Jena! My Gawd! Thank you for the list of ways to contribute to Ukraine! Thank you for the poem! And thank you for--once again!--stepping up and bringing music into our hearts!
You asked in your Substack today, “When was the last time you had fun?” I planned to and will talk about this work I am doing with music across worlds to connect hearts in that thread. But I wanted you to know that it feels less like fun and more like deep satisfaction. Fun, in my mind is over and done within a short amount of time. But this feels like being pulled from within to do something that must be done - that gives me joy, challenges me creatively, and gives me hope. Is that fun?
I find it very interesting that all this began more than 14 years ago with a project for The National Library of Medicine on HIV/AIDS. It was life changing both creatively and in terms of education - and I have longed to get back to it. However, I have not seen a way to use virtual spaces to make a difference. Most people don’t care and aren’t interested, and the last thing I want to be doing is creating in a vacuum. Artists need others to share with to feel whole.
So now there is music and I am doing my best to follow where it leads. I will be hosting ongoing concerts for Ukraine, adding more poetry, and I hope offering live readings by authors writing about Ukraine at my venue going forward. All will be live streamed and recorded so others outside SL can enjoy too.
As I said, having others in SL during the holidays gave me a lifeline. It was safe to hug other avatars and the music was sustaining. So fun? I guess so, but it is also exhausting, challenging, and deeply rewarding. Where will it take us? To be continued….
Thank you for sharing history and context for Pass Along Songs. It is wonderful that the concerts are available outside of SL to listen to and share. The poem in today's post reached deep feelings. I have never been in war, yet, I have grown up surrounded by continuous preparation for it, oiling the guns, practicing trenches, every young man a soldier for a time. Thank you for sharing.
Jena! My Gawd! Thank you for the list of ways to contribute to Ukraine! Thank you for the poem! And thank you for--once again!--stepping up and bringing music into our hearts!
You asked in your Substack today, “When was the last time you had fun?” I planned to and will talk about this work I am doing with music across worlds to connect hearts in that thread. But I wanted you to know that it feels less like fun and more like deep satisfaction. Fun, in my mind is over and done within a short amount of time. But this feels like being pulled from within to do something that must be done - that gives me joy, challenges me creatively, and gives me hope. Is that fun?
I find it very interesting that all this began more than 14 years ago with a project for The National Library of Medicine on HIV/AIDS. It was life changing both creatively and in terms of education - and I have longed to get back to it. However, I have not seen a way to use virtual spaces to make a difference. Most people don’t care and aren’t interested, and the last thing I want to be doing is creating in a vacuum. Artists need others to share with to feel whole.
So now there is music and I am doing my best to follow where it leads. I will be hosting ongoing concerts for Ukraine, adding more poetry, and I hope offering live readings by authors writing about Ukraine at my venue going forward. All will be live streamed and recorded so others outside SL can enjoy too.
As I said, having others in SL during the holidays gave me a lifeline. It was safe to hug other avatars and the music was sustaining. So fun? I guess so, but it is also exhausting, challenging, and deeply rewarding. Where will it take us? To be continued….
Exciting, Jena!! Very, very exciting!
Thank you for sharing history and context for Pass Along Songs. It is wonderful that the concerts are available outside of SL to listen to and share. The poem in today's post reached deep feelings. I have never been in war, yet, I have grown up surrounded by continuous preparation for it, oiling the guns, practicing trenches, every young man a soldier for a time. Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome. Wondering where you are and how life is treating you.