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mlrTsukiyo no Kenshi - Christopher Yohmei Blasdel
I've been angry too much of my life. It took me too long to learn that anger is a corrosive, self-applied.
I guess the writer of the meme assumed the correct answer for this question would be some headbanger throttle that would lead to greater heights of anger - but that's not quite for me any more. I don't know if there is music per se that I turn to when I'm overcome with anger, but there have been a few books over the years. I don't feel like listing them because I really don't think it matters what they are - what matters is the effort to deal with anger. These books were usually from the Buddhist tradition - again not particularly significant to me other than they pointed in the right direction.
Though the words Buddhist tradition invoke some special musical memories. One of my childhood & high school friends was Chris Blasdel, who later became a noted player of the shakuhachi in Japan. He has lived in Japan since the 70s and has written a lovely memoir about his life's journey.
I used to see Chris about every other year when he would return to Texas to visit his family. But he ceased coming about 12 years ago when his family dispersed and their property (a large ranch) finally sold.
I also have earlier memories of visits from Chris in Austin. After he began his apprenticeship with Gorō Yamaguchi, he would often carry a shakuhachi with him, and sometimes give impromptu concerts (for us, and whoever else would be around). One in particular I recall was on the Texas A & M campus. We had driven from Austin to College Station to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his sister Terry, who at the time was enrolled in veterinary school. On a wintry November day, as we walked around the campus, we found a large domed building which was unlocked. Chris sat on the floor in the middle of the marble dome and played. We climbed to a higher floor to watch and listen. It was magical.
I've been angry too much of my life. It took me too long to learn that anger is a corrosive, self-applied.
I guess the writer of the meme assumed the correct answer for this question would be some headbanger throttle that would lead to greater heights of anger - but that's not quite for me any more. I don't know if there is music per se that I turn to when I'm overcome with anger, but there have been a few books over the years. I don't feel like listing them because I really don't think it matters what they are - what matters is the effort to deal with anger. These books were usually from the Buddhist tradition - again not particularly significant to me other than they pointed in the right direction.
Though the words Buddhist tradition invoke some special musical memories. One of my childhood & high school friends was Chris Blasdel, who later became a noted player of the shakuhachi in Japan. He has lived in Japan since the 70s and has written a lovely memoir about his life's journey.
I used to see Chris about every other year when he would return to Texas to visit his family. But he ceased coming about 12 years ago when his family dispersed and their property (a large ranch) finally sold.
I also have earlier memories of visits from Chris in Austin. After he began his apprenticeship with Gorō Yamaguchi, he would often carry a shakuhachi with him, and sometimes give impromptu concerts (for us, and whoever else would be around). One in particular I recall was on the Texas A & M campus. We had driven from Austin to College Station to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his sister Terry, who at the time was enrolled in veterinary school. On a wintry November day, as we walked around the campus, we found a large domed building which was unlocked. Chris sat on the floor in the middle of the marble dome and played. We climbed to a higher floor to watch and listen. It was magical.
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Date: 2010-08-30 05:08 pm (UTC)A movie from the 70s that I really loved was Julia. There was a scene where Julia (Vanessa Redgrave) asks Lily (Jane Fonda) "Are you as angry now as you used to be." Lily confesses "Yes" indeed, she is still very angry. Julia responds with "I like your anger." And Lily says "You're the only one who does then."
I always wondered why this short scene resonated so much with me. I guess it touched on aspects of myself that I really didn't understand. It also gave me some false comfort - I thought that if someone like Lillian Hellman could claim and cultivate anger, then it must be OK.
But then this attitude never really worked out all that well. I'm glad I sought some techniques to deal with it. I guess I'm a bit of a closet Buddhist (I might post about that someday).