This is my small tribute to Greg Howard...a re-imagined interpretation of the bridge section from Greg's "Quince Street" (from Shapes, 1994). I recorded this upon learning of his hospice situation, not knowing if I'd share it.

I highly encourage all to share something. Anything he inspired or taught you. Maybe an exercise you're working on from one of his books. Inspire us with your inspirations.

Video sharing is easy here on stickist. If it's uploaded online somewhere (ie: youtube, vimeo, etc):
1) Paste the video's URL into your post.
2) Highlight that URL
3) Click the VIDEO button above
4) Maybe hit Preview before Submit to see if all worked ok.

Yeah Brian.

Greg will always be with us, through the music.

Charmed Life

From the First Day
You shared the chords, the words
The symbols, the lines
The noise and the silence
In the song of your Charmed Life.

You modeled the movements.
Up, down, forward, back.
Free those Hands.
All anchors aweigh on the tides of your Charmed Life.

You painted the colors.
Azul, Verde, Magenta.
All the shades of passion
Through the Crimson Gorge of your Charmed Life.

You showed us the Shapes.
Sines and squares and circles of sounds.
The gears in your head
And the gear at your feet
Spun spirals through the prisms of your Charmed Life.

Like a good doctor, you tonified the elements.
Ether and Ore from your vast inner space.
Wood and Metal beneath your fearless fingers.
Fire in your wires, in your very bones.
And Water
Wave After Wave
Over the lunar landscape and solid Earth
Of your Charmed Life.

You urged us to Lift.
To do the hard work of a Charmed Life.
With the dedication of a soldier:
Left, right, left.
Right, left, right.
Left, right, wrong.
Yes, even when wrong
You kept the rhythm
Fending the Sticks and Stones
In service to a Charmed Life.

How many Stickists does it take to change a flat tire?
You taught us this too
On that May morning 20 years ago
On the ferry across the strait
From Salt Spring to shore.
The answer:
One to notice
Two to jump for the jack and the spare
And you to tell me
With compassion and care:
Don't, you'll hurt your back.
Let me do the heavy lifting.

In a world run on fossils and fumes
You burned on Sol and sushi
Soul and Thai
Steady and efficient, with spice and grace.
Wild like the sparks and cadenzas of your Charmed Life.

D.C. al coda, dear Maestro.
Your early finale tears us apart
Note by note, heart by heart.
But the long milliseconds of your eternal echoes
Will keep us together in an infinite hold.

Your song ended too soon
But not before the love and lessons
Of your Charmed, Charmed Life.

Wonderful John. Thank you so much for sharing. And...great to hear from you! I was just listening through Subzerosonic last week...

Echoing what Brian said, thank you John for this wonderful and moving post celebrating Greg.

Like many of us here, Stick Figures was the key that opened the door to a whole new musical dimension for me. I still remember how I felt while listening to this pure sound, unlike any other I had experienced.

Here's to you, Greg.

J.F. Brissette, Las Vegas.

Very beautiful words John

You have an excellent way with words John.
Thank you for expressing this.

Beautiful playing Brian. Beautiful words John.. thank you both