The joy of sharing music with others

So what now? After years of agonizing over writing, re-writing, arranging, performing, recording, mixing, and finally sending that original album into the world...what’s next? I do have some new songs I have written but am most definitely not ready to go through the whole “birthing an album” process any time soon.

Fortunately, I have met two talented musicians (Parker Foley on upright bass and Lou Breaux on percussion) who enjoy nothing more than getting out and playing music—anywhere and anytime. They’ve helped remind me that artistic joy can be as simple as playing a song for a few friends (and a few strangers).  And, for me, any gig is more fun when you have other artists contributing their interpretations and talents.

Something magic happens in a live performance—both between the musicians and also between the musicians and the audience. You share a connection—a kind of co-creativity.  For me, that experience is the closest I get to transcendence and experiencing the divine. In creating and sharing music we encounter and experience both the elemental humanity of other people in the room, but also their “divine spark”. 

Two of my favorite concerts over the past couple months were gigs that my parents were able to attend (they live far away and can’t often hear me play). Even at my age—perhaps more so at my age—it is fulfilling to have my parents engaged with what I spend my time doing and cheering me on. And that goes for my kids, too, who these days also live fairly far away, too. I went to the January Tosco open mic at The Evening Muse and recorded an original song (“Two Steps From Disaster”)—with my kids and their friends cheering in the audience. Yep. That’s about as good as it gets. Hope you enjoy the fun as well. Many thanks to Levin Chaskey and Liam Fox (of Charlotte Star Room) for the video (at the top of this post).