I find it ever increasingly sad that the blues tradition, and most apprentiencship art traditions are dying off too quickly. The technology boom, which has been going on for as long as man has been trying to make his day less labor intensive, is a major cause. The way technology is moving today, it is really changing this area fast. It use to be you had to physically seek out to learn. Now it is all pretty much available on the computer screen, dvds, and videos. One can learn to perfection from these mediums, but will not learn the main note- that of one soul passing it on to another- the master to the student. This does not involve money exchange or any worldly goals. It is just something that has to be done when a real student meets a real master. I do not consider myself a bluesman, just someone that is driven to learn from those that inspire me. You can buy real good belguim beer here in the states, that is made here, but it will never taste as good as having one in a small belgian village, with the locals. That is the soul note I am talking about and ever increasingly our culture is eliminating it from the vocabulary of the soul. I imagine soon only those that are removed from the mainstream will reconize this note. My Mentally Retarded high school students know that note better than most any other. The way their brains are wired stop at this point and the abstract learning methods are of no meaning. I learn a lot from them everyday. Inspiration comes from many angles, but we can never eliminate the face to face meetings and get to the real root of it all. Walter
I have always been driven to do things and can keep crazy hours while working full time. I have lots of energy when inspired, and I am usually inspired. My wife has grown use to me being up at all hours over the past 30 years. I am blessed to be able to take cat naps for a few minutes here and there that allow me to stay awake alot. NBC News was by my house today after I got home from work to shoot a segment for tomorrow nights newscast. It should be interesting what they do with an hour of playing/interviewing boiled down to a couple minutes. I am also working with a filmaker that is doing a documentary on my life. Nigel Price, an author from england, who is writing a book on my life, hopefully will be asking the interview question/conversation, via a speaker phone from england. Life is good! Walter
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