All musicians are storytellers. But, still, you have a sacred law. Do you know what it is? I think all musicians have the same sacred law and the same passion. It has to do with rhythm and sense and poetry and prose. Poetry is the poetica. Music is the musica. Art is the artista. All musicians are poets and artists. All artists are musicians and poets. All poets are artista and musica. Not everyone is a maestro. Only a few of you are. And probably most you that are have been called autistic. Which means you are artistic. Still, not many maestros. But certainly a lot of autistic artists and musicians and poets. All you ever did was hear way too much music for the world to be comfortable with you. Lots of times you heard the screaming. I did, too. Mine came as bad words. It’s okay, loves. Really, it is. Be artists, now.

So, your sense is in your belly. If you find yourself to be a one hit wonder then you are severely deprived of rhythm. It’s not the rhythm in your guitar or your feet or your hands it’s the rhythm coming from your heart through your belly. So, I have something simple for you to try to open up to the music of Pan. Put on your capo. Find the absolute lowest note you can sing with your capo on. Then sing without your capo, “Let the mystery be,” by Iris Dement. Just the chorus “bunch of carrots and little sweet peas” or the whole thing through. Now, find a snack somewhere, make it pretty, pour a drink because you need to work.

The rhythm of your heart and your verses for your writing are the same exact thing, musica. Everyone that is a musica is capable of writing a song about the river. If you have no song about the river yet, start there. The reason every musica has a seminal song about the river is because music in our fingers and our feet and our hearts is like water. Listen to Danny Schmidt play his guitar with his voice and you will understand water. Listen to George Jones and you will understand earth. Listen to John Prine and you will understand duets. Listen to Kris Kristofferson and you will understand magic.

The heartbeat is like the bass. The bass is the thrum, then. The thrum is the life force. Thomas Gunn and Teri Allard and Jackson Pollock have a way of chatting that creates a music room. The music room is the place we hardly ever get inside except when we’re singing alone. When we need to go into the music room, what should we do? If we were going to our writing room we would prepare our space, light our candle and make our tea in our pretty mug. So, if we need our music room we have to prepare our space. This time it’s not about what we see, but about what we feel. Never pick up your instrument if your heart is not centered. That actually really hurts Rachel’s feelings a lot.

To center your heart take a moment of quiet to yourself, breathe, pause and give thanks for the beauty you are about to create. Remember who you are. Your followers need you. Desperately. So few people have the stage presence that you have. The leads are necessary to the earth. So put on your best shoes and go to your music rooms and work. I can’t imagine what will come forth. Can you?

One more thing, if you feel at all like you are straining drop it lower in your cadence. You know what to do. You are masters. Have fun, wish I could join you. Don’t forget to eat and drink!!🍷🥃