John Taylor: Take a chance on live music; it's worth it
Not all that long ago, nearly every small town had a variety of businesses that catered to nearly every need. Small cities had bustling downtown areas and larger cities had neighborhood shops in addition to business districts.
For the most part, there was very little need to travel outside the area where you lived for goods or services. Most people worked near where they lived and spent significant portions of their days interacting with those in the area. A trip to the supermarket was a chance to not only pick up groceries, but also see many familiar faces, catch up with friends and hear local news.
Although these brief and seemingly insignificant interactions were once commonplace, they are now mostly a thing of the past, as businesses have closed for good, forcing people to travel more for work, shopping, and entertainment. The average experience nowadays is much less social and the interactions we have often lack the depth that comes with interacting with another person on a regular basis. During a trip to a store, it is not uncommon to not see a single person I recognize and, if I use self-checkout, I might walk out without even speaking to another human being.
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From the beginning of human existence until relatively recently, survival required people to come together to endure hardships, overcome challenges and work toward common goals that made the lives of the entire group better. The current generation of children are being born into a world where bedroom communities have become the norm. To some, their homes have become little more than a place where their parents come home to sleep and prepare for the next day. Once a necessity of life, opportunities to gather, meet, and form relationships with others in a community are now few and far between.
I mention these things, not to be nostalgic or to paint a picture of doom and gloom, but to acknowledge the fact that the world is continually evolving and yet, while change is inevitable, there are some timeless truths. I believe human beings always have been and always will be social creatures. Beyond needing one another to survive, we need each other to live rich and fulfilling lives. Feeling alone, disconnected and without purpose are all outcomes of social isolation. While it may not be as necessary or convenient as in the past to interact with others in the communities we live in, opportunities still exist, and I wholeheartedly believe it is worth any extra effort required to get out and meet others.
Personally, one of my favorite ways to get out in the community is to attend concerts. Believe it or not, per capita this area has one of the best live music scenes in the world, especially when it comes to artists performing original music and all ages and family friendly concerts.
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The reasons why I love live music are too many to list here, so I will touch on some of the high points: First, and probably the most obvious, is that live music is entertaining. Touring musicians have spent countless hours honing their craft and go to great lengths to bring their music to the masses, and I almost always leave a concert entertained. The feeling of awe created by seeing a master of their craft perform live never gets old; it is the same feeling you get seeing a skilled magician perform a trick. By supporting these folks, you are also helping them to travel to other areas, creating opportunities for people to get together, be entertained and more well-connected across the world.
In addition to being entertained, I have found leaving the house for any period of time and for just about any purpose is a great break from daily routines. There will always be things that need to be done and programs to watch on Netflix; unless I am working on something truly time sensitive, I have learned to welcome breaks from the norm. Above all, the reason I love hosting and attending live music events the most is for the social aspect. Music knows no boundaries. It has the power to bring everyone together, regardless of age, education, race, social status, income.
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I have met so many wonderful people who I would have otherwise most likely never met. Many of these people have gone on to become close friends. They have brought and continue to bring joy and richness to my life: we celebrate good times together and support each other during challenging times. We dream of what could be and work on projects together. Many of the people I have met attending concerts have had vastly different life experiences than I have, yet music and experiences we have shared are a common thread that binds us, while it may seem we have little in common otherwise.
Through these experiences I have found compassion and appreciation for all others, not just those who think, act, and/or look like me. While it may not be convenient and maybe even a little intimidating, I encourage everyone to take a chance on live music.
John Taylor is president of Levitt AMP Galva Music Series. He lives in Cambridge, Illinois, with his family. This column is part of the Many Paths series of columns.
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: John Taylor: Galesburg IL, take a chance on live music; it's worth it
