11/11 – the numbers! And I started writing this at 11:something. I’m very aware of patterns and numbers in my world and I’ll tell you, this year has been one of elevens.
It certainly has been a week of decisions, hasn’t it? Mine in here are pretty much as always – what is the next list of nexts that need my attention, and how do I make this piece of wood sing? How do I make this assembly of diverse parts and pieces come together to serve its best?
I do it by judging each ingredient by what it brings to the table, and I fit it into the recipe where it can do what it is best at, where that is needed the most. It’s the same way people are in my circle, and I view my family of clients and anyone in my world – hearts and strengths. You are all so much more to me than some ist or ism or how your world has shaped you to view things in a particular way. It is of no more matter to me in here where you are on any spectrum than in what color you show up there; you’re deeper than your clothes to me, and deeper than those. I hope you’re all doing your best, and I hope my work and these instruments go out and help people bring their best to the musical gardens of lives today and tomorrow, and long beyond our times.
Everyone has a position on the field, and I’m lucky enough to have found mine. This week I just did what I always do, concern myself at those deep levels with what I can truly affect with my attention and devotion, and focus on that as how I impact the greater world. I was put here to help fill the world with music with certain tools – literally and metaphorically. Your tools may be different, your tune may be different. A lot of my tunes these days are wood and wire, and the occasionally better running old engine. I know folks whose hit songs are flowers and vegetables, numbers, shapes in clay, healing the sick. To me, I can’t separate music from anything else in the same way I cannot separate breath from the process. And so, I hope to contribute via that.
I serve the muse - I want everyone to feel the music better – it seems to make things better overall, return perspective and balance; there is precedent that a good sweaty groove does good things down real deep. Go get it on.
And speaking of service, I want to thank all of you who have served and are serving now, it’s amazing the contacts I get here and there from far reaches who say they read this page every week. Blows my mind; I’m happy you’re here, honored to share your time. I try to share what’s true to me in the moment in my little workshop world off to the side and out in the woods. Today I feel such gratitude to you veterans, and to the veterans in your world please pass along my gratitude as well. I can’t get my head around “Veteran’s Day Sale!” – I mean I get it as a businessman, but as a businessman second behind a man first that just isn’t going to monetize that and turn it into a circus to sell another bass or two. What I WILL say is that if you are a veteran, and that means from combat to cook – you all signed on, you all did the deal – and there is anything I do that you want, please get in touch this weekend and I will make some special arrangements for you. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
Everybody have a great weekend – we’ll meet up here again next week. Thanks for checking in! Here are more random past pictures from the archives. Laters!
Listening to:
Kirtans, jazz guitar, Slash w/Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators GC Sessions, and Stephen Stills ‘70s live stuff from the internet. Oh – and Scott Beckwith & Friends, “Ether Or”, coming out next week!