Peter & Alexander

.

In the year 2003 I heard an extraordinary voice. It was from a person who sang a song in a big hall which such an inner power and in harmony with himself and all things there were around. I felt the impulse to find out more about this man and his songs.

Well, what could be done in this case at first?

Right! Looking at "ebay" if somebody wants to sell a CD by auction.

The search brought one result:

The following CD...

...which I could some time later hold in my own hands, bacause I was the one who offered the highest price for it.


And as I got it, I had to learn to sing the songs immediately. Because I wanted to be prepared if I would met the singer ones more again ;-)

One year later, this should happen. One day there unexpectedly was a journal called "Visionen" (Visions) in my post box for free to test it. In this journal was following article:

This sounds really great - doesn't it? So I went to the workshop...

There we were - a group of young people from differnet part of Germany, waiting vor Peter and his wife Aneeta. As they arrived, they seemed to be a little bit disappointet because the less attendance. Peter sayed, he usually teached greater groups of people and doesn't know if his methode would be perfect for such a little group.

I was a little bit wondering about, because we were six people, and I thougt, this is an ideal size for an intensive music-workshop.

Peter asked, how we think about and as we all would take on the risk and I insured believably could sing for two people, he was content to give the workshop - maybe in a reduced version.

But soon it became clear, that here a very special group has found together. After the first songs there was no more thought about reducing the workshop, an the further the workshop was going on, the harder was the thought about the end of it.

The workshop of the Californian singer Peter Makena together with his wife Aneeta was an extraordinary event and a great present for me. The article in the journal hasn't promised too much.

Aditionally there were three much interesting lessons of life:


Lunchtime-experiences


Lesson 1: Be the one who brings the luck and it will come back to you

At the first day we already were in top form and sang us hungry, as we decided at lunchtime to go to lunch together.

And so we walked along the streets of the city and were looking for an adequate restaurante.

We passed a young man with his girl-friend. Suddenly there was a whispering - Peter somehow had realized, that it was the young ladies birthday today and he decided, that we should surprise her spontaneous with a little song.

Just said and done, we sang a little birthday-song for the young lady in the public sphere. The people around were joyful and the lady was so glad and thanked us a lof for the nice surprise!

Well, so simple it can be to make other people happy!

We only have to go with opened eyes (or ears)

through the world,

live just in the present,

then such wonderful things can happen,

if you are ready

to take the chance

which is there

just in this moment,

and to to

what is necessary!



Lesson 2: Accept, what live brings to you,each the things, you are not happy with

Sometime after walking through the town we found a restaurant in which we stepped in.

It wasn't the best decision:

It took a long time, since the unfriendly waitress had time for us.

(By the way: Now I do understand the meaning of the word WAITress)

Until the meal was here, it took a long time, too.

And the food? Oh, oh, they wouldn't win a price with it:

Very tasteless and cooked without any love.

Normaly a reason to hoe at the table an become very angry!

But Peter only meant: "Look, what happens here: All this things have it's sense and it's all right - even we don't understand it"

And even the ill-houmored waitress let us feel her anger, Peter was in oposite to the others absolulely unimpressed from the unfriendly treatment and didn't let ruin his good mood. The others understandably were pissed of the happenings and we decided the inhospitable place.

In the wild west this all would be a good reason for a properly public house brawl, in which the hole equipment would be damaged, and in the dark age the place maybe would be burned down (personal included) - so it was good luck for the owners that we live in such nonhazardous times!

I was impressed. Why should we after all this bad experiences let ruin our good mood, too? So i decided instead of be angry, to follow Peters example and took the happening as a worthful experience of life.

At the way back we met Wolfgang, which Peter knowed well and invited him, to sing with us. This was a good decision, because Wolfgang should render us a good service the next day...

Well, Wolfgang hesitated a little, because he feared not to can keep up with our quality of singing, but Peter convinced him, because good singing or not wouldn't be important.

The afternoon we sit, sang and were in silence together.

I cannot describe, what else happened there, without to seem to be out of touch with the real world.

So I try to describe it with a poem of Khalil Gibran*

"Oh Musik,

in Deine Tiefe

legen wir unsere Herzen nieder

Du hast uns gelehrt

mit unseren Augen zu sehen

und mit unseren Herzen zu hören"

-

"Oh music,

in your deepness

we lay down our hearts

you have tough us

to see with our eyes

and to hear with our hearts"

Fuck, now it sounds out of rality still again!

But try it by yourself and fly with us ;-)

*Khalil Gibran, libanesian philosoph, poet und painter - Book tip: THE PROPHET - read it!!!


At the next day we continued where we stopped at the day before and sang us into good mood.

As lunchtime was near we decided - against the bad experiences of yesterday - to go to lunch together again.


Lesson 3: If life shows you it's best sides - enjoy it!

This time of course we didn't went to the same bad restaurant as yesterday.

Wolfgang knew a good restaurant and this one we visited to make a amazing experience:

We went through the opposite of yesterday:

- It didn't took a long time until the waitress receipted us very friedly

- in a short time the meal was here

- it was a celebration for the eyes and tasted very well!

Perfect - what else can you say?

In a good mood and full of power we brought the rest of the day and the workshop to a good end:

In a good mood, well satisfied and full of power...

Peter in action

9 Voices of spirit


Finally the workshop was at it's end. We all had experienced so much in this short time, so it was really hard to say goodbye. But we took the good mood with us and went our ways.

At last Peter and Aneeta asked about an opportunity to get a ride to bring their luggage to the hotel. This chance I couldn't let go away and offered to drive them to the hotel, although my car was parked a little - how should I say - far off....

But they followed me without moans to the parking area, which was a little more far away than expected. Just as both were in my car, I took the chance, to make some photos:

Who had thought of this: Peter Makena with wife and guitar in my car!

But the hilarious was: Hardly entered my car, after a short drive we were at the target: The hotel was nearer than expected. I even think, the way to the hotel by foot wouldn't had take a longe time than the way to the parking place! Whatever! A drive in AlexanderS funny car is a special experience, too ;-)



At the way home:

... this stupidly grining face shold follow me a good time

- not extraordinary because after all this amazing happenings.

And soon as I thought by myself at a parking lot of the freeway "what a good luck...",

this car with the number plate LU-CK* passed me,

too bad, I caught it to late with my camera and you cannot read it on the photo.

Good luck!

But than I thought: "So it is with luck here on earh: You cannot hold on!"

Finally at home!

"So nice it is at any places in this world, the nicest place is at home" - my dear father often sayed - how right he was! So gladly I travel around, so much more I like it to come home again!

The good mood followed me a good time. "Such an amazing workshop", I thougt by myself and I wanted to return a kindness.

So the CD "Peter & Alexander" was created:

The cover of the CD is an copy from the original with two differences: A little butterfly which flies through the space on the right side and the name down on the CD.

There are three songs on the CD from Peter, which I sing together with him in duet.

This is the inner side of the CD:



In the booklet I combined Peters texts with some photos I shot at nice places:







And as I met Peter and Aneeta a time later again (look at project "The Höllbach-Choir"), they were very pleased about my present

Here is a little sample of Peter & Alexander:


Peter Makena with his wife Aneeta




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