Recently I’ve been writing a lot of new music, new words, new lyrics. I’ve been feeling hyper creative and exploring a new sense of freedom, which has eventuated from simply making some clear, positive changes in professional and personal life. I do find myself thinking though on a daily basis how privileged are we – when we can consider pursuing the making of beautiful art as a viable life path – even when it means being rather low on the income side of things by comparison to other career paths.
A friend said to me the other day that they would rather be partner-less (romantic partner) than music-less, and I really have to agree with them. Because music can connect us to so many things in the world. Amazing friends, travel experiences, collaborations and of course sonic experiences that open us up to a whole world of feelings. For both the maker and the receiver it can be catharsis, meditation, drive, happiness, educative… It is also a gateway to understanding many facets of the world around us – a world that is becoming increasingly connected and increasingly ‘smaller’. Music and art have connected me to people from vastly different cultures and backgrounds, it has allowed me to understand the world from many viewpoints, through meetings, stories, collaborations and through being an active listener to the creators and sharers of this world.
There are many things in this world that excite me and that inspire me to continue living, continue creating, continue sharing. I have my moments of dread for the way of this world, like all artists and thinkers do – perhaps increasingly so for our current generation. I am pre-occupied on a daily basis (sometimes moments, sometimes hours), about how what I do can somehow help with the state of things. I end up doing what I can – building positive relationships, creating connections, growing food in my backyard garden and making music for a purpose. That purpose is not singular, because music is a way of life. And that creek flows into many rivers, through many lakes and mingles with vast oceans of people, experience, context and relationships across never-ending social fabrics. The purpose is to give a deep sense of happiness through headphones to a listener, the purpose is to inspire a community choir to sing new music, the purpose is to briefly fill a rural town with oodles of culture and experience, the purpose is to bring neighbours together through friendly jam sessions, the purpose is to bring changes to society through song and musical role models, the purpose is never-ending.
Perhaps it sounds overwhelming, and perhaps it is. But better to be overwhelmed than underwhelmed I say…
Here is a new number I just recorded with my dear friend Nick Henderson (AKA Skinny Silver).
We’ll be playing our first duo gig of original songs as Skinny Silver and the Shark at Django @ Camelot on August 22nd. It would be lovely to see Sydney folks out enjoying what small, local creative venues have to offer. I would like nothing more to inspire you with sounds. I am also thrilled to be giving musical offerings in August with Chris Cody’s Astrolab – Suite for La Perouse and at the Sydney Folk Festival with Chaika.