Shake a Hand, Make a Friend...

I've said often enough on these pages that my dream is to play music everywhere that I can. That statement is just a bit misleading, why? because I play music often enough, and with the Carpenter Ants we do travel quite a bit ( at least seemingly more than many of our friends/ fellow musicians here in West Virginia) so the statement of the desire of this dream is a little confusing.
I guess what I really want is for a complete career in this business, to be able to travel across this country and around the world and continue to meet people and hope that through our music we can be catalysts to help the world see ourselves as Allah (God) see us.
Sometimes I get disturbed with the events that make up the fabric of our lives, the murder, the distrust, the anguish, the despair and I want to just reach out and help everyone...but in fact that may be unrealistic. It would take next to forever to get a point where I could see everyone let alone try to do something positive for them; but there is a solution: music, all kinds of music.
Mostly everyone knows that music soothes the savage breast, but what we don't know is that music can walk where we cannot, it can reach into the tiniest of spaces, fill the greatest of voids...oh, we know it on some levels, but I mean like a real honest to goodness handshake, you know the kind that lets a person know that you respect them, and that you're open to meeting them...that kind of handshake.
During the time I've spent in my new found hobby of blogging, I've shaken hands with some incredible people who have touched my life and gave me even more insights into me and I AM GRATEFUL. They've gone to the Carpenter Ants website listened to some of our music, have traveled to see our shows, and have been open to meeting us and getting to know us. They have been encouraging in ways unseen.
Over the years, and as recently as the other day I've been asked by friends and family alike, how do you do this (play music til all hours, then get up and go to work daily) ? I'll answer with a line from the song "The Musician" written by Gayle Moran ( the keyboardist, and wife of keyboard legend Chick Corea) it's from the album entitled "Musicmagic" ca.1977.
"He plays his song for one reason, it's simply what he loves."
That's the condensed version of my answer, the LP version is that for my life to have meaning to me I have to follow my heart and my dream.That doesn't mean that I'm not happy, it just means that while I have the chance, I will go everywhere I can, shake a hand and make a friend.
Lastly, I will say... I'm game, are you ? Then...
Support Live music today, tomorrow and always.