It’s been raining, but the darkness conceals its residue. The clues are in the damp path and the cascading droplets falling from the oak. The sound of water flowing into drains and drips from gutters splashing onto rain soaked floors. It’s actually amazing how noisy drips can be. A wee chill at the fingers, nothing substantial to speak of, but there nonetheless. The cloud appears heavy, concealing passing planes, whose noise fills the air. I am straining to hear if the Owl is around, but all is quiet on that front. Cars slush through puddles, but my company for now is darkness and of course a coffee warming my hands. The seasons marked by how quick my coffee cools confirms its advancing, it’s cooling once more way too quickly. Still no sign of the owl. So it’s a peaceful enough start to the day. I quickly read yesterday an interview with the great Johnny Marr and his thoughts on his work and particularly his guitars and something struck me when he said that ;
“ They came with Smiths songs in them”.
My inner creative exploded. We often talk of us as people with music inside us, with drums that need their music releasing and here was Johnny Marr sharing his experience. There is a great clip in Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary ‘Get Back’ of Paul McCartney birthing the song ‘Get Back’ along with the help of George and Ringo. It’s well worth a watch to witness something created from nothing. I have watched it many times ( Well it’s the Beatles isn’t it ). Whether that was within him or his guitar or a combination of both is up for debate. When I sit in a safe space, curated by me or another facilitator, I am often absorbed by the music that a group of people can create. The music coming from a place within them and their drums or percussion, in the moment and never to be repeated. When I set the circle all those instruments sit, patiently, expectantly, waiting for their sounds to be released into the air. I have been contemplating this since reading the article and going back to Paul McCartney. An experience expressed by a great, the witnessing of a great and my experience of us at the same time. Everyone one of us is able to release the music in the instrument. Christopher Small in his book ‘Musicking’ where he espouses that music is not a thing, but an activity writes that ;
“ Music is too important to be left to professionals “
And he is right go and release your music. Lovely days people.
“ We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy.
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