the pod bay door

:: Last evening, I had the good fortune of playing guitar at the Faculté Saint-Jean Auditorium in Edmonton, as part of “the band” (which includes the brilliant bass player, John Towill), in support of “Amelia Kaminski in Concert.” Amelia is a Fiddler Extraordinaire, with whom I have played and performed since 1986. In 1999 I contributed to her recording efforts as well, a project that was musically satisfying for me, and well received by others. The show last night features a mix of music from the Scottish and Irish traditions, with the support of the a cappella group, Almost Blue, from Los Altos CA.

I’ve performed in most of Amelia’s major concerts in the past few years, but I must say that last night was one of the best times I’ve had on stage with her and John. Two consumate musicians, they bring out the best in me when I make music with them. Amelia takes amazing, gentle care of her backup musicians, and graces the stage with a relaxed and natural presence. She is a collaborator in the true sense of the word, and I find no greater satisfaction in knowing that when I play in support of her, she need only concentrate on her fiddle, and not worry about those of us behind her. John is the kind of musician who is so good that playing with him causes me to raise my own musical abilities – in other words, I become a better musician because I share the stage with him.

Last night was much fun. We were relaxed and had a great time on stage. Contributing to my own enjoyment was the intangible: my brother and parents made a special trip to see the show, and in the audience were another 35 of my friends and colleagues, on hand in support of my efforts. I cannot thank each of them enough! Let me try to explain. It is so much more rewarding to perform for a crowd that includes people who are special to you. This particular show was outstanding – usually I try to sell 10-15 tickets for one of Amelia’s musical extravaganzas, but this time I sold 40! (With little effort, I must say!) So to my friends, colleagues and family who attended the show last night, thank you SO MUCH! You made me a better player last night, and increased my enjoyment of the entire evening!

I have gone through extended periods in the past few years, during which time I have been less than inspired to play my instruments. Last night was important because it reminded me of how much fun it can be when the planets align and the musical moment is golden.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 4th, 2003 at 15:58 and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.