Greetings again from New Mexico where I’ve been sheltering at home since early March like so many others. Our state’s orders end at the end in June most likely to avoid the Memorial Day rush at our lakes where people will no doubt ignore guideline and consume alcohol in dangerous amounts. I am doing as well as I can considering all of my performances were cancelled from March through June so far. Haven’t attempted to book new tours or gigs due to uncertainty that varies from state to state, city to city. I had a concert scheduled in May at the Hubbard Museum of the American West and, though I haven’t heard otherwise, I expecting it will also be cancelled and hopefully rescheduled.
I miss performing live music and weaving storytelling in my performances. The exchange of music between the musician and the live audience is something ephemeral that will only happen during that performance. It is alchemy that exchange of breathing, being still, being present. Sound waves being created and reproduced through an instrument, microphone, sound system, pass through your body not just via your ears, but your flesh and organs resonating and creating coherence also called entrainment. That is in fact how sound healing works, by “tuning” your very molecules like when a guitar in one part of a room and strummed and a guitar or piano in the other side of the room begins to hum and vibrate to match the first guitar’s frequency.
Even more so, when I tell my stories of where a song was inspired, you visualize in your mind the story and create your own story. I’ve always said that the job of the songwriter is to make the personal, universal then the listener again makes it personal. When we all laugh at a particular story together or sigh when I finish a moving introduction to a song, there is a communal release. And, that, all of that is what I miss while being quarantined. I have played at hospice through windows, serenaded at a retirement village and assisted living. It felt almost jarring to hear applause after so long. That isn’t why I do it of course; I do it for the tour bus, groupies and six-figure income. Oh wait, that isn’t me. Oops. Clearly I do this work because I feel called and compelled to bring people together through my music.
A music hosting platform called Bandcamp is waiving their fees for us artists on Friday, June 5 and Friday, July 3, from midnight to midnight PDT on each day. However, you can always buy and download all of my music at my Bandcamp page. Music is an excellent gift. You can get a 30% discount when you buy my entire catalog. These are equivalent to high quality FLAC and AAC files you get from Apple music or CD’s. Also, they are priced very low because you can always choose to pay more. And thank you again for creating a Randy Granger station on Pandora and Playlist on Spotify. I appreciate it and it helps generate income for me thankfully. I also have a virtual tip jar on my website and appreciate your support. I did not qualify for unemployment and don’t know any other musicians who have, unfortunately.
Please stay healthy and take care of each other. Here is my inspirational message from April 26th at the Center for Spiritual Living if you would like to listen. https://youtu.be/adUl7qOFIfA?t=950
I have put together a compilation album of Handpan music from my records including an unreleased track. It is called Handpan Music for a Pandemic and is intended to bring peace and comfort during such an anxiety producing crisis. It is on my Bandcamp page. Cover photo by my talented friend Marsha Harris.