Living in coronavirusworld 188: The day begins and ends with music

 

10/14

heading out  to record

Spend most of the day in a recording studio in Queens. Recording my first collection of “topical” songs. One basically anti-trump, “We don’t roll that way;” one against walls, Berlin, the Rio Grande or Israel/Palestine; one about Covid 19 and another about Black Lives Matter. The hope is to get it done before next week’s “Vote” concert on Thursday night next week. I enjoy the process and Paul of Side Car Studios is bringing his own unique touch to the songs. It’s hard work, but as I listen to what we did, it’s getting  there. When I returned to writing music a few years ago, I didn’t write these kind of songs. Or sing them. I started feeling the need to start singing them with the 2016 Republican Convention. And this President pushed me into writing. Three this year. I feel more than ever the responsibility of artists to use their work in resistance to the power that stand in negation of beauty and truth. 

The President has called a halt to the census by which proportionate numbers of Congressional representatives are assigned. One more move dismantling democracy. Something new every day.

My mother has been moved to  a rehab facility. For her its completely disorienting. We can’t be with her to help her adjust. Covid quarantine. 

I sat on the short wall on the street in front of the Newtown Presbyterian Church for an Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing ZOOM meeting. The mayor is determined to remove the persons housed in the Lucerne Hotel. And have them  moved to the Wall Street area. I thought this might  be happening when I was in the Wall Street area Saturday and saw recruiting posters for the  Guardian Angels to “protect our neighborhood.”  Just like they did on the Upper West Side. A NIMBY (not in my backyard) group is forming in the Wall Street area with more money than the UWS NIMBY group.  The homeless persons in need of shelter are not wanted in Manhattan. And probably every other borough as well. If the mayor couldn’t handle the Upper West Side, how will he handle Wall Street?  Where else will our people in need of safe shelter be shuffled? 

Timmy's back

The egret may have gone, but Timmy the trombone player is back again. 

After 6 months of no music, Michael Geffner, former Village Voice music critic and open mic impresario with his Inspired Word series, has finally gone virtual. His shows draw almost equal numbers of spoken word and songwriters. And maybe the most reflective of the city’s diversity of any of the mics. Michael himself was down for several weeks with Covid. He considers himself blessed in his recovery.  We keep moving on. But so does the virus. 

The day begins and ends with music.