Friday, March 14, 2003


so sorry

long-time readers know i am devoted to them and make a great effort to post every single day. forgive me for missing yesterday -- but it was just too busy.

first, since mark prince has broken the news first, let me say how honored i am to have been asked to join the scaa's consumer committee. i hope everyone knows that i am intent on telling as many people as possible about coffee, esp. high-quality specialty coffee, the kind you buy freshly roasted and delicious from your local independent roaster/coffeehouse.

please note that this is not a paid position. i'm not shilling for anyone, just supporting a group of people who believe in the same principles i've long talked about here.

as if that wasn't enough excitement yesterday, then i hurried myself to the opening bash for the breathing project. i have to say some of the coolest people in all new york were present. (including another fellow bakelite collector -- i think even long-time readers may not know about my bakelite fixation. . .)

perhaps the highlight of the party was the incredible performance by david hykes and friends, the core members of the famed overtone singing group the harmonic choir. this form of singing, made popular by groups from tuva, and familiar to those with interests in tibetan culture, is amazing.

it's similar in feeling to gregorian chant, or the music of hildegard von bingen, but while traditional gregorian music immerses you in a gently lapping bath, the harmonic overtone singing slowly penetrates your bones. you feel it in your body in an interesting way; the entire room hums with crystalline sounds of a tibetan singing bowl.

of course i had to buy a cd; i asked david hykes to choose one of his oeuvre -- and even tho' we had never met before that evening, he uncannily selected his disc that combines elements of harmonic singing with those of classical middle-eastern music. ah, world music! of which i've been a long-time fan. let me say i highly recommend hykes' music.

the breathing project's space is clean, spacious, and pleasant, and generally resembles that of the iyengar insitute, from which it is only 2 blocks away. i think everyone who has been practicing even a few months might benefit from the experience of what they are calling madras-style practice. . .

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