Following on from the last post*, I am indeed moving beyond my pandemic-induced ritual of solo (in both senses of the word) concerts 6 days a week. Having received the “refresher” booster of last fall’s vaccine (which some are dismissively calling a “nothing burger”), I’ve scheduled and will be scheduling private sessions with colleagues who had, over the course of the pandemic, expressed interest in doing so when I felt comfortable. I also accepted a second invitation for a gig (with UV air purifier in tow!) from one of the curators previously mentioned. I am, however, still holding off on presenting concerts at my home-based Studio. After 3 or so years of improvising alone with a necessary focus on endurance, interfacing with others will provide “evidence” as to what (if anything [smile]) has transpired/evolved during that time.
*Noting that while not ever bothering to check website traffic, I am nonetheless being cognizant of the fact that almost no one reads them. As past and present valued collaborator Curtis Wenzel so rightfully intoned nearly half a century ago after one of my soapbox rants during a rehearsal, “Oh Milo, nobody cares”. (Naturally, this begs the question as to why I bother with posts, or even a website for that matter. Essentially because I opted out of having a social media presence, and, pragmatically, still present my work in public and have documents for sale. Additional motivational factors can be found in Aesthetics.)
hopefully curtis meant ‘nobody’ in a general rather than literal sense, otherwise i’d be obliged to raise an eyebrow. i’m glad you bother with posts and a website; i don’t check in frequently but i’m glad to find something new when i do. also hopeful that the stars align in such a way as to result in my presence at a gig some day.
I very much appreciate you taking the time to comment, to say nothing of your ongoing friendship & support over the decades, Joe. Though Curt doesn’t remember making that comment, my impression was that he meant it in a general sense. And, while perhaps inadvertently, it served as a sobering reminder as to the nature/reality of insignificance; particularly when such rants are fueled by a certain self-righteous indignation. From another angle, action (how one carries oneself in the world) is generally of greater import than espousing viewpoints however insightful they may be; “may” being the operative word. [smile] On the other hand, that shouldn’t stop one from espousing. It certainly hasn’t stopped me, though, perhaps predictably with age, said viewpoints have become more measured/tempered with a deeper understanding of and (with notable exceptions) compassion for people and their individual struggles. And, yes, your presence at a gig would be most welcome; particularly as we’ve never met in person!