musical city

Is it procrastination, or is it seizing the moment while the thought is fresh?

I have my theology readings open on my lap; I have Sun Radio playing along. They’ve chosen a live version of a familiar song, and the singalong portion catches my attention: they’re dragging. The audience is slowing down the tempo, which they frequently do.

I remember our session on Live From Here, when the musicians prompted the audience to clap along. And as happens here, an entire auditorium–hundreds of people–clap on a crisp two/four beat. Not dragging, or rushing (which is what large groups tend to do with claps). Steady, precise, and tailing off as those on the stage shifted tempos. Thile commented that we’d earned our “music capital” title with that precision.

It’s far from the only time I’ve had that audience experience. It’s as if Austin is a community of musical people, whether they participate in the music-club scene or not. So whenever they’re invited to make music, they do it well and joyfully.

How does that happen? Do we self-select for musically-minded folk? Are there enough musicians, proportionately, to subtly educate the rest?

However it works, it’s glorious… and has spoiled me forever.

   

Annnd now back to this chapter from Mayra Rivera’s The Touch of Transcendence. Else I truly will be procrastinating!

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