Managing my Drive Through Storms

At first, I arrived at Mt. Hood to find that I was a month too late to climb it safely; this was a month into rock-fall season, and I could see the very large bolder-skid tracks on Mt. Hood's main slope all the way from the Timberline Lodge. If a bolder had dislodged on that slope, and started heading towards me, jumping out of the way would mean sliding down the mountain right next to it. Never the less, I would have tried it anyway ;), except that the storm I had been hearing about then covered the top as I was climbing towards it.

So I waited out the storm at my friend Dave's, while catching up on Internet work, and apparently during my elation over working on two Internet jobs, I waited a day too long. Now I have one more day left - tomorrow - before a huge, week-long storm rolls in and covers the mountaintops with snow. There is something about multi-tasking that, regardless of "my super-human ability to concentrate," I don't seem to be getting. Perhaps, with a little luck and a Hell-of-a-lot more time sacrifice, I will get it before having to do all 4 remaining mountains as soon as climbing season roles around again next year. I just want to say that I hope the flack I get for this, from those I know, will be at a minimum. ,'-) I'm going to need even more strength then I did this year, as I am very behind schedule at this point.

Anyway, I'm off now to attempt the only mountain that is practically a guaranteed success this year---Mt. Adams.

Below are some really awesome comments that some of my friends and family left me after my last entry. They were moving enough that there was no way I was going to keep from sharing them. Really.

See you at the top!

Dean

P.S. Read the last entry if you find yourself somehow lost.

SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS FROM FRIENDS:  

"Maybe the ultimate determination of whether you "succeeded" or "failed" is not going to be what peaks you scaled, but what musical results you came up with during this project...... and how this experience might positively affect subsequent musical efforts." -Jim Goetsch

"Don't worry about how your trip is going, or what others may think. Those who really believe in you will never question what you are doing!!! I personally am so jazzed about what you're doing. I get excited reading about it!!! I wish I were there with you!" -Fred B. Jones

"Your work is brilliant, however don't forget to look at it--musically or artistically." -Rene Ramirez

"Your work just can't stop to amaze me, Dean! It's always something new, smart and different! I am with you man, trust me! All the good luck!" -Branislav Gelevski

"I once played with a trio where we improvised some music about, as one audience member requested, "The Road Less Traveled". I believe that much of the emphasis of your project is to be inspired not only by the majesty of high places but also of the atmospheres present in an infinite number of places, places that would be considered "The Road Less Traveled". Many have the tendency to put their attention toward summit peaks, and not so much on the even more mysterious and fascinating places that lie in between the valleys and the peaks. When we went up Slate canyon, we were in one of those places between the valley and peaks. For this reason, I don't think it matters whether you made it to the top of Mt Rainier. Your project is also about "The Road Less Traveled". That means that an almost infinite number of places between the valleys and the peaks are fair game for work places. How many gold mines do you see at mountain summits?" -Nyle Steiner

"Please have faith in yourself and your passions, and your goals. They really are special and wonderful, and will translate to the world in incredible ways. I truly believe this will happen. It should happen. Actually, I think feeling constantly misunderstood is quite universal, so I really hope you don't take it too personally." -Lisa Claire

"You are making the Summit Music Project. The attempts at reaching the summit are all a big part of it. I/we as onlookers are fascinated with your every day details, friendships, environment, travels, thoughts, and feelings. That's what makes it a human experience. If everything went perfectly as you had wanted, it would probably not be as interesting to us. We share your lows, highs, and regroupings. Watching you create your Cambient music on Mt. Rainier is fascinating. I'm surprised it was so clear and out of wind range. There is humor in what you call failure. There is no failure. It's all a learning experience and change of venue. Will anxiously await your next blog and video about the four summits in the Volcanic Arch." -Dean's Mom

Sure, Failure Is Always An Option

I headed out at night last Monday, and my whole drive north was a two-day speed marathon and frantic rush to gather rented and bought equipment.  Even ended up at Wallmart in the middle of the night, which actually almost saved my project again.

But regardless, it turns out that I have indeed failed.  I failed to reach the top of Mt. Rainier with my guided team.

  

I skipped climbing Mt. Hood first so that I could lock down the last of my equipment for Rainier, but apparently still lost way too much sleep in the process.  Basically, after many months of training, I was still too out of shape to handle a mountain like Rainier with a mini music studio thrown into my pack, and with or without enough sleep.  It was only ten or so extra pounds above the climbing equipment, but apparently made all the difference, and I'm even wondering if that would 

have mattered, considering how much more worn I felt than the other team members by the

 time we hit Camp Muir.

I might have been able to do the summit by leaving my laptop there, but that would have kind of defeated the idea of this project--to arrive at the top of a mountain, and while there, record and produce some music inspired by it. 

 

And hiring someone to carry your stuff for you, or renting

 yourself a chopper flight to the top to make EXTREME MUSIC up there would not cut it either.  

This project is as much about the conquest as it is about the artistic principal.  It is a complete concept, and executing it with 

compromises would render it a totally different concept.

Even so, at least I'm not negative enough to give up and call it "destiny" or some BS like that.

  Luckily, my life doesn't depend on whether or not I reach my goals right away, even though it

 looks and feels as though it does.

  

There were some good aspects to this week's experience, aside from gaining new respect for Mt. Rainier and learning the total magnitude of what climbing it will entail.  

I made some Cambient music (vocal ambient music) at Camp Muir, which is what I'm planning for every mountain top.  During this session I learned that I was far less musically ready than I had thought.  I will now practice extra hard for Mt. Hood so that the music won't totally bite, essentially.   ;)

Also, I gained the support and curiosity of the RMI guides who headed the climb---Jake, Thomas and Eric.  Jake, the team leader, was a very serious and passionate guide who busted my butt every step of the way, yet his deep understanding of my philosophy and his overall enthusiasm for the project have inspired me in ways I did not plan on.  Among other people, I will be hearing his voice in my head during the coming months, helping to drive me forward.

  

Thomas and Eric were also very interested and inspirational figures.  Thomas, having a mind for literature, made even the deepest sides of my intellect feel embraced and appreciated.  I hope we continue to stay in touch in some way.  And I hope I can find a way to re-approach Rainier with that same selection of guides next Summer.

Having to wait another year to try again is far more ominous than it looks; God knows what may happen by then, especially with everything else I'm trying to accomplish, and with my rapidly depleting resources.  I would not even wait another year if I had the money to attempt Rainier again this season, but I will now have to raise it.

Suddenly, I no longer have blinders on about how finishing this project, and it's accompanying film, is far off on the horizon.  This project is actually still in it's starting phase, and after everything I've done so far, that's hard for me to believe.

 In all honesty, I am at a point in my life where finding support and understanding for my radical and seemingly fruitless idea(s) is growing scarce.  

Many friends, and even my family now 

find it hard to be patient with my absence and my ill-matched

 neediness.  From the outside, it just looks like I'm being my same old "selfish self," and I suppose that's not altogether untrue.  

Unfortunately, in life, selfishness seems to be required to achieve one's goals and/or visions, or to simply make one's own dream come true.  They never teach you that in children's books, or lecture you about it in Optimism 101. 

 

Ultimately, I suppose the real question becomes, "Is completing my goal going to end up being something that serves a useful purpose to others, at all?"  One would say "...if the answer is yes, then it must be a worthy goal," but considering how many great accomplishments throughout history have been achieved through pure self indulgence, and without any knowledge of the outcome, I'm not sure that that's an accurate evaluation method.

But I'm just using my blog as a therapeutic sounding board at this point.  My rantings and inner-most thoughts will not change the fact that over the next couple of weeks, here in Washington, I will summit four mountains of the Cascade Volcanic Arch, unless something else randomly significant gets in the way. 

 

Each summit will be a momentous achievement, and I will report them one by one.  Right now I'm staying with my friend Dave (whom I climbed St. Helens with in 93) and his family in Tacoma.  Good, old friends.  Today I plan on returning my gear to a store in Portland, OR, and then driving to the Timberline Lodge where I will head out on the trail for Mt. Hood summit the next morning.  I should be back in Tacoma a few days from now.

Also, I recently found a lot more info about Mt. Olympus then was made available before I left, and I'm realizing that I won't be able to climb that mountain either.  It turns out to be a class 4 technical ice climb, and requires a partner, a team or vast experience.  I don't have the money right now.  When I learned of this, I researched the possibility of climbing Mt. Baker instead, but as I suspected, it's the second largest in the state to Rainier and thus demands the same requirements.

Sure, this is all mildly frustrating, but I'm continuing on with

 those parts of the project that are within my control, and perhaps I'll be able to approach Baker or Olympus next year when I do Rainier.  Whether I do or not, it may not make much of a difference.  Olympus is not a panoramic view, and Baker is an extremely unpopular mountain.  Perhaps these things should not detour me, but I have to consider the footage and the project principal.

Here is a short film of the Rainier attempt.  I almost didn't post it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ipTM-xS5IM

Meantime, upwards.

Talk to you after Hood.  And yes, I'm still excited about that.

Dean

P.S.  Here is some of the music I've been listening to, and that I always bond with, deeply, in this part of the country:

Talk Talk

Sun Kill Moon

Radiohead

Tangerine Dream

Mark Isham

Ian Boddy

Loaded Coil

Jeff Pierce

Jon Hopkins

Ulrich Schnaus

Dntel

Cathrine Feeny

Even some:

Portishead

Lamb

Massive Attack

And have been discovering:

Helios

Album Leaf

Tycho

More soon...

Last Moments Of Sunlight

Well,

I've been training for the Cascade Mountains all Summer, and the last moments of sunlight have finally arrived. My Summer window is ending, rapidly, so I'll be leaving for Washington state within a few hours.

Juggling my training with a collaboration between two web designers was lame, and has made me late, throwing off my itinerary, but I'll be dipped in boiling nuclear waste before I wait another year for this. (Ouch. umm... maybe not.) Luckily I'm in the best shape of my life, so climbing all 6 volcanoes before the Summer completely ends might still be doable.

They are:

Mt. Hood

Mt. Rainier

Mt. Adams

Mt. St. Helens

Mt. Olympus

Mt. Shasta

Still, I'm late enough that the thought of any kind of tight schedule has now been cast to the wind. I will do whatever I have to do to climb these things. Even been watching the Weather and Discovery channel to get more in the zone. ;)

I do have some other killer news though:

Last Sunday I trained by putting some extra weight in my pack and climbing a well-known CA mountain. At the top I made ambient music with a laptop and a guitar. (Sounds so American.) Check out the clip below to find out which mountain it was:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZcQlxzHQIk

I may have Lisa send photos of this to the Times. There were some other dudes up there (partying) as well, and they got footage, but have been having problems sending it online. They seemed to like what they heard.

I was hoping, over this last month, to fill in some journal entries and videos from the last Southwest trip so I could keep a record of what happened, but I lost time. Luckily, I don't think I'll be forgetting what happened any time soon, even if I was in a daze through most of it. ;) I will finish the Southwest post on here later (hopefully before the Southwest again in Fall), along with a great session I did earlier in the year at Mono Lake. Anyone who loves Mono Lake will dig that.

For now, I'm going to concentrate on Washington and Oregon, which is a far more involving and important venture. This will be a monumental accomplishment in my life, if I can pull it off.

I will post up short entries and at least a few photos for every mountain I climb. Going to attempt Mt. Hood first, this Monday. Already alerted musical friends in Portland. On the 17th, the day after Mt. Hood, I will join the team for Rainier and we'll start training for the summit on the 20th.

So, it looks as though I will not be posting another entry, or contacting anyone, before I reach the top of Rainier as well. This is it. If all goes well, my next post will be to show-and-tell the experience of those two summits--which is kind of my life's conquest, thus far.

And believe you, I shall "flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye."

Wish me luck, and I'll see you at the top.

Dean

P.S. And yeah, I promise to have plenty of fun with this also.

"Ambient Travels" And Putting The Southwest On A Shelf

(Excuse any spelling errors.)

Hello everyone!

So, you are now reading what could possibly be my last current blog entry, ever.  :(   ;)   I'm realizing that, as much as I try, I just can't seem to keep a decent blog while traveling. If you know me, you know that I rarely half-ass creative endeavors---at least the parts of them that I am conscious of controlling. I see my blogs and websites the same way.  They are not some note pad for me to scribble and dribble on.  They are something I create for people to look at, and are something I use to communicate what I am experiencing.  Yeah... call me weird.

Anyway, this has been nearly impossible for me to do during trips, as they usually have a time-sensitive, and packed itinerary, and now with an involving music project to boot. In return, attempting to do the impossible by working on the blog everywhere I stop has been taking time out of that schedule and thus complicating it, changing it, and generally holding up the project. I'm not afraid to say this so that others may learn from my mistakes, but--I have failed to finish my project because I was bothering with my blog. And, I've failed to keep a good blog, too.  VICTORY IS MINE!

Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that most of this was due to my extremely involving video entries, so that will definitely

cease as something I do during trips. But knowing my perfectionistic nature when it comes to anything I post, it probably won't make sense for me to even enter text and photos during trips anymore either.  It's just too risky.

With this in mind, I would like to start using these blogs for another novel concept that's really cool. I know the "blog craze" is based only on what's current and what's now-now-NOW with people, but there is far more potential for these pages then most realize.  They can be used as a powerful outlet for memoir entries, and should be, at least until there is some kind of "memoir page craze," which I could use right about now.

So if I can't use blogs as a journal during projects that are this important to me, then I will most def be using them as detailed memoirs and/or records.  Fo sho!  My only hope/wish is that, before these blogs become something for more than just friends, you all keep reading it even though the entries will be past tenths.  I may even end up writing and entering one in your living room, but I would still want you to check it out as though I were writing on location.  This is the essence of a memoir, transporting the reader to another moment and place.

Also, I know I will have a fair amount of literature about this project on the web sooner or later anyway.  Just remember, any literature about this project made available in the future will likely incorporate much of what's on these blogs, as well.

THE TITLE:

Something that I recently realized probably needs my attention, is that this project needs it's own name.  I can't keep attaching it to the Summit Music Project as though it's the same thing.  They are more different than they are the same.  The Summit Music Project is the act of climbing high, established mountain peaks and making music at the top.  That is a very specific thing, and once at the top, one can only make music in a specific spot.  The rest of the overall project--like what I'm doing right now in the Southwest--is more of a broad and general concept: the act of visiting locations, possibly around the world, just to make music there.  I'm in deserts now, but I just as well could find myself doing this at locations in cities, temples, caves, boats, trains, planes and automobiles.  So, as you can see, it's a different project, or at least a branch of the same one.  [And for anyone who wonders why I would want to do that: again, this project is an impressionistic experiment.  The music is a collaboration between the musician and the surrounding environment, because if the musician were not at that spot/location, then that musician would probably make a different type of song.]

But I'm only calling the overall project what it is, I'm not trying to take anything away from the spirit and essence of the nature-based project I'm working on right now.  That remains in tact.  The title is just for a more all-encompassing categorization.

So, for now I'm just referring to this project as Ambient Travels, being as ambient music seems to be the only kind of music that is easy enough to start and finish, professionally, within a few hours of computer-battery life.  It is also my preferred form of expression for natural settings.  

I may change this title before I go public with the project, but there's no rush.  I also didn't mind the title Scenic Stages, and might use it instead; or perhaps I will call the overall project Scenic Sessions and have branches of it such as Ambient Travels and The Summit Music Project.  Mostly, to be totally honest, of the 15 some-odd title candidates that me and others came up with, nothing has fully described what this project really is.  So, if you have any ideas for titles, please let me know, even though I should warn you that my standards are pretty steep, regardless of the title I've settled on.  (And jokes won't be considered ,'-)

Another thing that my good friend Loren Nerell reminded me of

 was that there is no rush in making this project presentable to the world 

yet. 

 I have no sponsorship for this and no external deadline to meet, so while I'm working on other, more pressing things, I will be devising just how I want to go public with this.  It's presentation may not change much, but still, there's no need for that pressure right now.  Sure, I've already started giving it a little publicity already, but not a lot.  Eventually this project will get as much priority as every other Fateless endeavor I promote, if not more.

ENTRY:

So, onto the rest of my current blog entry:

I plan on being back home, in LA, in roughly a week and a half.

I'm in Moab, Utah, right now.  I've made a lot of progress on this trip/project but unfortunately I will have to head back home

 before I can hit most of the main locations: The Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Capital Reef, and the Escalantes. (And I've had to put off meeting my friend John in Yosemite, for 2 months.)  

But that's okay. One way or another I am determined to get back here by early Fall to finish the job. Turning this part of the Southwest into a separate trip will help to air this whole thing out anyway; it's a bit concentrated as it is.  

And I will have to take that trip after I've finished the Washington State portion of this project, in August.

My reasons for heading home I'll have to share with you 

individually.  They are a little too personal to be posting on the web.

Also, I will try two more locations on the way back home, Antelope Canyon and Meteor Crater.

It has taken me over two weeks to make this last video, mainly because after I realized that I wasn't going to have time to create a video per location, I began a montage of all locations up to that point.  This turned out to be--not much easier.  Also, "that point" was basically a month ago, so I've done a lot more ever since the spot where this video leaves off.  Plus, of course, half of it got done in my car in the middle of BF desert while hitting the other locations, which didn't help it's production along either. But it's done and I'm happy with it. You can check it out at the bottom after you've cleaned your plate and finished reading.  ,'-)

You will have to excuse me if writing these long-winded-yet-sane passages on here is making me feel better.  It's almost an exorcize in something.  It's reminding me that I'm still coherent and haven't lost my mind yet.  The frustration and spirit-breaking amount of perfectly-timed obstacles I've experienced on this trip lead me to such emotional acts as striking my equipment, flipping off small town folk (driving), screaming at the sky, screaming at God (whether or not there is one), and generally not taking care of myself.  It became outrageous when I think about it.  But what can I do?  My heart is for both perfection and intricacy, and they are a bad combination.

But there is no way I could live with making this sound like it was all bad.  No way.  There were some truly miraculous and 

expansive (literally) moments out there, and some really interesting and heartfelt music that was created within hours, sometimes minutes.  The highlight of my trip might have been driving to Provo, Utah, to meet up with Nyle Steiner--inventor of the EWI--where we then recorded live, cinematic, ambient music in the mountains near his home.  

But I don't know.  I sure met up and performed with some excellent artists out there, including my brother Brian, when we recorded at Lake Tahoe, and Native-flute player D'Von Charley at Canyon De Chelly.  And some of the artistic things that transpired on the Navaho rez... I just can't ever describe.  

Of course, seeing my mother graduate probably takes the grand prize here.

:-)

It was awesome.  And someone graduating, radiantly, at 71 is not something you see every day.  (Take that, mom!)

These are all great things for me to remember at this moment.  I can use the cheering up.

ONWARD:

I have been on the road, living in my car for logistically two months now, and have been away from home for over three.  I know... kind of crazy and definitely not planned. There were many conditions and delays on the road after I finally left the Phoenix area, where I had been hovering for over a month.

I had actually started a detailed list of what happened at each location just now, but then I realized that the whole reason I went through all of this trouble to video tape the project was so that I would be able to chop it into a story later.  This is relieving.  ,'-)  I don't have to write all day now.  

And no matter how much more poetic, conceptual and descriptive the medium of writing is, film still makes things more real and official than writing does.  All medias are give and take.

As originally planned, I will later make a short film for each location I've recorded at. Perhaps a documentary will be made about all of my Southwest excursions, but more likely they will be to feed a bigger, separate project, so I will probably create a website just for Ambient Travels (permanent title TBA).

BTW:

Someone recently asked me how I manage to find the time and money to do this.  To answer this, I have two sets of three words each: "save up money," and "live in poverty."  Explanation: when I say that what I am doing is hard---I seriously mean it.  (Aside from the creative task.)  I would say that, if you're based in a town as far as LA, it takes saving up about a minimum of 3 to 5 hundred dollars for gas, cheap food and video tapes (or hard disks), and then living in your car for weeks on end in natural settings without showering until you find a river.  The funny thing is--I'm being dead serious.  ,'-)

Even so, if one's heart is totally in it, then something like this is

 obviously doable.

And what's left of the taken measures I would be happy to explain to you in more detail, if you are someone I know.

In the meantime, I hope that that answers any questions anyone might have had about it. 

THE ROUT:

For now, I'll just give you a quick run-through of the rout I took. 

After leaving Phoenix I went up central AZ rout 17 and then cut across to Chinle and the Navaho Nation.  From there I headed as far north as Valley of the Gods before cutting down through the Hopi Rez to Tuba City and back to Flagstaff.  By then, and just before I could get a chance to do the Grand Canyon, it was time for me to drive to Reno, Nevada, so I could make it to my mother's college graduation (something that obviously couldn't wait).  After cutting across Nevada and seeing her graduate (hours after arriving), I hung out with her and my brother, edited video, and composed at locations near there for over a week.  After that I headed back to the Southwest, crossing Nevada on the 80 and seeing the Salt Lake Desert for the first time before arriving at Nyle's house in Provo, Utah. After a couple of days with him I went strait to Moab, a town situated at the heart of canyon country.  I've been here ever since.

Yep, this was a far cry from my original rout, but it goes to show that even when you have something written down and calculated, "The best laid plans..."

But also, it's always wild doing something like going from the freezing could snows of Tahoe to the dry heat of the basin desert and Moab on the verge of Summer, within a day or two.

There is obviously plenty still not yet told about this story, so I will let my latest and last video explain some of it.  Enjoy!  It took me a month and several locations to finish.

I have one last thought in an attempt to feel much better about this whole thing: if I'm not making any kind of "external" world history with this project, I'm definitely making some significant personal history with it.  :)  Definitely.

Talk soon!

More below...

TO SEE A LARGER, BETTER QUALITY VERSION OF THE BELOW VIDEO, GO TO THIS LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mJBJhvYZCM

Before I continue:

I also wanted to acknowledge a few more music discoveries on the road that were memorable (cinematic material, and some electro, that goes well with desert travel):

RE-DISCOVERED CDs:

"Triptych" - Ian Boddy, Markus Reuter & Nigel Mullaney

"Amber" & "Tri Repetae" - Autechre

"The Zen Kiss" - Sheila Chandra

"The City" - Vangelis

"Context" - Thought Gild

"Spanners" & "Temple of Transparent Balls" - Black Dog    (indescribable)

"Double Figure" - Plaid

"No Roots" - Faithless

"Lifeforms" - FSOL

"Point Of Arrival" - Loren Nerell

"Propagation" - Robert Rich

"Light Fantastic," "Structures from Silence," "Quiet Music" & "Life Sequence" - Steve Roach

"Song for the Americas" - Jonathan Alias

"Ambient Works Volume 1" - Aphex Twin

"Life is Full Of Possibilities" - Dntel

"Symetric" - Thomas Ronkin  (intense for everywhere)

"Phaedra," "Firestarter" and "Force Majeure" - Tangerine Dream (and for any mountains/forests)

"The Lovely Sound Of Thunder" - Harold Bud

"M'Ocean" & "The Storm" - Michael Stearns

"Galaxies" - Kevin Braheny  (great ambience but be careful of the cheesy-er tracks)

"Aqua Donna" - Vic Hennegan  (everywhere)

"Places In Arizona" - Mr. Soon    (and good in places other than AZ)

"Euphony 2" - a newer compilation I was on (great for other places as well)

"Ambient Time Travelers" - an old Cleopatra compilation I was on

"Indigo" - Patrick O'Hearn (mainly in the mountains/forests)

"Castalia" -  Mark Isham (mainly in mountains/forests)

"On The Shores Of Heaven" - Jeff Pierce (and partly in mountains/forests)

"Mythic Dreamer" - R. Carlos Nakai (and great to mix into other things ;-)

Also, Voices of Kwan's second CD.  I can't remember the name at the moment.

So I know I'm leaving some out but maybe I'll name them later.  There is also more I will get to on the next trip, because there is more that I wanted to re-connect with yet didn't have time. 

Also, I've been doing a lot of mixing on the road: I leave ITunes on random shuffle and then leave another program on over that (playing a drone-ish playlist) and then listen as I drive.  Some very cool and coincidental moments emerge.  So, I have to correct myself about something on the video; a girl was asking me if I also DJ during this trip, and I said "no."  That's not exactly true.  I make original music at a specific location, but as I drive I let experimental DJ sets record on my laptop.  I've got some great ones to show for it.

NEWLY DISCOVERED ARTISTS:

Saul Stokes (really great)

Sleepy Town Manufacturer

Badloop (so brilliant)

Resonant Drift

Vir Unis

The Circular Ruins

Abfahrt Hinwil

Recue

Planet Bolex

There are at least five more that I can't think of.  I remember the music, well, but not the names.  Again, later...

ALSO, BEFORE I FORGET, BELOW IS A LINK TO MY CLIFF SESSION WITH D'VON CHARLEY AT CANYON DE CHELLY.  IT WAS A GOOD PERFORMANCE AND YOU CAN CHECK OUT A SHORT CLIP OF IT AT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS4CdGF-KMg

All the best!

Dean

Phoenix to San Carlos - Friends, Deserts, Creative Decisions

(FYI SIDE NOTE - those of you who were curious about my Mt. Shasta attempt in a previous entry: yes, that was a failed attempt to the summit.  But, I am scheduled to climb it [completely] this August, along with Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and with a team up Mt. Rainier.  Now for the entry/update at hand...)

It's going on my fourth unplanned week in the vacinity of Phoenix, due mainly to bad internet 

connections and the time spent on editing these video entries.  I really am going to have to 

start skipping them.  Plus, juggling that, along with the process of communicating with web 

designers and people at home helping me renovate my professional life, is just not an option at this point.  I have also been doing a lot of helping of friends in troubled times, but considering that most of them were once there for me in my time of need, it's pretty much a no-brainer.  And before I start ranting, unknowingly, I think I'll just run down what's happened since the last entry instead...

After visiting my good friend Doug Miles in a Phoenix hospital, for a brief operation he had, and then leaving Alma and Alexis, I went and visited Joe Jakub (Mr. Soon) for almost a week.  That one was my fault.  I enjoyed catching up with Joe so much that I just stayed and stayed.  

After prying myself away from him, I stuck to my original plan and visited Doug at his house in San Carlos, where he was recovering from a few things.  San Carlos is about 70 miles East of Phoenix and is right next to the town of Globe.  We enjoyed that but we were both concentrating on our individual delema's at that point, so it wasn't the usual "let's-get-buck-wild-and-take-a-road-trip-to-Santa-Fe" visit there.  I stayed long enough to record a live session at the Upper Salt River and at Coolidge Dam in San Carlos Lake.

If you look at the videos you can see both sessions.  Compared to other sessions thus far, they were flawless and the music was sweet, deep and appropriate for these areas.

Both of those sessions were supposed to be a couple of brief, extra locations I fit on the side of the main location in that area: the lower Salt River Canyon, which is like a next-size-down Grand Canyon in Southern Arizona (The Grand Canyon being in Northern Arizona).  The first day I tried to make it to Salt River Canyon to record, I got there at night.  I worked on instruments for a song there and then stopped before driving back to Globe the next morning. I figured it was time to get to work without being a burden to households, or being distracted by them.

Well, after then spending 3 days in a Globe coffee house to edit the previous footage, and another two days there moving around to try and get a decent wireless connection that could handle uploads (and living in my car the whole time so I can afford all of this), I finally left Globe failed and pissed.  

But taking it back a little: before leaving, I went back to Salt River Canyon again, where I was again late.  I continued working on what was now two songs there, during twilight: one ambient instrumental piece and one trip hop-esque piece with vocals (homage to how much of that stuff Doug and I used to listen to driving through there on our way to Santa Fe).  

I recorded the vocals during twilight and then the next morning I finished the ambient piece.  Due to all of the complications combined, I think the 'trip hoppy' piece came out better and more raw, but the ambient piece did have a somewhat "chasmic" sound that felt good to make as I was hovering over the overlook of a canyon that was a couple thousand feet deep.  I then left Salt River Canyon and stopped off at a small, unpopular canyon/wash along the highway outside of Globe that I call Teaser Canyon; it has some running water through it, like an oasis, and I hiked a short way up it to stop and make some very dry and intimate ambient music.  I then left the area of Globe in pretty much total frustration, aside from the little good I experienced.

I was never the kind of person to be angered by small towns and remote countries until I joined the present-day internet revolution by trying to keep blogs current on my trips.  I've always known how slow things get when you leave the city, but for some reason I didn't think this would be a problem.  Of course, it's probably just as much the fault of our state-of-the-art as it is small towns.

It turns out that, when it comes to wireless, we are still pretty much in the stone age.  I suppose we still have a ways to go before we overcome piracy to the point where signal-tap systems can be developed as a universal technology?  I don't know much about that.  But I do know that small towns are practically servivalist when it comes to wireless signals ("Get off 'o' my property!!").  Even so, I suppose I would/will be, too, whenever I retire there.  ,'-)

So I basically came back to Joe's, where I was embraced again, and am here now, writing.  I am having such a great time with Joe and his roommate Fabio that I can easily see being more irresponsible and staying indefinitely (we want to publish a cookbook about how to cook certain celebrities)--but now...  ,'-(  I have to go.  I am over three weeks late, late enough that I no longer will be able to go back to LA before heading to Reno for my Mom's graduation.  I will have to drive there from Provo, Utah now.  My mother's graduation probably only happens once, and at her age, I see no other achievement quite like it in my life at present.

So, due to this change, my whole rout has changed.  I will now be zig-zagging directly north, instead of up and down, the way I had originally planned.  Below you can see my old rout marked off on a map.  I will be covering almost the same territory now, but in a different order.

Plus, I have locations that I was planning on filming music at in the Reno area, so this music-making trip will no longer be separate from the next one.  This will be a Canyon Country/Basin Desert/Sierra's trip, and I will not return to LA until late May----lots of living in my car to look forward to...  

 

(GOD. Showers are nice!)

But I don't want to make this all sound negative.  There are obviously many moments of serious magic, and among other things, I feel very thankful to be hiking around here during a season when everything is in bloom and, despite the intense heat, the land is extremely lush with life.

TO SEE THE BELOW VIDEO EXTENDED, AND WITH A BETTER QUALITY, GO HERE (SOUND IS LOW. HAVE TO TURN IT UP):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=793WENLv8to

SMP Phase 2 - "Friends and the Upper Salt"

As I said before, I will have to stop doing great edits of these video entries in order to be able to succeed in finishing the trip, so one of these videos is edited and the other is not.  The first one is, and the second one isn't.  You will notice them like night and day, and unfortunately, the day (the one that is not edited) is a taste of the videos I will be posting from now on.  Again, I appologize for that, but hopefully the magic and novelty of these places I'm visiting will fill in for any lack of production.

The first film was of the Upper Salt session, this one is for the Coolidge Dam Session.  The next entry will include the video of my Salt River Canyon session, the up-coming Weaver's Needle, and Sedona.  

Also, I will soon include links to the Native American charity that this project will be aligning with.  Stay posted for that.

There is a little more text after this video...

TO SEE THE BELOW VIDEO EXTENDED, AND IN A BETTER QUALITY, GO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN9r8nr2IYQ

SMP Phase 3 - "Coolidge Dam Session"

And I want to list some desert-associated music discoveries on my trip so far:

Older albums I've been re-discovering:

Daryll Dobson - "The Mind Electric"

Kit Watkins - "Labyrinth" (beyond brilliant)

A Produce - "White Sands" and "Land of a Thousand Trances"

From Here To Tranquility (compilation)

Autechre - "Incanabula"

Thomas Ronkin - "Within/Distance"

Newer albums I've been RE-discovering:

Anthony Wakman and Mr. Soon - "Points of Origin"

Steve Roach - "The Lost Pieces"

Robert Rich - "Electric Ladder"

NEW ARTISTS I'VE BEEN DISCOVERING:

Little Dragon (so great)

Badloop

Saul Stokes  (never gave him a try until now - amazing artist)

Lusine

Kettel

Phoenix and The Lost Dutchman

My first 2 weeks of the trip were spent here in Phoenix, Arizona.  Tomorrow I hit the road again.

Excuse this delayed entry.  I have been doing nonstop things like visiting friends and doing charity work, of sorts, and all while trying to finish a decent edit of my video blog.  I'm letting you all know right now that I think I'm going to have to cancel the great editing jobs on these video entries.  They just take WAY too much time to do and I'm supposed to be concentrating on the destinations.  From now on I will post very rough videos, and I apologize if I have spoiled anyone with these present ones.  

The charity work?  Lol, well, I have been mentoring people who desire to be musicians.  Some of these are ex-musicians and some are not.  Some I know and some are fresh acquaintances.  On that note, obviously if you are a friend of mine, never hesitate to ask me for help with anything creative or music related.  If I have the time I'm usually game for it.

So I first arrived here to my life-long friends Alexis and Alma, in the town of Mesa on Easter Sunday.  They are mother and son.  The day I arrived, it was too late to comfortably record, so we all just went for a day hike at the Superstition Mts.  While there I realized that the foot of the main mountain, The Lost Dutchman, would be a good enough location for our first recording session.

Two days later, we went back to a similar hiking spot and recorded.  It was an interesting session for something so on-the-fly.  I had taught Alexis some of the basics of my software.  He has had an amazing musical talent ever since we were in Jr. High together.  

During our session at the Lost Dutchman, Alexis was able to play chords and do fairly decent cross-fading of rhythms while I played flute, but even though he was new to this form of music, his talents extend far past it, as do mine (as addicted as I am).  Alma took pictures and footage during the session.  It was a beautiful feeling, doing that with them there.  Alexis and I could have gone deeper into the mountains for this session, but it was important for me to have Alma's presence and her creative knack.

After leaving them, a week later, I joined up with my good friend and colleague, Joe Jakub (known as recording artist Mr. Soon).  I've been at Joe's for almost a week as well, in his awesome, eclectic-minimalist apartment in northern Phoenix.  Joe and I relate about a great many artistic 'issues,' and I'm sad to have to leave, but I'm scheduled to hike to Weaver's Needle in the Superstition Mts. tomorrow before continuing on my trip.

From there I will drive to the San Carlos Appache Rez where I always visit my good friend Doug miles, and I'll record the singing voice of his daughter Grace (possibly).  I saw Doug here in Phoenix almost a week ago, but that's a story for the next entry.

Also, a mention: Joe and I were talking about this project and he made me realize that since I've done projects in the past that tie into a charity, I should make this project the same.  When I tie into charities in this country it is always for Native causes, so thus it will be again.  I will use World Book Aid as a conduit and will start providing that link after Lisa and I situate the program a little better.  We will be juggling that with another program we are in the middle of.

Meantime, here's the video for the session with Alexis and Alma.

Notice: try to bare in mind that these videos are for the purpose of showing some friends and fans the project, and keeping a record of it.  They are not meant to be serious cinematic achievements of any kind.  You can continue offering suggestions if you like, but the software I am using on the road is very limited, and thus what you are seeing is the result of it's maxed-out capabilities.  I know---that's limited, but it still does the trick and makes for some webisodes the people seem to be responding positively to.  But I'll fix that...   ,'-)

To see this video as a better quality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF9ScEJ2G8E

To see an extended version of this video that is funny and basically ridiculous:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxA5Q2Hzis

Dean De Benedictis

VIDEO OF LOST DUTCHMAN SESSION

Shasta Attempt, Later That Week

Regarding our Mt. Shasta climb last September, 2009:

Ordinarily I would write, but I realized that this video footage is pretty classic and says it all better than I ever could, regardless of some questionable sound quality.  I've got it posted in two places.

I also received a request to start cutting these videos shorter.  That may be difficult sometimes but I will definitely try.  Just as much for entertainment purposes, the entries and footage on this blog are a sole means of documenting the events of the project.  I will definitely do what I can, but I wish I had more time to edit these rough posts.

Whether swift or not, I can easily say that this video is entertaining at the very least!  (below)

All the best,

Dean De Benedictis

"I don't think the world knows how much my heart extends to them, regardless of what the rest of my body is doing." --anonymous

TO WATCH THE BELOW VIDEO WITH BETTER RESOLUTION, 

GO HERE: http://vimeo.com/10649061 

OR HERE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX5rLqAlEZ4

Filling In The Blanks

It is now the end of March, 2010, and tomorrow I leave for the Southwest portion of this project.  I'll arrive in Phoenix tomorrow night, and will stay for 3 nights with my friends Alma and Alexis until my first desert excursion this Sunday.

 

There have been some great summit attempts and scenic excursions since my last blog entry in September of 09, so because I never got 'round to posting those conclusions, I'm going to start with video footage from that month and slowly work my way back to the present.  The next few blog entries, 

including this one, will be spent filling in the last 7 months, one video piece at a time.

It is all good, relative, relevant info.  And besides, it's only fair that I keep you entertained in chronological order so you know what the heck is going on.  I will try to post each day.  As soon as I head out into the Arizona wilderness, in 4 days, I want to have the past cleared up so I can start posting new entries. 

The Summit Music 

Project involves making live electronic ambient music at somewhat removed, natural locations.  To me, aside from the beauty of it's settings and nostalgic 

parallels, this project has become somewhat of a monster.  It started out as a simple and fun experiment and is now turning into a potential publicity stunt/expedition/quest for music-video and documentary footage.  Then again, very few projects I've ever started, be it music or other, have ended up being anything but snarling monsters. (Always in a good way--when it's finished.) 

 Don't get me wrong, it's definitely fun-and-games compared to some jobs and projects, but there are some cold-case sacrifices that must be made in order to pull off this type of thing successfully. 

I am in the process of renovating my record label, and will be carrying some new artists whom I believe in, artistically.  If there is even a chance that this project will muster up some future publicity for both them and I, then that alone is worth it.  (Alongside inherent reasons.)

At the very least, I am determined to have a (somewhat) fun and effective record of this whole thing.

Last September, Lisa Claire and I stayed at a summer home on the Oregon coast near Port Orford.  It was a temporary visit before we continued onward towards Mt. Shasta where we were going to climb to the top and I was going to record music up there.  

A few days before we left the OR coast, I decided to have my first ambient-music recording session in a natural setting by going down to the pristine, Oregon beach and climbing one of the buttes that line the shores. 

The following footage, and music, is from that day.  It was definitely fun.

Tomorrow I will post the conclusion to what happened at Mt. Shasta the following three days, and at Mt. St. Helens the following month.

Dean De Benedictis

VIDEO FOOTAGE