This is amazing!! Check how the resonating sound waves affect the rice.

Here are some pics from our recent CD release party with Darren Michaels (bass) and Arvin Scott (percussion). These pictures are taken by Cindy Sheffield Michaels, a fantastic artist. Check out more of her stuff here.

Miracles? Do they exist.
What is a miracle, but an event that exceeds current perception. An event which exceeds our belief in reality. However, if our perception is expanded does the event still seem miraculous, or does it take it's place as a part of "everyday reality".

For example, you've seen, in the movies, the story of the natives deep in the amazon jungle that believes that when their picture is taken that their soul is trapped. To them, seeing their image on polaroid paper, is a "miraculous" or supernatural event.

What is a greater "miracle": ...a misunderstood event... OR ...an expanded perception?

-Jonathan

Overnight success?
What's the opposite of that? An Overnight failure?

The idea of an overnight success is relatively new. Joan of Arc, Robin Hood and Sarah Bernhardt were not overnight successes. It took media (the old kind, like TV and movies, and especially the new kind, like Google video) to create the overnight success. My friends Pomme and Kelly are overnight successes. So are some of the characters on American Idol.

Along the way, some people have trained themselves to believe that the only kind of success worth having is overnight success. That if you don't hit #1 the first week, you've failed. That if your interface isn't perfect out of the box, or if you don't get 5,000 people standing in line at the opening of your new store, you've failed.

The Times today reports on Kathleen McGowan, easily considered an overnight failure. She spent years researching and writing a novel. She went to the annual book convention on her own nickel last year, trying to pitch it. Day after day was spent slogging her way to any person willing to look at it. This year, of course, she's back with a million dollar plus advance, feted by booksellers, the whole drill.

This excerpt is from Seth's Blog. Click here for more

Here's to steady plodding!! -JA

The shaman and the musician have in common the ability to transform suffering. For the musician suffering transformed becomes increased depth. If natural talent and dedicated practice are the height and width of the matrix in which the musician places her/his notes, suffering transformed gives this matrix depth. Suffering does not have to mean great illness or life-threatening injury, it can mean alienation, separation, despair...

from Ottmar liebert's blog

This was from a blog post about the Dalai Lama. I don't know if it actually from him, but great things to think about nonetheless.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Thanks to everyone for making our CD release concert a success and a SOLD OUT show!! We had a lot of fun sharing the new tunes with you and we look forward to doing a full evening with the band soon.

The Cd release limited edition was mixed by me (Jonathan) and mastered by Glen Schick in ATL. After more thought and consideration we have decided to have it re-mixed for the final release. The final mix will be done in Nashville in mid June, so we hope to have the final release ready soon after that.

We'll get some pics posted from the concert soon.
-J