Answering Matthias' letter and a quip from BASS LOOPIST Max Valentino of Tehachipi, California

["Rick Walker (Loop.pooL)" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com>]

Hi Matthias!,
    you asked:
"Did you build bridges between the artists, Rick?
Or is that usual now on loop festivals that one soloist takes over
directly from the other, not leaving any sound gaps the whole night?

This is a new thing, so there is no usual.  It was cool that it worked out
that way from Scott's set into Steve's set
(with me eventually fading Scott's last loop so that Steve could seque into
his first piece).

You also said
"I find it rather strange to do a festival with only one instrument,
but great that it happened anyway."

I agree that it was a tightly defined genre, but if you could have felt the
beautiful sense of solidarity at the show
(and I quote a letter form Max Valentino at the end of this missive) you
would have seen (and heard) that it made perfect sense to define it so
tightyly.   I asked many audience members whether it worked as an evening 
of
music and got very, very enthusiastic replies.

Also, you said:
"But since I have no idea what the music was like, I better shut up
and come arround to see.
I REALLY wonder....
Do you think there could be a festival that buys a plain ticket from
Brasil for me and my guitar?"

Even with the theater, sound system, and artists being free, I still lost
about $30 out of my own pocket for the posters (but I sold 2 $10/CDs and 
one
person 'donated' $5 so I ended up pretty close to even).

What I've realized about this 'artform' and I'm going to unabashedly refer
to it as an artform because
"what is, IS" (if you catch my drift) is that we need to promote the hell
out of it because it is artistic life
blood to do so.   In the U.S. (and I really don't want to appear to be
culturally miopic, but here is where I live)
there is so little support for the 'new' and creative.   Consequently, I've
decided to dedicate the rest of my life
to both my art and to being a 'cheerleader' for other peoples' art,  merely
because not many people seem to
be doing it.       My other little incentive is that I haven't wanted to be
artistically 'lonely'.   I crave a community
and anyone who was at this festival could feel the palpable sense of an
emerging community.  It was such
a privilige to be in the company of these four very creative pioneering
artists.   I love the bass guitar (even thought I am not very accomplished
at playing it, yet) and love the possibilities that it presents as an
instrument
specific to looping.   Also, bassists are in an incredible minority in the
guitar dominated looping world
(don't worry, some of my best friends are guitar based loopists) so it was
kind of cool to promote and produce this show.

Long story, short:   we can't bring you up here (except to play your CD in
between acts which I would be more than happy to do) but I would encourage
you to seek out fellow loopers in Brazil (there must be some others)
and throw the first Brazilian Looping Festival.

Yours, in the loop,   Rick Walker


below, an excerpt of Max Valentino's letter to me about the Bass Festival:

"Seriously, it was my extreme honor to be asked to attend that event. And,
in
some way, it was a turning point in my own solo-bass career. The event
itself, and the calibre of musicianship present, offered an unique
validation to my approach to bass playing and looping, and I left the
festival with deeper musical insights, higher musical inspirations, and a
true sense of belonging to a community of artists with a shared, common
vision. Thank you for that!
I am excited about many possible techniques which I was exposed to
there....by you, Steve, Trey and Scott, and now am going to do many sonic
experiments (of which I will certainly keep you informed about)."