Since there are several L1 conference threads -- all of which were started for different, pre-conference purposes -- I thought it might be a good idea to give us one place to post our thoughts, thanks, kudos and reports.

I suggest that we put all of that stuff here rather than spreading it around all of the other threads.

Have at it!

Here's one to kick us off:

During the auditorium session after lunch on Tuesday, Ken-at-Bose did something great: He put the session presenters on the spot and had all of us give a short statement of what the most important takeaway from our sessions was. It forced us to crystallize an hour's talk into a 15-second statement. Powerful, that.

So: Let me turn that around on all of you: What was the one most important takeaway from the conference for you? I've got mine...but I'll let someone else start.

Hi Andy,

Great thread and thanks for getting us started on our thoughts.

quote:

What was the one most important takeaway from the conference for you?

I believe there have been some thoughts from those that attended the first conference in Big Sur that perhaps what happened there was a once in a lifetime event -- never to be repeated. With the second conference now behind us, I can say that those of us that thought that were right. And wrong.

We were right because there were elements at Big Sur that contributed to magical scenes that could never be repeated: the hidden barn studio high atop the Pacific, the Big Sur Natives, fire dancing under a pitch black sky and a million stars, Steve Miller singing a penetrating rendition of Nature Boy.

We were wrong that a community of L1™ owners characterized by an extraordinary belief that Live Music can now be rekindled into a blazing art form would be unable to repeat the magic simply because of location. The Fall Conference proved to me that this community could create the magic in a quanset hut on the North Pole. Or a VFW hall in any neighborhood in the world. Seclusion and beautiful surroundings certainly add to our comfort, but it is the community of people that is the necessary and sufficient ingredient.

We all I'm sure experienced high points at the Conference. For me, it was Chris Ickler's historic talk on ToneMatch™ technology (we'll be sharing more about this here in the coming weeks and months for those that could not attend) and the phenomenal FIVE HOUR concert on Monday night under the leadership and direction of Ken Bausano and Jay Davidson. I said recently in another thread started by ST, where he asks us what music means to us, that for me it is the best source of trancendance I have. I was in rapture for about 4 1/2 hours of the five hours of music on Monday night. I can not remember another time in my life when I can remember such a sustained escatic live music experience.

I believe this community has learned in a deep and profound way that they can how Hear Together, and we are now beginning another chapter, which is the rebuilding of one of humankinds most important and enduring artforms -- Live Music -- by re-establishing old and pioneering new techniques for how to Play Together -- with each other, with our audiences, and with ourselves.

I hugely look forward to hearing the remembrences of my fellow attendees, and the thoughts of other members of this seminal community.

With Best Regards,

Ken Jacob

As magical and memorable as Big Sur was, the benefit of spending almost 3 hours with Dr. Bose after the conference was equally as inspiring and unforgettable. He embodies the humanitarian, almost anti-capitalist (or anti-bottom line mentality) notion that large companies can be in the game for more than just financial profit, an attitude that allows the research and development teams in his employ to go out on the limb that leads to such imaginative and groundbreaking products as the L1. He is Elvis.

And once again, Ken-at-Bose throws a great party, at which we are all allowed to participate in problem-solving during the seminars (the microphone session with OLDGHM being most informative, from my point of view) and musical merrymaking in the evenings. I am not a person drawn to "work" per se, but he sure has a good job.

Thanks, Ken.

For me there was a common thread that I kept hearing. I touched on it briefly, then I heard Cliff Goodwin talk about it, and finally Dr. Bose said something about it too...all independently, and all in different ways.

It's really all about the end product. The music, and more importantly, how it's experienced by the people who are out there listening to it.

I talked about EQing your bass so that it sounds good out in the audience...that the listener comes first.

Cliff talked about stepping outside your little bubble and working together to serve the song, to make the whole performance better by interacting with your fellow musicians.

Then Dr. Bose talked about perception and how important it is...it doesn't matter how you get there or what technology you use, it's the end result that counts. Measurements, specifications, configurations...it's all unimportant. It's the experience of the listener that matters.

That in a nutshell is what's so cool about the L1 to me. It's enabling technology that lets us do what Dr. Bose said...put ourselves in the shoes of someone else and see the world through his/her eyes. In an odd sense, it lets us be in two places at once...both on the stage and in the audience, because we hear what they hear.

(How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?....but I digress. Hopefully someone will get that reference.)

We have a tendency to talk about the L1 in near-mystical terms (there was a lot of that at the conference), but it's not magic...it's just technology.

The real significance of it to me is that enabling, transformational aspect. It lets us interact with one another and with the audience in a way that has not been possible with amplified music before. That changes the way we perform and express ourselves. And that's what makes the experience so much better for everyone.

That's a very powerful thing, whether you're an incredibly talented musician like the vast majority of those at the conference or just a couple of hacks like Charles and me who do it for grins. (Note to self...must practice more....)

THE biggest take away for me was _____
(30th try at finishing that sentence due to vast data and pool of amazing moments to sift.)

MOTIVATION FOR EXCELENCE.

1) I was humbled at the level of talent

2) Warmed by the consistent flow of inclusion and seemingly unconditional openness

3) Stunned by the new definitions of the whole concept ( tone match, player as audience, new canvas new paint new world)

4) Dazzled ( and admittedly overwhelmed) by the technology - NOT bored - and this is KEY… I felt like a shot glass trying to hold a magnum of champagne … I’m thrilled to try and every drop was valuable and delicious – I just couldn’t contain the volume and it left me a bit tipsy <G> )

5) Pleasantly burdened. (Pause for effect) If someone gives you a 90 lb block of 24ct gold… do you complain about the weight?

My burden is to improve my sloppy technique to a new level.
We’ve been given the ability to sculpt our sound into art –
Beyond the all-acoustic- ONE-performer-ONE-listener optimum model.

Pouring all my artistic ability into my voice and my guitar playing for ONE listener is how I convinced my brilliant and beautiful wife that I was worth spending half a lifetime with…
OK…so that’s not my goal with my audience now <G> - BUT - the laser focus of your art form to every pair of ears in the room AND every other player in your band is a medium we have not been working in since we left the caves… which for some of us was more recent than others – but I digress…

OK, ‘nuf for now – but I VERY much want to share some personal high points later.

Best,
Michael Nunley (FocusPlayer)

Take away...would that be chinese or pizza? On the serious side, I was deeply moved by the generosity of spirit shown by Ken, Cliff and ALL of the Bose employees. I learned that they are truly committed to excellence and sharing. This means now that the L1 is more than a stick reproducing sound...it's a source that connects me to a lot of people now. I just read this back and it sounds so weird, but I do mean it. To have connected with these guys, and all of you guys too, is really special in light of the daily hustle and bustle we face. I remember a couple of years back when I came to a decision to play music on a more-than-casual basis and I asked a lot of the questions that surfaced at the conference and on this forum, why do I play, what do I expect, etc. And the bottom line for me (and I think you) is because I need to. So yes, I would do it for free (but I'll take a check, thanks). I remember seeing an actor who (I think) plays a medical examiner on CSI. Apparently, this guy was not always an actor but got into a horrible car accident that severed his legs. As he lay there in the street, he had one main thought, he had always wanted to be an actor and if he survived, he would follow that dream. He did and got the role on CSI. I didn't wait for the accident, I paid attention to what he had to say and took off in that direction. Others at the conference have been involved in music full-time for most of their lives and that kind of amazes me. My day job is Captain of Detectives for the Newport RI Police Department. It ain't New York City but I've seen my share of some dark things. It's something I don't generally advertise but a couple of you did ask me what I did and I told you. Music has always been around for me, long before the day job. It's kept me relatvely sane and grounded and now that I'm nearing retirment and my skills have improved (you'll have to take it on faith...I never performed at the conference) I feel ready to go in that direction for however long I can create effectively. That I'm being this open is sort of amazing to me, not really in my nature. And lo and behold, that's the take away for me: I connected with a bunch of people who were complete strangers a couple of years back and then, later, just internet correspondents until now. This business of turning art into business is a risky business. We put ourselves right under the microscope for all to examine and hope we triumph. But if we didn't do that, we'd be in living rooms and bedrooms instead. No need for the L1 then. So the L1, along with it's inventors and engineers and the presets becomes an extension of our art...of who we are as musicians. (Fade post out with 'Taking it to the Streets' by Doobie Bros.)

Wayne

For those of you who could't guess by the screen name, I'm the guy with those 'interesting Carbon Fiber Guitars'! (namely, Composite Acoustic!)

Firstly, I would love to thank Cliff Henrickson for the invitation to be a part of the Conference. Having this type of access to musicians who are 'Out in the Trenches" really insires me to not only perform more, but help the manufacturers learn more of our customers needs and desires.

It is very refreshing to see a group of people who represent a Manufacturer who have a seemingly boundless passion for what they do. Everyone representing Bose was amazingly willing to share ideas and thoughts on an open basis which insipires us (no, requires us) to want to learn more. Kudos to Hilmar for taking me away from my thoughs as a Sales Person and bringing me back to My Engineering history!

Thanks also to Ken for being the 'Ringmaster' and making sure that the vectors that all disscussions take come back to the core of what this type of conference is about. Making, and especially sharing Music (if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it...!) is probably the most personal and perfect expressions of a persons self.

Cliff Goodwin really made me think of something that I learned from one of my vocal teachers many years ago. Pr. Terrance Anderson simply said to me one day that the Music means more than the performer. That one statement is so incredibly simple. Those who don't get it, will never understand...

There are so many others who made this entire expereince incredibly inspiring who I have failed to mention. Trust me, you are not forgotten! On behalf of Composite Acoustics, I am profoundly grateful for being included in this experience and look forward to our association (namely Tone Match!) with one another in the future.

Tim Dion

http://www.compositeacoustics.com/

Wayne,

Thanks for this.

I'm still formulating my thoughts.

Tom

PS: It looks as if we will be working with Bose to set up some Tone Match presets for users (Karen?!?) I'll try to keep you up to date...

Tim

Hey Now, What can I say that hasn't already been said and is yet to come by so many. I appolgize deeply to not sharing some of my music with the whole group, and am grateful for the late night jams with my cabin mates (cabin 2 rocked). While most of you didn't know this, I had just lost my older brother (the family and clan rythum man) and am still in a state of apprehension, shock, and overwhelment. I'd like to think I now have a bunch of new brothers. But with that said, the high of the past three days is still coursing through my viens and as I went back into my classroom today I realize I still have two more days of lessons to deliver directly related to what lesson learned. THIS GATHERING HAS GOT TO CONTINUE

Hi Wayne,

What an amazing statement. I'm certain that you will make tons of great music that will enrich both you and those around you.

I very much look forward to the next time we get together.

Ken

As much as I enjoyed the technical speeches (although listening to guys like Hilmar and Chris Ickler quickly helped me to identify my lowly position on the food-chain of smarts) I think it was the more emotional talks that inspired me most. I was significantly impacted by ST's unwavering and boundless energy for helping others. Listening to him speak just made me want to be a better person, and do more to help the cause. I was also very moved by Cliff Goodwin's lessons of working as a team and playing for the song. He wasn't telling me anything that I didn't already know, but he expressed it in way that has reinvigorated me.

But listening to Dr. Bose speak was the lightning bolt for me. I was profoundly affected by his speech. It really crystalized what I already knew... that Bose is a very special company. The way a company operates is always a direct reflection of its founder, and it is because of Dr. Bose's vision, passion, philosophies on life, and commitment to integrity that the company is the way it is. There is no other place in the world that would have allowed Ken and Cliff to do ten years of research on their crazy idea, and actually let them see it through without mandating the bottom line as the first priority.

When I first met Ken a few years ago, I was immediately impressed by his passion for wanting to help make live music better for EVERYONE. This wasn't a business venture for him - it was a humanitarian issue. The fact that Ken could lead this team with such heartfelt and honest human goodness in a corporate setting has always amazed me. After hearing Dr. Bose speak, it all made sense. Ken has been following a precedent that was already set by a man he greatly respected. I saw so much of Ken in Dr. Bose, that one would think they were father and son. Ken IS the next generation of the Bose philosophy. Seeing the two of them standing together, I couldn't help but feel that I was witnessing the baton being passed from one great man to the next.

Now I'm not just a fan of Bose equipment... I'm a fan of the man behind it.

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew Douglas:
(How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?....

Great posts all...

One of my favorite exchanges, Tuesday afternoon:

Dr. Bose (to Ken): How long do I have?

Audience member (Karen? Not sure): How long can we stay?



Wonderful snippets keep on percolating up, like bubbles in champagne.

I loved Dr. Bose's take on why measurements and specs do not matter. Remember when he drew the three circles on the white board? You can get two completely different measurements, both of which lead to the same conclusion. Therefore the measurements are irrelevant to the conclusion. That's why Bose doesn't talk about specs or comparisons. Because they're not important.

I loved it when Alan Steinberger said to Dr. Bose, straight out: "Do you understand how important this is? I mean, do you get it?"

Just a big thank you to the 'community' for a great hang. Let's do it again... and again... and....

Rick

My main impression of the conference is, simply, WOW!

I have been inspired to do better both by the amazing musicians I met and was incredibly humbled to be able to perform with. Ken Bausano had amazing vision and the foresight to trust that those who came together to play would be able to do what he had planned for us.

As I stood there, inwardly terrified that I was trying to make sense out of music I couldn't read, and grateful that I at least had the guitar chart that had all the chords on it, The music that I heard while I was making my small contribution pulled me along with it, and almost fed the notes to me as I tried to be part of it. I was, obviously, much more comfortable with the jam, both when I was playing and when I wasn't.

I have never seen anything as selfless as Jay Davidson, who took upon himself the role of "rodeo clown," the one who takes the danger upon himself so that everyone looks good and feels safe, while dodging the horns (no pun intended, yeah, right)

But the highlight for me had to be Dr Bose. I sat in the auditorium with tears in my eyes, thinking that this is a man I would work for until I was able to work no longer. The spirit of the message was to simply put ourselves in the position of others all the time, in everything we do. It is at the same time a brutally simple and terrifyingly impossible thing to do. It is the physical embodiment of the Golden Rule, one of the fundamental building blocks of civilization, yet something that in today's world is so out of reach for those who claim to be our leaders.

I've rambled on long enough. I am extremely grateful to the at-Bose team for giving us the chance to be a part of the experience. I wasn't at Big Sur, but the feeling I got from those who were there was that it was a very personal experience. I found the Fall conference to be an experience that was very personal, yet at the same time an enriching experience to the entire group. As I was thinking about this Aafter the jam Monday, I felt that Bose is taking us in the conferences through the same path that we go through with the L1. We buy it because it makes us sound incredible (very personal) and only after we find our voice there do we realize how it then gives the same freedom of expression to our entire group at once and how the L1 has let us go from a group of performers on stage, which to me has always been the reason I play. Being a bass player who cannot do a show by myself, I have always looked for the way to support others in what they do. The L1 lets us collaborate in the moment, and confirms that what we hear in our minds is finally what the audience hears. As we say in our shows, the audience is the most important part of the show. Without them, we are just rehearsing on stage.

I hope this makes sense. I think this is the longest post I have ever made, and I always have the feeling that I don't have the words to explain what I feel. I wish the forum had an "L1 mode" that could put the feelings I try to express into the heads of the forum participants.

All I can say, to everyone, is thank you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Chuck Lawhorn,

What you guys said.

I'm glad someone can actually write about this stuff. I'm dumbstruck.

Rick, how about an avatar? Like that framed photo I remember on the piano.

Off to drool and mumble...

Tim (Guitseller) another of my most fun moments was playing your niffty guitar and singing "The Boxer" with you doing harmony - and then singing a back up line with you as you played and sang "Spooky" ( Great voice ! ) If we had more time I'm sure Karen would have taken a tune and we both would have come right in behind her.
Just a great moment of rest in the day,
THANKS !

quote:

I had just lost my older brother (the family and clan rythum man) and am still in a state of apprehension, shock, and overwhelment. I'd like to think I now have a bunch of new brothers.

bigsteve,

I am very happy to have met you and loved your quiet, attentive vibe. I am deeply sorry to hear about your brother. I need only think about mine to have some inkling of what you are going through. And yes, you DO have new brothers -- at least one.

Let me know if you have ideas for your students you think I could help with.

Ken

Has anyone noticed, now that we've met him, that Ken's photo captures how he looks 98 percent of the time? That wide eyed smile. But that remaining 2 percent, when he was telling everyone at the lodge to move forward to the stage for the sake of the musicians...I'd call that an icy stare. You just knew better than to cross him.

Wayne