The Oppenheimer Report 8/5/19

As I tend to do on Thursday evening, I came in early for my Lyrical Workers show, so I could attend the “Live Drive Show”, hosted by my friend and fellow music lover, Silver Lake Joe Thompson. Every Thursday night, from 6pm-7pm, there is a live performance in the Hunters Bay Radio studio, often featuring local musicians. Last week’s guest was a local singer/songwriter, Trixie Freebird, whom I have come to know peripherally over the past several years. Accompanying her onstage were her son Sawyer, an up and coming young singer/songwriter, and two of my musical colleagues, Jeff Stamp and Juan Barbosa. I enjoyed their show. What I find particularly rewarding about these Live Drive shows is that I have a front row seat to the development of talent in our community.

I’ve known Stampy and Juan personally for over five years now. Both of them are musicians and songwriters I respect. There are a dozen or so other local artists about whom I feel the same, and I love watching them develop their respective crafts. While I don’t know Trixie well, I’ve spoken with her a few times over the years as we watched her son Sawyer perform. I remember seeing him busk in a local supermarket a few years ago, and Trixie seemed resigned, if not thrilled, that Sawyer hoped to make a career out of music. The performer I saw last Thursday night has grown by leaps and bounds, buoyed in part by the support of this local community. Sawyer was playing the new, handmade dreadnought guitar gifted to him by local luthier Claude St. Denis. I too own one of Claude’s beautiful guitars, and it made me smile to think that he gave one of those precious works of art to a young, upstart musician in our community. Who knows, maybe Sawyer will be the one to achieve his dream; I’m just happy he has one. Hunters Bay Radio and the volunteers who donate their time to it are doing so for one reason: to support their community. The one thing we have in common is that we do it together, and the collective effort gives a voice to the creative and talented. Everyone has a chance to participate in the dream of something bigger.   

I fear the concept of community is on life support. The sad news stateside includes two mass murders within 13 hours of each other. One took place in El Paso, Texas and the other in Dayton, Ohio. To say the least, these atrocities are worrisome. We talk so much about the enemies we face outside our borders, and the Orange Emperor would have us believe that it is those outsiders we need to fear. I blame his irresponsible, ignorant rants for unleashing, in fact validating, the worst that America has to offer, but he’s just the gasoline. Like the infamous Senator Joe McCarthy, he’s just one misguided fool in a position to stoke the flames. The fact is, the U.S is indelibly divided, and not just in two, but into a hundred factions. It seems apparent to me the cancer comes from within, and I wonder where it all began to spin out of control. Hatred is as old as the hills; but what will neutralize it? When did families break down? When did social media become our reality? How and when did we become so intolerant and hateful?

I don’t know the answers those questions. I think there is nefarious going on here. Trixie, who is very spiritual, suggests it has something to do with the moon and the alignment of the stars. I’m not sure about that, but last week I felt the weight of the world upon my shoulders. Music is my community. Shauna and I feel strongly about its ability to heal and unify. What brings YOU together?

Written by Jamie Oppenheimer ©2019
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
jamieoppenheimersongwriter@gmail.com

Jamie Oppenheimer, Songwriter, Author, Blogger, Radio Producer, & Host has been writing THE OPPENHEIMER REPORT every MONDAY since 1992 and has published the articles on his blog since 2006. We are including Jamie's weekly reports, as a new feature of #HuntersBayRadio, The Bay 88.7FM.
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