2175  A pilgrim's progress

Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 01:12:48 -0400
From: Keith Elshaw <keith@TOTANGO.NET>
Subject: A pilgrim's progress

Greetings and Best Wishes for 2004 to all;


It was 2 years ago now that the whole restoration imperative came and
knocked me over the head.

And quite a knock it was. I would equate the initial excitement to that of
the person who comes new to tango and finds life has changed forever after a
few times watching/dancing tango (even without knowing what one is
seeing/doing).


I worked crazily for a solid year. I ate, slept and dreamed little squiggly
lines I had to re-draw. I pretended to myself that the frustration of my
limitations was not driving me crazy. That was proper, as it turns out -
because keeping going was the only important thing. In the work came the
development.

After a year, something happened. I popped through to a new level of
competence. I threw everything out I had done (hundreds of tracks). I
breathed a sigh of relief (mixed with some embarrassment, some
satisfaction). I worked as hard as ever; got more done in less time.

After 9 more months, I popped through to a new level.

You guessed it - throw everything out (well, I could re-work my archived
files by now). Do them all again.

This would have been frustrating - maddening - but for what I was hearing
and able to play for people.

And but for those angels around the world who unselfishly gave me unique
support. (You are smiling with me now, no?)

The "SO hard on the nerves" part is mostly only a memory now; for the thrill
of finishing tracks and playing them for 150 people this weekend at a couple
of milongas is a drug.

The music cleaned sounds different. Seasoned dj's come and ask me "who is
that?" when I'm just playing a name orchestra. I understand.


As I re-worked everything the last few months, this was the internal high:

I'm playing new tandas that sound and feel just wonderful. Warm comments,
etc. - but what I enjoy the most is looking out at the floor and seeing
waves of people dreamily glide past me. Time is lost. The moment has
everyone captured because the music is AND SOUNDS so exquisite. BUT -

In my mind, I wish I could be playing what is at home in my computer that I
have been working on all week. Probably it will be ready for NEXT weekend.
It is not frustrating. It is exciting.

This has been going on week after week for months now.


I am just this nobody from nowhere who stumbled onto a personal mission, but
I have always had the sense a scientist has - every belief must be let go if
confronted with new evidence.


I am so blessed that I do not have to work in a vacuum - for it is so
important to play tango music for tango dancers who have a certain depth of
knowledge and experience.

Every day, in all humility, I thank the gods of Tango and Life for bringing
me to Montréal for now - where tango is a way of life for hundreds of people
(and where the first records and phonographs were made, also).


Anyhow, all this to say that I have put up a couple dozen new sample clips
of my latest restorations if you care to check them out.


https://ToTANGO.net/ttindex.html


I also bless the facilitators of and participants in this forum. Remember
what it was like before the internet? Not a good memory.

Wow - the future looks pretty bright and exciting. Gotta go buy some shades
...

Saludos,


Keith