Thanks to all for the wonderful tribute we put together last night for my friend's son, Marine Cpl. Nicholas Xiarhos. It was truly an honor to have worked with you.  Here's the link to the tribute:

http://www.myaccesstv.com/videos.html?task=viewvideo&video_id=184

Here are the four time slots that the tribute will be broadcasted on Channel 17:

7:00pm Tonight (Thursday)

This is an invitation, you are invited to be part of http://theartofspiritualgifts.wordpress.com/

Call To Artists: Following the success of our preevious show http://www.thesalondesrefuses.wordpress.com earlier this year at the Cape Cod Museum, Of Art, we've been asked for a repeat. Here's the response, our new show, titled 'The Art Of Spiritual Gifts, will be held on February 4, 2010, 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the museum. The concept for our show is for each of the selected artists to describe the Spiritual Gifts they have received and what/how they have used those Spiritual Gifts in their art. Each artist will write a chapter for a collaborative book that we will publish and have available for sale during the night of the show. The artist's respective chapter will be 'illustrated' with the art chosen by the artist to represent their Spiritual Gift. The representation will be displayed on the artist's easel during the show. In additon, just to add a twist to the show. Also, a ten minute film showcasing the collaborative process will be shown the night of the show in the museum's screening room.

As an example, here's a draft of Robert John Cook's contribution to our collaborative book.

Spiritual Gifts

by Robert John Cook

The first time Santa Fe summoned me was in 1979. I flew from Boston to Albuquerque, then hopped a lift with Michael Andryc from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. I was a twenty four years old, experience with flying would come later in life. Peering through the small window the clouds were large, vivid white, and reminded me of cotton candy. Their size was as big as mountains. The plane would dart through one cloud, then exit another. Over and over we seemed to be playing hide and seek inside the field of Nature’s randomly scattered cotton balls.

I reached inside my carry-on bag, a knapsack which played host to my art supplies; charcoal pencils, paper, pens, and colored markers, and a few of my favorite pastels. I withdrew my sketch book. Santa Fe would become home to my art, this flight was the first step, the awkwardness of uncertainty seductively crept in, I reached for my colored pencils to ward it off. I drew a rough draft of a piece of future sculpture; a shape reminiscent of an inverted drop of water, a wave found in paisley, coming to a point at the bottom with an egg shaped contoured flow atop, the shape brought Casper the Ghost to mind. In the same form I drew a similar shape, perhaps one-quarter it's size, about mid-section to my original sketch, and turned it ninety degrees. The two forms now looked like Madonna holding her baby. I choose my brightest pencils and with a myriad of colors brought the sketch to life. A flight attendant interrupted my artistic trance, "You must be going to Santa Fe," she said. "That is beautiful," she added.

Santa Fe is a state of mind for artists as much as it is a destination for art collectors. I wasn't aware of this until several weeks after arriving. As my East Coat hurriedness was replaced with the softer pace one might find on a Carribean island, I adjusted and languished in the easy going style that is Santa Fe. And it was in that easiness that while camping up near Taos I recognized for the first time a soft voice that would become my spiritual journey. It would come to me much later in life that the Madonna and child I sketched that day on the plane was in fact my spirts, and the child she held; my spiritual birth.

Twenty years after Santa Fe, and far too many memories and miles in between, I lived in New Hampshire. I had now become a marathon runner and health nut, each day in the gym for no less than two hours. Part of my energize routine was to take my Yellow Lab and Golden Retriever for a hike in the mountains in my back yard. The winter trail was covered with icy sports, and the crack from my weight echoed in the still forest. My dogs ran up ahead, playfully, which as I write makes me smile, having lost both years ago the memory is a fond gift. In the quietness my attention was drawn to a shift in the wind at the top of a pine tree. The rustling branches seemed out of place in the otherwise quiet woods. I looked to the top of a tree and the explanation for the gentle push of wind amongst the limbs was simple; the gentle touch of my spirits caressed my cheek with the stroke a lover might use. I sensed my father, and his parents that day, but there were also others, many others, all of whom I did not know. All of whom though invited me to discover who they where, and invitation to appreciate them and welcome them into my spiritual life.

I spent the next five years researching my family history, the icon for my quest to discover who my spiritual ancestors were appeared in the sketch of Madonna and child I did twenty years previously en route to Santa Fe. The same icon I connected with while camping near Taos under the desert stars. When running through the woods your mind will be thinking two or three steps ahead of where your foot will land as one avoids rocks and slippery roots. The flight as one glides above the trail is a rush of quick physical decisions that frees the mind, creating an eagerness to go faster, and quicker, especially if the sun bringing the beautifully green leaves to life, and the air is as dry as the mountain is clean. In that quietness where my mind could think ahead, in the future where my next step would take place, I conjured thoughts of my icon of Madonna with child and went to work researching what would become my fourth book, my family history.

From the moment the wind stirred the branches atop the pine that day, I spent almost five years after researching my genealogy. I didn’t know what I was searching for, but I continued to look nonetheless, I believed something was there, just not sure what it was, nor how to find it. I visited each limb of my family tree, painstakingly spending hours combing through old birth records and marriage licences, and any other documentation to track down a path that would hopefully fill in the missing description of my family history. The further I went back the harder it became confirming who was related too who, where they were from, let along who they were and what life they had lived. But I searched nonetheless, recording all.

At the end of three years into my research I received a phone call from an unknown relative in Canada. Lorraine Gabriel introduced herself as my many times removed cousin, or something like that. Lorraine and I were related through my father's mother, a stern Irish woman with a no-nonsense approach that scared children, or at least she scarred me when I was child. After her introduction Lorraine put to me, "I heard you're working on our family history, did Aunt Millie ever mention anything to you about us being related to a famous Indian?"

Upon hearing Lorraine’s question my thoughts shifted to slow motion. I could see myself standing beside this stern Irish woman. My grandmother holding my hand and leaning over me, "Listen," she said as she shook my hand, rattling my entire body. "I have something important to tell you." I hadn’t thought of that moment in at least forty years, probably blocked it out from fear. Lorraine brought me back to that day, the famous Indian was the clue I was searching for. I went to work investigating my grandmother's lineage. Later that year my documented research supported my eleven generations ago grandfather as Iyannough (pronounced Hyanno), a local Cape Cod Indian that the village of Hyannis is named after.

Iyannough's marriage to my grandfather William Brewster's daughter, Patience, led unearthing my spiritual forefathers. I'm not a very religious person, so I'm not sure if my spiritual devotion genetically transcends from William Brewster being the Pilgrim founder. It's possible that the same religious devotion that led Brewster to defy the King Of England and through exile lead his Mayflower gathering of followers to Plimoth became the same type of devotion I used in pursuing my understanding and appreciation for my spirituality. I went to work and learned all I could, devouring books and spending hours researching as I looked beneath each rock for clues.

I hold a belief that my best paintings are the paintings that I don't control. My best work are the projects that I follow and not direct. When I apply paint to my pallette knife and see where the journey takes me I synchronize with a magic moment that connects me to the canvas, a place where my fingers hold a light. I then step back and feel that wonderful surge of, "Wow, I created that." It only happens with my best paintings, or perhaps with my best guitar playing, but when it happens there is a spiritual connection that took place that it both magical and unearthly. I called these moments Spiritual Gifts.

If blood is the river that breeds life, than Nature is the river that carries our spiritual gifts. The canal that carries the flow of spiritual gifts rests on our ability to raise our antenna so we may receive Nature's signals, which is easy for few, and sadly non-existent for many. When I began practicing Buddhist meditation I often thought the concept of reincarnation hinged on whether one did or didn't receive Nature's signals, with a 'come back and try it again' approach if one had missed out in their current lifetime. The more I researched and understood my forefathers the more signals I picked up. My antenna was now in full force, each day I would receive a spiritual gift.

Some spiritual gifts can be as simple as recognizing a beautiful moment during the day when the sunshine hits a flower and the beauty is so overwhelming that it seems the world just stopped spinning. Other spiritual gifts can be more complicated, but with practice having the antenna up makes receiving and recognizing our gifts easier and easier. The complicated spiritual gifts are those that are only appreciated when the myriad of dots can be connected and path figured out regarding how something so beautiful came to be in our life.

I purchased an amplifier when I recognized I like the sound my acoustic guitar can make when plugged in. In my cluttered studio the amplifier reverberated and produced a limited sound. I decided to play elsewhere, in a place more suitable to electric sound. I experimented with a pub in Hyannis (the roots of my spiritual forefather Iyannough). Each Wednesday night at 7:00 I would plug in for a couple of hours. In the luxurious wood of the simple pub my guitar would come to life, I soon gathered a band. At the end of a spiritually based song a young woman whose antenna was obviously receiving signals approached the makeshift stage. "You might appreciate this group", she said as she handed me a scribbled piece of paper. I stuck the paper in my shirt pocket and weeks later visited the website she recommended.

The like-minded community I was introduced to by this stranger handing me a scribbled website on a napkin was a gift. The once a month gathering shared by this beautiful group of spiritual brothers and sisters is truly a spiritual gift. Carl Jung believed in Synchronicity as the description for Spiritual Gifts, some might call them Coincidences. In either case when one event leads to another, and beauty is created through the connection, the question becomes how did this happen. When that question is asked it's time to appreciate the Spiritual Gift that our spiritual forefathers have given us.

I mention the story of the young woman handing me the scribble paper because the long list of odd synchronicity events that have ensued since that night on stage have been odd 'coincidences'. The beautiful friendships, and moments of incredible piece during the healing sessions during our group gatherings are very powerful, and sustaining. The intervention by my spiritual forefathers in providing these spiritual gifts is for me the purpose of life itself. I have discovered that measuring one's self-worth based on the dollar amount in a bank account, or number of material possessions, is pale in comparison to the self-worth registered by the appreciated accumulation of our spiritual gifts.

My sailboat, "Into The Mystic", was made for crossing oceans. When I sail far from land there sometimes comes a breeze which with caress my face with the same intention as the day my cheek was gently touched when I initially recognized my spiritual birth flowing in the breeze amidst the branches atop that pine tree. The spiritual gift of being on the water and connecting with my forefathers is a place I was meant to be, at that moment, it is, as Jung put it, a synchronic event. It is the gift that comes with an understanding of Nature, the home to our spirits. All things in Nature were meant to be, it's our glorious search to understand Nature that can bring us such tremendous joy if our antenna is up.

I mention the story about my sailboat ‘Into the Mystic’ because of the synchronized way my sailboat came to me. For many years I couldn't afford a larger sailboat, in it's place I would make the annual springtime expedition to Newport, Rhode island, for the Sailboat Show. I fell in love one year with certainly not the best boat at the show, but a boat nonetheless perfect for my sailing interests. After the show I asked two close friends of mine which boat they thought was the best at that year's show. They both replied with the exact same boat that had piqued my interest, odd since there were hundreds of sailboats that year to choose from. Several weeks later I was visiting a friend for the weekend, while they ran to the store I stayed and kept an eye on the stove. On the coffee table was the newspaper. I scanned the Classifieds, the items marked Boats For Sale. Listed was the sister boat to the very sailboat I had previously seen at the sailboat show. I dialed the number and when I asked where the boat was located the directions provided where three doors down the street. Coincidence?

My love for the boat led the owner to appreciate my passion in caring for ‘Into The Mystic’. The owner’s generosity provided a payment plan and before long I took ownership of ‘Into The Mystic’. The spiritual gift regarding how ‘Into The Mystic’ came to me is recorded in my appreciation for the obvious; when our heart and mind are trustful of our ability to find tranquility in simplicity we can be at peace with yourself. The collective release of ego-based want and it's replacement with gratitude-based joy is by itself a spiritual gift. And within that gift is the place were friendships built on care and trust reside.

Understanding the Spirit of Aloha was a gift presented to me that describes the importance of friendships built on care and truth, and appreciation of the spirituality that brought the two together. When I entered the antique shop in Hawaii I was at first skeptical of the elderly man behind the counter. His shop was overrun with what I thought might be better described as rambling collection of junk as opposed to the described Antique Shop sign hanging over the entrance. Cluttered with stacks amongst a maze of narrow walkways was a glass covered display case, a carved ivory Whale's Tale caught my attention. The necklace pendant was as smooth and fulled with curves as it was beautiful.

"It was carved many many years by a sailor sailing from Alaska to Hawaii while whaling," The shopkeeper aid. His native Hawaiian smile led credibly to this description. He removed the piece of art from beneath the display case glass and handed it to me. I recognized the spiritual gift when he handed it to me and said, "It carries the spirit of Aloha with it."

I gave him a puzzled look as to what he meant by it carrying the spirit of Aloha with it. He replied, "Aloha is a combination of two words" he said. "The first word ‘Alo’ means a presence, and the second word ‘ha’ means breath. Put them together and Aloha means ‘the presence of breath, or ‘the breathe of life’. When you greet someone you hug and exchange the breathe of life. The spirit of Aloha is a way of living and treating each other with love and respect." I was now very interested. He explained that according to the old kahunas (priests), being able to live the Spirit of Aloha was a way of reaching self-perfection and realization for our own body and soul. Aloha is sending and receiving that positive energy. The ancient Hawaiian priests believed Aloha was the direction of living in harmony. When you live the Spirit of Aloha you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone. They exist in space, multiply and spread over to others.

The Spirit of Aloha and it’s inspiration is even embedded in Hawaiian law. Its main purpose is to serve as a reminder to us to treat people with deep care and respect, just like the ancient priests taught. Definition of Aloha Spirit State Law [§5-7.5] "Aloha Spirit." (a) "Aloha Spirit" is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self. Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the life force, "Aloha," the following unuhi laula loa may be used: "Akahai," meaning kindness, to be expressed with tenderness; "Lokahi," meaning unity, to be expressed with harmony; "Oluolu," meaning agreeable, to be expressed with pleasantness; "Haahaa," meaning humility, to be expressed with modesty; "Ahonui," meaning patience, to be expressed with perseverance.

When I learned that "Aloha" means mutual regard and affection and extends warmth in caring with no obligation in return, I drew on my thought that the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person for collective existence. I then bought the carved ivory Whale's Tale from the elderly antique shop owner, carved many many years ago by a sailor sailing from Alaska to Hawaii while whaling. I have worn the necklace everyday since. I mention this story as a spiritual gift, just as the elderly shop owner said, the necklace carries the Spirit of Aloha with it.

The Spirit of Aloha, to me, is a powerful force by itself that can attract significant spiritual gifts. When my beautiful son, Benjamin, was sixteen he came from high school one day extremely excited. I could see that ‘Dad, I’ve got a great idea’ look on his face. He threw his bookbag down with a smile, "My friend just his driver’s license and his Mom is letting us take her car to the Mall." My spiritual gift antenna kicked in and from somewhere came a feeling of fear. I said he couldn’t go. Benjamin flipped out and it was the first, and only, time he ever swore at me. I held my ground, and then Benjamin called his friends and told his two friends to go to the Mall without him.

Benjamin’s two friends died that day on their way to the Mall in a car accident, they lost control with excessive speed. Benjamin’s appreciation and deep respect for my decision that day remains joyfully between us, nine years later. The spiritual gift that we shared that day is a special bond, a bond delivered through the synchronicity of Aloha.

When my younger died and two weeks later my house was hit by lightening I couldn’t find a spiritual gift no matter how hard I looked. Two years later however I was bored at an outdoor art show and decided to quietly sit on a nearby park bench and practice my guitar for a performance later that night. A husband and wife approached my art display and I overheard her say, "I really like this art." The man said, "I really like the guitar playing." I got up off the bench and introduced myself. To break the ice and get a conversation started I always ask prospective clients two questions, where they are from, and what type of work they do? It turns out Bil Lane was from Los Angeles, visiting Cape Cod on vacation with his wife. His job is Jackson Browne’s personal Recording Engineer, every time Jackson is at home and picks up his guitar Bil Lane records it, just in case a gem is there. Several months later I received an email from Bill Lane, he returned to LA and had started listening to my weekly podcast on iTunes. He wrote an email to me and filled me with compliments that to this day still make my head buzz. I agreed to a commission painting for Bil and he sent me a photo of a rusted pipe he wanted painted.

I listened to nothing but Jackson Browne songs the entirety of time I spent working on that painting. Each time I worked on the painting the spiritual gift of recalling the adolescence I had shared many years ago with my brother would appear – those many moments as teenagers and our shared interest in listening to the lyrics and searching for wisdom in Jackson’s mystical songs. It had been years since my brother and I had played Jackson Browne’s records and listened to the beautifully crafted words.

Many times while painting that piece I drew the breathe of gratitude for the spiritual gift that was allowing me to connect and reminisce with my brother as we painted together. Meeting Bil Lane and doing a painting for him that when complete I would mail to Jackson’s home studio made the synchronized event that some might call our meeting a Coincidence, but the spiritual gift showed me something. I learned the importance of my art: Each piece of art I produce is the result of appreciation for the spiritual gift that delivered the opportunity to create. The spiritual gifts that Aloha brings to me, if my antenna is up and I’m receiving signals, is the same energy that I embed in each piece of art I create. My art is what I have done with the spiritual gifts that have been given to me, each and every day.

* * * * *

I need to start off this week’s show by clearly saying this show is different from others. I decided to do this show out of emotion, which is unusual, so you might not hear things you want to hear, but I’m going to say them anyway. But first I need to tell you a story that has influenced me. I know a retired Doctor whose only brother many years ago went off to fight in World War II. The brother died in the war, leaving his then fourteen year old an only child. Six months after losing his brother the fourteen year old boy then lost his mother to disease. Right after losing his mother, the boy's father died in freak, but suspicious accident. At age 14 this now orphaned boy went to live with his only relative, a aunt. In his loneliness and sadness the boy turned inward miraculously found answers to the questions in his school books. He had decided to put himself through medical school, which he did. After becoming a medical doctor he spent 40 years in a Veterans Administration hospital taking care of soldiers. He is now retired and in his eighties.

I grew up with the WWII generation as my teachers. I grew up in a generation where parents were those that had endured WWII. They are an unselfish generation that gave when tyranny threatened America’s existence as a nation. They gave unselfishly.

My son is 25 years old, and my daughter is 23 years old. My children are of the generation that has been called upon to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. As preface to what I am about to tell you, I need to set the stage by mentioning to you that I do not believe in war, any war. I am opposed to war, all wars, period. I simply don’t support the idea that we should be engaged in wars. I mention this because although I don’t believe in war I do very much believe in the generation that my children belong to.

When my children were very young we lived in several states. I have gone to hundreds of their school events, cub scouts, girl scouts, sporting events, all the myriad events parents tote their children to. During all these events I have seen the children of their generation become the young men and woman that are today our country’s soldiers and veterans. Although I don’t believe in the wars they are fighting I do believe in these young people. I have watched this generation first hand with my children since they were born. They may be adults today, but I can still look into their eyes and see the child I recall from not too many years back.

My children didn’t have to go to war because we don’t have a draft. And we don’t have a draft because of the young men and women who have unselfishly volunteered. Our recent President, right or wrong, make the decision to send our country into war. It is extremely unselfish that these young people volunteered to answer their country’s call into action. Simply put, if these young people didn’t answer the call when their country asked them to, my children could have been drafted and gone off to war. As a parent, and one totally opposed to war, I am not sure how I would have handled that. To be frank, my gratitude toward these young men and women is clear; from my perspective it could very well have been that if my children had to have gone off to war they may not have returned. In this regard the young men and women that answered the call by volunteering saved the life of my children. My gratitude is heartfelt to say the least.

The reason I am so opposed to war is the incredible destruction it leaves in it’s wake. The soldiers that return home will have lost the look in their eyes I remembered them having as children. And this is true for the opposite side as well. All of us lose. But when our children return home it is in my mind that our job is to care for them with the same passion a doctor spending forty years in a VA hospital might have. I believe whether we believe in the war, or not, it doesn’t matter. We might not believe in the call to serve that our President issued, but these veterans answered the call proudly, unselfishly.

My forefathers came over on the Mayflower, and some of my relatives were Native Americans before the Pilgrims got here. My passion for my country is deep. Throughout our history our heritage has been continuously shaped by those who unselfishly answer a call to duty. Make no misunderstanding, I am not proud of our wars, but I am proud we have young men and women amongst us who will unequivocally give of themselves to our country in such a way. I love my country very much, and I am proud of my family’s history, but I am in awe of the amazing love one must have to give everything of themself to their country, think of that level of patriotism.

I’ve been getting a lot of email from folks regarding the Artists & Veterans project I’m working on. For those not up to speed with the project I’ll spell it out for you. Starting next month I will begin hosting a weekly television show. The purpose of the television show is to launch the Artists & Veterans Project, a volunteer program aimed at uniting local Artists with the 28,000 Veterans living on Cape Cod.

The purpose of the Artists & Veterans Project is for the artist to voluntarily provide the veteran free art lessons, workshops, and training in the veteran's choice of art. The artists will vary from the visual arts, to musicians, and writers, and every artist in between, virtually anyone whose interest involves creativity. One of the key goals is to help artists promote their own work and in the end help connect them with new audiences who will hopefully want to support and patronize their creative work. In my mind, all of us are artists in one form or another. Whether it's with a paint brush, cooking spatula, or a guitar with a few chords. I am working with our local Veterans Affairs’ office and the VA’s wonderful Team Leader Bonnie McIntosh. We are asking those with a creative skill to step forward, volunteer, and share with those in need.

The focal point where the artist and veteran meet is on a website hosted by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod. And all of you know my passion for that great non-profit group. The important web page on the Arts Foundation website contains all the information the veteran needs to review and sign up for the artists’s workshop.

At the beginning of the show I mentioned I needed to start off this week’s show by clearly saying this show is different from others. That I had decided to do this show out of emotion, which is unusual, and that you might not hear things you want to hear, but I was going to say them anyway. Well, I believe in the Artist & Veterans project, for me personally I feel obligated to give back to those that have given so unselfishly. And it’s not about the war, it’s about giving to those who gave. In fact, whether one side in a war is right and the other side is wrong doesn’t matter, what matters is that on both sides of the war young men and woman answered the call that came from their beloved countries. Both sides gave unselfishly. In my mind it’s the obligation of each side to respect, honor, and assist their soldiers as they return home.

With that said, for those that sent me an email suggesting the veterans knew what they were getting into when they volunteered for duty, and that we wouldn’t have had a war if they didn’t volunteer: Take the energy that you put into those types of thoughts and put that energy to good use down at your Town Hall - every town in America is currently looking for volunteers in a number of capacities.

And to those who have sent me an email regarding artists shouldn’t be working with veterans because artists aren’t professional counselors. The purpose of our project isn’t to provide therapy, it’s to provide art lessons. If you could stop looking for something to criticize you might have been able to see our purpose.

Lastly, and I’m going to have to get on my soapbox for this one, but it’s time we drop the attitudes. First, let’s start with those that cut me off and try to drive me off the road because I have an Obama sticker on my car. I can’t tell if you’re mad because a democrat is in office, or you’re mad because a black man is in office, but either way the sticker isn’t coming off, so drop the attitude.

And from my fellow Democrats that think the Republican’s are entirely wrong, drop the attitude. And Conservatives that think telling others what they should and shouldn’t be doing with their lives, drop the attitude. As a matter of fact, there is a lot of us that need to drop the attitudes and recognize that we live in the greatest country in the world, and we need to be grateful for that. How about turning your attitude into gratitude?

If you think coping an attitude because you believe your side is right and their side is wrong we as a country aren’t going to get anywhere. It’s time we stop the attitudes and turn that energy into volunteering. Take a look around you, we all have beautiful homes filled with lots of stuff, and we eat better than any other population in the world. What more do we want? We have more than enough now. It’s time we recognize how good we have it and give something back. It’s time we get off the couch, turn off the television, and give something to our society. Give the gift that keeps on giving -- volunteer without an attitude!

Importance Of SupportThe other day I was at an open jam music gathering - a bunch of people sitting around playing music together. I’ve been to many of these music gatherings where musicians sit in a circle, someone picks a song, throws out the key they’re playing in, and everyone jumps in. It’s always a great deal of fun. Usually, to keep things somewhat organized, there will be a leader of the circle, someone who will pick who will be doing which song and when.During one gathering a young man joined the circle, to which the leader responded that the young man only play what he knows. The leader’s lack of support, or lack of encouragement quickly deteriorated the young man’s enthusiasm. So, what was gained by the leader’s lack of support of the young man’s music. Better yet, what was the gain from criticizing the young man’s playing ability?In this case, I’ve heard the young man’s music – he’s talented. He may not know all the songs (who does?), but his contribution to the music is always crowd pleasing. And isn’t pleasing the crowd the whole point to the music?A list of questions comes from this example of how we support, or how we sometimes don’t support the art of others. In Ireland, where traditional sessions are the cornerstone of every local pub, the music is taken quite seriously and the rule of thumb is "If you don’t know the tune stay away from it." The ‘rule’ in this case isn’t to deter the novice player from playing, just the opposite, the rule is to ensure experience players are playing with equal players. But Ireland is unique in traditional sessions, the music is very defined to a specific style – it’s not an open jam circle where musicians sit in a circle, someone picks a song, throws out the key they’re playing in, and everyone jumps in. I cite the difference in the Irish rule of "If you don’t know the tune stay away from it" versus the open jam criticism from the leader to the young man. I mention the difference because there is an amazing difference between an organized Irish traditional session versus an open jam where musicians sit in a circle, someone picks a song, throws out the key they’re playing in, and everyone jumps in. The difference is that in the open jam the foundation of any good noise that might come from the circle rests in the circles ability to enjoy themselves. The foundation of enjoying one’s music, or more specifically, the foundation for enjoying one’s art, rests in one’s ability to be comfortable in their surroundings. To be comfortable one must be encouraged, supported.The leader’s negative comment to the young man was discouraging and put the young man in an uncomfortable surrounding. The young man lost his ability to be comfortable in his surroundings. And as I watched this unfold, I was astounded that personally I viewed the young man’s skills as a musician to actually be greater than some others playing in the same circle. In this example the leader had now provided a negative criticism in front of the circle which dampened the circle’s joy of producing music. So, what was gained?Was the leader’s objective to produce superior music worth criticizing the young man’s skills as a musician? Or, would the leader have gotten a better sound from the young man if he had encouraged the young man rather than negatively comment? I believe if the choice is to either invite someone into a circle or ask them to leave for the sake of ‘improving quality’, keeping the invitation is more important. It boils down to priorities, inviting an artist to perform their art, in this case the art being music, is much more important than the quality of the art. Our objective, in my mind, is to support, support, and support. Encouragement, in my mind, is much more important than the quality of sound coming from a open jam band at a crowded drinking pub.I also believe that each artist, or musician, will gravitate to their own level of comfort. By this I mean the young man felt comfortable in joining the circle, which says to me he obviously felt comfortable with playing when he could. He might not have mastered every key, but the young man probably would have played when he could, and learned when other’s played in keys he hadn’t mastered yet. So, what would the harm have been? Close to zero from my perspective. But, what would have been gained?Comparing the Irish traditional sessions to Africa’s version of traditional sessions is night and day. In Africa singing is encouraged and supported. There are no rules. In Africa from a young age children are encouraged to sing, to listen and mimic, join in when they are comfortable. In Africa the children do not live in fear of singing inappropriately. How beautiful is that level of encouragement. Just think if we in our society allowed young artists and musicians to perform without criticism – only encouragement!One hundred and eighty degrees is the other side of this coin, the artist or musician’s ability to develop a thick skin when it comes to criticism. When the leader told the young man to play only the tunes he knew the young man had a choice; to either absorb the negative comment and let it get to him, or deflect the negative comment and let it roll on by. This is a choice every artist has to struggle with. To every artist comments and criticism will come in every direction imaginable, it’s the responsibility of the artist to examine the criticism, but to not let the criticism alter the artist’s direction. In the case of the leader criticizing the young man’s music skills, the young man packed up his instrument and walked out, but he didn’t walk out in a huff – I could see it on his face. The young man, from my perspective, or at least my personal knowledge of the young man led me to believe his musical talents were in fact better than most of the musician’s that were in the circle. But that wasn’t the importance of the young man’s positive perspective. I am willing to bet the young man view the leader’s negative criticism with an eye toward "Wait a minute, we’re a bunch of locals sitting a musical circle – it’s not like we’re professional musicians that were just invited by the Beatles to join them at the Abbey Road studio to record a new album. Perspective is everything!This week’s plugs:Acrylic Technique: Abstract Painting for Beginners
Cotuit Center for the Arts www.cotuitcenterforthearts.org
Tuesdays from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
April 28 to May 30, 4 sessions
AGES/LEVELS: Adult, 16+; All levels
Instructor: Christina Jacobi


Acrylics are one of the most versatile mediums for artists today. Join us as we brush, drip, pour, texturize, flow, and drag paints to create unusual effects. Classes will cover basic vocabulary, types of paints and mediums, choices for supports, and other relevant information. We’ll experiment with additional techniques including stamping, plastic wrap texturing, natural objects and additives. This is a fun class, great for beginners, where unexpected results can lead each painter in new directions.
For further information on the artist and to view samples of her work, please visit:
http://ArtworksByChristina.wordpress.com
Tripping Lily at Red Top on May 2^nd, pre-tour show to kickoff May 8-18 tour. http://redtopartistretreat.shutterfly.com/

What do you think of this idea: The Artist’s Advocacy Community

The Artist’s Advocacy Community is a non-profit designed to promote the artist and the artist’s work. The AAC is a highly professional group with an impeccable name amongst the art-based public, media, affinity groups, and museum quality galleries. The promotion of the artist and the artist’s work is accomplished through the AAC’s mission to manage Laurel Labdon’s brainchild "The Artists & Veterans Project". The Artists & Veterans Project is a volunteer program aimed at uniting artists with veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. The purpose of the Artists & Veterans Project is for the artist to voluntarily provide the veteran art lessons, workshops, and training in their choice of art. To answer the age old question of ‘As an Artist what’s in it for me?": In return for their volunteer efforts the artist will be given membership into The Artist’s Advocacy Community. For the artist, AAC membership provides various promotions in the sale of their work.

The Artist’s Advocacy Community removes the artist’s isolation as an "independent business owner" and places the artist in a like-minded atmosphere that directly addresses the artists need for assistance in promoting the sale of their art. Promotion of the artist’s work is accomplished in several ways. First, the greatest resource in promoting an artist’s work is professional use of the media. The AAC utilizes a weekly television show to expose the artist through an on-air interviewing process. Second, as a member of AAC, the artist is juried into extremely innovative high-end art shows which catch the local media’s attention, such as the recent Salon Des Refuses art show held at the Cape Cod Museum of Art. Important to the artist also is the exposure the artist receives by being part of the important work supported by the Artists & Veterans Project. Additionally, the AAC facilitates the artist’s need regarding taking action through advocacy and support concerning important art-related issues, such as Health Insurance. The AAC also offers a selection of various professional marketing materials for the artist to choose from, such as a video of the artist’s work and a studio interview of the artist, brochures, web site design, and portfolio management.

In return for the artist’s efforts in volunteering as teacher and mentor in the Artists & Veterans Project, the Artist’s Advocacy Community promotes it’s artist members work through ACC’s weekly television show, the high-end art shows, and showcases the artist through professional media attention.

The Artist’s Advocacy Community contains a small staff which manages the Artists & Veterans Project, weekly television show, and high-end art shows. Funding for the AAC is provided through grants for the Artists & Veterans Project, the weekly television show, the non-profit art shows, and the artist-related advocacy and activism work.

The Artist’s Advocacy Community is headquartered on Cape Cod, and was founded in 2009 by Robert John Cook.

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The Artist & The Intern performing live at

Buckie's Coffehouse, Rt 28, Dennisport

Friday April 3, 6:30 - 9:00

Robert John Cook & Billy Hutchinson will perform a variety of acoustic songs, of which a CD will be released that evening. http://www.buckiesbiscotti.com/index.html

Publicity & Self-Promotion

Mutual Muses II Show

Boston Globe