Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

This past Sunday (5/27/07) I experienced one of those moments in life that you know even as it is still happening will have changed you forever by the time it is over.

It was a barely advertised concert, promoted with the following description: Unnamed Music and Comedy Show. The musical portion of the evening was to be supplied by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

The two were in the NY area performing at Town Hall all week as an opening act! Pretty last minute they must have added this date at Performance Space 122. I bought my ticket and went extra early because all tickets were general admission. Upon entering I could not believe the size of the room, and by that I really mean the lack of size of the room. There was no stage and there were chairs placed on the floor within arms distance of the mics that were set up. I took my seat in the front row and sat marveling at the fact that these two people who I have endless admiration for would soon be standing a mere two feet away from me.

For those of you who are not familiar with this duo let me give a quick preface. There is good music and there is music that truly moves you - moves through you and grabs you… stills you; this music is definitely the latter.

Gillian Welch is one of those people whose presence and charisma instantly draws you in. She is a natural beauty, and a woman who breathes self-confidence. Her voice is drenched with tone and inflection that impart a poignant honesty to the content of her words. There are no pretenses in this music; it is clear that these songs are birthed from experience and sincerity. The instruments and instrumentation were even humble; the strong tapping of Gillian's boot supplied a percussive quality and beyond that there were just two voices… two guitars.

David Rawlings, Gillian's other half, is a guitarist like no other… a musician like no other. Rather still, he is a portal, and through him an enchanting parallel universe is audibly glimpsed. If that description sounds a bit over the top then I would have to assume you have not heard him play. I would also have to assume you have not watched him play. With his eyes closed and his body swaying he takes you on a journey. Within what seems to be a subconsciously led stream he tells a story of his own, evoking a detailed picture. His sound is unmistakably his own… his improvisations are remarkable… he should be counted among the guitar giants of our time.

This was my first attendance of a live performance of theirs and they were every bit as impressive as their recordings, which I consistently devour. After the show I decided to stick around and see if I might be able to meet them, considering the overall intimacy of the evening. Sure enough they did come out and I did managed to stutter out a request for one of David's picks and a compliment or two… they were both extremely gracious individuals.

Days later I still have a sense of elation coursing through me; like I said, it was one of those moments in life that you know even as it is still happening will have changed you forever by the time it is over.

The Why

Semi-technically speaking, I met my first boyfriend in kindergarten… what constituted him as my boyfriend was basically the fact that he liked me… He taught me how to snap my fingers and attempted to teach me how to whistle. To this day I cannot whistle… To this day I have a soft spot for anyone who can teach me anything.

I often wonder though, why some people are/were put in my life. Can a completely insignificant act such as teaching a person how to snap their fingers be reason enough for the universe to guide their paths toward one another?

I believe that we draw things-people-circumstances to ourselves. From there we just have to be attuned to the why-the message-the lesson to be learned.

The Quest

So… Something most of you do not know about me…. I am a third degree black belt in Vadha Kempo karate.  It is a system based in reality; which is to say, no I don’t do jump spinning kicks, but I can kick your knee out and watch you fall helplessly to the floor ;-).  That being said: When most men find this out about me, they tend to declare, “I can still kick your ass” or the, oh so popular, question form “so what do you think you can kick my ass?” or any number of un-informed comments.

Well, I have some thoughts I felt like sharing on this topic.  First, just because you have a black belt of any level does not make you impervious to getting your ass handed to you.  However, just because I am 5’2 on a good day, about 100 pounds, and lest we forget a WOMAN, does not mean I cannot hurt you, and badly.

But, much more importantly… Studying a martial art is not about how many people you will be able to beat up.  It is an art form; it is a spiritual act; it is a way to push yourself to your physical limits; it is preparation for a time you hope never comes; it is a way to walk straight into the face of your fears, salute it, and stand to fight.  It is ultimately a quest to get to your core and live life as your truest self.