Category: News

So, just a few days ago, I sent out another email update to my list. Basically, it said stuff about the website, RESPROJ, The City, and my tour to the East Coast this September. Inevitably, whenever I send out an update, I will always receive bounce-back messages from email hosts like Hotmail, Yahoo, and Google, and from addresses with “.edu” at the end of them. The subject line reads:

Failure Notice

And for the first time ever, this time, I paused after reading the line. Two, simple words. Were they written to me, or were they written about the email addresses? Is this some sort of divine communication – God telling me “Your music is a failure. Stop wasting your time.”?

Well, at the end of the day, reason will have her way. And she awakens my mind to understand that this is only a message referencing a bad email address. Though I have failed in many other ways (and continue to do so), I am not failing with my music. Why? Because I know that I am following, to the best of my ability, what I believe to be my life purpose. Yeah, it may sound hokey, but it’s the most honest way to say it. And it’s what I believe, so who can argue with that?

Every once in a while, in life, I feel like I get metaphorically smacked up-side the head by the Almighty. If I have bad motivations, if I’m not focused on the essentials in life, or, in the most recent experience, I’m taking too much pride in myself and my own abilities.

After a nearly flawless performance yesterday morning for Bryan Middle School, in Elmhurst, IL, I botched the same set that evening, in the concert for the students’ parents. And what was the one song that gave me trouble? you might ask. It was a choral-guitar arrangement of the song “Blackbird,” by the Beatles.

I was feeling pretty good about myself after the morning’s concert, but a recreation of the morning’s perfection was never meant to be. I am confident that the evening’s troubles have ultimately been for my good, to help me humbly reflect on the giver of my talents and abilities (I don’t think they arose from within my own realized self, etc.), and to rely on the one who has graciously granted me the joy and privilege of performing music for a living.

I would like to thank Jessica for the opportunity to perform with her students and for her school, Shaun (for his mad “low-guitar” skillz), and Bob Rummage on drums. BTW, Bob is probably currently one of Chicago’s best jazz drummers! Read a little about him here:
http://www.ntjazz.com/Jazz_Festival/2000/clinicians/rummage.htm .