How I Spent ... you know

 

Well, first I had a bitchin' month plus with Daniela and Mario, including visits from Mike and Cathy and Drimay/Karen and David and Don. Lots of music was enjoyed: Jim Lauderdale, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Alley Cats, Willie Watson, Punch Brothers, Party Monsters, Fast Times, East Bay Banjo Band, Savannah Blue, Audioboxx, Old West Trio, Scofield Brothers, Sourdough Slim with Robert Armstrong, Shrek the Musical. Lots of other stuff done: Yosemite hiking, Giants games, Alameda county fair, tennis lessons, shopping, barbecues, YMCA day camp, daytrips like Fitzgerald Marine Reserve or Apple headquarters, San Francisco, Water Polo tourney at Stanford with nephews Erik and Ben.

 

But then, but then, that all ended, the troops went home, I went to Colorado, Lyons, Planet Bluegrass, Song School, songwriters meeting songwriters for five days. Was it intense? Like 3 hours sleep each night. Like people very gently telling you that your work sucks. Like performing to an audience with WTF expressions. Or knowing smiles. Like a finished song that’s not even near finished. Like internalizing the DO BETTER idea. So many things you didn’t know or overlooked. So much work now. Songwriting seems easy. That’s what makes it so hard.

 

The echo rings in my head of the words and examples, the messages of Mary Gauthier, Bonnie Hayes, Pat Pattison, Steve Seskin, Arthur Lee Land, Chicago Mike Beck, Alan Rowoth, Bill Nash, Vance Gilbert, Amy Speace, Rebecca Folsom, Val Denn, Jay Costa, Paul Reisler, Ellis, Etan Rosenbloom, Annie Wenz and the Tibetan monks. The pleasure of meeting and sharing with the other participants, many professional singers already, was great and lastingly important. The compliments meant so much. Critiques even more. And just someone listening to my work for the first time. The contacts will be pursued.

 

Mary said we didn’t know it but we really came there to cry. Yeah, gotta do that. When you dig under the skin, get inside to what really hurts, the source of pain and other emotions, when you expose yourself so carelessly, then you relive your traumas, turn them into stories, tell others and they are healed too. Intense. You thought we were writing marketing jingles? Listen to Mary’s Mercy Now.

 

So I’m taking a crack at it. Working every day. Shooting for a roster spot in the majors. Already have a decent fast ball (lacking control and consistency), I need to learn the curve and the slider. I have time to work my way up through the minor leagues. I want to be good enough. My best. My self. That was Song School, a life-changer.

 

shave and a haircut, two bits

Martin