Songs & Strings Tour Journal Autumn 2002, West Coast Michael DeLalla & Andrew McKnight November 3, 2002: The Playing's the Thing

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The West Hills UU Fellowship sevice was packed. Andrew and I continued our theme of "The Unexpected Gift of Change". Easy, given the gifts along this tour. The evening concert was pretty lightly attended--not how we wanted to end the tour, but a good time was had by all just the same.

After some brunch, Andrew and I accepted the gracious invitation of a couple from the congregation, Cristi and John, to come over and make use of their computers to get some journal entries up, pictures copied to disc for safekeeping, check email. The little bits of housekeeping that have to happen when on the road for extended periods. What warm and open souls Cristi and John are--a splendid way to spend our last afternoon, with their three kids filling the house with the business of uninhibited childsplay. I love that word, childsplay. As if there is really any other kind of play: the sense of play easily ebbs in adults, if they're not careful. Often, even if they are careful. Life happens.

We call what we do "playing". It's not a word I've always been comfortable with, especially after a concert when it does indeed seem like hard labor. But sometimes it's playful; it's sometimes plying craft; sometimes, it's downright plodding. Play. Ply. Plod. Even: Plea. I love what I do, but the days when it's actually playing, in the recreational sense, are rare indeed.

Enough pondering of the verb, on to the preposition. We often refer to playing "to" our audience. I've had some difficulty with that construct. Play "at"? Never. Play "for"? Sounds subservient. Play "to"? Where is the sense of reciprocity that I treasure with an audience? How about play "with"? I like the connotations of sharing. Thanks for coming out; I'd love to play this with you. Can you come in and play? Yes, I like this better, though I'm sure I won't be shaking a long-held tradition held by most of the musical world merely because I have been semantically challenged.

Time to go home.

Michael

Set List: 11/03 Songs and Strings Concert

West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Portland OR