The good doctor, Joseph P. Funkmore, writing this one… before everything else, Happy Birthday, Mom!!
Onward… when turning your passion into a means of sustaining yourself – whether that passion is chemistry, music or both of them simultaneously – it’s easy to get completely lost in the details and the endless to-do list and forget why you’re actually doing it (Grace, back me up on this). Last weekend, I got two really good reminders…
On Thursday, I went to Yoshi’s in Oakland for the second time (first time was courtesy of this band’s lovely namesake) and saw Poncho Sanchez with my labmates. I was moved by music I had no familiarity with, wondering what might be coming around the next musical bend, getting lost in the latin rhythms and letting an outstanding flautist (Roger Glenn) get me honestly excited about the instrument for the first time in awhile. When I got home, despite the late hour (12:30am), my level of inebriation (sake good!), I put on “Stand Up” by Jethro Tull and played flute for at least an hour. Luckily, my upstairs neighbors must have been having an end-of-semester party and not cared… or at least were sound enough sleepers not to wake up, come downstairs, and rap on my door.
On Saturday, it was a trip to the Hemlock Tavern to see Cryptacize, featuring my favorite local songwriter, Nedelle Torrisi. I found Nedelle on Pandora.com over two years ago, have been addicted to her music ever since, got to meet her and her band a few months back, and I’m even covering one of her songs now (she’s given me her personal blessing, so it’s cool). I delighted in sitting in the club, hearing a few of my personal favorite songs, singing along, in some cases with non-existent harmonies that have arisen in my head after repeated listenings. Despite the ordeal that was the trip home from SF, I got home again inspired, this time pulling out the guitar at 2am and playing and singing in falsetto as quietly as I could, making up new stuff on the spot. Two hours later, I was in bed with sore fingers and knees, but with “Dig That Treasure” rocking me to sleep in my headphones and an irremovable smile on my face.
After the weekend, it dawned on me that I experienced the gamut of things that seeing the Trio can produce… the new people in the crowd – sometimes randomly in the joint, sometimes brought by friends, sometimes there to see one of the other bands – that hear us for the first time and latch onto something they had no idea they’d find that night… and our good friends, singing along to every song and waiting impatiently for us to play the one that’s been in their heads for the last week… and everything in between! I do this, among many other reasons, because I get to generate the kinds of feelings I had this weekend in other people. If feeling it is great, then knowing I had a hand in making someone else feel that is even better for me. Can’t wait to do it again…
I can’t believe how much you balance out the band Joe. Seeing other independent musicians’ live shows is so important and you are an avid appreciator. Thanks for grounding us in reverence of the cause and for bringing to the table every influence from the real players- the local musicians who are working just like us to bring something new and meaningful to the Bay Area. I sometimes confuse my to-do list with life and you and Whit continually remind me to live in the present moment. Thanks so much. -Grace
May 19th, 2008, at 2:55 pm #