Creative Process

The Kora Epic

A pandemic tale for the new year – In March 2020, when it became clear we were hunkering down for the long haul due to the pandemic, I decided to order a kora. I was thinking that it would be an engaging creative way to spend my time, seeing as I was out of work. A kora is a West African 21 string harp built out of a large calabash gourd with a long neck made of wood. I’ve wanted to learn it from the moment I first heard one in 1990 when a friend came back from Senegal with street vendor cassette tapes he’d scored. I thought then and still think now that it’s the most enchanting instrument I’ve ever heard and have long thought it would be a retirement goal to learn how to play one. Well, why not now with all this time?

One of my favorite kora players is Sona Jobarteh from The Gambia ~ If you haven’t heard of her she is most decidedly worth checking out. She is the first woman to be widely recognized as a master in the griot tradition of the regions where kora music comes from. I discovered that the luthier that she has worked with for years in developing an evolved kora has them available for sale through her website. They’ve taken the best elements of the instrument from it’s traditional form, and added contemporary hardware and structural reinforcement to traditional materials and have created a concert quality instrument. I reached out and learned that each instrument was custom made upon ordering, and set the process in motion. After all my research and decision making, by now it was late March.

The first question I got asked was how I would like the top of the neck and the handles to be carved. The image that immediately leapt to mind was a spiral and without hesitation I wrote right back. Within a day I was sent a photo asking if the design was alright. I was blown away and said yes. Soon after I started getting photos of the neck as it developed, and then a picture of the calabash gourd that would make up the body of the instrument. Needless to say I was thoroughly stunned at what I was seeing, and that they were sending me step by step pictures of the instrument being created from scratch.

After a couple weeks of back and forth with design choices I got a message that the kora was finished (!!!) and that now the luthier would tune it up and stress test it for 2 weeks to ensure everything settled into place before being shipped. Oh man was I blown away seeing these pics and knowing this glorious creation was soon to enter my life. I also fell in love looking at the place this was made, seeing the palm trees in the yard, and truly hope I can visit there someday.

I finally got a message on May 14 2020 (will never forget the date) letting me know that my kora was finished & passed through all of the stress tests before shipping. There was only one problem – now the national mail service in The Gambia was closed due to the pandemic. Dang. So now I began my wait. Long story short – this turned into a masterclass in patience. International shipping resumed mid October after a couple of agonizing false starts, and we walked in the door Halloween night (!!!) to find this lovely surprise after waiting over 7 months from when I ordered.

I ended up in a lovely correspondence friendship with the agent for The African Guild due to this extended process, as we exchanged emails weekly that became increasingly personal ~ I look forward to meeting him someday. And now I’ve embarked on the most enchanting musical relationship I’ve ever known.

This has been a profound process throughout, especially knowing that the instrument that I now play daily was made specifically for me. Sometimes I walk into my office studio and just look at it, marveling at it’s journey across the ocean and into my home. The kora truly is a magnificent creation, a work of art that implies a cultural sophistication and aesthetic depth far beyond what is typically attributed to the region where it comes from. There is such a wealth of musical heritage and creativity born through the kora, and I am honored to hold one in my hands. It teaches me daily, and I’ve never known an instrument to lead me on as readily as this one.

And our adventure together has only just begun…

First couple of days discovering… November 2020

Tuesdays Tales v1e2

Tuesday’s Tales! v1e2

My occasional collection of climate crises inspired ways forward using the arts and creativity to nurture community, awareness, and action.

Something that has inspired me recently:

I’ve become increasingly aware of more and more communities coming to their senses all around the planet and formally acknowledging the climate crises. 

Climate emergency declarations in 1,195 jurisdictions and local governments cover 545 million citizens

Combined with the growing momentum of youth-led climate protests, and a growing crises awareness in general, it speaks of movement in the right direction ~ our steady march towards the active participation of 3.5% of the population is well underway. People are waking up and I believe it’s a tide that can’t be turned. Another exciting development this week was the announcement of World War Zero, the campaign spearheaded by former Secretary of State John Kerry to align numerous celebrities, military brass, politicians, and other prominent personalities to draw as much attention to our collective crises as possible. It will be interesting to see what kind of traction they can gain.

World War Zero Home

What I’ve been reading:

The Uninhabitable Earth, by David Wallace-Wells

This might very well be the heaviest book ever written. It’s certainly one of the most terrifying because everything in it is real. But it also might very well be one of the most important books ever written and should be required reading for anyone with a heartbeat.  I’ve read psychological articles about how just bombarding people with horror stories about climate isn’t a productive approach as it just shuts us down, we feel overwhelmed by the enormity of it all, and we convince ourselves that there’s nothing we can do.  Wallace-Wells approach is dramatically different. He uses prose to vividly depict the world we live in and where we’re heading, and somehow also motivates and activates us away from our complacency and towards a functional interaction with our plight.  I’ll say it again ~ this should be required reading.

The Guardian’s book review:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/27/the-uninhabitable-earth-review-david-wallace-wells

What I’m listening to:

Sona Jobarteh ~ Fasiya

I can’t get enough of her voice. I love that I don’t understand a word she sings because then it’s easy to just let it wash through me and I just experience her music in a very heartfelt way. And it feels like the wisdom of the Earth is somehow being vocalized by this profound being. There’s passion, love, caring, and compassion in her music, plus it just makes me want to move. 

What I’m working on:

Small Craft Advisory ~ The Spoken Word Music of Eric Geoffrey

I’ve been diligently working in my studio to polish off the collection of spoken word pieces that I’ve set to music, because I am looking forward to sharing them very much.  Stay tuned for releases coming very soon!! They’re almost done…

Quote of the Week:

“…underneath all of this is the real truth we have been avoiding: climate change isn’t an “issue” to add to the list of things to worry about, next to health care and taxes. It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely new economic model and a new way of sharing this planet. Telling us that we need to evolve.”

― Naomi Klein

Share this with your friends and anyone you think would be inspired by it! You can also get this delivered directly to your inbox if you sign up for the newsletter.  I am always open to feedback, suggestions, collaborative propositions, and simple Yo Eric how you doin type reaching out and connecting.  Because Life is too precious and precarious to not make the most of every single day.

I hope you have an empowered and creative week ~ Onwards Team Human!

Tuesday’s Tales v1i1

A collection of climate crises inspired ways forward using the arts and creativity to nurture community and awareness.

Something that has inspired me recently:

I recently discovered that there is an existing network of circus artists dedicated to utilizing circus arts and performance as climate activism.  The Circus Action Network was founded by Eliana Dunlap whom I don’t know yet but have completely admired her work in that particular digital age way, and in the analog world seeing her on Broadway a couple of years back with the Gypsy Snyder Pippin revival was a real treat. C.A.N. is presented as a supportive community “dedicated to fostering dialogue and exploration at the intersection of social and environmental justice and the circus arts.”  Spot the f#@! on!! An endeavor right up my alley and I am very excited to learn of their existence and connecting ~ it’s confirmation there are kindred spirits out there being active along similar lines.

https://circusactionnetwork.wixsite.com/home

What I’ve been reading:

Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler

This is a revisit of an old favorite, but it feels incredibly timely as the dystopia portrayed in the book is a powerful vision of a climate-related societal breakdown.  It is a coming of age story, but with the added dimension that the protagonist is creating and refining her own religion throughout the novel in the form of a series of poems she entitles “Earthseed”.  The basic premise is that God is Change, and how she explores this concept and how it is illustrated throughout the arc of the story is quite wonderful.  I felt extremely inspired reading it the first time 20 years ago, and am feeling an ever greater resonance this time around. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52397.Parable_of_the_Sower

What I’m listening to:

I’ve gone retro lately and have been really enchanted with the songwriting and sheer powerful delivery of David Crosby. I had the treat of seeing him live a couple of months ago and it took everyone by surprise (pleasantly!) how enchanting and profound his music and performance was. It felt so timely, especially songs like “Long Time Gone” with lines like “It’s time to speak out against the madness..” which felt like rallying calls in a time when people standing up is needed more than ever.  What a wild circle, from the activism of the late ’60s and early ’70s to the present day when this body of music speaks louder than ever. Spotify has a “David Crosby Complete Collection” playlist which has been great on random play, though it really isn’t anywhere near actually complete.  Still an amazing collection of songs.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qC20fkrZyx1ZYOOVQspWd

What I’m thinking about:

It’s pretty hard to not have my climate crises awareness infuse everything, so I’ve challenged myself to use its increasing presence as a continual challenge to be more mindful, and in particular to transmute fears into mindfulness. Using this heightened awareness to nurture my inner observer and maintain my energetic balance feels like an empowered response that enables me to be more precise in my daily and creative choices.  As I do have a Buddhist leaning bent I have been enjoying the community at One Earth Sangha who seem to have a tremendous amount of resources and reading available for explorations along these lines. And at this point, mindful inspirations are more than welcome.

https://oneearthsangha.org/

Quote of the Week:

“Acknowledging our love for the living world does something that a library full of papers on sustainable development and ecosystem services cannot: it engages the imagination as well as the intellect. It inspires belief, and this is essential to the lasting success of any movement.”   ~  George Monbiot

I love this quote because it just spells out the difference between actions based on intellectually knowing something and being fully engaged as a human being.  My personal experience has led me to believe that it is only when my mind is aligned with my heart that I am truly alive, thriving, and have the ability to grow.  I believe our feelings (heart) are our true GPS, and if we honor that guidance in terms of what feels right (integrity) there is a power there that isn’t experienced in paths that have been dictated by thoughts alone.  

Share this with your friends and anyone you think would be inspired by it! You can also get this delivered directly to your inbox if you sign up for the newsletter.  And I am always open to feedback, suggestions, collaborative propositions, and simple Yo Eric how you doin type reaching out and connecting.  

Because Life is too precious and precarious to not make the most of every single day.

I hope you have an empowered and creative week ~ Onwards Team Human!

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