Greetings from southern New Mexico where daytime temps have been triple digits with night time temps not much below 75. With the pandemic still in swing, we have routines that involve walking before 6am, closing drapes early, swamp cooler on early, wet, frozen bandanas on the neck and as little clothing as possible. Eating lots of salads and iced tea usually as well. I do my best to avoid the news, which is also very heated.
I want to thank those of you who tuned into our Solstice flute school virtual concert streaming. The work the Solstice board put into this was extraordinary, generous and fantastic. We appreciated the donations and support. I was honored to be part of such a great lineup. I looked for the video to post here but could not find it. I also offered a virtual workshop class on playing the Native American flute in specialized settings such as hospice. The final zoom class is this week. http://randygranger.net/register. I appreciate so much being able to do what I love, which is teach and perform. Thank you Solstice folks, you are truly the best.
My work continues and I am as busy as ever. I am not touring or performing many gigs outside of Las Cruces, and the ones I am are either virtual or a variety. I performed at the Good Samaritan retirement community in their auditorium, which was broadcast to the resident’s rooms via their CCTV. I enjoyed it, but getting used to no interaction with an audience is still something new. I am busy indeed, doing what I do as a musician and person regardless touring. I wish I was touring and doing gigs. It is where a large part of my income is generated. Plus, I love the co-creation with the audience. That is not replaced virtually. I know we will get back there someday. Under what circumstances I don’t know yet. In the meantime I am working on a few virtual concerts, house concerts, virtual church speaking and music etc. Please remember to add my on Pandora, Spotify and Patreon if you don’t already. Thank you.
Regardless what one thinks of the current protests and unrest, I always think of what African American musicians experienced in this country in the way of discrimination on the road. It wasn’t just in the south, it was everywhere. There were quite a few “sundown towns” where they were not allowed to be in past sundown. They often were not allowed to eat or stay in the very hotels and restaurants where they entertained people. These were folks like Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Little Richard and hundreds of others. Billie Holiday wrote: “Eating was a mess, sleeping was a problem, but the biggest drag of all was a simple little thing like finding a place to go to the bathroom.” Although sometimes the band could circumvent Jim Crow’s laws. Before the entering the skin- segregated hotel they painted a red dot on Billie’s forehead that it looked as if she is a citizen of India. She was admitted to the hotel without any problems.
Not long after that Barney Josephson came up with plan of opening an integrated nightclub, where people of both black and white nations could sit together and enjoy the show. After nine months of actively performing in the club she met a costumer Lewis Allen who showed her a poem entitled ‘Strange Fruit’ which stood as a protest against racial abuse and brutality. “Holiday was moved by the poem and, with help of the Sonny White, her accompanist at the time, she adapted it into a song."
Resident watching Randy Granger on her TV via in-house broadcast at Good Samaritan Village.
There are so many stories of black musicians having to go in through the kitchen entrance or service door but never through the front door where they were on the bill. That is still a tradition I can tell you from experience. If you have seen the movie The Green Book, it spoke to the challenges these pioneers of American music faced just trying to do their jobs. It took white musicians to truly break the rope barrier; the rope police put up in concerts back then to keep blacks and whites separated. Them along with Little Richard.
I noticed around 2012 a gradual change in acceptance and tolerance from people I would encounter on the road. I appreciate that my audiences are usually varied and my listeners are a beautiful tapestry of people. Still, the focus on my appearance, heritage, dialect and more was shifting. You never set out to become an activist, you are usually forced into it because you refuse to be dehumanized and want to educate people. It is a friggin full-time job unfortunately. Even lovely, best-intentioned hosts speak of wanting to bring me home and put me on a shelf. I am assuming with their other Indian curious? Never asked. Once in Hattiesburg, MS my host asked me, within minutes of arriving to the venue, how did I get across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi looking the way I did? I asked how did I look. To me, I look like everyone else. Evidentially not to others.
I have been pulled over so many times across this country for “driving while musician” as I put it I gave up keeping track. Never have I been given a reason for being pulled over. We were taught very early as kids how to demure to and deescalate any encounter with those listened to carry a loaded firearm and take your freedom. As anyone who has travelled with me knows I do not speed, have no bumper stickers and try to look as non-ethnic as possible. It gets old. I have been denied service so many times I just pack everything with me. I have been threatened, had my car surrounded, been chased in Kansas City after leaving a restaurant by a truck full of yokels I knew without a doubt meant me serious harm. They had fixated on me and it was not the first time I’ve experienced that. I speak the truth. Let me remind you, I am a musician, a very chill musician who keeps to himself and is hyper vigilant about my surroundings. I have so many stories, but I prefer to try to remember the great concerts and met so many incredible people in this country I do love.
I pray and meditate daily, especially lately for a peace and calm to find their way to the hearts of people in this country. I believe people are primarily good and doing their best. But, it is the group and social media mentality, which takes over our ancient limbic brains feeling we need to defend those who we think share our values. It is taken more work than ever to remain centered and long breaks from social media, which I plan to continue.
I look forward to seeing you all again and sharing what makes life beautiful and bearable, connection. Please stay healthy and sane if you can. Always accepting support and virtual tips through my website. As states open and covid19 cases soar my hopes do fade a bit that I can get on the road sooner than later. Pray for sense.
Randy