Synchronicity
The Christmas holidays are over. Piano teaching on Mondays and Tuesdays starts again. I’m back (as a contractor, in a primary school), along with all the school kids. Most look resigned to their fate, with their newly cut hair, uniforms ironed, faces long. Brings back memories…
Here’s some piano music to listen to as you browse, if you like (I improvised this piece, while viewing a short film for a competition. I didn’t place, but I did end up with what I think is a beautiful piece of music. it pays to just get stuck in and do stuff, keep moving – you never know what the rewards might be).
I view the private piano lessons as 30mins of creativity for the young ‘uns, a weekly break from the non-creative approach of most of the current school curriculum. The arts have been pushed further and further aside. And yet that’s how kids learn and that’s what helps give us meaning to life. Oh well, I’m doing my bit – to teach an art – and to do some myself…
As promised, here’s some photos from the exhibition. It’s not a large space. I filled it with 5 Big seascapes.
This is what you see when you walk into the Mornington Library foyer
(update* extended til 14th March).
and also, on the other wall:
All the paintings are for sale (acrylic on canvas):
Mills Beach (blue & red beach box) 167 x 61cm $1850 *update: SOLD
Fishermans Beach (purple beach box)167 x 61cm $1850 *update: SOLD
Mornington Blue 152 x 61cm $1750
Mornington Sunset (towards Mills beach) 152 x 61cm $1750
Flinders. 132 x 66cm. $1450
I loved painting these. I’m stoked with how they look, now they’ve been installed. Speaking of which…
Synchronicity is an amazing thing. I love it. When something major happens to me along these lines, I choose to see it as a sign that I’m somewhere on the path I’m ‘supposed’ to be on. You have to be awake to see it, sometimes. Other times you can’t miss it…
Like on Friday. The bloke who hung the paintings for my exhibition…here’s Tony Smith, (provides a brilliant art placement service, btw. Very experienced).
He looked me in the eye. Ex-Kiwi? Yep. Accent still strong. No, you’re from Palmerston North. Yep. We’re related. What? I’m your Dad’s cousin.
Crazy stuff, in a city the size of Melbourne. And he lives around the corner, is very interested in the arts, engaged in life, energised. A bit like me, you might say. He looks like my Dad, too.
I love it when those sorts of things happen. What makes it really interesting is: Dad has never met this cousin. Due to reasons I won’t go into here, he grew up not knowing his cousins, his broader immediate family. So now there’s some conversations to be had, photos to be shared, etc. Incredible coincidence, really.
Ok, time for some music. Here’s another song (and 30 minutes of spoken word + more music)
Song and A Chat Podcast
Episode #197 Let Her Know
(Song starts at 5:19)
I composed Song #156, Let Her Know, in 1990. The demo on this episode was recorded a decade later.
Let her know is about a young fellow struggling with something: he’s met someone that’s hit him right between the eyes. Should he let her know? What would happen ? How would that feel? What subsequent events would that set in motion?
Putting big feelings like this into a diary (for the the therapy /self care), and then adapted into art (music and lyrics) is a great move. It gets it off your shoulders and it might turn out to be exactly what someone needs to hear somewhere down the track – even 34 years later! So you turn what could be personal trials into something positive -good for the world.
I’m glad I took the time to write some words down and then added a music accompaniment as I winged the melody, back in 1990. It’s such a great feeling, and it’s also incredibly good fun and endlessly fascinating to be exploring the creative process of songwriting here on this podcast.… read more / listen
More synchronicity: And before the Arts Centre Sunday Market in Melbourne’s cbd, a funny moment: I’d rung Paul Dredge to say how much I’d just enjoyed listening to Electric Cow, (a song I wrote, which will be on our upcoming album) in the car just then. The conversation lead on to a quick exchange about an imaginary person dressed up with cow horns and exotic sort of apparel ( it’s a strange funny sort of song that could inspire a legion of ‘cow’ fans in a parallel universe. Or a possible future).
Anyhow as I said goodbye to Paul on the phone and looked up, a young fellow called out “Peter!” ( To a chap just ahead of him, behind me) as I re-engaged in my reality, having left the fun phone call behind, it startled me. He was wearing fishnets, black shorts and …horns on his head! There you go. It’s a wild old world out there.
I have a feeling a cow like this one is going to appear in the Electric Cow music video…
Today, I’m a million miles away from cow horns, long lost relatives and seascape exhibitions.
Pete, the piano teacher is at the service of very young beginners. It’s a privilege and I’ll do the best I can, as usual ( I do feel like I’m coming up to another change, though, by the way. Something else is calling to me…).
I started teaching piano about 15 Years ago, out of necessity. Income generated at gigs was woefully inadequate (as it is now) compared to when I started. After 20 odd years of making a living from live and recorded music, teaching piano felt like failure to me.
I quickly realised it was an opportunity to pass on an art and inspire young ‘uns -this was in my plan which I wrote out in my early 20s. (To change the world for the better, you gotta get to people when they’re young, generally speaking, was what I figured).
Now I’m nearly ready to cast a bigger net. My video courses( still in production) are aimed at all ages, often presented in a manner to engage the playful child within, which pretty much sums up my teaching style. These courses need to be completed ASAP. So I will.
My morning has started off with a student cancelling due to being sick. Hmm. That’s another bonus about video courses: although it’s only a one-off payment, I won’t lose income due to missed one on one lessons.
Online shopping available here: www.petepascoe.com. Please do let me know if you require assistance. info@petepascoe.com
(One of the few small paintings I have currently available. Darby beach, Wilsons Prom).
Wonder if my paintings will sell at the exhibition? Who’s looking at them right now as I write this? I hope the beach scenes are lifting their spirits, perhaps they’re bringing back memories of childhood holidays by the sea. I hope so.
I popped at the exhibition yesterday. A lady pointed out the Beachbox she used to own and we chatted a while (I enjoy the way art brings people together like this). Granny’s Cubby was what her family called the Beachbox. She told me how children used to play a game, hopping from one beach box to another without touching the sand of Mills beach. They used to swing from the rafters of the roof of her Beachbox. Stories like this are gold. Everyone’s got a story to tell…
On that note, at the market this week, a young lady showed me her first 3 paintings, on her phone- were they any good? I said I thought they were (and they were -very good). But it didn’t matter what I thought - it’s just my opinion. Did she enjoy the process? She had. Then that’s all that matters. The outcomes will be what they’ll be.
I said to her I think the trick is to get in the moment, in the flow, be creative , be connected with society, have fun and keep your eyes open.
That’s my plan, the way I live my life. This way I’m in the state of mind where I can connect with people positively and enjoy life as much as possible (including those synchronistic moments).
I’m looking forward to what 2024 brings. Bring on the video courses, Electric Cow (from the folk rock album with Paul ); my new piano album; the new rock album ( Patient Hum band ); and a solo album. ASAP. Around my teaching schedule and arts markets, I’ll get them finished -they’re all so close.
Some regular time at the beach will reenergise me when my spirit flags. Like this:
A few more early nights wouldn’t hurt either…
anyhow, on with my day. I’m off to set up the piano room for the first lesson, I’ll also play some of my pieces – rehearsal for an upcoming concert (you’ll hear about it here) and it’s a reminder for me as to why I’m teaching piano: to share the pure pleasure of making music – not a bad way to start the day!
Hope you can manage to make it to my exhibition.
Pete
PS Here’s the lyrics to the song featured on this week’s podcast episode.
Let Her Know. P. Pascoe
Dressed for love from head to toe
Sleeveless silk, smooth skin shows
She moves between the smoky crowds
Like sunshine between dark clouds
*
Blessed with beauty from head to toe
Dark hair of silk, live eyes glow
She’s swaying now with innocent motion
Betraying quiet seductive notions
*
And oh I’d love to let her know
With more than just a subtle glance
To let it show
To hold her near and share some time
She’d have no fear -there’s be no crime.
*
Pressed for time, soon I’ll have to go
She stuns me. I’d love to let her know
But to stop her now is to catch a bird mid flight
I’d want here to feel free, I’ll wait til the time is right
*
And oh I’d love to let her know…
*
And if I did would there be a cost?
At most there’d be some face lost
Could take the plunge, pull the plug on this doubt
Could be what life’s all about.
*
Love to let her know