Sounds & Chords = ESL

For a few years now, I've had this magical draw to Sweden & Norway. Not for reasons that maybe most people have. Mine main reason was from meeting some Norwegians in Georgia. They kept visiting California after that...and I couldn't fathom going that far north for the longest time. Then one day I decided to just go there. Play a show in a few towns with local musicians... and learn about the people making this beautiful music that I couldn't get out of my head. The main thing has been noticing the similarities and types of people that I've met. There really is something to be said about finding the 'you' in different cities. Having energy-based connections to people that have not been raised speaking your native tongue. But rather have been raised conditioned on learning English as a tool in hopes that it will be useful to you to benefit from. In Sweden, English is their official second language. ESL. Obviously it has been helpful to me- but I've also met many a Swede that doesn't speak English very well (as well as other foreigners).... It's those people that I've connected to the most, which is strange- but looking at it in this way- makes sense. The people have mostly all been musicians. Being a musician as well, I think we all belong in this 'club'- where we've chosen to slightly live in this other plane. The place where sounds are words. Where emotions are chords. The chords and sounds have been the conversation. I am a magnet to the ESL folks. I have figured out the way to speak that doesn't involve all of the slang. It's difficult, Californians are sooooo into slang I've realized. I'm back in California. After 4 years of moving around every 2 months and collectively spending 8 months in Scandinavia, I am yearning for all of my friends over there to come and experience California. Slowly, people are making their way over here. So happy that by being a musician, this also allows you to travel so much. Thankfully, my friends are able to tour and this brings all of us together in strange cities and odd times. I had a discussion yesterday with a friend from Bergen, and he was saying that he felt that there was something missing in his life. I have also had this feeling for months now. We both agreed it was the feeling of missing a community- a 'village.' Like college, where you are surrounded with people chasing the same tiger. The self-education tiger. Together, we will be the ones. We also discussed this idea that it seems the more we travel, the more we see how much we're missing out on. It brings loneliness. On the opposite side of loneliness, the traveling, the touring, the exploring, brings together so many like-minded people that it's difficult to come down from that. People, perhaps, are not meant to see this much. So let's continue to build a village. Remember to stay in touch. Thankfully, I just got an email this second from Jenny Wilson in Sweden saying that she will come to California for the first time in March. Look for a Rubies/Jenny Wilson show that will bring people together by sounds and song. I hope we sound like a village. I'm on the 'staying still' plan. Come to California.
I'm posting this picture again. A picture I took in Bergen in 2007 after recording some songs and riding a bike along the water.


Jenny Wilson. Coming to California!