Thursday, September 30, 2004

BloG #21: This Is Just Sad

  • Scroll down to see the BloG #21 Indie Artist Pick

  • Hiatus - n. pl. hi a tus es or hiatus
    A gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break: We are likely to be disconcerted by... hiatuses of thought (Edmund Wilson). Dictionary.com

    From a mind which finds little in substantive issues to write about, a hiatus seems iminent. Therefore, without fanfare, that's exactly what took place. No formal announcement. No musical interlude or intro. No billboard, banner or behind to proclaim said hiatus. It just ...... was.

    Oh, there's plenty to write about. I still have plenty to remember about the bike rides. The Indie Artist Reviews are a great feature which must continue, without question! World issues beg for commentary. Everywhere I turn, something Blogworthy is happening which could provide pages upon pages of written word.

    So. Why the 'hiatus?' Why stop in the midst of the storm? The ball was rolling at breaknik speed. Words were flowing. The rhythm was right. People were reading. What went wrong?

    Short answer? Nothing. I have no good short reply that can address these pending issues.

    Since little to nothing of substance has been written here lately, we'll go ahead and venture lightly into the long answer.
    First off, writing is not my profession. It is a new hobby. This hobby has involved a learning curve for me. A big part of that learning curve has been for me to find topics which interest me, yet may provide some sort of level of interest for the projected target audience. By the same token, I have chosen so far to refrain from offering opinions on more heated, controversial topics such as religion & politics. To offer up a stated opinion would paint me into a stated corner which I am not yet prepared to write myself into yet on this particular forum.

    My initial premise upon starting this BloG series was that I have nothing of substance to offer up. No point whatsoever.... is the motto, plainly stated on The JavaMusiK BloG title. That said, I still choose to write in a manner which pleases me first. Whether it be music, words on a page or just plain conversation with someone who interests me, I am somewhat careful about what is being projected through my conversation per se.

    Writing, for me, cannot be forced. My official music cd release schedule is holding roughly on a 4 year plan. The biggest reason for this falls on the writing aspect. I choose not to force my writing. When a theme comes, I will be thankful for it and work with it. Themes come, but always on their own timeline. I can connect dots between themes. I can physically play what is demanded of what I hear in my mind. I can organize and arrange a melody in a sensible manner to fit a format of a well constructed song. But, I cannot and will not force a theme until it chooses to present itself to me mentally.

    This is the approach which seems to be the case concerning my writing here. Forcing myself to a schedule would drain the level of inspiration feeding my desire for release. Therefore, I wouldn't feel genuine in my writing, leading to a lack of pride/sense of accomplishment in what I lay out for others to peruse. (Not that any of this is perusal-worthy.)

    So that's the jist of it. There will always be a slight level of forcing my writing to happen. Generally, it falls in the category of forcing myself to making time to sit down and let the thoughts flow, musically or whatever. But if they're not there, or even peaking around the corner, it's just not going to happen.

    Obviously, at this stage, I would not make a good syndicated writer. Hopefully, I can begin to re-establish a rhythm again, so people can look forward to my drivel, or at least another Indie Artist Pick & what words of quasi-wisdom I can offer up on that front.

    If you made it to this point (how did you do that?), thanks for reading and let's hope the wait isn't quite so long before the next BloG!


    JavaMusiK - Piano-Based Instrumentals from Western Slope, CO

  • A prominent feature of The JavaMusiK BloG has been to highlight an independent artist who we feel deserves our recommended attention.

  • BloG #21's Indie Artist Pick is Mike Milillo - "Life Does Not Beat in 4/4 Time" from Somewhere in the USA.

  • Mike Milillo: "There is one thing in this life that I trust, other than my wife and kids of course, and that's my ear! It never ever lets me down...Ever!"

    Mike Milillo writes and experiments with the element of free Jazz, Classical(film music),Political Humor, Comedy, Instrumental Rock, Jazz Fusion, Hip Hop...Oh yea, there's some stellar education as well!
    "Originally a sax player in a fusion band, I later studied Bebop and performed in that realm for a bit. I decided that I wanted to write my own ideas which are based on my everyday experiences. I simply love to organize notes and that in itself intrigues me. I consider myself more of a note organizer than simply a composer. I find that I may usually get bored with simple motifs or thematics, so I found that incessant modulations made me really find what I love to do. I like to keep myself on the edge as well as any potential listener..."

  • When considering who to feature in this particular BloG, Mike Millilo seemed like the obvious choice for the subject matter, once the BloG was written. While I do not know Mike that well, I have formed a few perceptions based on what I have heard and read from Mike over the last several months.

    The first word which comes to mind regarding Mike is passion. Whether it be creating new music, listening to music or discussing things close to Mike's heart, he enters the fray on a level which may not always be clear to the intended audience upon initial exposure. Mike's analytical depth presents a sometimes humorous, always intriguing, though often times challenging product for the intended party to discern.

    While this may seem like a negative for the average person inflicted with such traits, quite the opposite is true when considering Mike. Discussions with Mike border on humorous and very thoughtful, yet you get the feeling that he is very committed to a highly elevated standard and belief structure. This concept becomes more apparent once you make the leap to venture into his aural playground.

    Citing influences ranging from Frank Zappa to John Coltrane and Igor Stravinsky to John Cage with many stops in between, Mike's compositional stategies challenge the listener to make more than one pass at his offerings before a full awakening to what is happening can occur. However, with such a vast catalogue as Mike's, the listener has seemingly limitless choices of genres to choose from. One thing that can invariably be assured is, when listening to a Mike Milillo production, you are in for a genuine treat which will keep on giving with every consecutive listen.

  • While Mike's SoundClick page is vast, we recommend giving serious time and listens to his product. A good start would be Jazz Schmazz... featuring Tenor sax...Mike Milillo...Trumpet...Dennis Wieand... A beautiful ambient piece we would also recommend comes from Mike's collboration with Barry Durdant-Hollamby titled Beyond Time.

    Congratulations Mike!


  • Mike Milillo - "Life Does Not Beat in 4/4 Time" from Somewhere in the USA.

  • If you are an artist or band who would like to be listed and featured in The JavaMusiK BloG, e-mail us and we will get you listed. All Featured Artist Picks are chosen from FriendZ of JavaMusiK.