"Music so wishes to be heard that it sometimes calls on unlikely characters to give it voice."
Tell us about a time you heard music from an unexpected source.
Maureen: Years ago I knew a woman who was deaf. She invited me to join her for a party for the deaf community. When we entered the event I was struck by the quiet given the number of people in the room. Then I listened more carefully. There were maybe 60 - 70 people mostly speaking sign language and the movement of their collective hands and bodies created a beautiful, whispered, wind-like sound. I remember being amazed by the soft musicality of it. I just needed to truly listen.
Val L: MUSIC IS A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE- ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING ON A NEW CHARACTER- i OFTEN CAN NOT START THE RESEARCH/CREATION PROCESS WITHOUT FIRST FINDING A CHARACTER'S CERTAIN SOUNDTRACK. MY BEST MEMORY OF MUSIC IN AN PLACE THAT i NEEDED IT MOST- WAS WHEN I LIVED ON NANTUCKET ISLAND RIGHT AFTER COLLEGE- I HAD WRITTEN A PLAY AND IT WAS BEING WORKSHOPPED THERE AND I WOULD SPEND ALL NIGHT WORKING ON RE-WRITES, GET MAYBE AN HOUR OT TWO OF SLEEP AND THEN HEAD OF WITH MY WALKMAN ALONE, TO WALK ABOUT THAT TINY ISLAND, IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING- THROUGHT THE MIST OF THE MOORES THERE, THE STILLNESS OF THE HARBORS AND DOWNTOWN AREA- WHERE i WOULD SORT OF WATCH THE TOWN/ISLAND WAKE UP. IT WAS MAGICAL AND MUCH NEEDED AT THAT POINT... THERE WERE MANY SONGS THAT INSPIRED- BUT IT IS THE MUSIC OF NANCI GRIFFITH THAT I RELIED ON MOST IN THOSE MORNINGS. IT WAS A TIME OF HEALING AND CHNAGE AND BY FAR, ONE OF THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE.
Megan: My unexpected music experience took place a couple of years ago near my apartment off Hawthorne Blvd. As I was getting out of my car late one night, I heard the distinct sound of bagpipes and bass drums. Following the sound, I wandered down the street to the parking lot of the neighborhood credit union. There, under the sharp glow of street lamps, dressed in full regimental garb, was one of the local Scottish Marching bands. Bagpipe music is nothing if not haunting, and coming upon these musicians at night, as they broke up the routine of our streets and houses, was magic.
Tom: It was in Portland, about 21+ years ago. Barb (my wife) and I were walking near Tom McCall Waterfront park when we heard some music. We walked toward the music and saw two guys playing guitar. There were very few people around them. Barb and I sat on the grass and watched them play for quite a while. It was some time before I realized it was Curtis Salgado and Lloyd Jones. This was before they both became pretty well known. I actually used to ride the bus with Curtis. We never talked, but he used to play downtown with his hat out to collect money. At any rate, it was an acoustical performance that was awesome and we had them, pretty much, to ourselves! Years later, we saw them at the Blues Fest with hundreds of people surrounding them.
Val L: MUSIC IS A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE- ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING ON A NEW CHARACTER- i OFTEN CAN NOT START THE RESEARCH/CREATION PROCESS WITHOUT FIRST FINDING A CHARACTER'S CERTAIN SOUNDTRACK. MY BEST MEMORY OF MUSIC IN AN PLACE THAT i NEEDED IT MOST- WAS WHEN I LIVED ON NANTUCKET ISLAND RIGHT AFTER COLLEGE- I HAD WRITTEN A PLAY AND IT WAS BEING WORKSHOPPED THERE AND I WOULD SPEND ALL NIGHT WORKING ON RE-WRITES, GET MAYBE AN HOUR OT TWO OF SLEEP AND THEN HEAD OF WITH MY WALKMAN ALONE, TO WALK ABOUT THAT TINY ISLAND, IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING- THROUGHT THE MIST OF THE MOORES THERE, THE STILLNESS OF THE HARBORS AND DOWNTOWN AREA- WHERE i WOULD SORT OF WATCH THE TOWN/ISLAND WAKE UP. IT WAS MAGICAL AND MUCH NEEDED AT THAT POINT... THERE WERE MANY SONGS THAT INSPIRED- BUT IT IS THE MUSIC OF NANCI GRIFFITH THAT I RELIED ON MOST IN THOSE MORNINGS. IT WAS A TIME OF HEALING AND CHNAGE AND BY FAR, ONE OF THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE.
Megan: My unexpected music experience took place a couple of years ago near my apartment off Hawthorne Blvd. As I was getting out of my car late one night, I heard the distinct sound of bagpipes and bass drums. Following the sound, I wandered down the street to the parking lot of the neighborhood credit union. There, under the sharp glow of street lamps, dressed in full regimental garb, was one of the local Scottish Marching bands. Bagpipe music is nothing if not haunting, and coming upon these musicians at night, as they broke up the routine of our streets and houses, was magic.
Tom: It was in Portland, about 21+ years ago. Barb (my wife) and I were walking near Tom McCall Waterfront park when we heard some music. We walked toward the music and saw two guys playing guitar. There were very few people around them. Barb and I sat on the grass and watched them play for quite a while. It was some time before I realized it was Curtis Salgado and Lloyd Jones. This was before they both became pretty well known. I actually used to ride the bus with Curtis. We never talked, but he used to play downtown with his hat out to collect money. At any rate, it was an acoustical performance that was awesome and we had them, pretty much, to ourselves! Years later, we saw them at the Blues Fest with hundreds of people surrounding them.
Garris: One great New York moment springs to mind. I was on the downtown R platform at 42nd Street one evening and there was a cellist playing the first part of Pachalbel's canon in D....what I couldn't see was there was another string player at the far end of the platform and a third player over on the uptown side. It was so beautiful and it literally calmed the savage beast that is 42nd St. at rush hour. Plus you can bet they made very decent tips from the crowd. Beautiful moment.
Jeanne: This is a recent video of my brother's first boyfriend. He's from Portland and my brother is from Illinois, they met in Texas when they were in the army in the 80's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Eve: I was walking through the Portland farmers market with then 5 year old Rebecca, and while we waited in line to purchase her a chocolate panini (still her favorite), 2 Asian teenagers started setting up with violins and a hat. Just as we finished our panini transaction, they started to play. It was a piece my late mother, (a violinist), used to play all the time when I was about 5. I pulled Rebecca to a nearby bench where she chewed, and I cried quietly through the music, feeling my mother's spirit finally meeting her granddaughter.
Garrett: Walking down the stairs to the #1 train at 14th street or somewhere thereabouts in NYC in the early 90's and hearing this amazing, deep, smooth jazz vocalist accompanied by a stand up bass player. As I entered thru the turnstile and turned to my right, the music became louder but I could not see the musicians behind one of the numerous iron columns that line the subway platforms. And then suddenly, I came upon them; or him- a tall, reed thin black guy in khakis, converse sneakers, and white button down shirt playing a stand up bass fashioned from an upside down 5 gallon plaster can with a broomstick in it and a single string. He was superb!!!
Steve: For me, that happened in a teeny little theater in NYC's West Village in 1981 or 82, with no more than 5 people in the audience of a no-budget show called "Pigjazz". The four cast members tapdanced like hell, sang about being outcasts, and I finally felt like there was a community for me out there in the world. It was gorgeous.
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