9.4.04 9:48 am TaipeiA little less than two weeks have passed and I’m in a much different place than when I wrote my last letter. It’s not the fact that I’m now in Asia but that I’m now suddenly invigorated and very inspired. I’d like to tell you how and why but it’s difficult to explain and describe so I’ll 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 I’m 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 can’t 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 I’m working on in this new album but one of the key elements is, simplicity. I feel some of my previous creations (and much of what’s 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 don’t add up to anything. We have at our disposal so much technology and information yet we don’t generate or create anything truly original or new. It’s 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. It’s not what you put in but what you decide to leave out, as Beethoven said. Simplicity is the key to life.One thing I’d 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. I’m 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 it’s happenings. I don’t 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 can’t 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 I’m 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. It’s 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 it’s because I’m 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. I’d much rather allow my mind and heart to think and feel for itself ratherthan have something else interfere. That’s why often times when I come back to Asia I feel myself being bombarded with new gossip, information, news and “garbage”. It’s 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 aren’t 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 it’s 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 don’t 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 don’t even feel safe in my own home. Violence doesn’t 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. It’s also very important to know how to “filter” what comes in and what stays out of our lives and minds.It’s 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 don’t 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 don’t 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 filtersoften times don’t 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 what’s true or false in your life and what’s 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. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to have a point of view. Pray to God for guidance and clarity.
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新浪
百度
开心
人人
豆瓣
搜狐
淘宝