07/29/03 some thoughts about my present life.
Since I am home most of the time without much to do except read books I thought I would take a few minutes out and write you about the good news. But having lived in Mexico what may seem like good news may not be good news it may be just an illusion of some kind and not reality. I am very sad today that I spent two hours on the radio net today looking for some music I might enjoy and I always found something wrong with the music and ended up not liking it. I find it very difficult to listen to music. I did find a DVD of Glen Gould recording of Bach that was really something though. (The Goldberg Variations) So I am thinking can I be out of step or is everybody else out of step. I have been talking with and old friend from Toronto, Bernie Senensky conversations with Bernie! through e-mail and he has brought up the past and the seven creative years I spent in Toronto. (The only problem with living in foreign countries is that you have to wait in line for the locals to do it first and maybe they will give you a chance to work.) In Toronto I was told I could not get equal treatment until I was in the country for five years. After five years I did get some opportunities to compose classical music for some money. My dear loving father sent me 50 dollars a month so I could get by until I found something. I remember sitting in the corner hamburger shop for hours on end wondering what to do. In Mexico it was really something. I do not recommend anybody going to Mexico or to Acapulco. Maybe other parts of the country are better I do not know. You can read about my experiences at my internet site on the other info page. Http://greghenrywaters.com/index3.html Anyway it was so evolved it is hard to go into in an e-mail. Need less to say in China I do not want to be over worked liked I was in NYC, and everything was political or racism of one form or the other in NY too and I was treated like the enemy in Mexico, or not equal until I live in a country for five years. So here in China I am a little nervous needless to say. My question is how can you live in a country for five years without working? A manager of the Shenzhen Symphony invited me here, Li Ho Ming, to China so I did even though I know you get treated like a second class citizen when you live in another country. But I did not think my treatment in the States was all that great either, plus I was really burned out with the States anyway. I just needed something different. Well, I am here and here is the good news if it is good news. I am going to be in charge of a twenty piece jazz show orchestra sponsored by the local government. I think starting in a couple of months. My friend wrote a 30 page proposal to the Cultural Government Office here telling them about my life and what I can do for the city of Shenzhen. Since I proved myself at the Dance Company Job there is not any problem about my ability. However the politics here are so thick it is impossible for me to
get a job here I believe at this point. I have been here almost 1 1/2 years. Anyway, the same cultural office closed down the dance company group because of lack of effort on their part I think or personal war. I coached them for three months, but it was too late to save them. I am really not sure, but all they did was sit around and talk until I got there. I did my best to instill in them the joy of music and not the joy of money. Anyway, in this stage of my life I would be just happy to teach what I know and not perform. Because my ideals are so removed from the average musician and the average person that it seems ridiculous at this stage in my life to try to communicate my views about music except to teach about it and not perform it. All ready the marketing manager is making this into a circus with dancers and singers and extra musicians. I kept asking were does the jazz come in? Where is the creative part of this project? I think I should get ready to put on the clown outfit, but what else am I going to do at this stage in my life sell shoes? Today I would love to teach them to play but I will not be very interested
in being a Kenny G. He always has a great rhythm section that I would love to flush down the toilet.
It is hard to get away from Kenny G. his music is in so many restaurants. No matter what I might say maybe this is a chance for me to become an institution here. I told my friends I am not Kenny G nor do I want to be Kenny G. She said we all know that you just let someone else play that part you just stand there and look good. Does anyone have a clown outfit for me to wear so I can paint on a big smile on my face? I was listening to Wyntons website today to all his concerts at Lincoln Center. You know I could not relate to any of those concerts to me it was more about racism then music. http://www.jazzradio.org You can listen to about 20 hour concerts there. I guess I must be out of step. They never mention a white musician on their broadcast. Plus I really do not like the way they play jazz. Everybody has an opinion doesn't one. Anyway, I hope here in Shenzhen we can do better in a few years if it all works out! Well I do not think it is working out I still cannot get
anybody to listen to me there is so much racism in these developing countries. I think we should all say a prayer for those who lost their lives in the war who became victims of man's evil and all other wars too. Also the truth is coming out about the catholic church in Mass. This is the State that stole my children from me. The State Kennedy is from and Harvard the holy school of our nation. Needless to say I am not very happy with these pompous asses. It is easy to be an ass hard to be a human being. I am not Mark Twain but would like to be. Always Greg Henry Waters http://greghenrywaters.com If you want to get some fresh ideas go here. http://yogayogayoga.org and remember my teacher.