David Feder: Center for Peace

Breathing....... more than you want.
Sometimes our bodies become tight. Our minds are tight; thoughts are
rigid, without flow. This is both a symptom and a cause of dis-ease
and pain.
All of us hold on to images, feelings, and judgments we created at
one time or another to help explain who we were to ourselves. But we
are not our past. We are not our thoughts. We are not our images, no
matter where they came from.
Although past is already gone, for some reason, our bodies tend
to cling to it's memory, in our muscles, and our nerves, compelling
us experience it all again and again, like a scar that reminds us of
a fight.
When we breathe more than we want to, and force our bodies to
inhale past the tension, past the thoughts and images, we purge the
spirit of that past. We forgive all, and end the self-inflicted
punishment. And so, with each breath, we enter a new world of endless
possibilities.

So...whatever it is...whatever it was...breathe past it and wash
it away. You can have it back later if you need it. But for right
now, breathe in more than you want to. Hold it and savor the newness
and beauty of one single, long, deep breath. Then have another. With
every breath we are living a new life, we are reborn, tabula rasa.
Sometimes friends need a good hug. I'm not talking about the one
shoulder socially correct hug, but full on heart to heart. Sometimes
a good hug can help us remember to relax and breathe. We remind each
other of the healing love and beauty in each of us that is always
available.
Heal by example. Hug your friends and take a great big long, deep
belly breath. Its good for everyone.
Love
David

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.