TTP #10- Wenzl McGowen on his Spiritual Journey and its Impact on his Life and his Saxophone Playing

Tourganic: Healthy Living on the Road of Life

Wenzl McGowen is an incredible force on the saxophone and member of the band Moonhooch. This episode includes practical life advice for the touring musician, why the band went vegan together, the depth of the impact that meditation has had on his life as a musician and well constructed concepts about the nature of the universe and cosmos. We cover lots of ground in this episode from his upbringing on a completely isolated commune in Portugal to his touring life with Moonhooch. In this conversation:

• The dynamics of touring with a band and concepts of conflict/resolution

• Playing in the moment and striving for freedom with his instrument and the tools he is using to achieve the 'flow state'

• Wenzl's path of Meditation. How he got into it, what it means and how it has manifested on his life including how meditation has transformed his stage experience

• Upbringing in a commune in Portugal. Lessons learned from his father who created and ran the commune and turning negative experiences into positive lessons in life

• Making the transition from living completely isolated on a commune with no outside influence to coming to NYC at age 18 for school

• How and why Wenzl became vegan. The significance of the band doing it together

• How Moonhooch tours maintaining health on the road. Bringing a portable kitchen, cooking in the green room, foraging for wild plants and supporting co-ops

• Daily and pre-show rituals on tour

• Goals with his saxophone playing: Strategies to break out of preconceived patterns and musical ‘vocabularies’ and evolve to a system more based on numbers and shapes. How he is implementing this concept

• Influential books and documentaries in his life

  Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast in iTunes and visit www.tourganic.com for more info on this episode and living healthy on the road

  Tourganic Podcast Theme song 'The Path' written by David Bailis and this episode's musical interludes by Moonhooch