"What the Bleep Do Musicians Know?"

Having recently contacted Ben Dowling about the website NewThoughtMusic.com, in the back of my mind I also had the thought that I would like to help with his project. I wanted to write a piece for the website.

And so, my thoughts birthed a theme for the article: What the bleep do Musicians know?

Being a musician is sometimes better done without a lot of thinking. Sometimes, it's better done with a lot of Being.

Being in The Moment, Being in The Now, being honest, being real, allowing yourself to be human, while also realizing that you are a Divine Being, made of God's thoughts and energy - these are all part of being a New Thought musician.

As all musicians know, there is a distinct difference between a technical approach to music and songwriting, and 'being in the flow', where you lose your sense of self, of location, of even performing, and drift off to a place where you may not even hear the music like you normally do - you 'become' the music.

When approaching being a New Thought musician, I believe that "being in the flow" must be the goal - in performing, in songwriting, and every other aspect of the journey.

It's easy for me, when I am in the middle of a five-minute lead guitar solo, to lose myself in the flow. But often, when approaching songwriting, and most certainly when approaching the promotions aspect of the music industry, it is easier to fall into the pre-patterned 'technique' methods that I have learned.

Recently, I tried to write an anti-war song, and found myself lacking in that special magic that makes a great song. Surely I hold the opinions to write such a song - I have three children who are either in the military, or married into it. Parental concern alone is enough motivation, you would think.

But I found myself pondering the wisdom of trying to affect my reality through a method like this. Would I be better served by writing and performing an anti-war song, or by setting aside meditation time to project thoughts for world peace?

My concepts of reality, and how I can manifest it, come into play. While I believe that thoughts and words manifest reality, I also know that it requires a certain force, or push, in these thoughts and words, to really see results.

It involves the age-old concept of the 'will', and being 'strong-willed', or focused, on an intention. There is a huge difference between lip service on a subject, and the spoken word of a focused, powerful will that has intent to manifest something in a given moment.

For the New Thought musician, we must ask ourselves if the force behind our songwriting and performance has the strength that manifests changes in our listeners. What strength birthed the song, or the performance? Were we ourselves moved?

In several songs on my latest CD, I experienced such power. I'll share the story of one of these.

The song is called "Come the Day". I had just watched a powerful movie called "Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion", which was produced documentary-style, and covered the invasion and subjugation of Tibet by Communist China.

I was filled with huge levels of emotion - and believe me, the Dalai Lama would not have approved of it. I wanted to change my whole life, run for President, and nuke Red China, for the horrible abuses they had allowed their armies to perform on the monks and nuns of Tibet.

My challenge as a New Thought Musician was this - how do I deal with this negative emotion, and reclaim my inner peace? How do I find a positive view, where I can believe in change, but without violence? And how do I remain true to the anger I experienced, but express it in a fashion that does not harm others?

I expressed these thoughts to my girlfriend, Kathy, who watched the movie with me. She replied, "What can we do? What can two people do to change the world?"

Within a few minutes of the movie's end, I had penned the words to the song.

"What can one person do to change the world?
Change the way you think, change the way you act
What can two people do to change the world?
Pray to see the truth, pray to know the facts

And come the day, when destiny decides
A miracle will occur-Peace, the Conqueror
Come the day when you and I decide
To throw out hate from our inner state
Then Compassion will rule

I have seen the Berlin wall, torn to the ground
I have seen communism exposed as a fraud
I will see Tibet free from Chinese rule
I will see Red China bow its knee to God

Come the day, oh come the day
When "love your neighbor" are the words we say
Come the day, oh come the day
When "love your neighbor" are the words we say"

(You can hear this song at THIS LINK)

I knew that I could believe for a change, no matter what my eyes and solid reasoning told me. I have seen the unchangeable change - the Berlin Wall being torn down. I have seen communism fall apart throughout Europe. I knew, deep inside, that I could declare my intention to see the situation in Tibet change - - and speak it into manifestation.

And I also knew that I could express my anger and outrage at the rape of Tibet through a sizzling five and a half minute lead guitar solo, at the end of the song. No one would get hurt (unless they sat too near the speakers at a live concert).

The next morning, as I recorded the lead solo, tears were streaming down my face. I could see the nun's face, as she described soldiers putting electric cattle prods into her body. I could see the old monks, describing years of tortured imprisonment. I could see the millions of people dying, and the hundreds of monasteries being demolished.

I became, in that moment, Holy Outrage for the cause of good human beings who deserved better.

I awoke from my trance almost six minutes later, and the solo was recorded onto my hard drive. I hadn't even heard it. I remember my hands shaking so fiercely they almost flew off the guitar neck. I remember tears hitting the strings as I played. But I didn't remember a single note.

I had been true to my beliefs, and my heart. I had stated my intention with force, and with purity of purpose. I had found a way to deal with something impossible. I had reclaimed my inner peace.

There is no technique for being a New Thought musician. There is only being a person in the Now Moment. And if you happen to do something musical in that moment, perhaps it will manifest into something that will stir the soul of others in this reality.

Perhaps, if destiny decides, a miracle will occur.

James Edward Evans
www.omtownrecords.com