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.