Sonoma musicians look forward to making music again

JM Berry checks in wth some local musicians|

Well, what a couple of weeks. We’re going to get through this short piece without once using the “F” word, and we don’t mean Facebook. As with after many disasters, musicians and musical fundraisers have become part of what is expected – for many reasons beyond just raising money, but for camaraderie, a sense of normalcy and something to just get your mind off what just went down. A disaster like this would take 10 Sonoma Music Festivals to make a large impact financially and immediately, but we will be at this for a long time, like months and years. It’s the small fundraisers that will go on for some time that will continue to help.

Although many musicians missed income from gigs, many we know lost all they owned too, including all their gear, which makes it tough to go out and make a living if that living is being a performing musician.

Things will never be the old “normal” again, but there will be a new normal, which as many move back from being evacuated, we are moving toward now, and many local musicians are already asking “What can we do? Let’s put on a show. Who’s going to coordinate all this?” There is one answer. All of us.

A number of Sonoma Valley musicians are in a closed Facebook group called Sonoma Valley Musicians Resources, created by local Timothy Benton, and there we are helping our fellow musicians connect with gear, coordinating impromptu gigs at evacuation centers (thank you Sean Carscadden, Casey Jones and his band students, SVHS freshman Antionio Valentine...) and wanting to do more. How do they connect with you, you with them? Well, I’m not good at some things, but coordinating and organizing seems to be something I am good at. So, with that, if you are a musician looking to connect with others, or an event or fundraiser looking to connect with musicians to play, I am offering to be that point person. Use my e mail, jmberry@sonomamusic.com or even connect on Facebook at the Sonoma Valley Music page or my personal page. It’s public and you can even send me a message without friending me up.

We will get through this together Sonoma, and be bigger and stronger in the long run, which will be a long run. There will be trying times, for all, some more than others. Let’s remember to cut everyone a little slack, say Hi, or just smile. Who knows what they’ve been going through and let’s heal a bit through music.

See you at a show soon.

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