greg@cmporg.org for your comments   http://greghenrywaters.com

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Objective:  This newsletter came out of my experiences dealing in a new culture and a new history.  The purpose of the newsletter is to provoke serious thought about musical art.  What is it? Where should it be going?  In addition, what is going on in China?  I write about my personal experiences and my thoughts about them.

Review from a Friend! (below)  It is gratifying to know that someone sends a response with words and thoughts that I have been trying to project comes into reality.  Having to work alone with no real support from society is difficult and almost impossible at times.  I wonder why I am doing this!  But when words come back to me that I am communicating something positive maybe the word will get out and my life’s work will have meaning in society not just for me. Our musical art is a mirror of the mental condition of our society.  The purpose of art is to set a mental health standard (MONA LISA PAINTING) where as pop art is to reach the lowest mental health standard in varying degrees.  For some reason people do not want to judge their mental health they just want to play as much as they can.  For society to have a profound secure mental health art development and culture is a must.  It is not an option which so many non-thinkers would say there is an option.  The music of Bach has up lifted man-kind since it was composed for example.  Greg Henry Waters

Thanks very much for your Greg's music website. 

 I agree with you that labor and gain should supplement each other.  Your work takes efforts and talent, benefits the society and musicians like you with good moral character nowadays are hard to find. 

Your Jazz music is so peaceful, non-violent, non-sexual and all about nature and an embodiment of calmness and wisdom.  Countries like China throughout Asia are mostly chaotic in one way or another and your Jazz music would give people a peace of mind and help put everything in an orderly way.

I am very proud of you being as a unique and solo music performer.  Just like flu being widespread, I believe that not all popular things or music out there are necessary of good things; the best things always seem rare.  I hope more and more people would hear your voice and be aware that not all musicians in modern time are morons, playing music of all kinds just for the sake of money and caring little for morality. 

Your friend in Shenzhen, China from Seattle, Washington

John Zheng jz2356@yahoo.com

About My Music

I really like what John said that my music is non-violent and peaceful.  So much I hear of videos and rock music is of violence, sex, and aggressive behavior.  Music is a mental force given to us for our benefit.  It is up to us to decide what to do with it or how to use it.  I am not saying you have to like my music or enjoy it because it is more art music than pop.  You do not have to but I am saying music is an art form it is not pop culture.  You should give yourself the right to explore it and learn to enjoy it.   Pop music is based on how stupid the music culture thinks you are.  It is called composing music with a hook.  To ‘hook’ you into the melody so you can remember the song in an instance.  It is also based on interval selection. So any non musician could sing the song no more than an interval of a fifth to be exact.  Karaoke venues are the supreme example of this miss use of music and exploitation.

Last week I came up with statement call modern pop culture, peer pressure music.  I think this describes what going through life is all about.  How much can we separate ourselves from peer pressure behavior or group behavior?  How can we really have our own beliefs free and independent to see things that are true and not false or half truths?  The problem is that we are exposed to so much ignorance it is hard and difficult to separate a lower point of view from a higher point of view.  Especially when our beer drinking bodies say why do you want to listen to that music?

Anyway, just a few words about peer pressure music.  Thanks for reading. Good Luck with your life development only you can change it if you want.

My Musical History in Jazz and Classical Music - listening to the music is really what it is about.  nothing else when i think of it!

Well, I have over 70 songs on my website for you to listen to.  It is a composite of my life’s work mostly in jazz.  Since jazz is easier to produce than classical music.  You can visit my web-page to listen to over five hours of music. http://greghenrywaters.com/mp3  I have four classical pieces for you to listen too.

I started out playing Stan Kenton’s Music when I was in the eight grade.  I had no idea where this music came from or what it was.  I just knew I enjoyed it and I thought it was important.  I even went out in a snow storm to practice with this band in Milwaukee.  My father was very upset with me that I would risk that kind of trouble to play music. When I was young I was exposed to Stan Getz, Stan Kenton, Dixieland, Latin Music, Broadway Shows, Classical Music, and Orchestral Music all in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I had no idea where this was all leading or even what the music business was all about.  I was exposed to all this in Milwaukee before I went away to college. 

Well, now you can listen to a cross section of my life’s experience in music from Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, New York, Mexico and now China.  For all this music comes from all my experiences in these places and my interactions with musicians from these communities.  It wasn’t until I got to Acapulco, Mexico did I begin to realize about my own history and what I was doing.  Up until I was 26 years old I studied classical music (clarinet, music theory and composition) and later I came into contact from musicians from these bands.  I go back to musicians from Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Louis Armstrong, Stan Getz, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Billy Eckstein and Tito Puente. (Etc)  Because in Acapulco the musicians there have no authentic background experience except for maybe one musician I met or was it two. I grew up in the Lutheran church listening to Bach’s music and my compositions teacher was a student of Brahms.  So my point is I come from a long history and background in music so rich I had no idea really how lucky I was from this viewpoint. I never really thought about it was the issue here.

So how can I make my own music when I have such a rich background with so many musicians and groups with all their own ideas?  Well, I tell you it wasn’t easy and if not impossible.  But China has been good for me because it has isolated me from my culture.  And I have been forced to rely on my own instinct and talent.  Thanks to the advancement of the computer I have been able to work on my music in this isolated condition.

Well, my point is this last year has helped me review my music and helped improved my website and trying to learn and understand a new culture.

This music on my website all recording within the last month or two is a reflection of my life’s work over 50 years of experience.  It is a wonder to me that I was able to record these performances and have some kind of record of my life’s work.  I   judge my performance and compositions the best I can from my experiences in music and knowledge of the history of harmony, melody and styles. I   know that it is my music and it is real.  In many ways it is completely original in style selections of notes, harmony and melody when I perform my songs and compositions.  I think my interpretations of popular classical standards are individualistic too.  I have listened to them many times and have cut out or deleted the files I do not like or think are not up to standard.  I hope you compare my sound and compositions to other artists and send me a review or and opinion.  I do get a few once in awhile.

I want to record up to 24 hours of music if I have the time.  I am looking for a record company to pick me up so I can get world wide distribution, but I have never been too lucky on this front.  Maybe my luck will change here in China and HK.

Well, when I was in the six grade I decided on wanted to be a performer of music and composer.  Now I am 61 years old and I can say I have done that.   On the web, you can view the composition list at the American Music Center Library in New York.

For over ten years now i have been trying to put my life in order and getting it all down on paper and recording.  well, i am getting closer even here in china where the word new music has very little meaning among the population esecially here in shenzhen.

A high standard is a difficult thing to demand of yourself, but it is better to have a high

standard and fail in reaching it, than not to have a standard at all or to have a low and petty standard.

            Food for thought by greg henry waters - have a nice week -thanks for reading this far and I hope you can enjoy my music and life’s work.

To conclude:  how much art music do YOU LISTEN to?  how much pop culture music you listen to? (peer pressure music)   (this is music that musicians create just to please the public, of course they will never admit that) have you thought ABOUT THESE IDEAS?  I hope you do.   

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