Mateo Monk Music

I use no backing tracks when I perform. All the sounds you hear were layered live using a guitar, synth, and looper pedal. www.howlofthewhitewolf.com copyright 2016 Mateo Monk Music. All rights reserved.

This isn't intended to be a "how to" video, in fact it's only the second time I've made one of these and I learned how to do it watching others on Youtube! I just enjoy woodworking and video editing, and figured I show my folks and friends how these router bowls/trays are made. I am opening up a woodshop in my new barn however, and this "Woodworking with White Wolf" has a nice ring to it. Who knows? Maybe it will become a "thing"!

I made this condensed, "best of" version of my "Wildlife In The Badlands" video to be able to share on Instagram. That video featured my own original music, but for this one I chose a track that has been making me happy lately: "Mrs Robinson" played by my favorite alto sax player, Paul Desmond. I shot all this footage during the Spring of 2021 when I was living in my van. The Badlands is one of my favorite places in America. It never fails to enchant!

I shot all of this footage in the Badlands during the Spring of 2021. I recorded the music as well, which is the ancient and sacred Gayatri Mantra from the Vedas. Copyright 2022 Mateo Monk Music. All rights reserved.

Shot in the Spring of 2021. Music track is "Marta and Romao" by Paul Desmond.

Shot during the Spring of '21. The audio is "Nada Terma No. 2" by Steve Roach.

There is a large forest fire in the Black Hills National Forest currently, which is occuring directly across the road from my home. For three days I've had amazing views of the fire and the efforts to contain it. Interestingly, on the first morning of the fire, upon seeing it I jumped on my dirtbike motorcyle to go see if I could be of any help since I know a couple families who live dangerously close to it. At the gate to the forest trail, I ran into the first Forest Service fire truck on the scene. I thought he would tell me to get back and go home, but instead, he said it would be of great help if I rode ahead into the forest on my dirtbike to try and find a route to the fire that the trucks could reach. No one had yet located the exact location of the fire, and since my dirtbike could slip through several locked gates and traverse the off-road terrain quickly, I could be of help. With one of the neighbors, Tom, who was on a four wheeler, we explored three or four miles of trails into the forest and sure enough found the fire and how to access it directly. I was the very first person to find and arrive at the fire, following the route Tom suggested, but speeding ahead on my nimble two wheeler. Tom and I returned and led the fire crew to the base of the fire, and then the firemen gave us bright pink tape and asked us to retrace the route, marking the route with the tape so the other trucks would be able to find it. It was very exciting and I was so glad I could actually be of help. The fire is still burning out of control, however I believe the fire crews have managed to protect all the local homes that were in serious danger, and it seems to be dying down and under control in my immediate vicinity. It appears the fire has moved deeper into the Black Hills to the east. There are homes back there as well, but not immediately. All in all is was fascinating to watch the fire grow and the well organized response to put it out. I’m deeply grateful that my immediate community remained unharmed.

Rodeo on 7/10/22 in Sundance WY. Background music performed and recorded by Mateo Monk.

The audio is a sacred Hindu mantra to Lord Shiva that brings healing to the natural world. I played all the instruments and vocals to recreate an arrangement for the mantra that I heard on a recording by Amma Sri Karunamayi. As for the footage, these four horses were grazing on my new ranch this Fall and I loved being able to bond with them daily and get to know them well. Yes, I mostly bought their love with apples, but we did appreciate each other and had plenty of fun horsing around. Anyhow, I just wanted to show you all my horse pals and how happy they make me, and show how spacious and beautiful it is where I live now, for which I am deeply grateful. Om namah Shivaya!

In July of 2021 I bought a 40 acre ranch with no covenants in northeastern Wyoming, adjacent to the Black Hills National Forest, and 30 minutes from Devil's Tower. I plan to live here all the rest of my days. It's a dream come true. Who could ask for anything more?!

I made this for a friend upon special request. This was filmed atop Warren Peak in the Bear Lodge district of the Black Hills in Wyoming, just north of Sundance. I've been studying the dholak drum quite seriously since December 2020 and have really fallen in love with the instrument. I mosty play traditional (ancient) Indian rhythms and songs, and this is the first time I've tried accompanying one of my own songs on the drum.

This wasn't the only alligator listening to me. At one point I noticed that every alligator (dozens) in the pond was pointed in my direction, floating, listening. We locked eyes the entire time and shared a genuine moment.

I filmed this on Easter 2021 as an offering to God/Nature.

I found a tranquil spot in the Everglades where the oscar fish were hitting on nearly every cast. Oscars aren’t too big, but pound for pound they are great fighters, and a few in a pan makes a filling and tasty meal. There was a dock jutting out into a pond that was filled with numerous alligators, some of the biggest I’ve seen in these parts. Because I was catching so many fish, the gators really started to swarm and were trying to steal the fish off my line. They were getting pretty worked up to the point they were fighting each other over the fish. I stayed there all day fishing and filming, goofing around, and chatting with the occasional passerby. It was a thrilling day to spend so much intimate time with the gators. I witnessed a lot of intense action from these powerful, intelligent beasts, and I took home three good fish for my good Friday meal. One neat encounter I wasn’t able to film involved a hungry heron. He kept coming around also attracted by all the fish I was catching. I knew he wanted a fish but I didn’t know how to give it to him. He didn’t trust me enough to take it out of my hand, and didn’t quite have the big crop of a pelican to catch it in. Finally I noticed he was behind me on the dry land, and I figured maybe he wanted me to toss one on the ground. I chucked one his way. Startled at first, he jumped a few feet back, but once he saw the fish flopping on the ground he pounced with no hesitation. He took quick steps forward, swayed his head while taking aim, and then boom, with a merciless and decisive thrust of his pointed beak he pierced the meaty fish all the way through with about 3 inches of his beak sticking out the other side. Then he walked off into the woods to further deal with his pride. After watching some of my videos people have commented how pretty and graceful the birds are while how ugly and scary the gators are. All day long I watched gator after gator snap at fish with fierce and deadly intent, but seeing the heron deal such a swift and deadly blow as well, I realized the two animals aren’t really that different in their intent, despite the stark contrast of their appearances. Later in the day, I too dealt three, swift, death blows to the fish I was taking home. I found a sharp edged brick and smashed their brains so that they wouldn’t suffer any more and suffocate. Killing to eat is part of Nature. Nearly all mammals do it. Pretty birds and polite humans are not above this primal instinct. Lastly I just wanted to say, I wasn’t feeding the gators directly, but for the fish they were able to steal off my line. Nor did I have any intention to harass the gators. I really love and respect them and I enjoy coexisting with them. I felt like we just spent the afternoon fishing together and playing a game. We got our fill and had our thrills.

While on a meditation retreat at the ashram of Amma Sri Karunamayi in India during the winter of 2019-2020, I began spontaneously and frequently shouting out the name “Hanuman” during my meditation practices. I knew that Hanuman was the monkey-faced deity in Hinduism, but that was really all I knew. And so I prayed that I wanted to get to know Hanuman. During that same retreat, Amma mentioned the sacred epic poem the “Ramayana” in which Hanuman is a central character, saying that it is a great blessing to anyone who reads it. Just a couple weeks later while still in India visiting Arunachala, I went to see Anubodh the celebrated flute maker to purchase another bansuri. As Anubodh came to the gate to let me in, I heard him peacefully singing a beautiful song. Upon asking him what he was singing, he answered, “The Hanuman Chalisa”. Then immediately upon arriving back in the US, I started reading the Ramayana as Karunamayi had recommended. I was absolutely moved, inspired, comforted, and uplifted through reading the Ramayana, perhaps moreso than any other book I’ve read in my life time. Near the end of the book, with my heart brimming, I read the words: “And now you know Hanuman.” My prayer had been answered. Full of gratitude and inspiration, I began memorizing the Hanuman Chalisa, which consists of forty verses and takes about 10-12 minutes to sing. I found many different sung versions with different rhythms and melodies on the internet, but felt particularly drawn to the version I found sung by Lata Mangeshkar. I liked both the chord changes and melody, and learning it seemed within grasp of my limited knowledge of Indian music. Since both the language and sense of melodic phrasing was foreign to me, I admittedly tried to copy every nuance of her articulation and phrasing. When it came to actually recording the song, I took liberties with the instrumental arrangement, both simplifying it and adding some of my own style and sensibilities. I finished memorizing the Chalisa in early July of 2020 on the very day I started living in my van as a nomad, and have sung it everyday since as part of my daily devotions. I recorded the song in January 2021 at my parent’s house in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania while home for the holidays. But recording the song wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to make a video expressing my joy and love for God as an offering to both Lord Hanuman and to Amma Sri Karunamayi, Sita herself, whose grace is responsible for introducing me to her beloved Hanumanji, the protector of poets. I set back out on the road continuing my nomadic van life in late February 2021, and headed straight for the Everglades of south Florida, a place I have been coming to for many years that feels magical and sacred to me. This place is teeming with Life and is like Eden to me. However there are no monkeys here to film, nor are there Hindu temples and iconography. Yet throughout my whole life I’ve felt that nothing in the material world reflects the truth, beauty, and grace of God as much as Wilderness and Nature. So it felt quite fitting to make this video for Hanuman using footage of the natural world as the central subject. I spent the whole month of March exploring and getting to know the Everglades more deeply while recording footage all the while. It was a learning process in many ways. I got to know the creatures and their habits more deeply, carefully contemplating them through the camera’s eye. I also had to learn how to use my new Lumix G85 camera that I bought myself for Christmas with this and other projects in mind. I spent of lot of my time bass fishing in these murky, gator and gar infested waters, always with a camera on my hip and a tripod tethered to the back of my dirtbike. I learned a lot about fishing these waters too, and went from catching very little to being very successful on the regular, often enjoying a bass dinner at the end of a day’s expedition. All in all, it was a deeply fulfilling and enjoyable adventure making this video. It was also a healing journey. I feel much lighter, freer, and more empowered than when I begun, and in truth, this is only the beginning. As I continue vanlife, I intend to keep producing music and filming wildlife throughout different ecosystems all across America. This gives me a meaning and purpose, and saves me from the sorrow of feeling like an aimless and solitary drifter. I consider all these animals my friends and family, and I never feel lonesome among them. As well, being in Nature I always feel close to God, witnessing beauty, balance and grace all around me, and knowing that I am part of it. Jai Hanumanji! Jai Karunamayi! Jaya Shankara! Words by Tuladasi. All instruments and vocals arranged and performed by Mateo Monk. All footage filmed and edited by Mateo Monk.

In the Everglades of Florida, the more fish you catch, the more you draw gators. They try to steal them off your line, and the more they succeed, the more aggressive they get until they work themselves into a feeding frenzy. When I shot this, I didn't have my good camera or a tripod with me, so I had to do what I could with my iPhone. I'm heading back out however, properly equipped in hopes to capture better footage more professionally. Stay tuned! Subcscibe!

Shot in the Florida Everglades during March 2020 on a Panasonic Lumix G85 camera. The background music is from ambient artist Steve Roach, not my own.

I recorded this in my van at Trail Lakes Campground in the Everglades of Florida. This chant is to Lord Ganesah, the elephant-headed deity, also known as the remover of obstacles. Sometimes when I play sacred music I tend to be reserved and cautious, wanting to avoid mistakes or harsh tones, but at those times I feel Ganesha in my heart pushing me to play more freely and joyously, to not be afraid, and to take musical risks. He encourages my creativity and loves the celebration of song and dance. I did not write this melody or chord progression, but I did arrange the simple instrumentation. All flute solos were improvised.

Original song. An answer to my hypocrite haters.

A short ride through a burnt section of the Kootenai NF in northwest Montana set to the original track "Space" off my first live album, "Mateo Monk: Live Volume I". This forest was not burned in the extensive fires of 2020, however the smoke seen in the air is from those fires. On this particular day the smoke wasn't too bad. On the two previous days it was very thick and grey, making for quite an eery scene.