the unforced and unexpected blessings of song...

As anticipated, last night's "gig" at the Infinity open mic was sweet. It was also a bit of mysterious but sacred communion as artists and fledglings met together for song. Musicians of varying styles and skill levels sat in solidarity for a few hours celebrating moments of beauty. I felt awe and connection when an instrumental version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was performed. I found myself praying silently for a young tween girl playing praise songs on the ukulele and piano with her dad, returning thanks to God for her innocent confidence. And I rejoiced when we played a satisfying, eclectic and fun set. We now move forward to Friday, June 1st @ 8 pm when we return to play in an open mic competition. Three truths stand out about last night: 

+ First, it was an eclectic cast of characters. There is something holy that happens in such a setting: seasoned players and novices share their mutual love of music. There is respect present - for both the individual and the song - and in our current culture, this is no small thing. None of the artists simply show-up for their time slot and then leave: everyone sits and listens in solidarity to the whole show. (Or almost the whole show.) This matters. This communicates that each performer is beloved. Each song holds something of value in it if we listen carefully and with love. In other words, this is NOT a cut and scratch bebop jam session where hot shots strive to knock less experienced players off the band stand. No, this is a check your ego at the door, sisters and brothers, and settle in as part of the community. To be sure, some players are better than others. That is expected. And honored. For where can a new musician learn what works and what doesn't, yes? Performing live brings to each player a simple honesty we all need. That it can be shared in a room that encourages artists at their own level without sentimentality or cruel judgment makes it holy ground.

+ Second, the mood was chill but care was given to sound reproduction. A few weeks ago we played a beautiful room that was packed with music-loving people, but the sound system sucked. The monitor had no lower tones, the bass amp kept shorting out, and the vibe on the stage was dead. No time for sound checks. And when the tech couldn't get my electric bass to work through the house system - and I picked up their instrument in the middle of our second song - it was woefully out of tune. It was a mini-version of what the Beatles' have said about playing She Stadium: you couldn't hear your mates, you couldn't hear yourself, so all you could do is rely on your practicing and pray for the best.We left vowing NEVER to return. A music venue must honor the song - and the sound. My hunch is that one of the reasons for the bad vibe and crappy sound is that this club caters to an in-bred crowd. Everyone who performed knew one another - except us. We were the strangers in the house. It was not a show case for real music, but something like a mutual admiration society. So why bother about the quality of the sound? Another thing open mics document is where the house values the music and where it doesn't. Life is too short and the songs are too important to waste your time playing to the rafters.


 

+ And third, it was fun. I once heard the late Charles Neville say that there is something sacred about sending your love out to the crowd where it can mingle with the Spirit for a time and then be sent back to you on stage. Fr. Richard Rohr wrote: "The power of imagination and art is at the level of soul, where we do not consciously know what is happening. Therefore, we cannot engineer it, do not need to understand it, nor can we fully stop its effects! If we “perfectly understand” how God is changing us, if we try to be too rational about it, we will only fight grace, try to personally steer the soul (dangerous!), and, of course, take argumentative sides. God works best underground and in our unconscious, by rearranging our assumptions and presuppositions—frankly, when we are not in control. The work of grace and healing mostly happens “in secret” as Jesus himself seems to say (Matthew 6:1-13)." Our calling is, as Bob Dylan sang, "to know our song well before we start singing." We practice and share it in love - and sometimes the mystery of the Spirit is at work and that love is returned ten fold. Artist Barbara Coleman put it like this: 

By not emphasizing a product, and by focusing on process instead, the work becomes more successful as well. The more [we are] able to reach a state of awareness in which [our] self-consciousness disappears into the desire to participate and see what [we] are trying to express, the more the art [and, I would add, God] can reach [us].

When such unforced blessings happen, my heart is full to overflowing. Today I return thanks and rest in the joy.

credits:
+ resonica @ https://fineartamerica.com/art/guitar
+ dynamic guitar @ https://digitalhypergfx.deviantart.com/art/Dynamic-guitar-118955013