Wife of a Musician - Revisited

Robin and son have been enjoying Venice and the last I heard had just visited the Vivaldi museum.

I am pretty sure that after a couple of hours sightseeing the pair will return to their quarters as Robin will need to start rehearsing.
Whilst son is on holiday, Robin certainly isn't.
He will have a few high profile and high pressure concerts in the next few weeks on Crystal Serenity.

But I, as I completed some regular site checks, was once again struck by the number of followers we have, interested in the 'wife' of the musician, as much as the 'life' of the musician.

So, as I reflect on the trials of the last few days, it seemed an appropriate time to point people in the right direction for posts related to the 'wife' of this particular musician.

For example, 'The Wife of a Musician - Part 1 - The Music' seemed a good starting point.

Neatly followed by 'Part 2 - Travel'. (Very appropriate at the moment...)

Guitarists nails have been mentioned many times here, and this post looks at the problem from a slightly different perspective, 'Guitarists Hands - and Nails'.

'Sound Checks Complete and Wives of Musicians Unite', has always been a popular post.

Or maybe you could try, 'Creativity and the Wife of a Musician'.

Finally, for today, 'A View From The Stage'.

There are others, so if your desperate for more, then take a look around. Alternatively, look at any post and read between the lines - I did after all write them...

Costa Rica not Really Calling, and Jazz, Brains, and Dreams.

Since I last blogged Robin has been to Limon, Costa Rica, and is now on his way to Honduras.
It's a shame communication is so difficult at the moment, as he assures me he has some great photographs, some of which I would have shared with you.
Today though, he is hard at work, practising his guitar, in preparation for tonight's concert.

However, this did leave me free to look at other things, and I came across this article in 'The Philadelphia Inquirer', by Lauran Neergaard, 'Researchers hope that Jazz can reveal the brains secrets'.

This is an area that has always interested me.
In fact, many years ago I wanted to carry out some research on the Hill/Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo.
I was going to wire them up, and monitor their brain activity, whilst playing their guitars, and again whilst resting.
I also toyed with the idea of carrying out the same experiment as they performed in concert.
They weren't as keen on this idea, mainly because the pressures of performing are quite enough, without trying to do so with many electrodes stuck to your head. There's also no getting away from the fact that it looks pretty ridiculous.
As it turned out the logistics of getting the duo into the laboratory proved too difficult.
They were touring extensively around the world, so I had to change my plans, and looked at stress instead. (Which has proved very helpful in its own right!)

Anyway, back to the article, which I recommend you read, as I'll only give you the general principles here.
Scientists in Washington have chosen jazz musicians to learn more about where creativity comes from, by looking inside their brains.
It's done using an MRI scanner, showing the brains activity, and providing a chance to observe cognitive functioning.

Charles Limb decided to compare activity between musicians playing from memory, to when they improvise, and he carried out his research with Allen Braun of the National Institute of health.

They found that being creative, when improvising, uses the same part of the brain as when dreaming, inhibition is switched off, and expression switched on. The musicians also showed heightened sensory awareness, ie, touch, hearing and sight.

They did recognise that highly trained musicians brains may work differently to amateurs, which is the area Limb and Braun want to look at next.

I find all this fascinating.

Whilst I haven't carried out any scientific research on this area myself, in a home made, 'not so random sample' of one, that is, of course the musician Robin Hill, I certainly do see a difference in the way he thinks when in a composing mode, compared to when he's in a practise or performing mode.
Also, if creativity uses the same area of the brain as when dreaming, then I can tell you, Robin has some pretty weird dreams.
Maybe I shall have to start comparing his dreams when he's been composing, to when he hasn't been composing.....There's a thought.
As the British novelist, William Golding once said:
"Sleep is when all the unsorted stuff comes flying out as from a dustbin upset in a high wind."
Robin better beware when he gets home.
I might just start waking him up, notebook in hand.

Creativity and the Wife of a Musician

Today has been taken over by composing - again.
It is the only thing I know that will keep Robin away from his guitar for more than a few hours.
It's all Pat Metheny's fault.
If we hadn't listened to 'Last Train Home' the other day Robin wouldn't have got out both his electric sitar and traditional sitar.
From that a riff was created and recorded.
Tabla added, yes we have those too, and Robin is something of a frustrated percussionist.
Before you know it we have a piece of music reverberating around the house.

Son number one was enlisted to add some vocals and I thought that was the end of it.
But no.
A new, extended version is now being created, with choir and orchestra.
The score becomes more elaborate by the minute.
When I ask what is to become of this new piece I'm told, "That's your department, I'm composing it and playing it, you do the rest."
Err, OK.

We had set aside today to complete many outstanding jobs.
Suffice to say that none have been dealt with as yet.
This is the problem for the wife of a musician.
You can't plan ahead.
Just when you think you have his attention for a couple of hours to get things done, he goes and has a musical idea, and you know you might as well go with the flow as nothing will distract him.

I'm sure most people wash the car, mow the lawn, that type of thing, on a Sunday.
Ohh well, I can't get in the way of creativity.
I learnt long ago to just let him get on with it and enjoy the music.
I guess I'll have to go and rehang that door myself...