Classical Guitarist Plays With Himself on Stage and Film

Posted on October 17, 2007 by Roderick Russell

Anything to get people to read, right?

In follow-up to the last post entitled Bach, Fugues and Britney Spears, I thought that I would share more of my love for the self-referential/reflexive art (would that be conceptual, perhaps? Nah… Bream has skill.) that has so influenced my own theater work, as can be evidenced in my creation and performance of Sketches, a humorous and reflexive commentary on modern art delivered through the vehicle of satire and, well, mindreading.

The literary and musical influences to which I am in debt are innumerable, but the subject of this post is the legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream. Please let me extend my apologies to Mr. Bream for potentially belittling him in the title of my post, for he has every last ounce of respect that I can possibly give. I can not say enough good things about this man and his work, and the video posted here is testament to his genius. He truly is a giant.

NOTE: This post was authored months ago but publication was delayed as a result of the above referenced video being removed from YouTube due to copyright issues. Seems that as of last month it’s back up. I do not condone copyright infringement, but this video may serve to introduce Julian Bream’s work to those as of yet unfamiliar with it. Enjoy it while it’s still up, and if you like it, purchase the video from which it’s taken – Guitarra! A Music Journey Through Spain.

Daniele mentions, over on the Classical Guitar Video Archive that “it�s a shame that YouTube plays back everything in mono sound. The original video in two audio channels showcased the distinct sounds from the two guitars of Julian Bream�s much better and made the music that much more interesting to listen to. Even with only one channel, however, this wonder piece of work still sounds amazing, so please do enjoy!”

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[tags]Boccherini, Classical Guitar, Classical Music, Duet, Fandango, Julian Bream, Musicians, Spain, Spanish Music[/tags]

Bostrom, Sandberg and de Grey on Immortality

Posted on October 17, 2007 by Roderick Russell

Back in July, Danielle Egan attended TransVision07 – the 9th annual meeting of the World Transhumanist Association – and New Scientist carries the report this month, along with a great little video interview compilation available via YouTube.

Link to the New Scientist article here – Death special: The plan for eternal life.

YouTube video interview available above.

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[tags]Anders Sandberg, Aubrey de Grey, Immortality, Life Extension, Nick Bostrom, Transhumanism[/tags]

Appreciating the Subtlety of Hypnosis

Posted on October 12, 2007 by Roderick Russell

October seems to be Hypnosis Month here on Noumenon. With the month being filled with twenty-seven back-to-back performances, along with the many memorable moments that come with the hypnosis shows, it’s not surprising that it’s on my mind. That and, between the shows, travel and an online course, I haven’t had much time to bring you anything else!

Above is a clip from one of last week’s shows. Please excuse the funny costumes – it’s at a renaissance faire, my once-a-year foray into dressing silly… I share it here because it really captures a subtlety that, as a hypnotist, I truly appreciate. Let me explain…

Everyone loves hypnosis shows because of the non-stop hilarity of the actions and reactions of the people on stage. The best hypnosis programs are often the most visual ones. But in truth, as a hypnotist, though I never get bored of the hilarity � it’s different every time � what I appreciate most are the more subtle aspects that often go unnoticed but truly demonstrate the power of hypnosis, even in a stage setting.

The girl in the clip above � the one made to forget the number six � is truly and entirely distressed over her inability to remember the number. She knows she’s missing something, it’s on the tip of her tongue, but she simply can’t get it out and it’s throwing everything into chaos for her.

As a viewing audience, this distress truly comes through by watching her while she’s not the center of attention. Throughout the entire subsequent routine, she is quietly � not in a flashy way, almost secretly � trying to find that missing number. She makes no show of it, she draws no attention, but the distress is so profound that she must continue working it out.

This frustration comes through in her voice as well. Though she’s aware enough to see the humor in the situation � in fact, it’s that very awareness that causes her distress � you can also hear the uneasiness, then relief, when the situation is ultimately resolved.

I’ll be sure to post some of the more visual and uproarious clips soon, but I thought that the reading audience here would appreciate the subtlety contain within this one.

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[tags]Connecticut Renaissance Faire, CT, CTRF, Hebron, hypnosis, hypnotist, Roderick Russell, stage hypnosis[/tags]

Hypnosis Show Wins Award

Posted on October 10, 2007 by Roderick Russell

Each year the management of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire solicits votes from the community to hand out awards to independent acts, merchants and cast members of the production. With such a huge group of dedicated individuals working together year-round to create the month-long production, it’s difficult to recognize everyone that deserves to be recognized – and the show wouldn’t be the same without even one of the vast crew.

Though there are many acts that deserve the attention just as much as I do, I am happy to report that my hypnosis show generated enough enthusiasm, massive crowds, laughter and buzz to have been noticed by pretty much everyone, and thereby secured the award for Best Independent Act of the 2007 show.

My thanks go out to the entire cast and crew who work tirelessly to put on such an amazing production and make it possible for me to do my work effectively, smoothly and safely. The show would be nothing if it weren’t for the folks building my stages, cleaning the wings, promoting the event and attracting the hordes of people that show up every single day. To those who voted for the show – thank you!

What would a hypnosis show be, of course, without the volunteers – the true stars of the show – who are willing to journey with me to the more curious regions of the mind? I share the award with them, for I’m merely the facilitator – they bring the true content that everyone loves.

With two weekends left there’s still time to catch the show!

Where: Connecticut Renaissance Faire
When: October 13, 14, 20 & 21 – 2:45pm

The Connecticut Renaissance Faire is located on the Hebron Lions Fairgrounds at 347 Gilead St (Route 85) in Hebron, CT. Visit the website for prices, hours of operation, directions and more information.

And until you get a chance to see it for yourself, check out the pictures over on Flickr from some previous shows:

We don’t have pictures for all of the shows, so if you where there and took some we’d love to see them!

Hope to see you there!

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photos courtesy of Eric Tetreault and the Connecticut Renaissance Faire
purchase high quality prints directly from ctrf

[tags]Connecticut, Connecticut Renaissance Faire, CTRF, Hebron, Hebron Lions, hypnosis, hypnotist[/tags]

Hypnosis in Connecticut

Posted on October 3, 2007 by Roderick Russell

Autumn in New England is a beautiful time of year. With the changing color of the leaves, the hot apple cider and cool nights by the warm wood fire with a book, you couldn’t be more relaxed unless you were hypnotized � and now is your chance to do just that!

The first weekend of the Connecticut Renaissance Faire has just concluded and, by popular demand, I was pleased to present my hypnosis show on the main stage for all to enjoy � and what a fabulous success it has been!

We’ve never presented it in this venue before, but as it turns out it’s ideally suited to the audience. With such creative, imaginative people in attendance, how can you go wrong?

Capitalizing on the success of my sword swallowing show and its history of setting attendance records, we blew all of those records out of the water with packed-to-the-rafters crowds and a level of enthusiasm unseen at any other show.

Interested in checking out the show? There’s still three weeks left to get over to the faire and feel what it’s like to be the show. I’ll be performing Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the Columbus Day weekend, and both Saturday and Sunday for the two weekends following.

And until you get a chance to see it for yourself, check out the pictures over on Flickr from the Sunday and Monday shows.