PLAY MUSIC ON THE PORCH DAY HEALTH WARNING

“Take a stroll and listen to people play music on their porch,” they say.

Sounds inviting to me.

But what ‘they’ don’t say are the dangers of hearing others play music in such an inviting place as a front porch.

I can tell you from first hand experience, playing music is contagious. It takes people over century after century with no end in sight. Click the link for video of the current problem.

We know how to defeat corona virus with masks, hygiene, and distance, but no one knows how to contain music. Why is that?

Here’s why:

Music defines our lives, for better or worse.

Sting’s Every Breath You Take came out during a special time. The short version is, I got into it with a local tough who belonged to a group, police came, he rode away after I pointed him out in front of his group.

Me: That’s him.

Policeman: (marching the guy right up to me) This is the guy?

Me: (looking around at the audience) Yes, that’s him.

Policeman: Thank you. (He hands the guy off to another policeman, who puts him in a car and drives away.)

Me: Well, that’s it, then. (The group hasn’t moved since the guy left.)

Policeman: Do you live around here?

Me: Yes, I do.

Policeman: I can give you a ride to your place.

Me: Thank you very much. But first I’d like to speak to the crowd.

Policeman: Do what?

Me: (To the crowd) THANK YOU FOR THE RIDE HOME OUT TO GRESHAM. IT’S A LONG WAY TO GRESHAM. THANK YOU FOR THE RIDE, OFFICER.

Policeman: You live in Gresham?

Me: No. I’m right down the street on Lovejoy.

Policeman: Let’s go.

Me: Can I sit in front?

Click here for the REST of the story.

Play Music For The Moment

The easiest intro to music is picking up a nylon stringed guitar. Pick it up, sit down, and hold it under one arm. (Right arm for right handed.)

Pluck the thick top string with your thumb. Do it slow, do it fast, do it hard, do it soft. The whole thing vibrates in your hands. Who doesn’t like the power?

Next, do the same with a steel string guitar. Louder, bigger vibration, more power to feel. And it’s still only one finger and one note.

Plug in an electric guitar and you’ll never look back. That one finger plucking one note on one string gets loud enough to shake the dust off a lamp shade. It’ll make you swoon a little.

If this sounds simplistic and under-explained, that’s because the whole idea of music is just that easy to grasp. It’s volume control, note control, time control, and self control all at once.

Which is why so many boomers buy their dream guitar only to see it never leave the case stashed under their bed. Out of sight, out of mind, except once the play music bug bites, it’s never out of mind.

Learning to play music at any age is a lesson in how little control we have, even when we know we have total control of so much else.

So, what are you waiting for, bluesmen and women? That E string isn’t going to play itself.