String Theory Media

Blues for Doc Watson

I saw Doc Watson for the last time in late July of 2011 at the Ryman Auditorium, a place I’d seen him perform magnificently on at least two prior occasions. The venue was ideal, but Doc was not in perfect shape. At the time he was 88 years old, and he showed signs of decline. He lost his place in several tunes and struggled with lyrics that he’d been singing for decades. But he got rolling nicely on his acoustic version of Merle Haggard’s “Working Man Blues” and then he sang “I Am A Pilgrim” with the life-affirming calm and inner light that defined him. It was reassuring. He also sang a verse of that song I didn’t know:

"Now when they laid me down for the last time

 With these tired hands resting on my breast

I don't want none of that all weeping and crying over me

because you know this old boy is going to rest."

I don’t mean to contradict a good man’s sincere wishes, but that’s not so easy right now.

hearing differences: my TEDx Nashville talk

Happy to say that TEDx Nashville has posted the video of my talk there from March 31. The theme of the day's events was "Making A Difference," so I pulled together some ideas I'd been sketching for some time into a talk I called "Hearing The Difference: Accidental Lessons in Listening." I was motivated by my belief that for young people growing up outside of musically inclined families, our culture, media and schools offer up very few if any opportunities for discovery of our aural universe and engaged ways of listening to music, the world and each other. In coming days I'll post some of the other lessons in listening that I couldn't squeeze into this talk. In the meantime I hope you enjoy this and if you do, please share it with friends. 

 

I'd also love to hear from you about your own epiphanies in listening. It would be great to compile them one day into a book.