[sc_embed_player fileurl=”http://alifesworkmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Gymnopedie-1-Erik-Satie.mp3″] Me playing Erik Satie’s Gymnopiede No. 1. This is just my old, cheap guitar, recorded in my home. More classical guitar music here, here, and here.
Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I’ve been listening to the University of California, Berkeley’s radio station, KALX. It’s a listener-sponsored, freeform station, which means it doesn’t have commercials or underwriting (what’s the difference?) and the DJs (who are … Continued
Here are three photos. Take a look at them, let them cycle through a couple of times before you read the text below the photos. What do you think of them as photos? [portfolio_slideshow autoplay=true timeout=9000 slidewidth=500 showtitles=false pagerpos=disabled] The small … Continued
Dear Filmmaker, Were you nervous before your first interview with Paolo Soleri? I mean, he’s kind of a rock star, isn’t he? R.C. in AZ Dear R.C. in AZ Yes, I think he is, and yes, I was nervous before … Continued
When I deliver the elevator pitch of A Life’s Work— “a documentary about people engaged in projects they may not see completed in their lifetimes” –I’m usually asked to describe the projects. Sometimes the Black Gospel Music Restoration Project takes … Continued
Thirty years ago, I used to be able to play this fairly well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTnLcOYEGE Not as well as Maestro Segovia. I mean, come on, he’s Segovia! And not as fast, either. Segovia is playing this monstrously fast. But I played … Continued
Attention Williamsburg hipsters! Are you going to SXSW? Do you want to know the origin of all of your guitar riffs? Well then on Saturday, March 19, 2:00pm go to the panel called Searching for Blind Willie Johnson. You’ll get … Continued
For someone who studied music and plays music, I have a difficult time knowing what music to use with these moving images I capture. So much so that in my first film I didn’t use music at all, but used … Continued
First there is a lot of procrastination. I’m not a procrastinator by nature, but something about editing really brings it out in me. Like now, as I’m writing this, I have Final Cut Pro open and I should be working … Continued
I was watching Gimme Shelter for the billionth time the other night and I wondered what it was about that film that is so enduring. I came up with several reasons: The Maysles’ masterful cameras capture The Rolling Stones at … Continued