The First of Many

First of all, if you’re reading this, you deserve a big hug and sloppy kiss on the cheek, which you’ve probably already received if you know any of us at all.  This is the first in a series of discussions led by the various band members, so on an introductory note I decided to go with a topic I know – our music.
We are trying to hang in a space that balances what we feel and what we think, in the channel between mind and heart.  What we feel, as instinctive rhythms and riffs that just make you feel GOOD and what we think, as explorations into the world of musical possibility.  It’s my goal to create a comfortable environment for you, the listener, the dancer, so that I may be better able to expand your worldview by taking you somewhere new.

This goal is made of a gooey mash-up of two very different ideals—to push music into new territories while still putting that music into the hands of the people listening.  We’re not innovators in this sense; in my mind this is Priority Number One for any passionate musician. Mostly because it’s a very alluring idea, the thought of finding a way into the most enchanting realm of music – a world where music lives and breathes in the past, present, and future simultaneously.

Now for the challenge– how do you ask for something new, somewhat bizarre, and possibly intimidating to join hands with something instinctive and primal?  You have to set up an ideal situation for the fusion of the two – by creating a comfortable home-base, using rhythms and harmonies, instruments and voices, that we as listeners, dancers, singers (drinkers, players, smokers, and all the rest) can latch onto together without effort, and on top of that laying melodies, solos, and verbal ideas that push the boundaries of our comfort.  This way we allow ourselves to follow new ideas off beyond the beaten path without fear, because we always have that anchor to hold onto.  As far as we may temporarily sail off to a world without tonality or blues licks or other tricks, you and I still have a safety net – the common groove of our voices and instruments, the rhythm of our feet on the ground, and the awareness that we are all in this together.

The goal here is to be a part of music that is for people to live INSIDE OF and also to LEARN FROM.  It is to create a music over which we bond, through which we speak, and within which we grow.  Music as a form of communication is not a one-way street.  Ideally you and I as listener and player are equal contributors to the conversation. 

We can communicate very simple, broad ideas, and we can also tell stories and more concrete messages verbally, using rhythms, melodies, harmonies, and movements (and whatever else we can think of) as enhancements to the message.  We can try to communicate things that we don’t actually understand ourselves, perhaps hoping that by bouncing new ideas off of you we may gain some clarity and insight into what is happening in our own hearts and minds. 

This brand of message is the most interesting and the most exciting to share with a listener.  In my mind, this is where the REAL communication lies in music—it’s an exploratory conversation in which neither the player nor the listener knows how the story might end.  It is a pure example of the language of thoughts as directed by the movement of feelings, a balance between mind and heart. This is a cornerstone of music, and a basis for the flow that goes into the band.  We consciously and unconsciously do a lot of things in an effort to get a little closer to that world of living, breathing music. 

So please, live with us, breathe with us, dance with us. The actions we take are reactions to our environments, just as you, the listeners, are reacting to us.  Too often, the symbiotic relationship between musician and listener is overlooked, so I will tell you right now--never underestimate your influence as a listener. Because we know you're doing a lot more than just listening. 

Peace,

Rachel Audrey