or "thine". No "vouchsafe". And "people" instead of "men". I stumbled badly at several points. Any time, in fact, that I started to go from memory instead of reading the page. I found this, frankly, to be very distracting.
I had a good talk with several parishioners and the priest afterwards, and I hope to attend this service again during the 2012 Arnold.
Sunday morning, I arrived at church early, hoping to capture some photographs of the building beyond what I'd taken last year. Alas, I had left my camera battery in the charger back in my room. So, no new pictures this year.
The 10:00 am was fairly well attended, considering that there had been an unexpected overnight snow in Columbus. For the number of parishioners, and the size of the building, the singing was very strong, filling the worship space nicely. Unfortunately, my own singing was not very good, as I was suffering the last phase of a head cold. The hymns we sung were interesting. All were from the Hymnal 1940, but I was not very familiar with most of them. It made a nice change from singing the familiar ones over and over again. There was also a very fine Anthem from the choir.
I always give "extra credit" to any parish at which the Passing of the Peace is omitted, and Christ Church got the full amount of the extra credit.
But the one segment of the service which touched me the most was a simple reading of two Collects from very near the back of the 1928 BCP. They occur on pages 596 and 597, if memory serves. They were said by the priest just after the Nicene Creed and just before the Sermon Hymn. They were these:
Each of these Collects was like a bullet of love straight through my heart. Each spoke with incredible precision to a need I had at the moment. It reminded me once again of the amazing wisdom that is contained in the Book of Common Prayer! It also reaffirmed my long-standing belief that formal, structured liturgy is no impediment whatever to the Spirit of God. The Holy Ghost found His target (my heart) with these two arrows! The first Collect I needed to hear because I have been in a rut (which as an artist occasionally befalls me) of finding beauty only in one certain person I am painting, and not being able to see the beauty in "all thy works". This prayer is one I've often used to help break out of such an aesthetic bondage.
The second prayer is one that I hardly remember having seen or prayed before, but again it was exactly what my heart needed. For I have been fretting many months over some friends who are in a hard situation. I have come to the end of my ability to help them, and have had to yield them over to God's care. This has been very difficult for me. But this Collect assures me that God is doing better things for them than I can even think of! How great is that?
Oh, I almost forgot my other favourite part: the General Confession. As Prayer Book Anglicans, we often rush through the liturgy, as if speed were a prime virtue in worship. Sunday was the slowest I have ever heard a congregation read through the General Confession (same with the Prayer of Thanksgiving on page 83)! Normally, we cut through the Confession so quickly that phrases like "the burden of them is intolerable" might as well be "two eggs, over easy". But by slowing down the cadence perhaps 30 to 40 percent, Christ Church Anglican gave me the blessing of feeling, evaluating, embracing, ratifying, and embodying every word and phrase in the Confession. I cannot tell you how wonderful this felt to me. I earnestly entreat any Anglican clergyman reading this blog entry to take this challenge: Slow down the General Confession! Read it so that it feels almost too slow. Pause at every punctuation mark. I have never seen this issue discussed, but it made a night-and-day difference to my worship that morning.
Just as last year, the service was concluded with a beautiful Organ Postlude, which made me wish my wife could have attended. God willing, she will be there with me next March!
This year, I was able to attend two Holy Communion services at Christ Church Anglican, one on Saturday evening, and the main one on Sunday morning.
Several friends had asked me, after I posted last year's blog, what a "Contemporary 1928 BCP" service was. I told them that I didn't know, but I now have the answer to that.
As walked up the sidewalk to the church door on Saturday afternoon, my heart was heavy. I always try to invite my fellow bodybuilding fans to church, and nobody ever shows any interest. It makes me sad that so few people in the world seem to truly love church. I love it so much that it puzzles me how others cannot like it at all. It seems a burden to them. Perhaps that is because they are not Anglicans; since I have been Anglican, I love church so much that I would attend even if I ceased to believe in God. So, anyway, I was a bit sad and lonely as I walked up to the church door.
As I opened the door, however, my heart was lifted straight up into heaven, by the sheer smell of the place. I love a church that actually smells the way a church is supposed to smell! Inside, I met Doug, the music minister for the contemporary service. Then, once in my pew, I met Shaun. In a breach of Anglican etiquette, Shaun and I chatted before the service started. I found out that he was from a town in Michigan half an hour's drive from my home. I also found that we had a mutual friend in Fr. Robert Kerr.
The music used throughout the service was very reminiscent of that used at my local AMiA parish, so was not really my cup of tea. I commented afterwards that it was a bit like being at a Counting Crows concert. But, of course, I love the Counting Crows, so it is all good. Rather than be my usual Music Snob self, I humbled myself and entered into the singing with all my heart, an act of will which God immediately rewarded. I felt my soul transported again into the presence of God. The service was a full 1928 BCP Holy Communion liturgy, except that the language was modernized (which thing I abominate, as you can probably guess). No "thee", "thou", or "thine". No "vouchsafe". And "people" instead of "men". I stumbled badly at several points. Any time, in fact, that I started to go from memory instead of reading the page. I found this, frankly, to be very distracting.
I had a good talk with several parishioners and the priest afterwards, and I hope to attend this service again during the 2012 Arnold.
Sunday morning, I arrived at church early, hoping to capture some photographs of the building beyond what I'd taken last year. Alas, I had left my camera battery in the charger back in my room. So, no new pictures this year.
The 10:00 am was fairly well attended, considering that there had been an unexpected overnight snow in Columbus. For the number of parishioners, and the size of the building, the singing was very strong, filling the worship space nicely. Unfortunately, my own singing was not very good, as I was suffering the last phase of a head cold. The hymns we sung were interesting. All were from the Hymnal 1940, but I was not very familiar with most of them. It made a nice change from singing the familiar ones over and over again. There was also a very fine Anthem from the choir.
I always give "extra credit" to any parish at which the Passing of the Peace is omitted, and Christ Church got the full amount of the extra credit.
But the one segment of the service which touched me the most was a simple reading of two Collects from very near the back of the 1928 BCP. They occur on pages 596 and 597, if memory serves. They were said by the priest just after the Nicene Creed and just before the Sermon Hymn. They were these:
For Joy in God's Creation.
O HEAVENLY Father, who hast filled the world with beauty; Open, we beseech thee, our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him by whom all things were made, thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Those We Love.
ALMIGHTY God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Each of these Collects was like a bullet of love straight through my heart. Each spoke with incredible precision to a need I had at the moment. It reminded me once again of the amazing wisdom that is contained in the Book of Common Prayer! It also reaffirmed my long-standing belief that formal, structured liturgy is no impediment whatever to the Spirit of God. The Holy Ghost found His target (my heart) with these two arrows! The first Collect I needed to hear because I have been in a rut (which as an artist occasionally befalls me) of finding beauty only in one certain person I am painting, and not being able to see the beauty in "all thy works". This prayer is one I've often used to help break out of such an aesthetic bondage.
The second prayer is one that I hardly remember having seen or prayed before, but again it was exactly what my heart needed. For I have been fretting many months over some friends who are in a hard situation. I have come to the end of my ability to help them, and have had to yield them over to God's care. This has been very difficult for me. But this Collect assures me that God is doing better things for them than I can even think of! How great is that?
Oh, I almost forgot my other favourite part: the General Confession. As Prayer Book Anglicans, we often rush through the liturgy, as if speed were a prime virtue in worship. Sunday was the slowest I have ever heard a congregation read through the General Confession (same with the Prayer of Thanksgiving on page 83)! Normally, we cut through the Confession so quickly that phrases like "the burden of them is intolerable" might as well be "two eggs, over easy". But by slowing down the cadence perhaps 30 to 40 percent, Christ Church Anglican gave me the blessing of feeling, evaluating, embracing, ratifying, and embodying every word and phrase in the Confession. I cannot tell you how wonderful this felt to me. I earnestly entreat any Anglican clergyman reading this blog entry to take this challenge: Slow down the General Confession! Read it so that it feels almost too slow. Pause at every punctuation mark. I have never seen this issue discussed, but it made a night-and-day difference to my worship that morning.
Just as last year, the service was concluded with a beautiful Organ Postlude, which made me wish my wife could have attended. God willing, she will be there with me next March!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Book of Memory
By request, I am posting the demo video of my song Book of Memory. At first, it didn't upload to YouTube correctly, and then I though perhaps the demo was too rough to post. But it captures basically what I want to do with the tune, as well as some of the passion that went into writing it. It is always interesting to have as an artifact a recording of any song on the same day you wrote it.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Going and Staying
I think it is common for us to wish the bad things away while somehow not losing the good. We want forgetfulness on the one hand, and eternal rememberance on the other. I recently wrote this song, which expressed the desire for remembrance:
Book of Memory (P. Erlandson, 2011)
Frozen moments, sparks were flashing,
Smiles that pierced me to the core.
But I'm nothing to you now, and
Never shall be any more.
All you taught me is forgotten,
All I taught you, gone the same.
All that's left is endless sorrow,
Every time I hear your name.
But in God's own book of memory,
Everything we vowed, still true.
Nothing can erase our chapter;
God remembers I loved you.
All our days of secret sharing,
All our times of joyous prayer.
All our highest hopes and fancies,
Faithfully recorded there.
Each is captured, none forgotten,
Like a jewel of great price.
Every promise, kept unbroken,
Every act of sacrifice.
There in God's own book of memory,
Still we live beyond the pain.
All our kindnesses remembered,
All our love was not in vain.
But perhaps that is not realistic. Perhaps a more possible view is that express by Thomas Hardy in his poem Going and Staying, in which the blind arm of Time brushes away both pleasant and unpleasant memories in an indescriminate fashion:
Going and Staying
The moving sun-shapes on the spray,
The sparkles where the brook was flowing,
Pink faces, plightings, moonlit May,
These were the things we wished would stay;
But they were going.
Seasons of blankness as of snow,
The silent bleed of a world decaying,
The moan of multitudes in woe,
These were the things we wished would go;
But they were staying.
Then we looked closelier at Time,
And saw his ghostly arms revolving
To sweep off woeful things with prime,
Things sinister with things sublime
Alike dissolving.
Book of Memory (P. Erlandson, 2011)
Frozen moments, sparks were flashing,
Smiles that pierced me to the core.
But I'm nothing to you now, and
Never shall be any more.
All you taught me is forgotten,
All I taught you, gone the same.
All that's left is endless sorrow,
Every time I hear your name.
But in God's own book of memory,
Everything we vowed, still true.
Nothing can erase our chapter;
God remembers I loved you.
All our days of secret sharing,
All our times of joyous prayer.
All our highest hopes and fancies,
Faithfully recorded there.
Each is captured, none forgotten,
Like a jewel of great price.
Every promise, kept unbroken,
Every act of sacrifice.
There in God's own book of memory,
Still we live beyond the pain.
All our kindnesses remembered,
All our love was not in vain.
But perhaps that is not realistic. Perhaps a more possible view is that express by Thomas Hardy in his poem Going and Staying, in which the blind arm of Time brushes away both pleasant and unpleasant memories in an indescriminate fashion:
Going and Staying
The moving sun-shapes on the spray,
The sparkles where the brook was flowing,
Pink faces, plightings, moonlit May,
These were the things we wished would stay;
But they were going.
Seasons of blankness as of snow,
The silent bleed of a world decaying,
The moan of multitudes in woe,
These were the things we wished would go;
But they were staying.
Then we looked closelier at Time,
And saw his ghostly arms revolving
To sweep off woeful things with prime,
Things sinister with things sublime
Alike dissolving.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Beauty Matters
No matter how many people (Christians, mostly) tell me that beauty does not matter, I am unable and unwilling to believe this. Their reasoning is that it does not matter to God and therefore it should not matter to the Christian.
That is so bizarre and unthinkable to me. For God to have created all the manifold kinds of beauty He created, and then for that to be to Him either (A) of no consequence whatever; or (B) actually a negative thing, since beauty is such a temptation to idolatry ... is a thought that I hate with my entire being.
I was talking once to Doug Pinnick (of King's X fame) and he was telling me and some other people about a Christian speed metal band that he had heard in Europe. He talked to the band's lead guitarist, who told him that all their technical proficiency, all their virtuosity, all the beauty of their music, was worth absolutely nothing. It was only a means to get their metaphorical foot in the door to preach the Gospel. The beauty of it meant nothing at all. Doug related to us how shocked he was to hear the guy say this; he was in stunned disbelief at what he heard. I agree with Doug.
Beauty is valuable. It means something.
That is so bizarre and unthinkable to me. For God to have created all the manifold kinds of beauty He created, and then for that to be to Him either (A) of no consequence whatever; or (B) actually a negative thing, since beauty is such a temptation to idolatry ... is a thought that I hate with my entire being.
I was talking once to Doug Pinnick (of King's X fame) and he was telling me and some other people about a Christian speed metal band that he had heard in Europe. He talked to the band's lead guitarist, who told him that all their technical proficiency, all their virtuosity, all the beauty of their music, was worth absolutely nothing. It was only a means to get their metaphorical foot in the door to preach the Gospel. The beauty of it meant nothing at all. Doug related to us how shocked he was to hear the guy say this; he was in stunned disbelief at what he heard. I agree with Doug.
Beauty is valuable. It means something.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Audioproject2 - Musical Duo from Czech Republic!
Every so often, you strike gold on YouTube. This is one of those times. Several weeks back I stumbled on a musical duo (husband and wife) from the Czech Republic, who call themselves Audioproject2. Their names are Adriana and Pavel. I love their combination of blues and gospel standards. They graciously agreed to be interviewed for my blog.
HRA: It is somewhat unusual to hear the same artists singing blues and gospel. I really like that. You seem to express both kinds of music equally well. Is that a difficult balance to make?
Pavel: Actually,I don't find it difficult. At least not as I personally feel it. Blues is about everyday life. It reflects ordinary week-days. Good times-bad times, troubles, love and hate... Gospel - it is Sunday... It's a message. It's a message that you have found something bigger in this world below and it describes the way that led to this finding. But there are still days of the week. These genres are as close as possible for me. Both of them have the same roots - the heart.
(Every good piece in so-called modern music is influenced by blues or gospel ..)
Adriana: Yes, I agree. I never devided music which I like to sing into categories. For me the most important thing is the feeling.I believe there's not a bad music style, but just poor songs. But if I should classify it - blues and gospel are my favourites.
HRA: Can you name some of your musical influences (both vocal and guitar)?
Adriana: My musical influences, they were quite a few. For me definately early music of Ike & Tina, she was my idol and I learned almost all her R'n'B songs. Then Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson and Elvis Presley. I love strong and impressive voices. And I must not forget about Johny Cash.
Pavel: There are many... Paul Anka's Diana was my very first song. I played my guitar and sang it with Czech lyrics. And then, there was a very special genre, we call it "folk" in the Czech Republic. It's a mixture of acoustic music across old time songs, country, bluegrass and Dylan-like singer-songwriters. "Spiritual Kvintet (Quintet)" band, offered a bit more than this. They started to play in the 60ies, i.e. golden age of gospel. Their music was for us at that time a window out of this part of the world, behind the cold war's wall :-). They played and sing about freedom and faith (We shall overcome).
Then SIMON & GARFUNKEL!
And sure, I must mention big rock guitar legends as Hendrix, Clapton, Page and many others during my "Hard and Heavy" :-) years. But most of all DAVID GILMOUR from Pink Floyd was my hero. Also I admire Mr. Guitar - Chet Atkins, Django Rheinhardt and many others.
I have to say I've found a lot of fantastic unknown and very talented artists on YouTube recently..
HRA: How long has each of you been doing music? How long together?
Adriana: My mom says I began to sing long before I could talk fluently :-). Music was the main reason why I began to learn English....Singing has always been my passion!
But till now – just a hobby, because at first I studied law at The Charles' University and then worked here in Prague. As a child I was singing in a choir, then in several bands, but we performed not so often.
Now we'd like to form a band and play live much more often!
Pavel: I got my first guitar when I was 10. On Christmas day. I played Diana till the New Year's Eve... :-) Later I played with a rock band, before I met Adriana. We did a lot of gigs in music clubs all around the country. We played a mixture of reggae, hard rock and rap (old school). The band broke up and I was looking for a singer. And I've found her!
But... we founded another sort of a band – marriage :-)) .
HRA: Do you play live for people at coffeehouses or other music venues? If so, how do you like live performance?
Pavel: Last spring we decided to start with music again. We are practising and preparing our own songs. In the meantime, we play some jazz, gospel, and blues standards we both like. We are glad to share them on YouTube with the others. Hopefully we'll be performing live soon...
Adriana: Not much experience so far, but I'm looking forward to it!
HRA: Do you have any idea of putting a larger band together, perhaps with electric guitar and drums?
Adriana / Pavel: Yes, we are in touch with other musicians and working on it. But also we like acoustic playing especially for minor genres of music. It's something like a test, if you are good enough to play and sing live, because every little mistake is heard pretty loud!
But of course the more instruments the richer sound, so we are putting a couple of good musicians with the same musical taste together (which is not so easy,for the majority of people here prefer playing rock and folk).
HRA: Anything else you would like to tell the readers about you or your music?
Pavel: We really much appreciate your interest in our music!
Adriana: I would like to thank the readers and listeners for their time, and wish them all the best! If you find among our songs some that you like we'll be very pleased. And the biggest THANK belongs especially TO YOU PAUL for this great offer!
Thank you so much. Adriana Pavel AudioProject2
HRA: It is somewhat unusual to hear the same artists singing blues and gospel. I really like that. You seem to express both kinds of music equally well. Is that a difficult balance to make?
Pavel: Actually,I don't find it difficult. At least not as I personally feel it. Blues is about everyday life. It reflects ordinary week-days. Good times-bad times, troubles, love and hate... Gospel - it is Sunday... It's a message. It's a message that you have found something bigger in this world below and it describes the way that led to this finding. But there are still days of the week. These genres are as close as possible for me. Both of them have the same roots - the heart.
(Every good piece in so-called modern music is influenced by blues or gospel ..)
Adriana: Yes, I agree. I never devided music which I like to sing into categories. For me the most important thing is the feeling.I believe there's not a bad music style, but just poor songs. But if I should classify it - blues and gospel are my favourites.
HRA: Can you name some of your musical influences (both vocal and guitar)?
Adriana: My musical influences, they were quite a few. For me definately early music of Ike & Tina, she was my idol and I learned almost all her R'n'B songs. Then Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson and Elvis Presley. I love strong and impressive voices. And I must not forget about Johny Cash.
Pavel: There are many... Paul Anka's Diana was my very first song. I played my guitar and sang it with Czech lyrics. And then, there was a very special genre, we call it "folk" in the Czech Republic. It's a mixture of acoustic music across old time songs, country, bluegrass and Dylan-like singer-songwriters. "Spiritual Kvintet (Quintet)" band, offered a bit more than this. They started to play in the 60ies, i.e. golden age of gospel. Their music was for us at that time a window out of this part of the world, behind the cold war's wall :-). They played and sing about freedom and faith (We shall overcome).
Then SIMON & GARFUNKEL!
And sure, I must mention big rock guitar legends as Hendrix, Clapton, Page and many others during my "Hard and Heavy" :-) years. But most of all DAVID GILMOUR from Pink Floyd was my hero. Also I admire Mr. Guitar - Chet Atkins, Django Rheinhardt and many others.
I have to say I've found a lot of fantastic unknown and very talented artists on YouTube recently..
HRA: How long has each of you been doing music? How long together?
Adriana: My mom says I began to sing long before I could talk fluently :-). Music was the main reason why I began to learn English....Singing has always been my passion!
But till now – just a hobby, because at first I studied law at The Charles' University and then worked here in Prague. As a child I was singing in a choir, then in several bands, but we performed not so often.
Now we'd like to form a band and play live much more often!
Pavel: I got my first guitar when I was 10. On Christmas day. I played Diana till the New Year's Eve... :-) Later I played with a rock band, before I met Adriana. We did a lot of gigs in music clubs all around the country. We played a mixture of reggae, hard rock and rap (old school). The band broke up and I was looking for a singer. And I've found her!
But... we founded another sort of a band – marriage :-)) .
HRA: Do you play live for people at coffeehouses or other music venues? If so, how do you like live performance?
Pavel: Last spring we decided to start with music again. We are practising and preparing our own songs. In the meantime, we play some jazz, gospel, and blues standards we both like. We are glad to share them on YouTube with the others. Hopefully we'll be performing live soon...
Adriana: Not much experience so far, but I'm looking forward to it!
HRA: Do you have any idea of putting a larger band together, perhaps with electric guitar and drums?
Adriana / Pavel: Yes, we are in touch with other musicians and working on it. But also we like acoustic playing especially for minor genres of music. It's something like a test, if you are good enough to play and sing live, because every little mistake is heard pretty loud!
But of course the more instruments the richer sound, so we are putting a couple of good musicians with the same musical taste together (which is not so easy,for the majority of people here prefer playing rock and folk).
HRA: Anything else you would like to tell the readers about you or your music?
Pavel: We really much appreciate your interest in our music!
Adriana: I would like to thank the readers and listeners for their time, and wish them all the best! If you find among our songs some that you like we'll be very pleased. And the biggest THANK belongs especially TO YOU PAUL for this great offer!
Thank you so much. Adriana Pavel AudioProject2
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