Hola from southern New Mexico. We also were hit by the great freeze earlier this month. Thankfully, not as hard as so many of my friends in Texas. I hope you are all doing as well as you can. I had a gig the day it snowed here Feb. 14, Valentine’s day of course. I was guest minister and musician at Wellspring church here in Las Cruces. You can view it here:
Reflecting that it has been a year since the covid19 pandemic railroaded all our lives, it is a rollercoaster we are riding together. When I performed a full-moon house concert in beautiful southern Arizona Feb. 8 of 2020 little did I know it would be the last time I would live the state for a year. Here is the concert for your enjoyment:
March 13, 2020 I received my first email cancelling an International Poetry Therapy Association gig in Albuquerque for April where I was to open the conference with storytelling and music. Within two weeks probably, gigs, festivals and tours scheduled well in to 2021, all cancelled. Not with ceremony or apology but usually with me sending an email asking if they were or not. The daily trepidation and uncertainty of last March is still fresh as I checked the news and knew instinctively this situation was going to get much more dire. As a professional musician for decades I live with uncertainly daily, but there was little I could do about this. I had had intuitive premonitions that something was coming for well over a year, but the details were not clear. The first email I got from Hospice, where I volunteer, saying volunteers were non-essential, was a sting. I mean musicians, artists etc. well, we aren’t considered essential, yet as we binge watch every new series or fall back on music, read, look at art online like I do, we of course realize ART is essential. Of course it is, even if our income doesn’t necessarily reflect that. Art helps us heal and process and discover a new, different approach and way of looking at situations and humanity. I am thankful I have played through window screens for a few patients dying in hospice and outside for the assisted living facilities. I also created youtube playlists for the staff to play for patients in their rooms via iPads. I hope it has brought comfort. I miss being with them.
I’ve learned that people think we are essential as they have shown their appreciation and support through donations, buying extra music from me, gifts and sharing my work on their social media. Please continue to create Randy Granger Spotify playlists, Randy Granger Pandora Stations, download or gift my music on the first Friday of the month on my Bandcamp page as that is the day they waive their share. I applied for and received a small grant from the New Mexico Musician’s Relief Fund last year which I appreciated. Aside from listener donations and that grant, I have received no other assistance. As always, I’ve been so careful with my money. I did perform for a retirement community last year several times which I appreciated being able to share my music via live video and outside their apartments. Also, I am extremely grateful for the churches across the country who have hired me via zoom to speak and offer music.
I am plugging along, so thank you. I am no longer posting to my personal facebook page or accepting new friend requests, but still active on my public Facebook page, Instagram and Youtube so please be sure and follow and like those pages. I might cover the reasons for this in another post. To say it has been a challenging year is of course a crazy understatement. Losing touring income was a major blow I could have not foreseen. It still continues with no tours scheduled or even performances. Dealing with feelings of insignificance as a musician takes a lot of spiritual practice. Helping others through this with my minister, spiritual teacher and music work has helped me get through. I find that my natural thoughtfulness and taking care of others has only deepened during this pandemic. I hope you are finding ways to cope and reach out to others. I appreciate the few friends who have reached out to me as my natural introvert and hermitic tendencies have only strengthened. I can go for months without speaking to people and be content. However, I have forced myself to reach out and check in on people. None of it is easy or comes naturally. The humility that comes with accepting financial support and gifts from listeners and friends is incredibly moving as I don't ask for help often if ever. It has allowed me to help others anonymously and give to funds helping those more in need. So again, Thank you. Virtual tip jar and Venmo, PayPal links are on my main website. I have kept a list of folks I daily keep in my prayers. I am happy to report I recently received my 2nd covid19 vaccine dose made possible by Mesilla Valley Hospice where I volunteer. They received a limited number of vaccines and I feel so fortunate to have benefited. I hope you and your pod and circle is healthy. I lost an uncle recently to covid19 complications sadly, along with numerous others I know personally.
Peace, Randy