so lingos you haven't registered? wait when i got time then
guide you to register.
Our dear david has leave his 3rd messages or letter. It is rather
long and i think he gonna released his new album soon coz he see
light..haha
9.4.04 9:48am Taipei
A little less than two weeks have passed and Im in a much
different place than when I wrote my last letter. Its not the fact
that Im now in Asia but that Im now suddenly invigorated and very
inspired. Id like to tell you how and why but its difficult to
explain and describe so Ill just say that God has been leading me
and lighting the path for me. Things are starting to become clear
and colorful again and it seems that now I can see the road and
my destination. I was worried and down but it seems that the dark
cloud has been lifted and now the sun is shining on me. I feel that
Im walking into new territory and the next phase of my life and
this album. Encouragement, friendship and love during this time are
very crucial and, again, I thank you all for your constant outpour
of love and support.
The new album is taking shape and I am now able to see many of its
distinguishing features. I cant say that the end is near but the
end is in sight. I am very excited about this new album and I can
guarantee that it will be something very different yet close to my
heart. There are many new things that Im working on in this new
album but one of the key elements is, simplicity. I feel some of my
previous creations (and much of whats on the market now) is very
overproduced and often times too slick. I feel that music needs
to return to its roots in terms of instrumentation and content.
Music nowadays is often times just layer upon layer of sounds and
parts that really dont add up to anything. We have at our disposal
so much technology and information yet we dont generate or create
anything truly original or new.
Its no different for musicians and producers as we now have
software and equipment that can do things you only dreamed of five
years ago. Yet we abuse and overuse it while at the same time
create nothing truly new and original. Thus, trying to keep things
simple is one of the most difficult things to achieve in spite of
all these options and tools. Some of the best artists and painters
draw with very simple lines and colors. Some of the most haunting
and memorable images are nothing more black and white portraits.
Some of the best melodies only have a few notes and chords behind
them. Its not what you put in but what you decide to leave out, as
Beethoven said. Simplicity is the key to life.
One thing Id like to clarify is that presently there is no
official David Tao website. You may be reading this letter on a
bbs, forum, email, etc. but please note that it has originated from
yours truly and is NOT the property of any website or organization
other than myself. Also, the fact that you find the posting of this
or any of my writings on a website, forum, bbs or email does NOT
mean that I am endorsing that particular entity, individual or
organization. I want to clarify this in the event that there may be
any misunderstandings or issues in the future. Again, I am NOT
endorsing, validating or officiating any forum, organization or
website when I post my writings on it. Im merely sharing with
everybody my thoughts and ideas via
this particular medium or website. Consequently, I am not
responsible nor do I have any involvement with the operation or
management of this and these websites, forums and organizations. I
hope you can all understand my stand on this issue and that it is
not intended to offend anyone. This is to avoid problems and
misunderstands in the future which could prevent me from posting my
writings. I do, however, encourage you to share my letters and
postings with your friends and other forums that may be
interested.
Often times, during the production of an album I close myself off
to the world and its happenings. I dont read the news, listen to
the radio or any music nor do I participate in many activities.
This forces me to look inside myself and become introspective. I
cant rely on the outside world for inspiration, feelings or
interaction all the time. I must become self-sufficient and live on
my own for that period of time especially when Im writing. I call
it fasting from life. These periods could last from one week to a
few months and often times it can become quite painful. Its very
similar to fasting or food abstinence in that the early stages are
very difficult while your body goes through changes and tries to
adjust to the lack of food and nutrition. However, as your body
adjusts (or in my case, my mind and life), new feelings, ideas and
perspectives emerge and present themselves. Often times, you are
able to see things clearer than before and perhaps things you
initially missed now take on new meaning.
This is a period of cleansing in which I empty my mind and soul and
allow new energies into my life.
I enjoy driving very much because it gives me a sense of freedom,
speed and clarity. I can see the world in its entirety and every
passing second gives me a different view and landscape. I am in
control and I can go where I want to go. When my friends ride with
me in the car
they often ask me why I have the radio/CD player off. They are
quite surprised since they would imagine a musician to enjoy
listening to music while driving. Many people like to drive with
the music on as it accompanies their drive as well as provides an
emotional backdrop for
they journey. However, I like to drive with the music completely
off.
In fact, I rarely listen to music throughout my day. Perhaps its
because Im always around music that I choose to not have music on
in my daily life. You may have heard people ask, Do you listen to
music to change your mood or to fit your mood? I think people do
both, which shows how powerful music, can be. And because music has
such power I choose to have it off at certain times because it can
either alter or further enhance my present mood at that moment. Id
much rather allow my mind and heart to think and feel for itself
rather
than have something else interfere. Thats why often times when I
come back to Asia I feel myself being bombarded with new gossip,
information, news and garbage. Its difficult to turn off the
world outside of us but sometimes we need to do that.
One my favorite directors once said that we are all systematically
being changed without us even knowing it. Year by year our
standards and expectations are being lowered and we arent even
aware of it. If you compare our world with the way it was a year or
two years ago you may realize how little its progressed and
improved. You may notice, in fact, that it has regressed and
worsened. Or perhaps you think the world is a better place? Perhaps
our standards and expectations have been lowered so gradually that
we dont even realize it? How many of you feel safe in the city
you live in? Do you feel an increased amount of violence and hatred
in the city, country, and world in which you live in? I do. Oddly,
sometimes I dont even feel safe in my own home. Violence doesnt
always present itself in the physical form. There is violence
within the mind, spirit and soul. There is constant and increased
abuse of our rights and lives by society, the media, corporations
and governments. Therefore, I feel the turning off of the outside
world during certain periods to be very important. Its also very
important to know how to filter what comes in and what stays out
of our lives and minds.
Its very much like the proliferation of viruses and bugs in our
computers and even cell phones now. Each day I open my email box to
find dozens of pieces of junk mail and garbage flooding and
overloading it. We have junk mail filters which are designed to
search and destroy this garbage, however, these filters dont
necessarily catch everything and at times can even misidentify
legitimate mail for junk mail accidentally discarding it. Each one
of us is like an email box and our filters are all set at different
operating levels. Some of us dont have filters so we have to
manually sort our mail each day, which is both frustrating and time
consuming. Many times, we are tempted or fooled by such junk or
fraudulent mail and misinformation leading to disastrous results.
As in life, our mental and emotional filters
often times dont catch everything and, as a result, we are lead
astray and become confused. Do you have a junk mail filter for
life? And if so, what level is your junk mail filter set to? Are
you aware of whats true or false in your life and whats around
you? Do you believe everything you read in the papers? Do you
believe everything your government, teachers and leaders tell
you?
When in doubt, follow your heart. Dont be afraid to ask questions.
Dont be afraid to have a point of view. Pray to God for guidance
and clarity.
http://www.davidcn.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=25063
