The Guardian for this meeting was Maxine Walden. The comments are by Maxine Walden.

While I had fully envisioned conducting this session as a theme session, continuing our current explorations in Being by going round the circle individually, the energy stirred within the group and the 'mix,'  including Alfred with his new flute and the creator of the flute Kit, led to this becoming a session more about Playing Music as Being.

Maxine Walden: (appreciating Cal's note giver, a box in the fountain which gives a note re PaB; also the several large koi fish slowly swiming counter clockwise in the fountain; lovely additions )
Maxine Walden: hi, Freud
Freud Jungsten: osiyo
Freud Jungsten: HOw are you today Maxine?
Maxine Walden: I am fine, thanks, appreciating the fish in the fountain...how are you?
Freud Jungsten: Been a nice day really.
Freud Jungsten: Just taking a study break now.
Maxine Walden: ah, thanks for coming
Maxine Walden: what are you studying?
Freud Jungsten: Biostatistics.
Maxine Walden: ah...sounds substantial
Maxine Walden: hi, Burly

A new-to-me avi came in

Burly Mothman: Hello Freud and maxine
Freud Jungsten: It could be... hope to find a good job in the fireld when I graduate.
Maxine Walden: ah, hope so too, freud. Good luck
Freud Jungsten: wado
Maxine Walden: Burly, I am not sure we have met. Have you come to many of these meetings?
Burly Mothman: Rarely - I'm Aphro's alt :-)
Burly Mothman: an Italian count
Maxine Walden: hahahah!!!!
Burly Mothman: ono due tre
Maxine Walden: Oh, my, I am impressed, please tell me more!
Burly Mothman: (counting)
Burly Mothman: are you talking to me?
Maxine Walden: hehehe, sort of like Count Dracula?
Burly Mothman: Yes, but nicer
Maxine Walden: on Sesame Street?
Burly Mothman: I have a villa on the Amalfi Coast
Maxine Walden: oh, I see; impressive outfit, and so different from the Aph I know
Burly Mothman: Yes, it's a little heavy to wear
Burly Mothman: but it keeps me warm in those Canadian winers
Burly Mothman: winter
Maxine Walden: can imagine...
Maxine Walden: how does it feel being Burly vs Aphro?
Burly Mothman: I have a hard time spelling in English
Burly Mothman: I feel more comfortable in some places than in others
Maxine Walden: hmm:)

I tried to steer the conversation toward the theme session

Maxine Walden: You know, this is a continuation of a theme session:
Burly Mothman: The fact that I'm black adds some extra dynamics
Burly Mothman: No I didn't -what as it focussing on?
Burly Mothman: what was
Maxine Walden: ah, I would be interested to hear...maybe as a part of the theme of what our current experience is in terms of our explorations of Being or of the Nature of Reality...either/both...
Burly Mothman: and identity. I'm trying to figure out how to make an image of all my avis - I have 5
Maxine Walden: might be in the 9 sec or 90 sec pauses, or otherwise during our ponderings...at least that is what I was thinking we might do today
Burly Mothman: perhaps discussing what happens during those auses
Burly Mothman: pauses
Maxine Walden: yes!
Burly Mothman: sounds good to me Maxine
Maxine Walden: :), good
Burly Mothman: what do you think Freud?
--BELL--

Just at the bell for the first pause, several avis came gaily into the Pavilion space

Alfred Kelberry: meep!
Freud Jungsten: Works for me.
Alfred Kelberry: oh wait...
Maxine Walden: We are coming up to a 90 sec pause; shall we each see what happens in the pause?
Alfred Kelberry: is it a dream session?
Burly Mothman: Hiya Boxy - we're going to examine what happens during the pauses
Alfred Kelberry: um, ok :)
Burly Mothman: Hi Arch and Chi

During the pause there was some settling down, but also the haunting sound of a flute, perhaps a 5-tone one

Burly Mothman: During hat 90 second pause I put myself in a psoition so I could see everyone. I feltit wasimportant
Alfred Kelberry: well, i've enjoyed a sound of a flute during the pause :)
Burly Mothman: I was playing boxy
Maxine Walden: Well, afraid I was caught up in IMs during the pause, so I am not a very good example of noticing inner workings, ponderings :) but appreciating the flute as well
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Burly Mothman: Hello Malissia

Alf shows us the flute, bright buttons in a row that he is wearing on his boxy avi, and he introduces the creator of the flute as well

Alfred Kelberry: and here's the flute maker - kit! :)
Kit Ciaco: Hi ya!
Chi Aho: Hello, Burly, Malissia, everyone
Kit Ciaco: I'm just waiting for everything to rez in - don't want to step on any faces!
Malissia Dotcheva: Hi everyone
Alfred Kelberry: maxine :) a lot of monkeys :)
Maxine Walden: hi, Chi
Kit Ciaco: apologize for my tardiness!
Alfred Kelberry: um, that's a fun word - tardiness :)
Kit Ciaco: hehehehehe
Maxine Walden: Anyone who may be new, please take a notecard from the box in the pool...will tell you what we are about in PaB
Alfred Kelberry: *ponders to jump in the pond*
Maxine Walden: And please let me know if you have a problem with being included in our chatlog
Burly Mothman: The conversation will be recorded
Kit Ciaco: boxy - you will wilt
Archmage Atlantis: Have to change computeres, sorry
Freud Jungsten: Back in a bit....
Burly Mothman: Arch - you must feel a little wet!
Kit Ciaco: soggy cardboard - HMMMMMM!
Alfred Kelberry: i have a custom made cardboard. water and fire proof :)
Burly Mothman: Must be expensive
Kit Ciaco: Always good to be prepared for any contingency!

Looking back Alf and Kit now talk about some tech stuff re the flute Kit has given to Alf.

Alfred Kelberry: ok, here's the new filler, kit
Kit Ciaco: yes!
Kit Ciaco: sounds better, no?
Alfred Kelberry: i'll align it properly...
Kit Ciaco: LOL!
Alfred Kelberry: oh! the blue one is supposed to be on the bottom :)
Kit Ciaco: I don't know that it matters.....
Kit Ciaco: bottom, top - hierarchies???
Maxine Walden: beautiful sounds, Alf
Kit Ciaco: Yes, Alf - beautiful!
Alfred Kelberry: вщту!
Alfred Kelberry: ok, it's done
Alfred Kelberry: looks great, kit :)
Burly Mothman: ????
Kit Ciaco: Thanks!
Burly Mothman: What did you do Kit?
Alfred Kelberry: the sound was recorded live by kit :)
Kit Ciaco: I didn't do it!!!!!!
Kit Ciaco: Oh. That. I made the flute
Kit Ciaco: I actually made the rl flute that I'm playing the sound clips on
Chi Aho hears no sound at this point
Kit Ciaco: and now boxy is making it his own!
Kit Ciaco: How cool is that
Kit Ciaco: oh, Chi, you're missing a lovely mini concert!
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Maxine Walden: We have such interesting things going on right now...mostly focussing on this beautiful flute and its origins...generous, Kit
Burly Mothman: wow. I'm very impressed. Each colour has a phrase
Alfred Kelberry: it's not too loud, which is think is perfect
Kit Ciaco: yes
Alfred Kelberry: intimate and subtle
Kit Ciaco: I worked very hard on the right volume.....
Alfred Kelberry: i think you nailed it! :)
Kit Ciaco: I think I actually spent more time making the SL version than the RL version!
Alfred Kelberry: hehe

By tapping the various colored buttons on Alf's avi one could 'play the flute'.  Burly and others including me do so over time

Burly Mothman: Hey - I'm making music!!
Alfred Kelberry: and than some more to align it for the boxy :)
Kit Ciaco: LOL!
Alfred Kelberry: doing good, burly :)
Kit Ciaco: Anyone here who would like a copy please let me know and I'll send my deliverty truck to you right away - free!
Burly Mothman: Mereveilloso

I am feeling a bit school-marmish re calling attention to the pauses, but do so, hoping to bring the theme session into focus.  As you can read the sense of music just naturally flows into the pause, which was absolutely beautiful 

Maxine Walden: Just wanting to mention that in 4 min, 1:30 we will have a 90 second pause, during which we all might just observe what goes on for us...our intent is to see what is below the chatter of the minute/hour and see who we might be .
Alfred Kelberry: such a gem for free it's like... wow! your lucky day :)
Burly Mothman: Thanks for the reminder Maxine
Maxine Walden: :)
Chi Aho is smart enough to know that he is not Chi Aho
Maxine Walden: ah, Chi?
Alfred Kelberry: maxine, may i play a tune during the pause?
Chi Aho: See above myh nametag
Maxine Walden: of course, alf...it may help us to pause
Burly Mothman: Please would we all be able to hear it?
Alfred Kelberry: ok :)
Kit Ciaco: Yes - except apparently Chi
Burly Mothman: Beautiful wings Dorje- where did you fl from?
Burly Mothman: fly
--BELL--
Burly Mothman whispers "Hi Zon"
Zon Kwan: hi all shhh

The flute was just gorgeous and we all applaud in our own way

Maxine Walden: :)
Maxine Walden: :)
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Kit Ciaco: APPLAUSE!!!!!!!!!
Alfred Kelberry: *giggles*
Maxine Walden: thank you so, Alf
Maxine Walden: yes, applause !!
Alfred Kelberry: *bows respectfully* thank you
Burly Mothman: That went by too quickly. Thanks Boxy - there'salot under that cardboard xterior!
Maxine Walden: a lot indeed!
Maxine Walden: wb, Arch
Alfred Kelberry: i too zoomed out a bit, like burley last time
Alfred Kelberry: wanted to see you all
Burly Mothman: Could everyone hear when I as playing?
Burly Mothman: was
Kit Ciaco: I could hear
Malissia Dotcheva: I could
Burly Mothman: Oh - I assumed everyone made their own music. oops
Chi Aho: I could barely hear with a good sound system and turned up high
Kit Ciaco: But couldn't tell who was playing....
Maxine Walden: yes, alf, could hear very well.
Chi Aho: Can you play lounder?
Burly Mothman: It was soft- and tentative
Chi Aho: louder
Alfred Kelberry: i couldn't, burly
Maxine Walden: Wonder what others expeirenced during the pause, along with the beautiful flute
Alfred Kelberry: i could only hear my flute :)
Kit Ciaco: the closer you zoom to the flute the louder it becomes
Burly Mothman: Perhaps t's where you are sittig thateffect the volume
Maxine Walden: maybe variations of flute...
Alfred Kelberry: max, i was trying to make a nice tune :)
Alfred Kelberry: guess not too relaxed :)
Malissia Dotcheva: It was lovely Boxy!
Maxine Walden: I experienced gratitude for the creativity in the group and the generosity of sharing it
Burly Mothman: so sorry about my spelling. English isn't my frst language. I'm an Italian count you know
Kit Ciaco: boxy, you're getting a nice smooth hold of it
Alfred Kelberry: so i had less time for... my thoughts :)
Maxine Walden: hoho, Burly
Alfred Kelberry: thank you, kit :)
Archmage Atlantis: The equipment and software that an individual has to receive with, that determines sound
Kit Ciaco: and sometimes lag but I'm not experiencing much with this flute in most simx I've taken it to
Alfred Kelberry: yes, no lag issues so far
Kit Ciaco: VERY minimal compared to alot of in world instruments....
Alfred Kelberry: pab is not a high load sim though :)
Kit Ciaco: no
Alfred Kelberry: i like to imagine that i'm in the mountains when i listen to the flute
Alfred Kelberry: it's calming
Kit Ciaco: yes!
Kit Ciaco: one of most organic of all instruments
Kit Ciaco: very spirit-based

Feeling that the theme session is caring for itself, molding around the music I muse and in a bit Alf offers an interesting contrast for next pause

Maxine Walden: the flute seems to be more on mind than the pause...
Burly Mothman: somewhere in Japan with snow falling
Malissia Dotcheva: It is very peaceful!
Kit Ciaco: flutes can do that....
Kit Ciaco: lol
Alfred Kelberry: we should try the next pause without the flute :)
Kit Ciaco: I seldom mediate without a flute anymore
Alfred Kelberry: and compare the two
Maxine Walden: ah, maybe so, alf...and compare
Burly Mothman: OK. Can you hum tune instead?
Alfred Kelberry: kit, you got addicted! :)
Maxine Walden: lol
Malissia Dotcheva: It is amazing to me that so many cultures have a variation of a flute
Archmage Atlantis: Interesting, in the Blue Ridge Mountains is when I am most in tune with gospel music, music of faith......now that I heare the flute music, it has that same qualitity, tho on a less exuberant scale
Alfred Kelberry: yes, mal
Burly Mothman: We can listen to the birds

Then Kit tells us about this 5-note flute

Alfred Kelberry: kit, tell us about 5 note thing
Kit Ciaco: and fror EONS dating back over 15000 years
Kit Ciaco: Well....
Burly Mothman: 5 note thing?
Kit Ciaco: the pentatonic scale is associated with very primal tones
Alfred Kelberry: penta.. i always forget the name :)
Kit Ciaco: very common across cultures for - well, since the beginning
Lugh Fehr: hello
Kit Ciaco: all notes in a pent scale will harmonize with one another
Burly Mothman: pentagon
Kit Ciaco: pentatonic
Alfred Kelberry: yes, a common origin
Burly Mothman: hi Lugh
Kit Ciaco: in truth there should be a sixth note on the flute
Archmage Atlantis: Since the beginning of this version of humans, yes
Maxine Walden: hi, Lugh
Kit Ciaco: which would be one octave above the lowest
Burly Mothman: why Kit?
Alfred Kelberry: arch :)
Malissia Dotcheva: I can imagine our ancestors sitting round a camp fire listening to music at the end of their day
Alfred Kelberry: mal, yes :)
Kit Ciaco: but the five notes represent one note each in the octave
Alfred Kelberry: having steak :)
Kit Ciaco: Yes, M

Enthusiasm for pennywhistles

Burly Mothman: playing the penny whistle and the spoos
Burly Mothman: spoons
Kit Ciaco: OH!!!
Kit Ciaco: I started out on pennywhistels
Kit Ciaco: I love them!
Alfred Kelberry: is it also a flute?
Kit Ciaco: yes
Kit Ciaco: but 2 octa ves
Archmage Atlantis: Would either of you define "flute"
Burly Mothman: I can even play one. Theye'e so cheerful
Kit Ciaco: usually played pretty lively
Kit Ciaco: and more "shrill" unless you get the really low whistles
Kit Ciaco: Yes, VERY cheerful!

And panpipes

Burly Mothman: ah. Pan pipes have two tubes, don'tthey?
Kit Ciaco: they have a tube per note
Burly Mothman: Oh right. Like the oes fro Peru
Burly Mothman: ones
Kit Ciaco: righgt
Kit Ciaco: I have a pent pan pipe
Kit Ciaco: hard to play
Kit Ciaco: blows like a shak
Archmage Atlantis: Like a pipe organ in a cathedral, each pipe plays one note
Burly Mothman: must be. Like rbbing yr head and pattin yr stomach
Kit Ciaco: LOL!
Maxine Walden: (just a reminder in 2 minutes we will have another pause...we will compare our experience with the last one when Alf played during the pause)
Burly Mothman: Are these flute sonds recorded from a rel flute playing?
Kit Ciaco: yes
Burly Mothman: real
Kit Ciaco: they are me playing in rl
Kit Ciaco: and now they are ALF playing!!!
Alfred Kelberry: tuning a cathedral organ must be a difficult task
Burly Mothman: Is it a regular flute. It sounds somuch like a bamboo one
Kit Ciaco: I imagine so!
Burly Mothman: that lonely sound
Kit Ciaco: native american style
Kit Ciaco: make of cedar
--BELL--

Now this pause we deliberately do not have the flute play, and it seems that we all note both the absence of the music, but the memory of it, and the blending of both music and silence, making a warm wonderful atmosphere

Burly Mothman: ah. that makes sense.
Maxine Walden: :)
Alfred Kelberry: birds
Maxine Walden: OK, how did the pauses compare?
Alfred Kelberry: i feel more relaxed
Burly Mothman: beautiful people round a circle - I spent time looking at them and thinking how amazing this group is
Alfred Kelberry: burly :)
Maxine Walden: My own experience began with a sense of loss, missed the flute, as if a flatter experience, but then appreciating everyone around the circle as well, deeply so
Burly Mothman: wondering what on earth Lugh was wearing
Alfred Kelberry: maxine :)
Burly Mothman: :-)
Kit Ciaco: Gibran said something about this, I think
Lugh Fehr: :)
Burly Mothman: yes?
Kit Ciaco: a kind of blending
Kit Ciaco: that the silence and the usic both are partners
Kit Ciaco: and come together for the whole
Burly Mothman: the sound with margins of silence
Kit Ciaco: likes spaces in togetherness
Kit Ciaco: yes, burly!
Maxine Walden: ah, yes, thanks, Kit, lovely reminder of Gibran
Alfred Kelberry: togetherness :)
Alfred Kelberry: that's a kitness way of sayin it :)
Maxine Walden: indeed, alf
Kit Ciaco: which is my whole philosphy behind the flutes
Kit Ciaco: the coming together of spirits
Kit Ciaco: and personal integration
Maxine Walden: beautiful
Kit Ciaco: the flutes in sl are designed for community
Kit Ciaco: anyone can play them along with Boxy
Kit Ciaco: so we literally can make music together
Kit Ciaco: and silence can do the same thing.....
Kit Ciaco: interactive in the best sense of the word
Kit Ciaco: plus
Kit Ciaco: I get to touch boxy!
Alfred Kelberry: music lets silence steps in to appreciate itself :)
Kit Ciaco: right
Kit Ciaco: and vice verse?
Alfred Kelberry: yep :)
Burly Mothman: can't enjoy one w/o the other
Kit Ciaco: I don't think so
Kit Ciaco: like being with people and being alone
Kit Ciaco: both parts of the same dance
Alfred Kelberry: it's like hot and cold or good and evil
Burly Mothman: Kit- are you a musician in RL?
Kit Ciaco: yes
Malissia Dotcheva: Yes cannot have one without the other
Kit Ciaco: not a very good one, but very persistent!

At this point Chi makes an interesting statement which others pick up on, and perhaps because of the conviviality of the group interesting contributions to the thought accrue

Chi Aho: Boxy, I have found that in sl ppl seem not to want to talk about evil.
Chi Aho: why?
Burly Mothman: Do you play publicly?
Alfred Kelberry: i think we do
Burly Mothman: publicly
Kit Ciaco: I do in SL wherever I can find an audience
Kit Ciaco: but not so much in rl
Malissia Dotcheva: I think that maybe people on SL are trying to find utopia
Kit Ciaco: I used play publicly with guitar, though
Maxine Walden: interesting question, Chi, sometimes we talk about it here...
Burly Mothman: U-topia= no space
Kit Ciaco: but the flute seems more - intimate perhaps
Maxine Walden: playing music as being...
Alfred Kelberry: chi, we do it in an open manner though :) maybe it smooths the evilness down somewhat :)
Kit Ciaco: exactly, maxine!
Maxine Walden: :)
Burly Mothman: There seems t be a greater fascination with evil - take a look at the last judgement paintings. Hell is always far more interesting while eaven looks rather borings
Burly Mothman: heaven
Kit Ciaco: good point, burly!
Malissia Dotcheva: True
Zon Kwan: what is evil ?
Burly Mothman: I wentto a lecture yesterday on Utopia and Dystopia
Kit Ciaco: I also think serenity gets a bad rep across the board
Maxine Walden: wonder if we can sincerely talk about evil while listening to the flute?
Burly Mothman: There s far more written on the latter
Alfred Kelberry: burly, maybe i've seen different pictures, but heaven to me is much more pleasant :)
Kit Ciaco: with experience we learn that serenity is much more satisfying and thrilling than the lures of "evil"
Alfred Kelberry: beautiful gardens, clear water, fresh air, birds, grass... :)
Kit Ciaco: I think so
Kit Ciaco: the flute speaks to all levels of being
Burly Mothman: There are fewer thrills in heaven. very body sits around looking clean and tidy
Kit Ciaco: I've written well over a hundred songs on the flute - with many different timbres
Kit Ciaco: including darkness
Burly Mothman: It's perhaps an idea to work towards than a reality to live in
Malissia Dotcheva: I think that we are fascinated by the unknown
Chi Aho is pondering the idea that Zon really didn't mean to question the existence of evil in the world.
Maxine Walden: agree, Malissa
Kit Ciaco: agreed, Mal
Zon Kwan: evil is good in wrong place or wrong time
Burly Mothman: even if it's scary
Burly Mothman: the unknown I mean
Kit Ciaco: And we often label things with which we disagree as being evil
Zon Kwan: darknes is good when it is its time
Kit Ciaco: evil may often be in the eye of the beholder?
Kit Ciaco: agreed, zon!
Burly Mothman smiles at Zon
Alfred Kelberry: burly, i should also note that i don't think of good and evil in religious heaven and hell terms :)
--BELL--
Burly Mothman: no, true, but my comment came out of people's interest in good and evil
Burly Mothman: Nice
Burly Mothman whispers - gotta go all. Take care
Kit Ciaco: Boxy - I just played my rl flute with you
Lugh Fehr: yaay i heard them this time
Kit Ciaco: we should take it on the road!!!!
Malissia Dotcheva: Beautiful!
Maxine Walden: Just pondering this session, with lovely flute, appreciations of the beauty in the group, even considerations of evil...
Maxine Walden: Have to go, but a wonderful session...thanks to everyone !! See you again soon.
Maxine Walden: bye for now
Malissia Dotcheva: by e
Chi Aho: bye Maxine
Zon Kwan: bye max
Kit Ciaco: bye, maxine!
Lugh Fehr: byebye
Malissia Dotcheva: See ya later
Alfred Kelberry: poofs
Zon Kwan: bye all
Lugh Fehr: bye zon
Kit Ciaco: recokn I'd better get back to the studio!
Kit Ciaco: thanks!
Alfred Kelberry: there's a concert starting in sl
Alfred Kelberry: anyone want to go?
Alfred Kelberry: 2 pm
Chi Aho: where?
Alfred Kelberry: Come and join us for a peaceful concert - 2pm slt Garden for Change (120,176,24)
Alfred Kelberry: oh, didn't copy the url
Alfred Kelberry: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Garden%20for%20Change/120/176/24
Alfred Kelberry: no idea what's this about. just seen a message.
Chi Aho: I will use the url; thanks boxy
Alfred Kelberry: ok, i'll go check it out
Alfred Kelberry: thank you for the company
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: smile hiya arch :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles thinking you are away from your keyboard :)
Paradise Tennant: quietly tip toes out so an not disturb you :)