The "Consuming Art" Part of the Writing Life

Artifact Panel, by William Morris, Portland Art Museum

Thanks to fellow author, Tara Lazar and her online Storystorm event, January (both this year and last) brimmed with brainstorming activities. Thanks to Portland being home to a rich art and music scene, the month of February has been filled with art and music-related activities.

Here is a quick recap:

In early February, my family took my mom and mother-in-law (collectively known as "the grandmas") to a variety show that benefitted Clowns Without Borders, an organization that brings "laughter and humor to children and persons in areas of crisis." I encourage you to familiarize yourself with and support this organization. The photo below is the cast of performers that volunteered their time and talent for this event, including Louis Pearl, the Amazing Bubble Man; Leapin' Louie Lichtenstein, the internationally acclaimed lasso-spinning wonder; Rhys Thomas, the jaw-dropping juggler, and the awe inspiring Circus Luminescence. I'm sorry to say that this picture doesn't even hint at the fun that was had. The sound of children's laughter (and my mother's laughter!) throughout the event was joyful and priceless.

Clowns Without Borders Benefit Show, Portland, 2019

 
Later in the month, our family went to the Portland Art Museum and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. The main purpose of our visits to these museums was to see the Memory Unearthed and Last Journey of the Jews of Lodz exhibits of the photos taken by Holocaust survivor Henryk Ross while he was imprisoned in the Lodz Ghetto during World War II. The exhibits were a harsh and powerful reminder of the horrors my beloved father-in-law, Henry Prochovnic, endured because of bigotry and hatred. These exhibits are no longer running in the Portland area, but if you can find a similar exhibit in your area, I encourage you to go. If you can't get to an exhibit, there are a few libraries that have Henryk Ross's book of photographs in their collection, including the Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon.

After seeing such stark evidence of horror and pain, I found some refuge in the art in nature. Here is a photo of a small portion of a stunning 55,000 square foot mural that can be seen from a trail in the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge:

Mural by ArtFX Design Studios 

If the story behind how this mural came to be doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will! The tenacity of Mike Houck, Director of  the Urban Green Spaces Institute and the artistic vision of Mark Bennett, the late Shane Bennett, and Dan Cohen, the folks behind ArtFX Design Studios, is food for the creative soul.

Which brings me to music, another art form that feeds my creative soul. I'm not one of those authors that must have music on while I write (in fact, I much prefer to write in complete silence), but music is a big part of what fuels my creativity. As my kids have gotten older and spend more and more time socializing and attending activities with their friends, my husband and I have been spending more and more time listening to live music.

We recently discovered that Al's Den, in downtown Portland, hosts live music most (every?) night of the week. The venue typically hosts a particular artist for a full week. We've made a point to catch several Saturday night shows, which is typically the final week of the "residency." So far, my favorite experience there was hearing Israel Nebeker (Blind Pilot) sing an acoustic set. I'm not sure how I'd missed Nebeker's/Blind Pilot's story or music before...but wow. Just wow.

We've also discovered that the Muddy Rudder in the Sellwood area (not far from the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Preserve mentioned above!) has a regular schedule of live music. My husband and I ate dinner before we caught the Sunday evening performance of "Dan and Fran," but the Muddy Rudder pizza looked pretty tasty. We will arrive hungry next time!

Dan and Fran Playing at the Muddy Rudder

We discovered the Muddy Rudder because it's one of the regular spots The June Bugs (one of our favorite local bands), play at regularly (though we haven't seen them there, yet). However, last weekend, we did get to see The June Bugs at the Alberta Street Pub:

The June Bugs at The Alberta Street Pub

They were amazing, as usual....as was Maiah Wynne, the opening act. This was our first introduction to her beautiful and compelling music. We will definitely be following her work going forward.

Maiah Wynne at The Alberta Street Pub

So, what does all of this have to do with the writing life? First, it's a way I can pay it forward and support the work of other local artists. I know first-hand that all artists, authors included, need a steady supply of folks supporting their work. For me, that's book sales, author visits, and other paid appearances. I suspect for musicians it's direct music sales, tip jars/Patreon accounts, and paid concert appearances, and for fine artists, it's direct art sales and commissioned works, etc. So, consuming (and paying for) the work of other artists is important to me. It's a way I can help maintain a vibrant art and music culture in my community.

But also, it's more self-serving than that. When I listen to live music, I bubble over with ideas and inspiration. When I take a walk in the woods, and happen upon a beautiful mural that leads me down a figurative path of discovery about how it came to be, I'm filled with new energy and inspiration for my own creative projects. And, when I sit in a performance hall filled with children and their grown-ups laughing at silly antics on stage, I'm filled with joy and a better headspace for writing.

In the words of Thomas Merton:

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.

And now, dear readers, I must find and lose myself in my own art.

(But Stay Tuned: Tomorrow's post, already queued up, will continue with another installment of the Birth Stories for Books series).

The Song Writing Part of the Writing Life

Dawn and Sam Then and Now

This past weekend my husband, Sam, and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. Although we don't typically exchange gifts for special occasions (other than small, favorite things, such as molasses cookies, or timely items such as tickets to a live concert or play), I wanted to do something especially memorable for this anniversary.

Since we both enjoy live music, and going to concerts together is our most typical date night activity, I thought it might be fun to commission a song from one of our favorite singer/song writers or bands.

I had read about some musical artists providing this type of commissioned service, and I reached out to one of the singer/songwriters we have followed since early in our marriage. She was keen on the idea of participating in the project and asked me for my thoughts on how we might go about it. I told her it was my understanding that most typically the artist would interview the subject(s) to get some background about our life and relationship, and then would write a song with those details in mind. I mentioned to the artist that I was a children's book writer, and that I wished I had a musical background, because I'd love to write my own song. She encouraged me to write my own lyrics . . . and I took the challenge.

I sat down to write, and the words poured out quickly.

One of the constants of the relationship Sam and I have shared for 33 years (30 of those years in marriage) is travel. We are at our very best together when we are planning a trip, taking a trip, or reminiscing about a trip. Since the early days of our shared life, we have held a savings account dedicated to travel. When we accumulate enough funds in our travel account to pay for major expenses like airline tickets and lodging, and enough vacation time to make a flight worthwhile, we start planning a new trip. We've been to some very amazing places in our shared life, and writing about our travels provided focus and structure for my song.

Here are the lyrics for, Travel in This Life With Me:

*****

Our story starts when I was eighteen.

You worked for my dad. We kept the place clean. 

Then I moved on to the retail scene. 

Travel in this life with me.

Holding hands and getting caught.

In ’88 we tied the knot. 

We’ve had it good. We’ve loved a lot.

Travel in this life with me.

Said I do, and dropped the mic.

Near that place we used to hike.

You’re the one I love and like.

Travel in this life with me.

New beginnings. Life as one.

Honeymoon in sand and sun.

Port to port. Just havin' fun.

Travel in this life with me.

Work and college to attend.

Eatin' takeout with our friends. 

Seinfeld humor never ends.

Travel in this life with me.

Weekend trips to camp and ski.

Costa Rica, ninety three.

We were young, and we were free. 

Travel in this life with me.

Easter candles lit in Crete.

Santorini's cobbled streets.

Fresh adventures at our feet. 

Travel in this life with me.

Oh Manado, how we cried. 

Scuba diving. Almost died.

Would the ocean steal your bride?

Travel in this life with me.

Parenthood in ninety nine.

Love those kids of yours and mine.

We’ll survive it sippin’ wine. 

Travel in this life with me.

Dinner table, six o’clock.

Share our day then take a walk.

You will listen, I will talk.

Travel in this life with me. 

Ferry boats and hockey rinks.

Royal Scott and gear that stinks.

Makin’ love and makin’ drinks.

Travel in this life with me.

Pack the van and load some tunes.

Sweet Sunriver, be there soon.

Breathe the pines and chase the moon.

Travel in this life with me.

Reminiscing: Minibus.

Fly to Greece, the four of us.

Memories make it worth the fuss.

Travel in this life with me. 

Little league and basketball.

Parent-teacher conference call.

Off to college in the fall.

Travel in this life with me 

We’ve been married thirty years.

Sharing hopes and dreams and fears.

Love you Sam. I’m glad you’re here.

Travelin' this life with me.

***** 

The artist I had originally reached out to was very kind and encouraging, but she ended up not being able to follow through on the project, so I was back to the drawing board for who I could work with to give voice to my song. We have several musically inclined friends (several of which are in local bands), and I contemplated hiring one of them to work with me. But, before I reached out to any of them, the most obvious and awesome band came to mind: The June Bugs.

The Junebugs Playing in Sunriver, 2016

A couple of summers ago, during one of our family trips to our Sunriver house, there was a Portland band scheduled to do a concert on the lawn at the SHARC. Sam was very keen on seeing the band--truth be told, I was kind of lukewarm about it because it was a very chilly afternoon/evening and I was more keen on staying home. But I didn't . . . and I am so glad I didn't. It WAS very cool that night, but The June Bugs put on an excellent show. We absolutely loved their concert. So much so, that after we returned home to Portland, Sam and I sought out several of their local concerts. We saw them at an outdoor concert in Lake Oswego, and at a venue they play at fairly regularly in Vancouver, and several other local places around town. We've purchased their CDs and added their songs to our iPod, and we listen to them regularly. Even if we can't make their concerts, we have their concerts written in our calendar "just in case." Our kids love to tease us about being Junebugs groupies. They would be the perfect band to bring our song to life. Happily, Moses Barrett, their lead singer was game.

I reached out to the band via Facebook, and Moses was quick to respond. I shared my lyrics and our anniversary date with him, we came to an agreement on pricing, and I offered many caveats about not having any experience with song writing (i.e. I don't know the structural elements needed for a song such as a bridge or a chorus), and that I was fine with them taking creative license as needed to turn my lyrics into a song. Some weeks went by and eventually Moses got back to me to let me know that the schedule would not work for the full band to put the song to music/record it, but he could do something solo. I was still elated with that plan. Some more weeks went by, and one Saturday afternoon, Moses reached out to me and mentioned that my lyrics didn't include a chorus. He pointed out that Bob Dylan didn't really write choruses either and said he thought the song "lends itself to that Dylan long form song poem aesthetic," and wondered what I thought. I loved the idea, but again, said that I knew Sam and I would love anything he came up with, and that whatever he hears when he sits with the words would be just right.

Some more weeks passed, and then on August 7, 2018 at 2:53 PM, a most wonderful email popped into my inbox. Moses wrote, "Hey, so here is the tune. What do you think? ... I have some time in the studio tomorrow..." Attached was an acoustic version of my words put to music. I sat at my computer and cried happy tears. I was overwhelmed with emotion. Not only was it amazing to hear my words become music, it was incredible to hear my life with Sam conveyed in a song.

I hit "play" about a dozen times, then took my phone down to the basement where my teenaged son was chilling out, and I played the song for him. He thought it was pretty cool too. I played it for my daughter when she returned home from work, and she was visibly touched by it, too. She asked me how long it took to write the words. I answered honestly that it took me a day . . . a day and a lifetime.

About a week before our anniversary, more happiness arrived in my inbox. Moses re-recorded the song more formally in the studio. I love both versions, the acoustic and the studio. With Moses's permission, I can share the studio version with you here.

Next came the hard part of waiting to share the song(s) with Sam.

My kids helped me plan the rollout. Our daughter and her boyfriend, visiting from out of town, made us breakfast on our anniversary. Earlier in the morning I had loaded both versions of the song onto Sam's iPod, then as we ate breakfast, I casually mentioned that the Junebugs had a new song out that I wanted to play. Our daughter hit the play button, and Sam proceeded to eat breakfast and simply enjoy the song as background music. This is exactly what I thought would happen, because he does not typically drill down to the words of a song as closely as I do, or as quickly as I do. He just ate his breakfast and enjoyed the song in a general sort of way. We played it a couple more times, one of those times the acoustic version where the words are more prominent, and told him to listen to it more closely. He jokingly said, "Ha, did they write us an anniversary song?" And then he started really listening . . .  and then came the emotions.

"How did you pull that off?" he asked. And then I told him the story of Moses . . .

Thank you, Moses Barrett, for making a special anniversary even more special. Sam loves the song as much or maybe even more than I do . . . I and love it quite a lot.

For those of you reading/listening who love this song as much as we do (or like the story behind the song, or simply like to support artists and their art), be aware that Moses and his band are looking to grow their outreach and their following. They have set up a Patreon page to develop a steadier income flow so they can make their art. You can hear their great sound on this Facebook Live concert they offered up to their fanbase a couple of weeks ago--give them a listen and share their work with others! You can also do like Sam and I have done and buy their CDs and/or catch them live in concert. Here is their schedule (they will be at the Oregon State Fair for SEVERAL SHOWS starting Friday, August 24, 2018). It would be great if you could show them some love!

I've long said that someday I'm going to be part of a girl band (I play a mean tambourine!), and recently I've been thinking it would be a good creative outlet to learn more about writing songs. Maybe it all begins with writing the lyrics to my first love song.