The Covid and the Odyssey #2

For those of you who took my invitation to share what this time is like for you to heart, THANK YOU! It is so interesting, heartwarming, sometimes heart wrenching, but ever inspiring to read about your lives. Someone actually snail mailed me a letter in response, and I found just that act alone to be surprisingly moving and delightful. Plus she said she liked my “Covid & the Odyssey ” pun, of which I was apparently a little too proud considering she was the only one to mention it! So I’m repeating it dammit!

Today was a landmark day. I actually got up AND got dressed, in that order - not after 8 hours in my pyjamas! Right away, like a grown up in real life! Apparently it takes very little for me to be proud of myself these days.

Time is so altered now. I used to feel chronically pressed for it, bullied by it, and perennially longing for more it. Though I feel just as much of a backlog of tasks , they are now unaccompanied by the stress that I can’t possibly get them done ‘in time’ because… hey - there’s no window - no frame - or if there is one it’s wide open! I’ll get to it - I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been quite productive, but more importantly, enjoying the journey (to nowhere) more than ever. At the risk of sounding new age-y in my old age, I’m experiencing an enhanced sense of being present. My walks in the woods...the log covered with a dozen different kinds of moss; the trees; the light; every bird song, fills me with rapture. I know that sounds a little over the top like there must be drugs involved, but no. I’ve even downloaded an app for identifying bird calls. Who IS this person?? I can’t say all the hiking is having a shape changing effect on this body given what’s going in it but I don’t think I’m alone in this. I’ll be sure to be live streaming from the waist up.

Perfect segue….

Since this all started and artists began broadcasting music live on the web, I’ve been listening, watching, and studying, while researching how to create an experience that would, frankly, have better audio than what I was hearing. Granted the internet factor is critical (if you can plug in an ethernet cable broadcasting or watching it makes a big difference), but I was sure there had to be a way. I’ve always had a recording studio at home, but since Julia has been doing all my engineering, it’s just been sitting fallow. Fortunately my occasional “I should sell my gear” thoughts were not acted upon because I’ve been able to glean everything I need from home. And I’m READY TO ROLL Baby! With huge thanks for the final tweaking (remotely) by Julia and James.

My first Livestream will be through Side Door, because it allows me to see YOU in your living room, (if you so choose to have the video on) and experience a virtual form of that excitement we all have at a live concert - sharing a space with fellow enthusiasts. Now, there’s a debate amongst artists about the ethics of sharing music during this time - having a paywall vs a virtual passing of the hat. I’ll do a Facebook Livestream after this which would be the latter, and the method virtual live streaming pioneer Jonathan Byrd passionately encourages, but for this first one, Side Door’s ticket prices - with it’s low $6 - $7 bar set by co-founder Dan Mangan at the start, is a perfect compromise. It’s not onerous for anyone, but it’s just enough to inspire you to put it on your calendar and show up. And the bonus of being able to see you is no small feature!

TUESDAY, MAY 12 - 4pm PDT, 7 pm EDT. You can get the link HERE! And please do e-mail me any specific tune requests you might have and I will do my best to fulfill them.

Lastly, here comes Mother’s Day - the ONE common thread we all share - every one’s had a Mother. Some will be feeling the love, some will be feeling the loss. It’s the hardest and, if you’re lucky, the most rewarding job on earth. A tribute to Esther …and Millie What She Left For Us

Till the next time… Shari