Being Seen without a Scene
Margarita Cruz, local writer and journalist, wrote about the current music scene in Flagstaff in her article – The Art of Song: On Continuing. I’m one of the featured musicians. Keen!
I guess I’m not the only one feeling the lack of live music. I barely go downtown anymore, there is almost no reason to be there. It’s expensive anyway, and without much music, it’s not much fun. I did ride my bike into town and dropped off my ballot yesterday – that was exciting. But really, not much going on. I think the locals have retreated – I didn’t see anyone I knew. Phoenicians and students are the norm these days.
Here’s an excerpt of Margarita’s article:
The weekends in downtown Flagstaff lately have been full of crowds, masses of whispering and laughing. It almost feels normal. But it’s still a little too quiet.
Where did the music go? Flagstaff is normally a chorus of voices. A guitar in the alleyway, a late night show in our favorite coffee shop, a rambunctious set of drums echoing from a dimly-lit bar. During the pandemic, musicians have been unable to do what they love, but they’re finding other ways to share their music . . .
“Sharing music is sharing time, and literally vibrations—it’s intimate and fortifying. Not performing is a real loss for me—emotionally, socially, creatively and financially,” local musician Holly Troy of the Lofi Sofias and the Conduits says.
holly troy ~ sacred folly 
“Sharing music is sharing time, and literally vibrations—it’s intimate and fortifying.”
“I think as an artist, it’s especially important to have a vision to strive toward, at the very least to keep growing. The world is not moving at the pace I became accustomed to, but the work, even in the loneliness and solitude of this time, keeps wanting to happen. And so it must.”
Yes, and Yes! I feel the sadness and loss and grief and pain as well. Your “literally sharing vibrations” has epic resonance with me. There’s something about that the artists go on, though the people behind the scenes are cut out, and the audience swimming in the aquarium ablution pool of the energy of a room with music is cut out that… that spells G-R-I-E-F.
And, as well, congratulations on being featured in the pool of the article!
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Like I sang in a recent parody “You can’t play with anyone else, so you play with yourself!” Nice article by Ms. Cruz. Some of our local brew pubs were having live music on their patios. I could hear them playing when I was out walking. That’s some progress.
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I had planned to be in NM last week – booked an air bnb – but it was canceled due to quarantining rules. I look forward to getting out that way soon!
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The quarantine rules are not friendly to visitors. If you get as far as Albuquerque, let me know.
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i’ll be sure to let you
know when i am out that way!
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