Support at : https://www.patreon.com/theprairiedogz -or- https://paypal.me/theprairiedogz
Before I get rambling, know that both Dwight and I feel fortunate that, as of today, no one in our circles of family and friends has been infected or passed away from the Corona Virus. If that were to change, the obstacles and challenges I am writing about wouldn’t seem important.
So, from a guy who has been working on being a good player and worked on writing and having something to write about since elementary school, these are challenging times we are facing.
When I was a kid, I saw Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains The Same and was mesmerized at the color tracers of Jimmy Pages bow during the solo of Dazed and Confused. I spent untold hours listening to Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon and wondered how I could ever create David Gilmour’s guitar sound. Just after I started high school I saw Rush on their Hemispheres tour. I had worn out copies of Rush 2112 and Farewell to Kings. I listened to interviews with Neal Peart where he explained the difference between being a star and just wanting to be a good player. Through the 80s and 90s, I followed U2 and saw how fearlessly they shared their beliefs and how they used their social platform to create good in the world. These were pivotal experiences in shaping my vision of what a successful musician was like.
WELCOME TO 2020!
Have the good fortune to write a good song, the good fortune to find musicians to play it, the good fortune to record it and the INCREDIBLY GOOD FORTUNE to have it streamed 100,000 times and Wow, you get paid $30.00! These are thrilling times when you can upload your music on streaming services without a record label, and share it with anyone in the world. The only slight problem is that millions of other artists are just as busy uploading their music and following their dreams. Having your music available on streaming services has about the same value as having your name in the phone book (not sure if phone books are still a thing).
SO WELCOME TO APRIL 2020!
Now the gigs we booked are a thing of the past. I haven’t heard anyone complaining how venues “just don’t pay like they used to” in months. Go on Facebook, and now everyone’s an entertainer. People are coming out of the wood work with their own “Can’t miss” podcast or Facebook live performance. We can’t, or shouldn’t even get together and jam if we are doing our part in social distancing.
SO WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?
What is the gift of music that we have been given really about? The emotion behind our song writing or the ability to play and sing the parts are timeless gifts and will always have value. The right thing to do for us is to use our music as a platform to help others. Sometimes you get caught up in the details and you forget about what is really important.
GIVE BACK!
THE PRAIRIE DOGZ have made an agreement with THE VETEREN’S ASSOCIATION FOOD BANK to raise money and help them out in any way that we can. My Grandfather fought in WW1 (pictured) and both Dwight and I are patriots and have great respect for people who have been in military service for our country. So from now on, you will see links on our social media and posts to help with donations and share the word about the good work this group of volunteers and vets are doing every day.
This is our silver lining. What an adventure we are on. So looking forward to seeing what happens next.
