So grateful that we can get the band together. Grown-up Lives, children and “real” jobs, not to mention five disparate gig schedules, means ilyAIMY doesn’t get to get together NEARLY enough… but late last night Kristen Jones made band breakfast and put it in the fridge, then at 5.30am Joey Jenkins rolled in from his other gig and crashed so he could be here in time, I got up at 7 to make coffee and set up sound… Heather Lloyd rolled in at 9.30 or so, signaling it was time to wake Joey… Rowan Corbett and Sharif were right on her heels so’s we could get a couple of hours of practice in before Sharif had to go work! It’s a nightmare of logistics, but we get there… and the noise we make is SO worth it.
I still have no, have had no, and probably will never have a desire for kids, but ever since art school, where all my creative friends Lived close together in the HOTBED of art that was the Commons, I think I’ve always dreamed of Living in kind of a group home with all my favourite people, creating, arting, MAKING and LIVING together. Of course, very quickly we fragmented and went our separate ways. Such a dream in generally incompatible with the “American” one of owning your own home, the fantasy would’ve involved ME being the one to really throw down and create it, and fast enough for it to happen before everyone ran their separate ways, and it would’ve tied me down in a way that was incompatible with my OTHER desire to travel and tour… and so… everyone Lives EVERYWHERE, we’re scattered, and gatherings are rare, and creative group process is undermined by schedule and distance. Space and time.
All that goes to say that when band practices occur, especially in this weird a way, where timing is so tricky that we’re providing breakfast and Joey sleeps over and chaos ensues, it fills me with an extra warm sense of Love for these strange and wonderful people that I’ve shared ALMOST the majority of my Life with (barring newbies like Kristen and Joey). I Love the feeling of a full house, but it’s gotta be full with my MUSIC family…
