Have you really thought about the role of music in your life? I have some very strong ideas about music as it relates to this existence. I believe that music in this construct is damaged and broken and it's our job to try to help fix it, and everything is at stake.
The people who own this place (and let's face it, the corporations own this place), would have us believe that music is one of two things: 1, it is a product that is bought and sold; and 2, it is a tool that is used to sell other products. But I think that music is much, much more than that.
Since the beginning of time music has been the way that we celebrate, the way we commiserate, and the way we pass the time of day in the long, cold winter when the rain or snow falls endlessly. In short music is about community, not the community of false commerce that would see everyone pay for every bit of music that they own but rather the real community that existed before that and will exist long after it is gone.
When you look at the human form at a microscopic level we find two things. Space and vibration . . . The space that comprises the vast majority of every cell of our being almost renders us non-existent anyway but the vibration is the important thing. We are, at our very essence, pure vibration. And music is just vibration. Music is of us! . . . . But we have, in western society, forgotten that and assume that music is made by other people, elsewhere and that has been done, I believe, so someone can sell it to us and make a profit.
We push music and creativity out of our children at a systemic level. The education system in our culture is not about individuality, it's about conformity. I worked as a school photographer for a couple of years and as much as there were lots of inspired young people in the schools I would say that the highest concentration of truly creative people were in the remedial school. Many of them seem to have found themselves there because they had a low tolerance for the crap that was being set upon them and they spoke out.
And then there's the well-intending relative who, upon hearing a child sing will cover his/her ears and proclaim "Oh my gosh, what is that wailing sound?". While this might seem like an innocent thing, and likely comes without malice, it is pure poison to a little child who just wants to sing. Suddenly they start thinking that they can't sing and **POOF**, there goes one form of expression.
My parents tell of a time when music was a part of many households. My maternal grandmother used to play Hawaiian guitar at house parties. There is actually an old recording of her playing while my mom and her sister sang. By the time I was exposed to house parties that had been replaced by records. My grandmother never played the guitar for us, I didn't even know she played until long after her death.
They also have stories about dances that used to happen every weekend in the many halls around my home town. As my mother tells it most of the halls had sprung floors (it made the dancing more fun when the whole floor bounced up and down under your feet), and featured live music from bands that mostly lived in the area. The would go out and dance the night away most weekends and so would many of their friends. The 80s put a stop to that, the music was canned and the DJ was the new celebrity spinning the music that the radio played, the music we were being taught to like. And the guitars sat, languishing and forgotten in closets everywhere.
We were taught that community was based on what kind of car you drive (This is Ford Country), and what kind of music you listened too . . . Pop, punk, metal, rap, world music . . . they're all just arbitrary categories that are there so YOU can be marketed to. Who remembers going to the record store and bypassing all of the other genre labels because "that's not the type of music I listen to"? Do you think that the music you overlooked is any less valid as an art form than the music you did listen to?
But wait, there is hope.
In BC, and other places, there are amazing music festivals that are literally rising up out of the ground. They are run by people, most often musicians who want a place to play, and they are beautiful expressions of real community. Community that is based in kindness, gratitude and compassion.
The music is only part of these growing events, they also feature art in many other forms. Painting, pottery, textiles, spoken word, live theatre and film all have a home here and so do you, if you want it.
Do yourself a favour next summer, or in the winter too (there are many festivals year-round). Get yourself to a small, local music festival. They would love to have you, but only if you want to leave your preconceptions at home and plan to have a fun time.
You will find the most comprehensive listing of festivals in western Canada at:
http://www.bcmusicianmag.com/2014-festival-guide/
Live in Love <3
Doug
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