It is hard to believe that we are actually heading towards year three. The last few years of Synergia Northwest http://www.synergianorthwest.com/ have been truly inspiring and quite honestly a culmination of the last 20 years of my life. 20 years of creating, 20 years of learning, 20 years of developing relationships with some of the most fascinating people involved in music one way or the other. Of course thanks to my family, music managed to play a big role in my life at a very early age. I am eternally grateful to be born into a musical family and treasure my own musical heritage which can be traced directly from the shores of Ireland, across the Gulf of Mexico; bursting through the ground right here in the Pacific Northwest.
The Northwest has such an amazing musical heritage. There is a running joke about being so much rain here that there is nothing better to do inside than hone your chops (if you are so inclined to lean that way) and that us musicians are bred due to the cold, damp, dreary conditions present in our environment. There may be some truth to that; but I submit that I live in one of the most beautiful regions on the planet and that alone provides lifetimes of inspiration. But like many others I have spent countless hours, hunkered down carving out melodies and rhythms to the pounding rain. Music for me has been a very personal journey over the years. Looking back music has been a constant thread that in one way or another has managed to enriched my brief existence here with infinite gratitude.
We celebrate with it, we mourn with it, we remember with it, we use it to forget. Through live performance it brings us together. In solitude it soothes us. Seems everybody's got an opinion on it. Musical tastes as diverse as the fabric of life it emanates from.
If you really thought about it, how much music are you exposed to everyday? I bet if you took a journal and jotted down every time you heard music you would be amazed. Music is everywhere; the birdsong of our existence.
I am not going to list all the benefits of music on this blog. If you are here and reading this I imagine you have a pretty good idea of the many benefits of music, music education, music as an employer, music's economic benefit, music as a healer... the sacred medicine of music.
What I am going to blog about is my experience, my journey, things I love, things I can't stand; take you on an inside ride from my perspective looking out, 360 degrees of life, music, producing; and sharing with you an inside track to the 2012 event; Music Matters "LIVE!" http://www.synergianorthwest.com/.
I can tell you right now I am more excited than ever about Music Matters "LIVE!" It still feels like this ominous thing that lies out ahead in the distance waiting for us all to get there. I find myself having to mentally remove myself from the anticipation and continue the work that will bring us all together in the spring.
In all the years that have flown by bringing me right up close, nose to nose with this moment, right here, now, writing this blog, I can honestly say I have never been so awed by all the effort, inspiration, dedication of everyone who has worked on these performances over past few years. You are all truly stars and each and everyone of you holds a very special place in this heart of mine. My hat is off and my pint is lifted high, to you!
There are some exciting developments on the horizon and I can't way to share them with you when I can.
Hope you tune in occasionally to see what’s up.
