Adam Rafferty’s Blog – Guitar and Spirit

A Taste of Eternity

Once you start feeling time in a less linear way things get stranger, stranger and stranger. I feel that life has gotten more mysterious than ever, and it has gotten more precious and more lovely. It is more beautifully strange than any movie could depict.

Discovery – when Einstein discovered E=MC2 lets say, – he didn’t create it as much as he “uncovered” it. There was this principle hanging out there waiting to be discovered. Do we ever discover anything new, or do we simply uncover yet another eternal possibility – in relationships, experience and life? Isn’t it all out there and we need only “tune it in”?

Time – what is time? To the mere mortal it’s the memory of former “now moments” and the projection of “now moments” based on our ideas of former moments plus an “itty bitty right now” which slips and quickly becomes a former “now moment”. Hmm….I don’t buy it.

Outside our mind, what the heck is time? In a sense it stands still. But on the other hand, it pulsates and lives, and changes. It’s both. Our linear idea is off, eschew. It is a delicious Kaleidescope, every moment as precious as the next…always changing but from within like a pulse. What if it were one big fat right now? (hint…it is)

The only reason for all the now moments is all the little forgetfulness moments breaking up the all pervading now.

When you really love deeply, you forget about time. When you dance and a rapt in the joy of music you are not seeing a linear score…..it is a big fat joyous now moment. This is beyond the mind, don’t try to understand it…just let your heart love an animal, nature or (gulp) a person, or God…and then ask where time went and you’ll see – your mind went to a higher place where time does not exist: the realm of love.

Now when I travel, meet new people hear new music and experience fresh exciting things – it is the uncovering of what always is, what always has been….just like E=MC2….these people places and experiences have been waiting, like a TV station, to be turned on, tuned in and activated before my eyes, based on my willingness and readiness to see.

I am always finding that which I have known, people I have always known, music I have known.

It is all a “coming home” and like Merlin, I am heading into the past and looking forward to it. I am remembering the future. With every new bit of information I get I just say “of course!” When I receive a new melody to a song from the angels whispering in my ear I say “of course”. And when I meet a new friend whom I love and cherish I smile and say “of course! ….well, what took you so long?” 🙂

So “forever” is not a stairway to heaven or a line fading forward. It is and expanded, delicious “right now”. This is a but a taste of timeless eternity. Wow. Yep, right here right now.

Attention Artists! Success Comes from Within…

By Adam Rafferty 2 Comments

Greetings Friends!

It’s been a busy month over here at Adam Rafferty’s humble home / office / studio. This past month we all witnessed the launch of the Stevie Wonder DVD so it’s been BUSY. Things are calming down now that the initial rush is over. Talk about exciting! I am catching my breath.

A bunch of my musician buddies are asking me how I got my stuff out there on youtube and am having this guerilla success in terms of making a whole lotta friends, fans and making noise in general about gigs, tours, DVDs and the like. In fact, my buddy Peter Mazza and I had lunch the other day to discuss this.

I’d love to do a book or course on this stuff. While it reeks of “success guru” crapola, it works. And I vow to never spew info unless I can back it up 100%.

There is a combo of “heaven and earth” in success, I am finding. What I mean is that there has to be a spiritual element. You can’t fool the universe. You can’t bulls–t people, or yourself. Whatever it is you do or offer should hook into your integrity and be intelligent.

Ok, there are guys who sell toilet paper and fill a need, but I am talking about being a musician or an artist. Just look at any musician who has to play music where the soul disconnects – usually that type of musician is miserable. So, I play music that really feels good to me. That’s step 1.

Before I get to step 2 (and I am improvising this step by step method…) let’s go quantum. I listened to a Greg Braden (author, philosopher, and very cool dude) interview, and he mentioned an experiment in which photons in a vaccum “lined” up in the presence of human DNA. Yep, light particles assumed form in the presence of human DNA. This suggests on a quantum level that we create our reality.

This truly fascinates me. And hey, a Stevie Wonder DVD was first a vision, and now it’s real. That’s just lotsa little photons lining up….

So – step 2 would be to retrain the mind to look for, find and create success. Rather than tell my buddy about the step by step actions, I gave him my favorite book titles to learn about the mind.

When you learn that we have 4 billion bits of info available to us at any second, but “see” only 4000 – you learn that we see what we train ourselves to see. Insane. The mind and the universe are more mysterious than we’ll ever know.

In my case, I have truly had to re-program my mind to see and live success. The choices I make – whether it’s song choices, design work, who I hire for my team, what I spend time on – all these choices are now aligned with a deep, subconcious “problem solving” mechanism of achieving success. Each action is merely a metal shaving being pulled by a bigger magnet, which is the subconcious.

Bottom line – I love people. I want to make ’em happy and bring ’em music. The success I speak of is multi dimensional, and has “money” as a sliver of the pie. Jeez, what do I do with money anyway? Put out another CD! Of course it helps survival also. The real joy I get is to brighten people’s lives, for real, yo!

Well, this is just coming attractions of some type of course I hope to teach on day. I find it to be utterly upside down that there are so many gifted talented people out there who can’t “get out there” and figure their business stuff out. Maybe I can turn some people on to the good stuff now that I am finally discovering what works.

Until next time!

– AR

It is all Much Stranger Than We Think; Michael Jackson Remembered

By Adam Rafferty 13 Comments

For the past few weeks I have been working on some new Michael Jackson arrangements for solo guitar. “Rock With You” was to be, and will be my next youtube upload. A week ago I sent letters to publishers requesting permissions to create legal guitar tabs for “Billie Jean” and others.

(After writing this blog entry I got the cam out at 6am…here you go. I do, really want to Rock With You)

What’s strange, serendipitous and heartbreaking is that MJ passed away yesterday – June 25, 2009. (Rest in Peace, Michael). He has been so on my mind for the last few years. I was literally dancing a night before for “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” at home, alone (I could not sit still!!!!) and emailed countless videos to friends the past few months. Songs like “I’ll Be There”, “Rock With You”, “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Billie Jean” have become some of my all time favorite songs ever….

He and some of the old funksters have been my main youtube viewing this past year…James Brown, some Boosty Collins, and old MJ where he is nothing but a little genius of soul.

My grade school schoolmates, after his passing, started a thread on Facebok “wow, remember that party and that year when we danced and sang to ‘Off The Wall’ by Michael?” I am sure there are many…

And what’s strange is how the past becomes the future, how this music connects us so deeply to each other, how it feels “so good” for me to play it…and how these bonds I made with other children as a child myself have not faded into nothingness, but now Facebook is somehow keeping it all alive…and the music was something we all agreed on and loved.

To witness it all is bizarre and makes me think – wow if computers can do this – show me videos, help me rekindle emotions, connect with others, give of my own talents, – God only knows what lies beyond the sheath of what we think is reality.

Hope this makes sense – in how it all makes no sense.

Yours in wonder, awe – and may MJ rest in peace. Thank you for your take on soul, funk, dance and melody.

Savoring Your Accomplishments

By Adam Rafferty 4 Comments

Greetings Friends.

As tempted as I am to make this a “plug” for my new DVD, I’d rather once again speak from the heart, and just be a regular guy.

I woke up this morning very early – 5 am – , drifted over to Starbucks at around 6:30 and practically helped them open the place. Over coffee I just sat, and allowed myself to feel good, and accomplished.

Before I get into the accomplishment, and the deliciousness of it, I’d like to convey an anecdote I just read from “The Answer” by John Assaraf and Murray Smith.

“Six frogs are on a lilypad, and one decides to jump off. How many are left?”

If you think 5 frogs are left – that’s good but you are wrong! There are six left. Deciding ain’t the same thing as doing!!!! Get it?

It was very very easy to say, “wow I should make a DVD with Stevie Wonder songs” when I saw that viewers on Youtube dug the tunes.

Ideas and words can happen quickly. Actually doing, takes mental muscle, resolve, and repeated visualization of the goal as if it was achieved.

Things like…

– writing a thesis
– planning a wedding or party
– cooking a Thanksgiving meal
– taking a vacation
– exercising

and more….

are all easy to talk about, but to “do” the rubber must hit the road, so to speak.

I have gained an enormous appreciation for anyone who accomplishes anything. It also makes me want to pay for things and not get a free ride!!!

Enough said. As always, I encourage you to follow your dreams and take action! Nothing is as satisfying as banging out goals and racking up achievements….it’s addicting!!!

In case you’d like to view the sneak preview video, here it is!

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5TgLXLx-xY]

Until next time!

– Adam

Why Achieve Goals?

By Adam Rafferty 2 Comments

Greetings Friends!

I am writing to you right now on a delightfully quiet, damp Sunday morning at 6:15 am EST. Life is good. I’m huggin coffee and aside from the occasional car alarm or Bollywood Hip Hop drive-by-car-stereo-blast, it’s quiet here in NYC 🙂

Last week I finally shot the video to my Stevie Wonder Instructional Guitar DVD and I edit tomorrow…but this post is not about beating my chest, alpha male style, and getting you to cheer me on. I have an inquiry about the whole nature of achieving goals.

It’s gratifying to knock out goals and see one’s visions take shape in the world. But why? The more one does “winner” type things, the more one (I) become addicted to the elation of achievement.

Is it an addiction? What’s happening here? What’s the point of goals, accomplishments and so on? Will it ever end? Can’t I just relax into the moment and simply “be”?

Don’t get me wrong – accomplishing things is the coolest thing ever. To place an image of an achieved goal in the drop box of my mind – and watch it spring up like a flower is unbelievable. It’s like playing with the mechanics of the universe!

Maybe I’ll never be able to answer the “why”. However – one of my heroes, Lester Levenson explained the following. (You can find audios of him on youtube).

In the achievement of goals our inner resistance comes up. The “can I do it?”, the doubts, the anger, the impatience, the feeling that something is too big, too small – or even that “this is easy”, “I’m the best / the worst” (ego), “I’ll show them”, “I’ll never be able to”…the point being – our deep emotions get unearthed.

The overcoming, releasing and understanding of these emotions ultimately are the lessons we need to learn. We come up against our own resistance and ego. Goals help us shine the light on our inner junk and see it for what it is worth.

Food for thought.

Have a wonderful day y’all. Love you.

Adam