Monday, June 18, 2012

You know when you're on the right track

Saturday, I was gigging with my friend Bobby at Java Creek, our local acoustic and original music hot-spot, during a much-needed rainstorm. It ended fairly quickly, and someone came in and said there was a double rainbow over us. I thought, "Damn right there is!"

When you're doing what your heart and soul call you to do, magic happens. Things that might seem like coincidence are suddenly chock-full of meaning and importance. Little threads get woven together, one-by-one, threads ordinarily unnoticed, until there is an unexpected piece of fabric warming your life. Rainbows light up where you are. You get happy. Oh, my gods, you get happy.

Wednesday June 20 is the Solstice, the longest day of the year when the Sun is at its most radiant and powerful. It is a day to embrace the bounty that summer brings, to relish the lush and verdant life around us. It is important to acknowledge, even in the midst of celebration, that the planet is moving and turning, and six months from now we will keep vigil through the longest night of the cold winter, and celebrate the birth of the New Sun.

How is any of that relevant? Well, as musicians we go though times of plenty and times of poverty, and in times of plenty we need to take a few moments to be grateful, and maybe be a little proactive about planning for the times when gigs are scarce and guitar strings are precious. So let me take a moment to say "Thank you" to all my musical companions, and all the bookers and venues that are enjoying this fruitful time with us, and a big "Thank You!" to the fans who are finding their way to us with hungry ears. Let the magic continue as long as it can! May the gift of song bring joy to every life it touches!

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