This past weekend, I ran the Jingle Bell 5k in Franklin, TN. The funds we raised supported the Arthritis Foundation, and participants wore little jingle bells on our shoes – which makes for a very noisy race! Some runners wore jingle bell necklaces, earrings, headbands, others wore costumes… needless to say, it was quite a spectacle!
After the race, I stayed in the area for some Christmas shopping down Main Street. As I made my way from store to store, there were a few people along the way providing some musical entertainment. First, I passed a young woman playing Christmas songs on her flute. Her music created the perfect atmosphere for the season. I continued down one side of the street, and made my way back toards the square (although it’s really a circle, but it sounds weird to say that) and came across two young people singing and playing guitar and drum.
I felt bad that I didn’t have any cash or even coins that I could give to them. Here they were, spending their Saturday afternoon playing for anyone that would listen. Playing for even just a little jingle in their pocket.
It’s a crazy thing, wanting to be a musician. You spend a lot of time, and money working to be the best you can be. It takes a long time to truly break even. But it’s musicians like this, that do it for the love, the passion we have. We know we might not ever make it to the big leagues, or break sales records like Adele or Taylor Swift. There is a burning desire in us to share the music that moves us, with the hope that it just might move you too.
The Culver Project 