The following is an adaptation from what I wrote to the friends that subscribed
to the fan list on www.reverbnation.com/AntonLustig, as a kind of newsletter.
Dear friends around the world! I have a lot of news, about publications, awards, buildings, exhibitions, big plans starting to get realized! Before I go back to our Zaiwa/Jingpo village and probably lose connection from a few webpages for a few months, I just have to leave behind this newsletter! Unlike in previous newsletters, I will write more extensively about our Prop Roots Program, because of its important breakthroughs in the last half a year, and then (through the paintings) turn back towards music again, because this webpage, after all, is supposed to be about music.
For those who are not familiar with us yet: I am a musician and painter, that also happens to be linguistic expert on Zaiwa language, spoken by China’s Jingpo minority. Or shortly: ""I am the Dutch Zaiwa that paints with the children". Together with my wife Li Yang I also work on the Prop Roots Program, focusing on creative and language education in order to empower the Jingpo children, gifted with creativity and talent, though growing up in a community struggling with poverty, drug problems and HIV/AIDS. Though a lot of practicality is needed, Prop Roots nevertheless is a piece of art, like a very large window.
Therefore, this is not only about music. Shouldn't I most of all be writing about my struggles and experiences while integrating all my various activities and endeavors into the creative process? Things are even more complicated than that, because of my rather philosophical nature, or, I should say: the obvious strangeness of life itself. Besides project matters and music and painting, I am also much interested in existential issues like: "what is consciousness", "what does it mean to be a living being", the uncertainty principle, and all the other mysteries of science. There's always food for more thought, apart from the obligation to give the children my full attention, with an open mind. Since they deserve it and are so much worth it. And because it is rewarding! For me, the integrated approach is the real way to go. Matters that cannot easily be expressed should best find their way out through my own paintings and music.
Now the Prop Roots news:
2011 Summer activities
2011 Summer activity's Story Sharing and Charity Auction
After coming back to Beijing, we organized a meeting for sharing our stories and feelings with journalists, other non-profit organizations, artists, and all others who would be interested. Pictures. The event also included a charity auction, where the Jingpo kids’ paintings went under the hammer, as well as works donated by professional artists living in Beijing. All funds raised will be used for further non-profit activities (for donations to Jingpo children most in need of support, and for financing more creative activities by Prop Roots).
our bamboo activity center built soon!
From next year summer onwards we will also organize camps enabling city children to come and meet the Jingpo children in our village and to let the two sides play and learn from each other. In order to secure this plan, Li Yang took part in a CSR Charity contest organized by China’s biggest computer company Lenovo, and won a big prize. So now we can really build our bamboo activity center, on the green foothills of Yingpan village this winter! More news about the design, the professionals helping us for free, and the whole building process next time!
Not only the local children are going to be creative and have fun there. This will also be the place where more of my art and music will take shape, much of it in happy cooperation with the children, other works rather as Music for Music, Art for Art. It will be the ideal creative environment!
Not only the local children are going to be creative and have fun there. This will also be the place where more of my art and music will take shape, much of it in happy cooperation with the children, other works rather as Music for Music, Art for Art. It will be the ideal creative environment!
I/we got Awarded!
Some people may recall that Tianjin TV’s “China Right Here” (泊客中国) Program made a documentary about me and Prop Roots <all our videos are here, watch without VPN> as part of their series of high-standard documentaries about non-Chinese people contributing to Chinese culture, society or environment. The program’s Award Ceremony "You Bring Charm to China / 中国因你更美丽” for this year’s best documentaries was held on October 30th in Beijing, and among 10 other foreigners, I was also awarded, for my work on behalf of the Zaiwa/Jingpo culture and community. Most attention went to my language research, but underneath and in less words it was also for boosting Prop Roots! It was good that the presenters and VIP’s did not avoid mentioning heavy themes like ‘AIDS’ and ‘drugs’. This spectacular event, with orchestra, choir, great audio-visuals and many VIP’s appearing on stage was broadcasted on various channels in China and abroad (including Phoenix TV).
Pictures and more info
Video from the award ceremony
Paintings
I have regularly visited my friend Gao Yuan’s studio in Songzhuang, on the edge of Beijing, and nearly finished a series of paintings there. These paintings are more spacious and contain more water and air than before. We are working on plans for an exhibition in Beijing in the first half of 2011, before our final move to Yingpan village. Of course I should say: a “music-exhibition”.
‘Alight Aloft’ EP free download
Generally, my musical style is moving towards ‘bluntly optimistic’ and ‘Jingpo’. But, a mix of my more introspective and transcendental music, titled “Alight Aloft” and nicknamed "chilly mix", has recently been published on the high-quality but also quite well hidden website INQB8R.net, "a free will foundation project having a goal to present innovative musicians and attract progressive listeners, merge different audiences and provide a new way of deep thinking through music." The website's team did a great job, making a perfect mix, with all the pieces merging so well, and having it mastered in a professional studio. Click and you will see my artist bio and songs descriptions. Behind every “eye” icon there is a picture or painting. This music is not suitable for while doing active sports, but much so for relaxing while meditating or daydreaming. At times it can be a bit hypnotizing too. This mix will stay available for free download. You could consider it as a gift.
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| more suitable for the cover? |
Soirée
In October I presented my music during one of the monthly musical soirées held by connoisseur and audiophile David Cahill at his comfortable home in Beijing. I played and commented more than 20 of my pieces, to the most attentive and responsive audience one could wish for, in the best sound quality and accompanied with a continuous slideshow of my paintings.
EP's
I was determined to publish two new EP’s (‘extended play albums’) around this time: named “Music for Stretching and Painting” (with Arno Vrijman and Richard Carciofo) and “Music for Optimism” onto iTunes and a few websites, but now I have to postpone this, because ‘unfortunately’ I have to leave for our village earlier than foreseen, to have our dream house and bamboo studio built.
I will publish them in due time, after some decent re-mixing and mastering. I am learning to do master the music, to improve the sound quality by some special tricks. And PSD already did some professional mastering on two of the tracks. Thank you, 圣石! These mastered files are too big to upload into my Reverbnation player, unless I convert them to mp3, in which case the sound becomes blurry. So all I can do with them on this site is to place in my store and offer them for sale. Link to my STORE. Of course I would love to share them with you for free. Luckily, I did manage to add them to my myspace music page. (Who would have guessed, Myspace wasn't dead after all!) (The only problem still is that you need to have fast internet to be able to play them.) Therefore, I put them a bit down the list, the tracks' names are: "Up" and "Summer (Mastered)".
Mastering can make a great difference in sound quality! You will hear more better mastered music from me in the future. I am also learning to do mastering myself. My many hours of unpublished music, once remastered, could be worked into several more EP's or LP's. My 'Art Therapy' CD, printed earlier this year, could also be re-mastered.
In October I presented my music during one of the monthly musical soirées held by connoisseur and audiophile David Cahill at his comfortable home in Beijing. I played and commented more than 20 of my pieces, to the most attentive and responsive audience one could wish for, in the best sound quality and accompanied with a continuous slideshow of my paintings.
EP's
I was determined to publish two new EP’s (‘extended play albums’) around this time: named “Music for Stretching and Painting” (with Arno Vrijman and Richard Carciofo) and “Music for Optimism” onto iTunes and a few websites, but now I have to postpone this, because ‘unfortunately’ I have to leave for our village earlier than foreseen, to have our dream house and bamboo studio built.
I will publish them in due time, after some decent re-mixing and mastering. I am learning to do master the music, to improve the sound quality by some special tricks. And PSD already did some professional mastering on two of the tracks. Thank you, 圣石! These mastered files are too big to upload into my Reverbnation player, unless I convert them to mp3, in which case the sound becomes blurry. So all I can do with them on this site is to place in my store and offer them for sale. Link to my STORE. Of course I would love to share them with you for free. Luckily, I did manage to add them to my myspace music page. (Who would have guessed, Myspace wasn't dead after all!) (The only problem still is that you need to have fast internet to be able to play them.) Therefore, I put them a bit down the list, the tracks' names are: "Up" and "Summer (Mastered)".
Mastering can make a great difference in sound quality! You will hear more better mastered music from me in the future. I am also learning to do mastering myself. My many hours of unpublished music, once remastered, could be worked into several more EP's or LP's. My 'Art Therapy' CD, printed earlier this year, could also be re-mastered.
But, I cannot be bothered by that now. I will be flying to our village tonight and stay there for about two months. I will be helping build our Prop Roots Program's activity center, which will also be our future house, roaming the village, puppeteering with the kids, reading books, eating wonderful food, and going on the internet sometimes, so maybe I can still share some of that with you. Or hear how my friends have been doing!
Anton
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| view from future house? |
