update: Николай Бурцев is building me a custom Komus!

UPDATE (27 Feb): i have now received the design, based on my traditional sign –

see also:
whats more: Николай Бурцев is building me a custom Komus!

 whats more: Khomus (Jew's Harp) | Мастер: Николай Бурцев | videos


videos –
khomus (vargan, Jew's harp, guimbarde) playlist on my youtube channel:

Николай Бурцев is building me a custom Komus!

Николай Бурцев (Burtcev, Nikolai) is building me a custom Khomus!
– i can't wait! smile emoticon

the one in this photo is described as "shamanic" low-frequency* and the sign represents shamanism + scientific knowledge (perfect!). made with a sign of ancient Tengrianism,2 it is used for healing. just looking at it you can feel the magic, and it inspired me to reach out and find out how to get one. this one was sold some time ago, and Nikolai is now only taking custom orders. the one he makes will be his design based on my customary sign, a "medicine wheel" 1

the master craftsman will develop a design based on my customary sign

special thanks to Khomuschut (Хомусчут Андрей) for helping me get hooked up with the master builder, and introducing me to Yakut culture!

* Шаманский низкочастотный хомус "Билгэ" с Тенгрианским знаком "Танца" = Shamanic Low-frequency guimbarde (Bilge?) with "tengrianskim familiar tankha"

khomus, vargan, guimbarde – these are all names for what we call Jew's Harp

links are to Facebook


(facebook) Николай Бурцев is building me a custom Komus! | Robert Cherwink

Николай Бурцев is building me a custom Khomus!– i can't wait! :)the one in this photo is described as "shamanic"...
Posted by Robert Cherwink on Tuesday, February 16, 2016

UPDATE (27 Feb): i have now received the design, based on my traditional sign –

see also: whats more: Khomus (Jew's Harp) | Мастер: Николай Бурцев | videos


1 my "wheel" –
with the four cardinal directions, and the balancing between all of the worlds. --- the center point of the cross being where horizontal (physical) and vertical (spiritual) meet; and, then the outer four elements of the quadrants which must remain in balance within the circle. the circle then, again connects all within the universe. also: the points in the quadrants are designed to create movement, begging one to enter into that point in the middle, suggesting meditation and revelation, a shamanic journey which encompasses all.

whats more: Vajrapani 100514
an artwork of mine, using the color gradients version


2 a Central Asian religion characterized by features of shamanism, animism, totemism, both polytheism and monotheism, and ancestor worship. wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengrism

Khomus (Jew's Harp) | Мастер: Николай Бурцев | videos

Shamanic Low-frequency guimbarde "Bilge" with tengrianskim familiar tankha
(Шаманский низкочастотный хомус "Билгэ" с Тенгрианским знаком "Танха")

Мастер: Николай Бурцев. Республика Саха (Якутия).1. Шаманский низкочастотный хомус "Билгэ" с Тенгрианским знаком "Танх...
Posted by Хомусчут Андрей on Thursday, February 11, 2016

Николай Бурцев on facebook
Location: Moscow, RU

Айархаан - Легенда о Мироздании
Posted by Хомусчут Андрей on Friday, January 29, 2016

Олена Ольга Подлужная-Уутай"Скачки"
Posted by Хомусчут Андрей on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

i said: "there will probably be some additions to this page!" 
– so, now there is a youtube playlist:

How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins - YouTube

How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins - YouTube

Published on Jul 22, 2014

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-playing...

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout. 

Lesson by Anita Collins, animation by Sharon Colman Graham.

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME!

Monarch Butterfly in Northern California - photo taken this summer in the "Bee Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden" that i started in the spring   (this is an unadjusted photo, as posted in my WHAT IT IS photo blog - what it is: Monarch Butterfly)


BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME! smile emoticon

i see that its been quite awhile since i posted anything here! - i will try to put up a few more posts!

Bee-Butterfly-Hummingbird Garden media set on Facebook:

media_set?set=a.10204635065575929.1073741828.1213823206

 via GMO Free USA on Facebook–
Make no mistake. Vast GMO monocultures and Roundup herbicide are the main reason for the Monarch butterfly decline. Monsanto and the agrichemical industry are fully aware of this. Boycott GMOs. Boycott Roundup. Save the Monarch.
https://www.facebook.com/GMOFreeUSA/photos/a.468695639837571.108816.402058139834655/1078839728823156/?type=3




READ: THE MISSING MONARCHS

Monsanto’s Roundup and genetically modified crops are harming everybody’s favorite butterfly

 http://www.slate.com/.../monarch_butterfly_decline...

TAKE ACTION
Stand with Just Label It and Friends of the Earth U.S. to oppose Monsanto’s RoundUp and protect the endangered monarch butterflies! 
http://action.foe.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/… ‪#‎justlabelit‬

"Follow your bliss." - Joseph Campbell on The Rapture of Being Alive

Joseph Campbell
1904-1987

"Myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human manifestation..."

My general formula for my students is "Follow your bliss." Find where it is, and don't be afraid to follow it. 


BILL MOYERS: Do you ever have the sense of... being helped by hidden hands?

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: All the time. It is miraculous. I even have a superstition that has grown on me as a result of invisible hands coming all the time - namely, that if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be...

more at Joseph Campbell Foundation

Joseph Campbell on The Rapture of Being Alive

Joseph Campbell on The Rapture of Being Alive from BillMoyers.com.

Walking Towards the Sun; an Interview with Àrnica | Heathen Harvest

Àrnica is a neofolk duo hailing from the Iberian Peninsula who are dedicated to rediscovering, recreating, and performing music with an indigenous edge. Focused largely on local and ritual instrumentation, which the listener will find is uniquely percussive in nature, Àrnica’s music is as in-tune with the spirit as it is their ancient past and the struggles of trying to elevate Tradition to a place of importance in their own modern existence. They do not rebel against the world around them so much as they try to change it from within, allowing their music to filter out and remind their fellow Iberians of their roots. Having released music through Pesanta Urfolk, Ahnstern, and Fronte Nordico among others, Àrnica have now spent nearly a decade honing their craft and proving themselves to be one of the most genuine and sincere projects of their kind. Yannis H. was fortunate enough to have a recent conversation with co-founder Carles J., which you can read below...

more: Walking Towards the Sun; an Interview with Àrnica | Heathen Harvest

my new "hurdy-gurdy" portrait

hi all! - here is one version my new "hurdy-gurdy" portrait, taken over the weekend by my awesome daughter Anya!

The Hurdy Gurdy Weekly • #HGWeekly

Hurdy Gurdy Weekly • #HGWeekly BLOG

Otley Gurdy Gathering 9th – 10th November 2013 – Otley, Yorkshire

Welcome to the Otley Gurdy Gathering.

An informal weekend of Gurdy playing, technique learning and tune sharing based at Otley, near Leeds, back for a second year.

Starting on Saturday morning at 11am, the gathering will be at Clifton Village Hall, a mile out of Otley town centre. There is space for indoor sleeping on Saturday night, a full kitchen, mens and ladies toilets and a pub next door. There is a reasonable sized car park for 10 cars / camper vans and a small field if folks are inclined to camp!

Sleeping will be communally in the hall which will sleep 10-12. Otley also has a couple of B&Bs if that is more to your liking.

Cost will be £25 for the weekend, which is just to cover hall hire. This is from 11am Saturday until 11am Sunday, 24 hours and includes 2 workshops.

Spaces are limited due to the hall size. Please make all bookings using the payment page.

If you have any questions, please do get in touch at:   gurdy@snozz.com

Otley Gurdy Gathering 2012. Paul's beginners works - YouTube

The weekend kicks off from 10.30 Saturday morning with tea and coffee before the first workshop of the day.There will be two workshops on Saturday, before a music session in the Roebuck pub, next door.
Workshops are to be run by well known Ockbrook and Leeds player, Jerry Oakes who will be looking at Trompette techniques for French dance – Jerry has been an inspiration to me for many years and I am greatly looking forward to tightening up my skills.

▶ Hurdy gurdy, improvisation by Harald Pettersson - YouTube

I am also pleased to announce a workshop with Swedish Hurdy Gurdy master, Harald Pettersson.
Harald is well known in his native Sweden for his mastery of the Gurdy, and his innovative and progressive playing.
I am extremely lucky to be able to offer this rare opportunity for a workshop with Harald at Otley.
Several videos of Harald are available at
http://www.haraldpettersson.se/youtube.html

We should get another chance to have a play in the hall on Sunday morning before vacating at 11am.

otleygurdygathering.info