Music is a Responsibility...

Music is a responsibility... at least that is what I believe. I am sure that there are smarter folks & relativists that will argue with me.... but they seem to argue with everybody, so people don't much like them in the first place. They don't count.

Everyone has certain things that they are better at than others, "talents" if you will... and some people are really good at those things... so good that other people celebrate them for it. They want to watch them do their thing, hear them, meet them... and in some cases be them. The highest level of this is easily seen in our celebrity culture.

"...give them enough time, money & attention and they will all go "Britney"

MOST celebrities are miserable narcissistic a-holes...give them enough time, money & attention and they will go all "Britney" on us. Truth is...if we really knew them we probably would not like them, nor would we want to support them and certainly we would not want to be them. However, there are a few celebrities that see their talents not only as a way to live comfortably & get boost their ego... but they also feel a sense of responsibility to better the world. To name a few...Bill Gates, Bono, Angelina Jolie...even Dog the Bounty Hunter! You know... after Dog cusses the fugitive out...and threatens them with a giant can of pepper-spray with a trigger on it?!?! ... he always gives them a cig... and lets them use his cellphone to call and cry on the phone to their mom about how sorry they are... but not before giving them his personal testimony about his life of crime and encouraging them to give up their evil ways.

"Even Dog knows that there is more to life than being an ass-kicking celebrity with a reality show."

Even Dog knows that there is more to life than being an ass-kicking celebrity with a reality show. All these these "good" celebrities are more than likely still narcissistic a-holes (how could you not be with an awesome mullet like that?!)... but at least they are trying to use their gifts to make the world a better place. At least on the surface, they seem to know that it isn't all about them.

I don't condone everything that these celebrities do... but I do think that they are on to something here... I mean, what if we ALL used our gifts and talents for GOOD and not just for selfish gain? People with "ordinary" gifts do it everyday... folks at SafePlace working to end domestic violence & the folks at Austin Children's Shelter rescuing children out of life-threatening situations, providing shelter and counseling. Or my friend Jenn who supervises 8-10 teenage girls in a group therapy home here in Austin, helping them learn to heal from their past and cope with the disappointments of everyday life with out resorting to abuse or violence. -- these folks are my heros. Seems to me like we all have a responsibility here...somehow musicians get let off the hook. We are so in love with their talents... we give them a free pass to be self-consumed.

"Seems to me like we all have a responsibility here..."

If the folks at SafePlace & Austin Children's Shelter can do it... I think that musicians should do it. That is why I am apart of organizations like Music For The City... a local non-profit that allows Austin musicians to use their gifts to benefit Austin charities. Last year, myself along with 13 other Austin artists including: Alpha Rev, Band of Heathens, Quiet Company, The Soldier Thread... donated a song to the Music For The City Vol. 1 compilation, all proceeds go directly to benefit SafePlace & Austin Children's Shelter. You can pick up your copy today at Waterloo Records or order directly HERE.

I also have the opportunity to play some music for the folks over at Blue Dog Rescue who are celebrating their 10 year anniversary with a benefit on October 3rd @ the Ghost Room. I hear that there are going to be loads of musical artists including Teri Hendrix, Graham Wilkinson, Lloyd Maines as well as an artisan market to help them raise money to continue to help animals in need. Come out and support this great organization!

Music is a gift that we tend to hijack for selfish gain.... Music is something that makes our city one of the best cities in the world...Music is also a responsibility to leave this world in better shape than when we found it. I may not live this out perfectly, but God knows I am trying.