dance – Keira McArthur

Posted on April 2, 2021April 2, 2021 by keirartworks — Leave a comment

Friday list, April 2, 2021

Each Friday, a list of things I want to try. Designed to stretch my curiosity, challenge my beliefs, and poke my ego.

I began this in 2010 when I started the blog, then stopped after a while. Time to brush them off again, since there’s a lot to navigate in these times.

[trigger warning for one item on this week’s list. I refer to Hitler’s cruelty during the Holocaust as an example of the real challenges inherent in true forgiveness and reconciliation. This is part of my work as a white settler as inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action from First Nations People in Canada, and the work of Resmaa Menakem.]

List for Friday April 2, 2021:

1. Walk in the grass in bare feet, make sure there’s mud on them
2. In the interest of learning more about true reconciliation, try forgiving Hitler. Really forgive him without for one moment condoning the pain he inflicted and the cruelty he empowered and supported. Imagine he is my son, and I love him. What would I ask him to do in atonement? What would I ask him, period? (if I can’t forgive him that’s okay, try again when I’m ready to come back to it)
3. draw a frog from memory

4. Change something that’s been the same for at least six months

5. Finish two things then make a loud crow sound

6. Dance in my kitchen

Posted on September 30, 2015November 27, 2015 by keirartworks — Leave a comment

#Water, and Bach’s Air

Heart and mind, heart and mind.

I was teaching a transcribed Bach Air to one of my cello students today and was brought to tears, once again, by the beauty of that music. Such a dance between air and sea, earth and sky, leaf and root.

I’d forgotten what day it was, actually, until my daughter sang the song at 12:05am. Then she came again at 9am with flowers, a lovely note, and a… cooking pumpkin.? We sat together a while, in the studio.

Then as I worked through the normal wednesday schedule, so very many people offered beautifully crafted birthday thoughts to me, by phone, by email, on social media and in person. The sun shone, the breeze finally required sweater, and my family agreed to meet all together for the first time in several years.

I can call the ocean from a drum. The travel time between here and good friends in Winnipeg is only as long as the hairs on my cello bow. I am rich with astonishing poetry written by two friends, one native, one not, about right here were I sit, right now. And I’ve only just begun to be thankful.

Some days are green and golden.

Posted on March 6, 2014 by keirartworks — 2 Comments

Wings

twenty extra minutes uphill, but it didn’t feel like it because of Dire Straits and Jake Coco. In fact, my wings carried me up that hill in time with the music, and then I was soaring high high above everything where the horizon is curved, warm sun on my back.

base drawing for "selfie answer 1", which will graduate to its' next stage today. Can't wait to dig in... — base drawing for “selfie answer 1”, which will graduate to its’ next stage today. Can’t wait to dig in…

My theory is this: I’m invisible if I close my eyes when I’m working out. In this way I have discreetly walked ten miles every week for the past month, flown up countless hills, memorized lyrics to twenty excellent songs, and arranged ten more for cello and voice. I truly never thought I’d say this, but I do love my little green iPod with all my heart, just for making this such a rich journey. And for being tiny.

love these guys so much, missed the boys this week past — Some of our Youth Orchestra kids on the week before March break. Great tribe to be part of.

I have no profound thoughts to offer, since I’m in transition from task to task today, but I’m aiming for objectivity this weekend after tomorrow’s supremely enriching Sistema Teacher workshop in Toronto. When I’m done there my iPod and I shall drive and drive, and the parts of my brain that have become strapped in too tightly by all of this striving and slogging will loosen their ties, let down their hair and begin to dance again in the big expanse of Road Trip, where the horizon is curved. Somewhere in the middle of this walkabout I will find Profound, and Articulate, and craft something here…

But for now I will leave you with a beautiful thing crafted by Annie Dillard. I’ve been chewing on this ever since I read it two weeks ago. She writes things that just keep coming back to you…..

A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time…. It is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living

Happy first week of March 2014, everyone.