Friday, September 30, 2011

Heroes, Music, and Social Media

In a way, social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, et al) has a "great equalizer" quality to it; it brings our heroes down to earth, and brings them closer to us.

I've always tended toward "starstruckness": If someone is famous for pretty much any reason, I find myself drawn to them. Not in a creepy, stalker kind of way, just a "wow, they're famous, so they're better than me, or at least more talented, which equals better, and they must live in a dream-world, and how cool would it be to live that life..." kind of way.

No, it's not logical or rational. It's entirely an emotional response. I know the road can be grueling, and the music/movie/celebrity industry is cold and harsh and evil. I know that not all that glitters is gold. But despite all that, I had dreams once, of living that life. However briefly, I wanted to be a professional entertainer... the next John Denver, the next Jim Croce, the next Harry Chapin, the next Stevie Ray Vaughan, the next... oh wait, they're all dead? Well, it just shows how old I've gotten, living the life I actually could live. I needed to be a little more talented (and committed) in order to make that dream a reality. So I went on with my life, and I dreamed new dreams, and made those new dreams come true.

All without regrets. I have learned the value of living the grateful life. Nothing could ever replace the wonders of the life I'm living. Period.

But at night, watching re-runs of a TV show from a few years back, hearing a musician, and the *SPARK* kicks in... that "WOW, Who is THAT?" spark. The voice, the guitar, the lyrics... they reach out, and they grab me by the throat and they shout two things, one in each ear.
In one ear, I hear, "THAT IS WONDERFUL MUSIC! WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD IT BEFORE?"
In the other, it's, "You know, if I had practiced a little more, that could have been me..."

After the tinge of The Road Not Taken subsides, I search. Google and YouTube introduces me to my newest favorite musician. She is good. VERY good. Her solo stuff, her new quartet, it's all awesome.

But here's the neat part...

She's real. She has a life, and feelings, and a personality, and I know this because her life, like so many of our lives, like MY life, is online. Her voice, her homemade videos, her twitter stream. You can tell she's human. Not a creation of Hollywood, or of Madison Avenue, or of DisneyCorp. She's just a really talented musician, who writes from her heart. Kind of like I did when I was closer to her age. She's someone who's gotten enough work under her belt to have one of her songs reach out from the past, through the darkness, and touch my heart.

And three days ago, she followed me on Twitter. How cool is that?

Thank you, Adrianne. For making beautiful music. For reminding me of what I already knew, that I don't need to be famous to be happy. And for reminding me that everybody, famous or otherwise, is still human. And that it's a GOOD thing.

--Chuck

Post Script & Review:
I strongly suggest anyone who likes the voice of Joni Mitchell, the guitar work of John Gorka, the poetic lyrics of Jewel Kilcher, all mashed up and remixed with a very unique, fresh, young, hip, gutsy perspective, check out the music of Adrianne Gonzalez. Her solo work is amazing, and her future with her bandmates in The Rescues is very, very promising as well.

1 comment:

  1. Wow! I'm so glad I discovered this post. Thank you for sharing who you are and who you would have liked to be. I know the world is a better place because you are in it, but I also hear dreams unfulfilled. In this "old persons life", I don't know how to follow you on Twitter. Because of your taste, I will now find Adrianne Gonzales music. But I also wish I could hear more of your music: the music you made in the past, the music you are sharing with your children today, and the music in your soul longing to get out tonight, next week, next year, and for as long as I am blessed to be a part of your world.

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