David Feder: Center for Peace

I've received many calls and letters this month regarding articles referring to Hillbilly Flamenco.
Back when I started using this description for my music style, it was very tongue in cheek.
But over the last twelve years or so, there has been some very interesting feedback that I'd like to share with you.
First of all it's just a name. I don't play many cover songs at all, let alone authentic Flamenco.
That's not to say that I haven't been heavily influenced by Flamenco, as well as a vast array of other roots music styles.
But, as I've said before in other rants, it's the freedom in the metaphor that I like.
That said, what Hillbilly Flamenco has done for me has been vast, and I'd like to share it with all of you artists that read these letters.
So what's in a name? Well..everything.
We describe experiences with words all the time. And even if the description isn't particularly accurate, there is always some image that is possible to convey. It tastes like heaven on a stick. OK.
It's a long walk in the forest. Sure.
The description, for the sake of advertising, has to spark some kind of interest.
"It's kind of narcissistic rat poison music for housewives on mars"
The point is that you don't have to appeal to everyone, actually you don't want to.
With all the millions of people looking for new music everyday, you don't want to waste their time.
But you DO want the people who will LOVE your music, art, writing, hot dogs, or whatever, to find you easily.
So Hillbilly Flamenco:
There are some articles on the web like this one: http://saxstation.com/hillbilly_flamenco.htm
Very cool! But I also receive some torrid comments from Bluegrass and Flamenco Fanatics that cry foul.
Actually fowl would be more accurate. How about Pink Appalachian American Wading Bird Music?
Happily, most of my fans are lighthearted individuals who love a good joke and honest musical expression.
Also the HF brand has helped book the band countless times. So....shwannnng!
And really, that's what it's about, mostly. Inviting folks to come together and connect through a common curiosity, and love of music, despite social, political, and even to some extent, music proclivities.

I borrowed the names like we all borrow ideas from that vast Indra's Net of consciousness. (One Buddhist concept represented by Indra's net, describes the universe as infinitely repeated mutual relations, existing between all members of the universe)
This interpenetration of ideas and awareness is a large part of how we (all of us) grow as one unified consciousness.

Heavy..I know but really it's just borrowing. It’s OK, even necessary to borrow Ideas, techniques, and philosophies. We try them on, fully learn them and explore their connections to what we already know. We see if they feel right for us. Do they seem true? Will they smoothly integrate with our style? Can we make them our own? The universe is an unlimited smorgasbord of ideas and possibilities.

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."
Robert Goddard

Go team go!
Thanks for being exclusive members of the Hillbilly Flamenco music society. You should be proud to know that your support and helpful inspirations have helped foster the musical and artistic growth of our children and our community. We have not only created new arts venues and opportunities in our little island world, but we have also, in a small way, helped heal the bigger global community. Every time one person is exposed to beauty, to deeper understandings, they give that beauty back to the world. It’s an exponential healing phenomenon.

When I was applying to Buffalo State College’s music program, there was an audition process. I could have auditioned on piano or guitar. (I ended up playing Saxophone in school, go figure)
I decided on guitar. The guy who held the auditions was one of the instructors for the guitar department, who also played the occasional jazz club. He told me when I made the appointment, “Be prepared to play your best piece of music for me”.
Cool, I played my best song. Nailed it. Beautiful. When I was finished, I looked up and smiled. He had a blank stare and said coldly, “That was not legitimate music”.
Huh?? What do you mean said I. (How any can piece of music be illegitimate?)?
Rolling his eyes, He said “you must prepare a piece that is an accepted blah blah blah………………..
Then he said, assuming that I could not read music, you will have to learn to read blah blah, etc.
His tone and demeanor were so snotty that I felt dejected and defeated. Even though I loved music and had some advanced skills, I was ready to give up.
People like that should not be allowed to have contact with students.
In retrospect, what a putz!
Luckily, I had a good friend who explained to me that this instructor was just a frustrated performer himself, and he used his gatekeeper status to boost his fragile ego.
I really wanted experience this music program. So armed with this new information from my friend, I got a song list directly from the music school department head, found a classic piece I liked, learned it, played it for a different instructor, read the sight reading requirements, got into the school, yippee.

In retrospect,
It’s possible that the snotty instructor was just what I needed at the time. Maybe he was the system’s built-in filtering process , designed to weed out those who were not ready to pursue a life direction that could be filled with seemingly endless and subjective rejections.