Young Musicians Hit Deep Notes

Mary and Celeste rock Sundara.

  On Friday night, my friend Meghan and I went to Sundara for a little show produced by Bold Moon Music.

  Bold Moon Music is an online mentoring project that matches local singer songwriters with local mentors.  Some great people, Jody Cody and Michael Helsher to name a few, are pretty busy helping musicians (young and old) find their rhythm and get the confidence needed to perform live.

  It was pretty great to see the performers have fun onstage.  They ranged in age, from young teenagers Mary Greenlaw, Celeste K., and Jake to veteran musicans Mike, and visiting musician Heather Pierson.  Everyone played songs that they had written, as well as covers.  It was a perfect mix of accessible music, and stuff that really went deep.

  I came away from the show with the feeling that music is a great family bonding experience, and the desire to incorporate it more into my own family life.  Everyone up there was with their family; Mary and Celeste were sisters, Mike and Jake were father/son, and I just assumed that Heather was up there with her partner, because they had a really sweet connection.

  Someone once gave me the really good parenting advice that I should always stay connected to my son's music and my son's friends, and then everything would be okay.  If music is part of your family experience, it seems like it might just help take you further down the road when you have problems or tense moments. When you can't talk to dad, at least you can connect with music.  Or if you can't find the words, sometimes a song is the perfect way to express yourself. And music can take you to a higher level--it can really create a space for fun and happiness.


  I also like the idea of having younger ones so interested in the musical experience.  Those that were onstage had a load of self-confidence and self-possession.  I'm sure that kind of concentration under pressure really helped when it came to other situations that were stressful. Mary Greenlaw confirmed it when she told me "Performing has changed me a lot.  It's addicting, I love the adrenaline and it's really fun."

  There weren't that many people at the show last Friday, which is too bad, considering how magical Sundara can be as a performance space, and how wonderful the musicians were.  I was incredibly happy to have the intimacy of a small performance, however, and I didn't mind.  It felt like we were in someone's living room, and the connection between the performers and audience was blurred.  The beautiful singer songwriters helped take the edge off a stressful week, and gave me a uplifting running start to the weekend.  I was there with good friends, and people who I felt were friends. 

  It's funny.  After I wrote that, Mike Helsher told me something very similar.  "I think that, especially if one is writing and performing their own songs, there is an opportunity to make what I call a heart connection with the crowd. One of the definitions of love that I like is: "resonance." In that sense music can be an expression of love," he said.


  Bold Moon Music has a few shows a year, featuring both young mentees and experienced performers, so you will always have something to enjoy.  You can find out more about the program, or even donate, at boldmoonmusic.org.

Music for everyone.