I had a nice experience this morning as I was listening to a CD that I hadn’t heard in a while.  It was recorded by a band (Djilia Phralengo) that I’ve played with off and on for a couple of years.  I was listening to a track called Paso Del Sol that I played mandolin and charango on and I was reminded of the powerful experiences and memories that music helps to create.

Once I heard the first few notes, I was no longer sitting in a chair with my headphones on.  I was walking through the lanes of the Michigan Renaissance Festival we had played at two years back.  It was a cool, crisp morning and the entertainers and shop owners were just starting to arrive.  There was a hint of incense in the morning breeze. 

I was playing my charango, talking to friends, eating pancakes with blueberry brandy instead of syrup, smoking vanilla-flavored hookah tobacco…  The sun was low in the sky and it made our already warm, earthy stage even warmer.
I was standing on stage, staring up at clouds as we performed, barely conscious of where we were but intensely aware of the other souls creating this music with me and of those sitting down not only watching us but sharing their presence and thereby becoming part of the whole “performance”. 
It was a good reminder of why we make music in the first place.  Music is a  reflection and expression of our experiences.  It’s a powerful way to understand and remember them.  And perhaps most importantly, share them with others.

It’s not just a catchy little tune we are playing.  We are on stage, in the studio, or even in our living rooms trying to connect with others.  …And sometimes we succeed.