Notable Number Nine

“To be fully present and fully human with another person has been viewed as healing in and of itself”*

Intentions

We hope to entertain you with “Notable Number Nine” but we also hope that you can value our music with another level of meaning. “NNN” was recorded with the musicians being fully present. What does this mean?

Here’s essentially what we do. First we embrace the sum total of all of our past musical experiences, the bands in which we’ve ever played. Next, we surround ourselves with a multitude of instruments that we have acquired from around the world. Finally, we take to the stage without a preconceived notion of what to play. There’s fear in that. It’s the consequence of not rehearsing. However, a moment of silence is all it takes to empty the mind of presupposed grooves and solos and of self. We begin listening intently to the other musicians searching for any possible telepathic connections. We will rely on our instincts while looking out over the audience for that first inkling of inspiration. An exhaled breath conjures up a first note “oh look it’s an F”.

Music improvisation is also known as “spontaneous music” or playing music while “in the moment”. Let’s take that a step further and say that being in the moment is also being “present”. It was our intention to be fully present when we made this recording.

*Shepherd, I., Brown, E. and Greaves, G. (1972). Three-on-oneness (Presence). Voices, 8, 70-77.