[MD] Freedom within structure.

[david buchanan]

dmb said to Dan:
...The artful mechanic doesn't reject the static patterns. He puts them to use. This is also consistent with his treatment of DQ in Lila, wherein DQ is the force behind all evolution as well as "the value-force that CHOOSES an elegant mathematical solution to a laborious one", and "an integral part of science. It is the cutting edge of scientific progress itself." (Lila, 366)


Dan replied:
Yes, of course. But not all static patterns are of the same high value. When we cling to destructive patterns holding us in place, we grow old without ever discovering who we could be. When we seek out the Dynamic within the static we learn to let go of harmful patterns and instead embrace those patterns of higher (better) quality. You didn't become a philosopher just by wanting to... you worked at it. And I will not become a writer just by wanting it. I work at it as well. The thing about writing is... everyone thinks because they can read that they can automatically write. It is like thinking because you can listen to music that you can compose a song. And maybe you can. But for it to be good writing or good philosophy or good music a person has to conquer the static to the point they see the Dynamic Quality lurking there.

dmb says:
I think that's exactly right. That's what I mean when I say that freedom takes a lot of discipline. One of the most inspiring examples came by way of a documentary about rock guitarists. It featured Jack White of the White Stripes, U2's the Edge and Led Zep's Jimmy Page, if memory serves. In any case, all three rock stars grew up eating, drinking and sleeping music. All three piled tons of hard work on top of some pretty awesome raw talent. All three got to a point in their musical adventures wherein they could not produce the sound they were looking for with the existing instruments. They had mastered the existing static patterns and yet they were still stuck. To go where they wanted to go musically, each one of them had to invent a new instrument, a new kind of guitar and/or amplification system. That is pretty damn impressive, no? That is what an artist does; expand the boundaries of what's possible. I think James and Pirsig were like that. They both got stuck because they could not go where they wanted to go with the existing instruments. So they invented new instruments. They're playing on a different kind of stage, but Jim and Bob are both rock stars all the same. And it's very much related to the fact that they loved it and they worked their asses off doing it. As the old saying goes, if it was easy, everyone would do it. 

At this point, I'm just playing in a tribute band. One can hope for such a rare success but I only recently figured out a way to be associated with people who appreciate rock stars. That's many miles down the road from rock stardom but it's good enough for me.

A musician friend of mine is good enough to make a living at it, sort of. He plays in bands and gives music lessons and he's also a dad. He lives in the Hudson valley, which happens to be home to a lot of rich and famous musicians who had gone to New York city to make a name for themselves. They still want to be near the action but they don't want to live in the city anymore. So my buddy bumps into them and sometimes he gets to jam with them. Sure, he'd like to be a rock star but he's pretty happy just to be able to play. He's been wildly enthusiastic about his music for his entire adult life. I met him twenty years ago. Now he's 40 and his kettle still whistles. It's kind of awesome. I really admire guys like that; artists who never give up.