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greg@cmporg.org for your comments

Objective:  This newsletter came out of my experiences dealing in a new culture and a new history plus my experiences in the USA and Canada. 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. My music is here.  Am I really who I say I am.  The proof is here just listening. http://greghenrywaters.com/mp3 50 Songs to listen to!

Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, 60 Minutes did a review of the Dead, the old group of the Grateful Dead without Garcia. They worshiped Garcia and watched him kill himself with drugs. I have watched a few of my friends die to with their addiction to drugs. There is nothing you can do except watch. It is such a burden on one’s life. My friend from Acapulco son was an addict, my second wife’s son is an addict, my brothers were addicts, and my second wife is and was a drinker. Once and addict always an addict. We should not cover up for these people we should expose them. Here in China they just caught some cocaine distributor. Is this not New York City and Detroit too? In New York one can buy drugs just off the George Washington Bridge. I sent my children to Acapulco, Mexico to get them out of the drug mentality in the Bronx just to fine the same thing there in this remote village outside the city of Acapulco. It is here in China too.

Anyway, I few words about the Dead, they are a pop, rock, improvisation group that has a cult following which is special in the music business because they never followed any of the Pop Culture Lawyer mentality of the commercial music business. I think they were more creative in the business side of things rather than the musical. For there music really does not come from the Fine Art Culture but from pop culture and a little jazz approach to their music but definitely not jazz but folk art for me.

I do not really want to talk about the Dead but rather 60 minutes. Now this is suppose to be an excellent news program and about in depth study of a situation and they pick their stories very carefully. Well, I am sure they could find a musical group much more creative than the Dead, but I think they are just like everybody else they come from a market background and not from a Fine Art So what is so special about 60 minutes? I think nothing. I think they think they are special. There are so many Fine Art Musicians in the States that deserve mention and including me. Why are they always covered up by this pop culture mentality? I do not know it is money and only money. Money the root of all evil says the Bible.

David Lettermen admitted last night that his show was just a lot of mediocrity. Why doesn’t he change it? Are we all so weak? Is everybody so stupid?

Here is the definition. fine art (fºn) n. 1. Abbr. FA, F.A. a. Art produced or intended primarily for beauty rather than utility. I think it should include depth of feeling and historical meaning or a time line. Does it have its place in history? Is it a special work of art or is it just another example or copy of something?

The problem is no one really cares they just want to enjoy it for their selfish motives like 60 Minutes wants to talk about the Dead because of their large audience and it can create great ratings so they can earn more money. I think there should be a part or section of society who can reach above the market mentality. It is really strong here in China and it worries me about the future of this country. Or maybe the Dead paid them for the show. I know here I was asked to give money to the TV company if I wanted a story about me. Well, you know what I said, “______ _______ _______ ______.”

I was dealing with this so called record producer (Sam from Guangzhou) and he was telling me what a great composer I am and a great musician I am but he was trying to control everything about the production. It he was so bossy about it too. He setup all these rules. I said why do you not compose the music and perform it why do you need me. Please find someone else I do not need this _______ _______ _______ ____ (You please fill in the words.) Is this music? I hardly think so. It is complete stupidity for me. He even introduced me to the most famous pop rock singer in China and this guy asked me some of the dumbest questions I could not believe it. He did not even know I am a Fine Artist and I have my standards and that is it. They think because they control the money they have a right to destroy Fine Art and produce their crudity crap. I think China has to change it standards about Fine Art. Or just keep playing Kenny G over and over again they deserve him.

I ran into my friend who knows Sam and I really got angry talking about all the time I wasted trying to deal with this record producer. GU is a composer but he composes what the clients wants just like 60 minutes does; a market composer not a Fine Art Composer. Why do not all the record producers and record companies stop producing and leave the _______ musician alone. Let the musicians create their music. GU I hope you can consider this situation and think this is not insulting but a liberation for yourself and your music.

If these definitions are not included in a work of art it is not Fine Art.

cre·ate (kr¶-³t“) tr.v. cre·at·ed, cre·at·ing, cre·ates. 1. To cause to exist; bring into being. 2. To give rise to; produce. 3. To invest with an office or title; appoint. 4. To produce through artistic or imaginative effort. --cre·ate adj. Archaic. Created.

tech·nique (tµk-n¶k“) n. 1. The systematic procedure by which a complex or scientific task is accomplished. 2. Also tech·nic (tµk“n¹k).a. The way in which the fundamentals, as of an artistic work, are handled. b. Skill or command in handling such fundamentals.

and skills.

mor·al (môr“…l, m¼r“-) adj. 1. Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character. 2. Teaching or exhibiting goodness or correctness of character and behavior. 3. Conforming to standards of what is right or just in behavior; virtuous. 4. Arising from conscience or the sense of right and wrong. 5. Having psychological rather than physical or tangible effects. 6. Based on strong likelihood or firm conviction, rather than on the actual evidence. --mor·al n. 1. The lesson or principle contained in or taught by a fable, a story, or an event. 2. A concisely expressed precept or general truth; a maxim. 3. morals. Rules or habits of conduct, especially of sexual conduct, with reference to standards of right and wrong. --mor“al·ly adv.