#MusicalMondayMemories #5: Fist of Fast Wishes

This is the perfect week to be writing about Charles Gorczynski and the Redwood Tango Ensemble. I had a conversation over coffee with Charles several weeks ago on a whirlwind 24 hours visiting Oakland, and you should see the spreadsheets hanging on my wall today. Thank you, Charles, for sharing some of your amazing goal-orienting ideas.

The RTE members were some of the first musicians I had more philosophical life conversations with than scheduling ones. It was also the first time I memorized pieces with a group, like for this video of “Fist of Fast Wishes” from our 2018 album, Prizefighter. We recorded the audio (RIP Fantasy Studios in Berkeley), and then played it over and over again to get visuals from different angles.  

RTE was a fun and intense group to play with. Working with Charles and the other lovely musicians (Ishtar, Anton, Dan, Elyse) was a special experience. Weekly morning rehearsals went in waves of feeling right and feeling sleepy. Did I give the other string players too many thoughts on bowings? Maybe. 

I miss the music and the company, and - as with everything I left back in California - this is not the end of RTE. Charles is prolific and dedicated, and his music grooves and soars, full of emotion. I have a deep appreciation for traditional tango style, and for the weaving of styles that is modern chamber music, and I’m excited to see what they do next! 

This June, we spent a week rehearsing in the Washington woods and recording an album in Seattle (with a couple beautiful additional musicians, Sarah and Ben). When the songs come out, we’ll get to relive the melodies and textures with their new life.

For a while, RTE was the most regular ensemble I played with. In fact, I wouldn’t have experienced Maine without them! A trio tour with Charles and Elyse brought us to Portland in fall 2018. When deciding where to move, I remembered the cobblestones and ocean fondly. It really is the perfect little city. Living 30 minutes away - surrounded by trees - is a combination of access and seclusion I appreciate immensely. Add regular precipitation, and you get everything I wanted in leaving California.

Before I moved, the Bay Area had taken on a feeling of stagnation. Living in a place with seasons is slowly dusting that away. Time helps. What matters deeply can be ingrained into each goal to build upon itself, cares gaining momentum. 

Without time, I would still be worried every day that I was half-assing each project. Honestly, this is the first week I’ve actually gotten everything done that was on my weekly schedule, after setting my sights on what I really love and spending months narrowing my goals down to reasonable. Editing this blog post is the last thing! 

So, here I am, not much paying work yet, but more enthusiastic about thoughts than any other year I can remember. And 2020 will build on that. See you in two weeks!