Dulcimerhead Drummer Speaks! Or, How Inferno Got His Name

Hey Folks!

Today: a rare look at Fernando Villalobos, high-energy percussion engine of Dulcimerhead and man of many genres. You'll find him playing with Dulcimerhead at the Sharon Temple one day, and playing with Skorched at the Kathedral's “Glory Through Steel” Metalfest event the next.

“I don't know what made me want to play drums,” he says. “All of a sudden when I turned 14 I decided I must play the drums. I'm happy that I came to that conclusion. It's helped me get through a lot of times that I wouldn't have gotten through otherwise.” His parents gave him his first kit for his 15^th birthday on the condition that he take lessons. He's come a long way since then, adding a djembe a year later, and recently acquiring a digital kit which he says is making it a lot easier to record demo CDs with both his bands.

Skorched is bringing out their first demo this month!!! Go get one at their gigs. And Dulcimerhead is releasing Dark Mandala this month!!! Just don't try listening to them at the same time...

So, the obvious question is – Dulcimerhead and Skorched sound um, extremely different in their musical approaches. Are they? Fernando laughs. “Aside from the obvious – that with Skorched I am pounding the shit out of a drumkit and with Dulcimerhead I am playing a djembe in kind of a trance – with Dulcimerhead I tend to be very relaxed, while playing with Skorched is like an electrical charge and I'm really revved up. The crowds may look a little different, but they do mix back and forth a bit!”

A Skorched gig is like taking a blast from a firehose of sound – they can really play! But I have to ask, on behalf of all the moms out there, what the heck is up with “death metal” and “black metal” as a musical genre. It sounds morbid. Should I be worried? Fernando laughs some more. “The music is extremely abrasive and lyrical content does tend to be violent and obscene, but typically the people who listen to it are very nice people! It's like watching a very gory horror movie or reading a graphic horror book. It's almost like poetry; it's pretty cool but to the outsider it's scary.To those who understand it, it's another form of art.”

Fernando says the metal community is the best he's been in, because the bands all tend to support each other. “They like to come out and see each other play, enjoy good music and good company. If a band needs a replacement member in an emergency, people will pass the word in the community and make sure they find what they need. His philosophy is basically “Mutual respect among musicians and enjoyment of the music.” His preferred music includes Slayer, Pantera, Chimaira, Meshuggah, Arch Enemy, Strapping Young Lad, DevilDriver, Fear Factory and many others.

His first band was Toxic-Culture, which he started up at age 17. Then at 19 he started playing with Heavily Medicated, a band that played regularly and got an enthusiastic following locally, opening for Strapping Young Lad in 2006. He met the two guys he would soon be playing with in Skorched – Tim (guitar) and Darryl (bass) – in a band called Shangrila. Fernando spent some time going between the two bands, but eventually he and Tim and Darryl formed another band called Krakatoa, which then morphed into Skorched. Their singer Sid and Devin on guitar rounded out that lineup.

To find out more about the whole Skorched phenomenon, check out myspace.com/skorchedmetal.

“What's great about Skorched is that we get along great and enjoy playing loud, heavy, fast music together,” says Fernando. The band members all bring skills to the band that make it work, he added. Many of the band members have day jobs or families that make it tough to find practice time and recording time. However, they are getting some good shows and the demo is a real milestone for them because they did it all themselves.

See them in Toronto at Lee's Palace February 25^th!

Fernando's plan for world domination: “conquer the world through music, make my living through music! I promised myself that one day music would free me from my day jobs.” His day jobs have not just been tough, they've been dangerous. He is a certified welder with 4 years experience, and after 4 years he's had enough. “I've been set on fire about 13 times,” he laughed, and began reminiscing about a particular day when his not-so-fire-resistant overalls went up in flames. “I felt hotter than usual and smelling smoke, but I was running a bead and I couldn't stop – when I was finished, I took off my mask and found the front of my overalls had caught fire and the flames were creeping up my chest...maybe thats why I was given the name INFERNO.” He moved to working in home renovation which was going well until the recent economic downturn hit his employer hard. To bounce back financially, he is currently planning to explore even more new musical territory when he launches a kick-ass rock cover band with Skorched bandmate Tim – their working title is End of Silence.

Synaesthesia -- an amazing perspective!

Hello Folks!

At David Rankine's workshops and concerts, he often talks about synaesthesia -- the mind's ability to intake information from one sense but experience it via another -- to give only two examples, he will talk about the "colour" of a note, or how to "play" one's mandala. Now here's some exciting stuff about why we would bother doing this, and what is means to try.

I was very grateful to Andrew M for tipping me off about the CBC interview with George Stromboulopoulos and Daniel Tammet. (link below). This person, Daniel Tammet, describes himself as an autistic savant, but happily because of his own insight and powers of observation, he has trained himself to interact and communicate with others. The reward for his efforts has been the ability to communicate about his way of processing information and memory -- via synaesthesia. He shows a great gentleness and generosity of spirit, even though I am sure his struggle was not easy.

When you consider the brain is constantly accepting millions of bits of information from our "sensor array" (I try to resist using machine metaphors for this miraculous organ, but it's hard!) -- and the fact that we really can't process more than a couple of thousand via conscious mind, it makes sense that the unprocessed information is still available to us somehow.

Both Tammet and Rankine comment frequently that synaesthesia is available and normal when we are infants, but it is "beaten out of us." Our mind discriminates between what is useful and not useful, gradually screening out less useful info and losing the capacity to deal with it. And of course our early learning opportunities can frequently accomplish this process MUCH faster and unpleasantly, giving us a sort of unasked-for aversion therapy to synaesthetic processing or reflection. I belong to probably the last generation where teachers could force you to stop using your left hand in favour of the right hand in kindergarten! (And don't even get me started on the issue of learning disabilities -- that is a blog or 100 blogs in itself. I have one, and also an MA in Applied Language Studies. Dumb luck, and don't I know it.)

The implications for synaesthesia for people with so-called learning disabilities and neurocognitive processing problems are HUGE. I am off to obtain a copy of Tammet's book, Born on a Blue Day, and Embracing the Wide Sky. He is saying that he believes anyone can relearn their capacity for synaesthesia, and I mean to find out!

Tammet also has applied what he knows of his own process, to learning languages via patterns that he sees. His most famous ability helped him do a record-setting recitation of Pi to several thousands decimal places, which took over five hours to say -- but what REALLY knocks me out is the PORTRAIT he has painted of how he SEES the number Pi. As you know, this is a fairly mystical number representing the relationship between the circumference and diameter of a circle -- it is an irrational number, running to an apparently infinite number of decimal places with NO repeat or pattern in digits.

Coupled with recent studies in the brain's ability to "be plastic" -- to relearn or redirect processing in a way nobody believed possible -- this is the most fascinating thing!

So when you hear Dulcimerhead music, or attend a David Rankine workshop, or view David Rankine's art -- this is a big part of his project too. When he talks about playing a "blue" note on his dulcimer -- or "playing a mandala" -- this becomes more than creative play. It is tapping more of the creative potential of the brain itself! And I thought it was just fun. :)

Check out David Rankine's ever-expanding playground of music, art and ideas at
www.davidrankineart.com!

CBC 'The Hour' Interview

CBC's 'The Hour' with host George Stroumboulopoulos:

http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=999589223

I got this off Daniel Trammet's blog Optimnem at http://www.optimnem.co.uk/blog/index.php

Don't you just love this excerpt from the Telegraph (UK) -- I gotta get his book!!!

Tammet quotes from the Borges story “Funes the Memorious”: “He remembered the shapes of the clouds in the south at dawn on April 20, 1882, and he could compare them in his recollection with the marble grain in the design of a leather-bound book which he had seen only once.”

Fund Radical Peaceful Art Happenings Today!!

This is a very timely message from the someone who has spent more than 20 years making the world a more beautiful and creative place! I am talking here about artist, musician, educator and writer David Rankine, founder of progressive rock band Dulcimerhead.

It ain't just the music that's progressive.

I cannot resist passing on this blog cribbed in its entirety from his site at www.myspace.com/dulcimerhead1:

"Getting Comfortable with Creativity"

Hello Folks!

A few years ago I had a showing of my art in a public gallery. It was the largest display of my visual art to date and the gallery room looked marvelous. The show was set to last a month and the Gallery decided to hold a second "meet the artist" day on the final Saturday of the show. This day happened to coincide with an Anniversary of D-Day (June 6th) so the Gallery had set up extra displays of wartime memorabilia in the same room as my art. Talk about contrasts!

On the day of the event, I observed many people looking at the displays of memorabilia- (photos, ration books, helmets, rifles, gun and howitzer shells, bullets etc) but very few people looked at the art on the walls. I overheard some comments like: "oh look -a 20mm cannon shell" but I did not talk to anyone about my art. In fact most people seemed a bit intimidated by the art on the walls...yet they seemed comfortable with the artifacts of war and extreme violence and hardship in the display cases.

Indeed, this was VERY interesting! I was observing the fact that we (as a society) are more familiar and comfortable with acts of violence than acts of beauty. Our media is full of it and often references it while art- has little place in it. Generally people are uncomfortable in art galleries - as Art has been sold and promoted as something "professional" artists do- just as music is something "Musicians" create and the rest of us listen to.

So perhaps that is where the problem lies - not that we "like" war (or violence) or are comfortable with it, but that we no longer seem to have a reference point for acts of beauty or acts of creativity. We are so often told that Humans are a violent species- that violence, and therefore war, is inevitable. But, how often do we read that we are a creative species- that acts of beauty and creativity are inevitable? So, instead of accepting that violence and warfare are human, let us focus on and accept that it is our creativity that makes us human and divine and our acts of cruelty and violence that take us further from our humanity.

For more of the art, music and philosophy of David Rankine, please visit www.davidrankineart.com -- a feast for the eyes, heart and mind!

SEE THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR A VERY SPECIAL CD OFFER!!!!

Dark Mandala is not yet finalized, but here is a tantalizing tidbit of info we discovered on the newly revamped website: www.davidrankineart.com -- the liner notes sound trippy, full of natural imagery and lyrical experimentation. :) Enjoy! PLEASE TAKE NOTE: you can order the CD at a pre-sale special price!!!

For Dark Mandala song samples, please visit www.myspace.com/dulcimerhead1

Track List

Crucible

Dark Mandala

Thunderheads

Courting Song

From a Hill

Last Year and Today

Waves on the Point

Persian Trance Dance

Liminal

Deep Blue Star

Song Descriptions: The Crucible is already a concert favourite and is the lighter side of Duclimerhead's "medieval stomp" sound. You'll want to dance, shake and laugh to this one

Dark Mandala is a quick tempo dance Eastern dance groove - that makes you feel as if you were riding a horse head-long towards a thunderstorm. Dark and brooding, full of the pregnant potential of All That Could Be.

Thunderheads is a mid -tempo stomp that evokes the images of thunderheads piling up in the distance on a hot summer day

Persian Trance Dance has long been our concert opus - slow of tempo and relentless in its forward motion - full of power chords and rock rhythms melded with a Eastern Dance spin with a taste of a Scots Hornpipe thrown in.

Deep Blue Star Another one that comes to a boil slowly- almost at a slow walk and then soars into the realms joy. A tip of the hat to Jazz -Rock meisters Deep Purple.

From a Hill is a gentle finger picked air that was inspired by a walk through a sun drenched forest right after a rain fall- light sparkling on wet leaves and drops of rain. The simplest of all the tracks on this CD, this tune is the one most structured like a bagpipe tune (Dave's first instrument)

Liminal Full of soaring voices and climbing chords. Dancing in a forest clearing.

Waves on the Point What more can we say- wind and waves on the point. Clear skies and sun and nothing to do all day but play. Listen for the Ebb and Flow of the various Dulcimer parts.

Last Year and Today - a tune that starts off as a introspective slow air and then morphs into a rolling finger-picked celebration. It is a tune about how we all gain perspective about past events

Courting Song - is the last tune on the CD - a lullaby - a gentle fingerpicked sign off and a reminder that the "Dark Mandala" is a place of healthy change that reflects the All That Is and All That Was and the All That Will Be

PRICE: $25 presale price: $17

ALSO CHECK OUT THIS excellent special offer for Dulcimerhead CDs (save over $20)

• Awakening the Heart (a guided meditation with Reiki Master Chantal Garneau)
• Sacred Sound (music played for the Sharon Temple Illumination 2008)
• Revealed Structure (an instrumental CD by David Rankine designed for healing and meditation)

Details are at: http://www.davidrankineart.com/sale.htm

New CD Dark Mandala almost here!

I love the title of Dulcimerhead's newest CD: Dark Mandala.

In this world, consciousness is symbolized by light.

But the dark is where the creative elements ferment and exciting new things come to life.

It reminds me of the Dark Madonna. Quite the archetypal counterpart to the traditional light-and-purity version. This earthy, chthonic elemental goddess was represented with dark skin. She was worshipped as a source of fertility, maternal nurturing, compassion and justice. Here is an interesting interpretation of the Black Madonna, which I have plagiarized wholesale from Wikipedia:

Black Madonnas express a feminine power not fully conveyed by a pale-skinned Mary, who seems to symbolise gentler qualities like obedience and purity. This idea can be discussed in Jungian terms. The "feminine power" approach may be linked to Mary Magdalene and female sexuality repressed by the medieval Church. In France, there are traditions affirming that some statues are of Mary Magdalene and not of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but these traditions and related theories are generally rejected by theologians. The suggestion that Black Madonnas represent feminine power may be linked with the earth goddesses and attributed to the archetypal "great mother" who presides not only over fertility, but over life and death. These ideas overlap with "feminist spirituality" or "women's spirituality". (Chiavola Birnbaum)

The Dark Mandala music has this undercurrent of powerful and intuitive knowledge -- primeval rhythms and layered vocals, almost reminiscent of a Gregorian chant or some kind of kirtan -- a devotional voice. There are also some beautiful melodies that stir feelings of homesickness in me -- sad, but in the good way.

It is an aural journey that rewards any listener. Check out www.myspace.com/dulcimerhead1 for some samples!

Creativity can make a big difference!

Hope everyone is surviving the holidays!
Dulcimerhead is taking a well-deserved break but will be back soon with an awesome new CD and more live events!

Despite the dire economic predictions, I PERSONALLY predict that 2009 is going to be a year when people dig down and do something meaningful with their lives.

It's time, right? The economy is in the crapper, but people are discovering that the Dow Jones is not actually a measure of happiness. Yes, there will be less cash and fewer toys -- and this is the time to find out what money can and can't buy.

At one time, humans used their creativity to invent complicated economic systems and ways to measure them. But at its base, our economic system is not much more than a confidence game that world governments play with individual consumers. So, best not to waste too much time doing the "rabbit in the headlights" thang. A state of panic is a great way to keep us all in a fear-based frame of mind so we will mindlessly follow our leaders.

Dulcimerhead has always been a band that focusses on the MOST renewable resource of them all -- human creativity. At past gigs, Dulcimerhead has raised funds and goods for the York Region Food Network -- because it is plain wrong that people should not have secure access to healthy food. Creativity -- not technology -- is a way to address inequities like this one.

One fantastic example of this is http://www.freerice.com/!
I have been watching this site since October 2007 -- thinking it was too good to be true, I checked it out on the scambusters sites. It is on the UNESCO World Food Program website as well, so it must be on the level! Check it out, and marvel at the simplicity of this tool to raise awareness and funds for the world food shortage.

A few clicks can make a difference! Each of us might only be one click on the big screen, but see how it adds up, given a positive direction.

So in 2009, let's try to be creative and remember -- we ARE the economy. We can choose.

The Power of Creativity: Introducing Dulcimerhead!

Welcome to a new Dulcimerhead Blog!

This is an out-and-out fan site. No apologies will be made for outright gushing when the situation calls for it. Dulcimerhead is an original, improvisational, rule-breaking, community-building indie creativity engine. Their rich blend of influences spans folk-prog rock, thrash metal and world music. When they play, people get happy.

This fan site is designed to be a source for people who want to get to know this band, see them play live, and buy their CDs.

If you check out the sites at www.myspace.com/dulcimerhead1 and www.reverbnation.com/dulcimerhead, you will see that there is a lot more than music going on. And this blog will be adding new info and photos weekly, if not daily.

There's art, there's creation, there's awareness, there's a meaning to it all! --

And you are welcome to come along and discover Dulcimerhead for yourself.

Agent L