What is a labor of love?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would define it as a project that you invest time and energy in whether you are compensated for it or not. In other words, you do it because you love it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve had a few of those in my life. The most serious has been music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have been writing and performing music for over 25 years. My main focus has been original songs although I do play other people\u2019s material.So far, it hasn\u2019t been lucrative but I still do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why?
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Because I believe music matters. I believe people\u2019s stories matter, mine included. The human experience has value and meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the last couple months I \u2019ve been keenly aware of a general malaise around me and within me as it relates to music.This feeling could also be described as an indifference, a sadness. Obviously, the last 2 years have not been easy on anyone.I could easily chalk this up to a global pandemic, restrictions, social unrest, inflation, you name it. That being said, I don\u2019t think that accounts for all of what I\u2019m sensing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isn\u2019t that what music is for? To get us through the hard times? To quote a popular song from years ago<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c Without a song, the day would never end. Without a song, the road would never bend. When things go wrong, a man ain\u2019t got a friend, without a song.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why does music seem so remote and detached from what\u2019s going on in our world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think technology has played a part in this.When I was growing up, music was everything. Many of us spent countless hours listening to artists and bands we loved. It helped us to feel less alone.In today\u2019s world, people have other things to immerse themselves in. There are video games, social media groups, chat rooms, and various streaming platforms.Music is still around but it doesn\u2019t appear to have the same influence in people\u2019s lives as it once did.It doesn\u2019t have the finger on the pulse of a generation, expressing what people are thinking and feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can remember songs that were inescapable. You would hear them at stop lights coming out from open car windows. They would be pumping up dance floors and blaring out at sporting events and social gatherings. Truth be told, many of these songs were god-awful and overplayed.Regardless, they reflected a certain collective consciousness, if you will. They can bring you back to a specific moment in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where are we at this moment in time? Where do we go from here? I don\u2019t know.There\u2019s no way to put the genie back in the lamp. Technology is here to stay. No turning back time or living in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t have any answers yet.I can only go back to what I am feeling and see if it has something to tell me. It\u2019s a sadness for something lost as well as a growing anger towards indifference.People around me just don\u2019t seem to care.It\u2019s exhausting to find the words to explain this to another person.It\u2019s disheartening to search their eyes only to be met with a empty stare. They don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ll never stop writing and playing even though there are times when it tears my heart out to do it. Come to think of it, it tears my heart out when I DON\u2019T do it as well.At least it\u2019s the kind of pain that shows you who you are and what\u2019s important in life. Maybe that\u2019s what makes it a \u201d Labor of Love \u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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What is a labor of love? I would define it as a project that you invest time and energy in whether you are compensated for it or not. In other words, you do it because you love it. I\u2019ve had … Continue reading