where have all the flowers gone … daniel blue
DESCRIPTION
Submitted on July 25, 2013 for Final Exam Essay in Music Class at College of the Siskiyous.TRANSCRIPT
Sters 1
Joy Sters (Weale)
Sean Abel
Music 1234
25 July 2013
Where have all the Flowers Gone … Daniel Blue?
(Fig. 1)
Three years ago, at Great Spiritual Teacher’s recommended listening to a band he
had recently heard and He put on a video and the band “Motopony” started playing the
song “King of Diamonds.” This is not something He does casually, so when He does, you
know to pay attention. The song was catchy, but there was more to it, there was a sound
that had not been heard before, it wasn’t a sound that you hear on the radio; there was an
authenticity and ethnicity to it, one that you would not easily forget, though would easily
recognized when you hear it.
Daniel Blue is the lead singer of the group and is one of the next generations of
“Flower Children.” Flower Children are a cultural group, which sort of temporarily
Sters 2
vanished from the mainstream public for sometime, quite possibly going underground to
cultivate and germinate the next generation in a setting that isn’t ridiculed or trampled on.
Flower Children are sensitive by nature, do not always fit in with mainstream culture and
sometimes struggle to grow and flourish in a society that is very rigid and structured. So
although they disappeared from the mainstream, they did not go extinct and were
sometimes found hiding in oak groves or forests, near the ocean or sandy deserts, those
that you find in cities are often medicated to fit in and keep in line.
The following is from an interview by Jessica Black from the Oregon Music New on
August 24, 2011, she asks “No, but your songs and lyrics are a little deeper than just songs,
right?” Daniel responds, “Yeah, I mean it’s me attempting to tell the truth personally, as a
human being. Using metaphors and word pictures. Trying to relate the human experience.
I think there’s something really healing about telling the truth. Even if it’s ugly or sappy or
whatever… so I try to tell the truth. In a beautiful way.”
This is how it is for this culture of Flower Children, each with a seed of Truth
planted in their Heart(s) they go out in the world and spread the good news that we are all
children and all connected and not only connect but the SAME at the core of ourSelf.
Sters 3
Time seemingly went by, and the song “King of Diamonds” continued to show up in
consciousness. The band Motopony was added as a station on Pandora, and more of their
songs were brought to the forefront of attention. Daniel has a very interesting way of
singing lyrics, which you can hear in “God Damn Girl.” He takes his time and draws one into
the sounds, taking pauses and creating a story through sound, and out of the words;
painting you a picture that has one listen a bit closer. He takes the time to be different, to
experiment and creates songs with music and with words that is rare to find in the music
industry of today. He plays a three-‐string guitar, that at times, you might even confuse it as
if it were a sitar.
His songs continued being played through Pandora although it was the only way for
one to hear him, at the time, since no radio stations were playing their music. Then out of
the Blue (pun intended), he appeared on Facebook and a request to be his friend was
granted. There then began a following of him in a different and slightly more personal way.
Getting to know him not just as a musician playing on a handheld device, but interactively
as a person on a handheld device, which gave a slightly broader view of the world he sees.
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He is not extremely forthcoming in revealing things about himself, most flowers
aren’t, you sort of have to sit around them and see if they need water, you smell them and
talk to them and then you get to see them grow and how they smell or sometimes like
Daniel you get to hear them sing back. These things take an investment of one’s time. You
have to watch your flowers grow and this can start by following what they do, look at the
pictures they send, listen to the music they sing and the words they write and soon you
have a better understanding of what kind of flower is growing in the garden.
With Daniel, you begin to know him as you listen; you can hear it, as you watch; you
can see it, as you intuit; you can feel it and then you begin to know him (which you can do
with all Flower Children, just pick one and watch it grow). We have become so busy that
often we forget to take the time to watch each other grow, but it is the simple things that
reveal it like Daniel; the way he sings, lives his life, reveals himself slowly, thoughtfully,
symbolically, one gets to watch a flower bloom.
Sters 5
Some people boisterously tell you everything about who they think they are the
moment you cross paths; this most times comes from the fear of one not actually knowing
who they are. Yet, you will find that when one spends time with one that reveals much, but
says very little, you not only watch a flower unfurl, but begin to see yourself the same way.
If you are willing, the way will appear.
And so it did…and an announcement was made on Daniel’s Facebook page that
there would be a Writers Workshop and he would be one of the facilitator’s…
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April 19 – 21, 2013 :: Twenty-five lucky writers will spend an inspiration-filled weekend on Orcas Island immersed in creativity, community and storytelling. Matthew Logelin, New York Times bestseller of Two Kisses for Maddy, Stephanie Walker, playwright and author of Love in the Time of Foreclosure and Daniel Blue, lead singer and songwriter of Seattle’s own Motopony, will lead writers through memoir, poetry, lyrical and narrative writing. Photographer Jesse Michener and San Juan Island poet/writer Jennifer Furber will facilitate the weekend. Participants will be housed at Doe Bay’s Retreat House and Harbor House, located on over thirty-eight acres of pristine waterfront property on Orcas Island. In a rustic, down-to-earth environment, participants will explore storytelling and workshop current pieces of writing through guided free writes and solo time to soak in the beauty that is Doe Bay. With a focus on and attention to craft of the written word, the weekend will include an intimate dinner at Doe Bay Cafe and a fireside open mic for the performance, celebration and readings of works. The weekend will conclude with a breakfast and closing activity on Sunday morning.
An entry was placed and notification was received and a trip was planned to attend
the writer’s workshop. Upon arrival, he was performing at the small family restaurant/bar
they had on the island and was jamming with a few great local musicians. He sang like he
was performing on stage for thousands, not a restaurant of possibly 50 people. Flower
Children tend to perform for the performance not for the numbers, they perform for the
ones that show up and perform even if no one does. It is not usually about dollar signs,
though this doesn’t mean that they don’t accept and use money, however, most know that
money is only energy which gets passed around, so as long as there is enough, there is
enough and it keeps cycling through. Have you ever heard the saying “money doesn’t grow
on trees?” Flower Children know that it does, literally.
Flower children work inside of time, but usually know that it is made up.
Sometimes you find that it is challenging to work with them, especially if you are used to
being on a clock-‐like schedule. However, you may learn a lot about what is real and what
isn’t, if you take some time, to step out of time, with one.
Daniel Blue
Sters 7
February 21, 2012 im giving up facebook for lent. and im falling in love with my Anima. Her name is Cecilla. don't get mad when i don't respond till easter, im just reformatting my psyche's operating system, no big deal.
Daniel presents and offers himself as someone to pay attention to, not as a demand,
but as a natural way of being. He is shy like many flower children and yet has a welcoming
disposition like most flowers do. It is not always easy being in a world that doesn’t always
look down to see what they are stepping on and often many flowers get trampled by those
rushing by. When one wrote the saying “take time to stop and smell the roses,” they may
have been speaking about people as well. Take time to stop and smell your neighbor, you
don’t have to actually go sniff them; however you might ask them how they are. We have
been led to believe that there isn’t enough time for everything, but as you become more in
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tune with the child within you, you begin to see that there is enough and always has been
enough. Pick your flowers wisely, and water them well…not too much, but not too little,
and you will get to see your garden grow.
Daniel Blue December 25, 2011
The most beautiful thing you can do is believe.
Daniel openly reveals both the pain and the innocence of being him, it makes you
want to give him a raincoat like you put on your child when they go out to play in a summer
storm so they don’t get sick, yet you know that much of this pain is what makes one so
bright. This is how it is with flowers children, they cannot hide pain, nor innocence, and
just like a flower they wilt, at times, when it rains too hard or too much. Eventually,
however, the sun returns and dries them off and they sparkle; usually even brighter than
before. You can see this reflected in Daniel’s relationship with, and Love of his Mother,
which comes through in his speaking, his writing and the tenderness he exudes with those
that are close to him.
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Daniel Blue June 30, 2012 near Seattle, WA
“Ten Years ago today, I held my mother as she left. I bummed a smoke from my grandma and went outside to try and figgure out why I wasnt able to heal her with all my purest magic, faith and love. I promised her I would be an artist, and live up to the life she encouraged in me. Today, as I write this, I'm sitting on a leather couch in the controll room of Bear Creek studios, listening to my songwriting pardner dial in the tone on his Rhodes. Hes recording the key parts for a song called "get down" for our second album. The lyrics are apt and hillarious, if you care...(copied and pasted from my notes, please excuse the vocal mouth sound ques)
Get Down
the more we do this the better we get the more we do this the better we get
my mamma told me practice makes perfect so we'll keep on comming cause we aint hit perfect yet
would you walk with me would you take some time
can we talk about love can we talk about dying would you listen if i choose to speak below
where the network says its ok to go
get down get down get down get down
but come up
the harder we push the deeper we get the harder we pull the higher we get
could you smell it burning at the end of your ciggarette got your cherry gl-glowing but you aint seen nothing yet
would you walk with me would you take some time
can we talk about love can we talk about dying would you listen if i choose to speak below
where the network says its ok to go
Sters 10
get down get down get down get down
but come up
come up
would you walk with me would you take some time
oh....you know sometimes life gets up on your back and makes you get down
but i say get down babies. get down oh...you got to let it take you low baby
cause either way you go baby its gonna hurt you know its gonna hurt you know
oh...get low get down
let it take you down
but once you been down baby, you cant forget to come back up again baby come up
come up come up
come uh uh uhp. ahhhhhhh
brother sister mother father friend
come up agian come up again
come up
Sters 11
Daniel put on many small impromptu performances for those that attended the
workshop and participated in all the writing workshops that went on during the four days
that people from all walks of life came to share together. He has a vivid imagination and is
quick to come up with a story that uses it creatively. He can paint a picture with words,
though poetry, and through song and has the ability to be silly and serious and everything
in between.
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Where do you worship? (Daniel Blue, December 25, 2010)
He moves with patience and caring and is attentive to his surroundings and was
readily available help and even gave rides to the airport. Those that know him, treat him
like you would one that has deeply touched your life, not like how you treat someone
because they are in a band or because they are talented. He was treated by those that know
him like he is a good man and that is what naturally shines through.
Sters 13
Daniel sings “Hallelujah”
Recently, he purchased a church in Seattle, Washington where he is recording his
solo album.
Sters 14
One of the songs that he has made available from the most recent recordings is
“Flower Children” though it is folky in nature, it is the kind of song that reminds one of the
child nature, that the Flower Children are still here, in fact everyone is a Flower Child,
everyone has the seed planted, not everyone waters and nurtures it. He is the reminder to
all not to forget, to continue to remember and shine what is naturally in your own Heart.
Daniel Blue May 7, 2012 via mobile
The best thing we can do to prep for the end of the world, a natural disaster, another 911 or even just the future of our children is to foster and nurture good relationships with each other. Forgive your friends, don't talk shit, take care of the small griefs that get in the way and work to reconcile broken groups. The best thing you can do if you're afraid of
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2012 is get out there and walk in love. If we don't survive this, at least we will go out with a hug.
Daniel has recently said he had to move away from Motopony to begin to play the
softer music that he is drawn too, hopefully his energy will merge the many sounds that so
brilliantly make the music that has come from him individually and collectively as a band.
Sometimes we have to step away from what we are in, to see and experience and know,
before we can come back together. Like one flower that is taller than another can share
with ones below what it looks like from where they see, it doesn’t make them a better
flower because they have height, it only gives them the ability to share more.
Like many Flower Children, Daniel loves the outdoors and that also seems to be
reflected in his music with his earthy tones. He plays a three-‐string guitar and mixes in a
lot of electronic sounds to make the unique style that is Daniel Blue and Motopony.
“Smells like Green Spirit”(December 29, 2009)
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Daniel Blue January 13, 2012
if you were my ipad, i would be looking down my nose at you disapprovingly, and this is what you would see with the eye on my side of your body.
On July 21, 2013 Daniel Proposed to his Fiancé Rebecca Carlson.
Rebecca writes: Mercury stabilized and four hours later he led me to the top of hill surrounded by a circle of pines. Daniel Blue asked if I'd spend the rest of my life with him. I said yes, with enthusiasm and certainty. One month shy of 3 years since first meeting on a dance floor in the dessert. 11:11
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Daniel Blue and Motopony are worth paying attention to. They have the kind of
music that lasts; the kind that you have to dig a bit deep to discover, but once you have, you
become a lifelong fan; music that is timeless and won’t fade…like all Flower Children.
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Works Cited
Jason Bentley, NPR Music, KCRW MUSIC DIRECTOR, KCRW Presents: Motopony, July 23,
2013.
Daniel Blue, Facebook, July 23, 2013.
Steven Graham, HeraldNet, Motopony's Daniel Blue releases solo project, July 12, 2013.
Leight Bezezekoff, KEPX Radio, Song of the Day: Seer, January 29, 2010.
Kristie, Pyxis Magazine, The Mystery of Motopony, May 1, 2012.
Oregon Music News, August 24, 2011.
Motopony, Facebook, July 23, 2013.
Sean Detore, My Northwest, New Music: Daniel Blue, July 16, 2013.
Peter, Paul and Mary, Where have all the Flowers Gone, Youtube Video. July 13, 2012.