Music and the Farmers' Market

What does music have in common with the Farmers' Market?

This past year, I've had a little epiphany regarding the state of music in general, and the state of my own music. As an artist, I've enjoyed plenty of diverse success, making my mark in many different genres and settings across our city and state. As a businessperson, I've also enjoyed success, albeit disguised as failure in some ways, but success nonetheless as lessons learned and self-awareness/life awareness gained. Spiritually and creatively, it's with sanity not vanity, gratitude not greed, that I count myself as one of the wealthiest artists that I know, even though this hasn't equalled mega-millions of dollars or earthly star-studded accolades.

So with the music world spinning out of (and I believe ultimately back into) control, I have needed to touch base with myself once again, and re-examine what I aspire to be about as a musician, and as a human, and how it is meant for me to live out those values, visions, and dreams.

Long story short, this brings me to the Farmers' Market. What do we always see as the "catch-phrase" for supporting these grassroots gatherings? It is this: think globally, act locally.

How much sense would it make for me, a Des Moines/Highland Park dweller, to buy my groceries on an ongoing basis from some impersonal faraway grocery stores in Nashville, New York, and Hollywood? My grocery haunt is Linn's on 6th Avenue, where it sounds like somebody's boom box is the overhead music source, and they cut fresh meat on site every day--adorable, unpretentious, and right down the street from where I live.

As absurd as that question might seem, this is precisely what we have been conditioned to do regarding our artistic expression of, and audience support of, music; specifically our purchase and consumption of our "musical groceries." Maybe it's my experience as a small business leader that has tattooed me with this new perspective, but I'm proud to say that my support of local businesses and local musicians, while always high, is on a vigorously exponential increase.

Des Moines is a city with world-class musical talent of its own that is deserving of enthusiastic, committed support. Am I a fan of Sheryl Crow? Sure, but I'm an even bigger fan of our own jazz legend Susie Miget. Am I a fan of Justin Timberlake? Of course (to my husband's constant chagrin), but I'm an even bigger fan of our own internationally renowned organ genius Sam Salamone. Do I get into the occasional Beyonce groove? Yes indeed, but I will follow Gwen Page Schlepphorst's keyboard (Mooseknuckle/Floodplane) anytime, anywhere I can sit under the spell of her exuberant jammy brilliance.

Brandon and I are humble enough to know that as humans, we seem to screw up far more than often than not, and seem to be wrong far more often than right. On this particular sentiment, however, I think we're getting it; and are eager to do our best, as artists, as businesspeople, as ordinary/extraordinary citizens of our city and the world, to be role models of this concept in the best of ways.

Remember the Farmers' Market (whether it be melons or especially music):

think globally, act locally.