Tonight we’re going to play in a new Open Mike; it’s in a room that’s part of the Barrington Brewery complex in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. One of David’s students is in charge. I think this is the first one they are having, so we’ve just rehearsed for our little set — three or four songs, unless no one shows, in which case who knows? Two songs are by David (www.DavidHodge.com), plus “Alison” and a really cool Fred Eaglesmith song called “Cumberland County” which is about driving a snowplow. Appropriate in August? Maybe not, but there’s a chill in the air today. It won’t be long.
It’s been fun getting to be part of the music community here. In a sense, that’s a key part of how we — David and I — have managed to find our little life path here in the Berkshires. It’s a rural area, but a lot of urban escapees live here, and a lot of them are various types of creative: The plumber is an artist, the painter is a film-maker, the doctor wants to be a writer, and everyone has a band.
Getting out into the community means new ideas, new people to play with, and sometimes new business — a new student, a new gig, someone to work with on a recording project. David likens it to Johnny Appleseed: Sowing seeds, he calls it. I call it showing up for your life. It’s a kind of creative karma, where you just do the things you do, try to connect with others, try to make your work as good as you can, and see what happens.
We’ll see what happens tonight on limited rehearsal and a not completely decided set-list.
