Author: jjdeprisco
Sonic explorer, sound artist, guitarist in Fricknadorable, software designer.
3/4/06 What became abundantly clear in the writing process for this project was that I could actually write, almost, on cue. The result may not always be what one would expect, and the piece may not even be useful (a lot of stuff ended up on the cutting room floor), but ...
2/25/06 Been listening to lots of Arabian music. Stuff from Syria too. Islamic studies continue with my reading. Rumi still fascinates. College studies in image restoration taking up some more of my time. ...
We met Stan during the premiere of one of the Whitaker’s IMAX movies about Greece. The movie was sold out, but we got to meet Stan and talked with him about music a bit. He was very cordial and willing to talk about his experiences as a musician. Here he ...
2/12/06 Waiting for Bulu Suite – Bulu called me on short notice today (as usual) and said he was going to stop by. That basically blew most of my afternoon because I didn’t have an exact time (Bengali time is rarely exact, as they say). So since I couldn’t get too ...
2/4/06 Overall I am still feeling very prolific with this, but some of my biggest struggle is: Are these pieces truly inspired by the play, or by what’s going on around me? Both? Probably. My rather sudden emergence into Islamic writings, combined with my perennial study of Sufi poetry, Joseph Campbell ...
1/7/06 My work has always addressed religious dogma in some way or another. However, I have questioned the clarity of this material from time to time. With this play, I was able to allow Steve’s play to speak for itself about the experiences and questionable occurrences of such an isolated religious ...
12/17/05 I know what Steve is trying to say with this play, but I am forced to consider what I’ll be saying with the music for the play. Will it complement the play or stand on its own? The writing approach has been largely organic, inspired by the things around me ...
12/28/05 The music writing for this play took place, almost strategically, over the 2005/2006 holiday season, which included the usual weekend away at my in-law’s, all Catholic. Of particular note are my interests in Sufi poetry (Rumi, Hafiz) and the spiritual traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and – to some extent – ...
This picture was taken during the closing of the Mandala ceremony where the sand from the sand mandala is poured into the Susquehanna River. The procession of onlookers and monks is accompanied by the baying of trumpets and clamor of cymbals. Dumping the sand into the river represents impermanence and ...
This was from a performance with the Rhythm Experience at the Painted Bride in Philadelphia, PA. I’ve seen Zakir there twice, and thanks to Bulu’s persistence got to meet him and get his autograph. What a humble artist. It was like being backstage at any local gig. ...
How I Met Bodó Band Note: The following is an exerpt from a cultural exploration written prior to our tour… The story starts with an International Folk Dance gathering on March 23, 2003 and continues with highlights from several subsequent meetings in March and April. A viola player and international ...