I Want to Hear 'Live' Music

These days I'm wanting to hear music 'live' and in person. Recorded music is wonderful, good for the long car ride, the distraction from traffic, yoga, cooking, behind the dinner party, helping me clean the house, relaxing...all of those places are good settings for recorded music. But when it comes to people who make the music, and the condition of music itself, I'm interested in the people and the sounds; what they are doing, tuning up their instrument, concentrating, playing something differently every time it's performed, trying to make something beautiful, being in the now. Music is completely in the now. And the people who create it are intrinsically and subtly more interesting than a recording. When watching and listening to people playing music, we are in a natural 'virtual world' state, the very one that we live in. The experience and the music fill up space, it reaches our bones, it inspires continuing thought and emotion, all of our senses are involved. Once we capture the music and put it in a format, it freezes it, which is a different setting for what music naturally is. For me, 'live 'music is a vital medium. I want to hear at least as much or more 'live' music, as recorded music.

I'm obviously not trying to sell recordings here. : )
...But specifically I recommend 'Blooming' for your next road trip.
Darrell Scott's on-the fly solos are worth the $15, and brilliant recording work. You should have seen him 'live' in the recording studio, as I did. 

Be Well and Prosper,
Kate MacLeod
www.katemacleod.com

Breaking a Leg and Patreon

Hello folks! It's been a while since I have "blogged." Been busy both performing and breaking my leg. I realize now, that when I get ready to perform and someone says "break a leg," that they're just kidding. : )
My muse this month, while nurturing my leg and on crutches for four more weeks, will be to also nurture my new home page at Patreon.com. I've investigated this website for a while and have decided it's perfect for my desire to be sharing what I do on a regular basis with a larger group of people. Through the page there's an easy to use activity feed where I can post to let people know about the progress of projects. I can even share the rough drafts of music with you. 
This website connects artists with interested patrons who pledge any chosen amount of money, in support of careers, and are in exchange offered music, gifts, music lessons, concerts and whatever else is possible for their patronage. Many of you have heard of the popular Kickstarter site that funds individual projects, but patreon.com provides ongoing communication between artists and supporters, and longterm support for careers. In the past I've relied on private support for some of my larger projects, but this new site offers an organized place to work in less of a vacuum, more within a community, a community of people who I actually create music for. I'm looking forward to this!
Please check out this page at www.patreon.com/katemacleod
And aside from music projects, I have plans to be back on my feet by summer, to enjoy some of my favorite hiking trails. xoxo

Fireside Chats with Kate MacLeod, watch or listen to from anywhere

I'll be online tomorrow night, Thurs Jan 22, 9pm EST, according to time zones, for my online chat/music show. You can watch from the comfort of your home or anywhere you are, online through Concert Window.com. I'll be playing some new music, interviewing Skip Gorman in New Hampshire, and sharing my favorite Hot Toddy recipe for the cold January nights. Don't miss Skip! He's a wonderful and reclusive master musician, specializing in Western Music and its Celtic influences. During the show we'll have a chance to get into some interesting discussions about the arts and share some duets with you.
Here's a sample youtube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fidzdSfbOVU

Someone asked in an interview...If I could go back in time and visit a person or experience from history, who or what would that be? I answered that I would want most to hear Johann Sebastian Bach and his wife Anna Magdalena Bach playing music and singing together. Mmmm, that would be the ultimate for me, to hear wonderful music from the source and to witness the fabric of love that music is capable of supporting.

There's hardly anything that will effect my performance more than the sound system and the people operating it. Collectively, they can make me sound like a million bucks or make me sound absolutely horrible. It can effect things like sales at the merchant table, the enjoyment of the experience by the audience and musicians, as well as more serious things such as if someone will ever come back to hear me again or not. For sometimes, an audience member might not be aware that music can be irritating, or worse, because of poor handling of the sound reinforcement and they react to this subliminal experience. I've recently had a few frustrating dates with poor sound at an otherwise well organized event.
I'm going to have to add a sound person to my bill, someone that will do every show with me, as I did when I performed regularly with the Pancakes. It doesn't matter if presenters think this is demanding or problematic, it's a matter of making sure the audience is not shortchanged. Additionally, there is usually a correlation between how good the sound is and how many CDs I sell at the event.

     I watched a video by Reba McEntire currently being passed around the internet. It features her original song "Pray for Peace." It's great to hear you singing about this, Reba, in response to the current violence in the world. Which brings up the subject, to take this a step further. However a thought can inspire, it's action that's needed to create material change. The habitual violence and military activity of our world has been handed down from generation to generation, including the conviction that violence is somehow the most trusted way to solve political problems or to counter aggression. I understand the necessity of creating a defense in light of an aggressive world, but the aggressiveness of the world is what we are responsible for changing. It would require us putting our minds, hearts and money into change, in the same way that people invest all of those in militarism. People lose patience with negotiations, but then live through years of warfare as an alternative, as if that is normal activity. We are responsible for deciding what is healthy and normal. I argue that our historic perspective is a learned and fostered option.
     Militarism and use of violence for political sway, including terrorist activity, regularly includes highly trained specialists, requiring years of training and experience. Many politicians move from a military background into places of political leadership, further supporting militarism in a government's structure. If we want to change the course of violence and self destruction to ensure safety for the earth's population, there will need to be significant practical and material efforts to create cooperation and new ways of problem solving. Upcoming generations of people need to be taught new ways of thinking, of mediating differences, of placing faith in solving problems without the use of violence and warfare. It will take specialists and economic support to guide these changes, especially within governments. Although we generally admire peacemakers and those who create change through action, such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and others, there seems to be a disconnect between vision and the ability to create what we envision. Vision can be made real through action and planning. We are responsible for what happens through our decision making and organizational programs, through where we put our money, who we put into leadership positions and to what limits we will tolerate current and growing violence in our world.

It's been fun this past week playing with Walter Parks, an amazing guitarist and composer. He used to tour as guitarist with Richie Havens for ten years or so before Richie passed away. It's times like these when I sure wish I was touring enough to be able to hire someone like Walter Parks to back me up for ten years or so. There would be something special, if so, I believe.