From Bali with love

It's turned cold in New York. Frigid by my standards, and without warning, but it is the end of November after all.

However, I’ve managed to escape the onslaught of nose-tingling cold for a week in paradise. I'm in Bali for a work conference. And while getting to Indonesia is quite a haul, I can testify that visiting this slice of paradise is worth the trip.

It is tropical candyland in every sense -- palm fronds, the humid ocean breeze, endless expanses of sparkling beaches. It oozes the beauty of island living everywhere you turn. Granted, I'm a bit partial to this temperature range, and I am stationed in a luxurious resort, but yesterday (on my day off) I had the chance to wander a bit on the island and even outside the resorts. The villages and beaches are magical. It's a landscape dotted with rice fields and waterfalls. Even the simplest house mirrors the temples with carvings full of expression and colorful architecture.

In need of a brief respite from "stimulating" conversations on satellite spectrum and digital-broadcasting standards, I've spent several hours at the veranda bar here at the hotel with the ocean in sight and a comfortable chair for reading and pondering the great questions of life. While here, I'e been struck by the choice of music being piped through the speakers. It's very Western, of course, and has a distinctly acoustic and "beachy" style. (You know, the sound that has made quite a living for Jack Johnson and the like.)

I love this sound. The mood of it suits the surroundings, but it also suits me. I'm drawn to this style even when I'm in the midst of the hustle and bustle of New York City. Yet, I note to myself that I always hesitate to play this style of music because it seems too sparse and not busy enough to suit the surroundings of a big-city night life.

This may sound silly, or it may sound true, but as a performer you do have to be conscious of your surroundings and play to your audience ... to a certain extent. I'm beginning to realize as I continue the stumble down this road of self-discovery that what makes honestly good music is being true to your own style and sound, regardless of expectations.

Note to self. ("Yes, self, duly noted.")

Now, back to that fruity cocktail.