Worst. Blogger. Ever.

Guilty as charged. I'm sorry about the shoddy posting, lately, friends. I have worked 13 of the last 14 days, and in between that, I have been running around the city like a mad man, usually with oodles of audio equipment in tow, between band practices, guitar shops, and venues. I suppose things could be much worse. But in any event, I do apologize for the lousy summer of boring posts. They do say, however, to write what you know, and in a pinch, I suppose that's what I'll do.

I have had a fairly rough few months since returning from the land of Baguette and Cheese on everything in sight, and while my vacation was indeed excellent, it doesn't do much to soothe the bruises of a lousy economy and numerous family-type struggles. I've been struggling with money for some time now, as many of my friends are, and when you're under the gun for things like school, living expenses, rent and gas in the coming months, things can be stressful. This summer has seen many sleepless nights and long phone conversations with those I care about in an attempt to ally one another's fears and stresses. Even so, I have been lucky enough to have made wonderful friends and carved out amazing spaces of support in trying times. Much of it I owe to the magic of music and performance. At the beginning of the summer, I began regularly attending a couple of weekly open mics around the city, not expecting much out of myself or the people I was playing for. After all- I'm about as amateur as they come when talking about musicians. Much to my surprise, though, I've discovered that music in these sorts of environments is less about "win over the crowd" and more about "share in the experience." The strangers who I once played for back at the beginning of the summer are now good friends that I look forward to seeing each and every week. The guy who sold me my newest guitar and once seemed like any other salesman is now a buddy, and someone I can rely on for musical-type help whenever I need it. People now ask me to play certain songs- both original and covers; People know my songs well enough to request them! I've been given the opportunity to collaborate with old friends, play featured and promoted shows, and open for immensely talented artists. These are the spaces and people I will miss the most when I return to my studies and to my new home this fall.

The way the chips have fallen over the past couple years have left little for me to look forward to when it comes to visiting the place I grew up. So spending 4 months here seems, at times, trying. But it's these little nooks and crannies carved into the edifice of a modern, corporate city- the little shelters and caves I've chipped out of the steel and glass- and the people that inhabit them, and the melodies they sing out with such conviction, that have made it all worth while. Music, I've always thought, has a magical ability to bind people and give them power, identity and a sense of belonging when all else fails. After all, how many times have you been in an awkward conversation with a stranger, only to find common ground through a musician, song, or band that you both love? But I don't think it's ever been so obvious to me as it is now, that, first and foremost, music is a way of supporting and finding others in a big, anonymous crowd. I never expected myself to get so far into the whole music thing as to be talking to producers, opening shows for people I admire, etc. But here I am, purely through the support and encouragement of others I now happily count as friends and allies.

So here's to looking forward to big, important, fun things happening this fall, more and more music all the time, and lots of new places to feel comfy when everything seems like a bit much. Night, friends.