Jorma's Thoughts Page: Thoughts From Hillside Farm

Last Update: Sunday, January 4, 2009
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September, 2008

Thursday, September 04, 2008 Northampton, Massachusetts


As I age in my profession I never cease to be amazed at the relationship between artists and fans. I’m a fan too of many things and like many people I tend to focus on the ‘soundtrack of my life’ aspect of music that I like. The key word here is ‘tend,’ and my eyes and ears are always open to the excitement of new offerings. As an entertainer I sometimes wonder where a performer’s responsibility lie? Well, to be entertaining of course. That said, if we are lucky, we artists get to grow and change. I’m not talking about re-inventing myself… I don’t think that’s possible. My perspective does change, however, all the time. Things that were important to me as a man in my thirties are quite different from that which is important to me today.

Sometimes Jack and I choose to tour with an electric ensemble. Sometimes we come out as an acoustic trio. Why? Well, I guess the most important thing is that sometimes we want to play electric and sometimes acoustic. I love the multidimensionality of acoustic music. It is often more three dimensional to me. I also do it more so I guess I feel more au courant in that milieu. However, as I am constantly saying when asked, electric music is very powerful and seductive and I am certainly not immune to its allure. Hey, I get to do both… and I’m good at both. How cool is that?

Back to the relationship between the artist and the audience. Some audiences just want to be entertained at a show and that’s it. There certainly is nothing wrong with that. Depending on who I am seeing, that could be me. There is another side though. There are those who are really interested in the artist and are curious to see what they will come up with next. Obviously, I always sound like me and that’s good. I think what changes for me is not the substance of my work, but little subtleties in how I approach the music.

What does all this really mean? Probably not too much. Music is what I do, it is not who I am. It is a large part of my life and I certainly spend much of my time on it… but not all of my time. I have kids and family and my music is a part of their life they take for granted. It just is… and that’s good. We could all play and sing if we took the time out to learn how to do it. We should take the time out to learn how to do it. It beats TV, that’s for sure. I get paid to do it. How great is that?

I’ll be home soon. I won’t be playing four plus hours a day then… until the weekend, that is. I’ll be playing eight hours a day when I’m teaching at the Fur Peace Ranch the first weekend that I’m back. Hey, I’ll be playing music and talking about guitars. You know… I’m a lucky guy

Friday, September 11, 2008

It was a stunning day today. Not quite as blue as I remember this day seven years ago. That day started out as a Fall day to remember. The blue couldn’t have been bluer, the clouds couldn’t have been whiter. Even though technically still Summer, it felt like a Fall day. Blue, brisk but not chilly… the sights and smells of that day forever etched in my mind. I shan’t repeat the litany of tragic events. Most of us know them and I have written about this before. What I found to be amazing is how people tend to forget and event that has totally changed the life we knew on September 11, 2001. Now my son was only four years old then. It’s not going to affect him the way it should us adults. We Americans need to remember.

My friend David Weiss worked on the floor where the first plane hit. I’d like to think he transited instantly and without pain. He loved his family… he loved music and he loved to ride his motorcycles. My bud Jerry Bayha and I do an annual David Weiss Memorial Run every September 11th. Jerry puts his ten foot flags on the back of his bike and leads our little parade. We try to ride roads that I David would have liked and we have many of those here in Southeast Ohio.

We headed downriver towards the bridge to Huntington, West Virginia. Every little town we passed through had flags on every light post… after all, September 11th is Patriot’s Day. That said, few waved at us as we passed with our flags… but some did. In West Virginia the story was a little different. There were many vets and active service people who came over to talk to us. Not everyone has forgotten.

I live in a part of the country that has a very distinct regional dialect. I notice often that there elitists, usually on either coast, who make fun of the way people who live in the country talk. Now, I’m from the D.C. area and I don’t have much of an accent at all although one of my friends said he heard Southern Maryland in my speech. It’s possible… that’s where I’m from although it’s been a long time. I also catch static from some of my acquaintances when I wax patriotic. I am Patriotic. I would expect citizens of other countries to put their world first as I put mine. This is as it should be.

Anyway, at the end of the ride I looked up at the blue sky and just felt lucky to be alive. I thought of the bricks at the Ranch on the walkway that commemorate some of our many fallen heroes. Bels Belsen and Bob Kelly’s younger brother… some of the many first responders. I wish I knew more.

The unthinkable happened on September 11, 2001… but it is unthinkable no more. I’m just a guitar player and I don’t know what me must do to be prepared, but I know we must be prepared.

I love this country… rain or shine

Monday, September 22, 2008 Fur Peace Ranch

I was at the Ranch all weekend… it was the motorcycle weekend and I in addition to being the ‘road captain,’ was evening security. Fall is here and I always find Fall to be a reflective time and year wanes and the days grow shorter. Last and old friend from Sweden was at the Ranch. I met him in Stromsund in 1984 and now he is fifty years old, although thanks to his genetics, he looks much the same. We reminisced and a way that you do with old friends who have not been seen for a very long time. How’s you Mom and Dad? What is your sister doing? Has life been good to you?

This weekend Warren Haynes and Brian Farmer were our guests. Warren and I met… oh eight or nine years ago, but I feel as if we too are old friends. Jack was here, my oldest friend… and Spencer Bohren… another old friend of almost twenty years… and here we are… all connected by the music, our experiences in life and our families.

As I walked down the dark path at 0600 to the studio to take my shower, the stillness of morning in my woods surrounded me. I am, for now, where I have always wanted to be. I shall see my girls later today and I shall start getting ready for my trip to San Francisco.

I am definitely in the Fall of my life… I am coinciding with the season… we are one today. Soon the Fall foliage will be here yet one more time. The time of seasons grows shorter each year. Cousin Isabel just passed away as the old ones have a way of doing and I see in the mirror that I am becoming an old one myself and that is good.

I move around the camp more gingerly than I used to. ‘You don’t look like you’re almost 68 years old,’ a friend says. Well, I’m counting blessings on a regular basis. I need a few more good Summers, and Falls, and Winters and Springs. I’ll take what I can get.

Monday, September 29, 2008 San Francisco Airport

I just heard from Vanessa that my friend Ron Scott just passed away at home in Athens. Ron played with Alvino Rey. He also played on the Mayberry RFD theme. He was at our Ranch many times and he was a good friend. I will miss his spirit and the sound of his fingers on his old Gibson Byrdland. Indeed, sometimes life is more about saying goodbye than it is saying hello. I shall miss his presence indeed.

Fair winds and following seas brother Ron!